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The Daily Grind: What's your ideal time-to-kill?
There's a lot that I dearly love about The Secret World, but the length of combat is not included in that. Even standard mobs take far too long to down, and when you get up to bosses you could be spamming your attack skills so many times that you'll wear your fingertips to mere nubs. Contrary to what I've heard said in its defense, the length of these fights isn't an indication of higher challenge but of higher tedium. Still an awesome game, though. Time-to-kill (TTK) isn't something we think about a lot when developers tune it right, but when we find ourselves matched against foes that take longer than they should to kill, it can get under the skin in a hurry. On the flip side are games where you're mowing down mobs too fast so that they aren't a worry at all, and that can lead to disastisfaction as well. So what's your ideal time-to-kill? How long should it take you to down a standard mob at an equal level? 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!
Zuckerberg: betting on HTML 5 for Facebook mobile app was a 'mistake,' native Android version on the way
Remember the days before Facebook's iOS app ditched HTML 5 and sped things up with some native code? It turns out that there's some regret in Menlo Park about relying on the web markup language. Betting on HTML 5 for the app is "one of the biggest mistakes if not the biggest strategic mistakes we've ever made," Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt today. The firm's CEO also mentioned that new features will be making their way to the app and a snappier Android version is coming down the pike "when it's done."
Illyriad MMORTS adding emergent mob distribution
Large-scale game changes are a risky endeavor when it comes to MMOs. Today's Illyriad update is no exception, though we're excited to see what happens as the title switches from randomly generated world biology to an "organic and emergent model." Animal distributions will now take habitats, breeding, and migration into account, and players will notice various critters moving around the map and behaving in a more logical manner. "Now, each pack or herd of animals will be tracked in real time, its population increasing over time, and the pack splitting when the population grows to a certain point. Players will be able to dramatically impact the sizes of animal populations, which will have multiple consequences," says Illyriad founder James Niesewand. The tweaks are part of a warmup to the game's extended trade and economic revamp which is due later this year. [Source: Illyriad Games press release]
The Daily Grind: What mob type is too cute to kill?
In Star Wars Galaxies, it was the Gubbur. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, it's the Bantha. In World of Warcraft, it's those weird flower-monsters called Lashers. Every game has a super cute mob that I just feel horrible killing. Sometimes I suspect that the devs are purposely adding adorable things to MMOs and asking us to kill them just to mess with our heads in the service of some sort of Milgram experiment. Or maybe it's just meant to put us in our place out of pure revenge: "Flame my game on the forums, will you? Here's a zone full of fluffy Vorpal Bunnies that can one-shot you. Eat it, suckers!" So what say you? What MMO creature is simply too cute to kill? 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!
iPhone 4S launch in China draws large crowds, unnecessary violence and SWAT teams (video)
No Apple product launch is complete without long lines, frustration and utter exhaustion. Unfortunately, the arrival of the iPhone 4S has escalated this reality to a new level in China. We're now reading reports of fights breaking out between competing gangs of scalpers in the country, each hoping to get their hands on large quantities of Cupertino's latest smartphone. The conflicts have been significant enough to attract the attention of Chinese police, and we now hear that the Apple Store in Beijing is keeping its doors locked in attempt to make the crowds leave. While we've yet to hear of any significant injuries, it seems the company's storefront is now coated with plenty of eggs. If you're interested to keep track of the unfortunate situation, you'll find more coverage below and a video after the break.
WildStar Wednesday: The return of Metal Maw
A few weeks ago, the fine folks over at Carbine Studios posted the first WildStar Wednesday dev diary, which took fans through the process of creating a new WildStar creature. Well, it's that time once again, and this WildStar Wednesday features the return of the monstrous Metal Maw. Lead concept artist Andy Cotnam has handed off Metal Maw's design sketch to senior character artist Brandon Dix, who is charged with the task of modeling and texturing the beast. In the post, Dix takes fans through the process of creating a (virtually) living, breathing model of the new creature, from rough sculpture to rendered model. To take a look at the fascinating process for yourself, head on over to the WildStar Wednesday blog post at the game's official site.
The Endermen are coming for you in Minecraft mob update
Notch has already seriously cut into our sleeping time simply by creating Minecraft, but with this new, horrific mob we'll be lucky if we sleep one wink per week. Notch's "Endermen" were designed specifically to creep players out -- to not only be scary, but to be gut-twisting terrifying. In his blog post, "The psychology of the reticle and the feeling of control," Notch describes how he created the Endermen and what they will do to raise your heart rate: "Suddenly you could walk up to these looking beasts (they're three meters tall) and watch them as they moved their blocks around, but as soon as you happened to look straight at them, they'd attack. And by 'straight at them', I mean putting the reticle on top of them. You can keep them visible on screen and actually look straight at them in real life, but as soon as your in game character looks straight at them, boom. "Still, that was more scary than creepy.... I wanted something a bit more psychological. So to really drive home the point of looking at them being bad, I made the Endermen freeze and turn towards you when you look at them. As long as you look straight at them, they stand perfectly still and look straight at you. As soon as you look away, they will run (very fast) towards you. "And they teleport." The Endermen will begin stalking Minecraft with the Adventure Update, but if you can't wait, check out the inspiration for the creatures' name, Slender Man.
