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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Places to go, questions to answer
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.
Preview: City of Heroes: Going Rogue
I got to play the new Going Rogue expansion for City of Heroes at Comic-Con. I haven't played the six-year-old MMO in a while, so I was out of the loop -- since I'd last played it, Paragon Studios has updated the graphics, added a mission editor, and put out a host of other upgrades and features. But Going Rogue's big feature is something players have been asking about for a while: For the first time in the game, heroes and villains will be able to switch sides with an interesting set of morality quests. Paragon Studios senior producer Jesse Caceres and the game's art lead, David Nakayama, told me that the alignment change is a natural evolution from all of the other customization choices they've given to players in the past. "One of our strengths is the character creation system," says Caceres, "and with the Mission Architect, players could custom create and craft their own stories, create their own villain groups. We want to give players more options, so with this expansion, we're giving them the freedom to change their alignments from Hero to Villain" (and vice versa).
Video guide to Nova Praetoria and the Underground for City of Heroes
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.
City of Heroes shows off the upcoming Kinetic Melee set
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-98440%
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two sides to the story
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.
SDCC 2010: Melissa Bianco on lessons and innovations in City of Heroes Going Rogue
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.
The lore behind districts in City of Heroes: Going Rogue
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-97436%
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The community and the harsh truths
It's that time again. (Those of you who immediately started in with a Wheel of Morality sketch earn a gold star and are excused for the rest of the day.) With less than a month remaining according to the official timetable for Going Rogue's release, we're taking another look at the community topics of City of Heroes, one that should prove quite rewarding. Literally, even, as some of our highlighted discussions are about prestige, merit points, and what you get off of a Giant Monster's corpse when you kill it. More than anything, if there's a theme to this round's discussions, it's a call for improvements. I've made the occasional joke about how the expansion will bring everything anyone ever wanted into the game, and there's certainly a strong thread of that running through recent discussions as well. After all, we all know there are areas where City of Heroes could be stronger, so perhaps a few side updates aren't wholly remiss? Or maybe I'm just feeling cantankerous this week. Every problem looks like a nail when all you have is a hammer, and so forth. Onward with discussion!
City of Heroes previews the districts of Going Rogue
If there's been a complaint about the visuals for the upcoming City of Heroes expansion, it's that Going Rogue will be sticking characters in yet another cityscape. On the most technical level, that's true. However, compared to the utilitarian New England city areas in Paragon City and the urban decay of the Rogue Isles, the sweeping curves and smooth designs of Praetoria couldn't be more different. And even if the visuals from the newest reveal don't grab you, there's still a wealth of information in the latest official disclosures on the expansion's site. Nova Praetoria is the heart of the world's administration and the most exclusive neighborhood ever. (It's the equivalent of the President asking you to move in next door, if the President ran the entire planet and could bend cars in half with his hands.) In a parody of the omnipresent memorials to lost heroes in Paragon City, Nova Praetoria is dotted with statues celebrating the still-living Praetors. The Underground, directly beneath the district, was created to avoid any sight of the day-to-day maintenance of the city -- but it's since become a haven for the movement against Cole and his empire. Take a look at our gallery below for more of the visual awesomeness. %Gallery-97436%
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Angry, desperate, hungry, cold
Everyone has different definitions of what constitutes a hero. City of Heroes features plenty of them, after all, and even then there's a breadth of different elements that make them heroic. Some of them are bravely fighting against the odds with unreliable powers or no powers outside of training. Some are heroes who have all the power in the world, but they consider the needs of society to be greater than their own needs. But there's one unifying trait so simple as to be almost comical to state. Heroes do the right thing. No matter what. So it's kind of silly to try and glorify the actions of Emperor Cole's jackbooted maniacs, rallying under the "loyalist" banner as if stomping on people were something to be proud about. The fact of the matter is that Cole has been named Tyrant pretty appropriately, crushing any chance for an entire world to make its own choices and mistakes and steps forward. And the reward for handing him control has been paradise, sure -- if you consider what he's offering a paradise.
City of Heroes Going Rogue soundtrack available on iTunes and Amazon
There's just a little more than a month left until City of Heroes players get to take the new expansion for a spin, and Going Rogue's promotions have been stepped up accordingly. Oddly, while the art direction, storytelling, and mechanical aspects of the expansion have all gotten significant attention, we've heard very little about the music that will be expected to set the mood. But if you really want to know, there's no need to speculate -- the soundtrack is already available for purchase. Available both on iTunes and Amazon (albeit slightly cheaper on Amazon), the soundtrack contains 13 pieces composed by Jason Graves, previously of Dead Space and Command & Conquer 4 fame. The previews available suggest a highly orchestral and high-energy collection of pieces, with each piece giving a distinct and different feel from the familiar melodies of the Rogue Isles and Paragon City. Going Rogue players may well want to pick up the soundtrack, as it's only a few bucks and should conjure some engaging images for future City of Heroes adventures.
