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Neverwinter offers doubled experience until May 5th
Are you ready for the imminent release of Neverwinter's next major patch? Oh, you're not. You aren't nearly ready. This is going to be a problem, isn't it? Quick, maybe you can catch up this weekend before it comes out. Helping you in that catch-up goal is the fact that the game is offering doubled experience from now until May 5th, 1:00 p.m. EDT. So what's doubled? Oh, just experience from killing creatures, clearing quests, professions, invocations, Foundry missions... you know, pretty much everything you could possibly be doing in the game. And even if you've already hit the level cap, Companions will still gain the increased experience, although those Companions will not get the upgrade from Sword Coast Adventures. So if you're looking to race up to the level cap before the next patch hits, you've got a weekend full of play ahead of you.
Massively exclusive: Take a desert trip in Elsword
Do you want to take a vacation in the middle of the desert? Probably not in the real world, since the desert is generally known for being a place people try to avoid rather than a vacation destination. But Elsword isn't expecting you to go just for the screaming heat and lack of water. No, it's offering a whole pile of desert-based fun that revolves around smashing enemies, exploring new fields, and taking on dungeons. The region shown off in the new trailer gives a sneak peek at two new dungeons, Barren Sander and the Garpai Rocky Zone. There's also a level cap increase up to 64, giving you a variety of new tools for smashing the crap out of your foes in side-scrolling action. If that sounds like your sort of party, then by all means, check out the trailer just past the break and get ready to enjoy a desert vacation far more than you'd expect otherwise. [Source: KOG Games press release]
Pilotwings stage spotted in Super Smash Bros Wii U
Today's image du jour over on the official Super Smash Bros website unveiled a Pilotwings Resort-themed stage for the Wii U version of Nintendo's cross-franchise brawler. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this biplane is secretly a new playable character, a la Hornet in Fighters Megamix.
RIFT 3.0 will increase level cap, possibly introduce PvP dimensions
Excitement is building for RIFT 3.0, the unnamed second expansion for the game. While we've known that it will include a combat pet system, new souls, and better item advancement, today we have gotten official confirmation of two additional key features: a level cap increase and PvP dimensions. Rift Junkies translated a video from buffed.de in which Trion Worlds Senior Design Director Simon Ffinch dished out the juicy details. He confirmed that players will have five new levels to add, increasing the level cap to 65. He also revealed that the team is working on PvP player dimensions, although it's not clear whether this will be finished in time for 3.0. These will allow players to customize and operate their dimensions for PvP deathmatches. Ffinch said that while RIFT 3.0 is an expansion, it will only be offered digitally. It will also be free except for the new souls which, as with Storm Legion's souls, will be sold through the in-game store.
Breakfast Topic: The leveling games we play
We've leveled a lot of characters in our day -- and I do mean a lot. So many, in fact, that leveling new ones can be such a snooze that we have to invent new challenges to make it interesting. So we create things like the Ironman Challenge, where death means you have to reroll. Perhaps to spice things up you're considering leveling your next alt purely through PvP, healing, or even daily quests. Tell us, readers, are you playing any leveling games? I am personally considering leveling a new priest purely through healing dungeons for a change of pace... though we'll see how long it lasts before it just starts driving me nuts.
Enter at Your Own Rift: The burden of leveling
I've seen a lot of positive comments about RIFT: Storm Legion so far, many of which are praising the expansion's zone designs, the new classes, and especially the Dimensions housing system. However, it seems that there's another comment that pops up frequently that's not as kind: It takes way too long to level from 50 to 60. For some of you, this may be moot. You might already be level 60, have multiple 60s, or have been 60 since the day after Storm Legion came out. For others who aren't even level 50 yet, the expansion might sound a bit intimidating because of the hefty XP requirements to move that level marker up one number. In any case, I think that a good number of us can agree that it's definitely a slow process that detracted from rather than added to the experience of Storm Legion. I've got several thoughts about how leveling in RIFT has become a burden instead of a blessing, how Trion is reshaping the XP game, and what this might portend for the future of the title.
WoW Moviewatch: Level
Gigi's back! Letomi and Gigi teamed up to perform Level, a parody of the song Hello. Khallys created the machinima. While part of me feels wistful that Gigi's return isn't the herald of a new age of belf rap, I enjoyed Level on its own right. Khallys put together an astounding music video for the song. Frenetic and fast-paced, the video adds visual flair to a somewhat repetitive song. I hope this means we'll be seeing more from Gigi and Letomi. The time is ripe for some panda music! Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
The Daily Grind: Are dynamic events another MMO fad?
