Manticore was raised in a huge mansion in the outskirts of Paragon City. The sole beneficiary of a huge trust fund, Manticore recieved training in all manner of physical and mental pursuits. When he turned 18, his true heritage was revealed to him. Manticore's father had once been a customed vigilante in England, until he and his wife died at the hands of a German villain named Protean. Deeply affected by the story, Manticore took up his father's mantle. After the recent takeover, Manticore's eyes are firmly fastened on the Council. A cost of whitewash can't disguise his true enemies.
Task Forces are an extended series of missions designed for a specific range of levels, with a minimum number of heroes required to attempt them. Typically, they're pretty time consuming requiring from 2 to as many as 5 hours (or so I've heard) to complete.
The payoff for investing this much time with a single group (other than the better than average amount of xp from all the bad guys you're going to take down), is that each completed Task Force rewards you with a badge and usually a single-origin enhancement of your choosing.
I don't want to take away all the fun of the missions so I will not list a detailed account of what you can expect in each Task Force, but I will list the starting contacts and required levels for each Task Force (since I somehow managed to miss a few while leveling up with a number of heroes).
At levels 20, 30, and 40 characters can run missions for the head tailors in each of the Icon shops (Steel Canyon, Independence Port, and Founders Falls). These missions, when successful, will unlock additional Costume Slots, allowing you to have multiple looks at your disposal. Simply select the Slot you want to change the next time you access the Tailor once you have unlocked an additional slot.
Inspirations are a kind of one-shot, quick boost to help heroes through tough situations. They effect a wide range of attributes and come in three different strengths. They are used with a simple click or key press and typically last only a few moments, hopefully log enough to turn the tide in a battle.
Enhancements are permanent upgrades to boost a hero's powers. They are placed into 'slots' assigned to individual powers. They can also be combined and stacked to make their effects even stronger. They are also available in three strengths: generic (common, low effect), dual-origin (rare, medium effect), and single origin (very rare, strong effect) enhancements.
Thanks to the Enhancement Diversification Act in Issue 6 stacking the same enhancments on the same power results in less effect of that enhancement. Below is a table that illustrates how stacking the same enhancement effects the overall strength of the enhanements.
| # of Slots | Training | Single Origin | Dual Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8% | 16% | 33% |
| 2 | 17% | 33% | 67% |
| 3 | 25% | 50% | 95% |
| 4 | 33% | 67% | 100% |
| 5 | 42% | 82% | 105% |
| 6 | 50% | 95% | 110% |
Here is a small collection of badges recenting uncovered in a time capsule buried beneath the Atlas in Atlas Park.
Loose Cannon - Your eagerness to rush headlong into a mission, regardless of repeated warnings from your teammates, has earned you this badge as well as your teamates dying respect.
Debt Collector - You have achieved moronic greatness and died 10 times on a single mission. Turn off the computer now and pick up a game more your level...like jacks.
Train Conductor - Your overwhelming cowardice has resulted in leading a cluster of mobs straight into another group of heroes who were doing perfectly fine minding their own business.
Leech - You are greatly admired by the rest of your team for sucking the xp out of a mission by spending all your time on the phone, on a smoke break, or taking an hour long "bio break".
Wall Flower - You've successfully power leveled your way through the first 20 levels by teaming with a hero thirty levels higher than you and faithfully standing watch at the exit door, just in case any villains try to make a break for it.