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Massively interviews BioWare on SWTOR's crafting and PvP
This past Wednesday, I had the opportunity to head down to LucasArts in San Francisco to check out the current build of Star Wars: The Old Republic and chat with some of the BioWare developers. While my hands-on with the game won't be out until next month, we can deliver a couple of smaller interviews on two of the recently revealed systems in the game. And I think you'll want to hear what the interviewees have to say! Join me past the cut as I ask lead writer Daniel Erickson and lead PvP designer Gabe Amatangelo all about the Alderaan Warzone, the PvP reward system, avoiding battleground design pitfalls, companion tradeskilling, player-made gear, and hardcore crafting in SWTOR.
15 Minutes of Fame: A rare and beautiful collection
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. Among the ranks of in-game item collectors (would a goblin call those players "acquisitionists"?), you'll find plenty of hardcore vanity pet fans. You'll find mount collectors. You'll find those poor, inventory-challenged souls who collect armor and dungeon sets. And then there is this collector, who's managed to collect all three -- and sweeps it together with a uniquely stylish twist. Meet Michelle, aka Drrum of Stormrage (US-A). If you were to ask vanity pet connoisseur Brian of WarcraftPets (aka Breanni, immortalized as Dalaran's cutie-pie pet supplies vendor and previously profiled here on 15 Minutes of Fame) for the name of a player who exemplifies the spirit of in-game collecting, Drrum's name pops out without a moment's hesitation. Once you take a look at the incredible gallery below, featuring Drrum with her pets (augmented with Papa Hummel's Old Fashioned Pet Biscuits), wearing coordinating armor and clothing sets and posing in appropriate locales -- well, there's no doubt you'll want to join us after the break to hear how Drrum puts all these collections together. %Gallery-104231%
Newly "smuggled" information from Star Wars: The Old Republic
Just when we think there isn't anything more that can be revealed about the smuggler class, BioWare proves us wrong. The Old Republic website just launched a slew of screenshots, advanced class data, and videos about Han Solo's favorite Republic class. Let's see if we can break this down into bite-sized pieces. First, we know the smuggler's duck-and-cover combat techniques are not new, but we now have an official breakdown of the advanced classes. The scoundrel advanced class is all about sneaking in, hitting hard, then getting out before anyone notices. The stealth belt, med pack, and single blaster are his equipment of choice. The gunslinger advanced class controls the enemies' movement as well as packing a nice DPS punch. All the gunslinger needs is two blasters and perfect aim -- if you bust an enemy's knees or blindshot him, he ain't gonna move. Secondly, we have one of the smuggler's companions: Bowdaar. This Wookiee is most likely picked up on the Smuggler's Moon, Nar Shaddaa, since he is a gladiator in the arenas there. Although he uses few -- if any -- weapons, this strong-armed companion has never been defeated in battle. This sets him up well to be the tank to the smuggler's healer or crowd control role. Plus, what's a smuggler without a Wookiee partner, right? Lastly, what would a smuggler be without a starship? The Corellian XS Stock Light Freighter serves at the smuggler's transportation of choice. As with most Corellian-designed vessels, the XS Stock Light is perfect for cargo transportation, crew accommodation, and pirate defense. Everything your smuggler will need to find consistent work throughout the galaxy, plus a few added features to hide not-so-legal items. Check out more information about this sneaky class on the official site, and don't forget to visit our gallery for some awesome screenshots. %Gallery-103218%
Cataclysm Beta: New mounts and companion pets in build 12984
Meet Deathy. He's one of the new companion pets that will be joining us in Cataclysm. He won't be the only one, though, as the latest build added a host of new mounts and pets. Mounts & Pets Mounts Ultramarine Qiraji Battle Tank Summons and dismisses a rideable Ultramarine Qiraji Battle Tank. This is a very fast mount. Sandstone Drake Transforms you into a Sandstone Drake, allowing you to fly very fast and carry an ally on your back. Mottled Drake Summons and dismisses a rideable Mottled Drake. This is a very fast mount. Kron'Kar Annihilator Summons and dismisses the Kron'Kar Annihilator. This is a very fast mount. cast Companion Pets Deathy Right Click to summon and dismiss Deathy. / Instant Guild Herald Right Click to summon your guild's Herald for up to 5 min. Guild Page Right Click to summon your guild's Page for up to 5 min. Gold Mini Jouster Right Click to summon and dismiss a Gold Mini Jouster. Blue Mini Jouster Right Click to summon and dismiss a Blue Mini Jouster. Tiny Shale Spider Right Click to summon and dismiss the Tiny Shale Spider. Pebble Right Click to summon and dismiss Pebble. / Instant Landro's Lil' XT Right Click to set down or pick up your Landro's Lil' XT action figure. Enchanted Lantern Right Click to summon and dismiss your Enchanted Lantern. Magic Lamp Right Click to summon and dismiss your Magic Lamp. / Instant Elementium Geode Right Click to summon and dismiss your Elementium Geode. Mr. Grubbs Right Click to summon and dismiss Mr. Grubbs. Brazie's Sunflower Right Click to summon and dismiss Brazie's Sunflower. I wonder if the Gold and Blue Mini Jousters will interact with each other in some fashion. That'll be somewhat entertaining during downtime in raids. The Sandstone Drake is a mount I'd be interested in grabbing, as well, due to its shapeshifting and passenger capability. I know there isn't a whole lot of information yet on the mounts or pets, but what are you looking forward to picking up? [via MMO Champion] World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
Bethesda reveals Fallout: New Vegas companions
Bethesda rep Matt Grandstaff notes in a spoilery PS blog post that Fallout: New Vegas' version of the wasteland is "a dangerous and desolate place." Like Fallout 3, New Vegas is filled with companions to help you endure the journey. You can find their images past the break and more info here.
