Yearly Archives: 2013

Tramell Isaac Interview – PlayerStudio Hits Planetside 2

Questions by Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), MMOHuts/OnRPG General Manager

Answers by Tramell Isaac, Senior Art Director of Planetside 2

Tramell Isaac

At this time last year I stumbled upon a truly intuitive and revolutionary system while attending SOE Live and Vegas. No I’m not talking about Wizardry Online, Dragon’s Prophet, or Everquest Next but rather a supplementary program called Player Studio at the time designed to allow players of Everquest and Free Realms to build their own imagination into their game. This wasn’t your typical player-made skin mod overlays but rather official content adopted by SOE to be included in future updates of the game.

 

My initial reaction (and I’m sure I wasn’t alone) was “Well what’s next?” Planetside 2 and DC Universe Online were top of my list but as soon as I asked I pretty much got the cold shoulder of “Oh sure, someday.” So when I hopped on a phone call with Tramell Isaac and Raquel Marcelo yesterday to learn about the next Planetside 2 update and was told it had already soft launched and would be open for testing throughout the US by Monday, I was speechless.

Mother of God Player Studio

Below is a paraphrase of how the conversation went.

 

DizzyPW:  I feel like every time I’ve asked about Planetside 2 being incorporated with Player Studio in the past, I’ve gotten a begrudging ‘maybe someday’ response. I imagine a game on this scale isn’t as easy to connect to Player Studio as say Everquest and FreeRealms. What primary challenges held it back from the initial studio launch?

Tramell: It wasn’t so much challenges holding it back as the fact that Planetside 2 was newly established and in need of building a solid playerbase. This was not the case with Everquest and Free Realms so priorities were shifted. First we needed to stabilize Planetside 2 in the early days to ensure lag-free MMOFPS gameplay on a global scale. Establishing a presence in eSports and launching in China were also major hurdles that slowed this process. With the successful Chinese launch last month, we were finally ready to run down the home stretch for next Monday’s US launch.

PSonPS2_2

DizzyPW: That said, surely this wasn’t throw together in a month’s time. How long has incorporating Planetside 2 with Player Studio been in the works?

Tramell: Planetside 2 launched with Player Studio in mind. We’ve had it in the back of our minds the entire time and feel we have a much more solid product on our hands as a result.

 

DizzyPW: Will the PlayerStudio tools be familiar to users of the software from your other titles?

Tramell: The main difference is users will have to utilize existing Planetside 2 textures rather than building their own from the ground up. It may be a bit limiting compared to Everquest’s only limitation being size requirements, but we feel it will help make a seamless world in which new players won’t know the difference between our in-house designs and Player Studio creations. This goes back to our focus on keeping the memory print of the game low for those playing on older PCs so Player Studio doesn’t turn their favorite game into a lag nightmare overnight.

That said, we have a hell of a lot of textures to work with and I challenge our players to make their dreams a reality within this system. You’ll be pleasantly surprised just how unique you can make a helmet look from others. We’ll of course also be offering plenty of samples for players to copy, tweak, and reinvent.

 

DizzyPW: What elements of the game will players be involved with designing? I imagine vehicles and weapons are the obvious choices but I’m curious how deep you’re going with it?

Tramell: No turns out vehicles and weapons are not on the table, at least in the beginning. We’re starting out slow to make sure we don’t break anything and intend to expand once we have our users acquainted with the basics of the system. For now though you can mess around with creating decals, hood ornaments, helmets and suits, cockpit logos, and various camo patterns. There might be some other items but that’s what comes to mind without looking at the full list.

These types of designs should be simple enough for everyone to get involved with as a deeper level of character customization. But for the advanced Player Studio artists itching to push the systems limits, we will have a few 3D designs and models they can mess with. Just be patient as it takes a bit longer for them to get through the approval process.

PSonPS2_1

DizzyPW: That’s something I was curious about. Is Player Studio’s approval team going to expand to accommodate for the influx of Planetside 2 submissions?

Tramell: These designs will go straight to our core Planetside 2 development team for approval. We’ll be incorporating the designs alongside our own content in future patches. They’ll be checking the forums on a daily basis once things get rolling so expect a lot of interaction and guidance from the early stages on how strong they think your designs are.

