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The Daily Grind: Do you need to be the hero?
"In the Elder Scrolls games," Matt Firor says, trying to make the case for solo story in The Elder Scrolls Online, "You're always the hero, whether you want to [be] or not, in some cases." That declaration was news to me; I've been playing cutpurses and scapegraces in the Elder Scrolls series since Daggerfall. In fact, I think the best part of sandbox RPGs (online or not) is that I don't have to be the hero -- I can ignore the main quest line and play my own way or even just lend some firepower to the actual hero NPC, as in Oblivion, which Firor seems to have forgotten. What about you? Is ZeniMax going the wrong route by insisting that everyone be the hero in his own little sliver of the world? Do you need to be the hero in an MMO? 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!
ZeniMax: The Elder Scrolls Online's real-time combat 'is all pretty much new'
If ZeniMax seems a bit defensive about The Elder Scrolls Online, you can hardly blame the company. Since its announcement this spring, the upcoming MMO has been met with a steady chorus of fan disapproval due to perceived similarities with other themepark fantasy MMOs. In a new interview with Kotaku, ZeniMax head honchos Matt Firor and Paul Sage attempt to accentuate the positive and differentiate TESO from its genre competitors. "When people sit down and play it, they'll realize it's different. Like our whole real-time combat system of blocking and dodging is all pretty much new," Firor explains. Firor also comes out swinging vis-à-vis the notion that TESO is nothing more than a World of Warcraft analog. "Making an MMO is making an MMO. I worked in the industry before World of Warcraft, so I can tell you that World of Warcraft had a lot of influences from a lot of games. Our priority is to make a great game and not to make a clone of anything," he says.
Enter at Your Own Rift: How will Storm Legion change the face of RIFT?
Expansions are always a great time to get back into a game. Just ask me, Mr. Former-and-Now-Current RIFT Player. That's right -- I've leaped back into RIFT and have rejoined Karen to co-host this column. I know you're just a-shiver with excitement, but keep it together: We've got higher peaks to summit, my friend. Two weeks ago, RIFT muscled back into the spotlight with the announcement of its first-ever expansion, Storm Legion. I don't know if any of you felt like this when you heard it, but I was surprised, considering just how much work Trion Worlds spends on updates. When did they devs have time to squeeze in work on a full-blown expansion as well? But it's no myth. Storm Legion is coming this fall, and it's destined to change the face of RIFT as we know it. The world's about to triple in size, and the team is building on the lessons learned in the first year or so of this MMO's lifespan. Will it bolster RIFT against the current and coming competition? Do we need two more continents? And what, pray tell, are those four new souls?
Trion Worlds licenses CloakWorks cloth simulation tech
RIFT players, have you been feeling like the game is missing a certain je ne sais quois? Perhaps the way your cloak flaps in the wind just isn't quite dramatic enough for you. Well, you may just be in luck, as Trion Worlds has just announced that it has licensed CloakWorks' "advanced cloth simulation technology" known as Shroud. RIFT executive producer Scott Hartsman claims that capes are one of the most-requested visual features and states that he's "very happy" with Shroud's results. The studio hasn't released any previews of the new technology in action, but we'll be sure to keep our eyes peeled for new details as they come. In the meantime, though, why don't you busy yourself by catching up on all the latest news about RIFT's upcoming Storm Legion expansion? [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
The Soapbox: This fantasy is far from fantastic
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. "More innovation!" is the common rallying cry of the disgruntled MMO player. Push forward the genre, build awe-inspiring giant statues instead of sixth grade art projects, do that one magic thing that nobody can agree on to make this genre as fresh and great and interesting as it was. You know, as it was when you first got into these games, that is. For all of the "more innovation!" speeches that I've seen, I never see the one that touches on the most irksome areas of stagnation in the industry, and that is how incredibly lame most MMO fantasy worlds are. Cut 'n' paste, mix and match elements between any two fantasy MMOs, and I guarantee you that nobody would really notice. The truth is that for all their desire to be seen as unique and special, most of these games feature a world carbon copied from each other with minor Mad Lib deviations. Case in point: Have you ever realized just how many of these MMO worlds share almost the same name? Start with T, usually end with A, there you go. Telara. Telon. Tyria. Atreia. Taborea. It doesn't stop there, but it really should. MMO designers need to realize that fantasy is more than just D&D and Tolkien derivations and explore the unlimited scope of what the genre could be.
The Daily Grind: If a game's gotta merge servers, how should it go down?
