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Hitman Go's 'Airport Box' update filled with 15 new levels
Hitman Go received an update that brings 15 new levels to Square Enix Montreal's puzzler on iOS today. The "Airport Box" update will soon arrive on Android, and is the first content update for the game since it launched in April. Airport Box also adds a new "civilian mode," moving walkways, new enemies and the ability to skip turns to the diorama-like strategy game inspired by the Hitman series. Hitman Go's new levels can be unlocked through natural progression in the game, or purchased for $0.99 (£0.69, 0.99 euros). Following the success of Hitman Go, the developer announced Hitman: Sniper in early June, which is expected to launch for free later this year. As Square Enix Montreal told Joystiq at E3, its design concepts could allow the studio to approach any Square Enix property with a "new recipe" for mobile platforms. [Image: Square Enix]
The Daily Grind: What's the ideal level cap for an MMO?
Massively commenters recently debated whether a game without levels is the same as a game without a leveling cap thanks to Black Desert's proposed character advancement system, an increasingly common lateral advancement system that allows players to build their characters more sideways than up. But outside of such sandboxes, most themepark games stake their mechanics on levels, for good or bad. And that got me thinking about the ideal level cap for an MMO. Even if two games require roughly the same amount of time to cap, a bigger number can seem so much more intimidating. Asheron's Call's 150 levels and Anarchy Online's 205 320 always seemed unreachable to me, and wasn't it cute back when World of Warcraft expected but 60 levels out of you? What do you think -- what's the ideal level cap for an MMO with levels? 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!
Watch the evolution of Titanfall's DLC map 'Swampland'
Respawn Entertainment's first DLC pack for Titanfall is due this month, and offered insight on the creation of the game's new multiplayer levels. Designer Chris Dionne elaborated on the development of one of the Expedition levels called "Swampland" in a recent blog, which features a large cluster of redwood trees in a murky area. The developer also included a video showing the stage's (over)growth since its inception, seen above. The concept for the level first came about in the summer of 2011 while Titanfall was still in development, and was tabled for nearly two years before being considered again as a multiplayer DLC stage. Dionne said Swampland started out "almost completely flat with yellow fog and towering redwoods," which became crucial to its overall design. At one point, Swampland was overrun with IMC buildings, temples and a massive infrastructure, which caused it to lose some personality, as the designer put it. The focus shifted to the towering trees as playtesters found it enjoyable to bounce off them as pilots and dodge around them as titans, leading to the decision to place the trees in the center of the action. Announced last month, the Expedition pack includes the "War Games" and "Runoff" maps and will cost $9.99. Those that pick up the $25 Titanfall season pass will receive Expedition in addition to two other map packs down the road. [Image: Respawn Entertainment]
The Daily Grind: Have you ever been put off by double XP?
Marvel Heroes features a bunch of firsts for me. It's my first prolonged exposure to the Marvel universe. It's the first ARPG I've enjoyed, and it's the first game that's kind of annoyed me with its promotional XP bonuses. Let me explain. I hate leveling in MMOs. I don't play MMOs for leveling or progression and 99 percent of the time these tropes act as timesinks that get in the way of what I actually want to do in a virtual world. So, normally I love, love, love double XP. Well, last week in Marvel Heroes I was blowing through the levels so fast that I ended up way ahead of the story in terms of level-specific areas. I want to play through the story once, enjoy it, and then go about speed leveling, trying all the other characters, etc. But that was almost impossible to do since I couldn't log in without levels and loot bags hitting my character in the face! Anyway, it's my own fault for starting the game during a promotional period, and I'm not really complaining as much as I'm looking to start a discussion topic. So, how about it, Massively readers? Do XP bonuses ever seem counterproductive or annoying, or is it just me? 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!
Neverwinter offers doubled experience until May 5th
Are you ready for the imminent release of Neverwinter's next major patch? Oh, you're not. You aren't nearly ready. This is going to be a problem, isn't it? Quick, maybe you can catch up this weekend before it comes out. Helping you in that catch-up goal is the fact that the game is offering doubled experience from now until May 5th, 1:00 p.m. EDT. So what's doubled? Oh, just experience from killing creatures, clearing quests, professions, invocations, Foundry missions... you know, pretty much everything you could possibly be doing in the game. And even if you've already hit the level cap, Companions will still gain the increased experience, although those Companions will not get the upgrade from Sword Coast Adventures. So if you're looking to race up to the level cap before the next patch hits, you've got a weekend full of play ahead of you.
