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EVE Evolved: The new player experience
Ever since a graph showing a downward trend in daily peak concurrent logins started to make the rounds on blogs, players have insisted that EVE Online's recent Incarna expansion has been a complete failure. I mentioned in an earlier article that we should really have expected this as the captain's quarters were primarily designed with new players in mind. Starting the game as an avatar, even one who's been grounded in his space-room by his space-dad, helps people identify with their characters in a way that bridges the gap between EVE and traditional avatar-based MMOs. By introducing a player to his character as a person rather than a ship, the new player experience may also help make the loss of a ship not such a big deal. It's all fine and well to theorise about Incarna's success or failure, but ultimately it's only new players who can make that determination. If the captain's quarters do their job of flattening that initially jarring part of EVE's learning curve, the expansion's effect on subscriptions would be to convert more free trials into paid accounts -- an effect that wouldn't be immediately noticeable until another exciting and heavily advertised gameplay expansion brings in large numbers of new players. To help figure out if the captain's quarters have been successful in that regard, we have to turn to people who have never played EVE before. In this week's EVE Evolved, I finally convince my friend Kajatta to try EVE for the first time. I delve into his first experiences with the game to find out what EVE does right and wrong in the new player experience.
Captain's Log: Testing out the future
Captain's Log, Stardate 65264.3... Hello, computer (and players)! As you have must have seen by now, open beta testing of Star Trek Online's new F2P model is well underway; the developers have been posting dev diaries about the impending changes for the last couple of days. Because testers on the Tribble test server were required to start new characters, and because character transfers will not be an option for at least a few weeks, many players have begun a mad dash to level up their test characters in order to test out some of the retooled endgame content. Since testing, especially in this manner, can be confusing, I have decided to dedicate this week's Captain's Log to those who are willing to take on the challenge. Past the jump, you will find a checklist of sorts that you can use while testing (or, ultimately, playing) the new content and updates. I suggest reading each section and then checking it out in-game. While some recommendations may seem less interesting than others, I suggest you give each a fair shot so you can provide feedback on what can make the game better. Ensign, warp 10! Let's give our dedicated Tribbleites some structure to their testing time...
Reakktor and gamigo release Black Prophecy tutorial videos
If you're having trouble sleeping at night, Reakktor and gamigo have a series of new Black Prophecy tutorial videos that just might do the trick. OK, that's mean, but the producers could stand to work on the monotone voiceover that drones throughout the entirety of three separate clips. Happily, the clips themselves are pretty informative, and they cover interface basics, advanced UI features, and basic game functions. If you're new to MMOs or new to the world of Black Prophecy, it's probably worth spending the 10 minutes required to check them out (and of course you can do so after the break). Just make sure you've got a Red Bull instead of a glass of warm milk.
Dark Age of Camelot takes players to school
Dark Age of Camelot's new website is already paying off in spades for players, as the developers are able to pass along a host of new information, concept art and previews for the populace. DAOC will be 10 years old as of next month and isn't slowing down. Exhibit A: The team is already hard at work on the 1.110 patch. John Thronhill penned a dev diary about the patch this week; he focuses on the new Lesson Quests that will go hand-in-hand with the beginner experience. Lesson Quests are designed to help newbies get their footing in this complex setting, especially since the game continues to see a "large amount of returning and brand-new players" each month. As players progress through Lesson Quests, they'll not only get a better understanding of how DAOC works but be rewarded with buff tokens, potions, and other nice goodies. As part of the quest chain, NPCs will demonstrate crowd control techniques and other RvR survival skills in the hopes that new players will be able to make a better contribution to the war. These tutorial quests can also be skipped if players already know the ropes. Lesson Quests aren't the only new additions coming with 1.110, although Thornhill says we'll have to wait until another day to hear about the rest.
