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New leadership steps up to fill Anarchy Online vacancy
Following the loss of two of Anarchy Online's developers late last month, Funcom has promoted Henry "Michizure" Senger to fill the role of gameplay designer. Senger was a former member of the AO team who is now thrilled to be back: "It is a great honor and privilege to be able to focus all of my effort on Anarchy Online once again, and I greatly look forward to what we will accomplish." Senger updated the playerbase on what's been going on with the upcoming patches. As previously announced, patch 18.7 was delayed due to feedback. The team will be focused on putting in the new Inferno mission in the meantime. Past 18.7, patch 18.8 will feature the new graphic engine. "The new engine beta is still active, and the resulting feedback has been very helpful in identifying all the growing pains this process has presented. I look forward to having more tangible news to present in an upcoming developer update," Senger said.
The Daily Grind: What older game deserves a graphical update?
It doesn't happen often, but when classic MMOs are treated to a graphical overhaul, it feels like a cause for celebration. A couple of weeks ago we heard that Anarchy Online's long-in-development new graphics engine had started beta testing, and not so long ago RuneScape jazzed up its looks with a new iteration. It remains to be seen whether a spiffy visual overhaul will extend the life of the game and/or draw more players into the game, but it's exciting no matter what. Fans of older MMOs always seem to be clamoring for improved graphics, so let's make that the topic for today's discussion. What older game deserves a graphical update? Would you go back and play it if it got one? 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!
Eden Eternal celebrates second anniversary with The Reawakening update
What better way to celebrate a second anniversary than with a monumental update? That's exactly what Eden Eternal is doing; Aeria Games has launched The Reawakening, an ambitious update that includes graphical enhancements throughout the entire game as well as a new loyalty shop where players can buy various rewards using loyalty points (which can now be obtained through both questing and defeating monsters). The Reawakening also comes with sparkle ponies and llamas! OK, so the sparkle pony is really called a snow colt, but it does sparkle -- see for yourself below. You can also check out the graphics overhaul (including a comparative before and after shot) in the five new gallery images and in the trailer after the break.%Gallery-120523% [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Anarchy Online prepares for Steam debut
You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Don't tell that to Anarchy Online because the classic MMO is preparing to carve a place for itself on Valve's digital distribution platform. AO Producer Dave Williams writes that the title should make its way to Steam very soon. In addition, he posted a chart of all of the new subscription options and bonuses that are now available. Williams touches on a number of important developments in the most recent producer's letter, in particular some staff reshuffling and word about the server migration. Of course, what everyone wants to hear about is the graphics engine upgrade. Williams confirms that it and the new player experience are still on course for an early 2013 public beta, and he was able to show one of the new features that the engine will allow: armor meshes. These meshes will allow the Funcom team to create additional 3-D objects to stick onto armor, giving players a more unique (and updated) look.
Anarchy Online's future is so bright, it's gotta wear shades
Game Director Fia "Lindelu" Tjernberg is absolutely pumped about Anarchy Online's future, and she's not shy about promoting it. In a massive March development update post, Tjernberg discusses many projects the team has in the works for the loyal citizens of Rubi-Ka. Probably the biggest change on the immediate horizon is a brand-new global market interface that will allow players to buy and sell goods to each other. The market will be accessed at special terminals in the main cities as well as portable terminals, and can trade across all dimensions. Free players can browse the market, but only subscribers can buy or sell in it. Work-in-progress screenshots of the market were also posted to the main site. She reports that while the team was happy to show off the upgraded graphics engine this past week, there's still a ways to go before it hits live. Other projects that occupy the devs' time are improving the new player experience, balancing professions, and a streamlined game launcher with a graphical character selection screen. [Thanks to David for the tip!]
