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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: 2010's roguish review

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

I joked once, long ago, that I should never answer WRUP truthfully, because it will invariably result in a total lack of doing what I announced. Lo and behold, I had the time to play through a single Mission Architect mission amidst an intensely obnoxious virus (just at that level where you're sick enough to know it but not sick enough to avoid work) and the preparation needed to get my house ready for hosting an entire family.

For the record? Never agree to do that for your family, no matter who your family is.

So instead, we're going to take a look through the big news of the year, the five biggest stories that have affected City of Heroes in the past 12 months. I had originally planned to save this one for next week, but I doubt that we'll get an enormous piece of news between now and next week. It's been an interesting year for the game as a whole, so between an expansion, major updates, and tumultuous times in the larger MMO world, let's look at the five biggest stories pertaining to the city.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: 2010's roguish review originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paragon Studios answers our questions about Issue 19 of City of Heroes

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Endgame

Just three months after the major upheaval of Going Rogue, City of Heroes is getting another big update in the form of Issue 19. Bringing with it new task forces, the first part of the new Incarnate system, the long-awaited baseline Fitness pool, and several other quality-of-life improvements, the issue is packed to bursting with things for players to enjoy. So we naturally had a few questions, even above and beyond our first impressions of both the Incarnate system and the new Apex task force.

Of course, this issue isn't the work of just one or two people within Paragon Studios, but the whole team. So it was fitting that we got our questions about the newest update to City of Heroes answered by several members of the team. Melissa Bianco, Matt Miller, Sean McCann, and Tim Sweeney all took the time to answer some quick questions about the substance of the update, so click on past the break to see our questions and their responses.

Continue reading Paragon Studios answers our questions about Issue 19 of City of Heroes

Paragon Studios answers our questions about Issue 19 of City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes developer diary: Challenging the gods

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items

Issue 19 brings a big change to characters in City of Heroes. There's always been a line of thought running through comic books that superheroes are essentially modern deities, but when you start stepping into the Incarnate system, the comparison becomes far more straightforward: You are wielding the powers of gods. Just like Statesman and Lord Recluse, player characters will be empowered beyond the ken of mortals and will begin the road toward a new apex of ability.

Of course, when you're making such huge changes to the fabric of the game, you need more than just a quick stir in the patcher. A great deal of work went into elevating characters to deification, and that's precisely what the latest City of Heroes developer diary covers. Tim "Black Scorpion" Sweeney has penned an entry on what went into the design of the Incarnate system, so skip on past the break to see how players go from being mere mortals to Incarnates... within the game, anyhow.

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City of Heroes developer diary: Challenging the gods originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes dev diary: Dr. Aeon's Guide on How to Make a Proper Interdimensional Invasion

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Patches, Previews, Endgame, News items

With the upcoming Issue 19, City of Heroes is bringing in the long-awaited Incarnate system, the first step in improving and honing the powers of characters who have already reached the level cap. Of course, that would be rather unbalancing if there wasn't something new to challenge the newly-empowered characters, but the whole invasion of Praetoria into Paragon City and the Rogue Isles should give even the new Incarnates something challenging to handle. Two task forces are being added to challenge characters that have reached the apex of power.

So how exactly does one craft a new invasion in City of Heroes? We were lucky to get a brand-new developer diary from Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann detailing how the Apex and Tin Mage task forces came into existence, from the challenges it presented in design to the result of all that hard work. Take a look past the cut to check out the diary, wherein we get a full rundown of how one launches an interdimensional war. (In the game, at least. Actual aggression against other dimensions is not covered.)

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City of Heroes dev diary: Dr. Aeon's Guide on How to Make a Proper Interdimensional Invasion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes developer diary: Going Rogue, new powersets, new enemies, new problems

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Classes, Game mechanics, News items

As of right now, City of Heroes is in a state of flux. Like any game with a new expansion, the superhero game boasts features that are changing and endgame structures that are being disrupted, and the changes of Issue 19 promise to introduce an actual endgame into a game that's long lacked one. But it all started with the most recent expansion, one that gave players the chance to switch sides back in August -- Going Rogue.

Much like Rome, the foundation for the expansion wasn't laid in a day. We were granted an early look at a developer diary by Floyd "Castle" Grubb, longtime veteran of the Paragon Studios team and lead designer for the Powers and Entities team. Take a look past the cut for his diary, explaining the various ways in which the powersets of the expansion were developed and fine-tuned, as well as highlights the new additions for both enemies and players.

