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Make your own Fable 3 NPC; pre-order to take it in-game (and fart on it)
In keeping with tradition, Fable 3 is offering fans a web-based experience to tide them over until the game's fall launch. While Fable 2's web-based promotion promised in-game prizes – like a three-piece chicken suit, for example – for completing the "Hero's Tale" puppet theater, Fable 3 is offering a different kind of in-game prize. "If you preorder Fable 3, you're going to get a special code," Microsoft's Larry Hryb revealed on last night's Major Nelson podcast. "You go to Xbox.com [...] you drop in this code, and then in your browser you're going to create a character that's going to be in your game." The so-called "Make a Villager" feature should be available "in the next day or two," Hryb said. Eager to try your hand at making a non-playable villager but not interested in pre-ordering Fable 3? Even without a pre-order, you'll be able to play with the character creator; you just won't be able to actually import your creation into the retail game. But here's what you can do: You can select male or female, you "decide where you want to encounter them, in what town or in what region of the game," you can decide if your character is good or bad, and you can select from five different heads, 23 different hair styles, 23 different body outfits, "for over 2000 different combinations." When you're all done, you can share just about everything (short of that "Frank Lee Disgusting" name you chose) with your e-buddies on Twitter and Facebook. At the moment, xbox.com/fable3 says to "Look for this and more next month!" We've asked Microsoft to clarify when we can get to work on our pitch-perfect Peter Molyneux doppelganger. "Oh, I'm afraid I've already said too much." Update 12:35pm: Well, that didn't take long, did it? The Fable 3 "Villager Maker" is now live at xbox.com. The FAQ has some more details, including the following: You'll need to purchase the game from a participating retailer to get the code and you'll need an Xbox Live Gold account to pull your NPC into Fable 3. Update 12:45pm: We've got a video tour of the Villager Maker just after the break, featuring the soothing sounds of Josh Atkins, lead game designer for Fable 3. We've also added the press release to the list of sources. [Thanks, Joe & Liam]
Sunday Morning Funnies: Zippity zap
Happy August 1st! What, no gallery, you say? Sorry to disappoint you guys - you're going to have to wait one more week. But if I do say so myself, it just keeps getting better; it will be worth the wait. In the meantime, why not read through this week's list of comics? Daily Quests: For That Natural Shine. Travels with Tenthunders: Exotic Orcish Customs. AFR: Don't Be Hasty. I chuckled. LFG #375 and #376. DLC: Zap-O-Vision. Teh Gladiators: A Grandly Sloppy Entrance. Click next for part 2. Tales from the Crossroads: "...the Storm." Out of World: At the Ball part 8. Drunken Pirates Guild: Relieved. Torment of the Week: Make Like a Tree. Coffin Comics: How Bladestorm Was Invented. Minis: Don't Feed the Birds. Beyond the Tree: Knock Knock. Also: Disarmed with Canon. Slash AFK: Hax. Byron, the Tauren Rogue! NPC: Secret Compartment. Also: Gotta Catch 'em All and Do Gooder. Guilded Age. WoW, eh: The New Plague. The Warcraft Hero in: Saving Squi.
Exploring Eberron: Six things to do on your first day in game
So you've given into temptation, downloaded DDO onto your hard drive, and decided to see what all the hubbub was about with Turbine's quirky MMO-that-could. Good for you -- personally, I think you're in for a terrific time. Of course, there's a small but steep learning curve at the start of the game, which I envision claims the lives of many gamers who run all willy-nilly into said wall screaming, "Where is the auto-attack keyyyyy?" You want to avoid that. You want your DDO experience to be face-smashing-wall free. Therefore, I have pulled myself out of a Fun Dip coma (soooo much sugar) to cobble together six vitally important tasks to perform on your first day in game in order to save the princess. Or make your life easier, I don't know. I'm assuming that you've already made your first character and are itching to test drive that bad boy or girl and see how quickly you can die. Man, I bet you really wish Rubi were back already, huh? Wish harder, dude!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Plushie lovin', out loud
Random expressions of love can be dangerous; that's the lesson for the week. Stay tuned next week for the debut of the Sunday Morning Funnies gallery guide, packed with all of the custom artwork I could squeeze out of your favorite comic artists! LFG: #375 and #376. AFR: My hovercraft is full of eels anal. Tales from the Crossroads: What a Long, Strange Trip it's Gonna Be! Daily Quests: Too Hot to Handle. DLC: Once on a Time. Fourth Wall: Reality Impaired. Also: The Dangers of Receiving a Beta Key. The first one isn't specifically about WoW, but it applies. Drunken Pirates Guild: The Highlord's Speech. Torment of the Week: Solstia's Interrogation. Slash AFK: Ew. Also: Love Fur Real and Random LFG Saga. Coffin Comcis: Zoinks. Beyond the Tree: Once Smitten... Twice Awry. NPC: Cutting Losses. Also: Happy Happy Critter Party and Bullet Hole Riddled Target. The Warcraft Hero in: The Best Plan Ever. Experience Points: Out of Your Element. Guilded Age. Teh Gladiators: For Hoofrich! Click "next" for part two! Optional filler (or, you could say, 'bonus material'): Complex Actions: Work in Progress.
