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Darkfall's Duelist update also ushered in treasure map changes
With a brand new Skirmisher school -- the Duelist -- to try out courtesy of Darkfall's most recent update, it would be understandable if players didn't noticed the other aspects of the patch that hit Agon this week. Along with fixes in the areas of performance, conquest, and the world, an overhauled treasure map system was introduced where map size determines treasure placement. This new system means that treasure maps will no longer direct you to a spawn randomly anywhere in the world. Instead, the size of the treasure map dictates in what level of danger zone the spawn will be located. Small maps will lead to a lower danger zone, but to dig up the treasure from a large map, players will have to venture into Danger Level V zones. These changes and more can be found in the patch notes. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip.]
Wings Over Atreia: Does adding aether make a mech class more Aion?
NCsoft tried to do it to me again! Smack dab in the middle of my two-part new dungeons guide for Aion's latest expansion, the studio slipped out the news about the third new class and tried to derail my plans. Well this time, it did not succeed! But just because I made the topic wait a bit doesn't mean I am not about to devote a lengthy span of words on it. At long last, there is a date for when the mechanized Aethertech will join the Gunner and Songweaver in 4.0, even if the date is only about hitting the Korean beta servers. But that means that it's not far from going live there, and when it does, its debut on the North American servers won't be far behind. As you'd expect, this news sparked a bit of excitement. Some folks, however, are decrying Aion's flagrant foul of destroying its own mythos and all but spitting on the sanctity of its genre. So we're here to discuss that: Is the Aethertech an inexcusable aberration in the lore, or does it actually fit right in?
SOE Live 2013: EverQuest II expounds on Tears of Veeshan
After so much attention has been given to the latest sibling in the EverQuest franchise, some fans have expressed concern about the fate of EverQuest II once EverQuest Next comes out. But anyone who was present at SOE Live had those concerns laid to rest; the passion and commitment of the development team is no less vibrant and palpable now than before the big reveal. Should anyone be worried that EverQuest II will be neglected and just fade away? No -- not if you heard all the upcoming plans for the title, both short and long term. Besides the revelations at the keynote address, EQII fans had myriad panels, events, and even special play-test sessions to attend to learn about the game. There was a focus on the new Tears of Veeshan expansion overall, a dedicated look at just the Channeler class, a panel just for new systems, and more. Players who missed the Q&A session missed out on learning some specific changes that are being added to the list for the future. Luckily, we've hit these all up and have the highlights for you right here.
SOE Live 2013: Thursday keynote announces expansions, release dates, and more
SOE Live 2013 kicked off in the new Planet Hollywood venue with a keynote full of information as well as frivolity. The night started with a rap performance by a PlanetSide 2 player and continued with plenty of humor and even prize giveaways. Fan favorite Brasse, aka Linda Carlson, then lit up the stage (literally) in her PlanetSide 2-inspired Dwarven armor set and plugged Player Direct, a way for player-made gaming videos to gain more exposure. And then came the gaming news. Although even more details will be forthcoming as the convention progresses, there were some definite highlights shared by SOE CEO John Smedley, EverQuest Producer Thom Terrazas, and EverQuest II Producer Holly Longdale, including expansion announcements, release dates, and even some EverQuest Next tidbits.
Massively Exclusive: Elsword's Ranger becomes the Night Watcher
Elsword is currently moving through a series of character-specific evolutions, with Rena, the Trapping Ranger, being the latest recipient of a major class overhaul. The story goes like this: After joining a band of elves known as the Night Savers and shattering her magical sword in a fight with an evil king, Rena is awarded new strength and a lighter, more powerful sword that gives her faster and more powerful attacks. The Night Watcher is Elsword's first female swordsman and uses archery, trapping, and of course, a sword to best foes in battle. Check out the jump for screenshots and a trailer.%Gallery-120229%
Darkfall gains two new warships and a new class today
Bug fixing updates are all well and good (not to mention necessary), but you can't help but love a patch that adds more content as well! And today's Darkfall Unholy Wars patch does both. Besides some HUD and general fixes, Aventurine has added two new ships and a new class to the sandbox. The Junk and Barque are both fairly slow warships, lined with cannons -- 12 side and one rear on the former and nine side and two on each the front and rear on the latter. To craft either, a player needs a shipbuilding mastery of 50. The new class is the Slayer, a melee warrior with skills like Battle Rage and Vampiric Strike. Changes were also made to the village capturing and stealing mechanics to help the villages fall more in line with their envisioned purpose of being PvP hotspots. Full details on these and the other changes can be found in the patch notes. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
The Road to Mordor: Three ways LotRO could encourge rerolls
You're either an altoholic or you're not, and if you're not, then you're probably not too concerned about what your next journey will look like. For those of us who love to fill up our character screens to the max and have rarely gone a week without thinking of sampling a new class, race, or approach we haven't tried before, then a game that provides excellent reasons to do so is essential to our long-term interest. I've made many a new alt in Lord of the Rings Online over the years, and some of those alts even survived the reality show-like elimination process to make it to high levels. Well, at least until Moria, after which the Balrog probably got them. In 2013 alone I've made good attempts at three alts, the highest of which is level 51. However, my enthusiasm for alting in LotRO is on the wane. I feel as though I've seen and done everything in those low levels to death, and Turbine isn't giving me good enough reasons to go back through it again. That's unfortunate because alting extends our interest in a title and gives us something to do once we've run out of new content to devour. So here are three ways that Turbine could encourage players to reroll more often in the future.
