First Annual CoX Easter Egg Hunt

[Cold Bob]

As we are about to celebrate our Sixteenth Anniversary of "City of Heroes/Villains" I propose an Easter Egg hunt to get people out-and-about both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles (and Praetoria!), exploring the world, to see the secret (or at least unusual!) sights you might have missed over the years, or never seen at all, before this weekend.

 

In no particular order, places to visit:

 

1) the guy barfing at the train station in Recluse's Victory

2) the Coralax swimming in the pond on the west side of Grandville

3) the "Matrix room" underneath the colosseum in Peregrine Island (not sure if the same room is located underneath the colosseum in Port Oakes)

4) the hangman's tree in St. Martial (careful how you approach the tree: it's an optical illusion)

5) go find Sally in Croatoa! (thump her on the head on TWO separate occasions, and you get the "Believer" badge)

6) stop by Krazy Mark's House of Bargains in the Flush neighbourhood

7) the hidden "Developer's Room" behind the tunnels underneath Grandville

8.) rock out with the Banished Pantheon house band, in Pocket D

9) the original site of the Paragon Dance Party in Steel Canyon (this one will give you the badge "Dance Legend")

10) Yin's Market in Faultline (you gotta get INTO the store for full credit)

11) Arbiter Apolis's hidden signature in Grandville

12) the face in the stone, Firebase Zulu

13) the "Throne of Rularuu", also in Firebase Zulu (visible from the fort at Point Tango)

14) the Eye of Horus in the waters of the Oil Spill neighbourhood in Port Oakes (bring your jetpack!)

15) Charlie Newland and "Wilson" off-coast Monster Island (the red-side map)

16) the dude (skeletal remains) who couldn't make it back to mainland Cap au Diable, even with a life preserver

17) the Shadowed Paths between First Ward and Night Ward

18) Foreshadow (I get the feeling he's lonely, in the Hollows)

19) the Longbow Ballista (Elite Boss) in the St. Martial docklands (I don't think he gets many visitors, either)

20) finally, the secret lounge tucked away in Faultline (this will award the "Egg Hunter" badge, your reward for taking part in this whole exercise!)

 

For bonus marks, I will /fancybow to any superhero or supervillain who is able to get a screenshot of the Hamidon tentacles waving outside the jungle warwalls in Praetoria, in the open world, not during a mission: post images here! (Pix, or it didn't happen!)

 

And I'm open to suggestions for more special sites (and special people) to visit, in our fantastic world. 🙂

[SwitchFade]

Garden dome, at the top of the building in atlas, on the inside.

[SwitchFade]

Freaktown, in Crey's

[Cold Bob]

I took my own tour today, and have a couple of comments.

 

1) visiting the guy barfing at the train station in Recluse's Victory makes it really easy for you to pick up the exploration badge "A Scar in Time" (and you get 1/100 progress toward "Isolator" if you DEFEAT the Contaminated fellow)

2) while my Coralax friend wasn't there (doesn't spawn very often) it is still neat to visit the only place in the open world where you can go swimming UNDERWATER

3) the "Matrix room" doesn't work for Port Oakes (devs hate red-side? j/k!)

4) visiting the hangman's tree in St. Martial makes it really easy to pick up the exploration badge "Dead Man's Tree"

5) I found Sally! (and got 1/2 progress toward "Believer")

6) I found out talking to Krazy Mark, gives you remote access to the Auction HOuse in St. Martial

7) the "Developer's Room" was almost as time-consuming as 12) and 13)...but it was worth it, just to listen to the new (haunted) sound effects

8.) tried a couple of times; no Banished Pantheon house band in Pocket D...

9) but I'm a "Dance Legend", baby!

10) didn't have access to inside Yin's Market, but I remember it is kind of a cool place (definitely unique), once you get inside

11) SPOILER ALERT: Mike Apolis's signature is hidden at (2468.7, -154.0, 1048.0) (Can I get the location coordinates for Nick Duguid's signature plate?)

