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New Hero Engine sandbox to feature 3-faction PvP, deep crafting
Hey sandbox fans, here's another indie title to keep your eye on as we look toward the new year. Above & Beyond Technologies is working on a sci-fi game called The Repopulation, and the company has just released a new trailer filled with pre-alpha footage. The project is built on the Hero Engine (and if that doesn't mean anything to you, you'll surely recognize the tech's most famous implementation to date) and is described as a three-faction PvP game that allows players to join existing nations or create their own. Gameplay is purportedly skill-based, and there is a toggle between traditional MMORPG button-mashing combat and some sort of action mode. There are also "many non-combat activities" including an "advanced" crafting system. The video shows quite a bit of footage given its sub-two-minute running time, and you can get a glimpse of city building, combat, and the user interface after the break.
The Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I hate MMORPG combat. It's not because I'm a carebear. It's not because I'm bad at it. It's not because I dislike parsing, being a min/maxer, or solving equations and comparing spreadsheets when I'm supposed to be having fun. OK, maybe it is because of those last four things. Mainly, though, it's because MMORPG combat completely and unequivocally sucks. MMORPG combat is not combat. It's high school math. And it's the same in every damn MMORPG. Twenty years into the genre here, guys, aren't we ready to grow up even a little bit?
PAX 2011: TERA producers reveal server vs. server endgame content
This year's PAX Prime doesn't feature an En Masse Entertainment booth for TERA, but the company did host an informational shindig for journalists and fans at its offices in downtown Seattle over the weekend. Producers Chris Hager and Stefan Ramirez ran the show, and the presentation focused heavily on the action MMO aspects as well as the game's depth. The show started with a repeat of the recent Castanic healer video, and from there Hager and Ramirez set about profiling the game's mechanical aspects (including the combat, glyph, and crystal systems). The presentation was geared towards folks who haven't really kept up with TERA, as there wasn't much discussed that we haven't known about for a while. Aside from the action talking points, we also got bits about story, the details on the political and vanarch systems, and some info on the argons. En Masse also trotted out the first mention of its plans for server vs. server combat. The system is designed to provide additional endgame content via PvE and PvP. "It's going to have players from other servers coming to your territory, on your server, and invading your space," Hager explained. He went on to mention how guilds will need to ally with one another to repel the invaders, and if the alliance proves strong enough, take the fight back to the invaders' home turf. En Masse was very coy about the details on this new system, and we expect more information will be forthcoming as we move toward TERA's spring 2012 release date. Finally, we managed some quality hands-on time with the game during the event, so check in with us periodically this weekend and we'll bring you a detailed report. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
The Daily Grind: What is player skill, anyway?
Today it's time to tackle the somewhat touchy subject of player skill in MMORPGs. With Guild Wars 2 touting its active dodging system and TERA just on the horizon with its action-based combat, many games seem to be attempting to force individual player skill to weigh more heavily in overall gameplay. Guild Wars 2's PvP takes it a step further, putting all players on an even playing field with equal gear and equal stats, leaving the only undecided factor to be the skill of each individual player. But what is player skill? Some people argue that twitch-based gameplay (such as GW2's dodging or TERA's movement and aiming system) isn't skill but rather is a matter of reflexes. Some argue that regardless of gear or character stats, a truly skilled player will always come out on top. Some argue that skill is a matter of knowledge -- knowing your class and the class of your opponent. So today we ask you, what is player skill? Is it the ability to aim a shot in such a way that you lead a player across the map and nail him in the head? Is it knowing to save your cooldowns for when a particular class lands a nasty CC ability on you? Does gear play a part, or does it simply impede a truly balanced experience? Perhaps it's some combination of the above. What does player skill mean to you? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
TERA devs talk guild housing and more in Twitter chat
In case you missed it, En Masse is hosting a TERA production chat via Twitter on the third Friday of every month. The transcript of last Friday's session is now live on the official TERA website, and there were a few noteworthy nuggets dropped by producer Brian Knox and community manager Evan Berman during the course of the event. Among the interesting blurbs on display are the fact that guild housing is back on the dev team's radar, and the feature may yet make it into the game's spring 2012 launch. Also of note are a couple of general numbers relating to the size of the dev team (70 at En Masse and over 200 at Korea's Bluehole Studio, where the game is originating). Finally, there was a bit of a teaser for a big TERA-related announcement at next week's PAX community event, so keep your eyes and ears peeled!
