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| The City of Heroes Frequently Asked Questions |
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Questions
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General Information |
- What is City of Heroes?
- What is a MMORPG?
- What is the target release date of City of Heroes?
- Are there any expansions planned for City of Heroes?
- If I register on the Official Forums will my forum name be saved for when I get the game?
- Will City of Heroes have an Offline mode?
- Who will be publishing City of Heroes?
- What role will the publisher have in City of Heroes?
- Will there be special PVP only or RP only servers in City of Heroes?
- Is there going to a monthly fee associated with City of heroes?
- How many characters will I be able to have on one account?
- What age of the comics genre will COH be set in?
- Will players have the ability to rate disruptive or rude players? Or cast votes to kick players?
- Will there be a tutorial?
- Is the AI for opponents worked out for range and melee?
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Setting and Environment |
- How big is Paragon City?
- What will Paragon City be like?
- Will Paragon City have a variety of building designs and looks?
- What kind of transportation system will we find in Paragon City?
- Can every building in the city be entered?
- Are items and structures in the world destructible?
- What methods will be available to me in regards to finding my way around Paragon City?
- How will players learn of events in City of Heroes?
- Will defeating villains have any kind of impact on the world?
- Will villains ever reach a point where they hunt us down or "create" missions by attacking us instead of us having to seek them out?
- Are there Hazard Zones appropriate for heroes of varying power levels?
- Can I enter any Hazard Zone at any time?
- Are Hazard Zones like Mission Areas in that only I can enter them?
- Will there be a wide variety of musical themes to suit different situations?
- Will there be weather effects such as rain or snow, and will it effect you in any way?
- I want to know if there are NPC police and what do they do?
- What kinds of zones make up the city?
- Will the streets of Paragon city have traffic on them?
- Are there going to be street names?
- Will there be an ingame newspaper which will allow players to find out about events and other happenings in City of Heroes?
- Will there be load screens when traveling between zones in Paragon City?
- How do zone boundaries appear?
- Will citizens react to heroes and villains in any way?
- Do we have to eat or Drink in the game?
- Will I hear music at all times in game? Or is it saved for locations and/or fighting/actions?
- Will there be an off-line hero creation system?
- Will there be open or rural areas in the game?
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Characters |
- What kind of heroes can I make?
- Can players be villains?
- Are some starting characters more powerful than others?
- How do characters advance and become more powerful?
- Will my character have any vulnerabilities or weaknesses?
- How about choosing my own name and background?
- Will spaces be allowed in character names?
- Will my name be unique in my continuity?
- Can I recreate or name my hero after my favorite comic book character?
- What basic options will I have for my avatar?
- Will I be able to adjust my avatar's height and weight?
- Can my character have distinctive physical features?
- Will we have the possibility to choose a non-hard body? For Example: Fire, or Water?
- Will female avatars include cute feminine characters like Manga style females, or CHIBI females?
- Will there be super deformed characters?
- What kind of power level will starting characters have?
- What kind of origins can I choose for my character?
- What effect does my choice of origins have on my character?
- Is it better to make a hero with any particular origin?
- What other effects does my choice of origin have?
- Will there be a Random Name Generator?
- Do all characters gain Endurance at the same rate? Is there anything that can boost this rate?
- Will we be able to attach our hero’s background/origin story so anyone can see it?
- Will Statesman be a character in the game?
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Powers and Skills |
- How many different powers do I have to choose from?
- Do characters have levels in City of Heroes?
- How do I determine what my character is able to do?
- What kinds of powers are there?
- Do all power categories have the same cost?
- When new sub-powers are released in the expansions, will they be automatically added to your control power?
- Can I combine the effects of different powers for one 'super' effect?
- Do all energy blasts look the same?
- Am I immune to the effects of powers similar to mine?
- Does the use of powers carry a cost?
- Do all powers cost endurance to use or require me to activate them?
- Once I've purchased a power can I later change my mind?
- Which sought after powers did not make it into the game?
- Will invulnerability (Kinetic) work only against the Kinetic Energy Control power or against any kind of impact like punches, knives, bullets?
- Will I be able to carry other characters while using powers such as flight, leaping, teleportation, or levitation?
- Light and Darkness powers, are they more effective at night for dark and day for light, or same all the time?
- Can we select what body part our powers emanate from, such as hands, eyes, or chest?
- Will teleportation allow you to go through walls or is it going to be line of sight only?
- What Mental Powers will be in the game besides, Psionics and Telekinesis? Or does Psionics break down more than Psionic Blast and Psionic Defense?
- What is the difference between flight and levitation?
- Will villains have access to powers that the heroes won't have?
- Will you be able to change the color effects of powers?
- Will you be able to use one of the movement power, like Flight, to get away from a fight turned bad?
- If I use a skill many times will it gain points on it's own?
- Will all control powers have the same number of sub-powers?
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Villains |
- Who are the villains in COH?
- Do villains just look different or are there real differences in their abilities and the way they behave?
- Will villains be able to use vehicles?
- Will I be able to fight against villains more appropriate to my power level?
- Will all enemies scale to a teams power level?
- Will villains 'remember' me as we cross paths?
- Will Enemy factions stay in the hazard zones and mission areas?
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Combat and Death |
- How does combat work in City of Heroes?
- What happens when you die?
- Will I have to do a corpse run?
- Will there be knockback and other effects from being hit besides just damage?
- I know there are some powers that let you lift enemies off the ground. If I were fighting on a rooftop could I use these powers to lift enemies over the edge and drop them?
- Are super fast opponents more difficult to hit?
- Can I fight while flying?
- Can I perform special combat maneuvers such as a “Fastball Special”?
- Are fighting style animations implemented?
- Will there be friendly fire in city of Heroes?
- Can I damage myself if I get caught in the radius of my own attack?
- Can I throw cars or use telephone poles to attack?
- Can we pick up and throw our enemies in combat?
- Will I be able to blind or stun my opponents?
- Will I be able to damage buildings enough to collapse them?
- Can some powers do DOT (damage over time) or is it just DD (Direct Damage)?
- How is damage scored?
- Are objects flammable or vulnerable to flame attacks?
- Will there be other ways to "arrest", "detain", or "defeat" criminals/ villains other than beating them into submission?
- Will No Normal Defense attacks exist, such as gas attacks that you can't defend against unless you have life support, etc?
- Will character ever be able to have their own signature combat moves?
- Does increasing my Martial Arts skill also increase the damage from other hand to hand fighting attacks such as claws?
- Can I shoot with a power anywhere or do I need to have something targeted?
