A Winter Message from Reverend NeoCon

(The following message was delivered to the Chronicler by private courier.)

Good morning and Merry Christmas all you true receivers all across the fruity lands! It is I, your minister of truthiness and deacon of decency, the Reverend NeoCon himself, F. Sean Rush.

Before I dispense with the good news and get all of my loyal and dedicated fans up to speed with your favorite talk show icon, there are a few rumors that I must first dispel.

First, contrary to the rumors being generated by the godless liberalistas in the media, I was NOT killed, nor was I ever sent to prison. In fact, I can assure you that my record has been spotless since the day I was born! I have NEVER been convicted of ANY kind of crime, and you will never see “jailbird” attached to my name ever!

Quite the contrary, my friends, I had been given a RARE and last-minute opportunity to bring my message across to the Rogue Isles as a goodwill ambassador for all of the frustrated neocon believers yearning for truthiness and justice for all. Unfortunately, time was not on my side, so I DO apologize for not telling my true receivers what was going on. My transportation to the Rogue Isles had to be done in secret and without so much as a moment’s notice so the liberalistas and their corrupt friends in the government would not try to stop me. You know how those liberalistas are always trying to stop me from spreading my sermon of truthiness.

My crusade has been some what successful so far. I’ve been busy building a new ministry of decency and moral values here, and I am gaining followers right and left! At some point soon I will be able to secure a broadcast facility and once again bring you a status report of all the things we’ve been doing here.

The good news is that I managed to meet with some very influential people during my journey. The good people at The Faction for a Better Tomorrow have been really helpful in getting my message across and helping me build my ministry of truthiness and all good neocon things.

And I am pleased to announce that I have just secured an endorsement from Father Time himself! Yes, it turns out that the man with time literally on his hands has been a longtime listener of my show and had personally asked ME to help him save Baby New Year from those rabid liberalista monsters. In addition to his endless thanks, he has given me some newfound powers as well… powers which he said would be needed to fight the evil liberalistas.

So be true to yourselves, my loyal neocon receivers, and do not despair, for I have not left you! My message is still going strong and it can only get stronger.

Oh, and by the way, those things you’ve been hearing about me about dark magics? Those are just more liberalista lies. I don’t have any “dark powers”, nor do I suck the life out of people. Those are just the liberalistas trying to explain why their lies don’t hold up against the beacon of truth that is me, F-Sean-bo.

(Pictured: Reverend NeoCon with Father Time in the Pocket D ski chalet.)

Tale of Halloween Glory (as told by Spartan Warlady)

The following is the recent account of Spartan Warlady’s quest to get the extra costume slot during the 2007 Halloween Event. At the time of this entry, she was a level 8 mastermind (ninjas/trick arrows) with 2 “Spartans” at her disposal.

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My loyal Spartan warriors informed me that there was a prime opportunity for glory in the form of an extra costume change. Normally we Spartans do not care about such frivolities. To do battle against an opponent and die with honor is reward in and of itself, and this season called “Halloween” produced many such battles. But then my warriors told me that this glory would require us to travel deep into the Rogue Isles, into lands never before touched by Spartan Warriors since the days of noble Lord Marshand, and locate an old oracle named Granny Bedlam that would not be easily found.

This kind of challenge, facing off against powerful adversaries, and travelling deep into Arachnos territory, is worth the glory it brings.

Before we could make the journey, however, we needed some items to bribe this oracle. Oracles are always strange, and this one was no different. She required some useless junk called “Halloween costume pieces”. I am told that these are cheap representations of the masks of Statesman and Lord Recluse, the gloves of Back Alley Brawler, and the representation of a monster named Hamidon. We Spartans do not care for such junk. We would rather display the real items after we acquire them through defeating these warriors and monsters in battle. But this oracle deems them worthy, as do many others, and therefore we must have them to make our quest.

My warriors told me that we only had three of such items, and one that was spare. Although I dislike the market, time was not our ally. It would be a long journey and we did not have enough time to make it unless we had that fourth item. We sold the spare for a hefty price and then quickly purchased the fourth item. With all four items in our care, we began our journey.

We travelled by boat to Port Oaks. From there we took the waterways and rocks to the next boat to Cap Au Diable. From here, the journey became more perilous. We would have to travel deep within the island to reach the Rogue Island Ferry. There were water passages that we took which allowed us to avoid several of the adversaries, but we still had to face combat. My warriors died in battle as I acquired others to join in my quest.

