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Final Fantasy XIV offers a hunting preview
Are you ready to go hunting? Final Fantasy XIV is ready to let you. No, you won't get a standard-issue bright orange vest and deer blind, but you will be able to take on a variety of different marks, earn special currency, and possibly eventually pick up a nice orange vest. It could be one of the rewards; you don't know. Players will be tasked with killing a certain number of monsters at varying levels of challenge at both regular and elite difficulties. Regular marks will differ from player to player, but elite marks will be the same for all players and are refreshed once per week. Slaying elite marks provides allied seals and tomestones, with allied seals used to purchase armor, weapons, minions, alexandrite, and sands/oils of time. The preview also contains a hint of a new moogle delivery quest, which should give players of a more pacifist bent something to do even without hunting down creatures across Eorzea.
The Daily Grind: Who's your favorite villain?
Sometimes villains are individuals, sometimes they're simply faceless armies. Sometimes they're major antagonists, sometimes they just harass you a bit in low-level zones. But every game has antagonists, even if they're no more organized than "those animals milling outside of the front gates." In EVE Online they might be other players, in World of Warcraft they change with the expansion, and in Guild Wars 2 they arrive gift-wrapped with two-week bursts of content to accompany their arrivals. In some games all you can do is kick them around a bit, while in some games your favorite villain has likely been met, matched, and defeated, never to rise again. So today we ask you: Who's your favorite villain? Is it a group of villains, like the Freakshow in City of Heroes? A single figure like Gaius van Baelsar in Final Fantasy XIV? Or is it just a group you personally hate, like every roaming aggressive animal on Voss in Star Wars: The Old Republic? 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!
Take a tour of Final Fantasy XIV's monsters
It's no secret that Final Fantasy XIV will host quite a number of monsters. Some of those are already familiar to players from both the beta weekends and from the original game, but there are a lot of monsters even after you count those. The team behind the game has put together a new trailer showing off the various monsters and humanoid enemies that players will encounter on the fields of Eorzea. Some of these will be familiar, such as spriggans and coblyns. Some will be unfamiliar in Eorzea but familiar to fans of the series, such as the behemoth and the tonberry. And others are imported from other games or are completely novel. So whether it runs, flies, crawls, swims, or portals through the void, you can see it in the video embedded just past the break. And then you can spend the next week before testing guessing at how you're going to kill it.
Daily iPhone App: League of Evil 3 stays on the high-quality path
When it comes to virtual controls on a touchscreen, it's hard for developers to pull them off right. Either they're just not responsive enough, or they block the touchscreen, or your finger ends up sliding off of the "touchable" area at just the wrong second. The League of Evil is an example of touch screen controls done right. This game started out as one of the best platformers on the iOS App Store, and it's only gotten better. The latest version, League of Evil 3, just arrived last week. Unfortunately, it doesn't really offer any new moves. You can still jump, wall-jump and double jump as before, and each level has plenty of obstacles to sneak past and a special briefcase to collect. But the graphics have been updated to look better than ever, and if nothing else, this sequel offers over 80 new levels to play through. There are also new ways to watch replays, including ghosts and an Everyplay tie-in. This release also comes with iCloud saves (to track your progress across multiple devices) and a new bit of story told with hand-drawn cutscenes. Plus, the controls are smooth as silk, as you'd imagine. League of Evil 3 is yet another excellent platformer by Ravenous Games, and you can grab it right now for US$1.99.
Dungeons & Dragons Online screenshots show off new monsters
Just like its source material, Dungeons & Dragons Online is largely a game about killing new and interesting monsters across new and interesting landscapes. So the upcoming expansion Shadowfell Conspiracy really needs to have both. We've seen the landscapes, but now we're also getting a look at the monsters, some of which seem downright personable if you can get past the fact that they'll be trying to kill you. And if you look past the gore-soaked weapons. Maybe they're not all that personable after all. The shots in the gallery below include some general gaming staples (griffons), some specific Dungeons & Dragons staples (beholders), and some things that look like nothing even vaguely familiar. And rest assured, you'll be finding ways to kill every single one of them. So take a look at the gallery if you can't wait until August 19th to see the new face of your enemy. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release] %Gallery-190160%
Knights of Pen and Paper now updated to +1 edition
The excellent iOS RPG Knights of Pen and Paper has been updated to the +1 Edition (as we heard it would be back at GDC) and is now available as a free update on the App Store. This new version, which is technically 2.02, brings lots of new content, game updates, new dungeons to explore and many other extras. For example, there's now a place called The Tavern, where you can keep old heroes and swap in new ones. Several new battle options nearly turned Knights of Pen and Paper into entirely new game. The +1 edition was spurred on by the game's new publisher, Paradox. Thanks to that collaboration, the game is also now available on Steam for US$9.99. But again, the iOS version is a free update, so if you've grabbed the game already, do be sure to download and give this version a try. If you haven't purchased it yet, you can grab it now for $2.99.