- Will you move slower when injured or be otherwise effected?
- How does death effect my character?
- How has the development team worked out the problem of Kill Stealing?
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PVP |
- Will PvP be in the initial release?
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Missions |
- What are missions?
- Where do I obtain missions?
- Who gives out missions?
- Is it possible for you to alienate certain NPC groups such that they will never give you missions?
- Will certain NPC groups not offer you missions of any kind until you are past a certain power level?
- When generating missions do you have to take the mission it generates or can you keep trying until you get a mission that has a reward you want?
- How long does it take to complete a mission?
- Can missions have multiple objectives?
- How many missions can I obtain at any given time?
- How do you succeed in a mission?
- Are all missions basically the same?
- Do all missions require combating villains?
- Can I modify the perimeters of missions I get to emphasis one type of gameplay over another?
- Can I group with others for missions?
- What happens if a team member has to leave in the middle of a mission?
- Once a teammate leaves a mission area will they be able to return, or can someone join me after I've already begun a mission?
- Will I have to worry about others 'camping' my mission area?
- Will there be a finite number of available missions at any given time?
- Will players powers determine what type of missions they get?
- Do we have a limited amount of time to finish a mission?
- Will missions always be based against one of the "Villain Groups" listed on the website (ie. Freakshow, Fifth Column) OR will they often involve non-affiliated thugs, criminals, and independent villains?
- Will you enter missions at fixed locations or will the entrances magically appear when you get the mission?
- Do all missions involve the major villains groups?
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Teams and Bases |
- Can I join or create a Super-Team?
- Is there a limit to the number of people that can belong to a Super-Team?
- What is the minimum number for a Super Team?
- What is the difference between a Super-Team, and Teaming-up?
- Does being in a Super Team mean I can only team up with members of my team?
- When I join a team can we all create matching costumes?
- Can a team have only one leader?
- Can we have bases?
- Can a player have more then one hero in a Team?
- Will Team bases be in the initial release?
- Besides Leader and Member, what other type of ranks are available in teams?
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Gameplay |
- Are vehicles planned for City of Heroes?
- Can I camp particular places or mobs for loot?
- Can characters move from one continuity to another?
- How will my hero find evil to smite, and adventure?
- Will there be sidekicks in city of Heroes?
- Will time in COH pass at the same rate as real time?
- Will I be able to tell how powerful other player are by looking at them?
- Will I be able to have animal companions or pets?
- Will I be able to patrol for villians (random encounters)?
- Will there be some sort of training ground for new heroes?
- Will there be an in game radar?
- Will there be an in game 'ignore' feature?
- How will you handle swearing in game?
- Will there be different chat channels in game?
- Will my beginning character be heroic from the get go or will I need to kill rats and rabid dandy lions at first?
- Do I have to camp or be in special locations to exit the game?
- Will players be able to trade Heroes between accounts?
- How will flight actually be controlled by the user?
- Will I be able to move the in game camera and have options on perspective?
- Will the face textures of our Avatars be able to change for emotes?
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Hero Costumes |
- Can I Design My Own Costume?
- What basic options do I have for costumes?
- Will heroes and villains have the same costume options?
- Will I be able to give my character a cape?
- Will there be masks and headgear for females too?
- Will costumes be limited by powers, or can I make a Human Flame type hero who looks like Iceman?
- What are the limitations to the visages of our Heroes?
- Can my character have more than one costume?
- Will there be 'silly' or comical costume options?
- How many chest emblems and logos will there be to choose from and what kind of options are there for them?
- Will I be able to incorporate letters or numbers as part of my costume?
- Will particle animations be a costume option, like Firestorm's flaming hair or Wildfire's flaming head?
- What kind of hats will our characters be able to wear?
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Player advancement |
- How do I acquire items and advance in the game?
- Do I have to constantly use a power to improve it? (I.e. is there macro training of skills)
- What is Influence?
- How do I gain Influence?
- What is Influence used for?
- What do we do once we've maxed out our powers?
- If I place most of my experience into non-combative skills, will my character suffer for it?
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Technology |
- What platform is City of Heroes being developed for?
- What are the system requirements to run City of Heroes?
- What game engine does City of Heroes use?
- The graphics have looked sterling on the GeForce 4 card but how well will other cards work in rendering the game?
- Will City of Heroes have voice support?
- Will City of Heroes support custom skins or models?
- Will everyone play in the game world or will there be separate servers?
- How many players will each server support?
- Is the gameplay similar to a first person shooter?
- Will the game support various kinds of game controllers like a throttle, or joystick?
- Is bump mapping done for all costumes or only things like plate armor options?
- Does City of Heroes engine support mirror effects? Like reflections in a pool of water?
- Will you divide the servers up per regions such as usa and other countries?
- How is the animation constructed?
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Beta |
- When will there be a public Beta?
- How old do I have to be to get into the beta?
- What are my chances of getting into the CoH beta?
- What methods will be used to obtain the beta?
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Answers
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General Information
- What is City of Heroes?
City of Heroes is a super-powered hero based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The game is set in Paragon City, a modern day metropolis full of super powered villains, alien invaders, and underground monsters. Players take on the roles of Paragon City's super-powered defenders. Create your own hero by choosing your statistics, skills, powers and designing your own costume.
- What is a MMORPG?
A MMORPG is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, in the same market as EQ (Everquest), AC (Asheron’s Call), AO (Anarchy Online), UO (Ultima Online), etc. The game is run from central servers and players connect to them with a software client. Content is also provided centrally and there is typically no local version of the game, such as the type you might play on a LAN. The
client is usually purchased from a retail outlet or downloaded and most MMORPG's are pay-to-play, which means some form of monthly fee is required to play the game. All characters are stored on the central server, so hacks and cheats for advancement are virtually impossible. City of Heroes (CoH) is a MMORPG set in the super hero comic book genre.
- What is the target release date of City of Heroes?
April 28th 2004
- Are there any expansions planned for City of Heroes?
Cryptic studios has mentioned ideas for vehicled, underwater zones, extra dimensions, aliens, and areas outside the city, but no formal plans have been announced.
- If I register on the Official Forums will my forum name be saved for when I get the game?
Registering a name in the official forums will not reserve your name for the game. You will need to purchase the game and register the name.
- Will City of Heroes have an Offline mode?
No, City of heroes is strictly an online mutiplayer game.
- Who will be publishing City of Heroes?
City of Heroes will be published by NCsoft. NCsoft is a very well recognized Publishing company who are responsible for publishing Lineage: The Blood Pledge™.
