City of Heroes | |
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Developer(s) | Cryptic Studios Paragon Studios |
Publisher(s) | NCSOFT |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X |
Release |
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Genre(s) | MMORPG |
Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Issue # | Title | Main features | Release date |
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1 | 'Through the Looking Glass' | Raised the level cap from 40 to 50, introduced new high level enemy groups and zones for these levels, and added a tailor feature allowing players to alter character costumes. | June 9, 2004 |
2 | 'Shadows of the Past' | Added cape and aura costume features, respecing, badges, and new zones (one of which included a secret dance club without enemies). | September 16, 2004 |
3 | 'A Council of War' | Introduced a new zone, replaced the Nazi-themed 5th Column enemy group with The Council, added new giant monsters and zone events, added Peacebringers and Warshades, and added Ancillary Power Pools for characters above level 40. | January 4, 2005 |
4 | 'Colosseum' | Introduced player versus player (PvP) content in the form of an arena, and also added costume options such as finer tuning of body and face scale. | May 4, 2005 |
5 | 'A Forest of Dread' | Introduced a new folklore-themed zone, with several new associated enemy groups, as well as new power sets based on archery and sonic powers. | August 31, 2005 |
6 | 'Along Came a Spider' | Updated the game client's graphics engine, and added support for dual-core CPUs and 3D sound; it also introduced three shared PvP zones, and the ability for Super Groups to build bases. | October 27, 2005 |
7 | 'Destiny Manifest' | Raised the level cap for villains from 40 to 50, introduced the new zone for villains of that level range, 'Patron Power Pools' (the villainous counterpart to heroes' Ancillary Power Pools), 'Mayhem Missions' for Villains of all levels, new power sets for new Villains, and a fourth PvP zone, 'Recluse's Victory'. | June 6, 2006 |
8 | 'To Protect and Serve' | Introduced a Police Scanner for Heroes that provided repeatable missions (similar to the Villains' Newspaper) and 'Safeguard Missions' (analogous to the Villains' 'Mayhem Missions'), as well as a complete redesign of the Faultline zone and the Veteran Rewards system, which gave special 'perks' to players based on how long their accounts had been active. A retail box was released after this update called 'Good vs. Evil Edition'. | November 28, 2006 |
9 | 'Breakthrough' | Introduced the Invention system and auction houses; it also revamped the game's single raid encounter and opened it to Villain players as well. | May 1, 2007 |
10 | 'Invasion' | Replaced the old Rikti Crash Site zone with a new Rikti War Zone area, featuring a new raid encounter and cooperative play between both Heroes and Villains. The Rikti enemy group was also redesigned, and a new world event was added in which the Rikti would stage a mass invasion of a random zone. | July 24, 2007 |
11 | 'A Stitch in Time' | Focused on time travel; it introduced the Flashback system for accessing or repeating game content beneath a player's level. It also added customizable weapon graphics for power sets which used drawn weapons, and new power sets based on dual blade wielding and willpower. | November 28, 2007 |
12 | 'Midnight Hour' | Introduced new magic- and mythology-themed zones, including one set in ancient Rome; the Arachnos Soldier and Arachnos Widow archetypes, and began 'power proliferation' by which power sets unique to certain archetypes were made accessible to other archetypes. | May 20, 2008 |
13 | 'Power and Responsibility' | Added two new power sets (Shields and Pain Domination), changes to power effects making them act differently in PvP situations, dual builds (Players can build and maintain two separate character builds on the same character), and leveling pacts (Players can level up two characters simultaneously in-game, even if one of them is offline). On January 2009, a download-only release was made of Issue 13 called 'Mac Special Edition', which allowed computers running Mac OS X to play City of Heroes for the first time. | December 2, 2008 |
14 | 'Architect' | Added the Mission Architect feature that allowed players to publish and play custom mission arcs. A retail box release was made after this update called 'Architect Edition,' available to both PC and Mac players.[25] | April 8, 2009 |
15 | 'Anniversary' | Announced on April 28, the date of City of Heroes' Fifth Anniversary, this update returned the 5th Column as an enemy group in various zones and a 5th Column-centric Task Force and Strike Force. It also added Mission Architect features that didn't make the deadline for Issue 14, costume sets, new character faces, and the first free costume change emotes.[26] | June 29, 2009 |
16 | 'Power Spectrum' | Allowed players to choose the color/styles/animation paths for character power sets. This update also included more power set proliferation, added epic power pool choices, a new Sidekicking system, Levels 5–24 adjustments to increase XP/influence rewards by 20%, minor changes to the Mission Architect, and a replacement of the difficulty adjustment system.[27] | September 15, 2009 |
