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EVE Evolved: Rubicon 1.3 and repainting ships
EVE Online's recently released Rubicon expansion was an important first step toward a truly player-run universe for everyone, allowing corporations to wage empire wars over planetary customs offices and introducing a series of new personal deployable structures. The initial release was a little light on content, but developers have since expanded on it significantly with three major point releases. Rubicon 1.3 went live this week, and the changes seem pretty good all around. This release overhauled the directional scanner, buffed the SoE Nestor battleship's capacitor recharge rate and remote repair range, and nerfed remote sensor dampeners into the ground. Large corporations like EVE University were pleased to hear that the limit on the size of corporations has been increased to 12,600 thanks to changes to the corporation management skills. And in response to an emerging trend in fleet warfare involving hordes of drone ships assigning their drones to an interceptor, developers have also limited the number of drones that can be assigned to another ship to 50. The 1.29 GB patch also included several overhauled ship models and new ship shaders, but the new feature I see the most potential in is the ability to finally repaint our ships. This could eventually help corporations establish their own visual identities and might even link into gameplay or EVE's spying metagame. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at some of the Rubicon 1.3 changes and how repainting your ship could become more than simply a cosmetic upgrade.
Ship painting is coming to EVE Online
For some people, the idea of painting the outside of your ship in EVE Online is pointlessly frivolous. For others, it's the cue to immediately get out some swatches and start talking about how nice a battlecruiser would look in hot pink and safety orange. The bad news for players in the latter camp is that those aren't available colors, but an early test version of ship painting will be introduced with the game's next major patch. Nine total paint schemes are being introduced: eight available for Aurum and one available via in-game acievements. This is an intentionally narrow field, as the developers want to see what kind of player interest exists and whether or not having custom-painted ships will affect play patterns. For more details on exactly how you can space-pimp your space-ride, take a look at the full rundown on the pilot program. And be sure to ask for that pink-and-orange number with the next wave.
New Albion Online dev video details classless system
In Albion Online, you are what you wear, and a new developer video delves into exactly how that works. The multi-platform fantasy game touts a classless system in which players' equipped gear determines their role, putting the power to create traditional roles or experiment with new ones in the hands of the players themselves. And the number of possible armor and weapon combinations is limited only by the number of items in the game. The type of equipment is not the only form of customization in this system, either. Player-crafted spells are added to each piece of gear, further personalizing the individual items that make up each player-concocted set. Check out an early demonstration of the spellcrafting and hear more about the classless system in the video below. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
CSTM uses augmented reality to help you create the perfect custom furniture
If you've ever tried to find a bookcase of your own, you'll know that finding the perfect set of shelves for all your stuff can pose quite the challenge. One new startup, CSTM, is looking to change that, putting furniture customization in the hands of anyone with an iPad. The startup launched today during a tech conference in San Francisco, and is currently on the hunt for its first 1000 customers to try the app out. With CSTM, you point your iPad at the wall where your bookcase will go to measure everything up, and then drag and drop template shelves into the perfect array to fit your vinyl collection and oddly-sized camera equipment. Once your done, a printout from your PC can be used to create an augmented-reality version of the bookcase. After making any needed adjustments, you can then order your creation and have it shipped to your home. Based on the demo we saw, the whole process from start to finish can be done in just a few minutes -- that's faster than it took us to build our soon-to-be-extinct Expedit unit.
Alchaemy: Transforming Apple devices into one-of-a-kind originals
I had to smile yesterday as I was reading Mike Wehner's plea for a black MacBook Air, because I knew how easy that would be to accomplish. It would be just as easy as having a 24 carat gold iPad mini, a reflective red Mac Pro or a metallic green iPhone 5s. In case you think that all of these are impossible, they're not -- all it takes is a little Alchaemy. Alchaemy is a company based in Sherman Oaks, California specializing in taking standard, run-of-the-mill Apple products and turning them into works of art. There are two processes: COLORZ, which coats the standard aluminum with the color of your choice, and SHYNE, which plates your device in chrome, black diamond (I think this might be what Mike would like...), or 24K gold. You can send in an existing device to be transformed, or buy a new one. For MacBooks, you can change the color of the keyboard backlight, accent the laptop with a different trackpad coating, and even personalize the device with laser etching or glowing text. Prices vary depending on exactly what you want done, but if you're interested in a truly one-of-a-kind Apple device, Alchaemy can enable the transformation. Here's a short video demonstrating how the company's online design tool works: Some may call these customizations gaudy or tacky, others may see them as a true reflection of their personality. Whatever your feeling, it's good to know that if you want to stand out in the crowd, Alchaemy has your back.
