science-fantasy
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BioWare talks SWTOR testing, post-release content
BioWare project director James Ohlen is apparently on the PR circuit of late, as a new interview at Gamasutra marks his second major gaming publication appearance in the last two days. This time around, there's nary a mention of Star Wars: The Old Republic's companions. There is, however, some interesting chit-chat about polish, post-release content plans, and the necessity of MMORPG playtesting. Ohlen downplays the notion that large-scale fan testing is paramount to a game's success, saying that "the big changes that we've been making were planned from way before." He acknowledges that beta testers have their uses, but says that the BioWare devs would be "terrible game designers" if they didn't figure things out on their own. "It's good for fans to feel like they're having an impact, and sometimes they do," Ohlen says. "There [have] been surprises on the project, but mostly they've come from us playtesting this stuff."
SWTOR companions detailed in new video, interview
So, who wants to learn about companions? No, not that kind (and more's the pity). We're talking about the traveling chums BioWare is providing for your savior-of-the-galaxy in its upcoming Star Wars The Old Republic science-fantasy opus. A new video and interview at Gamespot has all the companion-related info that's fit to print -- or compress into a seven-minute clip and throw on a file server, to be more precise -- and game director James Ohlen has a lot to say about companion customization, gameplay mechanics, and the fact that your computer-controlled co-stars "are going to be a significant innovation to MMORPGs." While the recent brouhaha over same-gender companion romance generated much rancor both in and out of the SWTOR community, BioWare steers clear of the topic here and focuses squarely on the launch-day features. Have a look at the video after the cut, and head to Gamespot for the interview text.
Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy
Last week's Behind the Mask generated quite a bit of controversy over fantasy and the suspension of disbelief. This week, I'm going to follow up. We'll cover how the Champions Online universe deals with fantasy in its lore and why realism is important. We'll also cover how fantasy elements can use realism to expand -- rather than subtract -- your options for roleplaying. Last week, we only covered weapons technology, but there's a lot more to any fictional setting than just weapons. Everything from communications and transportation to food production is important to discuss, and while we can't touch on everything, we can look at the hows and whys of the superhero genre.
One Shots: Friend or food
While Ryzom didn't take the top vote spot in the last Choose my Adventure vote, they did put in a very solid showing. We may yet wind up in the world of Atys in a future edition if they keep mobilizing their community! In the meantime, we have a screenshot from Ryzom that shows off an interesting mob from this unique world. Today's One Shots was sent in to us by Quisi, who writes in to explain: "What do we see here? I was digging for materials to craft some ammunition with a guildie when it started to rain. Then a Gubani (the cute creature) came over to check me out. Animals in Ryzom like to check out players before they decide if they want to eat us." Have you and your friends gotten a fun shot while you were playing together? If so, we would love to see it. All you have to do is email it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. (Guild and server are welcome too!) We'll post your screenshot out here for everyone to check out and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Your skill has increased by 1
For all of the people who clamor that there isn't nearly enough realism in MMOs, we'd like to dedicate today's One Shots to you. Even if this is purely a tale, there are certain aspects of life that we'd prefer being able to skip in our MMOs. With that said, today we have a funny report in from the lands of Ryzom, sent in by Steven K. who loves nothing more than to show us some of the more umm... diverse... aspects of this world. "Buy a Mektoub, see the world!! You've heard the sales pitch. I know I have. And I grew tired of having to traipse all around the Witherings on foot, especially in these poor excuses for boots." "So I spent nearly every last dapper I had on this beast. Seems ol' Vao Pa-Sang conveniently left out a few important details of ownership. For starters, these behemoths eat more than a starved Gingo, and unlike Gingos, they drop dead in a hurry if you don't keep 'em fed. Of course, the end result (pardon the play on words), is that I get to spend about every 500 meters cleaning up...if you know what I mean." We love to see funny moments in your MMO gaming. All you have to do to share them is to email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. Please make sure they are at least 1024px wide, and have little to no visible UI elements. It might just be the next one we showcase here on Massively! %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: A lonely sunset
The lovely world of Atys may not be a place that many have walked, but thankfully we have excellent readers who send us notes from Ryzom on occasion. Any game that has fans dedicated enough to raise money in an attempt to buy it rather than see it shut down, certainly has something going for it! Today's lovely Ryzom One Shots comes to us from Steven K. who writes in: Just a league or so Northeast of Pyr, tired and exhausted from hunting, I found a shaded locale from which to rest. Nearby, a Capryni grazed is solitude. I wonder if he, like myself, longed for the days where many more Homins populated Atys and helped protect the Capryni from the constant harassment of Gingos and Goari. If you're playing a game we don't see here often -- or perhaps have never seen here -- we definitely want to hear from you! There are tons of great MMOs out there that don't get nearly enough love, but we need you to send your screens in for them. Just email them to oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description. Yours could very well be the next one we feature. %Gallery-85937% %Gallery-9798%
Neo Steam fires up the live servers
If you've been waiting for a fun, Free-to-play part-magic, part-steampunk adventure to check out, then you'll be glad to know that Neo Steam has thrown open the gates for everyone as of this weekend. Whether you are more interested in rolling up a magic/steampunk hybrid character from the Elerd Kingdom, or one of the more devoted science-tech steampowered followers of the Republic of Rogwel, there's more than enough to explore, see and do in this new world. Addded to the overall fun of launch, the team over at Atlus Online are also throwing a couple of Neo Steam launch contests for everyone. The first of these is a screenshot contest, where entrants should be aiming for the funniest or "epic-est" screenshots. Considering how utterly freaking adorable some of the denizens of Chrysalis are - and how cool thier weapons are - this shouldn't be too terribly hard. The next competition is for those more of a musical nature; Chrysalis' two nations are looking for national anthems! The winners in each competition will be given nifty Neo Steam (in-game or out-of-game, depending) swag, perfect for showing off your steam-style. In either case, there's only a limited time to enter, so it's best to get started soon! %Gallery-48931%
The Digital Continuum: Blizzard's mysterious MMO Part 2
Everything from BioWare's upcoming Dragon Age -- which leans a little more towards classic fantasy with elves and dwarfs -- to the aforementioned Warhamchine, which while heavily steampunk also carries many dark fantasy connotations. It's not a term you hear too often, but Science Fantasy is something everyone probably quite familiar with: Star Wars. This is basically a world where, while science fiction is seemingly the source setting, fantasy is always lurking somewhere in the background.
