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The Game Archaeologist: World War II Online
The 1990s saw the rise of flight simulators that thrived on detailed, complicated controls and handling. Such games threw out accessibility and casual-friendliness for stark-raving realism, and a certain subset of gamers really thrived on them. I tried my hand at a couple and found myself breathing rapidly when pouring through keyboard charts and doing basic algebra just to get a plane off of the ground. Not for me, I said then. I don't think there's ever stopped being absurdly complex video games that aim for immersion through detailed realism, even though that appeals to only the fringe of the fringe. Some people have their gaming standards set exactly that high and no lower, and some devs refuse to water down their visions just to sell more box units. For these people, Cornered Rat Software (CRS) created World War II Online, an overly ambitious MMOFPS that stumbled out of the gate in 2001 but has gamely soldiered on since then. Over a decade now an epic war has been raging for control over a continent, and it's been up to the fiercely loyal fans to keep the fight going. Today we're going to take a look at the guts 'n' glory of this project to both praise its complexity and curse it for the same thing. If nothing else, it was a game that could only have arisen from the early landscape of 3-D MMOs, and for that it warrants our attention.
Make My MMO: June 15 - June 21, 2014
This week in MMO crowdfunding news, golden oldie World War II Online assured itself of a new client update thanks to a successful Indiegogo campaign. The genre's first and arguably best MMOFPS raised over $10,000, which it will spend on a new test server as well as PC and Mac client updates. Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier made headlines based on the size of its (expanding) dev team, and fellow space sim Star Citizen stirred up some controversy thanks to its hyper-realistic flight model manifesto. Oh, and don't forget to watch that crowdfunded EVE Online documentary when it premieres next month! The rest of our weekly crowdfunding roundup is hiding on the other side of that hypergate.
World War II Online crowdfunds a client update
In an effort to update an aging client without breaking the developer's bank, World War II Online: Battleground Europe turned to the community to crowdfund the project -- and the community delivered. A $9,250 fundraiser on Indiegogo dedicated to the creation of a new test server, PC client, and Mac client was met and surpassed this past week. The update, which should roll out within six months, will include billing tools for Steam and improved audio and visuals. The crowdfunding campaign is now aiming for stretch goals that could add community upgrades, improved tech infrastructure, and additional marketing.
EVE Evolved: Does EVE Online have the world's largest MMO map?
MMO game worlds seem to be getting larger every year, and the debate over which is biggest frequently appears on forums and blogs. It usually starts with people breaking out infographics comparing the size of the various islands and continents in their favourite fantasy MMOs, and it escalates from there. World of Warcraft's Azeroth turns out to be surprisingly small at an estimated 80 square miles, while World War II Online claims to have the largest MMO game map in the world with over 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 square miles) of playable space modeled as a half scale map of Western Europe. Someone in the discussion will inevitably mention EVE Online, and that's when things get complicated. The New Eden star cluster is lightyears across, and its 7,699 accessible solar systems have earned it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, but can EVE's map even be compared to accessible landmass in a fantasy MMO? All of the space between stars is currently empty and inaccessible, and players warp between points of interest within a solar system without interacting with any of the space in between. With that and the relative difference in scale between EVE and land-based games, it isn't immediately clear whether EVE Online still has the world's largest playable MMO map. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how empty space works under the hood in EVE Online and crunch some numbers to find out whether it really does have the biggest playable game world.
The Game Archaeologist: Neocron and Neocron 2
It's the distant future. The high-tech battle armor you wear sharply contrasts with the ruins of civilization that you traverse. You spot an enemy and raise your pulse rifle, firing off shots as you strafe to cover. Technology hasn't solved the issue of war; it's just made it that much more bloody. PlanetSide 2? Nope -- this is Neocron, the quite-forgettable MMOFPS from the way-back era. I like to call it "that game with the most regrettable cover art in the history of video games," but that isn't quite as snappy. Going into this article, I have to admit that I previously knew absolutely nothing about Neocron other than the fact that it was a sci-fi MMO that vaguely reminded me of Anarchy Online. Oh, also the fact that nobody I know or perhaps ever will know played it. Is it just a myth? A practical joke to make us believe in a MMO phantom? Only sifting through layers of dust and grime would produce results, so I rolled up my sleeves and started digging.
