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A rare fossil makes an appearance at the Natural History Museum
A nine-year-old girl patiently looked on while a technician pulled up a scan of her specimen. A 3D skull with a pointy beak popped up on the computer screen. The child, wearing clear-framed glasses and a light gray tee with a sequined star on the front, walked up to her father, who carefully put away the skull of a duck inside a round plastic container. They had found the tiny head on a beach and had decided to bring it in for Identification Day at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The Nexus Telegraph: Examining the Chua of WildStar
Last week I proposed a theory about two of the game's races, one of them being the Mordesh. That theory, in case you didn't catch it (and it wasn't stated outright anyway) proposed that WildStar's dirty little secret races are that way in part because they say something about their home fashion. The Mordesh serve as a reminder that the Exiles are not, in fact, purely heroic figures struggling against insurmountable oppression. They're just as culpable as the Dominion in places, and they do not like thinking about that. So what about the Chua? What do they remind the Dominion of, aside from the ironclad law that every single MMO has to have one token short race? The Chua hit that button pretty hard. Just like Gnomes or Asura or Lalafells or countless other races that fall into the same role, they're a short and smart race known to be full of energy with an affection for technology, magic, and the usual assortment of things smart people like. The biggest difference is that WildStar's short race is both furry and insane.
Hyperspace Beacon: The summer of SWTOR
Every time I listen to the BioWare developers talk about Star Wars: The Old Republic, I am impressed with how passionate they are about the game. When Producer Bruce Maclean, Executive Producer Jeff Hickman, and Community Manager Eric Musco spoke to us yesterday, they sat on the edge of their seats because of how excited they were about telling us about the next updates coming to their game. Despite the game being a year and a half old, these three appeared to be riding the same hype-train the game launched with. Although these three BioWare employees suggested that the majority of the conversation on the livestream would feature discussion about Game Update 2.2, they ended up highlighting features and events taking place beyond the next patch. The questions they answered, filtered from the forum, Twitter, Facebook and the chatroom, jumped all over the place, but I believe they can be narrowed down to three major categories of concern: events, PvP changes, and the valued subscriber.
The Cathar arrive in SWTOR's next update
How long has it been since BioWare announced the new player-species for Star Wars: The Old Republic? Officially, it was a year ago at E3. Today, SWTOR explained via fansites that Cathar will finally come in the next major patch, better known as GU 2.1: Customization. Producer Cory Butler explained that Cathar can be unlocked for 600 Cartel Coins on an account for subscribing, preferred, and free-to-play players alike. Previous species unlocks have been per server only. When asked why BioWare implemented the cat-like race, Butler told SWTORFace, "One of the reasons we chose Cathar is because they are new and unfamiliar to many of our players -- in much the same way as Rattataki and Chiss -- but have been well-received by our players." Check out the announcement video after the cut.
The Daily Grind: Should gender and race matter in MMO character creation?
Camelot Unchained, Mark Jacobs' upcoming RvR-based MMO, is dipping into the old-school well in more ways than one. One design feature that caught my eye is the promise that racial and gender choices will influence character stats. MMO players are pretty used to the ancient RPG idea that some races or species are going to be better at magic or archery or punching people in the face or pressing Will of the Forsaken than others, but non-cosmetic gender differences are something that very few MMOs embrace. Even accidental gender imbalances send players into a tizzy. The implication in CU is that these initial starting stats will be changeable based on what characters actually do, such that an Elf woman who does nothing but swing hammers will bulk up or Viking thug who practices his poetry will see that reflected in his charisma skill (I am making these examples up). But the idea that my character might start at a stereotypical disadvantage still bugs me and makes me wonder how many min-maxers out there will just play to those stereotypes because they feel they must, thereby homogenizing the character makeup of the whole game. What about you guys? Do you think that gender and race/species should matter in MMO character creation as it matters in certain other RPGs? 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!
