Battlerock Comics Announced

Get Brutal Productions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Get Brutal Productions Announces Creation of Battlerock Comics

Georgia - December 24, 2012 - Get Brutal Productions, a one-man production company designed to highlight various multimedia services, has announced the creation of a subsidiary production group specifically designed for fan-made comic books.

Battlerock Comics will service as an online center for all comics published by Get Brutal Productions.   This will encompass both the comics previously published by writer/creator David 2 and the new comics that will be released in 2013.

Writer/Creator David 2 began work with online comics in 2009 with “Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight”, a regular fan-made not-for-profit series that used characters created in the “City of Heroes” Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game owned by NCSoft.  Eventually three regular series were created using characters in the “City of Heroes” game, including “Spotlight”, “Tales from Paragon City”, and “The Guardian Powers”.  David 2 also worked with other fan-made comic artists on several projects, including creating stories and cover designs to the “City of Comic Creators Compendium” series, and a comical “video-comic” series on YouTube called “Ask Captain Catastrophe”.

The first series under the Battlerock Comics title will be “Future’s Guardian”, another regular fan-made not-for-profit series that uses characters in the “Champions Online” MMORPG as provided by Perfect World Entertainment.  The series follows from an earlier series published online in 2011 called “The Lost Adventures of Galatea Future”, which will end with its fourth issue to transition the characters over to the new series.

David 2 points out that online comic series provide a way for fans of comic books to appreciate the world of online multiplayer gaming and even encourages readers to participate.

“Fan-made comics give the MMO providers something they otherwise would never have,” he said, “and that is free advertising for their game.  Traditionally they would have to work with established comic book publishers like Dark Horse or Image Comics, and their representations would barely match the detail in the MMO itself.  With fan-made comics, readers see the issue, they see the images from the game, the detail of the characters in that game, they realize that this is an environment that they can interact in themselves, and they see all of the references to the game itself, namely where they can find it.”

Battlerock Comics can be found at http://battlerockcomics.wordpress.com

An Old Enemy Returns...

Fallen Thunder

April 28th, 2012

Atlantic Ocean

Approx. 39.76 Latitude, -70.70 Longitude, 700 feet below the surface

Aboard the Prussian Prince submarine

The steady ping of the brass plating of the Prussian Prince expanding as it gradually ascended from the depths 5 miles from the brightly glowing lights of Talos Island was like a metronome.

Ping...

Each sound signified another 33 feet...he calculated the depth of the submersible vehicle by marking the passing of the metallic report. Where other's would have synapses firing, silently relaying commands to his body to properly adjust the dials and valves controlling the ballast levels, there was instead the steady whirring and clicking of gears and the steady hiss of steam powering his every move.

Ping...

660 feet

Small crystals of ice delicately broke away from his body, blanketing his chair with a thin layer of frost. The chill of the air would have made his breath visible...that is, if he still drew breath. It had been many years since Gerhardt Eisenstadt had last drawn air, having made such human concerns unnecessary well over a century ago. Whatever remained of his flesh had long since decayed, replaced by the more reliable and stronger Clockwork bodies of his own design and construction. These bodies were the purest incarnation of his genius...his brilliance...the same genius that struck fear in the hearts of all who heard his name. No longer Gerhardt Eisenstadt; He was now Lord Nemesis, and his infamy spanned generations!

The story of his conquest to bring the whole of the United States of America under heel was still told in hushed tones by those who survived the national nightmare. Washington D.C., and most of the U.S., had been his, held in the palm of his enormous brass hand. The populace had been no match for his clockwork army and with their vaunted superheroes spread across the globe fighting the Second World War in Europe and Asia, they were powerless to stop him.

Until Marcus Cole.

Always Marcus Cole.

Ping

396 feet

Every time Lord Nemesis was on the cusp of global domination, on the verge of his final victory, ready to take his rightful place, Marcus Cole... no... Statesman would foil his grand design.

There were others over the years, so many others, but it always came back to Statesman. The man was un-killable, not for a lack of trying.

Of course, this made the notion that one as simple as Darrin Wade could succeed where he had failed...inconceivable. The theft of Rularuu's powers was simply adding insult to injury.

It had been tempting to join the Heroes and "Villains" (there was, after all, only one true villain) in their fight against "Rula-Wade". The very presumption that a fool such as Wade had the right to rob Lord Nemesis of his victory...well... This was his victory. He was to be the one to extract the life essence from the broken and battered body of Statesman. Victory was to be his, the plot was written, it was put in motion, it was all to happen...exactly...as...he...planned.

