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Massively interviews Kate Paiz of Dungeons and Dragons Online
Dungeons and Dragons Online continues to plough on as a successful (to its players, at least) little MMO based on the official, original pen-and-paper board game. Just off the release of Module 6 and the recent second anniversary of the game, Massively got to interview their senior producer Kate Paiz. She talked to us about the upcoming Module 7 (including a little tip that lower level players will enjoy), the main goals of her dev team as Wizards of the Coast heads toward the release of the pen-and-paper game's fourth edition, and, oh yeah, that Penny Arcade comic that Ms. Paiz featured prominently in.The interview starts right after the break, so grab your masterwork Vorpal blade, your +4 Shield of Blocking, and wade on in by clicking below.
The Rikti Return!
So you thought those ugly, alien bastiches were gone, huh? Well you thought wrong! The patented City of Heroes Advance Warning System shows the Rikti are once again up to their old tricks. As we speak, they are massing somewhere out in the middle of deep space for yet another series of attacks on the following dates throughout the year: March 7th through the 13th April 25th through May 1st June 13th through June 19th August 1st through August 7th Sept 26th through Oct 2nd November 14th through November 20th That's some system, being able to pinpoint dates like that. And nice of the Rikti to take some time off between invasions. Very thoughtful alien scum. What's more, players will not receive debt while outdoors in an invaded zone. So feel free to blast away to your heart's content! Be sure to check out the entire "broadcast" over on the CoX website, it's chalk full of neat warnings!
Tabula Rasa: A time to remember, part one
Tabula Rasa lore buffs may be aware that we're quickly approaching the date of the Bane's invasion of the Earth on December 21st. To commemorate the event, NCsoft has released some fiction chronicling how the human populace of Tabula Rasa remember the world they left behind while fighting against the Bane on alien shores. Today we're publishing part one, below -- and check back tomorrow morning for part two.
CoX Issue 11: First Impressions
The newest expansion for City of Heroes and City of Villains, Issue 11 has been in open beta for a couple of weeks, and -- so far, at least -- it's proven to be a hit. As with all other releases, there have been the inevitable tweaks and adjustments to make sure that levels are being balanced and that powers are neither too strong nor too weak. Still, all things considered, it's been a phenomenal step forward in the elegance of the game.It's hard not to squeal with delight when I think of the changes that have been made since I first created my account in June of 2004. Whether we were peering Through the Looking Glass or fending off an Invasion, NCsoft was always pushing to give us new features, and to make sure that the play was as balanced as possible. As far as I can tell, they've done a phenomenal job of continuing that trend. %Gallery-9980%
Blizzard ices up the WoW homepage logo
It's begun. The cold is coming. Be warned. The land itself will rise up against you. Long-forgotten terrors will smother your courage. In the end, all that awaits you... is death.So come then, you heroes! Come in all your power and glory! For in the final hour, all must serve... the one, true king.[ Thanks, Lenny! ]
EU's intelligent cameras could nix the infamous 'bag drop'
One of the oldest and most successful tricks in the book could be finally meeting its match, as the infamous "bag drop" seen in countless silver screen suspense flicks is now the focal point of the European Union's latest investment in intelligent cameras. The EU has partnered with ten other companies and research institutes to fund the $3.11 million ISCAPS (Integrated Surveillance of Crowded Areas for Public Security) project, which does a fair job in and of itself explaining the duties. While the Brits are wading through gobs of surveillance issues in their own land, this attempt to utilize smart camera systems to pick up "abandoned bags, erratic movements, loitering, or suspicious vehicle movements" could cause quite a bit of fuss right next door. The crew has purportedly done extensive interviewing with security experts to program in what could be classified as dodgy behavior in a bustling locale, but the ultimate decision to approach someone of their motives would still be left up to a human (at least for the time being). Looks like your plans to pull off a Thomas Crown Affair of your own just got spoiled, eh?
Geek Squad technician arrested for invading customer's shower
Sure, it's easy (and sadistically enjoyable) to bust on Best Buy, especially when it considers frugal shoppers "devils" and shoos away loyal customers holding down the fort for a PS3, but the latest knock against the retailer will be even tougher to shake. While it's no surprise that BB cashiers aren't the easiest to deal with when bringing back demolished goods, a pair of sisters also realized major holes in the company's personality screening process over at Geek Squad. Reportedly, a hired technician actually set up a cameraphone to record one of the siblings whilst she was taking a shower, but obviously wasn't sly enough to hide the "blinking red record light" from view. Subsequently, the violated duo supposedly ganked the internal flash card, made haste for a Verizon store to confirm the contents, and of course, phoned up the boys in blue to come take care of business. Needless to say, the shady criminal is now facing "two counts of invasion of privacy and one count of child molestation," but apparently it's still not a crime to charge clueless customers outrageous rates to tackle the simplest of tasks. Sheesh, where's the justice?[Via Digg]
Visiting Day: a quirky Flash game
Mike Bithell has just created a new Flash game, made exclusively with the PSP in mind. It has great vector graphics, great style, and a really sleek menu. The game is a series of rather simple minigames, having you fight an alien invasion. WIth multiple difficulties, a psuedo-multiplayer option, and a "story mode," this Flash game goes above and beyond the fan norm. It's not perfect, though: it can use a bit of music, and I didn't know that you had to leave the analog stick at the bottom right at all times. With some music, a few GUI changes, and a little bit of clarification (for example: you can't progress in Story mode unless you fail!), Mike Bithell might have something truly complete. Wish you luck on your professional endeavors, man.Visit Mike's PSP-compatible website for the download. For users with 2.70 firmware and above.
