Avatea

The Halloween Event has been updated for 2009. In addition to the Zombie Apocalypse and the normal City Zone Trick or Treating, City Zones can now host the “Deadly Apocalypse” Event.

Heroes and Villains who enable the “Zone Event” Channel on their Chat Tab will be alerted to the new Deadly Apocalypse Event. (Noted as “Supernatural activity”.

Deadly Apocalypse Event

The fog has rolled in, the sky has darkened, and something is not right. A howling wolf sounds in the night and players are alerted, via Global Alert, that the event is happening in a City Zone (Trial Zones, Hazard Zones, PvP Zones, and Co-Op zones do not have the event running in those zones).

• As the Halloween Deadly Apocalypse occurs in a zone, the sky changes to a different color.
• If the Deadly Apocalypse Event is not already running in a zone, Costume salvage redemption at Annah / Granny Beldam has a chance to trigger the Deadly Apocalypse event across all viable zones
• 4 Haunting Banners (destructible objects) appear across a zone, but are surrounded by a magical barrier (they appear on the MiniMap)
• Each Haunting Banner is protected by one of four Haunting Defenders/Ambushers who protect the magical barrier
• There is a chance that Elite Bosses appear as Defenders, depending on the size of the group
• Players must defeat Defenders (of each "type") before the magical barrier goes down and they can attack the Banner itself
• If all 4 Haunting Banners are destroyed before the timer runs out, an Aspect of the Sigil (Giant Monster) appears
• If all 4 Haunting Banners are not destroyed before the timer runs out, the Aspect of the Sigil does NOT spawn and the event cleans itself up
• If either condition is fulfilled, the event cleans itself up.

NOTE:

• Players who are within 250 feet of a Banner will have their User Interface (UI) taken over by the Event UI which shows the timer and their status
• If players travel outside of the radius of the Banner, the UI goes away
• UI displays a progress bar which shows how close they are to defeating the themed type of mob
• The status of each Haunting Banner is represented by an Icon in the Event UI. When all Banners appear in the zone, they are shown in the Event UI. Once a particular Banner is defeated (i.e. Transparent Terrors), its representative icon is “blacked out”.
• The Red Progress bar indicates how close the player is to bringing the Banner to “vulnerability”. As blue creeps in and takes over, that shows the player is making progress towards making the Banner vulnerable.
• If the Players do not manage to defeat all four Banners in time, the Giant Monster will not appear and the event will clean itself up. The Player will be alerted to the end of the event because the zone will revert to "normal" and a closing sound effect will sound.

Badges

The following badges can be earned by participating in the Deadly Apocalypse (Halloween) Event:

• Dark Fiend - participate in defeat of Dark Fiend Banner
• Hell Hath No Fury - participate in defeat of Women Scorned Banner
• Terror - participate in defeat of the Transparent Terrors Banner
• Monster Masher - participate in defeat of the Monster Mayhem Banner
• Monstrous - participate in the defeat of the Aspect of the Sigil Giant Monster
• Hell and Back (Accolade) - receive Dark Fiend, Hell Hath No Fury, Terror, Monster Masher, and Monstrous badges to earn this Accolade.

Attention Heroes and Villains,

We will be hosting a targeted test of the 2009 Halloween event on the North American and European Training Room servers on Tuesday, October 13th at 11:00 AM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern.

The event will last for approximately 4 hours and will end at approximately 3:00 PM Pacific / 6:00 PM Eastern.

If you are able to participate, please post your feedback in the following forum thread.

We would like to get your feedback on the following :

• Are objectives clear when the Event is running?
• Are rewards being handed out correctly?
• Are there any problems with the event occurring in any City Zone? (Note: The event will only be present In Paragon City or the Rogue Isles City Zones, and not in any PvP Zones, Hazard Zones, Trial Zones or Co-Op Zones)
• Are there any graphical effect bugs?
• Do banner icons appear correctly on the MiniMap when the event is running?
• Do waypoints correctly appear when the event is running? (Note: Navigation waypoints of active Missions orient players to the Halloween Event objectives when a player’s character is near one, and should disappear when they leave the area.)
• Are enemy NPCs appearing at the appropriate level? (i.e. a Level 50 should be able to fight side-by-side with a Level 5 character).
• Are all badges awarded correctly?

