World-event
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Warlords of Draenor: UBRS available at level 90 before expansion
During the Community Event we got a surprise from Ion Hazzikostas, namely that before we can even go to Draenor, when patch 6.0 drops, we'll get a chance to get up close and personal with the Iron Horde as they invade Upper Blackrock Spire. This dungeon will be available as a level 100 dungeon once the expansion releases, but before that, in patch 6.0 we'll be able to run it as a level 90 dungeon to get loot that will serve us as we get ready to go to Draenor. In addition he mentioned the world event of the Iron Horde pushing into the Blasted Lands, overwhelming the area around the Dark Portal and putting both the Horde and Alliance on the defensive. It's up to players to take the battle to the Iron Horde, push them back through the portal, and defeat the forces under Warlord Zaela in Upper Blackrock Spire.
Anarchy Online and Age of Conan players vote on new content
Newsletters for Anarchy Online and Age of Conan were posted yesterday, and both of them had a common theme: an intiative by Funcom to let players vote on what new content they want to see developed. Anarchy Online players voted for a new Shadowlands mission, which is currently being made for the Inferno zone. AO is also getting ready to show off the 18.7 patch, which contains a new ICC headquarters, the new player experience, and shop changes. As for the Age of Conan community, players voted to see Conall's Valley and the Wild Lands of Zelata included with PvP events. The studio has scheduled a world boss event for May 7th, the sixth anniversary event for May 20th, and Patch 4.2 for some time this month.
First Impressions of RuneScape 3 from a returning player
Over a decade ago, two brothers working out of their parents' house in Nottingham set themselves the impossible task of building their own graphical multi-user dungeon, a genre that later evolved into the MMOs we know today. RuneScape launched to the public in 2001 as a low-res browser game with only a few hundred players and 2-D sprites for monsters, but several years later it boasted over a million paying monthly subscribers. The 2007 Sunday Times Rich List even estimated the Gower brothers' business empire to be worth over £113,000,000, due almost entirely to RuneScape. The secret behind RuneScape's success is that it's been continually updated throughout its lifetime, not just with regular infusions of new content but also with several major graphical and gameplay overhauls. The game was recently reincarnated as RuneScape 3, which is as far as it gets from the primitive game many of us grew up with. It now boasts a visually improved HTML 5 client with graphics acceleration, orchestral music, some voice-acted quests with cutscenes, and a fully customisable UI. This combines with last year's Evolution of Combat update and over a decade of new quests and zones to produce an MMO with more depth and character than many other AAA titles. In this hands-on opinion piece, I put RuneScape's three major versions side by side and look at how far RuneScape 3 has come since those early days of punching 2-D goblins and mining for fish.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World is getting filthy
So apparently some of you have operatives who have successfully infiltrated the Massively secret lair because someone has gotten a peek at my master plan... I mean, to-do list... and jumped ahead to this week's topic without me! I know we've talked before about how the real-world setting of The Secret World makes it ideal for blurring lines between game and reality, but I wasn't expecting this. Well, no matter. You cannot thwart the master plan; it has already begun. *maniacal laugh* This stage of my brilliant scheme involves taking a closer look at another little nugget found in the May Game Director's Letter. On the surface we see that The Secret World will be getting even filthier at the conclusion of Issue #7 as the nefarious filth will actually break through the Tokyo gate and begin to infect Agartha itself. But more than that, we are witnessing the implementation of a long-term event that will continue to give new content as it progresses. Could this be the harbinger of dynamic events to come that will breathe more life into the world? We can certainly hope!
RIFT Update 1.11 overhauls classes for Storm Legion
RIFT is gearing up for next month's expansion, and Update 1.11 is the first step into that bold new world of Storm Legion. The update, which landed on servers yesterday, makes major changes to classes and game systems in order to get everything in line with the expansion. Most classes have received a wide variety of changes to skills and soul trees, necessitating a reset for many builds. There are so many changes, in fact, that Trion Worlds had to list each of the callings' patch notes in separate forum threads. While players can't spend more than 51 points in any soul, they can now see the additional skills that will come with the expansion. Planar attunement is now shared between characters and has been simplified somewhat. Trion's also loosened restrictions on the wardrobe, allowing players to use clothing from any class for their cosmetic outfits. A world event called Tempest Rising and the unlocking of the Exodus of the Storm Queen dungeon for expansion pre-orders will be triggered in upcoming weeks.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisition Race fell on its face
If you were looking for part two of the Huttball guide, know that I will finish it up next week. Today I have a more timely topic I wish to discuss. I love live events. These nuggets of content give a static themepark game a sense of life as well as a break from the daily grind. Star Wars: The Old Republic is eight months old, and the newest content is approaching its two-month birthday. The game needs a refresher. A live event was certainly well-timed and much-needed. Unfortunately, live events, like any game content, are a bit of a gamble, especially if you've run a live event in the past. No doubt, players will compare the current live event with the previous one or the best one, and if the current one doesn't exactly match up to the standard of events of the past, then players are certainly going to feel cheated. And despite my continued love of the game itself, I have to admit that the latest live event, The Grand Acquisition Race, fell short of all expectations.
