Rift's "state of the game" address hints at future updates, the road to its second expansion
Rift - or 'RIFT', if we really must - is one of the few MMOs that still has a place on my hard-drive, even if I'm not actively playing it right now.
Rift - or 'RIFT', if we really must - is one of the few MMOs that still has a place on my hard-drive, even if I'm not actively playing it right now. It's a strange lesson in competently assembling a bunch of well-trodden systems, to create something that's both derivative, but likeable. Part of that good-will is the generosity of its updates and expansions, making it one of the few MMOs that could justify a subscription, back when it had one. In ato the community, RIFT game director Bill “Daglar” Fisher talks about what's coming up next for players as they move towards the game's second expansion.
In the direct future, Rift's developers are working on the following features, building on some of their other recent updates:
Continued Graphical Optimizations Cross Shard Functionality and Internationalization Dimension Enhancements Streamlined Zones and Tutorials Content Additions PvP Improvements and AdjustmentsBeyond that, they're working towards the next proper expansion, which plans to take players beyond the game's worlds and to the elemental planes.
"Since as long as I can remember people have been asking when they'd get to take the fight to the planes, and we aim to deliver that," Fisher writes. "We want players to dive deeper into the worlds beyond Telara, and explore entirely new otherworldly areas as we move forward."
"We here are Trion are anything but traditional when it comes to development," he continues. "We want to shake things up and keep things fresh for you. We want to provide the best experience possible, and we want to add new things every step of the way ... Why wait for an expansion pack to release a new crafting profession? Why wait to introduce new souls for each of the callings? Why wait to start introducing the story of 3.0?"
Last week, RIFT released its 2.5 update, which added a new 'mini-saga', a Planar Attunement Nexus, and level 60 instances. The trailer for that update is below.
Rift update 2.4 looks set to bring new wars, weapons, and slick hairstyles to Telara
Chaos is coming to the elemental planes.
Rift's version 2.4 Beyond Infinity, will bring new conflicts, strange environments, and yes, new hairstyles to the free-to-play MMORPG, according to a press release from developer Trion Worlds.
Most of the announced content for update 2.4 points to a new and colorful cast of characters for Rift's Telara game universe. An especially intriguing new area is a place called the Planebreaker Bastion, where a "doomsday automaton" is being pieced together under the direction of an unpleasant-sounding individual named Inyr'Kta. Mystical foundries forging giant robotic creatures to conquer the world? Yes, please.
The Planebreaker Bastion looks to be one of several new spaces to explore, along with The Infinity Gate, the Realm of Twisted Dreams, and an alternate Telara called Infernal Dawn: Laethys, where an evil dragon is planning an invasion. Rift, which went free-to-playback in June, will also be including new PvP rank 90 armor and weapons, as well as a new batch of hairstyles to choose from in the game's barbershop.
The update is still officially "coming soon," but Massively has reported, by way of a German-language Rift forum, that parts of the update, such as the PvP rank increase, may drop as soon as September 18.
Hat tip, VG24/7.
Watch Us Finish Fallout 4 In An Hour
Fallout 4 is one of those games that can suck up a hundred hours of your time, if you're not careful.
Fallout 4 is one of those games that can suck up a hundred hours of your time, if you're not careful. Speedrunner BubblesDelFuegosays he's spent upward of 400 hours in the game, but he has more to show for it than a big number on his save file. After learning the ins and outs of the game, he can beat it in less than 50 minutes, start to finish. He stopped by our office in advance of this weekend's Summer Games Done Quick 2016and blazed through it in about an hour.
Mr. Bubbles showed off this feat to me and summer intern Haley MacLean. He did a great job of explaining most of the tricks that he was using, which often involved warping through geometry or simultaneously loading and generating a save. Yeah. This gets super weird, super quick.
You can watch more speedruns for the next week as part of the annual Summer Games Done Quick 2016. It starts Sunday, July 3 at 11:30 a.m. Central, wrapping up at 10:37 p.m. on July 9. Tune in at the official siteor on the event's Twitch channelto see it live. Go here for the complete schedule, which includes BubblesDelFuego running through Fallout 4 – only this time even faster. The group's last even raised more than $1.2 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, so be sure to donate if you like what you see.
For more game-breaking goodness check out the speedrun of Doom.
RIFT now available through Steam, developers detail the road to 3.0
I had a whole intro planned around the combination of RIFT's fire and water elementals.
I had a whole intro planned around the combination of RIFT's fire and water elementals. It would have been like a nature documentary, the end result of which was a little Steam baby. To be honest, though, who wants to be forced into considering the technical difficulties of magmic rutting? And wouldn't creatures from the other planes just feel left out? Instead, we'll try this: RIFT's free-to-play incarnation is on Steam now, should that be the distribution platform that you favour. For existing players, the more significant news is a recent livestreamheld by the developers, in which they revealed the content roadmap leading up to the next expansion, RIFT 3.0.
Alongside the free download, RIFT's Steam version offers three DLC starter packs: the Ascended, Patron, and all-out ridiculously named Ultimate Hardcore Patroneditions. Not that they're needed. RIFT had one of the more impressive free-to-play transitions, essentially giving access to the full game with no real penalties.
As for the future, Junkies Nationdiligently wrote up the upcoming features, taken from the livestream. They reveal that update 2.5 is due out soon, and will feature a new sliver, dungeon, new chronicles, and a new questline, which will introduce the new water continent, planned for the 3.0 expansion, and act as a test bed for underwater combat.
Thanks, Massively.
SWTOR's Galactic Starfighter expansion to remain PvP only for foreseeable future
Star Wars: The Old Republic's free Galactic Starfighter expansion is bringing PvP space dogfighting to the sci-fi MMO on either December, January or February, depending on how much BioWare love you .
. Fans hoping for a PvE variant will have longer to wait. That's "longer" as in, between a very, very long time away, and the full heat death of the universe.
The announcement was made by the Unnamed SWTOR Podcast, who had spoken to BioWare's Damion Schubert, Andrew Horwitz, and Eric Musco at a recent Community Cantina event. Here's what the podcast learned, as transcribed by Massively:
"I asked about the possibility that Galactic Starfighter was designed with PvE in mind. [BioWare] said no, it was not. That is far far far far far down on the wall of crazy, is PvE Starfighter. [BioWare] said the biggest problems would be with scripting and 3-D AI; things that they don't have in the game they would basically have to write fresh.
"The good thing about PvE is the good scripting. Getting the ability in at the right time makes it interesting and fun, but not unfair. You know, getting those enrage timers right. Getting like a DOT thrown out at the right time. Stuff that has to be done really well for PvE to work right. And for them to do that in space would be a lot of work. So problems with scripting and AI would be reasons that we won't be seeing PvE Galactic starfighter."
I can't see players being too upset about the absence of PvE plans, especially given that the long-awaited off-rails dogfighter sounds perfect as a PvP addition. While the desire for a reboot of X-Wing or TIE Fighter is strong, it's probably a bit much to expect the team to create one inside of an existing MMO. You can see the announcement trailer for Galactic Starfighter below.
Defiance's debut DLC pack launches with a trailer
Trion Worlds may have shuttered the San Diego studio that made the sci-fi MMO Defiance, but it seems its promise to support Defiance with five pieces of DLC is holding strong with the first DLC release—the Castithan Charge Pack.
The $9.99 add-on comes with a new alien species known as (you guessed it) the “Castithans.” Thankfully, you don't need to abandon the character you already have to try the new species out, as you have the option to alter your existing character's species. As someone who prefers sticking to a single main character in MMOs, I personally think this is a pretty smart move on Trion's part.
There's also a new “horde-mode style” battle arena, which might sound a little more promising if it weren't restricted to single-player. You get a sweet energy sword out of it, but that's a small consolation for something that should really involve more than one person.
There's no word yet on when the other four DLC packs will be out, what new content they'll include, or even what their names are. The game's troubled historydoesn't bode well for future content, but unlikelier things have happened before.
Star Wars: The Old Republic hints at its other
SWTOR has been racing all over the place, trying to wedge in event weeks and hapless ewoks wherever it can.
wherever it can. August 6 is the targeted release date for patch 2.3, which sees in a new story arc—but BioWare is already looking beyond, today revealing that update 2.4 is already on the way for an estimated beginning-of-October debut, and that it's "shaping up to be very big" indeed.
Senior producer Bruce Maclean listed the 2.4's intended features, which encompass two new operations, a new 4v4 warzone arena, new gear for PVP and PVE players, and the new Planet Oricon, with its accompanying story arc bringing players face-to-face with the Dread Masters. Even with the details not elaborated upon, it's sounding kind of huge already.
Meanwhile, August 6 is still looking doable for the ewok companion-introducing patch 2.3, and the recurring monthly event Bounty Contracts Weeklooks to begin its first run on August 13.
Trion shuts down its San Diego studio
In an official statement, Trion Sr.
