customization
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Kindle Fire gets rooted with 'one click,' paves the way for Amazonian adventures
Yesterday, we saw the Kindle Fire get ripped apart. Today, it's been rooted. The solution comes courtesy of a user lovingly known as "death2all11o," who posted the "1-click' recipe to Android Forums earlier today. The procedure seems relatively straightforward, requiring only a copy of SuperOneClick 2.2, an Android SDK, and a bit of hacktastic know-how. For a more detailed guide, hit up the source links below. [Thanks, Blake]
Unveiled: The Supernatural trailer shows off gameplay, customization [Updated]
Unveiled: The Supernatural recently made its way onto our radar screen, and a new trailer from last week's G-Star convention offers the first real look under the game's hood. While we've seen plenty of screenshots, renders, and a cinematic, the new clip indulges in a few fly-through shots as well as some glimpses of avatar and outfit customization. Toward the end of the video we also get to see both solo- and group-based PvE, as well as the requisite neck biting and heart-stabbing that are part and parcel of every vampire title. Check out the full clip after the cut. [Update: Maverick Studios reached out to us to let us know that this isn't an official trailer: "It is not a publicly released gameplay trailer from G-star; it is a prototype video made more than a year ago by eight developers who were constructing their vision of Unveiled: The Supernatural."]
The Daily Grind: Do you prefer pre-made class characters?
Although it's not a new trend, the practice of making pre-made playable characters to represent each class in an MMO is becoming more and more popular. In games like Rusty Hearts, Vindictus, Diablo, Torchlight, Aika and a few others, you pick from an assortment of pre-made characters to play the game. Customization is non-existent or minimal, but you're not really playing those types of games for a deeply customizable character. Without worrying about getting your hair and eye color just right, you can grab a character and just start playing. So is this a feature you prefer over heavy customization? Do you accept it for certain games, based on their style, or is it a complete turn-off for you across the board? Let us know in the comments below! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
PlanetSide 2's classes undergo flexible combat training
Everyone loves choices, especially when it comes to roleplaying games and the character building that goes on during the course of a game. While PlanetSide 2 may look, sound, and smell like a FPS shooter, SOE is doing all it can to ensure there's just as much choice when it comes to how players will be building their combat-hardened veterans. For starters, there are six classes from which to choose, although the decisions don't end there. Depending on a soldier's whims, she can train in certifications to tailor the class to her play style. Similar to EVE Online's skill system, cert training takes place in real time no matter if the player is online or off. Finally, players can modify -- or "sidegrade" -- their weapons for that last level of customization. Choose a class or playstyle that ends up not working out for you? SOE will even let you change your build without having to start over. Creative director Matt Higby explains: "You can switch back and forth anytime you respawn, any time you're at an equipment terminal. You can constantly try out each one of those classes and figure out what about the classes you want or what your empire needs."
City of Heroes thinks you deserve a facepalm emote
If you've been enjoying City of Heroes' recent F2P conversion, then you're probably aware of the one great truth of the superhero genre: Customization is everything. You can never have too many costume pieces, auras, capes, and emotes. Perhaps that's why Paragon Studios is giving away 10,000 /facepalm emote codes as part of its ongoing series of Facebook contests. The contest is open to large parts of North American and Europe for the duration of October, and all you have to do is subject yourself to the wilds of Facebook and click a "like" button or two to get your exclusive emote. What are you waiting for? The plebes of Atlas Park await your well-placed /facepalm.
The Daily Grind: Can you have too many options at character creation?
While Aion may not be your cup of tea, you certainly can't claim that the character creation in the game is lacking in features. It is possible -- easy, even -- to make a tiny, anime-esque sprite or a would-be marble statue, if you wish. Of course, to do that you have to play with several dozen sliders, hair styles, skin tones, eye spacers, and an overall breadth of options that could make some players boggle. All this, of course, pales next to games such as Champions Online and City of Heroes, which have even broader options. And sometimes you don't really want to fuss with the fine details of your arm length before playing the game; you just want to get in the game and start punching things. So is it possible to have too many options at character creation? Or is that like asking if you can have too much money? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Treat yourself to a makeover with Allods Online's Hall of Changes
Last weekend, we took a look at Allods Online's upcoming Astral Ship customization options. As it turns out, Astral Ships aren't the only things that players will be able to make fabulous. When patch 2.0.06 hits the live servers, players will be able to give their characters a makeover with the introduction of the Hall of Changes. Upon entering the mythical (and stylish!) Hall of Changes, players will be able to recreate their characters from the ground up. And when we say "from the ground up," we mean it; if you're tired of not having an hourglass figure and a bootylicious posterior, forget exercise! Just change your gender. Each race will also receive two brand-new hairstyles -- one for each gender -- as well as a new skin texture option, which will allow players to modify their characters' skin textures regardless of skin color. For the full details, head on over to the Allods official site and give it a look!