Finally we reached Nerva Archipelago. My warriors told me that this oracle lived on a small island north of Arbiter Frederick. Many of my loyal Spartan warriors died in battle against the dreaded Family, and I was defeated alongside them, only to be granted another chance by the gods to fight and finish my quest.

To travel by land from the hospital was also perilous as I faced not just one but SEVERAL warring enemies. Enemies whose attentions quickly turned to me and my Spartan warriors as we approached. Once again we fell bravely in battle only to be returned by the gods.

Again I made my trek, this time using the special winged chariot provided by the gods to get me closer to the Arbiter, only to once again fall in battle. But the gods were not through with me, and I returned to battle again.

Finally I discovered a small water passageway that went between the warring factions. By the grace of Neptune, I somehow found myself not only beyond the threats, but also north of the Arbiter, with the small islands ahead of me. The smaller of the two islands was empty. But on the second island, I soon found the oracle’s lair. She was a bothersome witch who barely acknowledged the courage of such a low-level warrior to make the journey. She only cared for the worthless junk, which we gave her. She gave me the costume slot and told me “begone”.

The sight of such callousness was more than reason for me to make a quick return, but not before visiting the face-maker to change my attire to one worthy of the gods. But this Granny Bedlam had best change her attitude when we next meet, or she will find that Spartans are not above teaching humility to oracles. We have felled messengers; we have felled kings, monsters, and even corrupt politicians in our own camps. Oracles are no different to us Spartans.

We Spartans know that true glory comes from achievement, not in trinkets, but for this season, I can at least boast that we indeed had some tales of glory, and can prove it by my new attire.

---

Above: Original attire before the quest. Below: New attire after the quest.

The BIG NEWS!

Well for the past few days there was talk about something BIG in the works. Couldn't say what it was... but people had plenty of guesses. Something new. Something wonderful. Something EARTH-SHATTERING!

So this week it came out...

THE MULTIVERSE IS BACK!

Oh wait... sorry, that was DC Comics.

CAPTAIN AMERICA IS BACK!

No... that's Marvel Comics.

YOUNGBLOOD IS...

Oh, that's Image... and of course if Liefeld is doing it, you can probably expect that to be delayed to infinity again.

No no... THE REAL BIG NEWS IS....

NC Soft now owns 100% of the City of Heroes and City of Villains franchise!

For the longest time, NC Soft has been working with Cryptic Studios on the City of Heroes/City of Villains operation. NC Soft provided the network and financing, and Cryptic would provide the content. Now NC Soft has picked up the whole operation, including most (but not all) of the developers from Cryptic.

So what does that mean? Well it means that NC Soft will be calling the shots now instead of it being a joint operation. They have their own special studio set up just for City of X and the key people are excited about being able to bring the whole game to the next level of interaction.

There are plenty of things in the works right now... and Battlerock X has his ear to the ground on this! So keep checking in with the Chronicles, because things ARE happening!

What's on Paragon TV?

Thursday nights are HERO nights on PBC!

At 8pm, it's the wacky tales of a school teacher who gets an alien supersuit and learns the hard way about being a hero.

It's... PARAGON'S GREATEST HERO!



This week's special guest is the legendary Back Alley Brawler.

At 9pm, learn how a group of dysfunctional heroes manage to live together and not kill each other. You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll tear your hair out in frustration!

It's... QUEENS OF KING'S!



And at 10pm it's MOON HILL THEATER!



Thursday nights is time for HEROES!

Only on PBC TV!
Paragon City's #1 Network!
Come SOAR with us!

Halloween Event 2007

Things have been busy in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. This is the time of Halloween, and this year we have a week-long Trick-or-Treat event.

Here's how it works: you knock on any normal door on the game (also works for the back of delivery trucks and manhole covers) and you get one of three things. You either get an outright TREAT, a TRICK (Halloween-themed bad guys to fight), or a CHALLENGE... namely a really BIG bad guy to fight.

Now you defeat the BIG bad guy and you get serious bonus points including some badges that look good on your profile. You defeat enough regular Halloween-themed bad guys in the TRICK and you get some badges.

