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The Nexus Telegraph: Habits that WildStar should keep
Last time around in this column, I talked about the stuff that WildStar desperately needs to get out of its system, and quickly. I'm pleased with it. With the scaling-back of the update pace and some changes that I expect to be coming, I'm hopeful on that front. (Incidentally, if someone has a link to an actual promise of monthly updates from Carbine Studios, pass that along, since I don't think anyone ever actually promised it so much as just wound up doing it.) So why am I still playing the game? Because it's got a lot to recommend it despite those failings. These are not bad habits that the game needs to kick but things that the development team should arguably double down on. They're arguably the best parts about the game and certain what makes it stand out the most. So in direct counterpoint to last week's article, here are the things that WildStar should keep doing.
The Nexus Telegraph: The basics of crafting a WildStar build
There are few things I love so much as writing a column for June 30th only to find out on the 30th that the patch I'm discussing is going live on July 1st. You know, when it's too late to change anything. I really would have been happy to have found that out before the day. But, hey, WildStar's first patch came out, and now I've had a couple of weeks to explore it a bit. Am I happy with it? Sufficiently, yes, although I haven't yet digested it in full. For one month out from launch, I can't complain much. Of course, that's not the first thing that I want to talk about today. I want to talk about builds. Rather than giving you the absolute best-of-the-best builds for tanking and DPS and so forth, which I can't quite do, I want to help you figure out how to make a build that works. It's a satisfyingly interactive, and there are lots of very functional options however you choose to build your character.
Path of Exile removes Snapshotting
Wondering what the folks developing Path of Exile are up to these days? A new dev blog from Grinding Gear Games details some major changes to the game as the Snapshotting mechanic is being removed. Snapshotting allows players to lock in the benefits of a specific set of items, passives, or gems and quickly swap them to another configuration, giving the combined benefits from both sets. While not technically illegal in the game, the devs say that it has hindered game balance for too long and needed to be removed. Check out the video after the cut to get a better idea of what Snapshotting is (was!), and be sure to read through the entire dev article for more information on how the game will be balanced moving forward.
Elder Scrolls Online spotlights Dragonknight Healer build
Next up in Elder Scrolls Online's player-submitted build column is a look at the so-called "Dragonknight Healer." This build is primarily focused on survivability and support, creating a very durable character that can patch up allies on the fly. "Though her build may be missing some of the advantages of Templar and Sorcerer healing, you give her a call if you need a healer that is sturdy and really hard to kill," player Ville Korpi wrote. The build doesn't come without offensive abilities, as it contains both multi-mob and single-target DPS as the situation warrants. It's not a boss-killing build, but for those who can heal like this, chances are that they'll be invited to groups where others will do the dirty work while this build shines in the support wings.
Watch this massive game of Tetris play out on a Philly skyscraper (video)
Tetris is turning 30 (yes, thirty!) in June, so some folks threw it one epic pre-birthday party at Philly Tech Week's kickoff event this April 5th. What'd they do, you ask? They used the 29-story Cira Centre building as a screen to play an enormous game of Tetris that could be seen in many parts of the city, as you can watch in the clip after the break. While this isn't the first time someone rigged the facade of a building to play Tetris -- there was that one time in France and another at MIT, which was actually a brilliant prank by its students -- this is possibly the largest attempt, thus far.
Windows apps can run on Xbox, but only the ones Microsoft approves of
When Microsoft announced earlier today that universal Windows apps could run on the Xbox One, it seemed pretty...self-explanatory. A developer could easily port any Windows or Windows Phone app over to the Xbox for you to use on your TV. Right? Not exactly. Here at Build, we had the chance to sit down with Steven Guggenheimer, corporate vice president in the Developer Platform and Evangelism group, who gave us a little more insight into how this universal app thing is going to work on Xbox.
