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Allods Online provides a new Priden trailer
The next major update for Allods Online is on its way, and version 6.0 is bringing with it a brand-new race. The Priden were first seen a while back on the game's Russian servers, and they're going to be going worldwide in the near future, starting off as a neutral race before choosing a faction after reaching level 20. Want to see the race in action? You can get a sense for what they're about in the trailer hidden just past the break. In short, they're a race of warriors, first and foremost; the members live by a rather simple credo of "dare or die" and seek to have their deeds recorded in memory. If you want to play something a little bit different, check out the trailer and see if the Priden are your cup of tea.
WRUP: In which there are elves and broken
The delicate subject of new classes was discussed this week by various members of our staff, and while we seem to be split on the matter, there's another option to consider. In this week's bonus question, we look at the possibility of new races and what everyone would like to see -- along with a glimpse at what the staff is playing this weekend. But enough of that -- what are you playing this weekend? Leave your comments, and while you're at it, maybe you want to answer this week's bonus question of what new races you'd like to see yourselves! Daniel Whitcomb (@danielwhitcomb) I'll be farming battle pets and working on my last few rares on Timeless Isle for the Timeless Champion achievement. I keep barely missing Chelon and Osu. As far as a new race goes, I am still a High Elf fan. As someone who's loved them since Elven Archers in WCII, I think we should have them from the start. Plus, with the extra development the Silver Covenant got in Patch 5.1 and 5.2, it's a perfect time to bring them in to the Alliance. Yes, I know they're "too similar to Blood Elves." I figure we can just give the Horde some "reformed" Eredar that look like red-skinned Draenei, and we'll be even.
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's dirty little secret races
I'm of two minds about the last two races in WildStar. And I'll be honest, the first mind is kind of bored because those of us with sharp eyes had already figured most of this out. Most of us might not have been sure of the names, to be fair. But the core concepts are fairly close to what most of us expected, with both races playing against type -- cute and fuzzy for the Dominion, creepy and leering for the Exiles. I even speculated that the last race of the Exiles would be a race that focused upon getting dirty work done when it needed to be done, and sure enough, what did we get? That being said, both of these races are pulled off with a style and panache that I should have expected but didn't. So even if I could have guessed that these were the practical upshots of the race grid, I hadn't counted on them being this nifty.
Forsaken World kicks off its latest expansion, War of Shadows
If you're a stalwart fan of Forsaken World, your winter holiday of choice came early this year. The game's latest expansion, War of Shadows, has just gone live, bringing with it an entirely new race for players. Lycans can transform from their normal humanoid state into hulking wolf-creatures, providing a variety of new abilities and upgrades while they remain transformed. Other races have also seen several adjustments to bring them in line with the new kids on the block. Even if you're not interested in new races or balancing old ones, the expansion features a new zone (Eclipse Hollow) and new dungeons (Ancient's Battleground and Hell Road), which provide new quests and challenges for players. Take a look at some screenshots of the expansion in our gallery, look at the full trailer for the expansion just past the break, and then get on in and start running around with your new wolfman. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] %Gallery-107517%
Star Trek Online adds a new flavor of cat people
Do you like cats? Hopefully you do, as Star Trek Online has just seen the felinoid Ferasan added to the C-Store. But wait, didn't the game already add Caitians? Yes, but the Caitians are a Federation race, while the Ferasan are exclusive to the KDF, thereby allowing you to play as a kitty on whichever faction you choose. The Ferasan are related to the Caitians but apparently are not quite the same species (presumably akin to the Romulans and Vulcans). The Ferasan possess only one specific trait, Predatory Instincts, which increases jump height, melee damage, exploit damage, stealth, and perception. Unlocking the race costs 480 Cryptic Points and also unlocks new customization options for Caitian characters on the Federation side. On the other hand, if you just want to have one on the bridge, you can place a requisition for a Ferasan bridge officer for 400 Cryptic Points. So if you've felt that there's a distinct lack of feline members in the KDF, you've now got an option to rectify that situation.
Realms Online introduces the Lamai
Adding a new race to a factional PvP game is always a dicey proposition with regard to faction balance, but Realms Online is taking a measured approach with its newest race. The diminutive Lamai have just been added, and they aren't beholden to any single faction -- they can join any realm and play as any class. That flexibility is meant to reflect their nature as an ancient race that left the planet ages ago. Of course, there's also the problem that if you're enticed by the new race, you'll have to start all over from the first level. As a promotion to help players interested in playing a Lamai, GameSamba is offering a sale on experience boosts in the game's shop. It's 25% off of level 30 scrolls, and 10 XP boosters for the price of eight. Not a bad deal if you want to level a new character, whether it's a lamai or something else. [Source: GameSamba press release]
FFXIV's Yoshida answers fan questions in live producer letter video
If you're a Final Fantasy XIV fan -- and you're looking for a way to kill 90 minutes -- you might want to take a gander at the new producer letter video that's just been posted on the game's official website. Naoki Yoshida recently answered fan questions during a lengthy livestream session, and we've embedded the complete clip after the cut. If wading through an hour and a half of rapid-fire Japanese (sans subtitles) isn't your thing, Square-Enix has provided a few text highlights to help you make sense of the Q&A session. Among the interesting tidbits are potential new races (to include demi-humans and dragons) as well as a mention of the dev team's priority focus on improving FFXIV's linkshell system and its party formation features. Yoshida also offers a quick progress report on the process of transforming FFXIV from its launch state into a proper Final Fantasy game. "To be honest, I consider that we're about half-way to the point where we can confidently call it Final Fantasy," he says.
