What's new in Homecoming for Returning Players

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Player Guide Notice

This article is a Player Guide. The Homecoming Wiki takes no responsibility for the content within.

Questions and concerns should be posed to the authors of the article using the article's talk page.

Assumptions

You are finding out about Homecoming: City of Heroes for the first time since the Live shutdown and want to get started quickly. Here's what to know.

This is a quick reference to years of patch notes concerning changes Homecoming made over the live game. For more details, a longer guide is available here by Robotech_Master.

Starting Out

Before you Begin

The game is now free of charge. All vestiges of Microtransactions (Paragon Market, Paragon Rewards) and Game Subscriptions (Veteran Rewards Program) have been eliminated. You do not need a form of payment to play at all.

  • Create a forum account at Homecoming Servers first. You'll need to confirm your age, and have an email address ready that you can check for a link before signing in for the first time.
    • Only one game account per Email Address. This is primarily used to change your forum password and if you subscribe to posts on the forums, get updates and weekly digests. If you want to start another one you need a different address.
    • The forum account controls your Game Client Username (which can only be set once) and Password (you can reset this at any time.) Once your Forum Account is made, you can control your game account here. Without a Game Account, the Client will not log in. (Your forum name and password will not start City of Heroes.)
  • Your computer still needs to follow the System Requirements. However most modern Intel, AMD and Apple Desktops and Laptops made since 2018 with some form of on-board graphics can play the game even if it is not a "Gaming PC".

Client

YOU DO NOT NEED THE NCSOFT LAUNCHER OR PRIOR COH PATCHER.

Those files are hard-coded to NCSoft's servers, which remain offline. You can copy Architect, Costumes, and Power Customization files from your prior installation over if you like.

The Homecoming: City of Heroes Game Client can be obtained from the Getting Started guide on the Homecoming Forums.

None of the Live Game data was kept from NCSoft's shutdown. All players new to the game, as well as players returning from live, start over in Homecoming with nothing.

Starting the Game

You have three choices from the Homecoming Launcher (in bold):

Live Service

Homecoming - This is the main service. It contains five servers, or shards, to begin your play:

  • Torchbearer
  • Excelsior
  • Everlasting (Unofficial RP Server)
  • Indomitable (Unofficial PvP Server)
  • Reunion (Official EU Server, located in Germany)

The top four shards are based in Canada on the North American Eastern Time Zone. In the past Torchbearer was the high-population zone since it is the oldest shard still in use, now the most populated server fluctuates between Excelsior and Everlasting. Server "stress level" still works on login and shows when the server is closer to being full (three red dots). You can also see this information from HC Launcher in the bottom panel.

Weekly Server Maintenance is typically Tuesday Mornings in the AM on North American Eastern Time. This is not assured, for example, emergency outages necessitate servers to enter maintenance to restore service. A server maintenance period can also happen anytime an Issue or Page release is imminent. (Pay attention to the Beta Patch notes for an idea of how soon this is coming. Release Candidate patches are close to moving to Live.)

There is also a Diagnostic Client available. Instructions for turning it on can be found here.

Beta Service

Staging (Shadow) - This Server holds the Staging Copy of the server. For Beta, Staging is the final test of the Beta Release before it goes live to all five Homecoming shards. Staging is also used to test 'quick release' changes to the Server which happen infrequently.

Beta (Brainstorm) - This Server holds the Public Beta Test of the next Issue Release. (At the time of this writing, Issue 27.) Smaller releases, called Pages (Issue 27, Page 6) are also tested in Beta.

Advice here applies to Beta Shards with two key differences: Beta Shards can be wiped with no prior notice. And no content on the Beta Shard you make will ever be transferred to Live. Further information about the Beta Shards can be found here.

