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Stephen Colbert joins the gene pool at TR's Operation Immortality
Professional athletes, writers, musicians and entrepreneurs have nothing on Operation Immortality's latest DNA recipient: Stephen Colbert. The star of the hit Comedy Central show The Colbert Report will have his DNA digitized and sent to the International Space Station with Richard Garriott for the wildly-popular Tabula Rasa promotion Operation Immortality."I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my life-long dream of being the baby at the end of 2001," said Colbert. Garriott comments on the decision to add Colbert to the growing list of popular celebrities joining the project, "Is there a better person for us to turn to for this high-level responsibility?"
Tabula Rasa's 12-month vet rewards announced
Can you believe Tabula Rasa's one-year anniversary is soon approaching? While it's still a bit less than 2 months away, NCsoft decided to reveal the rewards for those veteran players who have stuck around for the entire year since the beginning.First, we have the Resupply Beacon which teleports an AFS Resupply Bot to your character's location, allowing you and your entire squad to buy ammo, consumables and repair your equipment. Then there's a Dropship Extraction Beacon which acts as a portable dropship waypoint, allowing one-way access to the local dropship network for you and your squad. They've also added a new emote called Logos Greeting. This allows players to greet each other in the language of the Eloh with the /logosgreet emote. Finally, there's the new title "Special Forces" to help other players recognize you as a dedicated member of the veteran AFS special forces.Check out the complete Feedback Friday for more information on what's in store on the Public Test Server and more!
Tabula Rasa's Operation Immortality extended
Since we first told you about Tabula Rasa's Operation Immortality, it has grown quite a bit. All sorts of top athletes, artists and musicians have signed onto the project to have their DNA digitized and sent into space through the Immortality Drive. This special hard drive will travel with Richard Garriott to the International Space Station on October 12th and stay there in the event that humanity needs a restart.Originally, this project was to end on August 31st, for anyone interested in participating. However, we're happy to report that this deadline has now been extended until September 29th, 2008. This gives you even more time to vote on mankind's greatest achievements, send a personal message from the website or win a chance to have your digitized DNA included on the Immortality Drive. So if you still haven't taken part in this historical event, you might want to head on over to the project's website and give it a shot.
Tabula Rasa's Deployment 12 hits public test server
Some potential changes to Tabula Rasa have arrived on the Public Test Server in the form of "Deployment 12," which we recently hinted was on the way. NCsoft has posted the patch notes for Deployment 12 which include changes and improvements to much of the game. One of the more significant updates mentioned is the Omega Labs instance, which is only available to level 50+ players, but numerous other changes to maps and missions are detailed at the Tabula Rasa site. Improved game mechanics, fixed interactions, and enhancements to how shadows and hues are displayed are all outlined in the patch notes as well. The changes on the Public Test Server are extensive, so be sure to see the full breakdown for a look at how Tabula Rasa is gearing up for the next Deployment.
One Shots: AFK, researching
Many of the Massively staff will be on the road this weekend covering either PAX or Dragon*Con, so we figured this screenshot was appropriate for today's One Shots. What is it, you might ask? Well, from what we're told by Sevenwind, this is what the "AFK" screen looks like in Tabula Rasa. If you're going to be AFK, there are certainly worse things for your character to do beyond researching the situation. (Heck, that could be really handy on boss mobs if your character could research and tell you what to expect as opposed to having to rely on external websites and/or your raid leader!) Will you be gaming at home this weekend, or heading out to get your geek on? If you'll be doing some gaming, you should grab some screenshots of your favorite game and send them our way! After all, One Shots thrives on your screenshots; otherwise we have to dig into the folders of our staffers. Email those screenshots and descriptions to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com! Safe (in and out of game) travels, all!%Gallery-9798%
Tabula Rasa's Deployment 12 nears the Public Test Server
With this week's Feedback Friday, the Tabula Rasa folks let us know about their basic plans for the upcoming Deployment 13, which will bring a brand new map, new v2 and v3 weapons and make some highly-requested UI tweaks.However, the main focus is on what's coming to the Public Test Server very soon with Deployment 12. This is the deployment that will introduce us to the first iteration of the Clan Owned Control Points on a special prototype map for players to use and abuse to their heart's content. Plus, there's word of the Epic Gauntlet Test Map which is aimed towards the level 50 crowd. This map will be a series of 10 rooms, each with a different assortment of Bane creatures. Things get progressively more difficult throughout the map, so it's aimed more towards the hardcore AFS soldiers: no wimps allowed! Check out the entire feedback notes as well as what the community thinks about the upcoming changes.
