achievements
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Star Wars: The Old Republic details Legacy Achievements
Achievements aren't really a new addition to games any longer. Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't breaking the mold with their inclusion. What is different is the way that the game tracks achievements via your Legacy rather than individual characters, allowing all of your character accomplishments to work together. The latest development blog explains how the Legacy Achievements will work and what players can expect in terms of rewards for a life spent in the far reaches of the galaxy. Progress on achievements is tracked across all of your characters, allowing you to complete part of the achievement on one character and the rest on another as needed. Veteran players will be happy to know that many of your existing accomplishments will be converted over to the new system, ensuring that you won't have to repeat your hard work. And the rewards for achievements include both titles and Cartel Coins, both of which should be quite enticing to players. For more details and a breakdown of the major categories, check out the full development blog.
Patch 5.3 PTR: New mount models, achievements
The intrepid folks over at Wowhead have been busy digging through the patch 5.3 PTR and discovering a host of new models and items associated with the new patch. For mount collecting enthusiasts, the addition of a new mount achievement in patch 5.1 and the Jade Pandaren Kite as a reward was a delightful surprise. For those who have been collecting mounts for quite some time, however, the kite was immediately available upon the launch of patch 5.1, and it didn't appear as though any further rewards would be offered. But mount collectors should be happy to note that there has been yet another mount achievement added in with patch 5.3. Mount Parade is earned by collecting 200 mounts, and offers two uniquely colored mounts as rewards. Alliance players will receive the Armored Blue Dragonhawk, and Horde players will receive the Armored Red Dragonhawk. Wowhead has models of both versions available for viewing -- and frankly, they're really well done. I wasn't sure what to expect with yet another dragonhawk to pile on the collection, but the detail in these models is pretty stunning. Also datamined with the latest round of the 5.3 PTR was the warhorse pictured above. There doesn't appear to be a file for it on Wowhead at this time, but the 3D model is viewable by checking Wowhead's latest news post. As of yet there's no news on what this horse is, where it drops, or if it's even available to players in the next patch. However, another mount has been added to the list -- the Brawler's Burly Mushan Beast. At the moment there is no model available for the mount, but the name suggests that perhaps the Brawler's Guild will be seeing some pretty cool rewards soon. As a mount collector, I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the new reward models -- but I'd love to hear what you guys think. Would you rather have seen something else? What do you think of the warhorse? And don't forget to check out Wowhead for a look at the 3D models for the new mounts.
The OverAchiever: Guide to Noblegarden 2013
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, bunnies take over the world. Time to get sick on candy again, folks! That seems to be a running theme with WoW holidays. Noblegarden will run this year from Monday, April 1 until Monday, April 8. As always, check your server's in-game calendar for the exact start and stop times. If you've never done Noblegarden before, or only done its pre-2009 version, be aware that Noble Gardener (the holiday's meta) is part of the year-long What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been achievement. Last year, the Swift Springstrider was added to holiday vendors at the fairly steep cost of 500 Noblegarden chocolate. This year, we haven't seen anything new datamined, but Noblegarden did hit the patch 5.2 PTR in mid-February, so you never know.
Ride to Hell achievement listing suggests imminent ride to retail
Ride to Hell, the Deep Silver biker game first announced in 2008 before dropping off the radar for several years, may make a surprise arrival on retail shelves in the near future. A list of achievements, posted today by Xbox360Achievements, is the latest piece of growing evidence that the long-unseen game is due for release soon.Ride to Hell was initially expected on Xbox 360 in Q2 2009, but after missing its release window it was rumored to be canceled. Earlier this year, Deep Silver confirmed to Polygon the game is still in development, saying there would be announcements on it soon. Shortly after, a game called Ride to Hell: Retribution received a multiplatform rating from the Australian Classification Board, with developer Eutechnyx listed as the author and Deep Silver as the publisher.The achievements themselves indicate a mixture of shooting with biking elements. When it was first announced in 2008, Deep Silver introduced Ride to Hell as "aimed heavily at the player who wants to become fully involved in the original West Coast biker culture" with a ""hard drinking, bare-knuckle environment." Then again, this was some five years ago.We've reached out to Deep Silver for comment.
