User Interview: Deacon of the Coalition

Why was Deacon the character you chose to represent you in DCUO?

Deacon is actually a character that I created way back when in the 2nd or 3rd grade. Throughout the years. I’ve always wanted to see him in some type of game and now I’m basically a hair away from having something that I’ve always wanted to come true.

What's your previous Superhero MMO experience?

This will actually be my first-ever MMO. Never even touched them and I probably wouldn’t have played this if it wasn’t on PS3. Depending on how this experience goes, I may consider becoming a permanent MMOer.

Were you influenced at all by comics and tabletop RPGs?

Comics have had a heavy influence on Deacon. What actually prompted me to create Deacon (whose name back in the day used to be Fire Dragon) was Double Dragon. Me and my friend loved the concept of the game but we were tired games where you could only play a white super hero. So we created “The Dragon Brothers.”  Yeah, I know. I admit that it was corny but we were like 11 and 12 years old but along with a completely rewritten concept, I also renamed the title of my comic to “The Genome Soldiers.“ Sounds a lot better, don’t you think?

Is DCUO the realization of a long-time dream for many hardcore fans of Comics and RPGs?

Yes, it is very much so. It has always been a dream of mine to become a video game developer and and put the characters me and my friend created into a beat ‘em up extravaganza but this is the next best thing to that.

What made you pick a Vigilante versus your standard Hero or Villain?

Well, since Deacon’s inception, I’ve never shied away from having him ending a bad guys life if it was necessary, but as time went on, this created storyboard problems. With the rewritten concept, Deacon no longer kills but I love the grounded feel of a street level hero and always having to watch his shoulder for the cops. Also, it is my belief that all so called heroes are vigilantes by definition because they all take the law into their own hands. Even Superman is a vigilante as much as he would deny it.

What's your opinion of Hero .vs. Hero conflict in DCUO? 

I’m all for it. This would add some many possibilities for those of us that like to role play. It just seems like something that should be natural in a world where one man or woman could have the power of a WMD. Don’t you think?

It seems like The Coalition are more street-level characters like Batman and Robin or Rorschach, why? 

I’m a fan of heroes who are more grounded in reality than someone like Superman. God-like characters are very uninteresting to me because usually writers have to make up some extraordinary event to present any real type of danger to a character like that. Whereas a character like Rorschach can killed by a well placed bullet. In the end, does good at the risk of losing his own life than a hero who is nigh-invulnerable and doesn’t necessarily risk anything to do the same.

What's your take on Hero or Villain loyalty? Would you create a bad-guy character? 

More than likely not. I’m going to be very dedicated to my hero. If I ever get extremely bored I may do it but I don’t see that happening with new content supposedly being released every month. Also, it would depend on what our league wanted to do but I don’t see that happening.

How were you introduced to DCUO? 

My first time seeing it was on an episode of Qore on PSN back in early ‘08. When I saw it back then I was like, “what the hell is this garbage?” Even though I felt like that at the time, I also realized that the game was still early on in development so I decided to check up on it every so often and the latest showings have me getting this game on Day 1. Hell, I even have two copies on pre-order right now because my girl wants to get in on the fun too.

How does DCUO avoid the pitfalls of games like City of Heroes/Villains and Champions Online?

Since I haven’t played those games fully (just demoed) I can’t really say. I can say that for Champions Online, the character creator seems to be a bit lacking but that could because I hadn’t purchased the full game. Also, from what I hear with those two games, there were a lot of people who ruined the immersion of the game by making characters that weren’t very hero like or just plain retarded. It seems like there are already things in place to prevent the latter from happening and the character create looks great. 

Let's say DCUO introduced Guild Wars/Matches (where teams of "supers" could organize and battle each other) in the coming months? Would it be a Good or Bad thing?

It would definitely be a good thing and like I was saying before with the hero vs. hero thing, it would be great for role-playing or just beating the crap out of a group of heroes that you don’t necessarily like. Either way it goes, I see it as a win-win situation.

If you could take down one DCUO NPC Villain, who would it be?

I would probably take down Bane because everyone loves a David vs. Goliath type story. You know what I mean?

Which player-controlled evil-doer would you put behind bars? 

Exotherm is definitely on Deacon’s shit-list. In an RP I got to do with him, he ended up killing the thugs that Deacon was trying to apprehend, destroyed a 52 story building with his sword, and made Deacon and the Enforcer look like the culprits. Yeah, he’s gotta go down. Lol!

What are the three things DCUO can implement to keep you as a long-time player? 

Dynamic events, custom soundtrack, and huge comic-book cross-over events. 

In the same vein, what three things can guarantee you won't be around long? 

