However, with the deployment of the "kitchen sink" patch, most gamers have experienced more lag in all zones, some characters are locked in Lemuria, unable to log in, and there are issues with the crafting systems. If all of that wasn't bad enough, Cryptic Daeke has confirmed that Vibora Bay will be a "paid expansion" which will add more content for levels 37 to 40 -- a move which has sent many members of the community into what can only be described as "a frothing rage."
Logging into the game revealed a wave of emotion going across the zone chat channel in Millenium City, with many players complaining about poor performance, rubber banding, and "server not responding" messages in all zones. Crafting systems are also taking a hit as well, as apparently crafting tables are consuming materials but are not outputting any crafted items. If you're a player who was thinking about doing a little crafting work, the word on the street seems to be "Don't, just don't."
Meanwhile, discussion of Vibora Bay has now dominated the forums. While some players look to the addition of content as a good thing, a clear majority of players are displeased with how Cryptic is handling the new addition.
Turning Vibora Bay into a piece of paid content seems to be the fuel that keeps this fire going. Players who possess lifetime subscriptions aren't happy that they have to pay for what looks to be a content patch of level 37-40 material, while the general population doesn't want to pay for a piece of content that's being released just a few months out from the game's launch.
However, there are others who are asking for the community to be patient and find out exactly what Vibora Bay holds for players before passing judgement on the new "expansion." It is also worthy to note that Cryptic has not released a price point on Vibora Bay yet, although Daeke has said that Vibora Bay is a single zone and will be "priced accordingly."
All of this discussion on updates has also re-ignited a discussion on the C-Store, as Cryptic's microtransaction shop hasn't seen any updates in a while. Daeke has confirmed that more items will be added to the C-Store, however this too has lead some players to believe that the only updates they may see will be in the form of paid content and not free patches.
All in all, it's troubling times for Champions Online. Cryptic developers are looking into clearing up the issues caused with the latest patch, and there's still more information coming on how much Vibora Bay will be adding to the game, so here's to looking to the future.
We've contacted Cryptic Studios for a statement, and will issue an update once we hear from them.
[Thanks to everyone who sent in a tip on this!]
