It's that time of the year...

[Glacier Peak]

Great people of this forum, I am looking for your input on the approximate dates (and lengths) of special seasonal and other events ran on Homecoming each year. If I missed anything or if the dates (or lengths) are off, I'd appreciate you writing the correct information.  

 

Annual Homecoming Special Events:

• Spring Fling Seasonal Event: Beginning in February each year, lasts 1 month.
• Mapserver Madness: Begins the first week of April (week of April Fool's Day), lasts 2 weeks. 
• Anniversary Event: Beginning the last week of April each year, this event lasts 1 month.
• Summer Blockbuster Event: Available year round via the LFG tab.
• Halloween Seasonal Event: Beginning in October each year, lasts 1 month. Additionally, Atlas Park undergoes a zone wide makeover to reflect the spooky season (i.e., Atlas globe replaced with a Pumpkin, Gazebos with candy-filled cauldrons, Jack o'lantern and spider decorations around Atlas Plaza, autumnal variants of trees, and a pumpkin patch and associated NPC in the grass by the Atlas Plaza steps). Following the Halloween Seasonal Event, Atlas Park undergoes another zone wide makeover for the Fall theme.
• Winter Seasonal Event: Beginning in December each year, lasts 1 month. Additionally, Atlas Park undergoes a zone wide makeover to reflect the Wintery season (i.e., Atlas Park covered in snow/ice)

 

Special One-Offs (a lot of work to put these events on!)

• Derek's Disaster: Began in the month of July in 2020 and lasted three weeks. This event has not been ran since (Derek's got a better handle on the time stream!).

 

Regular or Triggered Special Events

• Nemesis Plot Invasion Special Event: Formerly an annual event, now triggered by completing the last mission of Episode 5 of the Pandora's Box Signature Story Arc. The event will spawn in the zone matching the character's alignment.
• Rikti World Invasion Special Event: Formerly a special event following the completion of the City of Heroes beta in 2004, and then again in 2007 with the release of Issue 10, the Homecoming Team has activated it at their discretion over the past few years. This special event is currently triggered by completing the Lady Grey Task Force. The event will occur in a random zone in Paragon City and/or the Rogue Isles and last for a short period of time. 
• Zombie Invasion Special Event: This event is triggered by completing the Katie Hannon TF or Virgil Tarakoss SF.

 

I'd like to see the City of Heroes beta Rikti invasion event back in early 2004 get added in future Anniversary events (like how Homecoming recreated the Wedding Event recently), I think it would be a neat recreation for the community to experience that for an event few of us that are still around got to participate in, but that suggestion belongs in a different thread!

Edited 20 hours ago by Glacier Peak

[Uun]

You don't mention that the Zombie Invasion is triggered by completing the Katie Hannon TF or Virgil Tarakoss SF.

[Apogee]

On 3/30/2025 at 8:34 AM, Glacier Peak said:

I'd like to see the City of Heroes beta Rikti invasion event back in early 2004 get added in future Anniversary events (like how Homecoming recreated the Wedding Event recently), I think it would be a neat recreation for the community to experience that for an event few of us that are still around got to participate in, but that suggestion belongs in a different thread!

 

The amount of death and carnage during that event still haunts me to this day.

[Snarky]

There was this one time… the Devs had all the GMs invade a zone for a … costume contest if i remember correctly.  It was absolute madness.  A couple years ago.  Not a regular thing.  The empty stadium zone off Pocket D, Echo Plaza.

Edited Wednesday at 08:47 AM by Snarky

[Glacier Peak]

And they spawned Giant Monster versions of players doppelgangers. Wild stuff. 

[Bionic_Flea]

On 3/30/2025 at 11:34 AM, Glacier Peak said:

Derek's Disaster

 

What's Derek's Disaster and who is Derek?

[lemming]

2 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

 

What's Derek's Disaster and who is Derek?

 

[Bionic_Flea]

Oh!  Thanks,  I vaguely remember that now.

[Glacier Peak]

7 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

What's Derek's Disaster and who is Derek?

Yeah who is @Arcanum... I mean Derek? 😁

[Arcanum]

Honestly, GM_Miss & I had a blast running that event. I'm glad people enjoyed it! 😄

Also, Mapserver Event will run until 4/15 for what it's worth.

[DoctorDitko]

On 4/2/2025 at 8:42 AM, Glacier Peak said:

And they spawned Giant Monster versions of players doppelgangers. Wild stuff. 

I was stomped into the pavement by a GM-sized version of myself. Such an honor!

[Uun]

9 hours ago, Arcanum said:

Also, Mapserver Event will run until 4/15 for what it's worth.

It can't end soon enough for me. The lag it generates is unbearable and slows the entire zone to a crawl.

[UltraAlt]

19 hours ago, Arcanum said:

Also, Mapserver Event will run until 4/15 for what it's worth.

 

[Healix]

58 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

Also, Mapserver Event will run until 4/15 for what it's worth.