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Over 100 warship locations have been faked in one year
The locations of more than 100 warships have been faked over the past year, possibly in an attempt to stoke political tensions.
US Navy will scrap touchscreen controls on its destroyers
The US military normally embraces technology whenever possible. This time, however, it's taking a conspicuous step back. The Navy will ditch touchscreens on destroyers within the next 18 to 24 months, reverting instead to conventional helm controls and physical throttles. The decision came in response to feedback from the fleet after an investigation into the USS John S. McCain's collision in 2017, which killed 10 Navy sailors. The report found that the warship's complex touchscreen interface and poor training played a role in the crash with a Liberian-flagged vessel.
'Skull and Bones' is about pillaging your friends' ships
Pirates are back. As the Pirates of the Caribbean movie juggernaut refuses to let Jonny Depp rest for more than a year or two, Ubisoft's Skull and Bones takes the ship battles of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and turns them into grand-scale, five-on-five multiplayer naval warfare. It'll be a standalone title when it launches in 2018, but ahead of open-beta testing, I got to enjoy some demo time at E3. Caution: slightly shallow gameplay waters ahead.
Amazon is now managing its own ocean freight
Amazon has been working for a while now to build out its shipping and distribution network. Now the online retailer has started coordinating its own shipments from Chinese merchants to its warehouses in the US via ocean freighters. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company doesn't own any ships, but it's working as a freight forwarder and logistics provider. These are the companies that reserve space on freighters and handle trucking shipments from port to a warehouse. WSJ says that Amazon has coordinated shipment of 150 containers from China since October.
MIT builds an early warning system for sailors
MIT believes that it's developed an early warning system for rogue waves that could save the lives of sailors. Currently, predicting when a ten foot high wave is going to crash across a ship takes a room full of supercomputers. That's not helpful for the scrappy fishing boats you see on Discovery Channel shows like Deadliest Food Grabbers and Gruff Seamen at Sea. That's where this new method from Themis Sapsis and Will Cousins comes in, which spot impending trouble and alert crews to batten down the hatches.
SpaceX's reusable rockets get help from 'X-wing' fins and drone ships
SpaceX's reusable rockets already have a few tricks up their metal sleeves, but it looks like they're getting at least a couple more. Elon Musk has revealed that his company is testing new technologies that will assist future Falcon 9 launches, including "X-wing style" control fins and a drone ship. The fins deploy on reentry and give the rocket better maneuvering than it would have through engine power alone. The robot boat, meanwhile, amounts to an "autonomous spaceport" -- it uses thrusters from oil rigs to provide a safe, stable landing pad (and eventually, refueling station) in situations where a ground facility isn't an option. Musk hasn't said when this vessel will go into use, but you can expect to see the Falcon 9's new controls in action on its next flight.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO ship?
I finally got my ArcheAge fishing boat over the weekend, and now I'm setting my sights on bigger and better ship designs. And I'm doing a lot of fishing, naturally! I'm kinda partial to the Lutesong Junk, but then again the Eznan Cutter is pretty badass, too. What do you think -- what's your favorite in-game ship in ArcheAge or any other MMO? 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!
Star Citizen explains its ship design pipeline
How does a ship for Star Citizen go from a vague concept to a functional design in the game? That's a great question! It's also one with a concrete answer, as a new official blog on the site explains the whole design pipeline process for new Star Citizen ships, starting with the highest level of concept and moving on to the level where the ship is ready for everyone to take into space. The process is a fairly straightforward one, moving from initial renders and tweaks during the concept stages to having a specific internal layout and then a map of damage areas on the final model. You can also check out the blog for a complete listing of all the ships currently in planning and moving through the concept process. It's not an easy path to go from the idea to a full, working version of the ship, so if you want to get a more detailed look, check out the full breakdown.
EVE Vegas 2014: December's Rhea update adds tech 3 destroyers
During the Keynote speech at EVE Vegas 2014, EVE Online developers revealed some big news for the game's next two major updates. We heard the broad strokes of CCP's plans at the latest EVE Fanfest back in March, when it was revealed that the company would switch from releasing two expansions per year to around ten smaller releases. The upcoming Phoebe release planned for November 4th will improve Tech 2 Invention, improve life in the lawless nullsec regions with heavy nerfs to capital ship movement, and introduce a highly requested unlimited length skill queue system. While players are certainly looking forward to Phoebe, it's December's Rhea update that will really pack a punch. The Blackbird, Falcon, and Rook electronic warfare ships will get new models, and a new type of freighter codenamed the "Tug" will be introduced that can move large numbers of fitted ships around the game. But the big news coming out of EVE Vegas 2014 today is that a completely new set of tech 3 ships will be added for the first time since 2009's Apocrypha expansion. The new ships are tactical destroyer, and they aren't just smaller versions of the tech 3 strategic cruisers. Instead of being built out of a set of subsystems, tactical destroyers will have the ability to switch between several modes on the fly, transforming them from snipers or tanks to speed demons as required. If you've ever wanted to transfer full power to your engines or shields like something out of Star Trek, these new ships are for you. Thanks to winning a recent research race event, the Amarr version of the ship will be released before the other races.