Scientists estimate at least one third of marine species remain unknown to humans
It's been said that we know more about space than we do about our own ocean, and now a group of scientists have quantified what sea creatures we may still not know of. After compiling an open access, online database of known marine species with the help of more than 270 experts, researchers estimate that the briny depths may be home to a total of one million species, with one third of them potentially remaining entirely unknown. Of the grand total, humans have described roughly 226,000 -- more than 20,00 of which in the past decade -- with another 65,000 tucked away in collections awaiting a write-up. Since previous estimates have been based on rates of species identification and other factors, these latest figures are considered more accurate. The effort's researchers hope that this data will be used as a reference for extinction rates and conservation. Hit the first source link below to dig through the compendium, aptly-named the World Register of Marine Species, for yourself. [Image credit: NOAA's National Ocean Service, Flickr]
Star Wars: The Old Republic previews new planet, new challenge, and new species
Star Wars: The Old Republic has irons in the fire. Not just the business model switch taking place in November, either; there are a lot of other pieces of content being developed, some of which the development team is previewing at Gamescom 2012. The newest trailer for the game is focused on other previews, however, covering on the upcoming new Operation, a new planet, and a new species for players to run around as. The addition of Cathar to the list of playable species has been known for some time, but this video shows a Cathar Smuggler in action. It also shows a small taste of what players can expect from the upcoming addition of the planet Makeb and the Operation Terror from Beyond. It's a brief trailer, to be sure, but it shows off plenty to look forward to, whether you're a long-time fan or you're just waiting for the business model switch in the fall.
Armchair Darwinians discover new insect species on Flickr
Entomologist Shaun Winterton has discovered a new species of Malaysian Lacewing from the comfort of his computer. Idly browsing Flickr, he came across Guek "Kurt" Hock Ping's snap of an insect taken while hiking in the Malaysian jungle, which bore an unfamiliar black-and-blue pattern along its wings. When his colleagues couldn't identify the markings, he realized he was staring at a new species and hurriedly emailed the photographer -- who, a year later, had captured one of the elusive creatures. Sent to Simon Brooks at the Natural History Museum, the suspicion was confirmed. The armchair explorer named it Semachrysa jade after his daughter and promptly used Google Docs to co-author the paper with Guek and Brooks on opposite ends of the world. If your mom complains that you're spending too much time on your computer, you can tell her you're searching for strange life-forms and old civilizations with a straight face. [Image Credit: Guek "Kurt" Hock Ping, Flickr]
Star Trek Online gets a new installment of Ask Cryptic
If you're looking forward to more Fleet options in Star Trek Online, you're in luck, as the newest installment of Ask Cryptic makes it clear that Fleet Starbases will be getting more love in the near future. There are plans for more PvP options, plans for more projects in the base, and plans for more fleet-specifics ships. Despite all of that, the fleet projects can be completed by almost anyone with dedication: producer Dan Stahl says you should still be able to unlock your rewards even if you have a fleet consisting of just yourself and your alts. This particular installment also focuses on other long-awaited features such as the addition of Cardassians as an official species, something that's still on the table even with the Cardassian lockbox ships. Stahl makes it clear that the team would like to allow players to switch the species of their captains if desired, although there isn't a precise timetable on that feature. That's in addition to more discussion of a future inclusion of poker, new item sets, and other future improvements to the universe of Star Trek Online.
Hyperspace Beacon: Holocron Files -- Cathar
It's probably a bit predictable that this Holocron File would be about the Cathar. But I'm not above being predictable when it's important or timely. In this case, the Cathar were announced to be the next playable species in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Hopefully, it is just one of the next playable species. I know many people are looking forward to playing Nautolans or Togrutas, which are a bit more iconic if you consider the popularity of Kit Fisto and Ahsoka Tano. But the Cathar are not without iconic figures. Knights of the Old Republic fans will remember Juhani as one of your possible companions, and serious Star Wars fans will remember Sylvar and Crado from the Tales of the Jedi comic book. Personally, I have yet to create a Jedi Knight character (yeah, I know, call me what you will), so I think the Cathar look to be a good species for that class. However, given the history and overall disposition of the Cathar species, I think it could easily fall into any class story. Maybe that is why it was chosen as the next species over the aforementioned Nautolans and Togrutas. As with any species I play, I like to learn as much about it as I can. Thankfully, the Cathar are a pretty easy species for gathering this information, not that Wookieepedia is a great source on the topic. So what are Cathar all about? Where do they come from? We'll find out in this week's Holocron Files.
