City of Heroes Issue 17: Dark Mirror has now entered open beta! Issue 17 is the last major update to be released before the launch of Going Rogue this July. The update features the new Ultra Mode enhanced graphics options, new story arcs, animated tails, Dopplegangers, new costume options,  early access to the new Demon Summoning powerset, and more!

Demon Summoning is available in the beta test, but will not be available on live servers until Issue 17 actually goes live. Click below for the full Issue 17: Dark Mirror patch notes.

SHOW PATCH NOTES

Welcome to the Issue 17: Dark Mirror Open Beta

Here is a rundown of the features in Issue 17:


Ultra Mode

• Ultra Mode is a superior graphics rendering process that gives City of Heroes a heightened level of detail in lighting, reflections, shadows, and water effects.
• Ultra Mode is intended for players who have higher-end graphic cards. Each feature can be enabled or disabled in the graphics menu options and will be scalable. Ultra Mode works on both Macs and PCs. In specific, it offers dynamic shadows, screen-space ambient occlusion, and dynamic environment reflections (including planar reflections and environment mapping of reflective surfaces).
• Known issue - Catalyst 10.2 drivers have a conflict with Ultra Mode features. After toggling between graphics quality levels and pushing "Apply" in the UI the game framerate may drop dramatically until you quit the game and restart. This is currently being addressed, in the meantime, all affected players should roll their drivers back to Catalyst 10.1.
• Menu Options for Ultra Mode:
  • "Graphics Quality" slider
    • Previously there were 4 notches in this slider, we have expanded it to include a 5th notch, "Ultra". The notches currently behave as follows:
      • Minimum, Performance, Recommended - these 3 settings remain unchanged from Issue 16. No new graphics features are enabled.
      • Quality - enables all of the new ultra mode features (shadows, building/character reflections, water reflections and ambient occlusion), each in a "fast" configuration.
        • Shadows set to "ShadowMaps" at Low Quality
        • Environment Reflections set to Low Quality
        • Water Effects set to High Quality
        • Ambient Occlusions set to High Performance.
      • Ultra - enables all of the ultra mode features in a high quality configuration.
        • Shadows set to "ShadowMaps" at High Quality
        • Environment Reflections set to High Quality
        • Water Effects set to Ultra Quality (Refractions and lots of reflections
  • "Advanced" settings
    • "Water Effects"
      • The "Water Effects" Option was changed from:
      • None
      • Low Quality: refractions without depth
      • High Quality: refractions with depth
      • To:
      • None
      • Low Quality (same as before)
      • Medium Quality (old High Quality)
      • High Quality: Medium Quality plus some reflections
      • Ultra Quality: Medium Quality plus lots of reflections
  • Full Screen Anti-Aliasing (FSAA) - We have moved this setting out of the advanced graphics options and placed it on the main graphics options pane.

New Power Set: Demon Summoning

• Issue 17 introduces the Demon Summoning power set. This power set will be available for a limited time on the Training Room during the Beta period. Like Dual Pistols, this set is tied to the Going Rogue expansion, but will be unlocked in Issue 17 for players who prepurchase the Going Rogue Expansion.
• Demon Summoning is a primary power choice for the Mastermind archetype and is also the power set used by the Going Rogue signature character Desdemona.
• This power set allows the player to summon elemental demons that can manipulate flame, cold and hellfire. However, what truly sets this power set apart from other Mastermind primary power sets are the summoner's hellfire whip attacks that deal both fire and toxic damage and reduce the target's damage resistance.
• The Demon Summoning Power Set is comprised of the following powers:
  • Corruption
  • Summon Demonlings
  • Lash
  • Enchant Demon
  • Crack Whip
  • Summon Demons
  • Hell of Earth
  • Summon Demon Prince
  • Abyssal Empowerment

