City of Villains

Since We first donned masks in City Of Heroes, the burning question has been, 'where are the bad guys?' Thanks to a team led by designer Jack Emmert, that day draws nigh. "We've designed the core gameplay systems and have done a basic pass on the new zones and groups," says Jack. "We've fully detailed a few of the early zones and the artists are just about to kick off work on those."

We're assuming that City Of Villains will feature familiar archetypes (only with an evil bent), but Jack suggests otherwise: "Initially, I envisioned that COV would have the same archetypes, but I was persuaded to try something a little different." In addition, players will explore more detailed and functionally 'living' zones that mirror recent expansion efforts in the original game.

At the time of writing, City Of Villains has yet to hit beta, and Jack describes a few key notes he'd like to see addressed. "First, is the game fun? Most things are secondary to fun. If a game's a drag to play, it doesn't matter how innovative you're trying to be. Second, balance. Since the core is PvP, players need to feel like they can measure up, regardless of their archetypes or powers. Third, does the player feel like a villain? Our goal isn't to recreate COH with new art, but rather to present a new experience for the new and existing player. I don't want the missions to feel like missions -I want them to feel like crimes."