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Massively Exclusive: Our tour of the Fallen Earth studio
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the home of Fallen Earth: Icarus Studios in Cary, North Carolina. While the 8-hour drive through the mountains of North Carolina was certainly gorgeous, hanging out with the people who make Fallen Earth was a treat in itself. Rarely will you find a group of more down-to-earth, creative and passionate people as you'll find in an independent game studio. So I brought my trusty camcorder to capture everything for the Massively readers. We talked about Patch 1.5, the new Assault PvP, the weather system, the companion app (as seen in a separate video), answered the questions you submitted and much more. Follow along after the jump for the complete video!
Wasteland Diaries: Patch 1.5
It's patch time again, and the developers of Fallen Earth have given us more great, free content. Most importantly, we have been given a fast-travel system. Also, the craftable items have been expanded, and the new equipment will rival, in fact, surpass the Death Toll and Faction gear. There are a few new ways to get faction reputation more quickly that don't involve a PvP zone. There are new, rare drops available through the "serendipity" system just waiting to be collected. There is a new weather system that includes rain, thunder and lightning, and even puddles on the ground. There is a new Blood Sport type called assault, which has several objectives rather than a single one as in Capture the Flag. Get more details on all of this neat, new stuff after the cut.
Five tips on being a better agent in Global Agenda
When it comes to action-based shooters like Global Agenda, gear is good but skill is better. Way better. Even the most technologically endowed enemies can come crashing down with a little teamwork and creative ingenuity. But if you're new to the game, new to action-based shooters, or just not doing so hot in your PvP matches, then you might need some help. That's where we come in. After playing a huge amount of PvP, PvE, and a decent amount of AvA in Global Agenda, I've found that many players make a few common mistakes. So, while I know this article will result in more deaths for me, I want to help all of you avoid these common mistakes and play a better game.
First Impressions: Global Agenda
Global Agenda. This game has been successful in causing quite a stir on our website. It seems almost every single story we do on the game anymore turns into the inevitable "this isn't an MMO" debate. We've even tried to give the MMORTS part of it more of a perspective in past articles, but that's neither here nor there. This article isn't about the game or if it's an MMO -- it's about how this game plays. So, is Global Agenda a worthy investment for the MMOer? Is it a worthy investiment for the FPS nut? Can a game that's a hybrid of so many genres work as well as its creators say it works? Those are all excellent questions and they're also questions that we're going to answer today. %Gallery-84790%
Global Agenda producer interview explains Players vs. Playable Environments
How can we describe a game like Global Agenda? "It's like a sci-fi Team Fortress 2 with elements of territory and resource control." That works. Or we could say, "It's an MMO that's gene spliced with a first person shooter." That's pretty accurate as well. But whichever way you look at it, Global Agenda is a game that's hard to define with any single, existing label. You'll play as an "agent" in one of four classes -- Assault (heavy weapons), Recon (stealth and melee), Robotic (gadgets galore), or Medic -- in a game that's as much about fast-paced combat as it is about controlling territory and tapping resources on an alliance (guild) level. The title is in development at Hi-Rez Studios, and I4U News recently spoke with Global Agenda executive producer Todd Harris about what makes this game unique. Harris discusses Global Agenda's elements of world control and says, "When a player alliance successfully claims an entire zone, anticipated to take approximately 45 days, that group will be rewarded with prestige items, public display of their alliance banner, and permanent notation within the lore of the world."
