Super heroes are unique in that they bridge connect our modern reality to a world of fantasy by using their supernatural powers to accomplish endless tasks of heroism. They might walk along the same path as an ordinary man and meet similar challenges in day-to-day life, but everything they do is exceptional. This includes getting from place-to-place, whether it's a daily commute to the Hall of Justice or a black tie party at Queen Industries. If travel is such an important piece of a superhero's repertoire, how will Sony Online Entertainment handle its inclusion in their upcoming MMO game DC Universe Online? Can they rest on their laurels and depend on the tried and true methods of the past, or will they simply innovate, a notion that they've been known to do in other games? Today we'll look at the importance of in-game travel, what has worked traditionally, and a few potential travel powers that could be included.

The first and most important reason for a focus on travel powers is immersion. Can you actually picture Batman and Robin riding the subway or L-train to stop a bank heist? What about Superman scolding a drunk who vomited on his shoes or Wonder Woman punching out a passenger who got too grabby? Of course not! These people are larger than life and I can say with certainty even Aquaman shouldn't drive up to a secret lair in a '98 Ford Taurus. Sure, the average player in DCUO won't have that kind of clout, but in order to feel truly “super” you have to shed the responsibilities and restrictions of mortal men. Whether this means you get such powers early on or later in the game, that’s beside the point. Attaining the power sometime in your career is a necessity.

Looking beyond the lore to more practical matters, MMO games are naturally huge. With thousands of players milling about, the world has to be large enough for breathing room and fitting in plenty of content. The days of forty-five minute travel times are gone and the current market expects to jump into action almost immediately. Even in a world without zones, running from place to place can set even the most veteran player on edge. Whether you've considered it or not, this is actually one of the more vital mechanics in every game. Remember this is also set in a realistic environment meaning we can't have rhinos, bats, or space shuttles moving people around like in other popular games.

Unfortunately super hero-themed MMO games are still in an infant stage only having one title available on the market. Don't let that deceive you, however, as travel powers are area that City of Heroes did very well. Let's take a look at what is already established. The most obvious is flight, which takes full advantage of the Z-axis and allows players to fully explore an area. Super speed is another letting everyone zip across wide tracts of land effortlessly. A little less popular is super jumping, which might be slower but lets you leap over buildings and other obstructions. Finally you have teleportation which works in a similar manner to super jumping but keeps your feet on the ground. Yet there are still other powers that could fit just as nicely.

Admittedly a few of these might seem like a reach, but they could also add variety and help DCUO stand out as a first class product. The first of these is tunneling, which lets the player disappear through the ground and reappear a short distance away. In essence, it's mainly cosmetic teleportation, but like I said, variety is key here. Another, swinging, is being adopted by Champions Online letting heroes use grappling hooks, webshooters, or anything else they can stick to a building. It's a solid idea that fits many widely known heroes. Following the teleportation example again, why can't heroes use the sewers? Maybe you could have them placed strategically in an area and any one can take you to another, although I'm sure you'd have to tweak it to prevent a significant advantage. Finally what about phasing? The players run at normal speed, can't fly, but they can walk right through solid objects like buildings and fences. Of course you wouldn't want players to clip around inside buildings but in those instances maybe you could push them through.

If I haven't emphasized it enough, travel powers are vital to a good superhero game and DCUO will almost certainly have some cool ones. While it might be fun for me to speculate, SOE is still very early in the development of this game and it'll probably be awhile before we see anything definitive. One thing however we can be certain of, John Jones will not ride the City Bus. Disagree with me or think Aquaman should be in a Taurus? Email me and let me know, otherwise I have to assume I'm right because I'm the Comic Book Guy.