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Defiance powers up weapons and enemies with Arktech Revolution
If you're playing Defiance, you could probably use a bit more gun. The designers certainly thought so. As often as not, higher-rated weapons just weren't worth upgrading to compared to your older weapons with lower ratings. But that's not true with the next major patch. Your EGO rating will be a lot more important than it was, and that means that higher-rating guns are going to become a lot more powerful and a lot more rewarding to use... which has some larger effects on the game as a whole. For starters, in order to compensate for bigger guns, there need to be larger enemies about that won't just dissolve into a red mist when you fire your gun. Players who still want to be able to get out and enjoy the world will also need some means of doing so, which is achieved by a dynamic scaling system which ensures that even lower-rated players can still take part in big stuff. For more details on the numbers and specifics, check out the latest development update at the official site.
PlanetSide 2 rolls out new missions system
Players logging into PlanetSide 2 today will find a brand-new missions system perfect for their trigger fingers. The missions system is designed to help funnel players to specific offensive or defensive objectives. These include attack and defend missions and will assist coordinating squads and platoons to finding the best action. This is only the first phrase of the system, however. A future phase will include player-created missions and new mission types. PlanetSide 2 is also giving increased incentive to subscribe with a monthly members-only double-XP weekend. Even if you aren't subbing, significant store sales during this weekend could entice you to check out the game.
Choose My Adventure: My final week with PlanetSide 2
I'm sad to say that this is my final week in PlanetSide 2 for Choose My Adventure, but I did come away with some new thoughts on the game. Playing the Heavy Assault, Light Assault, and MAX opened up my eyes to the other side of the fence and showed me that these are more than just run-and-gun classes. And with more information on the Valkyrie aircraft revealed over the weekend, we can certainly see that Sony Online Entertainment is still dedicated to supporting the game. This is a good thing considering so many MMOs with PS2's ambition often fall flat merely months after launch when the numbers inevitably drop. Not so for this one, it seems.
Defiance's Arktech Revolution DLC beefs up progression and protagonists
Defiance announced its fifth DLC pack today, Arktech Revolution, and with it a host of changes to make good guys stronger and bad guys nastier. On the player side of things, Defiance will be increasing the EGO rating cap, adding in new EGO perks, scaling up weapon damage, modifying weapon damage types, and throwing in armor plates for added defensive capabilities. Over at enemy H.Q., mobs will become more difficult with new enemy difficulty tiers and skills introduced into the game. Arktech Revolution will also contain expert co-op maps, dynamic event scaling, and tweaks to how consumables work.
PlanetSide 2 video reveals the Valkyrie
SOE Creative Director Matt Higby and his dreamy blue eyes are at the forefront of a new preview video for PlanetSide 2, running down the upcoming features as well as an exclusive look at the Valkyrie aircraft. Higby said that in April, the team will be doing a "large-scale balance pass" and bringing in the missions and implant systems. May will see a Combat Medic update, improvements to outfits, and a resource revamp. The video concludes with a sneak peek of the Valkyrie fast-attack aircraft that will allow a small squad of four to quickly hop from fight to fight. This vehicle will be coming out in the summer, and you can check it out after the break! [Thanks to BabaGraPL for the tip!]
Choose My Adventure: MAXing out in PlanetSide 2
Back in PlanetSide 2 for this week's Choose My Adventure, I found myself strangely drawn into the game every chance I got. And that's really part of the beauty of PlanetSide 2: You can jump in and out of the action without any unnecessary foreplay. I continued to play my Heavy Assault for most of the week but did flirt with both the MAX and the Light Assault trooper to see what I'm missing. My verdict? I miss my Engineer.
PlanetSide 2 players make thousands from Player Studio
A new video from SOE discussing PlanetSide 2's Player Studio showcased three players who have made $4,000, $7,800, and $12,000 from the program respectively. The video lightly touches on why the players started creating items, such as decals and helmets, and tips for others to make and promote their own items through the revenue-sharing system. According to SOE, Player Studio items represented more than 10% of total in-game item sales and 35% of all cosmetic items in PlanetSide 2 during January and February. There have been 2,000 submissions for the program in less than eight months, with 469 of those accepted into the marketplace. You can watch the full video after the jump!
Ubisoft Massive releases new concept art for The Division
Ubisoft Massive has released a new piece of concept art for its Division shooter. MP1st speculates that it may depict some sort of social hub, but the devs behind the Tom Clancy-inspired game haven't said one way or the other. The Division was first announced at E3 2013. Earlier this year, rumors circulated relating to the title's proposed 2014 release date and whether or not it can actually be achieved.
Firefall patch takes us to the kingdom of the Crystal Skull Pirates
A small update for Firefall is now live on the servers and with it comes a slew of small adjustments and additions including faster melee combat. Patch 0.8.1745 reduced the cooldown of melee attacks from three to two seconds, while also making significant tweaks to the Electron battleframe. Get your Indiana Jones jokes in while you can, because the team has included Crystal Skull Pirates with this update as well. The pirates are rare enemies that offer up a special helmet if you can track them down and deliver a plasma-laced punishment.
Choose My Adventure: Heavy Assault with PlanetSide 2
Jumping back into PlanetSide 2 is always fun because, as they say, war never changes. Sure, the maps might get tweaked and new vehicles might be introduced here and there, but it's still a contest of shooting one's enemy in the face repeatedly. For this edition of Choose My Adventure, you voted for me to play a gutsy heavy soldier fighting for the Terran Republic, someone who's not afraid to run into the thick of battle with guns blazing. This goes against every fiber of my nature, but you might be pleased to hear that I'm really enjoying the polar opposite of what I usually play.