Here is a list of badges you can expect to obtain throughout the event:

• Dark Fiend - participate in defeat of Dark Fiend Banner
• Hell Hath No Fury - participate in defeat of Women Scorned Banner
• Terror - participate in defeat of the Transparent Terrors Banner
• Monster Masher - participate in defeat of the Monster Mayhem Banner
• Monstrous - participate in the defeat of the Aspect of the Sigil Giant Monster
• Hell and Back (Accolade) - receive Dark Fiend, Hell Hath No Fury, Terror, Monster Masher, and Monstrous badges to earn this Accolade.

We have set up a Global Chat Channel on the Training Room called “Halloween 2009”. We encourage you to join that Global Chat channel to share your experiences with other players when the event is running on Tuesday, October 13th.


Enjoy and don't forget to share your feedback with us in this thread!

Your entry to the Mission Architect contest is supposed to be final. If you decide to make any change after sending it in, please bear in mind that it will normally not be taken into account. Each arc has to be played and checked on our end and that takes time. An updated arc would have to be re-played to make sure the arc still qualifies.

As for screenshots, to quote the rules: "The screenshots must be RGB JPG image formatted files. Other file formats will not be accepted. The total size of the email including all attachments must not exceed 5 MB." Also, be careful not to infringe any Copyright! Apart from that, it is up to you to decide what your screenshots should feature. Be creative, capture a scene that is compelling and makes everybody want to play your arc!

If you're joining us in San Jose, CA at the end of this month, you're not just going to Hero-Con, you're Going Rogue! Well, getting the chance to join the Going Rogue Closed Beta, that is. (*Restrictions apply, please see below!)

Paragon Studios is happy to announce that attending Hero-Con this year is just the latest way you can get guaranteed entrance into the Going Rogue Closed Beta. It's just our way of saying "thank you" for making the trip to come and meet us (and your fellow players) in person.

To take advantage of this opportunity, registered participants of Hero-Con must be present on-site at the Doubletree Hotel at the time of event registration in order to fill out a Going Rogue Non-Disclosure Agreement. You must make sure that the contact details and account information that you include on the NDA are legible and correct. We may not be able to grant you Closed Beta access if we cannot match the details you provide with what we have in our records.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to brownpapertickets.com now to register for the event! You can also get a basic overview of this year's Hero-Con as well as the list of panels on the official City of Heroes® website.

We're looking forward to seeing you there!

*Please note: To qualify for the Hero-Con Going Rogue Closed Beta Access offer, you must be a US resident, over 18 years old and you must not work for a competitor or any of its affiliates. The NDA is a binding agreement. You must also have an active City of Heroes® game account during the entire closed beta period in order to receive continued access.


JOIN IN THE COMMUNITY DISCUSSION!

Updated the Known Issues list with this note:

• In the Barracuda Strike Force, the Power of Black Scorpion that is given to Masterminds does not currently strip Reichsman of his dimensional phasing power.

If you thought Hero-Con couldn't get any more exciting, we've got more details to share with you today!

Yesterday's announcement contained an overview of the various activities that you will be able to partake in at Hero-Con, and it has certainly generated a lot of enthusiasm and questions. We had many players asking us about the Friday Night Board Games and Bevs with the Devs event as well as the Resume Reviews that will be taking place throughout the weekend.

Well, guess what? You will find an answer to those very questions below!

Get those Resumes and Board game hats ready and see you at Hero-Con!


Board Games and Bevs with the Devs!

Who says it's all about computer gaming? Early birds to Hero-Con get the special opportunity Friday night, Oct. 22nd from 7:30pm - 12am to hang out with key members of the Paragon Team and play their favorite boards games with them! On hand will be Matt "Positron" Miller, Bruce "Horatio" Harlick, Melissa "War Witch" Bianco and several others armed with games like Battlestar Galactica, Pandemic, Small World, Dominion, Apples to Apples and more! Please join us for refreshments and fun!


