Hello, I just found out this existed

[Therumancer]

Hi, I just found out this existed while checking out a retrospective on dead MMORPGs where the point was made that CoX rose from the ashes. I used to play CoX quite a lot years ago but had to stop a few months after "City Of Villains" came out due to NC Soft, or Cryptic, or whomever was handling the technical end of things somehow breaking their game so I could not stay connected (despite having played reliably before that point), I kept getting this "Mapserver disconnect" within like 5 minutes of logging in and couldn't stay connected more than 30 minutes, I eventually gave up after spending several multi-hour sessions on the phone with their tech support who worked with me on it, but were acting like it was my fault despite the game having worked fine up until something they did on their end, and for the record I had a computer which was overkill at the time.... at any rate I wound up severing ties with CoX before I really got my fill of it, so I am actually looking forward to trying this again and hoping I can make it work. I live in a totally different area, with a totally different computer, and the game was updated numerous times since then, so I am not anticipating any major problems. I do have a few questions though if anyone can take some time to answer some particularly dumb stuff. I am waiting until I have some serious time before I dive in and make a new character.

 

1. What is this "P2W" vendor I see referenced every once in a while. I am under the impression this game is running under donations right now, and from the way some people describe it, it sounds almost like some kind of a way to obtain tremendously overpowered items for free in the game. I was never hugely into the PVP aspects of the game (though I did enjoy occasionally running into Warburg I think it was called and collecting a missile, of course I rarely ran into anyone that tried to stop me at the time) but wouldn't this create a massive game balance nightmare? I'll play anyway of course, I'm just curious how the game functions if this is what I fear it is.

 

 

2. What exactly is an I/O? I've been trying to figure this out, maybe it's a bit of terminology I forgot, but it's been confusing me in trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do in play. I seem to remember CoX operated on a system of mods or enhancements or whatever where you would slot your different powers with mods or whatever they were called to enhance aspects of them. When I played most mods were kind of useless and everyone largely modded for basic things like damage. About a month before things went horrible for me (maybe a bit longer) they underwent some kind of enhancement diversification initiative to force people to use different kinds of mods to be effective. One of the biggest headaches I remember was that while I didn't fight other players very often, to even consider it you pretty much needed to load a ton of accuracy (previously useless) to even be effective, otherwise you couldn't even hit most players that had any kind of defense. I am guessing they re-did the entire power enhancement system? Is there any kind of a guide around that explains how things are supposed to work now so I can plan ahead in the game?

 

3. I'm not a massive power gamer, and will probably play CoX pretty casually since I'm doing another MMO (Elder Scrolls Online) at the moment as I'm typing this, however I was wondering if there is any kind of a guide to what the current mertrics of the game are? Back when I played CoX a big part of the fun was that you could "wing it" with almost any build and do pretty well, however people complained about it being "too easy" and an endgame was developing where things were more along other MMOs where you couldn't just casually rip through everything, I didn't do much of this for obvious reasons, but if I return I'd probably want to see this at some point, and as a result I assume this means I'll actually have to plan out my build/power set with both casual soloing and group contribution in mind. I'm a pretty casual gamer in general, but I figure if I want to have any chance of actually seeing all the content I missed, I do have to sort of plan to play their way instead of my way so to speak.

 

Connected to this, when I left off I was largely running a Ice/Dark Corruptor which was quite fun as I had a lot of everything including EZ crowd control, good damage, and self-healing which was a lot of fun, of course I was told several times by super groups I was in that I could never take this into what passed for the endgame, and would need to re-roll according to the appearing endgame metrics. I had a lot of characters at the time, so this was no huge deal, but a bit annoying. I figure I should at least put some planning into it.

 

4. What is this "Going Rogue" thing exactly? As I understand this it's an alternate beginning for CoX and was their second (and last) paid expansion that came after my time. In reading some stuff about it, it seems that the whole idea was to create characters who could cross over between the hero and villain areas, however I've also been reading this re-making of the game has included a method to easily change alignment, and now you could say flat out play a villain character on the hero side or vice versa.... is there any point in "Homecoming" to say making a character who is a Vigilante or Rogue? I'll probably want to do the alternate start at some point just to see it of course, but other than that is any of the other stuff I've been reading in relation to this particularly important?

 

5. I am not sure whether to play the Red/Blue side, but I wanted to also ask if playing a villain is viable at this point since I never felt like I finished those areas and story lines when I left, I also felt the villain areas were better put together for some reason, of course that might just have been that they were "new". I keep seeing references right now to how there are a lot less people playing villains than heroes, which I suppose is understandable given the genera, but if I was to try and pick up there to begin with I'm wondering if I'd run into a lot of problems due to being unable to find groups and such if I need them.

