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Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[City of Heroes launches Issue 22, and it's going to be a killer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/city-of-heroes-launches-issue-22-and-its-going-to-be-a-killer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/city-of-heroes-launches-issue-22-and-its-going-to-be-a-killer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/city-of-heroes-launches-issue-22-and-its-going-to-be-a-killer/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

Alas, poor Statesman! I knew him, Manticore.

If you've been looking forward to Issue 22 of City of Heroes, your wait is finally over. The new issue, Death Incarnate, hit the live servers just this afternoon. That means the inclusion of new powersets for Controllers and Dominators, a newly revamped experience in Dark Astoria for solo Incarnates, buffs for Stalkers and Gravity Control, and new content for low-to-mid-level characters. In other words, no matter how you want to play, you're likely to find something in the latest patch to get excited about.

Need a little more convincing? Well, there's a lovely new trailer for the update to help get everyone ready to charge into the newfound circus of death. There's also a new developer diary discussing the fine points of Darkness Control, the new powerset included for free for all VIP subscribers. All told, it's a good collection of toys for City of Heroes players, even if it might behoove said players to fear the reaper just a little bit more.

Continue reading City of Heroes launches Issue 22, and it's going to be a killer

City of Heroes launches Issue 22, and it's going to be a killer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxf2pfree-to-playfreedomincarnateincarnate-systemissue-22ncsoftnew-patchesparagonparagon-studiospatchpatchessuperherosuperheroesupdatesvideovideosTue, 06 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Issue 22 is all juiced out]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/a-mild-mannered-reporter-issue-22-is-all-juiced-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/a-mild-mannered-reporter-issue-22-is-all-juiced-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/a-mild-mannered-reporter-issue-22-is-all-juiced-out/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Patches, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

A Mild-Mannered Reporter header by A. Fienemann

On Christmas, Ms. Lady and I received a power juicer.

This wasn't a bad present by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a present that left us momentarily baffled. We hadn't asked for a power juicer, we didn't feel a great need for a power juicer, and we weren't even sure exactly what to do with a power juicer. (Make juice, obviously, but beyond that?) It was a great present but one that struck us as so far out of left field that we really weren't quite sure how to use it at first, much less what it would offer us.

Issue 22 of City of Heroes strikes me in much the same way. It's not that the update is bad or unwanted or unnecessary; it's that the entire thing is essentially aimed in a direction away from my own playstyle. I imagine a lot of free players are going to run into the same issue because even though it's being touted as the game's newest free update, there's precious little in there that's actually changed on the free side.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Issue 22 is all juiced out

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Issue 22 is all juiced out originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-mild-mannered-reportercity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-freedomcity-of-villainscohcolumncolumnscovcoxdesignf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreedomincarnateincarnate-systemissue-22ncsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiospatchespowerspowersetsupdateszonesWed, 25 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The Incarnate divide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/a-mild-mannered-reporter-the-incarnate-divide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/a-mild-mannered-reporter-the-incarnate-divide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/a-mild-mannered-reporter-the-incarnate-divide/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

A Mild-Mannered Reporter header by A. Fienemann

The other week, our regular feature Global Chat featured an interesting comment by Blackcat7k regarding the City of Heroes Incarnate system. I'm not going to duplicate the entire comment here, but I'd encourage you to go read it so that we're all on the same page. In case you're in too much of a hurry to read, however, let me sum up: It's essentially lamenting that the Incarnate system has fundamentally broken the game's leveling and endgame structure, forcing players down a very narrow path in order to participate in most of the recent content additions.

Long-time readers and perpetual archive trawlers will remember that I did an article about precisely what could happen when the Incarnate system went live about a year ago. Well, we've had quite some time to see the system in action and find out what works, what doesn't, and so forth. And the thing is, the comment was right. The bad outcome has come to pass, in many ways. The endgame is the Incarnate rush, and if you're not a part of it, you're on the sidelines.

