OGRank - City of Heroes: Issue 12 - Midnight Hour on Test

The Midnight Squad story arcs (Hero and Villain)

Character Origin Missions

New Zone : Cimerora

New Task Force : “Time’s Arrow”

Villain Epic Archetypes:
• Arachnos Soldier
• Arachnos Widow

Hollows Gameplay Revamp

Loading Screen Tips

• Loading screen tips will now appear on the loading screens for mission maps.
• There is an option to disable loading tips in the options window.

Powerset Proliferation

Blaster
• New Primary - Psychic Blast
• New Secondary - Mental Manipulation

Brute:
• New Primary - Battle Axe
• New Primary - War Mace
• New Secondary - Super Reflexes

Controller:
• New Primary - Plant Control
• New Secondary - Thermal Radiation
Corruptor:
• New Primary - Electrical Blast
• New Secondary - Storm Summoning

Defender:
• New Primary - Cold Domination
• New Secondary - Ice Blast

Dominator:
• New Primary - Earth Control
• New Secondary - Electricity Manipulation

Mastermind:
• New Secondary - Storm Summoning

Scrapper:
• New Primary - Fiery Melee
• New Secondary - Fiery Aura

Stalker:
• New Primary - Electric Melee
• New Secondary - Electric Armor

Tanker:
• New Primary - Dark Armor
• New Secondary - Dark Melee

User Interface:

• Character slots in the character selection screen can now be reorganized by dragging and dropping. The sort order is stored in a file on the client, but only if “Remember Account Name” is checked.
• Added Hide Delete Recipe prompt option to Options window.
• Added option to display a rating from a Player Note above the players head in the options window.
• Added option to disable loading tips in the options window.
• The mouse scroll wheel will now affect scrollbars when the mouse is over a scrollable area. This can be disabled in the options window.
• Missions’ headers now show the level of the mission.
• Auction house inventory now shows count of slots used/slots total.
• Kicking a member from supergroup or removing a global friend via button-click will present a confirmation dialog.
• Disable Camera Shake Option Added (found in options window)
• Fixed a rare bug that could cause the main "health bar" window to vanish.

Contact List Improvements
o Contacts can now be sorted by the contact’s name, name of the zone, and contact relationship. All contacts that are active will appear in the “active” tab.
o Added Broker Tab for Villains and a Detective Tab for Heroes to Contact User Interface.
o When sorting Contacts by Zone, contacts in the current zone will always appear at the top.
o In all sorts, Contacts with missions you are currently on will always appear at the top.

A couple small additions to help improve performance for dial-up users:
o Added Option to disable combat numbers on power buff icons
o Added Option to disable sending buff information altogether

Email

• Added "Spam" Button to email window. It will ignore the sender as a spammer and delete the email.

Power Trays

• Eight additional power trays added which can be accessed via commands (/show tray1, /show tray2, show tray3, etc).
• These trays have no jelly to click on, but can be dragged about by clicking on non-occupied slots or dead space.
• These trays are deformable.
• Added command /clear_tray which will remove all non-macros from all power trays.

Player Notes:

You can now rate players and write notes about them.
• The notes are stored by global name.
• The note list is stored locally on your computer and will bring up the same notes for any character you play with.
• It can be invoked by typing /playernote <name> or by clicking "Add Note" on context menus.
• There is a new option to display the rating you've given a player above their name.
• Additionally, you can enable private message logging to store private message logs on a per global name basis.

In-Depth Power Information

Detailed Power Information is now available at Power Selection, Level up, Respec, and Enhancement placing screen as well as a new tab in the info window. This information shows the powers basic data along with every effect the power has.

• There is a slider to see the effect of the power across all levels.
• There is a class selector to see how the power would perform for each class.
• There is a PvP toggle to see how powers will change in PvP.
• Powers that spawn pets will show all powers the pets use and their effects.

Local Settings

Most user options can now be saved to file and loaded from file. If a default setting file is saved, all newly created characters will use the default file to set initial options. The options window has buttons added to save and load default files. Non-default files can be saved and loaded via slash commands.

General Options

• /option_save, /options_save_file <filename>
• /option_load, /option_load_file <filename>
• /option_set <optionname> <value>
• /option_toggle <optionname>
• /option_list - Lists names allowed for /option_set and /option_toggle
• /bindload, /bindloadfile /bindsave /bindsavefile display confirmation messages
• Added /bindloadfilesilent and /bindsavefilesilent which do not display confirmation messages

Window Configuration

• Window names are now all exposed, and you can now see a list of valid names with the /window_names command
• Added commands /wdw_save and /wdw_save_file <filename> to save your current window configuration.
• Added commands /wdw_load and /wdw_load_file <filename> to load your window save file.

