ArenaNet has released the overview of the third installment of the four part Flame and Frost living story for Guild Wars 2! While rumblings and rumors of a dark future have been hinted at, it looks like the real fires are finally lighting up! The Molten Alliance of the dredge and Charr Flame Legion have united and won’t rest until every settlement is burned from the land. See the full details at their site on the reveal page!
By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief
So I’ve talked classes and touched on PvP battles and went over customization and gear, but the big question stands: What are my impressions on the actual game? Let’s break it down.
The graphics in Scarlet Blade are something I’ve probably put the most thought into prior to this write-up. It’s honestly a bit of a love-hate relationship. Do I love them? No I think they feel dated and the girls are a bit too doll-like as a result. Do I hate them? Can’t say that either as the environments are masterfully crafted and despite the slightly dated graphics, they did a fantastic job of creating an art style that distinguishes Scarlet Blade from just about any other MMORPG that comes to mind. They do a perfect job creating that feel that you’re on Earth, but it’s not our Earth anymore. Everything feels alien and you never know what might come at you next. The mob design seemed pretty creative and sometimes just plain odd but it was a good change of pace from trolls and goblins.
The characters’ costumes and overall body type also function not only as an awesome marketing tool to get you into the game, but also as perfectly distinguishable skeletons that let you identify what class your opponent is in roughly a second. The class skills are also plenty flashy but you won’t see too many repeated animations as each class has a fighting style all their own. A veteran player will see the way a Defender is swinging their sword and say ‘oh hey that’s a long range stun, I better do what I can to prepare for it and counter’ and in the end little touches that improve gameplay is what I feel matters the most when it comes to graphics. Well that and avoiding jerky movement and clipping, which I saw very little of amidst the chaos of the battlefield. Hopefully that remains the same on the live servers where ping is involved so people can experience the same fun I had at the event.
Scarlet Blade also presents an aesthetically pleasing UI. Fonts are clear and easy to read. Quests menus are organized and offer quick minimize features to help with sorting and quick navigation. The skills are laid out in compact rows of just the right size, though I was a little confused that the top skill bar didn’t have hotkeys so the devs need to get on that asap as the PvP in this game is far too fast to be relying on push to click controls. The mini-map can be increased and decreased in size as well as have its opacity adjusted. It’s easy to create and invite people to parties and I had no problem setting party rules on the fly. And the target HP bars were just the right size and I liked the addition of being able to see who your selected target was targeting, both from a PvE and PvP standpoint. Overall the UI doesn’t offer anything new but presents the level of UI that the industry should expect in this era.
And finally it would be a poor job on my part to talk about the graphics without bringing up the exosuits and mechs. I absolutely love the stylized mechs that Scarlet Blade brings to the table. For those not in the know, your character has a CP meter that allows you to summon exosuits (powerful PvP only suits you may have noticed in vids such as the new PvP trailer’s opening image) that boost your stats to allow you to engage against the intense damage opponents throw your way, as well as the mechs that basically act the same but with boosted HP, a massive hit-box, and new skills to engage your foes with to change the tides of battle. And call me a SciFi nerd if you must, be these mechs are sexy. They managed to make something both hot (by still showcasing your Arkana’s curves in most mech designs) while also having all the size, weight, weaponry, and firepower that a novice player will think twice before engaging you once you transform into one. And just like the class skeletons, each mech is easily distinguishable from each other so you will still know exactly what you’re up against when facing off in PvP.
While the majority of the time I spent on the title was in the PvP battlegrounds, I did check out the introduction to the game and can’t stress enough how well done the localization is on this game. No I don’t just mean they have good translators. I mean its clear that the localization team had a blast working with such a unique title and the mature rating let them really cut lose and throw some great comedy into the game’s dialogue. The addition of the Commander/Arkana relationship also adds a bit of flavor to the mix as your own character will comment on the situations you get into, keeping things entertaining the whole way through.
Unfortunately I can’t say if the questing system will be generic or not as I haven’t played enough of the game yet to know, but I will say that the dynamic way quests get delivered through dialogue keeps it more fun than the norm. The towns that do exist are pretty spectacular looking and the first one does an especially great job of showcasing some of the more advanced motorbikes and mechs to give new players that feeling of ‘oh wow I can become that one day?!’ (starry anime eyes included)
Skill rotations seem well planned out and responsive. Having played my fair share of F2P MMORPGs from the east, having unresponsive skills or boring slow cast times is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Thankfully every skill combo I tried seemed responsive with a fair mix of untargeted AoE skills and a fast smart tab targeting system that never gave me much trouble finding the target I needed on the fly. Hopping on my mount or jumping into my mech suit is just as fast-paced and the fact that you can save a separate skill bar of hotkeys for when you are in your mech suit is a nice touch. And while that might seem like a no-brainer feature to include, there’s quite a few developers I’ve had to deal with in recent months that just don’t get it yet.