Wade was lucky. This was the only plausible explanation. He had obviously used his obscurity and lack of being an actual threat to accomplish the improbable.

Of course this occurrence was not entirely unforeseen by Nemesis. Even something as unpredictable as Wade dispatching Statesman could not fully escape his genius plans. His robotic feet clanged across the iron floor of the Prince as he walked over to the antique filing cabinet. He delicately slid the door open, flipping through the manila folders until he came across the one he was looking for: Operation Fallen Thunder

The outer folder was dusty, the paper starting to soften and fray from the passing of time. Hand typed on a Smith-Corona typewriter decades before, the plan was simple when compared to his recent, more elaborate plots. He thumbed through the pages...yes...there it was. He would capitalize on Cole's death (any fool would), but on a far more massive, and final, scale: He would attack all of Paragon City, spreading their defenses so thin that even the combined might of the city's Heroes would be unable to stop his automaton army. Finally, he would avenge the humiliation he suffered in Washington D.C. so many years ago.

Yes, Fallen Thunder would be the lynch-pin, a catalyst for other similar plots in the unlikely event it didn't succeed.

Gears whirred and steam hissed as his mind calculated the probabilities of success, taking into account a single possible outlying factor: Tyrant was not a consideration when the plan was originally conceived. While still a threat, calculations showed that he would soon be irrelevant. The erstwhile ruler of Praetorian Earth was quickly losing his grasp on power due to the multiple incursions of immensely powerful Incarnates (Note: Investigate probability of conquering an alternate dimension.)

What was not immediately clear was the alternate Cole's end game. His notes observed a 5.7% chance of complete surrender and a 6.33% chance of simply detonating a weapon of mass destruction over his own city. There was a significantly higher likelihood of him fighting to the death, less so the chance he would abandon his seat of power. No matter. All of these possible outcomes meshed well with his simple, yet masterful plot.

Lord Nemesis reached over to the brass intercom bell.

Ping

132 feet

"Surface" he said. "Operation Fallen Thunder will commence immediately...under my direct supervision."

Get Ready For Super-Powered Chills!

With the launch of City of Heroes Freedom, you have to wonder just what all of the new and returning heroes, villains, and Praetorians would find themselves into come Halloween. Seasoned veterans have come to enjoy several features of this mystically-bewitched time, including two Apocalypse events, trick-or-treating, and temporary costumes.

So the question is... how can you top that and make things exciting for both new and old operatives?

Five words:

Doctor Kane's House Of Horror!

Yes, we're talking a haunted house with zombies, giant monsters, Jack-O-Lanterns, and a challenge so dire that pulling it off will get you a new aura and costume change emote! Think you're up for the challenge? You better make sure you're up to at least level 15 and then get a team together, because you can't visit his house alone!

But if you can't get your friends together quite yet, there are still all of the other fun events, including the Zombie Apocalypse, the Deadly Apocalypse, Trick-or-Treating, and of course the eternal night and the giant monsters to keep the festivities going. You can load up with temporary costumes and get hold of those cheap cereal-box costumes that you can then trade-in with a certain witch to get an extra costume slot! (Note: you can only do this once, so if you've already done it, it won't work for you again. But these things can be worth a pretty penny on the market.)

So start practicing your best "Thriller" moves, and get in as much sunlight as you can, because once the sun sets on October 20th, it won't come back up again until November 2nd. And be careful, because some of the things that go "bump" in the night don't just "bump".

Update on Seven Stars Reward

"City Of" officials have announced that a grace period for the Seventh Anniversary loyalty program has been put in place.

Apparently some Praetorians were getting their brains scrubbed out by Praetor Tilman and didn't catch the announcement of the grace period starting on February 1st. (At least they didn't blame it on those smelly Cosmic Rikti Monkeys.)

Because of this, the Loyalty Period has been pushed back to February 14th. The end date is still set for April 18th, and the Vanguard Pack will still be unlocked on the 7th Anniversary on April 28th.

So if you're still on the periphery of being a hero, villain, or Praetorian, NOW is truly the time to join in and get ready to take part in the Seven Stars of Super!

Seven Stars of Super

You ever hear the phrase "Membership has its privileges?"

Well for City of Heroes subscribers, you're about to find out!

