City of Heroes® brings the world of comic books alive in this massively multiplayer 3D online universe. Craft your hero's identity and join millions of Hero characters in a constantly expanding universe, explore the sprawling online metropolis of Paragon City™, and battle a host of foes including criminals, villains, and monsters. City of Heroes Site Reconstruction, a website dedicated to recreating the official City of Heroes website before it was shut down. COH Writer's Guild, The Offical City of Heroes site can't publish all the fan fiction and art they receive. In any case, the choice is not critical, because Homecoming has completely free server transfers. Character creation. In the first window, you have to choose whether you want to start the game in the main universe (City of Heroes Freedom) or in the alternative universe in the spirit of Injustice (City of Heroes Going Rogue).
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How to Play City of Heroes: A Guide to the New Servers
Hello! You’re most likely here because you just heard about City of Heroes being back or you’re looking for a new server to try out. Either way you are in for quite a treat as there are nearly a dozen different servers being run at the moment. This is a guide on how to play City of Heroes in 2020 that I will be updating anytime a new server starts or one closes.
But, before we get started there are some things you should know. The new City of Heroes servers are run by fans and are not officially authorized by NCSoft. While it is possible that NCSoft could request for the servers to be taken down they have been in operation for more than a year now and there are ongoing negotiations between Homecoming and NCSoft. You can read more about the NCSoft negotiations here. Some of these servers will ask for donations which only go towards maintaining the servers. No one accepts money for development or personal gain and you are not required to donate.
Last Updated: September 25th, 2020
Homecoming
The Homecoming servers are by far the most populated of them all. When people are talking about the City of Heroes servers they’re typically talking about this group of five servers. Yes, Homecoming has five servers for you to pick from and 100,000 people are playing on them. The Homecoming servers are as follows:
Excelsior
Torchbearer
Everlasting (Unofficial RP Server)
Indomitable (PvP)
Reunion (EU)
Torchbearer
Everlasting (Unofficial RP Server)
Indomitable (PvP)
Reunion (EU)
Homecoming servers run what is being called Issue 25, though as of writing this they have advanced to Issue 26, Page 5. Their updates are smaller than full Issues that you would have been used to before, which is why they’ve added the idea of Pages. That is to say that it is running everything you remember from sunset plus some additions that were made to the game after sunset. These changes were made to improve the quality of life for the game, introduce powersets and archetypes that didn’t previously exist, as well as new content to play.
To get started on the Homecoming servers you will need to create an account on their forums.
After you’ve made an account on the forums you’ll need to create your game account which you can do by following this link.
At this point it’s time for you to download Tequila, this is the launcher that is used for Homecoming. Mac users have their own launcher called Island Rum. Links to those can be found in the Dredd’s Guide to Loading City of Heroes which is on the Homecoming forums. I won’t link directly to them here because the links lead to .exe and .zip files and I wouldn’t want to cause a security concern. You can follow Dredd’s very easy to follow guide to get you the rest of the way.
Thunderspy, Previously Known as /COXG/
Thunderspy, previously known as /COXG/ is perhaps one of the most actively developed of all the City of Heroes servers. They are constantly adding to the game be it something as small as new chest emblems or something bigger like the upcoming opt-in open world PvP. It should be warned, however, that this is the server that was previously known as the 4chan server. They have a hands-off approach to moderation, but it is a pretty chill place overall.
To play on Thunderspy you will need to download Sweet Tea which you can get on their website, and make an account on the server’s official site.
Cake Evolution
Cake Evolution is a little bit newer on the scene but they have some pretty big ideas. The server has several new archetypes that do not exist anywhere else that are a lot of fun, but, perhaps the most intriguing of them all is free form characters within an archetype. Basically, pick your archetype, and then you can pick from all the primary and secondary sets to mix and match powers as you like. Personally, I’d like to make an all pet Controller. The server also boasts instant level 50 boosts, no aggro cap, and much more.
If you’d like to play on Cake Evolution you can do so by downloading Sweet Tea, Tequila, or Cream Soda, which you can find links to on the server’s official site. You will also have to go to the server’s Discord to ask for an account to be made for you.