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City of Heroes developer diary: Going Rogue, new powersets, new enemies, new problems originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes unveils the trailer for the Apex task force

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Patches, Previews, News items

At the best of times, the task forces in City of Heroes resemble the huge crossover events of comics at their finest -- sprawling events covering multiple titles that give heroes and villains alike a chance to really show what they can do. And if there were ever an occasion for some truly impressive superhuman antics, it would be the invasion of Praetoria coming in Issue 19. Paragon Studios has released the trailer for the first of two major task forces, and it should give some idea of the scope of what awaits.

First shown at the New York Comic Con panel, the trailer features several shots showing the devastation wrought by Praetoria's machines of war, as well as the powers that heroes are unleashing to fight back. Some of these powers appear to be related to the Incarnate system, although the team was reluctant to definitively identify them as such. Take a look past the break for a sneak peek at what's coming next for City of Heroes, in all of its world-colliding glory.

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City of Heroes unveils the trailer for the Apex task force originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NYCC 2010: The City of Heroes Issue 19 panel

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, Patches, Previews, News items

It's the end of the convention season, and City of Heroes fans on the East Coast managed to get one last treat -- another chance with the development team that had long been anchored firmly on the other side of the country. The team's panel in March at PAX East saw the revelation of several new facts about the game, including the first announcement of Kinetic Melee and Electric Control, and the panel that closes out the year at New York Comic Con contained several interesting new facts as well.

Melissa Bianco, David Nakayama, and Jesse Caceres were all in attendance, with the panel overseen by community representative Tia Parurahi. With Going Rogue having been out for nearly two months, this panel focused on the upcoming Issue 19 and what the changes mean for the game, as well as how much the development team is ramping up production to improve the game all around.

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NYCC 2010: The City of Heroes Issue 19 panel originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Layoffs hit Paragon Studios

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

A rumor has just broken that Paragon Studios, the team responsible for City of Heroes, has just undergone a round of layoffs. This comes following the launch of Going Rogue, the game's second boxed expansion and center of a major re-arrangement for the game. Among those rumored to be laid off is Christopher Bruce, known to the fans of the game as Back Alley Brawler and the senior animation lead for the studio.

While there have been rumors for some time that the team had been expanding and working on an additional project, possibly a sequel to the now-venerable City of Heroes, it's unknown what long-term impacts these layoffs might have on both the existing game and any future projects. We contacted NCsoft and received official confirmation of the layoffs, but the company thus far has been unable to provide information on who, exactly, has been let go. Our condolences go out to all employees affected by the layoffs.

Layoffs hit Paragon Studios originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Because of reasons!

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Culture, Patches, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's weird to say it, but City of Heroes feels like it's still on the cusp of a storm. Going Rogue was a fine expansion, but it doesn't have the sense of breaking that built-up tension, that feeling of something major just over the horizon. Or perhaps it's just me, perched out on my metaphorical porch and loudly proclaiming that this next one is going to be the big one, as I puff on my metaphorical corn-cob pipe and look across the metaphorical skyline of rural Metaphorbraska.

OK, that one kind of got away from me there, but what I was trying to get at was that it's time for another question-and-answer session for City of Heroes and that I don't think I'm the only person feeling like Issue 19 might hold some great secret. We'll know soon enough, although right now it's time for Issue 20's super-secret beta, which even I don't know about just yet. I'm very curious. On to the questions!

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Party hardly

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Business models, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter, Promotions

I think by this point I have a well-established reputation as being a fairly positive guy on the subject of City of Heroes. It wasn't a conscious decision or anything -- it's just that I've been pretty happy with the game's development and content, and I do tend to be a bit of a developer supporter. I don't expect the game to be something other than what it is, and I enjoy what it is. Not to mention the obvious fact that the game has given me a lot of enjoyment over the years. So I usually come down as being part of the sunshine and light crowd.

