Niviene

Back in January we kicked off the "Ask a Dev" series by Re-Introducing Melissa "War Witch" Bianco.

Thank you to everyone that submitted questions. We'll be announcing our next Candidate for "Ask a Dev" soon so stay tuned.


MrHassenpheffer - What does the future hold for base editing?

Certain restrictions in base building are being adjusted and/or removed so with that comes some freedom and more options, from an editor perspective, the degree of control and fine-tuning you have in placing items. So that’s one thing. I’ve seen a lot of “creativity” with the way players use one object (or hundreds of them) to act as another so my other plan is to provide more base objects, more textures, and more themed sets. Suggestions?

Unknown_User - So will your leadership have any affect on features like base raids, citadel of pain, items of power, a secret identities system? Will the work on features like these be scaled back in favor of new content?

We’re working on some of that, yes. Given certain limitations of our systems, some features will get love and some won’t.

treboreleets - How do you determine what Powersets get made and which ones don't? What determines the priority of the sets that do get made? (Example: Why did MM's get Thugs before Demon Summoning?) And what powersets can we expect to see in the future?

The powersets are determined by a few factors:

1. This is low-hanging fruit, with little assets from Art
2. This new powerset can fill that gaping hole, it’s been a long time coming
3. This is the powerset of X signature character, so it just makes sense to put it in the game
4. This is something players have been asking for forever and now we have time to “do it right.”

As for your example, the difference in complexity between a simple thug and a demon (when you see it, you’ll understand why) are vastly different and since thugs were “mostly built” anyway, they were a logical choice because they existed on a rig we currently used and didn’t have any strange technical issues with. Now Demons…whole other story.

TheJazMan - What direction are you planning on taking the game? Lately we have been getting a lot of issues/additions but little to do. Some players feel a game of this vintage has to keep evolving to keep it's players. I notice the player numbers are very low lately and maybe this is a partial explanation? So, what will be your focus in the upcoming year? More missions, game mechanics, innovations?

What I meant by “more content” was just that. We’ve included a lot of new “systems” lately from Ouroboros to Mission Architect, but what we haven’t done a lot of has been providing simple mission content and zones. Well, you’ll definitely get both with Going Rogue, but I want to make sure it becomes a mainstay for Issues, going forward. I realize players will breeze through them quickly, but there are some great stories out there, and we’re just the team to tell them. This game has plenty of material (endless, really) to draw upon and an excellent missions team, so it just makes sense to do what we do well.

I also want to make sure that they look good, their bases look good, and they can RP their hearts out, so yes, I want to make sure we’re getting a steady stream of animations, costumes, and other aesthetically pleasing tidbits.

biomechanic - My question: will we be seeing more zone revamps as we did with Faultline and the Hollows?

Well, I keep saying that I’d rather create a new zone rather than reinvent an old one. The nice thing about the Hollows was that while the zone itself didn’t change in terms of environment, it got a “face-lift” through new villain groups, mission door adjustments, a spawn overhaul, and adding some repeatable missions to the zone. That was fairly low-hanging fruit that required no Art support. The pain comes in when we decide to adjust geometry and that is usually where discussions come to a grinding halt in favour of something more “bang for the buck,” because the Art team’s time is always very tight with every issue.

Sentai_Sage - Are there any new badges or types of badges that are in the works? Or perhaps any information pertaining to Badge'ing that you could divulge?

Are more badges coming? Yes. New information? Well, there’s more of them and they’re easy to get.

Jake_Summers - Do the other devs ever make fun of you for being Canadian or are they too afraid of your mighty Canadian archetype powers [Like the ability to cut down a tree with one chop of an ax while eating a donut]?

They don’t make fun of me as much. But any time I throw in a Canadianism, I get “the look.” I’ve learned to tone down the “eh’s” so as to avoid needless mockery, however, it doesn’t always work. And can I just say in a very quietly respectful tone that I am very proud of the showing my fellow Canadian countrymen (and women) had at the 2010 Winter Olympics in my hometown of Vancouver? Okay, I’m done. Very proud.

Liquid - When you took your first position at Cryptic Studios back in February of 2002 (archive.org says you were the Office Manager in August, is that what you started as?), did you have any ambitions to work directly on the game itself at all, let alone become the Lead Designer? Do you have any thoughts and/or feelings to share about the changes you (position and skill-wise) and the game have gone through between then and now?

