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Virtual wound will teach medics how to treat soldiers
Field medics have ways to practice their craft before they're helping soldiers on the battlefield, but it's hard for them to understand how wounds work until they're involved in a life-or-death rescue. UCLA scientists may have the tool these medics need, however: they've developed the first detailed injury simulation to show medics what to expect. The virtual gash could make you a bit queasy (sorry!), but it's uncannily accurate. A mix of fluid dynamics and in-depth mechanics (such as bones, skin and vessels) makes sure that blood flows much as it would from a real person.
Massively previews WildStar's character creation, housing, Engineer, and Medic
What do you get when you throw a bunch of Massively writers into the WildStar beta for a week and tell them they can roll a million characters, play the new classes, and muck around with floating houses in the sky? You get today's embargo-lift extravaganza, that's what, and a whole bunch of bunnygirls. Massively's Eliot Lefebvre, Justin Olivetti, and Gavin Townsley trekked to the planet Nexus and back to relate their deep-dive hands-on experience with the upcoming sci-fi MMO's character creation, Medic, and Engineer, as well as a take fresh look at the updated housing system. Enjoy our complete coverage! Massively's hands-on with WildStar's character creation Eliot tinkers with character customization, judging WildStar's somewhere between the extremes of World of Warcraft and City of Heroes. Expect an expert opinion on hair styles and body sliders. Massively's hands-on with WildStar's housing system In the wake of the latest housing demo, Gavin explains the differences between sockets, plugs, and buff boards, and then repeats rumors of a strip club for small stuffed animals. Massively's hands-on with WildStar's Engineer Justin is a sucker for Engineers: "This is my rifle and this is my gun; this is for fighting and this is for statistical improvements that help my gearscore for the inevitable raid gating." Massively's hands-on with WildStar's Medic Eliot covers the feel of WildStar's hard-to-master melee healer and his role in the overall environment: "Sure, I had moments of frustration, but I certainly wasn't ever bored."
Massively's hands-on with WildStar's Medic
My favorite classes in games are the ones that inspire spit-takes. The fact is that I don't really hate your bog-standard Warriors or Mages or whatever. But the classes that really get me interested are classes that demand that you explain what they do and how someone came up with that concept. Guild Wars has the Dervish, World of Warcraft has the Shaman, Final Fantasy XI has the Corsair -- they're flavorful, they're unique, and they're just plain neat. Combine that with my love of melee and WildStar's Medic had me from hello. I really like getting into the paint with things, I like the idea of a healer focused on getting up close and dancing, and I love the idea that medics balance between being doctors and technological shock troops. So jumping into the beta, I was happy to dive into the shoes of the doctor and start doing a whole lot of harm to anyone and everyone who opposed the Dominion.
Massively's hands-on with WildStar's housing system and new classes
Call me a pacifist, but housing and healing are two of my favorite aspects to any MMO. Maybe it stems from a deep rooted desire for safety and comfort, or perhaps I'm just a real-life Hittori Hanzo: no longer interested in making instruments of death. Either way, WildStar's latest reveals have me excited. In the course of the most recent press beta, I scored some hands-on time with both new classes and glimpsed the newest changes to housing at a press event last week. The two new classes, Medic and Engineer, add variety to the healing and tanking game, while housing improvements turn homemaking into more than just a hobby. The upcoming MMO from Carbine Studios and NCsoft is turning out to be one rich frontier, ripe with potential for anyone looking for a new MMO home.
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's last two classes
In the wake of last week's class reveal, I'm going to start with a piece of information that was actually revealed shortly thereafter but might have been missed. According to the development team, the Chua can be Medics as well. So now, WildStar's full class and race layout has been made public, and what seemed to be a single odd omission is now corrected. You might recall that I did some serious class speculation when we didn't even know what the last two races were going to be back in March. Now we know the last two classes of WildStar and I can see how good my aim was. And once I'm done congratulating myself on fitting together pieces of obvious information, we can talk a little more about what the last two classes are actually doing within the context of the game. That seems fair, doesn't it? I'm glad you agree.