RIFT's patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn goes live
Maelforge and Laethys better be watching their backs because RIFT's patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn is now live, and players are now able to head into the eponymous Infernal Dawn raid to lay the smack down on the pair of dragon-gods. On top of that, the patch will be ringing in a new world event known as the War of the Wanton Maw, which will presumably involve players fighting back against Maelforge's Wanton cult and Laethys' Golden Maw. If you're a less combative type, don't worry. Infernal Dawn is also bringing some more relaxing activities in the form of two new tradeskills. Those looking to spend a calm day on the water can bait a hook and spend an afternoon fishing, while those who want to rough it in the great outdoors can craft food and shelter with the new survival skill. For the full details on what this monumental patch is bringing to the game, just head on over to the official forums to check out the patch notes yourself. Oh, and if you're curious about what you're going up against, just click on past the cut for a look at Maelforge and Laethys in the official Infernal Dawn trailer.
Star Wars: The Old Republic hosting a weekend trial while plague expands
If you're one of the few souls that hasn't yet tried Star Wars: The Old Republic just yet, this weekend is your next chance. With the Rakghoul Plague racing across the galaxy, BioWare is inviting potential new players to take a look at the game from April 19th at 1:01 a.m. EDT until April 23rd at 3:00 a.m. EDT. As in previous weekend events, players will be able to pick up their trial characters and continue leveling them in the event that they purchase the full game afterward. Of course, if you're already in the game, you're probably less concerned about new players and more concerned with the aforementioned plague. Darth Hater has assembled a guide for players including the latest updates to this ongoing world event running until April 24th, which should be more than enough to help players unlock rewards and see all there is to see during the outbreak. Just be prepared -- there are probably going to be a lot of new people over the weekend not fully versed in containment procedures.
Hyperspace Beacon: Outbreak
A year ago at PAX East, I spoke to Community Manager Stephen Reid about events in Star Wars: The Old Republic. He asked and answered a popular question at the time: "Will [SWTOR] have events where we randomly spawn NPCs for players to fight? No, but we will have events." He couldn't elaborate, but it did leave me wondering what that could possibly mean, especially when later at PAX East, Lead Writer Daniel Erickson said that SWTOR would not break the fourth wall by holding holiday-type events. Earlier this year, Update 1.1: Rise of the Rakghouls brought us a new flashpoint called Kaon Under Siege. A ship crash landed in the heart of the Tion Hegemony, taking the Rakghoul virus off the planet Taris and spreading it to a new world. Both the Republic and the Empire sought to find the source of this outbreak. Like all flashpoints, Koan Under Siege is instanced and separate from the rest of the open world. Relatedly, and quite surprisingly, BioWare started its first world event without announcing it on the official website or even letting anyone know that it was happening. On Sunday morning, everyone who was stopping by Carrick or Vaiken station could overhear an announcement that the planet Tatooine had been quarantined due to an outbreak of the Rakghoul virus. So started my investigation...
RIFT's Ashes of History world event begins tomorrow
Since RIFT's release, the developers at Trion Worlds have staged frequent world events and mini-events to add some variety to the game. A brand-new Ashes of History world event kicks off tomorrow, putting players against the elemental forces of earth and fire. The event begins as disease-spreading Golden Maw cultists discover artifacts in the sea of Telara and begin plotting to use them for their own ends. The world event opens up new daily quests for players to try out, and participants will be able to collect a rare Magma Opal currency from frequent rift events and invasions. The opals can be spent on rare equipment, companion pets and an exclusive Ash Strider mount. %Gallery-136281%
Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?
