improvement
Latest
Cowboy upgrades its e-bike with a carbon belt and puncture-resistant tires
The Cowboy 3 comes with a new carbon belt, puncture-resistant tires and a lower gear ratio.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's 2.3 primer
Tomorrow, patch 2.3 will descend upon Final Fantasy XIV like a flight of angels. If you can't tell, I'm pretty excited. While I was by and large disappointed with 2.2, 2.3 is adding a lot of features I want, undoing some of the dumb features added in 2.2, and adding in a few more features that I didn't realize I wanted before but now know are immensely important to me. Kind of like the Challenge Log, except more. Unfortunately, the fact that it's landing tomorrow as of the time you're reading this means I have not yet actually played this patch. But I can still put a guide of some preliminaries together so that you can at least know what you're doing even if you haven't necessarily examined the patch notes with a fine-toothed comb just yet. So let's dive into it. When the patch goes live tomorrow, pick your destination, and go to it.
The Daily Grind: What MMOs have surprised you with their growth?
The picture above is of my kitten. Yes, kitten; he's only nine months old, despite being enormous. I have pictures of him on Twitter of back when he was so tiny I could hold him in one hand. And he's still my dear little kitty, he still loves cuddling up to me when I hold him and flopping in front of me on his back like a baby... but it amazes me how much he's grown over the months. Kittens are not the only things that grow, though. Even though there have been some notable missteps, I'm dazzled by how much Final Fantasy XIV has grown over the past few months, and while I'm not playing Star Wars: The Old Republic at the moment, I'm similarly fascinated by how many ways that's expanded. What about you? What MMOs have surprised you with their growth, adding on strange or unexpected elements or just becoming bigger in ways you wouldn't have expected at launch? 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: Champions Online gears up for a rampage
Are you ready to go on a rampage in Champions Online? Good, because there's a big Rampage revamp on its way to the game that should provide players with a lot of new things to do. Three missions are getting a full redo with rewards and challenges tweaked, and a brand-new Rampage is being added to the game, giving veteran players a chance to group up and pit themselves against the toughest opponents Millennium City and points related has to offer. The new Fire and Ice Rampage pits players against two villains originally designed by a player, and the title alone should give you some idea about what's coming. Meanwhile, the Gravitar, Lemurian Invasion, and Sky Carrier have been turned into proper Rampages with an updated set of items and costume pieces on offer. Check out the preview gallery, and click past the cut for all the details on this upcoming addition.
The Elder Scrolls Online shows off the process of building a character in a new video
One of the key features of The Elder Scrolls Online is building a character the way you want to play. It's been stated time and again that the game will allow you to build the sort of character you want rather than force you into a predefined setup. But what does the process look like in action? Well, why don't you just jump past the break and watch a new video showing off exactly how characters develop over time? When you choose a race and class at character creation, you gain access to one racial skill line and three class-based skill lines, but you also have access to a plethora of other skill lines so that neither race nor class forces you into a certain role. As you level, you gain skill points and attribute points, allowing you to customize your abilities as well as your individual distribution among survivability, magical skill, and weapon-based resources. Not to mention all of the other skill lines you can find over the course of play. For a more detailed look, jump on past the break to take a look at the full video.
WildStar discusses the state of the beta and big changes to come
Beta testing is like reviewing the first draft of a story. You read, offer suggestions, and then the writer gets a chance to make the story better for another draft. With WildStar's latest phase of testing at a conclusion, creative director Mike Donatelli sat down to explain some areas where WildStar will be changing mechanics based on feedback from both players and the community. Some of these might be a little more familiar, and some are more unique. Donatelli explains that the team hasn't been happy with either incarnation of the Milestone system and has assembled a new system for future testing. Players in testing had complained that neither of the previous incarnations was successful at giving players control over the development of their characters. Kill quests are also going to be changed with the removal of a set count and implementing a sliding progression scale based on overall experience earned. For a more thorough breakdown and a deeper look at beta feedback, take a look at the full community address in this WildStar Wednesday.
The Daily Grind: How do you want to improve your gaming in 2013?
It's the start of a new year! That means it's the traditional time for everyone to start making plans to improve, plans that will probably last only until next Tuesday at the outside. But the spirit is there, and today we want to know about your plans to improve your gaming in 2013. Maybe you're a competitive player, and your big goal is to spend 2013 honing your craft in your game of choice. Maybe you like being at the high end of progression in your game, and you want to really push for server firsts or cleaner dungeon runs. Maybe you just want to stop playing so many alts, or you want to start playing more alts. The point is that players in every game from Star Wars: The Old Republic to EverQuest to Xsyon have all got points in our play that we want to improve. So what are you hoping to improve over the next year? 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!