WildStar unveils its final two classes
WildStar has really drawn out this reveal as long as possible. We've known the game had six classes since more or less forever, that's fine. And we've known about four of them for a very long while now. So we've spent several weeks in the game's long, drawn-out reveal for all of the game's classes, which of course dealt with the four we already knew about first, leaving the lingering question marks of those last two classes. Finally, we can talk about those guys too. And those last two classes are pretty cool. You could guess some of the details from what we already know, but just like with WildStar's other classes there are some tricks and surprises along the way, and neither of the two previously unrevealed classes are one-trick ponies. So jump on past the break to finally find out the last two classes. What, you didn't think we were going to put that before the break, did you? We can draw out a reveal too.
The Firing Line: Three reasons to love PlanetSide 2
So you've heard of this PlanetSide 2 thing, and you're fairly sure that some significant buzz is building. You know that Sony Online Entertainment wowed a lot of people with its demo at this month's E3, and you know that the game is a high-dollar sequel to one of our early genre stalwarts. It's a shooter, though, and you're either not very good at shooters or not very enamored of their gameplay. The good news is that there's still room for you on the PS2 bandwagon, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the title even if it falls a bit outside your comfort zone.
Firefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word
Mmm, Firefall. Red 5 Studios is starting the Thanksgiving week off right with a delicious helping of video. The entree consists of David Williams talking a bit about class design and the balance challenges inherent in the title's battleframes (for the uninitiated, battleframes are the suits of power armor worn by Firefall's soldiers, and in gameplay terms they determine your class and combat role). When it comes to the dreaded "B" word, Williams uses the game's Medic class as an example, and he says that Red 5 wants combat docs to be able to deal damage and fulfill the primary support role. This poses a problem, of course, because other classes (like the Assault) aren't able to do both. The Medic "needed to be fun, it needed to be threatening, but it also needed to be just below the offensive capabilities of an Assault," Williams explains. See what else he has to say, and get a good look at Firefall in action, via the video after the break.
SWTOR's Georg Zoeller salutes the Trooper class
He won't play favorites between the choice of builds, but BioWare's Georg Zoeller is remarkably open otherwise when it comes to talking about Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper in action. In an interview on RepublicTrooper.com, Zoeller fields a number of questions about the Trooper's capabilities in combat, especially in regard to how a ranged class can function as a tank. After struggling with these unique problems, BioWare tuned the Vanguard (the Trooper's advanced tanking spec) to be a mid-ranged tank with visual effects to show when the class was warding off melee attacks. "Statistically, their tanking ability is based more upon absorption and shielding and less about avoidance, making them the slightly more predictable tanks (Medics love that)," he wrote. "Finally, they are visually very different when in action, as most of their abilities are themed around technical attacks " Zoeller said that all-Trooper guilds are entirely possible, given the flexibility of the advanced class roles, as Troopers cover the gamut of the Holy Trinity. He sees Trooper healers as being extremely desirable: "Commandos are the only medic class capable of increasing their target's mitigation and receptivity to heals. They are also the only Advanced Class that features a 'smart heal,' an auto-response heal that triggers on the target when they take damage."
Star Wars Galaxies' GU20 brings the GCW to space
Star Wars Galaxies may be due for a tragic space opera death come December, but that doesn't mean the devs are twiddling their thumbs in the meantime. This morning, Sony Online Entertainment's sci-fi sandbox received a major faction and space update, making the ongoing Galactic Civil War content truly interplanetary. According to the patch notes, players can now "participate in dynamic space battles and fight alongside or against Ace pilots including Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett" above iconic planets like Tatooine, Corellia, Naboo, Lok and Dantooine. The patch offers new duty missions for player Pilots as well as awards for participation in the new content, and recurring station events ensure that players can always find some action in the cold black of space. Medics and Smugglers also received profession tweaks to bring them into balance with the other classes, and Shipwrights will be happy to learn that the update's new starships are in fact player-craftable.
The Daily Grind: What class would you add to your MMO?
