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Stick and Rudder: Even more sims to fill the Star Citizen void
I was hoping to use this week's column to talk in glowing terms about Star Citizen's newly released racing mechanics. The only problem with that plan is that Arena Commander 0.9 hasn't launched just yet, purportedly on account of a few pesky bugs that Cloud Imperium is still in the process of squashing. Sooo, I thought I'd dust off an old Stick and Rudder standard wherein we talk about which genre games are worth playing while we're waiting on the "best damn space sim ever."
Vendetta experimenting with mobile microtransactions
Guild Software announced over the weekend that its long-running Vendetta Online MMORPG will explore microtransactions on certain mobile devices. Vendetta, a space sim sandbox that offers single-shard gameplay across operating systems including Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS, has been running since April of 2002 and has heretofore subsisted on the subscription model. Guild says that subscribers "will still get everything, across all platforms, without any need for these types of optional purchases." Microtransactions will be exclusively for Vendetta pilots on Lite accounts, and the structure of the cash shop will "require refinement and continued feedback from the userbase." Guild concludes that a hybrid business model is "an expected necessity on mobile," and it is working to adapt and court additional players.
Vendetta getting 'major graphical and engine changes,' Steam release
Vendetta Online's latest newsletter has announced major graphical and engine changes, along with Oculus Rift HD support and a forthcoming Steam release. Lead developer John Bergman explains that Guild Software is "working on a whole new client-server architecture to make it possible for us to generate massively dense sectors of unlimited scale." The new sectors will showcase various graphical upgrades including advanced lighting, shadow, volume effects, and more. These and other upgrades are part of what Bergman is temporarily calling Vendetta 2.0, which "will represent the goals that I set out to build back when we started on this crazy space MMORPG development journey over sixteen years ago." Vendetta is a subscription-based sandbox MMO that allows players on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Ouya, and Oculus Rift to play on the same server. It first launched in 2002.
Vendetta adds persistent player mines, better mobile support
Guild Software has been crunching on various Vendetta Online improvements, chief among them some increased background and planetary detail on Android devices. The multi-platform space sim sandbox also boasts support for the latest high-speed mobile GPUs, as well as new persistent player mines that allow "for more complex defense of territory over long periods of time." Guild lead developer John Bergman says that the team has "big gameplay and graphical plans for 2014, as well as plans to expand the immersion of our existing support for the Oculus Rift HD."
Ooh Ouya! Testing MMOs on a $99 console
My big birthday present this year was an Ouya -- the $99 Android console that was funded by Kickstarter, powered by dreams, and promoted as a "revolution" by its makers. I've not been big on either consoles or Android platforms as of late, mostly due to being preoccupied elsewhere. But something about Ouya's roguish underdog status and the combination of being a fully functional console and a development kit in one attracted me to it. Plus, it's so dang tiny! You can only fit one-half of a magical elf inside it, and even that took some intense pushing. Obviously this is not a bleeding-edge console that's going to pump out realistic graphics at 100 fps, but that's not Ouya's thing anyway. So you might be forgiven in thinking that MMO studios might stay far away from it, what with its limited storage space and processing power, but that's actually not the case. Two MMOs that I know of have been released on the Ouya, Vendetta Online and Order and Chaos Online, and to me that signals the possibility that there might be more in the future. So I downloaded both of them fairly quickly and settled onto my couch to check out MMO gaming with a controller on a TV powered by a console smaller than a Coke can. What kind of MMO experience was I going to get with a $99 machine?