In an official statement, Trion Sr. Director of Global Communications Katie Uhlman has confirmed the closure of Trion's San Diego studio:
"We can confirm that the San Diego studio will be closing. The day to day operations of Defiance will be moved to our Redwood City studio where it can be managed alongside Rift and our other in development titles including ArcheAge and End of Nations. As part of this transition, we are working hard to ensure that a number of great people will be making the move from San Diego to the Bay Area and continue their work at Trion."
Original: A source tells PC Gamer that Trion Worlds has shuttered its San Diego studio, which was responsible for developing sci-fi MMO Defiance. Former COO Scott Hartsman, who departed the company in January, returned this morningas CEO—our source couldn't confirm whether or not the closure was decided before the management change.
As reported by Gamasutra, Hartsman told employees: "We're going to rapidly be laying the groundwork for a new strategy at Trion—one that's closer to the foundation of how we've had our wins so far, and then extending that base into the enduring success this company can, and will, be."
Trion owns two other studios, its corporate headquarters and Rift development studio in Redwood Shores, CA, and a technology studio in Austin, TX. We've contacted the company for comment.
Star Wars: The Old Republic offers double XP weekends, first of three starts now
The first of three consecutive double XP weekends in Star Wars: The Old Republic begins today, giving you a chance to take a risk on an outlandish new character build or burn through some new levels with an old favorite in the MMORPG.
begins today, giving you a chance to take a risk on an outlandish new character build or burn through some new levels with an old favorite in the MMORPG. XP being the precious mana of nearly any online multiplayer game, we're always on the lookout for ways to get more of it.
SWTOR is offering double XP and legacy XP on the days listed below:
June 21 (1 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. GMT) - June 24 (2 a.m. CDT/7 a.m. GMT) June 28 (1 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. GMT) - July 1 (2 a.m. CDT/7 a.m. GMT) July 4 (6 a.m. CDT/11 a.m. GMT) - July 8 (2 a.m. CDT/7 a.m. GMT)If you haven't checked out SWTOR yet, this could also be a good chance to take a look at the now free-to-play Bioware MMO. The player base is reportedly stabilized, if not growing, and the early levels for each character class set you up with a context, a backstory, and maybe some new friends to take with you into the rest of game. The ability to make a speedier run through the initial stages of the SWTOR would also let you get your hands on a lightsaber just a little bit more quickly. No one wants to be the Jedi with the vibrosword, do they?
End of Nations has resurfaced, is now a DotA-like
End of Nations: MMORTS version
I'm sighing the weary sigh of a man staring into the future and seeing naught but DotA clones.
I'm sighing the weary sigh of a man staring into the future and seeing naught but DotA clones. You may remember End of Nationsas the Petroglyph developed free-to-play MMORTS that ran into trouble after its open beta was postponed and members of staff were laid off. Subsequently taken in-houseby publisher Trion Worlds, it's now resurfaced as - you guessed it - a lane pushing game.
"The first MOBA RTS," declares the updated website. "Multiplayer online battle arena" continues to be a ridiculously meaningless phrase, but at least they didn't use the only slightly less useless Valve-coined "action RTS". Then they'd be boasting the first "ARTS RTS".
"End of Nations is a tactical MOBA where your success on the battlefield depends on the heroes and units you command and quick decision making in the heat of combat," the site continues. "Dominate during team-based matches and catapult your commander to the top of the ranks."
Head over to the game's websiteto see a selection of the game's lords - which appear to all be vehicles, rather than people. Also to see a woman in a latex uniform clutching at a man who is 95% armour, as if that has anything to do with anything.
I was going to facetiously suggest that maybe other developers would like to randomly pick a genre and uncomfortably squish it into the Defence of the Ancients formula. But then I realised we might end up with the dating-sim DotA, or the interactive fiction DotA, both of which sound pretty brilliant. Quick! Someone gamejam this.
Thanks, Eurogamer.
New log-in procedure will increase security for Star Wars: The Old Republic
Public service announcement: as of April 2, you'll no longer be able to log in to Star Wars: The Old Republic with your email address.
Public service announcement: as of April 2, you'll no longer be able to log in to Star Wars: The Old Republic with your email address. Instead, you'll need to send a faxuse your display name, which seems like a pretty pedantic change to protocol, right? Well it's all in aid of security. According to a post on the official SWtOR website, the change "increases the security of our game authentication system, which helps continue to keep the game protected from many security threats including account takeovers."
Fair enough then. In other news, the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion pack is still due in May, and you can check out the trailer here.
Defiance is free to play for the first three days
The third person MMO based on the Syfy TV show is inching a little closer to “free to play” territory today by offering a free, 72-hour demo to those who are curious what the Bay Area looks like after the San Francisco Giants win a World Series.
Defiance's websitesays your progress, loot, quest rewards and all the other junk you find in an MMO will carry over if you decide to open up your wallet once the timer rings. While we didn't hate Defiance, we found it a bit underwhelming. It's not bad for a TV show tie-in, but then again, the bar for games based on TV shows isn't very high to begin with.
It's reassuring to hear developer Trion Worlds will continue to support Defiance with five DLC expansions, but it's worth noting it was hit with a series of layoffsonly a week after said announcement. It'll be interesting to see how long an MMO without a subscription model can last in a world where subscription based MMOs are just barely getting by. In the meantime, sit back, relax and try to forget that the pre-order bonus was an in game Dodge Challenger.
The Old Republic consolidates all players to high-population servers
Recently, Star Wars: The Old Republic opened up free server transfers from all of its realms to a handful of higher-population ones, hoping to consolidate the player base.
Recently, Star Wars: The Old Republic opened up free server transfers from all of its realms to a handful of higher-population ones, hoping to consolidate the player base. As of today, the transfers are no longer optional. Every character in the game has been moved to one of the higher-population destination servers, though thegives assurance that no characters will be deleted.
Every player now has 12 character slots (up from 8), and players with more than 12 characters will still have access to all of them, but cannot create new characters unless they have 11 or fewer on a given server.
A comprehensive FAQis available with details about the merge. We've collected some of the more important answers below.
Will I lose my characters if my server is being consolidated?
No characters will be deleted during the server consolidation process. All characters will be moved to their new higher population destination servers, regardless of faction, level or class, and will be available to play. We are aware that players may have multiple characters spread across a number of servers that have been consolidated, so we have increased the character cap on a server to 12 (up from 8).
If the server consolidations have resulted in your account having more than 12 characters on your new server, you will keep all of your characters, and they will all remain available for play.
However, it will not be possible for you to create a new character if you have 12 or more characters on a server. In order to create a new character you must have a character list which contains 11 characters or less.
I have separate Legacies on servers that are being consolidated, what will happen when they are consolidated?
The first time that you log in to a server where you have unlocked a Legacy, you will be prompted to choose a Legacy name.
Please be aware that this does not mean that your original Legacy name is unavailable.
Following the server consolidation, Legacy names are no longer required to be unique on a server (for example, there can now be multiple “Superawesome” Legacies on a server!), which means that as long as your Legacy name is acceptable according to our naming policy, you will be able to choose it.
If the server consolidation has resulted in you having multiple Legacies on the same server, then your highest Legacy level will be applied. Your new Legacy will automatically combine any Legacy Traits you may have unlocked across those Legacies, and any characters that have purchased Legacy Perks will still have them following the server consolidation.
Will I keep my name when my server is consolidated?
We are aware of how important character names are to our players and so we have taken a number of factors into consideration where naming conflicts occur as a result of consolidations. If it has been determined that your character needs to change their name you will see an exclamation point beside their name on the Character Select screen. When you log in with a character that has been identified as needing to be renamed you will be prompted to rename the appropriate character.
Rift expansion teased in developer livestream
Rift is currently enjoying a resurgence, thanks its free-to-play switch.
Rift is currently enjoying a resurgence, thanks its free-to-play switch. But having hordes of players bouncing between dynamic quests and rift encounters is one thing, keeping them there is another. In an effort to keep their newly bolstered community engaged, developer Trion held a recent livestreamin which they teased upcoming updates and features, and gave the first info on the 3.0 expansion.
Four new souls are planned: Support Cleric, Healing Warrior, Tanking Mage and Healing Rogue. You'd be forgiven for suspecting that Rift's Soul design is based around arbitrarily picking words out of a hat, but in this instance, the added roles fill areas each class has been traditionally weak. The hope is to further expand the flexibility of styles on offer.
Other improvements will see a more customisable weapon and armour upgrade system, with more scope to define your style, and an increased role for companion pets. In addition, Dimensions will get an upgrade, with Trion looking to give player-owned housing more purpose.
Finally, they revealed the planned 3.0 expansion - focusing on the plane of Water. Cross-section concept art showed a multi-level environment, including a frozen lake and underground city. Previously, Trion released Storm Legion as the 2.0 expansion - adding two continents that tripled the size of the game's world. If their future plans are anything like as ambitious as that release, it should keep Rift players busy for some time.
Thanks, RiftScene(via Joystiq).
