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Line of Defense Tactics makes in-roads with mobile devices
Line of Defense Tactics, the RTS spin-off of the upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS by Derek Smart, is now available on both Windows 8.1 and Windows Mobile. The game costs $9.99 and $4.99, respectively. The team's also added a $9.99 version on iOS devices that includes the full Lyrius campaign, in-game currency, and weapons. Both Android and iOS mobile platforms have access to the first three missions of the squad-based game for free. Line of Defense Tactics actually allows players to query the MMO database for information on units and equipment to help in their tactical battles.
Line of Defense's Derek Smart recaps ongoing test phase
3000AD's Derek Smart has penned a new Line of Defense developer blog outlining the current state of the MMOFPS title's early access test phase. Smart explains that more than half of the game's world stations have been opened to testers so far, with two more stations expected to open soon. The final four will unlock when aircraft are patched in. Smart also says that his team is working on a public roadmap website so that players can track release progress and vote on new features. He thanks his testers for their patience with the "staggered" test schedule. " It is for the greater good," he writes. "Been doing this a very – very – long time, so you just have to trust that I know what I'm doing." Earlier this fall, Line of Defense launched on Steam's early access program, but an error allowed the public to download the game without paying for a founder's pack, leading to negative reviews when the games were confiscated and eliciting a fiery response from Smart.
Derek Smart responds to Line of Defense early access mishaps
So guess what happens when you flag a game as both early access and free-to-play on Steam? Apparently, everyone can get in and play with or without buying the founder's packs that your game is selling. That was the lesson that the Line of Defense crew learned last week when that exact scenario took place. Some players were a little miffed by that turn of events, which led to Derek Smart's penning an explanation and response to the situation. Smart lambastes those who peppered the game's store page with negative reviews based upon the unexpectedly revoked access, claiming that those who did not own the game but submitted negative reviews were violating the terms of service for Steam. He stresses that the game is currently still very much in testing and access is not being given away to any form of media simply because the game is far from feature-complete at this time. You can read the full update on the official site.
Line of Defense targets September 16th for early access
Line of Defense is just a few short days from beginning its early access program, which will begin on Tuesday, September 16th. Fans of the game can go ahead and buy their way into it with one of three early access packages. However, from now until the 16th, the early access packs are half-off on Steam. So instead of costing between $40 and $100, they currently range from $20 to $50 for this limited time. What will Line of Defense's early access content look like? It will mostly be sight-seeing, as we understand it. According to a dev post on Steam, players will be able to check out the Heatwave starbase and poke around a nearby orbiting Starguard carrier. "Since this is a world testing build, no weapons, vehicles, aircrafts, inventory items, etc. are player usable. You will be able to explore both of these massive areas and carry out various actions," the early access FAQ states.
Derek Smart justifies Line of Defense's early access fee, new playable female characters
3000AD announced last week that its MMOFPS Line of Defense will arrive on Steam's early access platform in July, sporting a hefty $99 buy-in. In response to gamer rumblings over the status of the early release and the price, studio president and lead developer Derek Smart posted on Twitlonger to explain that the game is fully funded already but can't afford to let "freeloaders" in: "The $99 EA price tag - which has a LOT of perks - ensures that only serious people who can provide meaningful feedback through their commitment, need apply. And for that they get a lot more than they would if they waited for the final game release. We're simply not interested in letting freeloaders gain early access to the game, not provide meaningful - if any - feedback, while we foot the bill for the backend services, servers, bandwidth etc. We're a SMALL independent game dev making a MASSIVE game in a genre dominated and monopolized by SOE and their popular @planetside2 series. [...] And unlike those other guys, we don't take your money, then plonk you in useless assets (how do you like that hanger now?), a largely unfinished product or a product that may not even see the light of day." Smart also alerts potential players to the fact that the studio has altered its original plans to omit female characters from the game: "My decision to now fund and add two bad-ass female characters comes from the fact that, well, we as an industry need to start making a concerted effort to cater to our female players because good faith can only get you so far."
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MMObility: Line of Defense Tactics is a fun start for an IP
Line of Defense is an upcoming MMOFPS created by 3000AD. It looks like an interesting twist on the shooter genre, complete with large battles and vehicles to control. It offers only a beta sign-up right now, so if you are interested in diving into the LoD universe, you can download the newly released Line of Defense Tactics standalone game. It's not an MMO, but it still introduces players to the IP. If you're a fan of real-time turn-based combat and challenging gameplay, you might want to give it a go on your portable device or PC. I downloaded a version of Tactics from Steam and tried it on my Android tablet as well. Both experiences felt pretty much the same, and my game save synced between both devices easily. Today I am going to cover the mobile version mostly, but it should be noted that the PC version looks and acts pretty much identically.