NCsoft Recruiters on Site at Hero-Con 2009!
Want to break into MMO Gaming? If you're interested in working for Paragon Studios or one of NCsoft's other offices, you're not going to want to miss Hero-Con 2009! NCsoft recruiting will be on site at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, CA conducting one-on-one portfolio and resume reviews with Hero-Con attendees Friday, October 23rd through Sunday, October 25th. Recruiting will be available during early registration on Friday from 4-7 p.m., on Saturday from 4-7pm and on Sunday from 10am-2 p.m. You must be a registered Hero-Con attendee in order to take advantage of their industry expertise! Please note that no actual interviews will be conducted during the Hero-Con event.

Remember - tickets for Hero-Con can be purchased here! We hope to see you there!

Thank Goodness It's Friday...but not just any Friday!

Today, and every few days until Hero-Con, we will be announcing the Top 5 Servers with the most players registered for Hero-Con.

The usual suspects are all present but the race is pretty close so help YOUR server out and register for Hero-Con now!

Will the rankings remain unchanged in the next few weeks?

Find out below!

Have a great weekend everybody!

* Server Lists are based on what server Hero-Con registrants have indicated as their main server.

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

1. Virtue
2. Justice
3. Victory
4. Protector
5. Champion

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

1. Virtue
2. Justice
3. Champion
4. Victory
5. Protector

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

1. Virtue
2. Justice
3. Victory
4. Champion
5. Guardian

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

1. Virtue
2. Justice
3. Victory
4. Guardian
5. Champion

Join in the Community Discussion!

Come and interact with the City of Heroes® team, including our Development, Customer Support, Website and Community representatives!

With so much anticipation for this year's Hero-Con, we wanted to make sure we could offer you, our attendees, a compelling schedule with a plethora of activities and panels that would satisfy a variety of interests.

First, check out the basic event overview that will tell what you can expect event-wise on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

And because all good things are better in pairs, we are also announcing our list of panels and workshops with topics ranging from the much anticipated Going Rogue to the widely acclaimed Mission Architect.

So read on! And remember, you can register for Hero-Con here. Hope to see you there!


Hero-Con 2009 - Basic Event Overview

Here's a brief look at the activities and planned Panel Sessions/Workshops you can expect at Hero-Con this year! Additional details are coming soon!

Friday, October 23rd - "Unofficial Evening Before Activities"

• Early registration/Badge Pick-Up.
• Live Mission and other contest sign-ups
• Wentworth's Store opens for your City of Heroes® shopping pleasure.
• NCsoft Recruiting conducts resume reviews
• Board Games and Bevs with the Devs event!

Saturday, October 24th

• Event Registration/Badge Pick-Up
• Live Mission and other contest sign-ups!
• Wentworth's Store Open
• LAN Center Open
• David Nakayama conducts player sketches
• Welcome Address and Going Rogue "Sneak Peek"
• Panel Sessions and Workshops
• NCsoft Recruiting conducts resume reviews
• Live Mission Event
• Hero-Con Banquet and Awards Ceremony
• Late Night Entertainment

Sunday, October 25th

• Wentworth's Store Open
• NCsoft Recruiting conducts resume reviews
• David Nakayama conducts player sketches
• Panel Sessions and Workshops
• Hero-Con 2009 Closing Ceremonies

*Please Note: Events are subject to change




Hero-Con 2009 Panels and Workshops

GENERAL
Welcome Address and Going Rogue 'Sneak Peek'
Join us for the kick-off of Hero-Con! Paragon Studio Head Brian Clayton and Lead Designer Matt "Positron" Miller will chat about the state of the game and will present the very first exclusive look into some of the content included in Going Rogue!

GENERAL
Fun and Games: Breaking Into the Industry
Join members of the City of Heroes development team and a representative of the NCsoft Human Resources department as they share information and insight into starting a career in the gaming industry.

GENERAL
Wouldn't It Be Great If...
Have an idea for the game that's been gnawing at you for years? Not sure if it's a viable one? Join the Development Team for what promises to be a lively discussion around your City of Heroes wish list!

