Revision as of 08:21, 15 August 2009

Overview

Many video games which give the player a variety of abilities will use icons or symbols to allow players to identify individual powers at a glance, City of Heroes included. However, unlike many of these games, City of Heroes not only uses these icons to quickly denote individual powers, but also to convey the effects and usage of the powers.

A power icon in City of Heroes has three important components: the inner symbol, the border, and the color. The inner symbol indicates one or more of the powers' effects. The border indicates whether the power requires a target to use and whether it affects an area or a single target. Most powers' borders do not, unfortunately, indicate whether the power affects teammates or enemies; this information must be extrapolated by looking at the inner symbol (i.e. if the inner symbol denotes a positive effect, the power most likely affects allies or the caster) The color of an icon indicates the power set that the power belongs to; every power set has its own unique combination of background and foreground colors, although some colors are shared between primary or secondary power sets and Ancillary Power Pools with similar themes, though never within the same archetype. This is done to reduce the footprint of the City of Heroes installation; by having Frozen Armor use the exact same icon in the Ice Armor, Cold Mastery, and Ice Mastery sets, one icon file provides the art for 3 powers, reducing the size of the City of Heroes install.

Borders

Border	Description	Example
	An icon without a border indicates that the power only affects the caster.	Reconstruction, Unyielding
	The power is single target; it will only affect the currently targeted entity.	Deflection Shield, Power Blast
	The power affects the target, as well as every valid target (up to the target's target limit) within a conical area in front of the caster. The exact dimensions of the cone area depend on the power.	Shadow Maul, Breath of Fire
	The power does not require a target; it affects every valid target (up to the power's target limit) within a spherical area centered on the caster. The exact radius of the sphere depends on the power.	Inferno, Healing Aura
	The power affects the current target, as well as every valid target (up to the power's target limit) within a spherical area centered on the target. The exact radius of the sphere depends on the power.	Exploding Arrow, Snow Storm
	The power does not require a target; it affects every teammate within a spherical area centered on the caster, including the caster itself.	Assault, Group Invisibility
	The power affects every target (up to the power's target limit) in a spherical area centered around the targeted teammate. The targeted teammate may or may not be affected, depending on whether the power's effect is a positive or negative one.	Disruption Field
	The power summons a separate entity at a selected location. Some powers allow the caster to choose the location, while others simply summon the new entity at the caster's feet.	Animate Stone, Summon Striker
	The power affects every valid target (up to the power's target limit) within a spherical area centered around a location. Some powers allow the caster to choose the location, while others automatically set the location to be the same as the caster's at activation.	Spirit Tree, Burn

Inner Symbols - Buffs

The following inner symbols denote powers that grant the caster or his allies buffs to various attributes.

