Issue 17 Overview


Acemace

 

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I'm not content with a barely legible hotlink title.

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Issue 17 Overview

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
With the release of April's Issue 17: Dark Mirror, the newest free update of City of Heroes®, the game you love now has the visual depth, contrast, and richness it deserves! Dark Mirror includes a superior graphics rendering process, dubbed "Ultra Mode," that gives City of Heroes a heightened level of detail in lighting, reflections, shadows, and water effects. Paragon City™ and the Rogue Isles™ have never looked better.
In addition to Ultra Mode, as part of Issue 17, you will confront a new and nefarious foe who will be able to match your character blow for blow.
Other Issue 17: Dark Mirror features include:
  • Epic archetypes are now unlocked at level 20.
  • Animated character tails.
  • New missions, new badges, and new player emotes.
  • Quality of life enhancements to the UI and game systems.
  • Improvements and additions to Mission Architect.
Features

Ultra Mode
Ultra Mode includes a superior graphics rendering process for players who have higher-end graphic cards. Each feature can be enabled or disabled in the graphics menu options and will be scalable. Ultra Mode works on both Macs and PCs. In specific, it offers dynamic shadows, screen-space ambient occlusion, and dynamic environment reflections (including planar reflections and environment mapping of reflective surfaces).
Epic Archetypes Unlocked at Level 20
Previously, you had to have at least one character at level 50 to make an epic archetype character. No more! Now you can create an epic archetype character as long as you have any one character at level 20 or higher.
Animated Tails
No more tails lying about like dead weight! You will now be able to select tail body parts that will react to your movement and have a swaying or swishing idle animation mode. You will need to go to a tailor to upgrade to the animated version.
Content

New Story Arcs: Issue 17: Dark Mirror features two new Hero and two new Villain story arcs for levels 20-30. Each of these story arcs has four missions, and the story arcs highlight the Dark Mirror's sinister new enemy. Acquire first Hero story arc in Talos Island, and the first Villain arc in Sharkhead Isle.
Silver Mantis Strike Force Update: The Silver Mantis Strike Force will now be available to all Villains, not just supergroups. You now can access the Silver Mantis Strike Force via Silver Mantis, located in Sharkhead Isle. You can also run this Task Force from your supergroup computer.
Positron Task Force Update: This Task Force has been split into two halves and dramatically upgraded and updated to ramp up the fun. The final battle of the Task Force takes place in the Faultline Dam and incorporates the new Dark Mirror enemy.
New Badges: Along with adding badges for 500 Badges Earned, 750 Badges Earned, and 1,000 Badges Earned, we are adding new exploration badges to city zones, almost doubling the number of exploration badges. You can learn new Accolades for finding all of the exploration badges in each city zone.
New Player Emotes: We'll let you know more about the new emotes soon.
Quality of Life Improvements

Craftable Temporary Powers: You will now have a much cleaner and more consistent way of finding and crafting temporary powers.
Increased Mission Count: You can now have seven active missions (previously three).
Show Last Objective: This UI improvement lets you find your last objective on a mission map, making it easier to find something you've missed.
Auction House: The UI gives you new options for sorting search results, your Auction House inventory is now separated by clearly marked tabs based on the item's status, the Auction House text entry box now autocompletes, and a single click on a recipe displays all salvage needed for that recipe.
In-Game E-mail: You can now use in-game e-mails to send Influence/Infamy to your own characters or to other players' characters via in-game e-mails. (You still cannot send Influence, Infamy, or items from a Hero to a Villain or vice versa.)
Mission Architect Improvements

Experience: You can now handpick the powers for custom enemies and still receive experience for them (within game balance limits).
New Maps: We have added approximately 20 new unique maps.
Giant Monsters: You can now add giant monsters to some outdoor maps.
Exit Mission on Complete: You can now specify that players have to leave the mission manually on completion.
Escort Missions: "Lead to place" technology allows you more control over escort objectives.


There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.

 

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Animated Tails means that Golden_Girl's dream is only a bit of a ways away. In the mean time, time to reconsider making animal characters (Non-moving tails were sincerely the reason I hadn't made them before).


 

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Animated character tails
Oh My Sweet Satan...


Be well, people of CoH.

 

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Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba View Post
Oh My Sweet Satan...
Stop using your own name like that.
Besides, your not sweet. No, not even with a wagging tail. Your still YOU!

*Actually reads the text*

Oh, can I get a HELL YEAH!!?!


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Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon View Post
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

 

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"now you can use in game emails to send influence/infamy" Very nice!


"if I am guilty for what goes on in my mind, than give me the electric chair for all my future crimes"

 

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Positron Task Force Update: This Task Force has been split into two halves and dramatically upgraded and updated to ramp up the fun. The final battle of the Task Force takes place in the Faultline Dam and incorporates the new Dark Mirror enemy.
Yes!

