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Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR year-end report on PvP
In July, I took the famous Bartle Test and pitted it against the state of Star Wars: The Old Republic at the time. The test, based on the research of Dr. Richard Bartle, measures the types of activities within an MMO that players find fun. Of course, there is plenty of crossover, and very few people fit neatly into one category, but I believe that if an MMO hits all the categories well, it will be highly successful, at least from a player's point of view. In the research, player motivation is divided into four categories: Achiever, Explorer, Killer, and Socializer. I have never been a fan of the term Killer as used to describe the type of player who likes to compete directly with other players, but then, I didn't earn a PhD from the University of Essex, either. The Killer category has always been described as more than someone who likes to PvP in the sense that most MMOs provide PvP. A Killer likes to compete, plain and simple. He wants his skills pitted against the skills of other players, and he wants to be recognized for it. In SWTOR, many Killer-types will hang out on the steps of the Sith Academy on Korriban dueling, partially because they find dueling enjoyable, but also because it is in sight of many other players. (That's where recognition comes in.) In July, I gave SWTOR very poor marks in the Killer category. I wrote, "Later this year, BioWare plans on introducing a content specifically focused on PvP, but given the team's track record, I have my concerns," and then I gave the team an F in this category. Has BioWare been able to raise that grade? And how have things changed since mid-year?
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Rise and Shiny revisit: Pandora Saga
It's been a while since I looked at Pandora Saga. It's been almost three years, actually. I decided to check it out again because, well, that's what this column is all about. OK, it's about revisiting games and introducing you to new titles through the eyes of a brand-newbie, but you get the point. After all this time, it was possible that the game had changed so much that it would be as if I were a brand-new player again. And in many ways, this revisit was experienced through the eyes of a newbie, but even still, I felt as if the game had not changed as much as I expected. It's a game that's great for PvP fans but might not be so great for fans of, you know, not PvP. I have no problems with fighting other players. But a game that isn't fun until after levels and levels and levels of grinding? That I have a problem with.
Tamriel Infinium: The Nightblade is The Elder Scrolls Online's pirate
Yesterday marked the official 11th anniversary of Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day. And since I write this column a day before its released, that would be today for me. So ahoy, maties, and all that. Although there are pirates in Elder Scrolls lore, I think we should talk about the biggest pirate-like class in the Elder Scrolls Online: the Nightblade. Most likely, this will be the first class I will try. I'm excited about this class mostly because of the fast action combat of ESO and the diverse DPS that the class appears to bring to the playing field. Oh, yeah, and who doesn't like to turn invisible? From the reports coming out of PAX and other conventions, the Nightblade appears to be the first rogue class that I've seen that has some strong viability in a PvE setting, but of course, the class still plays wonderfully in PvP. Stick with me as I break down my thoughts on the class as we know it.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR PvP rant 2013
I will not pretend that I see the whole picture. All I can see is the situation presented to me. And from my perspective, PvP in Star Wars: The Old Republic is broken. This decision doesn't come lightly. I don't believe that I'm making a hyperbolic statement, either. The flaws within SWTOR PvP exceed and trample on the positive parts of the PvP game. Despite being one of the most balanced and fun parts of the game in December of 2011, changes to the system have caused this part of the game to become less and less fun over time. What happened? If PvP used to be enjoyable and now it's just a drag, what changed? The unfortunate answer to that question isn't a simple one. We can't point to one action or one flaw that broke the system that everyone used to enjoy. I went so far as to say that the team at BioWare needs to stop working on PvP because it's taking the team away from expanding on the things that actually work. In fact, PvP changes ruined high-end PvE for some classes like Shadow/Assassin tanks. From my perspective, the team working on PvP is focused on the wrong aspects of the game. I will break it down the best I can.
Blood Pact: Catching up on Patch 5.3
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Pact for affliction, demonology, and destruction warlocks. This week, Megan O'Neill is free to pet battle all day, e'ry day. I tried to gauge when Patch 5.3 would hit so that I'd end the series on World of Logs just in time, but unfortunately I overestimated and the new patch has cut me off. With my original plan of posts, I'd be a week short, but now...uhhhh it might be a halftime break. In case you've missed the World of Logs posts so far, here's a recap: A brief overview of ranking and the combo of how to tell what warlock or pet you would or should be looking at, Looking closer at some of the graphs on World of Logs, and How to use the buffs and debuffs graph to gauge proper cooldown or proc usage, as well as a basic understanding of what stats (for trinket procs) do for each spec. I intend to explore some warlock-specific examples using the expression editor to dive deep into the combat log, but I'm not sure I can fit it all into one post. I'll finish the series off with a deeper look at the damage done tables and how the spells spread for each spec in general raid encounter styles. But this week? This week is a little shorter and lighter while we go over what Patch 5.3 means for warlocks.