This year marks the seventh anniversary of the MMO. As such, Paragon Studios and NCSoft have a little reward for those of you who stick with the game for a few months.

For those with active and paid-for accounts from February 1st until April 18th, you will be getting...

A special Seven Stars chest emblem for you to add to all characters.

A special seven-star badge called The Constant.

A special emote called "Loyalty" that will display seven stars around you as a symbol showing your morality alignment appears below you.

And the Vanguard Booster Pack, an exclusive Booster Pack that will unlock many of the Vanguard costume features, including weapons, the special Vanguard Sigil costume-change emote, and an exclusive non-combat Vanguard hardsuit pet. (Think of it as a little robotic mascot, only the kind that doesn't get into slapstick trouble like the cartoon versions.)

It should be pointed out that all of the Vanguard features right now require you to reach Security Level 35 and then take part in NUMEROUS Vanguard missions, defeating countless Rikti forces before getting enough Vanguard Merits to purchase these items. With the Vanguard Pack, you'll be getting all of these things at Level 1, without needing to take out so much as a Rikti Monkey... which is good because they REEK! Have you ever had to fight off a Rikti Monkey? They are horrid! They are just living, breathing, perpetual fart machines! They have more methane in each one of them than a whole HERD of cows. But I digress...

Did I forget to mention that all of this will be given FREE? All you have to do is have a subscription active from February 1st until April 18th, and then on April 28th (the 7th Anniversary of the MMO launch) the items will be unlocked and activated for you account. Considering how earlier "booster" packs run from $8-$10 (and the more recent ones are overpriced for what they provide), this is a really great deal for Heroes, Villains, Rogues, Vigilantes, and Praetorians.

So if you are still on the fence about signing up, now is the time to do it, because the after February 1st you'll be out of luck.

Double XP Weekend

With the Winter Event expiring soon, the last weekend of the event will also be going out with a Double-XP bang!


The Double XP weekend will be going on starting 12noon, Thursday, January 27th until 3am, Monday, February 1st (EST).

This will be your opportunity to get in all of the goodies at the Ski Chalet and the presents in Paragon City, Rogue Isles, and Praetoria. And if you feel you need to get a few last digs in on Lord Winter - because he's an annoying monster - then this is your last chance to do it for ten more months.

Important News from Vanguard!

The following message was sent to the Chronicles from the Herald division of Vanguard:

Vanguard intelligence warns that the Rikti high command is preparing to unleash a new wave of attacks on Earth. Dark Watcher believes the new wave of incursions should start on Thursday, November 4th, and last until Sunday, November 7th.

Residents of Paragon City and the Rogue Isles should be on alert for the warning signs and take shelter when they hear the sirens.

There is no word as to whether or not this also applies to Praetoria, as it is not known if the Rikti are aware of that universe.

The MONSTER 6th Anniversary Post!

Hard to believe the City of Heroes is now in its SIXTH year.

And they started it with the release of Issue 17: Dark Mirror on the same day as the original MMO was released six years earlier. And even if users do not have a powerful enough system to handle Ultra Mode, the graphics are now distinctly sharper than ever before. And that is just the TIP of the iceberg of updates and new features, including access to the Epic Archetypes at level 20 instead of 50, simplified Market interface, easier invention interface, animated tails (and where they should be - as a separate category instead of in lieu of a belt), more Mission Architect locations, and the ability to create missions using GIANT MONSTERS! And again, that's not ALL...

War Witch (the developer) gave the anniversary message this year, and everyone in Paragon Studios is eager to see the start of Going Rogue, which should be sometime this summer. People who have pre-ordered GR will already have access to the two new powersets - Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning. (Inside word is that Demon Summoners are already the new troublemakers for players.) They are also powerset options for Mission Architect so even if YOU don't have the powersets, you can still create characters in missions that will use them.

One annual feature is that through the month of May ALL Paragon Heroes and Rogue Isles operatives will be given a special 6th Anniversary badge. But this is ONLY for those who make an appearance during the month of May.

Here are some videos...

Samuraiko's Mirror Mirror

;

Paragon Studio's Trailer

Samuraiko's 6th Anniversary Music Video

And that's STILL not all!

City of Comic Creators is putting the finishing touches on CCC Compendium #5, featuring a flashback story from the Guardians of the Dawn, a special VIP guest appearance, and with a cover designed by David 2. This should be released SOON. REALLY FRAGGING SOON!

Speaking of which...

CCC Promo

Plus there are more commercials on the way.