Star Citizen pimps out the Drake Cutlass
Are you considering purchasing a new ship in Star Citizen? Do you anticipate yourself frequently dodging raider attacks while listening to up-tempo instrumental music? Are you generally fond of using car commercials to determine your purchases? If you answered in the affirmative for all of that, you might be well-served by checking out the new commercial for the Drake Cutlass embedded just past the break. The entire commercial is rendered in-game (except for one specific gesture), so it serves the dual purpose of showing off the ship and showing off the ships themselves. If you'd like, you can view the commercial in stereoscopic 3-D as well. And if you like what you see from the commercial, you can step into your own Cutlass starting at $115, although you can currently only explore the ship rather than actually using it for anything.
Star Trek Online details four Delta Rising starships
Star Trek Online fans are eagerly -- and anxiously -- awaiting information about the new Tier 6 starships coming with next month's Delta Rising. Cryptic is beginning to roll out ship details and specs by listing four of the Delta starships in a dev diary today. The Federation will get the new Guardian cruiser, a very durable and flexible ship that can convert enemy fire into a weapons boost, and the Dauntless experimental science vessel, which can project fake copies of the ship to fool enemies. Over on the other side, the Klingons will enjoy the Mat'Ha Raptor, a vessel with an insane amount of firepower. Finally, Romulan characters can snag the Aelahl Warbird Battlecruiser, which can throw out a collapsing singularity for fun and horrible consequences. These starships will be sold on the C-store and accessible by players level 50 and above.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's expansion and communication
So we finally know what the next expansion is going to be for Star Trek Online, and my speculation regarding the Xindi and points related turned out to be way off. Nope, we're heading into the Delta Quadrant, which is less interesting to me than the Gamma Quadrant, but I suspect the powers that be are exploring all the angles of existing content first. It's coming with a level cap increase, a new tier of ships, a bunch of new tricks, and apparently some bonus communication misses. Delta Rising is really on track to be a pretty divisive expansion anyway. It was inevitable, really; raising the level cap now was going to lead to problems no matter how it was handled. Unfortunately, Cryptic Studios hasn't done a great job communicating what's in the works for players, nor have the first few things that we've heard exactly countered some early suspicions. It was a minefield that's thus far been navigated largely with a push and a blindfold.
Royal Caribbean's latest ship sports a robot bar, super-fast connectivity
Assuming you weren't traveling on the Carnival Ecstasy or Crown Princess, your last cruise ship probably had flushing toilets and 24/7 electricity, but not much else in the way of tech amenities. Royal Caribbean's latest vessel, the Quantum of the Seas, promises so much more. We've already met the ship's Virtual Balconies, which use 80-inch displays to bring a live sea view to windowless staterooms, but the company just announced a slew of other features, including a new venue called Bionic Bar where you can place an order on a tablet and watch a robotic bartender mix up your concoction.
Star Trek Online working on up to 10 new ships for expansion
If a friend tries to make a bet with you that Star Trek Online is out of new starship designs, don't take it. Executive Producer Stephen D'Angelo posted a dev diary today stating that the team is working on "between seven and 10 new Tier 6 ships" across all three factions for Delta Rising's launch. The new tier of starships won't necessarily make your old Tier 5s obsolete. D'Angelo promised that, if players desire, they can continue to fly and fight in their favorite ships: "We are dedicated to making sure that players can continue flying the ships they love and still have those ships be competitive at the new level 60 endgame. We do not want players to feel that their investment in the current ships is devalued by the expansion, and this is a very challenging thing to do for a game with four years of history since the last level cap increase." D'Angelo said that more details about Delta Rising will be forthcoming except for the storyline, and that the expansion should be launching in October.