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Mission Architect Improvements

Experience: You can now handpick the powers for custom enemies and still receive experience for them (within game balance limits).
New Maps: We have added approximately 20 new unique maps.
Giant Monsters: You can now add giant monsters to some outdoor maps.
Exit Mission on Complete: You can now specify that players have to leave the mission manually on completion.
Escort Missions: "Lead to place" technology allows you more control over escort objectives.
Double Yes!

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Issue: 17
TRIPLE YES


 

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Happiness! So awesome.


 

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They're adding a lot of quality of life stuff that people have asked for for a *long* time. I'm in full "OMG! Can't wait!" mode now.


 

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Positron Task Force Update: This Task Force has been split into two halves and dramatically upgraded and updated to ramp up the fun. The final battle of the Task Force takes place in the Faultline Dam and incorporates the new Dark Mirror enemy.
Awesome, the Posi TF is such a horrible grind I only ever run it when I have to. I wonder what they'll do about the badge.

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New Badges: Along with adding badges for 500 Badges Earned, 750 Badges Earned, and 1,000 Badges Earned, we are adding new exploration badges to city zones, almost doubling the number of exploration badges. You can learn new Accolades for finding all of the exploration badges in each city zone.
Squee! Badges!

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Auction House: The UI gives you new options for sorting search results, your Auction House inventory is now separated by clearly marked tabs based on the item's status, the Auction House text entry box now autocompletes, and a single click on a recipe displays all salvage needed for that recipe.
I'm really happy to hear this, the AH interface really needs some love.

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In-Game E-mail: You can now use in-game e-mails to send Influence/Infamy to your own characters or to other players' characters via in-game e-mails. (You still cannot send Influence, Infamy, or items from a Hero to a Villain or vice versa.)
A very nice QoL improvement.


 

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New Badges: Along with adding badges for 500 Badges Earned, 750 Badges Earned, and 1,000 Badges Earned, we are adding new exploration badges to city zones, almost doubling the number of exploration badges. You can learn new Accolades for finding all of the exploration badges in each city zone.
Curious to see how this affects base porters.


All in all - a nice update.


 

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Originally Posted by Morac_Ex_Machina View Post
Badges! Badgesbadgesbadgesbadges. Badges. *froths at mouth*
Mushroom mushroom?


 

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Next QoL improvement: Looking For More (LFM) tag for the Search Window.

Pleeeeeeeease?


Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

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Originally Posted by tensionfade View Post
Curious to see how this affects base porters.


All in all - a nice update.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Accolade awarded the porter to the respective SG from here on out.


In any case, we still need to get the word on GR this week or next, in time for folks to prepurchase for the first weekend of March. This is going to be great.


There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.

 

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Originally Posted by flashrains View Post
Mushroom mushroom?
It's a snaaaaake! It's a snake!

(shoot it with Dual Pistols)


Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

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Issue 17 Overview

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
Where have I seen this before...?

Oh, yeah!

*puts her hands to her temples and chants*

The videographer sees all and knows all.

Still, damn excited to see this issue... promises much awesomeness.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite


Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

 

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All I have to say is there better be a pie emote! It's been a long time coming!


Who do I have to *&^% around here to get more Targeted AoE recipes added?

Arc Name: Tsoo In Love
Arc ID: 413575

 

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Tails...meh

Animated hair would've been better


 

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7 active missions at one???? YES!!!



Need to know moar about Dark Mirror....NOAW!!!


 

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Originally Posted by Morac_Ex_Machina View Post
Badges! Badgesbadgesbadgesbadges. Badges. *froths at mouth*
I was just coming to post something not unlike the above...

BADGES!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood View Post
Awesome, the Posi TF is such a horrible grind I only ever run it when I have to. I wonder what they'll do about the badge.
I hope they keep the original accessible through Ouroboros. Not that I'll be sorry to see it go or anything... >_>


Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
Main Villain: Evil Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1193 Badges
Mission Architect arcs: Doctor Brainstorm's An Experiment Gone Awry, Arc ID 2093

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Originally Posted by Nethergoat View Post
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!

 

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Originally Posted by EnigmaBlack View Post
All I have to say is there better be a pie emote! It's been a long time coming!

YES YES YES!!


This please


 

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Originally Posted by SoilentGreen View Post
Tails...meh

Animated hair would've been better
Animated hair would still be cool. But from a "how hard is it to produce" point of view I've always assumed we would get animated tails in this game long before animated hair. Of course now that the animated tails hurdle has been overcome animated hair looks that much more possible at some point.


Loth 50 Fire/Rad Controller [1392 Badges] [300 non-AE Souvenirs]
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