Massively Exclusive TERA lore: Day in the Life - Ebonathis
Just a couple of days ago, we were treated to a new video of TERA's Pirate Grotto dungeon, along with a bevy of crafting information and confirmation of the game's presence at E3. Today, we have a new treat for all of you anticipating TERA's Western release: a bit of lore outlining a day in the life of the leader of the fimbrilisks -- and yet another BAM -- Ebonathis. "What the blazes is a fimbrilisk," you ask? We'd love to tell you, but they seem to be rather enigmatic creatures for the time being. What we do know is that they are large (read: holysweethellthatthingisbig), scaly creatures vaguely resembling balrogs with an affinity -- and appetite -- for arcane energy. Today's piece of lore puts you into the shoes... hooves... scaly-talon-foot-appendage-things of the leader of this formidable race for a rousing good time of devouring arcane energy like it's candy. So jump over the cut for the full story, and don't forget to check out the new additions to the TERA gallery below. %Gallery-88481%
It's a rat, it's a bat, it's Guild Wars 2's Skritt!
Don't call them Bat-Men, Skaven or Reepicheep; you'll address them as "Skritt" and do it with respect if you know what's good for you. In a new ArenaNet blog post, Ree Soesbee reveals the latest Guild Wars 2 monster to plague the land: the "horribly, wickedly tricksy" Skritt. Skritt are a humanoid blend of rats and bats that live in massive colonies under the surface of Tyria, emerging to mooch and presumably harvest spoons from their victims. One interesting fact about this race is that Skritt share intelligence in an unknown way, and the more of them that congregate the smarter they become. It's this tenacity and hive-mind that have made them mortal enemies of the Asura, who are adamant that all Skritt be wiped out. So what prompted the creation of Guild Wars 2's Skritt? "We hadn't explored the idea of a hive-mind in our world before, but we didn't want to just repeat the old standard-an insectoid race. We went through many ideas, and eventually settled on the concept of a rattus rattus based horde. A major consideration in their creation was that this race had to challenge the asura on their own terms, but not be just another super-intelligent species."
EVE Evolved: Joining the Massively Mob
At the end of last week's article on preparing for EVE Online's Incursion expansion, I mentioned that part of our expansion preparation here at Massively would involve opening a Massively corporation in the game. This is something I've always wanted to do but haven't had the time to properly launch. I've been running the Pillowsoft corporation in EVE for the past six years or so, during which time the corp has been involved in almost every major game expansion. In two and a half years of the EVE Evolved column, I've had countless readers ask to join my corporation and have had to turn them all down. With Incursion rapidly approaching and Pillowsoft's latest wormhole expedition coming to an end, we now have the perfect opportunity to start a proper Massively corporation. In addition to providing financial help and some solid guidance to newer EVE players, the corp will be running frequent contests and event nights for any readers who want to participate. If you don't want to leave your current corporation but still want to hang out with other Massively readers and take part in our contests and events, don't worry. We also have an option just for you! In this week's EVE Evolved, I introduce the EVE Online Massively Mob and explain how you can get involved.
Justin Bieber attempts daring Segway escape from mob of screaming tweens
Yes, you've undoubtedly heard about the YouTube sensation-turned-teen-heartthrob Justin Bieber's ability to attract mobs of screaming teenaged girls wherever he goes, but you've probably never seen a scene quite like this one. In the video, Biebs tries to make his getaway from the mob on a Segway, renowned only for its ability to send women screaming away from you. It's worth a few viewings, we assure you -- the video is below.
