I love Galaxy City! This reminds me of an old CoH travel guide I started back in 2005. I never finished the travel guide and because of that I never got to share it with anyone, so I thought this would be as good a place as any. So I dug it out of my vault and here it is. Enjoy a peek into Galaxy City circa July 2005. (Even tho it hasn't changed much since then....)
It is now a complete year since first I visited this zone. This was my gateway to Paragon City, and to all the countless adventures that would follow. Of all the Toons that I would create thereafter, I can easily state that 4 out of 5 of them all began their careers in Galaxy City. This zone has a special place in my memory, and now I would like to take you on a short tour of some of my most memorable, and picturesque areas that this zone contains. We may be visiting some areas that you may know very well yourself already, while other areas we stop at you may never really have noticed before. Perhaps you were too busy busting criminals to "stop and smell the roses." Well, no more excuses. Look around and enjoy!
We will start off by visiting my absolute favorite area in Galaxy City. There's a beautiful little creek that cuts through the southeastern corner of this zone, and while I'm not sure the name of this creek, I do know that surrounding it is a place known as Gemini Park. After I had first reached level 5 by completing the first few missions solo, I decided that this park was a great place to hunt baddies for some much-needed XP (and I was still too chicken to venture into another zone after the sewer incident (but lets leave that story for another day)), so I explored this green expanse for a couple of hours, wandering underneath the shady trees that overlooked picnic tables and thoughtfully-placed benches, lost in the scenery as I apprehended muggers and body-snatching Vhazilok minions. Those pesky Vhaz gave me the worst trouble, and after a few deaths, I soon learned to steer clear of those leather-clad BDSM-obsessed Eidolon/Murk bosses.
PHOTO OP: At the southern edge of the park, across the street from several shops that proclaim names such as "Chillin' Villians Bale Bonds" and the comics/games/books store known as "The Wizard's Well" (Imagine yourself a new life!), there is a large outcropping of boulders shading a couple of benches. This area is great for snapping some pictures, either around the benches, or by climbing up atop of the mound of rocks to better view the park around you.
LOCAL LANDMARK: In the extreme southeastern corner of the zone, just south of Gemini Park, the large boulder, and into the area known as Constellation Row, there is a neat area fenced off for two full-length blacktop basketball courts. It is here where myself and another hero played a quick game of CoH-style basketball, the two of us running around and attempting to jump onto (and successfully land) on the hoop of the goal. Its not as easy as it looks, especially for people still learning how to manipulate their Toon in the game enviroment, maneuvering them utilizing their control setup, and acclimating to the interesting jumping physics inherant to City of Heroes. Needless to say, however, that I got game, yo.
Most of the southern half of this zone is populated with wharehouses, factories, and nondescriped buildings that loom over dark, smelly alleyways where evil-doers skulk about in the shadows, waiting to pounce on their unsuspecting prey. For some reason, I hate going into this area of the zone comprising the Nebula District and Constellation Row, but not for myself. I hate it for my characters who have to trudge around this place for their early-level missions, peeping into warehouses to defeat some punks pushing 'dyne out on the streets.
Other than Gemini Park, the southern half of Galaxy City has little to offer for my Walkabout, and since I would rather not have this beautiful early summer day spent brawling in wharehouse parking lots, let's head North instead, hugging close along the eastern wall and into the Orion Beltway.
PHOTO OP: Speaking of parking lots, as you head north from Gemini Park, directly against the eastern wall, there is a parking structure (directly to the east of the Equinox map-marker-dot). If you can handle the Hellions that loiter around collecting the parking tolls, wander your way to the top of the structure. If you have the confidence (or the jumping prowess), try to leap across a small gap to the ledge of a building directly south of the parking structure, and carefully make your way to the soutwest corner of the building. Face to the north, where you will find a great view of the parking structure, the city streets with the skyscrapers overhead, a colorful banner for Elena (playing at the Morway Theatre 17th-30th) and a plaza beneath you, where you can watch pedistrians as they crisscross about, on their way to wherever it is they go.