But the TREAT has the fun stuff! You get can get one of several temporary costumes, and if you collect enough of those, you get some badges too. You can get "a rock"... which is a temporary power in homage to the legendary Charles "Charlie" Brown. Or you can get some VALUABLE salvage pieces.

How valuable? Well there are four special salvage pieces that are specifically themed for Halloween. They are joke costume parts... such as rubber imitations of Back Street Brawler's trademarked gloves, or a mask of either Statesman or Lord Recluse, or a cheap plastic Hamidon Monster toy. They seem like nothing, but when you have all FOUR of them (one each), you can take them over to a special witch and she will give you an extra costume slot. So for lower-level characters, this is a great opportunity to develop that "alternate outfit" instead of having to wait until you attain that first available slot of Level 20.

Now the bad news... this little deal only applies during the Halloween Event, which ends this Sunday. And the temporary costumes themselves also expire after a certain number of days. The extra costume slot, though, stays. So the badges and the costume slots are really the treasures for this event.

So far there is one hero (Superion Prime) and one villain (Spartan Warlady) here in the Chronicles who managed to get enough pieces together and make the trek to get that extra costume slot. And in truth, it was harder for the villain to make it than the hero (nothing really heroic about simply getting off the Green Line and walking a few dozen yards), so I'll have her give her account of the experience.

More info on Issue 11

Have some more previews of Issue 11... which should come out SOON!

First is a taste of the whole Ourboros experience:



And now a little behind-the-scenes look at the two new powers and how they got selected. This comes from one of the developers himself!

Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20071031

I am composing my thoughts as I attempt to rebuild my life and regain the memories that are still missing.

This is what I know… I know that my name is John Helix Battlerock. I know that for several decades I was a covert operative for some government agency before retiring.

I know that I was forced to return to action when the Rikti arrived in 2002. My last memory of that action was in helping to defend Hero 1 and the rest of the Omega team as they prepared their final assault on the Rikti homeworld. I know that I was declared “killed in action” and that for nearly five years I was roaming Paragon City as a brain-damaged vagabond.

I don’t know what brought some of my memories back. Maybe it was my experience with the Rikti that forced me to remember again. Maybe it was a nearby portal that put my brain back into alignment. All I know is that I’m remembering most of who I was before the war.

I do know that someone found me, and they did something to me. There is a metal plate on my face that I can’t get off, and I don’t know why it is there. I don’t think it was for just cosmetic purposes. I’ve gone to the medical center a few times but the doctors don’t want to help me. I can see it in their facial expressions. They have some idea of what this thing is, but they don’t want to get involved.

I know that I have a wife and a daughter who should be 18 now. I have not had the chance to see them yet, to let them know that I am still alive. I am not ready to make my presence known to them yet. I don’t want to put them in danger when I have no idea what this metal plate on my face is about.

Part of my resurrection forced me to start from square one. All that I knew once about fighting and my inherited abilities as a Battlerock Warrior were gone. I had a high security rating before the first Rikti invasion. That disappeared. I have to start from the bottom again.

Since my return I’ve created my own super-group called Omega 2. This gives me the chance to create my own base of operations so I can figure out what the missing parts of my life are and what happened after I was “killed”. I cannot trust the Paragon City infrastructure to help me, so I will have to conduct my own investigation as to what happened and who put this thing on my face.

Part of my “death” had something to do with the Rikti portals. Every time I fight one of those bastards when they just arrive, I have a flash of the life that I used to have. Unfortunately, my fellow heroes have made things difficult, because the number of Rikti invasions has decreased. I will probably have to go to the crash site itself, and to do that, I’ll need to get clearance from the Vanguard. That in and of itself will be difficult since my security level was reset.

I don’t know if I should get my daughter involved with this, but I may have to. I’ve seen reports of a “Battlerock Babe” in the Paragon Times, and she is wearing a modified version of my Rikti War outfit. No doubt her mother tried to talk her out of it, but Joan is a Battlerock Warrior, and my family has a strong history of doing whatever it is that we set ourselves to do. I just hope she doesn’t make the same mistakes that I made in the past.

Some GREAT Video Previews

Came across some GREAT previews for the forthcoming Issue 11.

First, a good fan-made teaser...

(Sorry, some rocket scientist demanded that embedding be disabled - so click on the link to get there.)

And then an actual demonstration of the Dual Swords power - one of the two new abilities that will be introduced in the City of Heroes and City of Villains series.


