tutorial
Latest
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Titanfall tips videos prepare you for beta battle
Microsoft dished out two videos that offer players some tips on Titanfall ahead of the game's beta, which starts tomorrow. The first video glosses over the game's basic mech-like Titan functions and elaborate on ways players can use the Titans effectively within combat. Additionally, it provides a few pointers for the parkour-like locomotion elements in the game, such as hanging on walls by holding the left trigger. The second video, found after the break, tours the game's three modes and their rules. Titanfall is set to launch March 11 on Xbox One and PC with the Xbox 360 version following on March 25. We got an extended look at the game ourselves, and had plenty to say about it in our video preview. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Choose My Adventure: Through the starting gates of EverQuest
And we're off! The gates of EverQuest have opened, and thanks to the advice of my very own pit crew (that means you!), I am planted firmly in my saddle as ready to take on this wild Choose My Adventure ride. So let's get this show started, shall we? Figuring out where in EQ I was going to go was pretty cut and dried; Firiona Vie was the server winner by a landslide. Either you know me well enough and placed me accordingly, or you're just saying that's an awesome place to be. Of course, it could be both, which is a double bonus. The racial fight was more of a nail-biter. Tier"Dal, Iksar, and Froglok battled it out, but in the end, good won. Well, actually let's not be too hasty tossing that "good" label around: As for classes, only two choices were running pretty much neck in neck, and both were decidedly evil! Ultimately the caster lost and tin can won. So instead of summoning and commanding my own hordes of undead (for which I thank you profusely), I dub myself Sir MJ, the Shadowknight. As much as I have rarely played plate or tank classes, I do appreciate this; necromancy is definitely not a favorite pastime of mine. Add in your final decision to start me off in my racial lands and we are all set to go.
Perpetuum plans for improved new player experience
One of the great sorrows of any sandbox game is that a player is dropped in with the option to do anything... and very little concept of how to do those things or what should be done first. Perpetuum is making plans specifically to address that by giving players a crash course in everything that can be done, courtesy of a new virtual training island sealed away from the rest of the game world. Rather than permit players to select factions at character creation, the new experience will drop players into a simulation that allows nothing from the main game in or out. While in this tutorial area, players will have access to everything possible at maximum levels while being instructed in how to take part in several game systems. Using one of the four exit teleporters allows players to select a faction and start playing the core game, retaining no advancements but getting a real-time sense for how the game works. Testing is slated to begin this month for players who want to experience the game through a slightly gentler ramp-up.
Free for All: Revisiting EVE Online's newbie tutorial
I might leave the EVE Online number-crunching and analyzing to Massively's Brendan Drain, but my personal history with the game is long, however, and I have proudly reactivated my 2004 account (complete with a 10 million skill point character) once a year to see how things are going. I generally spend several hours playing and getting used to the changes but end up playing other games for columns like Rise and Shiny. This time around, I thought I would try something different. I was spurred into action by the recent Steam sales, one of them offering an EVE Online Starter Pack for something like two bucks. (Now it's almost $5.00) It comes with 30 days of time, some special newbie goodies, and a booster to help skills grow faster. Sure, I could have reactivated my old account for $15.00 (and probably will after this is over), but I wondered how making a new character now would compare to what it was like all those years ago. It turns out that it's still pretty darn cool.