 

 

DizzyPW: Will players designate designs for specific factions or is that something that will be decided after the submission?

Tramell: You can create whatever you want so long as it fits into the Planetside 2 theme. Some designs will be specific to a faction while others will be more universally adopted and that’s all based on the design itself and how well we can seamlessly integrate it into our lore and world. For those not catching my drift, I’m saying don’t expect chicken heads and afro helmets popping up all over the game any time soon. Not to say we won’t ever take comical designs, but it’ll be a much slower and stricter approval process. Luckily you can get feedback at even the earliest levels of the design process so we can prevent you from wasting time making intricate joke designs that never get implemented into game.

 

 

DizzyPW: Are there plans for any competitive faction designs to celebrate the Playerstudio launch?

Tramell: That’s a good idea! We absolutely should. But not next week. I want to get Player Studio in the hands of a more worldwide audience including Europe and Russia before we start holding any faction versus faction competitions. I wouldn’t want to leave so many important members of our playerbase out of the fun.

 

 

DizzyPW: Any juicy tidbits you wish to share to get players pumped to test out this new feature?

Tramell: Starting Monday we’ll get people into the forums to acquaint them with the process. If you want to be a first adopter you had better not miss the opportunity to get in on this! Also keep an eye out over the weekend as we’ll be selecting a few key members of our community to beta test the tools.

 

DizzyPW: Thanks for the time and for pushing the industry forward with this one-of-a-kind system Tramell!

Microvolts Releases a Hot Summer Update

MicroVolts

Rock Hippo Productions Ltd. announced today the launch of its latest update – Heatwave – for their popular free-to-play cartoon-style third-person shooter, MicroVolts.  Down by the seashore, where life is easier but the battles are hot!

The warm sand and the cool breeze are relaxing, but the competition is still fierce! Take on your opponents while catching a tan in the new “Beach” map! The action doesn’t stop while you’re playing in the sand!

 

 

Take on the heat of the sun with “Green” and “Pink Summer Swimsuit” Naomi, “Blue” and “Yellow Poolside Bikini” Naomi. Endure waves of combat with “Naughty Unmentionables” Pandora, “Racy Unmentionables” Pandora, and “Home Team Swimsuit” Pandora. Wash away the competition and look great doing it! The water isn’t the only way to enjoy this beautiful weather. Grind your way to victory with “Red Skater” Pandora and “Green Skater” Pandora.

 

MicroVolts

Dive into the deep sea for buried treasures and avoid the blaring sun with “Diving” Naomi and “Scuba” Naomi.  A trove of weapons has also been added in game! Explore new depths of competition with “Gold Trident”, “Aqua Trident” and “Trident” melee weapons. Reel in a victory with “Gold”, “Silver”, and “Bronze Speargun.”

 

MicroVolts

While you’re out enjoying the blazing hot sun, join your returning favourites in combat again with “Mr. Pink” Knox, “Mr. Yellow” Knox, “Glacies” C.H.I.P. and the new “Dark Glacies” C.H.I.P.! C.H.I.P. and Pandora are now unlocked for all MicroVolters and no longer require Micro Points to use!  Raptr players will also have something special coming soon!

Activision Blizzard Set to go Independent


World of Warcraft Children's Week Orc

In an 8.2 billion dollar buyout Activision Blizzard will go independent from parent company Vivendi. The publisher is set to buy 439 million shares from Vivendi for $5.83 billion while an additional $2.24 billion in shares, that’s 172 million of them will be bought by an investment group lead by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly. In doing so Vivendi will no long be a major stockholder and Activision Blizzard will become an independent company. Though Vivendi will still hold around 12% of the shares in the company according to an article on gamesindustry.biz. While speaking about the takeover Bobby Kotick had this to say,

 

“We should emerge even stronger-an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value and expand our leadership position as one of the world’s most important entertainment companies. The transactions announced today will allow us to take advantage of attractive financing markets while still retaining more than $3 billion cash on hand to preserve financial stability.”