Five things you need to know about The Old Republic's future
BioWare released a ton of information about their upcoming plans for The Old Republic at this week's Guild Summit.
BioWare released a ton of information about their upcoming plans for The Old Republic at this week's Guild Summit. I tweeteda lot of the announcements as they came out, BioWare livestreamed the panels to everyone, and some of the hardcore fansites captured every tiny detail in thousands and thousands of words.
But for those of you that didn't watch the livestream or don't want to dig through piles of tiny changes to find the big ones that really matter, I'm going to tell you the five big take-aways from the Guild Summit that might change your opinion of the game.
1. The Legacy system will blow your doors off
BioWare has been pimping the Legacy system since launch, promising in vague terms that it would make leveling better, promote alts, and give us cool stuff to do. Based on the cold, hard facts that they told us down in Austin, I think it actually will!
A brief rundown of how the system works: whenever you hit major milestones with your characters (complete an act in your main storyline, hit max level, reach a high Valor rank in PvP, accumulate a ton of Dark Side points, or max out companion affection) you'll unlock something awesome for every character you ever make on that server. Hit 50 on your Zabrak Sith Warrior? Every one of your characters now has a super-powered Force Choke ability (not usable in WarZones or raids) and can cast the Sith Warrior's group buff, and you can make a Zabrak of any class type, among other things.
The coolest upgrades I heard mentioned were a full set of Unarmed fighting skills for fisticuffs brawling for hitting high ranks in PvP, and unlocking upgrades on your ship for training dummies, vendors, mail, and the Galactic Trade Network. But even if you hate leveling alts, you'll be able to purchase all of these upgrades with credits--so players that like to focus on a single character won't be left out.
All of that is coming in patch 1.2, due out in early April, but the biggest game-changer is lined up for patch 1.3. That patch will allow you to use the legacy system to purchase permanent XP boosts for each of your characters that emphasizes a single area of gameplay. If you want to roll a new Sniper character and only PvP with her, you'll be able to buy a massive XP boost for PvP content and be able to level super quickly that way. The big thing here is that doing this will let you skip the redundant planet quests that you've done before. The developers said that with these boosts, you'll have no problem just doing your class quests and PvP or Flashpoints to level up at a normal rate.
2. BioWare knows it made mistakes
The developers weren't shy of admitting areas of the game that they dropped the ball. It was refreshing to hear their candor about problems in the game, rather than pretending they didn't exist. Here are some of the big problems they acknowledged.
Operations are buggy, and are not as difficult as they'd hoped. Open World PvP, especially Ilum, is completely broken. Worlds need to be more interactive. Guild features in-game are “bare bones.” While they didn't say that they disliked the UI, they listed a ton of changes coming to the UI in patch 1.2 and said that was “only 5% of what we want to do.”3. The devs have concrete plans to solve, or at least improve, them
Not every problem has an easy solution, but here's the devs plans to fix these big issues.
Bug-fixing is currently the highest priority for the Operation team. In future Operations (including the new one coming in patch 1.2), Nightmare mode will be made significantly more challenging, designed to tax even the most hardcore. On the flipside, Normal Mode is becoming Story Mode and will be even easier. The idea is that everyone will be able to see the content in Story Mode (right now only 38% of level-50 characters have stepped foot into an Operation), Hard Mode will be the main mode for organized guilds, and only the most elite players will beat Nightmare. The devs are "going back to the drawing board" on Ilum, because they believe it needs a complete re-work to live up to their goals for open-world PvP. In the meantime, ranked PvP for WarZones will give PvPers a place to focus their energy to get the recognition and rewards they deserve. The game currently scales the amount of unclickable NPCs that populate your game world based on your system specs. The devs want to build off of this tech to make main hubs and key locations a lot more populated for everyone that can render it. See point #5 below for guild features. In patch 1.2, the UI is completely customizable: every element on the screen can be dragged, scaled, tweaked, and altered individually. These settings can be saved into templates, and a few built-in templates are available for the lazy, including one styled after WoW's that's cheekily named "Retro."4. PvP is kind of a big deal
I don't remember one person telling me that they were going to buy The Old Republic for the PvP. Story and Star Wars were the two major hype points, but despite that, PvP has become a major pillar of the game's community. Over 50% of the entire playerbase plays WarZones daily. The developers think that's partially because it's so easy to queue and enter WarZones (one click on your minimap and you're in). They've expanded the size of the PvP team and are putting a lot of effort into building out that part of the game to keep that enthusiasm up.
I already mentioned the ranked PvP systems for WarZones, which will use an ELO-style ranking system to pit people of similar skill-levels together. On top of that, 1.2 is bringing a new WarZone, reworks the Medals rewards system to stop AFKers from benefitting and reward for strategic objectives more than straight killing. Teams will be able to queue as groups of 8, a new teir of PvP gear is being added, along with Expertise crystals that players can socket into armor and weapons. In the future, BioWare wants to also add bracketed tournaments that would happen frequently.
5. Guilds get some love, but most features will come later
Finally, guild banks arrive in patch 1.2. There will be 7 tabs available, the first being very cheap and the 7th being "very hard" to get, even for large guilds. The usual detailed controls for money and tab security will be there, including the option of requiring authenticators on accounts that have full bank access. The patch'll also bring general UI improvements for managing the guild list, thank goodness.
The bulk of guild improvements are slated for later patches though. Plans included are creating guild events inside an in-game calendar, putting guild emblems on your armor, a guild advertising/recruitment tool, and taxation of guild members for the guild bank. And, of course, way off in the distant, distant, distant future are guild capital ships. The devs said that "designs exist now" for these shared ships, but that implementation is "a long ways off."
Rift expansion teased in developer livestream
Rift is currently enjoying a resurgence, thanks its free-to-play switch.
Rift is currently enjoying a resurgence, thanks its free-to-play switch. But having hordes of players bouncing between dynamic quests and rift encounters is one thing, keeping them there is another. In an effort to keep their newly bolstered community engaged, developer Trion held a recent livestreamin which they teased upcoming updates and features, and gave the first info on the 3.0 expansion.
Four new souls are planned: Support Cleric, Healing Warrior, Tanking Mage and Healing Rogue. You'd be forgiven for suspecting that Rift's Soul design is based around arbitrarily picking words out of a hat, but in this instance, the added roles fill areas each class has been traditionally weak. The hope is to further expand the flexibility of styles on offer.
Other improvements will see a more customisable weapon and armour upgrade system, with more scope to define your style, and an increased role for companion pets. In addition, Dimensions will get an upgrade, with Trion looking to give player-owned housing more purpose.
Finally, they revealed the planned 3.0 expansion - focusing on the plane of Water. Cross-section concept art showed a multi-level environment, including a frozen lake and underground city. Previously, Trion released Storm Legion as the 2.0 expansion - adding two continents that tripled the size of the game's world. If their future plans are anything like as ambitious as that release, it should keep Rift players busy for some time.
Thanks, RiftScene(via Joystiq).
Rift free-to-play detailed; Trion promises "no tricks, no traps"
Rift is one of the few, rather excellent subscription MMOs still remaining, so its conversion to free-to-play is a little scarier than the usual case.
is a little scarier than the usual case. But you can relax, okay? Things will be just fine. Trion Worlds has released an FAQdetailing the three different payment levels, and they ensure us that "free-to-play" is not a euphemism for pay-to-win—"the best items in the game will always have to be earned in Telara."
After the crossover date of June 12, Subscribers will still be a thing. Known as Patrons, they'll receive a slew of benefits for their monthly $15 payment, including a 15% increase on in-game currency earned; a daily boost to XP, PvP XP, and reputation gain; 10% faster mounted travel speed; and instant access to banks and trainers. Oh, and also a 10% discount at the Rift in-game store. These benefits will be available in the Rift store for 3-, 15-, and 30-day durations as well, for those who don't want to give the full measure of subscribing.
Ah, but what of the free players, you may wonder? Entirely new players will have their character slots knocked down to a maximum of two, and their bag slots to three. But if you've ever purchased Rift before, these slots will remain at six and five respectively—and you're still able to buy Riftany time before June 12, if you're an intended newcomer to Telara and don't want to be restricted. (The expansion's benefits, of course, will still need to be paid for, even by Subscribers.)
Finally, a loyalty program is forthcoming, replacing the previous Veteran Awards. A full preview's available in a letter from producer Bill Fisher.
We loved Riftupon release, so we're hoping that its free-to-play crossover happens with a minimum of hitches. Personally, I canceled my own subscription due to a lack of funds, so the prospect of getting back into Telara is rather exciting. Though I hear I'll still need the currency they refer to as "free time," and who knows what zone I'm supposed to farm that in.
The Old Republic Patch 1.3 live with group finder, ranked warzones, new Legacy goodies
Just a touch over six months after launch, Star Wars: the Old Republic has rolled out its third "major" content patch.