Vendetta Online now compatible with Oculus Rift
Guild Software has announced the debut of Oculus Rift compatibility with Vendetta Online, the company's long-running space-based MMORPG. While genre heavyweights like EVE Online and Star Citizen are experimenting with Rift, Vendetta "marks the first time a live MMORPG has officially released support" for the virtual reality tech, according to a Guild press release. Vendetta's Rift release coincides with a significant graphics update which brings more detailed planets and procedural nebulas to the game. Vendetta's space trading and real-time combat gameplay is available on a huge variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and OUYA. "For the moment, [Rift] support is limited to the Windows version of our game, but we intend to expand this to other platforms with device compatibility," said Guild founder and creative director John Bergman. [Source: Vendetta press release]
Encrypted Text: Rogue tier 16 set bonuses reviewed
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me or tweet me with questions or suggestions of what you'd like to see covered here. Set bonuses are the perfect time for Blizzard to experiment with fun class effects. They're in use by a limited set of players, they can be tuned specifically for a particular tier, and the bonuses are ephemeral. Class changes are much harder to implement quietly and they're even more difficult to roll back if undesirable. Tier set bonuses are a cultured petri dish for new ideas to grow, or to be sterilized. Our new tier 16 set bonuses are just such an experiment. The two-piece bonus saves us energy on our combo point generators, and has some very interesting interactions with each talent spec's mechanics. The four-piece bonus also changes based on our spec. Killing Spree's damage ramps up significantly, which will pair nicely with its new Blade Flurry interaction. Vendetta's mastery-stacking bonus will add some teeth to assassination's burn cycle. The Backstab/Ambush combo pack, however, is easily the star of the show, and the start of an important conversation.
Vendetta Online adds F2P Kickstarter goal
Guild Software has added an interesting new wrinkle to its Vendetta Online Kickstarter project. That wrinkle is a possible free-to-play tier which will be available to players of the sci-fi sandbox game should the fundraising drive succeed. Guild founder John Bergman states that subscribers will still have the best experience, and he also lays out how and why a free-to-play conversion is fraught with potential pitfalls for smaller indie studios and well-established games like Vendetta. In some corners it is argued that we must accept this new reality, that our MMOs must be designed more as an extension of monetization metrics than for the sake of the actual gameplay. This has never sat well with me; I design for what I want to play, and an experience peppered with carefully positioned opportunities to spend money is not one I desire. Nor do the mechanics or results of paying-to-win fit within my game-view. Many of us seek these games as a means of escape, and little violates that like the pervasive artificiality of monetization, or direct gameplay advantages granted by an opponent's larger financial outlay. Nevertheless, Guild is open to the possibility of F2P, so head to the Vendetta Kickstarter project to read further details.
Guild previews Vendetta iPad 2 build in new video
Guild Software is hard at work on a full port of its long-running Vendetta Online MMORPG for second-generation iPad devices. Guild founder John Bergman demos a prototype build running on an iPad 2, though he says that there is still "a lot of work to do." Current Vendetta players will be glad to know that Guild plans to "ship the iPad version as soon as we can, and then immediately focus all our attention on gameplay enhancements to make the 1.9 goals a reality in 2013." Vendetta's fund-raising effort is about a third of the way to its goal with nine days remaining.
Vendetta Online aiming for Steam release
Guild Software is seeking to release it's long-running Vendetta Online MMO on Steam, and the space-based sandbox title needs your vote to clear Valve's Greenlight hurdle. Vendetta is one of a very few MMORPGs that natively supports Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, and Guild founder John Bergman says that his team would "like to integrate some of Steam's community and achievement features." Vendetta features physics-based PvE and PvP combat, extensive trading and economic gameplay, and an active development team that has been iterating on the game since its 2002 release. The firm's Kickstarter project, which is designed to fund both an in-game expansion and an expansion to iOS platforms, has 19 days remaining. Head past the cut for a two-minute gameplay trailer.
Vendetta using Kickstarter to fund new expansion, iOS client
There's no shortage of sandbox MMO projects on Kickstarter these days, but how would you feel about a fundraiser for a game that's been live since 2002? That's the reality for Vendetta Online, as Guild Software has just announced a new pledge drive to help the game conquer Apple's iPad platform. Vendetta is already playable on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, and WinRT (and all of those space pilots play seamlessly on the same server, too), so Guild's next goal is integrating iOS users into its sprawling space-based sandbox. "We'll be thrilled to bring our intense brand of multiplayer space gaming to the iPad family of devices," says John Bergman, Guild CEO. "Our game offers a seamless transition between desktop and mobile, so players can easily switch back and forth between their iPad and their Mac without limitation." If successful, the game's Kickstarter project will also help fund a major expansion, which promises "enhanced player-owned capital ships and territorial conquest." Vendetta is a subscription-based MMO that features twitch-based space combat, extensive mining, trading, and exploration options, and a player-generated content system. You can check out an eight-minute gameplay video after the break, then head to the official website to sign up for a free trial.