 

Sorry if this is too much, and I'll appreciate any answers people can give.

 

 

 

 

 

[THEDarkTyger]

Hi, I just found out this existed while checking out a retrospective on dead MMORPGs where the point was made that CoX rose from the ashes.

 

That Creepy Reading?

[Abraxus]

I'll take #1, the P2W vendor.  I leave it to others to break down some of the other questions.

 

The P2W vendor functions as an optional way to obtain much of which were Veteran Rewards for subscribers.  Since the game is no longer subscription-based, they made it possible to obtain those perks via this method.  You are under no obligation to take them, but they do make the formative levels a little more enjoyable IMHO.  Your mileage may vary.  There are other things available as well, such as XP enhancers, and a few other types of items as well.  But, you have the choice to forgo all of that if you are looking to preserve the original experience of having 1 attack for your first few levels, and waiting until 14 to get a travel power.  That's the great thing about the game.  The choices are yours, and nobody, and nothing in the game forces you do it any other way than the way you wish.  8)

[Pyatra]

1.  The vendor that really felt like P2W was renamed as such... and you get free starter stuff and fairly cheap QOL items for Inf... Check the vendor out when you start a new game in the tutorial area.  On hero side its the lady in a suit standing just a little in front of you... at least in the Outbreak Tutorial, also one next to Atlas.. in Atlas.. yeah.  They have some prestige attacks that are good at low levels... makes low levels more bearable when you are sitting there waiting for your 1 primary attack to recharge.  ALSO choice of 2 free travel powers that are good for lower levels and you can have Sprint toggle on at the same time.  Ninja Run and Beast Run.  If you ever take Ninjutsu as a defensive pool there is an ability that synergizes like crazy with Ninja Run... probably making it a viable end game travel power.

 

2. I/O  or Invention origin is like an SO enchantment... but it never stops working because of your level.  The University(Blue side is in Steel Valley or whatever its called, Twinshot's quest line leads you there)  has a tutorial and you get a free I/O.  I would suggest waiting until you are level 22 to get a free lvl 25 I/O for free.  That seems to be the general consensus of when to craft I/O enchantments.

 

3. Any combination usually does work, watch out for Endurance hungry sets and pair or build accordingly.  I would check forums for those builds... but honestly use Pine's Hero Builder to get a good idea of what you want.  Set enchantments at end game can make up for almost all shortcomings.  There are lots of suggestions on the forums under the specific archetype boards.  You can have 2 different builds you can swap between per character.  Mission leveling is your friend for start back, it helps you know your character better and..... FREE RESPECS EVERY 10 LEVELS!  Just type /respect into your chat box and BAM!  Respec menu.... just remember the enchantments will be trashed if you don't put them specifically in a skill or drag them to your inventory.  Default is they all sit in the delete box when respec'ing.

 

Haven't played that combo... but you have frickin Darkest Night... soo yeah.  Also the Patron Pools can probably shore up whatever you are lacking, but I would consult someone that has tried that combo in the Corrupter board.

 

I will leave 4 & 5 to other people.  Hopefully this helps a little.

 

 

[MunkiLord]

There is nothing wrong with an Ice/Dark Corruptor. There very well may be some combos that are stronger, but it is completely viable for all content in the game.

[Therumancer]

Thanks for the responses, that does help a bit. I guess when I have some time (maybe before I head to bed tonight) I'll jump in and look around a bit.

[Shazzie]

1. P2W Store Primer Excellent write-up of everything the P2W vendor has to offer.

 

2. IO/SO cost comparison since IOs (Invention Origin) are basically SOs, but you can never outlevel IOs, which you can with regular dropped enhancements. They're basic, such as Invention: Accuracy, Invention: Damage, Invention: Recharge Reduction, etc. Then there are the Crafted IO *sets*, which are more complex, and I'm not certain if there's a starter guide on the forums explaining them (couldn't find one on a quick perusal). Sets can have dual and triple mods for each enhancement in the set (such as Damage/Recharge and Accuracy/Damage/Range) and having multiple of that particular set in a power unlocks different levels of bonuses- such as having 2 would get you a general boost to your Recovery and 3 would get you some Resistances... that kind of thing.

 

3. Play your way. Oh my goodness, play your way. There's SO MANY 'ways' to play the game that there is certain to be others with your exact play style. Even if there isn't, who cares? Have fun, that's what matters! The only time things might get finicky is at the very high end.