The evolution of Morning Star's ugly-cute bad guy, the Renfield
Morning Star, from Halo creator Alex Seropian and Seven Lights founder Tim Harris' studio, Industrial Toys, pits players against a variety of alien enemies in a hardcore FPS for mobile devices. The Renfield are a race of agile, bulldog humanoids subservient to the main conquering race, the Dust, who are vampiric monsters bent on destruction. The Renfield take their name from Bram Stoker's Dracula and its secondary antagonist, R.M. Renfield, a psych ward patient with a penchant for consuming living organisms. In the novel, Renfield is under the control of Count Dracula, just as the Renfield in Morning Star are slaves to the Dust. Marvel artist Mike Choi designed the Renfield in Morning Star in one sketch, and from there the enemy has evolved into varying classes: sniper, trooper and "some surprises," Harris writes. Get a good look at the Renfield on the Industrial Toys blog.
Storyboard: Villainy afoot
I really thought this was a topic I had revisited on a few occasions, but apparently the only time Storyboard has discussed villainy was back in the column's infancy when I was still properly finding its voice. (Not that I feel that project has ever stopped, but that's another matter.) And it's an interesting topic for many reasons because villainy as a concept really gets put through the wringer in RP to begin with, especially if you tend to let morality be muddled into a few million shades of gray like I tend to. The thing about villains in roleplaying is having a character solely meant as A Villain generally doesn't work as well, simply because no real people are as malicious as that might require. Instead, you wind up with several people serving as the villains in a particular timeframe. So we need to define what we mean by villains, what role they can play in roleplaying, and what the pitfalls are in the first place.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen trailer is full of burning lizards and death
Capcom's new video for Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen shows off some new enemies, one of which is literally death. Like, Death death, with a capital "D." Death shows up randomly and (surprise!) tries to kill you and your Pawns, and while killing it is possible, it reportedly takes several encounters.
Neverwinter shines the light on kobolds
Kobolds in Neverwinter aren't quite as pathetic as you might think. Sure, they're fairly weak in a stand-up fight, and they tend to run from any engagement unless they've got the advantage of numbers. But they can build up those numbers very quickly when they need to, and they're not as stupid as you might think. The latest Monster Manual entry shines more light on these diminutive reptilian creatures and what players can expect when they hear kobolds in the distance. Draconic worship is the order of the day for kobold clans, and while the dragons barely deign to notice their minions the kobolds treat their masters as incarnate deities. Their spellcasting Wyrmpriests direct the lesser members of the group to find more treasure for their chosen dragon, and they can also turn a dozen ragtag kobolds from a joke of an encounter into a fighting force to be reckoned with. They're not as intimidating as ogres, but get enough of the kobolds together and you should still be very afraid.
Neverwinter offers players excerpts from a manual of monsters
Some players of Neverwinter will no doubt be reminded of long nights with the Monster Manual and graph paper as epic dungeons were plotted out. The game is borrowing a bit from that classic format with two Monster Manual entries on the official site. No, the entries don't feature Activity Cycles or Hit Dice, but they do give players an idea of what to expect from the enormous Ogres and the diminutive Goblins. Of course, familiarity with the tabletop game means that these entries will have few surprises. Ogres are large, dumb, and possessed of enough physical strength to still get their way. Goblins are nuisances individually and murderous hordes collectively. If you're unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons, this may count as novel. Either way, it's a look at some of the more mundane threats that adventurers will face as they wander through Neverwinter, and no adventure ever got more boring with the inclusion of Ogres.
Defiance shows off the 99er faction
Defiance's latest video teaser is showing off another villain group. The 99ers, despite their name, do not lure you into their lair with the promise of free popcorn and a markedly robust gluten-free menu; instead, they're crazed former miners who have augmented themselves with extensive cybernetic hardware. And continue mining. That part seems a little bit odd, since they're not willing to interact with others or sell off all the ore they're mining, but we'll go with it. 99ers are known to be extremely territorial and have physical abilities far beyond that of human beings. Players are advised to be on the lookout for unprovoked attacks by the miners, who control most of the valuable resources within their region of operation. Players should aim for exposed and unaugmented heads or visible fuel sources during a combat encounter. Or they can just shoot the crazy cyborgs until they fall apart; that would probably work as well.