Star Trek Online expansion details emerge from Las Vegas convention [Updated]
Star Trek Online fans at the recent Star Trek Las Vegas convention were treated to a special developer panel on Saturday, and information is starting to trickle out about what was discussed during the panel. And wouldn't you know it? It was expansion information. Fans on Reddit have compiled the available information, although there's been no official reveal on the forums or through other media regarding what will be coming (so far). According to fan notes, the expansion will be dubbed Delta Rising and will take place in the eponymous Delta Quadrant, introducing species such as the Talaxians, the Ocampa, the Kazon, and the Malon to the game's lineup. Captains will be able to hit level 60, with a new method of alternative advancement and a new set of Tier 6 ships to be unlocked and flown. New Voyager interiors and Intrepid models will be available, along with voiceovers by Tim Russ and Garret Wang (Lt. Commander Tuvok and Ensign Harry Kim, respectively). If it's all true, all we're waiting on are pictures -- and of course, news about the new ships. [Thanks to Anon E. Moose for the tip!] [Update: Tipster Anthony let us know that TrekMovie.com has more information and photographs from the event at which the expansion was announced.]
Gloria Victis paves the way for territory capture and sea travel
A new pre-alpha patch has not only squashed several nasty bugs in Gloria Victis but added a pair of promising systems: territory capture and sea travel. Territory capture is exactly what you are thinking right now. Player nations can conquer territory for both bragging rights and (more importantly) resource control. The devs said that these territory squabbles have the potential to blow up into large-scale PvP conflicts. The game also added "about 50%" more size in the latest patch, with some of that being shoreline and sea. As such, players can now board and use ships to travel the ocean. We've got a look at both territory control battles and a couple of the new ships in the gallery below.
Tour the world's largest cruise ship with Google Street View
From electrical system breakdowns to backed-up toilets and even a capsized ship, it hasn't been a great decade for the cruising industry. Even when your trip goes off without a hitch, you'll probably be eager to disembark after a week in close quarters with 2,000 other families -- even on the world's largest cruise ship, the nearly 1,200-foot Allure of the Seas. Fortunately, that vessel is now open for virtual tours, courtesy of Google's Street View, so you can see what cruising's all about. You can stroll (or click) through some of the more popular "neighborhoods," such as Central Park or the Royal Promenade (a shopping mall). You can also check out five of the 26 restaurants, from Chops Grille to Cupcake Cupboard, or the "Family Fun" areas, such as the H2O Zone water park or the onboard ice rink, all from the comfort of your spacious hotel room.
Star Trek Online selling ships at a discount
It's a boring weekend, a sedate weekend, a weekend in which you're just not sure what you want to do. You could go cruising around in Star Trek Online, but you don't want to do it your busted old ship that looks as close to an El Camino as a futuristic warship capable of moving faster than the speed of light is capable of looking. No, you want a new ride. Fortunately for you, getting a new ride is fairly easy this weekend, as the game is having a sale on all ships until 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 12th. A 20% discount has been applied across the board to everything other than the new Patrol Escort Refit, giving plenty of incentive to pick up some new refits and new ships if you've got money to burn.
Come sail away with this ArcheAge ship preview video
It seems as though there is a lot of buzz around ArcheAge's watercraft, although this impression may be caused by Massively's Jef running up and down the halls screaming, "They have rooooowboaaaaats!" on the half-hour. However, if you haven't seen what this upcoming title has in store with ships, check out the following video preview that demos several types, from small to big. Aly and The Professionals say that there can be a lot of fun on these "party boats;" however, "you should be aware that parties on the sea include being jumped by sea creatures, pirates, and over-excited guildmates who take full advantage of character collision by pushing you overboard." Give these crafted ships a watch after the break!
Star Wars: The Old Republic highlights the strengths of strike fighters
With all of the other ship classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic's latest addition, you can be forgiven for thinking that Galactic Starfighter kind of gives the eponymous fighters short shrift. After all, gunships can snipe with railguns, scouts are darting and disabling beasts, and bombers are tanks with wings. What can the strike fighter do that all of its contemporaries can't? Oh, right. It can eat other ships alive by blowing past shields and ripping enemy hulls apart. The new development blog highlighting the strike fighter discusses how strike fighters are generally the targets of all the other defensive mechanisms -- sure, a gunship can snipe things, but if it gets caught within weapons range of a strike fighter, it's in big trouble. The strike fighter might not have the speed of the scout or the armor of gunships and bombers, but it's maneuverable, nimble, and built for dogfighting. Check out the full development blog for more details on the lynchpin of the fighter squadrons.
