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Guild leaders converge for The Elder Scrolls Online's first guild summit
If you weren't invited to The Elder Scrolls Online's current guild summit... well, don't feel bad; only the leaders of 20 guilds and online communities were invited. But it's still kind of nail-biting. What could they be talking about in there? What strange and arcane topics will be brought up? Will special items be handed out? Are there designer cheeses available? Lucky for you, though, the folks at the Tamriel Foundry have taken the time to transcribe what's going down in Maryland so that even those not at the summit can get a sense for what's happening. The first day of the summit covered combat responsiveness, system design, AvA mechanics, and the Champion system. This means both detailed examinations of where the game is currently lacking and what's coming in the future; the Champion system and the rework of the veteran experience is slated for "when it's done" rather than a specific date. So sit back and take a look at all of the hard details on display, possibly whilst eating some designer cheese of your own.
The road ahead for Darkfall Unholy Wars
Darkfall Unholy Wars has seen its ups and downs during its operation, but the latest post from the team is about moving forward. The development team's roadmap was shared with players over the weekend, providing a peek at what's coming in the future to make the game more interesting. No dates are included with the roadmap, as it's focused on concepts rather than specifics, but it still includes plenty of things for veteran players to be excited about. Among the large-scale changes planned for the game in the future are improvements to the AI and PvE combat in general, along with systems to help players more firmly align themselves within the game world. The developers would like to minimize instant travel while promoting fast travel where possible, creating a more localized economic model that emphasizes journeying between markets. There's also an ongoing commitment to keeping all combinations of skills and powers viable, supporting a wide variety of playstyles. Take a look at the full roadmap for more details on what's coming around the bend.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's future patches
A week after I mention that Final Fantasy XIV's next patch seems a little light, 2.16 comes around and lets us know that gardening is incoming with the next patch. What does gardening involve? Who knows? We haven't been told. I would tend to guess that it involves FC housing, which means that it's a non-entity for the majority of the playerbase, since the house prices are still insane for anything other than a small plot and small remains tiny. I mentioned some things that the game is going to need to aim for over the course of the year, and all of those remain on the table. In many ways, the game is going wonderfully -- we're hearing rumblings about the next expansion, the first patch did its job quite well, the second is on its way, and based on the current content schedule we can expect a couple more before the end of the year. While we don't yet have a roadmap, we can start putting together some basic guesses about the next few patches for Final Fantasy XIV -- and what they won't address.
MechWarrior Online looks forward to the next month
Are you ready for another month of MechWarrior Online? The team behind the game certainly is. Creative Director Bryan Ekman took to the forums to outline what players can expect from the next month of updates, including items for players who purchase one of the game's Phoenix packages (aside from the Saber tier) before October 15th. That includes bugfixes, new content, and of course new 'Mechs to enjoy. Slated for release this month are the Locust, the Hero Atlas, and the Champion Spider, along with the Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt, and Battlemaster 'Mechs for Phoenix package owners. The game will also drop a new map and a new paint pattern. Meanwhile, the team is working hard on optimizing game performance and UI accessibility. The letter closes by examining where several proposed pieces of the Community Warfare are in the development process. Dedicated MechWarriors will want to take a careful look at what's coming up next and probably start blasting away in preparation.
February's Star Trek Online Ask Cryptic is all about May
Star Trek Online players have questions, and Cryptic Studios has answers. The latest installment of Ask Cryptic for the month of February mostly gives the same answer to several questions, however, and that answer is May. More specifically, it's something contained in the May update, which some fans are speculating will include a playable Romulan faction. Producer Dan Stahl does not come out and say as much, but he does agree that previously issued hints strongly suggest Romulans and that the design team is holding back iconic Romulan ships for a playable faction in the future. Beyond those updates, players can look forward to seeing a revamped and streamlined character creation process in May, as well as an overhaul to the game's existing trait system for characters. New equipment that allows for a socketing system is also en route. And there may well be a new tribble to unlock, if you like having a sentient furball sticking around. For more answers covering topics such as ship appearance, ship weapons, and Earth-based pets, read through the full list of answers.
