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The Summoner's Guidebook: Stop worrying about the LoL metagame
If there's one thing that seems to be fairly static among low and mid-level League of Legends players, it's that they dislike the metagame. If I weren't such an exception (being a kind of bad player overall), I'd say that probably 100% of low-level players challenge the meta. This kind of complaint hits the comments, my email inbox, or IMs all the time: "LoL is so dumb! There are only four viable champs in each role, and the meta is static." The first thing I'd like to point out is that those statements, regardless of variation, are all wrong. LoL as a game changes wildly from patch to patch and season to season, and while the existing Summoner's Rift solo queue metagame is more or less fixed in terms of roles (duo bot, one jungler, a "support" who does not CS in favor of giving it to an ally), none of that applies to premades of three or more players or other game modes. Even between the roles, there's a wide variation in expectations of what those roles should do. Stop blaming the game; think outside the box and start seeing the game for what it really is.
Cash is king in next Europa Universalis 4 expansion
Having recently tackled the Americas with the Conquest of Paradise expansion, the next addition to grand strategy epic Europa Universalis 4 focuses on something truly important: cold, hard cash. Officially titled "Europa Universalis 4: Wealth of Nations," the expansion is focused on trade, though it would be more accurate to say that Wealth of Nations explores the drama and international backstabbing that surrounded trade during the age of discovery. Players will be able to covertly influence the economy to destroy their enemies, or bankroll pirates to swipe trade goods from the high seas. Or if crushing rivals one at a time seems too slow, you could form the East India Trade Company and subjugate the known world under a vast, morally questionable economic monopoly. Europa Universalis 4: Wealth of Nations currently lacks a solid release date, though Paradox Interactive hopes to release the expansion during the second quarter of 2014.
The Soapbox: The Raid Finder ruined raiding
I don't typically limit myself to ranting about only one game at a time, but I decided to make an exception this week and speak out against World of Warcraft's Raid Finder mechanic. I was running a small and modestly successful raiding guild when this system was introduced, and my team definitely felt the onslaught of this guild-destroying game mechanic first hand. Raid Finder, commonly dubbed LFR by the cool kids in Orgrimmar, is a system that demolishes the competency barrier that stands in the way of freshly level-capped characters and normal raiding content. The system allows players to join a random raiding group in order to tackle a nerfed version of a normal raid and exists mainly to maximise inclusion in the game's best PvE endgame content. LFR was quite popular among casual players that were usually passed up when it came to raiding group formation, but it didn't offer much progress to seasoned raiders. The gear gained had lower stats than its corresponding normal raid counterpart, but the LFR tier simply didn't need the co-ordination required of a group tackling regular raids. A void was created somewhere in between the casual masses who could benefit from the LFR mechanic and the hardcore raiders that simply did not need help with progression. My casual raiding guild was caught in the middle and ultimately met its demise at the hands of LFR, which simultaneously depleted the PUG pool and gave our members another way to see the endgame content they wanted without putting in virtual blood, sweat, and tears.
Fight your wizard friends in XCOM creator's Chaos Reborn
Julian Gollop, the original creator of 1994 PC and Amiga strategy game X-COM: UFO Defense, will launch a Kickstarter project for the resurgence of another strategic game early this year. Titled Chaos Reborn, the game is described as an update to one of Gollop's other classic games, Chaos: The Battle of Wizards. First announced in November 2012, Chaos Reborn will fit into the turn-based strategy genre, which tended to have plenty of success on Kickstarter last year. The game will include "strong RPG elements" as well as "extensive multiplayer and single player options," according to the description on its Prefundia page. The single-player mode has players customizing their wizards and leveling them up through trials in the "Realms of Chaos," acquiring new equipment and treasures along the way before partaking in arena-style battles for up to six players. The 3D arenas will be procedurally-generated, and the leaderboard and tournament-speckled battles will be both live and asynchronous. Gollop also promised a guild and item trading system, in addition to cooperative multiplayer modes. Gollop said the 1985 ZX Spectrum game "stands out as a game with unrealized potential" of all the projects he's credited on in his 30-year development history. "I have spent the last year working on Chaos Reborn, writing the game design, creating a playable prototype and building my team," Gollop added, assuring prospective backers that he intends to complete the project "within a year." Chaos Reborn's development is targeted at PC, Mac and Linux. The development team currently has a functional prototype of the game's multiplayer working, though it uses placeholder art, so backers can expect it to look much different in the coming months. Gollop's Prefundia page noted a target window for the Kickstarter project next month, though it's unclear just when it will launch.
