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SMITE launches Siege patch tomorrow
It's time for a big SMITE patch tomorrow, and when we say it's big, we mean it. It's adding a whole new deity, which is substantial, but it's also adding in a brand-new map. The Siege patch includes the eponymous Siege map, a two-lane 5v5 affair in which both teams spawn powerful siege units in the quest to take out the enemy base. There's also the addition of Osiris, a melee warrior using his sickle and thresher to deal area damage and phase into a specialized spirit form. That's not all the patch includes, either; there are also new skins for existing gods and the new league system, which divides players into six tiers of five divisions each. Victories earn points toward the next division, but these points are reset on a regular basis, ensuring that players need to keep playing and perform well against similarly skilled players to advance. Take a look at the full patch overview, watch Osiris' reveal video past the break, and get ready for the patch going live tomorrow.
Pathfinder Online shows off its map
Lead Game Designer Lee Hammock is your host and guide to a tour through Pathfinder Online's detailed maps. Pathfinder's maps look a little different than a typical MMO map, offering more of a malleable report on shifting allegiances and events in a hex layout. The main map is color-coded to show terrain type, with symbols and lines representing cities, trade routes, player towns, security levels, and points of interest. Knowing which resources come from which terrain type will be crucial to building up player settlements. Hammock and his beige shirt of stunning good looks star in a nine-minute developer video that you can watch after the break.
Roll your own adventure with the free Age of Wonders 3 level editor
Following the debut of the excellent turn-based strategy game Age of Wonders 3 on March 31, developer Triumph Studios has simultaneously announced and launched a map editor for those who prefer crafting their own worlds to relying on the game's random map generator. "The map making community has been super important to Age of Wonders, they have helped keep the series alive for over 10 years since the release of the previous title," wrote Triumph development director Lennart Sas in this morning's announcement. According to Triumph, the editor will allow players to craft new maps and scenarios using the deep well of content included with Age of Wonders 3. With a bit of extra effort, those more dedicated (or finicky) creators can customize the game even further by importing their own audio and art assets to customize story cutscenes, campaigns and individual heroes. Best of all, the Age of Wonders 3 map editor is now available at no charge. Those who own Age of Wonders 3 will now find a new option in the game's launcher which will fire up the gratis editor. [Image: Triumph Studios]
Star Trek Online previews the new Undine battlezone in Season 9
Star Trek Online captains have been diligently fighting against the Voth in the Dyson Sphere for some time now, but when Season 9 comes out, the Undine will arrive. That means players will have to face off against new challenges, starting with the Undine battlezone. While this region of the sphere was previously under Voth control, the Undine have taken this area for their own, forcing Starfleet, the KDF, and the Romulans to work together in order to drive them out. The Undine Battlezone will be accessible directly from the Ground Combat Zone and the Contested Zone. Players will be tasked with taking control of nine points within the map, followed by assaulting the Undine's planet-killer ships. Success earns Dilithium and Undine Marks, while failure... well, you can imagine what that involves. For more details on access and the point control, check out the full development blog.
Google rolls out 3D maps for Tokyo and other Japanese urban hubs
As ubiquitous as 3D city maps might be these days, they typically don't cover Tokyo -- quite possibly due to the massive size of Japan's megalopolis. Google, however, has just taken on that daunting task. Fire up Google Maps or Google Earth and you'll now see 3D imagery for the greater Tokyo area, including landmarks like the Tokyo Sky Tree (that giant tower you see above). The expansion also brings 3D to the major population centers of Chiba, Kanagawa and Sendai. We'd advise against exploring the entirety of Google's enhanced Tokyo map unless you have a couple of hours to kill, but you can at least take a quick tour at the source link.
Tamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls Online stories inside Elder Scrolls Online stories
I admit it: I've spent hours in Skyrim and Oblivion doing nothing but reading the dusty books on the shelves of some dank dungeon. A lot of those stories repeat themselves, but I'm still amazed at the amount of time the writers put into the legends and lore of the series of games. For instance, if you'd like to know how Tamriel came to be, you can pick up The Annotated Anuad, the genesis story of Nirn, in Skyrim, Oblivion, or Morrowind. The book has little to do with any of those games, and the absolute truth of that book is suspect considering it's a "children's book." But it's a testament to how much time the writers put into developing the lore surrounding the Elder Scrolls. We know that The Elder Scrolls Online will also contain its own share of books and lore-packed tomes. Maybe you even spent time reading some while you were in beta this past weekend. Unfortunately, we can't gab about that, but we did get a taste of some of the stories thanks to the interactive map on the official website. Over the last couple of days, I've read each piece in this map, and surprisingly, I found some completely new stuff. Let me tell you about my top six.
The Daily Grind: When's the last time you got lost in an MMO?