BioWare releases more SWTOR companion info
"Go for the eyes, Boo!" Er, sorry, wrong BioWare RPG. You'll have to forgive us, though, as the firm's latest dev blog references dear old Minsc in the very first sentence. Yep, it's another treatise on companions in Star Wars The Old Republic, and this time senior game designer William Wallace (really) treats us to a lengthy entry explaining a bit about companion customization and combat. The latter presentation takes the form of a few short videos showing off the fighting prowess of one Corso Riggs, a heavily armored blaster specialist who functions as one of the Smuggler class companions. Head to the official SWTOR website for all the goods.
SteelSeries Sensei gaming mouse goes up for pre-order, obeys your macro come October
Competitive gaming scored itself a new peripheral vying for the top spot back in August, when SteelSeries unveiled its ambidextrous Sensei mouse. If you'll recall, the Sensei tracks up to 150-inches per second with its 10.8 megapixel sensor, and uses a 32-bit ARM processor to calculate it all without bogging down your rig. Making things sweeter, a trio of illuminated sections can be set to differing hues befitting your mood, and an LCD planted on the Sensei's underside will let you change some settings without a computer. If you've been dying to get your FPS-loving mitts on this $90 input device, it's now officially up for pre-order from the company's website and due to hit doorsteps during the first week of October. As usual, the full PR is located just past the break.
Mr Fussy mods Samsung Galaxy S for inductive charging, without frazzling warranty (video)
It's not hard to find a good inductive charging smartphone these days, but German IT student Qian Qin absolutely had to have the feature on his Galaxy S Plus. What's more, it needed to be just right: no voiding of the warranty and no unsightly protrusions. So, instead of bumping his gums, he went out and purchased a Palm Pre back cover and a Touchstone dock for €30 ($40), ripped the charging circuit out of the Pre cover and stuck it into the Samsung's cover, then finally soldered a wire from the circuit to the micro-USB port (plus another wire to the microSD slot for 0V). Job done. At first, the mere mention of a webOS device gave us a twinge of sadness, but then the video after the break cheered us right up again -- you can tell within the first six seconds that this guy is a pure OCD perfectionist. You'll also find more detailed instructions at the source link, and they should work equally well for the original Galaxy S too.
Allods Online gets fabulous with Astral ship interior design
Ahoy there, Astral ship captains! Is your ship looking a little dull? Perhaps you'd like to go all Queer Eye on your captain's quarters. Well, now's your chance. Allods Online's patch 2.0.06 is en route to players, and it brings Astral ship owners the ability to customize the interiors of their vessels. Perhaps you think that painting tasteless. Replace it with a Van Gogh! Tired of dirty Gibberlings tracking mud all over your expensive hardwood floors? Put down a rug. Then wrap them in it and throw it over the balcony. The possibilities are endless. The new decorations can be purchased with Ship Coupons, Collector's Coins, Special Coins, and gold. So get our your color wheels and get to coordinating. You wouldn't want your drapes to clash with the carpeting, would you?
Allods Online announces October update
This October, Allods Online will introduce new content to its already extensive free-to-play MMO. This update will include "a brand new zone for high level players, the ability to customize Astral ships, and enhanced leveling to improve the new player experience." To help alleviate the usual gap that happens between European and North American content launches, gPotato will launch the update in both regions simultaneously. The exact date for this launch hasn't been announced yet, but in the meantime, you can check out the update's new screenshots below and watch for more news to come. [Source: gPotato press release]%Gallery-91331%
Wargaming.net publishes World of Tanks development plan
Wargaming.net has gifted World of Tanks fans with a development roadmap for the World War II-based action MMO, and a visit to the game's official website will give you a preview of what's coming down the pike over the next year. The post lays out quite a bit of information, most of it marked with vague release windows like Q3 2012 and so on. There's the standard "dates are subject to change" disclaimer, but it's nonetheless interesting to see what looks to be a fairly complete development schedule. What are the highlights? Well, more tank models, of course, followed by new game types including historical battle, escort, garage battle, assault, and company battle modes. There's also an expansion of the clan wars map in the works, as well as new customization options, vehicle physics, and more. [Thanks to Greg for the tip!]
