Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Economics…money…bling…moolah…dinero…the invisible hand theory of John Smith, these are the backbones of superhero gaming. What? You thought that pulse-pounding excitement, bone-jarring two-fisted combat between the forces of good and evil, and the wearing of tight spandex were what constitutes a good superhero MMOG? Tsk, tsk, young grasshopper, you have much to learn. Without an economy, any MMOG would descend into anarchy. Sheer mind-numbing madness! Fortunately for us, Champions Online has an economic model in place. Upon first glance (and for several glances thereafter), it can appear a trifle confusing. Well, you can put the lid back on your jar of worry and put in back in the cupboard, my friends! Your friends here at Ten Ton Hammer are here to help by examining currency in Champions Online. Just remember that the economic situation in Champions Online can change over time, as can be read here.

First, let’s begin with the basics. You don’t get money in Champions Online. Instead, you receive ‘resources’ after defeating bad guys, finishing missions, and selling items. These ‘resources’ are of three differing kinds: local, national, and global. From what’s been bandied around online, you (as the hero) gaining resources from defeating bad guys is not meant to equate to money directly. It’s more of a mish-mash of money, influence, and other factors. What this boils down to is that a hero like Batman, who fights world class villains, has more resources to draw upon as opposed to Dazzler, who doesn’t. It’s not meant to mean that Captain America is rifling through the pockets of some street thugs he just beat up. No matter the concept, the same rules of the marketplace still apply. Basically, if you want stuff, you’ll have to pay for it.

The monikers of local, national, and global can be quite confusing. In addition, each has its own symbol, shown below:

  This is local resources.

This is national resources.

This is global resources.

The breakdown of resources is as follows:

• 1 Local = 1 Local
• 1 National = 100 Local
• 1 Global = 100 National, or 10,000 Local

Easy, eh? Well, you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick. You can see how many resources your hero currently has by opening your inventory screen. The amount of resources you have is displayed on the bottom.

Now that you’re rolling in resources, what do you do with it? The quick answer to that is you’ll spend it on practically everything. The act of spending resources is spread throughout every aspect of the game. You’ll be amazed at how fast you can spend the stuff. It’s almost like they designed the system that way!

First, you’ll use resources to buy items. These items can range from simple things like healing packs to crafting components. The Champions Online crafting system really drains the ol’ resource account. You’ll spend resources to increase your maximum level in crafting, to buy blueprints for new items, and to buy components to make those new items. Another place to spend your valuable resource points is at the tailor. Redesigning your costume or your appearance can cost you a small amount (for minor changes) to a fortune (for lots of changes). You want a new set of wings along with the new robotic arms and legs? It’ll cost ya!

The final area in which you’ll spend your resource points is on respeccing. One of the great things about Champions Online is that you can try out a power without committing to it. However, once you leave the Powerhouse, that new power or ability is permanent (well, until you cough up enough dough!). You can spend resources to get rid of powers or abilities. The catch is that you’ll have to start with the last thing you purchased and work your way backwards. The more things you unlearn, the more expensive it gets.

While not considered currency, there is another thing you can accumulate to buy stuff. What we’re talking about is Acclaim, which you receive by participating in PvP. If you win matches in PvP, you’ll receive more Acclaim than you would by losing. However, just participating will grant you a small amount of Acclaim. You can use acclaim to buy simple gear, such as healing packs and shields. However, the main use for Acclaim is to buy costume unlocks. Some costume pieces require Acclaim and having achieved a specific perk, but there are a great deal of costume pieces that only require Acclaim to purchase. You can view the amount of Acclaim your hero has by bringing up the character information screen.

Well, there you go, my friends. You now have the basic system of currency for Champions Online laid out for you. While it is confusing at first, it might help to think of them as gold, silver, and bronze or whatever denominations you think of. Make sure that you grab all the resources you can (by defeating villains, fulfilling missions, and selling stuff) as that you’ll be spending it like water, especially on crafting. Enjoy the heroic exploits of defeating evil, followed by looting their pockets for spare change!