- What role will the publisher have in City of Heroes?
We're making the game, NC Soft is putting it out. Neither of us look at this like a hard divison of labor. I know that NCSoft has repeatedly looked for our input translation and I know that we're always interested in the technical advice that NC Soft has... But as for people concerned with design, NC Soft has given 100% support to our vision of City of Heroes.
- Will there be special PVP only or RP only servers in City of Heroes?
There are no current plans to adding any special servers. However, over time each Continuity (server) will acquire its own unique feel through players’ actions.
- Is there going to a monthly fee associated with City of heroes?
Yes, City of Heroes will have a monthly fee. Currently there is no Official word on how much it will cost, however they have stated it will be around what other Massive Multiplayer Games are charging. Expect CoH to charge between 10 to 15 dollars monthly.
- How many characters will I be able to have on one account?
Players will be able to have eight characters total, but how many of these will be per server has yet to be determined.
- What age of the comics genre will COH be set in?
CoH is set in the Modern Age of Comics, based in the 21st century. Not Silver Age, not Golden Age, but Platinum Age. The target genre is the 80’s and 90’s Marvel and DC titles but set in the modern day. Some real life current events will manifest themselves in Paragon, some will not.
- Will players have the ability to rate disruptive or rude players? Or cast votes to kick players?
You will not be able to rate the behavior of other players or vote to kick players out of the game. If you have any problems with a player, you may report it to COH Customer Service Department and they will handle things as appropriate.
- Will there be a tutorial?
Yes, there will be a tutorial, the specifics of which are being hammered out.
- Is the AI for opponents worked out for range and melee?
Yes, there is different Ais for both Melee and Range using opponents, and more.
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Setting and Environment
- How big is Paragon City?
Paragon City is expected to go into beta with 25 sq. miles. Depending on how the beta goes, it will probably end up being somewhere between 25 and 36 sq. miles
- What will Paragon City be like?
Paragon City is similar to most large, East Coast metropolitan cities and, as such, has most of the characteristics consistent with the environment like lots of NPC’s walking around, going about their “lives”.
- Will Paragon City have a variety of building designs and looks?
We don’t want Paragon City to seem drab and blah; we’re trying to give it a unique look all its own. All the buildings will not be carbon copies of one another, though inevitable technical and time limitations demand some repetition. Architecture style will also differ from neighborhood to neighborhood.
- What kind of transportation system will we find in Paragon City?
There will be many ways for heroes who don’t fly or run superfast to get around the city quickly and efficiently. One example of this will be the Metro Rail.
- Can every building in the city be entered?
Some structures can be entered (mission areas, stores, bases, etc), many cannot.
- Are items and structures in the world destructible?
Only some terrain and objects can be destroyed, mostly in the Hazard, or random encounter zones.
- What methods will be available to me in regards to finding my way around Paragon City?
Heroes will find their way around Paragon both with the use of maps of the city zones as well as a compass with a direction finder and waypoint indicators.
- How will players learn of events in City of Heroes?
Besides the web sites and forums there will be contacts in Paragon City that will contain stories and missions that help keep the players focused on the story arc and events occurring in their Continuity.
- Will defeating villains have any kind of impact on the world?
Each server will develop a different storyline as the various NPC villain groups work against different heroes and the heroes have different levels of success in controlling the groups.
- Will villains ever reach a point where they hunt us down or "create" missions by attacking us instead of us having to seek them out?
Yes, villains will be seeking you - even when you're on a mission against someone else.
- Are there Hazard Zones appropriate for heroes of varying power levels?
Yes. Different areas have different difficulty levels of villains.
- Can I enter any Hazard Zone at any time?
Some areas require a hero to be above a given security level to enter.
- Are Hazard Zones like Mission Areas in that only I can enter them?
No. These are open-field encounters, where other heroes can assist (or interfere), and where additional villains can drift into the encounter with no regard to the power levels of the heroes or teams involved
- Will there be a wide variety of musical themes to suit different situations?
We're using a top notch composer, with extensive media experience, so that will definitely be a high point to the game.
- Will there be weather effects such as rain or snow, and will it effect you in any way?
When CoH ships, it will definitely have some environmental effects like rain and others. More extreme weather conditions and seasons are expected add-ons for the future. Weather effects are visual and wont have any other efffect on gameplay.
- I want to know if there are NPC police and what do they do?
Heroes carry out all justice when it comes to supervillians. Heroes will be able to have some interaction with NPC Police but the details on this are still unknown at this time.
- What kinds of zones make up the city?
There are 3 zones; City, Mission, and Hazard. Mission zones are zones that are briefly created for a particular mission i.e. a bank is being robbed, and you need to have a bank's interior with robbers, hostages, etc. Hazard zones are under full scale gang warfare/attack and the most fierce zones. These are zones that are restricted based on your level and will, for the lower zones, be where you are most likely to need a full group, and at the higher level be very dangerous. A City Zone has stores, mission locations, hero organizations but with the added bonus of a few villains running around for extra measure. We're also working on a variety of Task Force missions (extended missions for groups of friends to do together across multiple playsessions,often culminating in going head-to-head with a supervillain), Trials (very hard level-restricted instantiated mini-zones at the heart of Trial Zones), and the first "Elder Zone" – (areas so difficult they require large numbers of groups of heroes coordinating their efforts together).
- Will the streets of Paragon city have traffic on them?
Yes! You can definitely expect moving traffic in the initial release of the game. The car models are done – there’s a luxury car, a sub-compact, a sports car, and even a full-sized truck -- all in a range of colors. Car AI is still being determined (for example, how cars will interact with heroes and villains), but in their very basic state, we know that they zoom, make noise and have headlights that pop up at night.
- Are there going to be street names?
Currently, there are no street names or numerals in Paragon City, but there are plenty of landmarks, so you’ll get to know the environment well visually, but yes there is a chance.
- Will there be an ingame newspaper which will allow players to find out about events and other happenings in City of Heroes?
Unfortunately, the newspaper looks like it won’t make it into the game for initial release. It is still, however, being considered for future add-ons.
- Will there be load screens when traveling between zones in Paragon City?
Yes, there is 'zoning' in Paragon City. This allows us to use a much larger number of textures in the game and provide very diverse settings between zones. Load times will be short.
- How do zone boundaries appear?
The different zones in Paragon City are generally areas seperated by large walls with forcefields on top that were set up during the war with the aliens known as the Rikti. Access to different zones is usually controlled by a security gate in the wall, and in some cases you may need a certain 'security level' to enter a particular zone.
