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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]
Firefall beta weekend schedule released [Updated]
If you've been watching Firefall from afar, salivating over news tidbits and dreaming of one day getting to actually play the game yourself, today is a very special day. Not because you get into the game today, of course, but because there's finally a schedule for when you can expect to play. No, there isn't a release date. There is, however, a beta weekend schedule! Starting on November 9th, November 30th, and December 7th, the betas will run for 48 hours. During each of those weekends, there'll be a specific theme to the testing. You'll have a chance to call down thumpers like a lunatic, wage war against indigenous wildlife, and beat back the Chosen. Get more information or sign up on the beta page on the official site. Note that not everyone who signs up is guaranteed access; the team will be sending out invites to registered players in batches throughout the beta weekends. [Update: We've clarified that not everyone who signs up is guaranteed a spot in the beta, though with the planned stress tests, your chances look pretty good!]
Watch Nathan Fillion, Wil Wheaton, and Felicia Day play Firefall
You can't beat getting some Halloween treats without having to go out in the rain knocking on doors. It's no trick -- Red 5 Studios is giving out plenty of goodies to FireFall fans this week. First up is hours of video featuring famous gamer stars checking out the upcoming shooter. Last week, the studio livestreamed FireFall Fest, an event depicting a number of celebrities -- Nathan Fillion, Wil Wheaton, and Felicia Day, to name just a few -- playing FireFall along with the community. But even if you missed an episode or two, Red 5 has saved the recordings for your viewing pleasure. Check out the highlight reels of day one and day six after the break, then head to the official site for links to watch the full two-plus-hour videos for each day. FireFall is also offering fans a special Halloween patch. Along with spooky masks and other appropriate decor, beta players will find new monsters to kill and new abilities to use. For a full list of all of the Halloween goodies, head to the patch notes.
Firefall Fest schedules celebrity livestreams
If you're missing one of your favorite celebrities next week, you might want to check with Red 5 Studios. The makers of Firefall have kidnapped, er, enticed several popular stars to check out the game via an interactive livestreaming event called Firefall Fest. Among the celebs participating are Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, and Nathan Fillion. Red 5 has posted the schedule for the livestreams, which start on October 22nd and continue through the 27th. In addition to letting you hear what your favorite star or group has to say about the game and seeing said game in action, Red 5 is handing out daily prizes to viewers. The studio also announced that any player who purchases a Firefall Founders Pack during this week will get immediate beta access, and all founders get snag additional in-game items just by watching.
Firefall's latest dev diary highlights Chosen Warfront metagame
Last week, Red 5 Studios discussed changing Firefall's progression system. In the newest developer blog, attention turns to the upcoming Chosen Warfront feature ("warfront" being the moniker given the ongoing war between the Chosen and the Accord factions). The Chosen Warfront dynamic aims to create a deeper metagame, giving players the chance to take the fight to the Chosen solo or in groups to keep the lands safe. Designer Clancy Powell explains the feature by telling folks to think of the Chosen Warfront as a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game, where the Chosen and the Accord will be working to control territories and resources and build up military forces by implementing different strategies for both offensive and defensive goals. Developers are currently working on a number of events, including Chosen Thumpers and Chosen Drop Pods, as well as reworking the watchtowers from the ground up. The changes won't stop here; over time, devs want to add multiple types of objectives to add more variety to the warfront dynamic. More details can be found in the full developer blog.
Firefall extrapolates on its new progression system
Hot on the heals of its blog post about dynamic events, Red 5 Studios now hopes to change up the whole progression system in its third-person shooter Firefall. The development team revamped the existing mostly linear advancement system to a more dynamic (there's that word again) skill-tree system. And now, Lead Class Designer Dave Williams has posted that the team that the team wanted to "increase the number of choices that were available to players within their progression." Williams explains that players generally pick a battleframe based on their individual playstyles. With the skill trees, a player can break that playstyle down even further. He gives the example of a Mammoth Dreadnaught vs. a Rhino Dreadnaught. The Mammoth builds heavier defenses, whereas the Rhino packs a heavier punch. MMOs and other online games are trending away from the linear progression style to a more horizontal progression style. Firefall is heading in that direction, too. Will this be enough push Firefall toward being the next great online shooter? Red 5 hopes so.
