Sorceress Serene Bio Hints New Dom Sets?

According to her bio, Sorceress Serene is a Autumnal Control/Autumnal Assault Dominator. Interesting!

Also, I love the word "autumnal". Sounds so classy.

Read the announcement at the official forums.
Discussion thread at the official forums.

Massively.com Reports North American NCSoft Layoffs

Pulling up stakes and moving some operations (at least temporarily) to the home offices in Seoul earlier this month has cost some billing and quality assurance employees their jobs. Always sad to hear this and I hope those affected find new employment quickly.

It's unknown how or if Paragon Studios has been affected. Here's hoping it escapes unscathed.

Read the article and comment at Massively.com.
UPDATE: Zwillinger confirms Paragon Studios is unaffected by the reorganization.

Positron On the Proposed Incarnate Trial Changes

If you were one of those worried about the proposed rewards nerf to the BAF and LAMBDA iTrials, fear not Positron has heard your concerns:

I understand that many of you are upset by this and I agree that we were probably too heavy handed in trying to encourage players to try out the new content and storylines that we created. To that end: this change will not be going live with Issue 21 Special Update: Media Blitz. Have no fear, your Empyreans for completing those trials will not be touched.

The post goes on to express concern about just why only BAF and LAMBDA are being run while newer iTrials are neglected.

My own opinion is that the iTrial system is deeply flawed. One assumption made in iTrial design is that players want a challenge. MMOs are not really based on challenge. They are based on rewarding time invested. Challenge becomes an unwelcome interference in the sought after time = rewards progression.

Another assumption made in iTrial design is that City of Heroes Freedom is a game that can and should have a raiding culture. The FUNdamental Design Problems thread shows just what the player base thinks raiding. Note how few posts defend the system as it currently stands. It goes into great detail about just what is wrong with the iTrail system.

Can the iTrails system be saved from itself? I don't know. I'm not confident that it can. Add as many new iTrails as you like, players will take the path of least resistance, and currently and for the foreseeable future that path is BAF and LAMBDA. That's one of the most critical flaws of the system. Expend resources on making new iTrials, and the player base will simply examine all available iTrials and run the ones with the most efficient path to the rewards continuously.

No one, not even Positron, wants to see a new currency. Could the answer lie in a Weekly Strike Trial, as is done with Task Forces to encourage running a variety of content? Given the nature of iTrials, I doubt it would work as well for them as for Task Forces but it may be worth trying.

All this also makes me wonder, if a viable solo/small team Incarnate path is ever given, would we see the abandonment of the iTrials altogether? We just might, and this might keep a solo/small team path from ever emerging.

Time will tell, but the Incarnate System as it stands isn't really working.

Positron's post at the official forums.
Discuss Positron's post at the official forums.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun Interviews Brian Clayton

City of Heroes Freedom Executive Producer Brian Clayton was interviewed by Rock, Paper, Shotgun for their "The MMOnitor" article series. Pretty dry and political stuff for the most part, but my favorite bit:

That’s the beauty of City of Heroes, you don’t have to be the sidekick to the heroes you’ve grown up with; you can be that hero.

That's a nice little dig at DC Universe Online, and a very valid one. You are very much the lesser sidekick to the real heroes in that game. In City of Heroes Freedom you are the hero and are second fiddle to no one. Um, especially if you solo. ;)

Read the interview at RockPaperShotgun.com.
Discuss the interview in the unofficial discussion thread at the official forums.

Titan Weapons Video by Blankstate

Most of the animations look a bit plain Jane, and I'm underwhelmed if those are all the customization options, but the momentum mechanic seems like it would be lots of fun. In another strike against the set, Stalkers are denied Titan Weapons, even though the animations are very Assassin's Strike in their look and feel. Here's hoping Stalkers are given the set before this goes live, or soon thereafter.

Beckett's Massive Online Gamer Awards, Intrepid Informer #14 & Media Blitz VIP Beta

City of Heroes Freedom is a great game deserving of recognition, so why not head on over to Beckett's Massive Online Gamer Awards and vote for City of Heroes Freedom in all eligible categories? Vote early and often!

Meanwhile, Intrepid Informer: Issue #14 gives us world designer Cord "Think_Tank" Carney's account of making this year's Halloween event environments among other things.

Finally, Issue 21: Media Blitz VIP beta is now active. The Issue brings many bug and quality of life fixes, but also much controversy in the limitation of Empyrean Merits given by BAF and LAMBDA iTrials, and charging 15 Empyrean Merits for the new slot powers.

