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‘Assassin’s Creed’ trailer reveals mysterious Egyptian enemies
We got our first look at Assassin's Creed: Origins at E3 this past summer. The latest installment of the big-budget title from Ubisoft is set to release on all major platforms October 27th, and will feature ancient Roman and Egyptian settings brought to life in 4K (provided you have a console or PC and TV to handle that many pixels). The developer has just released a brand new trailer for the game that reveals a bit more about a shadowy yet powerful enemy, the Order of the Ancients.
SWTOR's Assassin, Shadow discipline changes detailed
Star Wars: The Old Republic fans, I'm sure you know the drill by now. The Shadow of Revan expansion is introducing major class changes and basically revamping talent trees in favor of a new discipline system. BioWare has been putting out a dev diary every couple of days to outline the tweaks to each of the game's classes. Today's installment focuses on the Jedi Shadow and the Sith Assassin.
The Daily Grind: Are you into stealthing mechanics?
Apart from the Imperial Agent in Star Wars: The Old Republic, I haven't played a lot of stealth-able characters in MMOs. For me, I just don't see the appeal of sucker-punching bad guys instead of facing off in a fair fight; it kind of makes me feel as though I'm bullying them. Plus, having to walk slower in stealth, constantly worry about positioning, and ignoring the illogic of disappearing in broad daylight all wave me off of such characters. But that's me and those are my hang-ups. I know that stealthing is pretty popular in certain quarters, and I can concede that when done right (as in the Thief series) it can be a compelling mechanic. So I'd like to hear whether you're into being all stealthy in MMOs and what you think about how these systems have been handled over the years. 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!
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's changing combat in update 2.5
Let's talk about the combat changes coming in Star Wars: The Old Republic Update 2.5. We'll see pretty large sweeping changes to a couple of my favorite classes and some much-needed changes to others. Some of the changes make me question the thought processes of the designers, and some much-needed changes seem to be absent. I don't consider myself a combat design expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have played every class in SWTOR extensively with the exception of the Bounty Hunter and Trooper classes. But then those two classes aren't seeing any major changes in Update 2.5. Therefore, I don't have much to talk about with them anyway. My favorite class is the Marauder/Sentinel, so the nerfs and upgrades to that class are dear to me. But I also really enjoy the Operative/Scoundrel class as well. This class will see (and frankly, not see) some changes in the upcoming patch. But I believe the class that is affected the most is the Madness/Balance-specced Inquisitor/Consular. Let's start there.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Stealth mechanics, stiletto heels, and League of Legends
Recently my League of Legends games have included a lot of solo mid (mostly by choice), and while I play Syndra quite a bit because she's really fun, I've had the most success playing Evelynn. I've had a fair number of games where I've carried my team kicking and screaming over the goal line despite their insistence on making awful decisions. I just walked into teamfights, hit R, and proceeded to steamroll their entire team after a completely dominating laning phase where I ganked everywhere including the enemy jungle. Evelynn's pretty much the polar opposite of Poppy. They both have blue skin, but the similarities pretty much end there. Poppy is a tiny tomboyish warrior in plate and chain with a mighty hammer and a direct approach to problems. Evelynn is a subtle temptress with stealth, vampiric abilities, a supermodel figure, and an outfit that suggests that "lady of the night" might have a double meaning.
The Summoner's Guidebook: How do assassins work in League of Legends?
In case you didn't notice, the title of this week's column is a question. It's not because I know the answer; it's because I've been thinking a lot about it lately and don't have a really good answer. Assassins are in a strange state when it comes to teamfights. In League of Legends, there's a period when teams tend to group up to fight over objectives. This marks the midgame in Summoner's Rift, it happens after altars unlock in Twisted Treeline, and it occurs anytime both teams know where the other team is on the Crystal Scar. We've discussed teamfights a lot already, but what is troubling is the presence of assassins in these fights. Assassins are best when they're able to jump in and kill an unprepared target, ideally before a teamfight starts. Once that's done, their team can jump in with a numbers advantage and take the objective or wipe out the enemy. When both teams are grouped up ahead of time, assassins lose a lot of their might. Assassins can't kill without exposing themselves to heavy risk, which makes them a liability to their team until they jump in. After they jump in, they're still likely to be the first ones to get focused down. What do we do about this? What's the solution? I don't have a clear answer -- but I can still share my observations.
Hyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part two
A few weeks ago, after many weeks of seeing new players in Star Wars: The Old Republic warzones, I thought it would be a good idea to post a little guide on the basics of winning Huttball. Interestingly, that article birthed a conversation about how some classes were better suited for the game, but more importantly, some players had given up on the warzone because they felt that their particular class didn't work in Huttball at all. Admittedly, certain classes do have more utilities that make them a better fit for the game, but I believe every class has its role in this particular arena. And more importantly, I believe that every class can have fun and feel useful. However, some players need a bit of training. Two weeks ago, I covered the Sith Warrior, Jedi Knight, Imperial Agent, and Smuggler classes. In this week's coverage, I'm going to take a look at two SWTOR classes that seems to be built for this game and two others that have more surprises than you might think: the Sith Inquisitor, Jedi Consular, Republic Trooper, and Bounty Hunter.
Leaderboard: Ninja vs. pirate
Theirs is a rivalry born not from historical conflict but from bored nerds eating cheap pizza and debating hypothetical grudge matches. Well done, nerds -- now the entire world thinks that you can have pirates and you can have ninjas, but you cannot have both without an epic beatdown. Everyone seems to take a side on which is cooler: the roguish pirate or the mysterious ninja. Practically all fantasy MMOs have both represented in some way, whether it be World of Warcraft's Bloodsail Buccaneers or Guild Wars Factions' Assassin. If developers really wanted to inject some life into PvP, they'd make it PvN -- Pirate vs. Ninja. In any case, these two pajama-clad murderers are inseparable from our games, and chances are you've come to a conclusion as to which adds more flavor, panache, and coolness to the setting. I'd like to say that we're going to settle this debate today, but whom am I kidding? It's never going to be settled because people are still bickering about Mike vs. Joel, Picard vs. Kirk, and Big Red vs. Doublemint. Let's just say our piece and then commence with a duel at dawn in the comments, m'kay?
Star Wars: The Old Republic bringing HK-51 into the game as a companion
Ever since Star Wars: The Old Republic was announced, it was a sure thing that we'd see the Hunter Killer assassin droids in the game, and indeed Bioware has released a teaser trailer announcing the appearance of HK-51, a few models down the line from everyone's favorite meatbag-loathing machine, HK-47. Presumably, the droid will appear in the game as a player companion, though how he'll be unlocked for characters isn't yet apparent. The trailer mentions an ancient ice base where "scores" of "the most dangerous machines in the galaxy" exist, so there will likely be a bit of story and questing to go through to find this model and use it. And let us be clear: You had better go get that droid, meatbag.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Upping my kill-death ratio
Those of you who have been reading WRUP know that I've been playing a lot of Kassadin lately. He's an assassin with a very high skill cap, and he's ridiculously powerful in Dominion. Kassadin is also kind of hard to play. He has a lot of strange mechanics, and his powerful tricks are somewhat unintuitive. Recently, I had a small epiphany that dramatically improved my skill. This improvement improved more than just my Kassadin game; it boosted my overall skill level with every champion in League of Legends. Before I made this development, I was performing terribly. I ended up playing a lot of bot matches because I felt my execution with Kassadin was really awful, and every time I went back to PvP games, I felt more and more behind. Suddenly, after a string of bad decisions cost me a match, I realized something I was doing wrong and went on to begin dominating. I went from getting focused down early every fight to utterly demolishing teams and causing enemy players to second-guess fighting me 1v1 even with both of us full on life. What's the secret, you ask? I'd like to tell you, so read on!
