Patch Notes/2007-01-25

1.25.07 Version 13.20070110.3T

HEADLINES

• Base Rent Overhauled
• Standardization of how toggle powers hold or "root" your character in place.
• Taunt and Gauntlet corrections and animation standardization.

COMBINED NOTES

Base Rent Overhaul

Base Rent is now calculated solely on your plot size. The larger the plot, the larger the rent. Secure plots also pay more rent, due to the number of defenses they are allowed to have. When they are re-introduced, Items of Power will reduce the amount of Rent due.

Existing supergroups will see this change take place immediately, but it is not retroactive. No supergroups will be receiving refunds for rent already paid. This change to rent will not effect any current rent owing. Superbase owners must pay off any rent currently due before they will see the new rent rates go into effect.

Plot Name	Plot Size	Rent
Tiny Hidden Spot	8x8	0
Small Hidden Spot	8x12	20000
Hidden Spot	12x12	43000
Small Secret Location	12x16	65000
Secret Location	16x16	105000
Large Secret Location	16x20	145000
Small Hidden Complex	20x20	200000
Hidden Complex	20x24	280000
Large Hidden Complex	24x24	350000
Massive Hidden Complex	24x28	610000
Small Secure Location	12x16	200000
Secure Location	16x16	420000
Large Secure Location	16x20	750000
Small Secure Complex	20x20	1300000
Secure Complex	20x24	2100000
Large Secure Complex	24x24	3200000
Massive Secure Complex	24x28	5000000

Powers

Taunt

All Taunt power animations have been slightly adjusted. They will now root the player for the same amount of time and take the same amount of time to 'hit' a target. The timing was normalized around Dark Melee's taunt, which was the quickest activating version, so this equates to a minor buff for most versions of taunt and provoke.

Gauntlet

Gauntlet and related power effects should now work properly on all ranks of targets. Underlings, Minions, Lieutenants, Bosses and Elite Bosses should have Gauntlet effects work normally. For Archvillains, Heroes and Giant Monsters, Gauntlet effects require a harder to hit check in order to effect the target.

Animation changes

All toggle activation animations have been normalized to fit the following rules:

• Any toggle that only affects yourself should not cause you to be rooted while activating
• Any toggle that affects yourself and/or allies should not root you while activating. Leadership, Shadow Fall, Dispersion Bubble, etc
• Any toggle that affects yourself and debuffs or damages enemies should root you while it activates.
• Any toggle that only affects enemy mobs should root you while it activates. (Blazing Aura, Icicles, etc)
• All "Tier 9" powers will root the player while activating. This includes Granite Armor.
• The activation time is consistent for all at 1.5 seconds. This generally resulted in a shorter rooted animation.

Some specifics:

• Stone Armor/Earth's Embrace, Ninjitsu/Kuji-In Rin, Super Reflexes/Practiced Brawler, and Regeneration/Instant Healing will no longer root the player while activating
• Kheldian or Peacebringers: Changing form no longer roots the character.
• Ice Armor/Energy Absorption will now briefly root the player while activating.

Many power animations were changed so that they do not play faster or slower based on the size of the character.

Note: Click Powers

We plan to adjust "Click" powers in the future to make them conform to rules of when a power "roots" your character similar to the ones applied to Toggle buffs in this update. "Click" powers are those that you click once and do not stay running like a Toggle. Buffs like Radiation Emission's Accelerate Metabolism is an example of a "Click" power. Some "Click" powers were changed in this update that may be revisited in the future.

Other Power Changes

• The Golden Rings and Renewal of Light Temporary Powers' lifetime is now measured in real time days, not /played days.
• Stone Armor/Earth's Embrace - Changed effects so that dirt, stones, and rock portion will only play on the ground.
• Tanker and Brute Super Strength Rage: Fixed a bug in which would allow players to bypass the Endurance 'crash' at the end of the power's duration.
• Psychic Assault/Psychic Scream: Corrected a pause that would play after using this power while flying.
• Dark Armor’s sound effect now correctly silences after a short time period.

Rewards

Key Reward Choices that you do not qualify for will not be selectable, and will tell you why you can not select them. For example, if you complete a Respec Trial and have already earned the maximum amount of respecs possible for a character of your level, the respec reward choice will be unselectable, and tell you that you have already earned the maximum amount of respecs for your level.

Game

• Characters' wings will no longer be visible while using the alakazamreact emote while they have Force Shield on them.
• When logging in, the chat window will display the number of free tailor sessions available, if any.
• A count of the total number of badges a character has is now displayed in the Personal Info Menu Item.
• Corrected an issue with a specific mission map where players could click to go to the Hospital, re-spawn and die from nearby critters.
• Fixed a problem with elevators in a specific mission map.
• Players will no longer be able to create or edit a supergroup while shapeshifted.

Tasks

• Characters are no longer able to talk to their contacts via cell phone while in PvP zones. This change is necessary to prevent bugs that can cause players to receive no reward for completing missions.

Critters

• Redcaps can now correctly spawn at levels below 35.

Badges

• The Dimensional Warder badge will now display a progress bar.

CITY OF HEROES

Powers

• Blaster Devices Targeting Drone now grants a damage bonus to the Assault Rifle Sniper Rifle power.
• Blaster Devices Taser: Changed animation and cast time.
• Blaster Devices Cloaking Device: Removed erroneous text from Long Help text.
• Kheldian Antagonize: Increased durations in PvE, added PvP Duration modifier.
• Kheldians Inherent Taunt ability in Dwarf Form will now work on all ranks of critters.
• Snow Storm graphical effects have been reworked. The base effect was modified and an effect was added to indicate the anchor. Also fixed a bug in the power definition that was causing the base effect to play on every affected mob, rather than the targetted anchor. This should prevent Snow Storm from stacking with itself and becoming blinding white.

Tasks

• Nightwolves in the Citadel Task Force should no longer appear at levels not within the level range of the task force.
• Banished Pantheon Masks should no longer show up in missions higher than their given level.

Game

• Supergroup base teleporter beacons to Faultline now send you to the correct location.

CITY OF VILLAINS

Powers

• Brute Secondary powerset attacks were generating Fury vs. high rank targets too quickly. This has been adjusted and these power now have the same bonus as the Brute Primary powers.
• Brute Patron Powers bonus Fury vs. Players and high ranking critters has been lowered to the same amount given by normal Brute attacks.
• Dominator Blaze, Power Burst and Thorny Barrage: Increase maximum range for from 20' to 40'.
• Fixed Photon Seekers levels for both Transcended and Quantum PPD. They were spawning at too high a level in some cases.
• Players using Ghost Widow's Patron Power "Soul Storm" will go into the normal combat stance after it is cast rather than going into a different animation.
• Domination: the bonus given to Domination gain based on team size, although it was being calculated, was not being applied properly, resulting in lower Domination gain. This has been fixed.
• Patron Power Pets should now be defeated when their creator is defeated.
• The Patron Power Pet Mu Guardian should now use his Sentinel of Lightning power properly.

Tasks

• Numina will no longer resurrect Ms. Liberty during the final battle of the Recluse Task Force