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Age of Wushu previews new school abilities after server merge
The fifth inner skills for each of the eight schools are arriving in the next Age of Wushu update, and if you're a player, you'd probably like to know what they do, wouldn't you? I mean, one of them might instantly kill everything in a seven-meter radius, and the other might summon a moderate quantity of breadsticks and marinara sauce. That seems unlikely, though, as the preview of these new abilities mentions neither sort of talent. They do include attack buffs, HP drains, and major defensive buffs, though, so that's good. You'll be able to show these skills off to a wider range of players after the game's server merges from yesterday. The Golden Kirin and White Tiger servers have been merged into the Blue Dragon server; players whose names will need to change should receive name changing scrolls within the next few days. If you weren't able to log in yesterday and aren't sure about how the merge went down, you can double-check the quick guide to the process.
Age of Wushu previews its winter content
Winter is coming. Literally. We're almost halfway through September. Age of Wushu is using the oncoming winter not as an ominous portent of doom but as a chance to introduce a bunch of new content to the game, starting with school instances. No matter how benevolent your school may be on the surface, there's always more going on underneath. Within the depths of these instances lie not only money and glory but perhaps ever more powerful techniques that have been lost to time. Both secret scripts and new ultimate scrolls will be added to the game, with the latter offering true mastery over a school. The secret scripts once threw the realm into chaos, but deciphering these arts will be the mark of a true master. And if you've had your fill of all that, you can always take advantage of the upcoming marriage system and settle down for in-game domestic bliss. It's a lot of new content for the game, and all players need to do is wait for the winter.
TERA shows off new skills for Lancers and Warriors
Are you a Lancer in TERA who's tired of standing in place while Warriors gracefully dance about? Are you a Warrior in TERA who's tired of dodging everything when some attacks are just easier to block through? Are you just a person who likes to watch videos of new class abilities? All three groups will be happy with the newest TERA video, which shows off the two new Lancer abilities and three new Warrior abilities debuting in the game's next major patch. Lancers gain Backstep, which does more or less exactly what it sounds like, and Wallop, which hits the ground hard and knocks over your enemy. Warriors gain Cross Parry, which functions as a block; Smoke Flanker, which teleports the Warrior behind the enemy and hits back; and Reaping Slash, a spiraling attack that knocks down your target. Click on past the break to see all of the skills in action in this short video.
Lord of the Rings Online posts a new developer diary on Champions
The development staff behind Lord of the Rings Online has a chance to make several sweeping changes to the game with the upcoming Riders of Rohan expansion, starting with trimming up and improving the game's classes. A new developer diary outlines the changes coming to the Champion class concurrent with the new expansion. These updates are focused primarily upon threat management and survivability, but all facets of the class will see at least a little attention. A new skill has been added for Champions at level 77, providing AoE threat generation or threat reduction depending on the player's stance. Bracing Attack and Wild Attack have also had their effects boosted, with the former gaining a heal-over-time component and the latter offering a small buff after a critical hit. Certain skills and trait lines are also being adjusted, generally to improve the overall power of the class. While non-Champion players likely won't be too interested in what the diary has to offer, anyone who does play the class should take a look and see what the expansion will bring to the profession.
City of Heroes shows off the Water Blasting set under development
Are you ready to get wetter than you've ever been? If not, how about letting your enemies get drenched? The Water Blasting set coming to City of Heroes will allow you to do just that, and it's a set that players have been waiting on for what seems like half of forever. And if you're wondering what the set can actually do, it's probably a fine time to take a look at the newest issue of the Intrepid Informer, showing off the set's powers and the new mechanics involved. The core of Water Blasting is a stacking buff known as Tidal Power. Certain powers build Tidal Power, certain others consume it, and some build the buff if you're at less than maximum capacity but consume it otherwise. The powers involve several knockdowns as well as a heal, a short-range defensive burst, and an assured AoE knockdown when played correctly. Take a look at the full rundown and start planning on your upcoming squirt gun character (Super Soaker being the obvious choice)!
DC Universe Online shows off the new Shield weapon
Shields generally aren't thought of as a weapon; they're usually seen as the exact opposite of a weapon. But in the superheroic milieu, all that changes. A shield is something to be used offensively, and in DC Universe Online's next major update, players will begin wielding the shield for their own superheroic (or villainous) capers. A recent interview with creative director Jens Andersen discusses the intended role of the shield in combat. Andersen explains that while the new weapon comes along in a very PvP-centered update, it's not meant to be used specifically for PvP; the team just wants to have something new for players to enjoy no matter what. In play, shields are similar to a staff weapon, but unlike most other weapons, the shield can continue to build a combo after a heavy strike by moving back to light strikes. That should make the shield a very aggressive option -- perhaps odd for something that's not generally thought of as a weapon.
The Daily Grind: How often do you want new abilities?