Of course, I'm not entirely convinced this isn't the best that could be hoped for.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The Incarnate divide

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The Incarnate divide originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-mild-mannered-reportercity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-freedomcity-of-villainscohcovcoxendgamef2pfeaturedfree-to-playgame-mechanicsincarnateincarnate-systemincarnatesncsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiosWed, 30 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Global Chat: November 6-12, 2011]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/global-chat-november-6-12-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/global-chat-november-6-12-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/global-chat-november-6-12-2011/#commentsFiled under: Massively Meta, Global Chat, Miscellaneous

Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat!

This week's Global Chat is all about choices -- be they social or in our gameplay, we like to have as many as we can. Follow along after the break to see what some of our readers had to say about choice in MMOs last week!

Continue reading Global Chat: November 6-12, 2011

Global Chat: November 6-12, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blackcat7kcity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcommenterscommentscovcoxgeminosityglobal-chatguildguildsincarnateperfect-world-entertainmentpwethe-guild-counselSun, 13 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes' newest Intrepid Informer discusses Incarnate additions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/city-of-heroes-newest-intrepid-informer-discusses-incarnate-add/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/city-of-heroes-newest-intrepid-informer-discusses-incarnate-add/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/city-of-heroes-newest-intrepid-informer-discusses-incarnate-add/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Patches, Endgame, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries

CoH Incarnate System

City of Heroes was once known as a game without much of an endgame, but the Incarnate system, which launched about a year ago, changed all that. In today's Intrepid Informer, Jeff "Arbiter Hawk" Hamilton discusses the upgrades to the Incarnate system that are rolling out as part of Issue 21's special Media Blitz update. The original Incarnate ability slots will each see new power options, including a self-targeted cone for Judgement, a mass-teleport skill for Destiny, multi-proc'ing debuffs for Interface, and a variety of control, support, and tanking boosts for Alpha. According to Jeff:

The biggest challenge in making new abilities in the existing Incarnate slots is that they have to be desirable in order to be worth creating, but they can't completely supplant the existing abilities. If they were numerically superior to the original powers in the slot, we'd just be shoehorning players into taking the new powers, when our true objective is to increase the number of choices a player can make in building their character.

The Incarnate system is available only to VIP players with level 50 characters. The official City of Heroes website has the full Intrepid Informer with all the details on the upcoming additions.

City of Heroes' newest Intrepid Informer discusses Incarnate additions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Arbiter-Hawkcity-of-heroesCity-of-Villainscohcovcoxdev-diaryf2pfree-to-playincarnateincarnate-systemintrepid-informerissue-21Jeff-Hamiltonncsoftparagonparagon-studiossuperheroWed, 09 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes producer's letter talks story and solo-friendliness]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

City of Heroes is the latest MMORPG to feature story in its marketing materials, as producer Nate "Second Measure" Birkholz outlines a number of narrative-based initiatives in store for the seven-year old superhero title. "We view City of Heroes as a storytelling medium. We have a lot of long-term plans for the main story, and all of these plans are intended to provide a backdrop for the stories you tell with your characters every day," Birkholz explains.

He also spends a bit of time reflecting on the massive changes that CoX has experienced during its live cycle, noting that the game is much more casual-friendly than it once was. More changes are coming too, among them a new zone in Issue 21 and "alternative ways to experience the Incarnate System, especially options that are more accessible to solo players and small groups."

You can read the full text at the official CoX website.

City of Heroes producer's letter talks story and solo-friendliness originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroesCity-of-Villainscohcovcoxincarnateincarnate-systemissue-21nate-birkholzncsoftparagonparagon-studiosproducer-letterproducers-lettersecond-measuresolo-friendlystorysuperheroThu, 28 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes interviews discuss content development and Incarnate raids]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/city-of-heroes-interviews-discuss-content-development-and-incarn/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/city-of-heroes-interviews-discuss-content-development-and-incarn/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/city-of-heroes-interviews-discuss-content-development-and-incarn/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Patches, Endgame, News items

At the start of the month, City of Heroes released the massive and potentially game-changing Issue 20 update. Codenamed Incarnates, the update introduced a series of large raids designed to continue the story established in Going Rogue in a new way. In an interview with PC Gamer, lead producer Nate Birkholz discussed how the new group instances have been received. Issues touched on include difficulty scaling, the new Incarnate powers that can be earned and lessons learned from developing the new system.