EverQuest II outlines August update plans including the launch of SOEmote
Looking forward to having your EverQuest II character's facial expression match your own during frustrating content? Then you'll be happy to know that according to the latest roadmap for the game, the SOEmote feature is going live on August 7th, complete with new options to see your own face on screen, auto-enable the feature with an attached webcam, or see your group members more clearly displayed when the feature is enabled. But SOEmote isn't the only thing on deck for this month, as the game is also bringing in a new chance for players to win prizes by participating in instanced minigames. A new set of ethereal weapons is being added as well; the weapons promise to be powerful additions to the arsenal of any players lucky enough to locate them. If you need to know more about what the SOEmote features will look like or what the developers have planned for holiday events during August, the update planning list has your back.
Champions Online has a new Executive Producer and a new State of the Game
Changes in administration for any game can leave players a bit rattled -- and with a game like Champions Online that's already seen several management changes, it's even more disconcerting. That's only one of the big takeaways from the game's newest State of the Game address, which opens up with Rob Overmeyer outlining the game's recent updates and announcing that he's stepping down from his current role as executive producer (although he's remaining with the game's development staff). Brad Stokan, the new executive producer, has enough in his portion of the letter that you might forget about the first half. He explains that the team is working on building new content updates around overall themes, with June's major theme -- in both story content and mechanical inclusions -- being powered armor. This is going to continue with new Alerts and special events based around themes. He also teases that we may very well see superheroic vehicles in the game in the near future, giving players of Champions Online plenty to look forward to under new administration.
Star Wars: The Old Republic explains mechanical questions in a new Q&A
The latest community question-and-answer session for Star Wars: The Old Republic doesn't answer any questions you may have about the server change kerfluffle. It does, however, answer a large variety of questions about mechanical changes and upcoming improvements to the game. If you're wondering about acquiring your very own HK droid, for instance, you should know that the designers are currently thinking it's going to involve a galaxy-wide quest, a level-50 character on one faction, a mid-level character on the other faction, and some different approaches to the game as a whole. Most of the other answers are somewhat less far-reaching, such as the rationale behind limiting group finder flashpoints to instances within a player's level range to avoid abuse. Players wondering about the fact that you can't find certain sister stats on the same Enhancements (such as Critical Rating and Power) can also find an answer which breaks down how stats are grouped together and why obviously linked stats are kept separate. Players should take the time to examine the full list of answers, and add any new questions they may have to the official thread for next week.
Star Trek Online updates players on the next two seasons in State of the Game letter
When a game goes free-to-play, the development team has to change up its priorities. Star Trek Online changed up the leveling path when the business model was changed, giving players new and old an easier path to higher levels. But now that players are at the endgame, what comes next? The newest State of the Game letter addresses that, looking to the next two updates as major improvements for players looking to take on new projects. Season 6 is almost ready for live, and it's bringing along fleet starbases and group projects to help keep players involved. Season 7 is aimed at introducing the Tholians to the game and a new sector, giving players a new form of story-based content without specifically using the Featured Episode system that's previously been employed. This is just scratching the surface of what's available, of course, so players should take a look at the full letter to get a better idea of where the game is heading over the next several months.
Fallen Earth receives a State of the Game update
For Fallen Earth players, May was all about the Global Territory Control update. But now it's June, and the game's developers have been rather quiet since then. The team is rectifying that in the newest State of the Game letter, letting fans know that it's just been a quiet month of balancing and addressing bugs from the patch. Now that those issues are addressed, the team can look toward the future again. Among the promised future additions are farms, meant to be the PvE equivalent of harvesters. The team wants to ensure that harvesters are providing enough of a reward for player effort to be worthwhile, so some more balancing is necessary, but the core idea is that the higher-risk actions of harvesters yield greater rewards than farms. There's also a promise of the development team trying to be more active with responses to players, something that should be a welcome start after a fairly quiet month.