First look at sci-fi RTS Etherium
Etherium is a new real-time strategy game in development at Tindalos Interactive that, like so many before it, sees players battling over a precious resource that is both futuristic and totally fictional: The titular "etherium." "The solo campaign in Etherium is non-linear: You are free to decide how your conquests progress," states publisher Focus Home Interactive. "Manage your resources, expand your colonies and extend your control of the map to assemble an army capable of crushing your opponents. Epic battles will ensue between formidable armies comprising numerous units: infantry, tanks, aircraft, and even gigantic colossi of war several meters high; real machines of destruction! You will also use scientific research to develop a tech tree enabling you to unlock new units and upgrades, access new structures to develop your colony and to use new special skills." So far, so typical of the genre, but where Etherium differentiates itself is in its "dynamic weather system." According to examples offered by Focus Home Interactive, players might use a rolling sandstorm to cover their advance into an enemy base, or wait for a river to freeze before using the newly formed ice bridge as a staging point for a sneak attack. Above you'll find Etherium's debut trailer while screenshots can be found in the gallery below. For more information, visit the game's official website.
EVE Evolved: Rubicon 1.1's new deployables
Of all the major changes to EVE Online in the past few years, it's the introduction of personal deployable structures that has had me most excited. I've always been of the opinion that a true sandbox should let individual players and larger organisations build their own personal empires in empty wilderness. If it were up to me, everything from mining and manufacturing to research in EVE would take place in destructible structures and possibly even player-built deadspace dungeons. The Rubicon expansion took an important first step toward this brand of sandbox-style gameplay with the introduction of several new personal deployable structures, including an item hangar and refitting service that can be deployed anywhere in space. Four more structures were initially planned for the Rubicon 1.1 point release to expand the game's tactical possibilities, and this week two of those structures were confirmed. The Mobile micro Jump Unit is a game-changing strategic device that allows players any nearby players to jump their ships 100km forward, and the highly requested Mobile Scan Inhibitor physically hides nearby ships from probes and the directional scanner. Players on the test server have also discovered overview filter options for Mobile Jump Disruptor and Mobile Decoy Unit deployable structures, but developers were unable to confirm whether these would be part of Rubicon 1.1 or even if they'd definitely make it into the game. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look into the tactical possibilities of the Mobile Micro Jump Unit and Mobile Scan Inhibitor and why some players have reservations about these game-changing strategic structures.
League of Angels goes live today
Youzu Interactive's hybrid turn-based fantasy MMO League of Angels will officially launch today, and co-publisher R2Games is celebrating with events rewarding in-game items and LoA merchandise. In addition, fans will get a peek at special event cosplay from "established names in the community" by signing up for the game's newsletter. League of Angels features a training system for your team of angels, massive PvP arenas, crafting, and character customization with mounts, cosmetics, and other accessories. Interested players can sign up and play straight from the game's official portal via GTArcade. [Source: R2 Games/Youzu Interactive press release]
The Art of Wushu: Tricks of the royal chains
Soul Chasing Claw is one of the most common and hated styles in Age of Wushu, and last week we went over many ways to counter it. However, on the flip side there are a lot of options for trickery. Like most ranged styles, Soul Chasing Claw is devastating as a switch to a melee style. Its main weaknesses are well-known, so cunning is needed against a skilled enemy. Fortunately, it has a lot of advantages. The chain pull is near-instantaneous, so you only need the right opening. It's technically possible to pull people out of the startup of moves like Submerge the Lotus, though it's kind of difficult in practice since the pull has a minimum range. It's a powerful tool, and we'll discuss a lot about getting the most out of it today.
PSA: Endless Space adds free 'Search for Auriga' DLC
Endless Space isn't quite endless, but it is still a very large strategy game that just grew a bit bigger thanks to the addition of the free Search for Auriga DLC pack. As we reported when the DLC was announced, Search for Auriga adds new heroes, a new planet type, a special wonder and a number of AI and balance improvements to Endless Space. Full details on the DLC's additions and changes can be found on developer Amplitude Studios' website. Before you rush over to Steam to download the DLC - the addition will be automatically downloaded and installed the next time you start Endless Space - keep in mind that it requires you own both Endless Space and the game's Disharmony expansion. Both items can be found on Steam.