Lawsuit alleges Apple conspired with Mafia, put hidden receivers in iPods for transmitting death threats
What you are about to read is from an actual court filing. Gregory McKenna has filed suit against Apple, which he alleges is conspiring with the mob in an effort to coerce him to return to a New York-based modeling agency he quit in 2000. As explained in the 124-page complaint, an iPod shuffle he bought on eBay in 2005 and an iPod mini he bought new from an Apple store in 2006 -- possibly a nano, as minis were discontinued a year prior -- both contain receivers that have allowed the Mafia to send audio death threats that play in tandem with his music. The suit seeks $14.3 million total and lists ten defendants in all, including a local mechanic, a private investigator, the St. Louis Police Department, the FBI, and the US Department of Justice. While our initial reaction is to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, it's hard not to feel sad for McKenna and his state of mind -- of course, if by some stroke of fate he manages to prove it was all one big conspiracy perpetrated by the Mafia, well, guess we'll be ending up with egg on our faces.[Via TUAW]
Breakfast Topic: Choosing the best mob noise in game
There's a fun little discussion on the forums right now about the best noise out of a mob in the game, and people have all kinds of different opinions. Among the many brilliant things Blizzard has done with World of Warcraft is the way their sound design makes each and every encounter with a mob very memorable, so that even if you're not paying close attention, you know a) when you've aggroed something, and b) what you've aggroed. We all know what a wolf growl sounds like, we know what it sounds like when the caster you're trying to sneak past starts casting (and many of us can probably tell what spell, just from the sound), and of course, probably most memorably, we all know what that gurgly murloc sound means, especially when you hear it in numbers.Lots of the best audio clips are actually from bosses (all of Molten Core's bosses were memorable, for some reason, and "Too soon!" has even reappeared in the game since). My personal favorite lately is the quote from Elder Nadox, the first boss in Ahn'Katet's Old Kingdom. He shouts an otherworldly phrase (apparently in Nerubian) and it ends with a "k-k-k-k-k" sound that must have been edited together -- it definitely doesn't sound human. Every time I hear that (and he says it a few times throughout the fight), I get the feeling that we are fighting something that is very, very old and very, very evil.But of course lots of the audio cues help pull you into the game like that. What are some of your favorite mob noises in the game?
Ghostcrawler's tips on Loken
We've known that heroic Loken is currently the hardest mob in the game for a bit now. Alex broke the story a couple weeks ago, and Loken is currently killing approximately 1.8 times as many players as the next hardest boss, Sapphiron. That statistic is skewed a bit too, considering Sapphiron is a 10/25 man fight, and Loken is only a 5 man. One of the chief complaints about Holy Paladins has been their relative lack of AoE heals. This becomes particularly evident when a Paladin attempts to heal Loken in the Halls of Lightning. It should be noted however, as Ghostcrawler does and I can attest to, it can be done with a Paladin healing. It's on this note that Ghostcrawler has provided some tips on the strategy used to defeat heroic Loken. And while these appeared in discussion about Holy Paladins, they apply to any class equally well.
MLG Orlando coverage begins on GotFrag TV
GotFrag's coverage of the MLG 3v3 Arena Tournament in Orlando begins at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific today. If you didn't tune in at all last month, I definitely recommend doing so this time around. Generally, I'm not a PvP fan, but this was very fun to watch last time. WoW's impact as an eSport isn't really something you can witness in-game (which is a shame) but for me, tournaments like this give it a whole new dynamic. The emphasis is placed more on the players and the choices they make, and a little less on rock-paper-scissors and endless countercomping. It's an all weekend event, so if you're only interested in watching the finals, that'll be tomorrow.Like Amanda Dean and GotFrag themselves detailed the other day, there are a lot of teams to keep an eye on this time around. Frag Dominant took the win last month, and there are plenty of other teams you may recognize. SK-Gaming, MoB, Got Game East/West, Pandemic, Fnatic, plenty more. If you don't keep an eye on the PvP scene on a regular basis you might not recognize those names, but they put on a good show last time.To view the live stream, you will probably be prompted to install a codec if you don't have it yet. All of us WoW players are a little paranoid these days (with good reason), so don't be afraid to run a background check on anything you're asked to download. I'm pretty positive there's nothing to worry about in this case, but better safe than sorry, eh?
Lorebook tells tales of Ents gone bad
According to Turbine's most recently highlighted The Lord of the Rings Online Lorebook entry, even Ents can turn to the proverbial dark side. One might think that even if they did, it would take them such a long time to work out how to kill you that they wouldn't be much of a threat. Unfortunately, you'll hear a different story from anyone who's faced the dour-root -- or Huorn, as some call it -- in Agamaur.To be more specific, the monster is an Elite Master boss encounter in the Lone-lands' Garth Agarwen instance. It's probably not the first killer tree encountered by most LotRO players. That honor most likely goes to the Warped Oaks in the Old Forest.
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: PuGgit!