I just wanted to be part of the game in any way I could be. I was willing to take out the garbage if I had to. I’d put many hours in as a beta tester on many MMO games, but I’d never been part of one before and since Cryptic was local, it seemed like a great opportunity.

If you had asked me, did I think I’d be here today, when I first walked into the Jury Court building, I would have told you you were insane. I don’t think that I could have even begun to imagine myself in this role. Every time I look back and how much I have learned and how much I have grown over the years working on this game, I am stupefied. When I started, I didn’t even know how to use the editor, didn’t know what a beacon was. Now, my brain is crammed full of information and process and lore and history. It’s served me very well over the years as the “old guard” has been replaced with the new.

jwbullfrog - Now that the real world War Witch has gotten a promotion, will there be an improvement is the "not exactly dead" status of the in game War Witch? Maybe her own task force?

There better be. I hate being dead. No offence to Ghost Widow, she rocks the look. A War Witch Task Force, wow, I really like the sound of that. It’s a bit self-serving, though, isn’t it? Maybe if others clamoured for it, it wouldn’t sound like it was coming from me

NeoMystic - The work that you do, does it give you enough time for a personal life? Or is it like coming home and for the rest of the evening worrying about the next day of work?

My days are pretty hectic. I’m usually up by 5 a.m. so that I can go work out (this is a new thing) and then I’m at work by about 7. I make myself leave for lunch (most times) and I try to be out of the office at a relatively decent hour (5, 6, or 7), but by the time I get home, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for hanging out. I have to be in bed asleep by 9 p.m. so I can get a full night’s sleep. It doesn’t always work out, but that’s the plan. Most of my ideas come to me on the treadmill or on the commute home in rush hour. And it IS an hour. Weekends make up for it, though. I go hiking, play videogames, find a cause to jump on, read books, write, spend time with my family, go to church. That kind of thing. My husband takes it in stride, he knows the job means a lot to me and that I’m trying to get up to speed and do right by you guys.

Crimson_Archer_EU - When are you coming back to the UK??? We miss you!

I miss you guys, too! I heard they got rid of Omega Sektor??!! What’s that about?

BubblegumBomb - What kind of motorcycle do you drive? How long have you been riding? Are you in a MC?

I have a 2009 Suzuki GSX 650F. It has one of the lowest seats on the market and I had to have it lowered because I’m so short. I bought this bike because it reminded me of the 1987 Suzuki RG Gamma 250 that I had back when I was in college. I have also owned a 1980 Yamaha (which I pronounce “Yea-ma-haw” and drive my husband crazy) 400 Special. I got my license back in the 80s but didn’t ride for a lot of years. Then I hit 40, had a mid-life crisis, bought some cheesy medallions, and got my MC license for California. They don’t take kindly to expired British Columbia Class 6 licenses here in California. No MC’s though. I wish more of my female friends rode, though, that would be fun. Female Bike Gang. CRAZY.

Gargoyle_KDR - After college did you take any continuing education courses that were job related? If so, what sort of courses were they? Were you really born in Vancouver proper, or was it West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, or (shudders) Surrey? Those of us who live around the area do know the difference. What do you most look forward to doing in your new role? Who is _your_ role model? Why?

I went through Vancouver Film School so that I could get my Director’s Guild of Canada permit (Flagperson’s Certificate), I took classes at the Art’s Club Theatre on Grandville Island (no relation to Arachnos) for screenwriting, and I took video instruction at the local television station so that I could be a camerawoman at a local television station back in North Vancouver. I also took a few years of American Sign Language, which helped a lot as I worked as an ASL interpreter. That was my first goal, be an interpreter. But as I was working at the college towards my AA, the “international” fees were killing me ($155/credit!?) so I had to give up that and find a real job. I was working at the college when the Cryptic opportunity presented itself.

I was born in Vancouver proper, thank you very much! I went to elementary and high school in North Vancouver. Go Argyle ’87! I also attended college in North Vancouver. Well, and Fremont, and online via Liberty University. I have lived in about 90% of the cities you mentioned, even the one people make fun of, but not by choice! (And as soon as I was able, I moved away. Ha ha!)

What do I look forward to most in my new role? I look forward to focusing our goals and gaining momentum again with the features we’ve already implemented and adding to them. I like missions, and zones, and task forces, and costume sets, and animations, and all those things. So I’d like to do more of that.