Blade & Soul interview talks Summoner class, customization
Blade & Soul's second Korean closed beta test is winding down, and ThisIsGame.com has cornered a couple of NCsoft devs for a quick interview about the upcoming martial arts MMORPG. Project director Jae Hyun Bae and director of system design Sung Jin Hwang talk about everything from the latest class reveal (the Summoner) to mobile platform and social networking tie-ins to the game's extensive character customization. Said customization is "almost unlimited. NPCs in the game are actually made by not modeling but customizing each. Blade & Soul will provide the most free customizing system ever so far," according to the devs. It's somewhat unclear as to whether this customization will take the form of character skills and abilities or physical differentiation via body types and personalization options. It's also worth noting that some of the article's information may have been lost in translation, and if your Korean language skills are up to the task, you can read the full original text on ThisIsGame's main site.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Customization in Guild Wars 2 and Runes of Magic
It took me a little while, but you should know by now that I was going to do a Guild Wars 2 comparison. It's a little later than I previously said I'd write it, but there's no time like the present, right? Runes of Magic has been chugging along for over two years now, while GW2 is -- sort of -- just around the corner, and Guild Wars is the veteran of the bunch at six years of age. What do these MMOs have in common that would provoke me to attempt a comparison? I'll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with jumping. What they do share is character customization, which, really, many MMOs have. It's a pretty standard feature. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how RoM could have taken some customization cues from GW, while GW2 might be taking some from RoM -- sort of like a movie based off a show based off a movie.
The Daily Grind: Are appearance tabs essential?
Appearance tabs in MMOs are a funny thing. When you think about it, the implementation of an appearance tab is a signal that, on some level, the initial game design has failed to deliver. It's an admission that the best gear often looks like crap -- or is too prevalent -- and many players wouldn't be caught dead wearing it if there were any alternative. Along with housing, crafting, and other MMO gameplay staples that have fallen by the wayside in recent years, appearance tabs are often scoffed at by the combat-only crowd and consequently treated as low-priority by devs and publishers. Clearly a lot of players want to be able to customize their characters, though, as even the mighty Blizzard has finally caved in to fan requests (although it did take World of Warcraft designers a good seven years to wrap their heads around the concept). What about you, Massively readers? Do you feel that appearance tabs are essential to your MMO enjoyment? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
ThinkFlood releases RedEye remote control app for Android, makes it even easier to sit around
Nearly two years after releasing their Red Eye app for iOS users, the convenience enthusiasts over at ThinkFlood have now brought the universal remote control to the Android community, as well. The app, which was released in beta a few months ago, allows users to remotely control their non-networked home theater, lighting and air conditioning systems from the comfort of their tablets, laptops or smartphones. Version 2.7.0 also brings plenty of customizable graphics and layouts, for those looking to add a more personal touch to their lives of leisure. Compatible with any device running Android 1.6 or later (including tablets running Honeycomb), the app features a built-in TV program guide that can be used with any display, but in order to take advantage of its other home theater controls, you'll have to purchase networked ThinkFlood hardware products like RedEye or RedEye Pro (it's not compatible with RedEye mini). If you're interested in downloading the tool for free, check out the source links below, or click past the break for more details, in the full PR.
SteelSeries Sensei mouse points at the moon, we concentrate on its finger
It's been more than two years since SteelSeries unveiled its Xai and Kinzu gaming mice, but the peripheral maker has now returned with a brand new sword in hand -- the sleek and presumably sage Sensei. The device, unveiled yesterday, is powered by a 32-bit ARM processor that can digest images at up to 12,000 frames per second and rocks up to 5,700 CPI, with a Double CPI option that extends to 11,400 DCPI, for users gaming across multiple screens. The ambidextrous controller also comes outfitted in a metal coating that won't slip from your hands and connects to computers via a gold-plated USB. Best of all, PC gamers can use SteelSeries' Engine software to customize their experience even further, with pre-set configurations and user profiles. The Sensei is slated for release next month, when it will retail for $90 (or €90). Click past the break for more details in the full press release.
Battlefield 3 videos show off weapon customization
If you want an in-depth look at the tools of Battlefield 3's trade -- which is to say, cap-busting -- these videos from YourGamingTeam should suit your needs. It's pulled from an early alpha version of the title, but still gives a decent demonstration of the game's customizable kits.
'Will the door open?': CCP opens up about the future of EVE's avatars
Tactical Gamers has a lot of nice things to say about EVE Online's latest expansion, Incarna, but more than just fawning over the truly revolutionary ability to make avatars who walk around in a room, the site roped in two of the game's leads, CCP Soundwave and CCP Flying Scotsman, to jaw about the latest and greatest in the game. The first, and probably biggest, question for the devs was, "Will the captain's quarters doors ever open to allow avatars to interact with other players?" The devs confirmed that, yes, such a day is coming and will take place over a series of phases. The first stage is to include what CCP is calling "Establishments" in which players can mingle and take part in "various activities." Interestingly enough, the topic of emotes is a divisive subject among the CCP staff, with some arguing for their inclusion and others fearful that emotes will turn EVE into World of Warcraft, what with the dancing Elves on mailboxes and all. Emotes will be eventually added, but they will have "meaning" behind them. For more on Incarna, super-capitals and the future of the game, give this interview a listen!