Server merges are the destiny of the majority of MMOs with servers, be they games with tiny populations or games that still number in the millions. After all, funneling MMO populations is no easy task, and a game with lengthy queues one month might suffer a shortage of players the next. Studios know that the term "server merge" can be seen as a herald of doom, so modern devs have taken to using terminology like "trial servers" and "free transfers," letting players move of their own free will rather than dumping them unceremoniously on some other realm with some other name. Even if you know that merges are going to be good for the health of the game in the long run, the way a merge is conducted can still tarnish your affection for the title. Let's assume your game of choice plans to announce server merges of one flavor or another tomorrow. What's the best way the team can go about making it happen? 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!
E3 2012: Matt Firor takes fans inside The Elder Scrolls Online
This year's E3 is winding down, but we're not quite done yet. In addition to Joystiq's interview with ZeniMax's Nick Konkle, we had the chance to join Matt Firor as he gave a preview showing of The Elder Scrolls Online. While he didn't reveal anything earth-shattering that we didn't already know, he did provide some insight into the upcoming title's development. Many fans of the Elder Scrolls series are up-in-arms over TESO's lack of resemblance to earlier entries, but Firor assures us that the studio is doing its best to implement features that will help the game retain its Elder Scrolls flavor. For instance, the game will feature the time-honored resources of health, magicka, and stamina, and as in other Elder Scrolls titles, players will be able to sneak, block, sprint, and so forth regardless of character class. In addition, despite the studio's choice to use often-derided action-bar-centric combat, ZeniMax is still attempting to give combat a more visceral "action-RPG" feel to keep it more in-line with the general type of frantic combat players have come to expect from the series.
E3 2012: RIFT shows Storm Legion's Tower of Dawn, confirms digital CE
While we got a great preview of some of the excitement coming with this fall's RIFT: Storm Legion expansion at E3, the public was treated to a "sneak peek" livestream from the press room by the devs. The livestreamed some of the content we've seen already, such as the clockwork dungeon and the mighty colossus attack, but also dropped a few new surprises as well. When asked if the expansion will have a collector's edition, the dev confirmed that it probably will have a digital CE. He then laughed that he probably let the cat out of the bag on that one. He was reluctant to show the in-game map of the new continents, however, explaining that they are a work in progress. The Trion Worlds team also demoed a special interior for the first time, the Tower of Dawn. While not a proper dungeon, the tower will be an expansive and dangerous location to explore. The dev said that players were asking for more interiors to explore, hence why Trion took the time to make it. You can scope out some of our screengrabs from the livestream after the break!
E3 2012: Talking with Nick Konkle about The Elder Scrolls Online's design
Our fellow feathered friends at Joystiq visited the Elder Scrolls Online booth at this week's E3 and caught up with Lead Gameplay Designer Nick Konkle about the game's look and feel. Konkle made the point that each of the Elder Scrolls game had its own aesthetic, and TESO will carry on in this tradition: "Every province has its own look, but we aim for the realistic -- for the cool." Konkle dives into what will make TESO its own unique creature. One of the mechanics he explained was the game's hotbar. The first two buttons are dedicated to whatever weapon you're wielding, the next three are chosen abilities from your class, and the last button is an ultimate skill derived from your class. "In addition to those six things, everyone has these skills that are always available: sprinting, ducking, and blocking," he said. What is ZeniMax doing to ease those familiar with the lore but not MMOs into the game? "From the very beginning, we didn't set out to make a really big, standard MMO," Konkle said. "Nor did we set out to make a Skyrim clone and just put it online. We set out to make a great game. So we don't just have the standard MMO controls, abilities, and rotations like you're used to." You can watch the 11-minute interview after the jump for more information on TESO's combat and social systems.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Why update 1.9 could be the best one yet
In the most recent Enter at Your Own Rift, we looked at Conquest, an exciting new opportunity for instanced three-faction PvP. It's been generating a lot of buzz, and players have had two chances to check it out its development on the test server. Conquest is scheduled to be part of RIFT's Update 1.9, which is probably just around the corner if past update schedules are any indication. But that's not all that's planned for the next game update, and there are two additions that I think could very well be gamechangers for RIFT. The first is a mentoring system, and the second is the addition of lower-level instant adventures. In this week's column, we'll look at both through last week's test event and explore why they could make update 1.9 the best one yet.
