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WildStar reboots forums and prepares for weekend beta test
WildStar's ongoing beta forums have been wiped, but weep not for their loss: Carbine Studios has brought a new forum online for all to visit and use. The new forums contain topics such as community support, PvP, and housing, and come in English, German, and French varieties. The forums have come online not a moment too soon, as WildStar is preparing for a weekend beta test that includes those who have pre-ordered the title. The beta begins tomorrow, Friday, March 21st, at 10:00 a.m. EST and concludes on Sunday at midnight EST. The beta weekends following that begin on April 4th, April 18th, and May 2nd.
Tamriel Infinium: Five essential Elder Scrolls Online addons
The Elder Scrolls series is known for its mods and addons, and Elder Scrolls Online is no exception. Although we will likely not see the appearance modifications found in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, we will see UI addons that help with grouping, dungeon crawling, and even roleplaying. In fact, modding is so essential to the Elder Scrolls franchise that Curse announced it was opening its own site featuring Elder Scrolls Online addons, and ZAM launched its ESO addons website a few weeks ago. I've been keeping an eye on these addons as they begin to take off. As you would expect, initially the pickings were slim. However, over the last few weeks with the beta weekends, the ongoing beta, and the NDA drop, we have seen these addons grow exponentially to the point that I think some of these modifications are required to properly enjoy the game. Today, I will list some of the addons that I think are necessary before you even start playing the Elder Scrolls Online. Although modders Wykkyd and WarLegend lead the pack, there are plenty of lesser-known mods you might want to look at. Here are my top five mods for the Elder Scrolls Online.
Hands-on with MOBA Dawngate's closed beta
Dawngate. Another day, another MOBA, right? So why bother with this one? What does it do differently? What does it do better? Why play this over something else? I can't be the only gamer asking these questions, especially in such an oversaturated market, so I spent my weekend playing EA's Dawngate closed beta for that very reason. Here's how it all works. When entering a match, you'll choose your character and then your preferred role to help coordinate with your group. This isn't just an "I'm going to jungle" icon; it actually provides you certain benefits for playing your role correctly. For example, a "hunter" does bonus damage to jungle NPCs and is healed for a portion of their total health after you kill them.
Elder Scrolls Online promises 'polished, lag-free launch experience'
ZeniMax Lead Developer Matt Firor rallied the legions of Elder Scrolls Online fans today with a lengthy post about what the studio's done and what it's planning to do to ensure a successful launch of the game. Firor said that beta feedback and testing has been invaluable, prompting the team to streamline the starting experience and make combat "more substantial." He was also impressed by what he saw during testing: "Some of the things we've discovered with your help excite and inspire us -- like seeing that 98% of characters created have a unique appearance, or seeing the first emperor crowned in our epic PvP system -- while other findings challenge us to make the game better." To ready the game for launch, there will be one final stress test this weekend. ZeniMax has prepared megaservers for both North America and Europe, and the studio assured players that playing cross-region will not result in any drop of latency. The team also has a number of overflow servers on the ready to deal with the initial crush. Finally, Firor said that we'll soon hear more about the first post-launch update that will add the Craglorn zone for endgame players. "We will make sure that no matter where you live, every player in North America, Europe, Oceania, and many places beyond will have a polished, lag-free launch experience," Firor promised.
Exploring WildStar's endgame raids and dungeons
For those who like endgame PvE content, Carbine's upcoming MMO WildStar is hoping provide not just lots to consume but a variety of ways to consume it. I'm no longer the type of gamer who has to race to max level, and fortunately for me, WildStar plans to give us that "raid feeling" even while we're leveling via adventures and shiphand missions and world bosses and even public quests. But there's much more to PvE than that. At last week's press event, I sat down with Lead Combat Designer Chris Lynch and Lead Dungeons and Raids Designer Brett Scheinert to talk about endgame and PvE in the next big themepark.
