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Choose My Adventure: Firefall's content bomb and a missed invasion
In last week's Choose My Adventure poll, I asked the Firefall community one simple question: What, exactly, is there to do in Firefall besides run around and hook up with random thumping squads? Firefall-ers responded with passion, of course, and sent me on my merry way to experience one of the intense invasions suffered by a couple of key New Eden cities. I return now a grizzled man. My time on the frontlines was as brutal as it was enjoyable. I'm not sure my loved ones will recognize the old me behind the thousand-yard stare that has taken over my face. In short, I've seen things. Unfortunately, none of those things was an invasion.
Firefall's Kern: 'I look at WoW and think what have we done... We killed a genre'
Firefall head honcho and former World of Warcraft dev Mark Kern asks if MMOs have become too easy in a guest blog at MMORPG.com. It's basically a rhetorical question, since he goes on to outline "the creeping casualness" that defines the genre in 2013. He aims plenty of disparaging remarks at WoW's accessibility formula and its mandate to acquire casual players by streamlining or omitting traditional MMORPG systems. "And it worked. Players came in droves, millions of them," Kern writes. "But at what cost? Sometimes I look at WoW and think 'what have we done?' I think I know. I think we killed a genre." Kern goes on to lament the lack of difficulty inherent in post-WoW MMOs, and naturally he says that Firefall has found just the right balance between accessibility and challenge. He also says that the game's crafting system is "one of the deepest and most complex of any MMO, having more in common with the well-loved crafting system of the original Star Wars Galaxies than the simplified crafting systems of current MMOs."
Choose My Adventure: Next stop in Firefall, whirling death tornado
In last week's Choose My Adventure poll, I asked three simple questions of the Massively community: What should I do, how should I do it, and how pretty should I look whilst doing so? The response was definitive; voters steered me toward PvE content, which I would approach with a mercenary "what's in it for me" attitude while wearing fabulous copper armor. We also had a chance to leap into the game during CMA Live, with experienced Firefall-ers turning out in droves to take me on a whirlwind adventure through some of the game's most intense dynamic content. Overall, it's been a fun week of crushing Ares missions, repelling Chosen invasions, and of course, thumping the heck out of some resources. But there's plenty left to do.
Firefall's final beta milestone and live action trailer [Updated]
The last closed beta milestone for Firefall is live now will be live this Thursday, June 27th, and it's a big one. Closed beta testers can explore the new e-sports-styled PvP game Jetball while taking part in the game's first story-based episode, Blackwater Anomaly. And this is meant as a big thing, big enough that there's even a live-action trailer (starring Tybee Diskin, whom you might recognize from the Nuka Break Fallout fan film) past the cut to help get potential players psyched about just what might be going on. Designed for five-person squads, Blackwater Anomaly sends players out into the storm to examine the eponymous anomaly at Blackwater Marsh, leading to a closer examination of why the Chosen have arrived and what motivates the attack on humanity. If you're intrigued and want to get in on the action before the start of open beta on July 9th, the Founder's Packs will still be available through July 8th. Everyone already in the beta can start enjoying this new content immediately. [Update: Red 5 has contacted us to let us know it has moved the milestone date from today to Thursday.] [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]
Choose My Adventure: Earning my Firefall rocket boots
The votes are in. The people have spoken. Now, it's time to play. Last week's Choose My Adventure column, the first one centered on Firefall, presented a couple of choices related to the very basics of creating our character and giving him or her reason to fight. Voters enthusiastically chose a beaten-down man with one hope for redemption -- and unwittingly fulfilled my personal fantasy to create a game hero based on Nicolas Cage's character in Con Air. Voters also chose from among Firefall's five battleframes, with the jack-of-all-trades Assault frame beating out the smash-it-in-the-face Dreadnaught frame by just 26 votes. So, to recap: We have created a character who's an ex-con with no reason to live, handed him an assault rifle, and dropped him into a violent world where pretty much anything goes. This is getting good.
Choose My Adventure: Firefalling
Well folks, it was an epic battle. The communities of Firefall and Fallen Earth rolled out in force to support their favorite game in last week's Choose My Adventure poll, and the contest came right down to the wire with thousands of votes pouring in from both sides. Most impressively, despite the efforts of a few bad-apple commenters and forum trolls, it was a war fought with courtesy and genuine respect for the passions of the competing community. Well done. It's true that only one game can win a slot in Choose My Adventure, and this time around Firefall topped the charts. But let's take a moment to recognize the awesome turnout from both groups of fans. Your communities called you to action, and you responded with dedication and enthusiasm. Frankly, that's the type of stuff we love to see.
Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach
Every games writer must wonder, at some point in his career, whether he is in fact horrible at video games. Be the game Dota 2, EVE Online, or any of the other titles that make up my weekly play schedule, I worry I'm much better at having a good time than I am at actually manipulating game mechanics and making them perform the way I would want. But it doesn't have to be that way. Yes, dear friends -- I can change. I just can't do it alone. I need your help to become the most powerful, handsome, talented, handsome, elite-geared, handsome video gamester in all the world. It's up to you to Choose My Adventure and in doing so to decide which title offers me the best chance of becoming a golden gaming god and offers you the best chance to be my tough-but-fair coach who is totally a lovable teddy bear underneath all the swearing and yelling.
Firefall announces final public beta weekend
This Friday, June 7, Firefall will have its final public beta test weekend before the game sets up for open beta on July 9. Red 5 Studios states that this event will feature three days of free access to the game, a contest for high-end gear, and a special community unlock called the Infiltrator Nightvision Goggles. The Founder's Pack deals will be retiring before open beta, so you have about a month to take advantage of those. Check out the game's newest trailer just after the cut for more wackiness. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]
One Shots: You were saying?
If there's a class in Star Wars: The Old Republic that has a monopoly on the best lines, banter, and dialogue, it would have to be the Smuggler. Reader Danielle sent us in this nicely framed shot: "Here's my confident, sassy Smuggler striking a pose as he interrupts a conversation." But isn't interrupting a conversation... rude? He shouldn't do that, then. He should wait patiently until both parties are finished, and perhaps raise his hand and wait to be acknowledged by his betters. Or he could totally interrupt their boring chit-chat. The One Shots column is a time capsule of some of the most important MMO moments in history, and you're about to witness the latest entries into this hallowed vault. Steel yourself and prepare to gaze in wonder at the peak of human ingenuity and the print screen key!
Firefall open beta starts July 9th
If you're in the market for a new sci-fi shooter this summer, mark July 9th on your calendar. That's the date that Red 5 has set aside for Firefall's open beta. IGN reports that the game will also see "major milestones" in the months of May and July. These include a new UI, crafting and progression tweaks, city power levels, Chosen instances, and Melding exploration. Firefall is an open-world MMO shooter with skill-based combat and a free-to-play business model.
Firefall debuts its Chosen War trailer
Firefall may still be in testing, but that doesn't mean it can't get groovy updates. The game's latest patch promises progression improvements, new world and instanced content, and a shiny trailer. Patch 0.6 brings with it a truly stunning list of patch notes, which you can read in full on the official community forums. This is the largest patch yet for Firefall, and it advances the game's storyline as well as its mechanics. Skip below the cut to check out the Chosen War trailer, which introduces the story changes that are coming in with the Chosen invasion of New Eden. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]
PAX East 2013: Red 5 on Firefall's new gaming TV channel
Red 5 Studios' MMOFPS Firefall is probably familiar to the Massively family, but it presentation Friday at PAX East was a chance to get a look behind the curtain at how far it's come and how far it has to go during testing. CEO Mark Kern and Lead Game Designer Scott Youngblood presented a little history of the game's development so far, with a look to the future. But if that's not enough to get you to gear up and plant a Thumper, maybe their announcement about a brand-new video channel devoted to everything and anything involving gaming will catch your interest.%Gallery-183638%
One Shots: Views from a beta
It's hard not to turn into a total tourist when you're checking out a new beta. Out comes the fanny pack, the giddy delight of a new world, and most importantly, the camera. Reader Michelle kicks off this week's One Shots column with a screenshot of the first Neverwinter beta weekend. It's a shot of her character Nora overlooking the edge of aptly named Neverdeath Graveyard. We're guessing that the caretaker down there has his hands full. Would you go into such a place if you saw it in real life? I guess that's why we have our avatars to be bold where we would flee! Let's take a look at a few other places where angels fear to tread.