Just a touch over six months after launch, Star Wars: the Old Republic has rolled out its third "major" content patch. Notably absent from 1.3 are a lot of the big things players would expect from a .1 update, such as new endgame Flashpoint or Operation content, a new Warzone, or even new story missions. 1.3 instead seems to focus on broad quality of life and systems changes, of which there are plenty. The long sought Group Finder is in, as well as a Ranked Warzones system and an overhaul to how Augmentation works. Read on for more details!
So you all meet in a cantina...
Possibly the most requested feature since launch (after playable wookiees) has been the now MMO staple of a group finder. TOR's version of the feature is handled very similarly to what we've seen in other MMOs: you enter a cue, selecting Tank, Damage, or Healing as your desired role. When a balanced group of the right level range is found, you are automatically teleported to the location of the mission. The feature can be used for Flashpoints, Story Mode (lowest difficulty) Operations, and the "mini-dungeon" instanced Heroic missions on planets. It also includes a Random Flashpoint option that grants additional rewards.
Unlike games such as WoW, the feature can't currently be used to find groups across servers. Granted, this is likely due to BioWare's ongoing plan to merge all of the game's servers into several, larger "super servers."
My Sith Master could beat up your Sith Master
1.3 also introduces the much anticipated Ranked Warzones system for PvP, allowing players to compete on ranked teams in the game's existing warzones. Wins will increase your personal and team rating, adding a whole new dynamic to endgame for the most hardcore of hardcore PvPers. Which is to say, considering six of my eight characters are heavy RP carebears, I will probably not get a ton of personal use out of it.
Floor 1.3: Augmentations, Legacy Perks, hair and lekku care
Probably my most appreciated feature of 1.3 is the addition of new Legacy perks that speed the leveling process, letting you get to the well-written class mission goodness while bypassing a lot of the faction quests you've already done two or three times. These perks, unlike all other Legacy unlocks so far, are specific to each character and thus must be re-purchased on each. They include experience point bonuses for Warzones, Flashpoints, Space Missions, Class Missions, and Exploration. Maxing out each (+10% xp) will run you about 275,000 credits (one day of daily missions on a max level character) and require you to be level 25 to purchase the highest tiers.
Kits are now available that add augmentation slots to any piece of gear, allowing players to augment orange cosmetic gear without having to find someone who can crit-craft an augmentable version. The kits are player-crafted only, and made by all of the Crew Skills capable of making the augments themselves prior to 1.3 (Armstech, Armormech and Synthweaving.) The augment slots added are tiered, with the lower-tiered kits only allowing you to add lower-level augments. The price of outfitting a full set of gear with endgame augment slots has been estimated at around 2-4 million credits, depending on the market price on the new, faction-neutral Galactic Trade Network.
While light on beefy content from a thranta's-eye-view, 1.3 has brought significant changes to almost every playstyle in TOR. Whether it's enough to keep the shrinking subscriber base playing until the bigger updates we've been promised for later this year remains to be seen.
The Old Republic chart shows you the path to 50, every planet and Flashpoint included
Today is a day of maps , apparently.
, apparently. OldRepublic.net just released an awesome galaxy guidethat maps out the suggested path to progress through all of The Old Republic's Flashpoints and planets.
It looks like I've already missed two Flashpoints on my new Sniper—whoops! Well, at least I shouldn't have a problem beating them now that I'm 10 levels higher than the enemies there. I'll be keeping this guide handy as I continue leveling up this weekend, and you can use it to avoid my same foolish mistakes.
Defiance event infects San Francisco with mysterious plague, definitely not zombies
Clearly I'm not the person you want to count on in a future world of aliens, Arc Hunters and cross-media synergy.
Clearly I'm not the person you want to count on in a future world of aliens, Arc Hunters and cross-media synergy. The new TV tie-in update for Defiancechallenges players to eradicate an infection and develop a cure to send to the titular town of the TV series. To which my response would be, "nope". Surely it'd make for better telly?
Whether you help or not, there's a new trailer explaining the zombie apocalypse. Er, I mean "Plague".
"In the latest crossover event from Trion Worlds and Syfy, beginning on June 3rd," writes Defiance developer Trion Worlds, "players will be challenged to eradicate the infection that is afflicting San Francisco's residents and work through all new content to discover a cure in order to send it to the town of Defiance before the outbreak there gets any worse."
That means a new game mode - The Plague Sieges - along with eight emergencies, two pursuits, a data recorder and mission series that will run June 10-17th. The infection will then crop up in a June 17th episode of the TV series, with what's sure to be an appropriately transmedia-ish plot-line.
Is anyone still roaming the San Francisco apocalypse? Our reviewfound a game that didn't offer enough reason to persist. I'm not sure a zombie event, even with Dramatic TV Integration, is going to make up the shortfall.
New Old Republic trailer hints at expanded race options via the Legacy System
A few days ago, Bioware released a new teaser trailer that mostly taunted us with information we've already heard.
that mostly taunted us with information we've already heard. Guildbanks? Yup. Warzones? Mmmhmm. Scaling UI? It's about time.
What we didn't expect was to see a Miraluka Sith Warrior opening a can of whoop-ass on some rusty droids. The Miraluka are a blind species who see the world through the Force, and are currently only available to Republic characters, but this particular Miraluka is dressed up like a Sith Warrior, an Empire-specific class. Could this mean that new class/race combinations are on the way?
This short-but-sweet scene appears during the segment of the video that's explaining the coming Legacy system, suggesting we may get to build that pureblood Sith as a Jedi carebear after all. The folks over at GamesRadarwere able to get Daniel Erickson, TOR's Lead Writer, to confirm that it is, "definitely a Miraluka Sith." This isn't the concrete confirmation that the race/class combo is a result of the Legacy system, but given its placement in the video and previous rumors, it's probably safe to assume that the legacy system will unlock some cross-faction races.
Free games of the week
It's Summer, which means bees, wasps, and other buzzy things that will probably hurt you.
It's Summer, which means bees, wasps, and other buzzy things that will probably hurt you. Enjoy!
ASHI WASH by TwoGlassHams
A big gross foot threatens to rock your world in ASHI WASH, and by 'rock your world' I mean smash up your lovely home. To prevent this terrible fate, you have to clean the giant appendage, using hedge clippers, a fly swatter, an ice pick and fungal spray, the same tools you use to clean your own feet every day.
Oh, and you only have three minutes to find and use these various objects. This is a pretty basic game, in terms of visual assets, menus and so on, but there's a winning, weird idea at its core. ( Via Warp Door)
HIGH CLIMB by Trasevol_Dog
I'm tempted to say that most of the best ideas are coming from Pico-8 games at the moment, its harsh restrictions causing developers to make increasingly interesting decisions as they attempt to fit their game ideas inside tiny Pico-sized boxes. HIGH CLIMBis a game about HIGH CLIMBing, and instead of using ropes and so on you rely on your unusual super-power: the ability to turn balls into platforms.
High Climb's world is one of colour, all the colours, and of massive spherical objects roaming the empty land. To ascend to the very heavens you have to tactically transform balls into platforms, while jumping, double-jumping, diving and wall-jumping, all of those many actions mapped to the same button. This is tough and smart, designed to encourage replays and, eventually, mastery.
Sacramento by Dziff
Sacramentois one of the most beautiful walking sims I've played, using sketchily drawn images and splashes of watercolour to create a striking world that feels like an art pad come to life. Spend a few minutes wandering around its environment, taking its size and shape, and delighting at all the nicely drawn things you'll find scattered around. I like that you can hold the right mouse button to look at your watch, the clock face reminding you that you're somewhere blissfully removed from real life.
BuzzKill by morningtoast
Once you're suitably relaxed, reintroduce some tension into your life with superb arcade game BuzzKill, which is pretty much Breakout, mixed with Space Invaders, but with bees. Your job is to eliminate all the honeycombs, bees and bee hives, and you do this by shooting fireballs and blowing big balls of smoke. The smoke temporarily weakens the honeycombs, allowing you to destroy them, while the industrious insects will do their best to reconstruct their colony. Some real thought has gone into this, and it shows.
Disturbance in the Force: SWTOR patch 1.1 draws fire for PVP exploit
MMOs are lumbering, unwieldy beasts, and it's not uncommon for rather large bugs to hitch a ride on their underbellies - even after delays.
MMOs are lumbering, unwieldy beasts, and it's not uncommon for rather large bugs to hitch a ride on their underbellies - even after delays. Such is the case with SWTOR's first major patch, Rise of the Rakghouls. The Rakghouls did, indeed, rise, but they brought with them a number of glitches - foremost among them a turret farming/spawn camping PVP exploit in Ilum. Currently, there's a more-than-100-page comment thread raging on SWTOR's official forums, to which BioWare has issued the following:
"We are currently working on an official response to these issues and we will be posting it soon. Please understand that these issues require some time to investigate and we are making sure that we provide you all with the most updated information in our official response."
So then, patience, Padawans. Unless you're on the Dark Side. Then you can, I don't know, break stuff or something.
