Plus Viv’s got a charity gaming weekend coming up and you’re invited to gather up in-game for some league Trick or Treating on Nov 2. Join up and level up!

But the main activity will be finally reading through the Issue 27, Page 7 Page notes and discussing their impact and player experience. And hopefully you’ll join the discussion, too?

Don’t forget to log in characters that are below level 50 if you want to retain their names, because the long awaited Name Release is coming on Nov 1!

Time sensitive Homecoming Announcements!

• October 1, 2024 announcement – Character Name Release on Nov 1, 2024
• 2024 Halloween Event on Homecoming runs until Nov 5, 2024!
• Dacy has been busy with the Homecoming Base Directory, Witch House events and Easter Bunny’s post on the forums for the Fright-Seeing Tour and I share the tour hub info to see all the wonders the community has made and shared.  Please make sure you check out Dacy’s youtube page for all your base building needs!
• Viv’s Super Heroes for Extra Life Event on Nov 2 & 3, 2024. Funds raised benefit UNM Children’s Hospital of New Mexico!
• The charity weekend kicks off with the CoHPodcast gathering on Nov 2 starting at noon eastern to benefit (drumroll please)
• Viv’s Extra Life $1000 goal for Children’s Miracle Network Hospital fundraising here!
• City of Heroes: Homecoming link is what you need if you’re just getting back to the game and want to play where I play, as well as being the server we discuss here.

Our links

• CoH Podcast on YouTube 
• https://twitch.tv/VividMuse (City of Heroes and other games, some with Chooch <3 )
• https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, tech interests, variety gameplay)https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (C+V Game Night – Our Discord Server to stay current between episodes)

We also go over the latest big patch released: Issue 27, Page 6.

Links to things we discuss this episode:
NCSoft/Homecoming Announcement
MassiveOP Article “City of Heroes Homecoming talks funding, the City Council, and the impending content drop”, 1/5/2024
Base Contest Announcement
Double XP & Rikti Invasions on Torchbearer, Reunion and Indomitable
Issue 27, Page 6 Patch Notes

You can find Chooch and Viv on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

We are honored to have one of the Homecoming developers – Bopper – join us to go over the patch notes for Page 5. Bopper specifically works on powers and in this Page focused on the Sentinel changes as well as stealth power stacking.

Along with the patch notes we discuss Dacy’s Witch’s House (now open) and the Xzianthia/Dawl House Halloween Costume Contest!

You can find the Witch’s House on Everlasting using the base code BOO-17189.

The costume contest will be held on Everlasting, in the Echo Plaza zone on Sunday, October 30th at 9:00pm eastern. Details/updates can be found on The Dawl House discord server, or Chooch and Viv’s discord server.

You can find Chooch and Viv on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

Links for things discussed this episode:

• Homecoming Halloween 2022 forum post (and wiki page)
• Dacy’s Halloween Extravaganza
• City Mod Installer announce forum post (and webpage)
• Issue 27, Page 4 Patch Notes

You can find Chooch and Viv on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

You can get more information and download Mids Reborn at the official website: https://midsreborn.com/
You can get support, find or share builds, and chat with Metalios on the Mids Discord: https://discord.gg/eAUuNQ3nxk

You can find Chooch and Viv on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

You can find Rich on his two Twitch channels:

TraumaTrainRich – for video game streams, and
XP Rich – for tabletop type game streams

Next episode streams April 30 at 6:pm eastern on Twitch. Topic TBD – have a suggestion?

Find us on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

Next episode streams April 2 at 6:pm eastern on Twitch. Topic TBD – have a suggestion?

Find us on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

She takes it back to basics and shows us the editor and core services every base needs. You can find Dacy’s base building tutorials and tours on her YouTube channel.

Next episode streams March 26 at 6:pm eastern. Topic TBD – have a suggestion?

Find us on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

We cover Homecoming patch notes from February 10, 2022, the current and upcoming Weekly Strike Targets, then jump straight into a base tour and discussion.

The bases we toured are The Spaceship on Excelsior (base code ONES-5030), and Vault Luxe (currently private). You can find Dacy’s base building tutorials and tours on her YouTube channel .

We’ll continue the discussion and tour more bases with Dacy on the next live stream on March 5th, starting at 6pm eastern.

Find us on Twitch, YouTube, and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
CoH Podcast YouTube Archive
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

You can find Brigg streaming on Twitch

And you can find tutorials on his fire farms on his YouTube page

Brigg’s farming maps mentioned in the episode can be accessed from the Architect Entertainment kiosks on Homecoming and some other private servers). On Homecoming the arc IDs are:

• 125: Bloody Rainbow: Comic Con Fire Farm (the OG)
• 2551: Comic Con Fire Farm Cave Edition
• 2915: $Comic Con Fire Farm$ (same as 125, previously game more influence before the exemplar nerf)
• 133: Comic Con Smashing & Lethal Farm
• 9911: Comic Con Smash & Lethal Outdoor Edition

Here are the S&L maps mentioned by u/BlueIdoru on the Reddit thread

“On Homecoming, my S/L arcs are 44456, 44869, and 45166. I think 44456 has the maximum XP and INF possible, and the others are like 98% of the max or something close. Brigg’s farms are right up there too, and for the most part the popular fire farms are going to have a similar amount of rewards.”

Special thanks to our friend TraumaTrain Rich for his generous gift subs which unlocked new Twitch emote slots!! And as always, to the amazing CoH Twitch community who make the live streams so much fun!

Our next episode will live stream on Twitch on February 19th, starting at 6pm eastern.

Find us on Twitch and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

Our next episode will be live streamed on Twitch on February 5th, starting at 6pm eastern.

Find us on Twitch and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

We kick off with the Homecoming patch notes from January 4th, and share that Mid’s Reborn will have a new version soon that brings back “level up” mode!

Here are the lists of travel destinations based on travel method that we cover on the show:

LFG Queue
Brickstown (Manticore)
Cap au Diable (Dr. Aeon, Virgil Tarikos)
Cascade Archipelago (Sara Moore)
Cimerora (Imperious)
Croatoa (Katie Hannon)
Firebase Zulu (Dr. Quaterfield)
Founders’ Falls (Dr Kahn, Numina)
Grandville (Barracuda, Lord Recluse)
Independence Port (Admiral Sutter, Ms. Liberty, Penelopy Yin)
Rikti War Zone (Apex, Lady Grey, Tin Mage)
Sharkhead Isle (Silver Mantis, Mortimer Kal, Operative Renault)
Skyway City (Synapse)
St. Martial (Ice Mistral)
Steel Canyon (Positron)
Striga Isle (Ernesto Hess, Moonfire)
Talos Island (Citadel)
The Chantry (Faathim the Kind, Justin Augustine)

Ouroboros Destinations
Paragon City
Atlas Park
Founders’ Falls
Independence Port
Peregrine Island
Talos Island
Rogue Isles
Cap au Diable
Sharkhead Isle
Nerva Archipelago
St. Martial
Grandville

Tunnel System

• Paragon Routes
  • Atlas Park
  • Imperial City
  • Underground Imperial
  • Talos Island
  • First Ward
  • Night Ward
  • Founders’ Falls
  • Peregrine Island
  • Firebase Zulu
  • Dark Astoria
• Rogue Isles Routes
  • Mercy Island
  • Imperial City
  • Underground Imperial
  • Cap Au Diable
  • First Ward
  • Night Ward
  • Nerva Archipelago
  • Grandville
  • Dark Astoria

“Public” Transit

• Paragon City Monorail
  • Atlas Park
  • Kings Row
  • Steel Canyon
  • Skyway City
  • Talos Island
  • Independence Port
  • Croatoa
  • Brickstown
  • Founders’ Falls
  • Paragon City Ferry
  • Talos Island
  • Peregrin Island
• Black Helicopter
  • Mercy Island
  • Port Oakes
  • Cap au Diable
  • Sharkhead Isle
  • Nerva Archipelago
  • St. Martial
  • Grandville
• Rogue Isles Ferry
  • Mercy Island
  • Port Oakes (East and West)
  • Cap au Diable (North and South)
  • Sharkhead Isle
  • Nerva Archipelago
  • St. Martial
  • Grandville

Our next episode will be live streamed on Twitch on January 24th, starting at 6pm eastern. We will most likely be discussing City of Hero mods.

Find us on Twitch and Discord:
https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (the live CoH Podcast)
https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
https://discord.gg/c2j9CMjj8E (Our Discord Server)

We announce the Winter Holiday Dev’s Choice Contest Winner for great Architect Entertainment stories.

These include:

• The WINNER: Murder on 34th Street by @@Charlie
  • Arc ID: 45294
  • Created by: @@Charlie
  • Number of Missions: 3
  • Description: “Santa Claus has been framed for a crime he did not commit. If you don’t help prove his innocence, he’ll be spending Christmas behind bars.”
• Honorable Mention: The Dance-Off That Saved Christmas
  • Arc ID: 44962
  • Created by: @Clave Dark 5
  • Number of Missions: 3
  • Description: “Lame Christmas schlock ruins TV every year, so why should the AE be any different? Help Santa save Christmas through a series of weak character motivations and underdeveloped plot holes that Harold Angel of the Paragon Times hearkened to as ‘an asinine affront to the holiday spirit!'”
• Honorable Mention: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
  • Arc ID: 45220
  • Created by: @Defeat All Snakes
  • Number of Missions: 3
  • Description: “Grandville is in the middle of an anti-Christmas crackdown. Trees are torn down, gifts confiscated, carolers hit with riot hoses, and none dare resist. None, that is, but a rumor-shadowed figure who seeks those willing to defy Recluses edict — one the villains of the isles call only ‘The Sandman.'”
• Honorable Mention: I Hate Christmas Music
  • Arc ID: 44913
  • Created by: @Police Woman
  • Number of Missions: 3
  • Description: “‘Tis the season for Christmas music – but that’s simply the worst when you’re a Troll Raver like the Boogie Man. Help the Boogie Man put an end to the scourge that is Christmas music and replace it with something with a more danceable beat.”

We will be streaming the next episode on January 8, 2022 starting at 6pm eastern! The main topic will be an overview of all of the fast travel options now available in the game. From teleports to Tunnels, and mods like Vidiotmaps.

Special thanks to everyone who joined us for the live show. Many of them also stream City of Heroes – check them out!

asharara
Dythok
evolve209
ferek_xorn
Greblaja
JademPrime
LobstarLive
mr_milliondollar
Tax_E
The_DawL_House
TimbrrWolfe
TraumaTrainRich
therealsmoof
ZeroOneZero101

You can catch the video archive of this episode on YouTube!

We also discuss:

• A new Marvel MMORPG is in the works
• How to transfer your Mid’s build into the beta server
• Homecoming patch notes from November 30, 2021
• The Homecoming monthly Dev’s choice awards for exceptional AE missions

Special announcement and call for players;

On Dec 18 Viv will be co-hosting an “Introduction to Incarnate Trials” session, Part 1 w/ drumroll plz our good friend and fellow streamer Dythok! Viv will be reading the text to give context and the full story, and Dythok will lead the trials, share the strategy and show how to successfully complete them.

There are 8 trials total, and Dythok has chosen three to start – Behavior Adjustment Facility, Lambda Sector, and Keyes Island Reactor Trial.

You have to be level 50 to join, be ready to start at 7pm eastern SHARP on December 18th on Homecoming Server, Excelsior shard. For these 3 trials, there is no other requirement. You can join us on Chooch and Viv’s Game Night Discord for more info as plans develop and to sign up in advance.

The goal of these runs is to remove some of the mystery involved and get more folks doing them. Cuz look, I know it’s intimidating. Ppl advertise spots for speedy trials, and there’s baaaaaarely any explanation. They speed on without you knowing WTF is going on and suddenly you’re standing there with (hopefully) a few new badges but no clue why you have them. And I’m not knocking the folks that do that, they should run it in a way that makes them feel sure they’ll be successful. But it can be massively disappointing to feel like end game content is out of your reach.

The main topic for our next episode will be an overview of all of the fast travel options now available in the game. From recent travel power changes, to teleports, Tunnels, and mods like Vidiotmaps.

Special thanks to everyone who joined us for the live show. Many of them also stream City of Heroes – check them out!

GameTimeWithKyle
Greblaja
Tax_E
The_DawL_House
Tiger_Beans
TimbrrWolfe
TraumaTrainRich
therealsmoof

In Chooch and Viv news: all of our directory listings have been validated, so now in addition to subscribing directly from the website, or iTunes – all episodes are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio.

Direct links have been added to our Subscribe page.

Giving a subscribe, thumbs up, star, or review on whichever service you use will go a long way to helping people fund us, and discover the game!

For feedback you can always email us at cohpodcast@gmail.com and now you can reach out on our Discord server!

If you haven’t used Discord, it is a service for text and audio/video group chats which is great for discussions, sharing tips/tricks, and teaming up in the game.

Patch topics covered include

• Dr. Aeon Strike Force
• New Difficulty/Challenge Options
• Challenge Modes
• New Powersets: Seismic Blast, and Earth Manipulation
• Power proliferations for Scrappers and Stalkers
• Revamps to Stone Armor, Electrical Blast, and Dual Blades
• New IO Sets: Slow Movement and Travel
• D-Sync Origin Enhancements
• Taunt enhancement categories are being renamed “Threat Duration Enhancements”
• New Emotes: Innertubes!!
• Supergroup Base Changes
• New Costume Parts
• Architect Entertainment Incarnate Thread to Ticket conversion
• …and much more!

Shout outs and mentions from the chat:

• Our Twitch and Discord
  • https://twitch.tv/choochandviv (live CoH Podcast)
  • https://twitch.tv/vividmuse (CoH Gameplay)
  • https://twitch.tv/choochus (music composition, variety gameplay)
  • Our Discord Server
• https://twitch.tv/TraumaTrainRich
• https://twitch.tv/therealsmoof
• The DawL House (COH Discord community)

We have expanded where you can hear/view the show with direct links on our Subscribe page for YouTube, Twitch, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and Stitcher.

This episode we:

• Re-introduce ourselves
• Tell you what we’ve been up to the last couple years
• Discuss our plans for the future of the podcast
  • Current schedule is to stream fortnightly / bi-weekly / every two weeks, Saturdays starting at 4:00pm eastern on Twitch
  • You can watch after broadcast on our Twitch or YouTube channels
• Read the latest patch notes for Homecoming
• Show you how to download and play the game on Homecoming
• Read very belated feedback…
• …and gush about how excited we are to be back and really want you to start playing again too!

During the episode we mention these awesome City of Heroes streamers and communities:

• Viv’s live streams Twitch.tv/VividMuse
• Chooch’s live streams Twitch.tv/Choochus
• CoH Podcast will be streaming live episodes from Twitch.tv/ChoochAndViv
• The DawL House (COH Discord community)
• Twitch.tv/TraumaTrainRich
• Twitch.tv/Dythok
• Twitch.tv/therealsmoof
• Twitch.tv/Tax_E
• Twitch.tv/LobstarLive
• Twitch.tv/Bu1lets

There is something absolutely crazy happening — for the last seven years, a small group of people have been playing City of Heroes as the server were before they shut down. Actually better than that – it included the unreleased Issue 24 content as well as a brand new zone, new archetype, and new powersets!One intrepid hero refused to keep the secret – and now we can all come back back up (with some big caveats)!Chooch and Viv discuss what’s happened in the last week, and give their impressions after playing on the new server.

Wednesday, 10/8 at 9pm – Online Vid Tribute from The Beyond the Wall crew:

On Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 9pm Eastern, the Beyond the Wall crew will be recording a live podcast show in which we will bid farewell to our good friend, P.G. Holyfield.

There is also an in-person gathering and a Memorial Service occurring on Oct 11th and 12th, respectively.

If you would like to attend one or both of those events, please check the links on this post at SpecFicMedia.com.

Of course, we understand that not everyone will be able to attend in person.

For so many, these podcasts are how they knew him.

So, the show on Wednesday the 8th will be a way for us, and for you, to express your feelings about this man, who brought so many people together.

We on the crew will be sharing our feelings and memories, but, we would also like to hear from you. If you have words, audio or video that you would like to share, please email it to us at BTW@SpecFicMedia.com.

Even if you have already sent something, please re-send it if you would like it to appear on this show. If you would like to send something that is just for family or any other private audience, please indicate this in your email.

And of course, if you are reading this too late or are just unable to put your feelings together before we record, please send anyways.

Also, please help us boost the signal, both for this announcement and the show event links that will follow, so that everyone that would like to can participate.

P.G. Holyfield founded a great community at SpecFicMedia, but now his watch has ended.

Our watch continues and so we will carry on our sacred duty, which is to talk about things we love – and people that we love – with all of you.

Thank you, from your friends at SpecFicMedia.com.

Saturday: A Casual Gathering and A Celebration of Life in Honor of Patrick G. Holyfield

October 11th from 6 pm – 10 pm – Come and go as you are available

Flying Saucer in Charlotte, NC
9605 N Tryon St Suite A, Charlotte, North Carolina 28262

Chooch and I will be hosting an informal gathering in Charlotte on Saturday, October 11th, at The Flying Saucer. It’s a craft brew honoring restaurant, that we’ve enjoyed with P.G. in the past.

The official time is from 6 – 8 pm, when we are guaranteed use of the private room. If our numbers dwindle, we may move to a large table or we may be allowed to stay in the private room. They have been wonderfully accommodating and will do their best for us.

There will be self-pay dining and libation offerings in mid-price range

A brief video of memories from Chooch and I including some favorite Con(vention) Family will be available for viewing at any time. Otherwise, come as you are able as you arrive from other destinations or to spend the time together. We hope to highlight P.G., our friendship, and shared world with him in the podcasting and convention realms.

This will be a celebration of life, his life, and our con family experiences with him, but also a place for those that wish for grieving and remembrance, as well.

If you have ideas for this celebration of his life, please make pledges of time or assistance, please send to BTW@SpecFicMedia.com.

If you have pix or vid clips you love of PG, please send to BTW@SpecFicMedia.com, for possible inclusion in the video we are hoping to complete. (Time constraints.)

Also, if you are local and available to assist, please let me know at the above email to coordinate with needs for this unexpected gathering/weekend.

Sunday: The Memorial Service in honor of Patrick G. Holyfield

Sunday, at 12pm – Embassy Suites Banquet Room located at 4800 S. Tryon St (near Charlotte Douglas Airport–they will have shuttle service).

Please forward any written sentiments, photos, audio or video you would like to make a part of my tribute to me (Kim AKA The Trustee) at kim@pghct.org.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and contributions. I truly look forward to seeing or hearing from all of you, either next week or in the future.