But I CAN say that Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight #11 WILL be released on Friday - May 7th! I've gotten good feedback from the people who have read it, so hopefully we'll get more readers soon, especially after the City of Heroes forum admins announce it like they did with Issue #10. Oh, and can you believe I'm ALREADY getting work started on Issue #12? I'm sure after the teaser I leave in... ah, but I better wait until AFTER Issue #11 is released before going any further.

Hey, this is a HUGE celebration this month!

Spring Fling Is Back!

It may be February, but Spring Fever is in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles!

The annual Spring Fling Celebration will begin starting February 9th, and will last until March 2nd (barring, of course, Rikti Monkey meddling as with previous events).

The party begins, as usual, with DJ Zero in the Pocket D nightclub, where Heroes and Villains are encouraged to work together to resolve a series of challenges that only heroes and villains can do together.

You complete the preliminary tasks and DJ Zero will have you go out on a special mission to thwart Snaptooth, who is STILL carrying a grudge after the whole "Baby New Year" thing. (Although if you read "Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight" #6 you'd find Snaptooth being just a little TOO eager to get his butt kicked.)

Defeat him and you get the usual party items... Greek clothes, medium inspirations, heart-shaped costume pieces, some extra goodies. It's a great way to work with both heroes and villains, especially since you'll probably be seeing more of them in your neck of the woods when Going Rogue comes out!

Double XP Extended!

Good news! The great cosmic event known as "Double XP Weekend" coinciding with the Reactivation Event has been extended an extra day.

The period will now end on Monday, October 12, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific (2:59 a.m. Eastern Tuesday).

Enjoy the extra day!

Double XP AND Account Reactivation Weekend

A few weeks ago a Chronicle reader asked if there would be an Account Reactivation weekend for City of Heroes following the release of Issue 16.

Well now I can say... YES!

City of Heroes has announced their Double XP/Account Reactivation Weekend set from Thursday, October 8th (8:59 a.m. Pacific Time) to Sunday, October 11th (11:59 p.m. Pacific Time). All heroes and villains active during that time will receive DOUBLE their experience and influence/infamy than normal when going through missions or just dishing out comeuppances.

PLUS, any inactive accounts in good standing will ALSO have access to Paragon City and the Rogue Isles during that time. If you haven't been in the Paraverse in a while... maybe trudging in some OTHER cartoonish universe that shall go unmentioned... now is the time to see the changes made, including the power customization and super-sidekicking features. (Just remember to take the time needed to install the updated software.)

5th Anniversary - the Video

Just some of the visual challenges on the 5th anniversary of City of Heroes.

Five Years in the City of Heroes

It was April 28, 2004.

Paragon City was still recovering from the devastation of the Rikti Invasion of 2002 when the call went out for heroes around the world to come help rebuild the city and bring order back to it. It didn’t matter if they were new heroes or seasoned veterans. Humans, aliens, robots, mystical creatures, pure of heart or not, thousands have heeded Statesman’s call for help.

A lot has happened in those five years since.

There is still much of Paragon City that needs rebuilding, but the city is making a comeback. The Hollows, formerly known as Eastgate, have been opened as a hazard area. Where once criminals run wild, order is slowly being restored there. Faultline, formerly known as Overbrook, has gone from a hazard area into a relatively safe zone as that district rebuilds itself from its devastation. Croatoa opened up again.

The influx of heroes opened a new sport for the city, known simply as The Arena. DJ Zero opened up the extradimensional Pocket D nightclub, and later expanded it with a Tiki Lounge and seasonal ski chalet.

But the threats have magnified as well.

The Rularuu crossed over from the Shadow Shard dimension in 2004. Civil war broke out in 2005 between the factions now known as the 5^th Column and The Council, with The Council prevailing. Lord Recluse and his Arachnos forces began bringing escaped prisoners from the Zig over to his empire in the Rogue Isles, essentially turning that chain of islands into their own City of Villains.

The Rikti returned in 2007, five years after they were originally defeated by the noble sacrifices made by the Omega Team. The Vanguard ramped up their operations. The Midnight Squad came back from near-extinction. Through the Menders of Oroboros, new doors to the past and the future opened to unlock the secrets.

There have been many things since Statesman’s call was sent. Zombie Apocalypse and Snow monsters, meeting Father Time and saving Baby New Year, taking on gods and Titans, and travelling through time and to alternate realities. There was even a wedding as heroes Manticore and Sister Psyche got married.

