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Kids webcomic Dreamland Chronicles gets trading card game for iPad
Indie developer Protobird Games launched its Kickstarter project for The Dreamland Chronicles, a trading card game for iPad, Kindle and Android tablets this week. The game is based on the long-running, kid-friendly fantasy webcomic of the same name, and has players collecting animated trading cards featuring characters from the series. Protobird is seeking $35,000 by May 2 to fund the game, which features card battles in which players summon allies, cast spells and use items, similar to other popular trading card games. The game is in development for iPad first, and the project's $40,000 stretch goal unlocks the game on Android tablets. The developer plans to offer character customization features as well as multi-screen support, so players can watch their card battles play out on TVs. The project is led by Protobird Games CEO Scott Hyman and President Parker Davis, each veteran developers with credits in games such as Tony Hawk's Motion on DS, Tomb Raider and Red Dead Redemption. Both are also parents, and cite a partnership with Privacy Vaults Online (PRIVO) along with a planned series of parental controls to harbor safe online play for younger players. The duo self-funded The Dreamland Chronicles' development since late 2012. According to the Kickstarter page's reward tiers, the developer plans to deliver the game to backers in June. [Image: Protobird Games]
Meet The Warlord in this lengthy Age of Wonders 3 walkthrough
In lieu of yet another typically brief trailer for Age of Wonders 3, the latest glimpse at the high-fantasy, turn-based strategy game is a nearly 20-minute long primer on the Warlord Leader Class. [Image: Triumph Studios]
XCOM creator's Chaos Reborn aiming for spring 2015
Julian Gollop, the creator of the 1994 PC and Amiga strategy game X-COM: UFO Defense, launched a Kickstarter campaign this week for his next trek in the turn-based genre, Chaos Reborn. An update to one of his other classics, Chaos: The Battle of Wizards, Chaos Reborn will have players customizing and leveling-up wizards before entering a battle arena with up to five others. Gollop is seeking $180,000 by April 17 to fund the game's production, and is expecting to launch it on PC, Mac and Linux by spring 2015. The game was first announced in November 2012 and was later detailed in January. Joystiq went hands-on with a prototype version of Chaos Reborn earlier this month, discussing the game with Gollop in a special Twitch livestream. Those that pledge at least $20 to the crowdfunding campaign will receive a digital copy of the strategy game, and backers will receive the multiplayer prototype version within two to three months of the campaign's conclusion. [Image: Julian Gollop]
Wakfu getting crafting and class revamps, spy stuff
What's new for Wakfu in 2014? Quite a lot according to the game's latest website update. Ankama is prepping class revamps, a crafting revamp featuring the ability to "become a real entrepreneur," and some sort of shadowy spy mechanic that involves "having a secret life" and using it to "fight the nations from within." Finally, if you'll be anywhere near Lille, France, on May 2nd, you'll want to stop by the Ankama Convention since admission is free. [Thanks Avaera!]
Report: Defense Grid 2 constructing lines to defend Xbox One, PS4
After Hidden Path Entertainment found funding for Defense Grid 2 with Kickstarter and an investor, the studio scheduled its tower defense game to reach PC, Mac and Linux for the first half of 2014. However, a recent Polygon report revealed that defensive positions will also be held on Xbox One and PS4 consoles, due to a partnership between Hidden Path and publisher 505 Games. It was not specified whether the console versions will launch alongside the PC, Mac and Linux editions. Maybe 505 Games will take a page out of the tower defense strategy guide and neatly space each release months away from each other, in an effort to evenly distribute damage to fans' wallets! Or, you know, maybe business strategies can't always be translated well from video game tactics. [Image: Hidden Path Entertainment]
Space strategy sequel StarDrive 2 set for September
StarDrive developer Zero Sum Games announced the sequel to the 4X space strategy game. Due out in September, StarDrive 2 places players in a procedurally-generated galaxy with real-time battles. Players also lead an alien race from planet to planet, researching technologies and populating worlds and take on AI opponents in a battle arena mode. The game will also include Steam Workshop support, adding ease of use to the series' current mod support. StarDrive 2 will launch on PC, Mac and Linux on Steam and other retail channels for $29.99. Those that played the original StarDrive will receive a 33 percent loyalty discount on the sequel. [Image: Iceberg Interactive]
Reus dev's Renowned Explorers is tactical 1800s exploration
Abbey Games, the studio behind colossus god game Reus, is working on its next project, a turn-based, ever-changing exploration game called Renowned Explorers – International Society. It follows a team of explorers in the 19th century as they attempt to find legendary treasures before the World Expo begins. As the captain, players gather a team of explorers and follow a series of leads to find specific treasures. Once a treasure is found, the game becomes turn-based as the team explores the location, encounters enemies and allies, and digs up resources. Abbey cites Jules Verne, Indiana Jones, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Fire Emblem as inspirations. "To grant you a new unexplored world every game, Renowned Explorers will generate and pose new mysteries, challenges, characters and combinations every time you start," Abbey says. "Our new game is built to train you in the art of exploration, and it will reward you with deeper mysteries and rare treasure."
