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PAX East 2011: Hands-on with SWTOR's Taral V
Star Wars: The Old Republic was an obvious hit at PAX East. Fans stood in line for hours just to get a chance to touch one of the most anticipated games of this year and to catch a glimpse of Taral V, the first publicly shown Flashpoint. The excitement to be one of the first to get hands on SWTOR group content was palpable. Our contributing editors Larry Everett and Eliot Lefebvre scored that opportunity to play the game last Saturday. Read on as our intrepid reporters showcase their experiences in the Star Wars universe. Draw your blaster and ignite your lightsaber as we head to a galaxy far, far away... Larry Everett: There are many things that can distract you from actually playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Who wouldn't be distracted by the incredible layered scenery? I'd think the spot-on animations would make you want to attack more, although it is possible that you could attack the wrong target. Perhaps it was the vivid facial expressions that would cause someone to not make a dialogue choice. These have to be the reasons behind the fact that the Jedi Knight on our team completely failed to do his job in one of the most incredibly polished games and easy-to-slide-into games I have have ever played.
WoW Rookie: Learning how to tank
New around here? WoW Rookie has your back! Get all our collected tips, tricks and tactics for new players in the WoW Rookie Guide. WoW Rookie is about more than just being new to the game; it's about checking out new classes, new playstyles, and new zones. Tanking is a pretty fun thing to do. It seems like a lot of the WoW populace isn't terribly interested in it, though. When you use the random dungeon finder, it seems like groups are waiting for tanks more often than any other role. That's pretty confusing to me; tanking isn't that hard, and it's pretty enjoyable to be the tough guy who gets beaten on by the boss. I think what makes tanking intimidating is that it's a highly visible role in the group. Tank failures translate quickly into group wipes, and a tank who is vulnerable to damage can be a big drain on healers. Tanking can be stressful. The tank is also a fulcrum for the group's DPS. If the tank isn't putting out enough damage, the DPS character get "threat-capped." That's another way of saying the DPSers have to "peel back" their DPS sufficiently that they don't pull aggro. Again, it's another highly visible way in which tank challenges are translated into group performance. Still, the game seems like it needs more tanks. Here's how you get started with the role.