And things are just starting.

For one day only, on April 28^th, the Fifth Anniversary of Statesman’s call for more heroes, the City of Heroes will relive the great events that have happened in the five years. Rularuu? Rikti? Zombie Apocalypse? The return of the Wedding Event and Winter Event? Holiday presents and Trick-or-Treating? The only way to find out is to be in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles from 11am EST to Midnight EST on April 28^th.

Then on April 29^th and running until May 31^st, ALL characters that log in will get a special 5^th Anniversary badge. These badges are rare and will only be issued PER CHARACTER during that time.

Also anyone who ever was a hero or villain in the past five years will be allowed to reactivate and join in the festivities from April 28th until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, May 3^rd.

And that’s not all. There are anniversary events going on, including two contests, a special address from Positron, visits from all of the Freedom Phalanx in the Test Universe, and already there are details on Issue 15: Anniversary, including the highly anticipated opening of the Omega Team Time Capsule! New faces, new costumes, new missions, new costume change emotes… all of that is just around the corner.

It has been a busy five years… and it can only get better from here.

Love Hurts... again!

It's time for the Spring Fling here in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

Although there won't be any superstar weddings like last year's marriage between Manticore and Sister Psyche, Ganymede, emissary of the god Eros, has returned to invite heroes and villains to take part in some more co-operative fun.

Heroes and Villains must complete a two-part task, with the second one REQUIRING either a hero or a villain (depending on your contact) to finish it. Once done, DJ Zero will have one more mission for you to take part in, and yes it does involve that eternal buzzkill, Snaptooth! But you can get all sorts of good seasonal presents, including Greek togas, sandals, laurel wreaths... and some tacky heart-shaped bodysuits. (Personally the bridal version look better... on the women of course.)

Once again this is a limited deal, so don't sit around and miss out on it.

"Double XP" Weekend is here!

Once again the strange forces in the universe converge to give double the rewards for good and bad deeds.

Nobody knows the real reason why this happens, but for a select period of time, all rewards for good and bad deeds are doubled. This includes experience, money, and group prestige.

Experts believe that this strange period, referred to by Paragon City and Rogue Isles citizens as the "Double XP Event", will start at 12noon on January 23rd and end at 11:59pm on January 25th.

Now is the time for all adventurers to join in and enjoy the benefits of this strange recurring event.

Happy Winter 2008!

It's Winter Time in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles!

As with previous years, the holidays have come to the City of Heroes (and Villains too) in a big way.

First, all active heroes (and bad guys too) will get the following presents:

* The special Frostbitten badge recognizing that they have gone active in the Holiday season

* Access to a new costume piece, specifically fuzzy earmuffs.

* The Holiday Spirit temporary power. This will give you 48 hours of 25% debt protection. That's important if you're constantly getting your butt kicked.

* A Holiday Cheer present. This is a mystery gift that you can give to anyone, even a complete stranger. What's inside it?  Who knows? It could be a temporary power. It could be a costume piece. It could be a sack full of currency. Either way, you can't use it yourself, so be generous and someone may decide to return the favor.

(By the way, if you still have either the Holiday Spirit or the Holiday Cheer in your inventory from last year, you won't be getting a second one. Sorry, only one of each per season.)

You'll also get a desperate call from Father Time. Once again Baby New Year is in trouble and he needs you to go rescue him, lest time itself collapses.

(That's him on the left. Okay, he's an ugly baby, but he was actually worse in previous years. Used to smoke cigars and chase women around asking them to change his diaper. He's grown up a little since then.)

This will not be an easy task.  You'll be facing winter monsters and red caps, and it's usually best do to this as a group effort. Helping out Father Time will give you access to even more seasonal goodies.  This can include costume pieces or temporary powers.

With the return of Father Time comes the return of the Ski Chalet.  The Chalet is located next to Pocket D in the Shadow Shard dimension. Just go to the upper levels of the red side of Pocket D and look for the decorated trees.

The Ski Chalet is more than just for missions, though. As the name implies, you can also ski down the slopes and take part in timed ski trials. Finish fast enough and you can score a Bronze, Silver, or Gold badge. (Note: that's SKI, not fly, leap, or teleport.)

Strange devices have also been spotted all over Paragon City (and the Rogue Isles as well).  Brightly covered presents are appearing in the streets and rooftops, holding mysterious gifts. 