And last but (to some people) not least is you can acquire nifty pets to accompany you in your journeys. Sure they don’t fight your battles for you as in some unbalanced MMORPGs out there, but they do offer witty commentary and can do nifty things like pick up your loot for you. And who doesn’t want a hentai-bot of their own to keep you company on the occasional lonely solo grind nights? Of course if the PvE gameplay ever starts to get dull, Scarlet Blade has you covered with a few PvP options.
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The primary form of PvP functions through a queue system similar to titles like Warhammer and The Secret World so you don’t have to go too far out of your way to get into the action. What’s more, you can even earn gold, experience, and other rewards from fighting in PvP so you power levelers don’t have to curve your playstyle just to be the most efficient out there. You can even earn rank points and dog tags dropped from defeated players that can be turned in to unlock must have end-game goods like skills, better exosuits, and other goodies I’m too novice to understand. Also there is the ever important bragging rights and faction pride. The end of each match shows your kills, deaths, and assists in battle and you are rewarded contribution points based on your performance.
But what if you’re an open world pk enthusiast like myself and want to specifically go out of your way to force the opposite faction to pay attention to you? There are some open world PvP maps (I believe most are end-game but I it needs to be confirmed). These maps are huge and designed to have perfect balance between the two factions, meaning expect symmetrical layouts for the most part. These maps also tend to house the most powerful fighters of the Narek invasion and drop some of the best gear and crafting materials you’re going to find from killing monsters so don’t think this zone is purely for pkers. In the end you’re going to need to overlook faction rivalries and learn to work together if you want to make sure the best mats are backing your side in the never-ending feud between Royal Guards and Free Knights. Oh there’s one other little piece of the PvP puzzle that sets this game above most faction-based PvP titles in my book.
Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. Clubbing is so key to the rivalry between the two factions! The club not only offers a stylish location for you to strip your Arkana down into her sexiest lingerie and shake your ass with unique club only emotes (whether cash shopped or learned through difficult in-game content), but it’s also the only neutral zone in the server where you can actually talk directly to members of the opposing faction. And that in my opinion, is a vital component to the success of any faction PvP title. Your enemies need to know your personality and vice-versa. Stories must be shared. Rivalries must be made. And break dancing battles must be fought (ok I might be dreaming a little too big now. A guy can hope!).
The club actually acts as a type of hub town as well since all the major crafters are here (but in appropriate dress-code approved attire) to make sure that your time at the club isn’t wasted. You can even buy your way into the VIP room where additional crafters stand along with strip-club quality dancers on a central stage and even a mixologist offering unique powerful potions that are only obtainable in the VIP room. Each faction has their own VIP room as well so it offers a charming little location for political plotting while giving your pets an experience boost. Though be ready as anyone that’s been to Vegas will tell you, VIP rooms don’t come cheap.
One final note on this game before I wrap things up is my appreciation for how seriously the developers are about creating a balanced economy that doesn’t result in too much inflation. Gold Sinks are to be found everywhere in this game and players will have to choose their purchases wisely. Need a skill? Want that bike?
Going to cost you. The club doesn’t run on charity my friends. Oh and don’t forget about the crafting materials you’ll likely be purchasing from the auction house. I guarantee there will be an auction house tax. Guild formation? Yup that’s gold. Earned enough dog tags and faction rank from pvping? Don’t expect to make your sweet purchase without including a little bit of gold as well. And of course my personal favorite:
I haven’t been impressed with very many titles being released in the last few months. Many press events lately have me watching the clock like a kid waiting to get out at the end of a boring session of school. Scarlet Blade on the other hand left me wanting more, with plenty of questions that still bother me as I sit reminiscing about my time playing a week later. I learned almost nothing about their guild system other than that it exists. Their crafting system seemed to have a bit more depth to it than the average game but alas I didn’t get to fiddle with it much either. And the PvP was addicting and made me mad that I didn’t get to test out the various styles of exosuits to test out how CP balancing impacts PvP tactics. I went into this press event thinking it was nothing more than a mediocre title riding on its skimpy ladies to carry an audience and ended up surprised that I was playing a rather bug-free, witty, and fun title.
Hopefully I’ve answered most of your questions regarding what it’s like to play Scarlet Blade but if not feel free to shoot them over in our Disqus comment section below or on our dedicated forums. JamesBl0nde will be hopping onto the beta servers shortly and can get the rest of your questions answered in his upcoming First Look video on MMOHuts!
