Final Fantasy XIV demonstrates the questing and combat system in its current alpha state for the Realm Reborn launch.
Yearly Archives: 2012
Neverwinter Reveals Character Customization
Neverwinter Reveals Character Customization
Cryptic Games have always been known for powerful character customization tools such as evident in Star Trek Online. Even greater will this ring true for Perfect World and Cryptic’s upcoming Dungeons & Dragons action MMORPG, Neverwinter. Today, a new dev diary goes over the details of character customization for the first time.
In Neverwinter, character creation begins with choosing a race, class, and gender combo. Each race comes with unique racial abilities, which grants some bonuses to core stats — strength, constitution, and more. These racial abilities allow players to fully customize their play style. Furthermore, stats are also customizable, both through your choice of race and through rolling.
Create a sharp looking avatar with a large scale of options to customize physical appearance. There will be an option to choose from several preset looks or individually fine-tune each facet of your character – slim or lengthen hands, change shape and complexion, add height, show battle scars or tattoos, and much more.
Kartuga Class Introduction – Destroyer
United powered browser ship battling game Kartuga has begun a class reveal series of their various vessels.
Tyrian Times – Culling, Wintersday and a new ‘do.
Tyrian Times – Culling, Wintersday and a new ‘do.
By Meredith Watson, OnRPG Tyrian Reporter
Now you see me. Now you don’t.
While Guild Wars 2 is a great game in many respects and has even been nominated for IGN’s Game of the Year, there is an aspect that many find annoying yet don’t know much about it, and why it happens. I am talking about culling.
Culling is also known as occlusion culling or hidden surface determination. The main problem appears to be that Arena Net uses Umbra occlusion culling technology to render complex scenes. This is a trade-off for performance. The idea behind this is that objects that are behind other objects are not drawn on the screen for the player. Commonly, in MMO’s, even outside, the environment is divided up into a series of rooms and then the culling technology decides if these rooms are visible to the player. Couple culling with inherent lag due to location and other data (such as character look, items worn, and/or animation action currently playing) transmitted over the internet (through various network providers and interconnects that may or may not be experiencing general traffic bottlenecks themselves), players will often find that items, enemy NPCs or players suddenly appear when there were none as the “room visibility” catches up with the current local environment and changes that have been received by the client from the server.
Any client/server application, including MMOs, need to make some sort of trade off due to network latency, client hardware and scene complexity. Most of the time this trade off falls within acceptable limits for players but when it starts affecting gameplay it will be noticed.

And it is being noticed. Specifically at large events. The Lost Shores event was a prime example of this. There were numerous complaints about players being one shotted by mobs that hadn’t even appeared on screen yet or large groups of players being dead for the same reason. As stated above, with the latency that was the opening night of that event it is a recipe for disaster. It isn’t just PvE events that experience culling to a great degree but also PvP, specifically WvW. The problem is essentially the same with enemies suddenly appearing and not having time to react. Thieves can appear to be perma-stealthed or large groups of players appearing out of nowhere. Of course, gamers being what they are will find ways to exploit issues. There were culling issues in Guild Wars as well which were never fixed. This isn’t boding well for the future of Guild Wars2.
There has been a culling bug fix for PvP already. While there are plans to address the greater issue of culling from ArenaNet for PvE and WvW it will be a long process.
We are working on a fix (a collection of fixes, really) for culling and character loading issues. The fixes require significant changes to a number of game systems and thus require time to implement. We’re not yet ready to discuss a release date for the current set of fixes, but we’re working hard to improve the experience as quickly as we can.
This culling issue is quite serious and if you were to look there are numerous videos on YouTube or forum posts showing the severity. For many it is frustrating and is likely part of the reason many have opted to not play Guild Wars 2 at this time. However, and I have stated this before, it is early days. We need to give ArenaNet a chance to fix the problem but personally this is definitely something I would like to see addressed sooner than later.
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Wintersday
December’s update for Guild Wars 2, Wintersday, has been announced. Since this is the first Wintersday event for Guild Wars 2 it would be assumed, based on how similar the Halloween event was to Guild Wars, that Wintersday in GW2 will be similar to Guild Wars as well. The Guild Wars Wintersday event saw the gods Dwayna and Grenth fighting for control of the weather. Guild Wars Wintersday featured multiple quest lines, snowball fights, costume packs and a final fight with Dwayna and Grenth offering a head piece which should sound familiar.