Battlegrounds, arenas, and warplots: How PvP works in WildStar
PvE is a staple of MMORPG gameplay, but if you prefer the challenge and adrenaline rush of fighting against another human being while bashing on a keyboard and circle-strafing to dizzying effect, then you, my friend, are a PvPer. And if you've PvPed in other games, you'll be familiar with WildStar's battlegrounds and arenas. But warplots? What's a warplot? That's just one of the PvP-related questions I asked at a press event last week at Carbine Studios with the WildStar team. Battlegrounds Designer Kevin Lee and Lead PvP Designer Jen Gordy explained to me that PvP is one of the key focuses of the game; all PvP content in WildStar will be on a cross-realm queue. Your level and gear stats will be normalized to provide an equal playing field. WildStar's telegraph system ensures that PvP is extremely reactive, which is typical, but what's not typical is being able to see where your enemy is aiming that AoE or conal attack.
WildStar announces June 3rd launch date, preorder bonuses
It's official: WildStar is launching worldwide on June 3rd, and as of right this very moment, the NDA has lifted. Preorders for Carbine's sub-based sci-fantasy MMORPG will be available next Wednesday, March 19th. The $59.99 preorder provides beta events, early access on May 31st, housing deco that grants a rest XP bonus, character and guild name reservations, a 10-slot storage bag, and the exclusive rocket house shown above, in addition to the Standard Edition's 30 days of play time, buddy passes, and more deco. Another $15 gets you a Digital Deluxe version with a hoverboard, costume, title, and dye set. Stay tuned today for Massively's coverage from the recent press event, and enjoy the newly released images and launch announcement trailer. [Source: Carbine press release]
Elder Scrolls Online sounds rallying call for final stress test weekend
With launch right around the corner, ZeniMax is pushing hard to get Elder Scrolls Online in top shape for its world debut. This means one last big stress test weekend is on tap for later this week. ZeniMax is sending out a huge wave of invites for the test and reminded players that any previous beta testers are automatically included in the fun. There is no NDA for the weekend, and any participants will be given a monkey vanity pet upon launch. MJ will be streaming ESO from this beta test on Friday at 2:00 p.m. EST, so if you can't get in the game, definitely give her adventures a watch!
Valiance Online preps for combat testing
Superheroes of the world, stop moving around so much! This is the cry of Valiance Online's creators, who said that they are rooting players during combat to achieve "a familiar feeling" in the game. This is just the tip of a new postberg in which the devs talk about plans for upcoming combat testing. Valiance Online will be doing a stripped-down pass of the game in the near future that will allow players to level from 1 to 50 in one of 10 different archetypes. However, the devs warn players to expect unbalanced powers, gimped powersets, and a complete lack of secondary powersets during the test. "Our first pass will be all about inclusion, and not so much about balance, so don't be surprised if you find the majority of the powers to be a bit unsatisfactory in regards to balance. The balancing pass is planned for later patches," the devs said. Valiance Online is one of the self-proclaimed spiritual successors to City of Heroes.
Landmark video diary hints at the Pulverizer, new harvesting tools
It's time for another EverQuest Next Landmark video dev diary. Your host is EQNL lead systems designer Michael Mann, and he's a got a lot to say about harvesting tools. He enlists a bit of help from lead character artist Kacey Helms, who takes viewers on a journey from in-game axe concept to finished in-game axe model. Next up is lead animator Aaron Carlson, who shows off mining animations, followed by VFX artist Lisa Charriere, who explains what SOE's thinking in terms of particle effects. Finally, we're treated to a sneak peak of the Pulverizer, which is a new tunneling tool currently in the works. Click past the cut for the full video!
