ninjas
Latest
MMO Mechanics: Three fair ways to distribute loot
I mentioned last week that players throw their precious characters into the MMO meat grinder in the pursuit of higher levels, new achievements, or shinier gear. We gladly jump on the seemingly endless PvE treadmill, cranking up the speed with each new patch in an attempt to catch the dangling carrot of character perfection. Of course, we don't just punish ourselves like this to say we overcame some previously impossible challenge; there's shiny new loot to be had! The best booty usually comes from completing group activities like dungeons and raids, but not everyone can agree on how to share the spoils of joint pursuits. Several different loot distribution methods have been devised over the years to solve the problem of fairly distributing the swag, with most methods starting life as player-made agreements that weren't officially supported by hard-coded game mechanics. Players have long since rolled for gear or took turns to claim items round-robin style, leading developers to implement the most popular methods as actual game mechanics to avoid ninja-looting and then the inevitable public pity parties associated with player-led arbitration. In this edition of MMO Mechanics, I'll break down three of the most equitable loot distribution systems used in MMOs today and look at why this age-old problem doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution.
EverQuest Next devs punt the question of guns and ninjas
Should "modern" concepts like guns and ninjas be included in EverQuest Next? At the risk of editorializing, we think guns and ninjas should be in every MMO, even the pacifistic ones. SOE took the question to the community, which was divided on the answer, and the studio tackled the topic internally as well... ending up with the team divided in a similar fashion. In a new roundtable video, the devs talk about the pros and cons of including a fantasy twist of these familiar concepts in Norrath. The main concern the team had for anything being put into EQN was that it pass through a lore filter to make sure that it wasn't going to be out of place. The devs aren't committing to a "yes" or "no" on these concepts wholesale but will be examining them on a case-by-case basis to see if there's a precedent -- and to keep their options open for now. You can check out the full discussion after the break. Don't forget to check out our EQN roundtable wrap-up while you're at it!
Super House of Dead Ninjas is free, from Adult Swim
The only thing better than a house of dead ninjas is a super house of dead ninjas, both of which are better than a house of super dead ninjas. That's just sad.Adult Swim's latest free-to-play browser game is Super House of Dead Ninjas, a sequel to House of Dead Ninjas, developed by Megadev. Players run through a crumbling castle full of vengeful, zombie enemies, chopping them down as the heroine Crimson Ninja. If you're interested in any of these tremendously popular, trending things, play Super House of Dead Ninjas now right here.
Leaderboard: Ninja vs. pirate
Theirs is a rivalry born not from historical conflict but from bored nerds eating cheap pizza and debating hypothetical grudge matches. Well done, nerds -- now the entire world thinks that you can have pirates and you can have ninjas, but you cannot have both without an epic beatdown. Everyone seems to take a side on which is cooler: the roguish pirate or the mysterious ninja. Practically all fantasy MMOs have both represented in some way, whether it be World of Warcraft's Bloodsail Buccaneers or Guild Wars Factions' Assassin. If developers really wanted to inject some life into PvP, they'd make it PvN -- Pirate vs. Ninja. In any case, these two pajama-clad murderers are inseparable from our games, and chances are you've come to a conclusion as to which adds more flavor, panache, and coolness to the setting. I'd like to say that we're going to settle this debate today, but whom am I kidding? It's never going to be settled because people are still bickering about Mike vs. Joel, Picard vs. Kirk, and Big Red vs. Doublemint. Let's just say our piece and then commence with a duel at dawn in the comments, m'kay?
Nexus ninjas return in retro game, give you the skills to perform your own epic unboxing
Tiny box destroying shinobi? Old hat. Fourth wall obliterating martial masters? Passe. The future of ninjitsu based phone unboxings will be found in the past: Google's gone 8-bit. Continuing in its tradition of out doing every possible Nexus unboxing the internet could ever hope to bear, El Goog has crafted a retro beat-'em-up game that puts you in the Nexus ninja's mask. Your mission? Secure and unbox the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The game is playable directly on YouTube, but is also available in the Android Market under the title Clash of The Nexus Ninjas -- in case you've already performed your own unboxing. If you haven't? Hit the source link below to begin your training.
