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Issue 11 preloading now
The 74.2MB content update for City of Heroes/City of Villains free expansion Issue #11 is streaming to players as we speak. Issue #11, called "A Stitch In Time" features new power sets, time travel, new inventions, dual-weapons, weapon customization, and did I mention time travel? As usual, the download will trigger when you exit a game session. You can cancel it any time, and let it resume later. You know you want to grab it before Issue 11 opens officially and the update servers get slow.
An in-depth look at Issue 11 power sets in CoX
Floyd "Castle" Grubb sat down recently and recorded a video explanation of the upcoming power sets available in Issue 11: A Stitch in Time for City of Heroes/City of Villains. Since the video is only available as a download, we'll give you the complete rundown here on Massively of what we can expect from the two new power sets being added into the game. The first thing Castle mentioned was the fact that these power sets were added to the game because they were what the players asked for most. When asked, the players most requested Willpower for a defensive power set, and dual blades for an offensive set.
Halloween festivities for NCsoft titles
We already filled you in on CoX getting some Halloween fun underway, but NCsoft has now let 1Up know what their plans are for their other titles.Guild Wars players can expect the return of the infamous Mad King Thorn. This joker typically visits different areas of towns telling people what to do, rewarding those that listen and destroying those that don't. The two cities he will make appearances at are Lion's Arch and Kamadan, and you'll need to be around between October 26th and midnight October 31st to catch him.Lineage II fans will see the "Trick or Transmutation" event for their Halloween celebration. This will involve a treasure hunt for some Alchemist's Chests, to create Philosopher's Stones and unlock rewards. Some of these rewards will reportedly be unique to this event, and if you're interested in trying your hand at the hunt, the event begins October 26th.Finally, NCsoft is even infusing their unreleased MMO Tabula Rasa with Halloween madness. Those who have preordered the game will get to play a few days early, in the headstart promotion, and will be able to go on missions to earn special Halloween masks.If you want to find out about the celebrations already going on in CoX check out our previous coverage, and a link to 1Up's article is provided below.
Pocket Guide to Inventions in CoX
Just like Amanda, I have recently returned to CoH/CoV from a long hiatus and I find there is a lot of new and wonderful stuff happening in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. I'm particularly excited about the Invention system and was happy to see that there is an in-game tutorial for learning about crafting.In order to complete the Invention Tutorial, you need to attend a University. Heroes go to the University in Steel Canyon while Villains attend the one in Cap Au Diablo. You get a badge, experience, Influence/Infamy and a nice Invention Enhancement for completing the tutorial, so it is well worth it.The info in the Invention Tutorial is invaluable, but a bit tedious to read through. So I've put together the basics of Inventions in this handy pocket guide. All of the tutorial info is included here, so if you just breezed through it to get the goodies, you won't have missed out on the essentials.What you need to create an Invention: Some Salvage (appropriate for the item you are creating) A Recipe A Workbench Influence or Infamy Enough room in your inventory (if not a Costume Piece)
WarCry interviews Melissa "War Witch" Bianco
Melissa "War Witch" Bianco is the World Designer at Cryptic Studios for popular Super-themed City of Heroes/Villains. Popular in the community for her forum participation, accessibility and a number of interesting and entertaining easter eggs hidden throughout the MMO zones, War Cry has a community-driven interview with Bianco. Bianco gives detailed answers across six pages on community-provided questions covering many aspects of zone design, approval and testing - all in her signature style: informative, interesting and engaging. If you're interested in City of Heroes or City of Villains, or you just want to see how the professionals really do it, it's worth your time to go and take a look. [via WarCry Network]
Today's just thought of game video: City of Heroes inventions
Today's video pick shows the new inventions system in City of Heroes. This overview explains how players can create superpowers that are new to the game, as part of the recent update. Are you still playing City of Heroes or City of Villains? What do you think of the new system?See the video after the break.
New City of Heroes & Villains update lets you invent 'stuff'
For it's ninth "Breakthrough" City of Heroes update (also compatible with City of Villains), NCsoft has introduced the 'Invention System,' whereby tinkering types can create new items out of in-game resources. Enhancements, costume pieces, new powers, and gadgets are possible to produce. And if anyone else is still lurking around the server, you can take your new wares to the 'Auction Houses' and try to get paid.We applaud NCsoft for its continued support of City of Heroes, but it's hard to get excited about CoH (even when the new content is free) when facing the simple truth that many players have been moved on to World of Warcraft. With Burning Crusade captivating the world, will anybody show Paragon some love? Anybody?
