Larry-Liberty
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Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs
DC Universe Online fans who've long wanted Legends PvE learned at SOE Live that the feature was finally on its way to the game. And now patience is about to pay off! Legends PvE is launching with GU43, along with plenty of other goodies like new underwater bases and a new legends character. There's even something for the PvPers: revamped arena award rules. Executive Producer Larry Liberty and Creative Director Jens Andersen recently led a media tour of this upcoming content, showcasing Deathstroke in all his Legends glory along with sharing a few other tidbits of news (like the release window for Amazon Fury Part II). As Liberty put it, "Game Update 43 wound up becoming quite a bit bigger than we initially anticipated."
Producer's letter details DCUO 'remastered'
DC Universe Online's Update 31 is on its way, and with it come some of the biggest changes ever implemented to the game's core design and appearance. Executive producer Larry Liberty today outlined the key points in a letter to the community, explaining to players what they can expect from Update 31 and beyond. According to Liberty, the bulk of Update 31 focuses on preparing DCUO for its impending PS4 launch. Changes include graphics upgrades like higher resolution textures and area redesigns, along with a "remastering" of the core leveling experience. Leveling from 1-30 has seen special attention; Liberty noted that new players should see a smoother progression of content with less chance of being stuck without a mission. Update 31 is tentatively scheduled for a November launch on PC and PS3. The game's PS4 release is still on track to match up with the console's release window.
SOE Live 2013: DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC and beyond
Just before the events of SOE Live actually got rolling, DC Universe Online's next DLC was announced. But that little bit of foreknowledge certainly didn't mean that folks had heard everything; it was, in fact, quite the opposite. Attendees were treated to an eye-ful and earful of Sons of Trigon goodness as well as some other non-DLC 8 related tidbits. We were on the scene to catch these announcements in the various panels for you, and we also got to speak with Design Director Jesse Benjamin, Producer Larry Liberty, and Creative Director Jens Andersen to hear their thoughts on DCL 8, see a preview of the new areas, and get a hint of what's coming in the future.
DC Universe Online producer: PS4 should 'be a great platform for MMOs'
DC Universe Online producer Larry Liberty recently shared some interesting insights about SOE's cross-platform superhero MMO with NowGamer. The PlayStation 3 version of the game features a userbase that skews younger than its PC counterpart, and Liberty says that DCUO is the first MMO experience for many PS3 players. He also mentions that PC players appear to be more comfortable with traditional MMO gameplay like guilds, groups, and raids. In terms of the eternal controller vs. keyboard/mouse debate, Liberty says he prefers the former. That said, "the top three finishers in our first-ever DC Universe Online Legends PvP Tournament at SOE Live last year used the keyboard/mouse setup," he explained. Finally, Liberty says he expects the recently announced PlayStation 4 to "be a great platform for MMOs."
DCUO's producer recaps power retooling
It's tough enough to balance an MMO for a single platform, but DC Universe Online's team has the unenviable task of doing so for both the PC and PlayStation 3. Due to the latter's "strict limitations," Executive Producer Larry Liberty and his team had to prioritize performance and balance over visual oomph. In a new producer's letter, Liberty recaps the changes that the team has done to four of the game's powersets -- Mental, Gadgets, Fire, and Ice -- and explains why the devs did what they did. Sorcery and Nature powers are next on the retooling table, and he said that SOE will try to get feedback even earlier than before for these changes. "In short, we want to make sure that powers are balanced, defects are resolved, and ensure that things that cause slow-down or gameplay issues are remedied," said Liberty.
DC Universe Online producer outlines 2013 updates
There's a new producer's letter up on DC Universe Online's official website. SOE's Larry Liberty checks in to update us on the status of the game's next DLC pack as well as look at what's planned for 2013. Home Turf is still scheduled for "very early in the year," and it will bring with it player bases, lair battles, endgame solo content, and more. After that, SOE is eyeing several more DLC packs that will bring league bases to the game as well as new raids, alerts, and power revamps focusing on fire and ice. Liberty says PvP and performance issues are on the agenda as well, so click the link below to get all the details.
DC Universe Online producer's letter explores the future of PvP
Another month is on its way out, and that means it's time for another DC Universe Online monthly producer's letter. This one is particularly special, though, because it's the first official producer's letter written by the game's new producer, Larry Liberty. Liberty takes a moment to introduce himself as a 16-year veteran of the industry who has worked on title such as Fallout: New Vegas, The Witcher, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Tony Hawk 4. The remainder of the letter pertains almost entirely to PvP and some of the recent changes made to it. One of the major changes is that the studio has "basically reduced the ceiling on how much damage output a crit can deliver," claiming that the team wants "to reduce the importance of luck and the importance of a good virtual dice roll in combat, and increase the importance of skill." Liberty then goes on to explain the team's philosophy behind the changes, stating that "the overarching goal for [the studio's] PvP system changes is to emphasize intelligent tactics and skillful play over lucky die rolls and raw stats." The post is rounded out by a list of some of the PvP features that are planned for game updates 13 and 14, showing players what they can expect for the future of DCUO's PvP. For the full, tasty details, go check out the full post at the game's official site.