Move over, MMO story: dynamic events are this season's buzz word. Popularized by earlier MMOs like Warhammer Online and RIFT, dynamic events have become such an integral part of modern MMO design that brand-new Guild Wars 2 employs them as its central content conceit. Skip dynamic events in GW2 and you're going to have a rough time leveling (or surviving the ridicule of the commentariat, who consider dynamic events to be far superior to mundane, quest-like renown hearts). Even MMOFPS titles like Firefall are adopting the mechanic for their PvE fans. But is this actually the type of content we want to see from our MMOs, whatever their flavor? Never mind whether they're actually dynamic -- do you actually think they make for fun, desirable content? Or are we just so sick of themepark-style questing and leveling that we're willing to accept anything in its stead, even if that "anything" might be a fad akin to MMO story? What do you think -- are dynamic events all that and a bag of chips? 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!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Your Guild Wars 2 mileage will vary
There's been a good deal of talk, here in the early days, about the level and experience curve in Guild Wars 2. A great many people are tackling the game in a great many ways, which leads to a tremendous variety in folks' perception of the leveling curve. There are a few of ways that your experience gain might not match up to your desired or expected level. These ways mostly deal with feeling underleveled for storyline content and zone progression. As I said, everyone's moving through the game differently: Some folks made a point to run around major cities right of the bat to tuck a few safe levels under their belts, while others made a beeline for personal story content, and others still (and I count myself in this category) are stumbling this way and that through content with all the focus and willpower of a drunken goldfish.
Gradius remade in a LittleBigPlanet 2 level
Media Molecule's next big game, Tearaway, is nothing but potential right now, but here's a good example of why that potential is so darn exciting. Gamers are still creating cool things with LittleBigPlanet 2: like this impressive Gradius port, which brings the side-scrolling 2D shooter into the world of Sackboy and his many toys.This player-made creation has multiple upgrade options and weapon types, a few different stages to play through, and even a few well-made boss fights. If you want to try it out yourself, you can download it via LittleBigPlanet 2 right now.
Daily iPad App: Dynamite Jack is a welcome arrival on the iPad
Phil Hassey's great Dynamite Jack game arrived on Steam and the Mac App Store a little while ago, but Phil told us back at GDC this year that he's been planning an iOS release. This week, that finally happened, and Dynamite Jack is now available on the iPad. The game's a 2D stealth affair, where you guide Jack through a series of caverns, trying to dodge guards, cave trolls, lasers, and spiders to collect chips and make it to the exit alive. Hassey's done an impressive job porting the game over here. The virtual controls work just fine and a new line-drawing mode lets you trace a line on the screen to guide Jack's route. At first, I stuck with the virtual controls, but I think for the tougher stealth levels, I actually prefer drawing lines. Impressively, the iOS app includes all of the community-created maps, and a built-in map editor lets you create your own levels. Custom levels come with their own leaderboards. There's a crazy amount of replayability on this one, to be sure. Dynamite Jack is US$2.99 on the App Store, and I think this is the best version of the game released yet. If you've made the mistake of not playing this game yet, now's your chance. This is the version you want.
Five top tips for your first few days of Diablo III
Diablo III officially launched at midnight last night, opening the floodgates on what is possibly the most pre-ordered PC game in history. It's been almost 12 years since the previous game in the series launched, and it's still going to this day. Whether you've played previous games, have taken part in the Diablo III beta or are taking your first steps into Sanctuary today, everyone starts with a clean slate. In this article, I give my top five tips for spending your first few days wisely in Diablo III. #5 - Spend most of your time on one character It seems like a bit of a no-brainer to initially focus on one character, but in Diablo III's case, there's a special reason to do it. You'll likely finish normal mode around level 20-30, and until then, you'll get a new skill almost every level. It's only when you've completed normal mode and moved on to nightmare that the challenge really starts and you will have picked out an effective set of skills. Your last active skill unlocks at level 30, and from then on you'll gain a combination of two to three runes or passive skills every level until you hit the level cap at 60. Read on for four more tips you should keep in mind as you start playing Diablo III.