- Will citizens react to heroes and villains in any way?
Yes. You will see all kinds of people walking around the streets of Paragon City, going about their daily 'lives'. If a hero has high enough fame they will 'gawk' at them or have some other kind of reaction. When a villian appears or a crime is comitted they will react to that as well, usually running or sometimes panicking.
- Do we have to eat or Drink in the game?
There is no need to eat or drink in the game.
- Will I hear music at all times in game? Or is it saved for locations and/or fighting/actions?
There are music for areas, fighting, locations, and even Villains.
- Will there be an off-line hero creation system?
At the moment there will not be an off-line hero creation when game is shipped.
- Will there be open or rural areas in the game?
Yes and no, some areas will be very “open” but will still be contained in the city.
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Characters
- What kind of heroes can I make?
City of Heroes allows players to create a tremendous variety of hero-types. Heroes fall into several wide categories called Origins. Origins only give access to certain costume options and affect the sorts of Inspirations you get.The Origin types are: Mutant, Science, Magical, Natural, Technological. Origins don't affect powers, power sets, or Archetypes.
- Can players be villains?
Villain-play won’t be available for first release of the game, but it is something we’re hoping to incorporate later. For a more in-depth explanation regarding why we passed on including villain-play in the first release, please read Rick Dakan’s Designer Diary on the subject. It should answer your questions and a lot more!
- Are some starting characters more powerful than others?
Every character starts off as a fledgling hero. In order to achieve gameplay balance, Archetypes were introduced. Currently there is 5 Archetypes: Tanker, Scrapper, Defender, Blaster, Controller. Archetypes define your overall role as a hero as well as what Powersets you can select.
- How do characters advance and become more powerful?
As a hero completes missions or defeats foes, he will acquire enhancements, inspirations, and influence. The hero can then take these and alter their powers to increase his power. There are 50 levels in CoH.
- Will my character have any vulnerabilities or weaknesses?
Each Archetype will have its own inherent advantages and disadvantages; players will NOT be able to choose from a list of preset vulnerabilities or flaws that might provide extra character points.
- How about choosing my own name and background?
You chose a name, nickname, and type in your own background in the profile section of character creation. Background is a text history of the character that you can write yourself and will be viewable by other players in some way. This is portrayed as a Hero License you fill out during character creation.
- Will spaces be allowed in character names?
Yes.
- Will my name be unique in my continuity?
Everyone will be able to have their own, unique name!
- Can I recreate or name my hero after my favorite comic book character?
Some names will be restricted for various reasons, including reserved and copywritten names, but no details are available at this time. Sorry, but you will not be able to replicate currently existing comic book heroes.
- What basic options will I have for my avatar?
Choose a model and gender. Three models are available: Heroic Male, Heroic Female, Hulking Male. Other models may be added through expansion packs, but the initial release will have only these three. There is no connection between the model and any other aspect of the character (origin, powers, attributes, etc).
- Will I be able to adjust my avatar's height and weight?
You'll be able to make adjustments to the characters weight, and height adjustments within the normal human range.
- Can my character have distinctive physical features?
Yes. Non-human appearances (aliens, monsters, robots) can be emulated via costume geometry.
- Will we have the possibility to choose a non-hard body? For Example: Fire, or Water?
Yes, we will have transformation powers in the game - if not the first release, then later. But the body will still be "solid" In other words, you can't change your water form into a bucket of water and get carried around. Now, if you know the subtle superhero reference there, I'm impressed.
- Will female avatars include cute feminine characters like Manga style females, or CHIBI females?
There will be a whole variety of hair, face and costume options to create looks similar to these.
- Will there be super deformed characters?
Not in the initial release.
- What kind of power level will starting characters have?
Imagine your favorite superhero when he/she first came into their powers. Heroes in this game will start with a primary and secondary powerset that you choose.
- What kind of origins can I choose for my character?
The 5 Origin types are: Mutant, Science, Magical, Natural, Technological.
- What effect does my choice of origins have on my character?
Origins only give access to certain costume options and affect the sorts of Inspirations you get. Origins don't affect powers, power sets, Archetypes.
- Is it better to make a hero with any particular origin?
No hero or origin starts more powerful than any other in their Archetype.
- What other effects does my choice of origin have?
Apart from the Inspirations inherent in each origin, no additional flaws are disadvantages will be available. All powers are available to all origins and origin does not affect the types of missions a character is offered.
- Will there be a Random Name Generator?
No, you are encouraged to create unique names that suit your hero’s persona.
- Do all characters gain Endurance at the same rate? Is there anything that can boost this rate?
All characters gain endurance at approximately the same rate. Inspirations and powers can effect this rate.
- Will we be able to attach our hero’s background/origin story so anyone can see it?
Yes, you will be able to add your background to your character(s) so all can see, if they like.
- Will Statesman be a character in the game?
Yes, you will encounter Statesman within the gameplay.
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Powers and Skills
- How many different powers do I have to choose from?
There will be over 40 different powers, each of which has a number of different sub-powers for players to choose from. This tremendous diversity allows you to fine-tune your character just the way you want him and promises a wide variety of new and exciting powers as you progress through the game.
- Do characters have levels in City of Heroes?
There is 50 character levels.You gain additional powers every odd level up to a max of 27 powers.
- How do I determine what my character is able to do?
Besides you're powers and powersets, you will be able to
define your character with a large variety of power enhancements. Powers can be enhanced by any number of enhancements, such as range, and damage. In addition to your primary and secondary powersets you can obtain powersets and powers from the power pool starting at level 6.
- What kinds of powers are there?
In the beginning you have your primary and secondary powersets. A powerset can consist of 9 sub-powers. Example powersets would be: super strength or energy blast.
- Do all power categories have the same cost?
Different powers have different maximums and costs for the same category (Area of Effect, for example, has a larger maximum and/or is cheaper for some powers than it is for others)
- When new sub-powers are released in the expansions, will they be automatically added to your control power?
Yes.
- Can I combine the effects of different powers for one 'super' effect?
No. Powers may not be combined, either within the same hero or more than one hero, to create a new power or effect. You can use two powers like flying and energy blast at the same time. You just currently can’t use two attack powers at the same time.
- Do all energy blasts look the same?
No, but all powers of the same type look alike (all Fire Energy Blasts look the same). Potentially the effects will scale up as the power is advanced, but not currently.
- Am I immune to the effects of powers similar to mine?
No. Possession of a power does not create an implied immunity to that power or effect from other characters (i.e. having Fire Control carries with it no immunity to Fire)
- Does the use of powers carry a cost?