Chat Tab Configuration

• /chat_save and /chat_save_file <filename> save chat settings locally
• /chat_load and /chat_load_file <filename> load chat settings on current character

Chat System Revamp

Player Names are now clickable in the chat window, brings up a menu you can use to:
• Chat
• Invite to Team
• Add Friend
• Get Global or Local name
• Ignore
• Ignore Spammer

Clicking the channel name of a global chat channel will give these options:
• Send Message
• List Members
• Set MotD (Message of the Day)
• Set Description
• Leave Channel
• Set Color - allows you to set your global channel display colors.

Right-Clicking a players name in a global chat channel that you are a moderator of will give additional options:
• Silence/Unsilence
• Kick

Powers, Enhancements, Recipes, Inspirations, and Salvage are now linkable in chat
• You can drag/drop those items on to the chat window to create link
• You can type the name (if you know it) of an item inside a pair of square brackets, for example: [Luck]
• Clicking the link will bring up the info window for that item
• Many powers/items in the game have the same name, in those cases additional information is added to the link

Under the chat options section, there is new item "Individual Name Colors" which will display each name in the chat window its own color.

Pet combat messages are now sent to the pet owner. Added channels Pet Damage Inflicted, Pet Combat, Pet Damage Received, Pet Healing Received, Pet Healing Delivered, and Pet Hit Rolls. Newly created Masterminds will have a "Pet Combat" tab added.

Global Chat Changes

Breaking the invisible wall between global and local identities, added commands:
• /get_local_name <global name>
• /get_global_name <local name>

/hide and /ghide will now bring up an option dialog where you can separately choose to hide from Global Chat Channels, Global Friends, Server Friends, Supergroup, and Searches.
In addition there are commands to individually set each of these options:

• /hide_sg, /unhide_sg - Makes you appear offline in supergroup window
• /hide_search, /unhide_search - Prevents you from appearing in the looking for group window
• /hide_friends, /unhide_friends - Makes you appear offline to server friends
• /hide_gfriends, /unhide_gfriends - Makes you appear offline to global friends
• /hide_gchannels, /unhide_gchannels - Prevents you from appearing in global channel lists
• /hide_tell, /unhide_tell - You will still receive tells, but the sender will get error message as if you were offline
• /hide_invite, /unhide_invite - All invites will be blocked as if you were offline
• /hide_all, /unhide_all - Sets all hide options on or off

Changed /ignore and /gignore functionality. Using either command will ignore that user on all global channels as well as all local characters and any new characters they create.

Increased Max Friends to 200

Ignore list size had been increased to 200.

Players are now allowed to have 10 Global channels.

Inspiration Improvements

You can now combine 3 inspirations of the same type and strength into a different inspiration of the same strength, this is accessible via the context menu for qualified inspirations.
Also added slash commands for inspirations:

• /insp_delete <name>
• /insp_combine <sourceName> <targetName>

Leveling Up Bonus

Leveling up will refill health and endurance!
In addition to restoring the player to full health and endurance, leveling up will now greatly inspire the player.

Combat Attribute Window Improvements

Added commands to add or remove attributes form the Attribute Monitor:

• /monitor_attribute <name>
• /stop_monitor_attribute <name>

Per player request, added new fields to the Combat Attribute Window.

• Experience to Next Level
• Current Experience Debt
• Last Hit Chance (from a click power)
• Endurance Consumption (total from active toggle powers)
• Influence

Power Trays

• Added command /clear_tray which will remove all non-macros from all power trays.

Combined Notes

User Interface

• Fixed a bug that could cause buffs to stack incorrectly in the team window
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented selecting a shared mission

