Monthly Archives: May 2012

World of Warplanes Reveals Ground-Attack Specialists

World of Warplanes Reveals Ground-Attack Specialists

 

 

Wargaming.net, the award-winning videogame developer and publisher, introduced ground-attack planes today into its flight combat MMO World of Warplanes, currently in its alpha testing stage. These heavily armed warbirds are a massively threatening class designed to wipe out ground targets.

 

 

Several legendary names stand out in the class of ground-attack planes, including the classic Il-2, Il-10, and the highly progressive jet-powered Il-40 “sturmoviks”, which is presented in the Soviet tech tree, and will expand into models from other nations as World of Warplanes gets close to launch later this year.

 

 

Ground-attack aircraft are most famous for deadly strafing runs, dive bombing, and destructive missile attacks, while their armor provides high survivability and combat effectiveness.

 

 

“This is the best example of what a flying tank would be like,” said World of Warplanes Project Manager, Alex Zezulin. “Ground-attack planes are heavy, slow-paced, close to invulnerable machines that might have the most important objective in combat: to eliminate any ground-based resistance and ensure the safety of their lighter allies.”

 

 

To view these heavily armored bombers in action, check out the new trailer here!

CCP Now Accepting Beta Registrations for Dust 514

CCP Now Accepting Beta Registrations for DUST 514

 

Dust 514

 

Today CCP Games is proud to announce that players can register for beta access to its upcoming free-to-play first person shooter, DUST 514, set to launch later this year exclusively on PlayStation®3. The registration page is now live and players can register here.

 

 

DUST 514 is one of the most anticipated titles of 2012, and CCP is ready to accept sign ups from fans and gamers eagerly awaiting their chance to try out the revolutionary shooter. If accepted, beta registrants will be notified with an email invitation and instructions on how to access the beta. Thousands of players have already been able to experience DUST 514 during its closed beta, and CCP is beginning to let limited numbers of players join the action. Select players from CCP’s MMO EVE Online will gain entry into the DUST 514 beta this week, as well as all those who attended the EVE Fanfest convention in Iceland this past March. The beta will continue to expand throughout the summer, and CCP will discuss more details at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

 

 

DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large scale warfare and rich character advancement to the PlayStation®3 in a system-exclusive free-to-play persistent shooter set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online. Wage war in the next generation of first person shooters, where your next victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire of thousands of online gamers.

Meta’s Verse: The Cape

Meta’s Verse: The Cape

By Meticulous Meta, OnRPG Paragon Reporter

 

 

City of Heroes is what it is because of its amazing community. It expands beyond the war walls of Paragon City, bleeding into the real world. And sometimes those lines are blurred. There has been one group on Virtue that has been around since beta, or somewhere around there (They aren’t sure!) who has been offering tunes to fight crime to twenty four hours a day. I’m talking about The Cape, a player run online radio station. Much like a local radio station you can find music of all sorts being played, you just have to know which DJ to tune into.

 

 

The Cape is known for broadcasting all over Paragon City, though they’re most often found with a large dancing crowd in Pocket D. They are present at almost all the major in game events either just DJing or more often as a co-organizer of the event. But by no means do they limit themselves to the big events. DJ Angel has been at several events through the years that I’ve hosted or attended. The most memorable being the in game wedding reception of Breyla and Peoples Paladin.

 

 

Currently they’re hosting a celebrations of eight in honor of the eighth anniversary of not only City of Heroes but also themselves. Tonight will bit 8 Points of the Compass hosted by DJ Valor who will be giving a musical tour of the world with this program. The festivities of eight will end on June 2nd with a very special 8 hour show. I couldn’t get any other details other than it will be awesome. Well, I could have been told more, but then they would have had to kill me.

 

 

In addition this weekend DJ Angel is celebrating five years of being with The Cape in the Rikti War Zone with an event open to all. There will be music, haikus and kicking in the faces of nasty old Rikti in a good old fashioned Lady Grey task force. I can only hope that the LGTF is her favourite; if it is we have something in common!

 

 

The largest event they’ve ever been a part of though was the 3rd annual winter gala which was hosted by Angry Angels, White Knights and The Kaotix. They had more than 300 listeners who were tuned in at the same time. That may seem like a small number but when you consider that all those people and many more were all attending the same event it is amazing.