A look at WildStar's customization options
How much do you like character customization? If you shrug and click the nearest "random" button when making a new character you probably don't care much. But if you like to carefully examine customization options before creating a character, and then even more carefully examine customization options after creating a character... well, WildStar's developers understand the way you work. They'd like to help, insofar as giving you a whole bunch more customization options could count as "helping." Customizing your character doesn't end at creation -- it extends to how you play your character, how your character's outfit looks, and even how your mount looks. Not to mention, of course, that there's the housing system. The game's latest DevSpeak video about customization is just past the cut, and we got a chance to talk a little more with the fine folks at Carbine Studios about tuning your character just right.
Motorola expands Moto X wood finish options, drops the price premium to $25
If you've wanted a Moto X with a wood finish, but didn't like bamboo or the $100 price premium over a regular model, we have good news: Motorola has just made the option a lot more appealing. Starting January 21st, you'll get to customize the Android smartphone with an ebony, teak or walnut backing (rosewood isn't an option, alas). That astronomical price has come down to Earth, too, as the wood option now costs a more reasonable $25. We can't imagine that many prospective Moto X buyers have been waiting for a device that matches their coffee table, but those particularly demanding customers should be very happy after next week.
Scraps wants you to strap guns to cars, build bringers of destruction
Car combat games can be built with a fairly simplistic formula and still be a lot of fun to play. What would happen if players entered death machines with wheels that they crafted down to a vehicle's chassis, though? It would look something like Scraps, a customization-focused car combat game that's more than willing to hand you the toolbox and a pile of parts. Scraps will focus on a deathmatch experience, both in free-for-all and team-oriented rounds of destruction. As players blast pieces off of an opponent's vehicle, they will be able to collect the rubble and return to designated platforms to repair or upgrade their own rides. If your friends aren't into reducing cars to LEGO sets, single player, AI-filled deathmatch options will also be available. Those more interested in playing with creation tools are covered, too - Scraps will offer a sandbox mode with unlimited funds. Can you build a 20-foot wide wall of turrets on wheels capable of firing without knocking itself over? Only one way to find out! The alpha release of Scraps is planned for the middle of 2014, but you can tinker around with some creation tools in Scraps' pre-alpha builder demo right now. If the project has already won you over, you can donate $20 NZD (~$16 in US currency) to its Kickstarter campaign and secure yourself a digital copy for PC, Mac and Linux once the first alpha is live. Yes, that will eventually include the full game too, and Steam keys will be available now that the project has been Greenlit.
Star Wars: The Old Republic launches Galactic Starfighter for subscribers
Subscribers to Star Wars: The Old Republic don't have to wait another day to start fighting across the stars. Galactic Starfighter early access is now live for subscribers, with Preferred players getting access on January 14th, 2014, and free players allowed in on February 4th, 2014. Yes, if you want to blow up other ships today, subscribing right now will still let you start blasting away, and you won't even have to hit a certain level to be eligible. The goal with Galactic Starfighter as explained in one of two new development blogs was to allow all players access to the content even if they're not as interested in the story. Progressing through the leveling game will unlock companions, though, and the other development blog details how your crew members can help your overall performance. There's also a new trailer just past the cut showing off how you can customize your ship, perfect if you're deciding whether you want to subscribe or if you prefer to wait to start playing.
