The City of Heroes Issue 13: Architect was too big for one update, so they've split it up! This is really just a pleasant way of saying the the Mission Creator mode isn't showing up in the next update, but I appreciate their attempt and making it seem all happy. Now the next update is titled Issue 13: Power and Responsibility, and will feature all the updates promised in Architect aside from that big one, plus a few newly announced features, the most intriguing of which is the Leveling Pact, a feature that lets to players buddy up so that their levels always stay the same, no matter how much the other plays. An amazingly brilliant feature that not only supports MMO friendships, but also makes things a whole lot more convenient for the dual-boxers out there. Also new is Dual-Builds, a feature that will allow characters to maintain two separate power builds, useful for roleplayers who want a quirky, split personality character.

Issue 13 will be released this fall, with Issue 14: Architect bringing the Mission Creator to the game in early 2009. Hit the jump for full details on the new updates and changes!

Issue 13: So big it can?t be contained in a single update!

Good morning! When we announced Issue 13: Architect a couple weeks back, we were overwhelmed by the positive response. Much of the feedback was centered around the Mission Architect system which allows players to create their own missions and story arcs. We have been actively following forum threads and private messages about the feature, and have even discussed it with players in person at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle.

It became apparent that you guys really want this feature, but in order to fully realize your dreams of writing your own missions you need creative control in one more key area: The ability to create ?customized? characters to fight with or against in your missions. Adding custom characters has always been on our Mission Architect feature list, but we had considered it a ?stretch goal.? That is, we could launch the system without this feature because our confidence was high that the rest of the system was incredibly robust.

But after listening to you guys, we realize that this feature simply must be in at launch. You have convinced us that it is an integral part of the Mission Architect, and we have reworked schedules and timelines to accomplish this. Rather than push the launch of Issue 13 out completely for one (albeit really cool and very complex) feature, the Mission Architect is going to see a slight delay. What is not going to be delayed is the rest of Issue 13. To that end, the previously announced feature set for Issue 13, together with new features that we are announcing today, will become Issue 13 and Issue 14.

Issue 14 will take on the name ?Architect? and contain the Mission Architect feature along with other features we?ll announce at a later date. We are planning Issue 14: Architect to be released Winter of 2009. Issue 13 is now called ?Issue 13: Power and Responsibility? and be launched in the Fall of 2008.

Issue 13: Power and Responsibility

Issue 13: Power and Responsibility will contain the bulk of features we?ve announced previously, including:

* Shield and Pain Domination powersets
* Merit Reward system
* Day Jobs (that include a suite of new costume pieces)
* Additional Cimerora and Midnight Squad mission arcs

In addition, we have some other new exciting features to reveal that will be included in Issue 13: Power and Responsibility. These include:

* Leveling Pact
* Multi-Builds
* PvE & PvP Powers rebalancing
* Villain Patron Power Respec
* Supergroup Base Repricing

Over the coming weeks we?ll be providing more details about the above points, but let me give you an overview of some of them now.

The Leveling Pact: A new innovation to MMOs, this groundbreaking system allows you and a buddy to create new characters and have your XP be permanently in sync, whether both characters are online or not. You will always be the same level, even if your buddy plays ten times more often than you do! It?s sort of like ?Extreme Sidekicking.?

Multi-Builds: Another innovation to City of Heroes, we are delivering the ability to have two different build-outs of each character, including which powers are selected and which Enhancements are slotted. This will now be possible for characters who want to take advantage of it. By visiting any Trainer you can switch the entire build of your character to an alternate one. You can use this separate build for whatever you like. If you wish to use different power selections for soloing and groups, you can do that. This even makes it possible to have different IO sets slotted for PVP and PVE. It?s up to you.

PvE and PvP Powers Rebalancing: Floyd ?Castle? Grubb and the powers designers have been hard at work in finding ways to strike a better balance between the many powers in the game. The scope of what they are doing is too broad to go into details here, but we?re very excited and we?ll share more information soon. Suffice it to say that we know that you don?t want your PvE powers adjusted because of how they play in PvP, so we?re taking a new tact in power balancing with Issue 13.