Rise and Shiny revisit: Alganon's new expansion
It's been quite a while since I dived into Alganon, the indie MMO by Quest Online. The game has had a bit of an up and down development cycle, but I always found it to be a pretty unique game with a nice mix of mechanics. Granted, according to many readers, the game is nothing but a World of Warcraft ripoff thanks to its similar avatar graphics, but the game is only as similar to World of Warcraft as most other themepark titles are. There are quests, skill trees, and other things in Alganon that you'll find in a score of titles, but Alganon also offers a few things that together make for a pretty unique combination of gameplay in spite of superficial similarities to other games. The game is still rough around the edges, however, and needs some patching and tweaking in order to be nearly as polished as many other titles. The team is small, and I tend to forgive small teams for the these oversights as long as the game runs smoothly for the most part. Alganon does run smoothly and offers quite a few interesting and immersive systems. Let's go over what was added with this expansion as well as what's still missing.
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Rise and Shiny: League of Angels
I do not enjoy writing guide-like articles. I am no fan of reading walls of text that detail how to "properly" perform in an MMO, and I will not break my policy this week. It wouldn't really matter, anyway, because this week's Rise and Shiny game comes from the mind-bogglingly strange genre of hands-off browser-based MMOing. I've discussed the massive, massive success that browser-based gaming has seen in China and other places, but I always preface that discussion with a warning: It is not going away. There are plenty of players in the West who will (and do) gladly participate in this hands-off gaming. There is nothing so special about Western gamers -- and their tastes -- to prevent our MMOs from becoming single-click level races, and nothing more. I should have known as soon as I saw League of Angels that the game would ask nothing of me but to babysit the mouse and keyboard, making sure that neither ran out of juice. Sure, a player will occasionally need to look up from his Wyatt Earp biography to read two or three words of text on the screen, but generally the game does all of the work. That leads me to the two questions that always pop up when I play a game like this: Who does enjoy such a title, and why make such a title in the first place?
Line of Defense approaches beta test phase
After a few months of silence, Derek Smart is back with a Line of Defense update. He reports that the title is preparing to transition from alpha to beta testing, even with "setbacks" due to switching the game engine. The team transitioned the game from an internal engine to the Havok Vision engine, which oversees the 25 middleware engines that handle aspects like the AI, atmospheric effects, networking, and more. He says that optimizing the game has been "touch and go for the most part," however. Smart predicts that next year should be interesting for Line of Defense. "All things being equal, we should be rolling in awesomeness by Q2 2014," he writes. "Prepare to have your mind blown. Guaranteed."
3000AD partners with DC for Line of Defense comic
Derek Smart-led Line of Defense developer 3000AD announced this week that it has partnered with DC Comics to create a digital comic book set in the Line of Defense universe. The comic, built as a 12-part miniseries, will cover four separate stories from both factions of the game's core conflict. One story will launch each quarter, with the first hitting shelves this month and the final set due in July of 2014. While the Line of Defense comic is mostly stuck in the digital world, a limited edition printing of the first story, Payback, will be available as a free giveaway at DC Comics' booth during New York Comic-Con. Ten thousand copies will also be distributed to comic book stores; Line of Defense fans who can't make the con can pick up a free copy October 16th at their local nostalgia dungeon. The Line of Defense game, meanwhile, continues its cruise through a very extended beta. [Thanks to Saucelah for the tip!]
Derek Smart teases new Line of Defense E3 preview
We haven't heard much out of the Line of Defense camp lately, but 3000AD's Derek Smart tossed out a few screenshots to get us ready for the sci-fi MMO's showing at E3 next week. The six screenshots below don't tell us anything juicy like a release date, but we can still admire the art direction taken by the game and be assured that it's still in development. If you're curious about gameplay, we spent some quality time with the game during last year's GDC. We'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on any Line of Defense news coming from E3.%Gallery-115480%
Free for All: The second annual Frindie Awards
It's time once again for the Frindie Awards, my attempt to shine some light on the best indie, browser-based, free-to-play, and unusual MMOs that are all-too-often ignored by press -- and players. This one is for the little guys! Well, mostly. It's also for those games that seem to have passed under the collective radar of Massively readers or that seem to be very misunderstood. Picking the winners this year is just as hard as it was last year, maybe even harder. 2012 was an incredible year for MMOs, so I would rather have just put together an article that highlights every single favorite. In the end, it's more helpful to make myself pick out a winner. It's a rare thing for some of these games to even receive a nod on a major website, something I still can't figure out. Either way, it's best to think of all of the MMOs on this list as my favorites from 2012. Anyway, let's get to the awards!
Jumping out an airlock is a legitimate mode of travel in Line of Defense
Contrary to many of Derek Smart's previous expansive computer titles, Line of Defense will be "streamlined" to focus on a small corner of the galaxy. In a new dev blog, Smart outlines the scope of the MMO's territory and how it connects to his previously established game universe. Line of Defense consists of four space regions, each with its own planets and moons. The regions are connected by jump gates in the Sirius/Barnard's Star systems pathway. However, when the game first launches, players will only have access to the planet of Lyrius, with other planets and moons coming afterward. Players can teleport from base to base on planets using Dynamic Jump Pads or can transfer to a station via a carrier. Jumpgates, however, will allow players in vehicles to traverse entire regions. But probably the most interesting mode of transportation is to let loose with an orbital drop from a space station down to the planet surface below. The one thing that Line of Defense won't have, however, is the ability to seamlessly transition between planets, bases, and regions without loading screens.