Vendetta free for former subscribers through January 1
If you've ever subbed to indie MMO Vendetta Online, Guild Software is gifting you with the ability to return to the title for free through the new year. The devs have also updated the client to version 1.8.239, which brings a handful of bug fixes and niceties to the game world and login client. Vendetta is a space-based sandbox that features combat, mining, trading, and exploration. It's also available on a number of platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile, all of which feed their users into the same server.
Encrypted Text: Rogues rotations by the numbers
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me with any questions or article suggestions you'd like to see covered here. The task of giving rogues three unique specs is incredibly difficult. Our class design doesn't allow for much flexibility in our mechanics. Assassination, combat, and subtlety all rely on the same energy bar and the same combo points to get the job done. The cyclical rotation of generators and finishers is always going to make up the core of our button presses. Rogue spec diversity is maintained by three main tenets: differing finishers, interesting cooldowns, and a unique generator mechanic. All rogues will be using Shadow Blades as often as possible and Feint to reduce their damage taken. The utility abilities of the class have been consolidated, and the variance in how we deal our damage is what's left to separate each spec.
Vendetta now available on Windows 8, RT
Have you upgraded to Windows 8 yet? Do you use Windows on a tablet? If so, Guild Software wants you to know that its long-running Vendetta Online sci-fi MMO is ready and willing. The indie outfit recently released the game to the Windows store, and as you'd know if you read one of Massively's multiple Vendetta impressions pieces, the game syncs seamlessly across PCs, Macs, Linux systems, and tablets, now including devices that run Windows RT. "Thanks to the scalability of our in-house NAOS Engine with native DirectX 11 support, we're able to deliver our desktop-grade MMO experience even on lightweight Windows RT tablets," explains Guild CEO John Bergman. Vendetta mixes combat, mining, trading, and exploration, and a free trial is available via the game's official website. [Source: Guild press release]
Rise and Shiny: Vendetta Online
For the record, Vendetta Online has been in development since 1998 and launched an alpha in 2002. EVE Online was released in North America in 2003. So although it might be too close to call or lost in the foggy details of gamer's memories, it's safe to say that EVE Online did not invent space, spaceships, speedy space travel, trading, or ship-to-ship combat. Still, feel free to post fill the comment section with "EVE-clone," a common phrase that pops up whenever Vendetta Online is mentioned or shown. Now that we have that out of the way, what is Vendetta Online? It's a multi-platform, twitch-based, science-fiction universe that offers free-form travel and character development. At least that's what I have read. So far in my time with the game, I have experienced only a smattering of what it seems to offer. I've traveled a lot, gunned down a few enemies, and read a lot of text. While I know I have touched but the tip of the iceberg, I still had fun this week. And yes, I pretended to "fly" my spacecraft by running through the house while playing on my Nexus 7 tablet. And yes, I provided the WOOSH and BRAKKA BRAKKA sounds myself. (That's how you know it's space.)
Some Assembly Required: Ten years warp by for Vendetta Online
If I were to start describing a game where players have zipped about one persistent universe as one of three factions in customizable ships vying for wealth and territory by mining, dodging hostiles, fulfilling missions, blasting one another to bits, docking at stations, blazing trade routes, and pirating for the past 10 years, you would say... Vendetta Online, of course! Perhaps the longest-running epic space-based sandbox MMORPG, the game hit a milestone last week that few others can boast: It turned 10! Although its major retail distribution was in 2004, Vendetta Online marks its anniversary as the day it was spotlighted in Penny Arcade during the game's completely open and public alpha (which means it basically launched since everyone could dive in and play) and the population exploded! A truly multi-platform MMORPG, Guild Software's game can be played on Windows, Mac, Linux, and even Android, giving pilots the freedom to log in when and where they may, even to surreptitiously check the markets or maybe sneak an event in while at work via a smartphone. After all, who wants to miss an event just because employment gets in the way? Luckily for those of us without an Android, Vendetta Online celebrated its decennial anniversary with some developer-run in-game events over the weekend. Always willing to join the party, Some Assembly Required strapped into a shiny new ship and blasted right into the thick of things in order to share in the festivities.