In a contrasting interview over at Gaming Angels, lead designer Melissa Bianco discussed content development and her career at Paragon Studios. The interview covers some important issues, asking why City of Heroes has enjoyed the ongoing success it has and what exactly goes into zone and instance design. Melissa also has some tips for anyone looking for a job in the games industry and provides a little insight into the development process.

City of Heroes interviews discuss content development and Incarnate raids originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroesCity-of-Villainscohcoh-issue-20covendgamegame-designincarnateincarnate-systemincarnate-trialsincarnatesinterviewissue-20melissa-bianconate-birkholzncsoftparagonparagon-cohparagon-studioesparagon-studiosraidraidingraidswomen-in-gamingMon, 18 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2011: Shipping up to Boston with City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/14/pax-east-2011-shipping-up-to-boston-with-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/14/pax-east-2011-shipping-up-to-boston-with-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/14/pax-east-2011-shipping-up-to-boston-with-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

It's only fitting that PAX East 2011 would see another panel for City of Heroes, as last year's convention was the first time the team from Paragon Studios had been to the east coast. While this year's panel didn't see the many announcements and surprising new reveals of last year, it's good to see the team making the trek out to Boston once again in what fans can only hope will be a regular event.

As always, the line to get into the panel was gargantuan, with players lining up an hour before the panel doors opened for a seat in the relatively small theater. Once players had filed in and the room had settled down, it was time for a look at the past year or so for City of Heroes and at what players could expect for the near future, as well as the usual lively question-and-answer session.

Continue reading PAX East 2011: Shipping up to Boston with City of Heroes

PAX East 2011: Shipping up to Boston with City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcontent-patchescovcoxcustomizationendgameendgame-systemfeaturedincarnateincarnate-systemissue-19issue-20nate-birkholzncsoftparagonparagon-studiospatchespaxpax-2011pax-eastpax-east-2011ryan-rothstrike-forcetask-forcetia-parahuiupcoming-patchesupcoming-updatesupdatesMon, 14 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lambda Sector trial on deck for preview in City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/27/lambda-sector-trial-on-deck-for-preview-in-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/27/lambda-sector-trial-on-deck-for-preview-in-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/27/lambda-sector-trial-on-deck-for-preview-in-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, Patches, Previews, News items

So you've got a newly animal-themed hero from last week's Animal Pack launch in City of Heroes and you're just not sure what to do with him. Well, there's good news -- the developers at Paragon Studios will be hosting another preview event for an Issue 20 trial on the test realm. The last preview event covered the previously announced Behavioral Adjustment Facility, but this test wll be centered around the heretofore unseen Lambda Sector trial.

Taking place on the test server, the trial will be running on March 1st on the European test server and March 3rd for the U.S. servers. Both events will also include a random code giveaway for all players in attendance, including new Animal Pack codes and the rare Rikti Mentalist costume. City of Heroes players owe it to themselves to check the times and attend if at all possible, as it promises to be a fun ride for everyone involved.

Lambda Sector trial on deck for preview in City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcoh-issue-20covcoxin-game-eventincarnateincarnate-trialissue-20ncsoftparagonparagon-studiospatchespreviewtesttest-eventtest-servertrialupcoming-patchesSun, 27 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adjust your behavior in City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/adjust-your-behavior-in-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/adjust-your-behavior-in-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/adjust-your-behavior-in-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Previews, Endgame, News items

The war between Primal Earth and Praetoria continues in City of Heroes, and the battlefields are expanding. Emperor Cole's Praetorians struck the first blow, but the residents of Primal Earth are fighting back, starting with the Behavioral Adjustment Facility in the Imperial City. That's the site of the new Incarnate Trial previewed today, a trial in which heroes and villains alike are racing to stop the plans of Siege and Nightstar, two searingly intelligent Clockwork overseeing the process known as "Mindwashing."