The Nokia Lumia 930 is a global version of the Icon (hands-on)
The Nokia Lumia Icon is a fantastic Windows Phone that comes with a bunch of top features that most WP users haven't been able to enjoy until recently, but it had one critical flaw: it was an exclusive to Verizon, which meant that only a handful of users in the US could buy it. For the rest of the world, the only way to get a top-of-the-line Windows Phone (in nearly every spec, that is) has been to buy the Lumia 1520, but its large 6-inch display -- though beautiful at 1080p -- simply made it too big for a lot of people. Fortunately, that's about to end because Nokia announced a global version of the Icon known as the Lumia 930, which comes with more LTE compatibility and Windows Phone 8.1. Interestingly enough, there's not much of a difference between the two devices. This actually is a bit surprising, considering Verizon has historically landed design exclusives with Nokia like the Lumia 822 and 928. The resemblance is definitely striking, with the only major hardware changes manifest in the presence of GSM bands instead of CDMA and the additional colors that Nokia will offer.
Nokia shows off 'MD-12' Bluetooth speaker to match its new smartphones
It's not all fun phones and games at Nokia's Build shindig here in San Francisco. In addition to giving us a closer look at the new Lumia 930, 630 and 635, the company is showing off a Bluetooth speaker to accompany them. The MD-12 (even Stephen Elop couldn't explain the name) is available in the same cheerful color palette as the new handsets, including a bright orange hue. On the audio front, this is really just a companion device, but Nokia is claiming the bass is still better than you'd expect on a device like this. As for size, it's especially compact -- this thing is about the size of a hockey puck, making it even smaller than, say, the Mini Jambox. That said, there appears to still be a robust battery inside: Nokia is claiming 15 hours of audio playback, compared with 10 hours for the Mini Jambox. No word on when, exactly, it will go on sale, but Elop himself said it will cost $55.
Nokia announces the Lumia 930, a 5-inch phone with a 20-megapixel PureView camera
It appears that Nokia isn't coming to Microsoft's developer conference empty-handed. Though the acquisition is still pending, Nokia went ahead and brought in some new hardware anyway. This time, the phone maker has announced the Lumia 930, which is essentially the international version of the Lumia Icon. Which is to say, it features a 5-inch full HD display and a 20-megapixel PureView camera with a Zeiss lens. The camera is clearly the star of the show here: not only does it have optical image stabilization, but the phone also ships with a Creative Studio app that'll let you add Instagram-style filters to your snapshots. There's also a new feature called "Living Images" that can be weaved into Nokia's Storyteller application. Photos and videos are automatically sorted by time and location, and if you want to be all fancy, you can add music to the background when viewing the images. Other features include four high-performance digital microphones, directional stereo recording on-board, wireless charging and a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor. Of course, it also runs the latest Windows Phone 8.1 firmware, which promises plenty of new goodies like a notification center (finally!) and Cortana, Windows' answer to Siri and Google Now. It also has something called "SensorCore," which apparently hooks into the Bing Health & Fitness app. Microsoft says the Lumia 930 will launch first in Europe starting in June, and will be available in Asia and other markets at a later date. It should land on more than 100 operators, priced at around $599. Unfortunately, US availability hasn't been announced, but that could be because we already have the Icon. In the meantime, have a peek at the video after the break to get your first taste of Nokia's latest flagship. Update: You can check our hands-on of the Lumia 930 right here.
Microsoft pushes universal apps that run on everything Windows
Crafting a seriously great app experience for one device is hard enough, but these days developers have plenty of form factors to tackle. Microsoft is trying to ease their suffering a bit with the introduction of universal Windows apps, which just took the stage at the company's Build conference in San Francisco. Long story short, you'd theoretically only have to write an app in Visual Studio once. Most of the code (in the language of your choosing, Microsoft insists) remains the same, but that universal app will take on a different appearance depending on what device it's running on. Well, if you want it to, anyway. Naturally, developers can fine-tune the finished product too, so the experience of using the app on Windows Phone feels as polished as it does on a PC. You'd be forgiven for thinking this is a bit on the dry side, but this is a big deal -- Microsoft is trying to break down the app barrier so devs can make more consistently good apps for us faster.