Kim

There isn’t a lot of detail, but here is an overview of what was presented at the CoH Panel:

• The panel was centered around how to keep an MMO fresh and new
• History of Paragon Studios
• List of many things that went into the game since launch
• Issue 17 release in April- open beta “very soon”
• Ultra mode graphics
• New story arcs
• Revamp of Positron task force
  • split into two TFs (as was always intended)
  • fight at the dam
  • spruced up missions to give them a new feel
• Going Rogue
  • New level 1-20 experience
  • The GR system itself
  • Praetoria
    • 4 Zones, showed some concept art
• New power sets
  • Dual pistols
    • if you pre-purchase Going Rogue now, then you immediately get dual pistols
  • Demon summoning will be launched with i17
    • again if you pre-purchase you get it as soon as it hits servers
    • Demons are elemental based
      • Each Fire, Ice, and ?? will be launched in sequence, kind of like the medic coming out for mercenaries.
    • All new graphic models – they’re not just rehashed CoT stuff
• Powersets debuted at PAX East 2010:
  • Electric Control (controllers and dominators)
  • Kinetic Melee (scrappers, tankers, brutes, stalkers)
• The future
  • Issue 19 tentatively called “Incarnates”
    • End-game system that Matt has been working on for several months.
    • 10 Incarnate levels past 50 – first level will be in Going Rogue
    • Hopefully all will be released with i19 (perhaps not all at the same time, but as close as possible)
• Matt was glad to finally make it to the east coast (woot!)

This charity drive is a live, online auction to raise money for the trust fund of Tee Morris’ daughter who lost her mother on January 5, 2010. There will be at least 5 hours of entertainment hosted by Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit. We’ll be in the live audience cheering everybody on, and likely on camera on the main feed as well. It’s shaping up to be a really fun time. You’ll be able to bid from the chat room, through e-mail, proxy-bid on the website, and I think via video or audio on Skype or UStream.

And with over 70 items up for auction (so far!!) there is something for everyone to get excited about and bid for! Everything from jewelry, to pictures, paintings by celebrities, custom music, book dedications, food, clothes, signed DVDs and books, knitwear, and even Mozart’s Balls!! Seriously, go check out everything up for auction!

Hope to see you there!

In this episode we discuss:

• Winner of Knives of Artemis costume code: Flick Guy
• Free character transfers until the end of January:
  • Starts:Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 8:59 a.m. PST (11:59 a.m. EST)
  • Ends: Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST (2:59 a.m. EST)
  • These are moves, not copies. You can move a character back with the same restrictions and caveats
  • You cannot transfer characters between different accounts — same account only
  • You can do up to 6 transfers a week. This could be anything from 1 character transferred 6 times back and forth between 2 servers, or could be 6 characters to different servers in any combination
  • Cannot swap between US & European servers
  • Lose Supergroup affiliation, prestige, and items
  • Lose server friends list, but keep global list
  • Leveling pacts will be broken
  • Keep auction house items
  • You may lose your character name if it is already taken on the new server. No warning is given, but you are given a free rename token. If you already have one character on the destination server you can do a name lookup check at the login screen.
  • If you have a one or two letter/number name, you will loose it forever. The servers currently only allow three letter/number names.
  • Character transfer tutorial
• City of Heroes® Super Booster IV: Martial Arts
  • This Super Booster channels your chi while combining the perfect balance of style and power.
  • Martial Arts themed costume set:
    • The Martial Arts themed male, female and huge costume parts include robes, shoulders, legs, gloves, footwear, mask, belt and head pieces, as well as new hair styles, chest emblems, and weapons. Male and huge characters also have the option to select the top knot hairstyle, while females will have the option for crazy braided buns!
  • Character Emotes:
    • /em bringit
    • /em pushup
  • Costume Change Emotes:
    • Smoke Bomb
    • Ninja Leap
  • Ninja Run power:
    • Dash through the city with the agility of a ninja! Use Ninja Run to strike fear in the hearts of your enemies as you increase your run speed and leaping abilities, and the best part? It doesn’t use one of your power selections!
  • This purchase enables these features for all characters on your game account from level 1. Ninja Run power is available at level 4. Costume change emotes* do require that you unlock at least one additional costume slot.

  Promo: The Empress Sword by Paulette Jaxton

Since video files are so big we didn’t want to clog up your podcast feed with one. Head over to the video post and you can download it in a range of formats or stream it straight from the post!

Too long in the making, we are proud to bring you our Transcendence Trial tutorial. At the start of the episode Viv breaks down the basics of the Trans Trial and how we go about running it. Then we actually run through it “live” with a full team.

Sorry, no news or fluff. Contest winner will be announced in a special audio drop this week.

We’d like to thank the team members who helped us run the trial:

• Will Hudson and Tai Kitty, Heroes of the first order
• Biscuit the Mighty of the Kulture Kast
• Heather Welliver and Marc Bailey of Grailwolf’s Geek Life
• Zigdon
• our son, M.

Items mentioned in the episode:

• Gleepwurp’s Task Force and Trial Guide
• Paragon Wiki
• Promo: J.C. Hutchin’s 7th Son in print!

Lyrics: Kim Fortuner and Patrick E. McLean
Vocals: Kim Fortuner
Guitar: Tim Dodge
Orchestra and production: Chooch Schubert

The song was originally written and recorded at Dragon*Con 2009 in about 30 minutes. Tim and Kim agreed to record clean versions of their parts and let me wrap other instruments and sound effects around them.

enjoy!

This episode includes:

• The winner of the impromptu contest we created at the panel
• Information to enter a drawing for a Knives of Artemis costume code
• The City of Heroes Panel at Dragon*Con

Special thanks to:

• Grimthorn
• Colin Seraphina Brennan from Massively
• Central Nexus
• Douglas Allan of the Paragonian Knights

We’ll be releasing the full panel audio soon, as well as a regular episode with news and patch note highlights from the launch of i16.

No promos or news in this one, but that’s coming soon. Promise

This discussion is more about super heroes in various media than City of Heroes, but we do manage to talk about many features and aspects of the game.

Two warnings:

1. Tthere are bad words. We drop the F Bomb a few times and discuss.. um.. anatomy.
2. There are spoilers. We discuss all aspects of many different movie/book/comic properties and without pausing to give warnings, so be prepared to hit pause/fast forward if you hear a topic that you don’t want to get spoiled on

During our conversation we mention:

• Kulture Kast
• Watchmen
• Erotica Ala Carte
• Geek Radio Daily
• BSG
• El Cazador
• GURPS
• Green Lantern Mashup
• Transformers vs. Terminator Mashup
• Buffy/Twilight Mashup
• Grant Baciocco’s Christian Bale response
• Family Guy Christian Bale response
• Dance techno Christian Bale remix
• Apple Geeks
• J.C. Hutchins
• Murder At Avedon Hill
• Promo: Down From Ten

Tee Morris links:

• http://www.allatwitterbook.com
• http://www.birdhouserules.com
• http://www.teemorris.com
• http://www.imaginethatstudios.com

In this episode we discuss:

• We are Parsec Finalists again this year !!!
• We are going to Dragon Con!
• We’ll be dropping a special episode with Tee Morris into the feed soon, discussing movies from comic books
• Paragon Studios team hits Twitter
  • @Positron_CoH
  • @Niviene_CoH
  • @MelissaBianco (WarWitch)
  • @CoH_OCR (the community relations team)
  • Honorable mentions include: @plaync, @thetitannetwork
  • Of course, you can follow us too as: @choochus, and @vividmuse
• Paragon Studios at Comic Con
• Issue 15: Anniversary Releases info from forums
• Issue 15: Anniversary Releases info from news
• Double XP Save The Date
• Issue 16: Power Spectrum
• Migration of the message boards part 1 and part 2
• Purchase new MA story slots
• Issue 15: Anniversary Full Release Notes (cwned!)
• Promo: Mur Lafferty’s WAR
  

• Todays listener meetup
  • Chooch posted some screen caps to our website gallery
  • We ran Drew’s arc (163236)
  • Chooch’s team started Edgar’s Garden’s arc (101467)
  • The other arcs that we didn’t get to include:
  • Dribbler: 31757
  • Criswell Predicts: Rescue Chuch
  • Fantastic Foe: 200411
  • Skye Rocket “Lab Rabbits”
  • Drew’s: 164460
  • Drew’s: 164186
• Going Rogue” expansion info and FAQ
• Issue 15 Overview – now on the test server
• Developer Diary 1
• Developer Diary 2
• Official forum post from Positron on i16
• Super Booster III: Super Science Hits the Training Room
• Champions Online Delayed Until September
• Wired Article on Mission Architect
• Dungeons & Dragons Online Goes Free-To-Play
• Good News for SinnerSaint and Cyborg Anna

Since we weren’t able to get the next episode out like we planned to this week I wanted to at least get an announcement out to everybody.

By the power of loophole – we are happy to bring you Listener Meetup IV: A New Hope!

We were thinking that it would be cool to make this another “Pimp My Arc” event and run through some listener generated content!

So, here are the deets:
We’ll meet up on Guardian Server – Atlas Park Galaxy City – Architect Entertainment Building at 2pm Eastern on Sunday, June 28th.

which is:

• 1pm Central
• Noon Mountain
• 11 am Pacific
• 10 am Alaska, or
• 10:30am Monday in Tehran

Plan to goof around, chat and catch up for 30-45 minutes, and then start running arcs. In the past the events have lasted about 2 hours, so that’s what we’ll shoot for — essentially, if you come late, don’t worry about it — just say hi when you get there and jump onto a team to run an arc!

Hope to see you there!!

I didn’t feel right about dropping these directly into either of our podcast feeds since they contain no gaming, parenting, or blending content They are focused on podcasting/recording/audio techie stuff.

You can check them out over at my new site Random Acts of Chooch. The three panels contain different combinations of me, Viv, Scott Sigler, PG Holyfield, MAinPA, Thomas “Command Line” Gideon, Dan the Fan, Nobilis Reed, Marc “Grailwolf” Bailey, Heather Welliver, and Tyler Waldeman.

New CoH specific content is Coming Soon

In this episode we do talk about gaming (video and otherwise), so we thought it would be OK to cross post to CoH Podcast. There’s no CoH News or CoH specific content, so feel free to skip this one if you are a hater of teh fluff.

A special thanks to everybody that came out and participated! You truly made this a special event for us!

Oh and feel free to include it in your own show if you’re a podcaster

Head over there for details on where we’ll be during the con as well as the unfolding details of the New Media Costume Party that we’ll be hosting!

Here’s the linkage:

• Super Booster II: Magic Pack Now on Sale
• i14 Architect – Release Notes – 4/8/09
• Mission Architect Video and Guide!
• Issue 14 Follow-Up From Positron!
• Justice Girls Summer Heat – Virtue – May 9 – 8-11pm Eastern
• Bumper: Cheyenne Wright
• Promo: The Seanachai

In this episode we discuss:

• We’re cutting back, but we’re still Yay! New Casting
• A word regarding outside solicitations
• Announcing: New SG/VG leadership rank for Issue 14
• Introducing player proup: City of Comic Creators!
• Weekend update!
• Issue #14: Architect coming to live servers soon Wednesday, April 8 !!!
• LT makes an appearance to give his opinions on the shields powers and character creator options
• Bored at work Haiku
• Nerd Girl Deathmatch. A Short Play in One Act. (Inspired by actual events)
• Promo: Balticon 43 – May 22 – 25, 2009. We totally forgot to talk about it, but we’ll be there and will be speaking on a few panels!

By the way, the pie was epic WIN!

Nothing game related mind you – this one’s all fluff!

The song used for this special episode is The Lark in the Morning by Dongas Tribe

The episode ended up being so long that I’ve split it into two files, however releasing them at the same time. Hopefully you get them in the right order. Depending on your podcatcher and mp3 player, it may roll right through. For some (most?) people part A will end at around an hour and 30 minutes, then you’ll have to pick part B from the playlist and keep on rolling.

In this episode we discuss:

• New Issue 14 Mission Architect info revealed
• Little Big Planet
• Introducing the Paragon Journals
• Issue 14 Closed Beta Starts Today!
• We got a puppy!
• Thottbot
• Guild Helper
• Guild Portal (which is what I actually meant on the cast, not Guild Helper )
• Conan thing at around 15 mins
• Wine Is Not an Emulator
• The Seanachai
• Daddy Digest
• Crucial.com
• Sky Rocket Shatner love
• This link shows which Macs have which have Intel GMA’s
• This link includes a list of COX supported video cards,
• Clear Skys
• Da Mastermind said “OH NOES!! – You guys have competition“
• Sky Rocket Peapod costume
• Promo: Antithesis Podcast

The episode ended up being so long that I’ve split it into two files, however releasing them at the same time. Hopefully you get them in the right order. Depending on your podcatcher and mp3 player, it may roll right through. For some (most?) people part A will end at around an hour and 30 minutes, then you’ll have to pick part B from the playlist and keep on rolling.

In this episode we discuss:

• New Issue 14 Mission Architect info revealed
• Little Big Planet
• Introducing the Paragon Journals
• Issue 14 Closed Beta Starts Today!
• We got a puppy!
• Thottbot
• Guild Helper
• Guild Portal (which is what I actually meant on the cast, not Guild Helper )
• Conan thing at around 15 mins
• Wine Is Not an Emulator
• The Seanachai
• Daddy Digest
• Crucial.com
• Sky Rocket Shatner love
• This link shows which Macs have which have Intel GMA’s
• This link includes a list of COX supported video cards,
• Clear Skys
• Da Mastermind said “OH NOES!! – You guys have competition“
• Sky Rocket Peapod costume
• Promo: Antithesis Podcast

Linkage:

• Details About Mac Version & Perks
• New Video Ads for Mac!
• Massively.com gives City of Heroes 2008 Award!!
• URGENT! – Do NOT Use Witch Leather Top
• City of Heroes Featured on Apple Games!
• Live Patch — 1.22.09
• Announcing 57 & 60 Month Veteran Rewards!
• Mur Lafferty’s favorite character
• Promo:Movie Mantras

Clicky to see the full text for Part 4 of Fantastic Foe’s IO Sets feature

The following is the (more or less) final installment in the Fantastic Foe IO Set Featurettes, presenting specific character attributes and the IO sets that support them as bonuses.

I’ll be presenting the following topics based on protections to damage type, with commonly associated damages merged: ie. smashing and lethal, fire and cold, energy and negative energy, etc.

The percentage bonuses are rather small, and obviously aren’t meant to replace powersets.

When discussing resistances and defenses, I’d like to make a few statements:

1) 1% defense is roughly equivalent to 2% of resistance. The reasoning behind this non-binding law of protective equivalence has been hashed out in the forums. It’s not an exact science, but for lightweight discussions, it works okay.

2) % bonuses seem small, but they are worthwhile. +5% defense is the same benefit granted a character using a shield in Dungeons and Dragons, or any other +1 bonus to armor class, and I rarely in my days of gaming saw anyone forgo the use of a shield when it was available to them to have one on the basis that the bonus was too small.

SMASHING/LETHAL RESISTANCE/DEFENSE
Smashing/Lethal is not only the most common damage type in the game, but it is often a component of energy and elemental based attacks (i.e. being hit by a cold/smashing attack or fire/lethal) so improving Smashing/Lethal resistance or defense is usually a good investment.

Sadly, your options are limited when it comes to IO set bonuses versus Smash/Lethal.

Smashing/Lethal Resistance
Sets providing Smash/Lethal Resistance bonuses with 3 IOs:

Knockback: Kinetic Crash +2.5% Smashing Resistance

Sets providing Smash/Lethal Resistance bonuses with 4 IOs:

Targeted AOE: Air Burst   + 0.63 Smash/Lethal Resist
Pet: Edict of the Master   + 2.5% Lethal Resist
Sleep: Hibernation   +1.25% Smash Resist [4 out of 5 required]

Smashing Lethal Defense
Sets providing Smash/Lethal Defense bonuses with 2 IOs:

To Hit Buff: Rectified Reticle  +0.95% Smash/Lethal [2 of 3 required]

Sets providing Smash/Lethal Defense bonuses with 3 IOs:

Taunt: Annoyance   +0.63 Smash/Lethal  Def [3 of 3 required]
Taunt: Triumphant Insult   +0.95 Smash/Lethal Defense [3/3]
To Hit Debuff: Discouraging Words   +0.63 S/L Defense [3/3]

Sets providing Smash/Lethal Defense bonuses with 4 IOs:

Sleep:Lethargic Repose   +1.88% Smashing Defense
Slow: Curtail Speed +1.25% Lethal Defense [4/5]
Immob: Enfeebled Operation +2.5% Lethal Defense
Taunt: Mocking Beratement  +1.26% Smash/Lethal Defense

Sets providing Smash/Lethal Defense bonuses with 6 IOs:

Taunt: Perfect Zinger +1.58% Smash/Lethal Defense

And that’s it. More defense options are available than resistance, which is fine if you want marginal gains in defense since the defensive pool powers, ( i.e. combat jumping, hover, etc. ) offer very small defensive bonuses, even when slotted to explicitly improve defense. (I think the base is 2.5%, triple slotting with defense hits around 4% total)

FIRE/COLD RESISTANCE/DEFENSE
Interestingly enough, all but one of the following sets provide either protections against the elemental damage of fire or cold attacks with only an investment of 3 set IOs. So Fire and Cold protections can be interwoven with other 2 and 3 IO set combinations.

When I first began researching IO bonuses against Fire and Cold, I assumed that there would be many sets that only provided protections against cold, or only against fire. That way one could reinforce a particular concept for a character, like you might do in the Champions pen and paper RPG.  Say a character might be particularly resistant or particularly vulnerable to fire, totally unrelated to how they react against other damage types, such as cold damage. But in almost all cases in City of Heroes, bonuses from IO sets for fire apply to bonuses for cold.