Spirit Tales introduces the Lunar Fox and Maned Dragon tribes
If you are allergic to stupefyingly adorable things, you may want to look away now. If you're not, you may be interested in KoramGame's upcoming free-to-play title Spirit Tales. Fans of fluffy wittle animal-people with eyes the size of some small galaxies will find themselves right at home with the two newly announced tribes, the Lunar Fox tribe and the Maned Dragon tribe. Each tribe has its own unique classes available to it; the Maned Dragon tribe sticks to tradition with the mainstays of Warrior (which plays the role of defender) and Archer (which supplies ranged DPS), while the Lunar Fox tribe bring some magic and cunning (and lots of DPS) to the table with the Sorcerer and Assassin classes. The full details on each tribe and its respective classes can be found over at the official Spirit Tales forums.
Now you don't see him: Meet PlanetSide 2's Infiltrator
He's the boogeyman whom battle-hardened soldiers fear and the guy whom Batman consults with on a daily basis. He's the Infiltrator, PlanetSide 2's sneaky assassin, and he won't stop coming for you until you are dead. Unless he gets lost. Planets are big. SOE revealed the Infiltrator today as the game's stealth-user and long-distance sniper. Using advanced technology and camouflage systems, the Infiltrator can get to places that no other class can -- and do a lot of damage once there. Interestingly enough, while the Infiltrator lacks heavy armor, SOE does claim that the class' tactical advantages will prove to be just as protective as a titanium suit. Infiltrators can use both sniper and scout rifles as well as pistols for close-quarter combat. The sniper rifle boasts the best range, while the scout rifle is better for mobile assault missions. It will, of course, be up to the player to decide whichever is the best to use in which situation.
Borderlands 2 brings the best of all worlds to Pandora, devs say [Update]
Borderlands 2 is a hybridized beast of mechanics, play styles and audience potentials, all wrapped up in one cel-shaded package (now with green!). The sequel builds upon feedback from 2009's Borderlands, tweaking many aspects of single-player mode, streamlining co-op skill sets and building new character designs, writer Anthony Burch and concept designer Scott Kester from Gearbox told Joystiq.One of the most prevalent changes players will notice in Borderlands 2 is the skill-tree functionality in co-op mode. Instead of simply beating down enemies separately but at the same time, as often happened in Borderlands, there will be more synergy between each character's abilities, Kester and Burch said.For example, the Siren's phaselock abilities have been fine-tuned to include the "sweet release" kill skill, which insta-heals every member of her party if she kills an enemy frozen in phaselock. Additionally, the Assassin can execute enemies in the Siren's phaselock relatively easily with his melee or sniping moves, and the Commando will be able to throw down a bubble shield to protect the entire team. The Gunzerker is nuanced as well, including a skill that ramps up the power in the last shot of his gun's magazine, and if an enemy is killed with an excess amount of force, the extra points are converted to health. He can also dual-wield any weapon, which is awesome for everyone. Except the guys he's shooting at.
Encrypted Text: Examining the rogue's assassin ancestry
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me with any questions or article suggestions you'd like to see covered here. If you start looking into the history of the rogue class, you end up reaching several dead ends. The reason is that a rogue who's easy to track or trace isn't much of a rogue at all. We specialize in disappearing, which makes rogue family trees notoriously difficult to map. Garona Halforcen is often considered to be the mother of the rogue class, executing one of the earliest and most daring acts of assassination and regicide in Azeroth's history. The truth is that if we want to find our spiritual beginnings, we have to look back even further than Garona and even further away than Azeroth. The true ancestor of today's rogue class first found life eons ago, in another realm, known only as Sanctuary. There, the assassin class stood against the three Prime Evils, defeating the Burning Hell's greatest powers with elegance and subterfuge. The rogues of WoW were inspired by the assassins of Diablo II, and that influence can still be felt today.
Wakfu open beta starts January 4th
Ankama and Square-Enix have announced that Wakfu's open beta will begin on January 4th. The date will also mark the release of content update 0.311, which will bring a new achievement tracking tool and the Srams Shadow class to the game. The Shadow is an assassin archetype who comes complete with invisibility mechanics and the ability to dish out considerable melee damage. The devs will also be wiping the servers for the open beta phase, but contest, promotional items, and holiday event items will persist through the reset. Ankama is also temporarily removing two classes (the Ecaflip and the Rogue) for further balancing. Look for the Rogue and its rival Masqueraider to make their return shortly after Wakfu's February launch. [Thanks to AterNox for the tip!]