 

Company of Heroes 2

Company of Heroes 2 sets out to continue the legacy of the original Company of Heroes franchise. Free Russia from Nazi invaders in this in-depth strategy title, featuring new technology and tactics alongside the classic competitive and co-operative game play that you’ve come to expect.

Features:

Essence 3.0 Engine: New technology includes the TrueSight line of sight system, the ColdTech dynamic weather technology, and more.

Tactical Warfare: New commander abilities and dynamic battle tactics will give players a chance to feel the brutality of front-line warfare in new ways.

Intense Online Combat: Featuring the great competitive and co-operative multi-player that fans have grown to expect from this high-quality and critically acclaimed game

Conquer Online JiangHu Glorious Pack Giveaway

OnRPG is teaming up with 91.com to ring in the JiangHu PvP evolution expansion for Conquer Online with Glorious Packs!

Conquer Online is a free PVP MMORPG built around a Free to Play model but focusing on requiring Skill to Win. In Conquer Online, you can choose from 7+1 awesome classes and become a martial arts master. While exploring the ancient oriental fantasy world, you also can make friends with other players all over the world, organize a guild, and even get married. Complete quests, challenge fierce monsters, enhance gear and finally conquer a world of fierce fighters. Since launched, Conquer Online has attracted over 10 million players worldwide, Join them and prove yourself on the world-class stage now!

The Glorious Pack Includes:
1. Glorious EXP Pack:
You can open this pack 7 times in 7 days to get 7 Exp Balls, 7 Double Exp Potions and a Small Praying Stone.

2. Glorious Gear Pack:
You can open this pack to get a whole set of Level 70 super +1 gear (1 socket for weapon).

3. Glorious Support Pack:
You can open this pack 7 times in 7 days to get a Meteor Scrolls and a +2 Stone each time.

 

To get your key you have to follow these instructions:

  • If you are not yet a member of OnRPG please sign up here.
  • Enter your OnRPG username and password below to get your key.
  • The key will appear at the bottom of the page. Copy & paste it to a safe place as you may not be able to retrieve it once closing your browser!

To Redeem your Key:

  • Sign up for free on our Event Page
  • Download the game and login to create a new character.
  • Come back to the Event Page. Submit your character info and your gift code to claim your gift pack!
  • Login to the game and grab the gift packs from the Prize Officer (Market 185, 170).
  • New Players Only. One Pack Per IP.

Splinters of Ares Interview – Putting the RPG in MMO

Questions by Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG News Editor

There may not be much press about it yet, but Splinters of Ares isn’t your average MMO. It’s a self run crowdfunding project which spans from MMO, to Film, beyond to paper and even into your nose. This ambitious project is being undertaken by Bulltiger Productions and I had the opportunity to talk with three wonderful people involved with the project, Stephen Brent Jenkins, Adam W Rodriguez, and Kate Meehan. I found out about the film, the MMORPG, the development and more.

Splinters of Ares Interview

If you’d like to start, please introduce yourself and tell us what your role is in the development of Splinters of Ares.

 

Stephen Brent Jenkins, CEO/Creative Producer of Bulltiger Productions. I work on all major aspects of the “Splinters of Ares” MMORPG and the Film “Splinters of Ares: Rogue.”

 

Adam W Rodriguez, the Chief Writer of the Splinters of Ares IP and the script writer for the film Splinters of Ares: Rogue.

 

Kate Meehan, CFO, Bulltiger Productions. I’m also working closely with the writers and creative team to shape the cultures in the various zones.

 

 

For our readers who may have never heard about Splinters of Ares, could you give us a bit of background not only into the development but also the history of the world?

 

Jenkins: The Splinters of Ares world is a vast fantasy world set on and around the planet of Ares and its moons and planes. When Adam Wade Rodriguez and I sat down to develop this game, we pulled together our vast knowledge of games, both PC and table top, and cherry picked some of the old gameplay features we were sad to see abandoned as games evolved. We then started expanding on those and adding in features we’d always wanted to see in PC and console games, attempting to marry the visual immersion of a console game with the freedom of table top RPGs. Along with magical and combat options for gameplay

 

Rodriguez: Brent Jenkins and I have been dreaming up fantastical worlds since we saw Star Wars the first time, so as far as development goes we’ve been at it as long as we can remember.

