Halloween Event 2009
Overview
The Halloween Event is a suite of gaming tasks and visuals that are reminiscent of the Halloween holiday season. This includes Trick or Treating, costumes, monsters, ghosts, witches, and horror movie cliches such as a Zombie Apocalypse.
New in 2009
The Deadly Apocalypse -- a new zone invasion event requiring a coordinated effort of one or more teams to defeat a series of Haunting Banners, their Defenders, and a Giant Monster.
The bug from last year's event which caused the Spirits to spawn infrequently has been fixed for this year.
Inspirations from Treats are now only Tier 1.
Halloween Salvage no longer drop from 'Treats,' instead, they drop from defeating spawned 'Tricks.'
Deadly Apocalypse
- Main Article: Deadly Apocalypse
The Deadly Apocalypse is a type of zone invasion introduced in the Halloween Event of 2009. Haunting Banners representing iconic horrors appear in a zone and are protected by foes that embody that banner's horror. Players must attack the defenders and then the Banners and then finally a Giant Monster. Rewards include badges and a selection of temporary powers.
Eternal Night
During the event, the entire game is locked in nighttime mode. This is not just a visual effect. All aspects of the game that depend on a day/night cycle are locked to the night side during the event. Enemies that only spawn at night spawn continuously during the event. Banisher, The Slayer, and Haunted badges (Hero side) and Pirate and Spectral badges (Villain side) are examples of badges for which hunting will be much easier during the event.
Note that some zones, such as Cimerora, The Hive and The Abyss are unaffected by Eternal Night.
Zombie Apocalypse
- Main Article: Zombie Apocalypse
The Zombie Apocalypse is a zone event that uses the Rikti World Invasion engine; random zones throughout the game come under attack by zombies for periods of time as the sky turns red. A new enemy group, Zombies, appear during this event. There are badges for Zombie defeats and an unlockable costume piece, the Pumpkin Head.
Trick or Treat
- Main Article: Trick or Treat
During this event, players are be able to 'Trick or Treat' by knocking (that is, 'clicking') on mission doors in the various zones. Treats are rewards which include Temporary Powers (a throwable Rock and Costume Powers), Tier 1 inspirations, and Halloween Event Salvage (from defeating the spawned 'Tricks') which can be traded in for an extra costume slot. Tricks include spawns of special event enemies for which there are defeat badges.
Giant Monsters
- Main Article: Giant Monsters
The Giant Monsters from Croatoa, Eochai and Jack in Irons spawn in most zones (including the City of Villains zones) along with the Unseelie spirits. There are Halloween-specific badges for their defeat (which are different than the badges for the defeat of the regular Croatoan Eochai and Jack Giant Monsters).
Rewards
Event Salvage & Extra Costume Slot
- Main Article: Trick or Treating
Special Event Salvage drops from defeating spawned 'Tricks' can be traded in for an extra Costume Slot.
Temporary Powers and Inspirations
- Main Article: Trick or Treating
- Main Article: Deadly Apocalypse
By Trick or Treating, you can collect the Rock and Costume Temporary Powers and also get Tier 1 inspiration drops. By participating in the Deadly Apocalypse, you can collect other Temporary Powers or a Tier 2 inspiration drop.
Badges & Costume Piece
- Main Article: Halloween Badges
There are badges for defeating the Giant Monsters and their Unseelie companions; for defeating the enemies that spawn as Trick or Treat 'tricks'; for collecting Temporary Costumes; for defeating the Zombies of the Zombie Apocalypse; and for defeating each of the Haunting Banners and the Greater Mystic Aspect (Giant Monster). One of the Zombie Apocalypse badges unlocks a Pumpkin Head costume piece.
Notes
- Testing for this event was on October 2nd from 2-8pm Eastern
- During testing, the developers had for the first time a specific Global Chat Channel designated for feedback. This channel was called Halloween 2009.
