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Oculus game teaches journalists how to survive in war zones
You're sat in the back of an armored personnel carrier when, suddenly, something hits you and the lights go out. Stumbling out of the darkness, you emerge onto the battlefield armed with just a video camera and a first-aid kit. Laying in front of you is a wounded soldier screaming for help, but would you know what to do? This is Stringer, an Oculus Rift title designed not as an alternative to Battlefield or Call of Duty, but to teach journalists sent into war zones how to survive.
SWTOR Game Update 1.6: Ancient Hypergate goes live December 11th
Ready your PvP gear and strap on your lightsaber because Star Wars: The Old Republic pushes its sixth update to live servers on Tuesday, December 11th. Update 1.6: Ancient Hypergate focuses on the PvP warzone of the same name but also offers a few other changes to PvP. The latest warzone is advertised as an answer to the fans looking for death-match PvP. Combatants will score points by defeating members of the opposing team and causing a slowly creeping explosion to draw all players to the center of the map. Players can also look forward to earning new Elite War Hero PvP gear to show that they are still the best at PvP. And as our latest Hyperspace Beacon argues, this gear is a step toward slowing down the infamous power creep. The servers go offline at 1:00 a.m. EST and will return six hours later at 7:00 a.m. EST. Let us know what you think when the update goes live!
SWTOR explains the rules of the Ancient Hypergate warzone
As Star Wars: The Old Republic continues testing Issue 1.6, PvPers are understandably anxious to get their hands on the new warzone coming with this update. Senior Designer Rob Hinkle has a few words of instruction, wisdom, and teasing for those waiting, as he lays out a new developer diary dedicated exclusively to the Ancient Hypergate warzone. Hinkle explains that the warzone is all about a mad scramble to secure old technology, namely a Gree hypergate. Players have two objectives to conquer and defend as well as several energy orbs that need to be grabbed and thrown into the nearest friendly energy pylon. Little orbs just want to go home, after all. There's a pretty cool mechanic with the pylons whereby they are charged up over time until they eventually unload a massive amount of energy (as well as an explosion). The release can be magnified if a lot of enemy players have been defeated since the previous discharge, and it can also be increased or decreased if the team controls both or neither of the pylons. It's a tricky warzone to explain, and we get the feeling that it will make a lot more sense just to see it in person. Even so, you might want to give this dev diary a read to help you prepare!
SWTOR begins testing Update 1.6
Hot on the heels of last week's Update 1.5 release, Star Wars: The Old Republic has begun testing its next content patch. Update 1.6: Ancient Hypergate is currently on the test servers and allows players to experience a new warzone and tougher space combat. The Ancient Hypergate PvP warzone has been in the works for months now. In it, players will compete to control two energy pylons. While the pylons can open portals to let in reinforcements, they might also do some damage to the controlling team. Also available for testing are a dozen new heroic mode space missions, six per faction. These are designed for the most skilled (and geared out) pilots in the endgame. While the missions may be tough, the bounty of Black Hole Commendations and elite gear should be incentive enough to give them a go.
Hyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part two
A few weeks ago, after many weeks of seeing new players in Star Wars: The Old Republic warzones, I thought it would be a good idea to post a little guide on the basics of winning Huttball. Interestingly, that article birthed a conversation about how some classes were better suited for the game, but more importantly, some players had given up on the warzone because they felt that their particular class didn't work in Huttball at all. Admittedly, certain classes do have more utilities that make them a better fit for the game, but I believe every class has its role in this particular arena. And more importantly, I believe that every class can have fun and feel useful. However, some players need a bit of training. Two weeks ago, I covered the Sith Warrior, Jedi Knight, Imperial Agent, and Smuggler classes. In this week's coverage, I'm going to take a look at two SWTOR classes that seems to be built for this game and two others that have more surprises than you might think: the Sith Inquisitor, Jedi Consular, Republic Trooper, and Bounty Hunter.
SWTOR demoing Ancient Hypergates warzone at Gamescom
If you happen to be heading to Cologne for Gamescom this month and are a fan of Star Wars PvP, you might want to swing by ol' booth B-082 to get your mitts on the Ancient Hypergates warzone. BioWare stated that this upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic warzone will be playable at the convention. The studio said that attendees will be able to experience the warzone with either their actual character or a new one rolled on the spot. There's even the possibility that a developer might step in to duke it out alongside players as well. EA BioWare will be announcing additional details about SWTOR's future at the convention and has announced both prizes and a meet-and-greet for its fans. Gamescom takes place from August 16th through 19th.