Redsn0w 0.9.8b7 gets tutorial for jailbreaking iOS 5 beta 6, iOS 4.3.5 and 4.2.10
Just like the Sn0wbreeze project, redsn0w recently added support for a tethered jailbreak of iOS 5 beta 6. While support for the iPad 2 still isn't in the mix, the latest version -- 0.9.8b7 -- adds additional support for Apple's latest beta on the original iPad, and the folks at Smash iPhone have provided a tutorial for those who move to the beat of a different drum. While redsn0w supports a tether-free solution for iOS 4.3.3, if you want to partake in Cupertino's freshest fruits, you'll be required to connect your phone or tablet to your computer whenever you power up the device. Also, while download links for iOS 4.3.5 and 4.2.10 are in the tutorial, if you're not a developer, it'll be on you to scrounge up the latest beta. Best of luck with the foray.
BlackBerry Bold 9790 Bellagio offers unsanctioned tutorial (video)
Well BlackBerry fans, yet another variation of the Bold is now making the rounds on the internet: it's the 9790, otherwise known as the Bellagio. Although the device was first leaked in late May -- where we learned it would feature BlackBerry 7 OS, 8GB of internal memory, a touchscreen, and NFC -- RIM's latest QWERTY companion has remained below the radar ever since. Now, it's reappeared in some official tutorials, which reveal a familiar user interface. Also, two other videos offer views of the handset's exterior profile and a quick peek beneath the battery cover. Why are Lazaridis and Balsillie prepping this for sale when the Bold 9900 has yet to reach consumers? All we need is one, and the similar hardware and specs aren't building a compelling argument. Sure, RIM said it would be releasing seven upcoming smartphones in the coming months, but haven't its leaders learned that less is more? Follow the source for an extended peek at the redundancy.
How to: Make your own Bitizen
If you've been playing the app Tiny Tower as much as I have (and since it's free and great, you probably should be), you have likely imagined yourself as a Bitizen, one of the little residents of the floor-by-floor residential and commercial construction that is your own tiny tower. And thanks to this tutorial by developer and pixel art creator Brandon Trebitowski, you can make that a reality. He's essentially reverse-engineered the design of the little Bitizen characters (though he admits they're not in as much detail as the Retina Display-enabled game versions), and walks you through step-by-step in Photoshop how to make one of your own design. All it takes is some Photoshop grid shadings and a little coloring, so you don't even have to be a super great artist (or like me, have any design skill at all) -- just keep tweaking it until it looks right. I love it -- just like NimbleBit's own Ian Marsh, I look forward to having a Bitizen of my own as a Twitter avatar. Now I just need to figure out how to open up this Photoshop template...
Tibia summer update features new world quests, tutorial
Quick, name a few of the world's oldest MMORPGs! Now, name a couple that are still running. Chances are most of you chimed in with Ultima Online, EverQuest, or maybe even Meridian 59. You're correct of course, but there's another title that released in 1997 that's still going today. That title is Tibia, and the 2-D fantasy game from CipSoft GmbH has just announced a world-changing summer update. World quests are "highly complex missions which can only be accomplished if dozens or even hundreds of Tibia players cooperate," according to a new press release. The new quests add another level to Tibia's conflict-driven dynamic that sees players and guilds war with one another for years at a time, as the battlefield will now extend further into the open world and likely result in competition for quest objectives. Tibia is also offering a new quest line for newbs. The comprehensive tutorial series leads new players through various gameplay tasks and offers a concise yet thorough introduction to one of the genre's longest-running titles.
Massively Exclusive: New Zentia patch 1.3 screenshots and trailer
Zentia fans get a special treat today, as ChangYou has given us a few goodies to help show off Zentia's upcoming patch 1.3. We have a handful of new screenshots as well as a short trailer to help whet your appetites for stylized martial-arts action. What's new in Zentia version 1.3? For starters, character creation and selection have both received an overhaul and boast brand new designs to make the process even smoother. A new tutorial has been introduced to the game as well, letting new players get their bearings on the Immortal Plane. For long-time players, the patch introduces a new high-level epic questline that culminates in a battle with the demon lord, Demonor. Check the gallery for the new screenshots, and kung-fu kick your way past the cut for the trailer. %Gallery-127698%
Caffenol turns Folgers into DIY film developer -- decaf won't do (video)
We knew instant coffee was good for something. The folks at Make just demoed a rather novel method for developing negatives from a roll of black and white film -- you remember film, don't you? Known as Caffenol, the process involves a smattering of household substances, including Vitamin C powder, instant coffee (caffeinated only), good ole H2O, and Cascade. Of course, it's not as simple as throwing this stuff in a slosh bucket with a roll of film and mixing it up, but it's not that complicated, either. If you're looking for something to do with those instant crystals, and still have a non-digital camera laying around, hop on past the break for a homebrew tutorial.
