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Path of Exile interview reveals plans for player-generated races
Although there is no Some Assembly Required in the title, don't let that fool you; today's focus is on one of the founding precepts of this column, player-generated content. It's just not sandboxy player-generated content like we've covered before. Today's special edition explores the PGC proposed for the decidedly non-sandbox action RPG Path of Exile. At GDC I sat down with managing director Chris Wilson and technical director Jonathan Rogers to discuss Path of Exile and their idea of adding player-run races to the game. A fan favorite, these timed gaming experiences are currently only officially sponsored events grouped into seasons, the first of which just concluded. However, devs would like to give players the opportunity to create and host unofficial events (meaning results won't have any bearing on the seasons) to allow players to enjoy this wildly popular facet of the game in a place where they can practice skills, test themselves against friends, or just enjoy a unique challenge.
Path of Exile's season one race events start February 23rd
Path of Exile is bringing back the popular race events from beta and organizing them into seasons. Race events are limited-duration challenges that put players into a new character and a fresh economy to compete against each other for various prizes. The first season of these events will begin on February 23rd and continue through April 7th. It will be made up of 109 events that take place solely on the weekends, and it will feature different start times so that players across the globe won't be at a significant disadvantage based on location. There are several ways to win prizes through these races. Players accumulate reward points that contribute to both season and lifetime prize tiers, and they can win additional goodies if they place in the top ranks for multiple events and the season as a whole. [Thanks to Josh for the tip!]
Path of Exile update adds new maps, overhauls audio, and improves art
With Path of Exile's open beta well under way, players can expect changes here and there as issues are addressed and bugs are squashed. Yesterday, Grinding Gear Games rolled out a new update that included reworked audio and updated artwork as well as added 11 new types of maps. Full details can be found in the 0.10.1 patch notes. Although not deployed yet, players can also expect other changes in this patch series including minion targeting, high-level mods in items, and improved livestreaming features. Then the next big patch, 0.10.2, will mark the beginning of the open beta content schedule that promises even more core content. For more on Path of Exile, check out Massively's impressions and hands-on experiences. And be sure to watch the action next Sunday, February 17th at 10:00 p.m. EST on Massively TV.
Path of Exile hands-on: The sequel Diablo II deserved
Like many gamers in their mid-20s, I spent countless hours in my teenage years smashing through dungeons and hunting for loot in Diablo II. The deep itemisation system made building effective characters a real challenge, and periodic ladder resets kept the loot-hunting economy fresh. Fast-forward 10 years and the highly anticipated sequel Diablo III was released to some serious complaints. The servers were unstable for weeks at launch, the always-online DRM caused a stir, and the endgame item grind was severely underwhelming. Indie developer Grinding Gear Games aims to beat Blizzard at its own game with its new free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile. The game boasts a dark art style and an unprecedented level of character customisation that lets players build truly unique characters. Each skill is itemised as a gem that can be slotted into your gear and augmented with dozens of different support gems. The sprawling passive skill system is better described as a "skill octopus," with millions of different ways to build a character. I've spent the past few weeks smashing up monsters in the Path of Exile open beta and absolutely loving it. Read on to find out why I can honestly say that Path of Exile is the sequel Diablo II deserved.
Path of Exile developers discuss open beta success
Open betas are stressful for developers. Not just because it's the moment that the game is suddenly available for public discussion and evaluation, but also because it's time to see how well the infrastructure holds up under an onslaught of new players. Path of Exile's development team recently went through that stress, and in a new letter to the community, players and onlookers alike can see how the game weathered the transition. Here's the quick summary: Very well. At the time of the letter, the game's peak concurrency was at 56,700 players, more than had been expected but very close to what the servers could handle. The game struggled a bit with patch downloads due to the CDN system immediately after launch, and there have been some crashes with various realms, but by and large the team seems happy with how the game is going and with overall sales figures. If you want more of the hard details on what a 30-hour open beta launch day looks like, read the full letter. And then get back to clicking things for money and loot. [Thanks to tandarighttanon for the tip!]
Path of Exile explains its open beta transition
If you're looking forward to Path of Exile's open beta (possibly in the wake of our own first impressions), you don't have much longer to wait. The testing will start shortly, giving everyone a chance to get in on all of the clicking and looting. For everyone looking forward to the next step, old hands and new players alike, the development team has provided a handy walkthrough of what will take place as the game's gates creak open. All characters will be returned to level 1 and all items will be removed outside of special promotions, but this will be the last character reset the game will undergo. Players with existing closed beta clients will be able to download the open beta patch directly, but the game's servers will go down for about two hours before the changeover happens. The post also warns everyone to expect that there may be login queues or latency issues given the game's popularity, so consider yourself fairly warned.