Dragon Nest's latest patch introduces the ability to grow your own food—oh, and a dragon
I like to think that the story behind Dragon Nest's newest update is that the Sea Dragon, having scornfully watched the hyper-cute, anime-soaked denizens of Althea frolic about obliviously for too long, has finally decided to rise from the waters to show them what MMOs are really about.
about. And so, with the latest patch introducing the Sea Dragon as a new boss, Dragon Nest's capacity for epicness now aligns approximately with that of a low-level WoW raid.
Level 40 players can now hitch a ride on a viking ship to Mare Oblivion, where they can face the dragon (and his delightful loot drops). In this harsh, new, dragon-conjuring world, it's also necessary for your twee characters to develop some self-sufficiency, so you can now go fishing and grow your own food. It's not entirely necessary—after all, when was the last time an MMO toon starved to death?—but preparing your own meals gives you useful buffs (and also the self-satisfaction of not having to stoop to eating at whatever Althea's equivalent of a fast food chain is).
As one of those players who actually enjoyed WoW's farming minigame, I'm always pleased to see the inclusion of crafting mechanics like these. Not all of us want to craft badass glowing swords for a living, okay?was applied to the free-to-play MMO today, so hop online to get cookin', or dragon-slayin'—whichever activity rocks your boat.
EverQuest Next revealed: build, destroy, and change the world in an MMO like no other
A wizard blasts away a hunk of hillside with an explosive spell.
A wizard blasts away a hunk of hillside with an explosive spell. “Did you see what just happened?” asks David Georgeson, EverQuest Next Director of Development.
Until now we've been talking about races, classes, and weapons. You know, fantasy MMORPG stuff . Georgeson loops the animation and I raise my eyebrows as chunks of hillside fly and tumble out of the explosion. So, deformable terrain?
"We can blow up anything at any time, anywhere."
“Yes. Something that every designer I know of has always wanted to do, and which we're doing in this game, is that every single thing in the world is composed of pieces,” he says. “We can blow up anything at any time, anywhere.”
Eyebrow levels are now stable at 50 percent elevation. What if a bunch of mages get together and try to dig as far as they can?
“Yep, they can,” says Georgeson. But certainly they can't just keep digging and digging, and, what—fall into a secret underground cave?
"Exactly," he says. My eyebrows flutter toward the ceiling as Georgeson explains that players can explore a procedurally-generated, randomized underworld by “phasing through with magical spells or digging through with equipment,” and this winter will get access to the developer's voxel building tools in a separate free-to-play game, EverQuest Next Landmark, which he describes as Minecraft's creative mode in thousand-player persistent worlds.
I thought this was just about elves, orcs, and hotbars?
Elves, orcs, and hotbars
Let me back up. I've just walked into the hotel room, and we're talking about elves, orcs, and hotbars. Georgeson tells me that EQ Next is “not the regular MMO that you're used to playing,” and I think, a bit cynically, here we go, tell me how you're totally reinventing the fantasy MMO genre .
“For EverQuest Next, we had been building what I consider the cardinal sin of any MMO, which is pretty much building the same game over again,” says Georgeson. That's true, two prototypes have already been scrappedon account of not reinventing the fantasy MMO genre totally enough.
"For EverQuest Next, we had been building what I consider the cardinal sin of any MMO"
“So we changed the team out—that's when I got involved in the project—and we got this incredible veteran set of people together that had done like, four or five MMOs each, and had many, many years of experience." That team, says Georgeson, rethought everything—classes, guilds, friends lists—and rebuilt EQ Next as a "fundamentally different" MMO.
At the most superficial level, that rebuilding led to a multiclassing system. There will be “five or seven” classes available at the start, with “over 40” classes to be discovered in the world. Each class comes with four skills, which can be mix-and-matched to create wizard-rogues and other combos. Georgeson says these skills are all unique. "It's not like this wizard has a damage spell and it's this color, and the thief has a damage spell that's this color."
He feels the same way about weapons. "There should be a difference, in my opinion, between a longsword and a halberd," Georgeson says firmly, as if it's a controversial opinion. “If I have a warrior class and I have a halberd and a longsword, I might use the halberd to do sweeping attacks that clear out areas around me, or a shockwave effect on the floor, whereas if I use the longsword I might be able to do a lot of damage to a single foe, or do some blocks and parries and things.”
Below the surface
These features alone don't make EverQuest Next "fundamentally different." For instance, Georgeson wants players to keep their eyes where the monsters are, not playing the hotbar "whack-a-mole" game, but there's still a hotbar. It just has a maximum of four weapon skills and four class skills at any given time. It's still familiar.
"If we make the first player city destroyable, it'll be a player parking lot, right?"
Likewise, movement has been redesigned with a parkour system. Contextual actions make long-distance traveling a series of vaults, tumbles, and double jumps rather than a monotonous run with a weighted-down 'W' key. Special abilities, such as the wizard's "Flash"—think Dishonored's "Blink" ability—add even more variety and platforming skill. This is a nontrivial new feature, but not the big, fundamental change I'm looking for.
And this is when Georgeson starts terraforming a hillside.
Everything in EQ Next's environment is destructible. Every building and every rock can be smashed. Can be , but players won't always have that power. “If we make the first player city destroyable, it'll be a player parking lot, right?” says Georgeson. “But the monsters might be able to destroy it, so a dragon attack could come in and knock down your city wall.”
"If you can destroy stuff, how cool would it be if what you destroy had an effect on the world?"
Not only can matter be blown into its component bits, it can be created. “An earth wizard can raise a stone wall, so now for the monsters to reach you, they either have to break down that wall or go around it," says Georgeson. "That's cool crowd control."
Georgeson has only hypothetical scenarios, sharing the potential without committing to specifics. As part of a public quest, players could work together to build city walls. In a PvP scenario, one group might be defending a keep, while the other breaks down the castle walls with catapults. In a PvE scenario, players might have to destroy a giant floating island. And there's a jokingly-called "parfait" of procedurally-generated underground areas, for which archaeological lore dating back 10,000 years was written to inform, which we'll explore by digging into the surface of Norrath.
Players will be able to permanently build on land they acquire—details on that are a bit sparse—but day-to-day, combat related creation and destruction isn't persistent. The world heals the same way corpses fade out over time, Georgeson tells me.
But that doesn't mean your actions will be inconsequential. "If you can destroy stuff, how cool would it be if what you destroy had an effect on the world?" asks Georgeson.
Orcs must die, or not, we don't care
"We're embracing the fact that we want change in the world," says Georgeson. He uses orcs as his hypothetical example to explain how "emergent AI" enables permanent change:
"We're embracing the fact that we want change in the world."
Orcs are bad. They like killing adventurers and stealing their gold. They don't like to be near guards or cities, because "they'll get their butts handed to them." Orcs like lonely stretches of road with occasional wanderers.
EQ Next knows what areas are patrolled and populated, and how many adventurers have traveled any given stretch of road. So, rather than the designers plopping down static orc camps, orcs are created with these likes and dislikes and "released into the void." They wander around looking for just the right stretch of road to camp near, and if guards start coming by, or players beat them back too often, they'll move.
Now that's interesting. I'm not excited by the "theme park" style of MMO design (yeah, I'm an EVE player), where content is added and then we stand in line to consume it. I don't even like the word "content" used to describe an experience. I do like the idea of logging in to find that orcs are encroaching on my town, and that players are grouping up to whack at their skulls until they leave—doing something for a reason.
I hope—and now here I am with my own hypothetical dream—that these orcs cause a real problem and aren't trivial to fight. My biggest problem with the "theme park" design is that I never have to identify and solve a real problem. Instead, I'm given a target which I then mine for XP and loot until I'm powerful enough to fight the next target. Boring. But if a pack of orcs can really turn away merchants and mess up my town's economy—Georgeson tells me EQ Next will simulate a meaningful economy—and killing them comes with actual risk, I'm in. I want to make meaningful decisions.
"So there's this barn burning up on the hill, and you can see humans running around screaming and orcs chasing them," says Georgeson with another example. "As a player in a normal MMO, you'd see the guy with the quest feather over his head, you'd click on him and he'd tell you what to go do. You ignore everything he said and you go do whatever gets you the reward, probably saving the humans.
"In our game, you're going to decide as a player what you want to do. Ignore it, go put out the barn, help save the humans, or help the orcs slaughter the humans. We don't care, because the game is going to remember everything you did. And then the world reacts to what you did."
Wait, what happens to Qeynos?
A burning barn is a small scale instance, but it could be the beginning of a world-shaping event. Georgeson calls expansions "Rallying Calls," epic stories that happen because of the players, instead of around them. In yet another hypothetical series of events, he describes the founding of a small town in a previously unexplored area. Crafters build a little wall around it and venture out into the woods to explore. And then, goblins. So the players drive the goblins out. The goblin king is pissed, so he sends more goblins. The players drive them away again and build a bigger wall—maybe the NPC townspeople build a stone quarry in the process and accidentally dig into ancient ruins, who knows?—and this town is becoming a city. Now the goblin king is really, really pissed, and he calls his allies in for war.