TERA offers a sneak peek at future updates
It's been a month since TERA launched on Western shores, and that means it's time to start thinking about the future. A new official post is offering a sneak peek at future updates for the game, starting with changes to the game's two tank classes. Warriors and Lancers are both getting new abilities and a new resource to help make tanking less of a chore. Lancers will get two new moves, including one to help with overall mobility, and Warriors get three moves, including the option to block attacks with paired swords. The development team is also planning on adding new instances; one of these, a high-end instance, will pit players against the argon queen Shandra Manaya. The instances will likely include new high-end glyphs for players as well as other drops. Cross-server 15-vs.-15 battlegrounds are also in the works; the whole pile of updates is en route for later this summer. It's good news for any avid TERA fans looking for more content over the next several months.
Star Wars: The Old Republic developers detail 1.3, free trials, and free transfers
Have you been holding off on trying Star Wars: The Old Republic until the game offers a free trial? It looks like your wait is almost over. At the recent London Comic Con, the development team discussed the upcoming addition of a level-limited free trial. You'll be free to adventure up to a certain point, but to get the full game experience, you'll need to subscribe. That's the smallest part of the game's upcoming additions, however; the improvements for players who wish to play together include upcoming free server transfers as well as a substantial expansion of existing server caps. Patch 1.3 is also bringing the long-awaited group finder to the game to help get players away on party tasks in a timely fashion. Patch 1.3 won't just be about playing together, however, and the developers also spoke more on the addition of adaptive gear and new Legacy perks for characters. It's plenty to look forward to for players of the game, so if you haven't yet taken a peek at the upcoming changes, you may wish to do so. [Thanks to The_grand_nagus for the tip!]
Firefall video blog says farewell to levels, hello to skill
The team at Red 5 Studios has been working hard on making Firefall the best game it can be, and as it turns out, that happens to be a game without traditional levels. A new video blog featuring lead designer Scott Youngblood and development VP James Macauley drops the news that the level system is being discarded and replaced with a much more organic system for player growth. Under the new system, players still earn EXP. That EXP will be spent on specific upgrades at a player's discretion rather than marking off specific levels, allowing you to unlock the upgrades that feel relevant in the order you want them. It also places less emphasis on levels in head-to-head matchups, something Macauley stresses is important to the team. There's more than just the removal of levels at work, however; the development team is also overhauling crafting to be more complex and rewarding as well as developing a new system of equipment tiers to keep players advancing. The full diary just past the break only gives brief glimpses of several new systems, but Firefall fans should be quite happy with what's over the horizon.
The Mog Log: The calcification of Final Fantasy XI
Over the last couple of months, I've been trying something different. As I mentioned back in my anniversary column, I spent a year trying out a strictly alternating format for Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV, but it wasn't working out to my satisfaction for a number of reasons. Backing off and focusing on the game with more activity seems to be working quite well (from my perspective, anyway), but it also means that I haven't really been discussing Final Fantasy XI much. This isn't entirely by coincidence, as the game itself hasn't changed much over the past several months. In an earlier column, I had mentioned that the roadmap made it pretty clear that if change was on the horizon, we wouldn't be seeing it until the new roadmap finally came out. And here we are, one new roadmap later. So what do I think? Is this the promised vision of the future, the prophecy to lead us all into a new era of joy and light across the game's continents?
Another round of Star Wars: The Old Republic questions answered by the developers
It's been two months since Star Wars: The Old Republic launched, and players have some questions. So it's a good thing that the development team is still hosting a weekly question-and-answer session for the community, with the latest installment addressing several new concerns about future updates. Among the answers are new features that will be coming with the second major patch, including animation adjustments for cross-faction parity and tweaks to docking at planets with orbital stations such as Tython and Korriban. There are also plans for players to gain the ability to roll on equipment specifically for companions; the Need option will be disabled unless the item in question is designed for your advanced class. Amidst all of the good news, however, there is some bad in the sense that new ship models and customization are apparently on the table -- but for much further in the future. Take a look at the full list of answers if you're interested in seeing what players can expect for new features in the near future and the slightly further future.