Windows 8.1 update aims to win over mouse-and-keyboard users, arrives April 8th as an automatic download
The whole point of Windows 8 was to make Microsoft's aging OS easier to use on touchscreen devices. Mission accomplished, we'd say (more or less). But now the folks in Redmond have a new challenge afoot: Make Windows 8 equally easy to use on tablets and traditional PCs. The company's already made some progress -- last year's Windows 8.1 update was all about keyboard shortcuts, better multitasking and the return of the Start button (sort of). Now, with its latest update, Microsoft is going after mouse-and-keyboard users. In particular, you can pin Windows Store apps to the desktop Taskbar, and close out of a Metro app by pressing an "X" in the upper-right corner. Heck, you can even shut down without having to open the Charms Bar. Shocking, we know. It's all very exciting, and indeed, you can see for yourselves soon enough; the update will arrive as a Windows Update download on April 8th, which means most folks will simply install it automatically. In the meantime, we've got a full primer after the break, along with a healthy dose of screenshots (we know you love your screenshots).
Windows Phone 8.1 and Cortana officially revealed at Build 2014
As predicted, Microsoft is using its Build developer conference to launch Windows Phone 8.1, the latest and (we hope) greatest version of its mobile OS. The company's fed us a bunch of information about the update already, and a vast number of leaks have covered nearly all remaining features. Still, it's about time for us to get the skinny on everything the new upgrade entails, so let's break down exactly what you can expect from Windows Phone going forward.
Microsoft's opening-day Build keynote is happening now, get your liveblog here!
It's technically called "Build Windows." But this year, the biggest news coming out of Microsoft's annual developer conference might not have much to do with Windows at all. Sure, we're expecting a software update, for which we've already seen copious leaks. But what about Windows Phone? Is version 8.1 on the way? Maybe we'll even hear about Cortana, Microsoft's answer to Siri. And hey, what of Nokia? Is this acquisition gonna ever close or what? Lastly, can we see some new hardware? Might we catch a glimpse of some new phones ahead of tonight's Nokia shindig? Your guess is as good as ours, which means you'll want to follow our liveblog as we give you the blow-by-blow. April 2, 2014 11:30:00 AM EDT
Microsoft plans to bring Windows to robots and 'a whole new class of small devices'
Microsoft's Build 2014 kicks off tomorrow, but it's not just Windows Phones, tablets, Office or even the return of Clippy. Redmond has plans to bring its operating system, well, everywhere else. A Windows on Devices site has apparated into existence, mentioning robots, talking bears, the Internet of Things and Intel's Galileo acting as developmental hardware. It looks like Microsoft's planning a charm offensive on the maker community, with the site linking out to a Big-styled -- presumably Microsoft-powered -- floor keyboard as well as Maker Faire. The first SDK will appear soon, (by the end of Spring 2014) with additional releases through out the year. Microsoft says it'll have a life-sized piano to show-off its Windows on Devices conceit and naturally, it reckons its cloud services will serve as the perfect online accompaniment.
Video shows off Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant in action
"Hi there. I'm Cortana. I can help make life a bit easier for you." These are the first words of Microsoft's still unannounced virtual assistant codenamed "Cortana," according to a new video leaked by UnleashThePhones.com. If it's true, this is the best look we've had of the rumored Windows Phone 8.1 service so far. The video begins by showing Cortana as a dedicated Live Tile, and then takes us through the setup process. You'll be prompted to login with your Microsoft Account, which is required to enjoy all of the service's features; according to the permissions page, Cortana will have access to sources like your location data, voice input, contacts, calendar, search history, emails and texts, browser history and more.