"Just because you helped build this city doesn't mean somewhere down the line it isn't going to get destroyed"
"Unlike most MMOs where expansion content just goes out, and out, and out, our expansion content can eradicate things you've already done before," says Georgeson. "Just because you helped build this city doesn't mean somewhere down the line it isn't going to get destroyed, like if the dragons attack. And then you end up with a whole set of new stories that nobody else has.
"A couple years down the line, somebody will say, 'What was it like back at launch?' and you'll say, 'Dude, the dragons hadn't attacked yet, Qeynos still existed, that was before the civil war...'"
This is all still hypothetical—Qeynos is just fine, probably—but the ideas are exciting. Why live in a world that doesn't change? Why kill goblins if, in ten years, they'll still be spawning in the same woodland camp? Here is one solution to that problem: a story collaboration between developers, players, and artificial intelligence. I hope that, ten years after launch, there really is a player who can say, “This all used to be farms, you know? Those were the days.”
We don't know when that launch will be—no release date has been announced for EQ Next, which, like all SOE games going forward, will be free to play. It's in a playable state now, but not quite populated with all of Georgeson's dreams of giant floating islands, castle sieges, orc bandits, burning barns, and goblin wars. I'd wager that it has a ways to go.
EQ Next's companion game—EverQuest Next Landmark, a creative voxel building environment which players can harness to help build EQ Next along with SOE—however, will be available before the end of the year. Really, that could have been the only announcement and I would have still lost my eyebrows— read all about it here.
Dragon Nest European closed beta now live, keys given away daily
It's taken a while, but action-based anime MMORPG Dragon Nest has finally arrived in Europe, entering a closed beta yesterday.
It's taken a while, but action-based anime MMORPG Dragon Nest has finally arrived in Europe, entering a closed beta yesterday. It's not that closed though, as you can slurp up beta keysevery day until the MMO officially opens for business on 6 March.
Though the anime aesthetic is about 500% of your daily recommended twee allowance, the actual action promises to be pretty thrilling, dispensing entirely with queued attacks and auto-targeting in favour of fighting-game combos and twitch-shooter rapid-fire bow combat. It's all skill-based, so even the lowest level player can take on hardened veterans.
As part of the run up to launch, there will be all kinds of competitions and rewards for beta participants - daily gifts, pets and in-game cash - and if the Dragon Nest beta clocks more than 8000 concurrent players, they'll let everyone keep their characters when the game goes live.
Have a look at the cinematic trailer for the Euro launch below, or snag yourself a beta key here.
Original EverQuest designer rejoins dev team
The original EverQuest released nearly 14 years ago, and its quest and class structure helped define a genre that would soon explode in popularity with World of Warcraft.
The original EverQuest released nearly 14 years ago, and its quest and class structure helped define a genre that would soon explode in popularity with World of Warcraft. It's still active to this day, and last week, its community celebrated(via Polygon) the return of Brad McQuaid, one of EverQuest's principal designers, back onto the original EQ team after over a decade apart.
"When I was given the opportunity to return to the team, it was something I just had to do," McQuaid writes. "I started playing right away and got a paladin into his mid-30s. I found, in addition to all of the great new features and UI elements, that the game, at its core, was still very much the EQ I was involved with. In fact, some of my first work as a game designer on the team will be working on areas that have been alluded to since launch. I can't say more than that, of course, but I'm sure you can imagine how exciting this is for me."
Apart from catching up on EverQuest's zillion expansion packs, McQuaid is also known as a co-founder of Sigil Gamesand designer of its sole MMO Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, which went free-to-play last August.
EverQuest continued piling on content after McQuaid's initial departure, spawning 19 expansions and a sequel in 2004, the same year that World of Warcraft launched. SOE is also working on EverQuest Next, but it's unknown if McQuaid is involved in that project in any capacity.
Dragon Nest closed beta coming to Europe in February
Cutesy anime MMORPG Dragon Nest has been a long time coming to these shores.
Cutesy anime MMORPG Dragon Nest has been a long time coming to these shores. But finally, after an additional delay to ensure some extra Euro-friendly localisation, the South Korean action-RPG will be starting its European closed beta on the 27th of February.
What makes it stand out from other imported MMO fare is its focus on action - the promise is that everything is skill-based. There are no queued attacks and auto-targeting: battles here are a cross between fighting-game combo-brawls and frenetic twitch-shooter firefights, and even the lowest level player can dominate if they have the requisite talent.
As our American brothers discoveredat an E3 hands-on way back in 2011, you can flip-kick a dude into the air then plug their flailing form with a dozen arrows before it crumples into the ground. That sounds like it might well be worth the wait.
Check below for a trailer to give you a sense of what to expect.
EverQuest celebrates its 14th anniversary this weekend with new missions, quests
An MMO reaching the grand old age of 14 is a pretty big deal, so I hope EverQuest's anniversary bash has jelly, cake, pin-the-tail-on-the-goblin, and all the other things that make a party worth attending.
has jelly, cake, pin-the-tail-on-the-goblin, and all the other things that make a party worth attending. The event - scheduled for this weekend - definitely features new "epic ornamentation quests", five player-created missions and all previous anniversary content, so now might be a good time to revisit the planet of Norrath if you've been more active in other fantasy worlds lately.
A few days ago, it was announced that original EverQuest designer Brad McQuaid had rejoined the development team, which may or may not have something to do with the game's upcoming update, Shadow of Fear. In the anniversary post, SOE revealed a bit more about the new content, stating that it will feature "two additional zones [Chelsith Reborn and Plane of Shadow], including even more challenging raid content, spells, and all new AA." That's good, because the old AA was looking a little worn out. Also, I have no idea what AA refers to in that context.
Cheers, Polygon.
Sneak peek video and interview for upcoming action-MMO Dragon Nest
Dragon Nest was a sleeper hit at E3, attracting crowds and long lines with its appealing graphical style and frantic, third-person-shooter combat.
was a sleeper hit at E3, attracting crowds and long lines with its appealing graphical style and frantic, third-person-shooter combat. After just a few cutthroat PvP matches (chock-full of smacktalk and righteous fury against Josh), the PCG staff is most definitely excited to play more of this fast-paced MMO. Haven't heard about Dragon Nest yet? Our interview with one of the devs will tell you everything you need to know about the fast-paced Korean MMO that's headed our way.
If the above trailer wasn't enough to get you jazzed for the game, know this: you haven't played an MMO like Dragon Nest. The combat was fast and furious, and felt closer to Unreal Tournament's team deathmatch than World of Warcraft's arena. Abilities are all skill-shots using a target reticule, and combos are essential to coming out on top during fights. I derived a certain glee from flip-kicking Josh into the air as an Archer, then filling his airborne-body with arrows while he plummeted to the ground; all the while, Tyler Wilde was backing me up with some sweet lightning attacks and heals as a Cleric. You won't find auto-attacks here—Dragon Nest feels like the marriage of Quake and Street Fighter, and that's enough to hook me to any MMO. All you need to do to join the upcoming Open Beta (which starts next Tuesday, July 26) is visit the Dragon Nest websiteand create a Nexon account.
PC Gamer: What inspired the game's art style?
Tyler Chang, Eyedentity Games: With the art style, we wanted to convey a feeling of warmth and easiness, and so we adopted a casual and light color palette that's easy on the eyes. On top of that, we used cute, feminine lines for our female characters, made the monsters goofy looking, and crafted serious-looking backgrounds which all blend in well with the lighter, casual look of the characters. We feel that the cute graphics style, coupled with the active and dynamic action and effects, makes for a very visually appealing game.
PCG: What did you observe during the game's Closed Beta? Any valuable lessons learned?
Chang: Absolutely, the closed beta test (CBT) was held specifically so we could begin making gameplay and network improvements, paving the way for an even smoother open beta test launch later this month. One area in particular that received a lot of positive feedback was the control scheme and the game's fast-paced action, so we'll continue to emphasize content that allows for chaining massive attack combos.
One area that generated a lot of feedback was Dragon Nest's empowerment system. Our release of Dragon Nest will differ from the Asian version in significant ways, but the biggest distinguishing item is probably the empowerment system. In the Asian version, players receive restrictions on game content when playing for long periods of time. This type of content restriction has proven highly unpopular in the west, so what we've done is remove that system entirely and replace it with something that does the exact opposite: players are now rewarded with empowerment points daily, which enables them to receive bonus experience.
PCG: What's in store for people participating in the Open Beta?