Powers

• ToHit was not actually being clamped to max class value and now is.
• Leaping Power Pool – Acrobatics - Reduced Knockback Protection of Acrobatics from 100 points to 9 points. Note that this means there are certain critters who will occasionally overcome the protection provided.
• Accolades - Reduced the To Hit bonus provided by the “Geas of the Kind Ones” and “Force of Nature” accolades from +200 to +25.
• Added an enforced 60 second period in which Phase Shift powers cannot be reactivated after a previous activation of the power.
• “Caging” powers (Sonic Cage, Black Hole, etc) now follow standard suppression rules in PVP.
• Near ground attacks (like fossilize) will no longer be foiled by continuous jumping
• Pets should no longer become terrified and run in terror when their owner’s Oil Slick power fades.
• Added suppression to Invention temp power Ethereal Shift.
• Repel resist in Break Free and Emerge inspirations improved
• Reduced strength of all versions of Power Boost by 33%, removed Knockback boost and removed stacking from the power.
• Removed stacking from all versions of Boost Range.
• Increased Disorient Magnitude on Awaken and Bounce Back inspirations to 5, in order to prevent it from causing Rest to fail in conjunction with villain epic archetypes’ status protection.
• Normalized Debt protection in all rezzing powers in powersets to 90 seconds. Sets affected: Tanker and scrapper Fire Aura, Willpower, Dark Armor, and Regen. Controller and Defender buff sets Empathy, Radiation, Dark and Thermal.
• Fire Aura/Rise of the Phoenix, Removed a small delay before the untouchable portion of power activates, and added an ‘untouchable’ float text.
• Dark Armor/Soul Transfer, Set untouchable timer to 15 seconds. Removed a small delay before the untouchable portion of power activates, and added an ‘untouchable’ float text.
• Soul Drain: The Tanker and Brute version of this power stated that it could be slotted with to-hit debuff enhancements. It has no to-hit debuff component. This has been corrected.
• Powers that do not cause aggro will no longer suppress stealth.
• Decreased knockback on Prestige Nemesis Staff (from 9 to 4)
• Corrected Activation time for Whirling Hands and Spin. These times did not accurately reflect the duration of the rooted portion of the animation.
• Adjusted the target location code for Teleport Self to reduce the likelihood of getting a red failure reticle
• Normalized attack times for PBAOE powers that share the twirl animation, such as Fire Sword Circle, Whirling Sword, and Whirling Axe.
• Added Phase suppression to the Phase Flight temporary power
• Acrobatics now accepts Knockback enhancements. These will increase the protection to knockback attacks, however only 2/9ths of the protection is enhanceable.
• All versions of Lift, Propel, Levitate, Repulsion Bomb and Force Bolt now suppress properly versus players.
• Powers that could only affect players on the ground will now affect all players above them as well as standing on them. This is to fix a PVP exploit making ground based powers ineffective. Powers fixed: Tar Patch, Bonfire, Ice Patch, Ice slick, Quicksand, caltrops, and Volcanic Gasses.

Rewards

• Fixed reversed Tech/Magic salvage drops after level 19
• Fixed a long-standing bug with Experience Point and Influence distribution in teams with a large range of levels.

Tasks

• Flashback missions that do not allow players to leave immediately on completion will no longer fade to sepia upon completion.

Game

• Fixed crash when deleting last piece of salvage in a window
• Fixed Crash when after completing an Arena Event

Zone Event System Message Channels

There are two separate Zone Event System channels, the Hero Zone Event Message and Villain Zone Event Message channel.
• Warnings will appear in the appropriate event channels for the Clockwork Paladin, Giant Octopus, Ghost Ship, Croatoa Battle, Troll Rave, Hellion Fire, Miner’s Strike, Arachnos Flier, Caleb and Deathsurge zone events.

Store

• Adjusted price on Rez inspirations to equal 3 regular inspirations.

Tailor

• Users can now choose to pay with influence or free costume token at the Tailor.
• Minor scale tweaks to Rularuu Katana and Talsorian Axe
• Many new chest pieces that were all labeled ‘Bullseye’ now have the correct name in selection.
o Alien 1
o Alien 2
o BullsEye 2
o Cyber Eye
o Health
o Lion
o Mantis
o Nuke
o Power On
o Question Mark
o Recycle
o Skull 3
o Star 10
o Star 11
o Star 12
o Star 13
o Star 14
o Swirl 3
o Symbol 8
o Symbol 9
o Symbol 10
o Tech Hole
o Trash

• New Body Patterns sets
o Arctic
o Perplex
o Thorn
o Vandal

Emotes

• Added /emote ReadBook
• Fixed the Boombox emote animation for ‘Beat’ so that it loops properly.

Graphics:

• Modified Mitochondria visibility/targetability. Mitochondria should now be visible form a greater distance away during Hamidon Raids.

Graphical Effects and Animations

• Activating Blazing Aura while moving will now transition properly into moving animations once the rooting period is complete.
• Knockback animation should now play correctly on non-flying targets that use the male, female, or huge models.
• All of the projectiles in the Flares power Graphical Effects should be killed off at the proper time now.
• Fire Melee/Scorch now has a different, slightly faster animation than Incinerate.
• Knockback/Knockup animations will no longer play faster or slower based on the scale of the character.
• Knockback/Knockup animations for flight mode have been flagged similarly to non-flying versions

Arena

• Added new Archetypes to Arena User Interface

CITY of HEROES

Zone Events

• Trolls in Skyway will now disappear after their party is over.
• Waypoints will appear on the zone maps for the Troll Rave and Hellion Fire events.
Powers

Blaster

• Blaster /Archery/Explosive Arrow now deals full damage to players.
• Blaster Energy Manipulation/Total Focus: corrected to do smashing damage vs players.
• Blaster Electric Manipulation was missing knockback suppression on several powers. Added to bring in line with powers available to other ATs.

o Havoc Punch
o Lightning Clap
o Thunder Strike

• Blaster Energy Blast/Nova: Added Knockback suppression vs players.
• Blaster Ice Manipulation/Chilblain unresistible damage was activating far too often. Changed to a normal 2 seconds.
• Blasters/Archery/Blazing Arrow: Removed text in the long help stating that this power is less accurate than other Archery attacks. Blazing Arrow has the same accuracy bonus that the other Archery powers have.