Parrot updates the AR.Drone for a second version
CES 2010 was where we first heard of the Parrot AR.Drone, a radio-controlled quadricopter that hooked up via Wi-Fi to an iPhone app. And now, two years later, that product is out and successful -- and now, obsolete. Parrot used CES 2012 a few weeks ago to introduce the AR.Drone 2.0, a brand new version of the flying drone that's set to arrive for the exact same price later on this year. Last week at CES, we got to fly the drone around through its paces. There is actually a very noticeable difference in the new version once you get behind the wheel: It's much, much harder to crash. Part of the reason for that is updates in the drone's app and firmware, but the model for 2.0 makes the craft much sturdier, and a new onboard compass (along with some other tech) means it's easier to fly as well. Things are much more stable, so the drone itself can do much more of the work of just staying in the air. You, the flyer can focus on moving it around. %Gallery-145660% In addition to general adjustments, there's also a new mode implemented called "Absolute Control." This allows the drone to fly in a certain direction, no matter where you tell it to go. It's tough to explain in just text, but the AR.Drone 2.0 "knows" where it's looking, even when you turn it around. For most people, keeping it facing the same way while tilting your iPad or iPhone to move the device is much more intuitive than having to track both the direction you're actually tilting and the direction the drone is flying. Explaining how it works is confusing, but it makes flying the drone much less so. The drone design itself appears a little smaller than before, but it's actually about the same size. Rather than changing the form factor, some of the hardware has been strengthened, with the weak points on the initial model being the main targets for the refresh. There are also new cameras on board; they will shoot up to 720p HD video, which means even on a tablet screen video from the drone is clear and crisp. Parrot has seen a lot of action with the drones on YouTube as well; in fact, while we played with the drone at CES, there was also a world championship of sorts going on, with all kinds of flyers from around the world competing after having entered by posting videos online. The new model's software (still a free download from the App Store) will now allow you to not only see video live from the drone, but also take pictures and even record full HD video directly from the device. That should make for a lot of interesting viewing online, even if you don't buy one yourself. The AR.Drone 2.0 is a significant improvement on Parrot's already popular model. At $299, the AR.Drone is a pretty expensive toy (professionally made as it might be). The more stable control scheme, however, and the addition of the 720p camera and its capture features mean the Drone 2.0 is worth another look, even if you passed the first one by. We're set to get a review model later on this year, so stay tuned for an even more in-depth look at how it all works. The device itself is supposed to be available in Q2.
Protect Isengard with the new LotRO Guardian dev diary
It's time for another Lord of the Rings Online developer diary, and this time around the Guardian is up to bat. So what's in store for the plate-wearing, shield-toting class come Rise of Isengard? Well, of course Turbine realizes that many Guardians are tanks first and foremost, and it will ensure that Guardians are able to continue tanking with the best of them. On top of that, however, some passes are being made to increase Guardian DPS, which Turbine feels is substandard. In order to accomplish this, they will be raising Guardian DPS "in a behind-the-scene fashion." This means that many abilities, such as Guardian's Ward, will simply "do more damage inherently as the Guardian levels up from 65," and Guardians will also be granted some additional damage from their shield abilities thanks to increased Shield Use rating from new Legendary Traits. If you're interested in the finer details, the full list of skill changes can be found in the full dev diary.
Droid Charge update brings personal hotspot back in time, adds improvements
Boy, it sure has been a fun ride for Samsung Droid Charge fans. Since the beginning of this month, said LTE phone's been plagued by a rather silly bug: its mobile hotspot feature only works if you set the date to some time in May. Thankfully, Verizon has now released an update that'll bring the device back in time for some hassle-free hotspot action, so that TARDIS of yours can be stowed away for now. Also added in the package is a whole stash of enhancements here and there, including boosted battery life during voice calls, better browser performance, new email folder structure, improved GPS performance, and many more goodies. As usual, anticipating owners can keep an eye out for the OTA update notification, but feel free to chill in May if you're enjoying the vacation. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Final Fantasy XI expands Trial of the Magians
So you have weapons that can take a good year or two to put together, and then the game's level cap and item strength goes up. What do you do? Final Fantasy XI answered this question via Trial of the Magians, allowing holders of Relic or Mythic weapons to upgrade their weapon appropriately -- and allowing everyone else to start a new weapon they can custom-tune. With the first level cap upgrade to the game coming in the June version update, it should come as no surprise that the Trial of the Magians system is getting a concurrent upgrade. The fact that there will be new options to enhance and improve weapons almost goes without saying, as it lets players push their weaponry even further than before. There's also the promise of new trial varieties, and mention of being able to improve one's weapon skills themselves -- certainly an attractive proposition. If you're an adventurer on the go, you can also purchase a set of newly-added Magian Spectacles to check in on your trial status and progress along the upgrade path from anywhere. All told, the changes promise to improve on of the bigger new additions to Final Fantasy XI, whether you're swinging a Lumberjack or a Conqueror.