Endless Space expands again with free Search For Auriga DLC
Proving that "Endless Space" isn't just a cute title, Iceberg Interactive has announced a new, free expansion for the 4X strategy game that adds new heroes and a new planet type. Developed by Amplitude Studios, The Search For Auriga "will include new heroes, a special wonder, a unique planet, in addition to new features such as Rally Points as well as AI and balancing improvements." Though the prior sentence includes all information currently known about The Search For Auriga, Iceberg Interactive assures fans that more details will emerge soon. How soon? That's unclear, but with this DLC currently slated to launch in November, it should be imminent. The one caveat applied to this otherwise free expansion pack is that it will not work with just the base game of Endless Space. Instead, players will need to own Endless Space and the Disharmony expansion pack in order to play The Search For Auriga. To make this easier on players, Iceberg points out a currently ongoing Steam sale that reduces the cost of Endless Space Gold (a bundle including the original game and the Disharmony expansion) by 75 percent, to only $8.74. This sale ends on October 19; if you're interested, hurry.
Some Assembly Required: A dev's-eye view of Dragon's Prophet's frontier system
For getting a better look at the big picture, there's nothing like witnessing a PvP battle from afar instead of being in the midst of it. And that's exactly what I got to do in a recent dev tour of a PvP event in Dragon's Prophet: Spectate. Thanks to the spiffy use of technology, I was able to zoom along through the air as the battles unfolded below and around me without my having to dodge killing blows from my enemies. On top of that, I got to hear Senior Producer Todd Carson and Associate Producer Rod Haza detail different aspects of this system that melds PvP and housing in Dragon's Prophet. Dubbed the Frontier System, this combination puts PvP on the housing islands of Auratia. However, the implementation is probably not quite what players envisioned when they first heard about it. Luckily, I got a pretty good look at how it all works from my invulnerable perch and can share that with you.
Strategic iOS game Dead Man's Draw getting physical card game version
Stardock Entertainment launched a Kickstarter project for its strategy card game Dead Man's Draw today. While the iOS game is already available for $2.59, the developer took to the crowdfunding platform in order to raise $16,500 by November 9 to produce a physical tabletop card game set, which it said is just enough to break even on the project. Dead Man's Draw is based on a mod for Civilization 4 called Fall from Heaven, which was created in 2007 by the head of Stardock Entertainment, Derek Paxton. Paxton added a strategic mini-game to the mod by the name of Somnium, which tasked players with the simple decision of drawing cards from a deck at the risk of losing their entire hand. Dead Man's Draw takes the Somnium mini-game further by adding special abilities and more depth to the risk-versus-reward card game concept. The game includes a number of pirate-themed cards like anchors, mermaids, chests and maps, each with a unique instruction. The project's $5 reward tier grants donors access to a high-resolution printable PDF file of the game's cards, whereas the Stardock-produced card set starts at the $20 tier and is estimated to ship in March 2014.
The Art of Wushu: Harnessing demons to slay lovers
Demon Heart Chain Hand is one of the most likely choices for a player's first new martial art. Although many other styles in Age of Wushu are expensive or difficult to obtain, DHCH is relatively easy to farm. It also adds tons of extremely useful utility in the form of a ranged knock-towards, a PBAoE flight disable aura, and a silly self-exploding super move. It works very well in group combat, and proper use of the set can turn the tides of battle even if your internal skills are much weaker than those of your enemies. Even after you're a powerful master, you'll rely a lot on this set in many cases. It does many things (especially its ranged knock) that have very practical uses. As a dueling set, it's a bit on the weak side, but people tend to underestimate it for that reason too.
Soccer Legends combines sports and turn-based strategy on Kickstarter
Soccer management sim-meets-strategy game Soccer Legends recently hit Kickstarter. Developer Digital Lightning Studios is seeking $100,000 on the crowdfunding service by October 18, of which it has raised $12,816. The PC game has players managing a soccer team on a hexagonal board, using turn-based tactics to out-smart opponents and win matches. Soccer Legends offers more than 50 different player skills, a handful of "strategic cards" for managers to use and the ability to create and edit players and teams, upgrading their abilities along the way. Digital Lightning Studios likens the game to NES game Captain Tsubasa, first localized to North America by Tecmo in 1992 as Tecmo Cup Soccer Game. Soccer Legends will come to the iPad and other tablets if the campaign reaches $180,000, and would launch on PS4 and Vita if the $220,000 stretch goal is reached.
Panzer General Online beta now underway, accepting applicants
Ubisoft has announced it's ramping up a closed beta session for Panzer General Online, the free-to-play browser entry in the long-running strategy series. If you want to enlist, head on over to the official site and sign up. Panzer General Online, currently in development at Blue Byte in collaboration with Funatics Software, uses a collectible card mechanic where players unlock cards that they then use to build up their own personalized armies. The single-player side focuses on historical WWII battles, while multiplayer features direct head-to-head competition. No launch official launch date has been set for Panzer General Online.
