The pre-download of the Issue 10 update is online now, and as usual with pre-downloads will commence after you log out of the game for the first time.

A tiny patch to the updater will load first, to enable the pre-download.

The Issue 10 update is approximately 78.3 mb of data, not huge, but not tiny either.

I would recommend that dial-up users find a friend with broadband and copy the game directory from them rather than using the standard pre-download process.

Section 5: Miscellaneous Changes

As with all issues, there were several other changes made, some aesthetic, some necessary, all noteworthy.

Section 4: New Vanguard Recipes

With the Vanguard Merits earned fighting the Rikti, players can invent new temp powers and costume pieces at the Vanguard workbenches located in the Vanguard base in the RWZ. This is a list of all the currently available recipes. All recipes cost 5000 influence to invent in addition to the Vanguard Merits.

Special

Section 3: BADGES!

Issue 10 brings with it 13 new Exploration badges, 5 new Achievement badges, 2 new Accomplishment badges and 1 new Accolade. There is also a new SG telepad beacon available, though currently it is earned by just collecting the Ace badge in SG mode.

3.1: Exploration Badges

Vanguard Operative
Zone: Rikti War Zone
Approx loc: 388 -1188 -2418
Description: At Borea

Lifesaver
Zone: Rikti War Zone
Loc: -425, 15.3, -206
Description: Front of old Hospital

Junkyard Dog
Zone: Rikti War Zone
Loc: 1474, 0.3, -3722
Description: East wall, near some broken tanks

Section 2: Rikti War Zone

2.1: Zone Overview

The “big thing” of I10 is the Rikti War Zone, a revamped Rikti Crash Site. It is a cooperative zone, where heroes and villains alike will be able to team up. Entrances can be found in Atlas Park, Founder’s Falls, and Peregrine Island for heroes, and Cap au Diable, St. Martial, and Grandville for villains. The entrance are inside buildings near Vanguard representatives and marked on the map with a white circle with a black V in it. The minimum level to enter the zone is 35, and enemies ranging from levels 35 to 54 are present throughout the zone. The enemy groups that can be found are Crey, Nemesis, Devouring Earth, Malta, Knives of Artemis, Arachnos, Council, and of course, Rikti. There are also many friendly NPCs belonging to the new Vanguard group.

Section 1: INVASION!

1.1: Invasion Overview

Issue 10 is heralded by the second Rikti invasion of Earth! The Invasion event is ongoing in beta, and will continue for some time after I10 goes live.

Invasions can trigger randomly, and can be intentionally set off by players. It is currently unknown whether the invasions that can be triggered by players will continue to happen after the invasion event proper ends on live. Though not in the current build, the plan is for all player deaths in a zone being invaded to incur no debt.

There has been some speculation on the city of heroes message boards that there are costume-based rewards in I10. If true, this is an interesting (and welcome!) development, especially those of us who are “costume fanatics”. As to what those pieces could be, well, it doesn’t take too much imagination to consider that special rewards could be either Rikti based (since this issue is all about the Rikti) or possibly Vanguard based (see the Issue 10 description for more information on Vanguard.)