‘DC Universe Online’ to Include Shapeshifting, Cities as Characters and Pre-Loaded Logos

Despite the welcome deluge of information Comic-Con's various announcements and trailer releases yielded regarding Sony's upcoming "DC Universe Online" MMORPG, the sheer scope of the game has ensured that fans still have plenty of questions running up to the title's November release. As part of their ongoing effort to address fan inquiries, game director Chris Cao and creative director Jens Andersen have shed some light on not only the game's characters, but also the mechanics of its world.

As far as powers go, Cao and Andersen confirmed the game's shapeshifting ability is modeled after Beast Boy's animal morphing skills, although the power to shift into the form of other characters won't be available at launch. Magic will also be a power of choice in the game, despite a lack of certain magical characters, like Mumbo Jumbo, in the game's narrative. Additionally, the power of flight has been enhanced since early game demos were released, ensuring better and more visually interesting aerial maneuverability.Other fans were interested in the game's weather and time mechanics - specifically whether environments would change in real time to reflect the time of day or any kind of atmospheric conditions. Cao and Andersen explained that cities like Gotham and Metropolis act as characters themselves in a sense, meaning the mood will be maintained by more or less constant weather and lunar conditions.

Finally, a detail involving costume customization came to the forefront when a fan asked about costume emblems and logos. The creative team ensured fans that a sizable library of pre-approved graphics would be available to players when they built their hero or villain, although true customization wouldn't be an option given the ramifications complete freedom might have (gamers behaving badly). I can't say I disagree with that decision if it means avoiding the horrors found in Second Life...*shudder*

See what you think of the question and answer session yourself below: