Monthly Archives: January 2016

Nutaku.com Wants to Send a Fan to Anime Expo 2016

Nutaku.com Wants to Send a Fan to Anime Expo 2016 news header

Nutaku.com announced the launch of the Hyper-Super Ultra-Mega Celebration Contest today that will be sending one lucky participant (and their friend, parent, random stranger of their choosing) to the 2016 Anime Expo in Los Angeles, July 1st-4th.

In addition to the awesome Anime Expo trip, Nutaku.com will be awarding 100 prizes (101 total prizes, including the grand prize), including lots of cool collectibles from a variety of Nutaku.com games including Aigis, Lord of Valkyrie, Dragon Tactics, Osawari and Kanpani Girls and a virtual ton of Nutaku gold. The contest starts January 19th and runs till February 9th, 2016 and is open to any current Nutaku.com members or anyone that signs up for a new Nutaku.com account – which is completely free! The grand prize, a trip for two to Anime Expo 2016 includes two round trip airfares, and four nights hotel stay.

Find out more about the contest here.

ApocaRUFF’s 2016 MMO Predictions – Buy to Play Still King

By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF)

 

Last year, my predictions centered around the downfall of F2P games and the rising population of Buy-to-Play games. This year, my predictions are still along the same line. I feel we’ll continue to see most developers leave behind the free-to-play model and begin embracing buy-to-play with cosmetic and convenience cash shops. Age of Wushu will probably end up being shut down this year, and I have mixed feelings about it. And to finish up, I talk about my hopes for the future of MMO tie-ins and spin-off projects. Without further delay, here are my predictions for 2016.

 

To start us off, I’ll comment on what I got right with last year’s predictions. As most of us are aware, ESO did in fact go buy-to-play with their release of Tamriel Unlimited. Trion finally relented to reality and began merging servers in 2015, too. Arenanet ditched NCSoft and dropped their buy to play model for a free to play, though many players will argue its more of a trial version considering how much you’re missing out on without opening your wallet. Sandboxes are steadily getting their act together on a bumpy road continue to be on the rise, with Elite: Dangerous getting its first major expansion that added the ability to land on and explore planets, though our staff was less than impressed by the overall presentation. The Repopulation was continuing at a steady pace, until an issue with their engine provider brought development to a grinding halt this month. Most sandbox enthusiasts are putting their hope (and clearly money) towards Star Citizen, as bits and pieces of the larger picture are starting to form out in alpha testing. Though one can’t count out the massive hype being generated by sandbox RvR MMORPG, Camelot Unchained, as the game edges ever closer to beta testing. All-in-all, I feel that 2015 was a great year for MMO development, if not necessarily for launches.

2016 MMO Predictions

I’m going to start my predictions for 2016 by bringing up one of my old flames: Age of Wushu. This was MY game back in the day. I loved it. I invested a hefty amount of money into it, and that was before it went completely free-to-play… I just loved the game and wanted to support it. I built my guild, Amitabha, within that forge, and it’s still going strong (if small and tight-knit) several years later.

2016 MMO Predictions

However, if you know me or have ever read my articles and threads on the topic, you know I have a love-hate (mostly hate by now) relationship with SnailUSA. They squandered their chances at the NA market by giving up on the game and focusing all their efforts to pandering towards the very few whales present in their community. Nowadays, in Age of Wushu NA you’ll find mostly dead servers with perhaps a couple of hundred active players each. That’s compared to the thousands that played before the game was ruined by hacker-bots, gold spammers, and horrible choices by SnailUSA that killed major portions of the community overnight.

2016 MMO Predictions

So, my first prediction of 2016 is that Age of Wushu NA will be shut down. Hopefully the EU version of the game (Age of Wulin) will continue going because it would be a great shame if such as potentially great game was taken from the Western market due to some poor choices by one company. But despite that sentiment, I feel that the closing of Age of Wushu NA would be a good thing. Almost like having a close friend who has been suffering greatly finally able to be free from the pain. A weird analogy, but one that fits how I currently feel about the shell-of-a-game that Age of Wushu currently is.

2016 MMO Predictions

Why do I feel that Age of Wushu NA will shut down, you might ask? Well, it seems that SnailUSA is beginning to turn their focus towards the Western mobile market. While Age of Wushu is left with a bare-bones staff and customer support that (as far as I’m aware) is still using Google Translate to communicate with players… Their mobile games seem to be thriving. Taichi Panda was a great bit of fun when I played it and their latest offering, Age of Wushu Dynasty, has proven to be a great time-waster to play before going to bed. Age of Wushu Dynasty isn’t quite Age of Wushu, but it has the same style of combat; an odd rock-paper-scissors system that, believe it or not, allows for one of the greatest and most diverse combat systems I’ve ever experienced.

2016 MMO Predictions

My second major prediction, which may be a bit of a log shot in all honesty, is that The Secret World will see a semi-large resurgence in 2016. Nine out of ten players who play The Secret World will attest to it being one of the best experiences they’ve ever had in a game – MMO or otherwise. So why does The Secret World always seem to be obscure and in the back of the mind for everyone? Well, part of that is the rocky start. Like most games, it was pretty popular when it released and then saw a massive decrease in population. However, unlike most MMOs, after that population drop Funcom held on for dear life and continued to nurture and grow The Secret World. They switched to a buy-to-play model very early on and have been working hard on supplying steady releases of their content patches known as “Issues.”

