teleportation
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Hitting the Books: Why we can't 'beam ourselves up' Star Trek-style
Gene Roddenberry called out a slew of modern day technologies back in the relative dark ages of 1966, but one continues to evade our understanding: teleportation! In Frequently Asked Questions about the Universe, Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson explain why.
Physicists use diamonds to reach quantum teleportation breakthrough
Quantum teleportation promises a leap into the next great era of computing -- but first we've got to get it working consistently. Scientists at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft say they've managed to reliably teleport quantum info stored in one bit of diamond to another sitting three meters away (roughly 10 feet). Now, they want to go much farther.
Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: What other skills should your class have?
Each week, Blog Azeroth hosts a Shared Topic for bloggers to answer on their own blogs and then link to in the forum. Last week, Effraeti from Awaiting the Muse asked: We all have our favorite classes, and sometimes, even with our favorites we wish they had just a little something more. Like another skill that would be super cool and perfect to our class. Like for my Shaman, I think I should have more elementals. If you could have another skill or two for your class, what would it be? My answer? More druid ports. Way, way, way back in the day, when druids first got the teleport to Moonglade spell, we were told it was the first of our ports. That text went away after a while, along with any hint of any other ports ever hitting the druid spellbooks. When I used to play Everquest, there were two classes that had ports: wizards and druids. They were in constant demand for porting people to their respective portal sites. It's obvious that the original plan was to borrow the same idea, at least for self-portals. Maybe Blizzard didn't want to seem too copy-catish? I don't know. But I was bummed that my druid never saw another teleport spell.
Potions, Portals, and Scrolls of Recall: How to get around Azeroth as quickly as possible
Azeroth is big. This is readily apparent to any new player who's confined to running around on foot or anyone too cheap to shell out for a mount. Even mounted, you're going to spend a lot of time getting from point A to point B unless you can somehow shorten the journey -- and you can usually shorten it in a number of interesting ways. We all know about the zeppelins and the boats, the workhorse transportation system of Azeroth, but due to the eccentricity of the many transport options in the game, the shortest distance between two points is not necessarily a straight line. For example, an inventive Horde player without a Hearthstone up who wants to travel from Silithus to Orgrimmar can settle in for a long flight -- or she can simply chug a Potion of Deepholm and take the Orgrimmar portal from the Temple of Earth. No potion, but you've quested through Sholazar Basin? Take the Titan Waygate from northern Un'Goro Crater to Sholazar, then fly south to the Horde's zeppelin at Warsong Hold. You'll still beat a wyvern flying from Cenarion Hold. With even a few of the following options, a max-level player with some imagination should be able to scrape together a few methods of considerably shortening a journey.
Super Mario gets a Portal gun, you monster (video)
Before Portal 2 there was Portal, and before Portal there was Super Mario Bros. Bring these together and you get a mushroom-chomping Italian plumber ruling the 2D world -- outside the cold confines of Aperture Science -- with the infamous Portal gun. The next logical step? Turn this into a first-person game. Go on, Reggie, make it happen.
First light wave quantum teleportation achieved, opens door to ultra fast data transmission
Mark this day, folks, because the brainiacs have finally made a breakthrough in quantum teleportation: a team of scientists from Australia and Japan have successfully transferred a complex set of quantum data in light form. You see, previously researchers had struggled with slow performance or loss of information, but with full transmission integrity achieved -- as in blocks of qubits being destroyed in one place but instantaneously resurrected in another, without affecting their superpositions -- we're now one huge step closer to secure, high-speed quantum communication. Needless to say, this will also be a big boost for the development of powerful quantum computing, and combine that with a more bedroom friendly version of the above teleporter, we'll eventually have ourselves the best LAN party ever.
Age of Conan adding more RMT items
More microtransactions are making their way to Hyboria, and while Funcom doesn't have a full-blown item shop as of yet, the Age of Conan account page is starting to come pretty close. The game launcher features an introductory paragraph explaining the new items, which include both social pets and limited use consumable packs, and Funcom is looking to provide newer players with access to some of the exclusives previously available only via special subscription offers. New item packs feature various XP buff potions, temporary and permanent teleportation abilities, and social pets like the owlet, loyal crocodile, and fearless crab. All items and item packs are purchased with Funcom points, which are available in various bundles starting at $10.00 (1200 points) and going up to $50.00 (6000 points).
Behind the Mask: High speed, low drag
It's not like Champions Online is the first MMORPG with travel powers. Back in the ancient days of Ultima Online, we had things like boats and teleporting spells. Getting a mobility boost to get from point A to point B is nothing unique or special. CO has something a little different, though. Travel powers are as much a thing of individual expression as they are a transportation method. Sure, there's something to be said for riding a semi-transparent sparkling blue horse, but when you can wrap yourself in a shroud of blue fire and streak through the skies, it says a little more about your character. There's a reason I think people who still go AFK to ride griffons from zone to zone are chumps. Hopping over buildings to get to your next quest objective or sprinting at ludicrous speed into a group of foes and using the momentum to start up your attacks is the epitome of personal expression. It's all about what you drive, and my ride is Teleportation.
Massively Exclusive: Dilov & Hristov on the systems of Earthrise
With an open PvP model, a rich crafting system, and a sumptuous art style, Masthead Studios' upcoming sci-fi post-apocalyptic game, Earthrise, has been gaining more and more interest from our readers. From everything we've seen of the game to date, this title will offer some interesting options in terms of how one chooses to play through the world. That's why, when we were given the chance to ask some questions of Momchil Dilov, Lead Writer and Plamen Hristov, Senior Game Designer on Earthrise, we were happy to do so. For those not familiar with the game, you'll want to check out the interview noted yesterday, then join us behind the break as we ask about different systems such as crafting, PvP sieges, the importance of guilds, customization, character penalties, and more!
Captain's Log: A non-trekkie guide to Star Trek Online
Perhaps you've been hearing a lot of buzz about Star Trek Online lately. Or, perhaps you're reading this article in the year 2018, after the robots have begun their bloody revolt. Either way, you've never been way into Star Trek, but find yourself curious about this new MMO based on the franchise. In that cast, this iteration of Captain's Log is just for you. As a side note, this will be the last week you'll find this feature going live on Friday. Henceforth, a new Captain's Log will appear every Thursday -- so keep an eye out!
Go out and steal oil in Planet Calypso's 10.1 update
In a move to make our virtual lives eerily more like our real ones, the First Planet Company has re-opened the oil pumping station on Planet Calypso with patch 10.1, offering all players the chance to make a quick profit by grabbing oil from the pump -- if you can make it out alive, of course.The pumping station is not only in the middle of the wasteland, but it's also surrounded by angry NPCs (the wastelanders) and it's right in the middle of an open PvP area. Sure, you can make a tidy profit by grabbing oil from the station, but you have to be efficient and sneaky about it. Otherwise, you'll just end up with a bullet in your back and your blood mixed with the oil.
Earthrise dev blog shows off the beauty and horror of the Cascade Mountains
The first MMO we're going to see from independent game developer Masthead Studios is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic title that's bringing some new things to the table in the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic genre. If you've played games like Fallout 3, the setting of Earthrise will be quite different from what you might be expecting. The game will take place on a sprawling island called Enterra, with regions and environments ranging from lush jungles to futuristic urban centers. Of course Earthrise will have the requisite shattered city environments we'd expect of a post-apocalyptic backdrop, as well. Masthead Studios recently explained how terrain will impact gameplay, having written about some of the game's man-made environments like the Industrial Area. Now they're ready to discuss more about Enterra's natural environment with the Cascade Mountains, the focus of the latest Masthead Studios dev blog they've written for MMORPG.com.
The Daily Grind: Teleportation/flights versus other travel
The trend with online games has been to loosen up on some of the more hardcore traditions of previous generations. The endless grinding of older MMOs is nowhere near as prevalent as before, with full quest progression offered in many current titles. Another area that's seen a change is the way we travel around our online worlds. In the early days of EverQuest if you didn't have a friend to port you, you might have walked through countless massive and often highly dangerous zones to get to a boat, then actually sit through a whole boat ride (don't go AFK and forget to disembark, or you'll do the trip twice!), simply to travel to another continent. These days you've probably set up a bind point in a central location, with easy access to flights or ports. EverQuest itself later introduced a hub zone that offered free ports. A game like Free Realms even allows players to just click on any major area on the map to instantly teleport. This ease of access has its benefits -- it undoubtedly saves time and boring repeat journeys. But is there something to be said for the lost immersion that was once had when traveling the world on foot, learning the geographical features and absorbing the environments? Does it take away from the scale of the world for you? Give us your thoughts on travel in MMOs in the comments section.
Earthrise devs on how terrain will impact gameplay
Earthrise is the first massively multiplayer online game from Masthead Studios, an independent game developer in Bulgaria. The game has a dystopian setting, a single (but vast) island refuge is all that remains of the human race after the world was bathed in nuclear fire. As expected of a post-apocalyptic MMO, there will be areas of the game that are comprised of blasted out buildings and various gutted structures, but the island setting of Enterra will offer a wide variety of terrain for players to explore and exploit. Moll, Earthrise's community manager, explains in a recent blog post: "As we developed Earthrise, we made sure that the world is tailored in such a way so it provides different game experiences - the whole island is divided almost equally between plains, hills and mountains."
Earthrise developers explain how teleportation will affect gameplay
Last week we wrote about the upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise and how players will be able to use mechas to establish trade and supply routes or, conversely, to hijack them. This brings up another transportation-related question, or several really. How will teleportation work in Earthrise? What limitations will be put on it? Is teleportation accessible to individuals or is it a guild-level ability? The latest Question of the Week entry from the Earthrise devs at Masthead Studios answers these questions and more. The game's sandbox setting of Enterra is a massive island with many zones. Conventional modes of transportation may not always be the best option for players who need to get from one place to another, hence the developers have included teleportation (travel, not combat) game mechanics, but characters seeking instantaneous travel will need to pay fees for the privilege. There will be two simple types of teleportation -- short range for within zones, and long range, which can be a jump from one end of Enterra to another. The further you travel, the more you pay. Teleporters will be run by NPC factions, available to players aligned with that faction or neutrals, but Earthrise's guilds will also be able to establish their own teleporters.
Programmer Jason Weimann discusses his work on Vanguard
Further to their chat with Lead Designer Salim "Silius" Grant last week, Allakhazam has posted an interview with another Vanguard staffer. This time it's Jason "Ikik" Weimann, a programmer that joined the team in April of 2007, long after what we'll tactfully refer to as a very unfortunate launch period. Fans of Vanguard will happily tell you how much better things are nowadays, and Weimann has had a part to play in these improvements, both in things that the players can see, and in behind-the-scenes refinements that have helped other members of the development team in performing their roles.One of Weimann's most noticeable contributions to the game is the current iteration of the riftway teleportation system, which he had found to be unsatisfactory before he flew in and tidied things up. Some of the things he's working on right now were in fact mentioned by Salim Grant in his interview, such as the alternate advancement and item enhancement systems that will go live in the coming months. His dream project for Vanguard would be a little different though; he'd love to design and code a brand new class for the game. May we put in a request for some kind of pirate/ninja/zombie combination? No? Why not?
Coren Direbrew now drops cross-faction Brewfest mounts, teleportation device
Brewfest is underway today, and with it comes more news of the new boss, Coren Direbrew. You may remember the hubbub surrounding the decision on Brewfest mounts: A Brewfest Kodo would be implemented, but rather than allowing Alliance a chance at it, it would be Horde only, with the Rams becoming Alliance only. Now that Brewfest is live, that decision has been reversed, at least partially. Now, neither mount can be purchased with Brewfest tickets. However, instead, both drop from Coren Direbrew down in the Grim Guzzler. That means that the Alliance and the Horde can both go after the Ram and the Kodo, but only as a rare drop.
Final Fantasy XI collectible confers unique in-game ability
Final Fantasy XI players who are into collectibles have a new item to lust over. There's a new addition to the Final Fantasy XI Player's Collection, which is available for a limited time only: The Tidal Talisman. It's a $43 silver-plated pendant with a side-benefit that's the real selling point. It comes with a virtual counterpart, which could prove very useful. The in-game version of the Tidal Talisman allows a player to teleport to locations previously visited in Vana'diel. Or, as it's described over at FFXI's site, it confers "the ability to project phantasmal robes over the wearer's body and enabling the wearer to teleport to distant lands in the blink of an eye." For those who are on the fence about shelling out $43 for a FFXI pendant, Square-Enix appeals to a gamer's sense of urgency regarding scarcity of virtual goods: "We have no plans to bring this item back in the future, so all players are encouraged to take advantage of this unique one-time opportunity!"
Phase 2 Dailies: Know Your Ley Lines
This quest, while technically part of the 2nd phase of the Shattered Sun Offensive, does not appear immediately at the beginning of the Offensive. Instead, your server must complete the portal from Quel'danas to Shattrath by doing the Intercepting the Mana Cells quest. Once you've unlocked the portal, a new NPC, Astromancer Darnarian, will be found inside the Sanctum building alongside the other daily quest givers. When you talk to him, he will complain that no-one appreciates the effort that it takes to do Translocations, and demands that you educate yourself by taking an Astromancer's Crystal and attuning it to 3 different places: The Bloodcrystal to the west, the Dawning Square portal to the south, and the naga shrine at Greengill Coast to the southeast. Be sure to use the crystal at each area to get your credit.
