afs
Latest
Tabula Rasa's shutdown salute schedule
Listen up, soldiers! We're going to post this once and only once, so I want all eyes and ears on this blog post! Do you get me!?*Waits to hear the chorus of "We get you, sir!" coming from the computer monitor.*We have gotten word from AFS High Command that the Bane are preparing for an all out attack against the Allied Free Sentients in Tabula Rasa. This will be the single largest troop movement that the battlefields have seen to date. This is why all soldiers are being asked to fortify all AFS bases in preparation of an attack on Saturday at 8 PM GMT for the Centarus (EU) server and again at 8 PM CST for the Hydra server.These attacks will be lead by the infamous Neph, cousin race to the benevolent Eloh. Neph are the most intelligent commanders that the Bane has to throw against us, but we will fight them back!The attacks are expected to last until midnight GMT and midnight CST. If we are unsuccessful with our defense, and should we be overrun, then we will make sure that their victory will cost them everything! The Penumbra Division has been ordered to ready the last resort weapon and only fire it should we still be under attack at midnight. If we're going down, we're taking them, and the server, with us!Hoo-rah, soldiers!
Deployment 16 stomps onto Tabula Rasa's battlefields
If you've been clamoring for mechs, then clamor no more! Deployment 16 has now hit the Tabula Rasa servers, and you too can jump in a big 'ol mech and go stomp some people. Don't know how to find them? Don't worry, we've got you covered in that department.The only downside to all of this mech joy is that they're only available in Edmund Range. But, with the mechs now being available, you can be sure that pretty much everyone is rushing on over to get a taste of steel in their system.This patch isn't devoted entirely to mechs, though. Players will be happy to procure three new sets of armor, as well as 40 rare weapons that are named after TR players. The AFS buildings got a facelift as well, so there will be some new sights to see for all of the players before the game closes.For the full patch notes, check them out on the Tabula Rasa website.
Massively Exclusive: Tabula Rasa's AFS War College
Last week we got a chance to visit NCsoft's Austin offices to attend the first ever AFS War College, where some of Tabula Rasa's finest soldiers were invited to join NCsoft's developers for a day of discussions, questions, and demos. We took a tour of the facilities guided by Richard Garriott himself, and we invite you to join us as we learn all about the design of Logos, hear all the details on how Tabula Rasa is developed, and see the TR developers' top priorities. Have we piqued your interest yet? Click along with us and see what came of this year's War College!Let's get started in the audio department >>%Gallery-25259%
NEWS FLASH: AFS pushes against Bane at Valverde Plateau
Dateline: the planet Foreas. Those psychotic raiders from beyond the stars, the Bane, are giving our boys in the field what-for. In response, high command of the AFS has authorized a big push against those conniving crusties at the Valverde Plateau. Now known as the "Battle for Trinity Bridge", the boys of the AFS are pushing back against those no-goodnicks in a big way.If you're going into battle, TenTonHammer has what you need, soldier. Their guide to the Plateau and the surrounding regions will let you take the fight to the front lines, and beyond! From Fort Defiance to Maligo Base, all the boys in the field are swearing by it; make sure to read up and then hit them where it hurts! For the video news about these offensives, with high-quality footage from the AFS Network, check below the cut. Good hunting, soldier!
TV shows that could be MMOs: Battlestar Galactica
Watching the final season of the new Battlestar Galactica the other night, and getting only a taste of the amazing, chaotic, shaky-cam ship-to-ship action left us wanting more. But even better than a full episode devoted to space combat would be an MMO based in that world. How would that work, you ask? We're glad you did! Keep in mind that this article assumes basic knowledge of the show universe and its characters. If you haven't seen it, get thee to a torrent, or a rental store immediately!First, consider some of the great two-sided rivalries in MMOs: Horde vs. Alliance; AFS vs. the Bane; Humanity vs. Hell -- Mankind vs. the Cylons fits right in. In fact, since the show itself manages to portray both sides as sympathetic, there isn't too much storyline massaging to be done; the universe of Galactica is nicely morally ambiguous. All that really matters is survival.
Win Tabula Rasa gear
If you like to wear your hobby on your sleeve - or on your head, around your neck, or on your chest - it's time to gear up with some Tabula Rasa branded swag. The best part? You can get it for free. Techgage, a tech-related news site, is having a Gear Up at Techgage Contest where you can win a TR-shirt, beanie, or a set of rare AFS dogtags.There will only be three winners, and you only have until April 8 (11:59PM CST) to enter. So go read the rules 'n regs, then fill out the entry form ASAP.
Are you ready to rumble?
Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa will be getting a fighting arena in patch 1.8. The new arena contains a large ring complete with red and blue "corners." Both 1 on 1 and Squad vs. Squad events will be sanctioned by AFS officials. The arena will also include a bar (to help you wash away the money you just lost when your fighter decided not to take a dive), a medic station so wannabe "Rockys" can yell "Cut me, Mick," a upper viewing deck and several recreation rooms. But they need you to help them name it. So get your thinking caps on and submit your ideas for the new Arena (to trcontests@ncsoft.com) by Friday, April 11, 2008.
Children of the AFS: useless fluff or big opportunity?
The Tabula Rasa crew has posted a new bit of fiction in their new and improved Story section, located under Game Intel on the front page. The story, which is frustratingly brief for the lore fans among us, focuses on one of the more underserved of constituencies within the Tabula Rasa universe -- the children of the AFS. Or perhaps to be more accurate, it focuses on the soldier put in charge of keeping the children of the AFS in line. Again, the story is a little brief, but it touches on another one of the soft spots in Tabula Rasa's increasingly harried armor -- the lack of lore.Amidst the criticisms levied at the game for everything from customization to endgame to PvP balance and so on, is a small group of Tabula Rasa fans that have wondered off-hand on several occasions... where is the lore? When the Bane forced the scraps of humanity through that portal from Earth, surely some civilians, some merchants, some politicians remained? The picture of humanity shown while playing Tabula Rasa is strictly military -- there are no large civilian centers (not counting the Cormans, which, as a curious sort of hippie commune, are a special case) that could flesh out the world painted by Richard Garriott and crew. Perhaps this story about children presents an opportunity?
The "eco-chic" Fisker Karma and 150mpg XH-150 hybrids revealed
Hybrids are the rage at this year's Detroit Auto Show. Center stage then is the $100,000 $80,000 Fisker Automotive plug-in hybrid set for delivery in 2009. California-based Fisker is the namesake of Danish-born Henrik Fisker, CEO and former BMW and Aston Martin designer. The Fisker Karma (pictured), can go up to 50 miles before the gas engine kicks in to charge the lithium-ion batteries. It features a 150mph top speed capable of reaching 60mph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds. Sharing the stage with Fisker is AFS Trinity Power Corporation and their 150mpg plug-in hybrid XH-150 SUV -- that "XH" stands for Extreme Hybrid. Unlike traditional hybrids, the XH-150's powertrain uses ultra-capacitors, not gas, for "fast" acceleration. The XH-150 goes from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds with a top highway speed of just 87mph. Instead of bringing the XH-150 to market, however, AFS Trinity is more focused on licensing their ultra-capacitor technology. Good idea too, after checking the ho-hum XH-150 just beyond the break. [Via c|net News] Read -- Fisker Karma Read -- AFT Trinity unveils 150 MG XH SUV
TTH AFS Field Report - Slow Week Edition
Post holiday blues got ya down? Apparently it's been a slow week for everyone as folks the universe over (including the AFS and Bane) come down off drunken eggnog stupors and fruitcake sugar rushes. Still, TenTonHammer's Tony "RadarX" Jones covers this weeks slim pickings in the Tabula Rasa universe like the Hollywood paparazzi swarm the Spears Clan.Even though we here at Massively try to keep you up to date with all the hot, breaking news you can handle... we miss some things. Take for instance this little nugget: did you know that the "crapton" (Tony's words) of reviews for Tabula Rasa (personal plug: I wrote the first world exclusive review on the day it released) seem to repeatedly compare it to World of Warcraft. Uh, excuse me? I've played WoW. I've played TR. The two are nothing alike. TR is better looking, has better game play (because it has really BIG guns!)... just kidding! TR is my pint 'o beer while WoW is not. That's why so many MMOs can exist. Not everyone has to like every game. But I digress...Check out Tony's full field report for all the details.
Forum Fun: Tabula Rasa Military Surplus 101
As a rush of items hit Tabula Rasa's new Military Surplus over the last couple days, things have been pretty chaotic, to say the least. Players have yet to strike a balance between prices that are ridiculously inflated and those that are barely higher than what you could sell them for to a vendor. There's a strange dichotomy to Tabula Rasa's economy that can be attributed to the fact that items aren't bind on equip. So you can get a purple quest reward, use it until you grow out of it, and then sell it on the Military Surplus for a tidy profit. (Or my preferred strategy, buy the quest reward as soon as you're high enough level for it, use it until you receive you've completed the quest, then sell the duplicate for what you paid.) Theoretically, this should lead to a huge glut of rare items on the Military Surplus, but people are still spending AFS credits by the boatload.As a service to the community, forum poster Doctor Victeonus put up a "Military Surplus 101" thread over on the PlanetTR forums. In it, he outlines what the MSRP (Military Surplus Recommended Pricing - very clever Doc) should be for items of different grades and levels. I haven't had the chance to try out his method since the market has calmed down a bit, but it's a very interesting guideline nonetheless. Now if somebody could just sort out the insane market for crafting ingredients, I'd be a happy camper.