The Firing Line: DayZ, Forge, and Rapid Assault
A couple of interesting items came across The Firing Line desk this week. One of them was the fact that PlanetSide 2's beta will be cranking up inside of a month. And there was much rejoicing. OK, now that that's out of the way, the other items concern games that are decidedly smaller in scale but no less interesting. Join me after the break for a look at the latest from the devs behind World War II Online (or Battleground Europe, if you prefer), and a new title called Forge. Oh yeah, and 500,000 of you are playing something called DayZ.
The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time
First things first: Whatever MMO release is currently ticking you off is the worst launch of all time. It would be folly of me to try to convince you otherwise. You've been roundly slapped in the face and you don't want me to convince you that the pain was in vain. I understand. Getting past that, however, would it be possible to examine the subsequent 10 worst launches in the MMO industry? If your trauma isn't too great, that is. It would be? Terrific! What constitutes a horrible game launch is varied, although each and every one of the following games made an unfortunate blunder that caused the title to stumble instead of sprint out of the gate. It's not the end of the story, of course, but it does make for a good tale to tell to youngsters camping in the open woods or a particularly seedy LAN center.
The Game Archaeologist and the Classic MMOs in November
It's seemed like every time I turned around in November, a spritely old-timer of an MMO was showing that it wasn't quite out of the running just yet. I mean, heck, we actually got word of a big change to Battleground Europe, prompting millions to throw their hands up and exclaim, "World War II Online is still actually online? Holy donkeys!" In a way, I think these older MMOs get a free pass to escape the craziness of having to compete with more modern titles, and as such, they're more confident in their position and freer to pursue whatever is best for the game. You know, instead of trying to ape World of Warcraft (which probably aped them first in the great circle of apes). So what's been going on with our favorite classic MMOs last month? Let's cast our UltraVision™ back on the events of November to see what's been up with four games and their communities.
The United States Army moves into Battleground Europe
If you've played a first-person shooter, watched a movie, or even turned on the History channel over the past decade, you're probably very familiar with the iconic image of the United States military forces storming the beaches of Normandy. It's an appropriate image to keep in your head today, as Battleground Europe (also known as World War II Online) has introduced the American forces to the game's mixture. The latest patch, 1.34, adds a variety of American vehicles and troops for players to access in the war between the Axis forces and the Allies. Of course, the addition of the American forces isn't the only feature of the new patch. Several long-standing bugs have also been addressed, as well as several balance changes aimed at specific troop types. It should be a welcome patch for fans of the game, especially since it will finally be possible to take up the role of another nation in the fight.
The Game Archaeologist goes PlanetSide: The highlights
Unlike fantasy, the sci-fi genre has had a rocky relationship with MMORPGs. While studios have tried just as hard to make and promote them, there seems to be a curse that hovers over most of these games. From the canceled (Earth & Beyond, The Matrix Online, Tabula Rasa) to the radically retinkered (Star Wars Galaxies) to the relatively niche (Anarchy Online, Star Trek Online), sci-fi struggles to be seen as relevant and embraced as its bigger brother. That isn't to say that these games or the genre is worthless, just that it's a harder sell to both investors and players to throw players into the future than the mythical past. Fortunately, the industry hasn't given up on these games, and some of these titles -- such as EVE Online -- have proven that they're worth pursuing. And if science fiction is a difficult sell, first-person shooters are doubly difficult in the MMO space. After all, it's not as though the world is suffering a shortage of FPS titles that can be played without a monthly subscription. To convince players to part with a monthly payment, the studio has to make a powerful, compelling case as to why its MMOFPS is worthy of that premium price. Enter PlanetSide, circa 2003. While sci-fi MMOs, multi-faction PvP and online shooters had been done separately at that point, PlanetSide stepped up to the plate to combine all three into a persistent war on an alien planet. Due to popular demand, this month we'll be setting our sights to the far reaches of the galaxy and beyond as we explore one of the more unique MMOs in existence. Today let's take a look at what made PlanetSide a unique twinkle in SOE's eyes by counting down the highlights of this futuristic war.