(Note: as of this post, Issue 11 is still in closed beta testing, so what you're seeing is still in the testing phase.)

The other ability that will be introduced is willpower, which will be a mixture of three powers (super senses, invulnerability, and regeneration) which should make things a little easier.

Updates for the Players

Hey Chronicle-Readers, I've been making some tweaks to the list of Players, including adding pictures whenever possible, so please keep checking in with that page. You can get to it quicker by going to the tag marked "The Players" on the right-hand menu.

Latest update: image of Herald Prime

I'll be posting updates when possible.

City of Heroes has first Real World Superhero

The folks at City of Heroes have posted this message...

Long Time City of Heroes Player "The Defuser" Wins Reality TV Show "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?"

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The City of Heroes Development Team wants to extend their congratulations to “The Defuser” for his victory in winning the reality TV show “Who Wants To Be A Superhero?” The Defuser is also known on the City of Heroes community forums as Detective2416 and has been a long time player of the game.

To check out the show, take a look at the Who Wants to be a Superhero website.

Or, join us on the Official Forums to congratulate The Defuser on his win!

I've watched both seasons of the Sci-Fi series, and while the series is somewhat corny, at least it INSPIRES people!

BTW, according to The Defuser himself (aka Detective2416), he wasn't the only City of Heroes to go from cyberspace to real-world. Mindset/Omnicron was also supposedly another CoH player who got the chance to take things to the next step.

So congrats Defuser! Maybe your character can become an honorary member of the Freedom Phalanx! I would certainly love to see more of CoH connections!

Why guys create girl characters

So you're probably wondering... why do guys create girl characters to play in the online world?

Well the secret is finally revealed... and no, it's NOT what you think!

THIS is the reason!



By the way, a few things about online girl characters: They don't complain about the clothes they wear. They don't spend your money doing online shopping. They really kick ass and don't complain about breaking a nail. They don't have bad hair days. They don't get moody. They don't spend their time watching Paragon Idol. And in the City of Heroes and City of Villains, female characters don't get fat so they don't have to obsess about their weight.

New Players

There have been several new players added to the world of City of Heroes and City of Villains.

Justice Server - City of Heroes: FyreLife

Champion Server - City of Villains: Spartan Warlady, The Reverend NeoCon

Official descriptions for each of them can be found in the Player's list.

A public service message from Toxic Primadonna

Prior to her conviction for drunk driving and being sent to the Ziggurat Penitentiary, Lindsay Kristina Britt, aka “Toxic Primadonna”, tried to arrange for a plea deal where she would make some public service messages in exchange for a lesser sentence. The following is a transcript of her attempts at warning people about the dangers of drunk driving.

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Toxic Primadonna: Hi. I’m Lindsay Britt. You may know me from my many albums and hit songs, not to mention my movies, my fashion dolls, my newsletter, my fan club, my magazine, my line of cosmetics, my body spray, my drive-thru restaurants…

Director: CUT!

Toxic: WHAT? I’m trying to tell the viewers who I am!

Director: They know who you are, Lindsay.

Toxic: Really? Well if people know who the [bleep] I am, then why the [bleep] am I doing this [bleeping] PSA?

Toxic’s Attorney: You’re doing this because you’re facing five years in the Zig if you don’t, Lindsay. Come on, work with them!

Toxic: [sighs] Oh all right!

Director: And… we’re rolling.

Toxic: Hi. I’m Lindsay Britt… pop superstar, actress, restaurant owner, teen icon…

Director: CUT! Lindsay, baby, just say your name and then say the message, okay? Can you do that?

Toxic: Look [sniff], this is getting really hard on me, okay? I need my Poochie! Where’s my Poochie?

Director: We can’t have your dog in the PSA, Lindsay. This is supposed to be about you warning people about drunk driving.

Toxic: But I really NEED Poochie! I can’t function without my baby! It’s bad enough that you didn’t have any of my comfort foods ready for me like they normally have, and I haven’t had a smoke since this morning. If I can’t smoke, then at least I need Poochie!

Director: Okay, ten minute break.

(Ten minutes later)

Director: Uh, Lindsay, can you put your shirt back on?

Toxic: Why? I still have something on! You can still film this!

Attorney: Lindsay, honey, please put your blouse back on. This is supposed to be something serious…

Toxic: This is supposed to be about ME, right? Well, this IS me! This is what I wear in nightclubs. This is what I wear in my concerts. It’s not like my fans haven’t seen me like this!

