Cryptic's Bill Roper appears in a recent video on GameSpy titled "How To: Create a Character", and shows us some of the character customization available in the game. There are a flat out dizzying number of options here, and I'm sure this video doesn't show it all in depth. I remember when City of Heroes was new that I loved making characters. It was easy to get lost in coming up with a cool theme then, and it looks like Champions Online will do the same and much more. Check out the video below:



It looks very, very deep in terms of the breadth of options available for customization. It appears that power customization is one of the first things that would be different from how things were back when I played CoH, where you can even choose the color/style of your blasts and such to go along with your outfit/theme.

The customization craziness just gets bigger from there, and makes me wonder if too much customization could possibly be bad? Will it intimidate new users or wind up being one of the better parts of the game like it was in City of Heroes (CoH)? Speaking of CoH, I'm still wondering if Champions Online is different enough to set itself apart from City of Heroes/Villains. I keep asking myself that very question, and other than curiosity I can't really come up with a solid answer as to why I'd want to play.

What do you think about the insane depth in CO's character customization? Too much? Right on? Not enough?

Today the Global Agenda answer center was updated to reflect some new information about beta invites. The updates contain specific dates about the timing of the closed beta process. To those of you looking forward to getting an early look (and helping the Hi-Rez guys make a good game) this is probably some welcome news. Check out the beta details for this new shooter-mmo, considered by many to be the best game at E3:

Ok. Great. When does Closed Beta Begin?

The exact timelines for Closed Beta Testing Phase 1 (CBT-1) could change based on Hi-Rez's assessment of the games' readiness. But, at present, the plan calls for Closed Beta Phase 1 to begin on July 24th, 2009.

Testing for CBT-1 will unfold over a series of short testing windows, each labelled CBT-1A, CBT-1B, etc. The servers will only be available for testing during the specified times for each test. The first weekend of testing, CBT-1A, will have separate test windows for "NEW BETA PLAYERS" and "CURRENT ALPHA PLAYERS".

NEW BETA PLAYERS will test from FRIDAY JULY 24th AT 3 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME through MONDAY, JULY 27 T 6 AM EASTERN.

CURRENT ALPHA PLAYERS will test on MONDAY JULY 27 OM 6PM EASTERN to MIDNIGHT EASTERN.

The dates and times of subsequent CBT-1 testing phases will be released as we progress further. However, generally, testing will be concentrated during extended weekends (FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY).

When and how will I know if I made it into Beta?

Invitations for Closed Beta Phase 1 (CBT-1) will be sent in groups.

The first group was sent in late June and was primarily directed to existing Alpha testers. Subsequent invite waves will be sent during the weeks of July 8 and July 15, 2009.

In order to participate in the Beta, players that receive an Invite must RSVP by visiting the Global Agenda website and following the instructions in the invitation. Each invitation will include a date by which a player must confirm their participation prior to the invitation expiring. Once a player confirms their participation, additional information will be sent regarding the test program.
How many people will get let in and how will you pick them?

Closed Beta Phase 1 will have a relatively modest number of players admitted into it, so the majority of persons that have applied for beta will not be admitted in this first phase.

Players should expect that new players will be admitted during several Phases over the course of the Beta period, in order to support the test objectives of each phase. So players should not be overly concerned if they are not immediately accepted into the Beta program once the program begins, as they may still have the opportunity to enter either the Closed Beta or Open Beta program at a later date.

Check out the full answer (linked above) for all the beta related information you might be seeking.

Related articles

• Global Agenda closed beta to begin in July (massively.com)
• Global Agenda Pokes Fun At World Of Warcraft [Clips] (kotaku.com)
• Global Agenda Gets Trailer Happy (rockpapershotgun.com)

BioWare has updated the Holonet with the latest entry from Master Gnost-Dural (voiced by actor Lance Henricksen) called The Return of the Mandalorians. This entry gives insight into the Mandalorian race, and some of the events that lead to the Mandalorian blockade.

I think there are some very noteworthy things in this Holonet entry. The first is that this introduction to the Mandalorians almost certainly gives away the fact that the Mandalorian Warrior is probably going to be the next playable class that BioWare will introduce. The other is that the video provides background to explain why the Mandalorians are sided with the Sith, and that further solidifies my point that they will be aligned with the Empire. Check the video below:



The Republic has 2 classes already shown by BioWare, so its time for a 2nd Empire class, and I believe this video provides us with all the info to come to that conclusion. Just like former videos gave us clues that the Smuggler class was coming, this entry hints toward of some sort of playable Mandalorian class. For balance purposes I would suspect some sort of melee type, a counter to the Trooper's ranged attack prowess.

The video also touches on one other very interesting point...arenas. The Mandalorian warrior they mention became the best warrior in the galaxy because he fought to be a champion of the Geonosian arena, which you might remember from the movie. Does this clue us into some sort of arena battling system in SWTOR? I know some people might hope not, but dear lord I hope so! Enough with the problematic large scale fighting, lets get some smaller tactical PVP fights going arena style! I'm very hopeful that this video is giving us clues to that sort of PVP.

All in all, its another great video produced by BioWare. If these videos are anything like what we are in store for when the game launches, I'm going to be as happy as a kid in a candy store. Never before have I seen such high production value story telling. And the game hasn't even launched yet! Its a brilliant way to engage the community and give hints about what's coming all at the same time.