Basic Play

Character Creation

  • All the costume parts are unlocked. Prior parts that were only available to Villains or Praetorians are available with some exceptions, and a very limited few costume parts from NPCs in the past.
    • Capes are immediately available, no unlock needed. Same goes for Auras. Both unlock missions are in the game if you still wish to play them: visit the City Representative, or use Flashback in the Ouroboros Zone.
  • You have 1000 character creation slots per server. (If you wish to multibox for RP or powerlevelling reasons even that is permitted to an extent.)
  • You can rename a character for free at any time. NOTE: In the future, a name release policy will apply for unplayed characters who haven't made it to Level 50 and have been offline for at least a year.
  • You can move a character between servers at any time, up to a maximum of 5 transfers per 3 days. Only character data is kept: Base Salvage, Supergroup Base and Membership are left on the origin server. If you're the only member left in the group, it will be lost.
  • Every new player gets one Global Handle change. If you don't use it, your first character (or 'toon') name will become your global handle unless already used (@BobWhite2 instead of @BobWhite). You only get one token on account creation. To ask for an additional one, see 'Support'.
  • Archetype Changes have been focused primarily on adding more powersets and proliferating set choices across more archetypes. (Additions can be viewed in the category.) A notable exception is the addition of the Sentinel Archetype: a Ranged attack Primary (often Single-Target) with Defensive Secondary powersets. Sentinels use an Inherent mechanic called Opportunity.

Combat

  • Everyone starts at zero INF and Level 1. There are some quick ways to gain INF:
    • Collect Navigation Badges.
    • Play in new player trials "Death from Below" (Heroes - Sewer Trial) or "Drowning in Blood" (Villains - Bloody Bay Trial).
    • Team up with friends. Any player arc can be joined with friends at any time, with trials and task forces requiring a minimum level from all players before starting.
    • Start collecting Levels and Items beginning with Matthew Habashy (Atlas Park), or Operative Kuzmin (Mercy Island) before Level 8. (Feeling nostalgic? The Galaxy City Tutorial from COH: Freedom as well as the original tutorials of Outbreak and Breakout are also available.) Every finished arc will point you to the next set of contacts in turn all the way to Level 30.
    • Radio/Newspaper Missions are still available, the same way. Every three pickup missions will lead to a Safeguard or Bank Robbery with a new contact to meet at the end (or you can pass on these missions and still keep doing Radio/Newspaper work).
  • Mission Difficulty can be adjusted one of two ways:
    • Using a Hero Corps agent as in the past.
    • Using the Quickchat Menu, you can set a character's Difficulty Level (from -2 up to +4) and Mob Size (from x1 up to x8). Settings do not affect Zone Map encounters and must be made before entering an Instance to take effect. Once the instance is 'spawned', a mission reset will be needed to change it (Drop and reaccept the mission from your log.) Task Force mode (including AE and iTrials) must be restarted back to Mission 1.
  • Teaming: Several choices.
    • You can listen to the "Looking For Team" channel for team invites on any server.
    • Starting out, you can also stand around the trainer contact in Atlas Park or Mercy Island to see if new players want to team.
    • Finally, the LFG panel in-game above the Chat Box works for Trials, Task Forces, and League play. Level limits still apply. (Task Forces begin at Level 8 instead of 15 now.)
  • Players can make an Epic Archetype character with no unlock requirements. (Peacebringer, Warshade, and Arachnos Soldiers or Widows.) Epic ATs have no tutorial, have a permanent AT contact to reach for their initial missions, and start the game with harder difficulty than normal Heroes and Villains.
  • Praetorian Gameplay is also available, with contacts starting in a special Tutorial at Level 1. Praetorian characters are still a good idea after playing a Hero or Villain character first to get a feel for the game.

Overview of Additional Changes Since Live

Architect

It's still working. It's still largely used for farming. And you still have a pick from Standard Rewards or Ticket Rewards. (Changed since Live, Reward Tickets buy more types of Enhancements now, so they're more useful for lowbies.)

Costumes

  • All characters start with six slots from Level 1.
    • Additional three slots are earned through gameplay at levels 20, 30 and 40 by helping Icon/Facemaker contacts.
    • The final slot can be crafted with event salvage during Halloween (or after if you buy it from AE.)
  • Characters enjoy free costume editing through Level 10. Edits after 10 cost a proportional amount of INF (costing the least at 11 and the most at Level 50), varying in cost depending on the edits made.
  • Two costume editor modes:
    • Basic Costume Editor is available at any Trainer contact, Supergroup Icon/Facemaker NPCs, and any Icon/Facemaker Location.
    • Body Sliders/Gender/Costume Editing available at any Icon/Facemaker location, Pocket D in the Tiki Room, and at Echo Plaza (a special event Zone unique to Homecoming). Basic Costume editing priced identically in INF on either vendor, with Body/Gender changes costing extra on top.
  • Free Costume Change tokens are earned in Level 1-50 Gameplay.
  • Prismatic Aether is a new salvage reward added to let characters buy permanent Costume Powers.
    • Example: While active, a Permanent Rikti Temp Power changes the player model into a Rikti Gunman, without changing the player's Primary/Secondary Power Sets or Power Choices.
    • Costumes offered include Standard (ignores gender/body type and applies the costume) and Modal (uses the same Body Type/Gender as your player on certain costumes.)
    • As rare salvage it has the same chance of dropping as a Purple IO Recipe on Mission Completion, or by running new Hard Mode content to collect it faster.
    • Prismatic Aether can be redeemed at Vault Reserve locations throughout the game, including Pocket D, and at Fort Trident/The Crucible.