Valve's Newell promotes 'Hour of Code' learning campaign, EA gives games to participants
Non-profit computer science advocacy group CODE.org promotes its ongoing "Hour of Code" campaign by giving students an audience with Gabe Newell, managing director of Half-Life creator Valve Corporation. The full half-hour talk is archived for public viewing in the video above. "Hour of Code" challenges students to spend an hour learning the basics of software coding, with CODE.org offering several online tutorials helping to jumpstart a career in the field of computer science. Over three million students have completed the organization's "Write your own computer program" tutorial, which is available in 20 languages and features characters from Rovio's Angry Birds and PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies throughout its lessons teaching the fundamentals of coding. Electronic Arts announced this week that elementary and middle school students who complete CODE.org's 20-hour training course are eligible to receive a free PC game via Origin. Available games include Bejeweled 3, FIFA Soccer 13, SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition and Plants vs. Zombies.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's new Starfleet tutorial
Star Trek Online recently revealed a freshly revamped tutorial for players who create new Starfleet characters. This week I had the opportunity to check the new material out for myself, so I rolled a new toon and experienced what it is like to have greatness thrust upon me! What? You don't believe me? It's true! My character went from academy graduate to captain of a Starfleet vessel in a matter of minutes! Oh wait, I guess that's not so surprising; even Captain James T. Kirk did it in an alternate universe. The fact of the matter is there's no easy way, story-wise, to get a new player's character into the command chair in a completely convincing manner. I'll be explaining how it all happens, so if you want to remain surprised about anything in the new Star Trek Online Starfleet tutorial, avert your eyes for the remaining portion of this away mission. But do me a favor and scroll down anyway, look at the pictures, and pretend to read it. It'll make me feel better. The rest of you are with me. Engage.
Video Tip: Creating a bootable Mavericks USB installer
Having a bootable USB flash drive of your operating system is a very useful tool to have around for diagnostics, maintenance or fresh clean installs of your OS. In the past few versions of OS X, if you wanted to create a bootable USB stick, you had to do a little bit of Erica Sadun-style nerd wizardry or download a third-party tool like Lion Disk Maker to create one. Luckily with Mavericks, Apple has included a tool to allow us to create a bootable USB flash drive with a few simple terminal commands. This video will show you how to do it, so go grab an 8 GB or larger USB stick and follow along. Difficulty: Easy What you need: Terminal (in the Utilities folder or press cmd+shift+u from the Finder) USB flash drive of 8 GB or larger capacity The Install OS X Mavericks App from the Mac App Store About 20 ~ 30 mins (don't remove the flash drive until you see "Done" in the terminal) The Command: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction Note: Remember to replace 'Untitled' with your flash drives name. Most freshly formatted flash dives are named 'Untitled' unless you change it as I did. That's it! Update: Lion Disk Maker released DiskMaker X 3.0.1 and it supports Mavericks
WildStar implores Dominion citizens to go space-west in a new arkship
Do you feel the lure of the frontier? WildStar's Dominion certainly hopes you do. But as a citizen of the most powerful organization in the known galaxy, you won't be heading out into the frontier with nothing more than a spacesuit and a poorly written star chart. No, you'll be cruising to Nexus in the finest vessel ever built by the Dominion shipyards, the arkship Destiny! Assuming you pass the tests to be sent out there in the first place. The Dominion can't just send the rabble, after all. The latest installment of WildStar Wednesday details the luxurious amenities in all their glory, ranging from VIP lounges and ample recreational space to training simulations and a fully functional church. Those selected for the journey will be given every opportunity to excel once they touch down on the planet's surface, with experienced travelers given the option of bypassing most of the tutorial experience for a trip straight to Nexus. Take a look at the full rundown to get a better idea of how the Dominion travels in style, which will likely be contrasted by the Exiles arriving in a spacesuit with a poorly written star chart.
Captain's Log: More Star Trek Online help for the new player
The news is out! Lobi are now accessible account-wide! They're no longer bound to a single character! While I would love to be able to write an entire column about how happy the change has made me, I won't make our readers endure it, but it sure was a fun way to start off this week's Captain's Log. The good news for some is that this week's column will be dedicated to the brand new players of Star Trek Online. This decision was triggered by an email I received from a reader who wanted to know how he could change his character's outfit without having to go to the tailor all the time. He was a very new player and was embarrassed to ask anyone else, and trusted I wouldn't make him feel a fool. It was then I realized that there are lots of little things in Star Trek Online that aren't obvious to new players. While many of those things are second nature to me now, I recall with bitter clarity what it was like to be so new that asking a stranger for help was akin to playing Russian roulette. So join me past the break as I touch on what all those tiny little icons on the HUD mean.