Verizon's Moto X customization page is online right now, not that you can use it
It's less than a day until we're expecting to see carriers other than AT&T offer customization options for the Moto X, and it looks as if Verizon's already getting its ducks in a row. One of our eagle-eyed readers has spotted that Big Red has thrown up a Moto Maker page, which should, from tomorrow, let you select various cover and button combinations for Google's new mid-ranger. Naturally, the page is currently inactive, but at least you can bookmark it ahead of tomorrow's anticipated announcement, right? [Thanks, Paul]
More on Albion Online's unique equipment customization system
Previously we learned that character customization in Albion Online would include a unique system for customizing gear where players can add any crafted spell to any piece of equipment. Players can eschew cookie-cutter character molds and choose any combination they want, but they can also play up the inherent characteristics of a particular weapon or armor piece. Armor-wise, cloth pieces will have natural enhancements for mana regeneration, stealth, energy shields, or cleanse; plate piece enhancements, on the other hand, are about protection, instant self-heals, and survival mechanics. Weapons also have their own inherent characteristics: Broadswords have defensive characteristics, axes have offensive damage, and one-handed hammers have healing. To learn more about Albion Online, check out Massively's exclusive interview. Interested players can sign up for beta on the official site. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
Five features I really want from the next expansion
So everyone's handily speculating on just what the next expansion will be, and what it will have and not have. That's pretty awesome. I love speculating. So in the spirit of things, I've decided to throw my hat in the ring and natter on about what I'd love to see from the next expansion, whatever it ends up being. Let's just jump right into it. What stuff do I think would be awesome? An overhaul of the leveling/alt process I definitely think we need to reconsider how we deal with alts. I'd love to see a system that reduced the time you had to spend getting them leveled once you got the first one to max - heirlooms work for that, but that long-rumored heirloom tab would make it a lot easier. Another thing which would definitely help are more heirlooms like Hellscream's Decapitator - our current heirlooms don't take us all the way to max level the way it will, and it's also useful now as a raid-level item an alt can make use of. It's an experiment I hope they continue. I've seen some arguments that we should be able to start a high-level alt to skip over a lot of the leveling process, especially as we get closer and closer to the likely new level cap of 100. If that was implemented, it would need to be done carefully, but I'd definitely support some way to preview a class at or near max level so you could figure out if you'll like it or cut down on having to do the full 1 to 100 (or whatever it ends up being) march again.
New Greed Monger screens show character creation
All's been quiet on the Greed Monger front lately, but some new screens have surfaced for the crafting-centric sandbox that show off the character creation system. The four new screenshots released on the game's Facebook page show off male and female models as well as various facial and body features that can be affected by 46 different sliders that adjust the details of your avatar. These screenshots also show a slightly different system than the Unity avatar building system that players have been able to mess around with since June (although you can still make an amusing she-hulk-monkey-girl there). See what you think about the new system in our gallery below.
The Tattered Notebook: EverQuest Next Round Table roundup
Back when EverQuest Next and EverQuest Landmark were announced, SOE President John Smedley made it clear that the two games were henceforth in "open development." That meant that the company would be soliciting feedback and opinions from players about myriad design decisions for the two games. Since then, EQ Next devs have thrown out new questions each week for players to vote on and discuss. Utilizing polls and forum discussions in a special section of the main site labeled Round Table, important topics like bearded female dwarves and armor appearance customization are delved into and player desires and feedback are gathered. After collecting the data, the devs respond, sometimes in video form. Today, The Tattered Notebook is going to round up all those roundtables, giving you a summary of which way the community is leaning on these different topics as well as the dev input. I'll even throw in snippets of their opinions as well! Of course, if you haven't added your thoughts to the mix and you'd like to, you still have time to do so as all the polls are still active.
See how the Moto X is made (video)
Not everyone gets to walk behind the tech industry's velvet ropes. So when Motorola opened the gates to its Fort Worth, Texas facility -- the place where custom Moto X's are made -- we were there to bring you an inside look. And in the interest of getting you even more intimately acquainted with the Google company's assembled in the USA smartphone production hub, we have something almost as good as being there: a behind-the-scenes video tour. So, what are you waiting for... an invite? Head past the break to glimpse phase one of this whole new Motorola and see Governor Rick Perry spike an iPhone 5.