Apple's iPhone 5c isn't the low-cost phone you've been waiting for
The iPhone 5s was expected. The iPhone 5c, on the other hand, was merely rumored. Now that Apple has taken the wraps off of two new iPhone products, it's the newest range that strikes us as the most curious. For months, pundits have wondered if and when Apple would attack two obvious markets: the large-screen market -- which Samsung is lapping up in supreme fashion at the moment -- and developing markets. The iPhone 5c addresses neither of those, which begs the question: who exactly is Apple targeting?
Exclusive: March of War heads for the jungle in Episode II Tropical Thunder
March of War might be set in World War II, but it's an alternate version of the war that provides a different take on the conflict with six worldwide factions fighting a much more expansive battle for the globe. After the release in late July, the team behind the game has been hard at work developing the next piece of content for the game. Tomorrow, you can start playing the second episode, but today you can watch the trailer. In Tropical Thunder players head into the depths of South America to hunt down Che Guevara, leading to a large-scale conflict between both the United Republic and the Latin Junta as both factions seek the same man. And the jungle isn't exactly welcoming, with a variety of carnivorous plants and animals to complicate otherwise simple engagements. New units and new skins are available as well. Take a look at the exclusive trailer and screenshots past the break for a better idea of what Guevara did and what both sides of the conflict will face in the jungle landscape. [Source: ISOTX press release]
Nokiasoft comes full circle: Microsoft's play for ultimate control will redefine the Windows ecosystem
The "soft" in Microsoft isn't what it used to be. A score ago, the company was certain the software-licensing business was the one it wanted to be in -- Apple decided to hold its cards a lot closer to the chest, and it cost the company dearly for years. Meanwhile, Microsoft made a lot of cash with Windows, and it still does. But the tide is turning. Two of the last three Windows operating systems haven't generated the kind of crazed mindshare that a company needs to remain relevant over the long haul, and at some point, one has to wonder if Microsoft will be able to inject a bit of life into its stodgy, outmoded self by grabbing the reins on the hardware side. In fact, that's exactly what Microsoft wondered, as it casually announced a plan in June of 2012 to affront scores of OEM partners with its Surface initiative. In an instant, Microsoft dove headfirst into the hardware game, and regardless of how it wanted the public to perceive the move, the truth was impossible to hide: this was Microsoft telling Acer, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo and the rest that it could no longer trust their design chops to keep its revenue on the up and up. In February of 2011, well before it transformed the Surface from a big-ass table into a slate that almost no one wants to buy (Microsoft's words, not mine), the company managed to procure a huge ally on the mobile front. The Nokia / Microsoft alliance was monumental. This was Nokia's formidable hardware being exclusively used to push Microsoft's fledgling Windows Phone OS. At once, Nokia loyalists found hope, and those praying for a coalition with Android were dismayed. Little did we know: that partnership marked the end of the original Microsoft, the end of the original Nokia and, in my estimation, a complete rerouting of the Windows roadmap. This week's acquisition simply makes it all the more official.
Rise and Shiny: UFO Online
I really enjoyed taking a look at UFO Online a few years ago at E3, but the game has been stuck in what seems to be that standard gamigo tunnel of time, where games go to be semi-released. What do you get when you start playing? Well, if turn-based, squad-based combat is your idea of a good time (mixed with doses of factional control), then you will enjoy the game. Unfortunately it's still a bit rough around the edges and could really use a pass with the text and control brushes, but I'll cover that in a minute. First, let's talk about why folks enjoy squad-based gaming so much.
The Summoner's Guidebook: How to be the best at League of Legends
What does it take to be a top League of Legends player? A lot of people sell themselves short, saying, "I could never be as good as HotshotGG," but I think that's a falsehood. Don't mistake me, I do think that most of the current LoL pros (including Hotshot) are prodigal. I do think that they got to where they are partially due to natural talent. I've watched a lot of streams and interviews and listened to pros talk about their training schedules, and I can honestly say that while they do practice a lot, most of them don't practice enough. But no amount of talent can replace the other skills you'll need. Even if Pobelter has a natural ability to dominate LoL matches, he has refined that talent through hard work. If you practice the skills here dilligently, you can get in the top levels of the solo-duo ranked ladder and you can get picked up by a pro team.