City of Heroes: Issue #4 (PC)

If you've been dreaming about prowling Paragon City in search of fresh meat -- of the player controlled variety -- you'll just have to keep waiting. Until the City of Villains expansion is rolled out, most likely. But if you're in the market for some real-deal player-on-player combat of a more sportsmanlike variety, then set aside some time this April, 'cause Cryptic is hooking you up. That is correct: the fourth free expansion to City of Heroes, Issue #4: Coliseum will include, among other things, a very comprehensive system for consensual PvP combat.

Yes, it will be consensual -- if you've been traumatized gankers and griefers in other games, don't freak out. At least not yet. All the PvP in City of Heroes will be taking place within three arena structures located smack in the middle of the game's population centers. And because you have to "register" for matches by means of mission terminals, you're guaranteed to know what you're getting into well before the slaughter commences.


I was kind of blown away by the breadth of options available when setting up matches. You can opt for one-on-one matches, team battles, and even matches that pit entire supergroups against each other. In terms of team matches, up to eight teams can go at it, each of which can include up to eight players. The real craziness, though, is reserved for the supergroup battles: two of these guilds can bring up to 75 members, in create enormous 150-head zerg-fests. The winning conditions you're able to set vary just as widely; you can impose time limits on bouts, kill limits, or "last man standing"-type rules. Other options can be tweaked, too, including whether or not combatants will be able to use movement powers (like flying or teleportation), or how much endurance (i.e., super power fuel) they'll start out with. You can even choose to bet Inspirations -- City of Heroes' equivalent to items -- on the outcome of matches.

It's clear that Cryptic has been thinking about PvP mechanics, what with City of Villains looming ever closer, and Issue #4 seems like a more-than-suitable framework on which to build a compelling PvP system. But the addition of competitive play is only half the story. Cryptic has gone and jacked-up the character customization options for CoH in this coming update as well.


Apparently, many of you have been clamoring for more Eastern-influenced character options, and this is just what Cryptic has gone and given you. With help from their compatriots at NCSoft Korea, the developer has worked in a number of anime and manga-themed visual motifs into CoH's character creation system. These include schoolgirl outfits, traditional martial arts garb, Ultraman-styled superhero suits, and even stuffed-animals accessories that you can set you character's shoulders. On top of this, a host of details have been added to the already-robust creation options. If you've played EverQuest II or Star Wars Galaxies, these additions will seem familiar: the ability to alter the dimensions of various aspects of your character's physical features, including its head, face, physique, waist, and more. CoH was already bursting with character-customization options, so this seems like a bit of overkill, but I doubt any of you will be complaining.

Alas, if only all free MMO updates were this substantive. It would be a happy world indeed. In any case, these are set to go live in April (Statesman wouldn't get any more specific than that), so keep that patch client at the ready, and see you in the arena.