From what has been stated so far about Wintersday for Guild Wars 2, unlike the Halloween event, it is nothing like Guild Wars:
The nights may be long and dark, but Tyrians of all races keep joy alive during the ancient holiday of Wintersday. While each race celebrates Wintersday in their own unique way, children all over Tyria share a common love of one thing: toys. This year the city of Lion’s Arch will host the Asuran Toymaker Tixx as their special Wintersday guest of honor. Before Tixx arrives in Lion’s Arch in his massive airship toy workshop, he’ll visit every major city in Tyria to deliver Wintersday toys and holiday cheer.
What is interesting and a bit exciting is that each race celebrates in their own way and that the celebration will be in all cities. Surely though it won’t be as simple as Toymaker Tixx delivering gifts. No doubt something will go terribly wrong and we Tyrians will have to make things right. Sounds fun. Bring on the 14th of December.
A new ‘do
There is a new addition to Guild Wars 2 in the form of a Total Makeover Kit and Hair-Style Kit. The Total Makeover Kit allows the player to change everything from hair, body shape, height and face to gender while the Hair-Style Kit does just what it says. While I would prefer to pay gold for a quick cut and dye, I am pleased the option to change appearance has found its way to the trading post.

OnRPG Shotgun News 12/6: FFXIV, Ubisoft, and Age of Wushu
OnRPG Shotgun News 12/6: FFXIV, Ubisoft, and Age of Wushu
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist
Rumor of AAA MMO From Ubisoft’s Massive Studio
My mother always taught me not to spread rumors but this one is too good to keep to myself. Ubisoft’s subsidiary studio Massive is rumored to be working on a AAA MMO. There isn’t any mention of an IP though fan speculation has run wild with the idea of an Assassin’s Creed MMO. As we get more information we will release it.
New Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Video Shows Off Combat and Quests
A new 5 minute long video has been released showing off combat and quests in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The video warns that this is still in the alpha stages and that anything seen could change. But that won’t stop us from getting excited about it! Check it out below.
Age of Wushu Gets a Deluxe Edition
Snail Games has announced they will be releasing a deluxe edition of Age of Wushu. The preorder bundle includes 60 Days of VIP time, in-game items, access to Age of Wushu from December 20th, and special events only for deluxe members. The package is on sale for $19.99.
The Destroyer – Kartuga’s Lightning Fast Aggressor
The Destroyer – Kartuga’s Lightning Fast Aggressor
Today InnoGames introduces the Destroyer, the first of three pirate classes in the upcoming Action-MMOG Kartuga. The agile ship is an offensive, all-purpose weapon for those out to be an aggressor on the high seas. The Destroyer causes massive damage, and added to that possesses speed and maneuverability – which makes this class downright mean. Durability isn’t a strong suit for this ship, however, and it’s vulnerable to attacks. A video has also just been released detailing the benefits of the Destroyer.
Kartuga players have the ability to customize each class even further, by unlocking a skill tree branching out in three directions. In the case of the Destroyer, these are called Raider, Ravager and Brawler. These skills determine the qualities of each ship. While the Ravager excels in long-range battles, the Raider’s fighting style can best be described as hit-and-run, as this skill’s mobility is unmatched. In contrast, the Brawler, with its ultra-thick armor and decisive attacks, is the scrappiest of the three.
Kartuga is an Action-MMO with RPG-elements. The 3D pirate game invites players to choose from three ship classes, and developing their unique play style by leveling up and combining various skills and equipment. Core of the game, developed by Ticking Bomb Games, is cooperative PvP. Players challenge each other in teams of four in intense, fast-paced matches. Closed Beta is planned for early 2013.
Ace of Spades Online Rocketeer Reveal
Ace of Spades demonstrates its classes in action including the never before revealed Rocketeer!
Ace of Spades Official Release Date Revealed
Ace of Spades Official Release Date Revealed
Jagex, Europe’s largest independent games studio, today formally announced the release date for the eagerly anticipated innovative shooter, Ace of Spades.
Launching on Steam on 12/12/12, Ace of Spades is a unique and retro-looking, intelligent shooter which deftly blends all the imagination and creative freedom of voxel-based gaming with the mayhem and excitement of competitive, team-based multiplayer first person shooters.
The game offers players complete strategic and creative freedom over a constantly evolving battlefield which, when combined with an extensive and ever growing weapon set, four diverse classes, a host of destructible maps and endless multiplayer experiences for 8 to 32 players, promises to breathe new life into the first person shooter genre.
In addition to the launch date announcement, Jagex also outlined details of the maps and gameplay modes which will be present in the game at launch. These will include:
Diamond Mine: A race to mine and collect the most diamonds, the winning team being the ones with the most loot.
Demolition: Destroy the enemy’s base before they have a chance to destroy yours.
Occupation: Defend your base from the opposing team, then switch roles and try to plant a bomb in the enemy team’s base.
Team Deathmatch: A tried and tested favourite in FPS games, get more kills than the other team and your team wins.
Zombie Mode: All you have to do is survive the Zombie attack, if you get killed by a Zombie you become one yourself. Will you be the last one standing?
Ranked Match: A tournament system which uses a selection of 4 different maps rotating every two weeks, to rank players competitively on a global leader board based on their performance.
Commenting on the countdown to launch, Arash Amini, Producer for Ace of Spades said, “In Ace of Spades, we have created a game which seamlessly combines combat and construction gaming in real-time to create a truly unique experience. Players are equipped with the tools and abilities to craft elaborate fortifications, coordinated multiplayer assaults, and master stealthy and strategic battle tactics in their attempt to obliterate the enemy from the game.”
Amini continued, “We are so excited about the game’s release and we cannot wait to see how creative and deadly our players can be. It’s been really overwhelming to see the excitement grow since we announced the first details of the game last month. The response has been phenomenal and we have seen hundreds of thousands of players registering their interest on www.AceofSpades.com ahead of launch. The game promises to offer players an experience like no other, a hectic, destructive, intelligent and tactical form of gameplay which can’t be found anywhere else.”
WoW Wednesday – Eight Years Later
WoW Wednesday – Eight Years Later
By Meredith Watson, OnRPG WoW Reporter
Last month World of Warcraft had its eighth anniversary. There was some hope from the community that we would get a pet as we have in the past such as the 4th and 5th anniversaries when pets were waiting in the mailbox. Instead, like last year, an 8% XP buff (though last year was 7% – see what they did there? Clever old Blizzard) and a temporary tabard were waiting for us on login. Presents aside, a lot of changes have occurred over these last years with regard to WoW – many for the greater good and some that should be scrapped. Read on for my top three best and worst changes.