12) the face in the stone is at Point Echo on the Firebase Zulu map

13) the "Throne of Rularuu" is at Point Tango

14) probably the best time to visit the Eye of Horus (heralding the arrival of the Blood of the Black Stream, for those of you who remember) is day-time...sunset, night, and sunrise don't really do the oil-on-the-water environmental effect justice

15) take the Smuggler's Submarine from Grandville to Monster Island, then travel as far north-west as you can go...look for Wilson in the water...do the soccer ball emote, just to tease Charlie

16) travel as far south-west as you can, to visit a little spit of land, not even on the overhead map of Cap au Diable

17) when walking the Shadowed Paths between First Ward and Night Ward, use your Shadow Shunt power to visit Night Ward, then grab the "House Hunter" exploration badge, real easy (which of course, unlocks the Midnighter Club, and therefore the ITF)

18) Foreshadow wouldn't tell me what his superpowers are...fortunately, we have Mirror Spirit in the game as a GM for the answer to those questions

19) tried a couple of times; no Longbow Ballista Elite Boss at his open warehouse on the west-side of St. Martial...but I did hear some interesting NPC chatter, warning me off from challenging him solo!

20) "Egg Hunter", baby! (So that's actually five easy badges, "A Scar in Time", "Dead Man's Tree", "Dance Legend", "House Hunter" and "Egg Hunter" plus progress on "Isolator" and "Believer" and maybe even "Passing Fab" (in Grandville) and whatever that other exploration badge is -- the one just for entering the Portal Corps building (in Peregrine Island) and heading through the hallway gate toward Firebase Zulu: not bad for an hour's work!)

 

I didn't bother going through Pocket D to visit Praetoria for the bonus Easter Egg: I mean, does that event spawn once a month, or what? 🙂

Edited April 12, 2020 by Cold Bob

[Cold Bob]

The garden dome is a good suggestion...I didn't know you could enter it, until I tried.

 

Freaktown in Crey's Folly is a lot fo fun, but also, I like the mini-Freaktown in Sharkhead Isle...and also the small Freakshow encampment north of the docklands/warehouses in St. Martial (underneath the collapsed buildings/highway.)

[Clave Dark 5]

Wait, what?  How did you get so far away from the ski run?  I tried it once and I don't think I could get that far out.

[Glacier Peak]

8 hours ago, Clave Dark 5 said:

Wait, what?  How did you get so far away from the ski run?  I tried it once and I don't think I could get that far out.

This was taken on my privater server. 

[justicebeliever]

On 4/12/2020 at 1:21 PM, Cold Bob said:

The garden dome is a good suggestion...I didn't know you could enter it, until I tried.

What is the garden dome in Atlas?

[Ironblade]

1 minute ago, justicebeliever said:

What is the garden dome in Atlas?

There's a building in Atlas that has a garden on the roof, enclosed by a glass dome.  I forget which direction it is from City Hall, but it's easy enough to spot if you are flying.  You can get inside the roof dome by taking the stairs at ground level - there are doors with a staircase symbol.

[Glacier Peak]

Follow up response, thank for the fun OP.

 

1. Previously only found in Outbreak, 100 later and badgers beget them badges.

Spoiler

 

2. I can’t remember where I saw them, but there are other “water spots” behind the war walls in separate zones. Maybe it was Perez Park or Founder Falls? There is also another Easter Egg (forgive my bad memory) where the Coralax is actually doing the fishing emote.

Spoiler

 

3. Still accessible on Homecoming. I believe on live the original route that was most known was patched with a pop up that says you cannot access it (I’m talking about the one in the bottom Southeast corner). Since Talos got rid of it’s Arena (though you can still get under the map to check) this seems to be the only place hero side I found the blue matrix room. Haven’t found a spot yet for Port Oakes which lets me verify.

Spoiler

 

4. About 140 Yards away, the image of a two-dimensional skeleton will appear. If you get any closer or the camera is zoomed in, it will disappear. The skeleton is at the left base of the tree, tiny grey dot.

Spoiler

 

5. No luck with Sally

Spoiler

 

6. Auction House deals

Spoiler

 

7. Mystery sounds near the bathroom, a coffin in a cubicle, and a metal cage (Gibbet?) with just a skull remaining, and an unthreatening Arachnoid or two.