Scarlet Legacy closed beta kicks off today -- Get your key now!
"We know fans have been anxious to get their hands on this innovative new game," says GamesCampus' latest press release. The game in question is Scarlet Legacy, and the innovation comes courtesy of a combat system designed to bring tactics and visual style to the forefront of every fight while minimizing downtime, complexity, and traditional quest-grinder burnout. Scarlet Legacy's closed beta test starts today, and if you're interested in the game's fantasy martial arts trappings, you'll be happy to hear that we've got closed beta keys for you. Pick up your key on our giveaway page, then visit the Scarlet Legacy site and click the "register for closed beta" link. Follow the prompts, enter your beta key, and you're in! You can also get a look at a few of the game's unique mounts courtesy of our screenshot gallery and video feature from last month. The game features four classes, multiple talent trees, crafting, pet customization and mutation, and dozens of minigames. Scarlet Legacy also boasts thousands of quests and a narrative that concerns the player's efforts to save Princess Scarlet from the forces of evil.
En Masse delaying TERA launch to 2012 [Updated]
En Masse Entertainment has finally broken its silence about TERA's launch window, and there's both good and bad news for fans of the upcoming fantasy game. The bad news is that there's still no definitive launch date. The good news is that the time window has been narrowed considerably. In a new press release issued this morning, En Masse said that TERA will release sometime in the spring of 2012. That should put to rest months of speculation as to whether the game will reach North American shores in 2011 (as well as whether it will be competing for launch customers with The Old Republic, which BioWare expects to release prior to the end of the year). En Masse publishing vice president Chris Lee commented on the launch delay, indicating that the extra time will result in a more polished product. "The game's action combat and depth has generated a lot of interest, and we are committed to making sure every aspect of the game lives up to our standard of quality," he said. [Update: Producer Chris Hager has penned a post on the official TERA website that offers a bit more info. In a nutshell, the North American client will enter alpha testing "later this year," with beta scheduled for early 2012.]
TERA fly-through video shows off southern Shara
It's been a while since we've seen a proper TERA fly-through video and even longer (maybe ever) since we've seen one that features frosty, forbidden landscapes piled high with ice and snow. Enter a new clip from Frogster (TERA's European publisher) that we recently sighted on YouTube. The trailer runs north of two minutes and whisks us through the wilds of southern Shara on a whirlwind journey from icy snowscapes to sprawling cities then onward through psychedelic forests and quaint fantasy villages. Despite the scenic splendor that takes up most of the screen time, TERA's unique combat mechanics aren't completely ignored. A brief and violent action montage punctuates the clip and serves to whet our appetites for more from the world of Arborea. Feast your eyes after the cut.
TERA Visions trailer sighted in the wild
Kotaku's got the scoop on the latest TERA trailer, and the new four-minute video treats fans and curious bystanders to a lot of spiffy Arborean fly-through shots as well as some tough talk from En Masse Entertainment developers. The dev dialogue snippets basically collate all of the talking points that En Masse has been hinting at in various interviews over the past year: There's the action combat, the size of the world and the way it caters to explorer-types, and the focus on the action instead of the UI. There's also a quick blurb about story from lead writer David Noonan, specifically the fact that TERA's story (and the world itself) is the dream of two ancient gods. En Masse VP Chris Lee even drops a hint about guild housing, which mitigates the fact that we've seen a lot of the footage in this video before. There is some new stuff, though, so make sure to keep watching past the titles at the three-minute mark for additional footage. Click past the cut to check it out.
Black Prophecy North American closed beta begins
It's only been a couple of days since the official European launch of Reakktor's Black Prophecy, but North American fans of the free-to-play sci-fi title have been feeling left out in the cold due to a general lack of availability. Happily, gamigo and Reakktor have posted a news blurb on the game's website officially announcing the start of the North American closed beta. Reakktor also states that the first thousand invites have been sent, with more coming very soon, in addition to beta key giveaways with various gaming press outlets. While there's no word on an official American launch date as of yet, we can tell you that Massively has a few beta keys up our sleeves, so stay tuned for further details. Black Prophecy boasts real-time combat, modular ship design, and a deep crafting component, all married to a state-of-the-art graphics engine and wrapped in an enthralling sci-fi backstory.