Anarchy Online's new graphics engine wows Funcom
Anarchy Online looks to be in good hands, as Game Director Fia Tjernberg returns for her second comprehensive development update. The update, which discusses the projects that the team's been working on, covers the past month in detail while hinting at future goodies. Tjernberg stresses that the entire team works just on Anarchy Online and nothing else and has put a wrap on the first video showing off the new graphics engine. According to her, Funcom's marketers got so excited after seeing it that the studio decided to flex some additional muscle to promote it in the near future. "The artists are more confident working with the settings and materials," she writes, "and they learned what they can do to really make a difference in quality." Other areas that the letter covered include an AO-specific world-building tool that the team's constructed, work on the new beginner experience that will tie in with the upcoming engine, the re-evaluation of professions to emphasize roles, and the details behind the upcoming server transfers. All players will be moved onto a new server that will, according to her, "keep [Anarchy Online] running smoothly for another ten years." Tjernberg also teases the next game update by saying that preliminary patch notes could arrive by the end of March.
EVE Evolved: Touring a galaxy reborn
EVE Online recently celebrated the release of its incredible Crucible expansion, noted as one of the most feature-heavy expansions in the game's history despite the majority of its features being produced in a period of just a few weeks. Two years' worth of graphical upgrades, features, balance upgrades and quality-of-life fixes hit Tranquility all at once, and the response from players has been incredibly positive. Last week I rounded up all the information there is to know about the Crucible expansion, but reading articles and news posts is no substitute for hands-on experience. This week I took a tour around parts of New Eden to explore the incredible new graphics Crucible delivered. As I have a background in graphics programming, the graphical upgrades are obviously the most exciting change for me. The astounding background nebulae are even more impressive when you know just how difficult it would be to build a nebula system that looks this incredible from any location. In this week's EVE Evolved, I explore a reborn galaxy and catalogue my adventures in a massive HD gallery.
Aion patch 2.5 goes live, free trial program introduced
It's time to spread your wings and take to the skies once again as Aion's patch 2.5 (which we were fortunate enough to personally explore not long ago) goes live today. The new update from NCsoft introduces two new areas of content: the new Esoterrace instance and the Empyrean Crucible. Players will be conquering both of these new areas in style with the addition of stunning graphical updates and new character customization options. New skills and PvP gear will help players to triumph over their enemies with finesse, while the new mentor system allows low-level players to get a helping hand from their elders. If you're not a current Aion player but you're still dying to take these new features for a spin, then you're in luck -- NCsoft is celebrating the new update by introducing a free trial program. Players in the program will be able to jump into the world of Atreia for 10 days and experience 20 levels' worth of content, all for free. You can choose your side and join the battle at the Aion official site.
Asheron's Call teases May event
While Asheron's Call players have a while yet to wait to get their hands on new playable races, Turbine has a bright shiny ray of good news to share: The May event is tentatively set to hit the servers on May 17th. According to the site, this event includes a new hunting area, a pair of additional dungeons, more quests, and "a couple of surprises." The Asheron's Call team boldly states that this will be "one of the most exciting updates" that players will see this year. The May event announcement ends with a sneak preview of sorts: two pictures showing off new sand textures surrounding a desert town. We've known for a while now that Turbine's been working on updating the game's graphics, so this is a welcome sight indeed. You can read the full article over at Asheron's Call.
EVE Evolved: Eight years of EVE Online
In last week's EVE Evolved column, I celebrated the third anniversary of the column with a competition to win one of three prizes worth over 500 million ISK. Congratulations go to Uniqdragon, mdubs28 and Thorium88, who will be contacted via email to arrange receipt of their prizes. In a bizarre twist that I can't believe I haven't noticed for three years, it turns out that the anniversary of my column occurs just over a week before EVE Online's own birthday on May 6th. With that in mind, this week's column is dedicated to the game's anniversary and to looking back at another successful year. The past eight years have been a wild ride for EVE Online and its developer CCP Games. EVE has grown from a fledgling niche game with under 40,000 launch subscriptions to a global melting pot of over 360,000 actively subscribed accounts. The company itself has seem similar expansion, starting from humble beginnings as a small independent studio in Iceland and growing into a multinational monster with offices in China, Iceland, North America and the United Kingdom. In this huge two-page anniversary edition of EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE Online has kept up with the industry over the years and then go on to examine this past year in detail, from the highs and lows to all the scams and awesome events.
Nexon changes everything about MapleStory in one Big Bang!