Neverwinter reveals the new location for players to visit in this upcoming weekend’s beta event.
Defiance continues building hype with a new trailer series.
Battles are seldom won by an individual, strategy and formations executed by a group of skilled fighters are the key to winning. In Age of Wushu large battles or team oriented fights yield great reward. These rewards are financial, physical, and historical. A victory with a team fight usual means you have conquered an instance, prevented theft within your school, or even overtaken another guild’s territory for your own. Mastering Arrays for these fights not only strengthens yourself, but an entire party.
Arrays vary in both sizes and buffs. They improve “strength” in combat. Whether that is literally brawn or rather some other attribute, depends on the Array. Some arrays can be accomplished by a mere three players, while others require over ten to perform. The more players that are needed, the bigger the buff. There are several arrays to learn and acquire, whether through instances or Random Encounters. There are currently six external Arrays, (within schools there are also Arrays). You will learn the Three Talents Array while training in the starting village. It is a simple array that requires only three participants. This is an excellent starting array due to the number of members required and its availability. The effects of the Three Talents showcase the variety in Arrays as well. While it doesn’t directly adjust Strength, it does increase attack damage and reduce taken damage on members that have performed the Arrray.
The two instances player’s enter the most, Twilight Village and Green Cloud Castle, are the best examples to see how an Array can help a team. Choosing who leads, and what skills are used in the Array, adds to the excitement of being a master tactician. For example, using the Return to Origins Array lets players use two very different skills, Charge and Penetrate and Return Tiger to the Mountain. Charge and Penetrate, exponentially increases aggro on a player allowing them to distract enemies or one very powerful boss. Return Tiger to the Mountain deals extra damage while also reducing the target’s defenses. The latter can be taken by weaker range players while stronger players can use the extra aggro to focus enemy attacks.
The Weiqi Player Profession is very important to Arrays. Like the other Culture Professions (Painter, Musician, Calligrapher) the Weiqi Player enhances a particular aspect of combat or life. Weiqi is very similar to Chess and utilizes similar strategies. Players use the skills of a game board and direct them to the board of battle. If a Weiqi Player activates an Array it will add a bonus dependent on the level of the Weiqi Player’s skill and their manual level. Using the right Array and the right partners in an Array can create a great advantage over opponents.
Scarlet Blade expands on its story while showcasing some of the massive battlegrounds.
Joymax, leading online game developer and publisher known for its popular MMORPG, Knight Age, today launched a new update, Rider’s Training, for the action-packed mounted combat title. This fun new update will be featuring a high-stakes horse race using Knight Age’s unique mount system.
This new adventure promises to be a treat for players as they take off on a faced-paced horse racing event. No fixed race schedule means it’s easy to hop on the waiting list and experience the ride when five racers are ready in just a mere 30 seconds! Rider’s Training features a variety of obstacles from falling stones to nasty monsters who are always trying to throw the race. But players won’t want to try and kill monsters, instead just avoid them as bumping into a nasty beast will do serious damage to the race. Puddles, stepping stones and geographical hurdles, that reduce speed, make this a game chocked full of excitement!
This new mini game sweetens the pot by awarding the top three players with prizes. The player who takes the finish line within five minutes is declared the winner and earns a special gift box containing valuable items.
In addition to this new update, Knight Age will also host a special event starting today, March 5th through April 2nd titled “Talk to Trainer Slafe at Yan Village, Green Shores Village or Port City Amarath.” Players who win first place in this special event will earn a variety of cool prizes including a pet, Ediron, Auto-Potion and All Mine. Plus there are lots of bonus prizes including a Golden Carrot for 50 lucky players!
Every mount and character class is eligible to join the both the Rider’s Training and the accompanying event. New and returning players are encouraged to check out Knight Age’s latest update and find out more at http://bit.ly/Play_Knight_Age
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Elder Scribe
Keep an eye out as we cover the daily item and save you the trouble of logging in to find out!
After more than 4 years of working at Trion Hal Hanlin has announced he is making the move to Zynga. This comes after layoffs in Trion around Christmas and more recently the departure of Scott Hartsman. I guess we won’t be getting a second episode of Joy of Dimensions.
Tonight is the 9th annual British Academy Video Games Awards, or as everyone else likes to calle it the Video Game BAFTAs. Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain is hosting the award ceremony again this year which is being held in the London Hilton Hotel.
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and former head of 38 Studios Curt Schilling has asked a Rhode Island judge to dismiss the lawsuit against him and his now defunct studio. He argues that the claims that he and executives misled the Rhode Island economic development agency are “implausible.”