But that's not by design -- it's just how things have shaken down. I hand out praise and criticism as the situation warrants. And this week I'm going to talk about something that most definitely deserves criticism. I'm talking, of course, about the Party Pack, the newest mini-addition to the game and one that's already produced more than a little fan rage. But it's deserved, and even if I can see why Paragon Studios went the route that it did, I find it a little hard to just dismiss it with the usual "if you don't like it, don't buy it" routine.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Party hardly originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes offers a new developer diary on the alignment system

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, News items

City of Heroes players have been enjoying the newest expansion for just a little over a month now, bringing with it the long-awaited abilities for players to change their alignment. It seems like a natural extension of the game's comic book roots, after all -- you can hardly throw a rock in certain books without finding some major character who's a former villain. But with all that we've heard about the expansion's development, the subject of the alignment system has been fairly quiet, up until the most recent development diary by Shawn "Pit" Pitman.

The diary goes into detail on the genesis of the alignment system from a concept into execution, as well as some of the larger changes put into place to facilitate the shift. For instance, one of the major shifts was that the alignment and tips missions would feature their own little gallery of recurring characters, rather than a steady set of existing major story NPCs such as Statesman. City of Heroes players curious about how the game bridged the gap between good and evil are encouraged to take a look at the full diary.

City of Heroes offers a new developer diary on the alignment system originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community lives!

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

The community for City of Heroes got a big shot in the arm when the expansion came out. While it hadn't exactly died in the last few years, it was certainly on a lower pulse. These days, I can't log in without seeing pretty much every server near capacity. Even with a month having passed since the initial release, it seems that Going Rogue is doing a fine job of keeping people wrapped up in the game. You can rail about the lack of endgame all you want, but Praetoria's a pretty good starting ride.

Of course, it's high time for us to do another community roundup post, so the fact that the community has rallied back serves my own purposes. We've got more than just a surfeit of content to talk about -- we've got a whole collection of new missions and gameplay types to work with. And, of course, there are those "just 20 levels" of starting content to chat about. So click on through to see what City of Heroes players have been chatting about for the past month.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community lives! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the news that's fit from PAX

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, Expansions, Patches, Endgame, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

The revelations at PAX East were pretty darn big for City of Heroes, but they had a big advantage over PAX Prime. At the time we sat down in Boston, Going Rogue was months away, and we knew almost nothing about what it would bring us. This time around, it's been out for a couple of weeks, and most of the fancy pieces of knowledge are pretty well established. It would be hard, if not impossible, for the development team to hit us with the same one-two punch.

I wouldn't argue that the team quite managed that -- there's no comparison to revealing two new power sets, the endgame system, and video demonstrations of much-awaited sets -- but Paragon Studios sure did manage to drop quite a bomb on us. As I've done frequently in the past, we're going to take this point by point, with a full collection of neat pieces of news that leave me wondering just how much interesting stuff is yet to come from the development team.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the news that's fit from PAX originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Because you demanded answers

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's been another month, and you all know that means it's time for more questions and answers regarding City of Heroes. It's pleasing that I've been getting an ever-greater number of questions, but that also means that more and more I have to just pick a few of them to answer. So, if your question was not among those chosen, fear not; we'll get to it in due time. For now, let's move on past the preamble and into the meat of the column.

Superfan asked: "Will hazard zones ever become co-op?"

I'm going to do the unthinkable and attempt to predict the future here. Yes, hazard zones will become a place where both heroes and villains (and rogues and vigilantes, really) may group together, with nary a care for the alignment of their brothers in supernatural armor. City of Heroes will grow to embrace all of its players inside of these horrifying lands of insane spawns and maddening geographic layouts. While it might sound like I'm treading into ridiculous sarcasm, I'm really not.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Because you demanded answers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Facefirst into Praetoria

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's finally here, and I have to admit, it's a little weird to realize it. After I spent the better part of half a year focusing on Going Rogue, the expansion has been released and is totally playable. To have the game sitting in front of me (metaphorically) after it's become such a huge part of my professional life is almost too daunting. I almost didn't even want to fire up the launcher to...