LOCAL LANDMARK: Travel west, straight along the street to the Equinox map-marker-dot where you'll find yourself in front of the much-publicized Arena. You'll also be near a plaque commererating a parade in honor of the hero Atlas (which, one would think would be in Atlas Park, but noooo) and his defeat of the notorious Teal Serpent. Wonder where the Serpent resides today? Could he have survived the battle? Well, the Cryptic Studios building is also located near this location, so why not stop in and ask one of the Devs yourself? (Seriously, who hasn't tried to enter this building?)
Keep working your way west from Equinox, towards the Hospital and the Yellow Line. It is because of the location of these two buildings, and their relative closeness to the zone's trainer and the Freedom Corps building, that I continue to return time and time again to this zone with my baby heroes. I find that they are much more convieniantly placed than those in Atlas Park, and I enjoy the flat and easily-navigated plaza that surround these buildings. In my opinion, this area is much better than the cliffs that the train station in Atlas Park is perched on. (Cliffs I have fallen down many times as I miss-timed my jumps attempting to maneuver up, across, or around the surrounding high walls.)
PHOTO OP: Directly Northeast of the hospital, at a four-way intersection, there is a billboard hanging from the overhead train tracks. As soon as I get a character to level 50 and start a Kheldian hero, I plan on snapping a few pics of that Toon standing atop the tracks above this sign with an angry look on its face.
LOCAL LANDMARK: Contained directly behind (to the North of) the Yellow Line is an area I refer to as the Northwest Mall. It is a block of low-level buildings, easily scaled by jumping from the roof of a delivery truck. You can easily hop from building to building, climbing up the air ducts and ledges as you hunt for the evil Vhazilok minions that infest these roofs. There is a well-lit alley that cuts this block in half, where muggers await unsuspecting heroes. In this alley, lined with storefronts on either side, is a split in the buildings, where a low wall stands behind two benches. Be careful if you intend to bound over the wall, because the streetlights don't illuminate the dumpster-lined alley behind it, and you never know what could be waiting.
Our final destination of this Walkabout will be towards the center of the zone, Freedom Court. Yeah, there isn't such a huge courtyard around the Brawler as Ms. Liberty has over in Atlas Park, and the whole area has a more business-like tone to it. This is the perfect starting zone for those players who have had enough of meandering through another dull costume contest just to reach the trainer. I have discovered that very few large groups of heroes ever congregate in this zone. Most seem task-minded and uninterested in chit-chat as they quickly maneuver from trainer to enhancement vendor to contact, and then off to their mission.
PHOTO OP: Travel directly east of the Freedom Corps building and Back Alley Brawler until you reach a small plaza leading onto a set of steps going downhill towards the PvP Arena. This well-landscaped area works great for snapping pictures from many different angles and positions. My favorite photo op is to stand on the top column at the center of the stairs and pan the image around to where the huge statue of Galaxy Girl hovers faintly over my shoulder in the distance.
LOCAL LANDMARK: It is somewhat disappointing that the beautiful statue of Galaxy Girl has such a big, messy parking lot surrounded by what would otherwise be a neat little park. There's some nice benches shaded by trees and rock formations, but the parking lot is full of potholes and old trucks leaking oil. Some local residents should complain, have the parking lot taken out, and the greenery extended. But no, this hasn't happened. Instead, the only thing exciting I've ever witnessed underneath Galaxy Girl's statue (as opposed to the constant contests and parade of superteams under the Atlas statue) is a guy who had just gotten the Super Jump travel power, and was jumping up into her skirt and broadcasting that he was making out with her. It was quite sad.
I hope you have enjoyed this Walkabout, and I look forward to seeing some of your snapshops of this zone, and hearing your own anecdotes about your travels around Galaxy City. Until next time, remember to stop and enjoy the little things that surround you, both in City of Heroes, and in life itself.
