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Raid your couch for cash and land a new MMO
No, we don't mean Chore Wars or Epic Win -- we mean that the change in your couch or laundry might be enough to net you a shiny new copy of an MMO! GoGamer has City of Heroes, Age of Conan and DC Universe Online on sale if you're in the market for something new to play and have some spare cash lying around (or are willing to pack a lunch for a few days). You'll need to be quick to net these deals, though, as the sale only lasts for the next two days. First up at the crazy price of $1.90 is the City of Heroes Architect Edition, which does not include Going Rogue. However, if you're a City of Heroes player who has not picked up the Architect Edition, you can stack this version, which will unlock either the Cyborg Pack or the Magic Pack for your characters as well as giving you a month worth of game time for a steep discount. The next one up is Age of Conan's Rise of the Godslayer Gold Edition expansion for $6.90, which includes the core game as well. If you've never taken the jump into Age of Conan, now is a great time to pick it up. For those who haven't gotten the expansion yet, this edition adds in a slew of extra goodies like a puma pet, the snow mammoth, and even more -- on top of being incredibly inexpensive. From there, players can check out the PC version of DC Universe Online for $39.99, which is $10 off the normal shelf price for most retailers. This version also has the bonus item Deathstroke's Draw for players to pick up and 30 days of game time for new players. If any of that sounds good to you, head on over to GoGamer and scoop up some massive MMO savings!
Rise and Shiny recap: Anarchy Online
Older MMOs are interesting creatures. If they are subscription-based, they tend to lose players until they get down to a hardcore number, and then they are eventually shut down. World of Warcraft will eventually lose most of its numbers, too. In 20 years or so I fully expect to see players still playing it, though, talking about how the controls and game mechanics are still a lot of fun. If the game is from SOE, it might go on for ever and ever, albeit without much of a development team. Anarchy Online is a great example of how a game can age very, very gracefully. Perhaps newer games should look at AO to see how to keep both their dignity and their core players as the games approach their golden years. I tried to put my finger on exactly why AO seems to have held up so well, how it can still suck in "new" players like yours truly, and how it can still thrill with its lore and setting. How do you even get away with graphics like that in an age of players who literally think that upgrading their PCs every two years is a mark of pride? Click past the cut and I'll tell you.
One Shots: A brand-new day
Welcome, 2011! A bright new day has dawned, ripe with possibility, and all you have to do is step outside to enjoy it! Mind you, doing that in Age of Conan can also involve your getting attacked by any nearby monsters, crazy people, or just all-around bad guys. Hey, what can you expect in a brutal, bloody MMO based on the history of a guy who really enjoys battle? However, if you manage to find a quiet spot (or defeat those monsters waiting to pounce), there is a ton of richly detailed scenery for you to enjoy, waiting beyond the door. Today we see our very own Jef Reahard's character in Age of Conan, stepping into a sunny Khitai courtyard. Whether the day simply remained rich with possibility or ran red from the blood of his enemies, we don't know, but we can enjoy this frozen moment of peaceful potential nonetheless. Have you snapped a screenshot while out on your recent travels? If so, we'd love to see it! Just email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Omen from on high
In tribal cultures, such as some of the ones portrayed in Age of Conan, lunar eclipses (like the one from a few days ago) and odd astral phenomena were considered to be omens. After all, they didn't yet have science to explain planetary alignments and atmospheric effects. With that said, having a creepy cloud like this in front of the moon would likely spook many people, even today! Shanert captured this recently in Age of Conan, and while he and his companions appear unfazed by its appearance, only he knows whether it proved to be a good or bad omen, considering we only got a short note saying, "Mysterious man in the moon." Have you spotted something out-of-the-ordinary while on your recent MMO travels? If so, we'd love to see it. Just email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in! %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Moonstruck
OK, so hack-and-slash may not be the first thing that enters your mind when it comes to a dreamy holiday image, we know. Still, there's something to be said for an enormous moon that makes the sky look particularly magical. This One Shots from Age of Conan certainly fits the bill for lovely large lunar landscapes! It comes to us from Aeronach, who captured this while adventuring through Kara Khorum in Khitai. He writes in with a short note to tell us a bit about this screenshot: "Here's my character on a precipice looking out to the Crater in the distance under a full moon." Have you captured a particularly breathtaking view in your favorite MMO recently? If so, we'd love to see it. Email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in! %Gallery-85937%
Funcom publishing Stunlock's 'Bloodline Champions'
Age of Conan and The Secret World publisher Funcom has announced a publishing deal with Sweden-based Stunlock Studios AB for the PC multiplayer arena game Bloodline Champions. Under the deal, Funcom will operate and provide support for the 10-player online combat game. The deal has more significance than just bringing Bloodline Champions to audiences, though. While Stunlock will retain ownership of Bloodline, Funcom has also agreed to purchase a minority stake in Stunlock. It seems likely, then, that it will work with Funcom for future titles. If you'd like to see what Funcom's money is going into, you can try to get into the current Bloodline Champions beta here. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until "late 2010."
The near-death of caravan escorts in Age of Conan's expansion
Rise of the Godslayer is coming on May 11th, and if you're an Age of Conan fan the day probably seems like it can't come fast enough. While the developer letter for the end of April doesn't help hurry the date forward any, but it does highlight one of the smaller but interesting portions of the development process -- the sort of thing that can get lost between the more major systems. And interestingly enough, it was an element that director Craig Morrison originally looked at and declined to leave in the expansion! Originally, the design team had included a feature where you could either hand over money and be automatically transported to and from Khitai, or you could volunteer your services as a caravan guard and make the journey for free. The trade was that as a guard, you would be expected to defend the caravan against assaults, resulting in a small instanced encounter. Morrison felt that the encounters weren't really adding anything that wouldn't be better served as a part of Khitai proper. The full story of the process and the change in philosophy can be found in the director's letter, certainly a nice tease for Age of Conan players.
Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer has been dated
Yes, it's true, the first expansion for Age of Conan has been dated. Reports indicate that her father was exceedingly upset and... okay, yeah. Rise of the Godslayer, bringing us to the distinctly oriental lands of Khitai, has gotten an official release date of May 11th, 2010. That means it's only a couple of weeks away for anxious gamers, which is cetainly good news. And there's more good news for new players or returning members, as the expansion will be available by both digital means and boxed copies. The boxes will contain not just the expansion, but the original game, allowing curious new players a chance to start new without doubling their investment. If that's not enough of an incentive, boxed retail versions will include a tamed puma pet which will be unobtainable through other means. Details have not been provided, but the boxes are set to contain other in-game items as well. Age of Conan's development team has been hard at work delivering the best they can with Rise of the Godslayer, and players willl only need to wait a little while longer to see the fruits of their efforts.