Hyperspace Beacon: Holocron Files -- Miraluka
As I mentioned in my Why I Play Star Wars: The Old Republic piece, Dark Forces and Jedi Knight were two of the Star Wars video games I enjoyed most. Obviously, this was before Knights of the Old Republic. In Jedi Knight, the main antagonist was Jerec. Although it's never mentioned where Jerec comes from or even what species he was, his most distinguishing feature is the cover over his eyes. At the time, players thought it was a type of cybernetic implant similar to that worn by Geordi LaForge in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It wasn't until the Tales of the Jedi comic book series that we learned that Jerec and others are a part of the Force-seeing humanoid species known as the Miraluka. If you choose to play a Jedi Knight or a Jedi Consular (or if you have 1.5 million credits to unlock it through the Legacy system), you can play as a Miraluka. I have been fascinated by this species since Jerec of Jedi Knight and Shoaneb Culu in the Tales of the Jedi after that. So this week, let's talk about this captivating species, its culture, its connection to the Force, and what its role is during the time of The Old Republic.
Hyperspace Beacon: Holocron Files -- Chiss
For some players, deciding which species to play in Star Wars: The Old Republic comes down to which skin tone is the coolest. Wasn't it said when the species were first announced that the choices were human with blue skin, human with green skin, bald human, human with head tails, and human with horns? Although hyperbolic, the sentiment contains an element of truth, especially when judged by aesthetics alone. Then again, no one complains in fantasy games when you have a choice between human, short human, and human with pointy ears. Elves and dwarves are viewed through the lens of pre-existing culture and folk-lore. The Holocron Files are designed to lay the cultural foundation for some of SWTOR's species. From the horned Zabrak to the red-skinned Sith Pureblood, each Star Wars species has a rich history and backstory. Thankfully, BioWare kept that in mind when considering which species you could play. In honor of my newest character, it's only fitting that we discuss the Chiss this week.
Captain's Log: The reverse slingshot effect
Captain's Log, Stardate 65056.3... Hello, computer (and players)! The slingshot effect is a maneuver, shown throughout the Star Trek franchise, which allowed starships to move back through the time continuum. By traveling at a high warp factor towards a star with a large gravitational pull, the ship would whip around it and time travel. While this seemed to only exist within the realms of the IP, it looks as though Star Trek Online's Executive Producer Dan Stahl took us on a reverse slingshot course, giving us a glimpse into the future of the game. Before we returned to the original timeline, he made sure to write up everything we saw along the way for those who couldn't make the trip. In layman's terms, for those of you who missed the news earlier this week, July's Engineering Report has been released. While this is a monthly publication that contains the development pipeline for STO, including some items that have been featured in past issues, there are always a few bullet points added that seem to spark a healthy amount of debate -- one of these includes the ability to auction off your in-game Emblems, a form of currency, for C-Store points that have been paid for with real money. For information on this, including a response from Cryptic's PR department, and more, read ahead past the jump for this week's Captain's Log entry. Ensign, warp 10! Let's pull a slingshot maneuver of our own...
Star Trek Online posts the latest Engineering Report
With the launch of Season Four now behind the developers at Star Trek Online, the team is now focusing on what lies ahead for its Captains. The latest Engineering Report, a monthly forum post that is released and written by Executive Producer Dan Stahl, foreshadows some upcoming content that we will see soon™ and commits to the eradicating of bugs that recently came to life. There are even some new additions that are sure to bring some "healthy" discussions to the Cryptic forums. Between now and Season Five, we will see the introduction of the Duty Officer system, STF revamps, new gear sets, more Klingon updates, and the advancement of the Borg into Federation space. While it has been said that Season Five will most likely not be released until 2012, players can look forward to seeing major updates for fleets, a rework of how exploration works, more in-game species, and the introduction of fleet starbases. Make sure to take a look at the full report, as well as this week's upcoming Captain's Log entry, to read about these and other updates coming to a starship near you.