Like many of you, I've been exploring RIFT's Waves of Madness event over the past couple of weeks -- and enjoying it, too. You can really see how Trion Worlds has taken some of the lessons learned from River of Souls and improved its second world event. There just seems like more to do, much more in terms of atmosphere (I love the dripping ceilings in Sanctum), I'm not feeling as rushed, and the event story is coming through loud and clear. One of the interesting things I've noticed is that the event's daily quests have subtly shifted our focus from single-player activities to group ones. In phase one, it was all about boring solo quests: find hidden invaders, collect eggs, defeat a few underwater baddies. But just when we started to get used to (and bored from) the routine, the successive phases have moved us toward the game's dynamic content. Namely, rifts, rifts and more rifts. I think this is brilliant, because we're now given a solid reason why we should participate in rifts above the mere rewards. I've been worried that Trion's letting its focus on dynamic content slip as it's been rushing to get other game features and endgame raids out the door, and RIFT without people playing rifts would be sadly ironic. Today we're going to look at just how much RIFT depends on its titular feature, and what Trion should be doing to ensure that it doesn't become another nice yet abandoned idea.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Creature comforts
I've got a problem that nine interventions and three bouts of electroshock therapy have yet to cure: I'm hopelessly addicted to collecting non-combat pets (aka vanity pets) in MMOs. I don't know why that is, exactly, although I've always had a fondness for "fluffy" elements on online games. In my opinion, a lot of what we work for in MMOs is cosmetic anyway -- a really good-looking set of armor, a top-of-the-line mount -- with some piddly stats occasionally making a cameo. (Comment bait? Oh yes, I'm evil that way!) While adding nothing to my combat power nor helping me advance in the game, pets still hold purpose. They are fun to display, particularly if you have rare critters that others haven't seen, and they can give you a feeling of virtual companionship during your journeys. Unlike many collection items, pets have a use -- you can actually do something with them instead of tucking them away where they'll sit collecting pixelated dust. I was pretty pleased to discover that RIFT wasn't going to leave us high and dry when it came to non-combat pets, although it's interesting that they're somewhat harder to come by than in, say, World of Warcraft. If you're like I am, you're scouring the game looking to expand your menagerie, so it might be frustrating to be well on your way to 50 with only a paltry pair of pets to your name. Where is everyone getting all of these? How can I snag a few more? Join me after the jump as we examine six ways to collect crazy critters!
Enter at Your Own Rift: Talking 1.3 with Hal Hanlin
Today we're on the verge of RIFT's third major update's going live. It's a doozy of a patch, too, with a little something for everyone: a raid for endgame players, guild banks for... well, guilds, character transfers for the antsy, and RIFT's second world event for one and all. With Patch 1.3, Trion Worlds puts its money where its mouth is by continuing with its streak of sizable, regular updates. It's a critical patch for some, as it seeks to answer the growing call for more endgame content while an increasing number of players hit 50. Fans of RIFT will most likely welcome the spread of the patch, but detractors will undoubtedly criticize why X was done instead of Y (and don't even get into Z; that letter is nothing but trouble). And above the noise, Trion sails on with apparent confidence and dedication. Even though we got to speak with Trion at E3, I got the opportunity for another pre-1.3 interview with Design Producer Hal Hanlin (which, by the way, is a superhero fake identity if I ever heard one). In this no-holds-barred discussion, we covered the selling points of 1.3, the accusation that RIFT is "dying," and the philosophy behind Trion's rapid stream of content.
E3 2011: Hands on with RIFT's 1.3 update
With patch 1.2 fading in the rearview mirror, RIFT players have turned their attention to the incoming patch 1.3 due on June 22nd. Titled Waves of Madness, the update will kick off a new world event and add an additional tier of endgame content in the form of an additional raid. We got the opportunity to dive into 1.3 early at E3, all while a petite seven-foot-tall dev perched on our shoulder and gave us running commentary. Patch 1.3's crown jewel is a 20-person raid in the ancient fortress of Hammerknell, which was built by folks who thought it'd be a smashing idea to cram evil spirits into runes and then use that as the foundation. Sounds to us a lot like building a summer camp on top of a desecrated native burial ground, but we're sure these architects had good intentions. Surprise, surprise, the spirits started to ooze out into Hammerknell and tore up the place. To make matters worse, Hammerknell is the prison of a water dragon -- and the water plane started to come to its rescue. So the Dwarves decided to treat it like an illegal toxic dump by sealing up the fortress, whistling innocently, and conveniently forgetting it until another raid area was needed. But it's not as simple as just unlocking the front door and marching in to claim some loot! Hit the jump as we walk you through the process of down-and-dirty archaeology!
