Dogfighting
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'Elite Dangerous' offers space combat in a separate game
Elite Dangerous is a trading, fighting and exploration space game, but if you're only interested in the "fighting" part, you can now do that for a lot less. Developer Frontier is offering a standalone module called Elite Dangerous: Arena for $7.50 on Steam ( £4.99 in the UK and €6.75 elsewhere in Europe). That's a big savings over the $30 price of Elite Dangerous, and you'll still get session-based player-versus-player gaming and the same physics and handling of the full title. In addition, you'll be able to play owners of the standalone Arena module, Elite Dangerous or Elite Dangerous: Horizons.
Star Citizen releases Arena Commander 1.0
Pilots, start your engines, for Star Citizen's Arena Commander 1.0 is here! Arena Commander is the next significant milestone for the modularly developed space sim. With AC 1.0, pilots can take their ships out for dogfighting or just to experience flight among the stars. Arena Commander 1.0 also has the effect of growing Star Citizen's feature list. The team's tripled the number of flyable ships with 14 new vessels. Missiles were improved, while the game added a lobby system, a friends list, a ship signature system, a thruster power system, and a lateral g-force system. The team also improved many of the visuals, animations, and audio effects. [Thanks to Chrysillis for the tip!]
Disney shutters Star Wars Attack Squadrons
Disney has just announced that Star Wars Attack Squadrons will cease operations in the wake of its closed beta test. A message on the official site reads, "We want to thank all of the fans who participated in the closed beta of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons. After much consideration, we have decided to cease development so that we can focus on other Star Wars game experiences. We truly appreciate the time you spent engaging in the beta." The company first revealed the game in December 2013 as a Star Wars dogfighting space combat title set in pseudo-MMO-like 16-player environments.
Star Citizen's Arena Commander is launching on May 29th
Star Citizen fans, mark your calendars for May 29th. If all goes well, you'll be playing at least a single-player version of Arena Commander as Cloud Imperium begins to roll out portions of its long-awaited dogfighting module. CIG chairman Chris Roberts has posted his weekly recap, which contains the tentative date and a preview of what to expect. "The goal is that every backer will have access to the single-player Free Flight and Vanduul Swarm games mode on this day, and the very first batch of multiplayer testers will get access to the game's multiplayer game modes," Roberts writes. "We will scale up the multiplayer as quickly as possible starting on that date, increasing the number of players as it is stable and stopping to fix bugs where needed." There's much more to the weekly studio report, so click through to the Roberts Space Industries website to read it!
PAX East 2014: Star Citizen and the DFM are 'more than just PvP'
Chris Roberts took the stage at a backer-only pre-PAX event in Boston last night to show off some of Star Citizen's alpha dogfighting footage. Despite a few technical glitches, fans were able to get an extended glimpse of the game's first playable module, which Roberts said will likely release in a month or so. The dogfighting module will be presented as part of the in-universe fiction and thus will take the form of a space sim called Arena Commander which released to gamers in the year 2944. Players will load into the DFM through their pre-existing hangar module where they'll choose between five alpha game modes: Free Flight, Battle Royale, Squadron Battle, Capture the Core, and Vanduul Swarm (basically a horde mode). Cloud Imperium is including leaderboards and plenty of stats which will show up both on Star Citizen's web-based player and organization profiles as well as in the finished game. The upcoming module will also feature co-op capabilities along with PvE AI. "At the end of the day, for me, it's not all about combat," Roberts explained, "so if [combat's] not your thing you don't have to worry about it." Click past the cut to watch the full livestream.
Star Citizen updates backers on progress in March
Eagerly anticipating Star Citizen? Then you'll be happy to see that the latest development update from the team is now live, focusing on the many projects in development for the game. At the top of the list, of course, is the much-anticipated dogfighting module, which has dominated the attention of all departments. The update goes to great lengths to try and show off just what has been the result of the extra time and effort sunk into the module as a whole. The dogfighting HUD has been revised to ensure that a great deal of information is accessible without cluttering the display. There's also been a push to improve the visuals on the ships, making them look more realistic and detailed when in motion. And that's not getting into the other work being done in fields like personal weaponry... but you don't have to take our word for it. Take a look at the March progress update and see for yourself.
