Environments
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'Final Fantasy 7 Remake' will introduce new bosses
Square Enix has confirmed that work is underway on the second chapter of its Final Fantasy VII Remake, and also unveiled new screenshots and detailed what we can expect from the first chapter. It seems like "remake" is a bit of a misnomer, as it looks like a highly expanded version of the original. "Though [the new characters] aren't main characters, their numbers ended up growing considerably in the process of creating a rich depiction of Midgar," said director Tetsuya Nomura.
Microsoft's AltSpaceVR lets you build a virtual hangout
Microsoft's AltspaceVR differs drastically from other social networks by letting you share the same (virtual) space with your friends. Now, it's giving you more places to hang out with custom building kits. You start with a virtual hangout based on the popular "Campfire" and "Alien Planet" spaces, then customize it by grabbing assets from a curated library of flora, structures and shapes. You can then host muliplayer social games within your space and even add custom 3D design and sound.
EverQuest Next Landmark shows off the building blocks of the desert
EverQuest Next Landmark is all about building things right now. There's going to be more to do in the future, but right now it's all about making your own stuff. So it's helpful to know what you can use to make those things. The latest trailer, past the break, shows off another set of building blocks for the game in the form of desert-based plants, landscapes, and textures. Just like real deserts, it's not just an unbroken sea of sand and rocks -- there are cacti, withered trees, sparse grass, bluffs, valleys, and the like. All the things you could need if you want your own little slice of the game to be a dusty place full of blowing tumbleweeds, in other words. Take a look at the video past the break, and keep your eyes peeled for similar videos in the future.
EverQuest Next Landmark shows off its first building blocks
EverQuest Next is going to give players a lot of tools to make things, and EverQuest Next Landmark is all about making things without the restrictions of the full game. But what will you be making those things out of? We're glad we assumed you asked because the latest video from the game is all about showing off the building blocks players will have access to. First up on display: the tropical environment. It's only fair to warn you that the video is fairly short, so you won't be gleaning huge amounts of new gameplay information from it. You will, however, have a glimpse into how you'll be shaping an environment with nothing more than creativity and some tropical trees, complete with object rotation and careful building. Click on past the break to check out the whole video, and start thinking about what you're going to build when you get the chance.
Greed Monger screenshots and video show off tropical climate area
Moving right along after tripling its Kickstarter funding goal back in November, the developers behind Greed Monger have been busy slowly bringing the crafting-centric game to life. A working day/night cycle is already implemented, and over the weekend a chunk of the tropical climate area was imported to the test server, allowing devs to finally meet up in the same space together. The character creation UI and finished models (with armor sets) will be heading in this week. The team is also currently working on avatar animation and making sure controls work. Want to get a peek at how Greed Monger is coming along? Then check out the brief fly-through video of the tropics climate region after the break. Then head on over to the official site to see the snazzy new in-game screenshots.
New MechWarrior Online Q&A focuses on weapons and environments
Piranha Games has answered another round of community questions about MechWarrior Online, and as with previous answer sessions, the new information focuses on some of the fine details of the game's design. Perhaps the most saddening one is the confirmation that 'Mechs will react to destruction simply by collapsing or possibly suffering several small internal explosions rather than the enormous fireballs of death seen in some of the other games in the franchise. There is, however, confirmation that some of the structural aspects of your 'Mech will come into play during battles. 'Mechs with higher-mounted weapons will be able to shoot over certain environmental obstacles that others cannot, while those with higher viewports will be able to see more easily through larger environments. This may come into particular relevance in urban environments, a long-time staple of the MechWarrior franchise -- and it's confirmed that there will be appropriately huge and sprawling cities. Take a look at the full answers for more details as well as some clarifications on the workings of pulse lasers.
Choose My Adventure: Mainland in black
One of the comments from last week's Choose My Adventure suggested that I must not be enjoying Ryzom all that much. That isn't entirely accurate, but it would be accurate to say that the charm of the starter island has worn out its welcome and then some, which wouldn't surprise anyone, given that last week's poll wound up in a decisive victory for leaving the island and heading out to the mainland. And while there may have been some business left unfinished there, I'm not one to ignore the rule of the polls. And so it was that Corlede obeyed the will of the people and headed off for the Zorai city. Once there, I set about the important business of getting Corlede outfitted, taking some advice, and assembling a team to plant an idea inside the head of a talking lion meant to represent a well-known religious figure. Or something like that.
The Daily Grind: Which environments tend to drain your interest?
The problem with fantasy settings is that the imagery is pretty well played out. You know there will be an area with a lot of trees, probably a desert, probably a set of rolling plains, and of course there will be caves. And the odds are good that at least one of those environments won't make you feel like you're off on an epic adventure; it will make you feel as if you're traipsing through the same environments you've traipsed through hundred of times. Until you just log off, that is. Maybe it's another promise of brown or gray caves winding about interminably. Maybe it's the thought of another forest, or another plain, or another rocky mountainous area. Or perhaps it's the more surreal and fanciful environments that make you roll your eyes and want to just stop playing. Which environments tend to drain your interest in the game? No matter how interesting any other part of the zone might be, what sort of regions just make you feel burnt out and bored? 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 devs answer questions via Twitter
MMO Crunch has the details on Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 Twitter question-and-answer session that went down on September 16th. The chat covered a lot of ground and answered quite a few of the PlanetSide nation's most burning questions. What kinds of questions? Well, there are bits about customizable armor, bunny hopping, strafing, sun glare as it affects pilots, online vs. offline skill training, and dozens more where those came from. PlanetSide 2 fans will also be happy to know that each of the game's continents will support over 2000 simultaneous players, and said continents will feature varied environments including snow-covered terrain, glaciers, and forests. Check out an abbreviated list of discussion points after the break.
