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New Spellcasting Pathfinder dev blog declares game 'half done'
In the most recent dev blog for Pathfinder Online, CEO Ryan Dancey announced that the game is half done, stating,"We're a little bit past the halfway point of development before Early Enrollment." Luckily for those eager to hear specifics about said progress, the blog goes into more detail -- a lot of details! These details, provided by Designer Stephen Cheney, focuses on changes to the spellcasting system. After bumping into difficulties with the system as first proposed, devs came up with some solutions to address concerns. The new system includes a new class of weapon that produces expendable effects (called spells for casters and maneuvers for non-casters) and alterations to the Refresh system. The expendables are also dropped as loot and treated like learned feats, which also prompted a few changes in active feats. You can read up on all the details in the blog post. [Thanks to Crysillis for the tip]
MMObility: Are Glitch's Feats smart design or mindless grind?
Live events are a funny thing. They can be some of the most exciting content and can possibly cost developers very little. Sure, there are massive big-budget events like anything building up to a World of Warcraft expansion, but there are also wonderful smaller events like welcoming new characters to Ryzom or tournaments in Illyriad. Live events can be very, very simple but can also be absolutely thrilling to players. We don't need much to make us happy, and live events are a great way to do it. Glitch has been mad about live events for a while, although developer Tiny Speck and the players might refer to them as something else. The example I want to talk about today is Glitch's Feats, great events that not only pull parameters from lore but give almost every player from every experience level something to do. Some see live events like Glitch's Feats as nothing more than excuses for overly passionate players to grind their way into virtual glory. While there is definitely some of that going on, I have to ask whether it's possible to have a live event that gives grinders something to shoot for while allowing casual players like yours truly something to do as well. We all want to feel included, and Feats do a pretty good job of that.
Age of Conan dev update outlines a year's worth of content
Age of Conan's latest monthly development update is hot off the presses, and it's kind of a doozy. Funcom game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison takes the gloves off and lists five major updates coming to AoC over the next year -- and he also offers a few disclaimers in terms of schedule changes and dates. As far as content goes, fans can look forward to new Turan boss encounters, the House of Crom dungeon, tier four raids, and a major Dreamworld/quality-of-life update prior to the end of the year. Moving into 2012, Age of Conan will be adding a new multi-feat specification system (apparently the feature was a landslide winner in the recent summer survey). The devs will also be giving Priest archetypes some "care and attention" as well as implementing the single-server tech that will allow for cross-server minigames and "all manner of cool things." There will also be new variants on The Breach, The Forgotten City, and Dead Man's Hand dungeons, all balanced for high-level characters. Finally, the second quarter of 2012 is the tentative launch date for AoC's latest adventure pack as well as the tradeskill revamp. There's more too, so head to the official website to check it out.
Alter-Ego: Featuring Feats
With its tie to the PS3 as well as the emergence of achievement systems in other MMOGs, the presence of achievements in DC Universe Online probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. With that said, unless you've taken the time to poke around in the Feat section, you may not be aware just how many there are for players to complete. You also may not be aware that completing feats doesn't just get you bragging rights; it also grants you additional skill points to improve your character. Whether you're the type that enjoys exploring the open world, prefers soloing, or gets into PvP matches and beats the snot out of other players, there's a little something for everyone in terms of things to unlock. And if you happen to be on a realm where getting a group is a bit tricky and you simply love running around in the world of DC comics, feats give you something to pursue while you're waiting for friends to log in or for a group instance to pop. Additionally, in looking through the rather in-depth feat listings, you might be surprised to realize just how much lateral content you missed while you were following the main storyline for your side. From hunting iconic characters, roaming the world, and completing missions at high-speed onward to sillier things like breaking hundreds of barrels, there are tons of opportunities to further enrich your experience in DC Universe Online. So if you've been looking for something new to try or simply want a way to continue improving your character after you hit level cap, then join me behind the break. I'll be taking a look at the many different feat types available in-game as well as offering some tips and tricks I've picked up from my own feat-mad achievement-chasing sessions.
Guild Wars 2 unveils the game's lighter side
We've learned a lot of core news about Guild Wars 2 lately -- everything from class reveals to character creation has been served up to eager fans. The latest batch of new information about Guild Wars 2 takes a look at some of the lighter aspects of gameplay. IGN spent some time chatting with the developers and came away with a wealth of new information on events outside the central storyline. Bar brawls, daily achievements, kill counts, and interaction with NPCs were all covered. We even got hints of some possible side games or minigames, such as a shooting gallery. Check out the full interview at IGN.
Rise of the Godslayer: The Gateway to Khitai and Alternate Advancement
It's an exceedingly rare feat when a game company, particularly a maker of MMORPGs, manages to capture the spirit and substance of a pre-established intellectual property. The landscape is littered with many a well-intentioned but misguided attempt at bringing a beloved novel, film, or multiverse into the realm of video gaming. While Funcom's Age of Conan suffered through a launch that contained a generous helping of bugs and negative forum buzz, one thing the game has always done well is transport the player into a lushly realized digital Hyboria, where lore and Howard references abound for those who care to look. As we draw nearer to the May 11th street date for the Rise of the Godslayer expansion, Massively has managed to snag some time at the controls of the beta client, and we're happy to bring you our impressions of life in the eastern wilds of Hyboria. We touched on the extensive feature list for the new expansion in our earlier look from GDC as well as our Craig Morrison interview, so this time around we'll focus on the major mechanical addition, the AA system, as well as the general look and feel of the beta. Walk this way for more on Khitai and the new mechanics and be sure to check out the gallery below. %Gallery-92189%
Breakfast Topic: Feats of Fail
The other night, I dinged while dead. I was waiting to be resurrected by the Spirit Healer in the cave of Alterac Valley and leveled. This is happening a lot now that Battlegrounds give experience, so I'm sure many of you have done the same.I am not normally a Dinger in guildchat -- that's just so EQ -- but this time, I had to announce the dubious honor of dinging while dead. A guildie suggested that Blizzard implement Achievements specifically to commemorate events like this: Feats of Fail. The Achievement for leveling while dead could be called "Better Late than Never". (See what I did there?)I would love to see this implemented and there would be so many I could easily get, like an Achievement for dying in the Undercity Elevators X number of times. (It's a Doozie!) I'd also easily earn one for how often I've shape changed on my druid in a small space and gotten stuck. (Time to Change Classes.) The Spousal Unit has accidentally drowned so frequently, he deserves a "Not a Witch" Achievement.What Feats of Fail would you earn?
