Ship-Combat
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EVE Evolved: Fitting Amarr cruisers for PvP in Retribution
EVE Online's recent Retribution expansion overhauled many of the game's old PvP mechanics and rebalanced all of the tech 1 frigates and cruisers. These are the first ships new players get into when they start playing, and many found they just couldn't compete with more expensive ships in combat. In Retribution, the basic tech 1 cruisers have been buffed beyond all recognition and now stand a serious chance against battlecruisers and tech 2 ships. New players and veterans alike have found the updated tech 1 cruisers to be a lot more fun to fly and more effective in solo PvP and small fleet warfare. Two weeks ago, I started a new series of ship fitting guides with effective PvP setups for each of the four Gallente tech 1 cruisers. In between hilarious sessions of baiting gankers with my ECM Vexor, I've recently been been getting to grips with the updated Amarr cruisers. The Omen is now a fast tackler that can project damage over 25km, the Maller is a fantastic support DPS platform for fleet warfare, and the Arbitrator has become a great anti-frigate platform. Even the humble Augoror should now be a welcome sight in PvP fleets, repairing almost as much as a Guardian at only a fraction of the cost. In this week's EVE Evolved, I give new PvP ship setups for EVE's recently buffed Amarr tech 1 cruisers.
Massively Interview: Allods Online talks health, housing, heroes, and horizons
Allods Online takes a lot of flak for its early direction, particularly over its F2P model, so we weren't entirely surprised when last month the game downsized to a single North American server. But when just a few weeks later gPotato opened a new server and then announced what looks like a whopper of an expansion (complete with the Allods-equivalent of player-owned housing!), we couldn't help but be intrigued. What the heck is this game up to? That's where gPotato Production Coordinator Aaron "Condulus" Biedma comes in. Biedma graciously stepped up to answer in detail our frank questions about the health of the game, the new expansion, the cash shop, and what lies beyond New Horizons. We even sneaked in a question about sexism in the lore. It's all after the cut!
Embers of Caerus' naval combat is 'almost a ship simulation'
Embers of Caerus' feature week continues, and the topic du jour is naval systems. Technical director Dave Belcher steps in front of the camera to talk about the indie sandbox MMO's ship implementation, which he describes as "almost a ship simulation." Other MMORPGs feature sailing ships, of course, but Embers of Caerus is aiming for something a bit more ambitious. "You're using the weather, your sails, and your control of the ship to gain best advantage from that weather," Belcher explains. "Weather is persistent throughout the game, and wind plays a huge role for ship captains and naval tacticians." In terms of the ships themselves, Belcher says that the dev team will implement everything from tiny rowboats to frigates and larger galleons. Have a look at the full video after the break, and don't forget about EoC's Kickstarter project, which wraps up in three days. [Thanks to Sam and Dave for the tip!]
EVE Online reveals ship revamp details, shows off new mining ship
Back in march, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced its ambitious plan to revamp EVE Online's entire range of ships. Dozens of new ships have been added over the game's nine year history, and now developers are reorganising them into specific ship lines that fulfill most distinct roles. A big part of the system is the removal of ship tiers for tech 1 ships, a change that will see all of the currently underused low-tier ships boosted and given new roles. In a new devblog today, CCP released the first concrete details on how that will take place. Miners will be happy to know that all barges will be given a hitpoint increase to make them harder to suicide kill, and that all three mining barges will be specialised to support a particular style of mining. The Covetor and Hulk will have the biggest mining yield but their small cargo holds and poor defenses will limit them to mining ops with haulers on hand. The Retriever and Mackinaw will have smaller yields but huge specialised ore bays, making them better ships for AFK mining and ninja mining. The Procurer and Skiff will have the lowest mining yields but their battleship-sized tank will make it difficult to suicide gank. Finally, a new entry level ORE mining frigate will be released for new players.
Yarr! ArcheAge CBT4 video shows player piracy
Fancy being a pirate in the fantasy world of ArcheAge? You can, and all it takes is a ship and a crew of your best mates. A new player-made video shows off the game's naval combat potential, and the clip is basically three minutes of jaw-dropping PvP action. There's plenty of carnage courtesy of player-manned ship cannons and destructible hulls, and we can also see combatants crossing swords on the decks of enemy ships (if you look closely you'll catch a glimpse of a player using a hang-glider to travel from one ship to the next). The video also gives us a good look at ArcheAge's functional ship rigging, and you can see players unfurling sails, interacting with various ship controls, and even climbing a mast to the crow's nest. Check it out after the break.
Videos document player battle with ArcheAge's Kraken
If you haven't gotten enough of ArcheAge's ridiculously gorgeous graphics and sailing mechanics, then prepare to wet your whistle on not one, not two, but three new videos showing off ocean exploration and monster encounters. Sailing and ship combat is one of the lesser-utilized mechanics in the MMO field, so if ArcheAge can pull it off, then it might make waves. Figuratively speaking. These three videos document an encounter with the fearsome Kraken -- giant squid with an anger management problem -- and what happens to a fragile wooden boat that sails into its waiting tentacles. According to the video, the Kraken has nearly a million hit points and can smash entire armadas with impunity. The videos show a fleet trying to take on the fearsome underwater world boss, but the players are only able to make a dent for all their efforts. Conquer your fears of the unknown by hitting the jump and checking out this impressive beta footage!