Controllers

• Controller/Force Field /Force bubble: Added Knockback suppression for players.
• Controller/Sonic Debuff/Sonic Repulsion: Added Knockback suppression for players.
• Controllers have always had a 20% chance for a critical hold. Now Critical Holds will now display a pop up combat message of “Overpower” to let you know they happened.

Defender

• Defenders level 2 to 49 were using an incorrect multiplier for Damage and Defense Debuff powers. The base value for these effects should now be 25% greater than previously experienced.
• Defender/Archery/Blazing Arrow: Removed text in the long help stating that this power is less accurate than other Archery attacks. Blazing Arrow has the same accuracy bonus that the other Archery powers have.
• Defender Force Field/Force Bolt: added Knockback suppression vs players.
• Defender Storm Summoning/Gale: Added Knockback suppression vs players.
• Defender/Archery/Explosive Arrow: Added knockback suppression vs. players
• Defender/Dark Blast/Torrent: Added knockback suppression vs. players
• Defender/Energy Blast/Nova: Added knockback suppression vs. players
• Defender/Sonic/Shockwave: Added knockback suppression vs. players
• Defender/Radiation/Electron haze: Added knockback suppression vs players
• Defender /Force Field/Force bubble: Added Knockback suppression for players.
• Defender/Sonic Debuff/Sonic Repulsion: Added Knockback suppression for players

Peacebringers

• Removed the escalating Endurance cost from Peacebringers “Quantum Flight” and added the 30 second timer common to other Phase Shift type powers.
• Peacebringer Quantum Flight’s 30 second Phase Shift’s cut off has been changed. The Flight aspect of this power will continue, and only the Phase Shift aspect cuts off after 30 seconds.
• Peacebringer/Light Form: Added knockback and repel resistance to the short and long help on this power, as Light Form has always had these protections.

Warshade

• Warshade Shadow Cloak was missing defense to Area of Effect attacks. This has been added.
• Warshade Stygian Return, Set untouchable timer to 15 seconds, Removed a small delay before the untouchable portion of power activates, and added an ‘untouchable’ float text.
• Warshade/Dark Nova: Corrected references to +ACC and Accuracy to be +To Hit and Chance to hit.
• Warshade/Gravity Well: Correct short help and victim short help. Power should now report that it has a Hold effect instead of an Immobilize.\Quasar: Added PvP knockback suppression to this power.
• Clarified combat spam for Stygian Return
• Warshade/Gravity well: Adjusted damage and frequency of damage tick of Gravity well to match Peacebringer/Incandescent Strike, and reduced damage tick time.

Accolades

• Decreased Geas of the Kind ones and Force of Nature defense debuff from 20% to 10%

Archvillains

• Chimera from the Praetorian villain group should no longer auto-hit players with his bow.
• Reduced Duration and strength of Captain Mako’s ‘Elude’ power.

Powers Text Changes

All Heroes’ Powers text are undergoing scrutiny and are changing to reflect consistency and accuracy. The power effects, duration and recharge are not being changed, only the description and combat log messaging will be updated. Any secondary Knockback, Stun, or other status affects will be noted in both logs, when the effect occurs for all powers.

CITY of VILLAINS

Giant Monsters

• Only one Deathsurge will appear at a time.

Graphical Effects

• Brute Melee>Battle Axe>Gash: Removed defense buff graphical effects from the target of this power.
• Brute Melee>Battle Axe>Beheader: Removed the stun graphical effects from the target of this power.

Zones

Grandville

• Arachnos workers who fall off the web will no be stunned into not moving.

Powers

Brutes

• Brute Fiery Aura/Fiery Embrace: Allowed this power to improve toxic damage the user deals.
• Brute Melee>Electrical Melee>Jacob’s Ladder: Will now drain endurance from player targets as well as NPCs. Removed erroneous negative energy message from the sleep portion of this power.
• Brute Melee>Electrical Melee>Thunder Strike: Added an endurance draining component to this power.
• Brutes/Electric Armor/Power Surge: When this power’s hold effect is triggered when the Power Surge wears off the hold effect should show up in both the user and the target’s chat log.
• Fiery Aura/Rise of the Phoenix: The target after being revived should be truly invulnerable for 15 seconds. Additionally text should pop over the revived target stating that they’re untouchable.
• Dark Armor/Soul Transfer: The target after being revived should be truly invulnerable for 15 seconds. Additionally text should pop over the revived target stating that they’re untouchable.