Symbol	Description	Example	Notes
	Increases accuracy or tohit.	Aim	Most powers that buff tohit also buff damage, so the use of this symbol normally means that the power is either an accuracy buff, or the tohit buff is particularly large.
	Increases damage.	Build Up
	Increases defense.	Dispersion Bubble
	Increases defense against powers typed "melee".	Ninja Reflexes
	Increases defense against powers typed "ranged".	Combat Training: Defensive
	Increases defense to powers typed "area of effect" (AoE).	Evasion
	Increases defense and tohit.	Invincibility
	Increases maximum hit points	Dull Pain	Would seem to indicate a healing over time effect (HoT), but is normally used to indicate a buff to maximum HP. In Issue 13 a power was finally added that actually was a HoT, but only when used by one archetype, and then only in PvE.
	Healing power; restores lost hit points	Heal Other
	Restores lost endurance.	Transference	Also used in the icon for Conserve Power, which reduces the endurance cost of all powers while active.
	Revives a character from the "unconscious" state.	Resurrection
	Large buff to defensive attributes.	Light Form	Typically used for tier 9 powers in defensive power sets. Powers that use this symbol generally grant such a large buff to defenses that the affected character is effectively undefeatable under normal circumstances, hence the colloquial term "god mode power."
	Increases both offensive and defensive attributes.	Vengeance
	Increases the maximum activation range on non-melee powers while active.	Boost Range	Boost Range is the only power that uses this symbol, and indeed that has this effect.
	Reduces the recharge time of all powers while active.	Hasten
	Increases the rate at which lost hit points are naturally recovered over time.	Instant Healing
	Increases the rate at which spent endurance is naturally recovered over time.	Stamina
	Increases the duration or strength of mez effects and most buff and debuff effects.	Power Boost
	Increases the running speed of the target.	Speed Boost
	Increases running speed and jump height	Sprint	This is the Sprint symbol; the only powers that use the symbol are Sprint and its Prestige variations.
	Increase to jump height and speed.	Inertial Reduction
	Increase to jump height and speed.	Super Jump	The only power that uses this symbol is Super Jump.
	Grants the target the power of Flight.	Fly
	Provides a small amount of stealth to the target	Stealth	Powers that use this symbol don't render the target invisible, but the target will be able to get closer to enemies before they aggro.
	Provides a large amount of stealth to the target.	Superior Invisibility	Powers that use this symbol render the target invisible to most enemies.
	Renders the target intangible or phased.	Dimension Shift	Intangible targets can't affect or be affected by other targets. Phased targets can only affect and be affected by other Phased targets.
	Increases resistance or defense to smashing- and lethal-typed damage.	Temp Invulnerability
	Increases resistance to smashing- and lethal-typed damage.	Dark Embrace	Why there are three symbols to indicate the same thing is a mystery.
	Increases resistance or defense to fire- and cold-typed damage.	Sonic Haven
	Increases resistance or defense to fire- and cold-typed damage.	Insulation Shield
	Increases resistance or defense to energy- and negative energy-typed damage.	Glacial Armor
	Increases resistance or defense to energy-typed damage.	Murky Cloud
	Increases resistance or defense to negative energy-typed damage.	Crystal Armor
	Increases resistance or defense to psychic-typed damage.	Minerals
	Grants protection to control-type effects.	Practiced Brawler
	Power that shapeshifts the target to another form.	Black Dwarf

Inner Symbols - Control

The following inner symbols denote powers that have control effects.

Symbol	Description	Example	Notes
	Afflicts the target with a Hold control effect.	Dominate	Held targets cannot use powers or move.
	Afflicts the target with a Disorient control effect.	Screech	Disoriented targets cannot use powers, but can still move, albeit at an extremely reduced rate. Also known as "Stun."
	Afflicts the target with an Immobilization control effect.	Web Grenade	Immobilized targets cannot move, but can still use powers as normal.
	Afflicts the target with a Sleep control effect.	Salt Crystals	Sleeping targets cannot use powers or move, but will immediately awake if damaged, healed, or moved.
	Afflicts the target with a Confuse control effect.	Deceive	Confused targets will attack their allies and buff their enemies.
	Afflicts the target with a Fear control effect.	Terrify	Feared enemies cannot use powers or move unless they are attacked.
	Repels affected targets away from the caster.	Force Bubble
	Reduces the movement speed of the target.	Caltrops
	Increases the recharge time of all the target's powers.	Poison Trap
	Reduces the target's movement speed and increases the recharge time of all its powers.	Shiver	"Slow" can refer to a power that reduces movement speed, increases recharge time, or both. "Snare" is used for powers that only reduce movement speed. There is no generally agreed upon term for powers that only increase recharge time.
	The power can knock down the target, leaving them unable to act until they regain their footing. Some powers are strong enough to send the target flying away from the caster instead of just knocking them off their feet.	Power Thrust	Knockdown is just low-grade knockback. A power that normally does knockdown can cause knockback if used on a sufficiently weak target or if slotted for knockback, and a power that normally does knockback can cause knockdown if used against a sufficiently strong target.
	The power can cause the target to fall down where they stand, unable to act until they regain their footing.	Energy Torrent	Same notes from above apply.
	The power can send the target flying straight up in the air. Stronger enemies may only fall down where they stand.	Lift	Same notes as above two symbols apply, with the exception that the target can be sent flying straight up into the air instead of away from the caster.
	Afflicts the target with a taunt control effect.	Taunt	Taunted targets can only use powers to attack the entity that taunted them. In the event that more than one entity uses a taunt effect on the same target, the target will only be able to attack the entity with the stronger taunt effect.
	Placates the target.	Smoke Flash	Placated targets cannot attack the caster. Computer-controlled mobs that are Placated will also forget about the caster until the caster aggroes them again.