Incarnate/End Game

  • After turning Level 50, you begin collecting Incarnate XP immediately, beginning with Physical XP for the Alpha Slot. You do not need to play iTrial content to fill these XP Bars in the Incarnate Window, simple continue playing any normal Level 46-50 content. (Super Sidekicking down at Level 45 or below will only fill the XP Bar for normal play.)
  • Filling the normal XP bar works after Level 50, but gains Veteran Levels instead of regular ones. Veteran Levels show up on your Player Info window. Veteran Levels use the same rewards as the Loyalty Program from Paragon Rewards: badges for months of gameplay, as well as granting free Costume Change Tokens and Respecs. The rewards also offer Incarnate Salvage in the form of Incarnate Threads & Empyrean Merits up to Vet. Level 99.
  • In addition, Special Salvage drops have a chance to be earned after a typical mob defeat after reaching Level 50, such as Enhancement Converter, Enhancement Booster, or Enhancement Catalyst.

Unlocking your Alpha Slot (and subsequent powers) can be done at any time through normal gameplay. You do not need to visit Ouroboros and take the Arc from Mender Ramiel to begin Incarnate progress, although you still can play the arc.

To simplify crafting, all recipes, slots and powers now have options to use Incarnate Thread and Empyrean Merits.

  • You can still use Incarnate Shard and Astral Merits for the Alpha Slot only, or upgrade a number of Shards into Threads and/or convert AMs to Threads or EMs daily.
  • Those same Alpha Slot Salvage and Power recipes now have corresponding Incarnate Thread and EM-crafted salvage recipes in the same lists.
  • You can also optionally craft a Transcendent Merit to mail yourself 50 Empyrean Merits to another character on your same account to jump start their Incarnate Development.

iTrials (Incarnate Trials) are still worth doing as the best source for extra Empyrean Merits and Incarnate Salvage without crafting requirements. (Reward tables have a chance of providing Tier 4 Salvage same as the Live Game.) Also, Veteran Levels stop offering Incarnate Salvage, Tokens and Badges at Level 100. iTrials become the best source for Empyrean Merits and Incarnate Salvage after that point is reached.

Dark Astoria remains an Incarnate only Co-Op Zone, with all the arcs and challenges from the Death Incarnate release. Taskmaster Gabriel has been removed, and completing the entire Dark Astoria arc from start to finish grants 2 Empyrean Merits once a week. (Instead, just replay them from the Flashback system.)

Leveling Up, XP Gain, P2W Vendor

  • Players can level up at Trainer Contacts same as before.
  • Temp Powers can also be picked immediately after zoning in to your starting area. You can obtain your first free powers at the P2W Vendor (or the T4V Vendor in Praetoria.)
    • Keep in mind most Temp Powers only allow new players to pick from one of two similar ones for free. Go through each menu item and see which free ones you like to keep. Non-free items cost INF, or will state in the description what badge is needed to claim a power for free.
    • P2W also carries Prestige Enhancements, which are the only Training enhancements to increase two stats and add a free proc to a power before Level 20. Most players use Double Origin or Single Origin Enhancements which are now available starting at Level 1 instead.
    • Got a bucket of money and don't feel like upgrading your TO/DO/SO Enhancements? Click the Upgrade button on the Enhancement Slot editor screen. Confirm the price and click OK to bring all the slotted enhancements to the current level with one payment. (This won't upgrade Enhancement types, i.e. TOs-to-DOs or DOs-to-SOs and does nothing to Invention Enhancements.)
    • Enhancement Combination still works, but no longer shows as +1 to +4 next to the Level value: the Combined Enhancement now shows the effective level on top after being combined.
  • One set of Temp Powers are the Custom XP rates to Homecoming: you can choose between Normal XP and Normal Influence all the way to Double XP and No Influence for up to eight hours of play. (You still receive drops normally.) There is no need for Double XP Events, you can accept Double Experience at any time. (XP Adjustment starts immediately. You can cancel it by right-clicking the XP Booster in the Powers Window.)
  • Team Play remains the fastest way to gain XP in Mission Arcs. (You can solo Trials and Task Forces if you really want to.)