WoW looks to the future as Blizzard stocks surge
Blizzard might be weathering the sting of a 600,000 subscriber loss in World of Warcraft this quarter, but the studio's separation from Vivendi could be the salve to soothe the hurt. Following the news that Activision Blizzard is buying back shares to take away Vivendi's controlling stake, stocks have surged 18% in pre-market trading this morning. Baird Analyst Colin Sebastian says this is nothing but good news: "This looks like a win, win, win for Vivendi and Activision shareholders. It's a better outcome than a special dividend to Vivendi, and I expect Activision will function even better as an independent company without the overhang of a struggling parent." Blizzard is also taking steps to counter its subscriber drop. VentureBeat reports that the studio has increased its WoW development team, "lowered the barrier" for returning players to catch up to friends, and created an in-game proving ground so players can learn to heal or tank. We also have word that a new buff-centric class is being considered, although no specifics have been revealed.
New World of Warcraft class coming? Ghostcrawler drops a hint
In an interview with the Chinese gaming site QQ during Chinajoy, World of Warcraft Lead System Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street let drop that a new class is being considered, one that is focused on buffs. This has been speculated about for a long time, and previous comments by Blizzard designers have indicated they believe there's room for another class. However, this is the first time we've heard what they're considering implementing. A buff class would, well, give out buffs to other players increasing their abilities. We don't know anything more beyond that, however Blizzard has had buffs as a major component of classes before in the early (Pre-Burning Crusade) designs of Paladins and Warlocks. Please keep in mind that this is an interview conducted in another language, and while we've acquired a human translation of this particular part of the interview, it is possible things have been lost in translation. Many thanks to Spoiledleftie on Twitter for assisting with the translation.
New MapleStory character returns from the dark side
If you fell for the line, "Come to the dark side -- we have cookies," it's your own fault. But such was not the case for MapleStory EU's newest hero, Xenon. Captured, his body altered, and his mind erased, this once normal boy became a pawn to be used by the evil scientist Gelimer of the Black Wings. But redemption arrived in the form of a lab raid by the Resistance, and Xenon's memories of his past started to break through the corruption and restart him on the path with the Resistance. Armed with both his lightsaber Energy Sword and a mastery of the Energy Control System, Xenon -- the first character to utilize a hybrid fighting style -- set out to fully rediscover his past. Players will participate in special stories that will help Xenon regain his memory and possibly unveil more mysteries along the way. [Source: NEXON Europe press release]
Massively Exclusive: Elsword trailer introduces the new Infinity Sword class
Recently, Elsword grew by quadrupaling the size of the world. Now the free-to-play anime-inspired game expands even further with a transformation evolution that will introduce a wave of new classes starting tomorrow, June 26th. Kicking off this new series of transformations is Infinity Sword, a new class for Elsword himself. Once evolved into Infinity Sword, he has the power to summon an infinite number of blades to defeat his foes in battle. Want a sneak peek of this new class in action before it's live? Then check out the new images in the gallery below and the exclusive trailer after the break. [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]%Gallery-120229%
Massively Exclusive: New Code Electra class sizzles in Elsword trailer
If you've wanted more sizzle in your Elsword gaming, you're in luck! Kill3rCombo has revealed Code Electra, the next class in its transformation series. Along with a whole new look, fans of Eve can revel in unleashing powerful electrical attacks and zapping enemies with devastating laser beams. With the Code Electra class, the queen of a lost robotic race will unlock the El Spectrum ability, allowing her to alter her attacks by switching between multiple modes. Need to scatter the laser beam to hit more enemies? Can do. How about focus the beam for increased damage? Yup. This mode switching will affect all of the various skills available to Eve, offering players a multitude of strategic options. Check out Eve's new look as Code Electra in the gallery below and watch her new abilities in action in the video after the break. [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]%Gallery-120229%
Neverwinter unveils the Devoted Cleric
There's a lot of devotion running around in Neverwinter, and usually it's not something to be fond of. Most of the game features a plethora of foes devoted to the idea of ripping your character limb from limb, for example. But devotion isn't all bad. Take the newest class for the game, the Devoted Cleric, a beacon of healing light that will hinder foes, help allies, and always remain faithful to you even if you wear that hat he absolutely hates. Devoted Clerics have two at-will abilities under normal circumstances: a standard attack and a lighter attack that also heals allies for a small amount. As the Devoted Cleric attacks, he builds up Divinity, which allows him to shift into different at-will abilities -- a channeled beam of damage or a channeled heal that restores both the target and the cleric. Take a closer look at the class mechanics on the official site, or see the class in action in the trailer past the cut. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Age of Wushu's Scholar school teaches the art of death
If you've hopped into Age of Wushu's open closed beta, which started yesterday, you've probably noticed a new school available, one distinct from the previous reveals of beggars, monks, assassins, guards, and such. Folks who prefer a more cultured outlook can join the Scholars, a sect that focuses on the arts. In fact, before joining this school, players must acquire one of the four Cultural professions: Musician, Painter, Calligrapher, or Weiqi. This school is also one of only two neutral sects. With an elegant combat style rooted in dance, scholars use flourishing, theatrical moves in swordplay. They also use musical frequencies to cause internal damage; one legend tells of an ultimate song that can deal fatal damage to a foe without spilling a single drop of blood. You can check out the Scholars moves in Massively TV's Age of Wushu stream.