Who is my role model? Too many to count, but my mom’s probably my favourite. She’s a warrior. She’s had some big ups and downs in life (as we all have), and she just keeps moving forward, learning and growing and taking it all in one day at a time. She is the kind of person who gets excited about a cause or a creative endeavour and she passed that on to me. She has taught me to be the kind of person who is energized by helping others. It’s an amazing feeling; best cure for the dumps that I can think of.

Terwyn - First, what is it like to be a Canadian living and working in the United States? Was there a significant amount of culture shift? I know that professionally speaking, Canadian culture is generally more collectivist in contrast to the American culture's individualism. How long did it take to get used to the different professional culture, and how did you manage the shift?

Actually, it was tough at first. There is a very different culture shift in general. However, I am nothing if not malleable and I just had to adapt. As with all workplaces, you just have to adapt and grow. So it’s worked out pretty well for me

This contest is organized by NC Interactive, Inc. who is identified in more detail in Section 9 of this document (the "Sponsors").

1. ENTRY
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. IF YOU ARE ENTERING THIS CONTEST AS A RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THIS CONTEST SHALL BE VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY UNITED STATES LAW.

This is a skill based contest (the "Contest") based on originality, creativity, and the ability to achieve a Spring or St. Patrick’s Day theme.
Participants must follow this method of entry

1) Between 5:00pm (CST) Thursday, March 11, 2010 and 11:59 PM (CST) Thursday, March 18, 2010 send an email to cohcontests@ncsoft.com with the subject heading "City of Heroes PAX East "One day Pass" Contest." Include the following information in the body of the email:
A. Your first and last name
B. Your age
C. Your location -- city, state/province, country
D. A contact phone number (this will only be used as an additional method of contacting you regarding this Contest if we need to reach you)
E. Your full mailing address (Important: This is where your prize will be mailed to)
F. The sentences: "I permit NC Interactive, Inc. to use my name, likeness, photograph, hometown and any comments which I may make about myself, this competition I provide for advertising and promotional activities. By submitting an entry to this competition, I accept and agree to be bound by the Official Terms and Conditions"

2) Attach your graphic submission to the email. This must be in .jpg format (non-.jpg formats will NOT be accepted). The size of the image you attach should be 1MB or smaller and should not be compressed.

By submitting an entry to the Contest, you accept and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and Conditions.

The use of copyrighted material or trademarks NOT owned by the Sponsors or yourself is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Your submission must not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right, or any privacy, publicity or publishing rights of any third party, or be libelous, obscene or otherwise contrary to law.

Any personal information given to the Sponsors when you enter this Contest will only be used to contact you in relation to this Contest. All information concerning non-winning entries will be deleted after the end of the Contest. The personal information concerning the winning entries will be only used in the context of this Contest and use of your entry as agreed between you and the Sponsor. This information will not be disclosed to any third party or used for any other purpose. You may exercise your rights of access and rectification of this information by writing to: cohcontests@ncsoft.com.

If you are a winner you hereby give Sponsors and their respective divisions, subsidiaries, affiliates, and agencies full permission, right and authority to use your likeness, photograph, name, hometown, and any comments that you may make/answer to questions Sponsors may provide, or any other information that you provide about yourself, the prize, the Contest, or City of Heroes®, for the purposes of advertising and promotion (in any media, including but not limited to in print media, television, film, video, radio, internet or otherwise) related to the Contest, City of Heroes® or each of the Sponsors, without any further notification or compensation to you other than that set out herein. Winner waives all rights of inspection and approval in relation to the foregoing.
All entries must be received via email prior to 11:59 PM CST on Thursday, March 18, 2010 (the "Contest Conclusion") and must be in English. Entries which do not conform to these Official Rules and Conditions will not be accepted. The Contest is limited to one entry per person.

The Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, incorrect, unintelligible or misdirected entries, which will be void. Use of a false name, mailing address, or email account will disqualify an entry and the individual who submitted the entry. Use of obscenities, racist, sexist, hateful or other material or depictions that, in Sponsor's judgment, are inappropriate or offensive, will disqualify an entry. Sponsor is not responsible for hardware or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, server unavailability due to technical, capacity constraints or other issues, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic or other communications. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, can disqualify, from this Contest and/or any other contest conducted by Sponsor, any person who, in Sponsor's reasonable suspicion, tampers with the entry process or the operation of the web site. Sponsor has the right to terminate, suspend or modify this Contest, in whole or in part, at any time and without prior notice, if, in Sponsor's judgment, the Contest is altered, corrupted or cannot be completed as planned due to computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, technical failures, or other conditions beyond Sponsor's control, or at Sponsor's reasonable discretion. Incomplete entries are invalid, and entrants with incomplete entries will be disqualified.

2. ELIGIBILITY

To enter the contest, as of Thursday, March 11, 2010 (a) you must be 13 years of age or older, (b) if you are a minor in your country of residence, you must provide the entry as set forth under 1.1 with your legal guardian's approval and you must provide written approval of your entry to the Contest, and consent to these Official Rules and Conditions by your legal guardian (this written approval shall be provided within 14 days after the receipt of request by the Sponsor), (c) you must have Internet access, an email account and access to a personal computer, and (d) you must be a resident of the United States (excluding the State of Rhode Island, and excluding Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, military installations and commonwealths) or a resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) (Canadian residents will be required to answer an additional mathematical question in order to claim their prizes).

Employees of Sponsor, and Sponsor's respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies and members of the immediate families (defined as parents, children, siblings and spouse, regardless of where they reside) or households of such employees are not eligible to enter the Contest.

3. DURATION

The contest period begins at 5:00 PM CST on Thursday, March 11, 2010 and ends at 11:59 PM CST on Thursday, March 18, 2010.

4. SELECTION OF WINNING ENTRIES

The winning entries will be determined by representatives of each Sponsor and will be judged equally on the following criteria: originality, creativity, and the ability to achieve a Spring or St. Patrick’s Day theme. Winners will be notified via e-mail and announced on the City of Heroes® web site (www.cityofheroes.com) on or about Tuesday, March 23, 2010. Any and all decisions of the judges shall be final and binding in all respects.

5. PRIZES

1) Prizes description

Twenty (20) First Place Winners Will Receive:
• One (1) Saturday, March 27th Pass to PAX East
Estimated Prize value: $30.00


2) Prizes awarding process

If a winner cannot be contacted via the email address he/she submitted with their entry to the Contest, or is successfully contacted by Sponsor and:

(i) does not sign and return to Sponsors within the time indicated, a Contract of Assignment in the form reproduced in Section 10 (or, in Canada, a Declaration of Compliance with Contest Rules); or

(ii) refuses or is ineligible to accept the prize,
then Sponsor reserves the right to award the prize to the next highest ranking entrant (a "Substitute Winner").

The Substitute Winner will be contacted as mentioned above and required to comply with the prizes awarding process described in this Section 5(2).

In the event the Substitute Winner cannot be contacted as mentioned above or does not comply with the prizes awarding process described in this Section 5(2) for a given prize, any such prize will not be awarded. Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of the prize for cash or other goods and services is permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to provide a substitute prize of approximately equal value. Taxes on prizes (including, without limitation, income taxes), if any, are the sole responsibility of the individual winners. If a winner is under 13 or a minor in his or her state/province/country of residence, his or her parent or guardian must also sign any applicable releases and documentation.

Winners and runner-ups will have their entries and forum nickname (or real name in the absence of a subscription to the forum) and city/state or province/country of residence posted on the Official City of Heroes® Web Site (www.cityofheroes.com) To showcase the competition winners, those who have reached the age of 18 may be asked to answer some questions, provide certain personal information or to send Sponsor a personal headshot photo but such winners will also be given an opportunity to decline to give such information without affecting his/her eligibility of the prize.

6. GENERAL CONDITIONS

By entering into the Contest, you:

(a) warrant that your entry is your own original work and that it does not violate any rights of any third party (including, without limitation, any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right, or any privacy, publicity or publishing rights of any third party, or is libelous, obscene or otherwise contrary to law);

(b) agree to assign to Sponsor all rights, title and interest, including, without limitation, copyright, if transferable, in or to your entry in the case that your entry is one of the winning entries.

(c) agree to be contacted by Sponsor or its agents by telephone, mail or e-mail; and

(d) agree to sign the documentation set forth in Section 5 above (and have your parent or guardian sign such documentation where applicable or requested by Sponsor), in the case that your entry is one of the winning entries.