Piles of dead demons: A hands-on with Path of Exile
Path of Exile makes me smile. It isn't because of the gritty, dark setting or how a swing of my mace scatters disembodied monster pieces in every direction. It isn't the interesting design of the passive skill tree or the inclusion of PvP. What makes me smile is knowing that the kid inside me has finally found a worthy successor to the action RPG Diablo II. Oh, and it's free-to-play. Grinding Gear Games begins the PoE open beta on January 23rd, 2013. This week I massacred hordes of various dark abominations with Lead Programmer Jonathan Rogers and Producer Chris Wilson in the brand-new Act III content. And after my demo was finished, I almost felt bad for Diablo III.%Gallery-170186%
'Gearing' up for Path of Exile's launch with a demo and interview
Grinding Gear Games is finally gearing up (pun intended) for the launch of Path of Exile, an MMO dungeon-crawler that hopes to satisfy fanatics and casual gamers alike. The new title has been in closed beta for just the last few months of its six-year development cycle, and on January 23rd, it will hit open beta -- surely a relief for players eyeing the closed beta wistfully. Unfortunately for those who have been grinding away (yep, pun intended again) at hordes of monsters during the beta, there will be a character wipe, one that sets all characters, levels, items, experience, passive skills, active skills, and everything else back to zero. I recently attended a live demo and got to chat about the game with reps from Grinding Gear in Los Angeles. Read on for my take!
Click-click-click: Massively's double-dose of Path of Exile impressions
New Zealand-based Grinding Gear Games has a challenge ahead of it: to convince a jaded gaming audience that its online action RPG Path of Exile can be more than just another Diablo III clone. Our Not So Massively crew has been following the game with great interest, zeroing in on its generously sprawling skill tree and item-customization systems in particular. And this Wednesday will see the launch of open beta, leaving only one question left to answer: click-click-click? Well, maybe a few other questions too, like how does it play and is it worth my time? To get some first-hand experience with the latest edition of the game, Massively sent two freelancers -- Gavin Townsley and Jeffery Wright -- to two different Path of Exile developer events last week, one in San Francisco and the other in Los Angeles. Which city won in the quest for the coolest demo? You'll just have to read both to find out.
The Daily Grind: What's the most recent game you've played that falls outside your comfort zone?
So yesterday's Path of Exile trailer has me quite intrigued. To be frank, I've never been much of a dungeon crawler fan, and I basically soldiered through Diablo a couple of years ago because my friends kept looking at me funny when I said that I'd never played it. For whatever reason, though, Grinding Gear's teaser really resonated, and I'll probably be picking up the game in a couple of weeks even though it strays pretty far from my usual play list. What about you, Massively readers? Do you play games outside your comfort zone, and if so what was the most recent one? Did you enjoy it? 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!
Grinding Gear releases spiffy new Path of Exile trailer
Grinding Gear Games has released a nifty new trailer for its Path of Exile action RPG. The clip runs a smidge over two-and-a-half minutes and features plenty of looks at the game's gorgeous presentation. There's also an introduction to all six character classes as well as bits on the customization and build functionality and both co-op and PvP modes. Finally, the trailer lets us peek behind the curtain on the "deepest item system in any action RPG." Path of Exile will be free to download and free-to-play. Grinding Gear says the game will be supported by "ethical microtransactions." Open beta starts January 23rd, and you can sign up now at the official website (after you click past the cut to watch the trailer, of course).
Path of Exile finds new friends in open beta beginning Jan. 23
Path of Exile, the free dungeon crawler from independent New Zealand studio Grinding Gear Games, is entering open beta on January 23, following a few months of a closed, pre-order beta. Those who want to jump on the Path of Exile closed beta while it still lasts can buy in for $10 to $1,000 right here. The more you pay, the better goodies you get, but don't expect any gameplay advantages. Path of Exile will never be pay-to-win, Grinding Gear makes clear.Path of Exile throws players into the fantastical world of Wraeclast as one of six character classes: Duelist, Ranger, Witch, Templar, Marauder and Shadow. Each character focuses on strength, dexterity or intelligence, and the world itself is "a dark, brutal continent," Grinding Gear writes. "Scarred by mysterious catastrophes of the past and inhabited by creatures of nightmare, the very environment challenges exiles who dare explore it."We're sick of the recent trend towards bright, cartoony RPGs. The art style we chose for Path of Exile is dark, gritty and realistic." See if you can handle Path of Exile's scary realism via these videos.