When we sat down and began mapping the game and film out, the culmination of years of imaginative world building began detailing the World of Ares. We were careful to build an appropriate past that would lead the player and viewer to the future we envision for the franchise. We want the history and the unfolding story of the IP to be full of surprises.

 

Meehan: As far as the history goes, the entire starting continent in World of Ares is trying to rebuild itself after a major war united the free peoples against invading armies.  These allegiances, now that the war is over, are starting to disintegrate. Meanwhile, the wizards, a fairly secretive bunch, are muttering about a terrible prophesy coming to fruition — just as everyone is trying to get back to normal. It’s a pretty terrible time in the history of Ares.

 

Splinters of Ares Traps

Let’s talk a bit more about the world you’ve created. What inspired the history and lore for Splinters of Ares?

 

Jenkins: The world ideas and ethos that have gone into the histories of Splinters of Ares come from our team’s wide knowledge base. We incorporated some of our favourite obscure earth-bound mythologies and combined them with inspiration from some of our favourite table top games and fantasy stories. We’ll freely admit to probably having let our imaginations spend too much time exploring Krin and Middle Earth, and questing with Hawk the Slayer, Conan and Wolverine. We’ve worn the pips off way too many D20 dice.

 

Rodriguez:  Right around here we introduced Kate to our world, and started building a map. Kate’s knowledge of European history is pretty impressive. This made for a rich dialog and series of brainstorms that resulted in a backstory and lore base that the historians and fantasy fans can give several knowing nods to. Our nerdery knows no bounds and this world reflects that.

 

Meehan: Our goal in the development of the zones was to base them off cultures that you’re probably vaguely familiar with from history class and set them in regions with similar environments. That familiarity helps with bringing players deeper into the game – if they feel like they’ve been there before, or can already affiliate a region with stories and legends, whether they’re ours or not, the players are already deeper into the game than if we built a world entirely based on fantasy.

 

Some say that the fantasy genre is oversaturated, especially in the MMO scene. What makes this world different to all the others out there?

 

Jenkins: Splinters of Ares is hoping to be the forerunner in the evolution of MMOs. Fantasy gaming should be more than plunking your game into a setting where elves run around. We really enjoy the shared elements of storytelling, where players are as much in control of the story as the GMs. With the Morphic world engine, the decisions players make will affect the world around them and how other players are affected as well. We have a highly reactive faction engine that will account for every quest and action the player takes.

 

Rodriguez: Oversaturated isn’t the word I’d use. I’d say MMO fantasy games are becoming a little too formulaic. A mold has been formed and deviation from that mold might be intimidating to some developers. We have a design that offers what the player wants in a MMO, like quest versatility, a world that actually is affected by the actions of the player. Some of the things players love about table top RPGs.

 

Continuing along that same vein, let’s talk about gameplay. What is Splinters of Ares going to be like? Will we be sent out to kill 10 rats? Will there be PvP?

 

Meehan: Screw grinding. Screw it in its ear.

 

Jenkins: Grinding is the bane of the MMO! PVP …Yes! Battleground, arenas, specialty areas and duels, they will all be here, along with some pretty fun PVE options.

 

Rodriguez: Less grinding and more PVP is a part of our game play model.

 

In the crowdfunding video it is said that no two severs will be alike because the players shape the world they live in. This isn’t something typically seen in the MMO genre. Will players be able to play on more than one server, or maybe even transfer if they don’t like how things are going on the server they originally pick?

 

Jenkins: Through our “Morphic World Engine,” players will change the world around them on a constant basis,  based on the majority choice of certain quest completion options. Different servers will vary based on which NPCs are still alive to offer certain quests based on player choices. Some servers might get pretty dark, actually.

Server transfers will be available from the beginning, but there will be quests you’ll have to accomplish to shift from one temporal time line to another.

Splinters of Ares Clutchbone

Why have you chosen to go the crowdfunding route instead of the more traditional route of finding backers and publishers to start with?

 

Jenkins: For two reasons. The first is to establish incorporating player feedback into our development process from the very beginning. We think making those systems part of our company culture keeps us tethered to the idea that we’re making games for our players, not for the distributors. The crowd fund is a tidy vehicle for getting our players involved early, and to make a game and film that is based on their feedback, rather than what our investors and distributors want.

