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Share and enjoy in City of Heroes with the Praetorian Clockwork!
Greetings, fine consumer! You appear to be the sort of discerning individual highly anticipating the upcoming expansion for City of Heroes, much like several of your friends in [SUBJECT_HOMETOWN_HERE]. Going Rogue will be releasing on August 17th, available online or at [SUBJECT_RETAILER_HERE], but perhaps you'd like an opportunity to see some of the most useful automatic companions available before the fact? If so, today is your lucky day, because you have the unprecedented opportunity to take a look at the details behind the Clockwork, the latest and greatest release from Neuron Technologies Unlimited! Featuring voice recognition, a shiny chrome finish, and over nine thousand home maintenance routines, the Clockwork offer an unparalleled level of safety and security for the entire family. These super-toys last all summer long, with a self-replenishing power source and ample maintenance facilities. And if one of your neighbors challenges the bright new future being assembled by Emperor Cole, you'll be happy to note that all Clockwork are equipped with the best possible threat neutralization capabilities available. Further information, including ordering details and a full description of how you and your robot can share and enjoy your lives, can be found at the official site for City of Heroes.
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.
Third video diary for Going Rogue explores City of Heroes lore and powers
With only a short stretch of time left until the release of Going Rogue, Paragon Studios has released a new video documentary about the anticipated City of Heroes expansion. This time, the focus is split between the new characters and powers to be featured within the expansion, diving into the lore that surrounds Praetoria and the Emperor's entourage. Much like previous installments, the documentary both serves to preview some new material to existing fans and show off what's coming for new players or those long absent. Emperor Cole, naturally, gets to show off front and center, as does Calvin Scott of the Resistance. The designers stress that the intent is to create two sides of very different moral character in Praetoria, rather than a simple choice between good and evil. We also get a look at some of the Kinetic Melee and Electric Control powers in action, and of course, more of the cityscapes players can look forward to with the expansion. Check out the video embedded after the cut, which shows that City of Heroes isn't at risk of slowing down too soon.
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%
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.
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: 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%
City of Heroes launches first video diary for Going Rogue
The time of Going Rogue draws very close for City of Heroes players, and we've still only scratched the surface of what there is to know. It's always a tense time when you're getting close to a new expansion, especially one that's rewriting some of the most fundamental rules about the game. While the first in a series of new video developer diaries from Paragon Studios won't necessarily make the time before release pass any faster, it will help give us a clearer picture of what's coming around the bend. For players who have never played the game before, the diary helps give an overview of where the game is and where it can go from here -- including the realm of the Super Lumberjack. (We can only assume that making one allows you to also be super okay.) Veterans can enjoy a solid look at Praetoria, as well as what can only be described as glowing costume pieces. Once the veteran players finish squealing in delight, they can take a look on past the break for the first City of Heroes video diary for Going Rogue, which is targeted for release in July.
City of Heroes explores crime and punishment, Praetoria style
We're getting closer and closer to the launch of the second major expansion to City of Heroes, Going Rogue. While the official site has been a bit silent of late, no doubt in focusing on the game's six-year anniversary, it's just updated again with another look inside the utopia of Tyrant. The most recent update focuses on both a group and an individual, as has become the norm, with players getting a clearer look inside the head of Marauder and the ruthless criminal organizations that form the Syndicate. When Tyrant made his push to eliminate all crime, he succeeded in driving the crime families and organizations nearly to ruin -- but they've banded together to form the Syndicate, to continue their illicit trades while striking out against Cole's government. Marauder, meanwhile, is the perversion of the jovial Back Alley Brawler. Also known as Praetor White, he leads the Powers Division, the team of super-powered individuals that take on threats Praetoria's police force cannot. Take a look at the official site for more information on both of these potential allies and enemies, and keep your eyes peeled for more information as City of Heroes rockets toward the Going Rogue launch date.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Everybody needs a question answered sometime
If you haven't read Jason Vuic's excellent history of the Yugo, you're doing yourself a disservice -- at least, if you have any interest in terrible cars, history, or just the crazy stylings of Malcolm Bricklin. What does that have to do with today's bevvy of City of Heroes questions, hot on the heels of our anniversary? Well, not everyone can afford the Batmobile. There are places where the Paragon Monorail (aka Justice Mass Transit) won't take you. And on those occasions, well, you truly wish that you'd just dropped the ten dollars on the Martial Arts booster or taken the darn travel power. Onward! Dashel asked: "When will Blasters get more secondaries, original or proliferated?" Soon! Maybe. I've heard tell that we may well be due for another wave of powerset proliferation with the release of Going Rogue, although that's far from a confirmed fact. So Blasters can expect to get some more love there. But we don't have any idea of exactly when we'll see more secondaries as opposed to more primary sets. The trouble is that as Blasters have been designed, they have the undesirable trait that Masterminds share: they've got a setup for one of their sets that nobody else shares.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Question and answers go retro
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?