Tropico 5 enters beta in March, would-be despots urged to register
Whether you're a benevolent ruler willing to sacrifice everything for your island nation or a greedy sociopath looking to get rich on the backs of the working class, Kalypso Media wants your help. Tropico 5, the latest entry in Kalypso's banana republic management series, enters beta testing at an as-yet-undetermined date in March. The beta test wouldn't be very effective without players to stress the game, thus Kalypso has issued an announcement inviting interested players to visit the game's website where they will find a simple beta registration page. "We're looking for gamers who have a huge enthusiasm for city-building titles and with a wide experience playing within the genre," noted Kalypso in this morning's announcement. More details on what you'd be getting into by joining the Tropico 5 beta test can be found at the game's website. Unlike prior series entries, Tropico 5 sees players grooming a tropical country from the colonial era to the modern day, a change that both expands the game's scope and offers new, historically accurate ways of grinding the proletariat masses under your megalomaniacal bootheel. [Image: Kalypso Media]
Elder Scrolls Online inviting 'millions' for stress test while fretting over sub model
This looks to be a big weekend for The Elder Scrolls Online's beta program, as ZeniMax is "inviting millions" for a scale test. ESO invitees will also receive an extra code for a friend and an exclusive monkey vanity pet for launch. The studio noted that the NDA will not be in effect for this weekend's test, meaning that any public discussion, screenshots, or videos are fair game. In a conversation with CVG, Bethesda VP of PR Pete Hines said that there is some anxiety in the company over the subscription model not taking hold for ESO but hopes that players will find the value of the game worth the monthly payment. "We feel like this approach is going to give people who want to play the best value, and reason to look forward to the next new thing that's coming out," Hines explained. "The Elder Scrolls is our crown jewel and it's the series that made everything we do possible, so it's a big triple-A title that demands huge, ongoing triple-A support."
Black Gold starts alpha 'test drive' next month
Do you have the golden ticket? No, not the one to a whimsical and deadly chocolate factory, but the ticket to get into Black Gold Online's upcoming alpha test. If you do, then you've got a few weeks to prepare: Snail Games will be starting the alpha "test drive" on March 20th. The steampunk fantasy title has distributed keys from various giveaways over the past year. Starting now, those in the test can go ahead and activate their accounts on the official website. The March 20th test will be using an earlier version of the game and will include eight of Black Gold Online's classes.
Elder Scrolls Online will give option to bypass starter island
The Elder Scrolls Online's beginning experience will become optional, as ZeniMax is making a significant change to allow players to skip over it entirely. The latest build on the public test server now gives players the option to bypass the starter islands and the connected tutorial. They can do this by talking to an NPC, after which their character will be taken to a central city. The starter zones have been subject of criticism by some press and players for being too slow and plodding. According to the patch notes, players who choose to skip it can go back and experience the starter island at their leisure.
Shroud of the Avatar adds multiplayer features for release 3
If you backed Shroud of the Avatar chiefly to play around with its semi-online functionality, the newest release of the game should make you happy. The third test release features several of the multiplayer functions of the game, including chat, emotes, and friend lists. Combine that with the addition of a crafting system and new merchants, and the whole thing is closer than ever to being a fully featured online-but-not experience. The third test session will also feature a village, Braemor, expanding the amount of land that players have to explore and work within. Obviously, this test will be available only to backers of the game, but you can still jump on that through the game's official site if it sounds like something you want to play. For more details on the improvements as well as how to get into the game if you are a backer, take a look at the full release notes. [Source: Portalarium press release]
Transform yourself in Eclipse War Online's closed beta February 25th
A game that lets players transform into the mobs they kill? If you've got to see it to believe it, Eclipse War Online is opening its closed beta doors from February 25th to March 11th. All interested players have to do to get access to the beta is become a member of Playrohan.com, then watch the official Facebook page and Twitter for the exact times the servers open. Besides collecting transformation cards from monsters, players can also participate in PvP in arena mode or in the three-lane AOS mode (complete with minions and towers). If you just want just a bit more challenge to your PvE instead, know that time of day, geographic location, and predator/prey status affect gameplay in Eclipse War Online. [Source: Playwith Interactive press release]
EverQuest Next Landmark lays out development roadmap
EverQuest Next Landmark Director of Development Dave Georgeson has posted a roadmap for the title's next few months last night, divvying up the upcoming features into three phases that are independent of alpha and beta labels. In the first phase that's coming in "the next few weeks," SOE will be adding in player ratings for claims, key mapping, voice chat, groups and grouping bonuses, social media integration, quick travel options, better building tools, underground caves, claim expansions, required upkeep for claims, and an improved chat system that includes links for map waypoints. Phase two will happen about four weeks later, with guilds, SOEmote, naming freedom, mini-hubs, health, dying, basic combat, buffs, plant harvesting, water, a tree harvesting revamp, a journal system, achivements, salvage, treasure chests, claim storage, and more movement options including flying. SOE was a little more vague about the third phase, saying that it will include PvP, advanced combat, more physics, and better AI. [Thanks to Michael18 for the tip!]