Massively's hands-on with Star Wars: The Old Republic Update 1.2
Goodness, I hope you have heard that Star Wars: The Old Republic is releasing a new patch soon. It's been jokingly dubbed the "Jesus Patch" because it's supposed to contain everything, and incidentally, it may "save" the game. Many critics have written off the game because developers missed some essential MMO ingredients when it launched. Despite that, SWTOR currently stands as the fastest-growing MMO ever and retains the second largest subscription base, according to Electronic Arts' investor calls. During the recent Guild Summit, while the guild leaders and fan site press were shuttled off, the press made its way to BioWare studios to try out the new content in Update 1.2. Each member was given his or her station to tool around with. Immediately, I noticed that the two Bounty Hunters in the character selection screen wore armor I had never seen before: Black Hole armor and War Hero armor. We were about to step into the new flashpoint called the Lost Island as well as the new Novare Coast warzone.
3 things Warzones taught me to love about Battlegrounds
OK, I admit it. I've been trying out PvP in Star Wars: The Old Republic. You can't claim to have diverse knowledge of disparate PvP systems if you don't ever, you know, play other games. "I hear it's hard to get the huttball across the line" isn't quite the same as "You touch the huttball and 15 Sith Juggernauts appear and teabag you like the Lipton Army." That doesn't mean I've quit my time in WoW Battlegrounds. Not to offend any saber-jockeys out there, but the PvP in WoW is better. Don't get me wrong. I'm having a great time firing rockets and dodging laser swords, but WoW's PvP has been honed as a separate game style. Its balance and play is beautiful and elegant. I didn't even realize how true that was until I spent some time in SW:TOR's analogous group PvP area, called Warzones. Let me put my money where my mouth is. This is a (small) list of things I've learned to love about Battlegrounds from doing Warzones.
SWTOR goes bug hunting with 1.0.2 and prognosticates PvP improvements
With the abundance of bugs and glitches in Star Wars: The Old Republic, fans are looking to James Ohlen's promise of weekly patches to shore up the faults. Yesterday we saw patch 1.0.2 go live with some -- but certainly not all -- of these fixes, as well as an increase in the PvP lockbox rewards and allowing players to emote while mounted. In addition to yesterday's patch, today BioWare plans to roll out an emergency fix to address a few important issues: players crashing to desktop at character select, a problem with the chat channels in which they would stop functioning for some people, and the now-infamous /getdown bug. PvP Lead Gabe Amatangelo also emerged from the BioWare fortress to chat about plans for the future of the game's PvP combat. According to Amatangelo, the team is working on level 50 brackets for warzones, vastly improving open world PvP on Ilum, a new same-faction vs. same-faction warzone, team vs. team queuing, ranked warzone matches, and more. He says that to date, over a million warzone matches have been played, with 39% of those matches played being Huttball and the Empire winning 53% of every match fought.
Massively's guide to SWTOR's launch and beyond
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, we first heard mention of a new Star Wars MMO set in the popular Knights of the Old Republic era. Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare named it, and we've waited patiently impatiently through months years of hope and hype, fanboys and haters, and at least eight million articles about the fourth pillar of story. This week, The Old Republic is the new hotness, and the Massively staffers are right there with you, champing at the bit to get in the head start already! But what if you're not an expert on Star Wars lore or TOR's gameplay? What if you don't know the first thing about purple lightsabers, astromechs, and the Kessel Run? What if you can't decide which class to play? When do you get a starship? Can you really romance your companions? How do flashpoints work? And why are there no bathrooms on Coruscant?! Relax, young Padawan. Put your blast-shield down and let Massively be your guide... literally. We've rounded up a massive collection of helpful introductory guides for each of the eight classes, along with overviews of gameplay mechanics like companions, starships, flashpoints, warzones, and crafting. We've also curated the most illuminating lore essays from our regular SWTOR column, Hyperspace Beacon, in addition to our extensive hands-on previews from the last few years. Take your first step into a larger world...
