companions
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'No Man's Sky' update lets players adopt aliens as pets
You can ride giant creatures and companions can help you while you're exploring.
The Daily Grind: Do you like having NPCs fight alongside you?
The news that some garrison NPC followers will be able to become your bodyguards and fight alongside you is the first Warlords of Draenor information that's interested me at all. I love such systems in other games, such as companions in Star Wars: The Old Republic and Neverwinter. It's probably the same reason why I like pet classes: Having a combat NPC there makes me feel less alone and more in charge of a team, even if there's only code on the other end and not an actual human face. (Or so I assume.) Although, as in SWTOR, it might be a little awkward in WoW to see dozens of people running around with the same companion you have. Do you like it when a game gives you an NPC to be your bodyguard? 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!
The Daily Grind: Who is your favorite in-game companion?
While not every MMO features companions, there are enough out there that I wager you've played a title or two with a strapping NPC at your side. One of my absolute favorite features of Star Wars: The Old Republic is its companion system. The day that I finally earned my HK-51 was one of the most glorious moments of my life, just narrowly edging out the birth of my children and the return of Arrested Development. Who is your favorite in-game companion? Did you choose that companion based on personality, looks, or general combat assistance? What is one of your favorite stories involving that character? 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!
Final Fantasy XIV previews chocobo training
Your chocobo is your lifelong companion in Final Fantasy XIV, but is he really getting all he can out of life? Does he have the options necessary for a robust avian lifestyle? Is he stuck sitting outside in the cold while you go in and have a few drinks? Are you one of the relentless achievers who has reached max level with the bird and wants to advance past rank 10? Then patch 2.3's chocobo raising system is for you! Once your free company builds a chocobo stable on its housing plot, you can stable your bird there, allowing him to earn experience and train skills on an hourly basis. Training requires treats, with a special treat allowing your companion to exceed rank 10 (although you're still limited to rank 20 as a maximum). Players will not be able to summon their companion whilst he's stabled. Read the full preview for more details, and get ready to start intimately tending to the needs of your feathered friend.
Hyperspace Beacon: Should you subscribe for SWTOR Galactic Starfighter?
If our comments are any judge, many gamers do not believe that Star Wars: The Old Republic lived up to its launch hype. These players have been wary about jumping back into the game despite the positive impressions of the latest expansion Galactic Starfighter. Is it worthwhile for them (or anyone else) to jump back in? BioWare launches its second expansion for SWTOR today. This addition to the game takes us into the thick of the centuries-long struggle between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Players take command of one of 12 different dog-fighting starships in two possible 12v12 skirmish maps. Far different than the on-rails shooter-minigames the MMO launched with, these maps are completely free-roaming and play more like a flight simulator than StarFox 64. Of course, that alone doesn't necessarily make the expansion worth it. Let's examine the features that could make this expansion worthy of your subscription.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Galactic Starfighter has crew skills, too
Last week, I gave you an overview of the next expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Galactic Starfighter. We learned that the 12v12 space battles work independently of the ground game and even eliminate any sort of level requirement in order to begin. Galactic Starfighter commendations are earned only through space battles and work to enhance only starfighter-related skills. In fact, the only tie to the ground game comes in the form of your companions. Companions play a pivotal and fun role in Galactic Starfighter, so much that picking the wrong companion can ruin your impression of the SWTOR expansion altogether. For each ship loadout, you may pick four companions to give you eight passive abilities and one active ability.The abilities are divided into four categories, as are the companions: defensive, offensive, engineering, and tactical. Your active ability is determined by which of the four companions you choose to be your copilot. It sounds simple enough, right? The complexity begins when choosing which abilities work best for your playstyle.
The Daily Grind: What do you want from NPC companions?
More and more MMOs these days are including companion NPCs, it seems. From EverQuest II's mercenaries to Neverwinter's companions, there are plenty of options to party up with the computer and have HAL watch your back in a dicey spot. So what do you want from NPC companions, if anything? Do you like them around for the company and a person to share a little story with or engage in conversation? Do you want a companion to patch up a weakness in your class' build? Do you show companions off as prestige items to your adoring public? Or perhaps do you just want a poor mule to follow you around and carry all of your junk? 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!
Neverwinter's companions are real bears (and cats)
Have you ever found yourself playing Neverwinter and thinking, "This is great, but it'd be way better with an enormous bear mauling things while I cast spells"? Or perhaps you'd prefer a panther, or a hawk, or an enormous spider? Whatever your preferred flavor, the game probably has a companion to match your tastes, and each of them is on display in the new companion trailer embedded just past the cut. Although the idea of a spider companion is kind of really creepy. This trailer comes along with the addition of a new companion to the cash shop, the Cave Bear. Your ursine companion will obligingly maul your opponents while stealing health and comes with a max rank of 20. There's also a new dye pack, which has very little to do with companions but might help you coordinate your outfit with your feral chums. So check out the full trailer past the break for an idea of what you can do with an animal buddy.