ART
How to Dress a Super Being: The Art and Style of Digital Costume Design
Providing our players choice when it comes to character customization has always been an important goal for the City of Heroes Development Team, and designing costumes for today's super being is never-ending labor of love. Join members of the Art Team as they share some insight into the creation of costume pieces and open the floor for your questions about costume design in City of Heroes.

ART & DESIGN
Shades of Gray - Meet The GR Signature Characters
Going Rogue will bring with it not only great new content but the story of intriguing new signature characters who straddle the line between good and evil. Learn how Desdemona and Maelstrom were created from conception to completion.

DESIGN
To Be Continued: The Evolving City of Heroes Storyline
A strong story is the lifeblood of an MMO, and our team takes that philosophy very seriously. Join members of the development team as they reflect on the inspirations and aspirations behind the evolving story that is City of Heroes.

DESIGN
Designing for Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Designing an MMO is one of the most aggressive and complicated endeavors in the gaming space today. From concept to development to deployment, MMOs present a unique opportunity and a challenging prospect. Join members of the City of Heroes development team as they discuss the lessons they have learned, and reveal our philosophies behind continuing development of City of Heroes.

DESIGN
A Whole New World - Praetoria: Utopia with a Price
Going Rogue will introduce the Praetorian world as players have never seen it. A tapestry of conflicting interests, moral compromises, and battling egos: this is how Praetoria became a place where heroes and villains can walk the streets side by side.

DESIGN & PROGRAMMING
Walking the Tightrope: Archetypes and Power Balancing
Description: One of the most important and challenging aspects of MMO maintenance is insuring that there is a healthy balance across a complex myriad of game systems- especially as it relates to the powers and Archetypes of City Heroes. Join us for a discussion of what we have learned from this year's efforts to rebalance Blasters, Stalkers, and Dominators, with some insight into what we have planned into the future.

PROGRAMMING
A Look Behind The Curtain: The City of Heroes Programming Team
Pay some attention to the men behind the curtain! They're only ideas until the Programming Team brings them to life. Join the City of Heroes programmers as they share insight into the life of a City of Heroes System Engineer.

COMMUNITY
Meet the Community Relations Team!
Get a look at online community management from the inside out! Chat with the OCR Team and learn what it's like to be the liaison between a gaming company and their very passionate players. Plenty of advice will be on hand for individuals looking to start a career in this field!

COMMUNITY
Power to The People - Getting Involved In Player-Run Activities
From player guides and wikis to online radio stations and podcasts...learn about the great ways City of Heroes players are creating their community related programs and events. Join the community team as we discuss the remarkable opportunities for you to get involved!

TUTORIAL
City of Heroes® Movie Making: The Power of Demo Record
Ever wonder how our videos are made? Talk to the man behind the movies and learn the in's -and out's of the City of Heroes® movie making process. Find out how to best utilize the game's built-in demo record feature to enhance your own machinima creations.

TUTORIAL
Hands on Mission Architect
Want to learn the basics of Mission Architect? Want to learn more advanced techniques? Either way, we've got you covered! Ask your questions and get hands-on guidance from the pros that will help you achieve your mission designing potential!

Join in the Community discussion!

The Guardian server will be taken offline for a short amount of time on Thursday, October 1st, 2009.

START TIME: 4:00 AM Pacific Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time)
EXPECTED DURATION: 30 minutes to an hour.

There won't be any patchnotes for this maintenance.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

The Guardian server will be taken offline for a short amount of time on Thursday, October 1st, 2009.

START TIME: 4:00 AM Pacific Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time)
EXPECTED DURATION: 30 minutes to an hour.

There won't be any patchnotes for this maintenance.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Build 1600.20090918.5T2 is going to be implemented onto the North American & European Training Rooms between 2:00 PM Pacific Time (5:00 PM Eastern Time / 10 PM British Time / 23H00 Central European Time) and 4:00 PM Pacific Time (7:00 PM Eastern Time / 12 AM British Time / 01H00 Central European Time).

