For those of you who want to get some inside tips on DC Universe Online, the new MMORPG that allows you to play as a superhero or supervillain, we spoke to DCUO Game Director Chris Cao. He was more than willing to oblige, giving us a range of things to think for newbies or a seasoned veterans of games like these.
Remember The Basics
This might be things that all MMORPG players know, but it’s something to keep in mind especially if you’re a new player to this genre of gaming.
– Choose a server that matches what kind of gameplay (PvP or PvE) you want. There’s a difference in this game: You don’t want to be attacked left and right if all you want to do is finish quests.
– Blocking, breaking out and dodging attacks are especially important; don’t just stand there and take it. Blocking in DCUO not only allows you to fend off an attack, it stops the combos of the other person and makes them fall down, making the course of the fight change in your favor.
– Don’t forget to activate your quest. Though you always will default to the main quest of the game, if you decide to embark on side projects (or happen to complete one randomly) switch your settings so you can find out where to turn in for your reward.
– Your weapons don’t upgrade automatically so if you collect some green loot that tells you have a plus damage per second upgrade, make sure to equip it before your next fight.
And now some tips for those of you know the ins and outs of MMORPGs…
Know Your Role
Everyone has a damage role, but there are special mods (tank, healer, controller) to give you different abilities. If you’re a healer, however, don’t just stand in the back and heal your teammates: Get in the fight. Cao emphasizes that this is an action game so everyone needs to be fighting. If you just take blows and not join in on the attack so you can focus on healing, you’re making the game more difficult for your team especially if you are constantly taking damage. Expect controllers to be fighting on the outskirts – they oversee the team – to keep enemies under control and restore power. Damage players will be sprinkled throughout the fight but can easily switch from one role to another so keep that in mind.
Keep A Lookout
Collections and investigations – those “glowy blue and green things” – are important to complete because they give you additional gear. Some things you can find? “You can get a Napoleon hat doing a quest, a cool set of wings doing this race and emblems on your chest doing certain races,” Cao said. We wanted more specifics… but that would ruin the fun of the game.
Jump In Feat First
From collecting different styles to exploring to shopping from the vendors, you can get feats (achievements) that give you skill points that help you increase your character’s abilities. “It’s sort of a hidden power,” Cao said. Best way to use it? It’s all about deception. Cao has a level 15 character that has a ton of skill points from feats that makes his character more advanced than the average player at his level. He uses him to trick other higher level players into attacking him. Enemiesstart a fight and find out his character is much more strong than they assume, creating an easy kill.
It Pays To DCover
Fans of DC get an added bonus when it comes to finding feats. Visit Crime Alley and look for some roses where the Waynes were murdered and complete a feat; same goes for finding the bat signal on the top of the police building. There’s a crater scar from Superman’s crash landing that has been overgrown with moss that will give you a feat if you can find the spot. Every DC reference usually has a feat tied to it, so if you remember where certain iconic buildings and items were from the movies, comic books or TV shows then you can get some skill points. Our favorite? Ambush Bug, the character who always breaks the fourth wall, is sprinkled throughout from the tutorial to random points in the game doing his thing. If you find all instances of him, you get a special prize. There are about 100 feats in the game right now, but they plan on expanding so expect more in the future.
Dress For Success
Your reward armor depends on your mentor. If you want a certain look, you should take a look at your potential garb. You can see what you can earn in the Hall of Doom or the Watchtower in your mentor’s respective wing. Also, if you choose Batman/Joker, expect your storyline and gameplay to be more tech based. Superman/Lex Luther will be more focused on megapowers, and your objectives will always be towards saving/destroying the world. Wonderwoman/Circe players will find their plot to be based in magic, so expect demons and selling souls.
Good or Evil? Depends on your mood
If you want to be a good guy, expect to do mostly “goody two-shoes stuff.” (If you chose Batman as your mentor, however, you’ll be able to bend the rules about only doing good a little bit more.) Bad guys mostly blow up cop cars and do all those wondrous devious deeds. (Sounds kind of awesome to be a bad guy not going to lie.)
However, the game is split 1/3 shared content, 1/3 exclusive hero content and 1/3 exclusive villain content so you won’t get to see the whole story unless you play multiple characters on different sides of the spectrum. Heroes get treated to an exclusive Aquaman episode while villains will learn more about Mr. Freeze.
Don’t forget: Superpowers in real life not included.
More on TIME.com:
Did You Join The DC Universe Online Today?
Q&A: Marv Wolfman on DC Universe Online, Love for Video Games
DCUO Trailer Director’s Cut Explains Why You Must Become a Superhero