Breakfast Topic: Back to Hellfire
So I'm back on Outland, leveling up a blood DK on Hellfire Peninsula. Why? Well, partially because that's how I learn how classes work. I haven't played blood this expansion, and it's easier for me to grasp how the spec has changed by leveling up with it rather than just picking up one of my other DKs and starting at 80 or 85. I even deleted a DK to roll this one. But another reason is because I really like Hellfire Peninsula, now that I can fly around on it. I enjoy the Hellfire Citadel instances (tanked two today), and I go without heirlooms just so I can actually get upgrades from them. I even like seeking out and finding little quest hubs here and there, scattered about the zone. Now, I didn't like Hellfire when I first went there in 2007. And I didn't like taking alts there during Wrath of the Lich King. But time has mellowed me on the zone. For one thing, it's some of the oldest questing content left in the game, and nostalgia has painted it with a rosy patina. I like catching up with Arator or seeing what Nazgrel is up to. And also, there's a touch of revenge in there now that I can easily solo Overlord. (I did actually manage to solo Arazzius on a level 63 DK when Wrath first came out, but now it's easy.) Plus, with transmog, you can't tell what a clown suit I'm wearing in that picture. It's awesome, really. So how about you? Any zone you like against the consensus of the playerbase and perhaps all common sense? World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
The Soapbox: Leveling isn't bad -- its implementation is
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. It's funny how tastes can change. I know mine certainly have, especially when it comes to entertainment. Heck, I used to swear by The Ramones and a bit of Slayer; now I tend to think that this Joni Mitchell song is a work of sheer genius. It seems that as I grow older, the less I care about impressing other people. My gaming tastes have changed, but maybe not as dramatically. I've never been a hardcore player and have never enjoyed spending countless hours repeating the same task. That sort of behavior tends to turn a hobby into a boring job. MMORPGs are notorious for being filled with content that is often ripped off from other games, so it surprised me when I thought about today's topic. I came to the conclusion that leveling is not a bad thing. When I say leveling, I mean growing a character by performing an activity, getting better at it, gaining experience and hitting a new level. It's not a bad way to represent real-life growth. The problems come when developers use the same boring systems that are based on leveling to facilitate that growth.
The Daily Grind: How often do you want new abilities?
We're all very familiar with the term "ding." We're also familiar with the immediate follow-up to a ding -- namely, figuring out what new stuff you get following a new level. Of course, that varies a lot depending on the game. Guild Wars will give players new abilities all the time, whether or not you hit a new level, but Star Trek Online only offers up a new set of abilities every 10 levels or so (equipment notwithstanding). Granted, if a game gives you abilities infrequently, each one tends to be more vital to your overall play experience. Having a wider spread of abilities means more choices, but it also means that each individual skill doesn't matter as much. So which do you prefer? Would you like to be swimming in new abilities and new tricks at every new level? Or would you prefer a slow roll, with new skills coming infrequently but being special when they do come? 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!
Leaderboard: Level-based vs. skill-based
When you think about it, the concept of "levels" in MMOs is downright strange -- and contrary to how we live life. I mean, do you suddenly "ding" to a new, arbitrary level after gaining a whole bunch of generic XP for killing spiders because your spouse/roommate/sibling is too scared to do so? Or do you increase your skills and abilities separately through training, learning and practice? And yet level-based gameplay continues to dominate the MMORPG field, since along the way game designers thought we were too dumb to comprehend anything other than "Big number good. Small number bad." Although, to be fair, level-based gameplay has widespread recognition going for it, a quick and simple way to gauge your status versus an enemy's, and a long and storied tradition in video game history. Then again, there are a few MMOs that have said, no, we're going to give skill-based gameplay a try. These are the titles that allow you to focus on some abilities above others, deepening your character's growth at the cost of increased complexity (not to mention increased difficulty for devs to balance!). Whether it's accumulating a collection of skills or simply choosing which ones to improve, this type of system allows for more individual choice. Ultimately, the choice is yours as it is today. Which do you prefer: MMOs that go the level-based route or the skill-based one? Vote after the jump!