NCsoft announces Comic-Con schedule for Aion, City of Heroes, and Guild Wars 2
Comic-Con is just over a week away, and if you're a fan of any of NCsoft's games you'll be happy about the latest news: NCsoft has released the full schedule for its Comic-Con presence. Fans will be treated to some merchandise giveaways and signings, and there will be speaking sessions centered around Guild Wars 2 and City of Heroes: Going Rogue. While we can't play Guild Wars 2 quite yet, NCsoft will have stations set up to experience Aion and Going Rogue. Events are scheduled daily from the 22nd through the 25th, so check out the NCsoft events calendar to be sure you don't miss anything!
City of Heroes returns to the Cathedral in Issue 18
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-97111%
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question
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.
New Going Rogue video documentary hits the City of Heroes Facebook page
Having celebrated its sixth anniversary back in April, City of Heroes is a bit of an old dog in the MMO world. But it's proving quite adept at learning new tricks, with Going Rogue bringing out a big new trick in the form of its morality system. Allowing players not only to play heroes or villains but several intermediate forms in between, the ability to change allegiance is one of the expansion's biggest selling points -- as well as being the focus of the second video documentary, available on the game's Facebook page. While the video doesn't reveal every piece of system information on changing from hero to villain or vice versa, it does talk more about the choices that go into such a shift. We've been hearing for some time that players will be making choices within the missions of Going Rogue, and it's explained here as well. It also discusses in brief how Praetoria is a framework removed from the hero-villain dichotomy of Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, allowing players to make choices and shape morality from the ground up. City of Heroes players are encouraged to take a look at the documentary and leave their comments on the page, as the developers are due to check in there throughout the day.
More details on Going Rogue from the latest City of Heroes Q&A session
Although it took a bit of back-and-forth to get moving, the most recent batch of questions for the City of Heroes team has been answered, and with it comes several new pieces of information on the fast-approaching Going Rogue expansion. Some of the answers, naturally, are reasonably well-known facts, such as the fact that allegiances may be switched back and forth as often as a player wishes. But this is also the first time we've heard of a specific timetable, with the team estimating that casual players will be able to make the switch in about a week's worth of playtime. Among the other new pieces of information are details on the content of both Kinetic Melee and Electric Control, with the former sporting a stacking buff via several powers and the latter set to feature a Sleep power that players might actually want. Even amidst the answers that players might already know, there are bits and pieces of gold, enough so that fans looking forward to the August 17th release date for Going Rogue would be well-served by reading through the whole set. It's looking to be a very interesting time to play City of Heroes, whatever side you choose to play on.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: For the greater good
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.
Praetoria unveiled in depth for City of Heroes
If you play City of Heroes, you're probably not counting the days until the release of Going Rogue just yet, as it's a little too far in the future. (Fifty-one days if you count today, incidentally.) But August will be here before we know it, and today the official site takes a look at a portion of the expansion which is at once easy to forget and yet ubiquitous: the world of Praetoria itself, the utopia created through absolute power. As we've known for quite some time, it's similar and yet slightly different when compared to the setting of Paragon City -- both familiar and threatening. Emperor Cole's near-total salvation of humanity resulted in a sweeping change of the world as a whole, as discussed in Tyrant's biography quite some time ago. Praetoria is a world without borders or nationalities, wherein everyone is a citizen of the empire rather than the panoply of countries in the real world. The tantalizing hints of the world's architecture are readily visible in our gallery, which showcases both the concept art and the in-game layouts of the major new setting for the expansion. Take a look at our gallery, and head to the official site for more information on the twisted mirror of City of Heroes. %Gallery-96271%
Rescheduled developer question-and-answer contest for City of Heroes
You may recall that a couple of days ago we announced a rather tantalizing deal for City of Heroes players, involving both a chance to win a free gaming mouse and the opportunity to ask the developers your questions. Unfortunately, due to technical limitations, the session was postponed, as the team found the formspring service didn't quite have the capacity for what they were doing. We're happy to say that after a very short turnaround time, the session has been re-arranged and put back on the schedule. Answers will still be forthcoming on the 30th of June, but participants will need to directly email the team their questions and all pertinent contest details, rather than using a third-party site. The official rules and regulations have been slightly changed as well, but what hasn't changed is that it's an excellent opportunity for City of Heroes players to get in touch with the developers and potentially get rewarded for it. If you're a fan of Paragon Studios, take a look at the rules and then figure out your best possible question.
City of Heroes announces Going Rogue release date and hands-on at SDCC
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.