OK, yeah, that part isn't fooling anyone. Getting to play around a bit while it was in beta to see how it would play was nice, but I couldn't get myself into City of Heroes fast enough to start leveling a Loyalist and going to town on the new side of town. At the end of the day, I'm just a player like everyone reading this column, and the game I got to play on Monday evening made me very happy indeed. There's a lot to see and do, and I've tried to recap some of the disconnected thoughts in this week's column. And as a bonus, there's a sad announcement at the end! It's like a bonus, anyway.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Facefirst into Praetoria

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Facefirst into Praetoria originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community timing

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, Humor, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

Welcome to this week's installment of A Mild-Mannered Reporter, where we will not be talking about Going Rogue. Well, OK, that's a lie -- but we're not going to be doing our big analysis and in-depth look at the entire expansion. As of the time I'm writing these words, I've not actually even played the game. (This will have changed by the time you are reading the article, but that's the wonderful part about writing ahead. I'm sending messages to the future from the past!)

So while there are going to be several community threads for City of Heroes in this column, there will not be any of the biting commentary you might have hoped to see. You can at least check out my first impressions of the expansion, if you'd like -- which also isn't written as of the time that I'm writing this, but will be by the time you read it. (Editor's note: Eliot's first impressions of Going Rogue launched Tuesday.) You know what, just jump past the break already -- I'm giving myself a Lost headache thinking about all the time travel.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community timing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes celebrates the official Going Rogue launch with a new trailer

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Launches, News items

In case you've managed to miss the news, the latest expansion for City of Heroes has launched today. Well, technically it launched yesterday, but that was for customers who had pre-purchased via the NCsoft store. Today remains the official launch of Going Rogue, and to both commemorate the occasion and drum up more interest, Paragon Studios has released an official launch trailer for the expansion. And if you've somehow missed all of the ramp-up to the launch, well, now would be the perfect time to catch up.

Going Rogue is a pretty big expansion for the game's core, and the video (embedded past the cut) shows off the many new elements while also highlighting the familiar City of Heroes engine. Featuring the option to switch between heroic and villainous factions as well as a revamped starting experience, it's the perfect time for a new player to jump on. And if you get in that mood after seeing the trailer, well, we do have a contest running at the moment...

Continue reading City of Heroes celebrates the official Going Rogue launch with a new trailer

City of Heroes celebrates the official Going Rogue launch with a new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Launches, Opinion, First Impressions

To hear the team talk about it, Going Rogue isn't simply an expansion for City of Heroes but a full-on reboot of the game in general. It's hard to see how, on some level; outside of the new powersets and a new starting area, not much is visibly being added with the expansion. But sitting down and playing through the starting area and the game's opening suddenly feels like an entirely different experience. It's not a new game -- but it feels like a leap forward from where the game had been just a few days before.

I didn't get nearly as much time with the Going Rogue beta as I would have liked, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased when it comes to City of Heroes. But even with those standards set, I was impressed right away with how the game has been revamped from the start -- and what these revamps mean for the game as a whole and moving forward. Click on past the cut for the first impressions of the latest expansion, which launches today. (Coincidental, yes?)

Gallery: First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue gallery

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First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An early release for City of Heroes Going Rogue

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Patches, News items

City of Heroes players had been looking forward to August 17th for quite some time, ever since it was announced as the release date for the game's new expansion, Going Rogue. It looks like they got their treat a day early, however, as Issue 18 has gone live today. Issue 18 is the patch that coincides with the expansion, and sure enough, players who have pre-purchased the expansion are reporting that they do indeed have full access to all of the expansion content.

The official word from Paragon Studios is that the "soft launch" was done as a part of extended maintenance in order to facilitate a smoother launch day process.. Either way, there's no indication that the game is rolling back the live push, nor does it seem likely for a few hours of early release. The patch is quite large, so City of Heroes players are advised to start downloading early -- and as soon as it's done, they can start enjoying Going Rogue just a bit ahead of schedule.

[Thanks to Skystreak for the tip!]

An early release for City of Heroes Going Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going Rogue video diaries wrap up with a look at Praetoria

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Previews, News items

With less than a week to go until the official release of Going Rogue, most City of Heroes players are on the edge of their metaphorical seats. (Or leaning back in the reclining chairs of cynical pre-disappointment, but that's another metaphor.) It makes a perfect time for Paragon Studios to launch their final video documentary on the coming expansion, this one focusing on the mirror world of Praetoria.

Embedded past the cut, the video features the team discussing the overall impression of the new areas, both from a gameplay and lore perspective. We've seen the area in action more than once now, but the newest documentary shows off yet again just how different the game really looks. It also discusses how the new areas are intended to be a revamp for the entire game, starting from the ground up and moving forward. It's an ambitious goal, one that City of Heroes players will get to experience in less than a week -- but until then, you can check out the video past the cut to wrap up the four-part series.

