underwater-combat
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RIFT launches update 2.5, Song of Dreams
A major patch is always a good thing for a game. And Song of Dreams, or RIFT patch 2.5 for the more numerically inclined in the audience, qualifies as a major patch any way you slice it. It starts off with a mini-saga sending players under the seas at the Ember Isle, forcing players to take part in new underwater combat to learn the mystery of why various expeditions are disappearing. Still, there's a lot more in this patch. The level requirements on Iron Pine Peak have been relaxed, spreading the zone from level 27 to 35 for a wider band of adventurers. New Planar Attunement Nexuses are available for players with plenty of points and a decided lack of places to spend them. And this is all just the start of the patch's content, which will be slowly expanded over the course of the next month. Take a look at some screenshots below, or click past the break to watch the patch trailer.
The Daily Grind: Does underwater combat add that much?
Underwater swimming and combat is one of those tetchy subjects that people seem to have strong opinions regarding, even though I personally don't think it makes much of a difference whether you can do these things or not. Games that haven't had underwater combat didn't make me miss it, and games that had it made me feel like I was flying very, very slowly. So let's tack this today: Does underwater combat really add that much to an MMO? Is it a waste of developer resources or an important part of creating an immersive world? As a bonus question, when's the last time you went underwater to fight jellyfish with a spear gun in the real world? 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!
Elsword update offers new continent, dungeons
How does a new continent sound, Elsword fans? If it sounds pretty cool, you're in luck because Kill3rCombo is offering that and more in its latest manga MMO update. Players may explore two new dungeons, fight challenging end bosses, and work toward a new level cap as well as several new titles in the game's Rulensia and Fluone areas. The new locales are designed for players of level 45 or above, and Kill3rCombo says that players can even battle their way through underwater gameplay courtesy of the Sunken Resiam dungeon. Elsword offers five customizable characters, evolutionary fighting skills and job classes, and plenty of action-packed combo abilities. Check out the official site for more details. [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]
Guild Wars 2 releases underwater concept art
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, 460,000 likes on Facebook. Reacting to the growing popularity of Guild Wars 2 in its social media, ArenaNet has released a brand-new piece of gorgeous concept art for you to gawk at. The piece shows Norn Eir Stegalkin finding something hidden deep underwater. Eir is one of the five key heroes of Destiny's Edge, the retired adventuring group that plays a huge part in the game. As Guild Wars 2 will have a significant underwater portion, this art is a good reminder that not all of the game's exploration and landmarks will take place out in the open air. The concept art is by ArenaNet's Jamie Ro and can be viewed in high resolution on Flickr.
ArcheAge explores the possibilities of an open world in a new video
Who would have thought that something as mundane as tractors could get us so excited? And yet ArcheAge does exactly that, as a new video from the closed beta shows off the latest model of drivable tractors, useful in both field irrigation and cargo hauling. Players are shown spraying down fields with a forward-facing nozzle, resulting in the quick growth of plants. In addition to the zen and art of tractor pulling, this video briefly highlights several other aspects of this gorgeous game. It illuminates the creation and use of a trebuchet in castle sieges, underwater exploration, housing decorations, and painstakingly animated dragon-lion mounts. While the video may not be in English, it's still a drop of cool water in the mouths of fans thirsty for this upcoming MMO. You can check out all of the lush goodness after the break. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Guild Wars 2 dives head first into underwater combat [Updated]
ArenaNet has proclaimed, "If you like MMOs, you'll want to try out Guild Wars 2; if you hate MMOs, you'll really want to try out Guild Wars 2." In other words, the game is breaking a lot of the conventions of the classic MMO. Guildcast, a Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 podcast, was granted the opportunity to investigate one of the new areas of exploration: underwater combat. The first thing of note is that when the player hits the water, her combat skills change just as if she had switched weapons. And just like switching a weapon, the toolbar change happens fluidly and automatically without the player actively having to switch out skills. As for how you can breathe underwater, Guildcast says in the write-up, "As soon as you're fully submerged, a small breathing apparatus appears over your character's face and you can stay under indefinitely. That's it. No muss, no fuss, no 'find this potion, drink it, and you have ten minutes.'" It can't get any easier than that. Swim over the Guildcast site for the full impressions of underwater exploration in GW2 and be sure to check out the full gallery of images as well. Let us know what you think. Does Guild Wars 2 truly break all the conventions? [Update: The official GW2 site now offers a post by ANet game designer Jonathan Sharp that goes into even more "depth" (pun intended) on underwater combat!]
Updated: DDO Update 6 to release today with player bonuses
We know from our developer tour last week that Update 6 -- the Red Fens Adventure Pack -- is releasing to the Dungeons and Dragons Online servers today, but the big question is "what time?" The DDO devs are being cagey about it, with the best answer so far being "Really really really incredibly soon." The exact time may be a secret, but when this update does arrive, it will bring some bonuses that players should enjoy. There will be a 10% XP bonus for quests and a 30% bonus to guild renown through August 29th. Update 6 will be available to VIPs sometime today, and available to all other players in the DDO Store Thursday at a cost of 450 Turbine Points. [Update: Update 6 is now live]
New DDO screenshot gives first look at Update 6
Dungeons and Dragons Online's next update will bring more content to the game, and the excitement for Update 6 has been high in the DDO community, thanks to one little detail: underwater combat. That's right, the next update will not only bring a new wilderness area -- the Red Fens -- but it adds underwater combat to DDO. We'll meet up with our old friends the Sahuagin and take to the waters. It's an exciting addition to the game, and if you feel you simply can't wait until Update 6 drops, maybe you don't have to. VIP players can copy characters onto the Lamannia server and try it out for themselves right away!