Trion Worlds CEO pinpoints the failings of 38 Studios and Star Wars: The Old Republic
Trion Worlds' CEO Lars Buttler has never been one to pussyfoot around his competition, and at this year's E3, Buttler bluntly addressed what he saw as the failings of both 38 Studios and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Buttler talked about said studio and game in light of the perceived crumbling of the AAA MMO segment. Citing different issues between the two companies and projects, he said that "process management" was 38 Studios Achilles' Heel: "38 Studios had a concept they couldn't deliver on... It was too big of a scope. It was too much. It just went broader and never narrowed. They never even came close to the finish line." In the case of SWTOR, Buttler sees BioWare fumbling where Trion's RIFT has stayed consistently strong: "I don't think [SWTOR's] business model was necessarily the issue, but I think it was content updates, and what to do in the game, and how you can play it without it becoming repetitive." So what is the key to success for an MMO? "You have to be able to keep people interested," Buttler concluded. "The key about an online game is that it's a live service. If you make it more like a packaged goods game, people will stay about as long as they stay with a packaged goods game."
E3 2012: The Elder Scrolls Online previews characters, more in new trailers [Update]
We're expecting big things out of The Elder Scrolls Online during this year's E3, and to kick things off, Bethesda and ZeniMax have unveiled a new teaser trailer that shows off a small sampling of the characters players can look forward to taking control of when they get their hands on the game. While it's not exactly gameplay footage, perhaps the new video will assuage fans who are uncertain about the game's art direction. That, or it will enrage them further. At any rate, the sample characters run the gamut of what you would expect from The Elder Scrolls: big bearded dude with an axe, sultry elven spellcaster, cloaked assassin -- you get the idea. The video's short and doesn't serve as much except for eye-candy, but if you're voracious for new TESO tidbits, it's definitely worth a look. Just head past the cut for the full trailer, and be sure to check back later this week for a chat with the folks behind the upcoming title. [Update: We've also added another video, this one an interview of TESO's game director discussing and showing off the game, and the official site has updated with a new look and FAQ. Thanks to Paul for the tips!]
ZeniMax devs 'unapologetic' about making Elder Scrolls MMO
ZeniMax Online recently called in to the Game Informer podcast to talk up its Elder Scrolls Online title. Game director Matt Firor and creative director Paul Sage were the devs of record, and the 30-minute chat featured some interesting tidbits. Firor mentions that the game will release simultaneously on PC and Mac, but ZeniMax has no plans for a console version. Sage talked a bit about the progression system, which, while level-based, does feature skill-based advancement as well. In the current build, characters gain experience in skills that are slotted. Sage also mentions that you do get better with weapons as you wield them, though the gain is not 100 percent usage-based. There's also a bit of discussion about art style, camera modes, and the decision to MMOify the Elder Scrolls IP. "We're making an MMO; we're unapologetic about that. This is the Elder Scrolls MMO. It's not Skyrim. Skyrim already exists, and you can go play Skyrim. We're making the MMO version of the Elder Scrolls, and with that comes some conventions that are different from a console RPG," Firor says.
RIFT: Storm Legion expansion coming this fall
The RIFT army cannot be stopped, and neither can Trion Worlds' incredibly hard-working team. Trion officially announced today that RIFT's first expansion, Storm Legion, will be hitting the stores this fall. Executive Producer Scott Hartsman said that the expansion will "triple in size" the amount of content and territory that players currently have. "RIFT: Storm Legion is about more, more, more," he said. Storm Legion will open up two new continents for play: Dusken (a horror-themed continent) and Brevane (which hosts the cradle of Telaran civilization). Another major city will join the map, the dual-faction town of Tempest Bay. Each continent will feature its own storyline, with the promise by the devs that the term "story" will feature far more heavily than mere busy work. The main story of the expansion is driven by Crucia, the Queen of Storms, who's bringing her huge entourage to Telara through the Infinity Gate. Players have much to anticipate when the expansion releases. In addition to the new continents, the expansion will increase the level cap to 60, add capes to our wardrobes, experiment with a player housing system called "dimensions," introduce seven new dungeons and three new raids, add a crafting tier, and see another Chronicle join the roster. Players will also get to play with four new souls, one for each calling (Warrior, Rogue, Mage, and Cleric). Finally, for the brave at heart, the expansion will bring the immense colossus to terrorize the realms, and these open-world colossus battles are supposed to be like nothing we've ever seen before. Get excited for RIFT: Storm Legion by watching the trailer after the jump!