The Elder Scrolls Online: Fitting into the genre or forging its own?
It's been about nine months since I first got my hands on The Elder Scrolls Online. Since then, like many of you, I've been trapped on the sidelines, watching and waiting for my turn to jump into the game. This past weekend, I got my chance, but I've found my experience to be distressingly similar to those described by other journalists. Like Massively's Eliot before me, my early foundation was in console gaming, but my reason for avoiding The Elder Scrolls series was very different from his: The Elder Scrolls has always been a single-player series, and after having my world opened by MMOs, I found that going back to single-player games has become difficult. I need people! I need multiplayer options! I need MMOs. Enter The Elder Scrolls Online and my excitement for it. I knew a lot of the series' famed freeform gameplay would be cut back in exchange for letting me play alongside my friends, but that was something that I, as a series newbie, was willing to sacrifice. But while my overall impression of the game was positive, I still have this lurking sensation that something important was missing.
Previewing The Elder Scrolls Online: Massively goes to Tamriel
Have you heard that rumbling in the air over the last few months? That was the sound of millions of gamers grinding their teeth over The Elder Scrolls Online's unwavering NDA, a sound that grew ever louder as the game announced controversial preorder bonuses last month and passed the two-months-from-launch mark earlier this week. Fortunately for your dental health, that NDA is at least partly coming down today. The gaming press was invited to play a limited portion of the game last weekend, and though our readers are still under NDA, we're finally not, so at last we can pass along our experiences! Today, we present to you our impressions of last weekend's preview event and the beta so far. We've got videos on character creation, thoughts on the starting zones and storytelling, guides to skill progression and racial perks, and an overview of the state of the game from an MMO player who isn't already a nut for the series. Enjoy! The Elder Scrolls Online beta is absolutely nothing special Eliot posts his general impressions of ESO as an MMORPG fan with no Elder Scrolls baggage. A guide to character creation in The Elder Scrolls Online Larry tackles ESO's robust character creation with an in-depth video. Butt sliders included. A guide to skill progression in The Elder Scrolls Online Matt investigates ESO's skills and character progression in the noble pursuit of battlemagery. What do The Elder Scrolls Online's racial abilities mean for endgame? Larry explores just how annoyed we should be about the Imperial Edition's perks. Starting out in The Elder Scrolls Online: Coldharbour and Stros M'Kai Matthew treks through the tutorial and Daggerfall Covenant zones. Starting out in The Elder Scrolls Online: Bleakrock Isle and Khenarthi's Roost Matt scopes out the early areas of ESO's Ebonheart Pact and Aldmeri Dominion factions. Tamriel Infinium: Story and character in The Elder Scrolls Online Larry considers the quality of ESO's pivotal players and introductory story.
Starting out in The Elder Scrolls Online: Bleakrock Isle and Khenarthi's Roost
Everyone knows that first impressions matter, and this is especially true for MMOs. The Elder Scrolls Online starts all players in Molag Bal's realm of Coldharbour, but after their escape, they're sent to a faction-specific starting zone, each with its own questline and flavor. While Massively's Matthew has Coldharbour and the Daggerfall Covenant's starting area covered in his own piece, I had the opportunity to make my way through the starter zones of the Ebonheart Pact and the Aldmeri Dominion. The difference between the two is borderline comical. The Aldmeri Dominion is treated to a sunny tropical paradise, while the Ebonheart Pact fights its way through the frozen mountains of Skyrim. On top of that, they seem to be designed almost completely independently from one another.
