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The Firing Line: DayZ, Forge, and Rapid Assault
A couple of interesting items came across The Firing Line desk this week. One of them was the fact that PlanetSide 2's beta will be cranking up inside of a month. And there was much rejoicing. OK, now that that's out of the way, the other items concern games that are decidedly smaller in scale but no less interesting. Join me after the break for a look at the latest from the devs behind World War II Online (or Battleground Europe, if you prefer), and a new title called Forge. Oh yeah, and 500,000 of you are playing something called DayZ.
The Firing Line: What ever happened to that game?
Online shooters are a dime a dozen these days. Heck, so are MMOs. I can't get up from my computer chair for five minutes without missing some sort of PR blast about the latest, greatest gift to gamingkind. It's easy to lose track of all these titles, and it's even easier when some of said titles are fairly niche to begin with. In this week's edition of The Firing Line, I'm going to figure out something to write about until I get into the PlanetSide 2 beta. Er, I mean, I'm going to do a little detective work in an attempt to figure out what happened to a few of the MMO shooters that have dropped off my radar.
Battleground Europe celebrates D-Day, adds U.S. forces
June 6th is an historic day in the annals of both U.S. and military history. The Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy was not only the largest amphibious assault ever but also a decisive turning point in the course of the second world war. It's fitting, then, that D-Day also marks the 10th anniversary of Battleground Europe (or World War II Online, as it was known in 2001). To celebrate, Cornered Rat Software has announced the addition of American forces to the long-running WWII sim. The dev team has also been hard at work on behind-the-scenes functionality improvements and a scenario-based gameplay option called Rapid Action. A special Rapid Action D-Day scenario pack will mark the introduction of U.S. troops and equipment to the game, as will a special Battle for Aachen campaign event. Details on all the new deployments present in version 1.34 can be found on the official Battleground Europe website. You can also take a peek at Cornered Rat's 10th anniversary teaser after the cut.
Massively Exclusive: Cornered Rat talks longevity, simulations, and the future of Battleground Europe
It's P-Day across Battleground Europe, as today marks the official introduction of World War II Online's 1.33 patch. The update is something of a milestone for Cornered Rat's stalwart MMOFPS simulation, and Massively sat down with the game's high command to chat about the past, the future, and of course the spiffy new infantry models that 1.33 brings to the table. Join us after the cut for an exclusive interview with producers Steve Daniels, Al Corey, and Dana Baldwin, as well as Cornered Rat president Jim Mesteller and community director Amy-lynn Smith. %Gallery-119028%
WWIIOL: Battleground Europe readying 1.33 patch, infantry upgrades
MMO shooters are a dime a dozen these days, and whether you're into sci-fi, spy-fi, modern warfare, or post-apocalyptic mayhem, massively multiplayer gun battles are pretty prevalent across the genre. Not to be outdone by the parade of young whippersnappers is World War II Online: Battleground Europe, and the granddaddy of MMOFPS titles is still going strong after nearly a decade in service. Cornered Rat's 1.33 version update is nearing the end of its open beta phase, and the new patch is bringing a bevy of changes to the game including brand-new infantry models as well as memory leak fixes, performance tweaks, and an upgrade to the core audio engine, just to name a few. Due to the extensive work required to revamp the infantry models, Cornered Rat has delayed a few of its planned features to a future patch (these include emotes, lean, and high command uniforms) but is nonetheless enthusiastic about the new models and anxious to get them in players' hands as soon as possible. You can read more about the update on the game's official website and be on the lookout for an exclusive Massively Q&A session with the developers later this week.
Battleground Europe lowers sub fee, adds content
Quick, what was the first MMO? No, it wasn't WoW. It wasn't World War II Online either, even though it seems like the long-running game -- now called Battleground Europe -- has been around since the fall of the Third Reich. Cornered Rat's stalwart combat sim recently patched to version 1.32, adding new player-built object functionality to the game's sprawling recreation of the war-torn Europe of the 1940s. Players can now build infantry fighting positions, gun emplacements, and forward resupply units right on the battlefield, and the developers expect the mechanic to lead to new and diverse gameplay options in both offensive and defensive combat. Future updates to the system will include minefields, pontoon bridges, flak mounts, and even landing strips. If that's not enough to wet your whistle, how does a cheaper monthly subscription grab you? Check out the game's trial -- sans any credit card requirements -- and then pay a paltry $12.99 per month if you like it well enough to enlist.