LEGO Universe introduces Ninjago expansion
Who doesn't like ninjas? Well, except for pirates, I guess. Now LEGO Universe has both, as its newly announced Ninjago expansion brings the world of the Ninjago LEGO toys and the Masters of Spinjitzu film to the MMO. In addition to inserting over 100 new ninja-themed missions, this "largest expansion to the game yet" will raise the level cap to 45 and introduce new weapons, new enemies, and new gear -- all just in time for next month's first-year anniversary for the game. The expansion is free for all premium members starting today, and you can check out the screenshot gallery below and launch trailer just after the jump.%Gallery-49493% [Source: LEGO Universe press release]
Faxion Online commercial gets to the heart of conflict
"We know conflict," a new ad for Faxion Online says, and boy do they ever! The tongue-in-cheek spot shows a fictional (or is it?) day at UTV True Games, where a frisky pirate and an arrogant ninja happen to walk into the same elevator. What happens next can only be seen, not described, although we would not blame you for weeping out of awe. The commercial highlights the spirit of PvP that lies at the core of Faxion Online, an upcoming MMO that pits angelic players vs. their demonic counterparts. The same sense of humor that comes through in this ad runs rampant throughout the game, as players war over zones themed after the seven deadly sins. Currently, Faxion is in open beta. You can watch the full carnage of this video after the jump.
LEGO Universe releases Crux Prime update
Pirates or ninjas? That is the age-old question. As of today we know where the LEGO Universe team stands thanks to the new Crux Prime update. LEGO's Ninjago line is the star of NetDevil's latest content patch, and players can participate in a new storyline that involves the search for Sensei Wu. It seems the reclusive Wu is a master of Spinjitzu, the only skill that can stand up to the hordes of skeleton enemies descending on Crux Prime. The patch contains a substantial amount of new content including over 100 missions and achievements, over 100 new pieces of gear, and four rare armor sets to collect. Finally, the Crux Prime update brings multiplayer team functionality to the fight against The Maelstrom, and groups of up to four friends can join forces to save the Nexus Tower and do battle to protect the Imagination Nexus. Get a glimpse of the new Crux Prime trailer after the cut.
LEGO Universe unveils newest zone for flipping out and killing people
The LEGO brand is nothing if not a universe of heterogeneity -- race cars, aquatic explorers, space police, and even Batman have long existed side-by-side. The newest kid on the metaphorical block is the just-begun Ninjago line, and it's being celebrated in LEGO Universe with the addition of the newest zone, Crux Prime. But the zone has more to offer than just a cavalcade of ninja, with brand-new gear, weapons, and decals for players to unlock as they progress through the zone's new content. Players will be tasked with finding the long-lost Sensei Wu amid the ruins of the Ninjago Monastery to learn the powerful skill known as Spinjitzu. They'll need it, too, with Maelstrom Skeletons attempting to steal the beacon of Imagination from the tower in Crux Prime. With over 100 new missions for players to undertake and an ongoing story that promises to unfold over time, LEGO Universe players should find plenty to like about Crux Prime. Take a sneak peek at the zone in the gallery below as well as the trailer past the cut. %Gallery-113923%
Unboxing Ninjas kick back the fourth wall for the Nexus S
When is a YouTube video not a YouTube video? Every so often, a promotion pops up on the site that thinks outside the box, so to speak. In honor of the Nexus S (i.e. the best Android phone out there until the next best Android phone comes out), Google's re-teamed with Patrick Boivin and his ragtag group of tiny ninjas -- previously seen showing real unboxing power on a Nexus One package. We don't want to spoil the fun, so just click through and enjoy... and after all is said and done, keep an eye out for the nunchuks. Trust us.
Choose My Adventure: Quest like the wind!