Mission Arcs

New Mission Arcs for various Level groups have been added. You can find the missions in the Patch Notes, or by using the Flashback system menu and looking at the number at the end: First two digits is the Issue Number, second two is the Arc order of release (01 is the first TF, 02 the second, etc.) Any Arc ID number in the Flashback Menu starting from 24.01 to the current Issue (27 at the time of this writing) is content that hasn't been available before Shutdown on the Public Servers.

Using Flashback, you can locate an arc, teleport to the contact/zone, then turn the Task Force mode off to run the arc without vendor and contact restrictions if preferred.

Power Pools

  • Power Pools (regular ones) now all unlock at Level 4, and include Specialized Pools formerly for sale on Paragon Market (Sorcery, Experimentation, Force of Will). All the powers unlock earlier but still require at least one picked to unlock the fourth and fifth tier starting in Level 14.)
  • Epic Power Pools also unlock at Level 35 with earlier unlock requirements per power tier.
  • Patron Power Pools still require a Patron Arc to unlock starting at Level 35. However completing ANY Patron Arc unlocks all four pools. (You can only pick from a single pool for your character. Respecs and Builds still allow you to change them.)

Ouroboros

  • Ouroboros Portals can now be unlocked at Level 1 by simply entering one.
  • It is now a Co-Op zone. Both Heroes and Villains enter the same zone for missions.
  • Echo Zone Teleporter has Echo Copies of revamped zones before major changes occured, including Faultline, Hollows, and Atlas Park. It also now has a copy of Galaxy City before the zone was removed to become the new Co-Op Tutorial.

Respecs

  • Granted every 10 levels of play through Level 50.
  • Craftable in Auction House with a special recipe (which can be also be earned as a rare drop as well).
  • Earned in Respec Trials.
  • Villains get one by unlocking a Patron Power Pool.
  • Soldiers of Arachnos at Level 24.
  • Occasionally granted on a Issue release with major changes to AT Powers in the game.

Same contacts to start a respec: Jack Wolfe/James Frost in Atlas Park (Heroes), Arbiter Lupin in Nerva or Arbiter Sawyer in Port Oakes (Villains), and John Snow in Studio 55 (Praetoria.)

Or you can also type "/respec" in any City Zone. (Don't do this in an Instance or a Super Base. Known bug.)

Pocket D

  • Players who spend an hour in Pocket D earn the Pocket D location for Long Range Teleporter (and if they have the Monkey Fight Explorer Badge, the Long Range Teleporter can be had in the same visit.)
  • A new "Green Section" of the club containing an Architect Entertainment wing has been added in the Blueside of the club: head to where Vault Reserve used to be and continue walking back and to the left.
  • The Ski Chalet/Slopes are now available 24/7 in the Red Side secret door. You can race the slopes at any time.
  • The Tiki Room is open to all players, no VIP Club badge needed. Inside, Trina is available upstairs for costume editing including body type/gender.

Roleplaying

  • You can now 'paint' your character's name in purple and state you are in Roleplaying mode. Press "H" for help, and change the dropdown menu to "Roleplaying".
  • Chat commands that edit your talking range for Local chat, dice roll commands, and other RP tools were all added a little over a year ago.
  • In combination with Supergroups & Bases changes, RP groups can use the new Base Editing changes along with Passcodes as a playground to create settings not offered in city zones as they desire.

Shopping

  • Fastest way to the Auction House is now your chat window. Type "/ae" to open the Auction House on any Zone Map. (Doesn't work in missions, bases and other instances.) Certain items, such as Super Packs are only available in the Auction House (Wentworths and Black Market locations all continue to work for trading as well.)
  • Reward Merits are useable to purchase most Items in Reward Merit Vendor booths or contacts.
  • Hero/Villain Merit rewards have been converted to only be tradable for Reward Merits. You can still create them as a way to mail yourself 50 Reward Merits at a time to another character you play. You can start accepting Tip Missions at Level 20, and complete all 10 Alignment Missions and one Morality Mission in the same run for 40 Reward Merits instead of a Hero or Villain Merit.