EVE Evolved: Merging Valkyrie with EVE Online
Ever since its release in 2003, EVE Online has been bombarded with requests for direct flight controls and dogfighter-style gameplay. Most ships in EVE are huge lumbering hulks compared to real-world aircraft, more akin to large sea-faring ships than nimble jetfighters. Even tiny agile Interceptors can't be controlled directly, instead having the player issue commands to fly in a particular direction or move toward or orbit an object. As a result, combat in EVE has become much more heavily about the strategy of directing fleets of dozens or hundreds of ships than any kind of piloting skill or twitch control. This year's EVE Fanfest gave players a glimpse into the world of immersive twitch combat with the announcement of a new dogfighting game set in the EVE Online universe. Originally starting out as an virtual reality experiment by a few developers in their spare time, EVE Valkyrie has now become a full game in its own right and an example of what's possible with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. It was always assumed that Valkyrie was an EVE game in name and theme only, but recently developers have revealed that they'd like it to tie into the actual EVE Online universe itself. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at recently revealed information on EVE Valkyrie and speculate on how it could be integrated into the EVE universe.
EVE Valkyrie could be coming to console before PC
EVE: Valkyrie was officially revealed back in August of this year with a teaser earlier at Fanfest, but details have been scarce so far. We know that it's a dog-fighting sim that uses the Oculus Rift, but a recent interview over at Rock, Paper Shotgun hints that the game may not be coming to the PC -- at least initially. "It technically works on PC, and it's working fine," chief marketing officer David Reid told RPS. "But there are other platforms it could run on. There's nothing that technically prevents it from running on a console, for example." While Reid does say later in the interview that PC is "definitely in the cards," there certainly seems to be a prominent nudge toward the game coming to consoles first. And interestingly enough, it's not even really confirmed that the game will be released for the Oculus Rift specifically. "While we can't get into details here," Reid pointed out, "there are other platforms that are available. It is technically possible to run this game without a Rift. There's a whole bunch of different things out on the market right now."
The not-so-friendly skies: Hands-on with World of Warplanes' open beta
Wargaming.net is the reigning king of free-to-play, with its flagship title World of Tanks sitting pretty at 60 million registered users and holding the world record for player concurrency. One wouldn't necessarily expect MMO gamers to be drawn to a game where the only physical manifestation of the player is a massive tank, but World of Tanks has surged into popularity and left more than a few industry assumptions crumpled under its treads. Fueled by this success, Wargaming.net now seeks to expand its legacy by releasing two new games based on the World of Tanks formula. One is the mysterious World of Warships, which has yet to make any sort of official appearance, and the other is World of Warplanes, which is winding down its extended beta phase and soaring ever-closer to its September 26th release date. Together, the three games will theoretically form a perfect union of land, sea, and air combat steeped in historical accuracy and intense action. We hopped into the World of Warplanes beta to see how the aerial portion of Wargaming.net's vision is shaping up, and to find out once and for all if we were truly ace material.
Daily iPad App: Sid Meier's Ace Patrol is an excellent game sold badly
My birthday was last week on May 6, and Firaxis must have heard about that because in recent weeks they've released not one, but two great turn-based strategy games. First, Haunted Hollow was released as a great, original free-to-play title, and now the legendary Sid Meier (of Civilization and Pirates) has released a game called Ace Patrol, available as a free download on iOS. Ace Patrol is excellent -- it's a turn-based dogfighting game, where you manuver pilots in WWII around a battlefield, climbing, diving and swooping around into position all while trying to accomplish certain goals or take out the other side. Progression in the game is marked by "maneuvers," so pilots who have leveled up have access to more and advanced moves. Weapons fire for free, but you've got to line up closely to the enemy, preferably behind them, to avoid any incoming attacks. Unfortunately, as good as the game itself is, Firaxis really missed the mark on this one's freemium plan. The in-app purchases on Ace Patrol are just plain confusing -- you can play through a number of missions for free, but then when you spend some money to unlock the rest of the missions, you (currently -- I'll bet this is fixed soon) don't get to keep your progress. Additionally, while in-app purchases give you access to other nations, you also sometimes need to pay to get your lost pilots out of being captured. Fortunately, there are "superpacks" you can buy (which essentially open up the game's content), but the whole scheme just isn't well-thought-out. Haunted Hollow's IAP was clear and well-designed, but the same care hasn't been taken here, unfortunately. Still, Ace Patrol is an excellent game, a very well-designed set of battles put together by a master game developer. There are quite a few of these turn-based battle simulations to go around (Leviathan Warships is another recently released variant, though that one takes place on sea and is more complicated than Ace Patrol), but Ace Patrol does an excellent job of combining really deep strategy with easy and accessible gameplay. Grab this free download right away for sure.
