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DmC: Devil May Cry voice actors fight the power
Sage Mears and David de Lautour talk about their roles as Kat and Vergil in this "making of" trailer for DmC: Devil May Cry. Capcom's next entry in the series will launch January 15, 2013 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
EVE Online prepares to roll out Retribution ship rebalancing
With EVE Online's newest expansion, Retribution, only a couple of weeks away, the devs are all abuzz over the features and changes coming with it. One of the biggest of these is a widespread effort to rebalance ships and put them in line with each other. CCP Fozzie reports that 40 new and existing spaceships are slated for the expansion overhaul, with more on the way after that. Even though change can be a scary prospect, Fozzie sees the rebalancing as a boon to the community: "Every time EVE's balance changes, it creates new opportunities for clever players to demonstrate their creativity and separate themselves from the pack. We know that our customers are amazingly creative with ship fittings and tactics and that if we give them a new set of tools they'll do things better than we could have imagined with them." The post goes on to detail the changes being made to frigates, destroyers, cruisers, weapons, and mods when Retribution goes live.
Massively Exclusive: Uncharted Waters Online sails to China
This past month, the captains and admirals at Uncharted Waters Online have made an incredible discovery: a brand-new continent called El Oriente. This update expands the game world to include China and Taiwan, additional trade goods and dungeons, and plenty of Oriental-themed ships. To uncover all of El Oriente's secrets, Tecmo Koei's Director of Production Takeda Tomakazu has a look at the update and the real-world history behind it. Hit the jump for this exclusive dev diary!
EVE Online maps out 2013 balance changes
With changes to Retribution ships scheduled to land in EVE Online on December 4th, the dev team is already casting its sights to 2013 for additional tweaks to other tiers of ships. In a new dev blog, CCP lays out its detailed plans for ship balancing come the new year. According to the team, battlecruisers are next in line for adjustments, followed by battleships. While the devs have a lot of changes in mind for the former, they're largely happy with the state of the latter and plan only small shifts in their current role. The post includes a handy chart which shows how all of the tech 1 ships will relate to each other when these changes are finalized. The post also elaborates on new skill requirements when all of this is said and done, as well as eventual plans to tackle tier 2 and 3 ships.
City of Steam reveals journey from turn-based to real-time combat
The saga of City of Steam's creation continues to grow more impressive with a new behind-the-scenes story. In it, the devs tell the little-known tale about how the game used to be turn-based. This was originally due to a very limited team and budget, although the devs further justified the decision by saying that the MMO was based on a turn-based pen-and-paper game anyway. City of Steam managed to make the transition to real-time action with the help of some surprise financing prior to alpha. Over 90% of the code had to be reworked to make it happen, but the team pulled it off prior to the game's alpha and any actual players' eyes. It might be easy for us to take for granted how studios can whip up real-time combat in MMOs, but this post illustrates how incredibly complicated it can be, especially for teams with limited resources. City of Steam heads into beta next month.
Defiance takes the lid off of its open world PvP
"Player vs. player in Defiance is like nothing console players have ever seen," promises Trion Worlds Creative Lead Bill Trost. "Everything's different, everything's fresh, every time you play." Thus begins Trion's latest Defiance dev diary, this one focusing on the game's open world PvP system. The team has dubbed this system the Shadow War and said that it is integrated fully with the game's PvE experience. Players have a choice whether to participate in it or not, but the action will be happening across a shared landscape. Why is it this way? The devs say that they didn't want a typical FPS experience, in which players went through a solo campaign and then hit the reset button for multiplayer. The progression between PvE and PvP is the same, although there are special outfits for hardcore PvPers. We've got the full dev diary for you after the break, so don't be shy!
LotRO explains history of mounted combat
As the core feature for Lord of the Rings Online's upcoming Riders of Rohan expansion, mounted combat is understandably the focus of many player concerns and questions. To hopefully answer a few, Turbine's unleashed a horse-sized developer diary about how mounted combat came to be and how it functions in the game right now. The diary begins by recalling the history of mounts in the game, back to the very earliest days when they were barely implemented in time for launch. The notion of mounted combat went from insurmountable to a strict on-rails system to a much more free-form system. It also dropped several ideas along the way, such as momentum, horse attacks, and purely generic combat skills. War-steeds will take some getting used to, according to the devs: "Probably the very first thing you notice when you ride your War-steed for the first time is that it moves completely differently than your standard horse or goat. The War-steed is a large creature and its part of a much larger system, one that requires some skill, time, and practice to master."
