warbands
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Gloria Victis updates animation tech, hires famous writers
We first heard of Gloria Victis during last year's unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, but the medieval MMO has grown by leaps and bounds since then. The most recent update provides news on a reworked database, Warband creation, mo-cap animations, and the addition of three well-known writers for the game's lore. Jacek Komuda and Maciej Jurewicz have both worked on The Witcher and Bulletstorm, as well as dozens of other published works. Their "gritty, bloody, dark" style will show through in the game's storyline and the team at Black Eye Games hopes to show off a few lines for fans soon. [Source: Black Eye Games press release]
Atari announces iOS lineup for the rest of the year and beyond
Atari has dropped a press release announcing its mobile game lineup for the rest of 2012 and first part of 2013, and there are some really interesting titles in there. Here's the full list, for your viewing pleasure: RollerCoaster Tycoon (Q1 2013, iOS and Android) Dungeons & Dragons: Warbands (December, iPad) Atari Casino (Q4 2012, iOS) Outlaw (November, iOS) RollerCoaster Tycoon should be a fun addition to mobile platforms. Dungeons and Dragons Warbands is a D&D-themed game that sounds nice and tactical, and Outlaw is presumably either a port or an update of the old Atari game from back in 1976. Atari Casino is another old Atari title, but given how popular poker and other casino games have been on iOS, it's more likely that Atari is working on its own freemium gambling simulation rather than remaking the old classic. One thing you might not notice on this list is any of the Pong variants that won Atari's developers challenge earlier this year (for which I was a judge). Atari's reps have confirmed to us that those games are still under development, and not yet ready for a release announcement. But even without those Atari-published indie titles on the slate, this seems like a nice lineup for the company. We'll keep a lookout for the first two especially, and let you know when they drop.
LotRO dev diary spotlights roving warbands
Travel through the lands of Rohan will be no ride in the park according to the latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary. Developers outlined the addition of warbands to Riders of Rohan, describing the roving mobs of mobs as replacements for world bosses. With no restrictions on size or type of mob, players can happen upon any variety of warbands patrolling Rohan, from a single troll to packs of Warg-riders. The idea behind the warbands was to give players the feel of world bosses -- and the fight or flight feelings had when stumbling upon them -- without forcing spawn camping. When players travels bring them into the vicinity of a warband, a quest will pop up offering a quest to defeat the rampaging horde. Utilizing the open tapping method, any player will be able to participate regardless of group affiliation. Rewards will then be delivered via the quest, not loot drop, allowing players to freely assist one another when confronting these new packs of foes. For more about Riders of Rohan, check out Massively's exclusive hands-on experience.
New Lord of the Rings Online video is all about warbands
Riders of Rohan is introducing several new mechanics to Lord of the Rings Online, including the brand-new warbands. But what are warbands? How do you interact with them? Can you join them, possibly on the strength of rocking a sweet lute solo? A new community video with community manager Rick "Sapience" Heaton and Senior Producer Aaron "Rowan" Campbell addresses all of these concerns and more. Except for the lute solo. You're on your own with that one. Campbell explains that warbands are essentially rare enemies taken up to the next level. Instead of just finding the occasional notable spawn, you'll see groups of enemies roaming the world, marked on your map and just waiting for you to ride off and challenge them. These bands will vary in size, with some requiring only a single player and some potentially requiring a full raid to defeat. The bands are also subject to a new "open tapping" system, which allows players to work together and receive rewards without being in a full group and encourages players to challenge these bands without worrying about competition. Check out the full video just past the break for more information on this upcoming addition to the game's mechanics.
The Road to Mordor: Hands-on with Riders of Rohan's mounted combat
I remember the very first thought I had when Turbine announced Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan: If the mounted combat isn't very, very good, this expansion's going to be a big dud. I don't think we've ever had an expansion that leaned so heavily on a core system for not only the bulk of its gameplay but also its style. Crude my thought may have been, it felt like the truth. I don't know any other successful MMO that utilized mounted combat as anything but a sideshow curiosity. The LotRO team was putting too much emphasis on mounted combat for it to fizzle. I think I can breathe easier now that I've had a chance to spend an hour fiddling with mounted combat while talking to Senior Producer Aaron Campbell. What I saw was an alpha build of the expansion (the beta is scheduled to start soon, perhaps as soon as next week), but once I got used to careening over the plains at 88 miles per hour, it felt just right. It felt like LotRO.
Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan shows the might of warbands
They're the fantasy equivalent of biker gangs, and they're not going to stop terrorizing the 'hood until a spunky hero rides against them. They're Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan's warbands: fierce groups of mounted enemies who roam the vast plains looking for trouble. Today Turbine released six new screenshots of these warbands in action. Unlike other enemies in the game, warbands will travel far and fast, bringing conflict when you least expect it. These enemies ride on both wargs and horses, wielding terrible instruments of war. The studio says that there are no "dibs" when fighting warbands. Any player who attacks a warband will get credit for the kill, even if not grouped. Turbine says that it created this open tapping system to encourage cooperation instead of competition. [Source: Turbine press release] %Gallery-158706%
The Road to Mordor: Ride to ruin and the world's ending!
Mounted combat's been on my mind a lot lately, particularly when I was galloping around Dunland and various clansmen knocked me off my horse. It was then that I wished I had a skill called "Trample to a Bloody Pulp -- For Rohan!" and that Turbine would finally earn that AO rating it's always craved. Barring that skill, I would just love a massive war horse that would send enemies fleeing from me instead of making a beeline for my knees (which are a prime target for arrows). I'm both excited and nervous about the mounted combat system coming in Riders of Rohan. I'm excited that it will open up a new style of gameplay in this five-year-old game and nervous that it'll drag Lord of the Rings Online down if it's not done right. Whatever type of horseback combat we might envision will surely be different than the final product, and that uncertainty leaves me feeling in limbo. More than anything else, Riders of Rohan is about mounted combat. Turbine's centering the expansion around it, dedicating an entire zone to it, and developing loads of assets and skills for it, and the company will undoubtedly be hyping it strongly over the course of the summer. It's a bold step to take but a necessary one as well, as the IP and nation of Rohan are steeped in mounted combat, and it's been a little weird that we've had to dismount to swing a sword ever since leaving the shire. So will mounted combat prevail, fail, or muddle in the middle?