The Road to Mordor: Ten up, ten down
Levels in MMOs are best when accepted as a traditional aspect of the game that blends into the background. It's weird when you hold them up to scrutiny because it's very hard to mesh these arbitrary numbers with the pretend "reality" of the game world. I've always thought it was weird that I could get high enough in levels to return to old fortresses of evil and be basically invincible. Plus, how can there be bats and goats that are both level 5 and level 75? Is there an animal commando school somewhere I haven't seen? In any case, while I enjoy the ding as much as anyone else, levels have lost their luster to me. The fact that Rise of Isengard added 10 new ones versus, say, five or none, doesn't really mean much in the long run. There isn't a lot tied to these new levels other than a small handful of mostly recycled skills and the typical increase in stats, so for me there's really no rush to climb through them. However, as with any first week or two out of release, leveling seems to be a huge area of focus for many players as they seek to hit that end cap once again and re-establish the status quo. Still, it's important to some, and our kinship has spent a good amount of time chewing over these new levels, how to get them, and whether or not they're worth a hill of beans in this crazy, messed-up world. Today in our laser-focused Lord of the Rings Online column, I'm going to sort those beans. I may even eat one or two; beans are great for protein and fiber.
Breakfast Topic: Would you play WoW if it had no levels?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. A recent discussion in The Queue brought up the idea that perhaps WoW's Recruit-A-Friend could have been done differently. The point of RAF's bonus XP is to help you friend get to the max level as fast as possible to play with you. This is essentially so that they can experience endgame content, as opposed to leveling content. Unfortunately, WoW as an RPG relies on story for raids to be meaningful as anything other than a loot grind. Players who level too quickly may miss out on lore. In addition, quick leveling also means less time learning character skills needed to raid, and we've all seen the guy who bought a level 85 warrior but still didn't know how to taunt. But what if leveling speed isn't RAF's problem? What if the problem is the concept of levels themselves? If you want to play Mario Kart with a friend, you just jump in. Skill becomes the only barrier, and fun gameplay mechanics take over the grind. It also makes it a lot easier to close the gap between you and your friend in a fun way. The same goes for most FPS, RTS and fighter games ... Only RPGs put this artificial barrier in place. However, removing level would affect other areas of gameplay. Quests could be lore- and appearance-centric, rather than grind- and gear-centric. Since all players are at the same level, queues for instanced content would go down and it would be easier to get bodies for raids. The rest of the game world would also be easier to expand and utilize, since developers wouldn't need to worry about sheltering level 15s against level 80s. It would, though, make alts more common, which may be problematic in gear acquisition for people's mains for those who raid. Would you play a WoW without levels, or is there something about levels that is still needed?
City of Heroes launching the Strike Pack in February
City of Heroes has been firing on all cylinders for this month's announcements, promising a great deal to come in the next few months. One of those promises was an addition to Issue 19's list of feature in a smaller update, and now that's been both dated and expanded upon. The Strike Pack is due out in early February, and it promises to give players both a chance to improve Incarnate abilities even further and more opportunities to gather the all-important materials for same. According to Black Scorpion, starting with the launch of the Strike Pack, a single co-op Task Force (or a Strike Force and a Task Force) will be designated as a Weekly Strike Target, with characters earning double merits and a special Incarnate item for the first completion in a week. The Incarnate item is the key to unlocking the upper tiers of the Alpha Slot, which apply an effective level shift to your character, allowing said character to count as level 51 for purposes of hitting, missing, dodging, and so forth. Special badges are also promised for running the Weekly Strike Target multiple times, which should help keep City of Heroes active for everyone.
The Daily Grind: Do we level too fast?
The old timer shifted the toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other before launching a wad of foul blackness into a nearby spittoon. "Leveling?" he cackled. "Is that what you kids today call it? This fancy-pantsy autobahn of progression from zero to infinity in under a week? Why, back in my day, leveling came at a snail's pace -- no, with snails; you could actually see their progress. We strained forward, fighting for every millimeter of experience bar. Of course, if we got ourselves killed, the game'd just kick us on our backs, leer into our losery faces, and take a good chunk of that experience away." His eyes grew distant and haunted as he dredged up the memories. "Of course..." His voice faltered. "Of course, that was nothing compared to Hell Levels. We lost many good souls during Hell Levels, minds broken by the drudgery. Now take me back inside -- it's time for Jeopardy!" Hey you! Internet person! What do you think -- do we level too fast in MMOs these days? Is leveling just a joke now, a minor speedbump on the way to the "real" game? Or do you appreciate the faster pace? 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!