Turbine releases new LotRO video dev diary and Harvestmath Festival screens
A major component of the Riders of Rohan expansion for Lord of the Rings Online is the epic journey of the fellowship. In the latest video dev diary, developers discuss the game's return to the core of the Lord of the Rings story. It is during this part of the adventure that the war in Middle-earth gains momentum and the fellowship falls to pieces. You can watch the dev diary after the break. Turbine has also released a number of screenshots highlighting this year's Harvestmath Festival, which is going on now through October 14th. During the festival, players can explore the Haunted Burrow beneath the Party Tree, participate in games of skill, join the horse races, and even play tricks on various citizens of Middle-earth. New Harvestmath-themed housing items as well as a new Harvest-brew steed are available. Check out the Harvestmath images below. [Source: Turbine press release]%Gallery-32889%
Assassin's Creed 3 developer diary tackles the land and sea
The last of a four-part developer diary series for Assassin's Creed 3 is titled "America, by Land and Sea," and it takes place entirely in the skies above Morocco. Strange.Not really – the final dev diary describes the historical accuracy of Assassin's Creed 3's main cities, positing that citizens of those areas today should get a creepy "I've been here before" feeling while wandering the digital streets. It also tackles the frontier and Connor's tree-running ability, along with epic naval battles. These are different than "navel" battles, bear in mind.
World of Warplanes fifth dev diary discusses design goals and historical facts
Interested in specific aerial stunts and combat tactics? The fifth World of Warplanes developer diary delves into some of these, offering bits of history along with explanations of certain moves. It also discusses design goals and specifics of flight modeling. Although the game offers faster and more nimble aircraft than would participate in dogfights in real life, Wargaming.net is taking pains to make the experience as authentic as possible by considering different logistics including weight and resistance strength of bomb loads and underwing weapons. Although the types of aircraft are set and authentic, players will have the opportunity to customize their planes through modifications and even pin-up art. For full details, watch the dev diary after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Diablo III tries a new approach to crowd control
If you've been playing Diablo III and thought that its crowd control mechanics felt, well, weak, then Blizzard agrees with you. In a new post on the official site, Senior Technical Game Designer Wyatt Cheng explains the original reasoning behind Diablo III's crowd control, brainstorming sessions that the devs had to fix it, and the team's final decision. Coming soon to the game will be a buff for CC that creates new rules for how mobs process these abilities when used against them. Cheng explains it thusly: "Monsters have a 'CC resistance' that is stored on a per-monster basis. The CC resistance starts at 0%. For every one second CC that is applied to the monster, the monster receives 10% CC resistance. Monsters lose 10% of their CC resistance every second that they are not CC'd. Elite monster CC resistance is capped at the current reduction values already active for Elites." He says that after the change, "near-infinite CC strategies will work," making the player feel powerful while not unbalancing the game.
Lord of the Rings Online explains crafting changes coming with Riders of Rohan
One of the major issues facing crafters in Lord of the Rings Online is that gathering professions don't line up with crafting professions. Leveling up a non-gathering skill takes more resources than you gather while leveling up the appropriate gathering skill. The newest developer diary explains how Riders of Rohan addresses this problem with new "processing" recipes that allow you to turn a resource into shavings, which can subsequently be turned back into the original item. That's not the only change coming to crafting with the new expansion. Players can expect two full sets of armor for the crafting, one at level 80 and one at level 85. There are also new crafting instances, new crafted relics, and a new rank added on to craft guild reputations. If you like to get your hands dirty with crafting in Lord of the Rings Online, swing on over to the developer diary for the full details.
Lord of the Rings Online dev diary details Rune-keeper changes in Riders of Rohan
Lord of the Rings Online's upcoming expansion, Riders of Rohan, is less than a month away, and players can certainly expect a plethora of changes and updates when it hits. In today's LotRO developer diary, Turbine shines the spotlight on the game's Rune-keeper class and highlights some of the skill and trait improvements and changes that Rune-keeper players can expect in the expansion. For starters, Rune-keepers will be receiving five improved skills: Improved Scribe's Mark, Improved Rune of Restoration, and Improved Armour of Flame/Winter/Storm. Meanwhile, the abilities Flurry of Words and Mystifying Flame are receiving some minor adjustments, and the traits Linnod of Peace and Rune of Endurance are getting nicely upgraded. Some players may be befuddled by the extremely minor changes, but the dev diary notes that the devs "don't feel that Rune-keepers are in need of major changes at this time," so it seems as if Turbine feels that the class is in a pretty good place right now. For the full details on the changes and upgrades, go check out the full dev diary on the LotRO official site.
Latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary explores creating the characters of Rohan
Adding to the stampede of developer diaries focusing on Lord of the Ring Online's upcoming expansion Riders of Rohan, Turbine has released the fourth episode of Bringing Rohan to Life titled Creating the Character. In this video, Executive producer Kate Paiz talks about how working with the live action teaser gave a deeper insight into feelings and the moment-to-moment lives of the characters in Rohan. Utilizing these insights, Director Mitch Cohen states, "We're creating a three-dimensional world through their performances." But Tolkien purists need not worry that the expansion is based heavily on that short clip made just for the game. Todd Demelle, Online Art Director, notes that the team relied heavily on Tolkien's text to get the feel of Rohan. He highlighted the importance of authenticity, stating that the team was "focusing a lot on authenticity, making sure that the materials and the construction and the various things that make up the Rohan culture are as true as authentic as [it] can make them." The video also treats viewers to some of the vistas in-game. Check it out after the break. [Source: Turbine press release]
RIFT team calls down the thunder in Storm Legion dev diary
"You are a fantasy character going up against technology that is far beyond you," a Trion Worlds developer cautions in a brand-new RIFT: Storm Legion video. In the span of three minutes, Trion's team attempts to convince you why RIFT's first expansion warrants your sincere and undivided attention. The core concepts of the expansion are laid out, from the new continents to the storyline. In fact, consider this your cheat sheet for Storm Legion if you're looking for a tidy and exciting summary. The devs also state that this isn't just your same-old, same-old romp through familiar territory. "Instead of more high fantasy, we're getting creatures that people have never even imagined before," promises Design Producer Hal Hanlin. Watch the full dev diary after the break and let us know what you think about Storm Legion's prospects in the comments!
New Defiance developer diary explains what makes an MMO shooter
If you like playing an MMO but also like shooting things, you may enjoy the gameplay underpinning Defiance quite a bit. The latest developer diary for the game might be answering questions you hadn't asked, however, as it's focused on explaining how the game blends the MMO and shooter genres together into a cohesive whole. But there are still interesting tidbits about the game, including a look at vehicles and character advancement. Characters advance partly through the acquisition of powerful new weapons, which is almost a given based on the nature of the game. Weapons are also heavily customizable, with visible differences between stock weapons and customized versions. Players will also be able to acquire points to spend on special abilities of varying types, although points can be swapped into different abilities later on. If you want a more in-depth look at the game, click on past the break to view the full development diary. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Newest LotRO dev diary showcases customizable warsteeds
As Lord of the Rings Online's expansion Riders of Rohan gallops closer, Turbine has released another video developer diary, this time focusing on the look of the warsteeds. The major revelation in this dev diary is that the warsteeds will be customizable in both appearance (with slots for individual armor pieces) and skills. And the three different types of warsteeds -- light, medium, and heavy -- will have different strengths and trait trees; as players level, they will gain points to allocate into those trees. The studio also released a host of screenshots showcasing the epic story of the fellowship. In the expansion, players will be able to take part in the iconic moments that lead to the breaking of the Fellowship as well as take up arms to help the Lords of Rohan defend their lands. Players will witness Frodo Baggins wrestle with the decision of which path to take on his way to Mordor and experience the fall and then redemption of Boromir. Visit the familiar places of Middle-earth in the screenshots below and then watch the full video ofter the break. [Source: Turbine press release]%Gallery-158706%
LotRO dev diary discusses mounted combat momentum, Farmers Faire goes live
In Turbine's latest developer diary, the spotlight shines on the highly anticipated feature of mounted combat in Lord of the Rings Online. Although the video is short, developers share various details about the new combat style, including the fact that traditional skills can be utilized along with new skills like charging. Senior Game Designer Allan Maki talks about momentum, a new element introduced in mounted combat by which war steeds will have the ability to speed up over time, building to top speeds that will increase the damage of skills when players get to their target. You can catch all the details in the video after the break. Turbine has also released screenshots showcasing the Farmers Faire, the seasonal in-game festival for players beginning in Hobbiton. The inaugural Farmers Faire, postponed from last week, kicks off today. [Source: Turbine press release]%Gallery-9579%
End of Nations dev diary explains lore
Chaos. Turmoil. These are the terms developers of the free-to-play MMORTS End of Nations use to describe the upcoming game from Trion Worlds and Petroglyph Games. Yesterday, the studios released a new video dev diary in which the developers discussed the background and lore of the game. Audio Director Frank Klepacki explains the setting of the game this way: "What would the very near future be like if the economy actually did collapse, if the world really gave rise to a military power that controlled everything?" Petroglyph President Mike Legg explains that the the villain of the game is the oppressive Order of Nations, which strips civil liberties from the population. The team then describes the rise of the two rebellious factions, the Shadow Revolution and Liberation Front, which must try to set aside their own fighting to team up against the larger foe. You can watch the video, which also includes a good dose of gameplay footage, after the break. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
How Turbine made Lord of the Rings Online's Rohan region
"Enough painting outside the lines. Enough being coy. The Riddermark. Rohan. Finally." Thus begins a brand-new developer diary on Lord of the Rings Online's latest expansion, Riders of Rohan. The article tackles the development of East Rohan, which we're told is six times larger than average landscape releases in the game to date. The team decided early on to split Rohan into two major sections, both for practicality and for thematic purposes. East Rohan will represent an earlier timeframe in the book as well as a more "classic" locale that fans remember from the books: "For now, we're dealing with the time when Gríma Wormtongue still holds sway over Théoden, the king's son is dead, orcs are running rampant, and the beleaguered Rohirrim can barely keep it all from falling apart." The dev diary speaks of the challenges of crafting the region, geographically and visually, and how the team's had to deal with the gaps in Tolkien's explanation of the culture.
