https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BTGgCEFuQw&list=UUo_IB5145EVNcf8hw1Kku7w
Heh, kinda jk there...but it could be why for a lot of you. I know it's why I was.
A short synopsis of that video: basically explains why mobile games can become addicting to some people. They're short simple games you can easily get into, turn on and make progress, there are limiting factors built into the game so you get a heightened amount of enjoyment for when you play (basically, the bigger bang for your dopamine-buck) and there is a variety of them to tickle your fancies in different ways to keep you coming back for new experiences.
When I watched that video, I instantly thought of CoH/CoV, especially the part when he mentions the game cutting you off when you feel greatly invested or feeling heights of enjoyment from the game. Difference between that explanation and CoX was, rather than the game cutting me off from playing, I cut myself off by playing other characters...or considering new characters...or building said characters.
I'm probably not the only person, but when I got to a point playing a character where his build was coming together and started to own stuff, I would usually cut myself off and start something new so I could come back to that character with bright new eyes and burning eagerness. I'd start/rewrite a backstory for another character, or fumble through the costume creator to see what new combos I could make or (I bet it's the same for a lot of you) fire up Mids' and fiddle around with possible builds or tweeking old builds.
Half of the addicting part came from outside of playing the game! I'd be getting myself hooked on the game by just opening Microsoft Word!! I'd be feeding my addiction by playing around in a 3rd party character builder app! I'd be gaining satisfaction by simply returning to characters I left at the height of their enjoyment!
LATE DISCLAIMER: I generalized a lot. But that is why I got hooked on the game and begins to explain why I'm NOT hooked on a lot of the other MMOs I've played in the past.
Thought MMO and game addiction is a problem. I'm not sure CoX really had it, or at least not to the extent of others.
The main problem I see when people try other game is they feel channeled, limited, and cut off. Channeled as in most of the game designed to funnel you on this path, to this dungeon, to get this gear, to unlock the next set on the path. CoX didn't have that, you could choose to go through the Hollows, or Kings Row, You choose to visit a Zone, or skip that area. There were people my self included that turned off XP gain to stay in one zone or a level, There was no Push for the next Unlock.
Part of CoX we felt the characters were OUR creations. In Marvel Universe you play one of their creations, in DCUO your origin is stuck on their idea. In Champions there was more room but then you have people still fill limited by content and poor graphic art style choices. So yeah we had fun creating and seeing our creations thrive in a world. That still happening I'm still making new Alts and ideas. So can't say that was because of CoX the game was a tool for the madness within.
Last is the most important. The Community for CoX was and still is top notch. It was our friends we made that kept us in Paragon city, feeling cut off from them why we kept returning. The stories and just hanging out under Atlas statue. Those weren't addictions to a game or game system, it was community. The costume contests, adopt a newbie, and of course the Taxi bots. I miss Rping a date by the lake in Croatoa, or getting lost in the shard zones and calling for help. Going on the help channel and getting responses that are really HELPful and not just "HA NOOB!" That what I miss the most. That why City of heroes was my game, not the system, not the character creator, it was us, the players, the community, We are Paragons, no matter what server or game. City of Heroes for life because we the community made it so, and we do it again with Titan City.
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
A lot of things can easily become addicting, it really depends on the person through. But all in all, that doesn't paint those things as a 'problem' in and of themselves. Heck, even being addicted isn't really a problem, it's how that addiction affects your life and outlook that determines that.
As for the other stuff, I agree with how the game was structured and presented helped to garner the attachment. Had the game railroad-tracked me from pieces of content to pieces of content, I'd likely have grown bored creating and playing new characters more quickly. Going Rogue really added a lot of different paths to run a character, especially if you played like me and didn't try to do every path on one character. That freedom was part of why opening Microsoft Word made my head swell with creativity so I can fill in the gaps for my own character.
As for the community part, that's two-fold. On the one, the community wasn't what got me hooked on the game. Most of what you mentioned I didn't do. Granted, I did RP on the forums, you can do that anywhere and on any game. For me, the community could be the most awesome and friendly bunch of guys you'd ever meet, but if I don't find the game fun, I'm not going to play it for long. And on the second, the community wasn't all sunshine and lollipops, I remember some annoying individuals, douches and idiots I was forced to ignore. That aspect is going to be heavily dependent on who you interact with which varies wildly from person to person and isn't controllable in the least. Which leads to what the video is describing.
I don't see the addiction being to a 'game system' but a natural routine. It's describing a bio-chemical event that may link to behavior and choices, that being there are highs, withdrawals, plateaus and resurgences of enjoyment we gain from entertainment sources like MMOs, all of which can be controlled (as shown by many released mobile games) so I think it's a worthy subject to discuss. Not saying CoX was designed to be addicting but delving into the reasons it was for me discover what combination of stuff caused it. To date, CoX was the most alluring MMO I've played. Even when I put it down to play other stuff, it was always with the knowledge that I would pick it back up and that whatever else I was playing was simply a vacation/night on the town before returning to a hobby I most enjoyed.
Perhaps the points I'm making have been discussed to death, but they're important points to at least ensure are present/improved upon in CoT.
So Now you Wana Us to be Even More Addicted!?! :0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMMtpC7t4s4
Yes. Yes I do. It's the only way to ensure success!
If CoT ends up becoming too successful, the devs can always dial back the addictiveness by adding limitations...but that might get you HOOKED HARDER!
...then WoW and all those other MMOs crumble and we all live happily ever after inside the matrix...if you were allowed to customize your avatar and powers inside the matrix, that is.