There is no patchnotes for this build.

Thank you for your patience!

It is our great pleasure to announce the First Annual Architect Awards, which will be hosted at this year's Hero-Con!

To mark the occasion, MMORPG.com did a interview with our very own Joe "Hero 1" Morrissey on the Mission Architect so be sure to check it here!

Mission Architect set a new standard for customization in MMORPGs, infusing over 50,000 active story arcs and 200,000 submissions into the roster of City of Heroes missions. Mission Architect has become one of the most exciting features in City of Heroes because it connects the fun of playing a mission with the energy of player creativity and innovation.

We created the Architect Awards to honor outstanding achievements in Mission Architect, celebrating both story arcs and architects, and to promote this truly revolutionary feature that redefines how games are developed and enjoyed.

This year's awards will have a total of six categories, and the first five listed categories are eligible for player submissions:

1. Best Hero Arc: The best hero arc created in Mission Architect.
2. Best Villain Arc: The best villain arc created in Mission Architect.
3. Best In-Canon Story: The best arc that builds on and enhances the existing lore of City of Heroes in Mission Architect.
4. Best Original Story: The best arc not based upon previously published City of Heroes lore or characters.
5. Best Enemy Group: The best all-around enemy group in an arc (judged by a combination of powers, costumes, themes, and story).
6. Arc of the Year: This final, and pinnacle award, will be selected from all of the submitted arcs for the other five categories.

Nominees will be announced on Thursday October 22, 2009. Final winners will be announced at Hero-Con, Saturday, October 24, 2009.

Good luck! We look forward to playing your submitted Mission Architect arcs!

Prizes

Arc of the Year Architect Award Winner Prize Package (1 winner)

• 1 Sapphire ATI HD 3650 512MB GDDR3 video card
• 1 Logitech G330 headset
• 1 Razer Lycosa keyboard
• 1 Razer DeathAdder mouse
• 1 Razer Destructor mouse pad

Other Architect Award Winner Prize Package (5 winners)

• 1 Sapphire ATI HD 3650 512MB GDDR3 video card
• 1 Logitech G330 headset
• 1 Razer DeathAdder mouse
• 1 Razer Destructor mouse pad

Submission Information

• Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time, October 11, 2009, and must be in English.
• Submissions must be e-mailed to: CoH_ArchitectAwards@paragonstudios.com
• Read the City of Heroes First Annual Architect Awards Official Rules and Conditions. Submissions must follow a specific entry format described in the official rules and conditions page. Any entry that does not follow the entry format will be disqualified.
• Entrants must comply with the rules and conditions described in the City of Heroes First Annual Architect Awards Official Rules and Conditions.
• No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada (excluding the State of Rhode Island, and excluding Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, military installations and commonwealths, and Québec) 13 years of age or older with Internet access, an e-mail account with access to a personal computer, and an active City of Heroes account.

We're celebrating the recent launch of Issue 16: Power Spectrum in style by offering all our players a Double XP weekend! But that's not all, all inactive accounts in good standing will also be given access to City of Heroes and City of Villains® during the Double XP weekend!

Here are the dates and times:

• Starts: Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 8:59 a.m. Pacific Time (11:59 a.m. Eastern Time / 4:59 p.m. British Time / 17H59 Central European Time)</li>
  
• Ends: Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (2:59 a.m. Eastern Time / 7:59 p.m. British Time / 8H59 Central European Time)</li>

All participating Hero and Villain characters will receive double the XP, Influence, and Infamy for their accomplishments in game. Just log in to start playing and take advantage of this opportunity to level up your favorite Heroes and Villains twice as quickly as normal!

If you or any of your friends haven't played in a while, visit City of Heroes for all the latest game news and to learn more about Issue 16: Power Spectrum. Download the PC game client or the Mac game client, or visit our official message forums for a wealth of information.

Please note: if your account expires after the reactivation weekend has started, it will not get automatically reactivated. To participate in the Double XP Weekend, you will need to reactivate your account via the usual method. Please check our Knowledge Base (European Knowledge Base available here) for more information on how to reactivate your game account.

