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Camelot Unchained 'in great shape' following first pre-alpha test
Camelot Unchained's first pre-alpha test wrapped up after running this past weekend, and according to reports from the devs, the MMO saw strong server stability and performance. Mark Jacobs reported that a "vast majority" of testers approved of the detailed character creation system and up to 200 players were able to duke it out in the same battleground area. "It is safe to say that, considering where we are in development as compared to other games Andrew and I have worked on, that we are in great shape. Especially since we are building almost the entire engine from scratch," Jacobs said. Camelot Unchained will continue to run pre-alpha tests, with the devs promising "at least one testing day" every week or two.
Camelot Unchained is a go for pre-alpha testing
Camelot Unchained takes another big step forward today toward launch with the release of its pre-alpha test for founders. The test is actually starting ahead of the original schedule, to the presumed delight of the game's fans. In late August, City State Entertainment announced that it was pushing back its alpha and beta tests in order to bring on more programmers to the team. Details of the alpha test were sent out to backers in emails yesterday. The test will run today, Friday, and Sunday. The studio spent an hour the other day discussing this test in a livestream that you can watch after the break.
Massively exclusive: Jacobs on Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter home stretch
Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter odyssey is almost complete, and as of press time there's a little over a day remaining. City State's fantasy RvR sandbox stands at just over $1.82 million out of its $2 million goal, so Mark Jacobs has penned a dev diary designed to push the game's funding over the top. He outlines the many challenges inherent in managing both a Kickstarter campaign and an ambitious MMORPG project, and he hits the highlights of the former which include three faction RvR, Minecraft-style building options, and a custom engine that has easily handled hundreds of simultaneous players at well over 200 frames per second. Finally, Jacobs thanks CU's current backers, whom he says have given unprecedented support to the tune of a $160 average pledge. Jacobs' full diary is readable after the cut.
SOE's John Smedley expresses regrets over SWG mishaps
Star Wars Galaxies may be no more, but its legacy lives on in memories, discussion, and hindsight analysis. Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley had a frank talk with Industry Gamers in which he owns up to the mistakes of how the studio handled the title, particularly surrounding the much-maligned Combat Upgrade and New Game Enhancements. What would Smedley do if he could go back and give it another try? His first regret is launching the game before the space combat system was done, and his second is that SOE didn't talk and listen to its players more. "We would have encouraged more in-depth discussion with the community surrounding the idea of any game modifications," he said. Smedley is highly optimistic for the studio's future, particularly in its fervent belief in the free-to-play business model: "We think that 'Free to Play, Your Way' is our future. Giving players choices is the theme of how we're moving forward as a company, which means greater flexibility for our player base."
College students help NASA by crashing satellite into the Arctic
Our idea of a great evening in college was listening to some Operation Ivy and drinking a few brews before heading home to secretly pore over A Literature of Their Own. Other college kids, however, have more on their plates than that, such as those who currently work at LASP -- the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. LASP is partially staffed by undergraduates at Colorado University, providing a low-cost alternative to more experienced labor, while giving students the kind of hands-on experience not normally available to them. One recent task, for instance, involved the crashing of ICESat, a NASA decommissioned satellite, into the Arctic. Most of it burned up in the atmosphere, while some smaller parts made their way to the Barents Sea. The mission was considered successful and, as for the students who carried it out? Well, let's just say that their nerd credentials are now rock solid.
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: The players (part 2)
Did you hear this wildly overplayed news story about Darth Vader lately? According to a group of French psychiatrists and psychologists who have way too much time on their hands and not enough free press coverage, they broke down Vader's personality and "discovered" that he had borderline personality disorder. Pardon my meme, but O RLY? Sure, the guy killed kids, committed domestic abuse, went on an extreme power trip, betrayed his mentor, tortured one of his kids and tried to kill the other, choked any underling who failed him and struggled with sexual repression -- but thank goodness that we have professionals around to tell us the obvious. Now, if those psychiatrists can turn their attention to George Lucas and his making of Howard the Duck, we'd be making progress. Anyway, continuing from my history retrospective of Star Wars Galaxies and last week's interview with the first batch of SWG vets, the Game Archaeologist now ventures into a subculture long believed to be extinct: post-NGE players who love the game. Join me in welcoming our newest expedition members: Bill "Flynne Cordova" Van Malsen, Alex "Danick Jett" Wiberg, Stephanie "Jao" Koehler and Earth Eternal's Andrew "Titas Lightdust" Sipotz. Never tell them the odds and they'll get you there safe every time.
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: The players (part 1)
I think we can put to bed the rumor that Star Wars Galaxies is dead on its feet, considering the avalanche of emails sent my way asking to be interviewed. Last week's history retrospective sparked a desire in many players to share their experiences and personal epics, and it was not uncommon to read emails longer than this column from players excited to reminisce. There's a lot of love for SWG, both out among MMO players and here in the Massively office (we have at least three confirmed SWG addicts on the team). When I began this series, I thought that it would be dominated by NGE and nothing else, yet the responses I've read tend to focus on the positives of the title instead of that one ugly month. It might not have been the Star Wars experience everyone wanted, but if one looks hard enough, apparently there's something for everyone in SWG. Sam Schneider encapsulated many opinions perfectly with this: "Despite its problems, and what I believe people mostly remember it for (and I certainly do), the game did allow you do truly create your own Star Wars experience. You weren't Han Solo, you weren't Luke Skywalker, you weren't Leia -- you were YOU." Unfortunately, I could only interview a small fraction of the people who wrote in, so I randomly chose a handful of players to represent the (mostly) pre-NGE crowd for this week, and a handful of (mostly) post-NGE gamers for next week's column. This week we're talking with Adam "Vayde" Mostel, Jaume "Tsotha Lanti" Sabater, Kate "Syena Runningrider" and Paris "Iweos" Wright.
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: The history
Each month, the Game Archaeologist dusts off one MMORPG of yesterday and investigates while hanging on to his hat. From the ancient lands of Ultima to a galaxy far, far away, the Game Archaeologist is always on the move, looking for the next treasure trove to uncover. Some say that covering Star Wars Galaxies is a moot point: that the true game as it was is dead, and that with The Old Republic on the horizon, SWG is all but passé. Yet through the steamy jungles of Kashyyyk to the dangerous dunes of Tatooine, there is evidence of passion, play and Imperial Stormtroopers shooting all willy-nilly. It's weird to think that in early 2003, the MMO genre was almost an entirely different creature. World of Warcraft was still over a year away, and the most successful developer at the time (Sony Online Entertainment, along with Verant) had teamed up with LucasArts to create a Star Wars game above all other games. A killer IP, a beefy development team, and incredible fan-fueled hype made Star Wars Galaxies THE game to watch as it raced toward launch -- even IGN crowed in 2000 that SWG could become "one of the biggest games of all time." Join us now as we hop back to the wild frontier of the early 2000s and peruse the first seven years of Star Wars Galaxies' run. It's had its highs, its lows, and a three-letter acronym that became one of the most infamous MMO events ever -- but no matter what your opinion, the Force has been strong with this title indeed.