Fire/Cold Damage Resistance
Sets providing Fire/Cold Resistance bonuses with 3 IOs:

PBAOE: Multi-Strike +0.95% Fire/Cold Resist
Ranged: Salvo +1.26% Fire/Cold Resist [3 of 3 required]
Targeted AOE: Positron’s Blast +1.58% Fire/Cold Resist
Sniper: Executioner’s Contract +3.13% COLD Resist
Heal: Doctored Wounds +1.26% Fire/Cold Resist

Defense: Gift of the Ancients +2.5% FIRE Resist
Defense: Red Fortune +1.26% Fire/Cold Resist

Immob: Debilitative Action +2.5% COLD Resist
Stun: Rope a Dope +0.95% Fire/Cold Resist

The following are from the rare unique level 50 sets (still 3 IOs):

Melee: Hecatomb +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance
PBAOE: Armageddon +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance
Targeted AOE: Ragnarok +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance
Sleep: Fortunata Hypnosis +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance
Immob: Gravitational Anchor +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance
Hold: Unbreakable Constraint +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance
Stun: Absolute Amazement +2.52% Fire/Cold Resistance

Fire/Cold Attack Defense
Sets providing Fire/Cold Defense bonuses with 3 IOs:

Ranged: Maelstrom’s Fury +1.88% COLD Def  [3 of 4 needed]
Sniper: Exploit Weakness +0.63% Fire/Cold Def  [3/4]
Pet: Blood Mandate +0.95% Fire/Cold Defense
Resist: Aegis +1.58% Fire/Cold Defense
Stun:Stagger +0.63% Fire/Cold Defense

And the exception to all other Fire/Cold bonus sets:
Set providing Fire/Cold Defense bonus with 5 IOs

Taunt: Mocking Beratement +1.58% Fire/Cold Defense

Alright, there are more options for boosting fire/cold and the percentages are larger than the smash/lethal set, although that is tempered by the fact that many of the resistance sets are unique and therefore part of an expensive pool of IOs. Still, you might be able to with very little effort get 3-4% defense, or 7-8% resistance to fire/cold attacks. That’s not too bad on defense, since it’ll stack with hover/combat jumping, and of course with the benefits of a Force Field: Insulation shield. (I say of course, like I know… but for all I know they don’t… I leave that answer as an exercise for the listener…)

ENERGY/NEGATIVE ENERGY RESISTANCE/DEFENSE
I should probably refer to energy attacks such as the energy component in Energy Blast or Radiation as “Positive Energy” since “Energy” in general should encompass “Negative Energy” as well. But I’m lazy, and that’s like 8 whole characters, so take it on spec that Energy and Negative Energy are Positive Energy and Negative Energy respectively. Capiche?

Again, most Energy and Neg. Energy protection bonuses are found in the 3 IO range, which leaves nice options for franken-slotting,Also, about half of the IO sets only apply a bonus to positive energy or negative energy but not both.

Energy/Negative Damage Resistance
Sets providing Energy Resistance bonuses with 3 IOs:

PBAOE: Scirocco’s Dervish +3.13% Negative Energy Resis.
Ranged: Tempest +0.63% Energy/Neg Energy Resis. [3 of 4]
Targeted AOE: Detonation +1.88% Energy Resis.
Immob: Enfeebled Operation +1.88% Neg. Energy Resis.
Hold: Paralytic +0.63% Energy/Neg Energy Resis [ 3 of 5]
Fear: Unspeakable Terror +2.5% Negative Energy Resis
To Hit Buff: Adjusted Targeting + 1.26% NRG/Neg. NRG Res

Set providing Energy Resistance bonus with 4 IOs:

To Hit Debuff: Dampened Spirits +2.5% Neg. Energy Res.

Energy/Negative Energy Defense
Sets providing Energy/Negative Energy Defense bonuses with 3 IOs:

Melee: Pulverizing Fisticuffs +0.65% NRG/Neg NRG Def [3/4]
Melee: Pounding Slugfest +0.63% Energy/Neg Energy Def[3/4]

PBAOE: Cleaving Blow +1.25% Energy Defense [3/4]
Ranged: Thundersrtrike +2.5% Energy Defense

Sniper: Calibrated Accuracy +0.95% Energy/Neg Energy Def
Sniper: Sting of the manticore +0.95% Energy/Neg Energy Def

Resist Dam:Reactive Armor +1.25% Energy Defense
Sleep: Lethargic Repose +1.88% Energy Defense
Fear: Nightmare +1.88% Negative Energy Defense

There’s not a huge number of sets, particularly that only half or so apply both to positive and negative flavored energy damage, but the percentages aren’t too bad, and you could probably get a +5% defense (or possible an equivalent combo of defense and resistance.) This might help plug a hole or two, but doesn’t seem super exciting. Certainly, IO set bonuses can easily improve the 2.5% unenhanced defense Hover gives (4% triple SO enhanced.)

TOXIC/PSIONIC RESISTANCE/DEFENSE
Although Toxic damage and Psionic damage are unrelated, bonuses that protect against them tend to be linked in the IO set bonuses. So, for purposes of this featurette, they are related. So say we all.

With one exception, all Toxic Resistance, Psionic Resistance, and Psionic Defense bonus set IOs require total commitment: 6 IOs. (There is no Toxic Defense, by the way, as Toxic-damaging attacks have an attack vector (usually, I think) of ranged/special. The arcana involving an attack’s damage type and attack vector type might be a worthwhile feature one day….)

So, if you want to get any significant bonuses against Psionic or Toxic, prepare to pay. (Since any investment is probably going to be expensive, I don’t separate out the unique sets from the regular sets, since it’s all going to cost a ton.)

Toxic/Psionic Resistance
Sets that offer resistance bonuses against toxic or psionic damage for a mere 6 IOs:

Melee: Crushing Impact +2.5% Psi Res
Melee:Hecatomb +5% Toxic Res

PBAOE:Armageddon +5% Toxic Res
Ranged: Decimation +1.58% Toxic/Psi Res

Target AOE:Detonation +1.88% Toxic Res
Target AOE:Positron’s Blast +3.13% Res
Target AOE: Ragnarok +5% Toxic Res

Sniper: Sting of the Manticore +3.13% Toxic Res

Pet: Brilliant Leadership +1.26% Toxic/Psi Res
Pet:Edict of the Master +1.26% Toxic/Psi Res

Heal:Harmonized Healing +1.88% Toxic Res
Heal: Doctored Wounds +1.26% Toxic/Pis Res

Resist Damage: Impervium Armor +3.13% Psi Res
Resist Damage: Reactive Armor +1.25% Toxic Res
Resist Damage: Aegis +3.13% Toxic Res

Defense: Serendipity +1.25% Toxic Res
Defense: Gift of the Ancients +2.5% Psi Res
Defense: Luck of the Gambler +3.13% Psi Res

Confuse: Perplex +0.95% Toxic/Psi Res

Sleep: Lethargic Repose +1.88% Toxic Res
Sleep: Call of the Sandman +1.58% Toxic/Psi Res
Sleep: Fortunata Hypnosis +5% Toxic Res

Immob: Debilitative Action +2.5% Toxic Res
Immob: Gravitational Anchor +5% Toxic Res

Hold: Ghost Widow’s Embrace +3.13% Psi Res
Hold: Unbreakable Constraint +5% Toxic Res

Fear: Unspeakable Horror +2.5% Psi Res
Fear: Glimpse of the Abyss +3.13% Psi Res
Fear: Nightmare +0.95% Toxic/Psi Res

Stun: Absolute Amazement +5% Toxic Res
To Hit Debuff: Dark Watcher’s Despair +3.75% Psi Res

Psionic Defense (There is no toxic defense!)

Sets providing Psionic Defense bonuses with 2 IOs
Resist: Impervium Armor    +1.88 Psi Defense

Sets providing Psionic Defense bonuses with 6 IOs
PBAOE:Scirocco’s Dervish  +3.13% Psi Defense

Ranged: Devastation  +3.75% Psi Defense
Ranged: Apocalypse  +5% Psi Defense

Pet: Soulbound Allegiance  +5% Psi Defense
Heal: Miracle  +1.88% Psi Defense
Defense:Gift of the Ancients  +2.5% Psi Defense
Stun: Rope a Dope  +1.88% Psi Defense

Now, that’s a pretty fair amount of protective bonus sets, although of course I’ve munged (fancy technical term for moooshing…) Toxic and Psionic, but usually a set that protects against one does so against the other. Usually.

Anyway, if you have mad influence to burn to complete 6 IOs pieces, I mean a lot of influence, then it looks like you could rack up Resistance percentages easily from 5-15%. I mean, boatloads of influence, and the availability of the pieces in the market.

Defense, eh, you could probably easily (given cash and availability) hit 10% defense. Sure, 10% doesn’t sound that much, but that’s a +2 in D and D terms!

POSITIONAL (MELEE, RANGED, AOE) DEFENSE
This category of sets that contribute to positional defenses is a looooong list.

The previous defenses worked against attacks based on the type of damage that they did or roughly on the kind of elemental attack that it was. Positional defense is different in that it works regardless of the damage type of an attack; it defends against the vector or positional characteristic of the attack. Is it a melee attack like a punch? A ranged attack like a blast? Or an area of effect attack like an explosion? So Positional Defense is usually either a ranged defense, melee defense, or AOE defense

Since positional defenses work equally well regardless of the damage (a flaming sword attack or a kick are both melee, so melee defense can apply to both equally) they are intrinsically more useful than “typed” defenses, where you might have defense against lethal, fire, cold, energy, negative energy, psionic, and then get hit by a 100% smashing baseball.

Positional Defense bonuses from IO sets are also rather expensive, since most sets that offer any positional defenses usually require at least 5 IOs from a set. On the plus side, most percentages are at least +1.25%, so there’s no dinking around with 0.68% bonuses or similar nonsense.

And now, the list:
Sets providing Positional Defense bonuses with 3 IOs

Defense Debuff: Exploited Vulnerability  +1.25% MELEE Def
Defense Debuff: Achilles Heel  +1.88% AOE Def

Sets providing Positional Defense bonuses with 5 IOs
PBAOE:Multi Strike  +1.88% AOE Def
PBAOE:Scirocco’s Dervish  +3.13% AOE Def

Ranged:Ruin  +1.88% AOE Def
Targeted AOE:Detonation  +1.88% AOE Def
Sniper:Extreme Measures  +2.5% AOE Def

Pets:Commanding Presence  +1.88% AOE Def
Pets:Blood Mandate  +3.75% AOE Def

Heal:Harmonized Healing  +1.88% AOE Def
Heal:Miracle  +1.88% AOE Def

Resist Damage:Reactive Armor  +1.25% AOE Def
Resist Damage:Aegis  +3.13% AOE Def

Confuse:Cacophony  +2.5% AOE Def
Confuse:Perplex  +1.88% AOE Def

Sleep:Lethargic Repose  +1.88% AOE Def
Immob:Debilitative Action  +2.5% AOE Def
Stun: Razzle Dazzle  +2.5% MELEE Def

Sets providing Positional Defense bonuses with 6 IOs
Melee:Touch of Death  +3.13% MELEE Def
Melee:Mako’s Bite  +3.75% RANGED Def

PBAOE:Multistrike  +1.88% MELEE Def
Ranged:Thunderstrike  +2.5% RANGED Def

Sniper:Calibrated Accuracy  +3.13% RANGED Def
Sniper:Executioners Contract  +1.88% RANGED Def
Sniper:Extreme Measures  +2.5% MELEE Def

Pets:Blood Mandate  +3.75% RANGED Def
Pets:Sovereign Right  +3.13% MELEE Def

Resist Damage:Titanium Coating  +2.5% MELEE Def
Defense:Red Fortune  +2.5% RANGED Def

Confuse:Malaise’s Illusions  +3.13% RANGED Def
Confuse:Coercive Persuasion  +5% RANGED Def

Sleep:Induced Coma  +2.5% MELEE Def

Slow:Impeded Swiftness  +2.5% MELEE Def
Slow:Tempered Readiness  +1.88% RANGED Def
Slow:Pacing of the Turtle  +3.13% RANGED Def

Immob:Enfeebled Operation  +3.13% MELEE Def
Immob:Trap of the Hunter  +3.13% RANGED Def

Hold:Neuronic Shutdown  +2.5% RANGED Def
Hold:Essence of Curare  +1.88% RANGED Def

Stun:Razzle Dazzle  +2.5% AOE Def
Stun:Stupefy  +3.13% RANGED Def

Knockback:Force Feedback  +3.13% AOE Def
Endurance Mod:Performance Shifter  +3.13% AOE Def

To Hit Buff:Gaussian’s Synchronized Fire Control  +2.5% AOE, Melee, Ranged Def
Defense Debuff:Undermined Defense  +2.5% AOE Def

Now, there are a lot of Sets that contribute to one of the three aspects of positional defense, and there are enough variations in percentages that, should you possess a ginormous supply of influence and the ability to make people sell some valuable IOs in the market, you could rack up some healthy percentages.

Totally as a thought experiment, lets say you could 5-stack three of the common percentages, 1.88, 2.5, and 3.13. That’s probably impossible, but lets just say you could. It is numerically impossible that you could do this for all three of the positional defense flavors, so mentally just pick your favorite, Melee, Ranged, or AOE.

(1.88 + 2.5 + 3.13) * 5 = 37.55%! Since the average even con minion only has a 50% to hit you, if you could mythically slot such a bonus, a bad guy when attacking on the vector you’re protected against would only have a 12.45 % chance of hitting. (More or less. I’m way simplifying the complicated To Hit calculation for conceptual reasons…I would encourage listeners more versed in the To Hit mechanics to confirm or refute my simplified math.)

Now, it’s doubtful you could slot 15 powers of the 24 (for non-Kheldians and not counting inherents) that we get during game to get such a godlike defense (against one of ranged, melee, *or* AOE) but it is reasonable that you could get a 10% bonus perhaps against one, two, or all three position vectors. Reasonable given availability of IOs and your cash reserves, of course.

If I can offer some general opinions on positional defense: even if percentages are small, defense is nice to have and positional defense is nicer than typed defense.

Traditional “hardened” types, Tanks, Scrappers, Brutes, and yes, even Peacebringers (even Human-Form PBs I consider hardened) probably don’t need the extra defense, but it always helps. Percentage bonuses of defense are always worth more to characters when adding to an existing base (this is true of resistance too, but I’m talking defense in this section, so move along with me.)

Non-hardened archetypes can certainly supplement what defenses they might have, and based on their play-styles, a particular kind of defense might be better than others. I tend to suggest AOE defense to characters who don’t want to necessarily be in melee, but end up their anyway, either because they want to get the benefit of an AOE heal being cast on the team tank’s opponent, or they’re using their hurricane to pin enemies in a corner, or they are standing next to a bad guy who happens to be the anchor of a mighty debuff effect. Or they just like being near the tank.

Being next to a tank doesn’t sound bad. Even if he’s not taunting, his gauntlet will be getting attention, and if you get in trouble the tank can start knocking down anyone bullying you, and the team defender (should they possess heals and have been keeping an eye on the tank) has you on their radar.

But… then the boss villain drops a Nuke. Even if none of the enemies are paying attention to you standing in the tank’s shadow, the grenade from that Council Lieutenant, or the missiles from that Malta Titan just don’t care, they are going to blow up next to you anyway while bouncing off the tank. So AOE defense can go a long way.

Second up would be Ranged defense, since characters not planning on melee’ing can usually maneuver out of melee range. But since it seems that every enemy has a ranged attack that waaay exceeds a player’s range, maneuvering beyond melee just gets you shot at. So, ratgned defense cuts down on the times your defeated by madly fleeing. Just stay out of range of the AOE flamethrowers.

But, if you really want Melee defense I’m not going to argue. Melee attacks usually do more damage than ranged, and if you know you’re going to get punched at, stabbed at, clawed, thumped etc, by all means, try to get some melee defense and reduce how often that happens.

Just be aware, positional defense bonuses usually don’t work with the traditional power pool defenses, like Combat Jumping or Hover. Those powers are usually good against all Damage Types, defense vs fire, cold, smashing, lethal, negative energy, etc. Typed Defense values and Positional Defense values don’t stack. I discovered this when Real Numbers became available, and I could monitor the defenses on my Super Reflexes scrapper, who now no longer turns on Combat Jumping.

Again, please correct me if I am talking out of my nether region. You know what I mean.

HOLD AND STUN RESISTANCE
I’m introducing Holds and Stuns together, since thematically they are similar, but I’ll present the sets that support protections separately.

Stun resistance is mostly in the 4 IO range, and Hold resistance is in the 5 IO range, but except for two sets, the bonuses for slotting against hold or against stun are from entirely different supersets of IOs.

I’m not a huge fan of the bonuses available. To accumulate a serious effect, you would probably have to take either Acrobatics to reduce time Held, and  use Aid Self proactively to reduce time Stunned, and add bonuses from IO sets on top of that. Other than that, I suspect you can easily get 10% reductions in time spent stunned or held. I would be interested if anyone could get in the 30% range in either (particular in Stun resistance.)

Stun Resistance
Sets that offer Stun resistance bonuses for 4 IOs:

PBAOE:Multi-Strike  +1.65% Stun Resistance
Ranged: Maelstrom’s Fury  +1.65% Stun Resistance

Pet:Blood Mandate  +1.65% Stun Resistance
Pet: Sovereign Right  +2.75% Stun Resistance

Resist Damage: Titanium Coating  +2.2% Stun Resistance

Confuse:Befuddling Aura  +1.1% Stun Resistance
Confuse:Cacophony  +2.2% Stun Resistance

Slow:Impeded Swiftness  +2.2% Stun Resistance
Hold:Essence of Curare  +1.65% Stun Resistance
Fear:Horror  +1.1% Stun Resistance

Set that offers Stun resistance for 5 IOs:
Stun:Stagger +1% Stun Resistance [ 5 of 5 required]

Hold Resistance
Set that offers Hold resistance for 3 IOs:
Taunt: Mocking Beratement +2.75% Hold Resistance

Sets that offer Hold resistance for 5 IOs:
Melee:Touch of Death  +2.75% Hold Resistance
Melee:Mako’s Bite  +3.3% Hold Resistance

Ranged Damage:Devastation  +3.3% Hold Resistance
Sniper:Executioner’s Contract  +2.75% Hold Resistance

Pet:Edict of the Master  +2.2% Hold Resistance
Pet:Sovereign Right  +2.75% Hold Resistance
Pet:Soulbound Allegiance  +4.4% Hold Resistance

Heal:Numina’s Convalescence  +3.3% Hold Resistance

Resist Damage:Impervium Armor  +2.75% Hold Resistance
Resist Damage:Titanium Coating  +2.75% Hold Resistance

Defense: Gift of the Ancients  +2.2% Hold Resistance
Defense: Luck of the Gambler  +2.75% Hold Resistance

Slow: Impeded Swiftness  +2.2% Hold Resistance
Slow: Pacing of the Turtle  +2.75% Hold Resistance

Immob: Trap of the Hunter  +2.75% Hold Resistance
Fear: Nightmare  +1.65% Hold Resistance
Stun: Rope a Dope  +1.88% Hold Resistance

I find it interesting that the inexpensive set for Hold Resistance is a Taunt set, since the classic Taunter, the Tank, usually has excellent Hold protections for PVE. PVP might be different…

AND THAT IS THAT! I’M DONE!
Well, not exactly. There were a handful of other attributes, but I’m passing on them by mentioning them this way. Some of the Heal IO sets improve all your healing, some of the Slow IO sets improve your slows, Confuse sets improve confuses, Fear sets improve Fear durations, etc. You’ll run into those bonuses pretty much as you gather up set IOs just to slot the usual enhancement bonuses. Those will jump out at you, and there’s no need to state them here.