Vendetta celebrating 10-year anniversary, prepping new content
Ten years is an eternity in the game industry, and MMOs that manage to hang around for a decade or more are few and far between. One such title is Vendetta Online, which originally released on April 20th, 2002 and is still going strong today. Guild Software is hosting a couple of celebration events this weekend. The company has also announced that its massive 1.9 patch is coming later this year, followed by an even more massive expansion in 2013. Vendetta is unique among MMOs for its twitch-based space combat and extensive trading, mining, and exploration gameplay. Large space battles, dynamic territory control, and player-generated content systems round out the feature set, all of which is coded and maintained by a four-man dev team. The single-universe game server is accessible from a number of different platforms that include Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. In March 2011, Vendetta became the first PC MMO to jump to mobile platforms, and it spent several weeks as the number one paid app on Android devices. Check out the game's official website for more info, and don't forget to sign up for the trial while you're there. You can also read Massively's latest game impressions in Some Assembly Required. [Source: Guild press release]
Some Assembly Required: A look at Vendetta Online
The setup is pretty familiar. It's an MMO, it takes place entirely in outer space, and your avatar is your spaceship. There's a lot of trading, a lot of missioning, and PvP if you want it -- possibly even if you don't. Crucially, there's freedom to go your own way and precious little hand-holding. It's clearly inspired by Elite, and there's a fair bit of the X series in there as well. Nope, I'm not talking about EVE Online but rather Vendetta Online, an indie sandbox MMORPG that actually has more in common with classic space-trading sims than it does with CCP's New Eden.
Encrypted Text: Rogue glyphs in the Cataclysm beta
Every Wednesday, Chase Christian of Encrypted Text invites you to enter the world of shadows, as we explore the secrets and mechanics of the rogue class. This week, we discuss the new glyph system and talk about which glyphs look good so far. Back in the day, before Wrath was even released, I had incorrectly speculated that there would be three tiers of glyphs in the expansion. It was my very first post on WoW.com, and my mistake was clearly pointed out to me by some of the helpful commenters. It turns out that I was actually right -- it just took Blizzard a few years to get around to adding the extra tier of glyphs. There are now three types of glyph: prime, major and minor. Prime glyphs aren't necessarily fun; they just buff us. Major glyphs are sort of the utility glyphs that give us a measurable benefit, but they're not necessarily mandatory. Minor glyphs are just for fun things that make our lives easier. Luckily for us, many of the new Cataclysm glyphs are available on the beta, complete with the shiny new glyph interface. While scribes may be complaining about their business models going out the window, I'm busy drooling over some of the new glyph options we have available.
Lichborne: State of the Death Knight
Welcome to Lichborne, WoW Insider's newest class column. Every week in Lichborne, Daniel Whitcomb will explore the ins and outs of Blizzard's newest class, the Death Knight. It's Wrath of the Lich King Beta time, and finally time to meet the new Death Knight class. Unfortunately, we can't really guarantee you'll be meeting the same class that you'll see in the live game, per se. It's not that the class isn't shaping up well or isn't quite distinctive, it's more that there's just so much that's changing. The next build that's scheduled to hit the Beta servers is a perfect example. Not only will talent trees be changing extensively, with some talents becoming baseline and some baseline abilities becoming talents, some talents switching tiers, and others even switching trees, but the very way we inflict and stack diseases will be getting some tweaking as well. In addition, many of the Death Knight's baseline abilities, especially related to disease and damage rotations, are changing as well. So with all these changes, what can you say about a class that's changing drastically on a weekly basis, and may look completely different from how it does now by the time Wrath goes live? Is it really possible to speak about an overarching unifying theory of Death Knights? Well, let's try. Welcome to the first annual State of the Death Knight address.