Defiance teaches players how to deal with raiders
Raiders. They're an ever-present threat, always asking you to fill out the last healing slot or asking if you'll pass on a needed gear upgrade so... wait, that's not what we're talking about here. Defiance raiders aren't all about getting epic loot and counting DKP, they're about bursting onto the scene in a spray of automatic weapon fire while tripping on a variety of drugs. And the newest video for the game shows the raiders off in all their glory. As the video explains, raiders are an ever-present threat due to their sheer inability to be wiped out -- they have no centralized structure, just a large number of members who enjoy violence and follow whoever wants to lead. Players are advised to either use explosives on groups or snipe individuals at a distance. For more details on this group of enemies, take a look at the full video just past the break, and possibly apply more DOTs.
Defiance video spotlights mutants
Those planning on picking up Defiance and spending some time in this war-torn world come spring should be prepared for the horrors that they'll face. This is why Trion Worlds has delivered a new video highlighting one of the enemy races of the game, the mutants. The mutants used to be human soldiers, but have since been transformed into raging, muscular monstrosities. These creatures retain their former training and -- more importantly -- their weapons. While powerful, the mutants aren't invincible and can be taken down with a little aggressive persuasion. Check out the short mutant spotlight video after the jump!
WildStar Wednesday details the split between the Dominion and the Exiles
When you're not dealing with the chaos and madness of the planet Nexus in WildStar, odds are good you'll be dealing with the game's main factional conflict between the Dominion and the Exiles. But how did this split come to pass? What are the Exiles exiled from in the first place? The latest WildStar Wednesday tackles exactly this issue, explaining how one man led a rebellion against the largest military power in the galaxy and won -- or at least came close to winning. The Exiles, as it turns out, were originally citizens of the Dominion's capital planet, Cassus. Unpopular Dominion policies led to riots on Cassus, which culminated in the retired Admiral Serrick Brightland stealing his flagship from drydock and leading several other traitors on military raids against Dominion holdings. Brightland succeeded in hurting the Dominion, but without a home base to fall back on, his fleet was forced to flee, becoming the Exile fleet scouring the fringe of the galaxy for a new home. Take a look at the full article for details about Brightland's last stand and the core of the conflict between these two factions.
Looking at the wildlife of WildStar's Galeras region
If the pirates, bandits, ancient machines, and military forces in WildStar weren't bad enough, players are going to be contending with a lot of the native wildlife. Last week's WildStar Wednesday focused on the top-level overview of the Galeras region, but this week is focused on the local flora and fauna, which are just as dangerous as the invading armies with gunships. More so, in some ways, as a stemdragon doesn't care why you're on its land, just that you are. Stemdragons have been seen by fans before, having starred as the antagonist in the game's first trailer. Buzzbings and Scrabs are new, however -- the former is an insect the size of a small car that traps its enemies with honey, the latter is a cross between a beetle and a crab with thick armor and a propensity for burrowing. Read more on the tactics of these monsters and the lore surrounding them in the full article.
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.
Borderlands 2: every enemy in one image
Borderlands 2 has around 300 enemies, and they're all in the image below, which we assume was torturously sketched, lined and colored by a Gearbox marketing artist. Borderlands 2 drops tomorrow, so click to make the pic bigger and study up.
RaiderZ shows off the Broken Mast
Every character needs to start somewhere. In RaiderZ, "somewhere" is the Broken Mast. It's a coastal zone filled with marauding pirates, malicious sea creatures, and plenty of magical ruins. It's also the first zone to receive a video preview showing off these highlights as well as some of the action combat that defines RaiderZ's gameplay. The video gives an overview of the major threats to adventurers in the area, showing off some visually appealing locations as well as what appears to be the option for environmental destruction. There's also a preview of the magical constructs guarding the heart of the area's ruins. While there's only so much to be seen in a minute-long video preview, it's enough to get a feel for how diverse the zone is. So if you're eager for a look at what you'll be able to smack around once you get in in the game, take a look past the break for the full preview.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Freakshow in City of Heroes
There are three basic tiers that the villains in City of Heroes occupy. At the bottom you've got guys like the Hellions and the Skulls, chumps with just enough superhuman ability to deal with low-level heroes and villains. In the middle are groups like the Trolls and the Family, groups that either lack organization but have power or have organization but lack power. At the top are people like the Circle of Thorns or Nemesis, organized societies with villainous intent. The Freakshow are another ballgame because they're not organized at all, but they break to the top through sheer power. If you're going to be facing off against street thugs in the highest levels of the game, you'll be dealing with the Freakshow, and that's true of both villains and heroes. The gang is just a group of punks without any real goals or overriding drive, and yet they're a big enough force that even Arachnos has to deal with them from time to time. So it's worth looking at the group as a whole, since they're a bigger threat than they get credit for even if they don't have any sort of real goal.