GDC 2012: Forty minutes with Derek Smart and Line of Defense
"I didn't want to make another Derek Smart game because usually when you mention 'Derek Smart' and 'game', gamers tend to run in the opposite direction," Smart told us when we asked about Line of Defense. That's quite a candid intro, and it set the stage for an interesting 40-minute interview that featured plenty of insights into 3000AD's latest offering. Smart, of course, has something of a notorious reputation in the online community, and while we won't go into that here, it is worth noting that he's focusing on the work and letting his game do the talking.
Line of Defense unveils new website, beta signups
Are you curious as to what Derek Smart has been working on lately? Line of Defense is in the midst of a considerable PR push, and the latest salvo comes in the form of a new official website. Beta signups are also live, so if you want to get in on all the sci-fi MMOFPS action, head over and register. You can also check out the 3000AD YouTube channel to get a look at the game's official trailer, and keep your eyes peeled later in the week as Massively talks to the dev team at the Game Developer's Conference. Line of Defense is a large-scale MMO shooter that features ground, air, and space combat as well as two factions. [Source: 3000AD press release]
Derek Smart on Line of Defense (and its competition)
Dr. Derek Smart is hard at work on the MMO interview circuit lately, and his sit-down with Massively a couple of weeks ago was only the beginning. The head honcho of Quest Online and 3000AD recently checked in with Rock, Paper, Shotgun to talk up the merits of his Line of Defense MMOFPS. He also had a few choice words for genre competitors like CCP's upcoming EVE Online sidequel. "DUST 514, that's just going to fail," Smart opines. "There's no ifs, maybes or buts about it. The proper way I think that would have been done would have been to do an EVE sequel and bolt DUST 514 into it." He doesn't stop there, though, and he goes on to say that folks who call EVE a space combat game "need to be taken out back and shot." It's a lengthy read, and Smart drops a few Line of Defense gameplay-related nuggets here or there, so head to RPS for all the details.
Line of Defense gets gung-ho in its latest trailer
Listen up, maggots, 'cause I'm only going to tell you this once: If any of you bubblegum-chewing, Jersey Shore-watching couch potatoes thinks that space combat is a jolly good time, then... well, yes it is! Quite delightful, really. Lots of thrills, stunts, occasional headshots -- all those sorts of things. Afterward we will convene for scones and group cheers. I guess that means it's time for your assignment of the day, which is to eyeball Derek Smart's Line of Defense trailer and let us know your professional opinion. It's a high-octane trip through the game's flexible combat locations, from drop ships to jeeps to parachutes to good old-fashioned ground firefights. You can see how Line of Defense is shaping up after the jump!
The Firing Line: Derek Smart on Line of Defense
Welcome to a special interview edition of The Firing Line, folks. True MMOFPS titles are few and far between these days, though 2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for the genre thanks to games like PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, and possibly even Firefall. There's another massive FPS on its way, too, and even though it hasn't had quite as much press coverage as the aforementioned titles, 3000AD's Line of Defense project is worth a look. Join me after the break for a conversation with lead designer Derek Smart as he talks about what makes the game massive as well as what sets it apart from its competitors.
Derek Smart's Line of Defense shows off battle environments
Last year we got our first look at Line of Defense, a new MMOFPS from Derek Smart and his team at 3000AD. The title is looking good so far and the devs are certainly eager to show off their progress. As such, 3000AD delivered five brand-new screenshots showcasing the environments and outfits that players will experience, including desert and snowy terrains. Line of Defense takes place in the same game universe as Smart's Battlecruiser 3000AD series, and promises to deliver "open-world FPS mayhem" from the depths of the ocean to the heights of space and everything in-between. You can check out the new screenies in the gallery below, and make sure to catch up on our Derek Smart interview about Line of Defense if you haven't already! [Source: Evolve PR press release] %Gallery-115480%
Free for All: A few tips for the indie developer
I am no developer, nor do I have dreams of one day becoming one. I absolutely love having the ability to write about what I like and to interact with those who enjoy (or hate) what I write. Developers have their hands and tongues tied much of the time, and often the indie developer gets no credit whatsoever. Granted, if artistic release or programming is your thing, I say go for it. But I will absolutely admit to wanting attention most of all -- it's what I like to do. Over the years, I have visited more independent MMO sites and played more independent MMOs than I care to recount. Still, not a week goes by when I do not find a new one to look at, and so I file it away for future use. I am often amazed at some of the mistakes indie developers make -- such obvious ones, too. I try to remind myself that the garage-coder is not always the best choice for graphic designer, so sometimes the websites and logos of these tiny companies look like they were hosted on Geocities. I decided to have some fun and throw down some general rules that I apply to indie developers. Take them or leave them, but I think that they are based on quite a bit of observation. Feel free to add any of your own. Click past the cut and let's get to them!