Director: Lindsay, please, this is serious.

Toxic: OOOOHHHH! Allright! But it have to get it off Poochie, because I left it with him so he could have something to sleep in.

(Two minutes later)

Attorney: Uh, Lindsay needs to get a new blouse. Her dog… well, her dog apparently…

Director: Okay guys, thirty minute break!

(An hour later)

Director: Okay, is everyone okay? Lindsay, are you okay?

Toxic: Yeah, I’m fine! Let’s do this! Whooo!

Director: Is she drunk? Was she drinking?

Toxic: What? I only had a couple of shots! I can’t work with this kind of pressure without it!

Attorney: Let’s just get this over with, okay? The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we all can go home.

Director: Okay, let’s do this. Lindsay, just say your name and then say the message here on the cue cards, okay? Nothing fancy, just read the cards.

Toxic: Okay.

Director: Aaaaand…. Action!

Toxic: Hi, I’m Lindsay Britt. Every day hundreds of lives are killed by… this [bleep] is boring!

Director: CUT!

Toxic: Why am I doing this? I’m LINDSAY [bleeping] BRITT! I’m a GODDESS! I’m a [bleeping] POP SUPERSTAR! I don’t need to read some stupid lines about people dying!

Attorney: Lindsay, listen carefully… this is the ONLY way that we can keep you out of PRISON! Do you understand? You need to do this or you will go to PRISON! That means no parties, no nightclubs, no concerts, no drinking, and NO TOY DOGS!

Toxic: [Sniff] You’re not supposed to be mean to me! You’re supposed to be on MY side! [Sniff] Everyone hates me!

Director: Lindsay… ah hell! Ten more minutes!

(Thirty minutes later)

Toxic: I’m Lindsay Britt. Every day hundreds of lives are killed by drunk drivers. Drinking and driving is not cool. It will get you killed or kill someone you love. Please don’t drink and drive. Seriously. Don’t. Or call a friend to drive you. Or something. Don’t make my mistake… or you’ll be doing a PSA like this one!

Director: CUT! Okay, that’s it! Thank you everyone.

Toxic: FINALLY! About [bleeping] time!

Attorney: Is that enough?

Director: Well she didn’t follow the script, but we can edit out the last part and work with that.

Attorney: That’s all we can ask for. We just need this to air as soon as possible so we can work out the plea deal to keep her out of prison.

Director: No promises. I’m not the one who makes the final decision. Boy is she a biatch or what? I feel sorry for you to have to work with her.

Attorney: If you think that’s bad, then you should have seen her last photo shoot!

---

Unfortunately for Toxic Primadonna and her attorney, the public service group that sponsored the PSA refused to air it, citing her drunken appearance and her disingenuous tone. The behind-the-scenes video also became part of the evidence used to sentence her to five years in the Zig.

Killstealing... what a pain!

What's killstealing? That's when you're fighting a bad guy and someone else comes in and makes the killing move and takes your experience points. Sometimes it's done by accident... but other times it's done by people just passing through. To many gamers it's considered a real pain.

Check out this video to see what I mean...



(Thanks to the folks at Moon Hill Productions for the video.)

A few things about killstealing...

1. Originally the person making the kill would get all the XP, but now if you help out you just get 1XP when the opponent falls. So it's not the total loss that it used to be.

2. There are plenty of opponents to trounce in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. Don't think that you have an "exclusive" on a whole gang of thugs just because you're just a few bars away from the next level. If you're not fighting them, then they're fair game to anyone else.

3. If you really want to help another player, it's best to use the powers that can either heal or boost that player or use the powers that can hinder but not harm the opponent. Powers that confuse, dazzle, disorient, or contain the opponent help.

Remember guys, the "MM" in MMORPG means "MASSIVE MULTI-PLAYER". Don't think that this is your exclusive game.

"Superheroes" music video

Came across this nice music video through YouTube.

The music is a little 80's (the band is called Edguy), but when combined with the subject matter, it fits just right!



Now if only I had the time and patience to cobble up something using 707's "Megaforce". (Just kidding!)

Rikti War News: Rikti Incursions Decreasing!

Good news from the Rikti war front! The Rikti's new invasion attempts have been met with heavy resistance in both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

The following press release has been issued by the Vanguard.