Some gifts are nice, including candy canes or temporary powers. Others, however, unleash winter beasts that will rampage the land until you stop them.

Get enough candy canes and you can redeem them for additional presents including exclusive halos for naughty and nice grown-up children.

By the way, you can also change the color of the halos to match your costume.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  Well don't sit there in your Day Job, because this season only lasts from December 15th 2008 to January 4th 2009, and then you'll have to wait until the December.

Oh, one more thing... you know that floating truck just outside of Pocket D? If you have a flight, super-jump, or teleport power you'll be able to reach it from the ski chalet! What will you find? You'll just have to find out!

Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Double XP Event Brings Heavy Recruitment

Double XP Event Brings Heavy Recruitment
– article by Paragon Pundit

ATLAS PARK, PARAGON CITY, RI – (BRXC) The forthcoming mystical event whereby rewards for heroes doubles has caused an unusual push for new recruits into superhero organizations, causing some recruiters to be more aggressive than normal.

“I really don’t understand how they could try to recruit me,” said Captain Catastrophe, a low-level scrapper who is known around the city as someone who cannot be trusted in teams. “I mean, I have this huge stinking X on my Hero ID that says ‘Do not recruit for a team under any circumstances’ and yet I’m sitting here in Atlas Park and I’m getting, like, five supergroup recruiters in the past thirty minutes. It’s really whacked.”

Catastrophe’s negative history with teams is so bad that even he has lost count of the number of times he has failed to bring down the villain Frostfire. “I really don’t want to dwell on it,” he said. “It’s really not cool.”

And yet he was fighting off supergroup requests by people who simply saw his name and saw his costume.

“It’s sort of, like, mad sick cool, and all, but then after a while it gets to be a drag.”

Ms. Liberty, a member of the Vindicators as well as leader of the Longbow division of Freedom Corps, says that she has never seen recruitment this aggressive before.

“Not too long ago, Paragon City officials issued bonus prestige credits for all supergroups based on the number of members in their organization. We thought that the recruitment at that time was intense. But for whatever reason, it’s even worse now.”

The mystical event, dubbed by many as the “Double XP Weekend”, happens when the planet is swept with a wave of mystical energy. It was believed that this energy comes from attempts by mystical beings to summon the lost city of Oranbega. The energy has no effect on living creatures or on most technology, however any kind of trans-dimensional technology is energized and magnified by this event. For trans-dimensional items such as the Hero ID cards, this event doubles all forms of rewards allocated. Therefore any kind of personal achievement or reward, or even a group reward is doubled for that period of time.

At first city officials were perplexed on how to handle this infrequent event. Some pondered a method of deducting the additional reward, or else to assess a tax for that weekend that would offset the additional costs. But a passionate call from the heroes convinced city officials to leave things as they are, since the additional rewards are coming with no costs the city.

It is believed that the citizens and operatives of the Rogue Isles experience the same event, especially since their Villain ID system was based on stolen Hero ID technology.

Meantime, superhero recruiters are advised to use caution when looking for new members.

“Most recruiters don’t have a clue as to the people they try to bring in,” said Ms. Liberty. “They see a cool name, they see a cool costume, or they just see someone without a supergroup tag, and they think that person is just eager to join with someone. They don’t know that person, and a thirty-second chat with them before laying in with the pitch won’t do. Sometimes that person doesn’t want to be a member of a group. Maybe they’re not as active as the group’s leader would like them to be. Maybe they had some bad experiences with another group. Maybe they’re waiting for a friend of theirs to recruit them. Or maybe they’re the kind of person that strips a group blind of everything they can get and then quit so they can sell it all at Wentworth’s. That’s happened a few times too.”

As for Captain Catastrophe, after turning down a few aggressive recruiters, he was recommended to join a new supergroup called the Noble Champions. But his admission was not without some limitations.

“The leader of that group says that I have to work on, like, my team skills and such,” he said. “But it’s, like, hey, if they can help me get past Frostfire, then I definitely owe them big-time!”

---

TIPS FOR RECRUITERS AND RECRUITED

Here are some tips on how to deal with an active supergroup recruiting drive.

For Recruiters:

No Blind Recruiting! Why should people accept a supergroup invitation by someone who is a complete stranger to them? Blind recruitment is one of the most annoying tactics in either Paragon City or the Rogue Isles, second only to RMT advertisers.

