The ultimate massively multiplayer online role-playing game news source
Posts tagged City of Hero
City of Heroes is the Best Sci-Fi/Super Hero MMO of 2009!
Mar 21st
This is a great award for City of Heroes since Going Rogue is coming out within a few months. It should draw a lot of attention to the game and hopefully bring back some players who left after seeing that CoX is still number one with players.
Jason Winter, who wrote the article that had all of the winners of the various categories, made an interesting point. He feels that this category will see some action in the coming months with DC Universe Online coming out and after the release of Star Trek Online.
It is known that Star Trek is doing well for itself after it’s initial release, and the DC Universe should boast some impessive gameplay (which I have had the opportunity to try out at the San Diego Comic Con). It will be interesting to see how Going Rogue’s improvements and additions aid City of Heroes in stacking up against these two this year.
For the full story at Beckett Massive Online Gamer, and other winners, click here.
Visual Update Really Helps MMOs More Popular?
Feb 11th
The Ultra Mode was announced by the official of City of Heroes a while ago and now it was released to be available in game in April. It promises a brand new in-game environment with a completely different light. Such updates have become quite common in several games, such as Fallen Earth and Need for Speed: World Online. And the graphic is usually one important aspect of a game’s quality. Do you think such visual update really helps MMOs become more popular?
Do you think such visual update really helps MMOs become more popular?
Yes, of course.
No, it doesn’t helps any at all. The gameplay is the most important.
Just so so.
Before
Full Size
A while ago, we announced Ultra Mode, a brand spanking new addition to the City of Heroes® universe that will bring Paragon City and the Rogue Isles to an even fresher and visually more pleasing level!
Ultra Mode will allow you (as long as your computer can handle it) to experience City of Heroes® in a completely different light…literally! You will rediscover places and landmarks in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles as if you’d never seen them before, and best of all, it will be in Issue 17: Dark Mirror, our More >
City of Heroes Preps for Visual Makeover and Hero/Villain Transformations
Feb 9th
NCSoft announced some City of Heroes/Villains updates today, which include new super-powered graphics, content and game enhancements coming with Issue 17 Dark Mirror this April.
The free update includes a superior graphics rendering process, dubbed Ultra Mode, that will give City of Heroes a new look and feel with a heightened level of detail in lighting, reflections, shadows and water effects. Ultra Mode will be scalable to ensure that all City of Heroes fans can enjoy their favorite comic-inspired game.
In addition to Ultra Mode enhancements, as part of Issue 17 players will confront a new and nefarious foe who will be able to match them blow for blow. Other features within Issue 17 Dark Mirror include:
- New badges, new missions and new player emotes
- Epic Archetypes now available at level 20
- Improvements and additions to Mission Architect
- Enhancements to UI and game systems
- And dozens more
As players embark on the last major update to City of Heroes before the highly anticipated Going Rogue expansion, NCsoft is giving players a chance to enjoy early access to two Going Rogue power sets. Beginning March 2, players who pre-purchase City of Heroes Going Rogue (MSRP $29.99 USD) will be given immediate More >
City of Heroes: Winter Event Begins
Dec 17th
Snaptooth’s back and he’s at it again! Looks like it’s time to rescue that creepy little Baby New Year once more!
The winter festivities are on in City of Heroes/Villains once more, players can ski, fight snow beasts and winter lords, throw snowballs at each other, collect candy canes, open gifts, and more!
All the cool stuff from the previous years’ celebrations are back, with two new additions: the new "throw snowflakes" emote, and the appearance of Lord Winter!
Players who team up to take down the formidable Lord Winter will receive a new badge: Lord of Winter/Lady of Winter.
For a full rundown of this year’s festivities, go here.
Winter Time!
Dec 15th
Snow, ski chalets, snowball fights, skiing, and of course, funny hats. What is there not to like in the City of Heroes/Villains Winter Event? Starting today, December 15 and ending on January 15th, players will be able to enjoy that wonderfully seasonal spot in the D that tortures us year round until its reemergence. And now it has returned! Help save Baby New Year! Get cool winter swag, fun badges, and so much more! All you have to do is log on and enjoy. Have a holly jolly heroing holiday everyone!
City of Heroes: Matt Miller on Balancing Ranged vs Melee
Nov 13th
Today, we ask paragon Studios’ Matt Miller about his philosophies on attempting to balance ranged and melee combat styles in an MMO.
