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[Newest City of Heroes video documents the heroes of the Freedom Phalanx]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/newest-city-of-heroes-video-documents-the-heroes-of-the-freedom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/newest-city-of-heroes-video-documents-the-heroes-of-the-freedom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/newest-city-of-heroes-video-documents-the-heroes-of-the-freedom/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We've got tons of heroes here. They're like rats, but bigger and half of them are on fire.
The Surviving Eight, the members of the Freedom Phalanx, are the most important heroes in the mythology of City of Heroes. But in the not-so-distant future, they're going to be down a member as the game's first signature arc reaches its conclusion. In case you're not totally familiar with the characters in question, however, you're in luck -- the latest video documentary shows off the big eight in all their glory, explaining how they got where they are and what the team hoped to explore with each character.

Narrated by Matt Miller and Sean McCann, the video goes into detail about the powers of the survivors and their roles in the game, from Positron to the now-marked Statesman. It's a useful refresher on the game's lore, so if you're looking forward to the remainder of the signature arc and want to get a refresher on some of the fine points of lore, jump past the break for the video.

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MassivelyNewest City of Heroes video documents the heroes of the Freedom Phalanx originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorycity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxf2pfree-to-playlorematt-millerncsoftparagonparagon-studiossean-mccannsignature-arcsurviving-eightvideovideo-documentaryvideosvidocwho-will-dieTue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:00 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: , , , , , , ,

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

MassivelyCity 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[Mission Architect fix goes haywire in City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/mission-architect-fix-goes-haywire-in-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/mission-architect-fix-goes-haywire-in-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/mission-architect-fix-goes-haywire-in-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

With any player-generated content system, a game becomes a struggle between two equal and opposing forces: the designers who want to cram in every possible exploit to get the best possible rewards with the least possible effort, and those who just want to make really neat story arcs. City of Heroes recently dropped a small patch in the hopes of fighting something that had been a target for exploits, and unfortunately the latter group got caught in the crossfire.

In short, the patch was designed to target allied NPCs in missions who didn't attack, but buffed the player characters to the gills in order to make missions easier. Unfortunately, caught in the crossfire were almost any missions that involved things other than enemies, up to and including missions where players would rescue hostages. Needless to say, player response has not been kind.

Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann was quick to give an official statement on the matter, explaining that the idea was to implement a temporary fix that would prevent current farming, with a more permanent one coming around Issue 17's launch. (Although we don't have a specific date on that, it's been generally pegged for early this month.) Until then, City of Heroes players might find themselves advised to take a break from Mission Architect for a little while.

[ Thanks to Steve for the tip! ]

MassivelyMission Architect fix goes haywire in City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-heroes-issue-17city-of-villainscohcovcoxcrossfiredr-aeonexploitissue-17mission-architectparagonparagon-cohparagon-studioespatchsean-dr-aeon-mccannsean-mccannFri, 09 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Will improved City of Heroes graphics come before Going Rogue?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/will-improved-city-of-heroes-graphics-come-before-going-rogue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/will-improved-city-of-heroes-graphics-come-before-going-rogue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/will-improved-city-of-heroes-graphics-come-before-going-rogue/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Apparently not content with his most recent contest, Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann decided that he would use the official City of Heroes forums to declare a war upon television. Really, it's not that unusual for the game's forums, which tend to be on the friendly and silly side; what is a bit more unusual is the carrot being offered. His promise is that if readers join him in his war against television (which, to be fair, is a fine war), the game's "Ultra Mode" will be released to all players prior to Going Rogue.

Silly? Of course it is, McCann isn't even on the same team in charge of the graphical upgrade. Except that there has been a persistent rumor that the upgrade, revealed at Hero-Con along with the groundswell of Going Rogue information, will be going live before the expansion's launch anyway. Of course, McCann himself points out that he couldn't possibly follow up on his promise... which could mean that he knows something will happen. Or it could be the resident mad scientist of City of Heroes being his usual impish self. Either way, this rumor has a bit more meat on its bones, so players might want to go ahead and keep an eye on that thread.

[ Thanks to Informant D for the tip! ]

MassivelyWill improved City of Heroes graphics come before Going Rogue? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcovcoxdr-aeongoing-rogueparagonparagon-cohparagon-studioesrumorsean-dr-aeon-mccannsean-mccannultra-modeupgradeThu, 04 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New City of Heroes Mission Architect contest leaves everyone powerless]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/new-city-of-heroes-mission-architect-contest-leaves-everyone-pow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/new-city-of-heroes-mission-architect-contest-leaves-everyone-pow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/new-city-of-heroes-mission-architect-contest-leaves-everyone-pow/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If there's one storyline that comic book writers love coming back to, and there certainly is, it's the idea of the main characters losing their abilities. Seeing whether or not heroes can overcome challenges without their gifts, or if villains are as dangerous when merely mortal, gives a lot of definition to normally superhuman antics. It's time for creators in City of Heroes to take on that trope, because the latest Mission Architect contest is all about taking the power away from the best-known champions of the city or the isles.

The contest, running until February 24th, requires an arc centered around a known figure losing their powers, be they hero or villain. If that's not enough to capture the feel, though, the arc is meant for the lowest possible level band of 5-10. There's also a brief reminder that part of the goal is to stretch one's legs, and that the best arcs will likely incorporate features not generally found in low-level content. As with the prior contest, the prize is a permanent title and a potential Developer's Choice pick for the arc, so City of Heroes players should start thinking about what would be a fun way to be unempowered.

MassivelyNew City of Heroes Mission Architect contest leaves everyone powerless originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back in October, City of Heroes players got a treat in the form of three arcs created by high-profile creative minds. The Guest Author program used the Mission Architect system and gave players the enjoyment of working through missions scripted by authors known outside of the realm of Paragon City. We haven't heard much about the program since then, and so it might have seemed as if the feature had been forgotten, but it turns out it was simply in brief hibernation, as the official site has announced the next group of writers.

Mercedes Lackey (known for her series of fantasy novels set in Valdemar), Troy Hickman (known for the meta-superhero series Common Grounds), and Austin Grossman (longtime writer of video games and author of Soon I Will Be Invincible) make up the next batch of guest writers crafting their own arcs in City of Heroes. Two of the arcs should be live today (assuming you're reading this on January 26th), according to a small supplementary piece which includes a few words from Sean McCann. It's good to see the game continuing to emphasize and enhance the experience of user-created content, and players should look forward to some high-profile names continuing to take their swing at it.

MassivelyCity of Heroes announces next guest authors originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann is the newest member of the City of Heroes team, having wowed Paragon with his recent outstanding work on Mission Architect. We got a chance to congratulate Dr. Aeon directly, and took the opportunity to talk with him about his new position. He gives us a look at how he made the leap from player to team member, how he's settling in to his new role, and all about the fun of working on Mission Architect.

Follow along after the jump for a look into the "greatest mind the world has ever known."

Continue reading Massively interviews City of Heroes' newest architect

MassivelyMassively interviews City of Heroes' newest architect originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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