New Tabula Rasa event brings the pain
When you get invited to an in-game event that consists of the word "pain", you know it has to be good. Kagasumi, one of Tabula Rasa's QA Testers, is looking to test the limits of high-level monster AI with an event called The Pain Train. This event will take place on the Public Test Server on Friday, August 22nd from 2pm to 4pm Central Time (-6 GMT) on the Palisades map.As Kagasumi says, this event was created to test some very strong monsters against players to see how they fare. Apparently, he says he's been surprised at how players can always come out on top when they're up against large mobs of Bane. So Kagasumi simply wants to test the limits of player/monster combat balance, with your help. He promises lots of giveaway goodies, so even if the thought of high-level Thrax makes you wish you were back in Bootcamp, you'll want to show up and help out as much as you can.
Tabula Rasa Deployment 11 releases early
A full week earlier than planned, Tabula Rasa's Deployment 11 has just hit the live servers, bringing with it the changes with the Bootcamp tutorial area and much more. With this comes the inevitable introduction of Deployment 12 to the Public Test Server very soon. Deployment 12 will bring a few more welcome additions to the TR world. First we have two new weapons: the Series 2 Physical Chaingun and the Series 2 Laser Pistol. Plus, there will be some improvements made to the pets and their AI. Each Bot, Clone and Spotter will automatically be set to follow, guard and assist the player above all else. Finally, the training menus have been completely revamped to better show the proper information for complete career planning.Now, if you're a former player and find any of these new features enticing, you may also be pleased to hear that NCsoft has opened up a free trial period for anyone who has previously had an account with Tabula Rasa. Check out their reactivation page for more info.[Thanks Jack!]
Rumor: NCsoft Austin, Dungeon Runners to be shut down
Massively and Joystiq have learned that serious shakeups may be in the future for the Austin game development scene. The closure of Midway's Austin studio came as something of a surprise earlier this week, but we've now learned that the MMO industry may be set to experience turmoil as well. NCsoft Austin, home to the Richard Garriott-lead title Tabula Rasa and the free-to-play romp Dungeon Runners, may be in a precarious position today. In fact, industry insiders have indicated that the NCsoft home offices may be considering closing the Austin studio. Massively has followed the numerous troubles faced by Tabula Rasa, in the face of disappointing sales and subscriber figures and apparent frustration from the company's Korean HQ. A well-placed source with the company reported the studio's position to Joystiq, confirming similar information provided to Massively by a trustworthy third party. According to our sources, any or all of the following may be in the works: NCsoft Austin will be closed, with work on Tabula Rasa to be moved to the West coast. Dungeon Runners is apparently to be closed. Los Angeles is home to the development-in-the-dark Carbine Studios effort, while the San Francisco area is home to the City of Heroes development team. Seattle, of course, plays host to Arena.net and Joystiq reports that's where TR will be headed. This shakeup is only affecting Austin; the City of Heroes and Guild Wars teams are unaffected, as are the teams based out of the Korean offices. Future collaborations between NCsoft and the Garriott brothers will be very limited in scope, a sign of the frustrations between the Korean executives and the sibling-lead NCsoft North American office. Tabula Rasa may see closure by this time next year, if the team fails to turn the tide of subscribers and expectations. We freely admit that this is not confirmed information; we attempted to get a response from NCsoft representatives early today, but so far have not received word back. Massively and Joystiq will keep you posted as this story develops, and in the meantime our well wishes go out to the artists, developers, and designers affected by this news.