The Daily Grind: What makes you feel like a hero?
There's always been a big to-do in MMORPGs about making you feel like a hero (and, hey, all RPGs ever). Dev interviews, particularly before release, usually include discussion about how such-and-such will make the player feel important, feel central to the story, feel... heroic. Of course, when everyone else and his or her specially trained dog or cat are doing the exact same thing, it's hard to feel like a unique snowflake in the hero crowd. While NPCs are supposedly helpless and need a dashing, daring stud or studette to champion their cause, after a while it may seem like they're more "lazy bums" than "weak innocents." Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there's something in MMOs that does, in fact, make you feel like a hero. Maybe it's not anything scripted by the developers, but instead happens out of the blue. Perhaps you're the healer who kept your raid alive, or the person who gave up a night to help out a lowbie in the guild. Maybe you saved a total stranger from annihilation, or you chained sixteen crits in a row until the bad guys were weeping for mercy. What makes you feel like a hero in MMOs?
Sunday Morning Funnies: It's ooey and it's gooey!
It's Sunday! Again. Where do the summer days go? Here is a list of the comics that I am still waiting to hear from regarding the gallery guide project outlined last week: Daily Quests: Tree Huggers Away From Reality: Five Holy Priests Like This LFG #373 and #374 Dark Legacy Comics: Acronym Teh Gladiators: Dent in ze Door (and click next for part two!) Equinox and the Passage of Time (if it will be continuing immediately) (Probably) Emily at Complex Actions Tales From the Crossroads: Born to Be Wild! I included their latest updates so that I don't have to list them twice!
Sunday Morning Funnies: They make good hats
It's already July! Oh yes. Only two more months of summer. It might be time to panic. Luckily, we have another list of quality, WoW-related comics that should help ease your minds. Beyond the Tree: The Boat Project. Also: The Climbing One. Daily Quests: Battle of the Fates. Coffin Comics: Sparkly. Away From Reality: Holidaze. MMOMFC: World of Warcup. Thanks Dustin, for the tip! Byron, the Tauren Rogue. Torment of the Week: On the Edge. NPC: Holution. Also: The Black Void and Hardened Feline Heart. Slash AFK: Mining Dangers. Tales from the Crossroads: It's What's For Dinner! The Warcraft Hero in: Wilhelm's Lament. Teh Gladiators: The Old God Returns. Also: part 2. LFG #369 and #370. Dark Legacy Comics: Wanna Play? Check out a Guilded Age guest comic. Complex Actions: From the Mouth of Noobz. Equinox and the Druid. Awkward Zombie: Scrappy. I love this.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Snooze it off
I hope you all enjoyed your first week of summer. Before living up the second, check out these WoW-related comics: Away from Reality: The Origins of Garrosh Hellscream, Theory #172. Coffin Comics: Blah Blah Blah. Travels with Tenthunders: Lumber Party! Beyond the Tree: Something Beginning with S. Also: Non Cannon. World of Warcraft, eh?: Snow Angel. Byron, the Tauren Rogue! Slash AFK: Bacon and Corehounds. Also: Wrong Body. Daily Quests: A Taste of Things to Come. Torment of the Week: Sketchbook Horrors #1. NPC: Collectable Projectable. Also: Episode XXIV and Water Works. Tales from the Crossroads: Hurricane Fiera. Teh Gladiators: We Are the Trash Mobs! and part two. The Warcraft Hero in: The Short Goodbye. LFG #367. Also: #368. Dark Legacy Comics: Short Circuit. Equinox vs an Old Enemy. Out of World #20. Complex Actions: Memes in Mah Genes. Guilded Age.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Bubble deeps
This week's discussion topic will focus on pointing out the comic that you think has most improved over time. Feel free to illustrate your choice with a link to an early example and a link to a newer entry that really showcases the artistic development. As always, leave any tips for new WoW-related comics in the comments section! Heading into the first week of summer, here's your regularly scheduled comic relief: Beyond the Tree: I Spy, You Spy. Quest: Death Grip. WoW, eh?: Operation: Scorched Earth. Torment of the Week: Divine Plea Case. Awkward Zombie: Socket to Me. NPC: A Nice Night for a Stroll. Also: Mutation Sensation and Domineered. Coffin Comics: Timelost Lost. Daily Quest: Best Served Cold. Teh Gladiators: Attack of the Spin-Snatchin' Vallant Clone. Hit next to see part two! Byron, the Tauren Rogue. Tales from the Crossroads: Fishin' with DOD. Slash AFK: You Summoned? Also: No Girlie Stuff and Pets Rock. LFG #365 and #366. Dark Legacy Comics: Innovation. Out of World #19. Complex Actions: It's a Bear-Form Market. Equinox and His Drinking Buddy. Away From Reality: Broken Healer. K's Grab Bag: They've Eaten More.... Guilded Age.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Lover, not a fighter
It's yet another beautiful Sunday morning, and as usual, there's a long list of comics ready for you to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who participated in last week's trivia! Peanuts was the answer I had in mind, as I was thinking about the advice booth, which many of you picked up on. Tokkar's guess was even better, and Al and foust117 had similar guesses on the tips of their tongues. Rather than focusing on the booth, they focused on the skit itself. A round of ice cold virtual and imaginary lemonade for all! Torment of the Week: The Good Stuff. Byron, the Tauren Rogue! Beyond the Tree: Repeat and Fade. Coffin Comics: Teddy Bear Love. LFG #363 and #364. Teh Gladiators: Fetch, boy! Don't forget to click next for part two. Travels with Tenthunders: On Riparian Fury Deficits. The Warcraft Hero in: Squi's First Lesson. NPC: Alternative Energy. Also: Hamsteritis and Hamster Food. Daily Quests: Grand Master Rancher. AFR: We've All Had Bosses Like That. Slash AFK: The Only Boomkin. Also: Orc? Guilded Age. WoW, eh?: The Final Countdown. Tales from the Crossroads: The Breakup. Check out the latest from Dark Legacy Comics. Complex Actions: Apply Ointment Twice Daily to Affected Areas.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Queues