I’d like to thank ParagonWiki’s page on Invention Origin sets, which saved me from making a big matrix of what each set offers. I appreciated being able to look at bonus values without having to look at recipes or crafted IO enhancements in Wentworths.

That being said, I take responsibility for any errors or irregularities in this report. In my defense, there were a lot of notes being taken and shuffled around, with bits of info being added to, amended, errors found, etc. I would have had my editor wife assist me or proofread, but I can’t afford her rates, the mercenary.

I hope that this report provides some value. I know I’d been wanting to beef up my level 50s, but had not really been putting the time in to see what I could do. After cataloging the values from IO sets, it gave me certain goals to achieve for my characters, which helped me draft up some recipe shopping lists, which of course gave me an Influence goal and prompted me to start in on playing them again.

Any reason to play my 50s is a good reason

We’ve got over 100 comments still waiting to be recorded, but they’re going to get their own episode

In this episode we discuss:

• Day Jobs on CoH Titan Wiki
  
• City of Heroes Holiday Promotion!
• 12.9.08 Instability Issues
• Patch Notes 12.9.08
• NCSoft posted a position for a new Community Coordinator
• Atari purchases Cryptic Studios
• Everquest I & II players now able to buy virtual goods in-game with real money
• Episode 40 feedback
• The Wholly Unofficial and Fairly Incomplete Guide to /BIND (thanks Skye Rocket!)
• Promo: Scott Sigler’s Contagious
  

Click through for the full patch notes.

Issue 13: Power & Responsibility Release Notes

Issue 13: Power & Responsibility
Midnight Squad Story Arcs (for Level 20-25 Heroes, Level 30-35 Villains)

• The Midnight Squad has need of its members in recovering some stolen artifacts. Heroes and Villains should speak to Mercedes Sheldon who can be found inside the Midnighter Club in the side wing that leads to the Hero Zone Steel Canyon.

Cimerora Story Arcs (for Level 40-50 Heroes and Level 35-50 Villains)

• Players can journey through time back to the ancient land of the Roman Cimeroran peninsula where they can talk to Daedalus (for Heroes) or Sister Airlia (for Villains) to encounter new challenges.

The Merit Rewards System

• A new game system that allows players to earn tokens by completing Trials, Task Forces, Strike Forces, Story Arcs, defeating Giant Monsters, and more. 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, inspirations and other game items. Merit Representatives will show up on your minimap in all undisputed city zones.
• For more information about Merit Rewards: Read the Developer & Community Q&A

Day Jobs

• Day Jobs takes the concept of offline character progression to a new level, incorporating a variety of potential rewards and allowing players to add further depth to their character’s identity and back-story. Is your Hero a Banker when not out stopping crime, or maybe a simple Shop Keeper? Is your Villain an avid Clubber, or perhaps a Smuggler? Whatever you choose, Badges and Accolades await in addition to other bonuses!
• For more information about Issue 13’s Day Jobs feature, please visit the web article: Dev Diary: Designing Issue 13’s Day Jobs

New Powersets
Shields

• 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

• 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!
  • A pact can only be created between characters who are Level 5 and under.
  • To begin a pact, right-click on your friend’s character and choose “Invite to Leveling Pact”.
  • XP and Influence are split between both players.

Multiple Builds

• Characters can create a second build with different power selections and enhancement slotting, and switch between builds by talking to any Trainer for Heroes or any Arbiter for Villains. Now you can have separate builds for soloing and grouping, or for PvP.

  The second build works like a respec, so you can change anything except your Primary and Secondary powersets.

  Enhancements are not shared between builds. The second build is slotted with enhancements separately from your first build.

  You can swap builds once every 15 minutes.

  All powers fully recharge when switching builds.

  Switching between builds has no influence or infamy costs.

Villain Patron Powers Unlocked

• Now any Villain that has unlocked any Patron Power Pool can freely select another when respeccing or making Multiple Builds, offering the same flexibility that heroes are afforded with Ancillary Powers.

PVP Revamp

• PvP combat has been completely revamped in this issue, in an attempt to make it more fun for all ATs and builds. Please note that these changes only take effect in PvP situations; these changes have no effect on PvE. Here are a summary of the major changes:
  • The damage of all attacks has been refigured. Basically, the longer the activation/animation time of an attack power, the more damage the power is going to do. There are adjustments for recharge time and Endurance cost, but the actual time the power takes up in an attack chain is the primary consideration.
  • In general, the base damage of all Archetypes has been increased in PvP zones and Arenas. The Containment bonus for Controllers in PvP has been reduced because of their higher base damage.
  • Being hit by an attack triggers movement suppression, just as making an attack does. Suppression for being hit by an attack is always the same duration. Any power with a negative impact on the target (including all debuff powers) is considered an attack.
  • Note that Teleport powers are completely disabled when suppressed.
  • Healing powers also trigger suppression.
  • The greater the base range of an attack, the longer the suppression for the attacker.
  • Teleport Foe and related powers in Gravity Control and Warshade powersets now grant 3/4 of a second “untouchable” flag on the target.
  • Resistance and defense powers have greater diminishing returns when stacked than in PvE, and lower caps.
  • Healing powers suffer from diminishing returns when several are used in a short period of time.
  • All Archetypes (except Tankers and Masterminds) have some default resistances to all attacks in PVP.
  • Unlike in PvE, defensive toggles do not suppress when you are held/stunned. This means that not only do the toggles not drop, they continue to grant defenses while the player is held/stunned.
  • Melee classes gain extra resistances to all debuffs and to movement slows. These bonuses are linked to the power in each set that gives status protection (Unyielding Stance, Wet Ice, Plasma Shield, etc.).
  • “Buffing” Archetypes (Defenders, Controllers, Corruptors, Dominators and Masterminds) have less ability to benefit from all buffing powers than other ATs (the powers have less effect on them, and their caps are lower).
  • Melee ATs gain more benefit from buffing powers than other Archetypes (the powers have greater effect on them, and their caps are higher).
  • Defeating enemies in PvP can award Influence/Infamy, Inspirations, and rarely Salvage, but no XP.
  • In general, there is no such thing as Status Protection in PvP, only Resistance. The exception is Knockback protection, since Knockback is a binary effect. The base durations of status effects are greatly reduced in PvP (generally 4 seconds for Controllers and Dominators, 2 seconds for all other Archetypes).

COMBINED NOTES
Powers
Toggle Power Change

• All Player defensive Toggle Powers should now “suppress” when you are Held, Stunned or Slept instead of shutting off. The toggles have limited or no functionality when in this state. If you are held while flying, for instance, if the power which held you does not also have a -Fly function, you will remain in the air. Status protection powers still provide Hold, Sleep and Stun protection, even while other defenses are suppressed.
• Offensive Toggles (those that damage or debuff, like Radiation Infection or Icicles or Rise to the Challenge) will still detoggle as before.

Ancillary/Patron Pools Expanded

• Many of these high level power pools have had a new power added at level 44, for a total of 5 powers in the pool. This power unlocks in the same way as the other level 44 power, and also count towards unlocking the level 47 power.

General

• Max status resistance cap for all Archetypes increased. This includes Holds, Stuns, Immobilizes, Sleeps, Terrorize, Fear, Confuse, Intangible and Untouchable.
• The most any powers range can be debuffed has been altered. Minimum Range is now 25% of normal range of the power. In other words, if the power has an 80′ range base, it cannot be debuffed lower than 20′.
• Removed duplicate visual FX from Holiday Rocket Pack Temporary Power.
• The sound effect for Energy Manipulation – Power Thrust was inadvertently changed and has been reverted to its original sound
• The Warburg Nuke Chemical Burn power now correctly states that it reduces the target’s defense and not accuracy in its long help.
• The “No Phase” state (the period of time after leaving a ‘phased’ state of invulnerability before you can enter it again) has been changed to allow you to phase/hibernate for 30 seconds, then disallow such powers for 90 seconds.
• Invulnerability/Unyielding: This power’s activation text should no longer state it reduces the user’s defense.
• Powers granted by the 54 month veteran badge no longer gain a bonus to damage dependent upon the character’s origin.
• The Goldbricker Rocket Pack will no longer function in areas or missions where temporary powers are disabled.
• Web Grenade: All versions of this power now accept slow enhancements and IO sets.
• The Run Speed increase from the Empowerment Station Buff will now correctly buff the player’s run speed directly instead of buffing movement buffs on the player.
• Trick Arrow/Ice Arrow: This power should now properly use the correct FX on a PvP target.
• Electric Blast/Short Circuit: Corrected help menu that stated that it drained endurance and gives it to the user. [This power does not grant endurance to the user.]
• Invulnerability set changes:
  • Unyielding – Removed Defense Debuff
  • Invincibility – Reduce per target Defense Buff to offset the change from Unyielding, no net gain
  • Resist Physical Damage – Add 25% Defense Debuff Resistance
  • Tough Hide – Add 25% Defense Debuff Resistance
  • Resist Energies – Add 25% Endurance Debuff Resistance.
  • Resist Elements – Add 20% Movement Slow Resistance
• Fiery Aura/Temperature Protection – Add 20% Slow Resistance
• War Mace set Changes:
  • Clobber

  Reduce Recharge Time to 16 seconds

  Alter damage scale and endurance cost to match recharge time using the standard formula.

  Reduce Stun Duration from scale 10 to scale 5.

  • Shatter – Reduce Max Targets from 10 to 5
  • Crowd Control – Increase Max Targets from 5 to 10

Tailor

• New Day Job themed costume items added, including Police Officer and a variety of civilian suits.
• Added the ability to save and load player-designed costume configurations to a file saved on the player’s computer.
• The Cyborg Pack Combat Auras will now be available at all levels for all players that purchased them.
• Many costume auras have been optimized for performance. There are also a lot of new combinations for auras that didn’t previously exist.
• Major changes to the supergroup costume color system. Most notably, each costume now has its own set of supergroup colors. We can bid a fond farewell to the days when changing your costume required entry to the supergroup color picker to repair the damage. Additionally, the supergroup color picker has been merged with the tailor screen, solving the problems associated with applying supergroup colors to wings.
• In the Tailor shop, you can check out how your costume looks when in Supergroup mode. Please note, you cannot load or save a costume when the tailor screen is in SG color picker mode.
• Fixed a cosmetic issue with the Cyborg ACCAHUD aura
• Custom Shields
  • The Talsorian Shield is unlocked by redeeming 100 Vanguard Merits at a Vanguard Merit station.
  • Roman Shields should be unlockable by earning the Centurion badge.
  • The Romulus shield is unlocked by defeating Romulus Nictus once.
  • The Romulus Nictus shield is unlocked by defeating Romulus Nictus 5 times.
  • The Rularuu Shield is unlocked by earning the Visionary badge or earning souvenirs from shadow shard task forces and story arcs.

NPC Critter Changes

• Freedom Corps Sonic Grenades are no longer irresistible.
• Circle of Thorns Cold Thorn Mage Reflections should now use their offensive powers once again.
• Banished Pantheon Masks now range in level from 20-30.
• Infected level range now extends to level 10.
• Tasks
• The Lost and Found story arc will now correctly award salvage for players that are significantly higher levels than the mission levels
• Players can no longer drop Mayhem and Safeguard missions

Bases

• All Supergroup Base room prices and Prestige costs have been rebalanced.
  • Rent has been substantially changed. Rent is no longer charged on a per-plot basis and is instead charged on a per-item basis for certain specific items.
  • Rent Items include all Storage, Empowerment stations, Medical auxes and 2nd or 3rd tier Worktables. It does not include basic Worktables, basic Medical, Control, Energy or Transport items.
  • Refunds for Base Plots, Base Rooms, and Base items will be issued if the price has changed.
  • Players must enter the base before a refund is generated.
• All base crafted items now use invention salvage. Base Salvage should only be needed in recipes that convert base salvage to invention salvage.
  • Base Salvage no longer drops.
• Base raiding is currently being redesigned, and will be in that state for some time. For the duration, all base raiding, including instant raids, will be disabled.
• Removed all raiding related restrictions on placing items in a base. Specifically, items may now intersect and or completely block door to door paths or door to item paths. This change will allow much greater freedom in placing objects in your base.
  • When raids are enabled again, players will be able to choose whether their base will abide by the new raiding-related restrictions.
• Added Teleporter Beacon for Pocket D.
• Added SG badge to access Pocket D beacon.
• Robo-Surgery can be attached to the Basic Reclaimator
• Spirit Signal can be attached to Resurrection Rings
• Base Salvage racks can now hold a limited amount of invention salvage.
• Any crafted items stored on a character in personal inventory will charge the new prices.

User Interface

• Character Selection Screen: Fixed the problem where re-ordering characters on one server would cause the character order data for other servers to be corrupted.
• Badge tracking User Interface window updated to allow sorting by category
• Contacts that are unlocked (through getting a badge or reaching a certain level, e.g.) automatically give you a pop-up box letting you know they’ve been unlocked and are added to your active contact list.
• Changed loading screen message to remove references to Base Salvage.
• Text is now selectable. There are new keyboard shortcuts related to text selection: Ctrl+X will cut the selected text and place it in the clipboard, Ctrl+C will copy the selected text to the clipboard, Ctrl+A will select all of the text where the cursor is, and Escape will clear a text selection. (These keyboard shortcuts cannot be customized by the user.)
• Text in the chat window is now reverse indented to prevent players from spoofing the chat of other players.
• In Options, a player may now choose to have their character earn No Experience.

Badges

• Corrected the badge descriptions of Task Force/ Strike Force challenge badges that referred to stature level 1 as being 1-15 to be 1-14.
• All badges, other than Invention badges, have had their hint text filled in with a greater amount of detail. All badges will explain how many foes need to be defeated and Accolades will explain which badges are needed to obtain them. Meters have been added to all badges where appropriate and badges that track more than 1 kill, event, etc. should now have help text.
• Reduced the amount of healing required to obtain the Empath badge from 1,000,000,000 to 100,000,000
• The Artisan, Master Artisan, Craftsman, Master Craftsman and Fabricator badges should now correctly have their status meter update when the character crafts enhancements.
• Defeating Contaminated will now fill your progress bar for the Isolator badge, which appears after the 15th Contaminated defeated.
• Fixed a bug where Banisher and Outlaw badges were not correctly granting.

Invention

• ToHit Buffs/DeBuff Common IOs should not state they buff or debuff Accuracy any longer.
• Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge was not marked as irresistible, which meant your slow resistance powers decreased its benefit. This has been corrected and is now marked properly.
• Set bonuses that state they increase “Movement Speed” will now boost the base movement of the character instead of enhancing movement speed boosting powers.
• Knockback Sets now improve Knockdown and Knock Up powers, instead of only Knockdown.
• Universal Travel Power enhancement sets can no longer be slotted into Sprint powers.
• Invention Origin enhancement sets that decrease the recharge time on a power should now correctly state +rech instead of -rech

Added new IO Sets and new IO Set Categories:

• 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

Chat

• Players should no longer receive messages from those that are Globally Ignored after they zone.
• Chat: Ctrl-C now copies whatever text is selected.

NPCs and City Zones

• There is a Reconnaissance Officer at the entrance to or just inside most hazard zones: Firebase Zulu; just inside the Hollows; at the Steel Canyon gate in Perez Park; in the Hive; Boomtown; in the Sewers; the RWZ base by the portal to the zone. The Recon Officers give you a rundown of the zone including history, known hostiles, and amenities (hospital, trainers, etc…)
• There’s now a jetpack temp power vendor in all the Shadow Shard zones and in Grandville.
• RWZ now has Invention crafting tables off to the side of Lady Grey (for villains and heroes).
• A base portal has been added to Pocket D.
• Trina the Seamstress (a tailor) is now in Pocket D’s VIP Lounge. Note: The VIP Lounge is only accessible for those that purchased the Good versus Evil Edition of the game or the Good versus Evil In-Game Item Pack.

CITY of HEROES Powers Blasters

• Cold Mastery – Added Hoarfrost as a level 44 power.
• Electrical Mastery – Added Power Surge as a level 44 power. New power similar to Force of Nature
• Mental Manipulation/Mind Probe: This power will no longer accept range enhancements. [Due to being a melee power]
• Munitions Mastery – Added Surveillance as a level 44 power.
• Psychic Blast/Psionic Dart: Changed short and long help description of this power from minor damage to moderate damage.
• Psychic Blast/Mental Blast Changed short and long help descriptions of this power from moderate to high damage.
• Normalized Projectile Speeds for Psionic/Psychic blast powers (generally faster).

Controllers

• Ice Mastery – Added Frost Breath as a level 44 power.
• Primal Forces Mastery – Added Energy Torrent as a level 44 power, knockdown version
• Stone Mastery – Added Seismic Smash as a level 44 power. Reduced damage.
• Plant Control/Fly Trap: Plant Control – Fly Trap – Fly Trap had its resistances set too low Resistances increased to intended levels

Defenders

• Archery/Aimed Shot: Changed attack speed from 1.67 to 1 second.
• Cold Domination/Heat Loss once again grants the correct amount of recovery per target.
• Dark Mastery – Oppressive Gloom – Increased Radius
• Dark Mastery – Soul Drain – Increased buff from first target. Minor decrease in buff from additional targets.
• Electricity Mastery – Added Shocking bolt as a level 44 power.
• Psychic Mastery – Added World of Confusion as a level 44 power.
• Vigilance will no longer increase the Defenders endurance costs when grouped with team mates with greater than normal Health values.
• Normalized Projectile Speeds for Psionic/Psychic blast powers (generally faster).

Peacebringers

• Peacebringers can now Activate Dwarf Form shape shifting while Held, Stunned, Slept or Terrorized.
• Peacebringers damage adjusted
  • Increased Melee Damage to 0.85 from 0.75
  • Increased Range Damage to 0.8 from 0.625
  • Increased Melee Dwarf Form Melee Damage to 1.0 from 0.85
• Luminous Blast/Radiant Strike: This power’s long help stated it dealt high damage; this was corrected to state that it deals Superior damage.
• White Dwarf form Taunt powers now have a 75% Range Debuff component. This will have the effect of forcing ranged attackers to move closer to the Taunter.
• Cosmic Balance now grants 10% Recharge Slow Resistance per Peacebringer, Warshade, Arachnos Widow or Arachnos Soldier on their team.
• Cosmic Balance bonus now applies in shapeshifted forms.

