It's over.

[UeArtemis]

There can not be the CoH 2 until the first game looks quite good. In the DoW 2 we have not seen the new super graphics.  The new game (CoH 2) will not bring us anything new, so it will not be.

[Zerstörer]

I firmly believe that without a doubt we will see a CoH2. It is Relic's flagship franchise - ridiculously well reviewed, awarded and sold. I think that CoH Online is a marketing stunt to get new people hooked on CoH before they announce CoH2.

+1

They're squeezing COH for all its got to hook more people up. COH:O will hardly be a decent money maker for relic so it does sound more like a 'multiplayer system test run' on the proven and no longer money making COH.
Chances are they'll use the basic principles for COH2 if the response is good enough(and it has been in the China).
Since ToV they seem quite keen on integrating RPG elements into COH making it less of hard core RTS. Perhaps they will implement it as the main 'multiplayer game mode' whilist still keeping a 'hardcore mode' sort to speak for the hardcore gamers.
ToV was clearly a more 'probing' product rather than a true expansion. Seemed like they were aiming for payable DLC missions, new game modes and how are the RPG elements received by the community.
COH:O hero units sound like...the Tiger Ace, where you will unlock the abilities you got in the single player missions, in multiplayer enviroment.
Who knows apart from Relic...

[GodlikeDennis]

Just because it's free doesn't mean it'll be crap, look at EF for an example . CoH:O seems a bit like EiR from the little I've heard but I'm not sure. I'll definitely give it a go but I won't quit CoH for it.

[Akalonor]

I hope Relic makes COH2 a Third person/ RTS , where you can swap between the two or something along those lines.

[Sovereign]

There can not be the CoH 2 until the first game looks quite good. In the DoW 2 we have not seen the new super graphics.  The new game (CoH 2) will not bring us anything new, so it will not be.

Huh??

What does that have to do with it??

Personally, I think if Coh:online does better than expected and becomes more than just a marketing ploy to get more people onto the series then you become screwed and Coh2 then will be replaced by Coh:online series.

[WartyX]

No, Relic won't let this aging 4 year old platform stay as their 'main game', they are way too arrogantly sequel-based to do that.

I'm expecting a brand new engine for Company of Heroes. As UeArtemis said, Essence has pretty much had its day.

[Cranialwizard]

So that's it?

All of EF, just for COH, just GONE when Relic switches mainframe?

What about EF For COH2? What about losing people playing their original franchise?

I mean Jesus Christ, the only real way Relic could make another Company of Heroes is if they moved it to the African , Pacific, or Eastern Front, I think they've nearly exhausted combat in the Western Front of Europe, and I am POSITIVE they are WELL AWARE there are mods for these other fronts.

So what do we do from here, just sit here and wait for people to play for FREE? And wait for a sequel to a game that they haven't payed attention to for a whole year?

Pardon my Foreign, but Relic is officially fucked up. I say we either:

1. Write a "Nice" Letter.
2. Rebel, and storm the Relic HQ and then demand that COH2 be destroyed, all Alpha and Beta copies. Then kidnap the devs and force them to make more patches.

I like alternative two.

[cephalos]

I mean Jesus Christ, the only real way Relic could make another Company of Heroes is if they moved it to the African , Pacific, or Eastern Front, I think they've nearly exhausted combat in the Western Front of Europe, and I am POSITIVE they are WELL AWARE there are mods for these other fronts.

They could also make one or two expansions. COH2, IMO, is not needed. And COH:O - well I think that Relic is taking example from EA ( Battleforge). The richest, the strongest. Shame.

[Cranialwizard]

Expand to where? They've already made 3 expansions about the Western European front, and 6 campaigns to go along with it! Not to mention 4 whole factions based on Western Combat.

Honestly, I'd think it'd be cool if they made a 1942-43' in Northern Africa, but Pacific and Eastern are already taken. So what next, another Tiger Ace campaign, only it's a Pershing, I mean wtf?

[cephalos]

Africa, Italy, Greece... They can literally steal ideas from modders... BotB... EF... In DoW2 they did like that - just stole mod and rename it to Last Stand.

[Seeme]

You know, this isn't part of relic, so they could even make a new EF. I mean, they could make another Soviets and this would lose all its fame! Infact that's maybe why they were so interested...

Relic could steal ef for there own.

[cephalos]

Well, if Relic could organise somthing like "Make something Unreal" tournament, EF could easily win this. Than devs would get professional support and full-scale help from Relic. And then EF would become official COH expansion.

Relic could steal ef for there own.

Big companies think that they can do whatever they want. I'm really impressed that Relic didn't steal EF... If they would do it, they would be just ordinary and patetic thieves. I think that popularity of EF show that people won't give EF just right that.

[Akalonor]

Wouldn't it technically be illegal for Relic to steal ideas from mods ?

[Copernicus]

It's technically illegal to create mods for most of the games out there. It normally actually violates the License/Terms of Agreement; you should rather be happy that developers don't just shut down every mod.
Apart from that - why shouldn't developers take something successful and turn it into money? That's their job and the modders don't actually loose anything if the developers decide to publish a new addon inspired by any mod. More money = more addons = more engine features = possibly more tools.
However, this won't happen anyway. Relic would never just take a mod, brush it up and sell it. They'd need to support it and supporting someone else's work is a pain.

[HyperSniper999]

This looks no different from the regular CoH, just free with DLC exclusive bonuses.

You know, this isn't part of relic, so they could even make a new EF. I mean, they could make another Soviets and this would lose all its fame! Infact that's maybe why they were so interested...

Relic could steal ef for there own.

I've seen gaming companies like Creative Assembly and the Call of Duty crews steal modders' works so they can make cheap DLC.
It angers me where gaming is going, all we can do is boycott the game or it's exclusive pay-for content.