Last week, WoW Insider saw a post by some guy about why tanks don't PuG.This week, I'm writing a post exhorting you warriors out there to PuG. Run pick up groups as tanks, DPS, hey, if people really want you to run around trying to keep them up with bandages then go nuts. Why am I telling you this? Well, it fits into my current crazy plan to stave off WoW burnout. Playing a warrior can be a lot of fun, but it takes a certain mindset to do it and frankly, if all you're doing is tanking raids and grinding on quests, you're in danger of falling into a rut. You don't even have to be tanking raids for this to happen... soloing your warrior in Dustwallow Marsh can be just as much an example of staying in your comfort zone. Do you make up excuses why you can't run Zul'Farrak just to grind away on quests in the deserts of Tanaris instead? Does the very idea of running Uldaman make you break out in a cold sweat? Then you should run Uldaman.Like most classes in WoW, warriors at say level 12 running Ragefire Chasm or level 15 braving Deadmines are hardly the same as a level 70 warrior running Sunwell Plateau, but the path to the latter leads right through the former. You can read the forums, talk to other warriors, listen to long winded self appointed expert bloggers, or cruise the theorycrafting sites every waking moment, but as helpful as all these things can be you can learn more from doing than from all of them combined, if you pay attention and are willing to accept that you will screw up, groups will wipe, blame will be cast your way and sometimes it actually was your fault. If you can endure this and learn from it, you'll become a better tank or DPS. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that's why these various instances are there. BFD isn't just there to get you Strike of the Hydra, it's there so you can learn how things like aggro management, crowd control, and tanking actually work.
Breakfast Topic: The clothes you wish you could wear
It happens a lot: you see some random NPC in the world wearing a certain item or clothing and you wonder "hey! Can I can a polearm like that somewhere?" You might even do some searching and find it's not available for players, only NPCs. Most often it's a weapon of some kind, but sometimes it's a particular set of shoulders, or a matching set of armor the like of which doesn't actually exist. Sometimes it's a unique item with a really powerful pizzazz.I always liked the nifty scarf featured here on Baron Rivendare, as well as on the death knight pictured in yesterday's breakfast topic. It probably would be hard to make this sort of scarf work for tauren, but all the other races could wear it pretty well, it seems. It would definitely be a match for death knights who want to look the part, or anyone who wants that certain dastardly debonair look.What items have you seen NPCs wearing that you wish you could wear too?
What mob do you love to hate?
So many times, I am silently cruising through a forest, down the beach, or up the hills and I hear that tell-tale gurgle. The sound makes my skin crawl, no doubt about it, a Murloc has found me. Oh how I loathe them, they creep me out. I'm not really sure what it is about them, I just hate to be attacked by this man-fish-frog-lizard thing that owned me so many times as a youngling in Elwynn all those levels ago.Perhaps it is my bad experience as a lowbie that leaves me with a profound dislike for the little buggers, but it doesn't matter, I hate them all the same. No offense to Blizzard, the creature model is fantastic in all the colors of the rainbow, but everyone has an arch-nemesis, mine is definitely the Murloc. As I level I grow more confident in my ability to dispatch them with ease, but the hate doesn't seem to dissipate. Perhaps I have journeyed to the dark side?A guildie of mine says that Murlocs are simply misunderstood, and that no one takes the time to see them for the peaceful hut-dwelling beach creatures they are. Come to think of it I never really thought to have a tea party with them, I've heard they like crumpets. I guess if I wasn't always raiding their camps for some type of quest, they wouldn't get so angry at me for stealing random objects from them. Maybe I should be more sympathetic to the plight of today's not-quite-so-endangered species like the Murloc. I do love tagging them on Azuremyst Isle. I also do enjoy a good bit of Murloc-tipping late at night occasion.Is it just me, or do you also have a mob you just love to hate, and if so, why? Is Hogger on your list too? Maybe there should be a guild, "murloc nemesis." I would join faster than you could say grrrrrllgrgrlgrlglr!
Breakfast Topic: Most annoying mob in The Burning Crusade
With every new expansion comes a new mob to hate. Pictured here is my most hated mob for The Burning Crusade. Found in the Shadow Labyrinth of Auchindoun, these Fel Overseers hit cloth really hard, and have a very annoying Intimidating Shout fear effect that is annoyingly resistible and resets aggro on the tank until the tank is back in melee range. When I say "annoyingly resistible" I mean that I often resist it, and the tank doesn't, so the tank is halfway across the room and I'm being stabbed at for for 1,200 to 1,900 hit points per swing, with a very nice critical hit one time of 4,796. My favorite part is how this thing is classed as a "demon", but immune to both Banish and Enslave. The best method I've found for dealing with them is to make sure everyone is in very short range, so everyone gets feared, including the healers. Hunters are excused if they can feign fast enough to achieve the same effect. This generally means the mob will follow the tank around. Since there's no warning, and he hits so hard, trying to stay in berzerker stance to have anti-fear abilities up is somewhat hazardous. The cool down on the fear is very short, on the order of 30-45 seconds, so even fear ward and berzerker stance will eventually be on cool down when the fear hits. If I don't get feared, I either will try and drain-tank the big guy, or simply run after my tank, so the tank is in melee range as soon as the fear fades. Either way has about a 75% success rate, where success is me not needing a rez at the end.So, The Burning Crusade has been out for about a month now, have you found a new most annoying mob?