In City of Heroes we had to take great strides to make a melee class feel like they are not over-shadowed by ranged blasters. Being able to strike from range is an advantage that is difficult to put a numerical statistic to, but we increased the damage that a pure-melee character does over a ranged one. This is an area where we decided to err on the side of the player, as that damage increase is probably too strong, but in the end having it as strong as it is gives a real incentive for a player to try out a melee archetype.
Read Matt Miller on Balancing Ranged vs Melee.
Booster Pack Coming Your Way
Nov 12th
Start stretching those hamstrings, because NCsoft is launching its fourth booster pack for City of Heroes entitled: Martial Arts.
This $9.99 addition to the game nets you several things: a new costume set and ninja running powers with speed and leaping boosts.
The pack is available now, so go check it out.
City of Heroes players can now channel their inner chi by striking the perfect balance of style and power with the release of Super Booster IV: Martial Arts. The Super Booster pack, the 4th booster pack for the worlds most popular super-powered hero MMO, contains a number of martial arts themed costume pieces, a variety of stance emotes and costume change emotes and most importantly Ninja Run power.
The booster will only be supported in the English language and is available through the NCsoft store for $9.99 beginning today November 12. The features in the Super Booster pack will be available for all characters from level 1, however, to take advantage of the costume change players are required to unlock at least one additional costume slot.
· Ninja Run power: Dash through the city with the agility of a ninja! The Ninja Run power is a travel power used to strike fear in More >
City of Heroes: Looking at the Guest Author Program
Nov 2nd
MMORPG.com City of Heroes Correspondent Cecil Adkins writes this look at the CoH Guest Author program, and even offers his own insights into one of the new missions.
Paragon Studios recently unveiled the first batch of Guest Author arcs for its Mission Architect system in City of Heroes. These arcs are written by established authors in various mediums and genres and feature a unique take on their work filtered through the City of Heroes game world. The writers for the first round of Guest Author arcs are Bill Willingham, Scott Kurtz, and the Rooster Teeth production group.
Bill Willingham, today best known for his work on DC/Vertigo’s wonderful Fables comic, writes "Quest For Magic" (arc ID 337434), my full review of which can be found here. It’s a well-written and straightforward storyarc, filled with rich details and character back stories. It unfortunately also has a pretty obvious plot twist, but if you can get past that (and it shouldn’t be difficult to do so) it’s a fun arc that I’d highly recommend. The Rooster Teeth gang, best known for their machinima Red vs. Blue series, contribute two arcs to the series. Both of their arcs (arc IDs 337438 and 337436) feature Captain More >
City of Heroes: Guest Author Interview
Oct 28th
MMORPG.com’s Garrett Fuller recently had the chance to ask a few questions of City of Heroes’ Joe "Hero 1" Morrissey about the new Guest Author program and other issues surrounding the Mission Architect system.
MMORPG.com:
Tell us how the Guest Author Program has been working?
Joe "Hero 1" Morrissey:
It’s been going very well! It was an absolute blast working together with Bill Willingham, Scott Kurtz, and the guys over at Rooster Teeth to deliver these new Architect arcs to the players. So far their arcs have been well received by players and we’re confident that players will be happy with what we have planned for the future with this program.
Read the Guest Author Interview.
City of Heroes: Going Rogue Information Blow Out!
Oct 26th
The HeroCon Keynote Address was a veritable blow out of information and footage of City of Heroes/Villains’ upcoming expansion, Going Rogue. The team at Cape Radio were on hand to film the address and Cape Radio’s Vange1us has posted the full three part keynote on YouTube.
To start out, there will be a new starting area called Praetoria which will run content from around 1-20. Players who create new characters can choose between Hero, Villain, or Praetorian, but Praetorian characters will ultimately have to make a choice as to whether they want to be a Hero or Villain. There will be ample opportunities for Praetorian characters to sample both sides throughout their progress, as well. Praetoria is also designed from the ground up with entirely new assets. They’ve built new roads, buildings, etc for the zone and it looks nothing like previous City of Heroes zones, including the lack of war walls!
Praetoria will also be home to the Praetorian signature heroes, who have all received a makeover and are sporting some snazzy new looks. You’ll even get to encounter Tyrant when he’s not all dolled up in shiny armor. There will also be new enemy groups in Praetoria, including Praetorian clockwork, More >