Peggle 2 Windy fairy DLC gives a flying flock
Peggle 2 received a new master via downloadable content today named Windy, a spritely fairy that brings with her a special "Fairy Flock" power. Windy transforms blue pegs in the game into the score-boosting purple pegs and "simple shots" into ones that are bound to earn players additional chances. The Windy's Master Pack DLC includes 10 new levels, 10 trials, three costumes, three achievements and 30 objectives, all for $1.99. PopCap launched the game on Xbox One in December, adding local multiplayer dueling in March. Xbox 360 owners will get a turn with Peggle 2 when it arrives on Microsoft's so-last-gen platform on May 7. [Image: EA Games]
The Daily Grind: Do you feel pressured to level faster?
I've been playing Elder Scrolls Online pretty much daily since early release, but I just now dinged level 25 on my main character. I'd probably be a bit further along if I hadn't been consumed with altitis and some early-game decisional paralysis, not to mention I've spent a significant chunk of time crafting. I'm seeing a bunch of level 50s, though, and even though ESO is one of those rare themeparks that offers incentives for exploration and things to do off of the beaten paths, I'm feeling somewhat envious of all these higher-level folk. What about you, Massively readers? Do you feel any pressure -- either from yourself or from others -- to speed up your leveling process? 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!
World of Warcraft's new Warlords of Draenor trailer wishes you were here
So your friends in World of Warcraft have finally convinced you to come back to the game. Great, but they're all Level 90 and you're Level Seriously Who Even Cares. They're decked out in epic garments while you're apparently dressed like some sort of drifter with plate armor. What are you going to do? How could you ever take part in their adventures? Well, you could buy Warlords of Draenor and just hit 90 immediately on the character of your choice. A dramatization of exactly that is available in the trailer just past the cut, with a Gnome taking the plunge and bypassing a whole lot of leveling content in the interim. Click on past the break to see it in action, and perhaps you'll be inspired to also vault past a whole bunch of leveling to get right to the top. [Thanks to Schippie for the tip!]
Albion Online trading levels for the Destiny Board
Cross-platform sandbox MMO Albion Online is getting something called a Destiny Board in place of traditional level dings. "Players instead earn small perks and bonuses over a period of time by performing actions based on what their character is learning," according to Sandbox Interactive. We've included the full press release after the cut.
The Daily Grind: Do you track your progress?
For most of my time in MMOs, I have had a spreadsheet. It tracks my levels in various game-relevant categories, it tracks my income over the past several days, it tracks my assets, and so forth. At a glance, it tells me everything I know about where I am in a given game... even if I know that it's largely irrelevant and I should really just be having fun and not worrying so much about transcribing every relevant bit of financial data. In a game like EVE Online, of course, there's a lot of benefit to keeping close track of your money and making sure that you know exactly how your assets are allocated. This is slightly less important in, say, Wizard101. But there's still a sense of fun to be found from tracking your progress in the game as a whole. So do you track your progress? Do you have a spreadsheet? Do you keep a list? Or do you just play the game without worrying too much about that sort of thing? 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!
Yoshi's Island Zone is one of two Sonic: Lost World DLC stages, out now
Sonic: Lost World will receive two pieces of downloadable content on Wii U, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced during today's Nintendo Direct livestream. The DLC stages will be based on Nintendo properties, the first being a level pulling inspiration and elements from Yoshi's New Island, Nintendo's 3DS entry in the series due out in spring 2014. Called Yoshi's Island Zone, the first piece of DLC is available now for free, and has Sonic "speeding through areas filled with pipes, coins, Shy Guys and Piranha Plants." A brief look at the level can be found in the archived Nintendo Direct presentation.
Pikmin 3 trailer tours new mission mode DLC levels
Nintendo issued a new trailer to show off the latest set of downloadable content for Pikmin 3, which launched this week. Announced during a Nintendo Direct livestream in November, the DLC offers players the opportunity to play as the protagonist of the first two games in the series, Captain Olimar, for one level. The three extra content packs amount to four battle and four treasure remixed stages for $1.99 each, as well as a mission mode map pack with eight brand new environments for $4.99. The downloadable levels include Clockwork Chasm, which has an abundance of gears and conveyor belts, as well as the holiday-themed Fortress of Festivity. Those that update Pikmin 3 will receive four of the mission mode stages for free.
