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SWTOR's Spoils of War update offers casinos, tweaks group finder
In Star Wars: The Old Republic's most recent dev blog, designers Chris Schmidt, Alex Modny, and George Smith discuss the major game systems headed to servers with the 2.8 Spoils of War update -- specifically, the Nar Shaddaa Nightlife event, PvP tweaks, and the story mode ops group finder. Nar Shaddaa casinos will feature slot machines that award special buffs, weapons, armor, cosmetic abilities, and mounts -- like a ridable Rancor -- to lucky gamblers. Participants in Galactic Starfighter matches and Warzones will begin receiving double rewards, and two new ship variants, the Assault Bomber and Skirmisher Gunship, will become available. In an effort to reduce queue time, the group finder will utilize the 16-man story mode difficulty for operations and bolster gear rating for all players. Rewards will also be increased. Read the full dev blog at the official site.
Star Wars: The Old Republic community Q&A addresses mobile apps, ops, and more
It's time once again for another riveting episode of Star Wars: The Old Republic's community Q&A. This time around, the BioWare team covers a variety of concerns from SWTOR players ranging from the addition of a /roll command to the possibility of a mobile app. SWTOR's lead combat designer Damion Schubert had a bit to say regarding the latter, teasing that "it's almost as if this [crew skills] design was created specifically with [a mobile app] in mind, doesn't it?" Unfortunately the studio isn't prepared to give an ETA on the feature, "as [it] is a significant technical endeavour." Non-Force-using healers also have plenty to look forward to as well, as the Q&A reveals that they'll be getting some love in patch 1.2, while Consulars and Inquisitors will have their heals brought back into line so that all healing classes and specs are (theoretically) viable. To get the full details on these subjects and more, just click on through the link below to the community Q&A at SWTOR's official site. Oh, and while we're at it, the game is on sale for $49.99 US on Origin, so if you want to get in the game and see what all the hubbub's about, now's your opportunity to do so while keeping a cool Hamilton to yourself. The sale is only happening for a limited time, though, so be sure to act quickly.
Star Wars: The Old Republic to receive combat log parsing, other analysis features
Were you wondering whether DPS meters are en route to your favorite galaxy far, far away? Players on the Star Wars: The Old Republic official forums have dug up a Fansite Summit Q&A session with the game's lead combat designer Georg Zoeller in which he suggested that some new features will be coming to the game post-launch for those who want to ensure they're getting the most out of their character builds. During the talk, Zoeller claimed that combat log parsing and other such performance analysis features were "very high on [BioWare's] priority list." For the full details, and to listen to the full session yourself, head on over to the SWTOR official forums.
Tachyon launches OPS and OPS HD helmet cameras, not as durable but way more tiny
We can't say we've ever been particularly impressed by the video quality delivered by the Tachyon line of helmet cameras, but they're a good choice for those who need a recorder that can take one heck of a beating -- if you don't mind some extra bulk. That fat has been banished in the new, slimmer OPS line which will be available in two flavors: a $90 VGA base unit and a slightly higher-end HD (720p) one for $140. If you're keeping track that's the same as the earlier XC and XC HD models, but these aren't waterproof like those. The SD model is less than an inch wide and 2.252-inches long, while the HD model looks to be roughly $0.25 longer. Each camera is square in profile, meaning it can be rotated in four orientations on its mount, or flipped around backward. And yes, just like the XC cameras, Tachyon will be releasing a range of mounts for all your extreme endeavors, including shotguns, picatinny rails, and one that looks like an overgrown tie clip. It should be perfect for when things get fancy down at the range. %Gallery-123043%
Gaming blog Imaginary Cogs focuses on MMO operations and server technology
There's a fair number of people out there blogging about their preferred massively multiplayer online games as well as the industry itself, and more all the time it seems. One area that isn't covered very often, however, is MMO operations, largely because it's something many bloggers have little direct experience with. However Bryant Durrell from Imaginary Cogs certainly does. In the month since Durrell first started writing Imaginary Cogs he's offered up an industry insider's perspective on topics ranging from server technology to the ops that keep our games running, tapping his past work experience with Vivox and Turbine. Durrell's blog is a peek behind the curtain into how massively multiplayer online games operate. If you've ever been curious about the tech that powers massively multiplayer online games and how it's used, you might want to check out Imaginary Cogs. [Via Zen of Design]
Metal Gear: Portable Ops info
With the announcement of a true Metal Gear Solid title hitting the PSP at E3, it was on my list of most desirable games that just had to be played. Sadly, time did not permit this and I was forced to leave the floor without getting my hands on it that Friday afternoon. Lacking the information I most desired (see: how the controls worked), Gamespot managed to swoop in to fill that void of information in my cranium and even went on to discuss the multiplayer modes that will be available in the final product during E3.