Get To Know Your Recruits! Go on a few missions with them. Find out who they are and what they’re like in action. Are they good team players? Engage in some discussion with them so you know what kind of person you’re dealing with. Maybe this is someone that you don’t want in your group. You’ll never know if you don’t talk with them first.

ASK FIRST! Don’t just toss out a supergroup invitation and expect people to jump at the chance to blindly join your group. Ask first if they’re looking to join a group, and then plug the advantages of your group. If they’re interested, THEN you can send the invitation, and you’ll have a better chance of having it accepted.

Keep The Broadcast Channel Ads Low. Sending out an all-purpose broadcast message to plug your team is cheap and easy… but if you send out too many of them, you could be declared a spammer. Send out only one ad every fifteen-to-thirty minutes and keep your message to a minimum.

No Means NO! If the person declines your offer, don’t try to put any more pressure on them. Be polite, be cordial, and don’t take it personally. At the very least ask if you can list them as a friend. Always keep the door open for them to come back and take you up on your offer at a later time.

For the Recruited:

Be Polite! This may be the fortieth recruiter you’re having to fend off today, but that doesn’t mean that you should treat him like an RMT spammer. Maybe they don’t know that you’ve been taking more hits from recruiters than from sniper fire in the Hollows. Maybe this is his first recruitment drive and he doesn’t know any better.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask. If you’ve never been in a group before and you’re getting hit with a blind invitation, feel free to send a private message to the person asking them about the group. Who are they? Why should you join them?

Find Out The Requirements Of The Group! Some groups require that you stay active on a regular basis. If your superhero life is such that you can’t be as active as you’d like to, this might result in you getting kicked out abruptly. There might also be a dress code required, that you constantly wear their colors or wear a certain kind of uniform while you’re in group mode. Most groups also require that you stay in the group mindset until you achieve a certain security level. Bear in mind that once you reach security level 25, your own rewards start taking second place to the group rewards. Most of these things are not normally conveyed in a generic broadcast message or even in a recruiter’s speech. It’s good to know all of these things BEFORE you say YES to the offer.

Don’t Be Afraid To Say No. Let’s suppose you’re running a safeguard mission with some folks, you’re doing okay, and suddenly the leader of the team sends you a group invitation. Should you feel obligated to join them? No. But it would also be helpful if you politely told them why, that way you wouldn’t appear to be ungrateful for being on the team.

Use Your Tools Against Annoying Recruiters. If you’re up against someone who won’t take no for an answer, don’t lose your cool. Instead use the tools that all heroes in Paragon City (and the villains in the Rogue Isles) have in their arsenal. Use the “Ignore” and “Global Ignore” communication options to shut off the annoying citizen. If they continue to harass you through emails, you can also petition them to the officials, who can then take punitive steps to stop the harassment.

The Rikti Are Coming Back!

Although their second invasion has been thwarted last June, the Rikti have apparently not given up their efforts to conquer and destroy Earth!

The UN-sponsored Vanguard organization has reported that the Rikti are preparing a series of invasion runs to wear down our resolve and deplete our resources.

The Lady Gray of Vanguard has announced the following tentative schedule for invasion attacks:

• March 7th through the 13th
• April 18th through April 24th
• June 13th through June 19th
• August 1st through August 7th
• Sept 26th through Oct 2nd
• November 14th through November 20th

During those months, Rikti raids will be frequent both in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. Warnings will be issued via your system channel, giving you ample time to prepare for the attack should one approach your area. Also be sure to check the skies when an invasion is imminent in your area as it will turn a sickly brownish color as the Rikti mothership approaches. If you do not wish to fight, then your best bet would be to seek shelter inside a building or under overpasses and parking garages. All civilians, including those deemed hostile, will be doing the same.

All hospitals have been notified of the tentative timetable and under UN General Orders are required to provide immediate medical assistance free of charge for any hero or villain involved in combat with the Rikti in that area.

Rikti bomb ships are heavily shielded and are not only impossible to bring down but can go through the protective shields of the War Walls in Paragon City. If you venture too close to one of the bomb ships, you will be attacked. A third of all casualties from Rikti attacks come from being in weapon's range of those vessels.

The Rikti use dimensional portals to drop not only bombs, but also Rikti soldiers, automated drones, and scavenging Rikti monkeys.

Not all Rikti bombs detonate on impact. Some bombs are on a delayed timer that go off when they impact on the ground. If you are near one such bomb, watch the color of the device. If the indicator light shows red, RUN AWAY as fast as you can! DO NOT attempt to disarm a bomb unless you are powerful enough to do so.