It is our great pleasure to announce the First Annual Architect Awards, which will be hosted at this year's Hero-Con!

To mark the occasion, MMORPG.com did a interview with our very own Joe "Hero 1" Morrissey on the Mission Architect so be sure to check it here!

Mission Architect set a new standard for customization in MMORPGs, infusing over 50,000 active story arcs and 200,000 submissions into the roster of City of Heroes missions. Mission Architect has become one of the most exciting features in City of Heroes because it connects the fun of playing a mission with the energy of player creativity and innovation.

We created the Architect Awards to honor outstanding achievements in Mission Architect, celebrating both story arcs and architects, and to promote this truly revolutionary feature that redefines how games are developed and enjoyed.

This year's awards will have a total of six categories, and the first five listed categories are eligible for player submissions:

1. Best Hero Arc: The best hero arc created in Mission Architect.
2. Best Villain Arc: The best villain arc created in Mission Architect.
3. Best In-Canon Story: The best arc that builds on and enhances the existing lore of City of Heroes in Mission Architect.
4. Best Original Story: The best arc not based upon previously published City of Heroes lore or characters.
5. Best Enemy Group: The best all-around enemy group in an arc (judged by a combination of powers, costumes, themes, and story).
6. Arc of the Year: This final, and pinnacle award, will be selected from all of the submitted arcs for the other five categories.

Nominees will be announced on Thursday October 22, 2009. Final winners will be announced at Hero-Con, Saturday, October 24, 2009.

Good luck! We look forward to playing your submitted Mission Architect arcs!

Prizes

Arc of the Year Architect Award Winner Prize Package (1 winner)

• 1 Sapphire ATI HD 3650 512MB GDDR3 video card
• 1 Logitech G330 headset
• 1 Razer Lycosa keyboard
• 1 Razer DeathAdder mouse
• 1 Razer Destructor mouse pad

Other Architect Award Winner Prize Package (5 winners)

• 1 Sapphire ATI HD 3650 512MB GDDR3 video card
• 1 Logitech G330 headset
• 1 Razer DeathAdder mouse
• 1 Razer Destructor mouse pad

Submission Information

• Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time, October 11, 2009, and must be in English.
• Submissions must be e-mailed to: CoH_ArchitectAwards@paragonstudios.com
• Read the City of Heroes First Annual Architect Awards Official Rules and Conditions. Submissions must follow a specific entry format described in the official rules and conditions page. Any entry that does not follow the entry format will be disqualified.
• Entrants must comply with the rules and conditions described in the City of Heroes First Annual Architect Awards Official Rules and Conditions.
• No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada (excluding the State of Rhode Island, and excluding Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, military installations and commonwealths, and Québec) 13 years of age or older with Internet access, an e-mail account with access to a personal computer, and an active City of Heroes account.

Join in the Community discussion!

We're celebrating the recent launch of Issue 16: Power Spectrum in style by offering all our players a Double XP weekend! But that's not all, all inactive accounts in good standing will also be given access to City of Heroes and City of Villains® during the Double XP weekend!

Here are the dates and times:

• Starts: Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 8:59 a.m. Pacific Time (11:59 a.m. Eastern Time / 4:59 p.m. British Time / 17H59 Central European Time)


• Ends: Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (2:59 a.m. Eastern Time / 7:59 p.m. British Time / 8H59 Central European Time)

All participating Hero and Villain characters will receive double the XP, Influence, and Infamy for their accomplishments in game. Just log in to start playing and take advantage of this opportunity to level up your favorite Heroes and Villains twice as quickly as normal!

If you or any of your friends haven't played in a while, visit City of Heroes for all the latest game news and to learn more about Issue 16: Power Spectrum. Download the PC game client or the Mac game client, or visit our official message forums for a wealth of information.

Please note: if your account expires after the reactivation weekend has started, it will not get automatically reactivated. To participate in the Double XP Weekend, you will need to reactivate your account via the usual method. Please check our Knowledge Base (European Knowledge Base available here) for more information on how to reactivate your game account.

Join in the Community Discussion!

