City of Heroes

City of Heroes is a MMOG set in a comic-book-style universe. In it, players create their own unique hero and then perform deeds to halt or prevent acts either criminal or immoral, usually by force. It has proven to be among the most rapidly-changing MMOGs to date.

The game was released in the U.S. in April of 2004, and has since been released in Europe and Korea. On October 31, 2005, City of Villains was released as a standalone expansion to City of Heroes.

The Universe
The universe of City of Heroes is centered around present-day Paragon City, one that—through coincidence and happenstance—has grown into the central hub for heroism and villainy in the world. Paragon City is confirmed to be on the coast of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, although there is no immediately obvious evidence of this within the game.

To accommodate a wide range of heroic styles from comic-book culture, there are a few major changes from the world we live in. Everyday technology is roughly the same, while the technology that heroes typically encounter is the stuff of science fiction. The existence of magic is not denied by anyone, as indeed, many heroes and villains use it as their primary source of power. Martial arts techniques are potentially so deadly that someone can, with enough talent, take down any modern weaponry or machinery with their bare hands. Mishaps or processes regarding radiation, chemicals, and other things relating to science are very common ways to obtain super-human ability. Additionally, some people are super-human by virtue of extreme genetic mutation, akin to Marvel's "X-Men" franchise.

Archetypes
Please note that while City of Villains can be considered a separate game, it is closely-connected enough that it is considered part of City of Heroes, and therefore part of this guide. Also note that "hero" will often refer to any player character in text that applies to both CoH and CoV.

Player characters in City of Heroes are primarily defined by their archetype; one's archetype is comparable to one's class in other MMOGs. Your archetype determines your maximum HP, one of your inherent powers, and the choices available for primary, secondary, and tertiary power sets. (For more on powersets, see Powers.)

Below is the list of archetypes characters may play. Note as a general rule that Heroes are more extreme in their strengths and weaknesses, while Villains tend to be more well-rounded.

Hero archetypes

 * Blaster
 * Controller
 * Defender
 * Tanker
 * Scrapper
 * Peacebringer (epic archetype)
 * Warshade (epic archetype)

Villain archetypes (City of Villains)

 * Brute
 * Corrupter
 * Dominator
 * Mastermind
 * Stalker

Powers
For a general description of powers as a whole, see Powers.

For a description of specific primary, secondary, and tertiary sets, see the archetype pages above for links to sets appropriate to each archetype.

Below is a listing of sets available to all characters, in general:
 * Inherent
 * Temporary Powers
 * The power pool:
 * Concealment
 * Fighting
 * Fitness
 * Flight
 * Leadership
 * Leaping
 * Medicine
 * Presence
 * Speed
 * Teleportation

Miscellaneous Information/Not yet in a defined category

 * Origins - To be added under its own heading on this page.
 * Abbreviations - A list of abbreviations unique to City of Heroes.
 * Missions - A general description of missions and their mechanics.
 * Enhancements - Information about power enhancement items.