MMObility: Hailan Rising is a lesson in confusion and miscommunication
I was excited to try out Hailan Rising, a new PvP-centric MMO being published by GamersFirst. It looks sort of primitive but has an old-school appeal that I thought would suit my tastes. For a long time I also thought it was a browser-based game, perhaps because it was being built in Unity, but at this point I'm confused about pretty much everything connected with the title. To make matters worse, the forums are filled with similarly confused players who just want some answers. Many of them cannot log in, but I was able to. But then all I found was an empty server, literally. I did some research and read up on some of the information we posted on this site as recently as February of this year. I checked the forums and mailed off an inquiry to GamersFirst that as of press time has not been answered. So what is Hailan Rising and what has happened to it?
First impressions from the Age of Wushu beta
When I first started playing the Age of Wushu beta, I had a lot of expectations. As I first started playing, the game felt ho-hum. It was clumsy, the translation wasn't very good, and the combat felt clunky. My friends saved an infamous IM conversation during which I expressed how the game was a let-down. I had heard a lot about the skill-based martial arts battles, but the combat and movement felt so clumsy. There were some interesting features for sure, but my expectations soon faded, and I mostly kept playing out of a sense of obligation, to see whether there was anything hidden beyond the awkward translation and uninspired gameplay. Three days later, I was a believer. Age of Wushu's combat, while awkward at first, proved to be incredibly deep and allowed for endless variations of personal expression. Mastery of battle wasn't just about abusing a broken mechanic, and the foundations of the game's economy soon proved to threaten the hold that EVE Online currently has on the sandbox market. Open PVP with real consequences, horizontal character progression, a player-driven economy, and the best combat system in any MMO ever -- you'll find it all in Age of Wushu.
Rise and Shiny: Darkfall
I've played Darkfall several times since launch, and each time I've remembered how good the game can be and how bad it sometimes is. Good and bad, I thought it a good idea to record the Darkfall that exists now so that I can compare it to the Darkfall that will be open after an upcoming relaunch, one that promises to change quite a few key features. Will it be a better game? I hope so. Either way, during my week with this free-for-all PvP MMO, I was able to hook up with a newbie-friendly clan relatively quickly but spent most of my time running to the city where the clan took up residence. Same old Darkfall, really, but there were some truly hilarious and truly fun moments all the same.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 PvP primer
Welcome to the PvP primer, the post with a small taste of everything you didn't think you wanted to know about PvP content in Guild Wars 2. Some folks regard Guild Wars 2 as a PvP-centric game with PvE content tacked on as an occasional diversion. If that's you, this post is probably full of stuff you already know. Think of this as crib notes for the uninitiated. Are you unsure how to find your way around WvW? Are you trying to find your way into a PvP match? This primer is for you. Last week we took a look at world vs. world (WvW), which pits three servers against each other in grand-scale, pitched battles. Now it's time to give some love to structured PvP (some folks are getting sPvP started as a term for that), which is all about quicker battles with fewer people on smaller maps.
'The Last Laugh' DLC coming to DC Universe Online in June, adds new PvP content
The Last Laugh, a new DLC pack that expands player-versus-player options in DC Universe Online, is set to arrive on PC and PlayStation 3 this June. In addition to introducing three different four-on-four battle scenarios (all conjured up by the actions of Batman's nemesis, The Joker), The Last Laugh adds a two-phase, 16-vs-16 scenario in which both sides try to take over the other's Headquarters. And there's a new weapon called The Shield, which can either be used to bash enemies, or hurled for a ranged attack, Captain America-style! (Wait ...)Finally, there are two new Legends PvP characters to play as: Kilowog the Green Lantern, and Amon Sur from the Sinestro Corps. The pack is a free download for Legendary subscribers, and available for purchase by Free and Premium players. You can see what it all looks like in the gallery below.%Gallery-154943%
Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway?