EVE Evolved: Could EVE use twitch controls?
A few weeks ago, the EVE Online community went nuts for EVR, CCP's exciting new virtual reality dogfighter developed for the upcoming Oculus Rift gaming headset. The game demo was produced by a team of just a handful of developers in just seven weeks using nothing but their spare time, but attendees and press at EVE Fanfest 2013 were nevertheless blown away during test sessions. Though EVR isn't going to be integrated with the EVE universe, Senior Producer Andie Nordgren stated in her Keynote address that CCP will be looking into more immersive flight and combat mechanics for some the game's ships. This comment has sparked a lot of discussion over the possibility of finally getting some direct flight controls in EVE. The lack of direct twitch-based controls in EVE is often cited by gamers as a big part of the reason they can't get into the game. There's no active dodging of missiles, manual ship targeting, or really complex tactical maneuvers in EVE, but that's kind of the point. Most ships in EVE are colossal lumbering hulks more akin to today's seafaring battleships than fighter planes, and combat with them is more a game of strategy and teamwork than a battle of reaction speeds. But that isn't exactly true of all ships; interceptors and fast microwarpdrive frigates move at several kilometres per second and are so agile that pilots can already pull off some interesting tactical maneuvers. So isn't it about time we made the combat for those ships a bit more visceral and immersive? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the fast-paced world of interceptors and explore how twitch controls and weapon aiming could possibly be implemented without killing the server.
EVE Evolved: Hands-on with EVE's virtual reality demo
As EVE Online's tenth anniversary Fanfest slowly got underway, the press were led into a small upstairs room with chairs lined up and ominous-looking black headsets. The headsets turned out to be expensive prototype devkits of the Oculus Rift, a recently kickstarted PC peripheral that aims to make immersive virtual reality affordable for gamers. VR headsets are traditionally heavy monstrosities costing thousands of pounds and usually have input processing lag that make them unsuitable for high-action gaming, but the Oculus Rift is a light and highly responsive device currently clocking in at a more reasonable $300. We were sat down to take part in a demo of EVR, a new virtual reality multiplayer dogfighter that uses art assets from EVE Online. It was an incredibly immersive experience for those of us unfamiliar with the Oculus Rift, and even members of the press who had used the device seemed impressed with the game. Fanfest attendees were equally excited when a trailer for EVR was shown at the EVE Keynote on Friday, and many attendees got to try the game first hand last night. But what impressed me the most was the story behind the demo's creation and the possibilities that Oculus Rift could potentially open up if support for it were brought to EVE Online. In this week's EVE Evolved, I give my hands-on impressions of EVR, delve into the story behind its creation, and speculate on how Oculus Rift support could revolutionise EVE.
Star Citizen makes final crowd-funding push, dogfight video released
There's less than a week to go in Star Citizen's crowd-funding push, and Chris Roberts has produced a new video short in which he challenges space sim fans to help his company over the $4 million hump. If the new stretch goal is met, it will allow for more mod tools, an expanded version of the Squadron 42 single-player component, and a larger free-roam universe for the multiplayer game, which is apparently still two years away. Roberts has also released an early gameplay video showing off a cockpit view, wingman AI, and a brief dogfight. He says the video is far from representative of the final product but useful for gauging the progress of Star Citizen's advanced AI system. "The Squadron 42/Star Citizen pilot AI will be the most sophisticated AI that I've attempted on any of my games. My goal is to take the ideas that I pioneered with Wing Commander and later games -- distinct personalities, dynamic learning, signature moves -- to the next level with the power of modern CPUs," Roberts explains. See both videos in their entirety after the cut.
Wargaming.net releases new World of Warplanes screens
The latest salvo in the battle between forthcoming free-to-play aviation MMOs has been fired by Wargaming.net. The company has released a fresh batch of screenshots detailing its new World of Warplanes title, which is the second in a trilogy of World War II-based action games that includes World of Tanks and World of Battleships. The screenshots show a small cross section of classic aircraft slipping the surly bonds of earth and engaging in various maneuvers designed to fill enemies full of hot lead. Wargaming.net's press release says that "every plane will feature multiple variations of ammo types, engines, and other crucial modules," and players will be able to guide their pilot avatars through a virtual career that begins in 1930s biplanes and culminates in the cockpit of Korean War-era jets. See the sights in the gallery below, and check out our exclusive interview with project manager Alexander Zezulin for more details on World of Warplanes' features and mechanics. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] %Gallery-130862%
Black Prophecy launches North American open beta
E3 is still in full swing, but Reakktor and gamigo are already looking past the publicity-soaked annual gaming convention and into the future. That future is now for North American fans of Black Prophecy, and today marks the beginning of open beta for the title that launched in Europe last March. Black Prophecy features real-time dogfighting, customizable ships, storylines, and open-world gameplay, all set against an interstellar backdrop punctuated by constant war and lush visuals. You can register for the open beta on the game's official website, as well as download the client. Be sure to check out all our previous coverage to get up to speed.