The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: The history
After a two-week hiatus to recover from rattlesnake bites and a bear to the face, the Game Archeologist returns to travel to England, but not the England we know today. No, this is the England-That-Could-Have-Been, the England of King Arthur, Excalibur and pointy-hatted Vikings. This is the England of fairy tales and legends and blocky 2001-era polygon models. It is the England of three realms constantly jockeying for supremacy and power. It is Dark Age of Camelot. It's a pretty awesome place to live, even though the property values are way, way down after the last 18 marauding hordes trampled through the neighborhood. This month, the Game Archaeologist is trading in his copyright-infringement fedora and whip for a sturdy suit of armor and a fiery sword as he slashes his way into Dark Age of Camelot. It doesn't matter if it's only a model -- it still inspires him to break out into song anyway.
Exclusive WWII Online: Battleground Europe team interview
As we mentioned last week, WWII Online: Battleground Europe is still going strong. In fact, Playnet and Cornered Rat Software are on the verge of a massive update for the game. Update 1.31, currently in open beta, has been in the works for many months and is set to overhaul the graphics of this old-school MMOFPS. It might even give newer games a run for their money! We were lucky enough to sit down with several members of the Battleground Europe development team -- Amy-Lynn Engelbrecht, Dana Baldwin, and Geof Evans -- and fire off some questions about the visual overhaul, as well as a few questions about the weather -- that is, the game's new weather system, which will actually affect land and air conditions in PvP! Click past the break for our exclusive interview with the team!
Battleground Europe patch adds new towns and brigade types
If you're making an MMO, you can go one of two routes. You can go mainstream -- try to please everyone at once -- or you can carve a niche to be occupied by a small but loyal player base. Playnet has always aimed for the second option with World War II Online: Battleground Europe (or, The Game Formerly More Prominently Known as Just World War II Online, if you prefer) -- a hardcore combat simulation that emulates a huge chunk of the European theater of World War II on land, sea, and air.Playnet just released a new patch for the game that adds 26 new towns and 3 new brigade types. It also makes "a change to scoring against naval vessels." Players will get a chance to interrogate the game's senior producer about the changes in a live chat this Wednesday at 4:00 PM EDT.Full patch notes are available on the official Battleground Europe forums. Beware, though: a certain Massively blogger has a soft spot for this game, and is looking forward to blowing you to smithereens in a bombing run. You have been warned. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall ... you get the idea.
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Battleground Europe implements key changes to recruit new players
On the war torn battlefields of Europe, the armies of the Axis and the Allies have been fighting a bitter struggle for years. Armies are surrounded and crushed, Tigers break through the Ardennes, and countless cities have been reduced to rubble in the struggle for ultimate domination. At the bottom of the totem pole of this conflict, is the gun totting, foot marching, cold food eating grunt. The war effort needs more of you and World War II Online: Battleground Europe is offering new players tantalizing rewards and updates to help send you directly into the path of blitzkreig. WWIIOL has been actively recruiting since early April by offering some combat bonuses. Other than free stuff and pats on the back for your patriotism, the game has announced some planned implementations to get players right into the meat grinder. They are promoting an upgraded graphics engine known as Unity II. In a press release provided to Massively, the WWIIOL team promises troopers much improved graphics and an exciting new experience when entering into combat on urban ground. Before you get there, your survivability will hopefully be increased by a new tutorial system that not only touts a form of basic training, but also a combat training scenario that puts you in an instanced battle to practice what you've learned. If you wish to put your mark on the dotted line, the sign-up page is here. Be sure to bring a box of mom's apple pie, because it will be rations from here on out soldier!
