User Interface

By default, there are several user interface elements around the edges of your screen. Mouse over the image above to find out more.

Clockwise from top left:

• Target window – this shows information about the player or enemy you have currently selected, including their health, endurance and level.
• Compass and Objectives – this shows in which direction you are currently facing, and a summary of your current mission. Underneath you can click to bring up a zone Map, your Contact list, your Mission and Clues found, plus all Badges you have earned.
• Stat Bars – keep track of your Hero by monitoring your Health (green bar), Endurance (blue bar) and Experience (purple bar). Each level is divided into ten segments, and each time you fill the purple Experience bar one more segment will be added to the circle on the right. You will level up when it is full. You can click Chat, Tray, Target, and Nav to hide or show the relevant parts of the user interface, and Menu to bring up the global menu.
• Power Tray – This allows you to access ten of your powers by clicking on their icons. Each slot is also numbered; you can press your number keys to activate the power in each slot (e.g. pressing 1 will invoke the power in the slot numbered 1). You can display up to two more Power Trays by clicking on the up arrow to the top right of the default tray, then clicking the left hand arrow to display a different numbered tray. Each tray can display up to ten powers.
• Inspirations, Enhancements and a Power Listing are attached by default to the Power Tray – you can choose to display either. Like all other windows in City of Heroes, you can also click the small blue dot to ‘detach’ a window. Any window can be closed by clicking the small red dot. Windows will ‘remember’ where they were last placed.
• Chat window – This shows important game messages and player chat, as well as combat reports. To chat, click at the bottom of the window and type in the box, or press Enter to focus on the Chat window. The Chat window can be customised to suit – experiment and see what you like.

Basic Controls

In City of Heroes, you use the keyboard to control your character’s movement. The default keys are:

Move Forward	W
Move Backward	S
Walk Left	A
Walk Right	D
Turn Left	Q
Turn Right	E

Depending on the controls you are used to in other games, you might wish to change these keys. To remap any keyboard command, click on Menu, then Options, then Controls. Click on the key you wish to change, then press the new key you want to assign to that action.

Further useful commands include:

Jump	Spacebar
Follow	F (you need to select another hero first)
Target the next enemy	Tab
Target the nearest enemy	Ctrl + Tab

Hold down the right mouse button to look around, and zoom using the scroll wheel.

Slash Commands

You can execute various commands from the Chat Window; these are prefixed with a slash (/) so they are known as ‘slash commands’. Many commands can also be selected from in-game menus.

Some useful slash commands:

/afk	Indicates that you’re away from the keyboard
/e (string) Alternative: /em, /emote, /me	Emotes a specific text string
/ignore (player)	Ignores a specified player
/i (player) Alternative: /invite	Invites a player to join your team
/k (player) Alternative: /kick	Kicks a player from your team
/t (player), (message) Alternative: /tell, /whisper	Sends a message to the specified player – don’t forget the comma!
/unignore (player)	Removes a player from your ‘ignore’ list

Emotes

Emotes are animations that allow you to express your character visually. When thanking someone, for example, you could use an emote to make your character bow, or when saying goodbye, you could use an emote to make them wave.

For more details and a full list of the available emotes, please see our Emotes section.

Advanced Control Hints

Auto Attack

If you usually focus your attacks around one particular power, then Auto Attack is your friend. By selecting the power for Auto Attacking (hold Ctrl and left-click on the power in your Power Tray) it will automatically fire when it has recharged, saving you from clicking on it repeatedly. The auto-attacking power gains a green outer ring. Use this with caution – ranged powers will fire at whichever villain is highlighted!

Auto Run

When travelling long distances, you can run without having to continually depress the forward key by using auto-run. Press ‘R’ to start auto-running – you can steer your character using the normal turn keys, or using mouse-look. Beware of obstacles! Press forward (W), back (S) or ‘R’ again to cancel. Try combining this with a travel power, like Sprint!

Mission Help

Stuck in a mission? Forgotten what the objective is? Logged out for a week, becoming lost and confused? Never fear, because Mission Help is here. If you need reminding of the original objective of your mission or want further details, click on ‘Mission’ underneath your compass at the top of your screen. To access the original mission briefing, click the small ‘I’ icon next to a listed mission. The clues you’ve accumulated may also provide more information, so check out the Clues window too.

Assist

Especially useful when working in a team, you can ‘assist’ another player (attack the same target) by simply targeting that player and then launching your attacks as normal. When the player changes targets, so will you. Be aware of who you’re targeting, though – don’t attack before the hero you’re assisting is ready!

Moving Windows

All windows in City of Heroes can be moved, and will ‘remember’ where they were last left. Click the small blue dot to on any window to ‘detach’ it, then click and drag on any of their title bars. Any window can be closed by clicking the small red dot. As a window gets close to another window, the title bar will move automatically.