Trion's dynamic duo talks dynamic content on the RIFT podcast
The river of RIFT news and discussion seems to be swelling to flood stage these days, especially surrounding the recent world event and the upcoming 1.2 update. If your appetite for all things RIFT wasn't satiated by our recent talk with Scott Hartsman, then you'll definitely want to tune in to the latest RIFT Podcast. During the podcast, the hosts talk with Trion World's Will Cook and Cindy Bowens about dynamic content, the world event, authenticators, the wardrobe, and -- of course -- RIFT's Update 1.2. They even touch upon the controversial continued lack of guild banks and the fact that daily quests are no longer stackable. Head on over to The RIFT to glean nuggets of pure interviewee gold out of this chat!
An exclusive look at RIFT's Update 1.2 and beyond with Scott Hartsman [Updated]
With almost two months on the post-launch clock at Trion Worlds, RIFT appears to be holding its own in the wild and woolly field of MMORPGs. With a major update and the first world event under its belt, RIFT is sailing into the future with the wind at its back and a hull full of subscribers below. We got Trion's Scott Hartsman on the phone to discuss RIFT's second big patch, Update 1.2, as well as to see how the game's progressed thus far and where the team is trying to take it into the future. And of course we couldn't let this opportunity pass by without a candid dissection of the uneven world event and how Trion plans to learn from its mistakes. So hit the jump and witness Scott Hartsman giving us a Care Bear Stare full of info and exclusive tidbits about the inner workings of RIFT!
Enter at Your Own Rift: Cry me a river
Yep. That was the sum of my experience with Phase 2 and 3 of RIFT's world event this past weekend. I was unable to log in early to stake my place for the fireworks (I was over in Lexington watching the Red Coats and the Minute Men putting on their own fireworks show). As I learned later from guildmates, it wouldn't have helped even if I were on early, since Trion Worlds took down the servers just before the event, causing a mess of sharpened elbows and broken keyboards as people frantically tried to log back in. It was a white hot mess, and no one will argue that fact. But there are a few interesting observations that can be made from this rather bleak moment. Read on for a look at what Alsbeth's finale can tell us.
Allies once again invited to saddle up for RIFT's world event
This weekend's shaping up to be an exciting one for the citizens of RIFT. First up is the long-awaited second phase of the River of Souls world event. As you may recall, the first phase was prolonged by an additional week while Trion Worlds worked out some technical issues. According to in-game notices, the second phase is scheduled to go live tomorrow. To celebrate the event -- and hopefully entice additional players to the game -- Trion is offering another Allies of the Ascended weekend trial to anyone who hasn't purchased the game. By going to the Allies page, new and returning trial players can snag a code for a weekend of free RIFT game time. The Allies of the Ascended weekend will go up at 1:00 p.m. EDT today and will continue until Monday, April 18th at 1:00 p.m EDT.
RIFT world event extended due to technical difficulties
It looks as though the end of the world will be postponed -- at least for a week. Due to issues on RIFT's European servers, Trion Worlds has announced that the current world event will postpone moving into its second phase until Saturday, April 16th. In a post on the forums, James Nichols said "With the opening of the final phases of the River of Souls World Event in Europe we have identified several issues that only came to light in a live server environment." Originally, the River of Souls event was scheduled to head into Phase Two on the 9th, but issues cropped up that prevented this from happening. All told, RIFT's first world event will go through three phases before it is through. Because of the delay, Trion said that it is both increasing the event currency players can earn and the amount of rewards available for purchase. These changes will be rolled out during the week.
Deathwing is coming
Deathwing will soon be here, attacking from above, bringing down terror and death onto the unsuspecting citizens of Azeroth. At random, Deathwing will attack an entire zone and kill everything -- players, NPCs, mobs, creatures and critters. For your death, you get the feat of strength Stands in Fire. We don't know when exactly this will become active on the live realms; however, we are able to confirm it's active on the beta realms. The full blue announcement as follows: Zarhym One of Azeroth's oldest adversaries will soon tear through the Elemental Plane to reforge the world in flame, but this foe won't be conducting his reign of terror from the confines of a castle or lair. Deathwing is a destructive force the likes of which adventurers have yet to see in World of Warcraft, and his appetite for devastation can only be satisfied by the shattering of the world. Following his explosive escape from Deepholm, Deathwing will cast a deadly shadow over the people of Azeroth as he wreaks indiscriminate havoc across the land. Once free to terrorize the world, Deathwing will randomly choose territories in Azeroth to attack each day until his ruinous reign is brought to an end. A blackened sky will be the only warning before every living creature caught in his approach is consumed by his terrible fire. The unfortunate victims of his malice will receive a rare Feat of Strength... as well as a repair bill and corpse run. When Deathwing returns, you'd best keep your eyes on the skies. source