Vendors also now sell all three classes of Origin Enhancements (Training, Dual and Single Origin) starting at Level 1. Prices reflect the Enhancement value: Training being the cheapest and Single Origin being the most expensive.

Signature Story Arcs

Two Signature Story Arcs exist for play in Task Force mode:

  • Who Will Die (Finished before Issue 22 was released.)
  • Pandora's Box (Incomplete at Shutdown, finished during Issue 25.)

Each chapter of the SSA plays as a single task force, with a reward table at the end. Diminishing Returns apply for 162 hours per Arc (6 days 18 hours). Completing an Arc Chapter grants 5 Reward Merits and a reward table: 20 Reward Merits instead of 5, Random SO Enhancement, Astral Merit or 10 Incarnate Threads (must be Level 50). Subsequent completions remove options from the reward table until they're all gone, leaving only 5 Reward Merits per run until the weekly timer is up.

Exception: the very first time a toon completes a Signature Story Arc for a character, the first Reward Table has no penalty. This only happens once per character.

Supergroups and Bases

  • Prestige currency has been disabled. All Base Items are free of charge and all bases exist rent-free. (Running the Game in SG Mode only alters your uniform colors and symbols.)
  • Any player can start a superbase. To obtain one, visit a Super Group Registrar at Atlas Park City Hall or the Arachnos Building in Port Oakes. (Praetorians still need to finish Level 20 and pick a Primal Alignment first before joining a SG or using Base Portals as other than a guest.)
  • No more logging off and on with multiple people to add your own toons to your Supergroup. Use "/altinvite Your Characters Name". Done. (Must be a toon on your same user account. Multiboxing alts on different accounts, still have to enlist the first toon the old-fashioned way.)
  • Power and Control Requirements have been mostly nullified. Base Editors still need to place a single Power and Control item anywhere they like to enable Teleporters, Med Telepads, and Shop equipment. You can run as many items as you like on one Power/Control Combo item (like the Mini Generator and Augury Table.)
  • New Telepad Points and Beacons have been added for Intra-Base Travel (Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc. All ten points only work within the current base.) Players can return using other points and portals you set up, or by using "/stuck" to return to the entry portal.
  • The Base Editor has been dramatically improved: stacking desks are no longer needed to build in 3D. Items can be raised by holding SHIFT and raising/lowering with the mouse. (Tip of the iceberg: there's more features than that now.)
  • NPCs have been added to the Base Editor. This includes shop contacts, so players can add Trainers for Leveling Up, Quartermasters for basic Enhancement purchases, Nurses for Inspirations, and Icon/Facemaker contacts for basic costume editing. (Instead of the Reward Merit Vendor, a kiosk table is available to place similar to an Invention Workbench.)
  • You can also build on top of the base: use F3 to disable Room Clipping. Even if you don't build on top turning Room Clipping off allows interior changes that were not possible in Live. You can also move the Base Entry Portal to any place you wish (The Entry Room still holds the Base Editor "panel" on entry, or you can type "/editbase 1" to start from anywhere.
  • Want some Inspiration? Base Listings offer public bases you can visit with a Passcode. Visit a portal, choose "Enter a Passcode", and check them out. No membership, team joining or even knowing the owner required. (You can also set a passcode for your own.)
  • Oh, and they fixed Base Raids.

Note: Compared to Live, players may find a reduced need for a Supergroup to team on a regular basis. SGs that continue to perform similar to how they worked when the game was live still exist, and players who prefer to use pick-up groups do not need to join a Supergroup to have access to similar resources such as Zone Teleport and Crafting Stations: see Fort Trident and The Crucible.

