If you are a
DC Universe Online fan then you’ve likely been
wondering why oh why very little news has been hitting the web recently for Sony
Online Entertainment’s next superstar game which is due to release in November.  SOE perhaps has taken on the “less is more” strategy in marketing these days,
but while we count the seconds to when we can finally get in game to get our
super hero groove on, we have compiled many of the currently known basics to
help prepare you for your trek into the rich world of DC Comics.

The Story

What would happen if the super heroes of the world were
defeated? What if villains, the most revolting and vile creatures that walked
the earth, managed to win the epic struggle between good and evil?  They could
and when this happens a new evil could emerge that makes the hell of a super
hero-less world even darker and more frightening.

This is exactly what happens in the world of DCUO through
an alternate timeline. After a battle between the super heroes and the villains,
the villains win only to be faced with the return of the horrific Brainiac.
Unable to fight this foe on their own, the villains are forced to make a choice;
live in this world in which they have created or find another way.  As the last
survivor, Lex Luthor managed to travel through time to warn the trio of mega
heroes (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) of their future and the future of
the world they have sworn to protect and to give them the tools they need to win
the battle against Brainiac who has managed to weaken these iconic heroes and
villains to a point where they actually need us.

The Players

There have been many heroes and villains that have been
spotted in art and video from DCUO, some of the more adored characters are:

Heroes

• Aquaman
• Batman
• Captain Marvel
• Cyborg
• Flash
• Green Lantern
• Huntress
• Raven
• Superman
• Wonder Woman
• Zantanna

Villains

• Black Adam
• Brainiac
• Catwoman
• Cerces
• Deathstroke
• Harley Quinn
• Joker
• Lex Luthor
• Mr. Freeze
• Riddler
• Two-Face

These familiar faces will lead you on your journey and will
fight with you and against you in what will be a battle to remember in your
story as a legend. They aren't just NPCs, they are a part of your story!

Core Gameplay

DCUO is a story-based, fast action game with 30 levels of
fun available at launch. This means that you can expect a strong emphasis on
mission gameplay and less roaming around just for the sake of killing stuff with
lots of action happening on a continuous basis.  Don’t expect the typical MMOG
style gameplay, DCUO is going places that other MMOGs rarely go and you won’t
likely be spending every second during combat hitting hotbar abilities like you
might in other games.  DCUO focuses on the action using not only power skill
sets but also weapon combos that will keep your character kicking ass at every
turn.

The power sets that have been announced to be in game are
fire, ice, mental, gadgets, nature, and sorcery. These make up your special
powers and you will be given two different trees in which you can select powers
from so you pick where you would like to specialize and which skills you would
like to have.  There are traditional roles, such as defender, healer, and
controller which add familiarity and give players a clear job in combat. Don’t
get lazy though! Developers have also noted that everyone needs to fight as a
player’s power bar depletes quickly and rises in combat through the use of
combos.

You will also have access to skill trees that will pertain
to your movement (flight, super speed, or acrobatics) and your weapon choice.
SOE is aiming for complete customization so you can take the skills you want
from your starting trees and eventually earn the rest through feats (achievement
points you earn through accomplishing certain tasks) if you so choose.

PvP

Of course you cannot have a hero and villain game without
player versus player gameplay.  You can choose from open world PvP through
DCUO’s flagging system allowing players to fight other players if and when they
want to. There will also be PvP instances in the form of 2 vs. 2, 4 vs. 4, 8 vs.
8, and 16 vs. 16.  Probably my favorite feature in DCUO is their Legends PvP
that will allow players to fight as an iconic character. It levels the playing
field because it takes gear and stats out of the scenario. You can start out
playing as Harley Quinn or Robin and gain the use of other icons through various
methods.

The World

You are playing on Earth, though it is clearly through the
eyes of DC Comics.  Players will be spending their time in Metropolis or Gotham
City performing tasks and fighting against powerful groups of bad guys.  These
cities are huge and seamless. You can run through the districts of the city
without loading times or zoning screens. Unfortunately, heroes and villains will
not be able to play together so keep that in mind during character creation if
you plan on playing the game with friends and guild members.

As a typical MMOG out of SOE, you can expect to see
soloable areas in game, 4-man group instances, 8-man raid content for end game,
and what developers are calling “alert zones.”  These alert zones are pick up
groups in their finest form and make getting in on more complicated content
incredibly easy. You queue up for an alert (no pre-made group needed), and the
system puts you into a group with other queued players then drops you into the
alert zone.

There is truly nothing cooler than being a super hero or a
mega villain. In DC Universe Online YOU get to save the world using your own
persona creation and your own customized skill sets surpassing even the amazing
powers of Superman or Lex Luthor themselves. 

We know you cannot wait to learn more about DCUO so be sure
to check back at Ten Ton Hammer as the game approaches launch for all the latest
news and information.