Inner Symbols - Damage

The following symbols denote powers meant primarily for dealing damage.

Symbol	Description	Example	Notes
	Generic damage power	Fire Ball	A generic symbol, can indicate a melee or ranged power.
	A melee attack that deals minor damage.	Beheader
	A melee attack that does damage over time.	Flurry
	A melee attack that deals moderate damage.	Punch
	A melee attack that deals heavy damage.	Eagle's Claw
	An interruptible melee power that does extra damage when hidden.	Assassin's Blade	This symbol is used for Assassin's Strike powers.
	A ranged attack that deals light damage.	Psionic Dart
	A fast ranged attack that deals light damage.	Neutrino Bolt	Apparently used interchangeably with the above symbol.
	A ranged attack that deals moderate damage.	Slug
	A ranged attack that has a shorter-than-normal range, though usually with high damage.	Blaze
	A ranged attack that does heavy damage.	Bitter Ice Blast
	A "snipe" attack.	Zapp	Snipe attacks are interruptible, very high damage attacks with nearly double the range of normal ranged attacks.
	A power that does damage to one target and has the chance "jump" to do damage to another target.	Chain Induction
	A damage dealing power that deals damage in an area around a defeated target	Fallout	Powers with this symbol are colloquially known as "corpse bomb" powers.
	Extreme damage.	Nova	Can be used to denote melee or ranged attacks.
	A power that does damage over time.	Night Fall
	A moderate damage melee attack with a (most often elemental) weapon.	Fire Sword	Only used in sets that aren't weapon sets.
	A high-damage melee attack with a (most often elemental) weapon.	Heavy Mallet	Only used in sets that aren't weapon sets.

Inner Symbols - Debuffs

The following inner symbols denote powers that debuff enemy targets.

Symbol	Description	Example	Notes
	Debuffs the target's accuracy or tohit.	Hurricane
	Debuffs the target's damage.	Darkest Night
	Debuffs the target's defense or damage resistance.	Sleet
	Drains hit points from the target	Life Drain	Kind of a pointless symbol, since "draining HP" is just a way of saying "dealing damage," and a symbol for drains, etc., also exists.
	Reduces the target's offensive and defensive attributes.	Noxious Gas
	Reduces the target's perception.	Smoke
	Reduces the rate at which the target naturally recovers spent endurance.	Short Circuit

Inner Symbols - Summons

The following inner symbols denote powers which summon an entity to fight alongside the caster.

Symbol	Description	Example	Notes
	Power that summons a single pet.	Fly Trap
	Power that summons two pets.	Call Reinforcements
	Power that summons three pets.	Grave Knights
	Power that summons a large number of pets.	Gang War
	Summons a new pet from a defeated target	Soul Extraction
	Summons a pet that primarily uses fear abilities.	Spectral Terror
	Summons a pet that primarily grabs and maintains aggro.	Phantom Army
	Grants new powers to the targeted pet.	Train Ninjas
	Grants new powers to the targeted pet.	Upgrade Equipment	Powers granted by powers with this symbol are generally stronger than those from powers with the above symbol.

Inner Symbols - Miscellaneous

The following inner symbols do not fit easily into any other categories.

Symbol	Description	Example	Notes
	A power that does something to the target and something else to the caster.	Energy Transfer	An eclectic symbol, it typically indicates a power that damages or heals the caster and heals or damages the target.
	Power that teleports the caster.	Teleport
	Power that teleports the targeted teammate.	Recall Friend
	Power that teleports the targeted enemy.	Teleport Foe

Comments

There are many internal inconsistencies within the game that makes some of this page guesswork rather than fact. If the power rings and the power symbols were consistent within the game, it would be easy to identify what a power does just by it's icon.