Yesterday's reveal of The Elder Scrolls Online's interactive map got me to thinking about MMO cartography and how necessary it is outside of flavor or lore considerations. Sadly, I think the answer is that it's not necessary at all except in a few archaic sandbox games that eschew quest chains and the like. That said, you can still turn off your map and just explore even in a linear, themepark-style game, and so today I'd like to know how many Massively readers have ever done that. More specifically, when's the last time you got lost in an MMO, if ever? 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!
ZeniMax publishes Elder Scrolls Online interactive map
MMO maps are pretty cool, no? Heck, maps in general tickle my fancy, and there's a new interactive one on The Elder Scrolls Online website that's worth checking out. ZeniMax says that users can "see new screenshots and concept art and read journals, excerpts from books [...] and more from the world of ESO" by using the map.
Street View update maps North America's biggest parks and monuments
Google's Street View may have already taken us on a virtual tour of some US national parks, but its total number of natural sites now sits at an impressive 44 US and Canadian locations. With permission from the US National Park Service and Parks Canada, the search giant's cars, trikes and backpack-worn Trekker units have mapped some of most picturesque and historical sites in North America, providing us with new 360-degree views of Mount Rushmore, the Alamo Mission in Texas and the crystal-clear lakes of Banff National Park, to name but a few. All of these different locations -- with multiple trails -- are online now and you can check them out by hitting the source below.
Watch for falling buildings in Call of Duty: Ghosts' 'Free Fall' pre-order map
Pre-order Call of Duty: Ghosts and you'll be given free access to the newly-revealed Free Fall map, a virtual arena that eschews dusty backstreets and narrow alleys in favor of a skyscraper that's seen better days. "Free Fall's close-quarters combat and frenetic action are thrown into overdrive as the ruined skyscraper continues to fall throughout the match, an example of Call of Duty: Ghosts' new dynamic multiplayer events," reads the map's official description. "With every drop, the accompanying shockwaves cause further destruction, disrupting sightlines and constantly evolving paths and chokepoints as the map changes in real-time." As you can see in the announcement trailer above, this shifting landscape adds a novel twist to typical Call of Duty firefights. On the one hand, the collapsing building can occasionally provide useful cover or a comfy spot from which to snipe your foes. On the other, you may occasionally be crushed by giant chunks of concrete, torn apart by worryingly agile militarized dogs, or casually walk through a formerly intact window. If this trailer has convinced you to pre-order Call of Duty: Ghosts, you can find everything you need at the game's official website.
Visualized: global DDoS attacks animated and mapped by Google
Earlier today, Google announced it had built Project Shield to help small websites stay online during DDoS (distributed denial of service) strikes, and it turns out the search giant also unveiled a frequently-updated online map of such assaults. Dubbed Digital Attack Map, the project was created in partnership with Arbor Networks, which updates the site every hour with anonymous DDoS events from over 270 internet service providers it counts as customers. Animations of inbound, outbound and internal volleys from countries across the globe fill the map, and are accompanied by data regarding duration, bandwidth and more. However, only a partial picture of the situation is painted, and the source of incursions can be incorrect. Not only does the effort rely on an incomplete data set -- though Mountain View argues this is the most fleshed out around -- but the origin of DDoS attacks are often forged, and are sometimes unwilling computers directed by foreign-controlled botnets. This affair is far from scientific, but feel free to play security researcher for a day at the source.
86,000 square miles of Great Britain meticulously recreated in Minecraft
There are those with free time, and then there's Joseph Braybrook. This fine bloke managed to recreate some 86,000 square miles of Great Britain within the Minecraft universe, and moreover, it took but a fortnight to concoct. Further justifying his work as more than goofing off, he used Ordnance Survey terrain data in the world's construction, leading Graham Dunlop, OS Innovation Lab Manager, to proclaim the following: "We think we may have created the largest Minecraft world ever built based on real-world data." The new universe contains over 22 billion Minecraft blocks, and once players have downloaded the 3.6GB file, they're free to build at will. Just don't go planting any US flags -- that's just downright rude.
The Road to Mordor: Classes, bounders, and leaks
You know the saying: When it rains, it pours. After an almost painful period of silence as we've waited for news of the expansion, it seems as if Turbine's finally ready to pour out an information waterfall on all of us. Last time in this column we looked at the Q&A of the "big battles" system, and a week ago we were treated to a full-fledged preview of Helm's Deep. So I want to take some time to cover a few odds and ends that were sandwiched between those two mentions: the class revamp Q&A, the Bounder's Bounty event, and the leaked maps of Helm's Deep. I'll admit that my interest in Lord of the Rings Online has been flagging a bit, especially after I trudged through Wildermore. I've been hoping that the news of the expansion would put some wind in my sails, especially after waiting for the better part of the summer to hear it. So what do I make of all of this?