SWTOR finds a companion for the Jedi knight
In SWTOR's Deceived trailer, there was an odd shot of the Jedi leader giving a signal to an astromech droid. Per usual, the writers at BioWare do not put anything into their trailers without a specific reason. This past Friday, that little droid was revealed to be a companion for the Jedi knight class, named T7-O1 (tee seven - oh one). This little bot calls back to both T3-M4 of Knights of the Old Republic and, of course, R2-D2 of the Star Wars movies. In fact, his attitude is very similar to R2-D2's. According to the companion page on SWTOR's official site, he considers his owners to be more like partners and less like masters. T7-O1 was activated over two centuries before the Treaty of Coruscant and has yet to be memory-wiped in that whole time. He remembers every organic he has ever worked with, from the petty smugglers, to Senator Oodora of Manaan, to Captain Nico Okarr, and to Jedi Master Ven Zallow, whom we witnessed being killed by Darth Malgus in the previously mentioned trailer. For your Jedi knight character, you can expect this droid to be an invaluable source of information. His surveillance, cartography, and data-slicing skills are unmatched. BioWare has not revealed where your Jedi knight will meet T7-O1, just like every other companion mentioned for this game, but rest assured, he's waiting for you somewhere in that galaxy far, far away.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Gotta catch 'em all
What an incredible expansion Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms is turning out to be! In addition to the awesomeness of the new two-seated mounts and the new instance, Runes of Magic also received surprisingly large new gameplay features. Yes, I'm talking about the new pet system that seemed to be overshadowed during the advertising of The Warnorken Castle, but is no less exciting than Warnorken Arena, for which the patch was named. The pet system is so large in scope that it renewed the initial wonder and excitement I had when I first logged in to RoM and saw all the uniquely deep elements it began with. Finding, naming, and caring for pets is an entire game unto itself that bleeds into -- and feeds -- other aspects of RoM as well. It's Pokemon meets Digimon meets MMO, and it's delivered to you by the Easter Bunny. Hop past the jump to reveal all the inner workings of this awesome new system.
Hyperspace Beacon: Fires of Hope from E3 2010
The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic. No matter where you were this week, if you are a Star Wars fan, you saw the new SWTOR trailer: Hope. I'm sure you also read the Daily Grind asking, "Do cinematics make you want to play?" It's an honest question. Lots of times these over-the-top trailers mask some of the things producers aren't telling you about the game you are interested in playing. In fact, it may give you greater expectations than the game has to offer. There have been quite a few comments about Star Wars Galaxies' trailers which have caused some players of the seven-year-old MMO to ask rhetorically, "I want to play that game. Where is that game?" So let me tell you up front, Star Wars: The Old Republic does not look like either of the cinematic trailers, but that does not mean it is not a great game. I believe as a fan of this game and as a reporter for this website that I would be doing you, the reader, an injustice by totally giving into the (albeit mostly fan-created) hype that surrounds this game. So this week I want to take things back a notch and hopefully give you a realistic outlook on a couple of announced aspects of the game.
The Daily Grind: How well do you know your game buddies?
While it's increasingly possible to play an MMO without being forced to interact with others, it's a bit like renting a tuxedo for a trip to McDonald's. Connections get formed (however mercenary they may be at the start) and you find yourself with a circle of friends you play with. Of course, while it's helpful to know who these people are, it's not absolutely necessary to know much aside from their character names and their roles in a group. Some people are content to leave their knowledge of cohorts there; others prefer to go the extra mile and find out the players and personalities behind the avatars. And it can help the play experience to know that Swizzle the Thief is actually a CPA in Gary, Indiana who's thinking about marrying his girlfriend. It's not going to help the group in the strictest sense, though, and getting too attached can lead to some major drama. What about you? Do you tend to know a lot about the people you game with, or would you generally prefer not to know?
The Daily Grind: Do you invite your friends?
Not every game has one, but several do -- the opportunity to invite a friend who hasn't played the game before, or try and entire someone back to the game again after a prolonged absence. After all, we have friends we know outside of our games that still enjoy flying around and smashing orcs (or alien horrors, or gang members, or anyone unlucky enough to wander into your space), and it's fun to bring people you interact with anyway into your favorite virtual world. You've got automatic leveling partners and people who know how you like to work, what could go wrong? Well, they could not like it. Actually, they could get annoyed at you bugging them about the game and decide not to play based solely upon that. Or they could wind up going in a completely different field of the game than you enjoy, or they might bring a whole bunch of real-world drama into a world you had been using to avoid that drama. So there might be good reasons to let your friends just keep enjoying whatever they like and keep your MMO friends separate. What do you do? Do you invite your old buddies, or do you stick with the fresh start?