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Going Rogue video diaries wrap up with a look at Praetoria originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The replacements

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

Hey, guys, did you know that Going Rogue is launching in less than a week? That's crazy. It feels especially strange to me, since this was an expansion that had barely been announced when I started here, and has since become pretty personally important. But we're not here to talk about my vague feelings about the impending launch, we're here to talk about its larger implications for City of Heroes -- namely, the obvious systemic changes that might well be coming when the expansion goes live.

Now, some of you are doubtlessly going to point out that we're not even getting our first Incarnate slot, the expansion isn't changing any part of the system, and so forth and so on. But you forget that there is an interesting change to the system coming that we all know about: the fact that archetypes will no longer be allegiance-locked. That's right -- whether you're in City of Heroes or City of Villains, you'll no longer be limited to five different archetypes. And considering the fact that the archetypes are roughly analogous on both sides now, this might have just a bit of an impact.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The replacements

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City of Heroes releases flyover for Imperial City and Neutropolis

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Previews, News items

We've got a treat for City of Heroes players today, one that should provide more than a few smiles -- a video flyover of two more zones from Going Rogue. Where the first video previewed the core of the capital and the (ideally invisible) underground, this one focuses on the Imperial City and Neutropolis. The former is the region where the vast majority of Praetorian citizens live and work every day, while the latter highlights the almost-otherworldly (pun intended) technology under development.

While cityscapes are nothing new for the game's environs, the Imperial City is a cut above anything that's previously been featured. The billboards stand out, the architecture is unique, and at times the game almost looks like something other than City of Heroes entirely. With less than a week until Going Rogue's release, it won't be long before players get to experience these environments for themselves -- but until then, you can take a look at the video past the cut.

Continue reading City of Heroes releases flyover for Imperial City and Neutropolis

City of Heroes releases flyover for Imperial City and Neutropolis originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time for City of Heroes players to get ready for Issue 18

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Patches, News items, Promotions

Are you ready for Issue 18 of City of Heroes? There are only a few days left to get oneself ready for all of the updates coming just to the basic game, even without counting the fact that it coincides with the launch of Going Rogue. But just in case you're not quite ready, the team at Paragon Studios is going to help get you ready by allowing players to pre-download the patch before next Tuesday. Even beyond that, players are being given the option to move characters, redo their costumes, or even change that most sacred identifier -- the global chat handle.

All players with an active account at the beginning of next week will receive a free costume change token and respec token for all characters on the account. Players will also have the option to change their global chat handles, which are normally locked after the first change. On top of all that, the no-charge server transfers from earlier in the year will be back for the first week of Going Rogue's release, allowing City of Heroes players a chance to put everything in order to optimize their play experience. So if you're not ready now... it's time to get ready.

Time for City of Heroes players to get ready for Issue 18 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paragon Studios is sending City of Heroes fans to PAX Prime

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Contests, Events, real-world, News items

Remember how it was mentioned that if you weren't already going to PAX Prime, you likely wouldn't be able to, which would mean missing out on meeting the team behind City of Heroes? Apparently, Paragon Studios had the same thought process, which is why they're giving fans a chance to get a free three-day pass to the convention. They're not including airfare or lodging, but considering how quickly the actual passes were sold out, the former is at least only a hurdle of money rather than availability.

The contest, running until August 16th, asks for fans to write a haiku expressing their excitement for next week's launch of Going Rogue. Three winners will be chosen on the basis of originality and cleverness, and each will win a pass to all three days of the convention. That means not only seeing the City of Heroes team, but a pass to all of the other entertainment to be had over the weekend. So if you think you can express your enthusiasm in no more than seventeen syllables, take a look at the full rules for entry and start writing.

Paragon Studios is sending City of Heroes fans to PAX Prime originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes has plans... PAX plans

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Culture, Events, real-world, Expansions, News items

If you haven't already thought about PAX Prime coming up in September, odds are good you're not going. But if you are going and you're a fan of City of Heroes, you'll be happy to know that the team from Paragon Studios will be making a showing at the convention. The team will be hosting a panel as well as a meet-and-greet event for the fans over the weekend, similar to what was done during PAX East in March. Players will also be rewarded with a new disguise power -- in this case, the Praetorian Police Department's duty outfit.