Starting with players attempting to break into the facility, the trial sends players against several facility guards. Successfully cutting down the opposition will start a confrontation with Nightstar and her cadre of Victoria-class Clockwork defenders. Her defeat, unfortunately, signals the release of the Mindwashed prisoners, forcing players to engage in a battle against several control-immune enemies before moving on to fight Siege. But that alone doesn't spell the end of the trial -- there's one more fight in the wings, a battle that should prompt players to think outside the box if they want to emerge victorious. City of Heroes players should take a gander at the full preview and get ready to take the war to Praetoria when Issue 20 goes live.

Adjust your behavior in City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorybehavioral-adjustment-facilitycity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcoh-issue-20covcoxi20incarnateincarnate-systemincarnate-trialsissue-20lorencsoftparagonparagon-studiospatch-previewspatchesupcoming-patchesThu, 10 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes talks about the Animal Pack and endgame accessibility]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/city-of-heroes-talks-about-the-animal-pack-and-endgame-accessibi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/city-of-heroes-talks-about-the-animal-pack-and-endgame-accessibi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/city-of-heroes-talks-about-the-animal-pack-and-endgame-accessibi/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Previews, Endgame, News items

Yesterday saw the announcement of the newest add-on pack for City of Heroes, but that's hardly the only news to come out for the game this week. A new developer diary has been released which details the creation of the Animal Pack -- what elements are in the pack, what elements were left out, and why some animals were picked over others. It sheds some light on both the genesis of this specific pack and the usual development process for the additions.

But if you're more content-minded, you'll probably be even happier about the latest Producer's Letter by Nate Birkholz, detailing the upcoming Incarnate Trials of Issue 20 and the team's plans to address endgame accessibility. The Incarnate Trials are a step toward ensuring that any player with a level 50 character and the expansion can take part in the Incarnate system, with looser group requirements and a new queueing system to let players jump in without a pre-formed group. There's also more talk about allowing more liberal acquisition of Incarnate Shards, even if you're level-matched to a lower-level character. It's the sort of accessibility and general freedom that's always been center stage for City of Heroes, which the new letter takes pains to stress.

City of Heroes talks about the Animal Pack and endgame accessibility originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-on-packanimal-packcity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcostume-partscovcoxdevelopmentdevelopment-updatesi20incarnateincarnate-trialsissue-20microtransactionsncsoftparagonparagon-studiosupcoming-patchesWed, 09 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Stricken pack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/a-mild-mannered-reporter-stricken-pack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/a-mild-mannered-reporter-stricken-pack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/a-mild-mannered-reporter-stricken-pack/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's been a while since the Incarnate system went live, and we've had a little time to get used to the ideas that the Issue 19 Strike Pack brought to the table. Not a full shakedown, mind you, but enough to make it clear what the fairly minor addition actually does for the nascent endgame. Whether or not it brings anything positive to City of Heroes is still up for debate. Depending on whom you're talking to, it either nicely handles a few weaknesses of the current Incarnate design or it's a step in a bad direction.

As usual, I don't think the answer is anywhere near that simple. The Strike Pack is a good thing in many ways, and not just because of the addition of the higher tiers of Incarnate abilities. I love giving people more reason to run Task Forces, definitely, but if there's a serious problem introduced by this it goes right back to the same endgame problems that City of Heroes has always had, problems that I'm not completely sure even Issue 20 will fix.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Stricken pack