City of Heroes' Intrepid Informer introduces new Freedom tutorial
Paragon Studios has released a very special Intrepid Informer for City of Heroes players today, giving them a look into the new-player tutorial that will arrive with the advent of City of Heroes Freedom. In true superhero fashion, the new tutorial will incorporate a hand-drawn comic book by Paragon's own David "Noble Savage" Nakayama. The game will open by dropping new players smack in the middle of Galaxy City as it falls under siege by Shivan invaders. The villains of the Rogue Isles -- opportunists that they are -- aim to take advantage of the chaos to cause mayhem while the heroes work to thwart the threats to the city. The full post details the process that went into creating this exciting new tutorial and also includes a sneak-preview of Nakayama's stylish comic work, which players will see prior to the tutorial proper. To read up on all the fine details of the game's new introduction, head on over to the official CoH site.
Engadget Primed: how wireless and inductive charging works
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. The world of wireless is dragging us into the 21st century kicking and screaming. Our treatise on NFC was a great sneak peek into how our future will play out over the next five years, but we're also seeing other types of suave new tricks coming out as short-range wireless technology creeps closer to the mainstream. Wireless is the crux of convenience that will keep us calm enough to make our way through this speed-demon culture. It didn't take long for our quest to obtain simpler and faster everything to become an obsession, and it shows no signs of stopping; on the contrary, it's only speeding up exponentially at a rate even manufacturers have a hard time keeping up with. Wireless charging is making some serious headway in public mindshare. Once confined to toothbrushes and other simple household items, it's now a handy means of powering phones (HP's Touchstone, for example) and media players, and it'll soon be ready to charge up our notebooks and cameras at our command. Are we sure this is the future, or will this just be a passing fad? Why should it matter? Read on after the break to get the air-conditioned answers to those burning questions.
Final Cut Pro X video tutorials available
The reviews of Final Cut Pro X (US$299.99) are mixed, but the latest incarnation of Apple's Pro video editing app is here for better or worse. For those video wonks who would like to get up to speed quickly on the new product, MacProVideo.com now has a complete set of Final Cut Pro X tutorials available for sale. The tutorials are the brainchild of Michael Wohl, noted as one of the original designers of Final Cut Pro. Each of the tutorials, with the exception of the free Final Cut Pro X: Overview and Quick Start Guide, cost $19.50 each. Alternatively, potential trainees can subscribe to the complete library of tutorials for $25 per month. There are eight titles in the MacProVideo tutorial series, ranging from the initial overview through ingestion and organization of video, editing, titles, effects, compositing and exporting and sharing videos.
The Daily Grind: How welcoming should a game be?
In the old days, games started you out in a few tattered rags, and if you were very lucky, you had a weapon after character creation. The tutorial was "try not to die." You learned where things were by asking other players or blindly stumbling from place to place. In many ways, themepark games like RIFT can be seen as a direct counter to that playstyle, giving players a clear sense of purpose and a direction so reliable it can feel like handholding. But there's another side to the discussion: the fact that how easy it is to figure things out at the start of a game contributes to how welcome you feel. There's a rush when you realize you're in a hostile world that won't hand you what you need to survive, but there's also a question of whether or not you want to carve out a niche in a world that doesn't seem to want you anyway. So how welcoming should a game be to new players? Should it be gently guiding at the risk of over-protectiveness, or should it throw you in the deep end and let you sink or swim? 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!