Firefall revamps progression system... again
Red 5 Studios has not been shy about making sweeping changes to its in-beta massively multiplayer shooter Firefall. Entire game systems have been retooled, revamped, and sometimes removed entirely as part of the developers' efforts to improve the game. The latest Firefall devblog has revealed that the game's progression system is back on the operating table for the second time, and it's going to get some more nips and tucks in the March 22nd milestone patch. Senior Game Designer Cameron Winston states that when the studio first overhauled the game's progression system (replacing the game's more traditional leveling system with battleframe-specific tech trees), the result was certainly for the best, but the change "came with some problems of its own," such as being "hard to understand... [with] arbitrary limitations that prevented players from exploring how they could customize their frames." To fix these issues, the studio will ensure that players will now have "far more flat access to the frames," meaning that there will still be different battleframe classes such as Assault and Recon, "but each battleframe will now have its own unique progression tree," which the developers hope will give more flexibility and customization options to players. Of course, the specifics of an entire system overhaul can't be adequately described in 300 words or less, so if you want all the fine details, head on over to Firefall's official site.
Bugs, minerals, and jet boots: Hands-on with Firefall's PvE
As any fan of my streams can tell you, I am not awesome at video games. So when Massively asked me to take a look at Firefall, a twitch-heavy, free-to-play shooter developed by Red 5 Studios, it was only with trepidation that I accepted. Could I really find happiness in a world that relied on reflexes and skill more than clever spell rotations? Or would my incompetence make the game so frustrating that I would end up smashing my keyboard with my face? After procrastinating for days and hoping that the project would vanish into the night (beta goblins or something), I finally sat down to check the game out. What I discovered is that Firefall is much more than a shooter; it is a vibrant universe packed with fun things to do, intriguing content to explore, and enough character customization to please even the most ardent of tweakers. %Gallery-126195%
Firefall's latest video explores the joy of flying combat
If you watch Firefall's most recent video, you would be forgiven for assuming that this game single-handedly pioneered aviation. That's OK, we suppose, because what Firefall offers in the way of in-flight service does look awfully enjoyable. Jetpacks, rocket boots, and glider wings are all on display as Firefall's characters rain down death and destruction while giving rude gestures to boring old terra firma. Check out the video after the break and let us know if you think that flight is an essential (and perhaps addicting) element for a sci-fi shooter.
Leaderboard: PvP power vs. PvP specialization
One of an MMO designer's biggest challenges seems to be reconciling PvP and PvE in a game with gear progression. Another example of such comes courtesy of Red 5 Studios latest Firefall dev blog, where the team basically says that it's doing away with both PvP gear and tiers because of balance concerns. While the approach that Red 5 is taking is certainly valid, another alternative would be to parcel out PvP progression as a series of specialization choices instead of across-the-board power boosts. For today's Leaderboard, we'd like to know which of these paths you'd prefer, or if you think that MMO PvP is simply a lost cause. Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Red 5 removing Firefall PvP tiers, adding 'regulation' battleframes
Big changes are coming to Firefall's battleframes (the bulky suits of super-armor that serve as the game's class analogue, if you're wondering). A new dev blog by Red 5 Studios outlines the reasons behind the changes, which, from a high-level view, boil down to the fact that it is "not possible to provide a balanced and entertaining experience in both PvE and PvP for both types of players if both realms use the same gear." Red 5's current solution is to disallow crafted equipment in PvP and instead mandate that every PvPer use "regulation" gear. PvP tiers are also being removed, mainly because they "make it much harder for our matchmaker to do its job, which means it's much harder for us to provide balanced and fun games to our players," Red 5 explains.
Firefall blasts its doors open for a beta weekend
Are you ready to strap on some armor, load up a gun, and go shoot things like they've never been shot before? The staff behind Firefall certainly hopes so because the game is opening its gates on Friday, January 25th, for the first of three upcoming beta weekend events. Everyone can log in and play for free starting at 1 p.m. EST, but the developers have also decided to sweeten the pot slightly by adding a contest to the weekend festivities. The Skillshot Contest will be running during the open event and is available to all participants in the beta, even normal closed testers. Take a video or screenshot of your best moments for a chance to win prize packs including new Razer mice and Firefall gear. In addition, all participants will receive a special decal in-game to place on their battleframes. If you still need a little more convincing, you can check out a new trailer for the weekend just past the break. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]
Red 5 adds European Firefall servers, preps for another beta weekend
Firefall's eternal beta continues, and Red 5 Studios has just announced the launch of new European servers for its sci-fi MMO shooter. The firm has been hosting 48-hour beta weekend events designed to stress test its hardware, and the latest such is slated for December 7th through December 9th. Last weekend's test featured "a successful dark launch" of the new Euro shards, which are now fully functional and stable for the upcoming event. Red 5 says that there is plenty of new open-world content for testers to poke and prod, including new bosses, new encounters, areas, and missions, and the Chosen Warfront. You can learn more about the game and sign up for the beta weekends at the official Firefall website. [Source: Red 5 press release]