Entries will not be returned. If your entry is a winning entry, you agree that Sponsor may post your submission on the Official City of Heroes® Web Site (www.cityofheroes.com) at anytime during or after the Contest along with your user or forum name (or real name) and city/state or province/country of residence if you are 18 years of age or older or if your legal guardians have confirmed your participation.
Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may edit and modify any submission before posting.

You waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages. Except where prohibited, you agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved under the laws of the State of Washington. You assume sole liability for injuries, including personal injuries and/or damage to property or prize, caused or claimed to be caused by participating in this contest or the acceptance, loss, shipment, or use of any prize awarded. Sponsor is not responsible for any failure to contact entrants, whether due to technical or human error. All of Sponsor's decisions regarding the application and interpretation of the Rules are final.

7. WINNERS LIST

The winners of this Contest will be posted on the Official City of Heroes® Web Site (www.cityofheroes.com) on or about Tuesday, March 23, 2010. A list of winners can also be obtained by sending a self addressed stamped envelope to City of Heroes® PAX East “One Day Pass” Contest, NC Interactive, Inc., 1501 4th Ave. Floor 20. Seattle, WA 98101, USA for U.S. and Canadian residents. Residents of Canada may omit return postage.

8. SEVERABILITY

Should any condition contained in this Contract prove unenforceable, void or incomplete, the validity of the other conditions will remain unaffected.

9. SPONSOR

This contest is sponsored by NC Interactive, Inc., 1501 4th Ave. Floor 20. Seattle, WA 98101, USA 1501 4th Avenue, Suite 2050, Seattle, WA 98101.

© 2010 NC Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. NCSOFT, the Interlocking NC Logo, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Paragon Studios and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

10. ANNEXES

As the title suggests, the time has come for me to take my professional leave of Paragon Studios and City of Heroes®. Tomorrow, Friday will be my last day. It is with a heavy heart that I say farewell to all of you, the individuals who make up the online community that I have come to care about so much.

Leaving was not an easy decision, but in the end, I was made an offer from another company that I just couldn’t refuse. I have learned so much while I’ve been here, both from the development team and from our loyal customers. They are lessons that will serve me well in the future and I am so grateful.

Even though I am leaving, I am excited about the Going Rogue and look forward to following the other things I know Paragon has brewing. I've definitely been loyal to the game since the very beginning and that will not change!

Please know that you and CoH have meant the world to me. I would say that I’m going to miss you, but trust me – I’ll still be around. Just keep your eyes peeled in-game for a Carnie having the time of her life!

Until we meet again (in-game or elsewhere),

-Niviene

Submissions open on Mondays only from 10 AM Pacific Time (1 PM Eastern Time / 6PM GMT / 19:00 Central European Time) until 5:00 PM Pacific Time (8:00 PM Eastern Time / 1:00 AM GMT / 2:00 Central European Time) between January 11, 2010 and July 26, 2010).

Welcome to our "Search the words, save the world" forum mission!


A super computer turned evil codenamed Ebil-o is attempting to take over our most powerful nations' computer systems and exterminate us puny human beings (how original, huh?). However, every week, a short window of opportunity allows us to break into Ebil-o's matrix and reset the timer leading to our undoubtedly apocalyptic end!

How do we do that, I hear you ask? Well, we happen to have an anonymous little helper and each week, he or she snail mails us a word search puzzle containing anywhere between 5 (five) and 10 (ten) words related to City of Heroes related theme (Ebil-o likes City of Heroes; apparently, it helps him unwind after a long day hard at work planning to get rid of humanity).

Each week a new theme will be passed along and you will need to find the exact number of words you’re being told exists within the block of letters you are given.

Your opportunity to save us all is through a word block located at the bottom of this post.

The goal is to be the first one to find the words based on the theme (without being told what they are), circle them in the word block (using Paint or an equivalent program) and then list them below it.

If you are the first one to answer with the correct words, you win and only then will we be able to input the words into Ebil-o's matrix, thus delaying our impending doom. As a token of our gratitude, we'll give you the "Ebil-o FTL [date]" forum title as well as 1 (one) costume code amongst the following ones:

• Carnival of Shadows Harlequin
• Freakshow Tank Boss
• Paragon Police Department Hardsuit
• Carnival of Shadows Ring Mistress
• Knives of Artemis Lt.
• Praetorian Clockwork

Have fun…but not too much as each week we’re counting on you to save the world!