A first look inside Tabula Rasa's Omega Labs
Recently, we made a trip over to NCsoft's offices in Austin, Texas, to get a preview of the Tabula Rasa's newest dungeon, the ultra top secret Omega Labs. We had a chance to chat with Senior Designer Wynne McLaughlin, who brought us up to speed on where Omega Labs fit into the game's story in between staccato bursts of gunfire from his computer speakers. So for those of you who haven't been keeping up with TR's lore [and for those of you who don't want to spoil any surprises, we recommend averting your eyes], we're visiting Penumbra Headquarters in the level 40ish subcontinent Torden Abyss. Penumbra is the black ops branch of the AFS, under the questionable leadership of a man known only as the Director. As you work through quests given by Penumbra, you'll gain higher levels of security clearance and be allowed into section 1, 2, 3, 4, and finally 5. Omega Labs is an instanced wing off Section 5, where Penumbra and the AFS have lost all communication -- and no one is quite sure what's happening inside. As he jumps through the instance portal, McLaughlin explains that with Omega Labs, they were trying to bring more of a survival horror feel to the game, and we have to say they've done a decent job of it with dark corridors, flickering lights, and zombie-like Machina rising from the ground when you least expect them. Warning: If you're the sort of person who does likes to experience the content first hand and unspoiled -- stop reading now. The text to follow is filled with spoilers. If you click ahead and see something you didn't want to see, don't say we didn't warn you! However, if this sounds like your cup of tea, read on! NEXT >> %Gallery-9822%
Tabula Rasa Community Olympics event
Let's face it, the PlanetTR community has remained an integral part of keeping Tabula Rasa what it is today. Sure, there's the gameplay improvements and all the recent work by the devs, but PlanetTR deserves some credit, too. A fine example of this is their new Tabula Rasa Olympics being held this Saturday, August 9th on the Public Test Server.There will be thirteen events held here in all, including King of the Hill, Gymnastics, Swimming, Fencing and more. Most of these events will employ the use of vendor grey items, and have specific rules regarding class, race and item usage. This, of course, is to even the playing field among characters. Be sure to check out the PlanetTR forums for complete details, rules and sign-up information.
NCsoft Adam and Eve 2.0 art contest announced
Are you an exceptional artist, with work good enough to save humanity from the Bane? You might just be what Richard Garriott and Operation Immortality are looking for. Just consider this: if the Earth was destroyed by tentacled aliens and the human race was forced to be reborn from stored DNA, what would the new Adam and Eve look like? This is where you come in. The new Adam and Eve 2.0 Art Contest held by NCsoft allows players to submit their own original artwork for a chance to win a spot on the Immortality Drive. Winners will get their DNA and artwork sent into space with Richard Garriott and stored on the International Space Station as part of mankind's greatest achievements. The selection will also have the opportunity to appear on future NCsoft promotional materials. So head on over to the main contest page for complete details, and good luck!
Has the migration back to Tabula Rasa begun?
Recently, with some of the new features added to Tabula Rasa in Deployments 10 and 11, it seems older, original players who left the game in droves are now curiously scratching the door, asking to be let back in. Is this a sign of things to come, as a part of the usually inevitable return to an MMO that most early adopters face, or just a sign of player boredom as we all await the fall launch season?Either way, and for whatever reason, it does seem like more players are making the return to Tabula Rasa and finding that they enjoy the game again. Of particular interest is a recent forum post over at PlanetTR where the players compile a pleasant list of things they've enjoyed in the game that seem different than other MMOs they've tried. After all the negativity surrounding the game in previous months, it's nice to see that the game might enjoy a resurgence afterall. It's happened before with other games, so it's certainly a possibility with Tabula Rasa as well.
Tabula Rasa's Feedback Friday gives backstory on General British
In this week's Feedback Friday for Tabula Rasa, we get a bit of a summary from the release of Deployment 11 earlier this week. Richard Garriott's space flight and his new project Operation Immortality is featured, with an explanation of how this experiment will work. Plus, we're treated to an in-character story entitled The Traveler, which is all about General British's experiences as a cosmonaut castaway and eventual hero for the AFS.We also get an explanation of the changes made to the new player experience, and why these changes were necessary. Apparently, the developers felt that Bootcamp and subsequent missions were too difficult and were laden with too much extraneous information, so they've revamped the tutorial, help menus and log-in screen. Hopefully these changes will aid new players brought in with the recent publicity from Operation Immortality, as well as the current influx of returning players.
Tabula Rasa Deployment 11 arrives on the test server
Now that Tabula Rasa's Deployment 10 has been unleashed to the world, it's time to start playing around with Deployment 11, which has just hit the Public Test Server today. In it, we get treated to a hefty revamp of both the beginning areas and the advanced areas. The Bootcamp zone has experienced a total revamp, plus there's the addition of a new level 50 instance entitled Omega Labs. However, one of the biggest changes to gameplay that was introduced with this content update is the changes to Adrenaline. As with any gameplay changes, player opinion is mixed, but NCsoft hopes to gauge player response through the test server and make appropriate changes before it goes live.
