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The Daily Grind: Can you overlook a bad UI?
So I've been playing Age of Wushu pretty heavily despite its not-ready-for-prime-time translation and its hackneyed interface. To be fair, it is still beta, and the martial arts sandbox isn't officially slated to launch in America until February. That said, character progression is carrying over and I'm paying for a VIP account, so I view it as more of a pre-release thing than a beta thing, personally. And I've heard a lot of players complaining about the UI. It's complicated, you can't move it around or customize it, and it's generally the antithesis of the streamlined interfaces we've seen in polished themeparks over the past few years. All of that hasn't put a damper on the novel game mechanics, though, and in spite of the fact that I wish the game would get a full UI makeover, I'll probably be playing it well past launch. What about you, Christmas Eve crew? Is a bad UI a dealbreaker when it comes to your MMO enjoyment, or can you overlook it as long as the rest of the game is good? 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!
Age of Wushu removes Elite benefits unexpectedly
So, enjoying Age of Wushu? Enough to purchase the game's Elite package with all its attendant benefits before launch? That's great, but if you bought it on the premise of having a permanent mount, you're going to be sadly disappointed. Snail Games USA has announced that the unlimited mount previously announced for purchasers has been removed, replaced by an increased quantity of gold and a few temporary mounts. While it's an understandable balance concern, it's also somewhat upsetting for players who have already purchased the package partly on this basis. This comes in the wake of another announcement by the company clarifying that Elite/Deluxe edition rewards are only given to the first character you create. Deleting and remaking your character will not result in your rewards being resent. This has further angered several players, as this statement was not made until after many players had begun recreating characters without prior knowledge of this policy. The post announcing that these items are one-time-only explains the philosophy behind it, and encourages all players to do ample research before creating a first character for this exact reason. [Thanks to Adam for the tip!]
Some Assembly Required: Six reasons to love sandboxes in 2013
What a difference a year makes, amirite? This time twelve months ago, I was licking the wounds brought on by Star Wars Galaxies' unceremonious and premature departure from the MMO scene. It was bad enough that a profitable title was sacrificed in order to clear a path for one of 2012's biggest disappointments, but it was worse that said title was the premier sandbox in the genre's history. Frankly, the last few years have been abysmal for fans of non-linear MMOs and player-generated content, but thankfully, 2012 righted the ship and gave us more than a bit of hope for 2013.
Age of Wushu's Scholar school teaches the art of death
If you've hopped into Age of Wushu's open closed beta, which started yesterday, you've probably noticed a new school available, one distinct from the previous reveals of beggars, monks, assassins, guards, and such. Folks who prefer a more cultured outlook can join the Scholars, a sect that focuses on the arts. In fact, before joining this school, players must acquire one of the four Cultural professions: Musician, Painter, Calligrapher, or Weiqi. This school is also one of only two neutral sects. With an elegant combat style rooted in dance, scholars use flourishing, theatrical moves in swordplay. They also use musical frequencies to cause internal damage; one legend tells of an ultimate song that can deal fatal damage to a foe without spilling a single drop of blood. You can check out the Scholars moves in Massively TV's Age of Wushu stream.
Age of Wushu kicks off second closed beta
Have a hankering for an ancient Chinese holiday gift? Age of Wushu is dropping a lovely sandbox down some of your chimneys, as the title has just started its second closed beta test. Snail Games said that pre-purchased players will receive the benefits from their elite and deluxe versions of the game shortly after logging in. If you're interested in giving it a whirl without pre-purchasing, all you need to do is register for a limited trial. Trial players get 10 hours of game time with an additional hour per day after that. For Massively's look at this title, definitely check out Patrick's hands-on with the title and MJ's livestream tonight!
Age of Wushu opens next closed beta to all
Is it possible to have an open closed beta? Yup, and Snail Games is doing just that for Age of Wushu's next round of beta testing. Due to the overwhelming response of folks wanting to participate, the game is adding a special trial version for the upcoming CBT. How it will work is that any and everyone who wants to get a taste of the game will have 10 hours of unrestricted access when the next CBT starts on December 20th. After exhausting those 10 trial hours, players who have not purchased the deluxe edition will be capped at one hour of play per day throughout the rest of the beta test, which closes in early 2013. Folks who own the deluxe edition will get more perks besides just unlimited playtime throughout the entire closed beta period. All customization, progression, and skills of all characters will be saved when this beta closes and will be available when the next play period opens. Players who already own Elite, E3, or New York Comic Con editions of the game will have the same unrestricted access as the deluxe owners.