SWTOR: So you want to play a Sith Inquisitor
OK, enough of these goody-goody Jedi, all right? It's time to come to the Dark Side of Star Wars: The Old Republic, where the Sith Inquisitor reigns supreme. The Inquisitor fills a variety of roles within the ranks of the Empire, from healing to ranged DPS to melee DPS to tanking. There's an option for any playstyle, which makes the Inquisitor a great character for the indecisive among us. Also, you get Force Lightning, so that's pretty cool. On your journey as a Sith Inquisitor, you begin as a slave who has recently discovered his (or her) Force-sensitivity. As you arrive at the Sith Academy on the red planet of Korriban, you're faced with a simple choice: Become Sith -- or die.
Massively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 dev diary looks at melee classes
Last week, Ignited Games announced the upcoming 2-D side-scroller WindSlayer 2. This week, the title is back for more with a new developer diary that looks at the game's melee classes. Those who prefer to go wading into battle on the front lines will have three choices: the valiant Warrior, the dexterous Rogue, or the enlightened Monk. For the full details on each of these classes, head on past the cut for the full dev diary. And once you're done, don't forget to head on over to the game's official site (linked below) to register for a shot at a spot in the closed beta test.
Blade & Soul beta videos show more Assassin footage, dungeon combat
Blade & Soul's closed beta phases are a tough ticket for American game journalists, but luckily many of the Korean testers have been capturing their experiences and uploading the videos to YouTube. MMO Culture has collected a few of these choice morsels, and there is a range of gameplay on display including more Assassin class combos and abilities (this time in a game context instead of a promotional clip) as well as quite a bit of dungeon-crawling footage. The videos, which you can view after the cut, show a mixture of solo and group play in a couple of different environments. While most of the clips are around 10 minutes in length (or under), there's quite a lot to take in if you're unfamiliar with the martial arts MMO. Blade & Soul is being developed by NCsoft and is currently undergoing its second Korean closed beta test. The company has yet to announce plans to market the title in Europe or America.
Blade & Soul Assassin abilities on display in new video
Say what you will about NCsoft's mysterious Blade & Soul import, but it certainly brings its share of eye candy to the table. MMO Culture has posted a new video featuring the martial arts MMORPG, and the clip centers on the nimble Assassin class and its deadly array of combos and fighting abilities. The video runs under two minutes and is basically a series of one-on-one combat vignettes. If your Korean language skills are up to the task, you might be able to decipher the various intertitles and subtitles that accompany the presentation. If not, you can still get a feel for how the class is going to play thanks to the footage, which you can view in its entirety after the cut.
The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1
After a couple of weeks of talking with players about their favorite experiences in Shadowbane, I decided it was high time to flip the discussion from those who played it to those who made it. Today we're going to kick off a two-part interview with the makers of Shadowbane, Josef Hall and Todd Coleman. It's interesting to realize that while MMOs come and go, many developers remain in the industry, moving between projects in surprising ways. In this case, both Hall and Coleman went from the brutal lands of cutthroat PvP to a colorful kids title: Wizard101. It's hard to imagine two MMOs being more different, but that goes to show you that developers, like gamers, don't always like being pigeonholed into specific roles. The duo were extremely eager to talk about Shadowbane, as you'll see from this interview. Buckle up -- you're in for a treat! The Game Archaeologist: Can you introduce yourself to us and explain how you became involved with Shadowbane? Josef Hall: I'm Josef Hall, co-founder of Wolfpack Studios, the creator of Shadowbane. Currently, I'm the Vice President of Development at KingsIsle Entertainment, creator of Wizard101. Todd Coleman: And I'm Todd Coleman, co-founder of Wolfpack. I'm currently the VP of Production and Creative for KingsIsle. Josef and I still work together; we were the two first people brought in start the dev studio for KingsIsle here in Austin. Hall: In fact, Wizard101 was our idea, which is a bit odd, given that we were also the first two people to come up with the core idea behind Shadowbane.