Spoiler

 

8. Band was on break, though I imagine this is a nice gig to play.

 

Spoiler

 

9. Inside is empty but the music is good. This was a pretty cool place during the first few issues on live.

Spoiler

 

10. Skipped this, I do not have the “Rescuer” badge in order to get in the store and have access to the terrible enhancement Mr. Yin sells.

 

11. Partially erased on the white board, the name “Mike Apolis” one of the Art Leads for the City of Villains game (also located in the Dev room under Grandville.

Spoiler

 

12. Rularuu? I might try to get under this area to see if the artists put more detail in to it.

 

Spoiler

 

12. Rularuu? I might try to get under this area to see if the artists put more detail in to it.

 

Spoiler

 

14. Lots of Coralax, something about Epic Archetype, but not so much more than an Easter Egg.

 

Spoiler

 

15. Also located at the North West corner of Peregrine Island (identical island as Monster Island, dude, ball set up, everything)

 

Spoiler

 

15. Also located at the North West corner of Peregrine Island (identical island as Monster Island, dude, ball set up, everything)

 

Spoiler

 

15. Particle Effects !

 

Spoiler

 

18. Just another trainer?

Spoiler

 

19. I was not able to get this guy to spawn, perhaps the spawn is tied to a time of day/night. Either way, the warehouse where the Longbow Ballista would spawn.

 

Spoiler

 

20. Egg Hunt Complete

 

Spoiler

 

21. Bonus: Garden Dome in Atlas

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Glacier Peak
Removed images to save on message attachment limit!

[Glacier Peak]

Can you also explain the Hamidon in Praetoria thing? I don't see him anywhere outside any of the maps (I have only the tentacles in missions).

[Cold Bob]

Thanks for the feedback Glacier Peak and Ironblade. A few last thoughts:

 

2) I'll have to look out for those other "water spots" (I always thought the only other spot in-game was one of the mission maps for the ITF; the chamber where you can swim UNDER the bridge in the cave setting): does anybody else have info on this situation? And thank you for reminding me, the Coralax sometimes does the fishing emote!

 

3) I think "legitimate" access to the "Matrix Room" is limited to the arena doors in the Peregrine Island colosseum (now a feature, not a bug)

 

11) I did not know about the whiteboard; I was thinking specifically of 2468.7, -154.0, 1048.0. There is also a white signature plaque for Nick Duguid: I don't have the coordinates in front of me, but it is very easy to find in the Grandville room that is the villain-side portal to Recluse's Victory; it's tucked away just underneath the portal ramp, not even really hidden (Mike Apolis's signature plate IS hidden.)

 

12) there is a face, and there is a throne, in the Shadow Shard: can anyone confirm a giant hand?

 

15) I always thought Charlie Newland and Wilson were only in the red-side Monster Island: I'll have to check out the Peregrine Island map...but I thought that speck of land was empty, blue-side.

 

16) is the dude in Cap au Diable (you had the right photo; let's call him Dead Charlie)

 

17) the Shadowed Paths are one of my favorite places in Praetoria...I just think the whole concept is cool, Shadow Shunting between First Ward and Night Ward by using a temporary power!

 

18) just another trainer: sigh! (next year Foreshadow gets cut from the Easter Egg hunt, and replaced with the Mercedes Lackey section of books in the university library in Croatoa...now, THAT is an Easter Egg!)

 

19) I never found the Longbow Ballista Elite Boss either...I suspect he's on a night-cycle...who knows?

 

21) the garden dome is the south-east corner of Atlas Park...would make a cool place for supergroup headquarters role-playing.

 

The Hamidon tentacles thing in Praetoria, all I've heard is that very, VERY infrequently, on the world map, an event spawns where you can see the Hamidon's tentacles waving in the air, outside the jungle "war walls" in, I think, Imperial City, south-side (or maybe north of the Behaviourial Adjustment Facility; who knows?) Because so few people have seen it in person, I think it is kind of the ULTIMATE Easter Egg...but I wouldn't waste a lot of time waiting around for the event to happen. (It was confimed as being a real thing, by one of the developers on live...but so rare, you'd think it was a bug, not a feature, if you ever ran into it, in Praetoria.)

 

Thanks again for participating in the First Annual CoX Easter Egg Hunt!