Scrappers

• Body Mastery – Focused Accuracy – Decreased to-hit buff, added accuracy buff. Provides a similar bonus in most circumstances in PVE.
• Claws – Corrected the Damage and Endurance cost on Shockwave (damage went up from 1.04 to 1.05 scale, while endurance cost is fixed at 11.56.
• Claws -Reduced Animation time of Slash from 1.5 to 1.33 resulting in a damage scale reduction from 1.4 to 1.32
• Dark Melee – Siphon Life recharge time reduced and damage increased
• Dark Melee – Midnight Grasp – initial damage increased and DoT duration shortened.
• Dark Melee – Soul Drain – Increased buff from first target. Minor decrease in buff from additional targets.
• Martial Arts/Dragon’s Tail: Corrected the critical hit portion of this power so that it is equal to the power’s normal damage.
• Weapon Mastery – Added Targeting Drone (Modified to work like Focus Accuracy) as a level 44 power.
• Weapon Mastery/Web Grenade: This power now correctly grants 10.00 fly protection on target, bringing it on par with other Web Grenade powers.
• Taunt powers in all Primary Scrapper Power sets now have a 75% Range Debuff component. This will have the effect of forcing ranged attackers to move closer to the Taunter.

Tankers

• Arctic Mastery – Added Shiver as a level 44 power.
• Dark Melee – Siphon Life recharge time reduced and damage increased
• Dark Melee – Midnight Grasp – initial damage increased and DoT duration shortened.
• Dark Melee – Soul Drain – Increased buff from first target. Minor decrease in buff from additional targets.
• Earth Mastery – Added Quicksand as a level 44 power, reduced debuff effect
• Energy Mastery – Focused Accuracy – Decreased to-hit buff, added accuracy buff. Provides a similar bonus in most circumstances in PVE.
• Pyre Mastery – Added Melt Armor as a level 44 power. Reduced debuff effect
• Taunt powers in all Secondary Tanker Power sets now have a 75% Range Debuff component. This will have the effect of forcing ranged attackers to move closer to the Taunter.

Warshades

• Warshades can now Activate Dwarf Form shape shifting while Held, Stunned, Slept or Terrorized.
• Warshades damage adjusted
  • increased Melee Damage to 0.85 from 0.75
  • Increased Range Damage to 0.8 from 0.625
  • Increased Dwarf From Melee Damage to 1.0 from 0.85
• Black Dwarf form Taunt powers now have a 75% Range Debuff component. This will have the effect of forcing ranged attackers to move closer to the Taunter.
• Dark Sustenance now grants 10% Recharge Slow Resistance per Peacebringer, Warshade, Arachnos Widow or Arachnos Soldier on their team.
• Dark Sustenance bonus now applies in shapeshifted forms.

Badges

• Heroes owning the Fire Marshal, Bomb Squad, PPD Deputy, Security Expert, Interceptor and Villain Disruptor badges should now award the Force of Justice Accolade. The Force of Justice Accolade does not grant a power.

Emotes

• Kheldians in Dwarf form will now be able to use the emotes from the Wedding Pack and the Super Booster I: Cyborg Pack

City Zones

• Linda Summers, Kings Row contact is no longer on the far side of Kings Row by the Galaxy City exit. Now she is over by Blue Steel. Paula Dempsey also got moved to the plaza at the Yellow Line ramp.
• Two basic stores added in Striga Isle. Smuggler Jimmie is on the docks in Port Noble and Smuggler Freddie is near Ernesto Hess. Both will sell basic inspirations and buy back enhancements, recipes, and salvage.

CITY of VILLAINS Powers Arachnos Soldiers

• Tactical Training/Assault: Corrected long help for this power to state that it grants resistance to placate and taunt, not protection.
• Arachnos Soldier pets will now be usable when completing story arcs in Ouroboros where only the use of Archetype powers has been selected.

Brutes

• Dark Melee – Siphon Life recharge time reduced and damage increased
• Dark Melee – Midnight Grasp – initial damage increased and DoT duration shortened.
• Dark Melee – Soul Drain – Increased buff from first target. Minor decrease in buff from additional targets.
• Energy Aura/Energy Drain – Modified Energy Aura’s Energy Drain heal aspect to have some healing ability. The heal is roughly 3% of your health per target hit.
• Leviathan Mastery – Added Arctic Breath as a level 44 power. This is a cone power with debuff effects similar to those from Freezing rain.
• Mace Mastery – Added Focused Accuracy
• Soul Mastery – Added Darkest Night as a level 44 power, reduced debuff effect
• Super Reflexes/Evasion: The brute version of this power will no longer have its defense affected by attacker’s level.
• Brute Taunt powers in all Primary sets now have a 75% Range Debuff component. This will have the effect of forcing ranged attackers to move closer to the Taunter.

Corruptors

• Leviathan Mastery – Added Hibernate as a level 44 power.
• Mace Mastery – Added Focused Accuracy as a level 44 power..
• Mu Mastery – Conserve Power added as a level 44 power.
• Mu Mastery/Summon Adept now accepts Pet Damage and Recharge Intensive Pet Invention sets.
• Soul Mastery – Power Boost added as a level 44 power.

Dominators

• Icy Assault/Ice Sword Circle: This power correctly accepts slow enhancements and IO sets.
• Soul Mastery – Soul Drain added as a level 44 power.
• Leviathan Mastery – Water Spout – Eliminated knockback and fear effect, reduced chance of knockup and stun.
• Leviathan Mastery – Hibernate added as a level 44 power.
• Mace Mastery – Personal Force Field added as a level 44 power.
• Mu Mastery – Power Surge added as a level 44 power. Identical to Force of Nature
• Psionic Assault/Mind Probe: This power will no longer accept range enhancements. [Due to being a melee power]
• Normalized Projectile Speeds for Psionic/Psychic blast powers (generally faster).
• Plant Control/Fly Trap: Plant Control – Fly Trap – Fly Trap had its resistances set too low Resistances increased to intended levels

Masterminds

• Leviathan Mastery – Knockout Blow added as a level 44 power.
• Mace Mastery – Power Boost added as a level 44 power.
• Mu Mastery – Thunderstrike (AOE version) added as a level 44 power.
• Necromancy/Lich – Liches Torrent power should now only do Knockdown, unless slotted with Knockback Enhancements, or otherwise buffed.
• Ninjas/Aimed Shot: Changed attack speed from 1.67 to 1 second.
• Robotics/Pulse Rifle Blast: This power can no longer be slotted with knockback enhancements as it doesn’t have a knockback component.
• Soul Mastery – Oppressive Gloom added as a level 44 power. Increased radius
• The Ouroboros Portal will now have a description in its info if selected by a Mastermind.
• All Mastermind Upgrade powers will now affect all henchmen within 30′ of the target henchman. Endurance cost for Upgrade Powers has been increased. It now takes approximately 45 endurance (reducible by enhancements) per upgrade power used.

Stalkers

• Claws/Shockwave – Corrected the Damage and Endurance cost on Shockwave (damage went up from 1.04 to 1.05 scale, while endurance cost is fixed at 11.56.)
• Claws/Slash – Reduced Animation time of Slash from 1.5 to 1.33 resulting in a damage scale reduction from 1.4 to 1.32
• Claws/Build Up – Applied the 20% recharge and endurance discount to Build Up. (Someone was kind enough to point out to me that this should really always have been there.)
• Claws/Eviscerate – Eviscerate is no longer a Cone attack. This means it has a 100% Crit from Hide chance and its damage scale increases from 1.99 to 2.23.
• Claws/Eviscerate – This power will now only accept single target melee IO enhancements.
• Dark Melee – Siphon Life recharge time reduced and damage increased
• Dark Melee – Midnight Grasp – initial damage increased and DoT duration shortened.
• Energy Aura/Energy Drain – Modified Energy Aura’s Energy Drain heal aspect to have some healing ability. The heal is roughly 3% of your health per target hit.
• Leviathan Mastery/Water Spout – Eliminated knockback and fear effect, reduced chance of knockup and stun.
• Leviathan Mastery – Hibernate added as a level 44 power.
• Mace Mastery – Disruptor Blast added as a level 44 power.
• Mu Mastery – Ball Lightning added as a level 44 power.
• Soul Mastery – Shadow Meld – New power added as a level 44 power., +20.25% def, 15 second duration, 90 second recharge)

Tasks

• Alan Desslock now gives a better explanation why you cannot get his final mission from him.

Badges

• The Bane of Danaan badge hint now displays correctly rather than showing up as ???

City Zones

• Breakout: Changed “Escaped Convicts” text to read “Zig Combatants” for the Breakout Tutorial
• New villain Respec Contact — Arbiter Sawyer in Port Oakes
• Added elevator markers to Grandville in similar fashion to Faultline
• Port Oakes got itself a Black Market.
• There is are new ‘Abandoned Labs’ (rows of Invention crafting stations) in Port Oakes and St. Martial.

Known Issues as of December 2, 2008 18.20081105.7T3

• There are issues with random and sporadic client crashing that we are currently working to fix on live.
• Players cannot make open trades without some cases resulting in storage errors. Players can make drag and drop trades, but should be aware of the surroundings and make sure to select the correct target. This issue appears to be limited to trading salvage, inspirations, or recipes.
• Renaming a character may result in lost Day Job progress. Any player wishing to change a character name should first log in on that character to update the progress before logging out to proceed with the name change. Please note that any CS action in game may result in lost Day Job Progress that will not be reimbursed. Please abide by our EULA in regards to player names.
• In the French and German versions of City of Heroes, players cannot move inside their bases. However, players may still access the base editing tools to make changes to the bases.
• Arachnos Soldiers that choose Crab Spider as either a primary or secondary build will not be able to remove the backpack from their costumes.
• Selecting the “Hide…Recipes missing ingredients” option in the Merit Vendor will affect the “Hide…Unowned Recipes” option in Invention Tables. This can cause players to believe they cannot purchase generic recipes from Invention tables because they have inadvertently hidden all unowned recipes.
• Changing chat bubble color through the Options menu will not change the appearance of the player’s chat bubbles in-game.
• The patron plaques have not been updated.
• After accessing a patron plaque once, the scrollbars for the window disappear for future accesses of both that plaque and the other plaques.
• The “Copy Current Colors Across Body” button does not function correctly unless a subcategory is selected.
• If unpinned, the Friends window will continually reopen when closed.
• The south and west walls of Supergroup bases do not allow players to change the height of objects while editing the base.
• The chat box may not always display a notification to inform players they have earned Merit Rewards.
• A rare bug can cause tells to appear with incomplete player names and messages.
• Shields/Costume: Lots of glove costume pieces clips into ALL/some shields.
• Art: Pocket D Super Group beacon is missing art.
• Costume: Female>Lower Body>Pants>Flared Pants are no longer available in the costume creator or tailors
• Global Chat Channel colors can change or rearrange randomly when zoning.
• Protector bots can get stuck on Seeker Drones.
• P-strings sometimes incorrectly appear in Hero Zone Event channels.
• Icon: Genin incorrectly do not show a buff icon after Train Ninjas is used on them.
• Mace art is missing for Arachnos Widows who acquire Patron Mace Mastery powers.
• Fly poses do not work with some toggle powers.
• To create a Villain Epic Archetype, players may need to log in with their Level 50 villain first, and then log back out to the log-in screen. Occasionally, access to Villain Epic Archetypes can be reset by a publish of a new build, server, or network maintenance.
• To create a Hero Epic Archetype, players may need to log in with their Level 50 hero first, and then log back out to the log-in screen. Occasionally, access to Hero Epic Archetypes can be reset by a publish of a new build, server or network maintenance.
• Ice Slick does not show up on Riktitileset.
• Mace art is missing for Crab Spider Soldiers who acquire Patron Mace Mastery powers
• Regeneration/Resilience lacking smashing resistance (it’s always had it)

In this episode we disuss:

• Video of Issue 13 Powersets on MMORPG.com
• Castle Comments on Issue 13 Powersets on Massively
• Matt Miller talks with Gamezone.com about Issue 13
• Issue 13 New Missions: Ten Ton Hammer Exclusive!
• Battle of Good vs. Evil Coming to the Mac!
• Existing Player Exclusive: Closed Beta Mac Test
• Issue 13 Enters Open Beta!
• No Heroics
• Promo: The Seanachai
• Bumper: Calls for Cthulhu

Click through for the full IO Set Feature that covers Accuracy bonuses, Damage bonuses, boosting Endurance, boosting Health, and as an odd addition, set IOs that offer Debt Protection

As usual, I order the sets from lowest number of pieces required to highest. As an additional reminder, the full text of this will be in the show notes, as I won’t be reading every single set name — only the ones that give the biggest bonuses.

ACCURACY:
Accuracy is an attribute that pretty much everyone understands, even if they don’t have the actual to-hit calculation memorized. As a frame of reference, an even-level accuracy SO grants +33% benefit.

Except for two of the following sets, to get any accuracy bonuses requires 4 pieces of an IO set in a power, which makes +accuracy more expensive than the attributes earlier discussed, since the more pieces you need for a set, the more likely you will run into set piece shortages or high prices for the recipe or salvage.

Accuracy bonus sets requiring only 2 IOs:
Defense Debuff: Exploited Vulnerability +3% accuracy [ 2 pieces
required out of 3 available.]

Accuracy bonus sets requiring only 3 IOs:
To Hit Debuff: Deflated Ego +3 % acc [ 3 out of  3 required, the full set. ]

Accuracy bonus sets requiring 4 IOs:
Melee:Crushing Impact +7% acc
PBAOE:Scirocco’s Dervish 9+% acc
Ranged:Thunderstrike +7% acc
Target AOE:Positron’s Blast +9% acc
Sniper:Exploit Weakness +3% acc
Sniper:Calibrated Accuracy +5% acc
Defense:Serendipity +3% acc
Defense:Luck of the Gambler +9% acc
Confuse:Perplex +5% acc
Slow:Pacing of the Turtle +9% acc
Immob:Trap fo the Hunter +9% acc
Hold:Neuronic Shutdown +7% acc
Fear:Nightmare +5% acc
Fear:Glimpse of the Abyss +9% acc
To Hit Buff:Adjusted Targetting +9% acc
Defense Debuff:Undermined Defense +7% acc

The following require 4 IOs, and are the unique level 50 purple sets, therefore very expensive and can’t be used more than once per character.
Melee: Hecatomb +15% acc
PBAOE: Armaggedon  +15% acc
Target AOE: Ragnarok +15% acc
Sleep: Fortunata Hypnosis +15% acc
Immob: Gravitational Anchor +15% acc
Hold: Unbreakable Constraint +15% acc
Stun: Absolute Amazement +15% acc
The good news, even though you have to invest 4 slots, there are enough power groups that accept +accuracy bonus set IOs and the percentages are in general high enough that getting +20% accuracy on all attacks relatively easy. I wouldn’t recommend changing your slotting strategy to stop slotting Accuracy SOs or IOs and compensating with bonuses (especially since bonuses aren’t guaranteed to be there if you exemplar down), but having +accuracy in general is nice, especially when fighting enemies that debuff your overall chance to hit, like spectrals and vampyrs.

DAMAGE:
Okay, everyone loves damage. Well, all the cool kids do. And damage bonuses are pretty handily available, in the form of inspirations, inherents, buffs, etc. so people may not be sweating using IOs to pump up the damage. But it is nice to break the Enhancement Diversification dampeners on damage, or beef up the damage of a power that is sacrificing a damage SO or IO for some other effect (which is not unreasonable with high end IOs, which get close to ED norms with only 2 IOs instead of 3 SOs.)

Damage bonus sets requiring 2 IOs
Knockback:Explosive Strike  +1.5% dam [needs two of the three available]
To Hit Buff: Adjusted Targetting +2% dam
To Hit Debuff: Deflated Ego +1.5% dam [needs 2 of 3 ]
To Hit Debuff: Dampened Spirits +2% dam
Defense Debuff: Achilles Heel +1.5% dam  [2/3]
Defense Debuff:Undermined Defenses  +2% dam

Damage bonus sets requiring 3 IOs
To Hit Buff: Encouraged Accuracy  +1.5% dam [needs 3/3, complete set]

Damage bonus sets requiring 4 IOs
Melee:Pounding Slugfest  +2% dam [ need 4 of 4 ]
Melee:Touch of Death  +2.5% dam
Melee:Makos Bite  +3% dam
PBAOE:Cleaving Blow  +1% dam
Ranged:Tempest  +2% dam    [ need 4 of 4 ]
Ranged:Devastation  +3% dam
Sniper:Extreme Measures  +2% dam
Sniper:Sting of the Manticore  +3% dam
Defense:Red Fortune  +2% dam
Confuse:Malaise’s Illusions  +2.5% dam
Immob:Rooting Grasp  +1% dam

Purple level 50 sets requiring 4 IOs
Ranged:Apocalypse  +4% dam
Pet:Soulbound Allegiance  +4% dam
Confuse:Coercive Persuasion  +4% dam

Damage  bonus sets requiring 5 IOs:
Knockback: Force Feedback +2.5% dam
End Modification: Efficacy Adaptor  +2.5% dam
End Modification: Performance Shifter +2.5% dam
To Hit Buff: Gaussian’s Synchronized Fire Control  +2.5% dam
To Hit Debuff: Dark Watcher’s Despair +2% dam
Defense Debuff: Touch of Lady Grey +2% dam

It doesn’t seem like you can rack up huge +damage %, but +10-15% damage seems pretty easy to reach.

ENDURANCE
Endurance is another thing that everyone pretty much learns fast that you must have. Except for regen scrappers. Anyway, the game offers several forms of endurance breaks, and IO set bonuses is another tool to help manage endurance.

Simply, the more Endurance you have not only increases the overall pool of endurance you can use, but also the rate at which it comes back. Two great tastes that taste great together. Or whatever. Enough talk. Action! (Which is  hard to do without Endurance.)

For comparison’s sake, the Atlas Medallion and Portal Jockey Accolades both offer +5% endurance. Yes, I know you won’t see % in the descriptions (at least I think you won’t.) To talk more about this would get into a long talk on changes in Endurance over the years, and I’m not sure I’m qualified to get all the facts correct here. Entertain me and accept for now that AM and PJ offer +5% endurance for comparison to bonuses below. If I’m wrong, that could be a great seed for a feature on Endurance in general.