Balancing issues with combat that aren’t taken care of in a reasonable amount of time, constant issues with players cheating, and lack of content.

If you could have one dream game feature, what would it be? 

Premium created costumes.  Yeah you can cobble a costume together out of what DCUO provides to you but having a costume you designed worn on your character in-game would be even better.

What other game elements are a MUST in DCUO? 

The biggest thing to me would be player vs. player interaction. Being able to talk to fellow heroes is already in game but being able to talk smack to a villain you just put down would be a must as well.

What unconfirmed new DCUO content would you like to see? 

I would really love to see a custom soundtrack feature added to the game and an immersive take on secret identities because we all know, heroes/villains don’t do their thing 24/7. They should have at least a small nuance of a normal life outside the costume.

If there was one change you could make to DCUO in its current form, what would it be?

I would love to see more than just three options for the male and female body types. I think they should add at least two more body types to each sex but three would be a very good number.

In your opinion, what is DCUO's greatest strength?

It’s not even the license that’s the strongest thing to me. The fact that this is a super hero MMO that’s going to be on a console is its biggest strength to me. I could’ve played CO or COH but since it was computer only, I stayed away from it. I have no problem paying money every month to play the game but it has to be on my game console of choice for me to pick it up.

What weakness hurts DCUO the most? 

One of the weaknesses is that you only have heroes and villains in the game. What about those of us who are more of a “gray/anti-hero?” An option to choose a neutral alignment or to choose to be a Vigilante would be nice, even if the title doesn’t really serve any real purpose. I want everyone to know what type of hero I am and the two choices we have doesn’t cover the entire realm of possibilities.

What are you on the lookout for in the Beta? How important is BETA Feedback? 

I can’t stress enough how important feedback is on the beta. With games like MAG or Dead Space 2 where they allow or allowed you to participate in their betas, feedback isn’t really that important to people because if the game comes out and it sucks, you can trade it in and get some of your money back. It isn’t the same for an MMO because you’re paying for access every month so it’s important you help to ensure the game doesn’t come out broken and unbalanced before you start throwing money at it.

We recently suggested how much a well done Arch-Enemy/Nemesis system ( http://tinyurl.com/36wqj3g ) could add to the game, what say you? 

This could add another welcomed dynamic mechanic to the game. I would love to see this implemented, in a smart and balanced way that is.

Why isn't the Vigilante archetype included in the current version of DCUO? 

I think first and foremost that it’s a design decision. Draw a very clear line between the two factions that’ll be participating in the game. Also, from what I’ve seen, there aren’t very many vigilantes that are well known in the DC Universe so the game is somewhat of a reflection of that.

Is a Danger Room/Training environment where we can match-up and practice against other heroes (or AI) a necessity? 

Yes. I’d want to hone my skills in a simulator type deal rather than go out into the field and have my head kicked in every time I attempt PVP. 

What comic-book character was the biggest influence on your creation of Deacon? 

As far as the costume design goes, it was influenced mainly by Spider-Man and Deadpool. I grew fond of web gear while I was in the Marines so I decided to add that into my design as well. As far as Deacon’s personality and character goes, he’s pretty much a fictional version of myself except with super powers.

You were one of the first people to submit user-fiction to our blog, why do you think this plays such a big role in our community? 

RP stories is something that is great to use as a development tool to help flesh out your character. Plus it’s a lot of fun.

PVP or PVE server, and why? 

Hmmmm…. Right now I’d say PVE. The reason being is that you have the option to flag yourself for PVP if you decide to do that but if you’re just trying to get to the next area to start on a mission. On the other hand, nothing can beat the dynamic feel of being on PVP server. Always on the lookout and never knowing when someone is going to toss a car at you. As of right now, the Coalition hasn’t made any definite decisions as to what server we’ll be on though.

Who would you look forward to matching up with in a well-done Guild Wars system?

I’m not sure about this one, so I can’t give you an answer right now but that doesn’t mean I’m scared to call names. People who may’ve played MAG and have heard of me know that I’m not afraid to call out names. Get back to me once we hopefully get into beta and rub knuckles with a couple of folks. I’ll give you your answer then. 

What new things would you like to see in Character Customization? 

I’d like to see an option to put more accessories on my character. Like a leg pouch or something.

Is it difficult to "begin anew" with a character that you've worked so hard to develop over time? 

It actually isn’t. Deacon had his powers before Lex Luthor released the exobytes on Earth. I’m writing my back-story for this version of Deacon so that he lost his powers once the exobytes hit and he is in the midst of gaining his powers back. Also, you can just say this is a DC version of your original character as well.