The second reason is to buy us a little more creative freedom.

 

In addition to that, why have you decided to do the funding on your own site instead of one of the popular third party sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo?

 

Meehan: While we appreciate the visibility of Kickstarter or Indiegogo, we’re a gaming company. It seemed strange to pay someone else to build something that we should be quite capable of building on our own. We may do an official Kickstarter down the road, but for now, hosting it on our site allows us a lot more flexibility in the amount of time we can keep the campaign running.

 

Will the crowdfunding project have an end date or will it go until the money is raised? If it does end before you reach the goal what will happen then?

 

Jenkins: The crowd funder is initially set for six months, but because it’s set up on our own site, we can have it open as long as people seem to want to contribute. Six months just gives us a good window to develop some of our more unique bits of code and software before having to march to the tune of our investors. Regardless, the game and film will be made. The crowdfund lets us be more creative about it.

 

Trion Worlds currently has the MMO/TV Series Defiance with Syfy which is perhaps the most popular transmedia MMO project at the moment. How will the Splinters of Ares film differ from previous transmedia endeavors?

 

Jenkins: Trion did a great job, but we want to take it much further. The film is actually the first of a series of films to be released internationally that are tied to game expansions, all of which are influenced by the choices players are making in-game. We’ll also be releasing literary and graphic novels, which feature characters you only see momentarily in the film, but which also intersect with in-game questing. We’re also launching a full suite of mobile apps, which include lighter games, MMO interfaces, and a slew of other bits. We’re really excited about the world we’re building, and we want to figure out as many avenues as possible to share it with you.

 

Do you have any big names lined up for the film and MMO? Be it from the production end or acting.

 

Jenkins: Ah ha!

Yes, we’ve got some pretty big names on both the film and game sides. Kalani Streicher (who worked with George Lucas at Lucas Arts on much of the Star Wars Franchise) from Kalani Games has partnered with us for our game development and production. Mick Giles worked with EA and SOE for just about ever, and worked on some of their biggest titles, among a bunch of others.

 

On the film end, we’re still waiting on ink to dry on some contracts, so we can’t quite announce those yet. Let’s just say it’s a who’s who of our very favourite actors and directors, and we will let you know as soon as our attorneys will allow. But seriously, we’re really excited about the people we’ve managed to bring on board.

Splinters of Ares Sword

Will people all around the world be able to see the film in theater?

 

Jenkins: Yes. It’ll be released on the big screen, internationally.

 

What, to you is the single most exciting thing about Splinters of Ares? Other than the fact that you have the pleasure of working on it, of course.

 

Jenkins: For me, it’s got to be merging games and films together, and the ability to bring players on from the beginning. I like the idea of the players steering the industry, rather than the other way around.

 

Rodriguez: For me it’s bringing the IP to life. The process is awesome and being able to create a new world based on my ideas and the concepts of the team we have assembled is an incredible experience.

 

Meehan: I’m totally into the Choose Your Own Adventure aspects of the game. I loved those books as a kid, and the way that the players can shape the world is very exciting.

 

Finally, let’s talk dates. Do you have any release dates, or betas scheduled?

 

Jenkins: We could give you some wild guesses on dates, but you know how uncertain MMO development timelines are.  We hope to be in alpha next year.

 

Thank you to Stephen Brent Jenkins, Adam W Rodriguez, and Kate Meehan for taking the time to tell us more about Splinters of Ares. Now, you may be wondering, where does the nose come into this. Well it was just announced yesterday that Splinters of Ares is teaming up with Scent Sciences to bring players custom Splinters of Ares scent packets which will allow the player to smell the game they play. Let’s just hope we don’t run into any rotting zombies. OnRPG will be keeping a close eye on the development of Splinters of Ares and we will be sure to bring you any news as we get it.