The Oracles' Mysterious Egg is a must-get for pet and mount collectors
If you're still trying to decide whether to grind rep with the Oracles or the Frenzyheart in Sholozar Basin, here's something that might make up your mind: The Mysterious Egg, a reputation reward at revered with the Oracles. You'll have to keep the egg on you for 7 days, but at the end of those 7 days, it will hatch into a few things. Most of the time, the egg will be a "dud," and you get an Aged Yolk. Some of the other possibilities, however, are pretty dang cool.
The Old Republic Unveiled: Companion Characters
Even in a massively multiplayer space, it can be lonely. Playing by yourself in an MMO can be a strange, isolating experience. Solo play is fun every once in a while, but the point of these games is to play with other people. Or at least other entities. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare is approaching solo play and storytelling in a unique way ... that should be wholly unsurprising for anyone that's played one of their titles before. They're leveraging their experiences with games like Mass Effect and Baldur's Gate to creat the most compelling NPC allies yet seen in the MMO space. Join us as we explore characters you'll learn to like, hate, and maybe even love.%Gallery-35034%
Mounts and Vanity Pets in Patch 3.0.2
One of the coolest changes in Patch 3.0.2 is the way mounts and vanity pets work. Done as a way to save bag space, this is great news for collectors and might even spur other players to start collecting, too. On live servers, pets and mounts summoned through the use of an item. When tomorrow's patch goes live, these pets and mounts will become consumable, single-charge items that teach you a spell to summon the relevant pet or mount. The pet or mount will then disappear from your inventory. Don't panic, those simply become spells that you will be able to access through your Character panel. There's a tab there labeled 'Pets', which will contain two sub-tabs called 'Companions' and 'Mounts'. Selected pets and mounts will be previewed in the window, and you can easily drag your pet and mount spells to your hotbars. Pets are instant cast spells that can be cast while moving and activate the GCD. You can create macros and key bindings for pets and mounts just as you would any other spell. %Gallery-34349%
TR's Deployment 13 introduces new Command System
Tabula Rasa's Deployment 13 has just hit the Public Test Server, and we think you might be excited to hear about the new Command System being implemented with it. Previously referred to as the Minion System, this enhancement gives better control over AI pets and controllable NPCs, also called subordinates, in the game.Subordinates now have better control features where you can set their aggressiveness or defensiveness, assign an anchor point, order them to attack or heal a particular target or set them to simply follow you. All of these commands are done through a set of easy commands and hotkeys. To find out more info on the complete Command System, check out today's Feedback Friday.
The newest Guild Wars companions explained
With the recent news of two new allies joining the fray for Guild Wars, you may be excited about the new game mechanics that both the M.O.X. hero and the Fire Imp helper bring to the game. We may even go so far as to say that these game mechanics could be a glimpse into what's to come with Guild Wars 2 game mechanics. ArenaNet has already said that there will be a 'sidekick' in Guild Wars 2, but is the Fire Imp a precursor to that?Speculations aside, these two new companions have caused a stir lately. First, there are those who inevitably say that M.O.X. is overpowered. There are those who say the Fire Imp is simply a free ticket to the Survivor title. There are those who say that these are both ways for ArenaNet to scrape up some more money for Guild Wars 2 development. Whatever outlandish rumors you believe, they're here and they're changing the way we play the game just a bit. Follow along as we give these two a proper introduction and explain the facts about what they are exactly>>
15 Minutes of Fame: A man and his (80+) pets
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.A couple of months ago, WoW Insider reported on the immortalization of WarcraftPets.com founder/owner Breanni with an NPC in Wrath of the Lich King. In the expansion, Breanni of US Scarlet Crusade-A appears as a NPC selling pet supplies in Dalaran. Curious about the growing public enthusiasm ("Obsession"? We think Breanni might agree ...) with non-combat pets, we contacted Breanni for more perspectives into the vanity pet craze -- as well as what it's like to run into yourself in the game as an NPC. 15 Minutes of Fame: Vanity pets – who knew? How many vanity pets are out there now, and how can players get them?Breanni: Vanity pets (also known as companions, small pets, non-combat pets and mini-pets) are those adorable little critters that follow your character around the game world, catching the eye and imagination of others. Currently, there are 98 vanity pets, and new ones are added to the game nearly every major content patch. However, not all of these pets are available in the United States - a few are region-specific.There are six ways to obtain vanity pets. Vendors, drops and quests offer players some of the most familiar pets. Additionally, there are a handful of pets crafted by engineers. Some of the rarest pets are obtained through real-world promotions, such as loot cards from the WoW trading card game and trade show giveaways. Finally, a new source has emerged for collecting certain pets: they can be earned through various feats, such as battleground victories or collecting a certain number of pets with a single character.