 

4. Going Rogue starts you off in Praetoria and has its own storyline for the first 20 or so levels, after which you're set to Paragon City or the Rogue Isles. There are several choices you make during your time in Praetoria that fall in varied places on the 'feels good/feels evil' spectrum, and you're always given a choice at the very end as to where you want to wind up.

 

5. I love villain side, but it has a much lower population. Especially in the very starting levels when a large percentage of the population hops into Atlas Park and gets into a DFB group. This is Death From Below, a very low level trial in the Sewers, which upon completion awards you your choice of one of 4 buffs that last until you're 20, and many people run it 3 or 4 times to get the buffs (and get near or at level 20 in the process, if they also picked up the XP boost from the P2W vendor). If you decide to play in the Isles though there will still be people there (and I will likely be one of them!). One thing to note is changing alignment is really, really easy. If you go to Pocket D and speak with Null the Gull perched atop a truck on the villain side, you can instantly and freely change your alignment to straight Hero or Villain or go Vigilante (Hero turning Villain) or Rogue (Villain turning Hero). I actually highly recommend this because being Rogue or Vigilante allows you to access to BOTH sides, letting you take part in groups/trials/strike forces regardless of where they are. The only thing to note is if you are, for instance, a Rogue, you're still *technically* villainous and you'll need to be in the appropriate hero zone to join a hero side Task Force, instead of joining it from wherever you're at in the Isles. Vice versa for the Vigilantes and Strike Forces in the Isles.

 

Hope the game goes much better for you this time. Welcome back!

[Zep]

Dont forget Null the Gull,

 

NPC in Pocket D that can do some tricks -- different QOL things.

 

He/she sits on a truck being cosmic or something.

[PaxArcana]

1. What is this "P2W" vendor I see referenced every once in a while.

An NPC near the Starting Zone trainer for each "side', where youc an acquire all the things that, when CoX had gone free-to-play for a while, used to be in the cash shop or only acquirable by purchasing specific editions of the game.

 

Nothing costs real-world money.  Tons of the things the P2W vendor has are free, the rest cost Influence/Infamy.  Sometimes a godawful LOT of INF, but still, just INF.

 

2. What exactly is an I/O?

Invention Origin enhancement.

 

You craft them from recipes and salvage that drop, naturally, while defeating enemies.  Unlike the original TO, DO, or SO enhancements they never "go stale", and their bonus is directly related to their level.  A level 20 IO is still worth the same benefit when you're 50, as it was when you were 20.

 

[quot]3. [...]I'm a pretty casual gamer in general, but I figure if I want to have any chance of actually seeing all the content I missed, I do have to sort of plan to play their way instead of my way so to speak.

Any AT, any powersets, (almost) all content.

 

The worst you will have to do is find a team for the Task Forces/Strike Forces and similar content that most cannot do solo.

 

Connected to this, when I left off I was largely running a Ice/Dark Corruptor which was quite fun as I had a lot of everything including EZ crowd control, good damage, and self-healing which was a lot of fun, of course I was told several times by super groups I was in that I could never take this into what passed for the endgame, and would need to re-roll according to the appearing endgame metrics. I had a lot of characters at the time, so this was no huge deal, but a bit annoying. I figure I should at least put some planning into it.

Those groups were morons.  Elitist morons who did not understand the true spirit and intent of CoX.

 

Go on, play your Ice/Dark Corruptor.  You won't miss any content worth worrying about due to your build.

 

4. [...]is there any point in "Homecoming" to say making a character who is a Vigilante or Rogue?

I haven't done it yet myself, but apparently Vigilantes and Rogues can actually play both sides, at the same time (except in PvP, where Vigilantes are Heroes, and Rogues are Villains).

 

5. I am not sure whether to play the Red/Blue side, [...]

As much as I love Redside, I must admit that it's far easier to find a team on Blueside (due to relative population levels).  If that doesn't matter to you .... :)

[EggKookoo]

The only thing to note is if you are, for instance, a Rogue, you're still *technically* villainous and you'll need to be in the appropriate hero zone to join a hero side Task Force, instead of joining it from wherever you're at in the Isles. Vice versa for the Vigilantes and Strike Forces in the Isles.

 

One thing I also learned from experience is that going from Hero -> Vigilante gives you access to the Rogue Isles, but aside from newspaper missions, you can't play any redside content by yourself. And even the newspaper missions won't unlock further content. You can join a team with a Villain and then help them complete their missions, but you can't accept missions from Villain contacts. Same is true in reverse for Rogues in Paragon.

 

Also (and I didn't get this initially) the Rogue in "Going Rogue" is not the same thing as the Rogue in the alignment system. You're not a Rogue in Praetoria.