When darkness has covered the world, whom do you call? When everything you have seen on Victoria Island has been changed, is there a hero to save it? When the Black Mage unleashes his evil on the unsuspecting innocents, can he ever be defeated? Will the balance of power be shifted back to good? Will you, the greatest hero, stand up against the destruction and chaos? What are we talking about? Well, it is Nexon's side-scrolling, free-to-play MMO MapleStory, of course. Continuing a five-year tradition of constantly giving players new content, the developers will literally change everything you know about the world of MapleStory this winter in the game's newest story arc, Big Bang. In addition to crafting the new plot, the developers have seen fit to it to better the user interface, game resolution, and graphical textures. On top of that, players should expect a higher experience curve, updated maps, and brand-new character classes. Begin your new adventure by clicking after the break. We have stolen a glimpse of the exciting upgrades with a video trailer of Big Bang. Maybe you can be the one to save Maple World!
The Game Archaeologist's chat with Andy Cataldo
There are only a handful of people in the world who can boast that they're working on an MMO that dates back to the '90s. As community lead for Asheron's Call, Turbine's Andy Cataldo is a member of that exclusive club, going from an avid player of the game to part of the AC crew. Don't tell him that his game is old in the joints and unstable going down stairs; to Andy, Asheron's Call is still one of the most exciting MMOs on the market, and he is not shy in sharing his passion for it. In our third week of looking back at the esteemed history of Asheron's Call, the Game Archaeologist got in touch with Mr. Cataldo to ask him why AC has yet to go the free-to-play route, what the team is planning for AC's 11th anniversary, how the graphics update is coming along, and whether it's still possible to party like it's 1999. Let us clasp our hands together attentively and read! The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself, your role on the team, and how long you've been working on Asheron's Call. Andy Cataldo: My name is Andy Cataldo. I am currently the Community Lead for the Asheron's Call franchise. My focus is helping communicate between the players and various teams here in Turbine, and vice versa. I also do most of the website and launcher updates, as well as any community events. I have been working on Asheron's Call now for over six years.
The Tattered Notebook: Nerding out on Shader 3.0
"Hello nerds. Look at your game, now back to me, now back to your game, now back to me. Sadly, your game isn't me, but your game could look like me if it stopped using that crappy 2000s-era shader and started using shader 3.0." That's what she would say if she could say things other than her pre-programmed voice-over. With the release of Halas Reborn today, many players will be undoubtedly checking out the frozen north's new content overhaul. However, Halas Reborn didn't just stop with a simple content update. The storyteller system was introduced in this update, and the game's graphics had new life breathed into it via Shader 3.0. So today, in honor of nerd day, let's take a look at what exactly Shader 3.0 does with the game's graphics and if it's worth all the hype. %Gallery-93688%
Asheron's Call to get huge graphics update
The Asheron's Call community got a nice surprise today, in the form of an oh-so-casual forum post from Community Manager Andy "Frelorn" Cataldo. It seems that Asheron's Call is getting a bit of a facelift. The graphics update will bring game into relative crystal clarity, giving players all sorts of terrain -- grass, sand, and ice -- that was almost indicated more by color than anything until now. Cataldo gave fans a preview, but promised that it was going to get even better: "Also keep in mind these are not the completed versions. There is still some more finishing touches to be done, but we wanted to keep you all informed about what we have going on here." While the update looks gorgeous even in its unfinished state, there is one caveat to keep in mind: "To make sure we're clear, our engine didn't get any changes to it. Which means we can't render water the way most modern games can. It will still be a flat, non-moving texture the same way it is now." We'll be anxiously awaiting more updates, and in the meantime join the discussion in the original forum thread. [Thanks to Greg for the tip!]
Dofus opens their new version, Dofus 2.0, to simultaneous praise and worry
If you're a gamer looking for a tactical approach to MMOs, then you're pretty much going to want to play Dofus. Dofus is the MMO that takes a real-time strategy approach to combat, letting characters move in cells and conduct attacks in turns, very similar to the classic combat system of Final Fantasy Tactics. Recently, the Dofus team has ripped open the packaging on Dofus 2.0, a huge update that gives the game improved graphics, new areas, gameplay, and much more. However, the update hasn't been released without a fair share of criticism. Ankama Games had made the decision to launch Dofus 2.0 while simultaneously keeping Dofus 1.26, the prior version, online on separate servers.