Apple tweaking iPhone to work better on AT&T's network
Powerpage.org cites a Wall Street Journal article reporting that Apple has worked with AT&T to "rejigger" how the iPhone works with AT&T's towers, resulting in a reduced load for some tasks. It was not clear what changes were made, but apparently a "crash course in wireless technology" allowed them to figure out how the iPhone can get along better with AT&T. Such news indicates the lengths that Apple is willing to go to in order to be a good partner with AT&T. While few people are singing AT&T's praises, apparently there is an effort within the company to improve the network in large cities to reduce the number of dropped calls. According to Powerpage, "A random performance test released in February found that AT&T's 3G network speeds had improved by 84%." The problem is that AT&T's 3G speed has never been the main issue. AT&T is, and has been, very happy to compare themselves to Verizon when it comes to 3G speed. When it comes to reliability (i.e. how well you can actually use that speed) and availability, however, AT&T's 3G has consistently come up short. Not to mention that whole tethering issue that AT&T hasn't mentioned in several months, despite having originally promised it would be available by the end of 2009. If Apple is working on a CDMA/Verizon-compatible iPhone, AT&T's efforts are probably going to be too little, too late. After almost three years of consistently disappointing iPhone users with poor 3G availability, dropped calls, late availability of MMS, and even later availability of tethering (assuming it is ever available), iPhone owners have little reason to stay with the company.
Evolution as it does and doesn't apply to MMOs
A few days ago, we discussed the lack of innovation in the MMO market at the moment, as well as some of the underlying reasons behind it. The topic prompted We Fly Spitfires to postulate the idea that we needed an MMO that broke most if not all of the established and accepted rules of the genre. In his own parlance, we needed a mutation instead of a steady evolution. Those of you familiar with evolutionary science might be quirking your eyebrow a bit, as did Of Teeth and Claws, where it was pointed out that mutation is a part of evolution. Continuing the analogy, it's a part of the slow improvement we see in our genre of choice, as the source leading to feature implementation and improvement. And as Killed in a Smiling Accident added, evolution is not a straight line, nor does it select features based on inherent quality -- the current "standard features" have evolved because they're best at succeeding in the current environment (that is, the market). Ultimately, aside from fascinating extension of the analogy, the biggest point to be taken away from both this discussion and the previous one is that change in the genre isn't something which will happen overnight. While the powerful influence that World of Warcraft has placed upon the genre is beginning to abate a bit, it'll be quite some time before it's discarded wholesale.
Tips on using Recount for tanks and others
Just in case you missed this excellent post about how to use Recount to its full potential (we also snuck it in our Daily Quest column a little while back), it's definitely worth a look. Most players just use Recount to check their own damage numbers, but as 4 Haelz points out, there's definitely a lot more to it than just that. Not only can it be used to examine overall output on fights and instances, but you can use it as a tool to monitor what kinds of spells are producing the most for you, and how your damage or healing output changes over time. You can also have it track who you've healed the most, or which targets you've really gone to town on, and you can then make adjustments to your play style from there.Now, Honor's Code has another great post about the addon, this one specifically for tanks. Recount will actually let you bring up a "Death Report" feature that will allow you, as a tank, to suss out exactly what went wrong on that last wipe, whether it was something you were late on, or whether your teammates should have done something that they didn't. You can even broadcast that Death Report, so you can show the person at fault (of course you have to be tactful with this -- you have to make sure the person you're "correcting" understands that you're just trying to get better, not attacking them) exactly what happened and when.Recount is such an excellent addon, and so many of us just use the top level functions of watching the meters (sometimes to the point where it isn't helpful at all). But used in the right way, Recount provides a treasure trove of information on what you've done during a boss fight, and how you can make yourself and the rest of your raid even better.