Captain's Log: The lower decks
Captain's Log, Stardate 64977.3... Spock, Riker, Kira, Worf, Chakotay, and T'Pol. What do they all have in common? They are the notable men and women who served under their Captains as First Officer. Joret, Sito, Alyssa, Taurik, Sam and Geniveve. What do they all have in common? No one knows who the heck they are. In the world of Star Trek, these "unknowns" are the members of the lower decks, people whose work goes unnoticed, whose accomplishments are unacknowledged, and who are often killed off at the end of the episode when you finally do get to know them. While the ships in Star Trek Online currently seem to be manned only by the Captain, his or her Bridge Officers (BOff), and some random crewmen walking around the ship, this is about to change. In the next couple months, get ready to welcome new members to your ship's lower decks. The Duty Officer (DOff) system will be adding a new form of gameplay to STO and give players even more ways to level characters and become immersed in the universe surrounding them. While there are a ton of random pieces of information about it floating out there, I think that Captain's Log is the perfect place to put it all together and give you a more concise picture of how it will work. Ensign, warp 10! It's time to attend your new favorite class, DOffs 101...
Hyperspace Beacon: Human High Culture part 2
Human High Culture is the Imperial idea that humans are the most important species in the galaxy -- the master species, if you will. Some people who like to study Star Wars canon say that the reason you see only humans on board the first Death Star in A New Hope is that this Human High Culture. In fact, according to Star Wars lore, the political party Commission for the Preservation of the New Order (COMPNOR) feeds off the belief that humans are superior. However, Star Wars: The Old Republic lore suggests that Human High Culture existed long before Emperor Palpatine's reign. The roots could date all the way back to the first Jedi exiles who landed on Korriban after the First Great Schism. Whatever the case may be, it leads to interesting dynamics in possible species you will be able to play on your Imperial characters. As I mentioned last week, it does not make a lot of sense for Rattataki to be Imperial Agents because of the sigma of alien species being high-ranking Imperial citizens, but it is more than appropriate for Rattataki to be slaves. Since the Sith Inquisitor story starts a player out as a slave, the Rattataki are a likely choice for that class. After the break, I cover three more species and the Imperial classes I feel they are most suited for in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Hyperspace Beacon: Human High Culture
BioWare games are notorious for interweaving allegories on racism in their plotlines. If you take Mass Effect, for example, Navigator Pressly was a human who had major issues with aliens -- especially Turians. Inversely, the Citadel Council was definitely prejudiced against humans because the human species was rather new to Citadel space and rising to power too quickly by the Council's standards. These undertones help give the Mass Effect story depth and real-world relevance. Although it's not an overt plot point in the Star Wars series of movies, speciesism does sometimes play a heavy hand in the Expanded Universe. In the Galactic Empire, this is known as Human High Culture. In the high political offices of the Galactic Empire under Emperor Palpatine, humans were regarded as superior to other species of the galaxy. Humans were, after all, most numerous, and they also did not originate from a single planet like most species. But the roots of the Human High Culture date back further than the events in Star Wars: The Old Republic. They may date all the way back to the first Dark Jedi to rule over the Sith people on Korriban. With this idea of Human High Culture in mind, I would like to talk about the species available to the SWTOR Imperial classes. In the May edition of PC Gamer UK, an over-ambitious reporter incorrectly announced a list of species and class combinations. What I would like to do today is make my own list based on what I know of Star Wars lore and announced species in the game. Continue after the break as I compile the list.