Jet packs, mechs, and all-out carnage in latest Global Agenda screens
Global Agenda from Hi-Rez Studios is one of the upcoming games that is challenging our traditional definition of an MMO. Essentially Global Agenda will be a marriage of Team Fortress 2-style gameplay with a system of world control where guilds will tap resources to gain advantages. We got some hands-on time with GA at E3 2009 and Mike Schramm had a chance to try out the medic class. We know the game will have four classes at launch, and taking the Team Fortress 2 analog a bit further, Global Agenda's 'Assault' class is like the Heavy, 'Recon' is the Spy, 'Robotic' is similar to the Engineer, and 'Medic'... you get it. This is, however, a very broad generalization and what we've seen thus far suggests there will be a good range of abilities for each class with numerous gear options. However, since none of us are in the beta at present, we're always hoping to find out more about the game. We've come across some new Global Agenda screens that Hi-Rez Studios released today, which show the various class gear and abilities in action. Have a look through our gallery to see the Assault, Recon, Medic, and Robotic classes tearing into mechs and androids, and quite likely each other as well. Plus, jet packs! We've added these shots to our Global Agenda gallery for you, so check it out:%Gallery-35351%
VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Super Mario Kart and ... streaming game music
We were all set to gush over Super Mario Kart and the promise of some charmingly retro party gaming (for two players at a time, of course, which we suppose is part of the retro charm), but Gust disrupted our plans by releasing something on WiiWare that is weird and ill-advised enough to demand our attention. Game Sound Station is a subscription-based music streaming service available on WiiWare -- almost exclusively for listening to Gust game soundtracks. If you'd like to pay for a week of unlimited Atelier and Ar Tonelico game music, here's your chance!The other WiiWare game, peakvox escape virus, is sort of a Snake crossed with Geometry Wars experience. As a DNA codon, you pick up other DNA around a level to form a chain, carefully navigating your increasingly long chain around enemy viruses. The game has a variety of other modes, including one that turns it into a shooter.Virtual Console: Super Mario Kart (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Assault (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) WiiWare: Game Sound Station (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points) peakvox escape virus (1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Man arrested for assaulting girl he met in World of Warcraft
Here's an unfortunate World of Warcraft mention in the news: a man has been arrested and charged with all sorts of terrible things for having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl that he originally met in Azeroth. Daniel Joseph Czelusniak is 23 and from North Royalton, Ohio, and is being held by Pennsylvania State Police after having a relationship with the girl last year, meeting at a hotel and her house. He originally met her four years ago (when she was 10 but apparently claimed she was 14) while they were both playing World of Warcraft.Of course, this is hardly the game's fault: parents of young children need to closely supervise their activity online while they're doing anything, be it browsing the Internet or fighting dragons in Northrend. WoW itself is rated T by the ESRB, which means no children under the age of 13 should really be playing it without parental supervision anyway, and the added online component of the game should be even more of a red flag for anyone overseeing younger children. This is a great game (and you couldn't find a nicer community of people who play it), but there are the same dangers in this environment as anywhere else your child might go online.
Scattered Shots: A PvE gem and enchant guide for Hunters
Welcome to this week's edition of Scattered Shots, which is dedicated to shiny things and dust.So by now you've seen our normal dungeon gear guide, our heroic dungeon gear guide, our reputation gear guide, and our holiday gift guide. Between all of them, you should be able to put together a nice solid set of gear that should let you tackle 10-man Naxxramas pretty easily. But grabbing the gear is the easy part. To go the extra mile, you need to grab those gems and enchantments. Let's look at some of the best gems and enchantments you can take along to secure your place in the DPS charts in Naxxramas.
Man shot for his Wii in home invasion
During a recent home invasion at an apartment complex in Palm Beach County, Florida, a man was brutally beat and shot in the bicep by multiple assailants. They sought a variety of his valuables, demanding jewelry, money, and other items from the victim before attacking. In the end, the robbers made off with about $70 and his Nintendo Wii. The two individuals could not be identified by the victim, who was last listed as stable in St. Mary's Hospital. The two robbers made their way into the apartment through an unlocked door. It goes to show that if you live in an apartment, always lock your door. Also, don't let anyone see you throwing away a Wii box.[Via Go Nintendo]
15 Minutes of Fame: Inside PvP twinking
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – both the renowned and the relatively anonymous. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about at 15minutesoffame (at) wowinsider (dot) com.Despite grumbles from some players, PvP twinking – playing at max level of a particular PvP battlegrounds bracket, with the best available gear and enchants for that level – has been legitimized by Blizzard as a valid meta-game within WoW. While most players I've spoken with don't seem to have strong feelings about twinking one way or the other, neither do they seem to understand why someone would be interested in getting into it. What's the attraction?We at 15 Minutes of Fame have an undeniable curiosity when it comes to meta-gamers and players who've carved out their own niches in the immense world that is World of Warcraft. That's how we came across Angrenous of Shadow Council, a PvP-aholic who runs warriors in almost every PvP bracket. Here's a player with his eyes wide open to all the various restrictions and limitations of WoW's PvP experience – and having a blast careening around in it.
Tabula Rasa top 5 tips for assaulting CPs - Part 1
Tip 1: Prioritize your targets and take them out with hit and run tacticsOne of the mistakes that most frequently leads to a player's early demise is rushing in to assault a capture point without properly assessing a situation. Sure it looks like there's only a few lightbenders guarding the gate to the base, but if you swing a few degrees closer to the door, you'll see they've got a whole slew of buddies waiting just inside the force field to come make hamburger out of your face. The smart player will identify the enemies he has to deal with and, if he's alone, attack in a series of hit and run maneuvers, taking out a few enemies at a time. Start with the healers and shield drones, and work your way down the order of importance. Those Thrax might be easier to kill, but it doesn't do you a lick of good killing them if a Caretaker just rezzes them right after you run away. Click on for Part 2 of our Top 5 Tips for Assaulting CPs >>>>>
Tabula Rasa top 5 tips for assaulting CPs - Part 4
Tip 4: Kite away big targets like bosses, Kael, and StridersWhile a lot of players (especially Spies) seem to pride themselves in their ability to take down hard targets quickly, it's usually a much wiser decision to kite these guys away from big groups and take them on by yourself or with the help of other players or AI troops. Kael, Striders, and especially boss characters (as denoted by their white aura and unique name) can be extremely tough nuts to crack,. It's hard to even out-damage their considerable regenerative abilities, especially when you've got a group of ten other guys plunking away at you in the meantime. So pull those big guys from the crowd and take them out before going back in and cleaning up the dregs. As a secondary point, don't be afraid to run away! Even specialists with their repair tools equipped can be quickly and efficiently downed under sustained fire from a boss and a big group of lackeys. If it looks like things aren't going to go your way, high-tail it out of there and save yourself the rez sickness. Click on for Part 5 of our Top 5 Tips for Assaulting CPs >>>>>
Tabula Rasa Top 5 tips for assaulting CPs - Part 5
Tip 5: If you need more guys to kill, just knock on the doorIf you're running around outside a CP and find yourself needing enemies to kill, just plunk one or two shots into the force field covering the gate and you should get a fresh supply of enemies to come out and try and make paste of your face. If they don't try and drop-ship down on your head, they should come rushing out of the base like bats out of hell. We're not sure if they have some sort of psychic connection to the door or if it's got some sort of doorbell function we weren't made aware of, but it works. Still, it's a crucial point of order in keeping your experience modifier alive. That wraps up our top 5 tips for assaulting CPs. The control point gameplay continues to be a big part of what makes Tabula Rasa such a unique and engaging experience for fans. Plenty of companies have done siege warfare before, but there's just something so organic about the way control points bounce back and forth between player control and the AI. With the added incentives brought about by the new token system, capture points have once again risen to prominence in players' daily grinds. With these tips in mind, we hope to see some of your out there on the battlefield!