The forgotten MMO: Dungeons and Dragons Online
You always hear about the good MMOs and the bad MMOs, but there are certainly some MMOs that just seem to hang in the background. They're always there and omnipresent, they never do exquisitely bad, but somehow they're just forgotten amongst the sea of hyped games and broken promises.That's really the case for Dungeons and Dragons Online, one of the few MMOs to really fly in the face of the traditional MMO model. ZAM.com recently went back and took another look at DDO, giving it the attention that it rightfully deserves regarding its different playstyle and game mechanics.The article points out the game's major triumphs -- such as the unique atmosphere in every dungeon you dive into, the use of puzzles and traps to keep the player on their toes, and the use of the infamous dungeon master that narrates each of the game's quests to keep in like with its tabletop roots. However, the article also points out some of the game's largest issues, such as grouping and population concerns amongst the servers.Overall, it's a nice look at a game that really doesn't jump to the forefront of the MMO market, but stays quietly in the background, chugging away with a loyal fanbase and consistent content updates. (All hail the upcoming module 9 and the new ability to finally hit the D&D cap of 20!) For the full feature article, check it out on ZAM.com.
DS Daily: A welcome dose of improvement
One of the best things about the DS is not only does it have an incredibly large library of amazing games, but it also has several cool training titles. Things such as Cooking Navi, Let's Yoga and even Nintendo's Brain Age games, as well as the upcoming English of the Dead all offer users something other than a time sink. They offer real tips for changing or improving one's life.That got us thinking about how many of you out there have improved your own life through these kind of self-help titles. Have you found your brain power increased through regular Brain Age use? Have you improved your vision with Flash Focus? What training titles have you used to enhance your life and how has it improved?
The Daily Grind: How can Tabula Rasa be improved?
Honestly, I haven't had any desire to try Tabula Rasa. Well, that's not entirely true; when I first heard that Lord British was developing a science fiction MMO, I was terribly excited. And if all I knew of the game was what I saw in screenshots and gameplay video, I might still be tempted to give it a try. However, being a part of Massively means that I'm privy to every bit of news and stories that come down the pike, and some of them aren't so complimentary to ol' TR.In fact, posts that talk about 'giving it another try' and 'there's no endgame' and 'the hybrid classes are lame' make me less inclined than ever to even give it a chance. Listen, I know it's got fans so it's not entirely broken, but nothing exists in a vacuum, and there's always room for improvement. So tell me, fans, how would you fix Tabula Rasa?
iPhone's latest update improving WiFi and camera?
Despite the fact that we had a bit of trouble with the latest iPhone update, some users are reporting drastically improved WiFi reception and camera performance since installing v1.0.2. Although Apple didn't exactly go into detail about what "bug fixes" were being addressed, a number of posters on various forums are apparently thrilled with the boost in WiFi reception and the "vast improvement in the camera's live video update." Of course, it's very possible that these betterments are simply due to differing circumstances in use before and after the update, so we'll leave it up you: have you noticed any drastic meliorations since the update, or is this stuff just all in our head?[Via MacNN]Read - Latest iPhone update boosts WiFi reception, say ownersRead - iPhone WiFi improvementsRead - iPhone camera improvements
How to make a better Nintendo DS
Next-Generation's Eric-Jon Rössel Waugh acknowledges that the Nintendo DS is an industry-changing system, but still sees the portable console as an "unfinished project." He wrote up a wishlist of improvements that he feels would fulfill the handheld's potential, extending its shelf-life. And while we've already seen dozens of message board topics filled with wild-eyed suggestions and what-they-should-really-do ideas in the past, Eric's revisions actually sound half-way sane.So what are some of his seven steps for making a better Nintendo DS? Slap on some internal flash memory, paving the way for firmware updates and a Virtual Console setup for handheld games (GB/GBA/NGPC/etc.). Allow for an expandable, customizable system interface. Flesh out its WiFi support by integrating Pictochat and developing a unified online service. They're all great recommendations, but one has to wonder how implementing those changes would affect the portable's retail price. The DS probably wouldn't have been such a success if it weren't for its impulse-buy pricing. Still, we would love to see Eric's suggestions make it into the handheld's next revision.We're sure that our readers have their own ideas on what the next Nintendo DS should have. VoIP capabilities? A flux capacitor? Maybe just throw some Ds on it? Drop us a comment and let us know what you think would make a better Nintendo DS!
Surprise - Thunderbird 1.5.0.4 released with Universal goodness
Right alongside Firefox's update today, Mozilla has also brought Thunderbird up to the 1.5.0.4 (.3.2.1.12) version with a big improvement for Intel Mac owners: Universal Binary super-powers. Also in this update are security and bug fixes. Let us all take a moment of silence in remembrance of the bugs who lost their lives in the making of this update.One thing I am not sure of, however, is if that GmailUI extension we blogged earlier will work after this update. Does anyone know?