NCsoft's Operation Immortality launches
As we reported from Comic-Con 08, NCsoft was quite the belle of the ball last week with their Adam & Eve 2.0 booth gaining its fair share of attention from attendees. At this booth, couples were seen swabbing their cheeks for some DNA samples to send into space with one of the grandfathers of the MMO, Richard Garriott. Finally, the website for this campaign has been officially launched and all further details have been released. From now until August 31st, anyone with a PC and an internet connection (that's you) can participate in the site's weekly polls which will be included on an Immortality Drive, to be sent into space with Garriott. Not only that, but current Tabula Rasa players can actually leave a personal message to be included on this drive. Is this simply an outrageous commercial for Tabula Rasa? Sure it is, but has anyone ever done anything even close to this before for a game? Nope.
Shopping list: Milk, bread, MMO game time cards...
Let's face it, getting time cards for your favorite game is a necessity. It's up there with the milk, bread, and eggs that you need for your daily survival. We have enough stories about MMO withdrawal to fill a shopping cart, so why not sell our addiction where we can easily grab it? NCsoft got the message and is pushing their time cards out to the masses by partnering up with Target, Rite Aid, and Best Buy. Now you too can literally walk down the street to the drug store and pick up your favorite addiction -- more play time. More importantly, if you're a subscriber to City of Heroes/Villains, grab yourself a time card because it will unlock an in-game jet pack for you to use. The approach isn't anything new, as Nexon has already been providing their cash cards to customers of 7-Eleven convenience stores for some time now. What all of this does show is a marketing push by more game companies to get their cards into the mainstream market of consumer products. Lastly, as a friendly reminder, when you're running out to get those "essentials" at Rite-Aid or Target before that "big storm" hits, remember your desktop computer doesn't work when the power is out.
NCsoft's Operation Immortality to send human DNA into space
A banner atop the NCsoft booth at Comic-Con 2008 read cryptically: "DNA Test Site: Adam & Eve 2.0." Several rows of brightly-colored buttons arrayed on a table, there for the taking, were emblazoned with the same message. Even more puzzlingly, couples were lining up to swab their cheeks with Q-tips to be stored in plastic pouches labeled with their names and today's date. What kind of crazy cabal initiation was underway at NCsoft's booth?Without fully revealing the mystery of Operation Immortality, an NCsoft representative shed some light on the cheek-swabbing activities of the fans lining up two-by-two. Five couples, one per day of Comic-Con festivities, will be chosen to have their DNA sequenced and stored in a hard drive that will be jettisoned into outer space -- and why exactly? In case the horrifying possibility of a Bane victory renders the human population of Earth annihilated, we'll be able to repopulate it with the human DNA kept safe in the off-site storage of space.
Deployment 10.6 now on Tabula Rasa public test server
Tabula Rasa's Public Test Server has now been fitted with Deployment 10.6. The main feature of this update is a change to Grey Market Vendor items -- their cost has been increased by 500%. The developers felt that the power of the Grey Market Vendor weapons was not proportional to their price, hence the rather drastic increase. They have left Control Point vendor items alone, but they will continue to monitor the equipment situation to make certain that crafted items are better than those bought from NPCs.if you want to get involved with the testing on TR's PTS, you can visit this guide at the official site to get started.
Revamped Tabula Rasa crafting system discussed in Feedback Friday
In the most recent Feedback Friday, Mike Moore, one of Tabula Rasa's senior game system designers, reports on the team's plans to completely revamp the crafting system in the game. Not only will this be a complete overhaul of the entire system, but they hope to begin implementing the changes very soon, by Deployment 12.In TR's current crafting system, players must create a cloned character after level 30 to utilize all four crafting skills at Pump 5, which is the only way to maximize chances of success. This involves a lot of trading items back and forth to your "crafting character". In the new system, skill points won't be used for crafting advancement, which allows any character to participate in crafting. Plus, the entire system of module removal and reapplication will be reconfigured, hopefully creating a more desirable crafting system for the mass of players who are just not happy with what they currently have available.
