Issue 13

This article contains information about a major update to Homecoming: City of Heroes/Villains. It is provided for historical purposes.

Overview

Issue 13, titled Power and Responsibility, was a major revision to City of Heroes and City of Villains released on Tuesday, December 2, 2008. The title refers to Day Jobs, introduced with this patch. Other important additions include Multiple Builds, Supergroup base repricing, Merit Rewards, and more.

This article summarizes some of the major features in Issue 13. For more complete details, see the release date's patch notes.

• Closed Beta testing on the Training Room for Issue 13 started on October 8, 2008.
• On November 5, 2008, the Training Room was opened up for Issue 13 Open Beta.
• Issue 13 was released to the Live Servers on December 2, 2008.

Confirmed Content

Day Jobs (Offline Character Progression)

Main Article: Day Jobs

Scholar? Caregiver? City Official? Now when players log out of City of Heroes / Villains they’re just getting started! A character’s day job is determined by the actual in-game location from which he or she logs out. If players log out from a University their day job is considered to be a Scholar. If they log out from City Hall they're a City Official. The benefits are thematically appropriate to the location. For example, a City Official earns extra inf, a Scholar is granted Salvage, a Caregiver is granted Health Regeneration Buffs, etc.

Once characters have accumulated the required amount of time for each Day Job, they are rewarded with the appropriate Day Job Badge and Title, increasing their “earnings” for that job. Multiple Badges can be combined to unlock Accolades and the ability to accumulate additional new rewards. Almost every location within Paragon City and the Rogue Isles has an associated Day Job, resulting in a wide selection of jobs and rewards!- Depending on where characters log out, they assume the role of the area as their day job. If they log out in a hospital, for example, they are working as doctors or nurses. When logging back in, characters receive certain bonuses and rewards according to their day jobs.

Multiple Builds

Main Article: Multiple Builds

Another character customization option and City of Heroes innovation, Issue 13 delivers the ability to have two different build-outs for each character, including which powers are selected and which Enhancements are slotted. With this feature it will now be possible for all characters to diversify their game experience by visiting any Trainer and switching the entire build of their character to an alternate one. You can use this separate build for whatever you like. If you wish to use different power selections for soloing and groups, you can do that. This even makes it possible to have different IO sets slotted for PvP and PvE. This new system gives characters the added depth and flexibility to tackle any challenge!

New Powersets

• Shield Defense Heft a Shield for Heroic or Villainous Ends! This new powerset brings a classic power to City of Heroes: Shields! Now, you can arm Tankers, Scrappers and Brutes with a powerful shield to protect themselves and their allies.
• Pain Domination - Villains can now bend the power of pain to serve their own ends! Those playing a Corruptor or Mastermind have access to this new powerset. The antithesis of the Hero healing powerset “Empathy,” Pain Domination brings parity between Heroes and Villains with a distinctively evil flair.

Leveling Pact

Main Article: Leveling Pact

A new innovation to MMOs, this system allows you and a friend to create new characters and have your XP be permanently in sync, whether both characters are online or not. You will always be the same level, even if your friend plays ten times more often than you do! It's sort of like "Extreme Sidekicking."

The Merit Rewards System

Main Article: Merit Rewards

A new game system that allows players to earn tokens by completing Trials, Task Forces, Strike Forces, Raids, etc. The most challenging and time consuming tasks grant the most reward tokens, which can be redeemed throughout Hero and Villain zones for recipes, enhancements, salvage, costume pieces, badges, inspirations and other game items.

Villain Patron Power Respec

Villains level 40 and above can respec (re-select) their Patron Powers, offering the same flexibility that heroes are afforded with Ancillary Powers.

Supergroup Base Repricing

Base Salvage is being replaced with Invention Salvage and all Base room and item prices are being adjusted to more accessible levels. Remaining base salvage can be traded in for invention salvage, or can continue to be stored in base and personal storage. Finally, rent was restructured to involve decreased rental rates for all plot sizes as well as adding rent on most storage items in the base. In most cases, the changed rent schedule results in less rent paid for all Bases.

PvE and PvP Powers Rebalancing

There are a wide selection of PvE (Player vs. Environment) and PvP (Player vs. Player) related power changes in Issue 13. These changes focus on either Quality of Life issues or on powers which were not quite in balance with others.

New Cimerora Missions

New Hero and Villain story arcs expand upon the history and lore, and delve into the players and politics of Cimerora.

New Invention Sets

PBAoE Damage

• Eradication, Level 10-30
• Obliteration, Level 30-50

Hold

• Basilisk's Gaze, Level 10-30
• Lockdown, Level 30-50

Universal Travel

• Blessing of the Zephyr, Level 10-50

Recharge Intensive Pets

• Call to Arms, Level 10-30
• Expedient Reinforcement, Level 30-50

Accurate Healing

• Theft of Essence, Level 10-30
• Touch of the Nictus, Level 30-50

Accurate Defense Debuff

• Shield Breaker, Level 10-30
• Analyze Weakness, Level 30-50

Accurate To-Hit Debuff

• Cloud Senses, Level 10-30
• Siphon Insight, Level 30-50

Other features

• The badge interface has gotten a revamp, separating the badges out into much smaller categories. Additionally, almost all badges now have a progress bar and hints on how to gain the badges. Some badges will not show a hint or progress bar until you have a certain percentage filled.

• New Costume Sets (including the ability to save and load costumes), Zone Refinements, and more!

• The Force of Justice Badge is now awarding for heroes that meet the prerequisites.

• Pocket D now has a teleport beacon and base access.

• The Tiki Room now has a tailor named Trina the Seamstress. You must have a Pocket D VIP Gold Club Member Badge to access this room.

• Players can now disable Experience gains. This setting can be toggled at will and is in the Options menu.

Note

The Mission Architect feature was originally scheduled for Issue 13 but was pushed back to Issue 14.

See Also

• Issue 13 Badges

External Links

• Issue 13 Feature Overview
• Dev Diary: Designing the New Missions
• Dev Diary: Designing Day Jobs
• Preview: Issue 13: Architect
• Interview with Brian Clayton and Matt Miller