Adafruit tutorial turns your Raspberry Pi into an ad-blocking WiFi access point
Ads can be a buzzkill, especially when they're so pervasive they become distractions. Luckily, Adafruit has a new tutorial that turns your Raspbery Pi into a WiFi access point that doubles as a mighty ad-blocking machine for any device -- be it an iPad or an Xbox -- that connects to it. All you need is a working internet connection, a Raspberry Pi booting Raspbian, a WiFi adapter, an Ethernet cable and the necessary software (which the tutorial breaks down for you). It should go without saying, but Adafruit also includes a reminder to whitelist the ad-supported sites you frequently visit. Blocking ads might improve your online experience overall, but it's always a good idea to support the people who provide you with free content. To get started, check out the tutorial at the source link below.
What's wrong with Hearthstone
While my colleagues have been busy writing deck building guides and articles on synergy, as well as detailing the reasoning behind spending $150 on cards in a beta, I've been having a bit less of a fun time. Don't get me wrong, there are aspects of the game that I enjoy, but larger aspects which I find frustrating. In the interest of utter clarity, a lot of my problems definitely stem from my novice status. I have played one CCG before, Order and Chaos Duels, on Android, and I really enjoy it. I have never played Magic, online or otherwise, nor anything similar. So yes, I am a noob. But guess what? Blizzard isn't making this game to catch exclusively the hardcore Magic crowd. Nor is it pointed entirely at CCG experts of any other flavor. Blizzard has specifically said on many, many occasions that their general motto is "easy to learn, hard to master" and a lot of my Hearthstone gripes relate to what I perceive to be a failing on the first half of that idea. Hearthstone should be fun for everyone, whether they've played a CCG before or not.
MechWarrior Online adds Protector Orion and new tutorial
Are you amped up for this month's official launch of MechWarrior Online -- or will it not really change anything for you whatsoever? Perhaps we can get you more excited about a new content update that went live today and features an improved tutorial and a new hero 'mech. The update adds the first of several announed tutorials that will help players acclimate to the to the unique challenges of piloting a 'mech. Today's tutorial is just about the basics of movement and combat, but that's what tutorials are for, right? The Protector Orion hero 'mech has come online today as well, a hard-hitting, tough-as-nails machine that's got a nice array of weapon choices. The Protector Orion comes with a 30% boost to C-bill acquisition and can be spotted in the trailer after the break. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Captain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online's Christine Thompson, part one
The past couple of weeks, I took a bit of time to head to Las Vegas to moderate and cover the Star Trek Online panels at the official Star Trek Convention, but I'm happy to say I'm back in the saddle and picking up where I left off with my series of interviews with the people responsible for making Star Trek Online and conducted when I visited Cryptic Studios in late June. This week I begin my summaries of my interview with STO's lead writer, Christine Thompson. Many of you may know her as Cryptic Kestrel. Read on to see what she had to say about writing for the Romulan Republic!
Hearthstone Beta: Playing through the tutorial
As if you didn't already know, the Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft beta launched today, and like any geek worth her salt, I immediately downloaded it and started playing. So I thought I'd give you a brief run-down of the tutorial process and the like. You start off with a mage deck, as you load into the game, you have a very dwarven-sounding voice announcing that a new hero has appeared, Jaina Proudmoore. She's the character behind the mage deck, and the tutorial starts you off slow, taking on Hogger. The tutorial is really well constructed and doesn't hold your hand too much, just points out key elements as you go through it with little tip popups. As you progress through the tutorial, you're issued with free cards on every win, of which there are several, and these are added to your deck. You don't get anything amazing, but we''ve heard on several occasions how great pains have been taken to ensure that these cards are just as powerful as the higher level ones.
