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The Secret World answers community questions about the Illuminati
Do you have questions about the Illuminati? Of course you do -- that's sort of their whole method of operation. But when it comes to The Secret World, some of those questions got answered via yesterday's community question-and-answer session on Facebook. While you'll have to Like the page in order to view all of the answers, you're rewarded for doing so with a breadth of facts about the secretive power-mongers and hoarders of secrets. Among the first questions was the simple one of how the Illuminati aren't in control of everything in the game world if their operatives have infiltrated the highest level of government; as it happens, with the world exploding and lighting up with the supernatural, the Illuminati are too concerned with working overtime to keep things under wraps to try to take total control. The answers also reinforce the idea that the Illuminati crave power and competence above all, up to the organization's willingness to discard lesser members for valuable information. You can take a peek at the full set of answer on Facebook, but keep in mind that you're going to need to Like the page first.
Choose My Adventure: Sailing to port
This week is my last entry in Choose My Adventure. After sailing the high seas for the past few weeks, my ship is returning to port, and I'll be turning the column over to our own Eliot Lefebvre. But even though I won't be writing about Pirates of the Burning Sea, I will continue to play it. There's a lot that I didn't get to see, and I'm particularly curious about the endgame, which seems to be where PotBS really shines. It was a bit of a bumpy ride due to the downtime from the attacks on Sony Online Entertainment, but as I wrap up my column, I'll give a rundown of my impressions of PotBS and touch on a few of my future plans in the game.
Choose My Adventure: High society
With my busy week last week on the road (school vacation) and now the interrupted service to all Sony Online Entertainment games, I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to jump in and play Pirates of the Burning Sea. I did, however, continue my adventures a bit as Arienne Sauvage, Woman of Incredible Wealth and Taste (OK, so incredible isn't really in the title, but in my mind, it's definitely there!). I also started up a British Freetrader on one of my other Station accounts (two-boxing finally pays off!). But the real question is, did I turn on my PvP flag? Read on for that answer as well as a closer look at societies and your choices if you decide to upgrade your free-to-play account.
Asheron's Call's 100th update is live and kicking
The much-heralded 100th Asheron's Call update has finally arrived! In addition to new areas and monsters, it notably adds in the highly anticipated faction system, with three distinct societies that players can join. There are also two new towns which may be captured in PvP. The society that controls a town will have access to the Black Market, which sells special items unavailable anywhere else.A new tier of loot has been added -- mostly for levels 150 and up -- which includes armor sets for players above level 180 and items used in crafting new spells. Yep, there are new spells -- a whole level of them in fact! Level 8 spells may either be researched in the traditional way, or learned via combination of certain item drops from the new tier.The complete release notes, including details on how to acquire items in the new loot tier, are available at Turbine's AC website. This is a huge update (accompanied, of course, by the August event), and it's a great time to feel proud that you're among the special few playing Asheron's Call today.
Gen Con 08: Turbine tells us what's in store for Asheron's Call
At Gen Con, we spoke with Turbine's Andy Cataldo, the Community Manager for Asheron's Call, about the future of this historic game. Cataldo told us a lot about AC's epic 100th update. The update is coming within the next few weeks, and it's a doozy. According to Cataldo, AC players will get a whole new faction system, three land areas to battle over, tons of new loot and spells, and various other improvements to the game, particularly to enemy AI.In addition to working its regular monthly event and patch schedule, Turbine is attempting to respond to player demand for a variety of new features in the 100th and all future updates. Particular emphasis is being placed on adding features common in modern MMOs, such as a quest tracking menu. AC has been around for almost ten years, so it has some catching up to do!Learn more about Turbine's big push to modernize the game, add lots of new content, and more in the interview after the break.
Gen Con 08: Turbine tells us what's in store for AC, Part 2
Given that the game has been around for so long, do you see this addition of modern MMO features as something that the player base is really clamoring for, or are you sort of scaling that against what other games have right now?Really, it's what the players are asking for. That's one of the things we pride ourselves on: listening to the players. Feedback and player concerns are very important to us.