Beckett's Massive Online Gamer Awards
Discuss the BMOGAs at the official forums.

Intrepid Informer: Issue #14
Discuss II: I14 at the official forums.

Issue 21: Media Blitz VIP beta announcement at the official forums.
Issue 21: Media Blitz Patch notes discussion at the official forums.

Issue 21: Media Blitz Coming & Incarnate Thoughts

So "Issue 21.5", officially known as Issue 21: Media Blitz is set to add two more Incarnate Trials and expand the options available for the Incarnate Slots.

Here's hoping there's some non-Incarnate things included as well since I'm just not a fan of the Incarnate system. The Alpha Slot got the system off to a good start, but every slot after that does little more than homogenize characters and break standard content. No solo path makes the system even more disappointing.

The biggest problem with the system however, is you end up feeling weaker than you did as a standard level 50.

Ah, well! We all have our favorite and not-so-favorite parts of the game and if you like the Incarnate System as most players do, this update brings you a lot to like.

Discuss Issue 21: Media Blitz at the official forums.

2011 Freedom Player Summit Details

For your $40 ticket, you'll get a Rulu-Shin costume power. Oh and you can meet the devs, too. Nice.

Announcement on the official fourms.
Discussion on the official forums.

Beardless Positron Gratses Community

Paragon Studios' Extra Life charity game-a-thon event raised $7,000 for the children's hospital charity, and it's not too late to add more to that figure. Positron shaved his beard as he said he would if at least $5,000 was raised.

Check out the pics of beardless Posi in the discussion thread on the official forums.

MMORPG.com Giving Away 30 Day Jet Packs!

I got mine! Supplies are limited, so get yours before they run out!

MMORPG.com City of Heroes Freedom 30 Day Jet Pack Giveaway Page

Halloween Event Starts October 20!

What looks like a very cool and very much needed update of the Halloween Event starts on October 20 and runs until November 2nd. The screen shots of the haunted mansion look amazingly atmospheric! My only complaint is it's a forced teaming situation with the Halloween trial having a minimum team size of four, but the Team-Up Teleporter should minimize the work of getting a team together. This should be fun!

Read the announcement at the official forums.
Discuss the Halloween Event at the official forums.

MMOHut.com First Looks City of Heroes Freedom

Mount Paragon Studios' Summit

November 19, 2011 is your chance to reach the summit of Paragon Studios...the City of Heroes Freedom Player Summit! Also, you get to vote either "yes" or "yes" in their attendance poll.

Read the announcement at the official forums.
Discuss the City of Heroes Freedom Player Summit at the official forums.

Signature Story Arc ViDoc #1

The ViDoc confirms the death of a signature character will be a permanent one and we get a look at David Nakayama's (Noble Savage) work space.

Read the announcement at the official forums.
Join the discussion at the official forums.

Get Your Hair Cut By Positron Via Flowbee (Yes, Really)

Go to the link below, submit an action screen shot of your best looking character, and wait for your chance at 5 years of VIP subscription to the game. But that's not all! You'll also get flown out to Paragon Studios to get your hair cut with a Flowbee by Positron!

I'm so not entering this contest lol.

Enter the contest at MMORPG.com
Visit Flowbee's revolutionary home hair cutting system's factory direct site and wonder aloud, "why?"

Intrepid Informer #13 & City of Heroes Freedom Gets an Extra Life

Read about Street Justice's design in Intrepid Informer #13 at the official forums.
Discuss Intrepid Informer #13 at the official forums.

Read about Paragon Studios holding a game-a-thon to benefit the Extra Life charity at the official forums.
Discuss the Extra Life game-a-thon at the official forums.
Visit the Extra Life website.
Visit Paragon Studios' Extra Life page.

Street Justice Released (Finally!)

Street Justice was finally released today. I highly recommend the set if you're a melee fan, as it's worth every one of the 800 Paragon Points it'll cost you.

Read the announcement at the official forums.
Discuss Street Justice at the official forums.

City of Heroes Freedom Facepalms Thrice

The City of Heroes Freedom Facebook Facepalm promotion is back for the third time. Like the game on Facebook, go to the "Free Giveaways" tab and follow the instructions to get the /facepalm emote.

Read the announcement on the official forums.
Discuss the facepalm promotion on the official forums.