NCsoft expanding to consoles, handhelds
GamesIndustry.biz spoke with NCsoft's European product director Thomas Bidaux about the Korean publisher's expansion plans on next-gen hardware and portable devices. According to Bidaux, the MMO maker best known for City of Heroes and Guild Wars is looking to create a gaming experience that will transcend the boundaries of a single platform. "The holy grail of gaming is a game that plays across as many platforms as possible," he said. Traditionally, those types of games have been the big-budget franchises and movie tie-ins, such as Madden, Harry Potter, and King Kong -- which have often resulted in inconsistent gaming experiences of varying quality (depending on the platform). But Bidaux says NCsoft is also looking for persistent immersion: "It's about making a great game that you can play on a PC or console, and then incorporate your mobile phone to expand the whole universe."What licenses and properties would you like to see adapted to this type of cross-genre, "play anywhere" style of gaming? The model NCsoft appears to be shooting for is one that emphasizes the strengths of each platform. For instance, using a mobile phone or handheld system for character customization and puzzle solving on the go, the PC for strategizing and role-playing, and a console for more action-oriented elements.See also: No future for desktop and laptop PCs?
Cryptic may bring heroic MMO's to consoles
Recently IGN released some news regarding City of Heroes and City of Villains creator, Cryptic. They have announced they are looking for programmers and artists for new PC titles and consoles. The MMO-related jobs open include Lead Designer, Lead Programmer, and Associate Producer. The rest are listed at Cryptic Studios website, for anyone interested.The only confirmation Cryptic has let out is they have multiple projects in the works. City of... Mutants? The Lead Designer position calls for interest in mythology and history, both ancient and current. Don't worry -- they say there's no Rome or Greece involved. Hopefully they also don't intend on World War 2. All three of those are very, very overdone. What kind of City of... would you like to see come to consoles? Cleverness is quite appreciated. City of Zombies would be neat, even though most zombie games (excepting a few, like Resident Evil) are sort of lacking in gameplay.
NCsoft Austin shows 70 workers the door [update 1]
Perhaps fueled by the disappointing performance of Auto Assault and other MMOs under NCsoft's control, the company has confirmed that they have indeed made a round of cuts to their Austin office -- 70 employees have been pink slipped. According to a statement on the company's Lineage II boards:"NCsoft's Austin business has announced an immediate restructuring within its organization that included the difficult task of reducing members of its workforce. ... the company sees a slowdown in its launch pattern and the need to streamline its business. For this reason, NCsoft has reduced its 300 person workforce in Austin by approximately 70 people to accommodate this change. This decision has no impact on the schedules of any projects currently in development and service to NCsoft's current games will continue without interruption."While some have blamed the subscription numbers of AA and City of Heroes/Villains, an NCsoft rep assured GameSpot that those rumors were false. A rep said the figures shown were incorrect, and "not just barely wrong, but all wrong." NCsoft's Guild Wars may be enjoying some real success, but it seems the others may be holding the company back. Who knows how this will affect their upcoming venture Tabula Rasa, but considering this recent news, it can't be all positive.[via MMORPG.com][Update 1: The Austin chapter of the International Game Developer's Association (IGDA) is looking to help any recently laid-off game designers. They write, "There are plenty of employers around town who would like to snatch you up as soon as possible because of your previous work experience. We'll be displaying the resumes on our website along with an announcement of this opportunity for other employers around town."Interested? Stop by their website and see what they need from you.]
Best selling PC games: AoE 3 and Civ IV battle for top spot
For the week ending November 13th, here's the best sellers list for PC games in the U.S. 1. Age Of Empires III 2. Civilization IV 3. Call Of Duty 2 4. Star Wars Battlefront II 5. World Of Warcraft 6. The Sims 2 7. City Of Villains 8. The Sims 2 Nightlife Expansion Pack 9. Battlefield 2 10. Call Of Duty 2 Collectors Edition As is obvious from the list, Civilization IV and Age of Empires 3 are deeply involved in a strategic battle for getting the most cash out of gamer's wallets. Age of Empires 3 has been out over a month now but is still topping the chart. With Civ IV being out just under a two weeks, has it already lost the momentum required to knock AoE 3 off the top spot?