Age of Wushu fans can find balance in the Wudang School
You've seen the ninjas, the show-offs, and even the panhandlers, but nothing really fit with your ideals of inner harmony. If that's the case, then Age of Wushu's fourth school, the Wudang, may be more your style when the martial arts sandbox opens its doors! Known universally as Shaolin Monks, this school focuses on balance of the mind and body and redirects energy used against them to throw enemies off balance. The Wudang favor swords, using them as an extension of themselves in battle. If you want to see the breeze sword, the yin yang sword, and the taiji sword skill sets in action, check out the three videos after the break.
Age of Wushu highlights a third school: Wanderer's Valley
Just as players would expect of a sandbox, Age of Wushu is offering a variety of classes for folks to play the game how they want. Previous spotlights introduced fans to the Beggars and the Tangmen. Now Snail Games is showing off the evil side of life in ancient China; Wanderer's Valley is a darker school that welcomes notoriety for its nefarious actions. Created by a man embittered by his own short life-span and led by fallen members of other sects, the sect is full of adherents who practice a live-in-the-moment attitude with little care for the consequences of their actions. Skills available to this school include the use of pressure points to poison energy and dual blades to slice through opponents. You can even use insects to slowly eat away at enemies. If the prevailing motto of "eat, drink, and torture others, for tomorrow we die" sounds right up your dark alley, then Wanderer's Valley is the school for you!
Age of Wushu unveils its Deluxe Edition
Is something missing from your life following the end of the last Age of Wushu closed beta? Something like Age of Wushu? If you enjoyed what you saw during testing, you might be interested in picking up the game's Deluxe Edition, available from the official site right now. Priced at $19.99, it's a chance for fans to get in on the game early and pick up several perks, including automatic access to the second closed beta beginning December 20th. Purchasers will also receive a bundle of upgrades worth about $15 if bought piecemeal from the game's cash shop as well as 60 days of VIP status. Anyone who buys the Deluxe Edition will also have access to special events and sweepstakes made available only to purchasers. If you can't wait to lay your hands on the game again, you'd probably best head over and order soon, since December 20th is approaching fast. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Age of Wushu devs making 'painstakingly accurate' recreation of ancient China
Age of Wushu may feature wire-fu and mythical monsters, but it also features a pretty realistic recreation of 15th century China. The latest Snail Games dev blog takes us backstage for a look at how the developers are bringing the Ming Dynasty to life. "The details in Age of Wushu are painstakingly accurate, from the largest city to the smallest structure the game is designed to match the real world," Snail says. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, the studio has also included several in-game images with their real-world analogs superimposed on top. See for yourself at the game's official site.
Age of Wushu video pits Beggar vs. Tangman
Already suffering from Age of Wushu withdrawals now that the closed beta has closed? If so, you can get pick-me-up doses of it by watching various videos that show off the game, from a how-to kidnap clip to looks at the different schools. That's not enough, you say? Then how about feasting your eyes on a match-up between Beggars and the Tangmen? Check out the one-on-one duel between members of these two sects in the video past the cut. And if that still isn't enough, check out Massively's recent Age of Wushu livestream with a special dev guest star and keep checking back for all your sandbox kung-fu news.
Age of Wushu's Tangmen school boasts poison, sneaky ninjas
Are you looking to unleash your inner ninja in Snail Games' Age of Wushu martial arts MMO? If so you might want to have a look at a new website reveal that highlights the Tangmen Assassins. The Tangmen school is one of only two neutral sects in the game world, and there's a certain amount of mystery that goes along with the group. The Tangmen favor darts, daggers, and poisons, and Snail says that they "specialize in trickery and sleight-of-hand to catch others off guard." The site update also features information on a few Tangmen skills as well as video footage of said skills in action. We've embedded the Golden Snake Sting after the cut, and you can see the rest at the link below.
TERA patch opens up GvG on PvE servers and improves daily quests
TERA has been out on American shores for just about a month now, and that means the game is due for a patch. While the latest update isn't a huge patch, it certainly does bring some big changes, starting with the addition of the guild vs. guild system to PvE servers. Guild masters will be able to toggle their guilds as pacifistic or battle-ready, and new players joining a guild will be informed if the guild is embroiled in war. Not up for the PvP road? That's all right -- there are a lot of other little additions in this patch. Daily quests for Hands of Velika have undergone some revisions, with slightly higher numbers required to clear but a greater individual reward. High-end BAMs now also drop Tier 13 crafting materials, with named monsters having a higher chance at drops. The patch also adds the ability to type custom emotes and several bug fixes, both of which should improve the quality of play in TERA.
Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2
The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars. Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness? The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...
The Daily Grind: Should MMOs balance for PvP, PvE, or yes?
