Standard MMO controls are horrible.

Champions Online has convinced me that the standard MMO control scheme, of picking a target, then using the chosen power on it, is horrible. It only works because most MMOs are fairly slow games. If I want to do something a little more complicated than just attacking the same target repeatedly, it becomes a nightmare. Most action games would be almost unplayable using the MMO standard UI. Losing a fight because I can't get the controls to do what I want them to, is not a fun way to play.

I need a way to make my buttons/keys do what I want them to, independant of what character I'm choosing as my target. I want to be able to hit the heal button, to heal someone who's injured, and not have to target them first. I want to be able to give each power a separate and independent targeting system that they use when clicked/pressed/activated. I'd like to be able to have my debuff powers automatically pick targets who don't have the debuff yet.

Champions Online has made progress with the auto-target system, but whenever I try to do something other than just charge in and beat stuff up, I find myself fighting with the controls and the system, more than with the enemies.

(Posted while in a very bad mood after some very frustrating attempts to use the healing drones, and the charged heal)

Looking forward to Champions Online.

What I've seen of Champions Online through previews, and developer interviews, has made me rather excited about it. However, most of my excitement comes from the desire to really delve into the character creation and figure out how all the various power options in the game work. I've often had great fun messing with character creation in CoH, and in fact, I find the creation and experimentation to be my favorite part of CoH, and often the only reason I play. Champions Online promises an even greater amount of creative freedom, and the ability to mess around with things a lot more.

What I fear, is that I will run into the same problem I always run into. My enjoyment of the game will come almost entirely from the creative aspects, and actual gameplay will become the chore that must be done to enjoy the parts I love.

One example of the sort of problem I've had in the past was Diablo II. I'd get the idea to try building a character around a certain power. Sometimes it would be a power available early, and it'd be great. Other times, it'd be something only available late, and I'd have to try slogging through the game long enough to get there. Often, I'd get bored first, and never finish my concept. I have a lot of incomplete Diablo II characters that never managed to really explore the concepts I had built them for.

Written on 20090711 (yyyymmdd)