Rules

1) Reply in the official City of Heroes® forum (http://boards.cityofheroes.com/) thread created for each weekly " Search the words, save the world Contest” with your submission.

2) Your reply must contain a number of words or names that will be defined every time this contest is run. Please refrain from posting more than the number of words indicated in every contest post. Only post the correct number of words or names, even if you notice duplicates..

3) Your reply must also contain the following statement. Please note that your submission will be disqualified if this statement is not present in your post:

If I am a winner, I permit NC Interactive, Inc. and NCsoft Europe Limited to use my name, likeness, photograph, hometown, and any comments that I may make about myself or this contest that I provide for advertising and promotional activities. I also certify that I am at least 13 years of age and am eligible to participate in this contest.

4) To enter the contest weekly, as of January 11, 2010, you must be 13 years of age or older. If a winner is under 18 or a minor in his or her state/province/country of residence, his or her parent or guardian must also sign any applicable releases and documentation.

5) Please note, only 1 (one) entry per forum account will be accepted. If you post a second time, you'll get disqualified, so make your one entry count! Also, once you have posted your entry, do NOT edit it as any edit will disqualify you from that day's forum game.

6) Entries must conform to the Official City of Heroes Message Forum Rules and Guidelines and to the Contest Official Rules and Conditions.

7) [I] If you win the City of Heroes® Search the words, save the world Contest one week, you are not eligible to do so again for the next 8 weeks. This is to allow other people the opportunity to win. Please be courteous to others and refrain from participating during the weeks you are not eligible to win.

-After reading the feedback from previous "Search the Words, Save the World" puzzles, I have made a few changes to how this will work and removed the failsafe.

- Note that if a word includes more than 1 word, they will run together in the puzzle. Example - Envoy of Shadows would be found in the puzzle as ENVOYOFSHADOWS

If there is not a winner by the end of the day, I will post the solution.

This weeks word list consists of 15 Ancilliary Power Pools.
Hint: Each word ends in "Mastery"


Monday, March 8th, 2010 - Word Block






Good luck all, and don't forget that the fate of the world is in your hands!

The prepurchase option for City of Heroes® Going Rogue has arrived! Whether your first instinct will be to create a Praetorian, or turn Rogue or Vigilante with one of your existing characters, by prepurchasing for $29.99 you'll be ready on launch day to check out all the new content Going Rogue has to offer.

But there are also special advantages to prepurchasing! When you prepurchase Going Rogue you'll get early access to both the Dual Pistols and the Demon Summoning power sets. Dual Pistols will be available immediately upon prepurchase, and Demon Summoning will come shortly thereafter with the launch of Issue 17. And let's not forget about the City of Heroes® Double XP/Reactivation Weekend March 4th-7th. If you act right away, you can wield Dual Pistols as you rack up all that extra XP, Influence and Infamy!

So go take a look at the new and improved Going Rogue website and prepurchase your copy of Going Rogue today!

The prepurchase option for City of Heroes® Going Rogue has arrived! Whether your first instinct will be to create a Praetorian, or turn Rogue or Vigilante with one of your existing characters, by prepurchasing for $29.99 you'll be ready on launch day to check out all the new content Going Rogue has to offer.

But there are also special advantages to prepurchasing! When you prepurchase Going Rogue you'll get early access to both the Dual Pistols and the Demon Summoning power sets. Dual Pistols will be available immediately upon prepurchase, and Demon Summoning will come shortly thereafter with the launch of Issue 17. And let's not forget about the City of Heroes® Double XP/Reactivation Weekend March 4th-7th. If you act right away, you can wield Dual Pistols as you rack up all that extra XP, Influence and Infamy!

So go take a look at the new and improved Going Rogue website and prepurchase your copy of Going Rogue today!

In honor of the expansion coming this July, we're happy to unveil a brand new Going Rogue website!

Along with its new look comes Dual Pistols information (including screenshots and a video), details on new enemy groups like the Praetorian Police Department (PPD) and Resistance, plus a lot more. Check it out for yourself and enjoy!

In honor of the expansion coming this July, we're happy to unveil a brand new Going Rogue website!

