dev-diary
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Nate Levy explains WAR's action point fix
Mythic developers just fixed a major bug that has been in Warhammer Online since launch and it's having a big impact on players. Action points (AP) are the one-size-fits-all resource used to cast spells, perform damage attacks, and tank. Suffice to say, a change to the way AP works affects every class in the game. This bug fix makes it take a little longer for AP to regenerate as originally intended. Many players claim that the time-to-kill in beta was much higher than it turned out at release, and while a dozen or more variables play a part in this (e.g., better gear, higher crit rates, newer strategies, etc.), AP regen can be counted among them. You see, after the game released game update 1.3.1 came out, players had a nearly limitless AP pool. In fact, AP regen potions were useless aside from getting a quick boost after sprinting. This led to many players getting in the habit of button-mashing their abilities without fearing a complete AP drain. Now that the issue has been corrected, there's been a bit of an outcry from players who have become accustomed to playing WAR not as intended for over a year. Mythic stresses that this change is for the better but will continue to monitor the situation and adjust accordingly. Check out Nate Levy's developer diary for all the details. Update: This bug was discovered in 1.3.1 but we are unsure of when it originally made its way into the game. We apologize for jumping to conclusions based on our own experiences.
Atlantica Online dev journal: The Stimulus Package Event
The good folks at NDoors Interactive have begun a new bi-weekly Atlantica Online developer article here at Massively where they'll showcase the latest and greatest news they'd like to feature to the Massively readers. This week, it's all about a new event where the prize is a snazzy set of in-game wings as teased in the header image, and shown in its entirety with another exclusive image after the jump. Here's what they have to say about the event, the wings and their game:NDoors Interactive Inc. currently has an exciting opportunity for players to join the highly acclaimed MMO, Atlantica Online with their newly launched Stimulus Package Event. Atlantica Online delivers an RPG style battle system and a lush world that incorporates characters that players might find familiar, such as, Caesar, Charlie Chaplin, Beowulf, and many more. However, instead of controlling just one character, players have the opportunity to lead a party of nine unique mercenaries into battle, such as, the inventor, Da Vinci; the pirate, Anne Bonny; the minstrel, Paganini; the Spartan, Leonidas; and many more!The Stimulus Package Event is an opportunity for players to try out the game and have a chance to win 500 Gcoins by simply referring friends while exploring the world of Atlantica. As a special prize, the individual who has the most referred invites will receive a special item, the Blessed Argos' Wings. The next top five players with the most qualified referred invites will each receive normal Argos' Wings.
Taking care of a child: Four minutes of Heavy Rain footage
It's not every day that Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Fondaumiere decides to show off four minutes of gameplay from the developer's upcoming PS3 adventure Heavy Rain. This video, shot for Japanese audiences, goes into great detail about Ethan -- the character of focus in the last trailer for the game. [Spoiler Alert!] After a car accident kills one of his sons, you'll take control of Ethan as he deals with his grief and takes care of his other child. "I obviously need to take care of my son. There is nothing that I have to do. This is really a free choice scene. If I want, I can just sit down or do nothing, or not take care of my son," Fondaumiere explains. Whether or not you choose to be a deadbeat dad, you'll have to deal with the repercussions. "Actions in Heavy Rain always have consequences. You can see consequences of your actions in two, three scenes after they occur. Some other consequences can be dramatic and completely change the story."
Developer diary covers Siege of Mirkwood's new skirmish instances
The newest expansion to Lord of the Rings Online, the Siege of Mirkwood, will be introducing a new type of storyline instance for players to play in -- skirmishes. Skirmishes bring a new style of gameplay to LotRO, giving players the ability to participate in small military conflicts between the Free Peoples and the forces of Sauron while also being able to participate in small bits of content and still be rewarded.The first two parts, the overview and the instanced nature of skirmishes, go over what the new Skirmish system provides players, and how skirmishes put a twist on the old concept of instancing. Did you ever want to defend the Prancing Pony in Bree? How about fight along side Elrond's sons? Skirmishes will be opening up those options to players while still offering repeatable adventures for any group size.But we shouldn't talk our faces off here! Go on over and read Brian "Zombie Columbus" Aloisio's developer diary on the whole matter. He can describe it better than we can!