Black Prophecy throws a European open beta shindig
Put up or shut up. Lock and load. Light the fires and kick the tires. Warp speed now, mister! Whatever phrase gets you in the mood for some good ol' fashioned space dogfighting, dust it off and get it ready for use. Gamigo's announced that Black Prophecy has launched its open beta for European participants. While Black Prophecy has been in closed beta in both North America and Europe, this new phase of testing represents the first time the game's been available to everyone. In anticipation for the rush to check it out, gamigo's opened two open beta servers in Europe: Kemmura (English) and Shinava (German). To help new pilots get settled into the war, gamigo's provided a starting guide on the community forums with information about setting up an account, how to play, and how to post bug reports. With the NDA down and the open beta starting, Black Prophecy's launch hopefully isn't far away. In the meanwhile, check out our first impressions of the game, and let us know what you think when you give it a whirl!
NetDevil producer discusses the Jumpgate Evolution experience
Space-based massively multiplayer games are few and far between, in an industry dominated by dragons, monsters, swords, and all the other mainstays of the fantasy genre. Of course there are a few prominent examples of sci-fi MMOs on the market, most notably EVE Online which seems to be holding its own in a fantasy-fixated industry. But EVE is a particular type of game that doesn't quite meet the needs of those sci-fi fans who want a more visceral combat experience. Jumpgate Evolution, which is in development at NetDevil, may well be a title that provides that style of play gamers want in a sci-fi MMO. Indeed, Jumpgate Evolution is introducing an old favorite to the sci-fi MMO genre -- the joystick.But there's certainly a lot more to Jumpgate Evolution than its dogfighting. Jim Rossignol from Eurogamer caught up with Hermann Peterscheck, the Producer of Jumpgate Evolution, and spoke with him about some of the core concepts of the title, its mission (quest) system, and objective-based PvP. Peterscheck also walks the reader through what the new player experience will be like when beginning Jumpgate Evolution. If you're interested in hearing more about Jumpgate Evolution and how its gameplay is going to differ from a title like EVE Online, head on over to Rossignol's Eurogamer interview with Hermann Peterscheck.
New Jumpgate Evolution video shows off dogfighting
It's safe to say that there are a lot of sci-fi MMO fans out there who would appreciate a game that incorporates dogfighting into a space-based title. Jumpgate Evolution is shaping up to be that game, from what we've seen thus far of its combat. We've been following Jumpgate Evolution for a while now, and Massively's Kyle Horner recently interviewed NetDevil producer Hermann Peterscheck about the upcoming title. New video footage of the game, captured at PAX 2008, is now found at GameTrailers.The video shows off combat taking place within a massive asteroid belt. Have a look at the video below the cut, and let us know if you think Jumpgate Evolution seems to be your type of game.
HAWX takes to the skies
Rumors have hit the web that Tom Clancy's HAWX might be coming to the Wii, after the game was announced for the 360 and PS3 not too long ago. It's a high-speed flight combat simulator, a platform for military heroes to strut their stuff, and hopefully a graphical showcase for some serious dogfighting action. There hasn't been any official announcement or media for the Wii version as yet, but several online retailers along with IGN have updated their listings to specifically include HAWX. Ubisoft is holding out on details for now, but the tentative release date of September 16 shouldn't be too far off the mark. Check out the official website to get all excited and stuff. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer won't be involved. Phew.[Via GoNintendo]
Air Rivals: EVE Online lite?
If you've ever wanted to play EVE Online, but you're not into the hardcore PvP aspect, the economic corporations, the mining, the extreme vastness of the universe or you simply don't have any money at all, Air Rivals might just be the game for you. It's almost like it could be considered EVE Online-lite. Very, very lite. Ok, no seriously, it's not really like EVE Online.In Air Rivals, you pilot your ship (called a Gear in the game) into dogfighting battles with other players. You can also join a faction, and eventually build up enough faction points to call down the mothership to attack the opposing side. In a world of hack-and-slash free fantasy MMOs, this is a welcome change of scenery for the free-to-play market.