Hyperspace Beacon: Always in motion is the future
Boot your navi-computer, angle your deflector shields, and prepare for the jump to lightspeed. This year will be the greatest year in the history of MMO gaming. I don't mean because Star Wars Galaxies is shutting down, because it's not, and that would be a sad year. I mean that the most anticipated game in the history of MMOs will be released this year. Star Wars: The Old Republic will make its way to our doors and our hearts this spring. (I cross my fingers, hoping for no delay, but I know it's probably inevitable.) As the release nears, we will certainly see a plethora of updates and secret reveals. We had our share of SWTOR news last year, and as with every game, the hype-machine presses on with a fevered fervor towards its zenith. There is so much we know about this game already, yet at the same time, we know very little. We are really like a Miraluka on a Vong ship. (You get 500 fanboy points if you understand that reference.) We keep bumping into walls, but we don't really see the whole picture. Honestly, I question whether I want to know the whole picture before the game is released. Let's tap into our Force foresight a bit today to see whether we can muster a few visions. Maybe we'll see a city in the clouds; maybe we'll see our friends being tortured. Maybe we'll find out we are really Revan! What will be revealed in 2011? Follow me after the break to find out!
Hyperspace Beacon: Beyond the scope
You only have to go as far as the official forums to see the concern over what Star Wars: The Old Republic is offering. I have a major question: Do the concerns have merit? I had an unofficial discussion with my editor, Bree Royce, about the whole idea of complaining to a large gaming company like BioWare. Although I maintain that there is far too much complaining about features that the game will never have, Bree argued that the potential players of the game should continue to complain at every opportunity. What other way can they motivate a top-tier gaming company to deliver the game they want? After some thought, I agreed, but what happens to player desires that exceed the game's scope? I would like to think that developers would re-evaluate the scope of the project if enough people complained, but in truth, that level of reconstruction is expensive. For a game that is already as expensive as SWTOR, I just don't see it happening. The few things that have been changed, like the size of the lightsaber hilts and the Wizard title, are really small things. However, things like taking space combat out of the tunnel are a bit more time-consuming, not to mention costly, and so they are less likely to be changed. But as Bree suggested to me, what other avenue do players have? What I'd like to talk about this week are a few of the top desires of the community, desires that push the scope of SWTOR. I will give the reasons I believe they are pushing the scope of the game, but I would really like to have your involvement. Why do you think these things were implemented the way they were, or why will they not be implemented? Step beyond the break to see my thoughts.
PAX 2010: Your questions answered by SWTOR's Blaine Christine
A little over a week ago, I asked you all what questions I should ask SWTOR developers at PAX. Well, wait no longer -- the answers are here! Blaine Christine, the Senior Producer for BioWare, took some time specifically to answer some of Massively's readers' questions. There were five main categories I wanted to hit on when approaching BioWare about the content of Star Wars: The Old Republic: playable species, classes, space combat, starting zones, and endgame. I did focus heavily on endgame in the interview -- including crafting -- but I did not neglect the other portions. Player species are not that complicated at this point. BioWare hasn't really announced anything new regarding species for a couple of weeks. However, if Zabrak is not a playable species for the trooper, then the devs will have to build the species out of the game I played this weekend, because the trooper I played was definitely a Zabrak! I will dig into starting zones a bit more in depth when I do my version of a hands-on for SWTOR. That will probably end up being next week's Hyperspace Beacon. Lastly, before I begin the interview, I did not ask Blaine Christine anything about space combat because the night before the interview, Daniel Erickson, the Lead Writer for BioWare, brought it up in the official presentation, saying: "You remember that part where Han Solo and Chewbacca are in the Millennium Falcon? Han's like, 'Hey, Chewie, let's go into space, and let's just dick around. Let's go off in that direction and see if there is anything interesting'? Remember how they went off and there was this asteroid, and they mined the asteroid? Yeah, we couldn't find that either. Two things happened when you went to space. One: You took off to space when you wanted to go somewhere. You took off into hyperspace -- BAM! -- and got there. Two: You wanted to go to a battle or you were trying to go somewhere and someone stopped you. Uh oh! Giant exciting combat! ... That is why we did space combat the way we did." After the break, your other questions are answered by Blaine Christine. What's in there? Only what you take with you.