Latest LotRO dev diary details legendary weapon changes
From the last "Ask the Dev Team" session with the Lord of the Rings Online developers, we knew that some changes were coming to the game's Legendary Weapon system. The latest Developer Diary entry is devoted entirely to filling in some of the details on these changes, which should come into effect when the Siege of Mirkwood expansion launches in December. First and foremost (and definitely one of the best tweaks) is that you'll be able to tell if a legendary weapon will ever turn into something good before you pour time and money into improving it.There will also be a brand new item type, a series of "legendary item advancement scrolls". They will provide an alternative method of improving or altering legendary weapons, and will be found both as loot from enemies and from the deconstruction process. In addition, crafters are getting a significant nod with the introduction of a fourth relic slot that can only be filled by player-crafted relics. It gets better: every crafting profession can make a different kind of relic, providing a range of improvement options, and ensuring that no crafter is left out of the fun. To read up on all the details of the upcoming legendary item changes (including specifics on how experience will be altered) see the full dev diary at the official site.
Red Steel 2 dev diary brings a sword to a gunfight
Most of the doubt surrounding Red Steel 2 has to do with the swordplay -- and it's for good reason. The bandana'd thug-slashing permeating the entirety of its predecessor just flat out didn't work, most of us can surely agree. But this latest video diary shows how the addition of Wii MotionPlus has really changed the experience in the sequel, at least from a slashing and stabbing perspective. See for yourself in the footage above.
Here are the victims of Dead Space Extraction
It sucks to be in the Dead Space universe. If you're not turned into a horribly mutated zombie, then you're being ripped apart by aforementioned zombies. The upcoming Dead Space Extraction for Wii certainly places its characters between a rock and a really horrible, bloody place. The latest dev diary for the rail shooter reveals the characters of the game, and talks about how each character has their own unique motivations. They are united by one thing though: the incredible desire not to meet a bloody, guts-splattering death.One key thing to note about Extraction is that it's far more story-driven than the first game, offering five times the dialogue as the original. Considering you're traveling with a group of people, instead of exploring solo, that makes a lot of sense. It'll be interesting to see how the Wii audience responds to yet another third-party M-rated game.
Black Prophecy art director on ship design
Massively has been following the development of the space-based MMO Black Prophecy, from Reakktor Media. The latest bit of info we've come across is a developer's diary on ship design from Black Prophecy's Art Director Nick Ebenhoch. He explains Reakktor's approach to creating a distinctive look for these machines, which was influenced by how sci-films were made in the 80's, with those elaborately crafted models before everything became CG. Nick specifically mentions the ships from the original Star Wars films and Battlestar Galactica, as well as the USS Sulaco from Alien.
Ubisoft talks online in new TMNT: Smash Up dev diary
In the latest dev diary for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up, the publishing team at Ubisoft discusses the importance of an online mode and what gamers can expect from its new "brawler." We say "brawler" because -- according to the video -- there is a major distinction between a standard fighting title and TMNT: Smash Up.In Smash Up, up to four players can square off, "brawling" in massive free-for-all matches. If the Smash Bros-style of fighting is too hot for you to handle, players can also square off in two-on-two, or (standard fighting game) one-on-one matches. Developed by Game Arts -- a team made up of a slew of former Team Ninja veterans -- TMNT: Smash Up appears to be in good hands. Hands which you can then use to punch your opponent in the face with.%Gallery-43172%
The evolution of a Team Fortress 2 map explained
Ever wondered about how Team Fortress 2's oft-visited battlegrounds are created? We assure you, it's not as simple as "insert spawn point, insert spawn point, insert weapons, publish." In fact, in a recent TF2 blog post, Valve explains that the game's mapmaking process is extremely exhaustive, involving countless hours of playtesting, revisions, and special care to ensure no map favors one class over another (except for the Mecha-Heavy, who's pretty much unstoppable on every map).If you're interested in the fine craftsmanship, check out Valve's blog post. They've got a couple of neat time-lapse videos showing off the mapmaking process, as well as some info pertaining to a completely free King of the Hill community map pack! (That is to say, the King of the Hill gametype, and not the hee-larious Mike Judge cartoon.)