Since the convention will take place after the release of Going Rogue, the panel's topic will be on the new expansion as well as the future beyond release, most likely covering the Incarnate system and the further future. The meet-and-greet, meanwhile, is happening off-site and gives players both the aforementioned costume code and an exclusive lenticular button for the game. Take a look at the full rundown of the events with the City of Heroes team -- even if you're not attending, we'll make sure to keep everyone up-to-date on the information.

City of Heroes has plans... PAX plans originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shocking revelations in the newest City of Heroes developer diary

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Previews, News items

It's fair to say that Going Rogue is going to be a fairly big shock to the system of City of Heroes -- especially if the control-oriented archetypes have anything to say about it. The fourth powerset included with the expansion, Electrical Control, hasn't gotten quite as much press time as Kinetic Melee, Dual Pistols, or Demon Summoning. But it's got just as much spark as the others -- more, in fact -- and a new offsite developer diary by Floyd "Castle" Grubb and Keetsie Braz da Cunha focuses on both the visual and mechanical design of the powers.

As Castle describes it, the powerset wasn't originally designed for player use, but as a testbed of several concepts to see how they would play out in the game engine. It was converted to a player set when Going Rogue approached, however... which required a re-design of several parts of the set. The visuals were a hurdle as well, seeing as the set had to feel visually distinct from the many other electricity-themed powers the game already possesses. Take a look at the full diary to see how the problems were solved, showing City of Heroes players another peek at how the development team is conducted.

Shocking revelations in the newest City of Heroes developer diary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Share and enjoy in City of Heroes with the Praetorian Clockwork!

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Previews, News items, Humor

Greetings, fine consumer! You appear to be the sort of discerning individual highly anticipating the upcoming expansion for City of Heroes, much like several of your friends in [SUBJECT_HOMETOWN_HERE]. Going Rogue will be releasing on August 17th, available online or at [SUBJECT_RETAILER_HERE], but perhaps you'd like an opportunity to see some of the most useful automatic companions available before the fact? If so, today is your lucky day, because you have the unprecedented opportunity to take a look at the details behind the Clockwork, the latest and greatest release from Neuron Technologies Unlimited!

Featuring voice recognition, a shiny chrome finish, and over nine thousand home maintenance routines, the Clockwork offer an unparalleled level of safety and security for the entire family. These super-toys last all summer long, with a self-replenishing power source and ample maintenance facilities. And if one of your neighbors challenges the bright new future being assembled by Emperor Cole, you'll be happy to note that all Clockwork are equipped with the best possible threat neutralization capabilities available. Further information, including ordering details and a full description of how you and your robot can share and enjoy your lives, can be found at the official site for City of Heroes.

Share and enjoy in City of Heroes with the Praetorian Clockwork! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Places to go, questions to answer

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's hard to believe that in just two weeks, all of the debates about whether or not Going Rogue will revitalize City of Heroes will be out of the land of theory and into the realm of practice. And while we've still got another week in the land of theory, right now we're taking a trip... well, still into the land of theory, but into the land of theories you asked for. Which is different, in a way! I have a hard time writing these introductions.

Haggs asked:
"...now that you're getting new lower-level content, why would you want to go through it as fast as you're going through the old content?"

It's not always a question of "want." Levels 1-20 in City of Heroes are not nearly as slow as the later levels -- they don't start to really feel long until you reach the 30s, but it's much faster to go from 1-20 than from 20-30 even if you're just playing casually. The flow of leveling appears to be tuned so that players will be able to hit a level of moderate competence fairly quickly, spend a bit of time fleshing out their powers, and then spend quite some time filing off any rough edges via the 40+ powers.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Places to go, questions to answer

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Places to go, questions to answer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video guide to Nova Praetoria and the Underground for City of Heroes

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, Expansions, Previews

If the various videos released by the team at Paragon Studios have made anything clear, it's the difference between hearing about City of Heroes and seeing the game in action. That's what makes the most recent teaser trailer so interesting. We've been told about Nova Praetoria and the Underground, and we've seen static shots of the cityscape -- but seeing it in motion is a whole different thing. It turns a concept into a living, breathing city.

