City of Heroes: private servers vs memories

[EmberWitch]

With CoH private servers running strong, I have been wondering: does playing on a private server satisfy the nostalgia, or does it just remind you of what we lost?\n\nI log into Homecoming sometimes and it feels familiar but different. The community is great but smaller. The game is the same but the magic of 2005 is not quite there. Anyone else feel this way?

[MistWeaver]

I play on Homecoming regularly and I love it. But you are right, it is not the same as 2005 when everything was new and the community was massive. Still, it is the closest thing we have.

[ChronoCleric]

The gameplay holds up incredibly well. The power sets, the costume creator, the mission architect. What is missing is the sense of shared discovery that launch-era games had.

[NeonSamurai]

I think private servers are important for preservation even if they cannot recreate the original experience. Future generations should be able to see what these games were.

[QuestHoarder]

I have 23 alts on Homecoming. Old habits die hard. Is it the same magic? No. But it is still more fun than most modern MMOs.

[EchoEnchanter]

The voice acting community on Homecoming is wonderful. We do dramatic readings of mission text. It adds a whole new layer of appreciation for the writing.