History VideoGame / CityOfHeroes

* MakeMeWannaShout: Sonic Blast and Sonic Resonance.

The game managed to stay alive despite being only a few months older than the massive ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' juggernaut, largely by occupying a niche market and having a die-hard, rabidly devoted fanbase. There have been two novels based on it, ''Web of Arachnos'' and ''The Freedom Phalanx'' (a third about the Ritki War was also planned), as well as two comic book series, one published by Blue King and the other by Creator/DarkHorseComics. Eden Studios started developing a TabletopRolePlayingGame using their UsefulNotes/{{Unisystem}} but due to licensing issues, only a preview was released. A movie and T.V. series based on the game were in DevelopmentHell, until Paragon Studio's forced closure.

* BrokenSystemDogmatist: The Responsibility Loyalist path in ''Going Rogue''. Praetoria is ruled by TheEmpire, but the Responsibility Loyalists believe that the oppressive regime ultimately exists for the greater good, and so carry out Emperor Cole's will while trying to curb the empire's worst habits. The end of the storyline [[AnAesop spells this trope out]] by explaining that, while being an InternalReformist is noble, it only works if the system ''[[InherentInTheSystem can]]'' be reformed, otherwise it's just another kind of BlindObedience.

%% * HeroesRUs

* HijackedByGanon: Nemesis, mostly. Requiem's pulled it a couple times too.

* MindScrew: The villainous Television contact, which has you taking orders from [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]], burning books and blaming it on videogames, and going ''into'' a gangster movie to defeat Nemesis troops, among other weirdness. It's never quite clear whether the television set is actually evil or whether your character is just delusional.

* DropTheHammer: One of the possible looks of the War Mace power set is a big hammer. Also, Stone Mallet and Heavy Stone Mallet from [[DishingOutDirt Stone Melee]]. The Fusion Hammer in the Titan Weapons powerset as well.

* EnergyBeings: Kheldians.

** Sister Psyche heavily resembles [[ComicBook/XMen Jean Grey]], right down to being [[HeroesWantRedheads a redhead]].

In Spring 2019, after revelations that a secret private server, using the game's original source code, had been running for six years, the server code was released into the wild and efforts to build new servers have begun in earnest.

NC Soft has registered the domain names coh2.com and coh3.com, but whether that means they have any plans to bring the game back in any form remains to be seen. (Doubtful, since they were registered back in 2004, but they continue to be renewed). Currently, they only redirect to the NC Soft main page. And while a [=CoH=] sequel doesn't look to be anywhere on the horizon, The Statesman became a GuestFighter in NC Soft's MOBA, ''Master X Master''... [[ScrewedByTheNetwork which also got cancelled]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Some ''City of Villains'' missions have you taking on someone who has sunk to a level that disgusts even your character. Subverted if you take Westin Phipps' missions, which have you acting even ''worse''. [[spoiler:Double subverted if you choose to fail the last mission of his Francine Primm StoryArc, letting Ms. Primm escape to Paragon City in order to continue teaching reformed villains. If you do so, she sends you her syllabus and writes "It's never too late" on the back.]]

* GoWaitOutside: Quite a few contacts have dialog that reflects passage of time in between missions in a story arc, even if you select the next mission right on the heels of the last. "I'll have this mysterious substance analyzed to find out what it is. Good, you're back. I had that stuff analyzed and..."

Heroes defeated NPC Villains and foil the plans of various archvillains and nefarious groups out to destroy Paragon/The World/Humanity. Villains carried out missions against {{NPC}} Heroes or other Villain groups to please various factions and power brokers and thereby improve their standing in the underworld. Praetorians either act as Loyalists and strengthen the rule of Emperor Cole or act as part of the Resistance to take Tyrant down and free Praetorian Earth from his control, until deciding whether or not they are a hero or a villain. Rogues try to redeem their villainous ways by protecting Paragon City while Vigilantes weasel their way into the villainous underground of the Rogue Isles. [[TheGreatPlayerVersusPlayerDebate Player-vs-Player combat]] was limited to restricted areas and is not necessary for game or level progress, although certain bonuses could be gathered by risking yourself in these areas.

* {{Feelies}}: Including TabletopGame/HeroClix of the signature characters.

Originally, a variety of (back)story was told through the developers' adopted avatars -- known collectively as the [[Franchise/TheAvengers Avengers]]-esque super-team Freedom Phalanx -- with the hero Statesman as their (in game and out) leader. Their evil counterparts would later be introduced in ''City of Villains''. Known as Arachnos by name and led by Statesman's equal-but-opposite in Lord Recluse, ruler of the Rogue Isles (a fictional archipelago about 50 miles north of Bermuda). Statesman was originally the in-game avatar of real life senior developer Jack Emmert, who has since moved on and left the game in the care of Lead Developer Matt Miller (known for his avatar, Positron), who then later moved ''down'' to hands-on design work, handing the role of Lead Developer to Melissa Bianco (known for her avatar, War Witch).