The Soapbox: Dispelling the 'easy' myth
A few weeks ago, I took a nice long look at World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. Then I wrote about it. My impressions, like most things on the internet, were met with both ardent agreement and defiant protest. Everyone has an opinion, especially when it comes to World of Warcraft -- some people love the game, some people hate it, and some give it a resounding "eh." I don't mind people disagreeing with me. People react to games differently, and what works for me may not work for you. But there was one specific critique that rose, repeatedly, in the great debate raging in that article's comments section. A critique that, frankly, I cannot abide: "World of Warcraft is too easy."
The OverAchiever: The game's 13 vanished titles
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, we rue the lack of High Poobah among the game's honorifics. An interesting question in the Tanking forum about a month back spurred an article for readers here about which title they find most reassuring on a fellow player. The discussion that ensued was a reminder that you can't get some of the more popular picks anymore, and just why they meant -- and continue to mean -- something in the first place. Sad to say, these titles are no longer accessible, unless you manage to find some far-flung server at the end of the universe where no one's bothered to kill Sartharion at all.
The most reassuring title to see on a player
Whether we like to admit it or not, we tend to give other players the once-over whenever we zone into a Raid Finder or dungeon PUG, particularly if you've had a run of bad experiences while getting valor-capped for the week. A recent thread on the Tanking forums about the best title for a tank to sport is both a sideways acknowledgment of this and a question as to which title best suits your role in the game. For healers, one could argue that Undying or Immortal means you probably had job security for the length of Wrath, but that kind of ignores everyone else's responsibility to not screw up in Naxx. Possibly Herald of the Titans/Conqueror of Ulduar would have been the equivalent for DPS players, although a raid had to fire on all cylinders for those achievements too. Before achievements were account-wide, and leaving aside obvious ringers like Light of Dawn/Bane of the Fallen King before Mists, I would have nominated Loremaster or Seeker as the most reassuring titles to see on a player regardless of gear quality. I can't say exactly what link exists between the persistence needed to get these titles and overall competence, but I have yet to see a Loremaster or Seeker player do something screw-the-pooch crazy in a PUG. These days, it's tougher to guarantee that a player sporting a title is doing so on the character that originally got it, so maybe The Undaunted is probably the single best outward indicator of competence. Having written all this, I've also had the pleasure of knowing a world-class hunter who never bothered using titles, and we have to acknowledge that a generic, funny (e.g., "Chef Boyardee"), or absent title means nothing at all. But if you had to pick one that said, "I will not get you killed in this PUG," which would it be?
Breakfast Topic: What really feels like an achievement?
Achievements are everywhere in WoW these days. There are achievements for collecting mounts, achievements for doing quests, achievements for exploring zones, achievements for completing dungeons... and that's only scratching the surface. How many of you remember the good (or not so good) old days before achievements popped on to our screens to let us know we'd done something noteworthy? Back then it was up to us to decide what was considered a noteworthy achievement and instead of doing them for rewards, we did them just to prove we could. Though it's a lot of fun to work towards achievements, I've got to wonder if we're missing out on deciding for ourselves what's important in the game -- what really constitutes an achievement. Accidentally stumbling into an achievement for exploring a zone, for example, doesn't really feel like I've accomplished anything important. But still, I've got the achievement, just like I'd get if I killed the baddest beast in the land. And sometimes when I do things that I think are really epic, like soloing a dungeon or keeping a raid alive when I'm the only healer left, there's no achievement to mark my accomplishment. So I put the question to you, dear readers: what World of Warcraft achievements really feel like achievements? And what non-achievements really ought to be achievements?
Only one week left to get your Winter Squid
Fellow fishing achievement-seekers and completionists, it's that time of year again! The time when birdsong fills the treetops, daffodils bloom merrily on hillsides, and clouds of pollen return to punish your sinuses for daring to survive another winter. Oh, and it's also the time that Winter Squid turns into Summer Bass. Fishing up both Winter Squid and Summer Bass is a requirement of The Oceanographer achievement. Much like the world event and holiday achievements, though, you need a certain time of year to be able to complete The Oceanographer. Winter Squid is fishable from September 23rd to March 20th, and Summer Bass from March 21st to September 22nd. Both can be found in normal waters (no schools or pools needed) in Sunken Temple, Feralas, The Cape of Stranglethorn, Badlands, Tanaris, Blasted Lands, and Swamp of Sorrows. Swamp of Sorrows appears to have the highest drop rate for the squid, and Blasted Lands is the best for bass. If you're a squid away from The Oceanographer, now's the time to cast your line! This has been a friendly reminder from your neighborhood WoW Insider columnists. Happy fishing!