Fortuna Review – Victorious Warriors Win First, Then go to War

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor ) OnRPG Journalist

Fortuna Review 1

With a catchy title of ‘Your Legacy Begins Today’ I was interested in what Fortuna from Perfect World had to offer. Set in Europe, during the golden age, the player has to take a side with one of the three available noble families. As a big fan of the Italian families, I chose to go for the Medici to capitalize on a legacy of great thinkers from their region like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo. Take control of your own army, develop them into a big empire and form alliances to gain more power. That’s the name of the game!

When you first see your empire it looks rather empty and dull. You’ll have to start from the ground up. From hiring people, to building up the necessary buildings, you will have to do everything manually by yourself. Each player gets a large capital city. Here you will have to place buildings within designated squares. Unfortunately you cannot go wild and place your buildings around to create unique designs as the spots are static.

Fortuna Review 2

In the campaign, you will have to go through a questline together with your hired general. Each time you win a fight, you will move up a spot and you will face a tougher battle. Unfortunately the fighting is completely automatic, and the player has no control whatsoever over his troops. This feels like a missed opportunity in the gameplay department. The generals that you can hire however are able to utilize skills, and these will activate automatically as well. The bulk of the tactics comes in the form of finding generals with the right set of skills to best supplement your army’s strengths.

Fortuna Review 3

The process of building your army is where Fortuna shines and allows you a sense of individualism from other players. In the tutorial you are taught how to use your army, and how to deploy them. The deployment of your troops is important, if you specialize yourself with ranged units, you obviously don’t want them to stand at the front. Then you need to find the right balance of tanky front line units to protect your ranged dps, which of course can vary from battle to battle. Your heroes can also influence the strength of your units, and because every hero specializes in certain attributes, you really want to play around and experiment to see what works best. Your heroes can also receive training without having to endanger them on the battlefield. In the training halls, your heroes can farm experience while you do others things; it’s like bringing your kids to school. And if you want to make your kids even happier, you can dress them up with special equipment that makes them even better in combat.

Fortuna Review 4

And slowly but surely you will see your empire increase. Buildings will rise and your rag tag group of marauders will grow into a hardened specialized fighting force built around your tactics. You remember the city you had when you started? It’s now a bustling metropolis with animated people going about their daily business. Of course the impatient player can use cards and throw money at your screen to make the building or training of units speed up. These time saving features are the limit to what cash shopping can get you though as every unit and building can be acquired without spending a dime. Just don’t underestimate the power that those speed boosts can offer. You are even able to buy resources and this can definitely give you an edge over people that do not pay.

Fortuna Review 5

Conclusion

Fortuna is one of those real time strategy games that is a lot of fun, has a nice background story to offer, but unfortunately feels like it’s missing something from being perfect. While building up your empire is fun and creating your army’s legacy is quite entertaining, the game overall lacks in the features department. Though I’m more of an action gamer so Fortuna likely appeals more to those who prefer to spend time strategizing and arranging formations rather than controlling combat in realtime. Leveling up your units and building more buildings offers the RPG addiction for a while, but I look forward to seeing if Fortuna can up the ante in future updates.

Aeria Games Announces F.E.A.R. Online

F.E.A.R. Online

Aeria Games is proud to announce that the acclaimed F.E.A.R. franchise is back with a vengeance! We’re giving you the early scoop on the news that Aeria is publishing the multiplayer-focused F.E.A.R. Online, featuring both intense team-based FPS competition as well as terrifying co-op play.

F.E.A.R. Online is the latest installment in the popular F.E.A.R. franchise of horror FPS games, with a strong multiplayer focus. Fans of the series will welcome a return to the hardcore shooting action now accessible to a large and active community of online players.

 

F.E.A.R. Online

 

F.E.A.R. Online also delves deeper into the mysterious events surrounding F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and the tortured series antagonist Alma Wade. Players must rely on each other to survive as they discover the fate of the F.E.A.R. team.

The struggle between Armacham Technology Corporation and the elite F.E.A.R. soldiers continues across several competitive team modes and more than ten maps in gruesome, hair-raising locations. Fan-favorite modes such as Soul King from past F.E.A.R. titles also make a return.

 

 

As players continue to battle they will take advantage of an extensive upgrade system to keep their weapons and gear in the best shape possible in order to combat ruthless enemy players—as well as the terrible horrors lurking in the dark…

 

F.E.A.R. Online