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Stricken pack originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxendgameendgame-progressionfeaturedgame-designgame-mechanicsgame-patchesgroupingi19incarnateincarnate-systemissue-19issue-19-strike-packncsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiospatchessolostrike-packupdatesWed, 09 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes launches the Issue 19 Strike Pack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/city-of-heroes-launches-the-issue-19-strike-pack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/city-of-heroes-launches-the-issue-19-strike-pack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/city-of-heroes-launches-the-issue-19-strike-pack/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Patches, Endgame, News items

Have you found yourself acquiring the deific power of the Incarnate system too darn slowly? Or have you found yourself stymied as you train up your Alpha Slot abilities, knowing that new tiers will be available but wishing they were available right now? City of Heroes players with either conundrum can take heart in knowing that the Issue 19 Strike Pack has just gone live, adding in solutions to both of these problems for everyone.

Players looking for a chance to earn more Incarnate materials every week will be happy with the new Weekly Strike Target, which grants extra rewards to players for the first run of a chosen Task Force and/or Strike Force and badges for players who repeatedly run the target. It also coincides nicely with the expansion of the Alpha Slot, allowing players access to the highest tier of powers available. It's not a bad thing to have extra motivation to run the Task Forces in City of Heroes, and this update offers two excellent incentives.

City of Heroes launches the Issue 19 Strike Pack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxendgameincarnateincarnate-systemissue-19issue-19-strike-packncsoftparagonparagon-studiospatchesrewardsupdatesTue, 01 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes launching the Strike Pack in February]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/city-of-heroes-launching-the-strike-pack-in-february/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/city-of-heroes-launching-the-strike-pack-in-february/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/city-of-heroes-launching-the-strike-pack-in-february/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

City of Heroes has been firing on all cylinders for this month's announcements, promising a great deal to come in the next few months. One of those promises was an addition to Issue 19's list of feature in a smaller update, and now that's been both dated and expanded upon. The Strike Pack is due out in early February, and it promises to give players both a chance to improve Incarnate abilities even further and more opportunities to gather the all-important materials for same.

According to Black Scorpion, starting with the launch of the Strike Pack, a single co-op Task Force (or a Strike Force and a Task Force) will be designated as a Weekly Strike Target, with characters earning double merits and a special Incarnate item for the first completion in a week. The Incarnate item is the key to unlocking the upper tiers of the Alpha Slot, which apply an effective level shift to your character, allowing said character to count as level 51 for purposes of hitting, missing, dodging, and so forth. Special badges are also promised for running the Weekly Strike Target multiple times, which should help keep City of Heroes active for everyone.

City of Heroes launching the Strike Pack in February originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-levelcity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxincarnateincarnate-systemissue-19levellevelsncsoftparagonparagon-studiospatchesstrike-forcestrike-packtask-forceweekly-strike-targetThu, 20 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community dancing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/24/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-dancing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/24/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-dancing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/24/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-dancing/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's really hard for me to log in to City of Heroes recently, I have to admit. I know there are so many nifty things coming with the next patch that really, I just want to wait for Issue 19. I've got a baby Praetorian brute that will benefit from baseline Fitness to insane degrees, and it's really hard for me to convince myself that I should spend another minute leveling on a character without Stamina like an animal. Of course, I also have really been enjoying the game lately, so it's a difficult balance between the two opposing forces.

That certainly hasn't kept me from enjoying the discussion about City of Heroes going down of late, nor has it stopped me from logging in to take part in our livestream event for the game. Click on past the break to see this week's highlighted discussion, and in case you missed the stream, I took the liberty of embedding it right there at the end of the column. If you were already watching, well, you get another chance to listen to my dulcet tones after reading. Aren't you lucky?

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community dancing

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community dancing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorybaseline-fitnesscity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxfeaturedfitnessi19incarnateissue-19melissa-bianconcsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiospatchesweatherweather-systemsWed, 24 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes developer diary: Challenging the gods]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/city-of-heroes-developer-diary-challenging-the-gods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/city-of-heroes-developer-diary-challenging-the-gods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/city-of-heroes-developer-diary-challenging-the-gods/#commentsFiled 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.