Some powers such as flight and energy blast cost endurance to use.
- Do all powers cost endurance to use or require me to activate them?
No. Some powers such as Body Armor or Invulnerability are 'always on' and cost no endurance.
- Once I've purchased a power can I later change my mind?
No. You can not remove a power at any time. Although there is certain instances where you can receive temporary powers.
- Which sought after powers did not make it into the game?
Time/Reality Control, Growth/Shrinking, Life Support (underwater breathing), Wallcrawling/swinging
- Will invulnerability (Kinetic) work only against the Kinetic Energy Control power or against any kind of impact like punches, knives, bullets?
Invulnerability (Kinetic) works against anything impact based – including punches, knives, bullets – but it is VERY expensive compared to the invulnerabilities. Also, villain groups rarely focus on merely one kind of attack type.
- Will I be able to carry other characters while using powers such as flight, leaping, teleportation, or levitation?
Leaping and teleporting characters will not be able to take other characters with them and you will not be able to fly with other characters in the game. There will be several “assist” powers that will enable heroes to help their teammates get around, however flying is not one of them. More info on ‘assist’ powers will be released later on.
- Light and Darkness powers, are they more effective at night for dark and day for light, or same all the time?
These powers have the same effect visually and strength-wise regardless of whether they are used during the day or night. Players [can] utilize all of their powers regardless of whether it’s day or night.
- Can we select what body part our powers emanate from, such as hands, eyes, or chest?
We definitely want to add this feature at a later date; we found that it would consume too much time for the first release.
- Will teleportation allow you to go through walls or is it going to be line of sight only?
Line of site only.
- What Mental Powers will be in the game besides, Psionics and Telekinesis? Or does Psionics break down more than Psionic Blast and Psionic Defense?
Psionics only consists of Psionic blasts and defense, but telepathy will be a separate power.
- What is the difference between flight and levitation?
Levitation is actually a sub-power under Air Control. When executed, Levitation will lift all of your opponents and drop them from height. The greater your power, the greater lift – and subsequent fall -- your enemies will experience.
- Will villains have access to powers that the heroes won't have?
So far, one of the things we’ve tried really hard NOT to do is introduce you to powers that you won’t have the opportunity to acquire and utilize yourself.
- Will you be able to change the color effects of powers?
Not at this time.
- Will you be able to use one of the movement power, like Flight, to get away from a fight turned bad?
Yes, you can turn the power, such as Flight, to make a speedy get away.
- If I use a skill many times will it gain points on it's own?
No, you can only gain skill points by spending XP in the skill.
- Will all control powers have the same number of sub-powers?
Most will have the same number of sub-powers, however a few will vary by one or two.
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Villains
- Who are the villains in COH?
There are a currently over a dozen different villain groups, with scores of different minions and supervillains (see the Villians section of our website). Each villain group will have its own unique goals and aims; heroes of particular backgrounds might find themselves running up against a particular set of villain groups often. "Ordinary" crooks and thugs are plentiful in Paragon City; the heroes will have their hands full keeping the city safe.
- Do villains just look different or are there real differences in their abilities and the way they behave?
Different Villain groups have different weapons and tactics that will dictate their attacks against
you. Different villian groups will also be more likely to use specific kinds of powers and have particular weaknesses you may discover as you run up against them. Therefore, they will behave differently and you will need to approach them in different ways to defeat them.
- Will villains be able to use vehicles?
Not right now; vehicles are something we want to focus on in a supplement.
- Will I be able to fight against villains more appropriate to my power level?
Most villains’ power will scale to match the power levels of the heroes or teams facing them.
- Will all enemies scale to a teams power level?
The more notorious villains, from the NPC villain groups, have a static power level and will tend to use a more intelligent AI, frequently focusing more on self-preservation and directing minions instead of engaging personally.
- Will villains 'remember' me as we cross paths?
As heroes interact with and potentially thwart the NPC villain groups, they will develop a sense of hatred for that hero and begin working more and more actively against that hero.
- Will Enemy factions stay in the hazard zones and mission areas?
No, from time to time the factions will take over parts of the town that are normally safe areas. Areas that have been taken over will change in appearance. The change depends on the faction that has taken it over.
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Combat and Death
- How does combat work in City of Heroes?
Combat is point and click, and you can que attacks which are then applied to the current target.
- What happens when you die?
There is no true death in the game. When the character is defeated, they are given the choice to wait for a team member to revive them, or be transported to a nearby Hospital. Also this would be one of the times to use a special inspiration.
- Will I have to do a corpse run?
No. Since 'death' isn't really a part of the game. When you are defeated your body is transported, along with it's enhancements, and influence to a hospital for treatment.
- Will there be knockback and other effects from being hit besides just damage?
We’ve got a variety of hit reactions in place for various types of attacks, including being hurled backwards by a powerful blow. Villains will have access to a full range of animations for powers, weapons and special attacks.
- I know there are some powers that let you lift enemies off the ground. If I were fighting on a rooftop could I use these powers to lift enemies over the edge and drop them?
Yes, if you and an enemy were on a rooftop, you could lift him/her off of it and let go (if you had the right power, of course.) If they landed below on another player or on an NPC, they would cause no damage.
- Are super fast opponents more difficult to hit?
Movement or speed of the target has nothing to do with combat success.
- Can I fight while flying?
Yes. Aerial combat is implemented in City of Heroes.
- Can I perform special combat maneuvers such as a “Fastball Special”?
No. Combination combat moves, like the X-Men’s “Fastball Special” where one hero throws another, are not included in the game.
- Are fighting style animations implemented?
There are two basic hand to hand attacks in the game, punch and kick. There will be a variety of combat animations for each depending on the type of attack chosen. So, yes, a Martial Arts punch attack will look different than a run of the mill punch. Every Hand to Hand superpower has its own set of animations. So you'll be able to tell how someone is attacking you by their animation (as well as special effects).
- Will there be friendly fire in city of Heroes?
Friendly fire is not enabled against other PC’s.
- Can I damage myself if I get caught in the radius of my own attack?
No. A hero is automatically immune to his own powers.
- Can I throw cars or use telephone poles to attack?
Some objects can be picked up and/or thrown or used as weapons, many cannot.
- Can we pick up and throw our enemies in combat?
No. Though some objects can be thrown, the throwing of enemies is not in the initial release.
- Will I be able to blind or stun my opponents?
Yes. In fact, I was just testing Blinding today. Telepathy also allows a hero to scramble a foe’s thoughts.