Path of Exile open beta starts January 24
Free-to-play dungeon crawler Path of Exile will enter its open beta phase on January 24, 2013. AusGamers notes that this represents a delay of about a month from Grinding Gear's previous open beta target, and the company has released a statement on its official forums explaining its decision. "Our development team have worked incredibly hard year-round and this will be their first break in a long time. For most of them, this is the only time they get to travel to see their families or not have to worry about the constant challenges we throw at them at work. Grinding Gear Games is not going to ask them to cancel their holidays. Instead, they'll come back well-rested and just as eager as you to launch Open Beta."
Path of Exile announces Act 3 and open beta
This December, Path of Exile will be not only entering open beta but introducing its new Act 3 expansion. What's this? An expansion before the game even launches? Yeah, games are nutty like that these days, but the folks at Grinding Gear Games say that they've already raised over $1.2 million in crowd-funded support during closed beta. This new expansion will add an extra 50% of content to the game world, introducing players to the ruined city of Sarn and providing some backstory on those who exiled them to Wraeclast. PvP arena combat will also debut in a patch before Act 3 launches. You can currently pre-purchase the game when you spend as little as $10 worth on in-game credit. This will get also get you a closed beta key while you wait for open beta in December.
Path of Exile is holding a stress test this weekend
Path of Exile takes several cues from games like Diablo III and Torchlight II, but it still remains its own game. But you don't have to take our word for it; you can take a look at the game yourself this weekend. The game is opening up another public stress test weekend from September 14th through the 16th, throwing open the doors and letting everyone experience the game as it stands. Starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT on the 14th, anyone with an account for the game can log in to the client and start playing. The focus is on stress testing to ensure that the game's servers can handle a heavy load of concurrent players, so some lag and choppiness is to be expected. If you're not deterred by this, you can head over to the official site and download the client now so that you'll be all prepped and ready when the doors open on Friday.
The Daily Grind: Are genderlocked classes anathema to MMOs?
In my recent foray into Path of Exile, an upcoming online Roguelike, I was startled to realize that the game's classes are wholly genderlocked. Like Diablo II, Path of Exile locks each class to a given gender. If you want to play a Ranger, you're playing a female toon. If you prefer the Templar, you're playing a dude. And while there are hints that the game might sell more customization in the future cash shop, the current alpha-test gender count stands at four men to two women. I was startled because even Diablo III shed this model. I assumed that a game's survival in an MMO space, especially a borderline MMO, depends heavily on how much players identify with their characters. And it seems particularly jarring that a game with such an impressively deep skill system would limit character customization and gender so dramatically. So what do you think -- are genderlocked classes anathema to MMOs? Would you play a class in spite of its gender, or have you ever picked a class specifically because you prefer to play a certain gender? 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!
Path of Exile running an open stress test this weekend
Are you in need of a beta test to participate in for the weekend? Would you prefer that beta test to have some Diablo flavoring in there? Path of Exile has you covered, as the development team has just announced that the game will be throwing the doors open for a public stress test over the weekend. Whether or not you're in the closed beta, you'll be able to log in and tool around in the game to your heart's content. The stress test will feature all of the content currently available in the closed beta. Servers will open at 8 p.m. EDT on July 27th and will close up once again at 2:59 a.m. PDT on July 30th. Anyone more interested in playing than in filing bug reports will be happy to note that the focus is just on loading up the servers and seeing how they perform under load. The official FAQ has further guidelines and a link to the client so you can get it downloaded and ready before Friday evening.
Path of Exile free this weekend during stress test
Path of Exile, the upcoming free-to-play Diablo-esque dungeon crawler, is currently going through its second public stress test. The game is available to download and play right now through the next day and a half. Developer Grinding Gear Games began its closed beta back in August and is planning to go open beta sometime this summer (or winter, since the team is in New Zealand).Path of Exile was easily responsible for one of our oddest preview "appointments" ever and you can learn a lot more on the developer's detailed public stress weekend FAQ.[Thanks, Repeats]%Gallery-102333%
Path of Exile preview: Diablo set free
A man with a lightly-accented voice taps my arm as I wander the PAX exhibition hall. "Excuse me, but what media outlet do you represent?" "Joystiq," I tell him, and he lights up, says he's been looking for me and insists he has a game he needs to show me with a title I've never heard of. He starts pressing through the throng of people and I follow as best I can, stifling the fear that he's taking me to some remote corner of the convention to rob and murder me. My preview of Path of Exile was not, in case you've never covered a convention, how these things normally happen. %Gallery-102333%