Chang: The upcoming Open Beta Test (OBT) on July 26 will launch with significantly more content compared to the CBT. The level cap will be set at level 24, and players will have a slew of new dungeons and bosses to try and defeat. The guild system is also being introduced, which is a major component that expands the social aspects of the game. And as a way of saying thanks to all the players who are helping make Dragon Nest the best game possible, we're going to reward all OBT participants with in-game currency that can be used to purchase convenience items from the cash shop. We'll also be rewarding players with cash shop items for leveling up and completing other in-game activities. The currency can be used throughout the OBT to make questing more efficient, improve the look of players' avatars and the like.
PCG: Are any of the four classes specialists in PvP?
Chang: Each of the different character classes brings a different skill set to the table in PvP, there isn't one class that we consider “overpowered.” We've taken great pains to keep the classes balanced, so it's our design to make individual player skill and teamwork the primary factors that determine the victor in a PvP match. For example, a round between a warrior and a sorceress will come down to who knows how to best time the use of special abilities and keep or close the distance gap on the battlefield. The warrior obviously has the advantage at close range, whereas the sorceress will dominate from a distance.
PCG: How many PvP options will there be? Will there be goals/ladders for beginners and hardcore players alike?
Chang: Dragon Nest fans can expect to eventually see a wide variety of PvP modes, although the exact name and number that we'll have at launch is still in the works. We plan to roll out the staples for PvP over time, such as a round based mode, a respawn mode, a “take out the enemy leader” mode and a free-for-all mode, and more. And yes, there will be a ladder system! Nothing encourages friendly competition like a robust ladder and ranking system where players can scope out their own stats and the stats of their friends and peers. Beyond the thrill of going head-to-head against other flesh-and-blood players, there will be plenty of incentives for PvPing as well. Players will collect PvP EXP points in order to increase their rank and also to acquire medals to redeem for high value items at the Arena goods vendor.
PCG: How much customization is allowed for each of the four classes? Can you differentiate yourself from the pack, either visually or skill-wise?
Chang: There is a significant amount of customization for all of the character classes, both in cosmetic appearance and gameplay-wise. Each of the four base character classes can branch off into different specializations at two points while leveling up. The first branch occurs at level 15, and the second level of specialization occurs later.
For example, at level 15, an Archer can choose to branch off to either the path of the Sharpshooter or the path of the Acrobat. The Sharpshooter is the ultimate long-range damage dealer. She uses incredible single target ranged and area-of-effect skills to destroy her foes. The Acrobat by contrast develops close quarters combat skills that she can use to launch foes into the air, stun them, grab them and pummel them down to the ground with a flurry of melee attacks.
PCG: What's your personal favorite combat combo to pull off? What's the most hits you can get in one combo?
Chang: I love to play the Sharpshooter for combos, as I'm able to combine air strikes together with close-up physical moves to dodge and block enemy attacks. It's a lot of fun to use the various spaces in the game to my advantage, so whether I'm knocked down on the ground, running towards an enemy or just flying in the air, I can come up with an attack or counterattack to fit my situation. I've done up to a 170-hit combo so far, but I have a long way to go to beat the biggest records out there! There are achievements for pulling off different combos in the game, and I look forward to seeing players unlock the 400-hit combo achievement!
PCG: Can you tell us more about The Abyss?
Chang: The Abyss mode is the highest difficulty level for each dungeon, and it's available only after clearing the four lower difficulties – Easy, Normal, Hard and Master. While the difficulty gradually increases for the five different modes, the Abyss mode also changes the physical environment of the dungeon. When playing on Abyss mode, the dungeon will become darker and sinister in appearance to add to the tension. The gap between Master and Abyss difficulty is also fairly substantial, and players will want to take a party of their bravest friends with them, because the fiends you will face will be incredibly challenging.
PCG: Thanks Tyler! Anything else you'd like to add?
Chang: Open Beta is coming up really soon and we are incredibly excited to showcase Dragon Nest to the widest audience possible. The characters that players create during OBT will remain live throughout the life of a game, meaning that there won't be any database resets once the servers open July 26. We cannot wait to see players filling in each channel and seeing the massive numbers of players in the villages. We look forward to seeing you online!
SOE's John Smedley: MMO worlds are "nothing more than a movie set"
Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley isn't bashful about voicing his strong support for free-to-play business models, but he's equally passionate about seeing the MMO genre evolve.
for free-to-play business models, but he's equally passionate about seeing the MMO genre evolve. Speaking to Polygon, Smedley believes modern MMOs suffer from stagnation and content churn that prevents studios from exploring new design directions.
"Our opinion is that today's MMOs, and I'd include ours in that mix, are stagnant and stuck in this model that we frankly helped create with EverQuest, where we put new content in the game, and [the players] go through it at an incredibly fast rate because of database sites like Thottbot and that kind of stuff," Smedley said.
Smedley felt a change of the norm into a more sandbox-style approach—where players dictate the direction of their experiences instead of the game world—is the best solution, saying, "That's the direction we're going we're going in with EverQuest Next; trying to make a world that players create while being a living, breathing world around them. It's not just a prop for them to walk around in, which is really what all of today's MMOs are. Their worlds are nothing more than a movie set."
Smedley used PlanetSide 2 as an example of some of SOE's sandbox ideals, attributing the massive battles and territory tug-of-wars to the efforts of the players themselves. "We gave players the weapons, and the fight's all up to them," he said. "We give them some basic goals, but we want them playing that game in ways we never thought of. And that happens a lot." It's true. Where else would we be able to hang upside down in an attack helicopter and rally our army with demonic power?
We're giving away 20,000 keys to the new WildStar beta
WildStar offered a particular blend of MMORPG spices when it opened for business in 2014.
WildStar offered a particular blend of MMORPG spices when it opened for business in 2014. If you wanted old school raiding with a sci-fi bent, you could find it in WildStar. If you wanted to be a bunny rancher with a laser rifle in space, though, you could also do that! Now WildStar is reopening its wide open space range by going free-to-play this fall. Lucky for you, NC Soft has provided us with 20,000 beta keys to giveaway. Want to get your hands on one? Enter below.
BETA DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS
Congratulations! Your code will give you access to the WildStar Free-to-Play Closed Beta. Download the Closed Beta client by clicking this link.
While you wait for the client to download, you'll need to follow the below directions to redeem your key
ACCOUNT CREATION & BETA KEY REDEMPTION INSTRUCTIONS
*Note: If you already have an existing NCSOFT account, you can safely skip the first step
1. Visit the NCSOFT account creation website below and enter your details
2. Follow the link in the email you receive to verify your email address successfully
Create NCSOFT Account by clicking here
Redeeming Your Closed Beta Key
1. Log in to your account using the NCSOFT account website link below
2. Click on "Apply a Code" in the blue banner near the top of the page, or on the "Apply a Code" button on the right side of the page.
3. Paste in the code you received.
4. Click "Apply."
If you receive a success message, you're good to go. If not double-check the serial key is entered correctly. If you're still having trouble (and for more information on our Closed Beta) visit the knowledge base article here.
NOTE: There's been some confusion about this, so just to be clear...
The beta key giveaway ends Monday, 9/21 at 11:59 pm - once it's complete you will receive your key.
Star Wars: The Old Republic adds PvP space battles in free expansion
The second expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic has a name and a date.
The second expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic has a name and a date. Galactic Starfighter, a free expansion will introduce rail-free space combat to the game for the first time, in the form of 12v12 PvP dogfights. How soon you'll be able to join in depends on your Subscriber/Preferred status in the game.
Subscribers to SWTOR will gain access to the expansion on December 3, followed by Preferred (anyone who has ever been a subscriber or made a purchase in the cash shop) players on January 14, and the scruffy-looking nerf herders that haven't spent money on the game will get it February 4. Everyone will get access at no charge, but non-subscribers will be required to buy a Starfighter Pass from the cartel market to have the same progression opportunities as subscribers.
Player starships will come in multiple classes with multiple roles. The three we know about so far are the light, fast Scout, the offense-heavy Gunship, and the Strike Fighter, which seems to be somewhere in between. You can see previews of each for both Republic and Empire on the expansion's announcement page.
Blizzard "has no plans" to turn Diablo 3 into an eSport
If, like the fiery Butcher above, you're a bit vexed at the prolonged absence of PvP within Diablo 3 , this spot of news probably won't sate your wrath.
, this spot of news probably won't sate your wrath. During a press conference held at Blizzard's Battle.net World Championshipin Shanghai last weekend (via Gaming Blend), CEO Mike Morhaime revealed the studio holds "no plans" to bring the hack-and-crawl RPG into competitive tournament play.
"Diablo 3 was never really designed to be an eSport, and not every game necessarily needs to be an eSport," Morhaime said.
Morhaime contrasted with the StarCraft franchise's deep-seated eSport roots shaping the design direction of StarCraft 2 to allot for high-grade competitions from day one. Its MMO sibling, World of Warcraft, obviously adopted a different structure, but the viewability of its arena matches propelled its viability as a tournament title.
As for organizing any sort of structured PvP for Diablo 3, Morhaime explained the presentation would deviate quite heavily from Blizzard's current tournament offerings, saying, "In order to do that, you really need to get everything right and you have to have the depth of strategy, you have to look at making sure that the strategies that are successful are balanced, and fun, and entertaining to watch, and all those things."