"Invasion: The Complete Series" coming to HD DVD too?
TV shows turned into HD DVD/Blu-ray might turn out to be the golden lining for these formats. We already knew that The Sopranos are on their way with season 6, plus we are pretty sure that Smallville and The West Wing are next. Now, there are reports that ABC's somewhat-of-a-hit show Invasion might be coming to HD DVD too. The show was canceled by ABC and then the new network CW considered pick up the show but decided not too once they found out the production costs. The show was consider one of the best sci-fi shows outside of Lost and Battlestar Galactica, but it just didn't find a home on ABC -- maybe it will on HD DVD though. Shows like this are just prime picking for the high-def formats as they already have following, they are filmed in high-def but mostly, a person gets a plethora of HD content rather then just one movie. [Via MovieWeb]
Smallville and The West Wing next TV shows to HD DVD?
Our friends at TheManRoom stumbled upon an interesting bit of information in their Invasion DVD boxed set, an advertisement for Smallville and The West Wing coming soon on HD DVD. Based on the box art displayed, one can assume that they plan on releasing current seasons of high-def shows on the new formats first, then working their way back through the older shows. Whether or not these will be day-and-date releases like The Sopranos remains to be seen, but we'll be keeping an eye out for Lost and 24 boxed sets.
RFID Passports coming to the US in August
It has been a long and extremely troubled road for the ePassport here in the US, but it looks like they'll finally start hitting carry on bags of non-diplomats late next month. The new RFID tag-toting documents will store all of your personal data, including name, address, nationality, a picture, a digitized fingerprint and just about every other thing crooks would need to take your identity for a joyride. The government is insisting that they've taken the necessary precautions to prevent data "skimming," but that can be a lot trickier than it sounds. Just ask the Dutch. Ultimately, the technology could go either way, acting as an effective method of cross-checking people across a vast security network as they move from country to country, or evolving into an omnipresent grid of surveillance that will spread viruses and confine us all to our homes lest we feel the wrath of cyber criminals or high-tech fascists. So let us know how it turns out, we'll be in the basement with our RFID-blocking wallet and tin foil hat.
Scourge Invasion FAQ
For those of you who have left comments asking specific questions about the ongoing Scourge Invasion event, this post over on the official forums might just be what you're looking for; it's a FAQ (frequently asked questions, for you acronym-impaired) all about the Scourge event, that answers just about all the questions we know the answers to so far. We still don't know how long the event will last or what it will take to defeat the invasion, but there are plenty of tips here to get you started on the path. Kudos to player Ghostwalka for putting it all together. My experience so far with the event has been limited to taking on a few isolated undead in Stormwind & encoutering a Necropolis in Winterspring that scared the heck out of me when I first saw it. I plan to dive headfirst into the events this weekend, though, and this post has me surious to see some of the things that will happen. Check it out & while you're out there battling the Scourge, report anything new you find back here to us!
The Scourge Invades!
When I first flew into Stormwind yesterday, I thought there was something wrong with my monitor. A thick, choking haze filled the air, and a group of mysterious soldiers had set up camp in town and were spreading disturbing news. The Scourge has invaded Azeroth, and all able-bodies have been called to her defense.The invaders chosen method of conquest is by the use of an armada of flying necropolis'. Yes, it's an odd concept, and no, I have no idea how they make cities fly, much less dead ones, but I saw it with my own eyes, so take my word for it...these things are huge.Swarms of powerful undead have flooded the Plaguelands, Azshara & other areas, gaining their power from mysterious obelisks scattered throughout the land. Horde & Alliance could be seen fighting side-by-side against the unholy legions, trying to destroy the crystals. Who knows how long the combined forces of both factions will be able to stave off the invaders...but it's been pretty freakin' cool so far.Have you heeded the call to arms against the Scourge? Seen anything interesting during the event so far? Let us know...
HDTV Listings for May 17, 2006
What we're watching: Lost is still the show to watch, we guess. The last few episodes have been a bit of a drag, here's hoping they pick things up. Invasion wraps up their first (and last, thanks Bob!) season tonight, along with CSI:NY, Law & Order and Bones. The Detroit Pistons start from scratch tonight trying to put away the Cleveland Cavaliers with their series tied 2-2. The defending champ San Antonio Spurs however are just trying to stay alive after falling down 3-1 to the Dallas Mavericks. Think Mark Cuban can smell the Conference finals yet?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for May 10, 2006
What we're watching: More new Alias / Lost / Invasion, although the biggest mystery may be how Miami got blown out by the Nets the other night. We'll see if they can repeat tonight at 8 p.m. on TNT. Fans of The Bedford Diaries can look forward to a two-hour season finale tonight while on Discovery they have Ice Cube's (wrong O'Shea) Big Adventure.Also could someone do me a favor, Starz schedule indicates their only high definition programming will be Hidalgo, and that they will be airing The Bourne Supremacy in prime time in standard definition. I honestly can't believe thats true, but it's what the schedule says. Since I won't be home to watch it myself, can someone flip over and tell us what sort of 480i miscegenation is going on here?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