Asmodei
A small City of Heroes server that runs on Ouroboros i24+ and has a few custom features. To gain access to this server you need Tequila and to create an account on the official site.
Island of Villains
Island of Villains is a quiet, remote group of servers with a low population that operates at 3 different places in development. They have an i24 server, an i25 server, and an i26 server. XP rates differ on these servers depending on the day of the week it is. The servers have a very low operation cost so they won’t ask for donations to keep the lights on and there is no chance for funding for the server to be pulled.
If you’re interested in playing on Island of Villains head over to their official site.
Rebirth
The Rebirth server came about thanks to the City of Heroes Discord channel. They run on Ouroboros Volume 2 Issue 1 which is based on Issue 24. They’re a relatively small server and don’t seem to get many updates. But, if you’re looking for a small community playing the game without many changes from the original, this might be the place for you. To play on Rebirth you will need to download Tequila or Cream Soda and create an account on their official website.
Ressurection
A very small German-speaking server with an inactive Discord and a website that won’t load. It may very well be that the server has come to an end, but as of right now it is difficult to tell.
Sanctuary
The Sanctuary server has a fairly decent population of a few hundred players and is well worth looking into. They’ve made a number of additions to the game including new archetypes, changes to when you can get power pools, and even new Mastermind sets. To play on Sanctuary you will need to download Cream Soda or Sweet Tea and create an account on their official website.
Unity
A European based server with a few hundred players. They host live events and offer boosted XP rates. The server runs at Issue 26. To play on Unity you will need Sweet Tea, Cream Soda, or Tequila. You will also need to create an account on their official website.
Victory!
An intentionally small server that is aimed specifically at players who formerly played on the Victory server during live, though any are welcome to join in. Their server runs very closely to Homecoming in terms of updates. The biggest draw is the tightknit community. To join Victory! you will need to create a forum account, a game account, and download Tequila. You can find the full instructions on their official forums.
Other Noteworthy Mentions
The above are all the servers that will allow you to play City of Heroes right now, but that isn’t all you need to know about how to play City of Heroes. There are a few other noteworthy mentions that aren’t normal servers. I’m also giving an honorable mention to the one City of Heroes server that has shut down.
Pleiades
The Pleiades server was a short-lived server that was run by the City of Heroes subreddit. It shut down rather suddenly due to differences between the leadership of the server and the person bankrolling it. You can read all about the Pleiades shut down here.
Project Ouroboros
I’m including Project Ouroboros in this for the sake of completion, but it isn’t a normal server. Project Ouroboros is an open-source development group, meaning that anyone can use what they make to make their own server. In fact, many of the servers on this list are based on Project Ouroboros’ work. They do have a beta server where people can try out all of the latest updates to the game, so it is somewhere you can play. But, I wouldn’t recommend playing there as your primary server.
If you’re interested in seeing what Project Ouroboros is working on right now, or you’d like to get your hands on the source code for yourself you can find it on the Project Oroboros official site.
Vigilance
Though some websites list Vigilance as a server it actually isn’t one. It is a resource for French players looking for French servers and information about the game in French. If you speak French you might be interested in checking out their official site.
And with that, we come to the end of this guide on how to play City of Heroes in its new form. Of course, there will be servers that will come and go as time goes on and this article will be updated with all the newest information. In the future, I will also be releasing articles that talk about the different mechanics of the game and explains how you actually play the game since there are a lot of people who are trying City of Heroes for the first time.
The Paragon Wiki Archive documents the state of City of Heroes/Villains as it existed on December 1, 2012. |
- 3Launching the Game
- 3.2Mac
- 4Installing the Game
- 7Network information
- 7.1Servers
Overview
City of Heroes uses a program which runs on your computer called the Game Client (and its associated game files) to generate the graphics you see and the sounds you hear. It figures out what you have clicked on and it handles the typing you do at your keyboard. The client is constantly sending information to the Server to tell it what powers you activate, what attacks you make, how you move and turn, and the messages you type to other people.