TERA play diary talks world size, combat timing, and more
The Isle of Dawn may be the proverbial newbie area when it comes to TERA, but if En Masse Entertainment's recent Community Play Diaries are any indication, the locale is anything but a smallish tutorial zone. En Masse's Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical and Evan "Scapes" Berman are back with another diary entry that aims to give readers a glimpse into everyday play sessions involving the upcoming fantasy MMO. The fact that the dynamic duo are still on the Isle of Dawn after several weeks worth of diaries speaks to the sheer size of the place. "The Island of Dawn feels big, and when you look at the game map, it's really just a tiny blip. One of these days, I'm going to have to do a run-across-the-world adventure and time myself," Mical writes, while also hinting at the vastness of Arborea proper. This week's diary sees Mical and Berman carving a path through the Isle's numerous mobs toward Leander's Outpost. Along the way, they find time to discuss the finer points of TERA's action combat, and more specifically, the way that timing, motor skills, and repetition will determine your success -- as opposed to RNG and better equipment. "Since this is my alt character and I haven't played AnungUnRama since last week, fighting the terrons and noruks feels a little sluggish, and it's not hard to see why -- my timing's all off," Mical explains.
En Masse talks more about TERA's BAMs and achievements
This year's GDC didn't bring us any revelations when it comes to TERA. Even though we got to roll through the Smuggler's Hideout and chat with producer Brian Knox, most of what we saw were refinements for the forthcoming fantasy MMO. We did learn that the devs at En Masse Entertainment are a fun bunch, though, and this sense of humor was on display as the team regaled us with footage of various BAMs -- company shorthand for Big Ass Monsters. Today En Masse has released a bit more information on these big bads, which it describes as "bigger than a house, tougher than an armored car, and meaner than a dentist with a grudge." You see, TERA's AI is smarter than that of your average MMO, and the game's BAMs will circle around players as well as recognize attacks and avoid them. Additionally, TERA's mobs bring their own unique and situational attacks to each battle. As players begin to wear down a BAM, the creatures will go through various phases that add further challenge and necessitate strategy adjustments. En Masse also offered a brief nugget pertaining to TERA's achievement system in a press release sent out this morning. "You'll earn achievements no matter which parts of the game you prefer. Story, monsters, player-vs-player combat, economics, and politics all earn you achievements to help you keep track of the great deeds you've done –- and to give you something to shoot for," says En Masse. %Gallery-88481%
GDC 2011: TERA Smuggler's Hideout video details party dynamics
GDC 2011 has come and gone, but the next week promises to bring a ton of additional coverage from the recently concluded show. GameTrailers has weighed in with its new video recap of En Masse Entertainment's TERA presentation, which took the form of a demo party running through the Smuggler's Hideout dungeon. You may remember Smuggler's Hideout from our own GDC coverage last week, and now you can feast your eyes on the visuals as well as a few of the party dynamics that TERA brings to the table. The gameplay is narrated by associate producer Stefan Ramirez, and he highlights the different class roles, paying particular attention to the Priest character he's controlling. TERA's action combat features a bit of a learning curve if you're used to traditional MMORPG healer classes. You can't tab target your group mates and spam heal buttons, and you'll need to move around quite a bit in order to maximize your AoEs and avoid taking damage. Check out all the details after the break.
GDC 2011: Massively takes on TERA's Smuggler Hideout, and Brian Knox teases the political system
Ah TERA, you're such a tease. And we're not just talking about your skimpy outfits, oh no. Your political system, your endgame, your Westernized (whatever that means) makeover... all of these have conspired to leave us breathless with anticipation. Fortunately, we were able to take TERA for a spin at this week's GDC 2011. Along with help from a PUG comprised of En Masse Entertainment staffers, we ventured deep inside the game's Smuggler's Hideout, battling BAMS (En Masse shorthand for big-ass monsters) and checking out the title's streamlined UI and spiffy combat mechanics. Join us after the cut for a brief recap of the demo as well as an interview with producer Brian Knox during which we (politely) demanded a definition for the much-discussed concept of Westernization.
