Winter Event 2008
The 2008 Winter Event runs from December 15th, 2008 through January 4th, 2008. It is much like the Winter Event 2007, with the addition of a new, more challenging luge style ski run, a new login badge, and new unlockable costume auras.
Login Rewards
Players who logged in during the event received the Frostbitten Badge, as well as the Holiday Spirit temporary power, a single use of the Holiday Cheer power, and the Ear Muff costume option.
You've worked hard during the winter and have felt winter's bite.
Special
Any debt you incur is reduced by 25%. This effect lasts for 2 days of gameplay.
Holiday Cheer can be targeted on another player and when used will give that player a single instance of the Mystery Gift power.
Mystery Gifts
Mystery Gifts are random benefits gained by being the target of the Holiday Cheer power (see above) and/or by opening Gamester's Presents, which are glowies that appear in most zones during the event.
Once received, Gifts can be activated to receive one of a number of things. Most of the time (60% chance) the gift will give 250 Inf or 250 Inf and 250 Prestige modified by level while in SG Mode. The rest of the time (40% chance) the player will receive one of the following rewards:
Summon
Creates one Snow Beast to do your bidding. Snow Beasts desire nothing more than to freeze everything they come into contact with. You only have 1 Snow Beast and he will last for 5 minutes before melting. You cannot bring your snow beast across zones.
Ranged Special
Can be used on friend and foe alike. Although there are no lasting effects when these frozen missiles are hurled, who doesn't love throwing a snowball? Snowballs should last 12 days. Happy Holidays!
Self Fly
This jet pack allows you to fly for a short period. If you attack a target while this pack is on, your flight speed will be temporarily reduced to Hover speed. This Rocket Pack will last for 30 days.
- Stocking cap costume piece
Ski Chalet
- Main Article: Ski Chalet
Added in the Winter Event 2006, the Ski Chalet in Pocket D is only accessible during Winter Events or when the developers use it during a special event. During Winter Events, many activities can be accomplished here.
The area is accessed via a door upstairs in the villain side of the club. The Chalet itself is home to Father Time and the Candy Keeper. The surrounding area has ski slopes and a luge that characters can slide down, and Gravity Geysers (as in the Shadow Shard) to quickly return to the top.
Gamester's Presents
Mysterious glowing presents appeared throughout Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.
Upon opening a present, a hero or villain would find that if they were "nice," they would enjoy a nice Present. If they were "naughty," however, they would find themselves surrounded by a Winter Horde, ready to make their holidays downright dangerous!
Returning from Winter Event 2006 and Winter Event 2007, opening 200 presents earns the Toy Collector Badge, and defeating 100 of the Winter Horde earns the Cold Warrior Badge.
Additional instances of the Mystery Gift power are received as "nice" rewards, and "naughty" spawns can include the Winter Lord Giant Monster from the Winter Event 2004. Spawning the Winter Lord was based on team size, and requires teams of five or more characters opening presents. The chance of spawning a Winter Lord on a large enough team is not 100%, but is high enough (likely 50% to 75%) that opening presents on large teams is quite hazardous unless the player actually wants the Winter Lord to spawn.
Badges
Opening 200 presents awards the Toy Collector Badge.
You have amassed a vast collection of holiday gifts!
Defeating 100 Snow Beasts awards the Cold Warrior Badge.
You have defeated 100 of the living snow creatures who plague Paragon City.
You have defeated 100 of the living snow creatures who plagued the Rogue Isles.
Defeating the Winter Lord awards the Frozen Fury Badge.
You helped defeat a manifestation of the Winter Lord, who brought his cold wrath to chill your hometown.
Candy Canes
Opening presents in 2008 will also potentially award Candy Cane salvage, which can be redeemed for a variety of badges, temp powers, and costume pieces from past winter events.
Special Salvage
A festive piece of peppermint candy to celebrate the holidays. Seek the Candy Keeper in the winter chalet in Pocket D, as he collects these candy canes in return for hard to aquire treasures.
Candy Keeper
The Candy Keeper takes candy canes and gives you the prizes from previous Winter Events. This is implemented as a crafting station, and each purchase counts towards crafting badge totals.
- Badges
- Cold Front Badge (the 2006 log-in badge) - 25 Candy Canes, 30,000 influence/infamy
- Holiday Spirit (heroes) or Scrooge (villains) badge (mission complete badge from 2005) - 25 Candy Canes, 30,000 influence/infamy
- Temporary Powers with Badges
- Golden Rings and Joyful Badge - 20 Candy Canes, 5,000 influence/infamy
- Renewal of Light and Miraculous Badge - 20 Candy Canes, 5,000 influence/infamy
- Holiday Rocket Pack (listed as "Jingle Jet") and Longbow Reservist (heroes) or Jet-Setter (villains) badge (2005 log-in badge) - 10 Candy Canes, 10,000 influence/infamy
- Costume Items with Badges
- Fur Lined Gloves and Crystallized Badge - 10 Candy Canes
- Winter Boots and Frosty Badge - 10 Candy Canes
- Costume Items
- Fur Lined Hat - 10 Candy Canes, 500 influence/infamy
- Flaming Naughty Halo - 25 Candy Canes, 1000 influence/infamy
- Golden Nice Halo - 25 Candy Canes, 1000 influence/infamy
- Temporary Powers
- Holiday Spirit (Debt Protection) - 10 Candy Canes, 25,000 influence/infamy
- Snowball - 5 Candy Canes, 10 influence/infamy
- Build Snow Beast - 5 Candy Canes, 1,000 influence/infamy
- Enhancements
- Winter's Gift Universal Travel enhancements - 130 Candy Canes, 300 influence/infamy for a full set
It should be noted that if you already have the badge, then the badge will not display, however the Costume Item or Temporary Power associated with that badge will still show up and you can trade in Candy Canes for them. This is different from Father Time's mission reward menu in which if you choose a reward for which you already have the badge, you'll get nothing.
Badges
The chill of the season has strange effects.
A chill down your spine makes you feel Frosty.
A season of miracles, it has been called.
The power of the season finds you overcome with joy.
A winter cold front has been forecast.
You have been made an honorary Longbow Eagle, temporarily issued a Longbow jetpack.
You have received a Jetpack from an anonymous benefactor.
Arachnos tried to ruin the holidays, but you have done your best to stop them.
Bah humbug! You've done your best to disrupt the holidays over in Paragon City.
Present Locations
Notes
(get rid of these as they are worked into the article!)
- New winding slope around the chantel. New course is similar to a Bobsleigh run and has several NPCs on it.
- Polar Shift, Tundra, Snow Maiden, Abominable Snowman
- Snowflake badge should exist (Dark Watcher made a joke about it in chat) but no one has been able to earn it in testing.