At E3, Principal Lead Writer Daniel Erickson expressed that he wanted a roleplay player-vs.-player server for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Granted, BioWare's live team originally intended to not launch with any type of open-world PvP roleplay server. Community Coordinator David Bass confirmed this when he explained that the Guild HQ program will not support RP-PvP servers and that those guilds wishing to roll on those types of servers will have to do it the old fashioned way: in game. According to the Daedalus Project, a study on the habits of MMO players, only 7% of all players actually roll a character on an RP-PvP server. However, when you keep in mind that SWTOR has the largest preorder sales of any PC game as of right now (about 802,000, not including digital and European sales), 7% ends up being a significant number. At least, there are enough people interested in RP-PvP to fill a server. I understand that many people are turned off by the idea of mixing roleplay with PvP. I completely understand that. When the term RP hits people, images of Goldshire and naked Night Elves come to mind immediately. In truth, however, roleplay is really just telling a story through an interactive medium, in this case an MMO. For instance, if in the course of playing SWTOR you find yourself asking, "What would my character do in this situation?", then you have just brushed up against roleplay. In RP-PvP, players enjoy a very similar experience. Today, let's talk about mixing story and PvP. Players have found diverse ways to integrate the two. Beyond the break, I have examples of how you may find ways to do it yourself, even if hardcore roleplay isn't your thing.
Rise and Shiny recap: Face of Mankind, a revisit
I'm not exactly sure why I am such a glutton for punishment, but over the last week I thought it would be a good idea to revisit Face of Mankind, an MMOFPS that pushes roleplay and politics in its description. I had already known from my previous experience that roleplay was pretty much non-existent and that the crowd was made up largely of typical MMOFPS or PvP types, but I have a rule to always give games second, third and sometimes fourth chances. It's a simple fact that many of them, especially independent ones, take a long time to grow and mature into the games they always should have been. So how has Face of Mankind matured? How has it grown? I have to be honest with you and tell you that the game surprised me in some ways this time around. Perhaps it was because I was already familiar with the controls and layout, but click past the cut and let me tell you all about it.
Hyperspace Beacon: Monday night Huttball! [Updated]
If memory serves me, the first MMO that integrated an actual sport into its game design was Free Realms. Although soccer was not implemented at launch, players could not miss the soccer fields, and eventually, the developers did put those fields to good use. I certainly don't believe the Star Wars: The Old Republic developers had Free Realms in mind when they created the newly announced Warzone Huttball, but that does not negate the fact that most MMOs do not have sports that are just sports. I'm not sure this is because developers take the setting too seriously and therefore don't think outside the box in regard to side adventures players can have, but you will be hard-pressed to see many other MMOs introduce a sporty game into their core. Needless to say, Huttball excites me even more about SWTOR, and I've even considered creating a character just to play Huttball. Beyond the jump, I breakdown the rules of Huttball and speculate on the further possibilities of the game. Join me.
MapleStory chills out with Ice Knight Battle mode
Nexon has cried havoc, and let slip the dogs of wa-- err, the Ice Knight, rather. Continuing with MapleStory's Chaos series of summer content updates, Nexon has unleashed a brand-new PvP gametype, called the Ice Knight Battle. The Ice Knight Battle takes cues from traditional king-of-the-hill gametypes, but with one exciting twist: One of the ten players, chosen at random, becomes the Ice Knight at the beginning of the game. This transformation grants the Ice Knight a huge power boost as well as a number of unique abilities that can be used as the Ice Knight fills his Ice Gauge. From there, the remaining players have seven minutes to bring down the Ice Knight, which is sure to be no mean feat. For some shots of the Ice Knight Battle in action, hit the gallery below. %Gallery-16709%
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite PvP memory?
It's hard to compare with the excitement of PvP. Sure, a well-scripted PvE encounter is exciting, but it's scripted. The same thing will always happen under the same conditions. But in a PvP battle, anything goes. Whether you're taking part in a battle over an open RvR objective in Warhammer Online or you've just come across a hostile player in Mortal Online, playing against another human being introduces new variables and new behaviors that you can't get against a computer opponent. And while the fights can often be harder as a result, the stories stick with you longer too. Maybe you fought off a would-be ganker and lived to tell the tale. Maybe you met an equal match on the road and managed to get the upper hand. Or maybe you waited and practiced to face off against a rival player only to defeat him when it counted the most. Whether in a PvP-focused game like Age of Conan or a largely PvE environment like Lord of the Rings Online, you can have some truly memorable experiences against other players. So what's your best PvP memory? 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!