 

 

I wanted to find out a bit more about what it was like being a DJ for The Cape, a bit more about the station and what it takes to become a DJ so I had a chat with DJ Pheonyx. He is described on The Cape’s website as a world class hacker who was once called “Lord of Cyberspace”. He didn’t have any previous experience DJing before he started at The Cape and is currently studying IT Network Administration. He told me the process of becoming a DJ for The Cape isn’t an easy one, but by no means are you expected to give up your first born either. It starts with the application and if that is accepted you get interviewed over Skype or some other similar service. If they like what they hear you get advanced to the next phase. During the next phase you put on a mini show which only the other DJs have access to. During that time they discuss with each other and most importantly the station manager, DJ Angel, to see what the group consensus is. And that’s it! So if you think you have a face for radio and want to give it a try there you go.

 

 

The Cape is always playing music though not always live, DJs need sleep sometimes too. That is unless it is a double XP weekend. Then they have someone on live, often taking requests.

 

 

This radio station has been a part of nearly all of my favorite memories from City of Heroes. And even though I’m not one to usually listen to the station, I know that it has had an impact on my heroing career and the same can be said by many other players on Virtue. If there is a party going on and The Cape isn’t there it doesn’t feel like a real party. I would like to thank DJ Pheonyx for taking time out of what is no doubt a very busy schedule to answer a few questions I had about the inner workings of The Cape. DJ Pheonyx said that The Cape wouldn’t be anything without its community; well DJs, the community wouldn’t be anything without you. Thank you for providing eight wonderful years of music and making Virtue a home away from home.

TERA Announces Politics and Premiums

TERA Announces Politics and Premiums

 

 

Big news comes in from TERA this week just two weeks after the launch in both North America and Europe. First up? The Political system starts up this week as candidates from across Arborea put their money where their mouth is to vie for 1 of 15 territories in each server.

 

 

Political System

Now not anyone can run for office. You’ll need to be level 50+ (60 preferred if you don’t want to get punked by your opponents in a pre-election duel), with a level 3 guild that houses more than 20 members. To throw your ring in the election hat you’ll have to fork over 3,000 gold and 100 Catharnach awards so think carefully of your chances of victory before committing the hard earned resources of you and your guild to the race. The deadline is fast approaching though on both versions so decide now what you want to do.

 

 

Once you’ve selected your continent and territory you’ll have to start campaigning. Players are only able to cast one vote per continent per account so you’ve got to fight against not only those campaigning directly against you, but also those campaigning in adjacent regions for votes. The voting character must also be level 20 so don’t waste too much time showing off on the Island of Dawn. How you earn your votes is entirely up to you, so we should see quite a show come out of this.

 

 

One week later (June 1st on NA servers), the winning candidates will ascend to office, receiving special mounts and the privilege to change policies for ruling their region. Of course to do so you’ll have to earn policy points so start making your members praise your faction now, and get ready to tackle some seriously powerful BAMs to earn more points the hard way. Vanarchs rule for 3 weeks and can control the following:

 

Tax Rates on Merchants

Open/Close Specialty Shops

Create Skill Trainers in Remote Locations

Upgrade Stamina Restore Clerics with New Abilities

Enable Access to Trade Brokers

Turn Open World PvP On/Off (PvP servers only)

 

 

Premium Shop

The other surprising update to come from TERA this week is the reveal of the premium shop. This is an area outside of the standard subscription fee in which players can buy name change scrolls, cosmetic changes, weapon skins, and even race/gender alterations. Prices seem on par with what most F2P titles charge for these conveniences, but opening premium shops in a P2P game is bound to cause controversy. One plus is the premium items are non-tradable so you can’t just buy them in bulk and sell them for power. Feel free to let us know what you think in our TERA discussion thread at OnRPG forums!

Tribes: Ascend Hits 1.2 Million Downloads

Tribes: Ascend Hits 1.2 Million Downloads

 

 

Hi-Rez Studios today announced that Tribes: Ascend has been downloaded 1.2 million times to date. The fast-paced, free-to-play multiplayer shooter was released on April 12th, 2012 to strong critical reception from the gaming press including Editor’s Choice awards from PC Gamer, IGN, and GameSpy and 10/10 scores from review sites worldwide including Eurogamer and Ausgamers.

 

 

“We’re thrilled that over 1 million gamers have discovered the fast-paced and skill-based gameplay of Tribes,” said Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios Chief Operating Officer. “It is truly the player support of the title that has driven the population growth and fuels our team to deliver updates.”

 

 

Hi-Rez Studios also announced that over 110,000 people have joined Tribes: Ascend via the recently introduced friend referral system.

 

 

“We see the community expanding primarily through positive word of mouth,” continues Todd. “Since release we’ve already recognized seven players who have each individually referred over 500 new people to Tribes: Ascend. The game’s success allows us to give back to the community through free DLC updates, tournament events and expansion into new markets in coming months.”