- Will I be able to damage buildings enough to collapse them?
A hero probably will not be able to topple a building in the initial release.
- Can some powers do DOT (damage over time) or is it just DD (Direct Damage)?
Some attacks, such as flame, can do DOT after the initial DD attack.
- How is damage scored?
Damage is done in the form of Hit Points.
- Are objects flammable or vulnerable to flame attacks?
No, we won’t have flammable objects. But those hit by a flame attack might stay on fire for a time and take damage.
- Will there be other ways to "arrest", "detain", or "defeat" criminals/ villains other than beating them into submission?
Not currently. Though sometimes "beating" a villain will be defusing his bombs, rescuing hostages,
etc.
- Will No Normal Defense attacks exist, such as gas attacks that you can't defend against unless you have life support, etc?
There will be attacks that bypass normal defenses.
- Will character ever be able to have their own signature combat moves?
No, not in the initial release.
- Does increasing my Martial Arts skill also increase the damage from other hand to hand fighting attacks such as claws?
No – the skill of Martial Arts applies only to Martial Arts. Claws and the special Leap attack each have their own skills. There is no “Super Fighting” attribute that increases all fighting attacks across the board.
- Can I shoot with a power anywhere or do I need to have something targeted?
A player must target a villain in order to use an attack.
- Will you move slower when injured or be otherwise effected?
You will not move slower. Injury will only be reflected in your hit points and your endurance level, which means that when hurt, you may or may not be able to summon enough energy to successfully execute a power, or may only be able to sustain that power for a short amount of time (like flight).
- How does death effect my character?
Besides be transported to the nearest Hospital, you also acquire a "experience debt". Experience debt halves your normal experience received until it is paid off over time. This way smart play is rewarded.
- How has the development team worked out the problem of Kill Stealing?
Everyone that has helped in taking the creature down will get a share of the experience.
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PVP
- Will PvP be in the initial release?
No, but it is being looked into as a future option.
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Missions
- What are missions?
Missions are specific tasks given to you that take place in special 'mission zones' and have particular goals or resolutions.
- Where do I obtain missions?
You can get missions from NPCs at number of predefined locations around the city which you can go too. At a later point, NPC’s might seek out players to give them missions but for now you must actively seek them out.
- Who gives out missions?
Missions are received from NPC groups in the city, such as hero groups and civil authorities. When a hero or team receives a mission, they are given a location to travel too and a time to be there. When they arrive and transition into the mission zone, they are alone in that zone and can not be affected or interrupted by any other players until the mission is over, either successfully or not.
- Is it possible for you to alienate certain NPC groups such that they will never give you missions?
Nope. You’ll never be able to alienate anyone to this extent.
- Will certain NPC groups not offer you missions of any kind until you are past a certain power level?
No, but certain missions will only be available to you once you’ve done a few missions for that contact. There should always be, however, some mission for you to go on at all times.
- When generating missions do you have to take the mission it generates or can you keep trying until you get a mission that has a reward you want?
You must accept the mission you are given.
- How long does it take to complete a mission?
It will generally take anywhere from 5 to 45 mins to complete a single objective mission.
- Can missions have multiple objectives?
It appears each mission area has a single objective but missions can be strung together to form a longer, more epic mission and you might need to gather clues from one to help you achieve objectives in the next. For example, during one mission you might learn information that helps you locate the ‘evil scientist’ who’s hiding out in the next. There are three possible mission lengths: quick, normal and epic. These names refer to how many objectives are linked together in a mission. A quick mission is expected to only have one objective to accomplish before its conclusion. Normal is expected to have 2-4, and epic, 3-6. These are estimates, however, and the number of objectives for each mission type may be altered before release.
- How many missions can I obtain at any given time?
Your character can have only one mission per contact assigned to them, but they may also accompany friends on thier missions are part of a team or team-up.
- How do you succeed in a mission?
Mission objectives do not always have only a single solution and many have multiple ways to successfully meet them.
- Are all missions basically the same?
No. Each NPC group has its own “flavor” of missions, with each group providing different types of
missions with different objectives. Missions are gauged to the power levels of the hero or team that it is given to, with the variables being: Objective, type of hostiles, number of hostiles, length of the mission, location, etc.
- Do all missions require combating villains?
Not all missions are about combat. Many missions are about finding clues, solving puzzles, and even AVOIDING combat.
- Can I modify the perimeters of missions I get to emphasis one type of gameplay over another?
Not really…however, what you will be able to skew is the type of villains you face. Certain hero organizations tend to fight certain villains. And certain villain groups tend towards certain types of missions.
- Can I group with others for missions?
You can perform solo missions or group with up to 8 other people to tackle a mission.
- What happens if a team member has to leave in the middle of a mission?
If a team member leaves the mission area, either voluntarily or involuntarily, before the mission is completed, they will keep what experience points they had earned prior to their departure, but will not get any end-of-mission bonuses such as influence, or experience points.
- Once a teammate leaves a mission area will they be able to return, or can someone join me after I've already begun a mission?
Teammates can rejoin a mission later without any penalty. You will be able to invite people into a mission at any point.
- Will I have to worry about others 'camping' my mission area?
Not at all. Each mission takes place in it's own zone and only members of the team recieveing the mission may enter the area. Since each mission is in its own “pocket universe”, and there are no static missions, there is no “camping” in CoH.
- Will there be a finite number of available missions at any given time?
No, there will not be a finite number of missions; if everyone wants a solo mission, everyone will get one!
- Will players powers determine what type of missions they get?
Characters will never be given a mission that they do not have the ability to finish. There is no chance of getting a mission that you don’t have the “right” powers for.
- Do we have a limited amount of time to finish a mission?
Some missions are timed and will be evident that they are. A countdown timer will be available to show you how much time is left on a mission.
- Will missions always be based against one of the "Villain Groups" listed on the website (ie. Freakshow, Fifth Column) OR will they often involve non-affiliated thugs, criminals, and independent villains?
The majority of missions revolve around the main Villain Groups, but during your adventures through Paragon City, you will probably encounter some common thugs.
- Will you enter missions at fixed locations or will the entrances magically appear when you get the mission?
There are hundreds of [fixed] entry points for missions across the City. A mission can start from any one of them. It’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely that you’d ever start two different missions from the same entry point.
- Do all missions involve the major villains groups?
No, some will have lesser groups.
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Teams and Bases
- Can I join or create a Super-Team?
Yes, teams are not required but the social element of the game is encouraged.
- Is there a limit to the number of people that can belong to a Super-Team?
