Will a Champions Online leveling guide help you level faster?

That question is one that everyone who has not tried a leveling guide always asks. The answer is not doubt yes, it will help level up your champion faster. There are several reasons why these leveling guides are helpful, and I'll mention them one by one.

Speed is one of the biggest reasons why a leveling guide will help. Not only will it help you spend less of your time going through the levels but it will also help you focus on leveling. Some players tend to get sidetracked pretty easy but more often than not when following a Champions Online leveling guide they find that they can focus on leveling and stays at it. It kinda covers as a to-do list which you can cross off each step as you come across it.

Another great advantage of having a leveling guide is not having to stop every quest or two and check online to find out what to do or where to go. That is something that really got to me in WoW until I purchased a leveling guide. It really makes it extremely easy to follow and reduces tons of usual downtime searching back and forth figuring out how to do a quest or find a specific location.

Those are some of the bigger reasons that buying a Champions Online leveling guide that can help with but there are plenty more that are outside the scope of this article. Bottom line though, if you haven't tried a leveling guide then just give it a shot. Trust me, you'll like it!

How to find the best Champions Online guide

Finding the best Champions Online leveling guide can at times be difficult, especially if you have no idea what to look for. This short article will give you specific info that will help you choose the right guide and give my recommendation.

There are several things you want to look out for when choosing the best Champions Online leveling guide. One of the most important things is, will the guide give you the fastest way possible to hit the level cap?

This is kinda obvious but in reality there are some guides out there that really haven't tested their leveling paths much. You will want a guide that has and is always looking to improve that aspect.

We all know mmorpg games are always changing and improving, so some great tips you might have received in the past won't work well after some major changes or patches in the game.

One of the things you should look for when finding a Champions Online leveling guide is that the guide offers free updates. The free updates are usually for as long as the game is around and happen often especially when a new patch or major change comes into the game. It really is very important for guides to have this.

To read some reviews of leveling guides for Champions Online click the links in the article, you'll be taken to websites which write reviews and rate and compare these guides against each other.

Champions Online Stats, Bonuses & Effects

I thought it would help to add some information about the effects each stat has on a player’s character in Champions Online. Every stat provides some sort of benefit to your character but some may be better than others when you are designing your character. This can be important when deciding on your Super Stats. You can see the descriptions of the stats in game if you hover over them in your character sheet. These benefits are the same for everyone regardless of the powers you choose.

Strength

• Increases Knockback strength for all knockback attacks.
• Increases resistance to Knockback.
• Increases ability to break from tangible holds.
• Increases melee damage (excluding Ego Blades).
• Increases the weight that can be lifted by “Pickup and Throw” ability.

Constitution

• Increases hitpoints.

Ego

• Increases critical strike damage.
• Increases ability to break from intangible holds.
• Ego does NOT improve the strength or duration of holds.

Recovery

• Increases Energy Equilibrium
• Increases Energy gained from Energy Building attacks.

Dexterity

• Increases critical strike chance.
• Increases effectiveness of stealth powers.

Intelligence

• Reduces Energy costs.
• Reduces cooldown times.
• Increases Pet damage.
• Increases stealth detection.

Presence

• Increases threat in Defensive role.
• Decreases threat in Offensive and Support roles.
• Increases Pet health.
• Increases Healing and Buffing effects.

Endurance

• Increases maximum Energy.
• Increases Energy gained by Energy Building attacks.

If you want to learn what stats are best for your champion I suggest checking out this guide.

Champions Online Beta Impressions

So what is Champions Online? Well in short it is the sequel to the City of Heroes which is a very successful MMO released in 2004 allowing the gamer to run out their superhero fantasies. Champions Online takes this one step further developing on the superhero theme so that you can create a very customised super hero including looks (cape, armour, helmet. etc.), superpowers (strength, electric, telepathic, etc.). All this may seem pretty standard except in later levels you can also choose a flight power which includes web swinging, rocket boots and ice which is very fun although ultimately achieves the same end; a quick way to travel from one part of the map to the other. More interesting is the Nemesis creation feature in which you create a evil archenemy for your own superhero to battle.

So why is this so interesting? Cryptic the team behind Champions Online are the same creating Star Trek Online. How they handle this release will ultimately indicate the potential for STO and with any luck create a nice big list of lessons learnt so that mistakes are not repeated.

Ok patching the game to a level it could initially be played was I a nightmare but I readily expect this kind of thing on beta, even this close to release and am actually quite impressed with the way it was handled in the first day all in all (mistyped instructions aside – Cryptic need keep an eye on the details when issuing support instructions).