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Vanguard today is reporting that their efforts in holding off the attacking Rikti forces have met with resounding success. In city zones in both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, Vanguard rapid response teams have been instrumental in not letting the invading Rikti get a foothold in our dimension.
“This is not to say that the threat is over,” said Incandescent, the press secretary for Vanguard. “Major activity should be slowing down soon, but the Rikti still have the capability of launching massive strikes at both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.”
In fact, citizens of both cities are being told to still be on the lookout for warnings from Vanguard about zones being targeted for invasion.
“We are simply seeing a lull in the fighting.” Incandescent reported, “Vanguard is hesitant to say that the threat is over, as there is still a large Rikti presence in the Rikti War Zone. This may be a harbinger of a larger scale invasion, so heroes and other super-powered beings are being asked not to let their guard down.”
Vanguard is still taking recruits into their ranks. Heroes with Security Level of 35 or higher, as well as citizens of the Rogue Isles with a Threat Level of 35 or better are asked to visit the nearest Vanguard recruitment station, where they can find a teleporter that will take them to the Vanguard base in Rikti War Zone.
An electronic press kit can be obtained from the Vanguard website, and questions should be forwarded to Incandescent at her normal email address.
 

---

It is believed that the Rikti incursions are no longer a daily occurrence, but will still happen on a random basis.

T’Vrg: Assault on Atlas Park

The following is T’Vrg’s account of a recent Rikti incursion into Atlas Park. T’Vrg is a relatively new electrical/electrical cybernetic citizen of Paragon City. This should give you a feel of what Rikti combat is like outside of the Rikti Warzone.

---

I had just upgraded my systems to security level six and was preparing to depart to regenerate when the alert was issued for Atlas Park. The sky above turned yellowish brown. There was a broadcast message about forming an invasion team. I had never participated in an invasion team before, so I acknowledged the message and became part of an eight-person team.

The bulk of our team along with several other operatives gathered around Ms. Liberty. Many of the participants began giving us additional powers. There was much discussion of other people wanting to be part of an invasion team, but unfortunately we were at our eight-person maximum.

A few minutes later, the first Rikti soldiers arrived. My powers are electrical-based, so I charged up my lightning field and targeted the first soldier in my area. It was quickly defeated, though obviously not from my own assault. Soon other soldiers appeared along with drones. It is hard to describe what was happening because there were many people in one area, each using their own powers to defeat arriving Rikti soldiers.

At some point I lost power and was defeated. I teleported to the hospital for a quick recovery and then hurried back to the battle, although my progress was slowed by the sheer volume of Rikti participants.

When I returned to the battle, other participants were using their healing powers to sustain the health levels of all participants. No doubt if this was employed during the first part of the battle I would not have been defeated. Again, I charged my lightning field and began attacking any Rikti operative in my visual range.

Soon the number of Rikti operatives began to diminish. The skies cleared and the all-clear alert was sounded that the Rikti had retreated from Atlas Park. Our team quickly dissolved and I returned to my regeneration chamber.

My observation of the battle is that although the Rikti were defeated through large numbers, it was also difficult to see any kind of progress because of the large volumes of operatives and powers in use.

The one thing to keep an eye on while engaged in combat is your endurance levels. Although nearby healers can keep your health levels high, repeated use of your powers will deplete your endurance. If those levels are down to zero, any sustaining power you may have running, such as my lightning field, will shut down. You should disengage your sprint power while in combat to help conserve endurance. Also if you are near someone selling inspirations, be sure to buy several “catch a breath” inspirations to replenish your endurance in battle.

In a group setting, do not stray too far from a healer. I suspect that my defeat in battle was either because the nearby healers did not continue to maintain our health levels or because they moved away from the area of battle. This is why team activity is important in such a situation as a healer can spend their time using their power in a support capacity and still receive the benefits of battle.

In conclusion, I strongly suggest if you are participating in repelling an invasion that you do so in a team environment. Also be sure to go into it prepared. It is a very illogical and confusing experience for all participants.

---

Player-Generated i10 Primer!

The City of Heroes website reports the following...

Are you still wondering just what Issue 10 is all about? Scratched the surface, but you aren't quite sure on all the new features?

Well, never fear, one of your fellow players has you covered! Chase Arcanum from the Liberty server offers a comic book guide to the many features and aspects of Issue 10: Invasion. You may know Chase Arcanum from the Comic Book Creator Contest, where he was the winner in the “Best Story” category.