[Williwaw]

I want to point out that the "Pay2Win" name was meant as a joke, and you don't need to spend any real money on it, only in-game money, (and many of the best things on it are free).  To emphasize the joke, the Praetorian version is called Transact4Victory (or T4V).

 

Anyway, the City of Heroes: Going Rogue expansion (Issue 18) let you do special missions to change your alignment starting at level 20, one step at a time (ten Tip missions where you choose the same alignment option, and then a Morality Mission that actually changes your alignment, in the order Hero <-> Vigilante -> Villain <-> Rogue -> Hero), or you could start in Praetoria as any of the ten basic ATs and then decide whether you wanted to be a Hero or Villain when you hit level 20 and were sent to the main game world.  You can still do those missions now, or you can change your alignment instantly at Null the Gull in Pocket D.  (Null is from the Live game, but he didn't have the alignment-changing function there)  You can complete a Morality Mission without changing alignment for 40 merits, so there's still a reason to do them.

 

However, as of a later expansion, City of Heroes: Freedom (Issue 21), all archetypes except the Epic Archetype became unlocked for both sides, so you can start as a heroic Mastermind in Atlas or a villainous Scrapper in Mercy.  This update also introduced a new Destroyed Galaxy City tutorial, where you can select your alignment right in the middle.  It also removed all the original starting contacts on both sides and completely redesigned Mercy (you start in the southern half rather than in the base at the north end; instead, freeing that base from Longbow's control is the main story arc of the area), trying to streamline the new player experience.

 

This particular server has reinstated the original tutorials and most of the original starting contacts (but not Galaxy City).

[Sothoth]

As an endgame healer, in my opinion, the only thing that REALLY doesn't work in endgame is a blapper. They just don't have the resist they need for AV's, but bless their hearts do they try.

 

If only I could get badges for rezzing, blappers would make my day.

[MunkiLord]

As an endgame healer, in my opinion, the only thing that REALLY doesn't work in endgame is a blapper. They just don't have the resist they need for AV's, but bless their hearts do they try.

 

If only I could get badges for rezzing, blappers would make my day.

 

Challenge accepted!

 

edit: This does sound like a good challenge. Ok, so what should the rules be? I'm thinking no inspirations, no lore pet, but Alpha and Hybrid are acceptable. Obviously, the focus would need to be melee attacks, so should I limit primary attacks in some way? Some limit on primary attacks seems reasonable, but what is a fair rule for that?

[srmalloy]

1.  The vendor that really felt like P2W was renamed as such... and you get free starter stuff and fairly cheap QOL items for Inf... Check the vendor out when you start a new game in the tutorial area.  On hero side its the lady in a suit standing just a little in front of you... at least in the Outbreak Tutorial, also one next to Atlas.. in Atlas.. yeah.  They have some prestige attacks that are good at low levels... makes low levels more bearable when you are sitting there waiting for your 1 primary attack to recharge.  ALSO choice of 2 free travel powers that are good for lower levels and you can have Sprint toggle on at the same time.  Ninja Run and Beast Run.  If you ever take Ninjutsu as a defensive pool there is an ability that synergizes like crazy with Ninja Run... probably making it a viable end game travel power.

 

I don't remember seeing one in Outbreak, but there's one in the Galaxy City tutorial for heroes about ten feet away from the Longbow Heavy you train at before you jump past them to the second part.

[justicebeliever]

Welcome back Therumancer to Paragon City, “Where we don't have thorns on our roses...just on anybody wearing a robe”

[Twisted Toon]

1.  The vendor that really felt like P2W was renamed as such... and you get free starter stuff and fairly cheap QOL items for Inf... Check the vendor out when you start a new game in the tutorial area.  On hero side its the lady in a suit standing just a little in front of you... at least in the Outbreak Tutorial, also one next to Atlas.. in Atlas.. yeah.  They have some prestige attacks that are good at low levels... makes low levels more bearable when you are sitting there waiting for your 1 primary attack to recharge.  ALSO choice of 2 free travel powers that are good for lower levels and you can have Sprint toggle on at the same time.  Ninja Run and Beast Run.  If you ever take Ninjutsu as a defensive pool there is an ability that synergizes like crazy with Ninja Run... probably making it a viable end game travel power.

 

I don't remember seeing one in Outbreak, but there's one in the Galaxy City tutorial for heroes about ten feet away from the Longbow Heavy you train at before you jump past them to the second part.

 

There is, indeed, a P2W vendor in Outbreak. to the right and slightly behind the first contact as you are zoned in. Lovely lady in a business skirt.