Ask Massively: The first one hundred words in the Merriam-Webster dictionary edition
A, aah, aardvark, aardwolf, Aaron, aaronic, ab, aba, abaca, aback, abacterial, abacus, abaft, abalone, abandon, abandoned, abase, abash, abate, abatement, abatis, abattoir, abaxial, abbacy, Abbasid, abbatial, abbe, abbess, Abbevillian, abbey, abbot, abbreviate, abbreviation, Abdias, abdictate, abdomen, abducens, abducent, abduct, abduction, abeam, abecedarian, abed, Abel, abelian, abelmosk, Abderdeen, aberrant, aberrated, aberration, abet, abeyance, abeyant, abhor, abhorrence, abhorrent, Abib, abidance, abide, abiding, abigail, ability, abinito, abiogenesis, abiogenic, abiological, abiotic, abject, abjection, abjuration, abjure, ablate, ablation, ablative, ablaut, ablaze, able, abloom, abluted, ablution, ably, Abnaki, abnegate, abnegation, abnormal, abnormality, abo, aboard, abode, aboil, abolish, abolition, abolitionism, abomasum, abominable, abominate, abomination, aboral, aboriginal, aborigine. When you're done drenching yourself in glue in celebration, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively, in which we discuss walking in ships and stations. If you'd like to have a question answered in a future edition of the column, leave it in the comments or mail it to ask@massively.com.
Choose My Adventure: Sailing to port
This week is my last entry in Choose My Adventure. After sailing the high seas for the past few weeks, my ship is returning to port, and I'll be turning the column over to our own Eliot Lefebvre. But even though I won't be writing about Pirates of the Burning Sea, I will continue to play it. There's a lot that I didn't get to see, and I'm particularly curious about the endgame, which seems to be where PotBS really shines. It was a bit of a bumpy ride due to the downtime from the attacks on Sony Online Entertainment, but as I wrap up my column, I'll give a rundown of my impressions of PotBS and touch on a few of my future plans in the game.
Choose My Adventure: Sink or swim!
Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in! I really thought you all would choose one of the nations to play in my last poll, but no, you clearly signaled that I should stick with playing a pirate! As a result, I fitted my ship and went out to sea as Arienne Sauvage, Woman of Wealth and Taste. (Although that's up for debate) Read on for a recap of my week in Pirates of the Burning Sea, including ship combat, the community, and some pirate humor!
Choose My Adventure: A pirate's life for me!
Ahoy, mateys! Welcome to the start of my swashbuckling adventures on the high seas. The votes are in, the polls have closed, and the winner for Choose My Adventure is Pirates of the Burning Sea. It was the runner-up last time, so it's nice to see that it's finally the belle of the ball. For my introductory column this week, I'll take a closer look at the poll results (which were extremely close!) and then set off on the dangerous seas. Read on for a look at my first moments in game, and then pick my path for next week!
Rise and Shiny recap: Uncharted Waters Online
Uncharted Waters Online by Netmarble is one of those games that I have been meaning to get around to taking a much deeper look at, but I never seemed to find the time. I knew that the game would require more concentration and chin-scratching than I was used to in many games, so I was a little worried. I also knew that a week would be seen as "not nearly enough time" to cover the game, but then I remembered my promise of covering the newbie experience for this column. I don't care which game we are talking about; they all deserve a look at the first few levels or days in game. UWO was surprisingly easy. In fact, the hardest part about the game was figuring out exactly what it was that I needed to do in order to move forward, but honestly even that was probably covered in the 34-year-long tutorial. Every time I broke down and asked the chat denizens about a certain item or quest section, they would give me the answer. When I asked them where they found the information, they would simply say "the tutorial." I believed them -- the tutorial is long and filled with information that I quickly forgot. In fact, if you decide to give the game a go, do yourself a favor and pay close attention to the tutorial. It will more than likely tell you everything you need to know. Besides my issues with listening, I found a lot more inside the world or pirates, exploration, and trade, so click past the cut and let's talk about it.
Ultima Online's high seas move into open beta
It's difficult for an MMO to be any longer in the tooth than the venerable Ultima Online, a game whose presence and launch has defined much of the genre for years. But the game hasn't stopped updating or running through its long history -- in fact, the game is expanding yet again in the near future. The High Seas booster pack, a mini-expansion for the game, has just gone into open beta, complete with a new dedicated forum and FAQ for players looking forward to an array of nautical adventures. When the booster goes live, every Ultima Online player will benefit from enhanced boat movement. Players who purchase the $15 expansion, however, will also receive a plethora of oceanic improvements, including improved ship combat, paintable boats, fish markets, and NPC ship combat allowing you to attack both pirates and merchant vessels. Add in new ship types, and players will be well-served on their nautical ventures by the expansion. You can take part in the open beta now, or just keep your eye on the main forums for discussion of the experience.