How to claim your Ewok companion in SWTOR
BioWare has put together a blog post detailing how you can get your hands on Treek the Ewok companion in Star Wars: The Old Republic. There are two options: the cash shop or in-game credits. For the former, obtaining your Ewok companion is as easy as forking over 2100 Cartel Coins and obtaining a Mercenary Contract quest starter item from the Cartel Market. You'll need to be level 10 to finish the quest and claim your reward. If you prefer to avoid cash shops, you can still obtain the Mercenary Contract via the astromech Legacy Vendor located on your faction's fleet. You'll need a Legacy level of 40 and a million credits. There's a third option, too, and that is buying the contract from another player via the global auction house. There's a bit more info on the process at the official SWTOR website.
Neverwinter test shard gets new zone and more in hefty patch
One of the great things about test servers is a chance to see what's coming up in your favorite games -- that, and hopefully squashing any bugs before going live, of course! And the Preview Shard for Neverwinter got quite a patch with plenty of goodies for players to experience. Want to explore a new zone? There's Sharandar for the level 60 adventuring crowd. How about upgrading a max-ranked companion? For the cost of some Astral diamonds, you've got that, too. If you prefer to immerse yourself in the Foundry, a whole new suite of assets is coming with the release of Fury of the Feywild, including costumes, encounters, an Elven city interior, maps, objects, and more. The Foundry, however, will be disabled for the first part of the expansion play test. Other odds and ends of this patch include changing the reset time for daily quests to a standard 6:00 a.m. EDT, new items, and class adjustments along with a fair amount of tweaks and bug fixes. Catch all the details in the full patch notes. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Neverwinter adds ghost and angel-snake companions
Hold on tight to your wallets, kids, because Cryptic's knocking on your door with a couple of new companion offerings for Neverwinter. The studio is releasing the Ghost and Lillend companions, although snagging one is going to require coughing up some cash (or playing the ZEN market smartly). The Ghost is a former Halfling who's fallen on hard times. She deals necrotic damage and has a neat ability that tosses a DoT onto an enemy while healing allies simultaneously. Lillend is... well, she's interesting. She looks like the cross between a snake and an angel, and as if that didn't give her enough fodder for dinner conversation, she can play the harp. Lillend is the game's first purple-quality healer companion. While you can buy the Ghost with ZEN, it looks as though Lillend is obtained only as a chance reward for purchasing a professions pack.
SWTOR adding killer Ewok companion in 2.3
Ewoks may no longer be number one on the list of George Lucas' crimes against humanity -- we'll give that joint honor to Jar Jar Binks and Howard the Duck -- but they're still pretty polarizing amongst fans of a galaxy far, far away. Naturally, then, BioWare has decided to add a new Ewok combat companion to Star Wars: The Old Republic as part of the forthcoming 2.3 patch. Dulfy.net reports that you'll need to have a level 40 legacy and a million credits to unlock the cuddly little booboo, who also happens to use heavy armor and boasts a heal and tank stance. Dulfy includes plenty of stats and spoilerific cutscene video in the preview article, so click through at your own risk! [Thanks Dengar!]
Neverwinter Days: The 14 guides you need to read
I've had a strange start with Neverwinter, to be honest. While I did get in on the 25th with the early-early crowd, shortly thereafter I had to boogie on off to a vacation that canceled out eight days of soft launch gaming time. So even though I got an early start, I'm probably behind many of you -- even those who started on the 30th. That's OK; I'm not in a rush. I'm not the type to get into a speed race or feel the compulsion to become an instant expert by the end of week one. My experience so far has been feeling out what Neverwinter has to offer, mostly by going through the solo quest line, participating in skirmishes, and queuing up for dungeon runs when time permits. And I'm enjoying myself so far, although I still have that "slightly lost" feeling that comes with exploring a brand-new MMO. I need to learn how to create Foundry missions and I haven't even touched professions yet. Maybe you're like me. Maybe you assume that everyone already knows the ins and outs of the game as though he's been playing it for years, while you're an ignorant noob wandering the streets. I don't think you're alone if that's the case, and to help both you and me out, I've done some research to find the top 14 most helpful threads, sites, and articles that all fledgling Neverwinter adventurers should at least skim over.
SWTOR wants to hug every cat-person, including Aric Jorgan
BioWare is reviving its in-depth look at Star Wars: The Old Republic by hosting a look at the grumpiest of Cathar, Aric Jorgan. Jorgan stars in the latest Companions 101 as the author takes a closer look at what makes this Trooper sidekick tick. Jorgan's personality and history are up front and center in the article, although it does devolve into the issue of personal relationships. As one of the potential romances of SWTOR, Jorgan's has a gruff personality that needs a little finessing to get past. The article gives a few pointers for wooing Jorgan as well as an overview of how he feels about the other companions on the team. BioWare's also included a look at Jorgan's different visual options and a couple of cool wallpapers if you don't have enough grumpy cats on your computer monitor already.