Using the same Comic Book Creator software from the contest, Chase offers a humorous review of Issue 10. Be warned there are some spoilers to the content included, so if you want to discover everything for yourself, you might want to hold off.

You can view the rest here along with the links to the comic to view online or download as a PDF.

See guys? It's more than just beating people up and finishing missions!

Some Quick Game Tip Resources

For those of you relatively new to CoX (or those who haven’t played in a while), I have a couple of website resources for you to check out.

First up is Mantid’s Animation Emote Guide. This is a GREAT place to get a complete list of all emote commands so you can make your character do really neat things while waiting around. Why just have them standing still when you can have them dance or flip a coin or sit down or play the drums? As of this blog post the page was updated to Issue 9 with some fresh emote commands. I don’t think they added any for Issue 10, especially since it’s the big Invasion upgrade. But this page not only has the commands but also visual examples what those commands do.

So what do you do with this? Well, rather than click the emote button in the chat window and scroll through the right commands, you can type it in directly, or you can use either a /bind or a /macro command to link certain emotes and actions together. This can be helpful if you want to impress other players or just cheese them off.

By the way, I’m including Mantid’s link in the CoX Links sidebar for all future reference.

Next up is GameAmp’s City of Heroes Game Tips and their City of Villains Game Tips. These two sites will give you some good hints at things that will help you finish your missions and stay alive.

Of course the real key place to visit for the latest info is Paragon Wiki. Wikipedia may have some bugs (not to mention ego-driven self-righteous editors), but the guys at Paragon Wiki do a pretty good job setting up an information resource site for CoX players. Next to the actual CoH and CoV websites, Paragon Wiki should be one of your frequently visited pages for the latest info on the CoX world, whether you’re a noob or a multi-50.

CoX - The Players

Here’s the list of current CoX characters that will be featured here in the Chronicles. They are divided by game servers and by the City of Heroes or City of Villains designation. For details on the nature of the powers and origins for each character, visit Paragon Wiki. I’m also including the affiliation of those who are in a supergroup.

Justice Server - City of Heroes

Battlerock X (Natural Tanker): invulnerable/super-strength – Tenth generation Battlerock warrior and a support member of the legendary Omega Team that was originally presumed killed during the Rikti Invasion of 2002. He spent five years roaming around as an amnesiac derelict before remembering who he really was.

J-Star (Magic Scrapper): martial arts/super-reflexes – A former glamour magazine model that used her training with the Order of Equius to stay fit and to hold her own in various extreme endurance contests. She became a crimefighter after single-handedly stopping a gang of shoplifters. (Member: Guardians of Might)

Herald Prime (Science Controller): gravity control/force field – A scientist that considers himself to be a forerunner to an even greater being (Superion Prime) that would come from the future to save the present.

Carrie Starwave (Technology Blaster): energy blasts/energy manipulation – An MIT graduate who was smart enough to create her own weapons. She likes to tell people that she’s an alien when she’s really just a human with a mind on ultra-tech. (Member: Guardians of Might)

KDave (Science Tanker): invulnerable/super-strength – He originally was a skinny kid who barely weighted 100lbs and was the subject of much harassment in high school. Obsessed with bulking himself up, he engaged in a risky experimental program that turned him into a seven-foot behemoth of muscle.

Battlerock Babe (Natural Tanker): invulnerability/super-strength – The daughter of Battlerock X who spent five years training for the day she could pick up where her father left off. She has no idea that her father is still alive. Although she has similar archetype and origin, she has started to develop different abilities from her father.

Superion Prime (Natural Tanker): invulnerable/super-strength – Born in present-day, Superion Prime was actually created 1000 years in the future and brought back in time to save the Earth from a future crisis involving the Rikti. (Member: Guardians of Might)

T’Vrg (Technology Blaster): electrical blast/electrical manipulation – A hybrid of alien and robotic origins, T’Vrg came to Earth seeking answers to her past through the remnants of Rikti technology.

FyreLife (Mutant Controller): fire control/empathy – FyreLife is a recent hero. Her latent mutant powers did not kick in until the start of the Rikti Invasion of 2007 when she and her fiancée were trying to save the life of a fallen hero. A Rikti bomb killed the hero and her fiancée, but she survived unharmed. She wears the tattered paramedic jacket in honor of her fiancée.