The Top Three:
Transmogrification
This is something that should have been in the game long before 4.3.0. Almost every game out there has some sort of appearance feature. Instead of giving us a separate appearance tab or the like (and free) Blizzard opted for making us pay through the nose for our “mogs”. It makes sense. We have so much gold now and have nothing better to do with it than spend it on looking good. It seems most are more than willing to pay for the service and spend the time finding the right pieces. The only downside is that a lot of low level items that can be used by alts or first time players are extremely expensive due to catering (and making a profit) to the mogging community.
Account-wide Achievements and Mounts
A very recent but most welcome change. It just stands to reason that if you earned an achievement once or gotten that special mount that all your characters could share it. After all, you are only one person doing the work. It is fantastic not having to grind out certain reps to ride certain mounts after having done it once. Or your main got some awesome raiding achievements that your alts would likely never get but now when on said alts everyone will know you are hardcore. It is all about cred now anyway.
Phasing
Since Blizzard has mastered phasing it seems they use it whenever possible. Phasing is super for storytelling. It adds a new dimension rather than just reading some quest text. The lore nuts love it and rightly so. One of the best examples of phasing and indeed story telling is the Sylvanas quest line in Silverpine. Another brilliant example of phasing that was done in Wrath of the Lich King was the Battle for Undercity quest line (no longer in the game but can be done up to Wrathgate). Phasing was used before Wrath of the Lich King but very minimally and not noticeably. However, Wrath of the Lich King relied it on quite a bit and Cataclysm took it to a whole new level.
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The Worst Three:
Cross Realm Zones
This goes without saying (though I have quite a bit to say on the subject) but it is awful. Some may disagree though I can’t think why they would actually like it. I’ve written about it before because I feel strongly about it. It is crap. Talking to a friend last night who happened to be in-game while I was checking my email before bed, revealed a very grumpy Worgen druid. He was annoyed because at 11:30pm, the zone he was in was full of players stealing kills. It isn’t just stealing kills but also camping of mobs, lack of resources and just bad behaviour. It is like Blizzard bottled some of the worst aspects of the game and sold it to us as the next best thing. I just fail to see the point of CRZ. Yes, I know they want the zones to feel full and for new players to have a social experience, which must mean they want new players to experience kill stealing, camping, and lack of resources. Because outside of a guild, that is usually what the social experience in WoW entails.

Talentless
It has been months now since 5.0.4 was released and with it the “talent” changes. I still hate it. I was reading my twitter timeline the other day while two of my tweeps were discussing different talent builds in Rift. I remember when talents used to be a big deal in WoW. People spent so much time over them and enjoyed it. Now, talents really just don’t matter. We are playing our characters the way Blizzard wants us to play them. The only hope I have is that Blizzard will once again change the talents with the next expansion as they often do.
Dumbing Down
This isn’t one particular change but an eight year process. Over the years Blizzard has continue to simplify this game to the point that, literally, a five year old can play it. At the risk of sounding like an old woman reminiscing about the good old days, there was a time when the World of Warcraft was a challenge. Can you remember when there weren’t quest indicators? When you’d just run around forever looking for a certain NPC? Or how about finding sungrass before there were sparkles? Maybe even remembering that Molten Core required a Dwarven priest with fear ward? Now, almost everything is just handed to us (including how to play our classes). Levelling is incredibly fast and stupidly fast with BoAs. Next, like in some F2P games, we will just be able to click the map and automatically walk to the destination point or maybe the devs will come around and hold our hands while we play. If you can’t make it in WoW, you won’t be able to make it anywhere. It is quite possibly the easiest game to play.
What are your favourite and least favourite changes Blizzard has made to the World of Warcraft over the years?
Kings and Legends Beta Announcement
Get in a day early to the Kings and Legends beta with this link: http://kingsandlegends.com/lp/playcard/