The video, released today via the game's Facebook page, is embedded after the cut and is well worth a watch for any fan of the game. Showcasing several of the most prominent buildings, it serves as an excellent primer for players before Going Rogue goes live in just a couple weeks. It also helps demonstrate some of the effects that the art team has been touting for some time, highlighting in real time how Praetoria has been designed for Ultra Mode. Take a look past the cut, and keep your eyes peeled for more on the upcoming City of Heroes expansion as we approach launch.

Continue reading Video guide to Nova Praetoria and the Underground for City of Heroes

Video guide to Nova Praetoria and the Underground for City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes shows off the upcoming Kinetic Melee set

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Previews

Melee characters in City of Heroes have always lacked ranged abilities. Some of this is implied by the archetype, of course -- you wouldn't expect a character built around hand-to-hand combat to be at maximum potency outside of grabbing distance -- but it's a bit of a disadvantage at times when a tanker or brute can do very little but get shot as he moves into range. Kinetic Melee, one of the power sets coming with the Going Rogue expansion, is poised to change that a little. It might not be a blaster set, but it's more than capable of mixing things up at a longer range.

Of course, that's hardly the only trick that the new powerset can pull. Kinetic Melee is full of smooth maneuvers that weaken the target with each hit -- and one of the marquee abilities, Siphon Power, strengthens the wielder with each hit. It's a steady chain of the target being worn down and the player character building up, coupled with knockback and knockdowns to keep control of the battle flow. Check out our gallery below, or take a look at the official site for more details on one of the upcoming powersets for City of Heroes.

Gallery: City of Heroes Kinetic Melee preview

City of Heroes shows off the upcoming Kinetic Melee set originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

I'm pretty excited for Going Rogue. Part of that is kind of inevitable -- I write a column about City of Heroes, I've tried to make a clear point that I'm a fan of comics in general, and quite honestly right now I'm in a bit of a video game drought and could use something new. But there's more to it than that, and it goes right back to my love of BioWare and the motivation to do speed runs of Silent Hill 2 just to see all of the various endings available.

What I'm getting at here is that I'm a big fan of any game that offers me morality or lets the game shift depending on my choices. So when Going Rogue had its two factions explained, I sat up and took notice, because the morals at play are certainly not black and white. No, they're grey and gray -- if not closer to blue and orange -- and that led to the inspiration for what I believe to be two of my most popular columns. And wouldn't you know it, even with both columns written, there's still more to be said.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SDCC 2010: Melissa Bianco on lessons and innovations in City of Heroes Going Rogue

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, Previews

There's less than a month left before the release of Going Rogue, something that many City of Heroes players are looking forward to with heavy anticipation. The team at Paragon Studios has been anything but stingy with information about the upcoming expansion as well -- they've been more than happy to share just how impressive the features are going to be. We had a chance to catch up with the the team at SDCC 2010, which gave us the opportunity to take a closer look and get a few more insights about the game's development.

Melissa "War Witch" Bianco was on hand to share several details about the game's upcoming improvements, and while many of the elements previewed at the convention are familiar to players following Going Rogue, there are some new revelations beneath the cut. If you're allergic to cuts, you can at least take solace in the confirmed fact that the expansion will feature seven new costume sets, including the Praetorian Police costume and the Resistance outfit. For more on missions and how they'll be implemented in the upcoming City of Heroes expansion, click on away.

Continue reading SDCC 2010: Melissa Bianco on lessons and innovations in City of Heroes Going Rogue

SDCC 2010: Melissa Bianco on lessons and innovations in City of Heroes Going Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The lore behind districts in City of Heroes: Going Rogue

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Lore, Previews, News items

As we alluded to in our small preview last week, Nova Praetoria is one of the most elite neighborhoods in the alternate Earth setting of Going Rogue. The City of Heroes team has long been known for giving every region a detailed backstory, and the new areas of Praetoria are no exception. Official information on Nova Praetoria and the Underground has just been released on the official site, giving players a chance to take a peek behind the visuals to see how day-to-day life functions in the world's most prestigious city -- and its underbelly.

The seat of humanity's self-proclaimed savior, Nova Praetoria is elevated from the rest of the world both figuratively and physically, built on an artificial island upon an artificially flooded river. Unfortunately, between the Resistance and the disenfranchised Destroyers -- former soldiers who want to tear down Cole for purely anarchistic reasons -- even the seat of power is increasingly less stable. Meanwhile, the Undergound below is a war between Cole's loyalists using the tunnels for their original purpose of surreptitious transport, the Resistance setting up headquarters to strike at Cole's base of power, and the ravenous Ghouls patrolling the tunnels for unknown reasons. The lore on both areas is top-notch, and it should help make City of Heroes players even more invested in the coming expansion.