Element14 unveils Raspberry Pi Projects hub and 8GB Model B bundle
While it's comparatively easy to get started with Raspberry Pi programming, it can be tough to find suitably challenging projects afterward -- what's good for rookies may bore seasoned pros. To solve this, Element14 has launched a Raspberry Pi Projects hub that organizes community projects by skill level. First-timers get tutorials for basic tasks, such as loading Minecraft: Pi Edition, while veterans learn how to build home monitoring systems and other advanced devices. Those who want a faster start on their projects can also spend $40 on a new Raspberry Pi Model B bundle that includes both the tiny PC and an 8GB SD card preloaded with six operating systems. There's no guarantee that you'll become an expert through Element14's hub, but you'll at least be saved from getting in over your head.
World of Warplanes flight school takes you through plane types
Welcome back to flight school, flyboys and flygirls! World of Warplanes has released its second tutorial video walking players through the ins and outs of becoming a skilled ace. Today's lesson is focused on the types of planes in the game and their role in a group. World of Warplane's arsenal is divided up between attack, light, heavy, and carrier planes. Light fighters are the speedsters of the sky with high maneuverability and reduced combat power. Attack fighters boast strong armor and weapons (including a rear gunner) but are primarily used for strafing ground targets. Heavy fighters are tougher than light ones and able to dogfight while also capable of carrying bombs and rockets. Carrier fighters have traits of both light and heavy fighters and offer a flexible playstyle. Head to class with the video after the break!
Earn your wings at World of Warplanes flight school
If you've been interested in jumping into World of Warplanes now that it's in open beta but didn't want to take off into battle unprepared, we've got just the thing for you. Wargaming is offering a video training series to help new pilots get familiar with the game. In this first installment, players get an overview of all aspects of the game, from training missions to upgrades to research and development. Post-battle statistics and performance tracking are also highlighted. While the first lesson is broad in scope, future ones will delve into more complex strategies to immerse players even more. Watch this first tutorial after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
The Daily Grind: What should MMO tutorials include?
A couple of weeks ago I jumped back into RIFT because of, well, its free-to-playness. I couldn't help it; it was as if there was a party going on and I had to go or else feel forever alone. Apart from the massive crowds that come with F2P launches, RIFT featured another surprising change from the last time I was there: Its tutorial was shortened. Trimmed down. Cut in half and then some. So what used to take me around 45 minutes to go through the opening tutorial zone now took me less than 20. It made me think a lot about what MMO tutorials should include. Obviously, you need to show the ropes to players who have never picked up an MMO before. You can't overwhelm those folks, either, so the ins and outs of the game need to come in measured doses. You also need to inform MMO vets as to what is different about this particular game than other ones. And it's probably a good idea to, y'know, allow players to skip tutorials if they've done them a couple of dozen times already. What should MMO tutorials include? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Pirate101 sets sail for Marleybone
One of the bonuses of having Pirate101 set in the same world as Wizard101 is that the former can benefit from some of the latter's layout. KingsIsle has launched a big expansion for the game that includes some old favorites for veteran players, starting by sending pirate captains to the familiar land of Marleybone. Players will be investigating a war zone they helped inadvertently create while working up through another 15 levels of experience. The update also adds the new region of Aquila, a new Bazaar system for players to trade goods, and a new tutorial to help players get accustomed to the game. There are also new bosses and transport systems to give players more to do while they sail across the oceans. Last but not least, new companions are scattered through the added regions, and old companions are learning some new tricks. Pirate101 players can log in and start enjoying the update immediately.
Choose My Adventure: Framing my first foray in Darkfall
Break time's over! Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and get back to work building our latest Choose My Adventure. The first order of business is to establish the framework for the rest of our Darkfall Unholy Wars (mis)adventures. Of course, we can't just build willy-nilly; we need to follow a plan. And as with any major construction project, we couldn't really move forward until said plan was OKed by the planning commission. So while we waited for the foundation to set, we sought approval for which type of structure to base our continuing adventures on. And as is wont to happen with committees, there was trouble coming to a consensus; even though the proposed models were all pretty similar, disagreement arose as to which to pick. However, after some debate (one proposal won by only one vote!), we finally got the go ahead: The final word was to build a Mahirim Deadeye. I'm on it, boss!%Gallery-187735%