Original Dungeon Keeper free in GOG.com Valentine's Day sale this weekend
Dungeon Keeper Gold is available for free on GOG.com this weekend. The 1997 PC strategy game that includes the Deeper Dungeons expansion joins 29 more games on the distribution service's Valentine's Day sale, with Dungeon Keeper 2 discounted to $1.49. Those looking to redeem the freebie offer will need to click the deal banner on GOG.com's home page by 5:59 a.m. EST on Sunday, as the game's landing page still lists it at $5.99. Among the other deals on GOG.com this weekend, players can pick up System Shock 2 for $1.49, Guacamelee Gold Edition for $3.74, PixelJunk Monsters HD for $1.59 and PixelJunk Shooter for $2.69. The free copy of the original Dungeon Keeper surely beats the mobile, free-to-play version EA launched this year, which was deemed "ridiculous" by Peter Molyneux for its heavy reliance on microtransactions. Dungeon Keeper was also criticized for diverting in-app ratings that were fewer than five stars on Android. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Total War: Rome 2, Company of Heroes 2 brawl for free DLC this weekend
In defiance of this weekend's imminent corporate-sponsored romance, Sega has decided to push strategy gamers toward corporate-sponsored violence with the aptly titled "Make War Not Love" promotion. The rules are simple: During the course of the weekend, Sega will tally all victories earned by players in Total War: Rome 2 and Company of Heroes 2. Whichever game has the more active, successful community will receive free downloadable content. In the case of Total War: Rome 2, players will be awarded the Beasts of War add-on, while those playing Company of Heroes 2 will find two new multiplayer Commanders available at no additional charge. To further sweeten the temptation toward virtual bloodshed, Sega is also discounting both strategy games by 50 percent from now until Monday, February 17 at 10AM PT. Would-be virtual generals can now purchase Total War: Rome 2 for $30 while Company of Heroes 2 can be had for $20. [Image: Sega]
Square Enix announces mobile strategy game Hitman Go
The Hitman series will see its first entry on tablets and smartphones in Hitman Go, Square Enix Montreal announced today. The turn-based strategy game will have players navigating "fixed spaces on a grid" while using familiar tools from the stealth series, such as sniper rifles, Agent 47's Silverballers, disguises and distractions. Though it's not clear if the image accompanying the announcement is just concept art, the developer said Hitman Go will use "beautifully rendered diorama-style set pieces." While Square Enix Montreal did not hand out a release date or price for the game, it did note that Hitman Go is "almost ready for launch." Additionally, the developer is currently working on "something else" in addition to the mobile game, which seemingly "fits perfectly within the Hitman fantasy." [Image: Square Enix Montreal]
Lord of Ultima shutting down in May
The land of Caledonia will soon be swallowed up by the sea of game closures. On Monday, May 12th at 2:00 a.m. EST, Lord of Ultima services will be stopped permanently. Announcing the closure, the developers of Lord of Ultima thanked players for their continued support over the years. Starting now, the ability to buy Play4Free Funds is disabled, but players who currently have the in-game currency are encouraged to spend it before the shutdown. New account creation has also been disabled; those who are already in the game, however, can continue their quest to be one of the final lords ruling over the land. [Thanks to all who sent in tips!]
The Summoner's Guidebook: My goals in League of Legends
Whenever I enter a League of Legends match, I have a few goals set in mind. Of course, winning is a goal, but that's not the only goal. My agenda tends to be a lot more long-term, relative to other LoL players. We've talked a lot about meta lately, and it tends to be a hot topic with Season 4's preseason patches shaking up the meta quite a bit. There are a lot of reasons to justify not playing meta. There are also a lot of reasons to take risky decisions that might not pan out.
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.
Meet the rogue in latest Age of Wonders 3 footage
As Age of Wonders 3 is a game about leading nations into conflict, its rogues are less "deadly shadows" and more "subtle, calculating political agents." Think: Richard Nixon, only with a diabolical army of bearded succubi.
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.
4X strategy game Horizon enters Steam space in February
L3O Interactive-developed Horizon will launch on Steam in full in February. The strategy game's beta version was added to Steam Early Access in July 2013, and is still available to purchase for $24.99. Horizon belongs to the 4X strategy genre, which emphasizes universe exploration and conquest. In Horizon's case, players partake in turn-based tactical space combat, developing colonies that interact with ten alien races in industry, trade and sciences. The game is being published by Iceberg Interactive, which brought about another popular 4X space strategy game in 2012, Amplitude Studios' Endless Space.
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.