Tabula Rasa top 5 tips for assaulting CPs - Part 3
Tip 3: Don't rush to capture that CPOne of the rookie mistakes a lot of people make is immediately rushing in and trying to capture a CP when the force field comes down. This rarely works because all it takes is one enemy shot to interrupt the capture process. And there's usually at least one enemy lingering around waiting to take a pot shot at you. Do your clean up first, then capture. One should also consider their surroundings and whether that CP is even worth capturing. If other people were assaulting a CP before you got there, make sure to ask if they're grinding for assault tokens. It would be awfully rude to rush in and snipe the CP they've been working on. If you hadn't considered farming the CP yourself, you should. Capturing a CP basically cuts off enemy reinforcements, meaning that your experience modifier and your supply of assault tokens comes to an abrupt end. Click on for Part 4 of our Top 5 Tips for Assaulting CPs >>>>>
Tabula Rasa top 5 tips for assaulting CPs
When patch 1.6 hit the live servers, Tabula Rasa's grinding game as we knew it was shaken up. Experience modifiers were bumped up as high as 6x the normal rates and a new system was implemented that allows players to collect universal CP assault and defend tokens in exchange for worthwhile items like attribute respecs and 50% experience boosters. With these changes, grinding capture points has never been a bigger part of the Tabula Rasa experience. While battling our way from zone to zone, we've seen a lot of players falling into the same mistakes and meeting their untimely demise. In an effort to assure that everybody enjoys the CP capturing experience as much as we do, we've assembled a two-part guide to Tabula Rasa capture points, with tips, strategies, and common etiquette that should help take your TR experience to the next level. For part one, we'll give you some useful tips for that always difficult task of assaulting enemy CPs. Click on for Part 1 of our Top 5 Tips for Assaulting CPs >>>>>
Tabula Rasa top 5 tips for assaulting CPs - Part 2
Tip 2: Turn solitary shield drones against the enemyOne of the most loathsome sights in the game is seeing a huge mob of Bane running towards you completely protected by a swarm of shield drones. While shield drones are generally a huge pain in the ass, and fairly high on the hit list, that doesn't mean you shouldn't use them to your advantage when you can. If you're inside their yellow dome of energy, you receive the same protective benefits as the enemy. So instead of destroying that lone shield drone sitting in front of the base, consider using it as a staging area. They'll only be to scratch you once they're inside the bubble too, so wail on them before they can close range. Click on for Part 3 of our Top 5 Tips for Assaulting CPs >>>>>
Foxy Brown allegedly assaults neighbor with BlackBerry
Joining the growing list of celebrities who can't quit using their cellphones to beat up on others is Foxy Brown, who was recently "charged with assault and possession of a weapon" after allegedly hitting a neighbor with her BlackBerry. Of course, this isn't the first time Foxy's temper has flared up, but when she was confronted over the volume of her stereo system, the handset came out (a few days later, mind you) for purposes other than texting, talking, or capturing the impending battle for future viewing. So, you may be wondering how much damage a flung BlackBerry can do, and if that's the case, here's your answer: the victim was left with a cut lip and a loose tooth.
Two teens assault teacher after he confiscates one's iPod
Sure, rag on NY iPod wearers all you want, but apparently there's no getting in between this Germantown PA highschooler and his iPod. Two students were arrested on Friday for assaulting their 60-year-old teacher Frank Burd, who confiscated it from a 14-year-old who was using it in his class. The kid returned later with an 11th grader, and they pushed Burd up against a locker, breaking his neck in two places. The good news is that Frank Burd's condition is stable and spirits are high. Unfortunately for the two students, their assault was caught on video, and they're going to be charged as adults. Frank Burd happens to be quite popular with the staff and students, which leads us to believe he doesn't make iPod confiscation a regular practice.
Cellphone choker facing prison
We've seen cellphones turn into brutal weaponry more than a few times in our day, but in the latest unsolved mystery of a handset ending up in a potentially unfaithful SO's throat, it looks like justice is about to be served. Although it was previously assumed that a scandalous girlfriend attempted to swallow her mobile in order to prevent a suspicious boyfriend from finding out who was in her contact book, it now sounds like the enraged male in the situation could've forced it down there. In an admittedly awkward twist, a "jury convicted Marlon Gill of second-degree domestic assault" as they blamed him for putting her phone where her mouth is. Notably, jurors couldn't come to an agreement on an appropriate sentence, which means the decision will be left up to the judge, and personally, we feel the punishment should be much more severe if the mobile in question were of the smartphone (read: jumbo) variety.[Thanks, Lunar Dog]