PotBS devs detail ship tuning, new expansion
Flying Lab Software, developers of the historical naval combat MMORPG known as Pirates of the Burning Sea, have released a new devblog detailing the ship-tuning options soon to be available in August's Power and Prestige expansion. The blog zeroes in on ship archetypes, including discussion about the considerable changes in store for scouts, warships, and merchants. Flying Lab are serious about leveling the playing field and bringing balance to the game's ship combat, but they're also taking into account historical and authenticity concerns. "Before everyone mentions warships going 35 knots, please remember this key fact: we've added stacking penalties on ship outfitting. We've tuned ships (and skills) with this in mind, as we expect ships to be outfitted more reasonably, and less to one extreme or another," the devblog states. The piece goes on to talk a bit about the desire for "vanilla" ships on the open sea as opposed to the relatively common high-end ships that most veterans possess. You can view the full article on the game's official website.
Exclusive Allods Online dev tour: Astral Ships and the end game explained
Earlier this week, the team at Allods Online were kind enough to sit down and walk me through some of the highest-level areas in the game. Knowing that I'm already an avid fan of the game, it was exciting for us both to "talk shop" for a bit. It was especially exciting to see some features of the end game that not too many North American players have seen up to this point. Of course, I'm talking about Astral Ships and the end game. With Closed Beta Test 4 arriving this coming Tuesday, January 19th, high-level players will finally be able to see real Astral Ship combat and how it all works. This article is meant to prepare you for the awesomeness and hopefully answer some questions you may have next week and into launch. Follow along after the jump for our complete write-up, a gallery of screenshots we took during the tour and a video to fully capture the epic win.%Gallery-83082%
Massively's Star Trek Online beta interview
With beta now beginning, we shot some relevant questions at Cryptic's Craig Zinkievich, executive producer on Star Trek Online. He gave us his insight on what the team's goals are during beta and what some of their toughest challenges were from their point of view. Plus, we even got him to spill the beans on when Klingons would be entering the fray for beta testers -- hopefully the rest of us get to see and hear more about the warrior race soon thereafter. It's a short interview, mostly because we kept our questions on topic and well, also because we didn't want to distract Craig from working on his game for very long. Someone's got to work on fulfilling our childhood fantasies!
Bounty Bay Online's upcoming expansion to introduce PvP tournaments
Beyond the Horizon, the free expansion to Bounty Bay Online, has been confirmed by Frogster as on track for its intended Q4 2009 launch. Along with this good news, they also updated their expansion teaser site with details that are sure to please PvPers. Beyond the Horizon will introduce a new weekly PvP tournament system, offering 1v1, 2v2 and 5v5 battles, with both prizes and a highly detailed ranking system.But since Bounty Bay Online features sea and land combat, the question must be asked: which of these locations will the tournaments be held at? The answer is "both". Two new arenas will be added to the game, one for land and the other for sea combat. The player will get to choose which type of battle they want to register for, which is kind of too bad, from a comedy perspective -- imagine turning up for a sea battle without a boat.
Latest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online focuses on combat balance
Ask Cryptic is a regular Q&A between the developers working on Star Trek Online (and Champions Online) and the game community that's formed around the upcoming title(s). This week's Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online focuses on ship combat, particularly how the damage inflicted upon your vessel affects its performance. Essentially, you'll be able to go all out in combat right up until your demise. That said, focused attacks on your specific subsystems can take them out, and losing crew members will weaken your skills in tasks that the injured or deceased personnel handled. The Cryptic Studios devs also clarify that solo players will be able to acquire the same ships as those involved in high level group play, although soloists will likely find they're not able to get through some higher level content. Endgame rewards are meant to be a guild-level pursuit, but Cryptic stresses that the best ships will be available to anyone, regardless of play style.
Pirates of the Burning Sea: PvP details on port control
Avast ye scurvy rapscallion dogs! Arrreckon you want some PvPbooty so pay close attention. Alright, that's enough pirate-talk for one post. Isildur, developer/buccaneer extraordinaire has posted the nitty-gritty details on capturing ports and adds his own insightful commentary on the strengths and weaknesses for the first four maps or battlegrounds for ship-to-port combat to be ready for some keel-haulin' once the game sets sail. The maps look great and I'm happy to see real tactics like wind and positioning play a key-role in the overall outcome. It's also good to know that if the attackers land immediately they won't automatically win, they must face a series of challenging encounters first. Attackers won't be able to just land anywhere either, there are certain landing points and the entrances to the town and fortress are only opened until all their respective gun emplacements are destroyed. Before the battle starts, players will wait in a ready room, which is an avatar room -- no ships allowed in here, and within this room there are three exits for each spawn location. Players have 10 minutes in this room before the battle begins to formulate any plans, organize their groups and choose the location where they will spawn from. It's also important to note that the Pirates of the Burning Sea is still in beta and the way these four Final Battle scenarios play-out may not be set-in-stone.