ITT unveils GhostRider encryption device capable of securing US Army smartphones
That may look like a Motorola Atrix Dell Venue, but it's actually something known as the GhostRider -- a new encryption device that could go a long way toward securing the Army's smartphones. Developed by defense company ITT, this revamped handset would allow military personnel to transmit secure text messages and phone calls over the Army's network, even if they're out on the battlefield. All they'd have to do is place their personal phones next to the GhostRider, tap and hold its touchscreen to activate the security features and begin texting away. When another GhostRider user receives an SMS, he or she would have to enter a pass code before reading it. The phone's security mechanisms, meanwhile, have been certified by the cryptographers at the NSA, which would certainly help justify its $1,500 price tag. The handset's display, meanwhile, looks awfully similar to the Army's Nett Warrior platform -- an Android-based OS that features a host of mapping functions designed explicitly for war zones. Officials unveiled the latest incarnation of Nett Warrior at the recent Association of the US Army gala in DC, though the platform's creators are still looking for the appropriate commercial device to host it -- unless, of course, GhostRider's software replaces it altogether. "We think Nett Warrior should be something like this," ITT vice president Richard Takahashi told Wired. "This can be the smart device." March past the break for more information, in ITT's jargon-laced PR. Update: Thanks to readers who spotted it's a Venue rather than an Atrix. Our eyes must have been temporarily scrambled by the enemy. Just to be clear -- it's not the handset that's different, only the peripheral.
Black Prophecy escalates the species war with Episode 2
"The time of peace has ended," gamigo writes in the introduction to the second major content update for Black Prophecy. We weren't under the impression that this was a tranquil game up to this point, but we suppose it's going to get a lot less peaceful with the introduction of warzones. Episode 2: Species War takes PvP to a much more intense place, as players will be encouraged to duke it out for the control of strategic locations in space. By pulling up the warzone tab, ship captains can identify where the contested borders are and zip right over to them. Up to 200 players can engage in a single warzone, pursuing multiple objectives with the ultimate goal of capturing the command center. By participating, players will not only earn honor points, but XP and loot as well. Black Prophecy is adding rare blueprints that can be purchased with these honor points. The update addresses the game balance in several ways, such as equalizing the benefit of shields and hulls. Players will receive a free skill reset because of the changes. To celebrate Episode 2's release, gamigo is throwing two consecutive bonus PvP XP weeks, from September 21st through October 6th. %Gallery-131819%
PAX 2011: SWTOR Alderaan PvP session captured on video
Darth Hater has posted a new Star Wars The Old Republic clip direct from this year's Pax Prime. The clip was captured on a hand-held camera, so the quality isn't the greatest, but we do get a good long look at the Alderaan warzone PvP (as well as some dancing Sith Inquisitors, if you're into that sort of silliness). The video runs for around 10 minutes, and we get to see quite a lot of action as well as a good bit of the layout of the Alderaan warzone. Also of note is TOR's unique take on respawning after death. There's no annoying countdown timer like in your standard online PvP match. Instead, you'll spawn on your ship and have to fly a speederbike back to the battle zone in real time, which gives you a tactical view of what's going on as well as the feeling of still participating in the game as opposed to watching a clock for several seconds. Check out the clip after the cut. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
Black Prophecy preps for Episode 2: Species War
Black Prophecy's next patch is upon us: Episode 2: Species War launched on the game's public test server this morning. This patch opens up the Warzone section of the starmap. Warzones are contested areas, and as each faction conquers a zone, bonuses are granted to members of that faction. If a faction controls adjacent warzones, then pilots are awarded experience bonuses as well. Tyi and Genide pilots, all-out PvP is heading your way. Get ready! The rules for conquering a warzone are simple. Each of these new zones consists of three outposts, a support sector, and a command center. Holding all three outposts simultaneously opens the pathway to the command center. Command centers have nine capture points with one active point at a time. If attackers control all nine points before 20 minutes, then the zone is theirs. However, if the defenders successfully prevent that from happening, they are rewarded for each capture point defended. Players of both factions gain points based on kills within the warzone sector. Check the the new official screenshots in the gallery below. %Gallery-131819%
'Blow your minds': The Secret World dreams of large-scale PvP
While the big news from The Secret World out of Gamescom was its April 2012 launch window, that's not all the developers had to say about this creeptastic title. Ragnar Tornquist opened up to Ten Ton Hammer about the game's epic large-scale PvP fights between the three factions of the Dragons, the Illuminati, and the Templars. Unlike The Secret World's smaller PvP battlefields, the warzones are persistent with a much larger population. So instead of waiting for a match, experienced players can hop right into a warzone for the glory and honor of their faction. In the warzones, players can capture respawn points to help out their faction and work on their secret society ranking while doing it. Tornquist said that the first warzone is in a Chinese city, although it doesn't have a name yet. Tornquist stated that the game should provide players with "several hundred hours" of PvE experience, not to mention the title's PvP and optional internet quests that will have the dedicated hunting through websites for arcane clues. Funcom's project lead thinks the total sum of The Secret World will be unlike anything we've ever seen before: "When the story and the respective events are ready to show off, we are going to blow your minds."