No, there is no limit to the number of people who can join a super team.
- What is the minimum number for a Super Team?
The minimum is one. Yes you can have a solo team. (Though this seems an oxymoron it's important to note that many options such as base improvements are bought with 'team' resources. Also several descriptions use the term 'team' but can indeed refer to a team of one person.)
- What is the difference between a Super-Team, and Teaming-up?
A Super-Team is a band of players who ally together to battle evil and adhear to similar priciples much like the Justice League of America, or X-Men. (In other games they are often called players guilds.) 'Teaming-up' means you are forming a temporary group with other heroes to fight crime together. (In other games this is often called 'grouping'.)
- Does being in a Super Team mean I can only team up with members of my team?
No. Two characters on different teams can form a "team up" to temporarily work together and share xp for a mission or random encounter without having to leave their respective teams.
- When I join a team can we all create matching costumes?
Yes. When the team is first formed by the leader he/she will designate two colors to be used with your current costume. You can then have two costumes.
- Can a team have only one leader?
there can be more than one team leader on a team…and any leader can also make another team member a leader.
- Can we have bases?
Not in the initial release. Cryptic was not satisfied with the degree of customizability that would have been available to players if Home Bases were squeezed into the initial release, but they are currently planned for the first update post-release.
- Can a player have more then one hero in a Team?
Yes, but keep in mind when a majority or all of your team is needed to complete a goal, you will not be able to login as more then one hero.
- Will Team bases be in the initial release?
No, but it will be released soon after the release.
- Besides Leader and Member, what other type of ranks are available in teams?
There is Leader, Captain, Member ranks in a Super Team.
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Gameplay
- Are vehicles planned for City of Heroes?
Not in the initial release.
- Can I camp particular places or mobs for loot?
This doesn't really apply to COH as no enhancements are consistently found on the same mobs (villains, creatures, etc) and no mobs spawn in the same place all of the time, so there is no camping or “lists”.
- Can characters move from one continuity to another?
Movement between the Continuities is currently being debated, not officially included in the game, and will most likely be some form of cost for moving. Being that each hero is tied into the storyline of the server based upon their actions, having the hero leave would create storyline inconsistencies that must be accounted for.
- How will my hero find evil to smite, and adventure?
Primarily you will rely on 'missions' for your smiting of evil, though you can also choose to patrol 'hazard zones' to battle the random mugger or would-be doer of evil.
- Will there be sidekicks in city of Heroes?
NPC Sidekicks are implemented in the game. PC’s are encouraged to take less experienced players under their wings as roleplaying sidekicks. You have to be at least level 10 to have a sidekick and the sidekick can't be within 5 levels of you.
- Will time in COH pass at the same rate as real time?
Time will be escalated in the game, such that more than one game day passes for each real day, but the specifics of this are currently unavailable.
- Will I be able to tell how powerful other player are by looking at them?
higher levels have titles associated with them, so you will be able to pick out a “famous” hero easily.
- Will I be able to have animal companions or pets?
At the moment, heroes can’t summon animals .
- Will I be able to patrol for villians (random encounters)?
In addition to the Mission zones, there are also sections of the city known as Hazard Zones where crime is so rampant that they have been walled off and criminals roam free, preying upon the innocent. Others are areas that are still infested with the Rikti (see the back-story on Paragon City) and have been cordoned off. Heroes may enter these areas and receive bounties (money), fame and experience points for apprehending these criminals.
- Will there be some sort of training ground for new heroes?
We’ll definitely be doing some sort of training for new heroes – we don’t want green heroes trying to tackle the Fifth Column right off the proverbial bat.
- Will there be an in game radar?
There certainly will be maps in the game, but as for a “radar”, well, that falls under a couple of powers.
- Will there be an in game 'ignore' feature?
Yes, there will be something like that.
- How will you handle swearing in game?
Naturally, there will be a filter. And, people will work d*mn hard to get around it. Sigh that's just the nature of things.
- Will there be different chat channels in game?
The types of chat available are still being worked out but will include: “Broadcast” allows you to be heard by all within a few miles (and presumably only in the same zone); “Local” allows you to be heard by those close by.; “Team,” of course, allows you to communicate privately with your other team members all at one time (up to 8). “Super Group” is like a guild chat. If your team is part of an even larger organization, you can speak to all members in one fell swoop.
- Will my beginning character be heroic from the get go or will I need to kill rats and rabid dandy lions at first?
A beginning level hero will be able to tackle several different thugs or low level minions without needing to heal or rest.
- Do I have to camp or be in special locations to exit the game?
You can quit the game anywhere…and when you log back on, you reappear in the same place you exited. If, however, you quit during a mission, the next time you join the game you will appear in the mission doorway.
- Will players be able to trade Heroes between accounts?
There are no plans to support Hero trading.
- How will flight actually be controlled by the user?
The player will control flight in similar ways to walking/running on the ground. The flight keyboard key will simply allow you to rise above the ground towards high venues when activated. Flight is in real time, and you fly in a general direction and then toggle the power off to land safely on a surface. As long as you have the “flight” icon button toggled on, you will remain airborne, which is, in essence, how you hover. We fly with a keyboard key and the mouse…but you’ll be able to designate your own commands however you like.
- Will I be able to move the in game camera and have options on perspective?
Yes, you can play City of Heroes in either a first or third-person view. If you’re playing in third-person, you’ll be able to adjust the camera distance.
- Will the face textures of our Avatars be able to change for emotes?
There will be emotes in the game, but not real-time facial gestures. You will be able to pick a facial expression for your hero when you first create him or her, but that expression will stay with you for the entirety of the game unless you change it in the character creation screen. Your hero’s facial expressions do not change in reaction to events in the game.
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Hero Costumes
- Can I Design My Own Costume?
Players design their own costume using our Costume Creation system. This incredibly versatile system allows you to mix and match clothing pieces, hair, facial features, costume details, colors, textures, and patterns. There are literally millions of different combinations to choose from, allowing you to create a totally unique character.
- What basic options do I have for costumes?
There are a large number of options for each of the different body areas including Head, Face, Helmet/Hat, Chest, Shoulders, Belt, Hands, Legs, and Boots. For each area you can specify the shape (geometry), color, and pattern to be used. Shapes can range from basic structures like armor or spandex, to more exotic choices like hoods or hats for your head. You can detail each of these areas as you like or use a pregenerated costume package so you can just jump right in.
- Will heroes and villains have the same costume options?
No. Villians will have unique costumes that cannot be duplicated by heroes.
- Will I be able to give my character a cape?