Major keep redesigns in Warhammer Online
One of the biggest complaints Warhammer Online players have about RvR is the static nature of keep siege. Usually, attackers zerg the front door and once inside, zerg the main stairway leading up to the keep lord. This provides a slightly (read: very) annoying chokepoint and little room for strategy. To be fair, Mythic's reasoning for the initial design was that keeps are designed as defensive fortifications. Why wouldn't defenders want to funnel attackers into a single chokepoint? Unfortunately, it isn't very fun from a gameplay perspective.All that is about to change with the new keep designs coming to WAR in patch 1.3.1. The most significant change is that all keeps are getting a bigger footprint and will feature a second set of stairs leading up to the keep lord. They are also making a number of structural tweaks (e.g., more space near the oil pad). Interestingly, it sounds like some of the keep will have their locations moved within the RvR lakes too. Pairing these new changes with the keep upgrade systems and guild claiming bonuses introduced back in April should make sieging a lot more fun and strategic than when the game first launched.
The Behemoth's third game gets its first dev diary
Rather than employing the glitz and glamor of a AAA-title's dev diary, The Behemoth kicks things a bit more old-school in its first dev diary for the development studios third game (found after the break). Featuring the game's "Soul Mode" (the name is still tentative), the clip details how two players work together to hang on to multiple souls for as long as possible. Narrators from The Behemoth guide us through the four minute journey, culminating in their vast triumph over AI combatants. The talking heads do mention that the game will most certainly have a story mode, and we'll be getting a chance to check out more at PAX 2009 and then Tokyo Game Show not long after. Now all the game needs is, um, a name.[Thanks, Deniz!]
Assassin's Creed 2 dev diary talks about the exciting world of ... banking
The second of six planned dev diaries for Assassin's Creed 2 talks about Ezio and the friends he keeps. After being abandoned by his peers, he partners up with mercenaries, prostitutes and thieves on his journey into becoming an assassin. Along the way, he'll partner up with Machiavelli, and, as previously mentioned, Leonardo da Vinci. "Basically, he's going to act as Q in James Bond."But if assassinations and gadgets aren't your thing, you'll be glad to know that this latest episode also delves into the compelling financial world of Assassin's Creed. Yes, apparently the modern notion of banks was invented during this era, and Ezio will be able to take part. However, don't expect to capitalize on adjusted rate mortgages and depreciating values of over-the-counter derivatives markets. No, the finance system of Assassin's Creed involves ... buying weapons. And, um, well, that's it.What else were you expecting?
Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary has English sensibilities
Has your recent playthrough of the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo left you wondering exactly how the sausage got made? Lucky you -- Warner Bros. and Rocksteady recently released a behind-the-scenes look at the stealth-action superhero sim, which keen-eyed readers have probably already noticed is posted above.The game's creators do a great job of explaining what makes the game so successful -- elements such as the intensive mocap work done to bring the animations to life, story contributions from DC's Paul Dini, and of course, Rocksteady's own "English sensibilities." We're pretty fond of our American sensibilities thankyouverymuch -- but if that's the secret ingredient that makes Arkham Asylum so rad, we guess we can't complain.
Earthrise spotlights the Industrial Area in recent dev diary
Of the upcoming post-apocalyptic MMOs, Earthrise boasts a feature that sets it apart from the others: more technology. This is evident in the screenshots we've seen and the interviews we've done regarding this Masthead Studios title. In a recent dev journal at MMORPG.com, the team explains the rise and fall the great nanofactories in the game's lore, and sets the stage for your heroic character to step in and help reclaim the Industrial Area."Sadly, Coordinator Jared and his men were great scientists, but poor diplomats. They found the worst kind of economical ally in the face of the Syndicate, who forced them into signing a beguiling contract relinquishing control over the industrial production and the operation of the installations of the Collective. In a matter of weeks, the shady elements of the Syndicate teemed in the Industrial Area, taking "temporary control due to terms of agreement" over the immense industrial plants. The Tech Collective was forced to watch helplessly while the bandits overstretched the production capabilities of the Industrial Area, ending in fiery destruction."Check out the complete dev diary for more of the intriguing story.