The Server is constantly sending information to your client to tell it what everyone else in your zone or mission are doing. The client shows you their actions based on that information. If something interrupts the flow of that information then everyone else will stop moving on your screen. If the flow of information is interrupted long enough then you are disconnected from the server, typically with the message: 'Lost connection to mapserver'.
When a new version of the game client is available it has to be downloaded to your computer before you can use it. A program called the NCsoft Launcher checks for and downloads new versions of the client and all its associated files.
The launcher is used to start City of Heroes, or any other NCsoft games that have been installed (including CoH Subscriber Beta).
Facts
- The same game client is used to play both City of Heroes and City of Villains, on both Windows and Mac OS operating systems.
- All character data is stored on the servers. You can access your account and character data from any computer that has the game client.
- One caveat: files such as Architect Entertainment save files, Character Select sorting, and Player Ratings, are stored in text files on the player's hard drive and are not accessible from other computers.
- Patches are installed prior to logon and the latest version is required to play.
- The client loads in two stages:
- The Launcher, which downloads patches and checks the client for the latest version.
- The Client, which contains the game itself.
- There is no CD Key required to install the game client.
- A Game Installer can downloaded to install the game without requiring any CDs or DVDs.
- Installing from CD/DVD will include an option for automatically placing a shortcut to the game in the Start Menu.
- The Game Installer for Windows or Mac OS can be downloaded from Download City of Heroes.
- Note: A new installation using the installer will download the entire client, and may take a long while. The installer will update older game clients without requiring a completely new installation.
- Windows users can choose the where the game client is installed at time of installation. After installation, it can only be changed by editing the Registry (registry location: HKCU/Software/Cryptic/Coh )
- Mac users can move the entire 'City of Heroes.app' to another folder
- It is possible to replace almost any resource (in game map, sound file, etc.) using the data directory, however this action is not supported by NCsoft/Paragon Studios nor their EULA.
- This does not modify any NCsoft-owned resource/file. This adds a directory which the game client then interprets as replacing the resource once the game is launched. Removal of this change simply means deleting the data directory. More info below.
Launching the Game
PC
These can be run from the command prompt or entered into your shortcut. You can do the latter by right clicking on your shortcut to the Launcher and selecting properties then adding these to the end of the target box.
NCLauncher.exe (no switches)
- Launches the Launcher which will check for updates and modify/verify files if needed.
NCLauncher.exe /LaunchGame=CityOfHeroes
- Launch the Launcher as above, automatically patch if required and then launch the game.
CityOfHeroes.exe -project 'coh'
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- NOT SUPPORTED Launches the game client without looking for the launcher, using the North American servers. If any patches have been applied since the last time you used the launcher, you may be able to login, but you will get a version conflict.
CityOfHeroes.exe -project 'eucoh'
- NOT SUPPORTED European Servers version of skipping the launcher.
CityOfHeroes.exe -project 'cohtest'
- NOT SUPPORTED Training Room version of skipping the launcher.
NCLauncher.exe /LaunchGame=COHTest
- Launches the Launcher, uses registry settings in HKCU/Software/Cryptic/Cohtest instead. Allows access to Training Room.
NCLauncher.exe /LaunchGame=COHBeta
- Launches the Launcher, uses registry settings in HKCU/Software/Cryptic/Cohbeta instead. Allows access to the Beta Server.
CityOfHeroes.exe -compatiblecursors 1
- Uses compatible 16-color cursors to solve compatiblity issues with Windows Vista and others. Please note that this has since been integrated into an option in-game.
CityOfHeroes.exe -usetexenvcombine
- Enables simple rendering path, which may help fix issues with certain video cards and drivers.
CityOfHeroes.exe -renderthread 1
- Forces the game to run using more than one proccessor/core, rather than using only one. NOTE: Though the game does this by default now, this command is still a valid option.
CityOfHeroes.exe -renderthread 0
- Forces the game to run using only one processor/core, rather than using two. This may be needed to work around buggy drivers, or on Linux.