Society system planned in 100th Asheron's Call content update
Early Asheron's Call adopters are quite accustomed to the epic storylines that unfolded in the world. Some endless sojourns taken through Asheron's Call are still legendary among players. It's a beloved game, and it will celebrate its 10 year anniversary next year. It's great to see the game reach a milestone in content updates, and the 100th content update is due out in the coming weeks. Since early-June, speculation and player expectations on what the update would include has run rampant, and now a factional system has been revealed!During the Grael story arc AC players were able to choose sides but the depth was superficial, there was no lasting impact on gameplay. With the new society system a depth exists, there is meaning and choices will matter. Players can choose from one of three societies: The Radiant Blood, The Celestial Hand, and The Eldrytch Web. You can speak to a Society recruited in Hebian-to, Cragstone or Zaikhal, and level 180 is required to join a Society. Membership doesn't come easy, players will undertake tasks to further their reputation in their chosen Society. The higher the rank the better the rewards like pulls from Level 8 loot chests and unique armor.
SimCity Societies demo (finally) available
We know your type. You've been waiting for a demo of SimCity Societies to see if the game is right for you. Finally, after 213 impatient days, the now self-publishing Tilted Mill Entertainment have released a demo for the city builder, which you can find at Big Download. Metareviews and Yahtzee be damned, check the game out and decide for yourself. SimCity Societies is part of The SimCity Box, due out June 23.
SimCity Societies teaches players to think 'green'
With Maxis still hip-deep in Spore's primordial ooze, EA's decision to hand the next game in the storied SimCity franchise over to Caesar IV devs Tilted Mill was understandable, if not entirely welcome given the game's move away from being a 'realistic urban simulation,' a shift decried by fans to the tune of "you killed my baby!"In keeping with the forthcoming SimCity Societies' touchy-feely approach, which looks to abandon simulation gameplay in favor of 'social energies,' EA has announced that the game will also include 'climate education' through "low-carbon electricity choices and carbon emission monitoring" thanks to a partnership with 'green minded' alternative energy organization BP. The goal, says EA, is to give players an "accurate" look at some of the causes and available solutions to the inconvenient truth of global warming, no doubt giving Al Gore reason to smile as he continues to tango with Mizuguchi.Thankfully, according to EA, the game will not shove any eco-friendly environmentalist perspectives down players' collective throat. Instead, Societies will offer choices on how players wish to power their cities, leaving those of us who feel less at home hugging trees than we do while shoveling coal into the furnace free to do as we please when the game ships for the PC this November.
SimCity Societies officially building this November
Initial reaction to the announcement and new look for SimCity Societies was a bit ... strong. EA tapped Tilted Mill (Caesar IV) to do the development on this game while Maxis hopefully finishes their long journey into the abyss of time known as Spore's development cycle. SimCity Societies is scheduled for this holiday season and players will be allowed to create not only the look of their city, but also the feel. You'll be able to create an "artistic city, haunted town, green city, spiritual community or most any society you want." This will also probably allow the SimCity community to go nuts and make all different types of structures. The Sim titles have always been open to community development. Gamers will have 350 building types to choose from in SimCity Societies, "each of which allows them to combine, connect and re-arrange structures freely." You'll also be able to change the way your society behaves by creating a 1984 society or one that lives in a Candyland. One of the more interesting facets is that players can combine buildings and consume resources to create "social energies." What you decide to do with the different resources (industry, wealth, obedience, knowledge, devotion, or creativity) determines the "social energy" of your society. It sounds like a very different take on SimCity, from a straight simulation to a more "game" experience. We're sure to get a taste for the game soon and it's expected to release this fall. For better or worse, we'll all get to try the new SimCity soon enough.[Via Press Release]%Gallery-3901%