* [[FunctionalMagic Magic]]: Characters that got their powers through mystic training or artifacts. Can also refer to characters that get their powers from a patron deity or are a magical creature. Examples from other popular media include Ghost Rider, ComicBook/{{Hellboy}} and Comicbook/DoctorStrange. In universe example: Numina of the Freedom Phalanx.
* [[{{Mutants}} Mutation]]: Characters born with their powers that eventually unlock as they grow older. Generally refers to humans inexplicably born with these features. Most of the characters in ''Comicbook/XMen'' qualify. In universe example: Sister Psyche of the Freedom Phalanx.
* [[BadassNormal Natural]]: Characters who got where they are through the strenuous training of their bodies — and also characters whose species naturally have the abilities. Examples include Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, ComicBook/ThePunisher, J'onn J'onzz ComicBook/MartianManhunter and ComicBook/TheKingpin. In universe example: Manticore of the Freedom Phalanx.
* [[WeirdScience Science]]: Characters that get their powers via scientific means. Super serums, [[RadiationInducedSuperpower radiation]], [[FreakLabAccident experiments gone wrong]], experiments gone ''right'', etc. Examples include Comicbook/SpiderMan, Marvel's Sandman and the Comicbook/FantasticFour. In universe example: Synapse of the Freedom Phalanx.

** Statesman is, at first glance, a fusion of Franchise/{{Superman}} and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. Once you find out more about his origins, he's really more of a combination of Captain America and [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], since he's a mystically powered FlyingBrick who occasionally uses magical lightning offensively and literally has the Power of Zeus.

** Manticore is Franchise/{{Batman}} with the fighting style of Green Arrow.

** Synapse, the token speedster, is generally considered an equivalent to Franchise/TheFlash, with added [[ShockAndAwe electricity powers]].

* RunningGag: In the radio mission to rescue [[ShoutOut Dr. Stephen Fayte]] (who is, we are told, often mistaken for a [[Comicbook/DoctorStrange famous]] [[ComicBook/DoctorFate sorcerer]]), ''everyone'' describes him with [[JediMindTrick exactly the same phrase]]: "merely a gifted surgeon, and nothing more."

** Let us not forget Dr. [[Comicbook/DoctorStrange Stephen]] [[ComicBook/DoctorFate Fayte]], who is [[RunningGag merely a gifted surgeon, and nothing more]].

* CloningBlues: In the story arcs added for Issue 17, the player villain takes over [[spoiler:a cloning factory]]. It eventually ventures into MesACrowd territory. See {{Doppelganger}} for the "blue side" equivalent.

* {{Doppelganger}}: In the story arcs added for Issue 17, every player hero has one. [[spoiler:Two, actually; one's your standard EvilTwin, the other is nobler than you from a MirrorUniverse.]] See CloningBlues for the "red side" equivalent.

** Fiery Aura, in compared to other armor sets, also counts. No defense, lower resists compared to Electric Armor and Dark Armor, but has a Area of Effect attack, damage aura and a damage boosting power.

* WhipItGood: The weapon of choice for Demon Summoning Masterminds. It's also literally made of fire.

%%* VineTentacles: The Plant Control powerset, accessible to both Controllers and Dominators, has many abilities utilizing them.%%Utilizing what? How?
%%* TheVirus: The Will of the Earth.
%%* TheWallAroundTheWorld: The War Walls.

* VineTentacles: The Plant Control powerset, accessible to both Controllers and Dominators has many abilities utilising them.
* TheVirus: The Will of The Earth.
* TheWallAroundTheWorld: The War Walls.

** The region known as Dark Astoria was a thriving upper-class suburb until the Rikti War, when an ancient cult took advantage of the confusion to sacrifice every man, woman, and child in the place to an ancient horror that sleeps beneath Moth Cemetary known as "Mot". (In an Incarnate solo arc, you have to learn Mot's secret and eventually re-bind it before it can kill and devour everyone in the world)

*** Oh, it's not a ghost town... Astoria has quite a bustling population. The [[BlackCloak Circle of Thorns]], the [[ReligionOfEvil Banished Pantheon]] cultists who HumanSacrifice killed everybody in the first place, [[EldritchAbomination that thing under the cemetary]] they were sacrificed to, and all the various ghouls, zombies, ghosts, revenants, evil floating tiki statues and hideous giant skinless monsters you could ever want. [[SarcasmMode Astoria is a happening place.]]

* OhCrap: The player-base reaction to [[spoiler: The death of Statesman by Darrin Wade.]] Blue-Side lost one of it's strongest pillars, Red Side on the other-hand was far more horrified of their characters being in the same hemisphere as Lord Recluse when he found out. Sure enough both fears were fully valid in the end.