Release Notes for 1600.20090918.4T2

Monday, September 28, 2009

COMBINED

Rewards

• Fixed bug was causing drop rates to be slightly too low.

CITY OF HEROES

Tasks

• Katie Hannon Task Force - Fixed a bug that would sometimes cause Katie to stop following players.

CITY OF VILLAINS

• None.

The live North American & European City of Heroes servers will be offline for the implementation of a patch on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009.

Start Time: 4:00 AM Pacific Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time / 12 PM British Time / 13:00 Central European Time)
Expected Duration: 2 hours
Expected Finish Time: 6:00 AM Pacific Time ( 9:00 AM Pacific Time / 2 PM British Time / 15:00 Central European Time)

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

These are indeed assigned maintenance windows and most often than not, regular maintenance related downtime is reduced to 30 minutes but we needed to make sure that you all knew about the change.

I've updated the original announcement with that information.

We, at the Paragon Studios, take the maintenance of our servers very seriously and with the recent evolution of City of Heroes® it has become increasingly necessary to have simultaneous maintenances of the North American and European servers due in part to common systems used on all our servers regardless of their geographical location.

As a result, as of Monday, September 28th, the regular bi-weekly server maintenance times will be modified and will take place on Mondays and Fridays from 4:00 AM Pacific Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time / 12:00 PM British Time / 13H00 Central European Time) to 6:00 AM Pacific Time (9:00 AM Eastern Time / 2:00 PM British Time / 15H00 Central European Time).

We understand that this may conflict with gameplay times for some of our players and apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause you. We have tried to find a suitable time to minimize the impact on the gameplay experience of a majority of our players but with our player communities scattered across various time zones, you can probably appreciate that this is no easy task.

We thank you for your patience and understanding with this matter.

Please note: while we are reserving these two-hour periods for maintenance updates, they will not necessarily require the entire two hours and additional updates may be scheduled outside this time-period as needed. We may also perform maintenance on additional servers, such as the web servers, message boards, or login servers.

On Wednesday 23 September 2009, NCsoft Account Services will be brought down for maintenance. All NCsoft Account services will be unavailable at that time.

Planned Start: 6:30 AM Pacific Time (9:30 AM Eastern Time / 2:30 PM British Time / 15h30 Central European Time)
Planned Finish: 9:00 AM Pacific Time (12:00 Pm Eastern Time / 5:00 PM British Time / 18H00 Central European Time)

You will be unable to access the following areas during the maintenance:

• The NCsoft Store (to purchase items like the Booster packs for instance);
  
• The City of Heroes Ingame Store (to purchase services or items like character transfers, renames, character slots or Respec tokens);
  
• The NCsoft Account Management System (to manage, create, upgrade or re-activate your account for instance);
  
• The creation of new Forum accounts (the use of existing Forum accounts will not however be affected).

We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience with this matter.

Please note: the Live servers will still be available at that time and you will be able to log in to the game. Please make sure to check our forums for updates on the status of this maintenance!

The North American & European Training rooms will be taken down on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8:00 AM Pacific Time ( 11:00 AM eastern Time / 4:00 PM British Time / 17H00 Central European Time) for a back-end fix.

This downtime should last about 2 hours but the servers may be back up before that.

Greetings,

Please note that the North American & European Training Rooms will be offline from 2PM Pacific Time (5PM Eastern Time / 10PM British Time / 23H00 Central European Time) for approximately 2 hours.

Thank you for your understanding and for your patience!

The usual server downtime occurring every Friday will happen at a different time this Friday, September 18th, 2009.

Instead of starting at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (9:00 AM Eastern Time) for the North American maintenance and 8:00 AM British Time (9H00 Central European Time) for the European maintenance, this Friday's maintenance will be a global one and will start at 4:00 AM Pacific Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time / 12:00 PM British Time / 13H00 Central European Time).

During this maintenance, all global services will be restarted and a costume token will be granted to all players.

We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience!

The North American maintenance is now over and access to all live servers has been enabled.

The European maintenance will start in a couple of hours as announced previously. No changes to the start time are expected at this point.