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Tamriel Infinium: Where does ESO fit in Elder Scrolls history?
Where does the Elder Scrolls Online fit in the Elder Scrolls universe? I could tell you that it starts 2E 583, but in the grand scheme of things that really doesn't mean anything unless you're a huge Elder Scrolls lore nut. If I told you that it was 324 years before the start of the classic Elder Scrolls era, that might mean more to you. If I told you that it was 723 years before Arena or 757 years before Oblivion or 958 years before Skyrim, it might mean a bit more to you. But those dates are really distant and don't have any real relevance to your character. No one alive during ESO lives to see Skyrim's timeframe except the immortals. MMOs with existing intellectual properties, like Lord of the Rings Online or Star Wars: The Old Republic, struggle with keeping the game engaging for those who are interested in the lore and keeping it from interfering with the established timeline. LotRO interweaves the MMO plot with the classic story of Frodo and the fellowship traveling to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. SWTOR takes a similar approach to ESO by setting the MMO far in a past that contains very little established lore. However, unlike these other MMOs, Elder Scrolls Online actually plays a significant role in the history of Tamriel. To understand this significance, we have to talk about Tiber Septim and the eight Divines.
Faxion Online announced, promises a divine struggle
In most games that feature two factions in a PvP environment, there's plenty of room to debate whether or not one side or the other is evil or just misunderstood. Not so in the upcoming Faxion Online, however -- one side is evil. One side is irrevocably and entirely evil. But then again, when you're part of the forces of Hell, you kind of accept that as a given. Aiming for a beta later this year, the game is taking its setting as the eternal struggle between Heaven and Hell, with players taking sides as both factions seek territory. While a somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach to the subject is certainly welcome, most gamers are going to be looking for a little more from the title. It's slated to deliver on that front, with a PvP-focused game that heavily weighs on the aforementioned control of territory. The game also promises to remove some of the tedious level grind, a promise which is frequently made but not quite so easy to carry out. We'll have to see how Faxion Online fares in that regard as it moves through development -- but at least we won't be discussing which faction is really evil.
All the World's a Stage: So you want to be a Mage
This installment of All the World's a Stage is the sixteenth in a series of roleplaying guides in which we find out all the background information you need to roleplay a particular race or class well, without embarrassing yourself. It's also the first installment with a title that rhymes! The Mage is the foremost master of magic in the Warcraft universe. Although all the other classes excluding the Warrior and the Rogue use magic of one sort or another with equally wonderful effects, the Mage is the class that's named after the stuff.But what is magic? What does it feel like to harness it? Does the mage have to do a strange ritual or utter incomprehensible words in an ancient language in order to cast her spells? Other fantasy settings often have one or more of these elements together, but as far as I can tell, Warcraft lacks them.Arcane magic in the World of Warcraft is an ever-present energy field surrounding the whole world. Mages access it by concentrating in the magic energy within themselves, feeling it rush through their body, and directing it as they please. Those spells that require reagents need an extra focusing item with magical properties of its own in order to bring about the desired effect, but for the most part, fireballs, frostbolts and arcane explosions can be created through the mere act of will on the part of a properly educated mind.
Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewels screens
QJ has got a slew of new screenshots from the upcoming Inuyasha game Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel, a RPG game based on the popular anime. While we can't say we've watched the show with any kind of regularity, we can't get enough of those RPGs and the prospect of a new tickles our fancy something fierce. Join us in drooling over the screens, won't you?
Holy high definition?
Now that the football season is coming to a close, we must find a new source of reliable Sunday HDTV content. Well, there is always a higher power to look towards (no, not satellite). We're talking about the new $10 million Hope Community Church in Raleigh. So why is the church your best option on Sunday and not a den of sin and iniquity like ESPNZone? Besides a cafe that serves Starbucks, there is also a game room with Xbox's and PS2's (I'm guessing that WWJD? doesn't cover those "who scores the flag?" situations in Halo). The three "giant" HDTV screens (no word on exact size or resolution, but we have our own ideas about divine inspiration) should definitely get the spirit moving within you. We were going to baptize Ben there, but apparently 1080p falls under the definition of a false idol, so it may be best for us to stay away.