Task Forces, iTrials and Raids

  • Task Forces can be started as early as Level 8 for Heroes and Villains. (Praetorians do not have access to Task Forces until they leave Praetoria first.)
    • Trials still remain and may require an unlock by a contact before access (such as Karsis), no different than unlockable Task Forces (Katie Hannon, Ernesto Hess).
    • Certain trials and Task Forces offer a special reward or reward table (such as Titan Enhancements from the Eden Trial, or D-Sync Enhancements from Dr. Aeon).
  • iTrials require a character to be Level 50. Prior restrictions on joining iTrials have been changed to a penalty (i.e.: Not unlocking and slotting Alpha for Behavioral Adjustment Facility means your Level 50 is now -4 levels and at Level 46) so Level/Incarnate Shift guidelines from Live are still a good idea to follow.
  • Diminished Returns still apply for Task Forces and iTrials:
    • Each Task Force has an 18 hour time per character once completed, cutting the Merit Rewards by half on each repeat of the Task Force (granting at minimum 1 Merit Reward on completion.) After the timer is up, the next run of the task force is at full reward value. (For Task Forces with a special reward table, each completion removes a prior choice.)
    • Each iTrial has a 20 hour timer. Repeating an iTrial downgrades merits from Empyrean to Astral, and each subsequent run removes a reward table choice on completion until only Super Inspirations are left.
  • Same two raids exist (requires forming a League of up to six teams to complete):
    • Mothership Raid, exclusively in Rikti War Zone (Co-Op zone). No reward table, but grants a few Reward Merits and a large amount of Vanguard Merits. Now open for any character from Level 1-50 (still need to be at least Level 35 to earn Vanguard Merits by joining Vanguard before the raid.) Vanguard Merits still have a unique reward shop in the RWZ base, or can be converted to Reward Merits at any Reward Merit Kiosk/Vendor.
    • Hamidon Raid, occurring in The Hive (Heroes only) and The Abyss (Co-Op zone.) Requires at least a Level 45 Character to enter either zone. Issues a Reward Table at the end of the raid for 4 Empyrean Merits, Hamidon Origin Enhancement, or 80 Reward Merits. 20 hour timer applies, subsequent defeats remove a reward table choice until none remain.

Travel

  • Travel Powers can be picked starting at Level 4, and do not require an unlock.
    • Level 4 allows you to pick either tier of Travel Power. You can skip the first tier and go straight for the full travel power that originally unlocked with the Tier 1 pick. (Example: You don't need to wait for Level 14 for Super Jump, you can now just take it at Level 4.)
  • Monorails have been Merged. PTA Stations now serve a single line to all Blueside city zones.
  • Tunnel Portals also work for all players regardless of level.
  • Travel Changes:
    • Talos Island now has a gate to Dark Astoria.
    • Galaxy City gates have been permanently closed. Former gate locations have a NPC left behind to inform players.
    • Independence Port now has a Second Train Station at the lower half of the zone. Similar to Skyway City, players can hop from one train to the other in-zone without a map change.
  • Long Range Teleporter got a facelift: instead of being in the Teleport Pool, it's now a Prestige Power. Here's how it works:
    • Collect all the Nav Badges in Atlas Park, Mercy Island, or Nova Praetoria (or any zone but Level 1, these are the closest.) Exact same ones you'd use to unlock the SG Teleport Beacon in the past.
    • Long Range Teleport is now activated. You get a "Your Superbase" destination (doesn't open a Base Portal for others), the zone you just unlocked, and sometimes Echo Plaza to start with. To add more destinations, visit the zone and collect only ONE Navigation Badge. It now appears on the destination list.
    • Navigation Tip Missions can help you to locate a badge in a zone when entering it the first time. (They won't advance Alignment Missions, and you can ignore or drop them easily: they're the only tip missions with the Badge Marker Icon.)
    • Long Range Teleport, similar to Ouroboros Portal, works once every 10 minutes.
  • On that note, any Ouroboros Portal you click on unlocks at Level 1. No "Entrusted With The Secret" necessary anymore. (Still need Level 10 to use Flashback.)
  • Base Portals have been moved closer in proximity to a Train Station, Tunnel Portal or Zone exit. They have also been added to Praetorian city zones.
  • Smuggler's Subs work in shoreline zones for transporting Vigilante and Rogue players to Blueside/Co-Op Zones/Redside at any time.
  • Wanna go legit, or sick of being squeaky clean? Visit Null the Gull in Pocket D to switch sides at any time.