The original concept for Guild Wars is right there in the name: guild wars. There was no question that regardless of how much PvE content the game planned to feature, there'd be at least as much or more GvG content for the competitive folks. But as more and more skills were added to the game, the devs ran into serious balancing problems and began tweaking the skills so that the PvP meta was less affected by the powercreep slowly taking over PvE. Eventually, ArenaNet split the skills, giving some skills different effects depending on whether they were being used against players or monsters; some newer skills were designed to be PvE-only from the start. Do you think Guild Wars offers a pragmatic solution to the PvE/PvP balance problems that plague so many MMOs? Or do you think games should strive to balance their gameplay without creating skills (or gear) that do different things in different situations? 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!
Massively Exclusive: Lucent Heart unleashes guild vs. guild
With Lucent Heart's Scaena expansion fast on the way, the developers have yet to run out of new and exciting features to share with the game's players. This week, it's all about pitting guild against guild in mortal conflict. Who will rise? Who will fall? And most importantly of all, who will be pwned and who will be leet? It seems as though Gamania is angling this expansion toward as wide an array of player types as possible, with not only GvG combat satiating the PvP crowd, but Scaena's custom dancing tools pleasing the fluff nuts and new bosses and zones appealing to the PvE questers. Today we have several exclusive pictures showing off Lucent Heart's guild vs. guild combat, as well as an in-depth look into this system from the developers after the jump! %Gallery-130977%
Guild Wars ups the ante for PvP
"This has been a longstanding problem with our competitive formats," the June Guild Wars dev diary bemoans. "There are a great variety to try, but many people haven't found enough reasons to jump in." Hence the impetus behind Guild Wars' June update, which contains a number of new incentives to entice players into the PvP arenas. Some of the biggest changes include the ability to trade Z-coins, new PvP quests, and additional formats that award Zaishen Strongboxes. Another significant change to Guild Wars is that Alliance PvP formats now award Imperial faction. Imperial faction can be converted to one of three types, depending on the player's need: Luxon, Kurzick or Balthazar. This way a player can fight for one side but earn points toward the other, which should go a long way to increasing the frequency of matches. ArenaNet hopes that these changes will encourage players to branch out into different types of PvP instead of sticking to one format that's tied to specific rewards. There are plenty of other tweaks in this update, so be sure to read the full dev diary to learn about changes to titles, the Codex Arena, GvG emotes and more!
Guild Wars fansite announces PvP championship series
Core Guild Wars fansite Guild Wars Guru has some exciting news for PvP-oriented GW fans. The 2011 GvG Championship Series begins in April, and the Guru folks are working with sponsors to offer some great prizes. NVidia, Logitech, Rude Gameware, and Bigfoot are providing prizes for every member of the winning team in each division. Even if you're not a hardcore PvP player, you won't be left out. The organizers have arranged for GvG workshops for new players as well as a casual tournament division that offers a mentoring program. Registration for the event begins in just a few weeks, so check out all the details -- and watch for more information over time -- over at Guild Wars Guru!
Volume 3: The Fury of War coming to Allods Online this December
The free-to-play developer gPotato has announced a third volume for its popular F2P fantasy title Allods Online. The Fury of War follows in the footsteps of the second volume, Rise of Gorluxor, by offering more free options, items, and content. However, this volume will focus more on guilds and high-level content. Two completely new zones will open up for players: the level 40 PvP areas (Melting Isle and the Junes Catacombs) and a level 40 allod called the Lost Isle. The Melting Isle is a faction-forgotten free-for-all PvP arena with a greater chest guaranteed to spawn if there are more than 20 participants. The Junes Catacombs also ignores factional alignments in this PvP maze, but as an added challenge, there are three bosses, including an ultimate boss, that groups must defeat in order to claim the instance rewards. Each time you enter this maze, it changes. After the launch of Volume 3, guilds in Allods can claim ownership of specific allods or entire astral sectors by a new guild-leveling mechanic. This new addition will pit guild against guild for control -- if you claim ownership, you must be able to defend it. Other guilds will want what you have. The Fury of War will launch before Christmas. For more information, visit the Allods official website, where you can download the game and try it out for yourself. %Gallery-108673%
Guild Wars releases preliminary skill update notes
No, they are not nerfing Shadow Form. Yet. But Guild Wars community manager Regina Buenaobra released a preview of some skill updates and updated GvG restrictions that are coming. Since they'll be released shortly before a Monthly Automated Tournament, and affect PvP heavily, the preview is being offered to give players a chance to plan for the changes. Regina does note, however, that these are preliminary notes, and subject to change. So what about the rest of the promised skill update? Regina says "While we continue a larger playbalance project that includes drastic changes to Shadow Form, we believe it is important to release a small skill balance to address a few other pressing issues" So the project is still underway, and Shadow Form is still in the crosshairs. (You can either be glad of that, or farm even faster while you still can, depending on your point of view on the entire issue.) We'll continue watching for further information on the update.