Blood Sport: Iron sharpens iron
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. It's no secret that other people influence our lives. This is a widely understood precept of life, but one that is not often directly tackled. Parents look after their children to make sure they aren't "hanging out with a bad crowd." Nearly everyone has heard or spoken the expression, "It's not what you know, but who you know." Sciences have been created to study how people affect one another. Sociology and psychology are studies of human interaction. Advertising, marketing, and economics have a firm foundation in understanding influences that we exert on one another -- and this isn't a recent phenomenon. Ancient proverbs speak of men sharpening each other as iron sharpens iron. Skills are honed by the acceptance of constructive criticism. Arena is no exception. Doing arena with players who are better than yourself will make you a better arena player, and that's what we're going to be talking about today.
DAoC rolling out new website, allowing server transfers
As Dark Age of Camelot counts down to its 10th year anniversary in October, Stuart Zissu breaks out a few early presents by revealing four "big ticket items" in his latest producer's letter. An upgraded new player experience is on its way for the game to help new and returning players get up to speed for epic RvR battles. Dubbed the "New User Journey," this extended tutorial will give pointers on everything from pets to crowd control. The team's also hard at work on a new website for the game, which should be coming soon. Or "soon." The new website will operate in conjunction with the third big ticket item, which is a DAoC wiki. Zissu put out a call for players to help fill the wiki once it's up and running. Finally, players on the Glamorgan cluster will be able to transfer to Ywain in the near future. You can read all of the nitty-gritty details of these items on the Camelot Herald.
Captain's Log: Back to the future
Captain's Log, Stardate 64884.1... Hello, computer (and players)! Guess what's back? That's right! Hailing frequencies are now reopened -- Captain's Log is no longer on hiatus. Over the past few weeks, there has been some great news released about the Star Trek Online universe: the winner of the Design the Next Enterprise Contest was announced, the May Ask Cryptic was released, the dev team revealed the 500-day veteran rewards, and the Featured Episode reruns began. While everyone has had his or her own opinions on these stories, there is one piece of news that everyone can agree on: the awesomesauceness of the latest Engineering Report. As first announced earlier this week, Executive Producer Dan Stahl dropped his latest report, which describes the updates to the game coming in Season Four. As usual, aside from the imminent new content, Dan foreshadows the future for us. Captain's Log is no stranger to talking about the future of the game, so I am excited to share some more details about the upcoming updates with you. Since Season Four is right around the corner and I believe it will be the "game changing update this game has needed since launch," let's get on to this week's Log entry. Ensign, warp 10! Let's talk about Season 4 and beyond...
Global Agenda fires up patch 1.41
Poor minor patches -- they're the little brothers of the development world. They have to wear second-hand clothes, they never get the respect of their older siblings, and they develop a deep-rooted insecurity complex that requires years of therapy to resolve. And yet -- they're still important! So it is with Global Agenda's patch 1.41, which rolls out on the live servers today. According to the patch notes, the tutorial and introductory missions have received some additional work, and Steam users can use their Steam wallets to purchase in-game items from the Global Agenda store. A couple of the bug fixes pertain to the recent Dome Defense raid, which recently went online. You can read the full patch notes over at Global Agenda, which is now free-to-play for anyone interested in some fast and furious hi-tech battles.
Sony Ericsson teaches course on building custom Linux kernels, admission is free
When Sony Ericsson stepped out of line and opened its bootloader unlocking service, it provided a tacit acknowledgment that users should have the ability to use and abuse their phones however they see fit -- even if it voids the warranty. Frankly, we applaud SE's move, despite the caveat that supported handsets cannot be SIM-locked to a carrier (or CDMA, for that matter). Now, Sony's embracing its own movement and is teaching a free online class (of sorts) on how to build a Linux kernel and flash it to your phone. Of course, the article requires that you get comfy with the command line, but whether you're an Android developer, a casual enthusiast, or a curious observer, this tutorial is worth reading and learning from. Welcome to Computer Lib for the handset generation -- where you can and must understand smartphones now.
Super Meat Boy level editor video tutorial will teach you a thing or two
Though you might expect the Super Meat Boy level editor to be a complete breeze -- put some blocks there, fifty saws there, and done! -- it's actually a pretty intricate authoring tool. Check out the six videos after the jump for an hour-long tutorial on how to make your very own deathtraps.