Another week, another list of comics for your enjoyment. I hope you're all enjoying the lovely June weather! I sure am, now that the heat wave has passed. For this week's random trivia question, finish this sentence: This week's Daily Quests comic is a nod to _____? This week's unexpected right-hand photo is a lady on a birdie mount. Seemingly unexciting, right? But something has been queued up - in her mind. I wonder whether it was realized in more, or less, time than it took for the BlizzCon tickets to sell out? And Bink? All you really do need is love. Except when you break the gaming computer during raiding season; then, you owe.
EVE Evolved: Ratting, part 2: Flying safe!
Last week I discussed the basics of the "ratting" profession in EVE Online, from picking a good system to three popular ratting strategies. If you're planning to hunt NPCs in nullsec, of course, you'll need to get there first. Pilots who aren't in an alliance with secure access to nullsec will have to run the gauntlet from empire space to their chosen ratting system. The entry points into EVE's nullsec regions are often camped during peak hours and you can expect to run into roaming gangs. Things get a little easier once you're at your destination, but you can still expect to see the occasional pilot or gang passing through the system. Your ability to get into nullsec safely and your efficiency at ratting will be determined largely by the ship you're using and how it's set up. For someone who's never been to nullsec before, setting up a ship for the task and heading into the void can be a daunting task. In this article, I look at selecting the appropriate ship for ratting, some popular ship setups and important safety tips that will help keep your ship safe in hostile territory.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Bears for literacy
It's almost June, but where I'm living, it's been feeling like late July. I hope everyone has been out enjoying the weather, especially during this pre-Cataclysm slump. Before you head out today for your picnic, BBQ, walk in the park, or afternoon raid, SMF has quite a sizable list of comics for your enjoyment. We even have two brand-spanking new-to-the-list comics this week, thanks to a couple of tipsters. Don't forget to make suggestions for comic inclusions in the comment section! This week's discussion topic is a free-for-all. Talk about your favorite character, an artist's shading technique, suggest a future discussion topic, or whatever else is on your mind.
EVE Evolved: Ratting, part 1: Strategies
There are plenty of ways to make ISK in EVE Online, from exploration and mission-running to trading or any number of alternative professions. One of the oldest and most popular ways to make a reliable income in EVE is hunting the pirate NPCs that spawn in asteroid belts, an activity known as "ratting". Ratting is probably the best way to repair the low security status you'll be left with if you engage in piracy or suicide ganks. For those who live in nullsec, it's often the primary way to farm ISK for replacement ships to support PvP activities. Some players who don't have access to nullsec through their corporation or alliance even sneak characters in for the sole purpose of ratting. If done properly, it can make more ISK than level 4 missions and there's always that chance of finding rare faction and officer NPCs with valuable loot. In the first of this two-part guide, I look at where to find the best NPCs, how to find a good system for ratting and the three most popular ratting strategies.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Where the engines are
This week, in addition to your regularly scheduled comic updates, I'll be adding in links to the few comics that slipped through the cracks while I was in, and just returning from, WiFi hell (and the wonderful Kelly Aarons filled in). This week's list is pleasantly long, but I'm always looking to stretch it. Was something overlooked? Did a comic update late? Do you know of a comic that isn't featured on this list, but is related to WoW? Leave a tip in the comment section! Speaking of the comment section, this week's discussion topic involves pointing out a few of your favorite panels of artwork from any of this week's comics and saying a bit about why you love them. Don't forget to mention your favorite one-liner, too!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Ride 'em
This week we have an ocean adventure, a suspicious "murder," a shrewd case of blackmail, and much more. In related news, my WiFi troubles have cleared up! Big thanks to Kelly Aarons for filling in last week. This week's discussion topic, should you choose to accept it, is: Leave a comment about your opinions on artwork in a comic that might get overlooked by many readers. Tell us why you think it's awesome, unique, quirky, or otherwise floats your boat - or your ocean rider 3000, for that matter. This week's topic was inspired by last week's discussion that resulted from some not-so-constructive criticism left by a commenter. Trolls are inevitable, of course, but the incident reminded me that we see a lot of comments about the super popular comics, and less about the rest, even though there are plenty of positive things to say. Onward!
