Introduction
City of Heroes started in 2004, and was the world's first superpowered MMO. First created by Cryptic Studios, the game and its development team was bought off of them in April 2009 by their publisher, NCSoft (Cryptic Studios went on to develop Champions Online). Never the biggest MMO, it nonetheless received a constant stream of updates throughout its lifetime, including City of Villains, the expansion Going Rogue, and last year going free-to-play as City of Heroes: Freedom.
On August 31, City of Heroes development was terminated and the game scheduled to be completely shut down on November 30. The definite reason is unknown.
So what's this game about, anyway?
City of Heroes is set in a world where superheroes have been commonplace since the first world war. They're common worldwide, but the vast majority of the superhero population is centered in Paragon City, Rhode Island - the City of Heroes. And it needs it; Paragon City's problems range from street thugs and paramilitary organizations to alien invasions and doomsday cults. As a player, you are one of these massive amounts of heroes the city needs.
City of Villains introduced the Rogue Isles. An archipelago somewhere in the vicinity of Bermuda, the Isles got their name from being a haven for pirates centuries back, but since then have stepped up their game. Now the base of operations for the supervillain organization Arachnos, the Rogue Isles are a lawless hellhole full of people trying to hit it big. If you so desire, you can be one of these cutthroats.
Finally, Going Rogue gives us Praetoria. Originally a simple mirror universe where all the heroes are villains, it was overhauled into an idyllic paradise ruled by the right and just Emperor Cole and his Praetors. Who, I almost shouldn't have to say, are all either crazy or greedy. Starting out in Praetoria lets you choose between either serving the people as a Loyalist, or fighting the power in the Resistance. At least, at first.
How will this LP work?
City of Heroes has a lot more content than one person could possibly LP in its entirety. So instead, the floor is open to everybody. Is there content in the game that you want to show everyone? Then do it. There's no required style, just showcase it in whatever way you're comfortable.
EDIT: As of now, the game has officially shut down, and can no longer be downloaded or played.
What should I be LPing?
As long as it hasn't already been done, it's fair game. Want to show us the game's on-release content? Go ahead. Prefer to try the newest story arcs? Sure. Do you not even want to do any content, and just show us around the game's zones? That'd be great too. Handle any content you want, as long as it hasn't already been covered.
Planned UpdatesNOTE: There are several instances of people referring to planned updates that are not in the archive. This is because they were unable to finish these updates before the shutdown.
Table of Contents
Mechanics Explanations
- Origins and Archetypes - S.D.
- Kheldians - S.D.
- Arachnos Troops - S.D.
- Incarnates - S.D.
- Crash-Course On Controls - WeX Majors
Zone Tours
- Atlas Park - Fearless_Decoy
- Dark Astoria - WeX Majors
- Croatoa - Fearless_Decoy
- Independence Port - Circutron
- Rikti Crash Site - rarbatrol
Revamped Tutorial (Issue 21, 2011)
Villain Content (Issue 6, 2005; Issue 7, 2006)
- Johnny Sonata - StarkRavingMad
- Newspaper and Mayhem Missions - Gynovore
- Recluse's Victory - WeX Majors
- Slot Machine - geri_khan
Architect (Issue 14, 2009)
- Architect: LOST DOG - WeX Majors
- Architect: Out of Place - Fereydun
- Architect: Out of Place - Part Two
- Architect: Out of Place - Part Three
- Architect: Astoria in D Minor - WeX Majors
- Architect: Two Chicks At Once - Gynovore
Events (various)
Rikti War Zone (Issue 10, 2007)
- Welcome to Vanguard - Cleretic
- The Strange Case of Benjamin A. Decker - Cleretic
- Dreams of Peace and Acts of War - Cleretic
- Dreams of Peace and Acts of War - Part Two
- The Red and the Black - Cleretic
- The Horror of War - Cleretic
- The Horror of War - Part Two
Task Forces (various)
Tip Missions (Issue 18/Going Rogue, 2010)
Incarnate Trials (Issue 20, 2011 onwards)
Darker Astoria (Issue 22, 2012)
Signature Story Arcs (2011-2012)
The Unreleased Arcs (Issue 24, never left beta)