Choose the adventures of the WoW.com staff as we level our characters in <It came from the Blog> on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H). Roblinator may not work for the Venture Company, but this sure shows that the rest of the goblins aren't exactly environment-friendly. Putting rockets on chickens seems a bit irresponsible. Poll results In a dead heat, elemental edged out enhancement for Shockbroker, by a nose. Prupher will be questing like the wind. The votes for a PvP event were for Gurubashi Beatdown, but Milanor's suggestion of Pirates vs. Ninjas seems rather popular. In fact, I won't repoll it. So start collecting Deviate Fish, adventurers. Expect this event in the very near future. Schedule Adam Holisky as Adammentat, the level 56 tauren druid, will be on Monday at 10 p.m. EDT Anne Stickney as Annephora, the level 42 troll warrior, will be on Tuesday at 1 a.m. EDT (which is Monday at 11 p.m. Zangarmarsh time) Robin Torres as Roblinator the goblin huntress: Wednesday, 11 p.m. EDT Amy Schley as Patent, the level 24 troll rogue: Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT Lisa Poisso as Prupher the proofreading druid: Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT Fox Van Allen as Foxlight, the level 22 blood elf paladin: Friday, 8 p.m. EDT Michael Sacco as Shockbroker, the goblin shaman; Christian Belt, as Selfloathius, the level 16 blood elf warlock; Elizabeth Harper as Faience, the level 24 troll shaman; Matthew Rossi as Andrenorton, the level 17 troll mage; Michael Gray as Grayfields, the level 17 tauren hunter; and Gregg Reece as Sandwichdoc, the level 16 troll shaman, will be making appearances as they can. %Gallery-89597% Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in <It came from the Blog>. Guild ranks of "Blog Lurker" or above can invite, so /whisper Robiness or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
First Impressions: LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest
Yarr matey, are ye lookin' for more information on NetDevil's upcomin' MMO, LEGO Universe, then we've got a treat for you today! In an interesting move, the team at NetDevil has decided to drop the NDA one zone at a time, thereby allowing us to give you some early impressions of the game while it's still in beta. With that said, I must reinforce that due to the game being in beta, some of this may well change. Nonetheless, the story should still hold true -- and it's a story chock full of pirates, monkeys, bananas and other bizarre things you might expect to find in a place called the Gnarled Forest. Before we start, I should perhaps explain a bit about the game's known back-story for those who haven't been watching too closely. The idea is that this dark force known as Maelstrom Energy (that's the weird purple glowy funk you see spread throughout these screenshots) has corrupted certain parts of the LEGO universe, and it's your job to help stop it. In the case of the Gnarled Forest, ships full of pirates touched down on the nearby beach and after adventuring into the forest, found large cracks in the ground that contained glowing purple crystals. Being pirates, they figured the glowing purple crystals were probably valuable gems. So, they greedily stuffed them into their pockets and treasure chests, only to wind up witless, mutated minions of this dark force. Curious? Join me for more on LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest behind the break, and be sure to check out the screenshots in the gallery below too! %Gallery-97712%
Tiny ninjas unbox the Nexus One on Google's dime
Wondering where Froyo is? It seems the boys and girls in Mountain View took a quick breather to commission one of the crazier stop-action short films we've seen in a while -- and probably the craziest stop-action unboxing we've ever seen. If you questioned the Nexus One's real ultimate power before watching this, you won't any longer. Follow the break for video! [Thanks, NordicOten]
How reputation governs the game
Ravius over at Kill Ten Rats ruminates on the importance of reputation in these very social games that we're playing with each other, and it resonated with me in terms of a few different things going on in World of Warcraft right now. We've talked lots before about ninjas and how that back-and-forth works -- in that case, karma is directly driven by what other people think of you, and of course that's seen more weakly in lots of other places around the game, including guild recruitment, your friends list, and just the general server at large. Ravius talks mostly about the negative reputations we earn, and certainly that's a powerful motivator for a lot of people. But positive reputation is also a strong force in this game -- I'm interested to see how we deal with earning and keeping positive reputation in the new Dungeon Finder and eventually the Battle.net system. Gone may be the days when you build up a good reputation by saying "remember me if you need a good DPS" at the end of a run. It'll be interesting to see what methods we replace that one with.
Progression and building in LEGO Universe
Information on LEGO Universe has been somewhat thin as of late, but that's beginning to change. Over at 1up you'll find a meaty preview that covers quite a bit of ground, including basic MMO features like progression to LEGO specific stuff like building quests. The building mode is of course the keystone to this game, and the fact that a player cannot be harmed when entering the mode speaks volumes about its importance. Aside from building mode, zones in LEGO Universe are likely to be distinctly memorable due to the licenses' ability to have pirate, ninja, robot or even Star Wars themed planets -- assuming they're capable of using any of their real world toy lines within the game. And as for combat? If you've played any of the console LEGO games, then you'll know what to expect, which is essentially action-based combat. There's a lot more detail in the actual preview, so check it out if building with bricks is how you get your kicks.