Players get to start placing objects in WWII Online: Battlefield Europe
WWII Online: Battlefield Europe is getting a bit long in the tooth, but that certainly hasn't meant development has ceased on the game. Quite the opposite, in fact -- the old-school MMOFPS has recently rolled out a massive patch aimed at a system-wide overhaul, one that we had a chance to talk with the development team about, and they're going even further with new additions via player-placed objects. Referred to as PPOs for short, the objects will allow characters to start altering the landscape they're fighting in via new temporary structures. It started with the addition of a Field Reinforcement Unit -- essentially a stationary version of the game's trucks, useful for reinforcements and freeing up the actual trucks for other tasks. With all the coding that went into making that function, it was a short step to making PPOs that allow infantry to reinforce their position via cover and temporary shielding. The full rundown of the feature, including a loose idea of what benefits will be provided (albeit without hard numbers) can be found here, which should provide many happy dreams for players of WWII Online: Battlefield Europe.
Exclusive WWII Online: Battleground Europe team interview
As we mentioned last week, WWII Online: Battleground Europe is still going strong. In fact, Playnet and Cornered Rat Software are on the verge of a massive update for the game. Update 1.31, currently in open beta, has been in the works for many months and is set to overhaul the graphics of this old-school MMOFPS. It might even give newer games a run for their money! We were lucky enough to sit down with several members of the Battleground Europe development team -- Amy-Lynn Engelbrecht, Dana Baldwin, and Geof Evans -- and fire off some questions about the visual overhaul, as well as a few questions about the weather -- that is, the game's new weather system, which will actually affect land and air conditions in PvP! Click past the break for our exclusive interview with the team!
Battleground Europe patch adds new towns and brigade types
If you're making an MMO, you can go one of two routes. You can go mainstream -- try to please everyone at once -- or you can carve a niche to be occupied by a small but loyal player base. Playnet has always aimed for the second option with World War II Online: Battleground Europe (or, The Game Formerly More Prominently Known as Just World War II Online, if you prefer) -- a hardcore combat simulation that emulates a huge chunk of the European theater of World War II on land, sea, and air.Playnet just released a new patch for the game that adds 26 new towns and 3 new brigade types. It also makes "a change to scoring against naval vessels." Players will get a chance to interrogate the game's senior producer about the changes in a live chat this Wednesday at 4:00 PM EDT.Full patch notes are available on the official Battleground Europe forums. Beware, though: a certain Massively blogger has a soft spot for this game, and is looking forward to blowing you to smithereens in a bombing run. You have been warned. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall ... you get the idea.
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Battleground Europe implements key changes to recruit new players
On the war torn battlefields of Europe, the armies of the Axis and the Allies have been fighting a bitter struggle for years. Armies are surrounded and crushed, Tigers break through the Ardennes, and countless cities have been reduced to rubble in the struggle for ultimate domination. At the bottom of the totem pole of this conflict, is the gun totting, foot marching, cold food eating grunt. The war effort needs more of you and World War II Online: Battleground Europe is offering new players tantalizing rewards and updates to help send you directly into the path of blitzkreig. WWIIOL has been actively recruiting since early April by offering some combat bonuses. Other than free stuff and pats on the back for your patriotism, the game has announced some planned implementations to get players right into the meat grinder. They are promoting an upgraded graphics engine known as Unity II. In a press release provided to Massively, the WWIIOL team promises troopers much improved graphics and an exciting new experience when entering into combat on urban ground. Before you get there, your survivability will hopefully be increased by a new tutorial system that not only touts a form of basic training, but also a combat training scenario that puts you in an instanced battle to practice what you've learned. If you wish to put your mark on the dotted line, the sign-up page is here. Be sure to bring a box of mom's apple pie, because it will be rations from here on out soldier!
WWII Online: Battleground Europe offers 2-week trial
Cornered Rat Software, makers of WWII Online: Battleground Europe, have just created a 14-day trial for those of you who've been on the fence on whether or not to try to fit this kind of action into your busy MMO schedule. To sweeten the deal, the 14-day trial includes (from the site): High Score Wins! Each week during the trial, the highest scoring infantry, tank commander and fighter pilot will be awarded a 1-year free account and a collector's t-shirt. Win a Blu-Ray Drive! You can win a Sony Blu-Ray BD-ROM just by starting your Free Trial today! Bonus! You can become eligible for a rank bonus and unlock new weapons and equipment. This is a limited time offer! Even better, it's available in both PC and Mac flavors, so this blogger will be happy to get in on the action without having to go through Boot Camp, for a change. Play as the Germans, the French, or the British, but get out there and play -- that's an order, soldier![Thanks, Amy-Lynn!]