Need For Speed World adds Team Escape
Why get chased by the cops alone when you can do it with friends? Need For Speed World has opened the freeways with six new Epic Escapes. This time you're not running from the cops alone; you and your friends can high-tail it away from smokey together. Not only is NFSW stepping it up a notch with team pursuits, but it's also upped the danger by giving the cops all-new tactics for catching you lawbreakers. And just to make things more interesting, the times for these runs have been extended to up to eight minutes, so you'd best slap on those high-endurance tires. Of course, the game doesn't give something to the cops without giving something to you. Because this is a team effort, the devs have given the racer two new team abilities: Team Emergency Evade, which saves your team from getting arrested when you need its help, and Team Slingshot, which provides a powerful boost of speed to your team when it needs it the most. Check out the full details on the Need For Speed World website. If this gets your adrenaline pumping, then keep watching Massively; we have some special Team Escape events coming up soon!
Officers' Quarters: Managing the alt invasion
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available now from No Starch Press. I'll never forget that first month after Wrath went live and the endless requests from guild members to invite their death knight alts into the guild. The second anyone rolled a DK, they wanted to bring that toon into the roster to be part of the social experience as we all explored what the new expansion had to offer. I couldn't blame them. It is painful to be cut off from your guild during such an exciting time. As it turns out, the DK influx was only a small taste of what the Shattering has wrought. Now it's troll druids, tauren paladins, and undead hunters springing out of the woodwork, or dwarf shaman and gnome priests for Alliance guilds. Even this, however, is just the rumblings before the earthquake. In one week, a deluge of goblins and worgens will engulf our rosters. How can we manage this alt invasion? Let's take a look!
Dungeons and Dragons Online previews new Update 7 screenshots
Update 7 is coming for Dungeons and Dragons Online, and while the title of the update is Half-bloods, the patch promises to be anything but half-baked. Introducing two new races, a new raid, free quests, UI improvements, and more besides, the update promises to be one of the largest for the game since its switch to free-to-play last year. Turbine has shared a few new screenshots from the Droaam adventure pack, highlighting both the adventure and some of the coming UI improvements. The UI improvements previewed offer several streamlined and clarified interfaces, while the Droaam screenshots show off a wide-ranging adventure that spans a number of different adversaries and settings. If the gallery sparks your interest, you can take a look at our recent tour through some of the content coming in Update 7 and get a bit more context. Dungeons and Dragons Online players can look forward to the patch later this month, which seems like a fine reason to assume that the cup is half-full. %Gallery-105016%
Asheron's Call shifts gears in latest update
It might show its age a little, but Asheron's Call is one of the oldest MMOs still running, and it continues receiving regular content updates from the fine team at Turbine. June has brought with it another huge influx of new content, starting with the inclusion of an entirely new race known as Gear Knights. These clockwork entities interact with gear in unique ways, requiring them to integrate their armor directly into their being. The addition of a new race carries with it a free extra character slot, as well as some introductory fiction explaining these new arrivals. Not content to simply add a new race for free, however, Turbine has also put the Town Portal Network into play, updated the landscape textures, and added several other improved touches to the game. The full hub for June updates is located here, and the full patch notes can be read here. Amidst everything else going on at the studio, it's good to see that Asheron's Call is still high enough on the priority list for some impressive upgrades. [Thanks to Greg for the tip!]
Anti-Aliased: A Cryptic opinion
So, wow, what a set the last week and a half has been. There seems to be a very strong theme going on in my inbox recently, and that's, without a doubt, Cryptic Studios. I've read unflattering comments about my integrity as a journalist, the usual statements of how this site is Cryptic's lapdog due to all of the Star Trek Online and Champions Online coverage, and, even more oddly, people want to know my opinion of Cryptic's recent actions -- specifically Star Trek Online and Vibora Bay. Well, I was never one to shirk from the truth. I've been wanting to give my personal opinion on these events since Vibora Bay hit, so I might as well dedicate this column to my evaluation of Cryptic Studios. But, before we get to Cryptic, I have a few ground rules that I want to go over with you guys. Some facts that I'd like to set straight for, oh, I dunno, the fifth time.