Zones

  • Kallisti Wharf, incomplete during the Issue 24 Beta, has been finished as a Co-Op Zone. Work is still in progress on adding missions, mobs and events to the map. A new Task Force called "Market Crash" is the only content in the zone that exists. For trying Market Crash the first time a single free random Purple IO recipe is awarded along with the Reward Merits at the end. (This only occurs once per character, subsequent completions only issue Reward Merits.) This zone used to be used for player events from Homecoming, and is often used for Server RP and Supergroups for event gatherings.
  • Echo Plaza, a Co-Op Zone, was created during Issue 26 as a gathering place for Homecoming Public Events. There are no enemies, contacts, or mission doors, however, vendors and portals to Pocket D and your Superbase are present for event use.
  • Winter Forest, a special RP zone in Pocket D made for the Holiday season.
  • Additional touches have been made across the game in various zones. Brief examples:
    • Cimerora has been expanded to include Oracle Island and the whole of Castellum Quarter behind the doors.
    • Talos Island now has a Beach-side Tiki Restaurant.
    • King's Row has a hidden high-rise roof hangout.
    • Port Oakes now has Blackbeard's Pub now open for business.
    • Null the Gull also offers a handful of RP-only maps (with no mobs, trainers or contacts present.)

Adjustments From Live

(or a more positive way of saying "balance changes that took away features for a number of reasons".)

  • Double Influence. Level 50 players who Disable XP no longer receive any boost to INF earned when teamed with other characters (other than the same INF earned in a team that was already offered being at Level 50).
  • Mothership Raid Vanguard Merit awards. There was also a reduction of converting Vanguard Merits to Reward Merits from the amount of players repeating the Mothership Raid endlessly. (Instead of ten to one, it's 30 to 1 now.)
  • Leveling Pacts are no longer available.
  • Low-Level Trials DFB and DIB both offer rapid XP and Leveling up to Level 10, then decrease in Bonus XP starting from Level 11 until Level 22 (where the temp powers end as well.)
  • Former Inherent Teleport Powers to a single zone including the Pocket D VIP Pass and Consignment or Black Market Teleporter have been discontinued. (Existing consumable charges of a power before the change will continue to work, and you can still get the Pocket D badge which now grants the Long Range Teleport destination instead.)
    • Inherent Powers to Teleport between zones are collated in the "Long Range Travel" power popmenu, added to your Powers window after collecting or buying a Transport Power (such as Long Range Teleporter, Ouroboros Portal, Supergroup Base Portal, Assemble The Team, etc.)
    • All of the Inherent Zone Teleport powers now have a cooldown of 10 minutes each and must be used out of combat.
  • Respec works differently from live: instead of selling unused Enhancements at a 'market price', any unused Enhancements that are not slotted are now deleted from a character inventory after the Respec is completed. Players have access to all seven Enhancement trays on each character to save them for reuse, storage in a base or sale on AE (if applicable) after the Respec instead. (Unless the Respec attempt fails all saved changes are final.)
  • Architect Entertainment was removed from Atlas Park and Mercy Island. To use Mission Editor and AE missions, players need to leave the starting zones of the game and head to another location. (Pocket D portals have been placed in both places to facilitate this.)

Updated Tools (Build Planner, Mods)

Former resources from Titan Network (Mids Hero Planner, City Info Tracker, Paragon Wiki, etc.) are end-of-life after the NCSoft Shutdown, halted after Issue 23. For current tools and utilities, visit the following:

  • Homecoming Wiki (You are here!) - Holds current Issue updates from Homecoming and Victory servers, updated from volunteers.
  • Mids Reborn Hero Planner has support in creating Homecoming character builds for planning use during Respec. It requires .NET Framework to install. More Information: GitHub Website.
  • City Mod Installer offers client modification support. Certain popular mods such as VidiotMaps, Better Icons, and Pocket D Yodel-Free are using only the City Mod Installer now for updates.
  • Senticon Costume Extractor is a tool for players who still have Sentinel+ XML files of their former characters from 2012. The tool will not restore a Live character on Homecoming but it can output .costume files for use in the Client "costumes" folder to restore their appearance.
  • City of Data has been restored by UberGuy.
  • Badger is a badge tracking website for Badge Hunting in City of Heroes. The program is a web-app (no installation needed) and relies on game log files to collect data. (Clearing Browser Cache means the info is lost, and it doesn't transfer between browsers or computers without export.)

More can be found at the Tools, Utilities, & Downloads forum.

Support

Finally, if you need assistance, a volunteer GM staff for Homecoming answers requests for help in two ways:

  • Forums, use the Support button. Click "New Request".
  • In-Game, use the "/petition" command to open the GM Request panel. Fill out the form.

Before asking, check out the Support team FAQs on the forums first.

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