Gallery: City of Heroes preview of Nova Praetoria and the Underground

The lore behind districts in City of Heroes: Going Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes returns to the Cathedral in Issue 18

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Patches, Previews, News items

We know that Going Rogue is going live for City of Heroes players in August, and that means a new major patch for the game. We know that the update will be Issue 18, followed by the much-discussed Issue 19 that finishes the Incarnate System and expands the endgame. What we haven't known until now is exactly what Issue 18 will contain other than expansion content -- and while it's unlikely that many of the game's players would be skipping out on the expansion, there's always the chance. The development team has broken that silence, however, revealing some of the additions to the game with the new update, including the long-awaited return of the Cathedral of Pain.

Yes, Issue 18 will see the return of the Cathedral of Pain trial after a nearly four-year hiatus. Players can expect the trial to have been heavily rewritten while maintaining the same basic framework, the location itself being one of the core sanctums for Rularuu the Ravager. Beyond that is the addition of the Tips system, additions to Mission Architect, and the ability to trade inspirations between heroes and villains. Take a look at the official site for more previews of the next free update to City of Heroes, and take a look at the gallery for some more shots of Praetoria and the revamped Cathedral.

Gallery: City of Heroes Issue 18 screenshots

City of Heroes returns to the Cathedral in Issue 18 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and like always that means we're going into the questions-and-answers for City of Heroes players. Before we delve into this week's column, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for the amount of discussion that took place about our last article extolling the virtues of the Loyalists. It brought a smile to my face to see all of the back and forth about the topic, something I haven't written the last word about. But that's next week's column, and right now it's time to see what other questions the community desperately needs answered.

Superfan asked:
"Why is the game so repetitive and lacking imagination?"

On one level, I can't answer this question because I don't agree with the basic premise. I don't find the game terribly repetitive, and it's lacking in imagination in the same manner that Transformers: War for Cybertron is lacking in robots. But I've acknowledged before that there is a certain rinse-and-repeat feel to City of Heroes, even beyond the equally repetitive feeling in any given MMO. There's something about the game's layout that just gives players that feeling, and I'm not immune to it.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: For the greater good

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Culture, Expansions, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It didn't take much convincing for people to start assuming that the Praetorians in Going Rogue were fundamentally the bad guys. For all the talk that's been given about how players can choose either path, about how there isn't always good and evil... the players are smarter than that. Being on the side of the jackbooted oppressors is just plain wrong, there are no two ways about it. No matter how heavy-handed the City of Heroes team might be about it, players knew better than to take the bait.

The problem with this line of thinking is that it's wrong on one fundamental level. It's not that there's a lack of evil running through Praetoria, it's that people are seeing it on the wrong side. Loyalists aren't the shoo-ins for villains that the community seems to think they are -- they're heroes, making the world a better place. There might be the occasional misstep, but when you get right down to it, no faction on Praetoria is as well-suited to the ethos of heroism than those loyal to Emperor Cole.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: For the greater good

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: For the greater good originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes announces Going Rogue release date and hands-on at SDCC

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, New titles, Previews, News items

While dates have been thrown left and right for the upcoming expansion, City of Heroes players will be happy to know that the much-awaited expansion, Going Rogue, will officially release on August 17th, 2010. That leaves a little under two months until all of the promised features, including two more powersets, a new starting experience, the ability to switch sides, and the start of the new Incarnate system. Although it's a bit later than the previously-rumored date of July, players can still look forward to the fact that it's not so very far in the future.

Can't wait that long? If you're going to the inimitable San Diego Comic Con this year, you're in luck, as the City of Heroes team will be granting lucky players a hands-on experience for the expansion. Not only that, but they'll be hosting a panel and the equally inimitable David Nakayama will be sketching select heroes and villains. Keep your eyes peeled for more news regarding Going Rogue as we approach release, and take a look at the official itinerary for the Paragon Studios team at SDCC.

City of Heroes announces Going Rogue release date and hands-on at SDCC originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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