Back-stabbing is front and center with Neverwinter's Trickster Rogue
In a previous poll, many of you have indicated you'd prefer the play the magic-flinging, crowd-controlling Control Wizard over the shield-slamming Guardian Fighter class in the upcoming fantasy game Neverwinter. Perhaps your choice will change once you get a look at the wily back-stabbing moves of the Trickster Rogue class. Forget about standing your ground like a tank, the Trickster's main skills focus on slipping behind an enemy to take advantage of the vulnerable flank and slinking away with artful evades. Cryptic has released a video highlighting these skills along with others in the rogue's arsenal. Check them out in the clip after the break. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Massively Exclusive: Elsword trailer introduces Sheath Knight class
This past fall, Kill3rCombo released phase two of Elsword's Awakened update, bringing with it the new Velder's Hallucination dungeon filled with gigantic mobs to slaughter. Now, you can dive into that dungeon and commence with said slaughter as a new class! Introducing the Sheath Knight: a dual-wielding swordsman who slices and dices his way through mobs and players alike. The Sheath Knight, so named for his magical sheath that enables him to use two swords simultaneously, focuses on melee combat and speed. How does the Sheath Knight compare to the other five already established classes? The Elsword team sat down with us and answered a few questions about this new playable character. You can also check out some of the SK's moves in the video after the break.
Vindictus cuts out a place for new character Vella
She slices, she dices, she eviscerates, and she's the newest character in Vindictus. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Vella and her dual blades. She's the star of the newest video from the game's team at Nexon, which shows off her penchant for quick maneuvers and swinging arcs of destruction. In the game's lore, Vella is a mariner renowned for her skill with blades and her agility. In play, she more than lives up to the reputation, possessing a variety of attacks that either help her close the range with her opponent (such as Typhoon Slash) or help her get out of range as necessary (such as the spinning attack Slipaway). While she's obviously a melee character, her ability to dart in and out of range and vent around larger opponents should help keep her versatile on the battlefield. But don't take our word for it -- check her out in action just past the break. [Source: Nexon press release]
Age of Wushu highlights a third school: Wanderer's Valley
Just as players would expect of a sandbox, Age of Wushu is offering a variety of classes for folks to play the game how they want. Previous spotlights introduced fans to the Beggars and the Tangmen. Now Snail Games is showing off the evil side of life in ancient China; Wanderer's Valley is a darker school that welcomes notoriety for its nefarious actions. Created by a man embittered by his own short life-span and led by fallen members of other sects, the sect is full of adherents who practice a live-in-the-moment attitude with little care for the consequences of their actions. Skills available to this school include the use of pressure points to poison energy and dual blades to slice through opponents. You can even use insects to slowly eat away at enemies. If the prevailing motto of "eat, drink, and torture others, for tomorrow we die" sounds right up your dark alley, then Wanderer's Valley is the school for you!
Control Wizards join Neverwinter's class lineup
You've seen the brawn that's coming in Neverwinter, the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons action MMO, now meet the brains: the Control Wizard. These masters of arcane magic eschew physical battle, instead relying on knowledge and study for their power. As their name suggests, Control Wizards have the ability to hinder multiple foes by using their spells to stun and disable large groups of surrounding enemies. Check out a video after the cut as well as images of the Control Wizards doing what they do best in the gallery below. And tell us, which class would you prefer to play when Neverwinter releases -- muscle or magic?%Poll-78724%[Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]%Gallery-152607%
Roleplaying a non-pandaren monk
As we embark on the closing weeks of Cataclysm, roleplayers have a lot to look forward to. Not only do we have an entirely new race to roleplay, we've also got an entirely new class -- something we haven't seen since death knights were introduced. The monk class is not restricted to the pandaren race, which brings up this question, submitted via email: As a gnome RP'er and a bit of a lore junkie I was wondering about a few things. First off how exactly would one go around RP'ing a non-Panderan monk? I ask this since Mists comes out soon and I haven't seen an All the World's a Stage on it and based on some of the Realm Forum posts on my realm I am not the only one wondering this. Thank you, Coggling Arcanegrin Well, Coggling, I'm certainly happy enough to answer your question. It's a good one, too. Roleplayers take in several different factors when creating characters, and the monk class is one that takes a bit more attention to detail than most. So let's go over the basics of the basics and see what roleplaying a monk is all about when you aren't a pandaren.