No. Capes, robes, and other flowing styles are not implemented (under consideration to get it just right.)
- Will there be masks and headgear for females too?
Yes! Females will have access to a full range of headgear, just like males.
- Will costumes be limited by powers, or can I make a Human Flame type hero who looks like Iceman?
Costumes are not limited by powers. Your hero or heroine can look however you’d like, regardless of what powers you give them.
- What are the limitations to the visages of our Heroes?
We have a variety of other appearances designed – stone, metal, chiton, and plant to name a few. We’ll definitely be adding other textures in the future.
- Can my character have more than one costume?
Currently, characters can have two costumes. One that you create during character creation and one that is modified with your super team colors.
- Will there be 'silly' or comical costume options?
Currently, none of the costume options are purposefully “silly” and you can’t create a cartoon character such as Tawny Tiger or Loony Leo. There is some room for light heartedness though.
- How many chest emblems and logos will there be to choose from and what kind of options are there for them?
There are dozens different chest logos currently; players can change the colors of nearly all of them.
- Will I be able to incorporate letters or numbers as part of my costume?
Currently, there are letter, and number symbols available for costumes. In addition, there are a large array of symbols and patterns ranging from animals to geometric figures, to iconic representations …and much more.
- Will particle animations be a costume option, like Firestorm's flaming hair or Wildfire's flaming head?
Yes, though that probably won’t make it into the first release. It’s something we’ve already planned for. It’s likely that particle animations will be a costume upgrade for higher famed heroes.
- What kind of hats will our characters be able to wear?
There are several hats in the game including helmets, a cowboy hat, baseball caps, a beret, bandanas….and [even] a fedora.
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Player advancement
- How do I acquire items and advance in the game?
As heroes accomplish missions and defeat villains, they receive rewards for their efforts in the form of experience points, inspirations, enhancements and Influence.
- Do I have to constantly use a power to improve it? (I.e. is there macro training of skills)
Powers advance as you level, and can be enhanced even further by allocating enhancement slots. Enhancements can be combined to improve the range, damage, accuracy, and reduce endurance costs of a power.
- What is Influence?
Influence demonstrates the level of excellence of the hero in the eyes of the NPC population. It also serves as a means of currency in Paragon City.
- How do I gain Influence?
The more a hero successfully accomplishes missions, the more influence they have.
- What is Influence used for?
You can spend influence on enhancements for your powers, or inspirations at the different hero stores or trainers.
- What do we do once we've maxed out our powers?
First, the game isn't designed to be a level treadmill where you rush toward the maximum power levels. You'll be able to enjoy your progress and play in the game at any point. We expect it to take a long time before you’ll be able to max-out your powers. Once this happens, though, we do indeed have a plan. Its part of the elder game (which you’ll learn more about later), and it allows heroes that have reached their maximum power levels to go up against the leaders of each of the Villain groups.
- If I place most of my experience into non-combative skills, will my character suffer for it?
Every power has a use in the game. Therefore you character will be so under powered that he/she cannot meet the challenge.
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Technology
- What platform is City of Heroes being developed for?
As of right now, there are no plans for City of Heroes to be released on any platform other than the PC. However, this does not rule out future expansion to other platforms if there is a strong market interest.
- What are the system requirements to run City of Heroes?
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP | Intel Pentium III 800 mhz or AMD Athlon 800 Mhz | 256 MB RAM | 4x CD-ROM Drive | 2 GB HDD Space | GeForce 2 Series Video Card | 16-bit Sound Card | 56k modem | Keyboard and mouse
- What game engine does City of Heroes use?
City of Heroes is using its own, internally developed, proprietary graphics engine that utilizes many of the more advanced features of the nVidia chipset, developed by Cryptic’s CTO, Bruce Rogers. The game will support Direct Sound 8, and all of the abilities inherent in that API.
- The graphics have looked sterling on the GeForce 4 card but how well will other cards work in rendering the game?
We’re really pleased with the work we’ve done with Nvidia. They’re a great company with just dynamic technology. For an example of a non-Geforce 4 City of Heroes, look no further than our movie. That’s an example of what you’d see with a Geforce 2. The advantage in Geforce 3 & 4 lies in a technology alled “bumpmapping”, which essentially means that everything looks “jaw droppingly gorgeous. However you will still be able to play the game on GF2.
- Will City of Heroes have voice support?
The game will not support voice communications due to bandwidth considerations and the game allowing their target audience to include 56k modem users.
- Will City of Heroes support custom skins or models?
No, custom modifications or skins will not be able to be submitted.
- Will everyone play in the game world or will there be separate servers?
There will be separate servers called 'continuities', each a copy of the same world initially but as players shape events in each continuity the stories of each may develop quiet differently.
- How many players will each server support?
Each Continuity (or Server) will support ~2,000-3,000 concurrent players, with an estimated maximum of 10,000 accounts. The game will launch with enough servers to support the estimated number of players, based upon the beta testing and the marketing projections.
- Is the gameplay similar to a first person shooter?
Because CoH isn’t a twitch game weather you get hit or not is dependant more on how high your dodge/agility points are at the time of attack as opposed to what fancy moves you can pull off.
- Will the game support various kinds of game controllers like a throttle, or joystick?
Initially, you’ll just be able to use the mouse and keyboard to play City of Heroes, but additional options may become available later on.
- Is bump mapping done for all costumes or only things like plate armor options?
All of the hero costume options are bump mapped. And they [even] look great with dark colors!
- Does City of Heroes engine support mirror effects? Like reflections in a pool of water?
Yes it does. You will see, for example reflection effects on finally waxed floors, and there may be reflection effects other places in the game as well.
- Will you divide the servers up per regions such as usa and other countries?
City of Heroes will launch in North America and servers in Korea and Asia will open shortly afterwards. Support for European servers has yet to be determined.
- How is the animation constructed?
All animation is done by hand.
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Beta
- When will there be a public Beta?
The public beta is expected to begin in April of 2004.
- How old do I have to be to get into the beta?
You must be at least 18 years old. To be apart of the beta you must sign a NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).
- What are my chances of getting into the CoH beta?
Cryptic Studios will choose their beta testers right from the official forums. Members who are banned from the forums will not be chosen and those who are given a warning will have a slim chance of being accepted into beta. Also Pre-Ordering CoH will guarentee you a spot in Beta.
- What methods will be used to obtain the beta?
There are many different methods that can be used. Anywhere from downloading the client to getting a CD via mail. Unfortunetly there is no info on how Cryptic plans on distributing the beta client as of yet.
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