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG’s Elder Scribe
Another round of questions and answers have emerged from the dungeons in ZeniMax! I like to think all fantasy MMOs are made in dark dungeons with leaking pipes and more cobwebs than air. Sadly, I know that studios tend to be well lit and carpeted even! But that is getting away from the point. Now there are answers to a few questions about gameplay, voice acting, morality and finally a bit of information about upcoming beta events.
You will have tough choices to make for your character. The choices are very important, but they won’t affect your standing in your alliance. Sometimes they will just aid the story, but in some cases they will have lasting consequences.
You can put one handed weapons in both hands and dual wield. You can put a shield and a one handed sword in each hand and sword / board. Or you can use a two handed weapon or staff. Additional abilities (these aren’t always spells) can be fired from the ability bar. And yes, you can have different weapon loadouts and switch between them.
Yes. You will definitely be able to play a healer. As the game has evolved, we’ve really downplayed classes quite a bit in the design, and we’ve really played up the skill lines and the choices you make. For instance, if you wanted to focus entirely on healing at first, you might choose Templar and the Restoration staff lines. Later, if you decided not to be a healer all the time, you could work on other lines.
By choosing your weapon, passives, and buffs and filling your five active ability slots, you’ll really decide how you want to approach any given situation. The more you play, the broader your choices will be.
ESO is fully voice acted – you’ll hear every NPC. There are a lot of great lore books in the game, too, for those who choose to read them.
Of course, we can all be a bit jealous of people who got their hands on the beta at the end of February. A few select “friends and family” were allowed a first look. I’m sure my invitation just got lost in the mail. Towards the end of March we can expect to start seeing the first invitations going out to the public. And so to get ready for it a few popular questions have finally been answered.
At first, beta events will generally be held on the weekends, and each test will have limited windows of access to the game. You’ll receive your invitation in advance so you can make time to participate. While there will only be a few events per month early on, they will be held more frequently as we approach launch. As we progress through testing, we’ll also begin scheduling longer tests that allow testers to provide more detailed feedback on topics like progression.
If you’re invited to test, you’ll receive an e-mail at the address you registered with for the beta. The invitation will include a download link for the game client. You should expect a download size of around 20GB, so it’s best to start downloading as soon as you receive your invitation.
Your invitation will contain information about the focus of the test you’ve been invited to, so make sure to read it! You’ll be asked to complete surveys and submit feedback and bugs in-game as you play, and you may be asked to participate in additional surveys once the in-game portion of the test has concluded. The beta forums will also be available for feedback and discussion.
As with every time I focus on the Q&A sessions I only pick out a few of what I consider to be the most important or most revealing. More can be found out about them on the Elder Scrolls Online website. As beta approaches and more information is released you’ll get more from me, OnRPG’s Elder Scribe.
By Jason Harper (Hhean), OnRPG League Reporter
Quinn is a ranged carry with high single target damage, granting her exceptional duelling potential. Unlike many ranged carries, she may be better suited to going top lane as a solo rather than the usual carry position of going bottom with a support. This is due to how she can completely shut down melee enemies in her lane, while she can struggle against ranged opponents. Due to this, she’s likely going to feel more familiar to Teemo players than people who prefer traditional ADs.
Her AoE blind will win her many damage trades
Very strong chasing and kiting power
Monstrous damage output in the early levels
Destroys melee characters early game
Short attack range
The damage steroid from her passive is AI controlled
Very situational escape tools
Her ultimate puts her at extreme risk
All of her abilities become significantly worse in team fights
You have to look at her ugly splash art in the loading screen
[Passive] Harrier: If both the enemy and Quinn can see one another then her pet bird, Valor, marks a nearby target. If a marked enemy is struck by an auto attack, Quinn will deal some absolutely ridiculous damage on a single hit, consuming the mark. She loses this passive while in bird form.
Since this skill is automatic and requires mutual vision, it can be a great way to let you know the enemy has a nearby ward (or invisible champion) in vision range of yourself before they can capitalize and counter-gank you. Though you may give up the element of surprise when you are the one that has a ward in said bush and Valor marks your would be ganker before your team is fully in position to take advantage.
[Q] Blinding Assault: Linear skillshot that explodes into an AoE blind after hitting its first target. Hits hard and shuts down autoattacks in damage trades. Unfortunately becomes less useful in teamfights, as tanks frequently take the blind instead of the enemy carry. This can be a real nightmare if the tank relies on their abilities more than their autoattacks, like Amumu or Cho’Gath. When in bird form, this ability deals damage around Valor. It’s pretty garbage.