Endurance bonus sets requiring 2 IOs
Taunt: Mocking Beratement  +1.8% endurance

Endurance bonus sets requiring 3 IOs
To Hit Debuff: Dampened Spirits + 1.8% End
Defense Debuff: Undermined Defenses + 1.8% End

Endurance bonus sets requiring 4 IOs
Ranged:Entropic Chaos  +2.25% End    [need 4 of 5]
Ranged:Decimation  +2.25% End
Pet:Unquestioning Loyalty  +0.9% End    [need 4 of 4]
Pet:Commanding Presence  +1.35% End    [need 4 of 5]
Resist:Impervium Armor  +2.25% End
Defense:Gift of the Ancients  +1.8% End
Sleep:Call of the Sandman  +2.25% End
Slow:Tempered Readiness  +0.9% End
Hold:Ghost Widows Embrace  +2.25% End

The percentages are not huge, there aren’t a lot of Endurance-contributing sets, and since many bonuses are the same value, you probably can’t wrack up too high a bonus. But, it looks like you could score higher than +5%, which is accolade level.

HEALTH
By my count, there are 56 IO sets that offer +Health. Yes, the percentages are small, but if you want to boost health, you have a lot of options to choose from, a lot in the 3 IO range which could allow all kinds of frankenslotting, and remember, +Health not only == more hit points, but it improves the rate at which you gain hits back.

By way of comparison, the Freedom Phalanx accolade offers +10% Health, Portal Jockey and Task Force Commander each offer +5% to hits.

Health bonus sets requiring 2 IOs:
End Mod:Efficacy Adaptor  +1.13% health
To Hit Debuff:DarkWatcher’s Despair  +1.5% health
Defense Debuff:Touch of Lady Grey  +1.5% health

Health bonus sets requiring 3 IOs:
Melee:Bonesnap  +0.75% health      [ need all 3 of 3]
Melee:Bruising Blow  +0.75% health    [need all 3 of 3]
Melee:Smashing Haymaker  +1.13% health   [need 3 of 4]
Melee:Kinetic Combat  +1.5% health
Melee:Touch of Death  +1.5% health
Melee:Crushing Impact  +1.13% health
Melee:Mako’s Bite  +1.5% health
Ranged:Far Strike  +0.75% health    [need all 3 of 3]
Ranged:Voley Fire  +0.75% health    [need all 3 of 3]
Ranged:Ruin  +1.13% health     [need 3 of 5]
Ranged:Decimation  +1.13% health
Ranged: Devastation +2.25% health
Target AOE:Air Burst  +0.75% health   [need 3 of 4]
Sniper:Extreme Measures  +1.5% health
Pet:Unquestioning Loyalty  +0.75% health    [need 3 of 4]
Pet:Comnanding Presence  +1.13% health   [need 3 of 5]
Pet:Edict of the Master  +1.5% health
Heal:Triage  +0.75% health    [need 3 of 4]
Heal:Regenerative Tissue  +1.5% health    [need 3 of 5]
Heal:Miracle  +1.88% health
Heal:Numina’s Convalescence  +1.88% health
Resist Damage:Steadfast Protection  +1.5% health   [need 3 of 3]
Resist Damage:Impervious Skin  +1.5% health    [need 3 of 5]
Resist Damage:Titanium Coating  +1.5% health
Defense:Karma  +1.5% health    [need 3 of 3]
Defense:Serendipity  +0.75% health
Defense:Luck of the Gambler  +1.13% health
Sleep:Hibernation  +0.75% health    [need 3 of 5]
Sleep:Induced Coma  +0.75% health
Sleep:Call of the Sandman  +1.88% health
Immob:Rooting Grasp  +0.75% health
Immob:Trap of the Hunter  +1.88% health
Hold:Neuronic Shutdown  +1.5% health
Hold:Ghost Widow’s Embrace  +1.88% health
Fear:Horror  +0.75% health
Fear:Glimpse fo the Abyss  +1.88% health
Stun:Razzle Dazzle  +1.5% health
Stun:Stupefy  +1.88% health
Flight:Soaring  +0.75% health
Flight:Freebird  +1.5% health
Leaping:Springfoot  +0.75% health
Leaping:Unbounded Leap  +1.5% health
Run:Quickfoot  +0.75% health
Run:Celerity  +1.5% health
Teleport:Jaunt  +0.75% health
Teleport:Time and Space Manip.  +1.5% health
Knockback:Volley of Velocity  +1.13% health
End Modification:Adrenal Adjustment  +1.13% health
End Modification:Performance Shifter  +1.88% health
To Hit Buff:Gaussian’s Sync. Fire Control  +1.88% health

Purple unique level 50 sets requiring 3 IOs:
Ranged: Apocalypse  +3% health
Pet: Soulbound Allegiance  +3% health
Health bonus sets requiring 5 IOs:
Defense Debuff: Undermined Defenses  +1.5% health

DEBT PROTECTION
No one wants debt (except for debt badgers or people who want to have slower leveling so as to not outpace content) but I’m not sure if people really worry about minimizing potential debt via IO set bonuses. The majority of sets that offer Debt protection require an investment of 4 IOs in a set, which seems steep when I might rather slot something that would increase my chance, even marginally, of not being defeated at all.

Still, here are the sets:

Debt protection bonus sets that require 2 IOs:
Defense:Karma +1.5% debt protection  [ need 2 of 3]
Knockback:Volley of Velocity +1% debt protection  [need 2 of 3]
To Hit Buff:Encouraged Accuracy +1.5% debt protection  [need 2 of 3]

Debt protection bonus sets that require 4 IOs:
Melee:Focussed Smite +1.5% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Ranged:Ruin +1% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Target AOE:Detonation +1% debt protection
Sniper:Executioners Contract +2.5% debt protection
Pet:Brilliant Leadership +1% debt protection
Resist Damage:Impervious Skin +2% debt protection
Resist Damage:Aegis +2.5% debt protection
Defense:Kismet +1.5% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Sleep:Induced Coma +2% debt protection
Immob:Debilitative Action +2% debt protection
Hold:Paralytic +1% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Fear:Unspeakable Terror +1.5% debt protection

Again, not a giant amount of sets or high percentages. It might be worth it in the long run if you’re insanely brave, unlucky, or playing a beloved concept build that just has some gaping weaknesses (I might have a few of those…)

That’s it for this third installment. The next will be the final grouping of IOs by benefit. The next category will be all the damage resistance and defense bonuses status effects.

1st Annual Pink and White Homecoming hosted by Virtue’s Justice Girls!

November 14th from 9-11p est.

Location: Virtue Server – Galaxy City at the Freedom Corp Headquarters.
Themes: Pink and White Homecoming Party
Contests: Costume Contests! Best Male, Female, Groups/Couple, Best Bio (costume not required), and a low level Costume Contest for lvls 1-10.
Prizes: Over 100 Million in prizes!
DJ’s and Radio Staff: The Cape’s very own.. DJ Templar will be providing the music!
Details about the event: Its a party! Stop by and say hello. Come hang out and see faces you may not have seen in a long time.

Though mostly feedback, in the ep we do present some news up front, and some fluffy surprises along the way!

• Issue 13 Closed Beta Starts Oct. 8th
• Castle Talks Powers on w00t Studios Podcast!
• Issue 13 PvE Powers Changes
• Ask a Dev: Introducing Chris Bruce!
• Dev Diary: Designing Issue 13’s Day Jobs Feature (including details on how they work, rewards and accolades)
• Don’t forget – the Hallowen Event runs from Oct. 20th to Nov. 2nd
• Character Bios for Duo and The Knupple King
• Voicemail
• The Great Knupplism by Storminator
• E-Mail
• Comments
• 3 new iTunes Reviews!!
• [ Chooch owes a whole bunch of links from the content of the episode Chooch is a slacker and totally forgot what he was going to add links for. If you would like a link for anything covered, leave a comment/send an e-mail and I’ll post it. Sorry about that!]
• Promos: Movie Mantras, Variant Frequencies, and The Takeover — that’s right, 3 hours means 3 promos!

This time we discuss:

• PPD Contest Winners
• Congrats to Troy Hickman and Twilight Guardian!
• New Boosters Now Available: Jetpack and Cyborg!
• IGN.com Talks With Matt “Positron” Miller
• Issue 13: So big it can’t be contained in 1 update
• MMORPG.com Talk About Issue 13 & 14 Changes
• Massively.com Interviews: Issues, PvP, & Boosters
• The Rikti Return! Invasion from Sept. 26 to Oct 2
• Happy Birthday to RoseVortex – Organ Donors Wanted
• Promo: Geek Survival Guide

In this episode we discuss:

• The Hero Dawn Bash
• Our one year anniversary is coming up
• News
• SI Radio Back Alley Brawler interview
• Level Cap discussion
• Additional benefits of attending Hero-Con ’08

Click through for the full IO Set Feature that covers Health Regenerations and Status Effects protection

IO Sets by Fantastic Foe – Part 2

This part will focus on Health Regeneration, and Status Effect protection

Regeneration Rate

The following IO sets provide boosts to the rate in which your character naturally regenerates hit points. Most require only 2 set IOs in a power, a handful require more, and I list them in order of least required to highest. I must point out that many of the sets that offer regeneration as a bonus are not large sets, I mean the entire set is less than six IOs. Depending on the set, it might be more expensive or difficult getting two IOs out of a 3 IO set, then any two IOs from a 6 IO set.

For comparison
Unenhanced Fitness: Health yields +40% regeneration
Unenhanced Regeneration: Fast Healing yields +75% regeneration

Sets requiring two IOs for +regen bonuses:PBAOE: Scirocco’s Dervish +10% regen
Ranged: Volley Fire +4%
Ranged: Entropic Chaos +10%    [any 2 IOs from 3 available]
Ranged: Devastation +12%    [2/5]
Sniper: Sting of the Manticore +12%
Pet: Brilliant Leadership +4%
Heal: Triage +4%    [2/4]
Heal: Numina’s Convalescence +12%
Defense: Serendipity +4%
Defense: Luck of the Gambler +10%
Confuse: Perplex +6%
Stun: Rope a Dope +6%
Flight: Freebird +8% [2/3]
Teleport: Jaunt +4% [2/3]
Teleport: Time and Space Manip. +8% [2/3]
Taunt: Annoyance +4% [2/3]

The following IOs require 3 set pieces for +regen bonuses
Taunt: Perfect Zinger +10%
End. Modification: Energy Manipulator +6%  [3/3 a complete set required…]
To Hit Buff: Rectified Reticle +6%   [3/3 a complete set required…]

The following IOs require 4 set pieces
Knockback: Force Feedback +10%
End. Modification: Efficacy Adaptor +10%
Defense Debuff: Touch of Lady Gray +8%

IO requiring 5 set pieces:
Knockback: Kinetic Crash +6%

But that’s not all. There are two IO sets that offer +regen and that only require 2 pieces, but that are the ultra-rare purple variety that are only available as a level 50 recipe and have the Unique constraint. They are:
Ranged:Apocalypse +16%
Pet: Soulbound Allegiance +16%

Now, I haven’t tried to build a character with a focus on +regen via set IO bonuses, but it looks to me like you could get some hefty percentages. There are several sets offering bonuses between 8-12%, and with stacking , that adds up quick. I would not be surprised if someone could get around 100% boost, doubling their natural regen rate. But that is just my wild a$$ uninformed guess.
Status Effects

“Status Effects” are the types of powers that do not do damage, but change the status of your character. Sleep, Stun, Hold, Confuse, Slow, are all status effects.

For comparison
Sleep Resistance: Unenhanced Fitness Pool:Health gives a 40% resistance to sleep (meaning it reduces sleep duration by 40%)

I believe that the above numbers are fixed, regardless of your level. CONFUSEMost of the Confuse Resistance bonus sets require 3 set pieces and as we’ll see as a trend in mez protection, offer very small bonuses.

The following IO set requires 2 pieces:
To Hit Debuff: Discouraging Words +1.65%    [any 2 from 3 available]

The following IO sets require 3 pieces
Melee:Focussed Smite +1.65%    [any 3 from 5 available}
Ranged: Entropic Chaos +2.75%    [3/5]
Pet: Sovereign Right +2.75%
Heal: Harmonized Healing +1.65%
Defense: Kismet +1.65%    [3/5]
Hold: Essence of Curare +1.65%

We’re harmed in some ways by the values of most of the bonuses, since the stacking limit will hit fast. I think when slotting out my Peacebringer, I casually got around 10% reduction in confuse duration.

FEAR

The following IO sets provide bonuses reducing the during of fear/terrorize effects on a character. The sets below require any 2 pieces from a set.
Ranged: Far Strike +1.1%    [ any 2 from 3 available ]
Ranged: Ruin +1.65%    [2/5]
Heal: Doctored Wounds +2.2%
Hold: Essence of Curare +1.65%
Taunt: Perfect Zinger +2.75%

This set requires 3 IO pieces:
Knockback: Force Feedback +2.75%

This is a small collection to work from. Empathy/Energy defenders might be able to rack up some benefits though. In my experience, Fear is rare, but I don’t PVP, so what do I know? I do remember being terrorized by an AV during a Peregrine Island safeguard. My invul tank was very angry at that. Smash! Smash puny AV!

IMMOBILIZE Resistance

None of the sets below require more than 2 pieces from any set, Immobilization resistance comes rather cheaply then.
Melee: Bonesnap +1.1%    [any 2 from 3 available]
Melee: Smashing Haymaker +2.2%    [2/4]
Melee: Kinetic Combat +2.75%    [2/5]
Melee:Focussed Smite +1.65%    [2/5]
Melee: Touch of Death +2.75%
Melee: Crushing Impact +2.2%
Melee: Mako’s Bite +3.3%
Ranged Damage: Decimation +2.75%
Pet: Unquestioning Loyalty +1.1%
Resist Damage: Reactive Armor +1.1%
Def: Red Fortune +2.2%
Slow: Curtail Speed +1.1%    [2/5]
Slow: Impeded Swiftness +2.2%
Hold: Neuronic Shutdown +2.2%
Running: Quickfoot +1.1% [2/3]
Running: Celerity +2.2% [2/3]

It seems interesting to me that the archetypes more likely to rack up large immobilization resistance bonuses, scrappers and tankers (due to the melee focus), are the ones who largely don’t need it due to immobilization protection powers in their sets. Just saying…

SLEEP Resistance

IO set Sleep bonuses, like Immobilization bonuses, are available from 2-slotting sets (with one exception that actually applies to all the anti-mez sets, I’ll get to that at the end…)
Melee: Pulverizing Fisticuffs +2.2%    [any 2 from 3 available]
PBAOE: Multi Strike +1.65%
Ranged: Salvo +2.2    [2/3]
Ranged: Tempest +2.2    [2/4]
Targeted AOE: Detonation +1.65%
Pet: Sovereign Right +2.75%
Resist Damage: Impervious Skin +2.2%    [2/5]
Resist Damage: Titanium Coating +2.2%
Slow: Pacing of the Turtle +2.75%

There is enough variety among the values and enough different sets that offer easy slotting for +sleep resistance, that a healthy percentage can be produced. But it some ways, it doesn’t seem worth it. Usually, when a character gets slept, they get woken up by an attack before the sleep wears off. Mind Controllers, back me up on this…

Now, all of the above mez resistance bonuses can be helped by two sets that offer general anti-mez resistance, at the cost of requiring 6 set pieces:
To Hit Buff: Adjusted Targeting +7.5 status effect resistance
To Hit Debuff: Dampened Spirits +7.5% status effect resistance

Those are heavy duty benefits, and in theory stackable. Good luck affording them, since to get all 6, you need to buy the expensive
+Recharge IO.

The next part will focus on Accuracy bonuses, Damage bonuses, boosting Endurance, boosting Health, and as an odd addition, set IOs that offer Debt Protection

In This Episode:

• Announcing Issue 13: Architect
• Oversight with the Shield Powerset and Stalkers!
• Hero 1 on Mission Architect on the Training Room!
• Win a Freakshow Costume Code on w00t Studios!
• Want to get some ideas for Base Building?
• Winter Event Testing Sept 4 on the Training Room!
• IO Set Feature thanks to Fantastic Foe!
• New contest – win free PPD Hardsuit costume tokens!
• Promo: JC Hutchins 7th Son Obsidian

Click through for the full IO Set Feature text

IO Set feature, by Fantastic Foe

[Awhile] ago, I suggested as a possible follow up to your IO
feature that you present what IO sets to look into if you were to try
and beef up a specific attribute of a character. You cleverly put the
job onto me (my boss calls that reflection, an art form perfected by
Wally in Dilbert) and suggested I submit something.

For my first research attempt, I decided to target Movement and
Recovery, two aspects that are probably better improved by picking
powers, but I like having options… and you can still pick Stamina
and Swift, and drop the bonuses from IO sets on top. Ignore ED! You
know you want to!

But I digress.

Okay, my basic goal was to look into cheap set pieces that provide a
bonus very quickly, only requiring 2 set pieces to provide the bonus.
Here’s what I found.

IO Set Pieces for Movement (in particular, running speed):

For comparison’s sake, unenhanced Sprint provides a 50% running speed
boost when toggled, unenhanced swift provides 35%. (If I’m wrong on
these percentages, please point it out… I’ll handle the mockery as
best as I can…)

The following IO sets provide bonuses to Running speed when 2 or more
set pieces are in a power:

Ranged Damage: Maelstrom’s Fury +3 % Run
Sniper: Exploit Weakness +2% Run
Healing: Regenerative Tissue +4% Run
Resist Damage: Aegis +5% Run
Hold: Ghost Widow’s Embrace +5% Run
Stun: Stagger +2% Run
Knockback: Kinetic Crash +3% Run
Melee: Focussed Smite +3% movement
Ranged Damage: Thunderstrike +4% movement
Pet: Brilliant Leadership +2% movement
Sleep: Induced Coma +3% movement
Knockback: Force Feedback +5% MOVE (Run, Flight, and Jump)
Endurance Modification: Performance Shifter +5% MOVE (see above)
To Hit: Gaussian’s Syncronized Fire Control +5% MOVE (see above)
Melee: Kinetic Combat +5% movement (see above)

Overall, there are enough large 4% and 5% bonuses that stacking can
can yield some nice results, particularly the ones to increase all
movement powers by 5%. Hover in particular is better when improved by
25% (that would be enhanced Hover, unenhanced hover would still be
painfully slow…)

The availability of the sets vary, the latest is
available at level 25, and none of the sets were prohibitively
expensive (in that at least 2 recipes where relatively cheap to
purchase. I admit to not delving too deeply into the economics.)

IO Set Pieces for Recovery

For comparison’s sake, unenhanced Stamina boosts endurance recovery 25%.