Diablo 3's patch 1.1 added PvPbut remains entombed in limbo as Blizzard finalizes various patchy things. No launch date has been set yet. Relevant to all this, D3 Game Director Jay Wilson mentioned on Twitter today that he expects more information on PvP to be posted soon.
@ scaryrobots We'll be doing a PVP blog update very soon.Sorry to keep you waiting. November 26, 2012
We're giving away 20,000 keys to the new WildStar beta
WildStar offered a particular blend of MMORPG spices when it opened for business in 2014.
WildStar offered a particular blend of MMORPG spices when it opened for business in 2014. If you wanted old school raiding with a sci-fi bent, you could find it in WildStar. If you wanted to be a bunny rancher with a laser rifle in space, though, you could also do that! Now WildStar is reopening its wide open space range by going free-to-play this fall. Lucky for you, NC Soft has provided us with 20,000 beta keys to giveaway. Want to get your hands on one? Enter below.
BETA DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS
Congratulations! Your code will give you access to the WildStar Free-to-Play Closed Beta. Download the Closed Beta client by clicking this link.
While you wait for the client to download, you'll need to follow the below directions to redeem your key
ACCOUNT CREATION & BETA KEY REDEMPTION INSTRUCTIONS
*Note: If you already have an existing NCSOFT account, you can safely skip the first step
1. Visit the NCSOFT account creation website below and enter your details
2. Follow the link in the email you receive to verify your email address successfully
Create NCSOFT Account by clicking here
Redeeming Your Closed Beta Key
1. Log in to your account using the NCSOFT account website link below
2. Click on "Apply a Code" in the blue banner near the top of the page, or on the "Apply a Code" button on the right side of the page.
3. Paste in the code you received.
4. Click "Apply."
If you receive a success message, you're good to go. If not double-check the serial key is entered correctly. If you're still having trouble (and for more information on our Closed Beta) visit the knowledge base article here.
NOTE: There's been some confusion about this, so just to be clear...
The beta key giveaway ends Monday, 9/21 at 11:59 pm - once it's complete you will receive your key.
A Poképoem About The Reasons Trainers Pick Fights In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
In the world of Pokémon, few have social anxiety, and even fewer know how to properly begin a conversation.
In the world of Pok̩mon, few have social anxiety, and even fewer know how to properly begin a conversation. As it turns out, the fear of strangers dissipates when everyone has the technology to command and train a small animal to fight for them. Simply walking around becomes an invitation to battle Pok̩mon everywhere you go Рeven while swimming.
These are just a few of the actual confusing conversation openers competing trainers used to introduce themselves and start battles in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. And I decided to make them rhyme.
Destinee said she was hungry, and then threw out her creature,
Black-belt Atsushi fought me in a graveyard, because he thought I was his teacher.
While walking along the beach, Tuber Lola said an umbrella looked like a flower,
“My strongest skill is busting bricks with my forehead,” said Rob in a show of power.
Youngster Billy said, “Leaving footprints in the sand is so much fun!” then attacked,
Street-thug Blair thought I wanted his snow cone, causing him to overreact.
Dale said I snuck up on him while fishing, throwing out a wild accusation,
“Camping’s fun! You can roast marshmallows,” said Shane, enjoying his vacation.
Victor Winstrates invited me into his home, but not until I fought his family,
I was later asked by Aroma Lady Daisy, if I found a fragrance smelly.
“When you’re out on a picnic, why, you simply have to sing!” said the elated picnicker Carol,
“What do you call a man who lives among the mountain crags?” asked a man with camping apparel.
Youngster Neal charged and asked me to guess why it was cold,
Triathlete Dylan paused his race, not caring about the gold.
Clarissa promised to explain her parasol after our fight,
It was to ward off Pokémon, which prompted an uninterested, “All right.”
Poké maniac Mark thought battling in a graveyard would be an appropriate place,
Camper Drew was jealous of my Go-Goggles and wanted to rip them off my face.
Rose reminded me the aroma of flowers cleanses body and soul,
Then our pets fought one another until combat took its toll.
Through all of Hoenn, there were only a few who tried to be polite,
Willing to talk and not be weird before instigating a fight.
During my journey collecting them all, I can only remember two,
Picnicker Irene and Bug Maniac Brandon asked nicely, “May I battle you?”
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire releases tomorrow, November 21 for Nintendo 3DS. Once we get a chance to try out the online, we will post our review.
Diablo 3 always-online requirement "critical" to D3's "long-term integrity" says Blizzard boss
Blizzard co-founder and president Mike Morhaime has posted a lengthy statement on Diablo 3 on the Battle.net forums to explain some of the reasoning behind Diablo 3's always-online requirement and the real money auction house
Morhaime seems keen to tackle "the perception that the online requirement is nothing but an ineffective form of copy protection that has already been cracked." He mentions that Blizzard haven't yet encountered any functioning cracks, but suggests that security isn't the main purpose of the online-only requirement.
"I fully understand the desire to play Diablo III offline; however, Diablo III was designed from the beginning to be an online game that can be enjoyed with friends, and the always-online requirement is the best way for us to support that design," he says.
"The effectiveness of the online elements — including the friends list and cross-game communication; co-op matchmaking; persistent characters that you can use by yourself, with others, and in PvP; and some of our customer support, service, and security components — is tied directly to the online nature of the game."
Diablo 3's online infrastructure is impressive. Jumping into games with friends is fast and easy and, when the Battle.net servers are stable, as they have been in recent weeks, it works quite nicely. The real mystery is why slick online service can't exist alongside a functioning offline mode. Blizzard suggest that Diablo 3's always-online requirement is the symptom of the overall design ideology used to build the game, as though Diablo 3 was approached from the ground up as an entirely multiplayer experience.
But it's not. I've spent more than half of my time with Diablo 3 playing solo. It's easy to outlevel friends, or fall behind, and the ability to drop in and run any chapter suits short spells of lone monster bashing very nicely.
Diablo 3 exists as a large series of small co-operative instances, which makes the decision to push everyone online seem more unnecessary, given that no huge game world to populate. The security argument is more convincing, especially if you factor in the the gold and real money auction houses, which would be quickly undermined by the discovery of an item duplication cheat.
On the real money auction house, Morhaime had this to say: "Our primary goal for including this in the game was to provide convenience and peace of mind for those players who might otherwise turn to third-party services to buy items. Black market trading sites can put accounts at risk and create many customer service challenges. We felt that the players themselves also deserved the opportunity to benefit from the extra loot they found, as opposed to having all of the benefit go to the black market/illegal trading organizations."
"We know the auction house isn't perfect, but with your help and feedback, we'll be able to continue making it a better experience for those who choose to use it. On the flipside, we are also committed to ensuring you have a great experience with Diablo III without feeling like the auction house is mandatory, which was never our intention. Thank you for all the feedback about that."
Blizzard are still working on major updates for Diablo 3. Upcoming patches plan to adjust loot balance and make legendary items more impressive. "We're also working on a gameplay system that will provide players who have max-level, high-powered characters new goals to strive for as an alternative to the “item hunt.” Morhaime adds. "We're not ready to get into specifics just yet, but I can say that we're actively taking your feedback into account as we plan out the future of the game."
Star Citizen's FPS module is called "Star Marine"
We can now stop referring to Star Citizen's FPS module as "the Star Citizen FPS module," and instead call it by its proper name: "Star Marine." Star Citizen mastermind Chris Roberts revealed the name in a in which he explained that the launch of the shooting bits will be handled differently than the launch of the flying bits.
"Where Star Marine differs from Arena Commander is that we’re not launching it in its most basic game. Instead, we’re trying for something more," he wrote. "It includes animation fidelity and attention to detail that you wouldn’t normally expect in an 'alpha' gameplay module. There’s even an entire sci-fi sports game with zero-G movement fully simulated and animated in there! (And don’t worry, there’s traditional FPS action too… with some new ideas that aim to set Star Citizen apart from the crowd.)"
The Star Marine page is impressively well-packed with information on character customization, different visual styles, videos of motion capture sessions and animations, and SATA Ball, the sci-fi sport Roberts mentioned, which sounds like a zero-G version of Unreal Tournament's Bombing Run. It's a non-lethal game, although it does involve some gunplay; the intent is to use it as a "test bed to make the zero-g locomotion system something very robust, and ultimately a viable movement strategy when you are in that [zero-G] environment."
There's no word on when Star Marine will be ready for public eyes, but Roberts said Cloud Imperium will continue to provide regular updates until the first public release is ready. "Trust us when we say, we are as eager as you are to kick off playtesting and let the Star Citizen community see what we’ve been putting our all into," he wrote. "Star Marine is an important building block to the complete Star Citizen experience, it’s a showcase for how far we’ve come with many of our technologies and processes… and it’s going to be a lot of fun, too!"