[W] Heightened Senses: Grants Quinn vision in a large radius around her, while also granting bonus attack speed. Useful for both scouting and winning prolonged fights. In bird form the attack speed bonus is doubled, so it can be worth holding back in fights just to use when she transforms. By far her best bird form ability.
[E] Vault: Quinn leaps forward to targeted enemy, then bounces off to land at her auto attack range. Slows, deals damage and counts as movement for Statikk Shiv. She is not immune to damage or CC during this time, so enemies can pull her back or stop her before triggering the bounce. As a bird, you lose the bounce back, making this ability a targeted gap closer. Great for chasing, bad for just about anything else.
[R] Tag Team/ Skystrike: Quinn leaves the battlefield and is replaced by Valor. While playing as Valor, she switches from ranged to melee, and gains a massive bonus to her movement speed that slowly degrades while in combat. After a limited time, or a second activation, Quinn will return to the battlefield, dealing damage in a wide area around her. Good to use in duels or chases, but utterly worthless in teamfights, where you’re going to get nuked immediately for trying to get in close.
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In the lane, Harrier forces her enemy to either commit to a hard engage, or avoid her completely. The passive will always prioritise nearby champions, or targets with low health (to help with last hitting), so if an enemy tries to come near the minion line and nothing has already been marked, Valor is going to give them a little present. Once marked, bully your lane opposition, forcing them to either back out, or eat a chunk of damage. If against someone with a lower attack range (most likely melee characters, but there are a few others like Teemo and Thresh) you can hit them with a basic attack, then reapply the mark with Vault before attacking again. This high threat, low risk, low cost combo will make even the most durable characters rethink going in attack range while Harrier hasn’t already marked a target.
If you need to, staggering this combo against melee characters with gap closers can be highly effective. Hit them with the autoattack, wait for them to dash into you, then hit them with vault for a free escape. Smack them with one more shot while they’re slowed. Even if they can make up the ground a second time, or they stop vault from getting you out of the way (remember to keep track of enemy CC, since vault can be interrupted), you can make use of Blinding Assault to make any further attacks be completely useless now that they’ve used all their abilities just getting to you.
Due to its long range, Blinding Assault into Vault is a great way of closing ground on longer ranged characters, preventing return fire while getting in range for a damage trade. If the enemy aren’t scared by Quinn’s initial burst and go for a hard engage, make use of Tag Team to close out the fight. If your Vault is down, you can use her ultimate to back out of a bad fight, or make use of Heightened Senses to finish off your foe.
In team fights, you’re best off coming in as late as possible, usually after your mage has dropped their burst. Quinn is best at performing cleanup in a fight rather than trying to slug it out with the big boys. Even if a (hopefully now weakened) bruiser leaps through the front line at her, she should have the tools to get away, and also act as an unorthodox peeler for the rest of the back line in the process. If the enemy mage drops their burst on her though, she’s going to melt immediately.
Quinn’s a niche ranged pick that makes up for her terrible kit with absolutely gratuitous numbers. She hits so hard in the early levels that she’s simply no fun to fight against, granting melee characters no options to deal with her. This is made even more infuriating with the red elixir start that is becoming popular on top lane at the moment. As the game progresses though she will have less and less of an impact, which is really not what you want from a ranged attack damage character. Her only saving grace in this area is that she can easily get fed from repeatedly murdering her lane opponent in the early game, snowballing so hard later on that she simply uses her massive level and gold lead to crush the opposition.
She’s much weaker in a duo lane, since her low attack range makes her trade unfavourable against most ranged characters. Additionally, her vault damage combo only lets her burst down one target, which is often useless if the second person in the lane can smash her face in. Ranged opponents can also simply hide behind the minion waves or their own support during damage trades to completely ignore her blind. The added sustain and shielding offered by most supports also means she’s less likely to convert her high early game damage into a kill, which she really needs in order to be ahead enough to be worthwhile later in the game.
The absolute worst case scenario for poor Quinn though is if the enemy team is coordinated enough to do a lane swap when she’s intending to go top, which preys on her every weakness. Dealing with both a 2v1 against up to two enemy ranged characters means she can leverage neither her duelling power, nor her melee punishment. Her lack of durability means she gets forced out of the lane quickly, and ultimately has to force her team to lane swap as quickly as possible.
Good choice if you’re looking for a top lane counter pick to melee characters. She’s poor as a normal ranged carry. Highly advise waiting on her free week before picking her up.
To discuss Quinn yourselves, post in the massive League of Legends thread in the free to play MMOs section, or post in the comments section below. If you haven’t tried League of Legends yet, you’re missing out.