Blade & Soul's Dragon Forest zone showcased in 35-minute video
More Blade & Soul closed beta info is making its way around the web, and the latest bit of interesting comes courtesy of a lengthy zone preview video posted by the folks at Blade & Soul Dojo. The whopping 35-minute clip takes viewers on a journey through the game's Dragon Forest zone from the recent Korean closed beta phases. The zone provides content through level 20 and features a remarkably diverse set of environments despite the fact that its name conjures images of your typical fantasy wood. There is quite a bit of forest footage, of course, but there are also long stretches of pristine beach set off by towering cliffs, not to mention quaint fishing villages, spectacular waterfalls, and an archetypal dojo complete with dragon-adorned columns and various acolytes. The video is blessedly free of the modern rock soundtracks that typically accompany fan-made uploads; instead, it features snippets of Blade & Soul's original orchestral soundtrack. Feast your eyes (and ears) after the cut.
Final Fantasy XIV previews upcoming outposts
As patch 1.18 draws close for Final Fantasy XIV, the development team has been stepping up the rate of previews. The latest one highlights a feature discussed previously but not seen for some time: the addition of several outposts across the landscape, hubs for adventurers to explore as they take part in new content. Six outposts are listed in the newest preview, two for each of the major regions in the game and each with a distinct thematic focus. Each of the outposts listed highlight the environment of the nearby city-state -- the outposts in Gridania are concerned with hunting and maintaining security in the wood, while Ul'dah's settlements focus on more mercantile and mineral concerns. In addition to the stops for adventurers, beastman settlements are said to be on the plate for patch 1.18 later this week. Final Fantasy XIV players who can't wait to see the new hubs can take a look at the preview for a glimpse at the expanding and improving environment.
Fallen Earth shows off Alpha County in the newest State of the Game
If you were hoping to find out that Alpha County in Fallen Earth was a last bastion of uncorrupted civilization... well, we have some bad news for you. But in all likelihood you expected nothing of the sort, and thus the previews of the new region included in April's State of the Game letter will come as no surprise. Since the release seems to be just around the corner, this month's update is all about the surreal landscape and wasted environment players will be exploring in this newest region. Accompanied by a surfeit of screenshots, the letter talks once more about the technical challenge involved with bringing this newest region into the game. A new style of terrain means checking extensively to make sure that critters are behaving correctly when engaged by players, and the variety of new weapons and items available means that there's a lot of testing to make sure that nothing breaks the game's structure. Fallen Earth players will want to take a look at the full preview for all the details and several pictures of the latest part of the wasteland.
Star Trek Online cinematic war trailer shows off combat footage
The next major MMO from Cryptic Studios is Star Trek Online, which may bridge the gap in sci-fi MMOs between ship-based combat and avatar interaction on planetary surfaces. Cryptic has been releasing new screenshots and talking quite a bit about character progression lately, but sometimes it's better to show than to tell. That's what they're doing with the latest game trailer showing off footage of conflicts in space and planetary environments your away teams will explore. The Star Trek Online cinematic war trailer at GameVideos gives some background on the STO setting along with the requisite phaser fire, Borg cubes, and bridges boarded. We've got the latest Star Trek Online footage embedded for you, so stick with us after the cut.
Earthrise dev blog shows off the beauty and horror of the Cascade Mountains
The first MMO we're going to see from independent game developer Masthead Studios is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic title that's bringing some new things to the table in the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic genre. If you've played games like Fallout 3, the setting of Earthrise will be quite different from what you might be expecting. The game will take place on a sprawling island called Enterra, with regions and environments ranging from lush jungles to futuristic urban centers. Of course Earthrise will have the requisite shattered city environments we'd expect of a post-apocalyptic backdrop, as well. Masthead Studios recently explained how terrain will impact gameplay, having written about some of the game's man-made environments like the Industrial Area. Now they're ready to discuss more about Enterra's natural environment with the Cascade Mountains, the focus of the latest Masthead Studios dev blog they've written for MMORPG.com.
Champions Online dev Randy Mosiondz on storytelling and gameplay
Writing for Examiner.com, Daniel Nations recently interviewed Champions Online lead designer Randy Mosiondz about the balancing act between providing guided gameplay and exploration. The interview also touches upon Champions Online's gameplay across different environments. Namely, Mosiondz explains a bit about the challenges that players will face in the underwater area of Lemuria with its full 3-D movement capabilities, and how some player powers will be modified for use underwater. Also a nice touch is that the discussion heads into his roots as a writer for pen and paper games. Mosiondz explains the differences in storytelling between pen and paper games and MMOs, and why it can be tricky to bring a story with lasting consequences to a massively multiplayer online game. Check out the Champions Online developer interview over at Examiner for more about what the Cryptic Studios super-hero title will offer.