Massively exclusive: Take a desert trip in Elsword
Do you want to take a vacation in the middle of the desert? Probably not in the real world, since the desert is generally known for being a place people try to avoid rather than a vacation destination. But Elsword isn't expecting you to go just for the screaming heat and lack of water. No, it's offering a whole pile of desert-based fun that revolves around smashing enemies, exploring new fields, and taking on dungeons. The region shown off in the new trailer gives a sneak peek at two new dungeons, Barren Sander and the Garpai Rocky Zone. There's also a level cap increase up to 64, giving you a variety of new tools for smashing the crap out of your foes in side-scrolling action. If that sounds like your sort of party, then by all means, check out the trailer just past the break and get ready to enjoy a desert vacation far more than you'd expect otherwise. [Source: KOG Games press release]
The Daily Grind: Would you prefer to level quickly or level 'right'?
There is almost always a method to speed your character along to the level cap. Sometimes it's just slightly faster than the path you're supposed to take; sometimes it's orders of magnitude quicker. It almost always does not involve actually challenging content. Instead, you grind something repetitive with good rewards (FATE parties in Final Fantasy XIV, rifts in RIFT, and so forth) until you can happily say that you're at the level cap and ready to take part in the endgame. Of course, you frequently aren't ready to participate in that endgame, as the past however many levels didn't really teach you how to play the game except for efficiency. For some people, learning at that point is easier than learning as they go. For others, it's better to take a little longer to hit the cap on the condition that you'll know how to play the game better when you get there. So which do you prefer? Learning along the way or just learning when you're at the top? 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!
Community Blog Topic Results: Do we need more levels?
Last week's Community Blog Topic was "Do we need more levels?" There were more yes's than no's in the comments and blogs this topic sparked, but there were also some innovative solutions for how leveling or progression could be handled in the future. JeffLaBowski started this discussion off over at Sportsbard, with his answer firmly in the No column. He gives several reasons for not having more levels, starting with questing: They would still have quests, but these quests would be more meaningful. They would tell rich tales full of lore and character development. New races would be completely and meaningfully fleshed out. No loose ends. No abrupt stops. They could even add max level class quests. There could still be dailies and reputation but you would work on these from the moment you set foot in the new zones.
Badland gets new levels in Day 2 update
Badland is a wild little platformer from Finnish developer Frogmind, and it now boasts 10 new levels thanks to a new update. The developers have been working on delivering a set of content they call Day 2, with 10 levels of "Dawn" released about a month ago. Now, they've added the "Noon" levels for Day 2, which adds 10 new areas for you to explore with the game's little flapping hero. There are also 30 new missions and five new achievements to try and conquer. Frogmind has even released a new trailer for the additional content, so you can see it in action. Badland is an excellent little game that's US$3.99 right now, and with new content like this coming all the time, that price just keeps getting more worth 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.
Breakfast Topic: The leveling games we play
We've leveled a lot of characters in our day -- and I do mean a lot. So many, in fact, that leveling new ones can be such a snooze that we have to invent new challenges to make it interesting. So we create things like the Ironman Challenge, where death means you have to reroll. Perhaps to spice things up you're considering leveling your next alt purely through PvP, healing, or even daily quests. Tell us, readers, are you playing any leveling games? I am personally considering leveling a new priest purely through healing dungeons for a change of pace... though we'll see how long it lasts before it just starts driving me nuts.
Pirate101 sets sail for Marleybone
One of the bonuses of having Pirate101 set in the same world as Wizard101 is that the former can benefit from some of the latter's layout. KingsIsle has launched a big expansion for the game that includes some old favorites for veteran players, starting by sending pirate captains to the familiar land of Marleybone. Players will be investigating a war zone they helped inadvertently create while working up through another 15 levels of experience. The update also adds the new region of Aquila, a new Bazaar system for players to trade goods, and a new tutorial to help players get accustomed to the game. There are also new bosses and transport systems to give players more to do while they sail across the oceans. Last but not least, new companions are scattered through the added regions, and old companions are learning some new tricks. Pirate101 players can log in and start enjoying the update immediately.
The Daily Grind: How important is endgame progression to you?
For some players, the real meat of an MMORPG begins when you don't have any more pesky levels to worry about. Leveling is training, but using all that training to clear through the hardest content in the game is what you signed up for. Whether it's in World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2, these players feel that the real push is to have the best possible gear and optimize your character specialties. For other players, the endgame is just an addition, sometimes even an unwelcome one. Having the best gear or the best build is nice, but it's not worth pursuing at the detriment of your enjoyment. Far better to just do dailies in Star Wars: The Old Republic or level a new character in Champions Online. These players can be just as dedicated to the game, but they just don't care for the endgame push. So which category do you lean toward? Is the progression track at the top what you live for, or is it just a distraction? How important is endgame progression to you? 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!