It came from the Blog: Pirates' Day recap
It came from the Blog celebrated Pirates' Day by running from Orgrimmar to Booty Bay as pirates and then joining Dread Captain DeMeza's crew. Granted, there really isn't much to the in-game holiday, but we had a good time making the most of it. Yar! Around 110 or so showed up including Allison Robert, C. Christian Moore and Christian Belt. We got in our pirate costumes, ran to Razor Hill, Crossroads and then on to Ratchet. We then took the boat to Booty Bay and got the Achievement. Thanks to our many higher level characters, the lowbies were protected along the journey.I took a lovely video capturing the 50 or so Tauren Pirates I had on follow only to crash just after getting to Booty Bay. The video is not salvageable, but I may be able to do something with the videos of the beginning and the end... maybe. I was able to get a few screenshots which are in the gallery below.Thanks to all who joined us and stay tuned for the It came from the Blog Brewfest event announcement coming soon!%Gallery-73758%
Ninja Gaiden characters to appear in Dynasty Warriors, vice versa
Merged game companies rarely fuse their franchises together, but when the two partnered entities' action-genre focus overlaps as much as Koei and Tecmo's do, inter-brand cameos come naturally. That's why we weren't shocked to hear that Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa and Warriors Orochi's Nu Wa would make appearances in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, respectively, of Dynasty Warriors Multi Raid. In addition, Multi Raiid's Sun Shang Xiang and Zhao Yun will appear as costumes in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. At this rate, we expect the many, many ninjas from Koei and Tecmo's respective properties will soon be thrown into a "ninja pool," which players of any their titles will be able to choose from. For the record, we're strong advocates for this ninja unionization. Fairer wages for our shiruken-slinging brethren!
Reminder: It came from the Blog Pirates' Day event today
Ye not be forgetting It came from the Blog's Pirates' Day parrrty! When: 5pm EDT (3pm Server Time, 2pm PDT) Today Where: Meet in Orgrimmar in front of the bank on Zangarmarsh U.S. Who: A Horde character, any level How: Send a tell to Robiness or any It came from the Blog member to join the guild Be ye in league with Bloodsails? The Booty Bay guards arrrr sleepin' off a bit too much brew, so ye can join in on the parrrty. Aaargh the guards be wide awake and feisty.Drag yer carcasses to Orgrimmar early, else ye will be travellin' to Booty Bay on yer own. Thar will be no summonin' fer lazy landlubbers. Ye have been warned.
Fat Princess ninjas won't be lonesome anymore
Yesterday, Titan Studios teased ninjas for Fat Princess. But what's a ninja to do without the help of their mortal enemies? Looks like PSN's online cake-fest will continue the ages-long saga of the epic battle between ninjas ... and pirates. Predictable? Yes, but far from unwelcome.Who else thinks Titan should go one step further and announce Pirates versus Ninjas ... versus Zombies for Fat Princess?[Thanks, HeavyToka!]
Zarkmark tries to help you rate PuG players
There have been a number of sites lately, especially with the recent rise in endgame pickup groups, designed to help you find and examine potential PuGgers quickly. But none of them have made it quite as easy as Zarkmark, a site that allows you to quickly rate anybody you come across ingame by "zarking" (rating them up) or "marking" (rating them down) them. Then, they offer a quick search, which will not only give you a one-click link to the Armory, but an easy-to-read screen of how many people have rated the player you're looking at. Theoretically, ninjas will never find a group again.Of course, theory is theory, and right now, the Zarkmark directory is pretty empty, so odds are that for any given player you look up, you won't really get much feedback. But you never know -- if players jump in and populate the site (and it wouldn't help to have a little help from them -- instead of just an Armory link, it would be nice to see a player's gear and achievements right there on the page), we might eventually get a pretty accurate picture of what someone's reputation looks like.In fact, I'm a little surprised that Blizzard hasn't ever considered a reputation system in-game. Xbox Live carries one off pretty well -- even though I've never actually used it to consider who I do and don't play against, I have rated players and I know it's very easy to see scores if I wanted to. Given the rising numbers of VoA ninjas and PuGing in general, it might be worth it for them to give each player a socially-created rating in the LFG interface.