Continue reading City of Heroes developer diary: Challenging the gods

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-scorpioncity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcovcoxdev-diarydeveloper-diaryfeaturedgoing-roguegri19incarnateincarnate-systemincarnatesissue-19ncsoftparagonparagon-studiosplayer-enchancementsplayer-powerstim-black-scorpion-sweeneytim-sweeneyThu, 11 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Issues 20 and Incarnates previewed for City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/issues-20-and-incarnates-previewed-for-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/issues-20-and-incarnates-previewed-for-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/issues-20-and-incarnates-previewed-for-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Previews, News items

If you were one of the lucky fans at the recent City of Heroes meet-and-greet, you were treated to a wealth of information from Paragon Studios about the future of the game. If you weren't, however, you still get a fair slice of luck with today's reveal on the official site about the Incarnate system, complete with lore illustrating the start of what promises to be a far-reaching storyline in the game. We've also gotten a look at the event's presentation on future content, which should give fans plenty to look forward to.

The Incarnate system is kicking off with the Alpha Slot in Issue 19, which will be focused on wide-ranging enhancements to all of a character's powers. Unlike Enhancements, Incarnate abilities can be slotted and removed without destroying them. Each slot will have several branches that players can explore as well, allowing for a great deal of character customization. Moreover, the most powerful Incarnate abilities allow characters to improve their effective level in battle past the cap. You can head to the official site for more details on the next major system of City of Heroes -- or you can take a look at the gallery for a preview of what's coming and the slides which give us a sneak peek at a new warehouse map, new costume pieces, and the trials of Issue 20.

Gallery: City of Heroes updates preview

Issues 20 and Incarnates previewed for City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alpha-slotbackstorycity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxgalleriesgallerygame-mechanicsgame-updatesin-game-eventincarnateincarnate-systemissue-19issue-20loremajor-patchesmajor-updatesncsoftnew-contentparagonparagon-studiospatchespreviewsscreenshotscreenshotstrialsupdatesTue, 09 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes dev diary: Dr. Aeon's Guide on How to Make a Proper Interdimensional Invasion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/city-of-heroes-dev-diary-dr-aeons-guide-on-how-to-make-a-prop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/city-of-heroes-dev-diary-dr-aeons-guide-on-how-to-make-a-prop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/city-of-heroes-dev-diary-dr-aeons-guide-on-how-to-make-a-prop/#commentsFiled 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.)

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

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcovcoxdr-aeonexpansionsgoing-roguegrincarnateincarnate-systemincarnatesissue-19ncsoftparagonparagon-studiospatchessean-dr-aeon-mccannsean-mccanntask-forceupcoming-patchesupdatesWed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the news that's fit from PAX]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/a-mild-mannered-reporter-all-the-news-thats-fit-from-pax/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/a-mild-mannered-reporter-all-the-news-thats-fit-from-pax/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/a-mild-mannered-reporter-all-the-news-thats-fit-from-pax/#commentsFiled 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.

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

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcontentcovcoxdevelopmentdevelopment-teamendgameendgame-mechanicsfeaturedgame-mechanicsgoing-roguegrincarnateincarnate-systemissue-19issue-20matt-millermelissa-bianconcsoftnews-analysisopinionparagonparagon-studiospax-2010positronsystemsupcoming-patcheswar-witchWed, 08 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX 2010: City of Heroes moves Fitness over to inherent powers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/pax-2010-city-of-heroes-moves-fitness-over-to-inherent-powers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/pax-2010-city-of-heroes-moves-fitness-over-to-inherent-powers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/pax-2010-city-of-heroes-moves-fitness-over-to-inherent-powers/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

Big news got dropped today during the City of Heroes panel over at the inimitable PAX, the sort of thing that every veteran of the game will be interested in. Fitness -- also known as the powerset that is more or less mandatory by level 20, or the Stamina set -- is being moved from power pools into the inherent power set. That means that three of the default power choices in the game have just been rolled into every character from level 1, making builds more flexible and players very happy indeed.