Motorola's American Dream: unbridled customization, two-day shipping and a Texas factory
It wasn't supposed to happen this way: Motorola had picked the date for its Fort Worth, Texas facility's dedication ceremony first. But then Apple went ahead to claim the date and stole the day's spotlight with its new iPhone reveals. No matter, as the gathering of press, factory workers and bold-faced names -- Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- seemed minorly preoccupied with the major news of the day. We were in the midst of Nokia's old manufacturing plant, after all, now the birthplace of all custom-made Moto X's and there was the spirit of American manufacturing to celebrate. To drive that point home, some very Springsteen-ish tunes were pumped over the loudspeakers as we all patiently awaited the end of Cupertino's product showcase and the start of Motorola's "we can too make it in the USA" toldja moment. I even half-expected Miley Cyrus to jump onstage with an assortment of teddy bears brandishing raver-hued Moto X's. She didn't and an Americana Twitter-trending hashtag moment was missed. Still there was one exceptional and unscripted highlight waiting in the wings. It wasn't CEO Dennis Woodside nose-thumbing at those unnamed rivals that said US-based production could and would never happen. Nor was it Schmidt's patriotic pledge to the Texas facility: "This is a bet we're taking on America ... on Texas [and] on this incredible workforce that's assembled here. We think this is a very, very safe bet." No. It was the moment Woodside presented Gov. Perry with a Moto X -- designed with Texan colors -- and Perry, in response, unceremoniously spiked his iPhone to the floor below. Yes, the moment is caught on tape.
Captain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online's Daniel Stahl, part two
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Northern California and stop by and spend some time with the Star Trek Online team at Cryptic Studios. This week I continue my series of interviews with the team with part two of my conversation with Star Trek Online Executive Producer Daniel Stahl. Take a leap past the break and read more about what Stahl had to say about the new trait system, what a new level cap raise might entail, and his own involvement with writing new story content for the Klingon faction!
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's addons
Whether you agree with World of Warcraft's approach to interface design or not, it's hard to deny that it's a fascinating case study. It's a game that was released with a broken interface, one that was very decidedly not the optimal way to experience the game... with the expectation that players would develop a better one (which could then be pinched by the developers to improve the core experience). This is pretty unusual now, and it was almost unheard of back in the day. But WildStar is going down the same road of having UI mods and addons in from day one, and it's one of the places that I think taking lessons from World of Warcraft would not only be prudent but downright smart. Including UI modding from launch means that WildStar will have the opportunity to tread down familiar paths. But some of those paths are familiarly awful, and so perhaps the developers could learn some lessons from those who have made these mistakes before. So let's look at the good, the bad, and how we can perhaps get more of the former than the latter.
Grand Theft Auto 5 to feature weapon, vehicle customization
Grand Theft Auto 5's weapon and vehicle customization systems will allow players to perform drive-by shootings as unique as they are, thanks to mods that alter how items and rides perform, as well as how they look. Customizing weapons will play a part in successfully completing certain missions, lead mission designer Imran Sarwar told Game Informer. Extended clips/magazines, scopes, flashlights, suppressors and cosmetic alterations will let players tailor their armory to both their personal tastes, as well as the requirements of whatever gangster stuff they're about to perpetrate. Likewise, car customization returns, though with reportedly more depth than the system seen in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. "Some missions ask you to customize vehicles in certain ways, and we have taken vehicle customization in general a lot further," Sarwar said. Cars and bikes can be outfitted with stuff as traditional as new body kits and paint jobs, to more miniscule alterations like changing tire smoke color, adjusting engine tuning and swapping out the vehicle's horn.
Dragon's Crown characters get color, voice, name customization
Dragon's Crown features a bevy of customization options, including changeable character names, outfits and voices, and the ability to switch control from the analog stick to the D-pad. Character names are fully editable, while their outfits feature five color palettes, and the voices can be either English or Japanese. The voice option applies to each character uniquely, and players can mix it up on the battlefield. Dragon's Crown launches on August 6 for PS3 and Vita, shipping with Voice Pack DLC that features different narrator voices for each playable character in the game – Amazon, Dwarf, Elf, Fighter, Sorceress and Wizard. The Voice Pack is free for one month, and $2 after that.%Gallery-193084%