SWTOR Alderaan warzone playable at Gamescom
It's no secret that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be making a big splash at this year's Gamescom. What we didn't know prior to today, however, was the fact that one of the title's PvP warzones will be playable in a dedicated area "away from the rest of the hustle and bustle of the show floor." BioWare's Chris Collins gives us the details on the official SWTOR boards, and you'll need to sign up via email ahead of time if you and your mates want to get in on the action. The warzone matches will feature eight vs. eight teams and will pit Republic forces against their imperial counterparts in the Alderaan Civil War scenario. Whether your taste runs to the clumsy randomness of a blaster or elegant weapons from a more civilized age, you'll need to get your signups in by Monday, August 8th.
Massively interviews BioWare on SWTOR's crafting and PvP
This past Wednesday, I had the opportunity to head down to LucasArts in San Francisco to check out the current build of Star Wars: The Old Republic and chat with some of the BioWare developers. While my hands-on with the game won't be out until next month, we can deliver a couple of smaller interviews on two of the recently revealed systems in the game. And I think you'll want to hear what the interviewees have to say! Join me past the cut as I ask lead writer Daniel Erickson and lead PvP designer Gabe Amatangelo all about the Alderaan Warzone, the PvP reward system, avoiding battleground design pitfalls, companion tradeskilling, player-made gear, and hardcore crafting in SWTOR.
Star Wars: The Old Republic -- Warzones and Wizard's rename
A few months back at Gamescom, BioWare announced the names of all the advanced classes for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and one name in particular stood out to fans for all the wrong reasons. A Jedi Consular sub-class was called Wizard, and fans decided that the name was not Star Wars-y enough because SWTOR is a science-fiction game, not fantasy. However, the creators at BioWare wanted to stick to the name by justifying the name on the official forum and in interviews. But now, it seems they have caved. The ranged and healing sub-class will be renamed to Jedi Sage, Jedi Seer, or Jedi Adept. The best news is that you, the fans, get to choose. Head to the SWTOR forums and place your vote for your favorite name. Continuing the trend of giving the fans what they asked for, BioWare created a new video of Warzone ingame footage. For those who are unfamiliar, the Warzones are the PvP areas announced at E3. Alderaan is the only planet we know of that has a Warzone, so they weren't shy about showing some of that off in the new trailer. The Imperial forces have invaded a Republic outpost in an attempt gain control of Alderaani skies. Will you help the Republic or the Empire? Catch the video after the break.
This ain't like dusting crops, boy: The Old Republic expounds on crafting and PvP
Earlier this week, BioWare promised a couple of Star Wars: The Old Republic "juicy reveals" at this year's Winter Showcase in London, and it looks as though it might have delivered. The studio went into detail about two key systems in the game: crafting and PvP Warzones. Darth Hater reports that Warzones will be just one of the types of PvP arenas in the TOR. Warzones feature set teams with specific objectives. In the case of Alderaan's Warzone, it involves taking over turrets and blasting the enemy's drop ship to pieces -- once this happens, the match is over and tokens and XP is awarded. This Warzone was shown to be 8v8, although BioWare did not mention if the Warzones scaled in group size. BioWare also hinted about another Warzone that takes place on a derelict spaceship. Turning to crafting, BioWare is implementing something called the Crew Skill system. Players will send their crew on assignments to accomplish various objectives, including gathering (Bio Analysis, Slicing), crafting (Artifice, Biochem) and missions (Diplomacy, Treasure Hunter). Companions are typically suited to do one of these tasks better than the others. These tasks can be queued up in advance, and will have different benefits -- for example, Diplomacy can spread a player's influence and impact morality points, while Treasure Hunting will turn up treasures (and, presumably, junk) based on a random number generator.
Killzone 3 beta preview: Exo mechs, jet packs and Helghast, oh my!
Here's the thing about the Killzone 3 beta: It's best played with friends. But due to the limited number of players in the beta, the likelihood of forming a squad with your best gamer pals is pretty close to never going to happen. Ultimately, the beta experience suffers because of this -- the mutliplayer modes are based around playing as a cohesive squad, much like in Bad Company 2. Without friends, I've been forced to suffer the unpleasant randomness that is the general population of PSN players. Most of these folks are horrible teammates. %Gallery-106415%