Ouya won't ship with online chat, friends lists, achievements
When the Ouya is deployed to Kickstarter backers on March 28, it will be short a few online features: online chat, friends lists and achievements, specifically. These features will come to the tiny Android console later in the year, an Ouya representative tells The Verge. The Ouya will support online multiplayer, as long as developers build that functionality into their games.Ouya opened its storefront to developers last week, bulking up its games offering prior to launch. Those who didn't donate to the Ouya Kickstarter will be able to purchase a console for $99 in June, online or in physical stores.
Double Dragon 2 remake achievements suggest upcoming, belated release
Achievements emerged today for Gravity's 3D XBLA remake of Double Dragon 2, subtitled Wander of the Dragons, a bit surprising really since we haven't heard anything about the game in 18 months. The remake, based on the arcade version of Double Dragon 2: The Revenge, was originally earmarked for a September 2011 release, a window it missed somewhat. However, today's listing on Xbox360Achievements doesn't just suggest there's still life in the game, but also that it's due for release soon.Wander of the Dragon, developed by the Gravity-owned Barunson Interactive of MMO Dragonica fame, doesn't much resemble the original game, mixing up a more modern-looking style of beat-em-up with different character designs, as you can see for yourself in the video above - bear in mind that footage is of what was shown back in 2011.
Tomorrow's EverQuest II update brings three new raids, guild achievements
The folks behind EverQuest II took to Twitter today to reveal more details about tomorrow's big update. Raiders had better polish their gear because the update will be bringing three new raids to the table. Two X2 raids will take place in Wurmbone's End and are referred to collectively as Nox Incessit, and one is tuned to be on the easier end of the scale whereas the other is intended to be a real challenge. An X4 raid will take place on the Dreadcutter and the devs stress that it is a hard mode raid in which "the final boss is designed to be the most difficult encounter in [the] game!" Guilds will also have a lot to work toward, as the update is adding over 150 guild achievements that cover content from all of EQ2's expansions. The devs state that every guild will start with a "clean slate," meaning that achievements will not be rewarded retroactively. This first set of achievements is raid-based, and for a guild to earn one of these achievements, at least two-thirds of the raid group must belong to the same guild, so it's time to rally your friends and go for glory, honor, and of course, precious intangible internet points. Remember Norrathians, the update hits tomorrow, so head on over to the game's official site for all the details you need to be prepared.
Guildox ranks achievements and titles
GuildOx just launched a new feature on their website: Popular Achievements and Popular Titles Rankings. This feature does exactly what it says on the tin -- provides information on the game's most popular achievements and titles. This feature makes really interesting reading, and GuildOx have gone to some length to ensure the data is accurate, saying that they have used their Character Database and filtered out alts using their alt detection. WoW Insider could spend all day drawing interesting conclusions from the database, for example, the highest ranked holiday achievement title is The Hallowed, so that could mean the requirements make it the easiest to get, or that people just really love Hallow's End. In a similar vein, more players have the Arathi Basin Victory achievement and the Alterac Valley Victory achievement than have the Warsong Gulch Victory one. Why is that? Of course, this feature can't answer that question, but it's fun to speculate! And while you're over at GuildOx, don't forget to check out their popular mounts and pets databases -- see where yours rank!
SWTOR's Legacy Achievement system detailed
Curious about Star Wars: The Old Republic's upcoming Legacy Achievement system? If so, we recommend looking at Darth Hater's extensive breakdown of the feature slated to appear in the game's Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion. Achievements are divided into seven categories (companions, flashpoint, legacy, location, operations, PvP, and space). As you might guess from the name, the system is also tied to SWTOR's Legacy mechanic which means that it ultimately encompasses all of the characters on a particular account.