Face of Mankind continues updating new content
Face of Mankind recently got a nice-sized update in the form of NPCs to hand out quests and a brand new city. Duplex Systems is continuing to fine-tune these updates by adding to them, and players will find even more new content in the next few weeks. For those of you who found the new NPC system a bit confusing, there is now a tutorial in-game to help you get your bearings. Face of Mankind's unusual setup meant that more than a few players gave up on figuring things out, and Duplex acknowledges that, hoping that the tutorial will induce players to give them a second chance. The tutorials will be worth your while in either case, as they will offer significant monetary rewards. You'll find some changes to combat in Face of Mankind as well, including the addition of a recoil system for a little extra realism -- you'll need a little extra skill to hit your target as you compensate for the recoil now -- as well as faster overall combat speeds. Finally, the city of Berlin has been re-introduced as a completely lawless city: killing other players will no longer earn penalty points, so watch your back. Take a look at the Face of Mankind site to learn more about these latest updates.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Takeover edition
Unfortunately, Amanda has become of a victim of the mob 'Terrible Wifi,' so I'm running this joint from now on! Ha! Well, not really. Mostly until she comes back. But for now, enjoy some comics! Beyond the Tree: Broken Toy. Tales From the Crossroad: Don't Mince Words... Equinox vs The Obnoxious Alliance. Coffin Comics: Bring Your Orphan to Raid Week! LFG #353 and #354. World of Warcraft, Eh: Big Hoof, Even Bigger Mouth and We Have Arrived. Byron, the Tauren Rogue. Slash AFK: GM Power and Playthings. Teh Gladiators: The Crab Cake Incident. The Warcraft Hero in: Children's Week. Dark Legacy Comics: Cataclysm. Complex Actions: Not Suitable For Children. The latest from Guilded Age. K's Grab Bag: Cutting Corners. AFR: The Hardest Knock. NPC: Ridicudent. The Daily Blink: Field & Scream and Behind the Curtain.
The Daily Grind: Mob Grudge Match
Ahh, little mobs, you pieces of innocuous computer code you. Standing still or roaming in a set pattern, you live to serve us -- walking bags of experience and loot just waiting to be cracked open. Sure, maybe sometimes you run away when you're hurt (which only ticks us off more) or call out to your buddies when you want them to die as well, but truly, you live a life free of sophistication. You live, you die, you make us better, and then you live once more. Except that's not always the case, is it? Sometimes there's a particular mob that seems to declare a grudge match against you. It's the mob that kills you more often than not, the mob that has a really nasty trick or two up its sleeve, the mob that's stalking you with diligence that's not usually seen outside of a restraining order. What one mob has you seeing red every time it appears? What mob do you attack with a vengeance no matter what, even if you out-level it by the score? What mobs have grated so much that you've declared a crusade against their kind? Grudge match: GO!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Spring in your step
It's Spring time! The flowers are blooming, the pollen is making me sneeze, and the plant monsters are extra green. It must be May. Beyond the Tree: Goblin Engineering. Tales From the Crossroad: Out of the Frying Pan.... Experience Points: Buyer's Remorse. Equinox and the Balloons. Coffin Comics: /Tweet Zomg! Daily Quests: Educating the Youth. LFG #351 and #352. Byron, the Tauren Rogue. Slash AFK: Marshmellow Kitties. Also: Boomchicken and Bank Franchise. Teh Gladiators: Enter the Gorgeous Ones. The Warcraft Hero in: A Very Serious Comic. Dark Legacy Comics: Medical Bills. Complex Actions: Natural Disasters. The latest from Guilded Age. K's Grab Bag: Babies are Tasty, too. AFR: Truth in Advertising. Cru the Dwarf: No Mere Warlock. NPC: Outed.