17 | 'Dark Mirror' | An update to the graphics engine that fixed all older issues related to ATI cards, as well as added a new preset for high performance graphic cards called 'Ultra Mode,' several QoL updates, and a revamped Positron's Task Force. Issue 17 also permitted CoH: Going Rogue pre-order customers to play Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning power sets prior to the official release of Going Rogue.[28] | April 28, 2010 |
18 | 'Shades of Gray' | Introduced the tips system, an alternate method of getting missions via drops from enemies, opened trading between alignments, and united the Wentworth's auction house and the Black Market. Anyone with the Going Rogue expansion received access to new power sets Kinetic Melee and Electricity Control. This issue also re-introduced the Cathedral of Pain trial.[29] A retail box release was made of Issue 18 called 'City of Heroes Going Rogue: The Complete Collection.' | August 16, 2010 |
19 | 'Alpha Strike' | Issue 19 included the first part of the new endgame changes referred to as the 'Incarnate system,' as well as an Ouroboros task force that unlocks an 'Alpha Slot' on Level 50 Characters. Two difficult task forces were added for characters who had gained their Alpha Slots. Other changes included Zone events in all Praetoria city maps, opening Praetoria to levels past 20, merging subways/ferries to include all destinations (across same alignment only), power animations, increased tip mission drops, mission architect enhancements, hazard zone badges, and making the Fitness Power Pool inherent to all characters.[30] | November 30, 2010 |
20 | 'Incarnates' | Issue 20 further expanded on the Incarnate system introduced in Issue 19. It also introduced 'leagues,' massive teams of characters that could involve up to 48 different characters at a time, for anything from Rikti Mothership raids to costume contests. It introduced the Behavioral Adjustment Facility and Lambda Sector trials in Praetoria for Incarnate characters, and gave Heroes a new level 20–40 task force, and Villains a new level 20–40 strike force. Players could also sign up for incarnate trials from anywhere in the cities.[31] | April 5, 2011 |
21 | 'Convergence' | Issue 21 was the first free expansion under the City of Heroes: Freedom program. It added the First Ward zone to the Going Rogue exclusive game content, which included a new Giant Monster and a new Incarnate trial. A new Time Manipulation Power Set was also released, although only for VIP subscribers, as well as new costume options. In addition to these, the expansion created a new co-op tutorial for all players which would determine whether the player's character was a Hero or a Villain (similar to the Going Rogue tutorial).[32] | September 13, 2011 |
22 | 'Death Incarnate' | Issue 22 relaunched the Dark Astoria zone as an Incarnate Co-op Zone. The first zone of its kind in City of Heroes, Level 50+ characters could gain Incarnate XP to unlock slots while fighting solo or in teams in normal missions (whereas before, Incarnate XP was only gained by participating in trials with League play). Further additions included a new Incarnate Trial (Dilemma Diabolique), new power sets (Beast Mastery and Darkness Control) available from the Paragon Market or free to VIPs, and a new Trial (Drowning in Blood) for Level 15+. Also of note, starting with this release Statesman had been removed as a living contact/NPC in City of Heroes after the cliffhanger of the 'Who Will Die?' Signature Series player arc was revealed in January. | March 6, 2012 |
23 | 'Where Shadows Lie' | Issue 23 ended the Praetorian War, following the deaths of signature characters Statesman and Sister Psyche, with Emperor Cole trying to destroy the dimensions and take over Primal Earth. This also introduced the new co-op area of Night Ward where various new mystical enemy forces were gathering. | May 31, 2012 |
24 | 'Resurgence' | Issue 24 was to bring an epilogue to the Praetorian War storyline, with Praetorian Earth and Galaxy City evacuated because of the loss to Hamidon and several characters from other affected areas moving to Primal Earth and other parts of Paragon City to rebuild after the chaos. Heroes would help integrate and rebuild, while Villains would take the opportunity to invade Praetoria to become the new emperor. NCSoft cancelled any further development for the City of Heroes project on August 31, 2012, halting the release of Issue 24 to the beta and live servers. | N/A |
Expansion title | Corresponding issue # | Release date | Summary (paid features only) |
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City of Villains | 6: Along Came a Spider | October 2005 | Villain player archetypes, villain character tutorial and villain player zones (Level 1–50), player vs. player zones, player-created superbase system. |
City of Heroes: Going Rogue | 18: Shades of Gray | August 2010 | Hero/Villain side-switching capability, Praetorian character tutorial and Praetorian character Zones (Level 1–20), power sets. |
Reception | ||||||||
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Regarding the NCsoft Acquisition of City of Heroes.
City of Heroes and other NCsoft titles added to the Steam client.
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(help)An in-game newspaper article, that mentions Paragon City, Rhode Island.