Fall in love with the Call of Duty: Ghosts 'Free Fall' pre-order map
Call of Duty: Ghosts is (literally!) shaking up multiplayer thanks to the Free Fall map, which will be available to customers who pre-order the game. This new "dynamic map" adds "that sort of cinematic single-player experience to multiplayer," Infinity Ward Executive Producer Mark Rubin said in the video above. Based on a "cinematic moment" from a single-player story mission called Federation Day, the Free Fall map places players into a building which has collapsed and, in the process, become wedged. The "floor" is actually the glass side of the building, and as players fight for supremacy, that glass will give way, and the building will shudder and plummet further toward the ground. Ghosts isn't often thought of as a horror game, but we'd hate to be anyone with a fear of heights who plays on Free Fall. Yikes.
MechWarrior Online discusses the state of the game and the road to launch
MechWarrior Online has already gone into open beta with a functional cash shop, but the game still isn't officially launching until September. So how's the road to launch looking so far? According to creative developer Bryan Ekman, it's going quite well. Despite summer traditionally being one of the slowest times for games like MWO, the community has been strong and growing. The development team is also thrilled that response to the game's first charity drive was immensely positive, with Sarah's 'Mech raising over $40,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society on the first day of release. So what comes next? According to Ekman, the development is currently split into two teams, one focused upon major features and the other on content. A revamped UI and the Community Warfare system are the two biggest elements for the feature team, while a new map, Terra Therma, is set to debut next week. Third-person mode is also in testing for those who prefer to see their multi-ton death machines from the outside. Players would be well-served to look at the full letter for more dispatches about the game's future as September creeps closer.
Guild Wars 2's Zadorojny clarifies that Cantha and Elona are still possible
There's a lot of space covered in Guild Wars that doesn't exist in Guild Wars 2 at this time, the sort of space that would seem to be tailor-made for expansion content. Yet earlier this week Mike Zadorojny, the game's lead content designer, told reporters that expansions are off the table at least for the moment. But if you're worried that the regions of Cantha and Elona are equally inaccessible, fear not: Zadorojny has clarified that he will not rule out either area for inclusion. Zadorojny explained that these regions still have stories to tell and that the living world setup allows the Guild Wars 2 devs to explore these regions in the future and add permanent content down the road if they so choose. He further stressed that the game has added what he considers to be an entire region's worth of content since its launch, with more coming as part of the game's current update schedule. [Thanks to Andy for the tip!]
Subway map artist and Naughty Dog settle The Last of Us complaint
Naughty Dog has apologized for the unauthorized use of an unofficial Boston subway in The Last of Us. The map, examined intently by protagonist Joel above, wasn't made by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or Naughty Dog. It's the work of a Portland-based artist named Cameron Booth, who posted earlier this week that it was used "without permission or payment." e attacked Naughty Dog for stealing the work, and wrote (in a since-deleted post version) that he believed it unacceptable "to casually appropriate someone else's work and incorporate it into their game without any discussion." Since Booth revealed his complaint, Naughty Dog has reached out to him and Booth has now deleted his initial post, replacing it with the news that an agreement has been made. "It seems as if matters will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction shortly," Booth now says. Booth also apologized for his "initial vitriolic post," adding that both sides share "a lot of mutual respect for each other's creative work."
UK finally gets access to Google's Map Maker editing tool
Those red pins look almost like little hearts, revealing which countries have been showered with the affection of Google's crowdsourced map improvement tool and those -- like the UK -- that have so far been left out. We can now safely ignore the chart, however, as the UK has just received its dose of Map Maker love, taking its rightful place among nations like the US, France, India and even North Korea. Instead of just reporting problems, which has long been possible, Brits can use the browser-based service to contribute additional local knowledge about everything from bus stations to cycle routes, as well as natural features like parks and even bits of shrubbery. (Hopefully, only really amazing bits of shrubbery.) You can watch folks adding these sorts of things, almost in real-time, at the Google link below -- and it's weirdly addictive.
Halo 4 getting new Forge Island map for free on April 11
343 Industries has announced at PAX East this weekend that Halo 4 is getting a new Forge map, with plenty of blank, open canvas for Halo level makers to paint their creativity on. As you can see in the quick video on IGN's page, "Forge Island" actually has three different islands of varying size, all completely flat and round, to give map makers lots of room to build whatever they want.The map will also come with some new Forge pieces, which the developers have already used to build a copy of Hang 'Em High. 343 specifically asked at the panel if a fan would be kind enough to remake Blood Gulch on the biggest island, so that's possible too. The new map and related tools are all being released for free on April 11, just a few days after the Castle Map Pack arrives on April 8.
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best maps?
Unless you're the type of nostalgic gamer who loved to draw his or her own maps on graph paper, chances are that you depend on the in-game map pretty regularly for navigation. But all maps are not created (or drawn) equal; some maps are more informational, some are more decorative, and some are just downright ugly. For me, a good map has to be the full package. If I can't tell where I'm going because the artists couldn't be bothered to draw a gaping chasm without ruining the beautiful aesthetic, then it's not going to go far in making a happy day for me. What about you? Which MMO do you think has the best maps overall? 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!