Final Fantasy XI gets an updated roadmap
The promised day is coming to Final Fantasy XI. Specifically, the promised day on which the level cap finally reaches its long-awaited new limit of 99, something that players have been waiting for more or less since the game's launch. But that's not the only thing that's coming around the bend, as detailed in the game's new roadmap stretching from this month out until March of next year. While the dates listed are only for the rollout of features onto the game's test server, it still gives a good idea of what players can expect shortly thereafter. Updates to jobs and Merit Points are pretty easy to predict as the game rolls to its last update of the level cap, as are the addition of new Magian trials. Players can also expect updates to the Voidwatch battles, new Burning Circle battlefields, and a variety of quality-of-life improvements to several facets of gameplay. There's no hint on what might be coming after March, but it looks as if Final Fantasy XI will at least be starting the year off on the right foot.
Star Trek Online strengthening the fight against the Borg
Since launch, Star Trek Online has always used the Borg as a major threat. This is evidenced by the Borg's position in several of the game's Strategic Task Forces, top-end challenges for the best of the best in the Federation and the KDF. The conversion to free-to-play will include improvements and updates for these STFs, starting with a change explained in the latest installment of the Path to F2P blog series. The first change is the shift to two separate difficulty modes, Normal and Elite. STFs are also being added to the PvE queue feature so that players can more easily assemble a group. Last but not least, the missions will feature special rewards that can be traded for a variety of anti-Borg equipment, allowing successful players the chance to better tune their ships for future runs. These updates won't reduce the threat level of the Borg, but they should help more players face off against one of the game's marquee opponents.
Our interview with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida
There are big changes on the horizon for Final Fantasy XIV, as revealed last Friday. After a year of free play, the game is bringing its extended free trial to a close and setting the stage for further large-scale improvements, culminating in the preview of "version 2.0" that will change the face of the world and the game forever. It promises to be a year filled with new content, time-limited events, and plenty for players to enjoy as the new version approaches. We were fortunate to have a chance to talk with the man at the head of all the changes, Naoki Yoshida, about the changes already put into place and the ones on the horizon. Past the break are Yoshida's opening remarks regarding the state of the game and the community as well as our questions, which covered everything from class balance to the end of the very extended free trial period.
City of Heroes details new Paragon Rewards program
Ever since the conversion was announced, City of Heroes players have been looking for new information on the Paragon Rewards program launching with City of Heroes Freedom. The update promises more rewards for players who have been with the game for a while, whether they've remained loyal subscribers or have taken advantage of the free-to-play model. Details have just been released, giving players a look at what can be expected when the new reward system goes live. When the system launches, existing Veteran Rewards badges will be converted into Paragon Rewards tokens, along with an additional token for each 12 months of subscription time. Further tokens will be earned at a rate of one per month, with an additional token for every year subscribed and for every $15 spent in the Paragon Store. Rewards are unlocked in a tiered structure, with Tier 9 offering the best rewards to veteran VIP players and lower tiers offering account-wide unlocks such as access to Mission Architect. While the details of moving through the tiers haven't been elaborated upon, players should still have quite a bit to look forward to with the rewards unveiled so far.
Newest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online available
The upcoming launch of Season 4 brings with it a host of changes for Star Trek Online, but as always seems to be the case, players have more features still that they'd like to see in place. The newest Ask Cryptic has just recently been posted, and it answers the many requests for new features that players have clamored for. Better yet, many of those changes are incoming, albeit not quite as soon as players would hope. Improvements to melee combat, for example, are not in Season 4 right out of the gate. However, the revisions to ground combat make for a perfect time to start implementing more and better melee weapons, with the development team starting in on the process of addressing the core melee issues. Similarly, new hairstyles are being tested with costumes, with the team still working on new arrangements that are visually pleasing for players -- but the new styles are in the works. Star Trek Online players are encouraged to look at the full post and start looking forward to both Season 4 and what's coming after. (And checking out this week's Captain's Log on the topic might not be remiss, either.)
