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Massively Exclusive: City of Heroes previews the upcoming Mecha Armor
Do you dig giant robots? Of course you do. The team behind City of Heroes apparently likes them as well, seeing as how the game's next major update, Issue 23, allows you to dress up like one. The newest Tier 9 VIP reward is the Mecha Armor costume set, and the fine people at Paragon Studios were kind enough to give us a chance to take a sneak peek at the costume set before it's available on the test server. The gallery below contains an image of a male, female, and huge character in the new costume set, complete with wings, backpacks, and other armor reminiscent of any number of Gundam designs. Like other Tier 9 VIP rewards, the armor will only be unlockable for a limited time, so if you're feeling a desperate need to play with these costume parts -- and we can't blame you -- it's best save up your reward tokens now. %Gallery-9156%
City of Heroes rejoices in F2P success even as it mourns Statesman's passing
While Paragon Studios is being tight-lipped about exact numbers since City of Heroes' free-to-play conversion, Lead Designer Matt "Positron" Miller has said that the company has been "blown away" by the results. According to an interview at GameZone, City of Heroes has witnessed not only an "incredible number" of subscribers, but also a tidal wave of returning and first-time players curious about the new model. Miller cites the popularity of the Paragon Rewards program as a key factor in Freedom's success: "We've really broadened the idea of what a free game can be to a lot of people." On a more somber note, Positron delivered a touching eulogy for the recently departed Statesman on the City of Heroes website. "Statesman's hand was a hand that lifted us up with inspiration," he wrote. "His back was the strong back of a sheltering protector. His wisdom, that of an insightful teacher and leader. His confidence, driven by a profound optimism about the human spirit." Massively recently spoke with Paragon Studios about this momentous in-game event.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Surviving a headstart
Last week, I promised more villains. And I really did plan on doing just that, before it became clear that the headstart program for City of Heroes Freedom was kicking off... well, yesterday. That's one of those pieces of news that's just a bit bigger than chatting about villain groups, so it takes priority. Sure, it's not quite the opening of the gates and the acceptance of free accounts just yet, but it's enough to get players exploring the new content before the non-VIP side of the screen gets to experience the hybrid setup. As those of you with astute memories or a good sense of pattern recognition have probably already surmised, this is a bit problematic from my point of view, as I'm writing this column before the headstart has actually happened, but we're going to be live right after it starts. As a result, I can't tell you with certainty what the launch has brought thus far. But I can certainly speculate on the world being overrun by players flush with new powersets and the new starting areas, not to mention some new costume pieces to help spice up the deal. So what are my survival tips for the first moments of the headstart program?
SDCC 2011: New City of Heroes: Freedom screenshots, trailer
Following hot on the heels of our preview of the new powersets coming to City of Heroes, NCSoft and Paragon Studios have let loose a flood of new assets for the upcoming additions to the game. The images cover the new powersets, the updated tutorial, the new Paragon Reward system, and all the other nifty new features that will finally see the light of day with City of Heroes' Issue 21. We've also got a new trailer for you to allow you to see all of the new content in action, and we have to say it looks like City of Heroes fans have a great deal to look forward to. So if you're a City of Heroes player anxiously anticipating Issue 21, jump on past the cut for the new trailer. Hopefully it will keep your appetite sated for just a while longer. %Gallery-9156%
City of Heroes details new Paragon Rewards program
Ever since the conversion was announced, City of Heroes players have been looking for new information on the Paragon Rewards program launching with City of Heroes Freedom. The update promises more rewards for players who have been with the game for a while, whether they've remained loyal subscribers or have taken advantage of the free-to-play model. Details have just been released, giving players a look at what can be expected when the new reward system goes live. When the system launches, existing Veteran Rewards badges will be converted into Paragon Rewards tokens, along with an additional token for each 12 months of subscription time. Further tokens will be earned at a rate of one per month, with an additional token for every year subscribed and for every $15 spent in the Paragon Store. Rewards are unlocked in a tiered structure, with Tier 9 offering the best rewards to veteran VIP players and lower tiers offering account-wide unlocks such as access to Mission Architect. While the details of moving through the tiers haven't been elaborated upon, players should still have quite a bit to look forward to with the rewards unveiled so far.