Justice Server – City of Villains

Jen Glamour (Mutant Dominator): mind control/psionic assault – A bitter rival of J-Star, Jen Glamour was another glamour model who became an abusive primadonna who abused special chemicals to keep her artificially-generated perfect physique intact. It was J-Star who helped expose Jen’s secrets and send her to the Zig. She has vowed revenge against her glamour rival. (Member: S.V.F.L.)

Lexie Lothora (Technology Mastermind): mercenary/traps – Lexie and her twin brother Alexander were the golden children of the Lothora business empire. When her twin brother was killed, she was determined to do anything for revenge. She uses her family’s vast and hidden wealth to strike back at the world that took her brother away. It is believed she even shaved her head to better resemble her brother and is now seen in public wearing a very expensive wig. (Member: The Greatest Evil)

Champion Server – City of Villains

Wrathstrike (Technology Brute): electrical melee/fiery aura – A child orphaned by corrupt cops, he grows up obsessed with destroying all that is good in the world.

Sad Nice Guy (Natural Stalker): ninja blade/ ninjitsu – A really pathetic and lonely guy who has no life outside of the Internet. His only girlfriend is the kind you have to pay $9.95 a month just to get noticed. He was infatuated with J-Star until she hit him with a restraining order. He was kicked out of his mom’s basement and was forced to put his pathetic skills to use in the real world.

Toxic Primadonna (Science Mastermind): robot/poison – A spoiled pop princess who wasted her life in the limelight. She partied too hard and pissed off too many people. She still believes that she has legions of fans on her side when in fact she only has robotic fans, which she has to order. She also believes that she can do whatever she want to because she is a “celebrity”. It was that very attitude that sent her to the Zig for drunk driving. (Member: The Shadow Killers)

The Reverend NeoCon (Magic Mastermind): thugs/dark miasma – F. Sean Rush was a born-and-raised silver-spoon trust fund baby; spoiled to the core and he knew it. After the Rikti Invasion of 2002, he became known as THE leading religious neo-conservative on talk radio in the United States, mostly by adopting the strong xenophobic messages being spread by the Vanguard. Unfortunately his addiction to painkillers and “certain pleasures”, along with the fact that he wields dark magic, forced him to flee to the Rogue Isles, where he is working to rebuild his movement. It should be noted that the Reverend was NEVER convicted or sent to prison (no Jailbird badge on his record). He actually went to the Rogue Isles on his own accord. (Member: Faction for a Better Tomorrow)

Spartan Warlady (Natural Mastermind): ninjas/arrows – Not much is known about her except that she prides herself of being a warrior in the same tradition as the Spartans of old.

And now this message...

Beaten into submission by the Villains for Lord Recluce for President, Mercy Island, Rogue Isles. Report this to your pitiful and useless election committee at your peril!

A Public Service Message

Feeling that "burning" sensation? Something more than just hormones? Check out this Public Service message from Department of Health and Super-Human Activities.



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Welcome to the Chronicles!

This blog is dedicated to the brave men and women (and other creatures) who live everyday in the online community of Paragon City, home of the City of Heroes and City of Villains.

The main character in the Chronicles is Battlerock X, a seasoned veteran of Paragon City. For years he spent wandering the streets of Paragon City as a derelict, not knowing that he was really a superhero, much less one of the original members of the famed Omega Team that was presumed killed during the first Rikti War in 2002. It was only recently, during the start of the Rikti Invasion of 2007, that he realized who he really was, and that he has started to piece together the missing years of his life.

This blog will have thoughts, news, videos, and backstories to the various characters in Paragon City and the neighboring Rogue Isles. Some will be good guys, fighting the good fight. Others will be criminals, people whose ambitions are sometimes greater than their means.

City of Heroes/City of Villains - or CoX as some like to call it - is more than just solving missions and beating people up. It's also about community, and the CoX world has everything from online radio stations to a whole marketplace where people buy, sell, and trade online. (Note for any luddite government official: no actual currency is used in CoX markets and market activity cannot be converted to real-world use. So leave your greedy hooves alone!) Great teams are created here. This is where legends are made, and you can help make the legendary heroes of tomorrow.

For those who would like to join in, click on the banner below for more information about the game, and look for some of the characters on the various servers.