Alter-Ego: Nine tips for PvP in DC Universe Online
First things first: I'm going to admit openly that I'm not even close to the world's best PvPer, as anyone who has ever faced off in PvP against me can tell you. Up until recently, I tended to be the ultra-carebear player who generally avoids PvP combat altogether (outside of EVE Online). However, by ignoring PvP in DC Universe Online, one also ignores a decent chunk of the game's content. Between the open-world Green Lantern ring wars, quests to take on heroes or villains of a certain level range, Arena matches, and Legends play, there's a lot to do -- not to mention the challenge of playing on a PvP server. Worse still, PvE players will find their quest logs become cluttered messes full of PvP-related quests that can't be dropped -- an annoying prospect at best. So with this in mind, I've compiled a handful of general tips for those PvE fans who don't tend to mess with PvP in DC Universe Online as well as players who have only dabbled in it. Are there I-win-button tips behind the break? Not really. However, it's good solid advice that's helped me improve my skills from utterly noobtastic insta-death to holding my own. If that sounds interesting to you, then join me behind the break for the list!
Massively revisits Bloodline Champions and gets pwned
The last time I visited Stunlock Studios' Bloodline Champions, I was impressed but not very turned on. Sure, it worked well, and despite its only semi-original art design, it looked good enough. It just wasn't really my game. I'm not a PvPer, and I'm certainly not an arena-combat type of guy. Yes, I enjoy a good romp in the pits once in a while, but arena-type games just seem repetitive. Well, that was back in the early release or beta of the game. Now that I have returned, I have found a much improved, smooth, and more full-featured game. I can even say that I had (gasp!) quite a bit of fun. Granted, I was not able to play many games, simply because during the day it seemed that only the European players had any games available -- and even those were generally locked out -- but I played a few that made me feel, well, kind of tough. Click past the cut and let me explain.
PotBS devs share some cake with Massively
How did you celebrate your third birthday party? We imagine that the Pirates of the Burning Sea developers celebrated it a lot like you might have: with pirates, talking birds and the occasional PvP fight. Of course, you probably didn't choose to participate in an interview with the best MMO website in existence, mainly because it more than likely didn't exist back then. Our trusty eyepatches in place, we waylaid Russell "Rusty" Williams (Flying Lab's CEO) and Jason "Mr Nutty" Gettel (Lead Designer), who answered some of our "burning" questions. So sit back, put your bib on, blow out your candles, and click past the cut to see what they had to say on this special anniversary!
Pirates of the Burning Sea: The third anniversary
Pirates of the Burning Sea just turned three years old, so we decided to take a look back at some of the history, controversy and changes that happened along the way. How do you sum up the history of an MMO, no matter how short? Do you simply make a timeline, establishing landmark events? What about the players -- how do they feel after sailing around the sea for all this time? Well, we decided to do a little bit of each. What we found was a game that is still rich in its content, still varied in its playerbase, and still moving forward. The game has had its issues like any other, so on this anniversary we decided to showcase how the game has affected people with a series of mini-interviews with the players themselves. Click past the cut to see what treasures we dug up!
RIFT developers explore the dynamics of PvP!
Trion Worlds treated us today with a video montage of the exciting PvP in RIFT. This is the moment many players have been waiting for! What is in store for the gamer exploring this dynamic world? Executive Producer Scott Hartsman and his crew have pieced together this exhilarating video to outline each part of RIFT's PvP. The journey for conquest begins with the zone-scale invasions. Members of opposing factions can cross enemy lines and assault the enemy adventurers while they are out questing. Next, Warfronts are cross-server instances that allow players to battle each other while completing specific PvE objectives. The Battle of Port Scion, for example, is the conquest instance that allows players to build an invasion force while the opposite faction attempts to stop them at every turn. PvP starts at level 10, at which point the players begin to gain Favor, the PvP currency. Prestige, the PvP ranking system, begins at level 50 and determines the type of armor and the number of points you can spend in your PvP Soul. But really, that's enough words from me. Check out the trailer after the break!
