Champions Online Previews Upcoming VIPER Changes

22 Apr 2010 at 13:07:36 by Bill Vaughan

Cryptic Studios has given a brief overview of the changes to VIPER in the upcoming adventure pack for Champions Online,'The Serpent Lantern'.

The captured scientist Doctor Park Lee-Wen, kidnapped back in the 90s, has been compelled to work for the VIPERS, improving their tech, weapons and troops, making the underground organisation a force to be reckoned with. Here are some of the new threats heroes in CO will come up against, as listed on the official site:

Tartrapper (Combat Specialist)
Tar Gun - The improved Mark II version of this weapon attempts to coat targets in a boiling, tar - like substance that substantially reduces all forms of movement (even teleportation; the extra weight excitable molecules of the goop prevents you from popping out!) and reduces your ability to dodge and avoid attacks. Blocking is no protection against this goop!

Brickbuster
BrickBurster Gun - A Redesigned, “Mark II” version of this gun has entered widespread use. This weapon is significantly deadlier than its predecessor, and can weaken or penetrate *any* known type of defense, *and* leave them weakened for a duration.

Adder Technician
Sonic Bombs - These weapons been rebuilt from the ground up. The stationary ones now do much more damage (they were previously bugged and only did around THREE points. Also, they used to be invisible; now you can see them.) The mobile ones now inflict about 2/3rds as much damage as they used to, and stop moving once they begin their countdown.

Golden Nest Leaders
Their golden power armor has received a significant upgrade; watch out for their new combined attacks. In addition, they now have an enhanced force shield that they can activate when they become wounded. This shield dramatically reduces incoming damage, but heavy enough damage can eventually penetrate and overwhelm it.

Red Guard Knife Fighter
For many years, The Red Guard weren't much more than highly trained, glorified street thugs and prison brawlers. While valued internally as “discipline officers” for their willingness to brutalize their fellow VIPER agents, they never represented a significant threat to the hero community. Two years, ago, however, a new doctrine was brought to their recruitment and training, and the first students of that doctrine are now entering the field, and proving themselves to be immensely deadlier than their predecessors. This new breed now bear diamond hard swords of an alloy that has so far defied analysis, but are capable of devastating critical strikes. In addition, their improved martial skills are supplemented by a net launcher and a laser blaster for use against enemies that attempt to just fly out of their range. The identity of the individual that initiated this new doctrine remains unknown, and its discovery is considered to be of the utmost priority.

Scarlet Serpents
As the weaponry of the standard VIPER soldier improves, the elite of VIPER has been given access to improved armor and an expanded inventory of weapons, including fragmentation grenades and countergrav minimines, all well suited to waging battle on the modern super powered battlefield.

Munitions Experts
These heavy hitters have had their armor and weaponry significantly improved. Their heavy gatling style guns can fire in either of two modes; an armor and shield penetrating burst, or a maintained stream that's nearly impossible to dodge. In addition, their arsenal includes a powerful shotgun and an even more powerful rocket launcher.

VIPER Squad Leaders
Motivated, dedicated, and utterly committed to the ideals of VIPER, the Squad Leaders have had their previous, largely ornamental armor replaced with the highest tech armor, force fields, and equipment in VIPER's arsenal. Squad Leaders can now deploy multiple kinds of robotic drones with both offensive and support properties. In addition, they are able to inspire surges of manic zeal by triggering the latent Draysha implants in other Viper agents.

Air Cavalry
VIPER's elite Air Cavalry is finally ready for broad deployment! Equipped with the newest generation of flying armor, these soldier are ready to take the fight to the heroes in the air enforce VIPER's will wherever needed. Fortunately for the heroes, the standard Air Cavalry soldier is “only” armed with the improved standard VIPER weaponry, such as laser, plasma, and pulson weaponry. Unfortunately, they are led by Aces who are equiped with powerful, experimental Thermal Lance pistols and powered energy blades that make these aerial warriors a force to be reckoned with.

Super VIPER Powered Armor
While their power armor has always been impressively advanced, it's bleeding edge design has actually worked against its effectiveness in the field, as glitches and malfunctions have plagued these units since their debut. Missiles would fail to fire, or fire independent of the targeting laser, an inefficient force field that failed shortly after activation, and other problems retarded their effectiveness.

These problems have been solved. Heroes, consider yourselves warned.

Omicron Enforcer
Twenty years ago, Doctor Phillippe Moreau transformed a wounded VIPER soldier into Ripper, one of the deadliest super powered combatants on the modern battlefield. Unfortunately for VIPER, he's also one of the most unstable and difficult to control. For twenty years, VIPER's technical division has been attempting to control, improve and harness the Omicron technology that granted Ripper his strength, durability and power in order to create a new breed of technologically enhanced super soldiers.

They've succeeded.

Quetzalcoatl Gunship
The second generation of the Osprey Gunship, the Quetzalcoatl is faster, better armed, and generally more dangerous than its predecessor. The enhancements aren't as significant as some of the other improvements to which VIPER now has access, but when taken in total, still increase the danger of this already powerful organization.

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