Tamriel Infinium: Outside the box healing and tanking in The Elder Scrolls Online
In last week's Tamriel Infinium, I had my top-tier theorycrafter and friend Calls1gn throw together some off-the-wall DPS builds for The Elder Scrolls Online. But he could theorycraft all day, and it wouldn't mean anything if he couldn't put it into practice. Luckily, ZeniMax opened the doors to the ESO beta again this past weekend. I was totally intrigued by the melee Sorcerer with pets. After playing that type of character at low levels, I have to say that it's an extremely lazy class. Now, I didn't have all the abilities because they required a higher-level character, but even at my low level, I mostly sat back and watched my pets do their thing while I found one mob to beat on. It worked and was more than viable. Of course, building a DPS class is easy, right? What about something that requires a bit more concentration? What about a tank or a healer? Building a DPS character is a bit less difficult than tanks or healers, but that doesn't make them any less difficult to play. Still, your playstyle does change, and your focus changes if you want to tank or heal. I asked Calls1gn to build us a few tank and healer classes, too. I wanted a Dragonknight healer because there are few DK abilities that have anything to do with healing, and I wanted a Sorc tank because -- well, just because. He delivered.
Field Journal: Picking up the pieces of Fallen Earth
I was introduced to Fallen Earth way back in the mists of time, around when I first started reading Massively. It was one of the earliest Choose My Adventures, and I was so impressed that I made my own account and joined in on the fun part of the way through. My character even made a few cameos in the column later on. I have a lot of fond memories of the game, and a significant part of that is due to the crafting system. There are some really good ideas in there, even if the execution has always been a bit flawed. Despite those flaws, I wouldn't trade my early days with the game for anything. Well, other than a better version of the same game.
Windows Phone 8.1 leak reveals new messaging and storage settings, and more
Up until now, the most we'd heard about the next rumored update to Microsoft's Windows Phone OS centered on two features: Cortana, the company's Siri-like digital assistant, and Action Center, its native notification center. Today, however, we have a clearer idea of where Windows Phone 8.1 could be headed thanks to a Reddit user who's allegedly gained access to the new SDK as part of Microsoft's developer preview program.
A foundation for future growth: Examining LotRO's class restructuring
Let's start out with the elephant in the room: The comprehensive and radical class changes that are coming to Lord of the Rings Online with Helm's Deep have a portion of the community rattled. After all, we are protective of our characters and concerned about changes that affect them, and this looks to be a doozy. You want to hear a secret? Turbine's a little scared too. When asked if this might become LotRO's NGE -- the reviled shift in Star Wars Galaxies' gameplay structure -- the devs said it's something they've been asked a lot these days. They know that there's a part of the playerbase that's fearful, and in all honesty, the devs have had a few sleepless nights over the changes too. But past the fear is the certainty that this is the course the game needs to take right now, and that certainty grows by the day as they continue to test the changes on the beta server. The team told us as such during a class tour today, going on to show us the scope of what's going to happen. What we're looking at here is the old class trait system thrown in the trash to be replaced by specializations and trait trees, as well as the paring down of many class skills into a more manageable number. It's going to impact everyone all at once, so if this is your game of choice, you'll want to read on.
Windows Store recommendations could one day reflect your usage patterns
Yesterday was the day Microsoft made Windows 8.1 available as a public download; today's the day we ask "what's next?" Here at the company's annual Build developer conference, we sat down with Ted Dworkin, the man who oversees the Windows Store, to do a deeper dive on the store's latest redesign. In particular, we were curious about that new Bing-powered recommendation engine, and how it might become smarter over time. What ensued was a Pandora's box of a brainstorming session. Naturally, Dworkin wouldn't make any promises about what we'll see in future updates, but he did offer some compelling ideas about how Microsoft could take people's usage patterns into account when recommending apps. For instance, while Windows already knows which applications you've downloaded, a future version of the store might also be aware of which apps you use most frequently, which ones you've uninstalled, which ones you've shared, which ones you've pinned, which ones you've unpinned, et cetera. On a privacy note, the recommendation engine is already optional, so there's no reason why you couldn't disable this kind of data collection too. For starters, this an interesting idea for the developers attending Build this week -- there are definitely people out there who download apps because they're testing them (or reviewing them) and not because they plan on using them every day. Even more broadly, though, who among us hasn't gone on a downloading spree, just to see what they liked? With usage patterns taken into account, you might get more useful picks, ones that ignore that random Twitter client or Angry Birds game you installed. Again, Dworkin wouldn't say for sure if Microsoft plans on implementing any of this, but our vote would be "yes" if it leads to more recommendations we'd actually use.