DDO Unlimited's final patch notes released
If you're one of those types of people who loves reading patch notes, then do we have a patch note novel for you! In anticipation of the Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited release later this week, the DDO devs have dropped the final patch notes in our collective laps today. These patch notes are certainly epic. Never before has a developer attempted to defeat the Iliad with the power of bug fixes and game improvements. The patch notes for DDO go over everything from the new class, to the new level cap of 20, to the UI enhancements, feat changes, class specific patch notes, adventure areas, and much, much more.If you're interested in checking out what's in store for you at the launch of DDO, look no further than Turbine's patch notes. Enjoy your scrolling!
Notes for AoC's 23rd of July patch: extra-short edition
We've had a long run of meaty patches for Age of Conan, and whether or not they addressed the most important issues on players' minds, the patch notes were always long and full of fixes. This week's update is in stark contrast to these past patches, as there are only two entries that sum up the changes: Resolved several memory leaks. Reset all characters feat training status. The first entry here speaks for itself. The feat training status reset refers to the cost of resetting your feats at a trainer -- due to recent class changes, Funcom has wiped the slate clean for feat respecs so that everyone can alter their build relatively cheaply. Both of the changes in today's update had already been mentioned in a recent developer post on the forums -- the other changes highlighted in this post will likely be making it in for next week.
New AoC feat calculator lets you submit and browse specs
The Age of Conan community site has brought a new feat calculator to our attention. Hosted at IGN's Age of Conan Vault, the calculator offers features found in other popular options, but one notable addition as well. Users have the ability to submit their spec to the Vault's database, which players can use to research their own builds. You can search the saved templates by level, class and name/description. People have already started to save their submissions, and hopefully this feature will prove to be a valuable resource as more players follow suit.
More undocumented changes found in yesterday's AoC patch
Over the last couple of patches to Age of Conan, there has been a disturbingly lengthy list of changes implemented that were not even hinted at on the official update notes. This trend has continued with Monday's patch, and the game's community has once again pulled together to confirm some of the things that they have found to be different without explanation.It's not as if these are all terrible, unmentionable nerfs or anything. There are certainly some bugs, but the undocumented changes list also includes good things, such as a quest finally being available for Villa Camillus, and boosted exp for all of the repeatable Villa quests; a number of updates to the graphics of items; and chain kills occurring more frequently (these have seemed fairly random in the past, with the exact same action sometimes giving a bonus and other times not.)
AoC feats calculator released into the wilds
World of Warcraft's various talent calculating applications have always been an essential item in every player's toolbox. An empty talent tree is rife with possibilities; who do you want to be, and how might you become that awesome person? Most importantly: how much longer will you have to grind before you finally get Silencing Shot? Talent calculators helped you figure all that out.We don't doubt that a similar tool will be just as important for players of Age of Conan. Neither did Ten Ton Hammer; that's why the folks there released a fully functional feats calculator to coincide with with AoC's public launch. All the classes are there, everything seems accurate, and the interface is pretty good; it's a great tool. Go forth, fledgling barbarians, and calculate your paths to greatness!
Hands-on with Age of Conan's Barbarian class
Last week at CES, I was able to do a hands on with Age of Conan's Dark Templar class. I also spent a good couple of hours ignoring the dirty looks of conventioneers as I hogged the Barbarian class demo machine as well. I was able to take a couple of shaky videos of gameplay (I blame the excitement) and write down some of the abilities of the class currently in beta.Before you dive in after the jump, you might also want to check out Michael Zenke's hands-on impression of the game, his interview with with Conan Designer Jason Stone about the graphic upgrades recently introduced to the closed beta and Age of Conan's newly announced Collector's Edition information, And if that's not enough information, you can also check the extensive tour and interview Akela Talamesca had of the game in December with more video coverage than you can shake a DV cam at.Now, on to the details of my test drive with AoC's Barbarian class.%Gallery-13299%
Hands-on with Age of Conan's Dark Templar class
The Consumer Electronics Show has hit Las Vegas in full force. The Massively team is here to roam the corridors of shiny, shiny, shiny gadgetry and ignore it all to to focus entirely on the content that is important to you. And that would be the shininess of Age of Conan. Funcom is on hand with live connections to their AoC beta servers and two classes available for demo play. Before diving in, you should check out Michael Zenke's hands-on post he wrote for our mother site, Joystiq. It explains how combat works. Then come back here to read about my experiences with the Dark Templar. And a little later, I'll have another post detailing my Barbarian play.Video of Dark Templar gameplay and Talent descriptions after the jump!%Gallery-13299%