Edited April 16, 2020 by Cold Bob

[Cold Bob]

One last Easter Egg that has been brought to my attention, definitely something for next year's hunt:

 

There is a warehouse (within 200 yards of the Smuggler's Ship in Talos Island) that might one day be a RETURN route to Praetoria (if they ever figure out how to reverse the portal...)

 

That's all I'm going to say: Go. Hunt. Kill Warehouse Doors. 😀

Edited April 17, 2020 by Cold Bob

[Cold Bob]

I kinda forgot I posted this thread four years ago; seems like a good time to bump it up.

 

I'd call it the FIFTH ANNUAL CITY OF HEROES HOMECOMING EASTER EGG HUNT, if I knew how to change the subject line, but First Annual CoX Easter Egg Hunt will just have to do. 😀

[Glacier Peak]

7 hours ago, Cold Bob said:

I kinda forgot I posted this thread four years ago; seems like a good time to bump it up.

 

I'd call it the FIFTH ANNUAL CITY OF HEROES HOMECOMING EASTER EGG HUNT, if I knew how to change the subject line, but First Annual CoX Easter Egg Hunt will just have to do. 😀

Rikti War Zone has a new one I think you'll want to add to this list 😄

[Glacier Peak]

On 4/16/2020 at 10:49 AM, Cold Bob said:

The Hamidon tentacles thing in Praetoria, all I've heard is that very, VERY infrequently, on the world map, an event spawns where you can see the Hamidon's tentacles waving in the air, outside the jungle "war walls" in, I think, Imperial City, south-side (or maybe north of the Behaviourial Adjustment Facility; who knows?) Because so few people have seen it in person, I think it is kind of the ULTIMATE Easter Egg...but I wouldn't waste a lot of time waiting around for the event to happen. (It was confimed as being a real thing, by one of the developers on live...but so rare, you'd think it was a bug, not a feature, if you ever ran into it, in Praetoria.)

 

Thanks again for participating in the First Annual CoX Easter Egg Hunt!

You should take a look at this thread from a few years ago.

 

[Cold Bob]

Thanks for adding the link to "The secret zone events of Nova Praetoria" thread -- interesting reading!

 

But tell me -- what's the new Rikti War Zone Easter Egg?

 

I can't think of it, off the top of my head!

[Glacier Peak]

5 hours ago, Cold Bob said:

Thanks for adding the link to "The secret zone events of Nova Praetoria" thread -- interesting reading!

 

But tell me -- what's the new Rikti War Zone Easter Egg?

 

I can't think of it, off the top of my head!

Go to the Vanguard base. Look for the tunnel to the motorpool. Go down the tunnel and look for stacks of containers and cobwebs on the ceiling. Look behind that.

 

Good luck!

[Ironblade]

On 3/29/2024 at 7:24 PM, Glacier Peak said:

Go to the Vanguard base. Look for the tunnel to the motorpool. Go down the tunnel and look for stacks of containers and cobwebs on the ceiling. Look behind that.

Seriously, how the hell does the first person even find something like that?

[lemming]

57 minutes ago, Ironblade said:

Seriously, how the hell does the first person even find something like that?

While you're looking for breaks in geometry in testing, you can find all sorts of stuff

[Glacier Peak]

5 hours ago, Ironblade said:

Seriously, how the hell does the first person even find something like that?

I didn't have foreknowledge of it. I was orientating myself to the new base changes in RWZ and thought why are there so many boxes in this hallway? Then I saw cobwebs and thought maybe there was something being obscured. I guess curiosity got me to find it. What did you think of it?

[Ironblade]

20 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

What did you think of it?

 

It fell 'flat'.  (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

[Cold Bob]

It's worth checking out, but don't just go running in there without firing off a Barrier or something, because you will die.

 

I wonder if this little secret area is foreshadowing something... 😉

[Glacier Peak]

1 hour ago, Cold Bob said:

It's worth checking out, but don't just go running in there without firing off a Barrier or something, because you will die.

 

I wonder if this little secret area is foreshadowing something... 😉

Spoiler

Did you see the Nemefish in the pools?

 

[Ironblade]

Spoiler

I don't think it would take much of a team.  I went in on a scrapper, was also cocky, and killed only one before I died.

After that, I fought smart and took out all of the remaining.