Star Wars Galaxies Dev Diary: Let the PvP battles begin
Even while the Star Wars Galaxies team is plugging away on their newest game update, the staff still has some time to give us some of their thought process behind their work on the game.Today on Massively we're happy to have Thomas 'Hanse' Eidson, one of SWG's system designers, dropping by to give us his thoughts on creating the brand new PvP battlefields for Update 10. The new battlefields are areas for team based PvP, where teams accomplish objectives in addition to annhilating one another to win the map. Think of it like Battlefield 2, where both teams have a set reinforcement count and will lose should that number ever drop to zero.Thomas has much to say on their efforts to make sure teams were always balanced, to the creation of new rewards for the battefields, to finding plots of land to even make these new areas! Hit the continue reading button below, and grab yourself an insider's view of the development of Star Wars Galaxies.
Star Wars Galaxies Dev Diary: Let the PvP battles begin pt. 2
After making the Massassi Isle, I used it as my central testing location for all the battlefield programming changes. All battlefields function as "reinforcements" style mini-games where teams start out with a set number of points. As players kill members of the opposite team, or accomplish battlefield objectives, they diminish the number of points the opposing team has. Whichever team is reduced to zero points first, or whoever has the least number of points when time runs out, loses. With the core system in place, I then began to customize each battlefield to offer unique objectives to ensure each area features a unique gameplay experience with its own twist. Just tweaking these objectives has allowed us to have mini-games similar to capture the flag, king of the hill, and others. Testing of the battlefields necessitates that we wage pitched battles on each one. This validates which battlefield is fun, needs fixes, or needs polish. So far, I'm very excited to see the Data Runners battlefield completed and in game. It is, by far, my favorite. It is my second attempt at making an island and its beaches are much more lush and prevalent. We knew that just adding new battlefields wouldn't be enough; everyone likes to be rewarded for their efforts. Therefore, we have added two new sets of armor to the game. Rebels can purchase the new SpecForce armor, and the Imperials can get Galactic Marine armor. But that's not all, we also recognize that weapons complete the look of any player ensemble, so with that in mind we created a whole suite of new weapons (i.e., one new weapon of every weapon type in the game). Some notable weapons include the WESTAR-34 blaster pistol that was used by Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones™ and the Darth Phobos double-bladed lightsaber. All of these new rewards may be purchased with tokens obtained for playing on the new battlefields. We hope that players really enjoy the new battlefields and rewards that we've created for them in Update 10!
Learn to command and control in latest MAG dev diary
The PlayStation Blog's "MAG Monday" series concludes today with a video on the command and control features that can be found in the game. Check out the video after the break to hear various members of the development team discussing the features, including those which will allow you to command your squadmates to perform certain strategic actions. MAG's due out later this year, so expect to hear even more about the game as its release nears.
New Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary gives Batman a terrible evening
As Rocksteady's Sefton Hill and Paul Dini eagerly explain in the video above, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game about torturing Batman. Okay, okay, maybe not directly, but by way of Joker setting up a nasty ruse for Gotham's greatest hero at Arkham Asylum itself. Trapping Mr. Wayne inside with all of his most fearsome enemies, when he thought he was just stopping by to deposit a criminal, leaves him at the mercy of the now-in-control Joker.From what we played of the game's campaign back at E3, we're not sure exactly how Eidos/Warner Bros. plan to keep the game's T-rating, as evidenced by the few gameplay snippets you see in the developer diary above. We are, however, surprisingly excited for the game's release in late August -- and glad we don't have to bring along Mom to buy us the game.%Gallery-31781%
Zipper dev diary reveals the three factions of MAG
Out of all of humanity's social needs and desires, we all love the feeling of belonging the most. People just can't get along without the comfort and support that can be provided by bowling leagues, church groups, family circles or bloodthirsty para-military contractors. The latest developer diary for Zipper Interactive's 256-man melee, MAG, reveals the three PMCs featured in the multi-multi-multiplayer shooter. You'll get to choose between the traditional military forces of Valor, the high-tech armada of Raven or the brutal, low-tech armies of S.V.E.R. (pronounced "sever"). Check out the three outfits in the video above, and let us know who you're thinking about enlisting with.