TERA video shows off Sinestral Manor
Lately it's been rather quiet on the Arborean front, as Massively hasn't posted any new TERA-related info for the better part of two weeks. Happily, Game Informer is here to quench that drought courtesy of a new gameplay video. While it's a little on the short side, the clip does feature new in-game footage and a glimpse inside the creepy bowels of the Vampir Mansion (also known as Sinestral Manor). You might recall the curiously spelled Vampirs from one of En Masse Entertainment's screenshot of the week featurettes, and you might also be a bit puzzled (as we were) at the distinct lack of Vampirs to be found in Game Informer's Vampire Mansion tour. That said, there were plenty of other beasties on hand, including a fearsome boss featured over the last half of the clip. There's also plenty of combat to be found, so head over to the Game Informer website and have a look.
En Masse issues official clarification regarding TERA's action combat
Rumors have been flying about TERA this week, mainly due to a pair of ThisIsGame.com interviews with Bluehole Studio higher-ups that were translated from the original Korean by TERAfans. Today, En Masse Entertainment (TERA's North American publisher) has issued an official statement clarifying the second piece, and more specifically, shooting down any notion that TERA's long-touted action MMO combat has changed. "TERA's combat system hasn't changed and action remains a crucial element to the game. There was a mistranslation in the article where the phrase 'lock-on system' was used instead of 'lock-on skill,' which was the original context of that statement. We are committed to making adjustments to TERA based on player feedback, but the game will still offer all the depth of an MMO with the intense action combat system. This will not change," said Matt Atwood, director of public relations for En Masse.
Webzen celebrates Archlord and S.U.N anniversaries
Noted free-to-play publisher Webzen is celebrating not one, but two MMORPG anniversaries this week. FIrst up is Archlord, the PvP-focused title that offers players the chance to become the titular ruler and indulge in perks such as controlling the server's weather and riding a dragon mount. Webzen has created a special anniversary zone inside the game which will spawn special mobs as well as a gold drop buff for players under level 60. Soul of the Ultimate Nation (S.U.N.) is also celebrating an anniversary this week, and to mark the occasion, players will receive a 200% XP buff. S.U.N. features hack-and-slash combat, a unique Battle Zone System where players create their own instances, and music by Academy Award-winning film composer Howard Shore.
Hero up! Hands-on with Marvel Super Hero Squad Online
Back in May, I scored Massively's first real look at Super Hero Squad Online, the Marvel-flavored, kid-friendly MMO from Gazillion Entertainment and The Amazing Society. I was smitten with the game at the time, and so when Gazillion offered me the opportunity to take a peek at the newest build earlier this week, I jumped at the chance. Who can resist some hands-on time with such an adorable toy! (Answer to rhetorical question: no one, which is why you should go sign up for beta right now.) Plus, if I learned anything the last time, it was that I have a duty to relentlessly inquire about Squirrel Girl. Am I right? Gazillion PR Manager Keith Mutzman and The Amazing Society's Director of Games Jay Minn wasted no time bringing me up to speed on the progress of the game as the team heads to PAX this weekend, so I'll pay that forward -- join me after the break and we'll dig in and hero up!
Gamescom 2010: En Masse releases new TERA cinematic
Ready for two minutes of new TERA-related goodness? Look no further than the latest trailer from En Masse Entertainment, released today at Gamescom 2010. The video features a fair helping of combat gameplay, as well as a plethora of stylized action setups that are obvious homages to the trailers of big-budget action films. The trailer also highlights TERA's emphasis on fine combat control, concluding with the words "take aim, take control, and take action." We'll be more than happy to take a longer look at the game, and you can too via the video found just behind the cut. Alternatively, check it out over at IGN.
DCUO video shows off new combat
Sony Online Entertainment's Jens Andersen, Creative Director on the studio's forthcoming DC Universe Online title, is featured in a new video over at GameTrailers. The four and a half minute clip, a preview of next week's E3 2010 coverage, highlights a bevy of features for the new superhero title, and also shows off the improved combat animations and mechanics. "We took this great combat model from action games, because it pays off in the superhero experience, and we put it together with all the great online features that MMORPGs have, with the community, the progression, and being able to feel that sense of accomplishment that you have as you're leveling up your character," Andersen enthuses. The video showcases the physicality of DCUO's combat, as well as quite a few cameos from superheroes (and villains) that call the storied 70-year old franchise home. Check it out over at GameTrailers or after the jump.