BioWare details SWTOR's Kira Carsen companion
So, companions. Apparently they're a thing in Star Wars: The Old Republic. They're also a thing in Firefly, but we won't go into that right now. In SWTOR they're a thing that has spawned a web series called Companions 101, which features screenshots, biographical info, customization details, and various and sundry gameplay tips designed to maximize your relationship potential. The latest entry focuses on one Kira Carsen, whom BioWare describes as anything but your typical Jedi. "Kira disregards authority on multiple occasions. She respects the Jedi Order, but when you are choosing your conversation options remember that she doesn't mind breaking the rules from time to time," BioWare advises. Check out the full entry and related media on the official SWTOR website.
BioWare's Companions 101 series looks at SWTOR's Djannis
BioWare's shining the spotlight on Star Wars: The Old Republic's NPC companions via a new blog series appropriately named Companions 101. Today's entry features Kaliyo Djannis, who serves as something of a femme fatale for Imperial Agent players. The dev blog paints Djannis as a complex character who loves to work for the Empire and manipulate her superiors. "When bringing Kaliyo along on missions, keep this in mind. She loves anarchy and respect –- but she will always have an ulterior motive," BioWare says. "Play her at her own game and keep her guessing. The minute Kaliyo becomes bored is the minute she either stabs you in the back or disappears from the ship... with most of your credits."
Storyboard: Making character relationships work
Character interrelationships are the heart of roleplaying. The interesting part of your character isn't his background or his personality; it's what happens when you put him in a room with several other people and let the whole thing move from there. You're trying to create an entirely different person who will build an entirely different set of relationships in an entirely different world. Unfortunately, some of those relationships can feel a bit... forced -- as if you're trying to find a connection where none exists, or as if you've jumped past some important elements of characterization that would make everything seem clearer. In short, a lot of your relationships feel as if they were cut from the Star Wars prequels. I harp on verisimilitude a lot in this column, but that's precisely because roleplaying depends on the illusion of reality in each interaction. If your relationships in roleplaying feel real, it does wonders for grounding the characters and their interplay in reality and giving substance to everything else you do. So I think it's worth noting some obvious stumbling points and some ways to help relationships feel more organic.
Star Wars: The Old Republic teases the upcoming HK-51
Observation: If you are playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, you have likely accumulated a variety of enemies within the game. Query: Perhaps you would enjoy having some assistance in removing those enemies in a more permanent capacity? Entreaty: Consider employing the coveted HK-51 assassin droid, a mobile platform capable of dispatching even the most stalwart foes when given the proper direction by a master. Aside: Even if said master is a sniveling meatbag. Anecdote: BioWare first showed off the trailer for the upcoming HK-51 companion during the recently concluded San Diego Comic-Con. Observation: The trailer can now be viewed by players who missed the convention, allowing everyone to see a first glimpse of this special companion. Caveat: It has not yet been revealed how players can acquire their own assassin droids, although hints have been dropped that the process will require a great deal of questing, possibly on both factions. Encouragement: If you aren't daunted at the prospect, by all means, take a look at the trailer and start clearing space on your ship for a new droid. [Acknowledgement: Thanks to Michael for the tip!]
WoW Archivist: An expensive history of gold sinks
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? If you had asked me six months ago what I imagined would be the most expensive mount in WoW's history, I would have imagined some kind of giant rock elemental where you rode around on its shoulder, possibly a 10-headed hydra that breathed green fire, or maybe a goblin shredder that transformed into a jet. As it turns out, the most expensive mount in WoW is now ... a cat. Granted, it's a very shiny cat. It also happens to be five cats. It can fly. But why does it cost so darn much? And what other ludicrously priced items has Blizzard offered us over the years? Read on to find out!
Hyperspace Beacon: Roleplayer's rant
I don't like to rant. Really! Usually, ranting is full of emotionally charged rhetoric, and oftentimes it's riddled with inaccurate statements. I especially don't like to rant about something that I like a lot. For instance, Star Wars: The Old Republic has, by far, exceeded my personal expectations for any MMO; however, some missteps in production have tainted its perfection. (No, I'm not going to talk about Ilum again.) Of course, we are all looking for our version of perfection in an MMO, right? Unfortunately, no MMO will live up to that expectation. In fact, if I did find my version of MMO perfection, I would probably be the only one playing it. But I do believe I have ideas that those in my community could latch on to. They are also relatively simple. Yes, yes, I know nothing is ever as simple as it seems, but indulge me for a few moments. As many of you know, I enjoy roleplaying in my MMOs -- character creation, really. I'm not one of those roleplayers who hang out in a pub all day never experiencing any gameplay. Although there's nothing wrong with that, I find it a be a waste of $15 a month. I have complied what I believe will make the experience of SWTOR more enjoyable for those who enjoy playing the game like I do, and I think that those of you who don't necessarily like to roleplay per se but do like to create unique characters in the MMO space will agree that these are a must. I did set some personal criteria when compiling the list. For instance, I didn't want to break BioWare's general vision for the game. I also wanted to use existing items in the game so that my expectations were realistic -- no guild capital ships or image design system. And all of these items have been mentioned in print someplace before, so I'm not the only one who believes these should be implemented.