The following IO sets provide Recovery bonuses when 2 or more set
pieces are in a power:

Melee: Bruising Blow 1%
PBAOE: Cleaving Blow 1%
Ranged Damage: Thunderstrike 2%
Targeted AOE: Positron’s Blast 2.5%
Sniper: Calibrated Accuracy 1%
Sniper: Executioner’s Contract 2%
Sniper: Extreme Measures 1.5%
Pets: Commanding Presence 1.5%
Pets: Blood Mandate 1.5%
Heals: Harmonized Healing 1.5%
Heals: MIracle 2.5%
Resist Damage: Steadfast Protection 1.5%
Resist Damage: Impervium Armor 2.5 %
Defense: Kismet 1.5%
Defense: Gift of the Ancients 2%
Confuse: Befuddling Aura 1%
Confuse: Cacophony 1%
Confuse: Malaise’s Illusions 2.5%
Slow: Tempered Readiness 1.5%
Stuns: Razzle Dazzle 2%
Stuns: Stupefy 2.5%
Flight: Soaring 1%
Taunt: Triumphant Insult 1%
Endurance Modification: Adrenal Adjustment 1%
Endurance Modification: Energy Manipulation 1.5%

The remaining +recovery set IOs are all in endurance mod sets, and
require 3-4 set pieces, so Frankenslotting is possible, and can even
be combined with +recovery bonuses from the 2-piece End Mod sets.

Endurance Modification: Efficacy Adaptor (3 IOs required) + 1.5%
Endurance Modification: Performance Shifter (4 IOs required) + 2.5%

Overall, there are many sets that do provide an endurance recovery
boost. Sadly, the percentages are very small, and the stacking limit
of no more than 5 bonuses can hit fast and hard. That being said, it
should be relatively easy to hit +10% recovery, and some sets that can
frankenslot recovery boosting set IOs should easily hit 16-20%. Most
of the sets are relatively cheap to get at 2 pieces, except for the
Defense sets (which are usually small sets overall.)

These seem like small bonuses for the effort. I’d have to do an
in-depth analysis to support or refute that statement, and that is
beginning to seem like real work, In general, this might be of value
to people who despite triple-slotting Stamina still have endurance
issues, or people who choose not to take the Fitness path and instead
maximize endurance reductions and want even more endurance relief.

Beyond the sets above, there are very very expensive Purple IO sets,
available only as level 50 IOs that confer 4% recovery. These sets
are:

Melee: Hecatomb
PBAOE: Armageddon
Targeted AOE: Ragnarok
Confuse: Coercive Persuasion
Sleep: Fortunata’s Hypnosis
Immobilization: Gravitational Anchor
Stuns: Absolute Amazement
Hold: Unbreakable Constraint

These individual sets are Unique, so you couldn’t stack 5 Hecatombs,
but with time, patience, and influence, you could (okay, depending on
your build…) slot 5 from the above list and add +20% to your
recovery. Nice.

A quick clarification on what I mean by Frankenslotting:
You can’t Frankenslot a power if you are slotting more than 4 IOs from one set.

Obviously, you can 5-slot from one set, and then fill the final
available slot with a set IO from a different set, that is still
Frankenslotting. What I should have said: if you want to get IO set
bonuses from more than one set placed in a single power, 4 IOs is the
most you can slot and still be able to slot IOs from a different set
and get bonuses, since you always have to slots at least 2 IOs from a
set to get any bonus.

That might be obvious, but from the way I was saying it in my emails,
that 4 IOs was the max for frankenslotting, it was unclear.

That’s all for now. Hope this is somewhat useful, let me know if you
would like Combat Bonuses from IO Set features delivered in any other
way, or at all, or with more or less detail.

Thanks again for the great podcast.
Pat aka Fantastic Foe

This weekend we’ll be recording a newscast which will include the recently released Issue 13 details!

Note: This is the second time this episode is being posted. The first version was missing the actual voicemails… Thanks for catching my mistake Nod!!

Announcement: Congratulations to our Playing For Keeps novel contest winner: Brian Kotarski!!

News Linkage:

• Leipzig & Penny Arcade (PAX) Exclusive Costumes
• Facebook: Official City of Heroes Page
• Game Update – Tuesday, Aug. 19th @ 6AM Pacific
• Top 5 Finalists Announced in Machinima Contest
• Training Room01 Going Offline on Thursday, Aug. 21
• See City of Heroes at the Seattle PAX Show
• Bay Area Hero-Con 08 Registration Now Open

Promo: Chris Lester’s Arise High School fund

He likes Pallas. He likes who he is when he experiences her life out of her eyes. And now he looks through her eyes at his own sleeping brown face as she peers at him through the crystal porthole in his stasis chamber.

After twenty years, Parasite will wake up.

Don’t forget to purchase the print edition of Playing For Keeps from Amazon.com on Monday, August 25, 2008 !! If you’d like to buy a copy its important to wait until that date to help push it up the Amazon charts enabling higher visibility of this awesome book!

And don’t forget to enter our contest to win a signed copy of the novel!! But you gotta hurry- we need to receive your e-mail w/ name, address, and age (over 18, please) by midnight tonight (5/23/2008)!!

• Voicemail
• E-mail
• Website Comments

We discuss:

• Playing for Keeps
• Writing
• JC Hutchins and Matt Wallace are hacks
• City of Heroes compared to other MMOs
• A contest for a free signed copy of Playing for Keeps
• How awesome Cheyenne Wright is
• Pie!

In a couple days will come show notes, linkage, and another episode dedicated to listener feedback.

Promo: Playing For Keeps (Novel hitting Amazon on August 25th!)

Two Authors Team Up to Make Trouble

On August 8, 2008, the distance between the United States and New Zealand will lessen.

Award-nominated author and podcaster Tee Morris (United States) had announced on his podcasts a promotion he dubbed “Billi’s Crazy Eights”, its name coming from the release date (08-08-08) of his next novel, The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. He then discovered his Crazy Eights promotion coincided with award-nominated Fantasy author Philippa Ballantine (New Zealand) celebrating her birthday and the release of her next novel, Digital Magic. After some playful name-calling and serious brainstorming, these two authors are teaming up from their respective hemispheres for “Double Trouble” where their fans will visit Amazon.com on August 8, 2008 and send both books up the Amazon charts.

“Double Trouble is where Pip and I make 08-08-08 our day on Amazon,” says Tee. “On our respective podcasts and mailing lists, we’re asking our readers and listeners to buy The Case of The Pitcher’s Pendant and Digital Magic. Our goal is to get not one but two Dragon Moon titles into Amazon’s Top Ten lists.” Authors Scott Sigler and Seth Harwood accomplished similar feats on their own Amazon Days (Sigler on April 1, Harwood on March 16), but this promotion will be the first time two authors are working together to dominate Amazon’s charts. “Double Trouble just made sense to us,” Tee continues. “We’re currently collaborating on both our podcasts (MOREVI: Remastered and Chasing the Bard), both new titles are sequels to award-nominated books, and we work well together.” For Pip, this kind of promotion is important, considering her location. “There is strength in numbers, even if that number is two,” she jokes. “Tee and I are pooling our promotional resources together, and that will make a difference on August 8.” A good part of their promotion includes getting the date out across four podcasts, and encouraging their listeners to spread the word. “Podcasting allows authors to introduce works to a global audience and build a fan base,” Pip states. “This is particularly valuable to authors like me on the other side of the world. A promotion like this is not only innovative, but a great example to the publishing industry of podcasting’s potential.”

Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine ask their fans to visit Amazon.com on August 8, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. PST-USA to place their orders for The Case of The Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery and Digital Magic. Additional information on the two authors can be found through their respective podcasts, The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy and Whispers at the Edge. Their voices can also be heard in the podcast novels MOREVI: Remastered and Chasing the Bard. Tee and Pip are available for interviews and invite you to to contact them through http://teemorris.com or http://pjballantine.net.

Buy the books on 08.08.08 (EST-PST)

Buy Digital Magic

Buy The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant

Note: I am creating two posts because I know that some podcatchers can be funny about multiple attachments in a post. You will only receive one copy of each book from this feed even though the article text is the same in each post.

Two Authors Team Up to Make Trouble

On August 8, 2008, the distance between the United States and New Zealand will lessen.

Award-nominated author and podcaster Tee Morris (United States) had announced on his podcasts a promotion he dubbed “Billi’s Crazy Eights”, its name coming from the release date (08-08-08) of his next novel, The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. He then discovered his Crazy Eights promotion coincided with award-nominated Fantasy author Philippa Ballantine (New Zealand) celebrating her birthday and the release of her next novel, Digital Magic. After some playful name-calling and serious brainstorming, these two authors are teaming up from their respective hemispheres for “Double Trouble” where their fans will visit Amazon.com on August 8, 2008 and send both books up the Amazon charts.

“Double Trouble is where Pip and I make 08-08-08 our day on Amazon,” says Tee. “On our respective podcasts and mailing lists, we’re asking our readers and listeners to buy The Case of The Pitcher’s Pendant and Digital Magic. Our goal is to get not one but two Dragon Moon titles into Amazon’s Top Ten lists.” Authors Scott Sigler and Seth Harwood accomplished similar feats on their own Amazon Days (Sigler on April 1, Harwood on March 16), but this promotion will be the first time two authors are working together to dominate Amazon’s charts. “Double Trouble just made sense to us,” Tee continues. “We’re currently collaborating on both our podcasts (MOREVI: Remastered and Chasing the Bard), both new titles are sequels to award-nominated books, and we work well together.” For Pip, this kind of promotion is important, considering her location. “There is strength in numbers, even if that number is two,” she jokes. “Tee and I are pooling our promotional resources together, and that will make a difference on August 8.” A good part of their promotion includes getting the date out across four podcasts, and encouraging their listeners to spread the word. “Podcasting allows authors to introduce works to a global audience and build a fan base,” Pip states. “This is particularly valuable to authors like me on the other side of the world. A promotion like this is not only innovative, but a great example to the publishing industry of podcasting’s potential.”

Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine ask their fans to visit Amazon.com on August 8, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. PST-USA to place their orders for The Case of The Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery and Digital Magic. Additional information on the two authors can be found through their respective podcasts, The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy and Whispers at the Edge. Their voices can also be heard in the podcast novels MOREVI: Remastered and Chasing the Bard. Tee and Pip are available for interviews and invite you to to contact them through http://teemorris.com or http://pjballantine.net.

Buy the books on 08.08.08 (EST-PST)

Buy Digital Magic

Buy The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant

Note: I am creating two posts because I know that some podcatchers can be funny about multiple attachments in a post. You will only receive one copy of each book from me even though the article text is the same in each post.

This episode we discuss:

• T-shirt status
• Contest is almost over – get your submissions in by Jul 31, 2008!: Win a copy of the debut issue of comic book Twilight Guardian by Troy Hickman! The rules are as follows:
  • Send an Email, starting immediately to cohpodcast@gmail.com
  • We will do 2 random drawings, and Troy will mail them to the winners.
  • Make sure you include the subject: “Twilight Guardian Contest”; your full name; age (over 18); and complete mailing address.
  • If we draw you name and don’t have that info, we will go to the next name we draw.
  • Also, specify how you want it signed- either with just Troy’s signature, or with your name/character name/ or inscribed to your Aunt Fannie.
• Podcaste Global channel
• Podcaste SG
• Listener meet-up – Again, we’ll be hitting the troll caves in Hollows at the next meet-up, so you need a level 12 to join us. We’ll be split up into teams again, but will be all together this time.
• Double XP weekend
• Special Episode coming up w/Mur Lafferty – Submit questions for Mighty Mur!
• CoH News
• NPC Complaints
• Feedback
• Promo: Double Trouble

Linkage:

• Stay Connected with City of Heroes RSS News Feeds!
• It’s All Access for CoH and CoV
• Recent Activity in Violation of the Forum Rules
• Forum Rules Revision
• Visit NCsoft & City of Heroes at Comic Con!
• Game Update – Tuesday, July 22nd @ 6AM Pacific
• Comic Con News Articles

• Voicemails
• E-mails
• Comments
• iTunes Review
• Much talk of knupples.. and knuckles.. and for that matter, nipples..

• The t-shirts are in! They’ll be posted “real soon now ™”
• Contest: Win a copy of the debut issue of comic book Twilight Guardian by Troy Hickman! The rules are as follows:
  • Send an Email, starting immediately to cohpodcast@gmail.com
  • We will do 2 random drawings, and Troy will mail them to the winners.
  • Make sure you include the subject: “Twilight Guardian Contest”; your full name; age (over 18); and complete mailing address.
  • If we draw you name and don’t have that info, we will go to the next name we draw.
  • Also, specify how you want it signed- either with just Troy’s signature, or with your name/character name/ or inscribed to your Aunt Fannie.
• CoH News
• Macros and Keybinds — examples and links specific to this topic have finally been posted on our forums!
• I ran out of editing time, so this is getting split into a two parter. Feedback will come a little later this week.

Here is the linkage mentioned in the episode:

• Happy 4th of July from the City of Heroes Dev Team
• Game Update – Wednesday, July 9th at 6AM Pacific
• Double XP is Coming Soon to a Server Near You!
• 51 Month and 54 Month Veteran Rewards Announced!
• Player Video Commemorates City of Heroes Lore
• City of Heroes Bay Area ‘Hero Con 08’
• Join Moderator Niviene Looking at Global Channels!
• PvPEC Presents: Two Against the World, a duo FFA!
• Updated Known Issues – July 9th
• Promo: Form Letter Rejection Theater

This time we talk about:

• Our nephew’s recovery (update: He’s home now and doing GREAT! You’re our hero RD!!)
• T-shirt status (tester shirts are in the mail and shirts will be available to buy soon! Prices are ranging from about $14 to $26 depending on one side vs. two side, colors, etc.
• Contest – Copies of Twilight Guardian are in the mail and on their way to Troy. We have decided on the following rules:
  • Send an Email, starting immediately to cohpodcast@gmail.com
  • We will do 2 random drawings, and Troy will mail them to the winners.
  • Make sure you include the subject: “Twilight Guardian Contest”; your full name; age (over 18); and complete mailing address.
  • If we draw you name and don’t have that info, we will go to the next name we draw.
  • Also, specify how you want it signed- either with just Troy’s signature, or with your name/character name/ or inscribed to your Aunt Fannie.
• Listener meet-up
• Paypal button
• Parsec awards
• North American Forum Maintenance on Monday!
• Time Stamps on the Dev and Community Digests
• Optional In-Game Advertisements
• City of Heroes is going to Comic Con!
• Live Server Update: Tuesday AM 17.200800612.1T
• Global Chat Down on Live as of June 27
• Win a New Car in the Matrix Machinima Contest!
• New Fanzine! Spotlighting Fan Art, Stories & More
• In-Game Store and Account Services Unavailable
• Promo: Double Share, A Traders Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 4

In this episode we discuss:

• Listener meet-up June 28th at 2pm, Guardian server. We are going to hit the new Hollows content, so you will need a level 5 toon to enter the zone. Meet at Wincott.
  • Viv will be playing either Vico Viv or her new character, Sive the Shining.
  • Chooch will be playing The Incredible Hulk Hogan (an homage to a friend that used to play)
• T-shirt status -still in progress, but coming soon.
• Contest – In the mail and on their way to Troy. We have decided on the following rules:
  • Send us an e-mail with the subject “Funny Book Contest”
  • We will do 2 random drawings, and will mail them to the winners. Make sure you include your full name, age (over 18), and complete mailing address. If we draw your name and don’t have that info, we will go to the next name we draw.
  • No current deadline set; we’ll announce it in the next episode.
• Still I say, go check out Twilight Guardian while you can still get your hands on it! We’ve read it, and I’m really hoping it gets picked up because I want to see what her motivations are and just generally more about the character!
• “This American Hero” Wins Machinima Contest
• Re: Skirt problem
• Wikia to Send Two Lucky Gamers to Pax!
• June 17th update to the live servers
• Sync Bug? Character Can’t Move? Read More Here
• Update on the “Sync Bug”
  • Confirmation about possible bug with Rularuu Bow
• Massively.com – CoX Issue 13: All your base are belong to us?
• Accolade spotlight: Freedom Phalanx Reserve Member Badge
• SG Spotlight: Viper
• Promo: Chasing The Bard, Murder at Avedon Hill, The Metamor City Podcast, Morevi: Remastered

This week we talk about:

• Announcements:
  • Listener meet-up June 28th at 2pm, Guardian server. We are going to hit the new Hollows content, so you will need a level 5 toon to enter the zone. Meet at Wincott.
  • T-shirt status
  • Contest coming soon!
• Rikti Invasion Returns
• CoH Desktop Calendar
• Hover change discussion & link 2
• News
• Main Feature – IO’s Part I
• Discussion of cool weapons
• Feedback
• Paragon University Archaology Department 4th Anniversary Flash (sorry, I totally forgot to add the link when I posted the episode.. thanks for the catch, WordSmythe!)
• Promo: Murder at Avedon Hill

Enjoy!

In the episode we mention meeting and interacting with the following awesome people, in quasi alphabetical order. No offense if I left somebody off of the list- please let me know so I can fix it!

• Brand Gamblin, Allie and Elf Princess
• Chris Lester
• Christiana Ellis
• Command Line and Andrea
• Dan The Fan
• David Kanter
• David Moldawer
• Doug Rapson
• Earl Newton
• Fantastic Foe
• Grailwolf
• Greg Wright
• Heather Welliver
• Indiana Jim
• Jack Jaffee
• JC Hutchins
• Jared Axelrod
• Jason Adams
• Jett
• John Cmarr
• JR Blackwell
• Laura Burns
• MAinPA
• Martha Holloway
• Martyn Casserly
• Matt Wallace
• Max
• Nobilis
• Jim Van Verth
• Mur Lafferty
• Nathan Lowell
• Paul Fischer
• PG Holyfield
• Paulette Jaxton
• Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit and Carissa
• Philippa Ballantine
• Scott & Mae Breakall
• Scott Phillips
• Susan Z and Biscuit of Kulture Kast
• Tee Morris

Its too late for clever.. here are the patch notes

This post has the correct attachment – Episode 25!

This week we discuss

• Mids Joins Titan Network! Issue 12 Version Soon!
• Positron Broadcasts Live on MMORPG.com!
• There was Server Maintenance, Wednesday, May 28th
• May 28th Patch Notes
• Executive Producer Talks with MMOABC.com
• Community Digest is Fixed
• Stone Melee nerfage
• Twilight Guardian from Top Cow, written by Troy Hickman – Support one of our own!
  • Interview with Troy Hickman
  • Review of Twilight Guardian by Wizard Universe
• Calls for Cthulhu
• Promo: Parsec Awards

This time we discuss:

• Issue 12: Midnight Hour is Live and Info Links!
• Issue 12 Patch Notes
• Free Respec With Issue 12
• Re: Free Respec With Issue 12
• Developer Diary: Ken Morse, Stretching the Genre!
• Issues Affecting Billing Processing
• Issue 12 Comic Book Now Available!
• Promo: Stranger Things

• Free Respec
  This will grant a respec to characters that does not stack with any previous free respecs a character may have. Given this non-stacking nature, if you have a free respec currently, you may want to use it before the grant is run.
• Free Tailor Token
  This will apply free tailor or facemaker session tokens for each costume slot a character has.
• Global Chat Handle reset
  All accounts initially start with the ability to change their global chat handle one time. This grant will reset that and allow accounts who had previously changed their global chat handle to do so again. This is a one time chat handle change, so please use it wisely.