Defiance's Gunslinger Trials DLC is now available for season pass holders
Defiance's newest DLC, Gunslinger Trials, is now available for season pass holders on both the PC and Xbox 360. Forum posters are reporting that the DLC is not yet available for piecemeal purchase on Steam or the Trion store, but we presume it will be soon. Sorry, PS3 players; if you're not subbed with a season pass, you'll have to wait until March 24th to pick it up. The DLC boasts a new scoring system for events, improved rewards, and co-op arenas. Enjoy the official trailer after the break.
Trion Worlds introduces Glyph gaming platform
Trion Worlds is getting into the digital gaming platform business, as the studio announced today that it will be releasing its own "lightweight digital hub" called Glyph. Glyph was created to connect developers with audiences, and is purported to be friendly to use from both sides and DRM-free. The platform will take over the responsibility of being the launcher for Trion's titles, including RIFT, Defiance, and Trove (we'll believe ArcheAge when we see it). Trion says that the studio has already handled "more then 10 million gamers" in the past three years and that Glyph will be a great help to pair those players up with current and future titles. Glyph will also handle games from Trion's partners, as the studio has already begun signing on developers. It will launch shortly after GDC 2014. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Watch PlanetSide 2 devs create content live on Twitch
While developer livestreams are commonplace these days, less common is a livestream where the devs are actually developing. SOE is trying something a little different with its PlanetSide 2 team starting on March 11. According to a blurb on the game's official website, "you'll be able to take [a] look at how PlanetSide 2 creates content on our Twitch channel." Scheduled sessions include the making of Hossin environment art and base design.
RIFT, ArcheAge, Defiance, and Trove acquire new community managers
Three weeks after the departure of Trion Worlds Director of Global Communications Elizabeth Tobey comes the news that Trion has appointed two new community managers to helm its core MMOs RIFT, Defiance, Trove, and ArcheAge. Evan "Scapes" Berman, whom gamers might recall from his days on the TERA community team, will take over the Defiance and ArcheAge communities, while Eric "Ocho" Cleaver of City of Heroes fame will defend Trove and RIFT players from waves of angry trolls. May the planar gods have mercy on their souls.
Here's the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2's war correspondent video series
Have you watched SOE's latest war correspondent video for PlanetSide 2? If not, you'll want to click past the cut for a look-see at some heart-thumping MMOFPS gameplay presented in a news documentary format. Cinematic designer Robert Stoneman narrates the action which includes footage of The Crown and a handful of PS2's 36,000 player outfits.
Choose My Adventure: PlanetSide 2
Welcome to this all-new edition of Choose My Adventure! We've made some changes to the way this veteran Massively column works, so I wanted to take some time to explain how things will work from here on out. In the past, you chose mostly everything for the column's writer to do in a particular game (that you also chose). We've decided to streamline the process and make it more of a three-part "review" of sorts with a fourth part set aside for voting. I will select the game to prevent the recent problems we've had with cheating, and you will choose my path within it. That means there will be one week of voting and three weeks of my impressions of those choices for each game. So let's go ahead and get into the polls for this PlanetSide 2 edition of Choose My Adventure.
Ubisoft teases more screenshots for The Division
News about the MMO shooter Tom Clancy's The Division hasn't exactly been prolific in recent days. In fact, we haven't heard a peep of official news since December. But thanks to MP1st, we have two new screenshots to to remind us that the game is in development -- and that it looks pretty good. Ubisoft released the latest shot of a soldier hunkered down on a New York City rooftop earlier today; the other shot gives us a glimpse of possible underground adventures. Check them both out beyond the break.
Watch a dev tour of Defiance's Gunslinger DLC
Defiance is going all Old West on us with its next DLC pack, and we've got an up-close look of the update to share with you. The Gunslinger DLC will take players on a trio of new mission arcs and deliver good-looking Western gear to go along with the theme. The DLC will also include nine additional co-op arenas and a new system of scoring arenas that gives incentives for teams that work together. Check out the developers' tour of this update in a 14-minute video that includes commentary, feature spotlights, and story missions in action.
February will be a big month for PlanetSide 2
PlanetSide 2 continues to gain updates and new content. It's still pushing itself to be the best place to find massive battles with the most players, and a recent host of tweaks, fixes, updates and changes have made many MMOFPS fans very excited for the rest of the year. So what's happening to the MMOFPS in the month of February? We asked Matt Higby, Creative Director for PlanetSide 2, to explain just that.
Trion's Elizabeth Tobey departs
Trion Worlds Director of Global Communications Elizabeth Tobey announced today that she's leaving the studio to work for Smule. She also firmly squashed any speculation that her departure signaled that Trion is conducting layoffs: "Firmly no to downsizing; in fact, I've been working with our amazing team for quite a while to get some great people on deck for you." Tobey chronicled her history with RIFT and Defiance on her personal blog. "Trion's taught me a ton," she wrote. "I learned what it meant to run an MMO community (which, in comparison, makes anything I'd ever done before look like child's play). I also not only launched RIFT's first expansion but also helped it transition into (in my completely unbiased opinion) the best free-to-play MMO on the market." She also testified to the addictiveness of ArcheAge: "ArcheAge, you are going to blow people's minds. I could write an entire swan song on the awesomeness of raising livestock, charting the open seas, and hijacking my fellow coworkers as they try to complete trade routes, but I want everyone to experience that for themselves. Trust me, it's better than any blog post." [Thanks to Sanguinesun for the tip!]