Mission Architect Changes

• There have been some upgrades to the Mission Architect system:
• Known Issue: If you create a Mission Architect mission in this Beta and attempt to use it on the Live servers, it is likely your game will crash.
• MA Experience Rewards
  • Previously, if the player made any changes to make the enemies they face in Mission Architect easier, they would receive zero experience for those enemies. We are making adjustments to allow players to handpick the powers for custom enemies and still receive experience for them, but not be able to exploit weaker enemies for unfair experience gain. Now, every power for custom critters has been weighted individually.
• New MA Maps
  • Approximately 20 new unique maps have been added to the Mission Architect system.
• Giant Monsters Added
  • Players can now add giant monsters to outdoor maps in Mission Architect:
    • Arachnos Flyer
    • Deathsurge
    • Caleb
    • Babbage
    • Clockwork Paladin
    • Stropharia
    • Thorn
    • Eochai
    • Kraken
    • Kronos Titan
    • Jack in Irons
    • Ghost of Scrapyard
• Exit Mission on Complete
  • Mission Architect Authors can now specify that players have to leave the mission manually on completion.
• Escort Improvements
  • "Lead to Place" technology allows Authors more control over escort objectives

Kheldians/Soldiers of Arachnos/Widows

• These archetypes are now unlocked as soon as one of your characters reaches level 20, instead of level 50.

Mission Updates

• Contacts in starting zones (Atlas Park, Galaxy City, Mercy Isle) should, in general, no longer send players into dangerous neighborhoods to reach low-level (1-5) missions. Travel times will often be shorter to reach these mission doors, as well.
• Players can now have 7 active missions, instead of just 3.
• Show Last Objective: This allows players to be able to find their last objective on a mission map, making it easier to find something they missed.

New Story Arcs

• For Heroes:
  • Field Agent Keith Nance has arrived in Talos Island to investigate charges of treason. He realizes he has the wrong suspect so he needs your help to solve the case.
  • Once you've cleared things up with the government and Keith Nance, he directs you to Special Agent Jenni Adair who has just come into some new information.
• For Villains
  • Dean MacArthur in Sharkhead Isle has some information on the troublesome hero, Ajax, who has been spotted in the Rogue Isles recently.
  • After you are finished with Dean MacArthur, you can look up Leonard Silmon, who is interested in a new group called "Mane Corp".

Task Forces and Strike Forces

• For Heroes:
  • The Positron Task Force has been updated. Please check out this dramatic upgrade of a classic Task Force.
• For Villains:
  • The Silver Mantis Strike Force is now accessed via Silver Mantis, located in Sharkhead Isle. (This Strike Force was previously accessed only via mission computer in a supergroup base.) Players will also be able to run this task force from their Supergroup computer. This adjustment makes the Silver Mantis Strike Force accessible to players who are not part of a Supergroup and ensures that the Strike Force is available both in a zone and in a supergroup base.
• Task Force Difficulty:
  • Notoriety Settings will now affect Task Forces and Strike Forces as follows:
  • Setting level to -1 will set level to +0 (not -1)
  • Setting teamsize will affect spawn sizes accordingly
  • "Allow Bosses" will always be enabled
  • "Allow AVs" will always be enabled.

Badges

• There are now a total of 8 exploration badges in every city zone. Happy hunting.
• There is now an Accolade for finding all of the exploration badges in each zone (i.e. Atlas Park Explorer, Mercy Isle Explorer, etc.)
• There is now a badge for finding 500 badges. And one for 750.

Invention

• Crafted Temporary Powers – added several new recipes for Temp Powers, and shifted these recipes in the crafting UI to make them easier to find.

Tailor Updates

• Updated Costumes - certain costume sets have been specially updated to take advantage of Ultra Mode features:
  • Cyborg
  • Enforcer
  • Tech Sleek
  • Valkyrie
  • Vanguard
• New Costume Part: Animated Tails - most types of tails in the game now have a version that moves.
  • o The original tails remain available. Both versions can be found in a brand new costume part, separate from belts.

Auction House UI Improvements

• Hot New UI
• Sorting Options for Results
• Inventory Separated By Tabs
• Auto-Complete Text Entry Box
• One Click to find all Salvage used in Recipe
• Warning if Selling salvage that is used in a recipe that is owned.
• One click to find all recipes that use salvage
• One click to find salvage missing for a recipe (or all recipes)
• Level dial arrows in level entry box
• Add "All" tab to the Auction Window. This tab also shows total inventory slots available.

Email Improvements

• The email system can now send to global names.
• Global emails can have influence or items attached
• The UI for writing emails has been slightly improved

Vigilance for Defenders Upgraded

• Due to concerns that Defenders inherent power Vigilance was "too weak" or "non-obvious" or "provided little benefit to the defender himself" we have endeavored to make improvements that are useful in as general a case for Defenders as possible, without adding to their already strong effect when combined with multiple Defenders. To that end, we have added a damage buff which only applies fully when solo, and which degrades as more team members are added.