Starting with the character builder first and I was very impressed at both its ease of use and amount of options available for changing the look and feel didn't take long at all to create a nice character. My one gripe would be the default type selection for some reason I was expecting to be able to pick more than just type i.e. electrical. It could be the advanced section lets you do this and it did make character creation very fast.

In game I have three main gripes:
1) The graphics and seems somewhat dated already I have yet to play around with the graphics config so I am hoping it is just me. UPDATE: I have now found that several graphical options have to be turned off like Bloom and Cartoon Effect in order to get the full effect and that a powerful graphics card is required.
2) The interface seems very cluttered with bits and pieces all over the shop only some of which are explained.
3) The tutorial is a little lame, with lots of text to read through and a lot of back and forth. It does do the job however.

Otherwise the missions so far seem well constructed and although combat takes a while to get used to but works well. Still trying to get to grips with the whole blocking thing as it seems difficult to know when the enemy will attack. UPDATE: it looks like enemies have an indicator above them just before attack.

I am looking forward to playing more and expanding on my first impressions review before the game is released for real in September and 2010 for the Star Trek Online.

Champions Online Features

• Hi-Octane Excitement: Champions Online delivers furious, fast-paced encounters previously reserved for action and fighting games. No more boring auto attacks and lengthy recharge times. Champions Online combat is instantaneous — and electrifying!
• Brains required: Every enemy and super-powered threat in Champions Online has its own unique abilities and combat specialties. Use your head — or wind up dead!
• Bring friends, make friends: The Champions Online universe will be jam-packed with thousands of heroes, facing thousands of threats. Join up with other heroes, create your own superteam, and prepare to take on the ultimate threats!

Be the Hero You Want To Be

• Total customization, at your fingertips: Choose from hundreds of different costume pieces, colors and body types to create your character's one-of-a-kind costume and look. There are billions of possible combinations, and in a universe brimming with the fantastic and the unforgettable, you can still be completely unique!
• Your powers, on your terms: There are a multitude of astonishing powers to choose from in Champions Online, and its flexible character creation system gives you total control over your hero's abilities. You can even pick the appearance of your powers. Do you want purple force fields? Green fire blasts? Jet black claws? In Champions Online, you decide!
• Keep your enemies close: Every hero must have an archenemy. In Champions Online, you design your character's supreme adversary, choosing a name, powers and costume for a superpowered foe to bedevil your hero throughout his or her career.
• Bigger and better: Vanquish evil, and your successes will be rewarded with costume pieces to enhance your powers and abilities. Then customize the appearance of those rewards to your vision of your hero's look and abilities!

Vast Universe

• Endless exploration: The battle against evil in Champions Online rages across the world. No other MMOG offers players the chance to explore such diverse realms — from the shining skyscrapers of Millennium City and the frozen wastes of Canada to the the hidden underwater city of Lemuria.
• Evil most foul: Battle supervillains, aliens, giant monsters and secret, sinister organizations. Doctor Destroyer is launching new plans to conquer the world. VIPER lurks in the shadows, seeking chances to strike at humanity. The ancient Lemurians are plotting a return to power. Can you stop these heinous threats to humanity?
• Make your mark: The story of Champions Online is constantly changing, continually evolving. Villains are defeated. Heroes rise and fall. Cities transform. Your actions may decide the future!

About Champions Online

Earth's first and best line of defense is its heroes. For generations, brave men and women have answered the call to protect the world from the villains who threaten its safety and security.

Today, organizations such as VIPER, ARGENT and PSI use both superpowers and super technology in their dastardly plots to control the world. Creatures from outer space and other dimensions seek to enslave humanity. Super scientist Teleios is creating an army of clones and superpowered constructs to do his bidding.

The greatest threat of all is Doctor Destroyer. A superhuman genius driven to conquer, Destroyer will not stop until all of humanity bends knee to his greatness. In 1992, Destroyer obliterated the city of Detroit and killed thousands. With years to prepare, his next attack is sure to put the entire planet in peril.

Led by The Champions, protectors of Millennium City, the world's heroes have launched a crusade for peace, security and justice. But they need allies. Defender is calling for a new generation of superheroes to fight in a war against evil that spans the globe — and beyond.

Powered by the groundbreaking Cryptic Engine, Champions Online is currently in development for the PC. With literally billions of character options allowing total customization, real-time action combat, the richly detailed Champions universe and an experienced Cryptic Studios team devoted to working directly with gamers to deliver a great gaming experience, Champions Online is set to be the premier superheroic massively multiplayer online role playing game.

Save the world. Be a Champion.