It wasn't mentioned specifically whether this means the powers will simply be under inherent powers or base movement speed, regeneration rates, and so forth will be increased. There has also been more information about the highly anticipated Incarnate System, with Issue 19 rolling out the Alpha Slot to start players down the road of improvement at Level 50. We'll have more on the panel as a whole and the details of the revelations, including news on the Issue 20 testing, but for now, all City of Heroes players should be happy to learn they have three new power selections to play with when 19 launches.

PAX 2010: City of Heroes moves Fitness over to inherent powers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alpha-slotbreakingbreaking-newscity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxincarnateincarnate-systeminherentinherent-powersissue-19issue-20ncsoftpanelsparagonparagon-studiospaxpax-2010pax-primepax-prime-2010Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community timing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-timing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-timing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-timing/#commentsFiled 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.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community timing

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-heroes-2city-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcoh-2covcoxfeaturedgoing-roguegrincarnateincarnate-systemissue-18levellevel-50level-capncsoftnostalgiaold-contentparagonparagon-studiostimeWed, 18 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Question and answers go retro]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/a-mild-mannered-reporter-question-and-answers-go-retro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/a-mild-mannered-reporter-question-and-answers-go-retro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/a-mild-mannered-reporter-question-and-answers-go-retro/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's time to head back in time, back through the many views and opinion of the past month, and see where we've gone with questions from far and wide. And as long as we're going back in time, why can't City of Heroes go back with us? Seriously, where's the time-travel arc where everyone has to team up with their Silver Age counterpart in bell-bottoms and bad hair? We've long been missing that from the game, and now that I have the time to think clearly it's a problem which should be immediately addressed.

Of course, we do have that new Doppleganger system coming up. It could happen. Also, questions should probably be answered before I deviate too far.

Zsazsa piped up with an obvious question about the PAX information:
"Was anything said about new maps located in space for level 50 characters?"

Possibly? When talking with the inimitable Miss Bianco, she mentioned that there were new maps we haven't yet seen... emphasis on those of us in the playerbase. It's very possible that there are, in fact, maps set in space which will be used for the Incarnate system (which requires level 50 and Going Rogue to be playable, so there you go). But as it's implied here that they already exist, wouldn't we have seen them by now?

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Question and answers go retro

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Question and answers go retro originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archetypescity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcovcoxdual-pistolselectrical-controlfeaturedgoing-rogueincarnatekinetic-meleematt-millermelissa-biancoparagonparagon-cohparagon-studioespax-eastpax-east-2010praetoriaWed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Samuraiko takes CoX players back where it all began]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/samuraiko-takes-cox-players-back-where-it-all-began/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/samuraiko-takes-cox-players-back-where-it-all-began/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/samuraiko-takes-cox-players-back-where-it-all-began/#commentsFiled under: Super-hero, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lore

With the announcment of City of Heroes Issue 13: Architect, we now have player-made missions to look forward to. The Mission Architect system will allow players to indulge their creativity, creating whole story arcs for other players to enjoy, some of which may even be selected as 'Dev's Choice'.

Michelle Travis, better known by her working handle Samuraiko, is living proof that players can create material that is every bit as stunning as what's officially on offer. In her most recent video, Michelle takes us back to where it all began, the pivotal moment in CoX history when Marcus Cole and Stefan Richter discovered the Well of the Furies. The video's been around for about a month, but with the current buzz about fan-made content, we figured it was well worth pointing it out.

We're sorry to say so, but this video is unofficial. Much though we'd like to, it can't be taken as evidence that there is an Incarnate epic origin or epic archetype coming up any time soon. But it's definitely worth watching, especially for new players who haven't yet learned the lore of how superpowers first came to be. Check it out after the break.

Continue reading Samuraiko takes CoX players back where it all began

Samuraiko takes CoX players back where it all began originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxfanvidincarnatencsoftsamuraikovideoFri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST