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PotBS patch 1.5 is looming over of the horizon
Pirates of the Burning Sea has seen a few big changes since the game released. The latest addition to the fleet will be new pirate careers in patch 1.4. So what is coming up after buccaneers make their appearance on the high seas? A swabbing of the poop deck to be precise! All that combat and ship destruction leaves plenty of debris around that needs to be picked up. Patch 1.5 is going to do just that.The details were revealed through an interview with Ten Ton Hammer. According to Flying Lab producer Joe Ludwig, the team is "spending the entire month working on nothing but polish." The coffee is brewing at their offices as the entire team focuses on getting the game to a point where it appears just the way they want it. Some pesky annoyances players often report should be getting a swift kick off the plank as well. Those are, of course, not the only things coming in the next update.Joe declares that since users do pay a monthly fee, the team is committed to giving them both polish and new content. That content will be appearing as a second epic mission. Joe says it will be something based on the supernatural, but what exactly this means is not made clear. What is clear is that everyone from the lead developers to the interns are going to be cleaning up the world of Pirates of the Burning Sea for the benefit of swashbucklers everywhere.
All the best AoC pre-launch info in one spot
Are you excited yet? Age of Conan's Early Access Weekend is soon upon us, and the forums -- both official and unofficial -- are ablaze with information, speculation and anticipation as that final retail launch date closes in on us.The good people over at Ten Ton Hammer have gathered a wonderful compilation of the best of the best when it comes to AoC forum posts, fan site info and all the general information you'll need to get started on the right foot this coming May 20th. If you were lucky enough to get into the Early Access Weekend, feel free to leave some comments to this post as to your impressions of the game outside of beta.
Video of CCP artist's Ambulation presentation available
CCP character artist Ben Mathis gave a 30 minute presentation at the New York Comic Con last month. He talked mostly about the forthcoming Ambulation expansion, which will allow EVE Online players to leave their cockpits and walk around the interiors of space stations with customizable, 3D avatars. Ten Ton Hammer has a Flash video of the entire session.We saw some of the presented content at GDC earlier this year, but there's some new stuff in this video, too. As we've noted before, CCP isn't holding back; Ambulation is very technically impressive. It's ironic that EVE -- a game focused almost entirely on spaceships instead of face-to-face interactions -- might soon carry the most advanced avatar creation tools on the market.Players will be able to customize every thing from body fat to the materials from which their clothes are made. Female avatars will have makeup customization options so powerful that the differentiation between lip gloss and lip stick will be noticeable. New animation blending technology will enable realistic transitions between disparate facial expressions. Infinite morph points will be available when faces are molded, thanks to creative use of shaders. CCP's ambition is astonishing -- let's hope the reality lives up to the promise in the end.
AoC video guide to emote animations
Ten Ton Hammer has done it once again, providing us with one of the most entertaining guides we've seen yet on Age of Conan: a video guide to /emotes! If you're still apprehensive (which has its own /emote) about getting that pre-order for AoC, this might just do it for you. Seriously though, these emotes are not only entertaining, they're a testament to the amount of detail that has gone into this game. Mostly, emotes are useful in social roleplaying situations, but to find a game that has this many otherwise seemingly-mundane character animations this early before launch shows that either they got the important stuff out of the way first, or they decided emotes are more important than anything else. Um, we're pretty sure it's the latter. May we suggest the /chicken?
Petroglyph Games speaks about their new MMO
Not long after the first official announcement concerning the partnership of Petroglyph Studios and True Games to develop a new MMO, we now get treated to an interview with company co-founder Joe Bostic. In this interview, we learn about some of the company's plans for their new MMO, and how it will be different than every MMO we've seen thus far.If you're wondering why this is such big news at the moment, let us remind you that Petroglyph studios are the developers of Star Wars: Empire at War and Universe at War. This in itself leads the logic-minded individual to believe that their MMO project may have an RTS flavor, although Mr. Bostic neither confirms or denies this in his interview. They do mention the fact that this game will be based on a micro-transaction business model, and they will begin releasing early-stage testing opportunities for players to get involved in the development process.
More Death Knight news and clarifications
Having had a few hours to sleep and then a few more to digest the new information on the Death Knights, I'm finally getting a clearer picture of what the Death Knight will be able to do and how they'll fit into the existing hierarchy of classes, and I have to say, I'm still just as excited. There's a lot of questions that have risen from a lot of corners, but new information has come to light that may answer at least a few of them. First, let's look at some of the clarifications the CMs have been offering, and clear up some other questions from the comments of this morning's article about how creating a Death Knight will work:
"SNAP" and virtual transference
Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and their newly formed publishing company FireSky have some incredibly huge plans for the future of gaming. Stargate Worlds, the virtual MMO of the hit television show, is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Joe Ybarra, FireSky's Senior VP of Strategic Operations, recently spilled the beans about some of those plans... and they are nothing short of revolutionary.FireSky was created to publish SGW for a very simple reason. CME felt that they knew their product better then anyone else, and because they already had in-house talent with backgrounds in publishing, they figured why not do it all? With an already established focus on the service aspect of their product they truly believed they could create a customer support organization and technical infrastructure that was superior to anything out there. That in and of itself is a very bold move, one that not many companies would even consider let alone actually implement.But FireSky has a far greater purpose then just game publishing.
AoC Ask a Dev: Week in Review
Once again we're treated to an insightful AoC "Ask a Dev" Q&A, courtesy of Ten Ton Hammer. In this week's installment, we get a look into some of the smaller details on the minds of players as we get closer to retail release. This includes everything from hardware requirements to accounting details.One of the most interesting features of this article is the mention of mount speed as it relates to travel and mounted combat. Apparently, there will be three speeds: walk, trot and gallop. Galloping will be achieved by holding down the shift key, yet it prevents mounted combat and actually drains the horse's stamina. This seems to be a higher level of mount usage that has not only been overlooked in current MMOs, but may be a sign of things to come with future MMOs, if it goes over well with AoC players.
Funcom devs answer your AoC questions
Age of Conan's launch is so close we can smell it. Actually, we're not sure what that smell is, but the fact is, we'll be killing stuff Hyborian-style very soon. So in another Ask the Devs installment over at Ten Ton Hammer, we hear from Jason "Athelan" Stone who answers a few questions and concerns.We hear a bit about everything from group loot options, to server locations to the player capacity of guilds. If you have your own question that you'd like to be answered by someone at Funcom, you can head on over to the TTH Ask the Devs forum for the chance of having your question picked.
AoC for life!
We can't wait for Age of Conan to finally go live. A few of us here at Massively even dropped coin for the gigantic Collector's Edition of this brutal, mature themed MMO. Apparently a great many of you feel the same way. However, if you haven't purchased the game yet, then Ten Ton Hammer has a contest you will absolutely want to enter.From now until April 18, TTH wants to know (in 250 words or less) why you think Age of Conan is the game you'll be playing for life. Ten people will get beta keys. Five of those beta key winners will also get a copy of the Collector's Edition. One will get the CE plus an autographed framed piece of concept art. Finally, one incredibly lucky individual will walk away with a CE signed by FUNCOM founder and AoC Game Director Gaute Godager and - hold on to your sword - a lifetime subscription to the game. You'll never have to pay for the game. Ever!Now that's one heckuva prize!
SOE exhibits 20 new pics of EQ2's Game Update 44
The official EverQuest II community site has been updated with 20 screenshots of the forthcoming Game Update 44. The screenshots illustrate the new features that were announced a week ago. There are quite a few shots of the new Shard of Hate instance and its related events, as well as the updated trade skill facilities in Freeport. You can also see the two new warg mounts and an oh-so-titillating shot of the new "Show Ranged Weapon" option for Rangers who'd rather show off their epic bows than their melee weapons.Once you're done looking over those, you can go read some snarky, sarcastic remarks about all the new Game Update 44 content in a pretty amusing commentary titled "Island of the Patch People," provided by EQ2 players RazorX and Coyote over at Ten Ton Hammer. All patches can be nitpicked at least a little, even the awesome ones!%Gallery-19417%
Getting technical with a Stargate
Stargate Worlds' Technology Director, Demetrius Comes, recently got technobabbley about what goes on behind the curtain of their upcoming sci-fi epic.SGW uses Epic's Unreal 3 engine under the hood for the graphical shock and awe. Big World technologies powers the servers, but did you know that neither engine is exactly what they needed? As Comes put it, they rolled their own glue to get the two engines to work together. But there's a third component - a powerful content creation tool - they call "SpecSuite." It's used to create spawns, enter the data for the AI, create items, mobs, loot tables, etc.
Tabula Rasa "Patches to Ashes" Instance Video
With all the flack NCSoft has been receiving lately concerning a supposed lack of end-game content for Tabula Rasa, we're pleased to announce a brand-spanking-new gameplay video, thanks to our friends over at Ten Ton Hammer. In this video, we see Mission Designer Jason Ford demonstrate some of the features in this level-48 instance being revamped in Patch 1.6. In it, you must defeat Patch, an ironically-named robot boss who has recently become self-aware and is targetting the AFS. The video gives us some insightful tips on the instance's storyline, ultimately defeating Patch, as well as getting bonus rewards for being speedy about it.We're very excited about this newly remodeled instance as it means there is hope for high level content in TR. So be sure to wax up your Polarity Gun, throw a new coat of armor paint on your boots and check out this exclusive video over at TTH.(Thanks RadarX)
Jumpgate to offer more than just combat
Say your cruising around an asteroid belt in the upcoming sci-fi MMO, Jumpgate Evolution. Since you buddy is due to hop online any minute so the two of you can shoot the light fantastic, you'd rather not engage in any heavy combat until your wing man pops on. What to do?Well, according to Hermann Peterscheck, JGE's producer, there's a lot more to do then just shooting womprats (or whatever the equivalent will be in the JGE universe). The big three activities for the game are combat, resource gathering and crafting, but there will be many other things to do. Players can speculate in the market, get paid to help cargo haulers on dangerous runs, engage in PvP to earn top spot on the various ladders and rankings, or collect the many different medals, titles, ships and powerful equipment. NetDevil is also looking to include mini-games that break up the core game.
Insider Trader: Alchemy, the final stretch
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products. While alchemy is certainly not the most flashy or popular profession out there, alchemists are an integral part of the game, and any guild worth its salt has at least one, preferably several, working to supply guildmates and fill the guild bank with stacks of consumables and transmuted items. This week's leveling guide will feature the usual cheapest route, and the most useful, to 375 for solos and casuals. For those of you who will be working for your guild (and hopefully are also being financed, or supported by herbalists), we'll show you how to reach 375 by making the most useful items. They might cost more, but your guild will be requiring them anyway, so you might as well get your skill points that way, rather than making stacks of items you won't be using.
The Quantar jump through the gate
Both Ten Ton Hammer and MMORPG.com are sporting exclusive screenshots of a Quantar ship. The Quantar are one of the many playable factions in NetDevil's upcoming space combat MMO, Jumpgate Evolution. These mystics construct their ships according to spiritual principles and believe that the pilot and ship evolve to become a single being. The Quantar are very gifted pilots, which might be due to being raised among asteroids.Ten Ton Hammer has two shots of this goldfish looking starship, while MMORPG has one.
Insider Trader: Leatherworking, the final stretch
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.If you have ever rolled a druid, rogue, shaman or hunter, it is quite likely that you ended up choosing leatherworking as one of your professions. Because it can be a valuable source of gear for the leather and mail-wearers, it is a common choice. If this is the case, you are going to want to hit 375 skill in order to make your end-game epics. If however, you chose leatherworking as a companion to skinning in order to make money, you will only need to reach about 325. Once there, you will be able to convert any type of skin into its available higher form in order to maximize your profits. Still, leatherworking, like any profession, can be an extremely costly skill to cap. This week, Insider Trader will be taking an in-depth look at some of the best ways to reach 375 from 300. Hop through the break for tips and analysis.
Interview profiles Age of Conan's Priest of Mitra class
Imagine if Snow White's wicked queen gazed into her magic mirror and asked, "Who's the most badass priest class of them all?" Judging from the info Funcom provided in a recent interview with Ten Ton Hammer, the answer would be "Age of Conan's Priest of Mitra."Healers in AoC don't select a target and heal just that target, nor do they automatically heal everyone in their group. Rather, they heal all friendly targets standing in a 120 degree cone of effect in front of them. We'll call those spells "CoE heals." The Priest of Mitra will get bonuses to his or her damage output based on how many friendlies he or she has healed recently. He or she will have an ability called "Reciprocal Healing" that will allow him or her to AoE heal friendlies when affected by a CoE heal from another healer -- making groups with multiple priest-types particularly potent.Perhaps most impressively, the Priest of Mitra will have access to a wide and dynamic range of crowd control spells by level 80 -- including "stun, fear, knockback, snare, and blind abilities." All that and more in the interview. Check it out.
Tabula Rasa + Vista SP1 = what exactly?
Tony "RadarX" Jones over at Ten Ton Hammer has crafted a fine briefing concerning Vista's long overdue Service Pack 1 and it's potential effects on MMOs and Tabula Rasa in particular. It's geared for gamers (if you like technobabble, check out ExtremeTech's article), so even a Dunder-Mifflin head like myself can understand it.I was one of the early adopters, hopping aboard the Vista wagon not long after it dropped. I won't say I regret it, but I will say there were days (many of them to be exact) that I pulled my hair out in frustration. I still do that on occasion, when for no reason whatsoever Vista decides to randomly erase a game's executable file. So here's hoping SP1 does for Vista what hops did for beer. But I'm not holding my breath. Vista was supposed to the shining knight on horseback to save PC gaming and bring it to gaming nirvana. Ya... not so much.So, will SP1 help or hurt gaming? More specifically, will it help or hurt Tabula Rasa? Check out Tony's article for all the details, then come back here and discuss. Do you love or hate Vista in regards to your fave MMO, and do you think SP1 will provide any benefit?
New Age of Conan trailer drops Thursday
Ten Ton Hammer is reporting this morning that Funcom and Eidos have announced that a new Age of Conan trailer will appear on Gamespot.com Thursday. According to the announcement on the AoC official forums, the video will launch at 1700 California time ( -8 GMT). Since I'm bad with that whole international time thing, the TTH guys have done my work for me... apparently "1700 California time" translates to roughly 12pm EST. If it's as bloody as the above pic - wow! We'll let you know when the ball drops so you can make a beeline for Gamespot.