There are also a number of changes/fixes for Live issues:

COMBINED

Powers

General

• Player Buff fix. Some buff powers had been recently changed to affect a max of 16 player allies, which had implications in some groups and in large outdoor fights. These are now fixed to affect up to 255 targets. The powers affected are:
  • Group Fly
  • Leadership Maneuvers, Tactics, Assault, Vengeance
  • Whirlwind
  • Team Teleport
  • Cold Domination Arctic Fog
  • Dark Miasma Shadow Fall
  • Empathy Healing Aura, Recovery Aura and Regeneration Aura
  • Force Field Dispersion Bubble
  • Kinetics Inertial Reduction
  • Radiation Emission Radiant Aura, Accelerate Metabolism
  • Sonic Resonance Sonic Dispersion
  • Storm Summoning Steamy Mist
  • Thermal Radiation Warmth
  • Transfusion Heal effect
  • Transference +Endurance effect
  • Fulcrum Shift +Damage effect
  • Siphon Power +Damage effect
  • Twilight Grasp Heal effect
  • Howling Twilight Rez effect
  • Police-bot +Perception effect
  • Veteran Combat Pet Empowering Aura effects
  • Heat Loss +Recovery effect
  • Force Field Generator Dispersion Bubble
  • Luminous Aura Group Energy Flight
  • Teamwork/Training and Gadgets Tactical Training: Maneuvers
  • Teamwork/Training and Gadgets Tactical Training: Assault
  • Teamwork Tactical Training: Tactics
  • Widow/Fortunata Teamwork Mind Link
  • Widow/Fortunata Teamwork Tactical Training: Vengeance
  • Training and Gadgets Tactical Training: Leadership
  • Pain Domination Nullify Pain, Soothing Aura, World of Pain
  • Protectorbot Dispersion Bubble
  • Thug Lt Maneuvers, Tactics, Assault
  • Ember Demon Ember Shield
  • Spirit Tree +Regeneration effect
  • Triage Beacon +Regeneration effect
  • Fortunata Seer pet Mind Link
• Dual Pistols\Dual Wield (All): This power now accepts Knockback IO sets.

PVP

• Dual Pistols (All)/Empty Clips: Fixed a bug that would cause this power's secondary damage effect to be slightly higher than normal in PvP.
• Dual Pistols (All)/Bullet Rain: Fixed a bug that would cause this power's secondary damage effect to be slightly higher than normal in PvP.
• Dual Pistols(All)/Swap Ammo: Fixed a bug that would cause the ammo powers granted to the player by Swap Ammo to not apply if the player was in an environment where temporary powers are disabled.

Arenas

• Added a button that displays the score of an Arena match while the match is still being played.

CITY OF HEROES

Powers

Defenders

• Dual Pistols/Piercing Rounds: Fixed a bug that would cause this power's PvP damage to be lower than it should be.

CITY OF VILLAINS

Powers

Corruptors

• Dual Pistols/Piercing Rounds: Fixed a bug that would cause this power to do slightly more damage in PvP.

For those of you who have been in the Beta for a while, here are the changes/fixes since the last build.

COMBINED

Mission Architect

• Added Dual Pistol exclusion to most custom critter power sets which involve weapon draw or shields.
• Added Demon Summoning exclusion to Shield Defense set.
• Missing Giant Monsters added back in.
• 'Single' option removed from Giant Monster difficulty.
• Fixed unexplained mission errors when testing a mission that includes a Giant Monster.

Auction House

• Swapped For Sale and Bidding display.
• Fixed bug where dragging an object to sell would switch tabs while you were using the ‘All’ tab.

Ultra Mode/Graphics

• Fixed transparent AE buildings on Mac OS X (also some ultra capable Intel graphics chipsets).
• Fixed objects/capes/particles not showing up properly in Mission Architect, info windows, costume change selection, and many other places.

User Interface

• Fixed bug that caused the cursor to disappear in Windows Vista

CITY OF HEROES

Tasks

• Positron's Task Force - Part 1: Final Mission: The final encounters in the mission will no longer attack the Circle of Thorns.

CITY OF VILLAINS

• 
  None

HIDE PATCH NOTES

View the original announcement here.

Also, be sure to check out Xondar123's absolutely amazing Ultra Mode screenshot gallery here.