Along with its new look comes Dual Pistols information (including screenshots and a video), details on new enemy groups like the Praetorian Police Department (PPD) and Resistance, plus a lot more. Check it out for yourself and enjoy!

New Power Set: Dual Pistols

We are pleased to introduce the first of the highly anticipated Going Rogue initiatives, Dual Pistols. Players who prepurchase the Going Rogue expansion will gain access to Dual Pistols with this release.

The set is a primary power choice for Blasters and Corruptors and a secondary choice for Defenders. Dual Pistols is also the power set of choice for the Going Rogue signature character Maelstrom.

What differentiates Dual Pistols from the Assault Rifle power set is the ability to modify every attack's secondary damage and the effect that has on your target. 70% of damage dealt by most attacks is lethal, the other 30% is modifiable from pure damage to cold, toxic, or fire. This versatility comes at the cost of slightly weaker secondary effects when compared to other power sets. In short, Dual Pistols is a set that can adapt to most situations by bringing a wide variety of debuffs and damage types.

The Dual Pistols Power Set is comprised of the following powers:

• Pistols
• Dual Wield
• Empty Clips
• Swap Ammo
• Bullet Rain
• Suppressive Fire
• Executioner's Shot
• Piercing Rounds
• Hail of Bullets

COMBINED

Mission Architect

• Custom Critters: Rewards for Mastermind Boss Pets used as custom critters have been reduced.

Powers

General

• Fixed a bug that caused some Hold powers to trigger Disorient animations on the target, allowing the target to walk around while held. Fix includes Char, Cinder, Block of Ice, Strangler, Fossilize, and Freezing Touch
• Fixed animation used by Nemesis Staff and Blackwand in Shield Combat mode
• Fixed minor sound issue with jumping while using the Ninja Run power.
• Fixed an issue with Walk where Increase Slow IO set bonuses were affecting walking speed
• Invulnerability (all ATs) - Invincibility: restored some missing/incorrect FX
• Mystic Fortune: The buffs granted by this power should no longer allow stacking under any circumstances.
• Fixed an issue that caused windup animations (like Snipe powers) to loop while flying.
• Fixed animation issue with resting while in Shield Combat mode while Ninja Run is active
• Fixed issue that caused some falling animations to loop when in Shield Combat mode
• Fixed jittering flight/hover animations with Shield mode
• Natural Super Booster pack costume change emotes should now play if in a weapon combat mode.
• Redcaps should no longer spontaneously play their spawn animations when hit with powers such as Chain Induction.
• Walk and Ninja Run animations now properly interruptible by sliding animations.
• Coralax Minion Costume should now be compatible with Ninja Run.

Power Customization

• Invulnerability sets - updated FX for Invincibility
• Custom Color Palette was not defined for Martial Arts - Eagle's Claw
• Fixed an issue with Custom Animations for Super Strength and Martial Arts that would prevent them from playing while in Shield Combat mode.

Invention

• Fixed a bug that would cause Numina's Convalescence: +Regen/+Recovery to have its effects boosted by being slotted in a power with enhancements that would increase regeneration or recovery rates.

Badges

• Bug fix for Early Bird badge status getting lost from some players.

Stores

• The Vanguard Katana can now be purchased for use with the Dual Blades and Broadsword power sets.
• The Vanguard Broadsword can now be purchased for use with the Dual Blades power set.
  • The Vanguard Dual Blades can now be purchased for use with the Broadsword power set.

CITY OF HEROES

Powers

Peacebringers/Warshades

• Animated body parts on Kheldian Novas should no longer disappear when using SuppressCloseFX

Tasks

• Manticore Task Force: Fixed a bug that sometimes caused level 40 Paragon Protector Elites to spawn, even though the TF caps at level 35.

CITY OF VILLAINS

Powers

Arachnos Soldiers

• Fixed some minor animation issues with Crab Spider backpacks/arms when walking or swimming.

Hey Everyone,

I want to apologize. I was not aware Avatea had changed the rules to ensure a winner due to problems with her forum game. Going by the new criteria set in place by Avatea, this weeks Ebil-o-FTL winner is: Dark Quill

Congratulations Dark Quill!

My apologies again to everyone!

This weeks word list was -

Igniter
Sapper
Conservator
Relay
Oracle
Forge
Worktable
Barrel
Balcony
Bridge