We just received news that NCSoft will be offering a special “Reactivation Weekend” in a few days! This means that all accounts that were a prior retail account (as in they were a subscriber not a free trial) will be reactivated during the following window:

Start: Thursday, May 22nd 10am PST / Noon CST
End: Sunday, May 25th 8:59pm PST / 10:59pm CST

So let all of your friends that have unsubscribed know about this special event and take this opportunity to try out Issue 12!!

We ended up with a show chock full of news and comments, but didn’t want to postpone the Intro to Bases further, so you gets the whole jumbo sized episode in one shot!

This time we discuss:

• News
  • NCSoft and Vivox Announce Collaboration
  • Exclusive Video Look at the Midnight Squad!
• Discussion of SI radio interview which leads to a mini-Paladin spotlight among other things
• Feature: Intro to Bases
• Our first listener meet up
• Listener comments/iTunes Reviews
• Listener feedback in email/voicemail
• The Wandering Geek Podcast
• Promos: 7th Son Obsidian and Takeover.

We had planned on this being a featurecast, but there was just so much other content that we’re going to save the feature until next week!

In this episode we discuss:

• City of Heroes 4 Year Anniversary address from Positron
• Issue 12 open Beta
• The 4 Year Anniversary Calendar with important dates (double XP weekends, etc)
• City of Heroes staff at Summer trade shows
  • Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Sdattle
  • Comic-Con in San Diego
• Many, many comments, an e-mail, and a voicemail from a celebrity guest (kind of)
• SG Spotlight: The Knuckleheads. Both Hero AND Villain side SG on the Pinnacle server. A casual/fun group that enjoys some PLs and other advanced play.
• Promo: Chasing The Bard (an amazing free audiobook)

We’ve noticed that some people with spotty Internet connections are having a difficult time downloading the episode. To try and alleviate this, I just exported the show at a lower bitrate. This means that the sound quality won’t be as good, but the file will be much smaller. Also, I’ve split the file into two parts to further shrink the size.

You can download the pieces with these links:
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2

As a last resort you can read the transcript from the official forums.

Cheers!
-Chooch

Of course we talk about some i11 stuff, i12, lots about NCSoft and writing. I know we mention Playing For Keeps and Paragon Wiki, but can’t remember beyond that.

Oh and don’t forget, open beta starts Tuesday, May 6!

Enjoy!

• We will be interviewing Joe “Hero 1” Morrissey, Lead Writer of the CoH Development Team!!
• Read Joe’s Developer Diary at mmorpg.com
• Post your questions in the Official Forums for the interview
• There is an excellent review of our show at Massively.com

In this episode we talk about:

• Issue 12 Villain Epic Archetype Video
• Official discussion Acrobatics Power Weakening
• Faction Spotlight: Knives of Artemis
• Accolade Spotlight: Watchman/Watchwoman
• Warcry Positron and Castle Interview
• Promo: Buffy Between The Lines
• Feedback

Viv brings to you:

• Additional Character Slots Announcement by Positron
• Rikti Return
• Vanguard info on rikti assault patterns
• Posi’s response in the WARNING: Spoilers to the VEAT storyline follow!
• Hero Dawn Bash Party — April 19
  
• Loads of listener comments, reviews, and a voicemail
• Promo: Christiana’s Shallow Thoughts

• April Fools Prank – Visual Sounds
• BAB’s link indicating his acrobatic moves (we promise promise promise this is NOT a RickRoll!)
• Optional In-Game Advertising
• Powerset Proliferation FAQ form Doc Brainstorm
• i12 Closed Beta starting next week
• Powers counts and clarifications (some info from Suckerpunch’s CoH Planner
• Civilian NPC’s
• Accolade Spotlight – Atlas Medallion
• CoHPodcast forums
• Promo: Morevi Remastered

This is part two of our guest interview with Rich. There was some very important, last minute news that was added just before we posted though which takes a little time to get through.

In this episode we discuss:

• A last minute news item from Lighthouse and Positron
• Dr. Brainstorm’s Discovery
• Powerset Proliferation
• Improved Character Creator
• Back to the Burrow for us
• The new Forums are rocking – come join us (they got their first porn submissions!)
• Chooch went to lunch with Mur Lafferty, Tee Morris, Marc Bailey & Heather Welliver, and many other creative peoples
• Don’t forget our new voicemail number: 206-333-3206
• Some explanations of why some powers did or did not make it into the proliferation, including letting us know that eventually ALL of the powers should make it over!!
• Rich’s tour of villainy
• Promos: Balticon Podcast, The Next Fix

So, here is the actual podcast episode… again.. I tried once before and it didn’t seem to take. So I just renamed the file, and we’ll see what happens!

——————————

Episode is a bit late… but there was an injury involved, so please don’t debuff us
This episode is part one of a two part interview with a friend of ours dedicated to villains!

We discuss:

• Viv’s on drugs
• News [more complete show notes on actual news items to come]
• Bab’s sig file link
• New Gallery software on cohpodcast.com/ !
• New Listener Forums !
• Go buy Scott Sigler’s Infected on April 1st! Oh, and in case you don’t know if you’d like it, Scott is letting us attach a free PDF version to this episode!! That’s right, the ENTIRE Novel in no-DRM PDF form is in the feed. However, this is a “3 day only” deal, so I will be removing the PDF from the feed on April 1st.
• New feedback phone number (the old one got disconnected because nobody called in 30 days
• Interview with Rich
  • What draws Rich to the Rogue Isles
  • CoV contacts strategy
  • Differences between COH and COV
  • Task Forces/Strike Forces
  • Level restricted zones
  • Giant Monsters
  • The villain Archetypes
  • Feelings on the announced villain epic archetypes
  • Player populations between Villains and Heroes
  • Villain player attitudes compared to Hero side
  • Thanks to Rich for helping fund the VEAT
  • Villain temp powers and accolades
  • Six Paragons
  • Weekend Hero
• Promos: Chasing the Bard, MetaMor City

This episode is part one of a two part interview with a friend of ours dedicated to villains!

We discuss:

• Viv’s on drugs
• News [more complete show notes on actual news items to come]
• Bab’s sig file link
• New Gallery software on cohpodcast.com/ !
• New Listener Forums !
• Go buy Scott Sigler’s Infected on April 1st! Oh, and in case you don’t know if you’d like it, Scott is letting us attach a free PDF version to this episode!! That’s right, the ENTIRE Novel in no-DRM PDF form is in the feed. However, this is a “3 day only” deal, so I will be removing the PDF from the feed on April 1st. Sorry, time is up and I had to remove the file from the post and the server. You can still listen to the book for free on Scott’s site though! I just found out that the limited time was on Random House/Crown’s side — but we are allowed to mirror it indefinitely. So, I’ve put it back up
• New feedback phone number (the old one got disconnected because nobody called in 30 days
• Interview with Rich
  • What draws Rich to the Rogue Isles
  • CoV contacts strategy
  • Differences between COH and COV
  • Task Forces/Strike Forces
  • Level restricted zones
  • Giant Monsters
  • The villain Archetypes
  • Feelings on the announced villain epic archetypes
  • Player populations between Villains and Heroes
  • Villain player attitudes compared to Hero side
  • Thanks to Rich for helping fund the VEAT
  • Villain temp powers and accolades
  • Six Paragons
  • Weekend Hero
• Promos: Chasing the Bard, MetaMor City

This episode we discuss:

• Gary Gygax passing
• Rikti invasions return
• “Final” Task Force/Strike force changes
• 48 Month Veteran Reward announced
• A call from Ex Libris to please update account information
• Intro to Base Raids event
• Some very funny forum comments from Back Alley Brawler
• Lots and lots of feedback!
• Promo: Scott Sigler’s Infected

Good hunting heroes!

This episode was recorded last week but was delayed due to some technical difficulties (and minor construction at our base!)

We discuss;

• Ex Libris links to us on the official forums!
• We’re moving our studio around
• Blaster damage bug corrected
• Further veil fixes
• Clarification from Positron on the TF changes
• A new TF change on Test Server to address some of the gripes
• Main topic: Cryptic Studios Champions Online MMO now in development
• Feedback
• Hop into our new Character Gallery to see what our listener’s characters look like — and add your own!
• Promo: JC Hutchin’s Ultra Creatives Interview Series

As we go over in the episode, we are aware that Defenders are much more than healers (that they indeed are more buffers/debuffers than healers), but since there was a request specifically about healing, here it is.

In this episode we discuss:

• Some quick news (Rikti portal XP update, and a contentious TF/SF change)
• Villain Strike Force information
• New Valentine mish in Atlas Park
• Information about the Manticore/Sister Psyche wedding event
• Our Defender/Healer disclaimer
• Listener feedback
• Another request for SGs to promote – here is your chance to get your SG some exposure and recruit some new blood! Send us your SG details: Name, Server, Website if you have one, the type of SG it is (role play, farming, PVP, etc.), and how to contact you in-game.
• Also, let us know a preferred day/time for an in-game meet up!
• Promo: Geeklabel Radio

This is an exciting week, Heroes! Lots going on, so this episode is our longest. Buckle up and enjoy!

• Double XP weekend hangover
• Huuuuuge game patch
• Announcement for this year’s Jubilee event!
  Event Timing:
  Start: Thursday, February 14th, 8:59am PST / 11:59am EST
  Finish: Thursday, February 28th, 8:59pm PST / 11:59pm EST
• Info on Manticore and Sister Psyche’s Valentine’s Day wedding on Training Room/Test Server!
• New game pack available for purchase!
• Other interesting news tidbits as well. Did YOU know about the change to Rikti portals? We didn’t!

Then, because we don’t know when enough is enough, we allow ourselves to have a feature discussion after being inspired by questions from a listener. We discuss powers and enhancement slotting as we prefer them.

• Disclaimer on the possibility that Real Numbers will make all of this moot.
• Discussion on archetypes and builds, and how we personally play them.
• Traditional roles of different archetypes within a team.
• Our rule of thumb on slotting enhancements.
• Hero Planners: Joe Chott’s Hero Planner, Mid’s Hero Designer and Sucker Punch’s Hero Planner for guidance on the effects of enhancements in different slots
• Hero Stats

Promo: Geek Acres

Next episode: Scheduled to be a News episode. If there is no news we will discuss the defender/healer roles as requested by a listener!

• Changes to powers for various archetypes (lots for Forcefield Controllers, but some for tankers, blasters, and Kheldians)
• Information on “XP curve adjustments” to help with those tough levels
• The “combat attribute window” and “attribute monitor”
• The CoH Planner
• Changes to base storage tracking
• Some small changes to the User Interface
• Don’t forget – Double XP happens this weekend Starting Friday, February 8, 2008 at 8:59am PST / 11:59am EST and ending Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 8:59pm PST / 11:59pm EST
• Listener Feedback
• New Promo: Playing For Keeps

• Trouble downloading?
• Double XP weekend dates announced
• A couple news bits
• Mobs and the conning system
• Giant Monster spawn rates
• How the whole “giant monster” damage thing works (level scaling)
• Rikti Spawns
• Dwimble’s Guide to mission difficulty settings
• Voicemails
• Promo: Geek Survival Guide

• The 2008 State of the Game
• The “City Vault”
• The next double XP weekend and server hardware improvements
• Valentine’s Day event
• Smoothing the XP curve
• “Real Numbers”
• City of Heroes Fanzine
• Fanzine Submission Webpage
• Changes to Moment of Glory coming
• In-game mail spam
• feedback
• Promo: Playing for Keeps

One note from last episode: We mention that the Winter event is ending on January 6 (today!) and that they will likely close it out during Monday morning’s maintenance. Well a couple days ago Lighthouse posted on the forums that they will end it TONIGHT! So, you have a few less hours to spend those candy canes.

Links for this episode:

• Vidiotmaps
• HeroStats
• Titan Key
• City Info Terminal
• City Game Tracker
• TweakCOH
• TeamSpeak
• Ventrilo
• Promo: Kulture Kast

Be sure to write, comment, or call us and tell us about your Super Group (or Villain Group). We’ll highlight a different SG whenever we have time. Tell us what your play style is (hardcore, laid back, raid focused), tell us about your base, any rules you have, oh – and of course what server you’re on.

We discuss:

• A new intro
• New equipment in the “studio”
• A new domain name
• i12 and i13 speculation
• Villian Epic Archetype (un)News
• Planning for the end of the Winter Event
• A tip to figure out what all of those wrapped inspirations actually are
• The Winter horde faction spotlight

In this episode we discuss:

• Candy cane salvage and pricing for various temp powers
• Ski Slope tips
• Ski Slope Bug
• Quickie Father Time mission tips
• 2007 Winter Event badges:
  Gifted – for logging in during the 2007 Winter event
  Frozen Fury – Defeat the Winter Lord GM
  Cold Warrior – Defeat 100 Frostlings
  Toy Collector – Receive 200 presents on the streets
  Trucker – Located on the floating truck outside of the Pocket D windows
  Received during the Father Time mission:
  Crystalized – Complete the mission
  Miraculous – Choosing the Renewal of light temp power reward
  Joyful – Choosing the Golden Rings temp power reward
  Frosty – Choosing the Furry Boots temp power reward
  Toothbreaker – Complete the mission 5 times
  Three badges for skiing:
  Qualified – Bronze Medal for completing course in under 45 seconds
  Accelerated – Silver Medal for completing in under 35 seconds
  Speed Demon – Gold Medal for completing in under 25 secodns
  Shortest time on Champion server as of the evening of December 22 is 15.75 seconds

• Dates for the winter event
• Winterlord’s Holiday Extravaganza
• PERC Costume Contest earlier this year
• Justice Radio (not WOOT! Radio)
• Patch Notes
• Double Prestige boost goof
• Players Choice Awards
• MMORPG.com
• MMOSite.com
• Official COH Forums. Please note, on the podcast I said “forums.coh.com” but it is actually “boards.coh.com“
• The Guild
• New Voicemail Line: 206-338-2911
• So give a call, leave a comment here, or send e-mail to cohpodcast -at- gmail.com and tell us about either Player hosted events, or your SG/VG and we’ll pimp it on the podcast!

In this main topic we discuss everything about Enhancements. The major types and differences between them, how you get the different types, how they all work, and tips for saving millions of influence as you level up.

This episode includes:

• Carnival of Shadows
• Enhancements – Major Categories
• Training
• Dual Origin
• Single Origin
• Invention (standard and sets)
• Special Enhancements (Hamidon, Crystal Titan, Hydra)
• Enhancement Aspects and Schedules
• Tips and tricks
• Enhancement Diversification
• Which hancies to use at various level ranges
• Maximizing influence as you level and swap hancies

In light of this, we are going to take a page out of The Command Line‘s playbook and split the podcast into two weekly episodes. At least for the foreseeable future. The first weekly episode (the one attached) will be all news – both about the game, and what’s going on with us. The second weekly episode will be a main topic.

The combined length will still be around an hour and all told will contain the same content, just in more digestible sizes. Also, people that only like one type of content or the other can ignore the files of the type they don’t like.

Let us know what you think!

This episode contains info about:

• i11 launched
• Ouroborus
• Badge Overload
• Referral program
• Free 14 day trial – with no credit card required
• Defiance changes coming
• a little more about animation timing changes
• Feedback on custom weapons
• Remote contact store bug (get while the gettin’s good
• New Statesman Taskforce/Lord Recluse Taskforce badge
• You can find in depth information on the Official Forums
• Another new CoH Podcast called Jerk Radio
• Hiatus for the Faction highlight segment
• Promo – Space Casey

There wasn’t any significant news this week either, which added to the shortness (wait, is that an oxymoron?)

This ep we cover:

• A brief explanation of content that was cut
• One correction
• Target selection
• Power activation methods

This week we discuss:

• The date has been announced for the Prestige Bump and Debt Wipe (December 10)
• Further information on receiving temp powers again with the new Ouroborus time travel system (item echoes)
• Respec recipies and how they’ll drop in i11
• Faction Highlight: The Circle of Thorns
• Main topic: Powers
  • Power types
  • Power effects
  • Power requirements/attributes
  • Inherent power discussion
    • Defiance
    • Containment
    • Critical Hit
    • Gauntlet
    • Vigilance
  • Temporary powers

Topics discussed include:

• NCSoft buys CoH IP from Cryptic (along with most developers)
• Bonuses to all players as a thank you
• NCSoft opens 19 new positions for their Northern California CoH operations
• A little about Cryptic’s upcoming Marvel Universe MMO
• Additional terminology for new players
• The chat system including built-in channels, tabs, emotes, private channels, private messages, global chat, and multiple ways to use channels.
• Promo for Aliens You Will Meet

Only two news clips this episode. First, Floyd “Castle” Grubb, the City of Heroes Development Team powers designer, narrates this trailer spotlighting the all-new power sets introduced in Issue 11: “A Stitch in Time.” The video also briefly touches on Issue 11’s new Weapon Customization feature.

Second is information on the Wonder Woman movie being placed on “indefinite hold”.

I play a promo in this episode for the new free podcast novel “Playing For Keeps“. This is a modern day story of super heroes; super villains; and third wave almost-heroes who are stuck in between. The story is written by the ‘grand dame of podcasting’ Mur Lafferty.

Mur currently hosts two podcasts: I Should Be Writing, for aspiring fiction writers, and Geek Fu Action Grip. This is her first novel; though she has been frequently published in role playing games, video games, and short story forms.

I highly encourage you to give it a listen. Mur is a masterful storyteller. And hey, if you subscribe to the “Playing For Keeps Experience” feed, there is a PDF version of each chapter with a picture of a pie on the cover! Pie I say!

This is longer than I had anticipated any episode being at just under 38 minutes, but there was lots of news this week.

News in this episode includes:

• An overview of what is coming in Issue 11
  • Time Travel
  • New powersets
  • New invention sets
  • Weapon customization
• This years Halloween Event begins

The main topic this week is terminology. This will be a primer of common terms in the game for new players and set the stage for the weeks to come.

We play our first podcast promo – this one is for Phil Rossi‘s Crescent event.

Enjoy!

I would love to hear your feedback! You can directly comment on the site here, or send an e-mail to cohpodcast@gmail.com