I have to say that last week's revelation that the latest Guild Wars 2 class to be unveiled was the Thief was a mite bit underwhelming to me personally (although I'm sure quite a few Guild Wars fans immediately had to change their pants). It was underwhelming because to announce a Rogue-type class in an MMO is akin to saying that you're including NPC vendors: "Yeah, and...?" Sometimes it feels like it's the same classes in different games, just cut 'n' paste for our usual expectations. Once in a blue moon, however, a dev team creates a fairly unique class that is not just a cleverly renamed "Warrior" or "Medic" or "Gandalf" copycat but adds something new to the game that wasn't there before. So if you had your druthers -- and we all know how fond you are of your druthers -- what class would you invent for your MMO? How would this class be different than what's already out there, and what role would it perform? 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!
MAG Update v1.06 deploying June 8
Accidental self-healing and friend-stabbing rates are expected to drastically decrease in the world of MAG on June 8 -- the recently announced release date for Update v1.06. In addition to changing the credit costs of a number of weapons and accessories, the patch will map the "heal self" and "heal ally" functions to two different buttons on the controller, making the act of battlefield triage much less frustrating for folks who subscribe to the Medic archetype. Also, your friends won't accidentally stab you in the head anymore, which is always nice. Check out the update's initial announcement to see all the changes that will come to MAG next Tuesday.
MAG patch 1.06 coming in June, Combat Medics rejoice
One of the most frustrating things for us players of MAG's most altruistic self-defined class, the Combat Medic, are those times when we make a heroic dash through raging crossfire to reach a downed ally, only to accidentally heal ourselves instead. Even worse: those times when we're knocking on death's door, but accidentally heal an adjacent, barely wounded friendly. It's happened to all of us -- but thanks to the v1.06 patch due out "sometime next month," according to the game's official blog, it will never have to happen again. The update will map self healing and ally healing to two separate buttons (genius!) and will enact a whole slew of other minor (but oft-requested) changes. For example, you can now no longer accidentally stab members of your PMC. Nor can you purposefully stab them, if you happen to be a team-killing bastard. For the full list of changes, just click past the jump.
EVE Evolved: Medic ships, part 2: High-end healing
In the first of this two-part guide, I looked at some of the more affordable entry level ships and modules available to dedicated healers in EVE Online. I went on to examine an effective strategy for using medic ships as part of a PvE gang, whether you need some help on a particularly hard mission or you're trying to crack one of EVE's hardest exploration complexes. This week, I look at high-end healing as I explore capital ships and the role of medic ships in both PvP and wormhole operations. Healing in missions and exploration sites is a largely passive affair, with the healer permanently locked to the main tank. NPCs in these sites never switch targets but the same can't be said for players or the advanced Sleeper AI that roam wormhole systems. Repairing your gang-mates in PvP or a wormhole operation is a completely different affair, made all the more complicated by the fact that the dedicated medic ship is sure to come under fire. In this article, I look at capital ships and the remote assistance strategies players use in PvP or wormhole operations.
MAG resuscitates their medic class with update, prepares to launch stats on MAG.com
Medics of the Shadow War, unite! MAG's latest patch did many favors for you, and even those who aren't of the resuscitation persuasion will find some tasty benefits in their latest version, patch 1.02. The last patch has cleaned up the field support's HUD by removing resuscitation icons from those players who can't be resuscitated, resulting in a much cleaner field of view for medics. Downed players who can be brought back to life also now carry a distance indicator icon on their body, so now you too can GPS your way to help a teammate. The same tracking system has also been given to players who have equipped explosive detectors, pointing out the location of mines. Lastly, medic icons will only be given to soldiers carrying defibulators, so those only holding a healing gun will no longer be medics. The patch has also improved server performance, resulting in reduced lag during high-end matches, and has made a change to the statistics system to prepare it for integration into MAG.com. So, if you're going to be jumping into the medic class after this patch, MAG's art director Steve Suhy has some tips for you when playing support. We've got the video embedded for your viewing pleasure right after the break.