Guide to Love is in the Air 2013
Love is in the Air returns this year from Sunday, Feb. 10 through Saturday, Feb. 23. As always, check your game calendar for your server's specific start and end times. After many tweaks over the years, the holiday's become one of the less annoying and RNG-riddled outings from the What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been meta. However, last year's version added a pretty grind-intensive mount to the holiday rewards, so if you're starting fresh and want the meta and the mount, be prepared for a lot of work. Before you ask -- yep, it's required if you're still on the warpath for your Violet Proto-Drake. The finished holiday meta will also reward the title the Love Fool. If you're completely new to Love Is In the Air, you'll probably want to read our FAQ on the holiday. Otherwise, we'll be dealing with the holiday achievements here. There are only two optional ones if you're going for the meta, so I've listed all the ones you'll need first.
Guild Wars 2 dev diaries discuss new rewards, achievement system, dungeon changes
Two new dev diaries outline a few changes coming to Guild Wars 2, including a new reward currency and updates to the achievement system. Players earn the new reward currency -- the laurel -- each day that they complete their daily achievement category and again when the monthly achievement is completed. Rewards such as unique minis and WvW blueprints can then be purchased. The achievement system itself is getting a new tracking UI and daily achievements. Dungeon mechanics are also getting tweaked. In phase one of the changes, the "res-rushing" mechanic (resurrecting at a waypoint immediately and running back to the fight) is being abolished. Waypoints can no longer be used in dungeons except when the party wipes or has withdrawn from the fight. In phase two, the devs will be making changes to the enemies and bosses within the dungeons.
The OverAchiever: Guide to Lunar Festival 2013 achievements
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, the Fed-Ex quest from hell. This year, the Lunar Festival runs from Sunday, Jan. 27 to Saturday, Feb. 9. (As always, check your game calendar for specific start and stop times for your server.) On a very important note, this year cuts the length of the holiday from three to two weeks, so if you're a new player or you're starting a fresh character, you won't have as much time as you usually do to get everything done. I think Blizzard limited it so as not to clash with Love Is In the Air, which begins Sunday, Feb. 10. If you're new to the Lunar Festival, the holiday mostly revolves around involve talking to a number of elders in order to honor them, receiving Coins of Ancestry in return, and then using the coins to purchase holiday items, including clothing and pets. The To Honor One's Elders meta-achievement is also a requirement for What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been, so if you're still after a Violet Proto-Drake, make sure you get this done. The Lunar Festival is definitely not one of Azeroth's more difficult holidays, but it's time-consuming if you need all the NPCs. However, it's also a good time to do other travel-intensive achievements like World Explorer.
Achievements suggest 'Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition' for 360
Back in November, Korean ratings board GRB posted listings for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Resident Evil: Revelations; a port that Capcom has yet to officially announce in any capacity. Now, purported achievements for the 360 version have surfaced, listing the game's full title as Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition.The achievements themselves reveal little, beyond the fact that both Campaign and Raid modes will make the jump from handheld to console, should this all shake out. As intrigued as we are, the idea of a 3DS to console port brings up many questions, though the fact that the word "revelations" is spelled correctly is promising. We've reached out to Capcom for comment.
WoW Archivist: The triumph and tragedy of Ulduar
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? With patch 5.2 on the PTR, everyone is talking about Mists' next tier of raiding content. If the buzz seems more intense than usual, it might be because of the hints that Ghostcrawler and others at Blizzard have dropped comparing the Throne of Thunder to Wrath's Ulduar raid. Perhaps it's too soon to revisit Ulduar in an Archivist column. After all, the raid went live less than four years ago. I don't care. I want to talk about how amazing this place was, how Blizzard still managed to screw up such a good thing, and why we should all be excited for an Ulduar-style raid in 5.2. Put the rose-colored glasses away here, folks. You don't need them -- Ulduar really was that fantastic.
Holiday replayability and the Fed-Ex quests from hell
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, get off our lawn. One of the things I think about while revising and updating the holiday guides is that the audience for them is doomed to get smaller over time. It's reasonable to expect that, because people don't need the guides after they finish doing the events on characters they care about, and there's generally a few years between Blizzard's major updates. However, with the introduction of account-wide achievements, pets, and mounts, the replayability of holidays has probably suffered a bit. That doesn't mean that the content's not enjoyable, just that each successive character derives less reward from it. This is a particularly acute problem with the approaching Lunar Festival and how one element gets a lot more onerous as the game continues to expand.