 

 

Tribes: Ascend has received three free DLC updates to date and has outlined a summer schedule for tournaments that include over $30,000 in cash and prizes for players.

 

 

Can’t get enough of the Esports scene? Hi-Rez also announced today that SMITE, their 3rd person mythology MOBA, will be hitting CB on May 31st! They are currently accepting pre-orders to ensure beta access including 10 permanent god unlocks plus five free gods. Check out the official site for more info: https://account.hirezstudios.com/smitegame/

WoW Wednesday: I’d Rather be Raiding

World of Warcraft Wednesday – I’d Rather be Raiding

Questions by Meredith Watson, OnRPG Journalist

Answers by: RocknRoll and Selamine, Outlaws Torn Guild Representatives

 

 

 

Raiding is serious business. Or so the hardcore World of Warcraft raiders would have us believe. If a guild wants to be number one in the world and clear all the content in the first week or month then raiding is very serious business. Not every guild is hardcore though. In fact, very few are. Most guilds in the World of Warcraft are casual raiding guilds or social guilds.

 

 

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to the guild leader as well as one of the raid leaders of Outlaws Torn, a casual raiding guild, to find out how they have succeeded as a guild for seven years and how the game has changed for the raider. Outlaws Torn is led by Rocknroll, a level 85 Tauren druid. They are currently one of the top horde guilds on their server Emerald Dream EU.

 

 

Can you tell me a little about yourself and the guild’s background?

 

Rocknroll: I’m Rocknroll, the server’s arch-druid and only remaining immortal. The guild’s almost as old as I am, started in 2005 by my brother, our friends and myself purely so we could play together and enjoy the game a bit more.  Initially, our guild started out as our friends. We extended to people who like heavy metal, then people who like beer, then anyone who can stealth, then we stopped drinking so much and actually made an effort to raid since we had a good group of people.

 

Selamine: Yes, hi.  I’m a post doc at Warwick uni, just finished my PHD in graphics end of last year and got into WoW through a fellow researcher. A wrath baby as the term goes.  Outlaws Torn was actually my second guild, first non-leveling guild.

 

 

You raided in vanilla. What challenges did you face finding 40 players to raid?

 

Rocknroll: Aye we did, although we never finished clearing Naxx. Primarily, our main issue was that our server, at the time, had a low population with 80% Alliance. We didn’t want to go through the logistical (and we deemed entirely unnecessary) steps of recruiting 50 people to get a solid 40 people every night. So, we worked with other guilds for 40-man raids, letting each bring in 5-10 people and it worked really well. It worked so well that people were joining us to join the co-op raids and eventually we inadvertently were taking 30 people from Outlaws Torn and needed less and less other guilds. But we didn’t try very hard.  We’ve always had kind of a casual ethos.

 

 

What was your most memorable boss kill of vanilla?

 

Rocknroll: Personally, it was our first kill on Venoxis in Zul’Gurub.  It earned my nickname “supermoonfire” since everyone was dead and I was left standing with the boss, killed it with moonfire. Started trying to tally how many bosses I could get killing blows on with moonfire as a healer.

 

Selamine: He’s still on the fingers of one hand.

 

Rocknroll: Yes, four.

 

 

How did you transition to 10 and 25 man raids in The Burning Crusade?

 

Rocknroll: Karazhan really suited us. At the time we had the perfect setup for two 10-man raids.

 

 

Were you able to do 25 man raids?

 

Rocknroll:Yes, it came really naturally after doing well in Karazhan with  two teams.

 

 

What was the biggest difference in TBC raiding versus vanilla?

 

Rocknroll: I can’t say that we felt much difference at the time, other than numbers of people involved.  Smaller raids made it much easier to organise and sustain. A lot of our guys still look back at TBC raids as the glory times.  We had a lot of active people and new things to do. It was more comfortable than vanilla. We stopped trying when we started Sunwell, I think. The other guilds on the server seemed so competitive and I just don’t want involvement in stuff like that.

 

 

How did you plan for the introduction of the DK in Wrath of the Lich King? Did you allocate a certain number of spots in your raiding roster for Dks?

 

Rocknroll: Well, I’ve always been given beta access for each expansion.  A lot of people go on beta and just moan about the changes to their class but I went and invested some time learning how good they’d be, how to play them and such. Before every expansion we do a “summer transfer” style period where we give people the opportunity to tell us if they aren’t enjoying their role, class, and such so we can prepare for them to re-roll or change specs permanently. We’ve never dictated what someone should play.  If people are forced to roll a spec then they won’t enjoy it and won’t perform as well as they could.  If they enjoy what they’re doing they’ll turn up more often, they’ll stay in the guild longer and remain a part of the team. It’s done us well over the years

 

 

Selamine: Although, with the expectant flood of  DKs, I’d say it was the opposite. We never really had enough.