MAG 1.02 patch cleared for duty, to deploy tonight
Medics, it's been a long, hard road in MAG -- hopefully until now. The PlayStation Blog reports that a new patch -- version 1.02, the first of many coming down the pipe -- will be available for download on your console war station tonight at 1 a.m. PST / 4 a.m. EST. The central theme is medical improvements -- specifically, the elimination of the onscreen medic icon from anyone who has a Medical Kit. Now, only those who have the Resuscitation Kit will have the cross. Also, the only soldiers who will see icons over downed players waiting for a resuscitation are those that can actually resuscitate them, which should help get some of that clutter off the screen. Finally, Zipper has added distance counters for those fallen comrades, giving medics a better idea of how far away those in need are. If you're looking for more intel on starting out (or just some general tips on being a badass), hit up the PS Blog.
Five tips on being a better agent in Global Agenda
When it comes to action-based shooters like Global Agenda, gear is good but skill is better. Way better. Even the most technologically endowed enemies can come crashing down with a little teamwork and creative ingenuity. But if you're new to the game, new to action-based shooters, or just not doing so hot in your PvP matches, then you might need some help. That's where we come in. After playing a huge amount of PvP, PvE, and a decent amount of AvA in Global Agenda, I've found that many players make a few common mistakes. So, while I know this article will result in more deaths for me, I want to help all of you avoid these common mistakes and play a better game.
First Impressions: Global Agenda
Global Agenda. This game has been successful in causing quite a stir on our website. It seems almost every single story we do on the game anymore turns into the inevitable "this isn't an MMO" debate. We've even tried to give the MMORTS part of it more of a perspective in past articles, but that's neither here nor there. This article isn't about the game or if it's an MMO -- it's about how this game plays. So, is Global Agenda a worthy investment for the MMOer? Is it a worthy investiment for the FPS nut? Can a game that's a hybrid of so many genres work as well as its creators say it works? Those are all excellent questions and they're also questions that we're going to answer today. %Gallery-84790%
Global Agenda producer interview explains Players vs. Playable Environments
How can we describe a game like Global Agenda? "It's like a sci-fi Team Fortress 2 with elements of territory and resource control." That works. Or we could say, "It's an MMO that's gene spliced with a first person shooter." That's pretty accurate as well. But whichever way you look at it, Global Agenda is a game that's hard to define with any single, existing label. You'll play as an "agent" in one of four classes -- Assault (heavy weapons), Recon (stealth and melee), Robotic (gadgets galore), or Medic -- in a game that's as much about fast-paced combat as it is about controlling territory and tapping resources on an alliance (guild) level. The title is in development at Hi-Rez Studios, and I4U News recently spoke with Global Agenda executive producer Todd Harris about what makes this game unique. Harris discusses Global Agenda's elements of world control and says, "When a player alliance successfully claims an entire zone, anticipated to take approximately 45 days, that group will be rewarded with prestige items, public display of their alliance banner, and permanent notation within the lore of the world."
Jet packs, mechs, and all-out carnage in latest Global Agenda screens
Global Agenda from Hi-Rez Studios is one of the upcoming games that is challenging our traditional definition of an MMO. Essentially Global Agenda will be a marriage of Team Fortress 2-style gameplay with a system of world control where guilds will tap resources to gain advantages. We got some hands-on time with GA at E3 2009 and Mike Schramm had a chance to try out the medic class. We know the game will have four classes at launch, and taking the Team Fortress 2 analog a bit further, Global Agenda's 'Assault' class is like the Heavy, 'Recon' is the Spy, 'Robotic' is similar to the Engineer, and 'Medic'... you get it. This is, however, a very broad generalization and what we've seen thus far suggests there will be a good range of abilities for each class with numerous gear options. However, since none of us are in the beta at present, we're always hoping to find out more about the game. We've come across some new Global Agenda screens that Hi-Rez Studios released today, which show the various class gear and abilities in action. Have a look through our gallery to see the Assault, Recon, Medic, and Robotic classes tearing into mechs and androids, and quite likely each other as well. Plus, jet packs! We've added these shots to our Global Agenda gallery for you, so check it out:%Gallery-35351%