Video of Anarchy Online's new engine uncovered
It's a rough cut and it's short, but this YouTube video shows something many people have been eagerly anticipating -- the updated graphics engine for Anarchy Online. Anarchy Online, Funcom's first foray into the MMO genre, is still running after 8 years of history and evolving storyline. While the game has been running on a free to play model for quite some time now, that's not stopping the team at Funcom from giving it the new graphical polish it deserves. And, trust us when we say this, they need a spit shine on this old engine. Just look at the game's graphics when we recently revisited it for ReSubbed. The graphics engine update is still without a release date, but hopefully with this video evidence being released the update won't be too far in the future. You want to see it? Well we've embedded it right after the break for you.
The Daily Grind: If you could give a game a graphics update, which one would it be?
Some of our games are old -- really old. Like, going on 10 years old. Yes, honestly, it has been that long since some games have debuted on the scene. And, sadly, some of them are finally showing their age.But it's not impossible for a game to go through a graphical update. EverQuest set the precedent for graphical upgrades with their additions made to the engine in the Luclin expansion, while EVE Online represents the more modern example of a game going through a large graphics overhaul.So today's question is thus: if you could send any MMO through a graphical update, which one would it be? Would it be one of the older ones, just so you could enjoy classic gameplay with a new artistical touch, or would you like to see a more modern game have a change of look?Drop your choice and the reasons behind it into the comment box below! Go readers, go!
Ask A Beta Tester: Spirit, AoE, and raid loot
I'm going to start off this AABT by stealing a question that Alex actually took last time, mostly because I started laughing when I read it yesterday. I have, oh, conservatively, billions of Wrath screenshots on my hard drive at this point, but there's one I remember all too well.Marathan asks... Some time ago, there was a talk about new player character models for Wrath - and even some bugged pictures. So the question is, are they going live? Are we finally going to get improved graphics on our characters?As Alex wrote, Blizzard used one beta build to test the ease of implementing new skins and some of them...didn't turn out too well. Imagine you're me and you get a beta key. Budget a few hours of anticipatory excitement while your main copies over. She's a 70 Tauren Druid who has been with you since day one, your sole 70, and you think she's the most beautiful thing in the game even if to everyone else she's an ungainly 8-foot heifer. Now imagine booting up the Wrath beta for the first time and being horrified to see your beloved character with a Glasgow smile, like the developers had seen the Joker in The Dark Knight and thought, "Hey! We could make that work!"Holy water did nothing. Neither did crucifixes, garlic, a wooden stake, waving the Bible in the direction of the laptop, or sobbing quietly in a corner.On the plus side, here was finally something in the game to which Tauren cat form was an actual graphical improvement.
TurpsterVision: Don't tell Adam but I've been fooling around with EVE
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)It's Tuesday! Hooray! If you like having intellectual discussions about current political events and their impact on the everyday life of the brave men and women serving abroad fighting for our freedom then I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. I don't have a clue about the wars going on here on planet Earth. What I do know about however, is a MMO universe so vast and EPIC that I makes the petty struggles of this world seem insignificant. That is right folks; today we are flying and fighting for our very lives in the turbulent universe of EVE Online!Join us after the break if you think you are truly hardcore enough to play in a universe where you can Alt-Tab while you are meant to be working.
MacBookPro fix for Second Life at long last?
Mac users in Second Life on some variations of MacBookPros (and occasionally other machines) have been having a rather torrid time - the graphics card drivers haven't been good and Second Life freezes every twenty minutes or so.Despite the pre-release causing problems it appears that the 10.5.2 release (yesterday) and the later graphics update have fixed this problem. My G5 doesn't show a dramatic increase in speed in Second Life, unlike the increases reported on WOW Insider and TUAW for World of Warcraft with 10.5.2, but is running about 5% faster in the places I know and test regularly. People on newer machines are reporting bigger increases in speed as well as improved stability. About time too![For the biologists out there, I know it's a cheetah, not a leopard, but finding good images of fast moving leopards is hard!]