Battlerock X, a veteran of the first Rikti invasion of 2002 as well as the second, says that the Rikti will continue to fail in their efforts, and that the best way to defeat them is through teamwork.

"We faced them six years ago as teams and we survived. We faced them last year as teams and we survived. We will continue to survive and fight on as long as we do so as teams. They are not more powerful than us. They are not better than us. They are simply thugs that are in need of a serious comeuppance, and together we will deliver it to them."

Announcement: The City of Commercials contest!

This message comes from a friend over at w00t Studios, from a modest little idea originally dreamed up and hyped up by Battlerock X (who also came up with most of the rules).

---

THE PLAYER EVENT RESOURCE COMMITTEE in association with w00t Studios
Proudly Presents:

CITY OF COMMERCIALS

Here are the rules:

1. All entries must be a 25-45 second commercial promoting the City of Heroes or City of Villains franchise. Max
video size is 10 MB and can be in any format for quality sake.

2. All entries must be posted on www.w00tstudios.net for consideration. Entrants will need a user account to post videos. Only one entry per person please.

3. Any medium can be used (ex.: live action, gameplay, cartoon). Participants are encouraged to use as much original content as possible. Entries can incorporate certain elements of previous videos released by NCsoft or other players, but cannot consist solely of such reproduced footage.

4. Entries cannot use obvious rip-offs of copyright-protected characters (in other words, no Superman look-a-likes, no Wolverine clones, no Hulk clones, etc). This rule does not apply to the use of established "City of" characters (i.e. Statesman, Lord Recluse, etc).

5. All entries submitted via www.w00tstudios.net , need to be linked back to the City of ___ Forums, in the Multi-Media~City of Heroes/Villains forum, in the post marked City of Commercial Contest Entries. Entries will be separated into Hero and Villain categories.

6. The contest entries will be accepted from February 17, 2008 through March 16, 2008. Public judging will run from March 17-22, 2008. Finalists will be judge from March 23-28, 2008. Winner will be announced March 29, 2008.

Prizes:
Prizes will be given to the top 5 entries for both Hero and Villains:

Grand Prize:

1 Statesman Statue and 1 Wootie Owl(for heroes)
1 Lord Recluse Statue and 1 Wootie Owl(for villains)

Runner-Up

1 T-shirt (not all sizes available)
1 Battle Poster (signed by any dev that Ex/LH can get their hands on)
1 Wootie Owl

Honorable Mention

1 Bumper Sticker/Comic Book pack


The gauntlet has been thrown, will you pick it up and run with it?

---

Common Q/A:

Q: I have no clue how to make a video-- HELP!
A: The Feb. 8th edition of the City Scoop had a nice write-up on how to make a video. Also you can find player guides linked in the Multi-Media forums.

Q: What time does the judging start/end and what zone does the judging operate on?
A: All times are Midnight ET

Q: Uh, what do you mean by public judging?
A: There will be a poll set up onwww.w00tstudios.netfor you, the general public to judge all the entries received. We will take the top 15 favorites (hero and villain) from there and judge them in the finals.

Q: Who will be judging the finalists?
A: No less then 4 PERC members will be judging the finals.

Q: What will the finalists be judged on?
A: We will be judging on 4 aspects. Originality, Professionalism, Creativity, and Commercialism. This is a COMMERCIAL contest, not a music video contest. Make sure that you sell, sell, sell!

Q: If I win, how will I get my prize?
A: If you win, be prepared for a member of PERC to contact you for your shipping address. I promise not to stalk you.

Q: Will I need to register for this contest?
A: The only registration that you will need to complete is for the CoH forums and www.w00tstudios.net.

Q: I have 2 commercials one for heroes and one for villains, can I enter both?
A: No, pick your favorite and post it--- share the other in the multi-media forum!

Q: Rose you are awesome, can I get a date?
A: I will think about it.... but I don't like catgurls.

Q: How will you contact the winners?
A: A PM will be sent to the CO__ forum name of the winning entry. At that time, be prepared to supply your shipping address.

Q: Why do I need to link my video after it's been uploaded on w00t's website?
A: We need a way to contact you.

Q: Boy, this is a lot of questions and answers to type out... are your hands tired?
A: Yes, I am going to stop presuming now, and let you come up with your own questions... if you need to- feel free to contact any member of PERC and they will get back to you with an answer, or post! We like to answer posts!

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.