Elder Scrolls Online art director talks MMO limitations and stylistic influences
What's up with the stylized visuals on display in The Elder Scrolls Online's recent screenshot and video reveals? It's all about marrying various takes on Tamriel with the limitations of MMORPGs, according to ZeniMax Online art director Jared Carr. "We're not really at the technical state with MMOs to be able to pull off photorealism," Carr explains. He goes on to say that the target is 200 characters on screen for the game's massive battles, and he also notes that despite concessions to tech limits and travel times, TESO is heavily influenced by previous Elder Scrolls games, particularly Oblivion and Morrowind. Head to Game Informer for the full video dev diary.
The Elder Scrolls Online designers talk combat and PvP in a new video
For all the talk about the latest entries in The Elder Scrolls series being single-player MMOs, there are some pretty big issues translating the mechanics of the single-player games over to The Elder Scrolls Online. For starters, there's the simple fact that the combat in single-player entries is built around the idea that you can pause and pick out your abilities at a slower pace if necessary. A new interview with designers Brian Wheeler (lead PvP designer), Maria Aliprando (creature combat designer), and Nick Konkle (lead gameplay and combat designer) discuss how the team overcame these issues and what players can expect from the game's battles. In PvE, players will find that each given monster has a very unique set of behaviors that players can react to, as well as elements that play off one another in the environment. Rather than rewarding players simply for defeating monsters, players will be rewarded with a rating called "finesse" for how the monster is defeated, with greater rewards coming to players with high finesse scores. The goal is to make combat less a matter of winning or losing and more about defeating enemies skillfully. But that only scratches the surface of the full interview, so click on past the break for the full 17-minute discussion.
Elder Scrolls Online devs talk questing and public dungeons
There are a couple of new Elder Scrolls Online features on tap at Edge. First on the agenda is a piece about the game's public dungeons, which game director Matt Firor says haven't been seen in an MMO since EverQuest. "When you think back to the fun MMOG moments in the first generation, it's standing there, terrified, in an enclosed space, waiting for someone to come along and save you. We can't do that punitive gameplay that they did in those days, but we can put people together in places where they want to work with others," Firor says. The other feature centers on the game's questing mechanics, and it finds Firor and creative director Paul Sage talking at length about what makes a good quest as well as various high-level creative approaches taken by the dev team.
Trion trademarks 'Storm Legion' for possible next RIFT expansion name
Just a few days ago, expansion talk for RIFT was fueled by a mysterious box containing an assortment of items and emblazoned with the phrase "A Storm Is Brewing." According to legal documents, Trion Worlds just trademarked the title Storm Legion, touching off even more speculation about a possible expansion. Some fans are already discussing what storylines might be developed in such an expansion; so far, the consensus seems to be for evolving the lore of Crucia and Regulos. While there is no official word on an expansion, signs are certainly pointing to one. As soon as we get more information we will pass it along. [Thanks to Marc for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: Is platforming welcome in MMOs?
Like some of you, at least according to statistics, I am an aging gamer (one who is turning 36 tomorrow). With that comes some loss of sharp reflexes and bladder control, which is why I enjoy twitch gaming less and work within 10 feet of the bathroom. As long as I avoid MMOs with the "action combat!" label on them, I'm mostly OK, although it now seems that I have to contend with an increase of platforming elements in my online RPGs as well. From Star Wars: The Old Republic's Super Mario Datacrons experience to hopping along tree branches in order to get one of RIFT's shinies, platforming seems all the rage, and I don't know whether it's a welcome thing or not. It can be terribly frustrating to try to time the right jumps in a 3-D environment, but it's hard to rail against additional gameplay options in MMOs as a matter of principle. So what say you? Do you like or hate platforming in MMOs, and is the style welcome in our games? 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!
Raptr handing out 10,000 copies of RIFT and RIFT CEs
Haven't given last year's hit MMO, RIFT, a try yet? Trion Worlds has partnered up with Raptr to hand out a whopping 10,000 copies of the game. If that wasn't enough (and it never is), players can earn in-game goggles and a free upgrade to a collector's edition just by leveling up. This offer comes through the new Raptr Rewards program. Players can sign up to the program through Facebook and then earn points by playing games and hitting certain milestones. The copy of RIFT, which includes the core game and a month of game time, will be given away to members who have hit the "experienced" level in one of Raptr's sponsored RPGs. These copies will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting Thursday, May 31st. Raptr players who take this copy of RIFT and hit "amateur" on the program will get an in-game Dwarven Smithy Goggles, while "experienced" achievers will be granted a free upgrade to RIFT's collector's edition. These rewards are available to players only in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