Cutting down the noise in online situations
Technically, the idea that Randall Munroe (author of XKCD, one of the funniest and definitely the geekiest of the comics on the web) had wasn't really about MMOs, but I think there is an application to the communities that we're all gaming in. His problem was that, whenever a community reaches a certain number of people, connections weaken, and it becomes an ever-increasing struggle of signal versus noise. And while his interest in that problem has to do with the IRC channel associated with the comic, it will surely sound familiar to those of us who've spent any amount of time in an online gaming environment.So what's his plan to fix things? His theory is that a lack of meaningful communication is directly tied to the originality of the statements contained therein-- ie. get rid of the Chuck Norris comments and the older-than-dirt memes and jokes, and you'll have meaningful communication. So he created a script to sit in the channel (#xkcd-signal on irc.foonetic.net) with logs of the past two years of chatting, and if you say anything that's already been said, you'll get muted.
Building a better MMOusetrap: Buildings, barrens and beyond (Part 3)
Over the past two weeks I have gone over some of the base elements of architecture in massively multiplayer games. Touching on how architecture can influence a persons time inside a game, as well as how different types of players can actually begin to influence the environment.Once a player leaves the cities with the games, they will begin to encounter more diverse and interesting environments and landscapes. The largest percentage of available space in MMOs is simulated landscape and natural scenery. From toxic-hued forests and jungles, to vast dune seas, and rolling grasslands, all the way out into the vastness of space and although the landscapes in the games oftentimes reflect the vistas we know from the real world, sometimes they are as if they were plucked from the dreams or nightmares of the players. However something separates landscapes in reality from landscapes in video games, and that is the fact that at the end of the day, most of the areas outside the cities in online games, are structured just the same as the cities themselves are.Each area or "zone" is assigned it's own distinct character, and habitat and is assigned a specific level of difficulty. They often have only a few entries and exits, a handful of important landmarks and high walls surround the entire area. In this sense the areas function simply as an exaggerated room, with walls surrounding, one or two doors or windows to get out, and everything within set specifically to function only within that area. Espen Aarseth stated in his Allegories of Space about the game Myst:"What looks like an open area is really a closed labyrinth with a few possible directions..."
Building a better MMOusetrap: Buildings, barrens and beyond (Part 2)
Last week we started to look at the architecture of MMO cities, and how they can impact game play. How developers use areas like transit zones, to herd the players, even if they players aren't aware. This week we will take a deeper look into the cities themselves, the people that inhabit them, and why.Cities are often looked at in virtual worlds as a type of mall, where you can go and pick up the things you need, trade in or sell the things you don't, and maybe swing by the food court for a bite to eat. As such, players often treat cities very differently; just like malls you have different groups of people who want different things out of the environment. To some, it's a hangout place, the folks who sit around talking with their friends, using yell or in-city channels to spam their personal and most inner thoughts (WTS [Wang] x1 PST). You have those who look at it just like a pit stop, get in, do what you have to do, and get out. And those who abhor the cities entirely and would rather go out of their way to some small outpost just to avoid the unwashed masses, even if it means an extra twenty minutes.I think developers can change this though, making the cities more like the ones we are used to in the real world. Places to rest, refresh, and socialize. In games like FFXI, the cities feel barren and devoid of life, with only the most necessary NPCs around to give out the quest and vendor your unwanted loot. There are frequently more empty, inaccessible buildings than there are ones you can go in. Where the opposite can be said about WoW, where there are countless houses for you to explore (albeit most of them empty), NPCs wandering around with no function other than to sell pie, and more vendors than you can shake a stick at.
Building a better MMOusetrap: Buildings, barrens and beyond (Part 1)
I spent the last two years living in the UK with an architecture enthusiast, and we often got into debates about the functionality and aesthetics about architecture and design. As such I began doing a bit of personal research on the topic, but filtered it down into a view on my own extra-curricular exploits. It was through this that I found a number of papers related to architectural choices in video games and virtual worlds, some are now a little outdated as they were written in the early days of true 3D gaming, but some hold true even to today. The main point, being that the decisions being made by developers are not simply held to aesthetics, but often have classical themes of architecture and planning intertwined into the building of our online cities. MMO architecture is something I think can define, both the enjoyment, and popularity of the game in the same way that the ease of use of its interface can cause people to love it or leave it. And I think designers and developers are starting to believe this as well, looking at the cities, towns, hamlets and mega-cities of games are starting to feel more like real places instead of just something that serves in game function. This isn't something that is only tied into a single MMO genre either, games such as World of Warcraft, Everquest and Final Fantasy XI all draw on well-known fantasy architectural schemes, City of Heroes/Villains uses a lot of real world and comic influences, and games such as Eve Online tie into popular sci-fi conventions. That being said, these games are not simply drawing from norms, but also are utilizing individual ideas and designs, there are influences of lore and unique design in all of the above mentioned games.