CityOfHeroes.exe -maxinactivefps 5
- Limits the graphic display update to 5 Frames Per Second when COH is not the foreground application. The number can be set to whatever maximum framerate is desired.
CityOfHeroes.exe -stopinactivedisplay 1
- Freezes the graphic display update when COH is not the foreground application. This can greatly reduce processor utilization when running multiple game clients on the same computer.
CityOfHeroes.exe -fullscreen 1
- Makes the game launch in full screen, regardless of what options are set in-game. To force the game not to launch in full screen, -fullscreen 0 should be used.
CityOfHeroes.exe -screen x y
- Makes the game launch in a window with a width equal to x and a height equal to y.
CityOfHeroes.exe -console 1
- NOT SUPPORTED Launches the game client displaying a console with each element being loaded. Useful if your client is freezing on load, if you want time statistics for how long it takes to load, or to see other debugging info.
CityOfHeroes.exe -exitlaunch [command line]
- NOT SUPPORTED The game will execute the given command line on close. Used internally for issue preloads, but can be set to execute any program when you finish playing.
CityOfHeroes.exe -project coh -launcher
- Starts the game as if it had been run from the NCsoft Launcher, unlocking the Wisp Aura.
Mac
- Main Article:Mac Special Edition
The City of Heroes.app 'file' is really just a specialized directory. Attempting any action inside this directory is NOT SUPPORTED.
Training Room on Mac
The developers have a separate City of Heroes.app for the training room.ftp://client.coh.com/Test/US/
Command Line on Mac
Launching the game with command line switches NOT SUPPORTED
- Assuming the game is in the /Applications directory, here are some examples that can be ran from Terminal.app:
- Launch updater normally, game client will have blue CoH skin.
- Launch updater normally, game client with have red CoV skin.
- Launch game client directly (bypass updater)
- Note the extra backslashes '
'.
- The Terminal.app application uses bash, which uses the backslash as an escape character.
- Since a space ' usually separates command options (switches/parameters/arguments), we use '
- And since Cider is looking for a Windows(r)(c)™ directory which uses backslashes instead of forward slashes, we have to escape the backslashes as well.
- Although it is possible to use forward slashes instead of double backslash.
- Also note the double dash '
--
'- The cider application can pass arguments to the application, which is any argument/option after double dash.
- Any arguments before the double dash are options for the cider application.
cider [options] [--] program_name [arguments]
- Any arguments before the double dash are options for the cider application.
- The cider application can pass arguments to the application, which is any argument/option after double dash.
Installing the Game
There are several methods to installing the game client, they all boil down to having an up-to-date copy of the necessary files.
- You do not need your 'CD-Key' to install the game client.
- The 'CD-Key' is for the http://plaync.com/ website for the creation/upgrade of your game account. After creating your account, the only time you need your serial code is if you lose access to your account and must provide proof of ownership. (Thus it's not a bad idea to keep your CD key handy, even though it's not necessary to play the game.)
Original CD/DVD
- Main Article:Disc Releases
Install as you would any other program. Basically it will extract a copy of the game client as it was when the CD/DVD was created. You will then need to install the NCsoft Launcher and patch to the current version.
- City of Heroes (Box Set) initial release Issue 0
- Collector's Edition (City of Heroes) current through Issue 2
- City of Villains (Box Set) and Collector's Edition (City of Villains) current through Issue 6
- Good Versus Evil Edition current through Issue 7
- Architect Edition current through Issue 14
Burned CD/DVD
Effectively a second copy step similar to installing the Training Room. One copies the entire City of Heroes directory to multiple CDs or a single DVD. Then one can copy that folder back to his/her computer or give to someone else to copy to their computer. Then install the NCsoft Launcher, run it and point it to the folder on your HD where you copied CoH back to.
Download the Game Installer
You can install the Game by downloading and running the Game Installer. This is a small 'bootstrap' program which, when run, will then download and install the NCsoft Launcher. The NCsoft Launcher will then either create a new installation of the game or update an existing installation.