The Art of War(craft): Cataclysm PvP
Every week, Zach brings you the World of War(craft), which talks about PvP in all its myriad shapes and forms. It will be humorless and dry and deathly boring because Christian Belt already has the monopoly on funny and because cracking jokes in a PvP column just doesn't work since PvP people are supposed to be asshats, anyway.BlizzCon came and went and nothing is going to be the same again. At least not after Cataclysm, the third expansion for the World of Warcraft. Cataclysm is set to change the face of the game more than anything we've ever seen, it'll almost be like WoW 2.0. The classes are the same, but there'll be new races, new abilities, new mechanics, and a new, revamped world with a renewed faction conflict that will have deep implications for PvP.Gameplay will change significantly, particularly for Warlocks and Hunters, and there will be changes to talents, talent tree passive benefits, racial abilities, as well as entire systems to rate Battleground play. There will likely be an overhaul to the Arena ratings system, as well, perhaps as soon as Arena Season 7 kicks in. Blizzard isn't content to sit idle on its success, but has in fact taken the opposite direction by overhauling the entire game. They're turning Azeroth on its ear, and it's going to be insane. After the jump, we'll take a look at how the Cataclysm is going to shape World of Warcraft PvP.
Insider Trader: Woodworking in the expansion?
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.Ideas for a woodworking profession have been bounced around for years, but have previously been dodged by Blizzard. Although they assured us that they have plenty of ideas, they've always been working on too many others.Woodworking was not to be for Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Lich King, but what about the upcoming expansion? Considering that Goblins and Worgen could become playable, it might be a real possibility. In late summer 2007, Nethaera posted a list of some of the things that need to be considered before they can even begin to implement a new profession. While it became clear that it wasn't going to work for Wrath, it seems a little more plausible now. Today's column will be dedicated to presenting the crafting community's Woodworking ideas, discussing their implementation using the (incomplete) criteria set forth by Nethaera, and speculating about its possible presence in the next expansion.
Breakfast Topic: Would you play a Worgen or a Goblin?
So it might just be some fanciful speculation, the product of rampant imaginings after digging through some game files. It could mean something, it could mean nothing. But yesterday's bombshell discovery of Halloween masks, traditionally reserved for playable races, threw a whole bunch of us into a tizzy. Goblins as playable races? That wouldn't be too surprising considering they've had models in the game that could wear player armor, anyway. But Worgen? I mean, wow.It's not that far-fetched, either. The Undermine, the home of the Goblins, is situated near the Maelstrom. Remember how Blizzard trademarked Cataclysm, which in Azerothian terms actually refers to the events around the Maelstrom? That means we just might see The Undermine in the next expansion. So Goblins aren't such a wild idea. But what about the Worgen?
New Halloween masks point to a new playable race?
Here's an interesting tidbit from Scrolls of Lore, where they've dug up some files that could possibly hint at future playable races for the World of Warcraft. Remember that tidbit about Kalgan saying how Blizzard plans to "pre-seed" future playable races in the game before they actually become available? It's a different approach from the way they retconned Draenei into game.Well, the folks over at Scrolls of Lore dug up some Halloween masks that have male and female Goblins - nothing new there - but a pair of werewolf, or Worgen, masks, as well. What's the curious thing about this? Well, we've never actually seen any female Worgen in the game, have we? Right. Well, there it is. A nice, pretty, green-eyed Worgen female mask. It may or not mean anything, of course, as these are just graphic files, or skins, placed on top of in-game models. But still... remember that Greymane Wall? Ever wonder why so many Worgen are outside of it? Remember how Blizzard hinted it would open up soon? Yeah. Just sayin'.Many thanks to Tori for the tip! Also, Omacron links us to a blog stitching the faces together for a better look at the, uh, masks.