 

Rocknroll: Yeah, we all made one but very few made the DK their main character.

 

 

Compared to TBC raiding what was the biggest change in raiding in WotLK? Selamine, did you start raiding in WotLK?

 

Rocknroll: Really I’d say the raids felt a bit more gritty. The devs really did a good job (for me) in making the raids feel like you were in Northrend.  It felt like we were pushing for a reason and didn’t mind getting our asses handed to us a few times.

 

Selamine: Yes, I started to play about a month before TBC ended and joined Outlaws Torn for Naxx runs just as they were downing KT.

 

 

What was your greatest success in Wotlk?

 

Rocknroll: Sel’s probably going to say our first LK 25 kill.

 

Selamine: Maybe Bane pre-4.0, that was hard. But LK25 did take some coordination it has to be said.

 

What about the differences between Cataclysm raiding and the other expansions?

 

Rocknroll: I think we’ve found the introduction of “flexi-raiding” a bit erm…well, it’s been fun.

 

Selamine: In the early stages, it did seem to be more along the lines of resource management towards sustainability, which is what Blizzard said they would be pushing. That has declined massively as we went through Cataclysm. Gear always had that effect.

 

 

Outlaws Torn is currently a top Horde guild on Emerald Dream EU. You must have been working hard to get there.

 

Selamine: We have always been casual. I’ve had month breaks through Firelands while submitting my PHD. We hardly work hard at it. Just a bunch of decent players with a similar ethos and mindset.

 

Rocknroll: At the start of Cataclysm we were the only really social guild that was doing well in raids on our server. At the announcement of 25 and 10  dropping the same loot, same achievements and stuff, a lot of the old guilds ditched people to fit into 10-man for easier content.

 

 

Are you looking forward to Mists of Pandaria? The monk class?

 

Rocknroll: We all are.

 

Selamine: Yes MoP is another milestone. It is still an enjoyable game. And I will be rerolling monk myself.

 

Rocknroll: Seems that over the years our guild just gets on with stuff and now we’re accidentally at the top of the pile on our server.

 

 

It was a pleasure meeting you both. I wish you much continued success and thank you again for chatting with me.

 

 

Soul Captor Online

Soul Captor is a fantasy MMORPG with an Eastern setting. Along the way, players will collect hundreds of souls from defeated monsters while defending the land from a mysterious evil. Expect challenging quests, adventure, and a magical world all open to be discovered. With six classes to choose from, you’ll find something that fits just right for you.

 

 

Features

 

The Soulpedia: Capture and collect the souls of fallen monsters across the world. Learn more about each one, and utilize them as mounts outside of combat.

 

Spirit Sidekick: Every character has a unique sidekick that can be utilized to your advantage. Plus, they can be switched from defensive, offensive, or healing quickly, allowing you to adapt to situations easily.

 

In-depth Friend System: Forge powerful bonds through gameplay. By doing so, you will unlock various buffs and bonuses to aid you in your journey. Boast the many achievements you have, and work together to attain even more!

 

Story and Lore: The game is rich with information. In-game cutscenes will tell you the story of the land as you seek to uncover the mysteries behind the evil spreading across the world. Rich storylines and colorful characters are everywhere!

 

Eudemons Online Promises Special Anniversary Events

What’s Special About EO’s 6th Anniversary?

 

 

 

It’s the 6th year of Eudemons Online, and this exciting, free-to-play MMORPG is far from over! Eudemons Online has grown up and changed a lot through these years, so what can we expect from the anniversary on June 1st?

 

 

Gamer Video Support

Games and gamers are inseparable. None of the games of today could have come so far without the help and support from their players. This anniversary, many EO fans have sent their videos to add to the official trailer. We’ll see players from all around the world in EO’s upcoming anniversary trailer. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones to have their video included!

 

 

 

Real-World Gifts Giveaway

The in-game gifts are as great as ever, but there’s a special surprise for this anniversary! This time, TQ is offering special anniversary souvenirs from the real world! Check out these awesome Eudemon books & pins! There are altogether 10 unique pins per book. You can put them on your clothes, your bag, your hat, or any other place you like! Just join the Eudemons 6th Anniversary celebration events, and you’ll get your chance to grab these incredible gifts!

 

 

 

For more information check their official site.