New Installation: Downloading then running the Game Installer will install the NCsoft Launcher, through which you then download the City of Heroes game client. This will download and install the entire client in stages.
Existing Installation: If you already have City of Heroes installed on your computer, the Game Installer will update your game client so it will be fully compatible with the NCsoft Launcher. You will not need to re-download the full game client. If pointed to an existing install of the game on your computer, this will verify and update the files as required.
Training Room
- Main Article: Training Room
The simplest way to install the Training Room involves creating a copy of the live game, to avoid downloading the entire client all over again. Then the NCsoft Launcher can be run using the command NCLauncher.exe /LaunchGame=COHTest to begin the install. Detailed instructions can be found at the Training Room article.
Running the game from a DVD-R
If for some reason you would like to run the game from a DVD-R, or maybe a 4GB flash drive, this is possible. Being a read-only device, a DVD-R will only work as long as you burn the latest version with the current patches. However, if your goal is to play at a Net Cafe during a weekend away from home, this will be more than enough.
The steps are:
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- Click Start, Run, and enter regedit. Navigate the left panel to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareCryptic. Right-click the Cryptic folder and select Export. Save as Settings.reg somewhere.
- Burn your City of Heroes folder and the Settings.reg file to a DVD-R.
- Take the DVD to the computer you want to play the game on. Go to the DVD drive and double-click the Settings.reg file. You only need to do this step the first time you run the game on a computer.
- Click Start, Run, then enter 'D:City of HeroesCityOfHeroes.exe' -project coh. Replace D: with whatever letter the DVD drive is.
- Play! You can change the graphics settings on the new computer to whatever you like, and they'll be saved locally.
Registry information
The game stores its configuration information in HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareCrypticCoh; even if you installed City of Villains, the key name is still Coh.
- If you use the Test server, its configuration is stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareCrypticCohTest.
- If you use the Beta server, its configuration is stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareCrypticCoHBeta.
The Installation Directory parameter is useful in case you want to move the game client to another directory or partition. Enter the full path to the game's executable.
The VerifyOnNextUpdate parameter is created every time the game crashes. When the game starts, it checks for this flag in order to decide whether to verify all files for corruption before loading the file. Thus, clearing this flag is a good way to avoid the slow verification process.
If you crash often and would like to skip the verification process every time, simply create a text file named NoVerify.reg with the following contents, and double-click it before loading the launcher:
Network information
Servers
Your computer needs access to the internet, of course; and to be able communicate with various servers (not just the game servers). Certain ports (see below) may have to be opened.
NCsoft say (Article 884) that all servers 'are centrally located in Dallas, Texas, as of July 29, 2010. Connection speed and performance should be the same throughout North America', and also state that the 'four servers that used to be part of the Europe or 'EU' territory were merged into a single list on May 10, 2011.'
In the event you have a working internet connection, but cannot play City of Heroes, it's possible there may be an issue with the connection between your computer and one of these servers. If this is the case, you can troubleshoot this problem using diagnostic tools, seek assistance from other players on the Official Forums, or lodge a support ticket with NCsoft.
A small NCsoft program called Game Advisor can be downloaded and used to gather information about your computer, including network tests to various servers needed to run City of Heroes. If lodging a ticket with support, the report produced by Game Advisor should be included.
- See Answer ID 7386: Game Advisor Diagnostic Report
List of related network addresses
Running Game Advisor includes tests to certain network addresses and ports, and more. Some players may wish to run manual tests on these IP addresses and ports using tools such as ping and traceroute. A partial list of the IP addresses and ports tested, as of June 2012, is shown below.
Note: these could change at any time at NCsoft's sole discretion, of course; and that failure on any one test may not be the cause of any issues with running the game.
Network Addresses, Ports and Paths for City of Heroes
Game Ports
The game client is somewhat Firewall and NAT friendly. However any issues can be resolved by ensuring the following ports are open:
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- TCP 2104
- TCP 2106
- TCP 443
- UDP 7000-7200
For more information, please see:
City Of Heroes Homecoming Account
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