Tom Chilton talks about 3.2 and the future of World of Warcraft
Videogamer.com has a nice long interview with World of Warcraft Producer Tom Chilton about everything from patch 3.2 and the Argent Tournament to the future of the game at large. They caught up with him at the Warcraft Regional Finals 2009 tournament in Germany this past week, and in part one, he talks about the upcoming patch and what Blizzard is expecting to get out of it. He says the Isle of Conquest battleground is their most "epic-feeling" instanced PvP setting since Alterac Valley, and that they want it to feel nuts, with players fighting each other via air and land. He also mentions Arena, and says that it was originally designed to be "a fun side PvP activity" that they went a little overboard with during Burning Crusade. Finally, he talks about twinks, and says that neither Blizzard nor twinks, apparently, want to see other players crushed by those who have the time or money to max out their low level characters. Even twinks, says Chilton, want to see competition against each other, and the option to turn XP off will let them do that. I'm not sure I agree with that last one -- many twinks seem to beef their characters up just for the chance to lay waste to "normal" players, but Chilton says Blizzard believes otherwise.The second part of the interview is more general -- he talks a little bit about the next expansion (with the same speculation we've already heard: Gilneas, the Maelstrom, the Emerald Dream), and says that designing a race is tougher on artists, but designing a class is tougher on designers. He admits that because we had a new class in Wrath, it's unlikely we'll see another class so soon in the next expansion, but "not impossible" of course. And he does note that Blizzard tries to "pre-seed" the races before they use them as playable races, so if they are adding in races, chances are we've already seen them (which, you may note, wasn't strictly true with the Draenei in BC). Finally, he talks about the future of Blizzard's MMO in general, and says it's still wide open to them: they plan for the game to last for years, and what they do between now and then, whether that be more expansions, microtransactions, or even a free-to-play model, will have to depend on what they want to do at the time.Very interesting interview. Chilton doesn't really reveal anything, but you do get the sense that save for a very skeleton plan of one or two years in the future, Blizzard is really playing it fast and loose with World of Warcraft. Even he admits that the game may look very different, depending on how things go, in another four years from now.
New races, continent, skills, and more coming to Mabinogi
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Pioneers_of_Iria_expansion_brings_new_continent_to_Mabinogi'; Nexon America as just informed us of a huge expansion coming to Mabinogi, titled Pioneers of Iria, which will be featuring a huge brand new continent, two new races for players to create characters as, new skills, new magic, a new exploration system, dungeons, cities, the works.Pioneers of Iria, due to release sometime late in February, will introduce the brand new continent of Iria -- a land mass over three times bigger than the current continent of Ulad. Iria is also the home of the races of Elves and Giants, which will be featured as brand new player races.
Why there won't be a flood of death knights
Many people are predicting that "everyone" will make a new death knight character when the new expansion is going to come out -- so many that the world will seem full of them. While it is true that everyone may very well try out the first couple levels of the new death knight hero class, it's not true that every server will be overrun with them. Here's why:The addition of death knights to the game is in many ways like the addition of blood elves and draenei in The Burning Crusade. Many people made new characters just to see the new zones, but many others wanted to level their mains through Outland first. Many of those players who tried out the new races only played up to a certain point and then stopped to go back to their main characters. We never saw a flood of draenei and blood elves outnumbering all other races of Azeroth, and for the same reason we will not see a flood of new death knights. There are different things to do in the expansion, and different people make different choices about which to do first. There may be a contstant stream of new death knights, maybe even a river sometimes, but death knights will just feel like the newest kid in the WoW class, not a plague of locusts infesting the entire town.There's also a huge difference between trying out a death knight, and choosing one as your new main character. Wherever death knights start out in the world may be a crowded area for a while, but most players won't ever level them out of that starting zone. Unlike the Jedi in Star Wars, death knights are only one of many types of characters in Warcraft. Besides, the death knight play style and thematic mood simply isn't going to appeal to everyone, in the same way that most WoW players today do not play warlocks, notwithstanding the fact that warlocks are undoubtedly a powerful class. Most players prefer to do healing, shapeshifting, stealthing, ranged shots, totems, or any number of other abilities that death knights will never have, and they will stay with their favorite classes and play styles. Some players, like myself, probably just won't like their armor decorated with skulls all the time.
A new class, why not a new race?
The DK is coming in WotLK, adding another class to the mix along with the concept of Hero Classes. In a forum post yesterday players voiced their desire to play new races in addition to having access to the Death Knight class. Looking at it logically, it only makes sense that since the first expansion brought us two new races we would see new classes in the next one. It's like a new-content see-saw. But some of us don't look at things logically, and I can totally understand this too. I mean, yes I want to play nymphs and Pandaren and Worgen. I would also like to have a viable MageTank set that gives me enough armor to stand up against Illidan. Oh, oh and infinite mana. And a pony. It simply isn't going to happen.My concern is not that we aren't getting new races. I am worried that adding only one class will toss things out of whack. When TBC was announced, they let us know that the Horde would be able to play paladins, and so for balance they added shaman to the Alliance side. Balance is the key word here. When we have Death Knights added to the game, there will be only one Hero Class, albeit available to both factions. I get the feeling that this will throw off the balance more than they realize. Not so much because there will be another tanking class, but more because Blizzard cannot anticipate how players will actually play the character. Sure it's a tanking class, but if players start using it as a DPS class despite the best intentions of the devs, things could go badly.Considering the magic-centric storylines in Northrend, I would feel more comfortable if they added the Archmage along with the Death Knight. Adding the Archmage would allow players to play a mage of any race, opening up a whole new world of role play possibilities. Or how about the Demon Hunter? With so much going on in Outland, couldn't we use an anti-Illidan to clean house, so-to-speak? What do you think? Is Blizzard making a mistake by adding only one class into the game?