We're all very familiar with the term "ding." We're also familiar with the immediate follow-up to a ding -- namely, figuring out what new stuff you get following a new level. Of course, that varies a lot depending on the game. Guild Wars will give players new abilities all the time, whether or not you hit a new level, but Star Trek Online only offers up a new set of abilities every 10 levels or so (equipment notwithstanding). Granted, if a game gives you abilities infrequently, each one tends to be more vital to your overall play experience. Having a wider spread of abilities means more choices, but it also means that each individual skill doesn't matter as much. So which do you prefer? Would you like to be swimming in new abilities and new tricks at every new level? Or would you prefer a slow roll, with new skills coming infrequently but being special when they do come? 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!
Fantasy Earth Zero's greatswords make up a lost chapter
The last major update to Fantasy Earth Zero, Season 2, saw some pretty significant changes to the makeup of the game, helped along by the addition of the anti-personnel Fencer class. But tomorrow will see another shakeup to the structure of the large-scale PvP game with the addition of the Lost Chapter, including the new Greatsword skills for Warriors. These new skills give Warriors an option to discard defense completely in exchange for powerful offensive talents. If the new spinning death of a two-handed sword isn't enticement enough, the team at Gamepot USA is also taking the opportunity to run a small giveaway for players via Facebook. All participants in the promotion will receive in-game items, and a few lucky players will also be receiving gift cards to Amazon. Fantasy Earth Zero players can look forward to the new patch tomorrow, but the promotion will be running through December 30th, giving plenty of time to participate.
Another bump to Final Fantasy XI's level cap brings more class boosts
The December version update for Final Fantasy XI is right around the corner, bringing with it a slew of enhancements to the game as a whole and players in particular. Needless to say, the biggest enhancement in many players' eyes is the boosting of the level cap to 90, which perforce requires a new set of job abilities and magic to fill the five levels between the current cap and the new ceiling. And it doesn't appear that the update will disappoint in that regard, as the most recent preview explains several of the abilities players can look forward to in the 85-90 band. Among the more interesting abilities are the Warrior's new buff to the critical hit rate of allies, the Dragoon's ability to command the wyvern to use certain breath attacks, and a variety of abilities in several classes to cripple enemies of given types (Paladins against undead, Dark Knights against arcana, et cetera). There's also the promise of new blue magic, although the details are not yet offered. Past updates have frequently included even more enhancements to each job, but Final Fantasy XI players will likely be happy even with just what's provided in the new preview.
Our tour through Final Fantasy XI's June update and Visions of Abyssea
One of the weaknesses that players have always associated with Final Fantasy XI is the nature of combat within the game. Not that any fan will avoid telling you how fun it is -- but even the most ardent defender can't avoid pointing out that it does tend to be a bit slow. The actual battles run slower, abilities take longer to recharge, and the process of getting into the combat takes a great deal longer than it does in other games. You can't just jump into the game and expect to be off and fighting within a few minutes. At least, that was the case before the June Version Update. Three of the biggest additions to the game were designed to take that notion and throw it out the window, not only encouraging players to jump into violence but outright pushing you toward faster and more active combat. We had a chance to take a walk through the game's additions, and they were everything that was promised and more, enough to make any Final Fantasy XI player very happy indeed with the changing face of the endgame. %Gallery-97942%
Final Fantasy XI reveals new and improved job abilities
Intellectually, Final Fantasy XI players knew that new job abilities were coming with the June version update. Five levels is the traditional interval for new abilities anyhow, and it would be silly not to include some form of upgrade. That being said, there's a world of difference between the vague concept of new job abilities and what's been revealed today in an actual list. The abilities being granted are both far-reaching and significant, including the retroactive inclusion of Dual Wield into a Dancer's bag of tricks at Level 20. The added abilities and traits are rather different from the norm for the game's leveling scheme, coming at several different intervals along the path to 80. Notably absent are any new abilities for White and Red Mages, with Blue Mages having no specific abilities but rather a promise of new Blue Magic over the five-level spread. And the contents of that spread are quite interesting -- new rolls for Corsairs, steps for Dancers, bonuses to damage for Rangers, and bigger Absorbs for Dark Knights are just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look and see what your Final Fantasy XI job of choice will have added to its bag of tricks next week.
Aika previews two more class evolutions
With the June 17th date now firmly set, Aika fans can look forward to the full experience of the game's first expansion in less than a week. But there's still more to preview, and while we heard some of the details in our recent interview with the team, they've still got more up their sleeve. The most recent preview on the official site details the new evolutions for the Arcanist and Saint classes, which are receiving notable upgrades along with their fellow classes under the expanded level cap. The Arcanist will be receiving Calamity, a damage-over-time spell that has a long range and a movement-slowing effect to help snare and finish targets in both PvP and PvE. With a five-minute cooldown, however, the spell needs to be used carefully for maximum effectiveness.. The Saint, on the other hand, will be giving massive benefits to allies via Aika's Grace, restoring a large amount of HP and MP while making the target temporarily invulnerable. Read all about the new evolutions, as well as a recap on the nation balance mechanics discussed in yesterday's interview, on the official site.