2016 MMO Predictions

So far there have been thirteen issues released, meaning there’s hours upon hours of content for players to work through. There’s also been tie-in games – both Alternate Reality Games and other titles like The Park. The marketing team for The Secret World has also mastered the art of strategic Steam sales. They regularly knock the price down to $10 or $20 (compared to the usual $30), often around the times that they release new questing and cash shop content. This recent sale was a huge success. They release Issue 13, put a new vehicle-sprint (the Scooter, which I love!) on the cash shop, brought down the price to a low $10, AND they put the spin-off title The Park on sale for $8 with the inclusion of an awesome costume in The Secret World for those that buy the game.

 

2016 MMO Predictions

Meet Chad, the scooter-riding psychopath chipmunk! …And some random guy.

 

I feel like the past few years have just been practice and research. A slow trial-and-error process by Funcom trying to figure out the best way to revive a game and keep it alive. It’s almost like one of the conspiracies that you’ll find in The Secret World itself. I’m almost certain that we will see BIG things coming from The Secret World in 2016. Sure, we’ll see even more Issues released that provide the signature in-depth and detailed content that we all love from the game, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more spin-offs like The Park. Maybe even a table-top RPG DLC for Tabletop Simulator? I hope so, anyways. Though if someone takes them up on the buyout offer (Funcom is currently for sale!), who knows what direction the future holds.

 

This spin-off and tie-in content has the chance to be a big thing for The Secret World. But if it can find even meager success from a struggling MMO, imagine the possibilities it brings to a larger more well respected franchise? Heck Heroes of the Storm is basically the Blizzard super spin-off, with NCSoft following suit with MasterXMaster shortly after. It’s amazing being able to see references made in one game (or movie) to the lore and stories you’ve seen in another.

2016 MMO Predictions

We’ve seen Trading Card Games released for MMOs for years now. Almost a decade ago, Star Wars Galaxies had its own spin-off TCG that could be played in-game and provided neat rewards for players. World of Warcraft had this too, and now there’s Hearthstone. Heck, World of Warcraft has a major motion picture being released this year. And let’s not forget FFXIV and The Elder Scrolls Online which are themselves a spin-off of well-established and much-loved series. So I’m sure that others will follow in the footsteps of The Secret World and World of Warcraft and take their chances with tie-in and spin-off content.

 

Conclusion

My predictions for 2016 seems a bit slim when compared to previous years. But, like I said, I believe that for the most part this year will be a mirror of the last: F2P games continuing to fade from memory, sandboxes finally getting the formula right to compete on par with themeparks, and buy-to-play becoming the go-to payment model embraced by western developers and publishers. I feel that Age of Wushu NA will definitely be shut down by SnailUSA, and I’m willing to bet money that The Secret World will see a huge rise in popularity this year. And, to finish things off, I’m crossing my fingers that we’ll see some good spin-off games and content for our favorite MMOs this year. No matter how my predictions go, I’ll be back next year to review what I got right (and wrong) and to give my opinion on 2017.

Clash of Avatars Beta Available through AMZGame

Clash of Avatars Beta Available through AMZGame news header

Clash of Avatars, a new free-to-play(F2P) browser-based 3D MMORPG, has arrived at AMZGame! Drawing on inspiration from anime and cosplay, accompanied by unusual and exotic companions and a wide array of loyal and ever increasing powerful equine, avian and dragon mounts, CoA is a game for players that are looking for fun, entertainment and enjoyment in a game with a community spirit, full of fun, laughter and battle quests to share with friends and gaming family.

Along with the normal aspects of any MMORPG, players of CoA are also given the chance to dance! Players can get funky, break it down with Kpop, even show off their Gangnam style dance moves as they celebrate their victories with friends, unite in a server-wide dance fest or send a challenge to others to meet them in the arena and see who really is the best dancer.

Players start Clash of Avatars by selecting a hero, either Mage, Priest, or Warrior, and creating a name. After that, the player enters the game, and is given the option to follow the quest line through either auto-pathing, or manual play.

Gigantic Introduces Beta 2.0

Gigantic Introduces Beta 2.0 news header

Gigantic is heading in to 2016 with enough changes that they’ve labelled their beta phase 2.0.

Gigantic’s beta has already made major changes this year, including using Microsoft Accounts as a global login (with XBox gamertag as a universal identity). This also means the 64-bit Gigantic client has been shut down as the game has moved fully to the Windows 10 App Store.

More changes promised in the next couple of weeks include:

  • 24/7 Access to the Game
  • EU Servers Up and Running
  • More Frequent Builds and Updates
  • First Look at Progression Systems
  • A New Hero
  • Cross-Platform Play
  • Parties and Friends Lists
  • Content Changes Based on Your Feedback!

These new changes will begin Wednesday, and new access keys and instructions are sent out to beta testers.

Heroes of the Storm Update: Greymane, Lord of the Worgen

By Mohammad Abubakr

 

Ever since the disappointment that was Lunara, I was really hoping that the next hero to grace itself in Heroes of the Storm would be better. While Lunara was quite fun to play, she didn’t impact the game very much and could always be replaced with a better assassin in all scenarios. My friend assured me that Greymane would be a better hero that is played similar to my playstyle. Read on to learn more about the latest addition to the HoTS’ roster.

Greymane is a ranged and melee assassin hero from the Warcraft universe. He can take the form of a human king or as a beast worgen. Both of these forms have different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. The human form can be used to slowly damage enemies from afar and, when confident, the worgen form can be employed to jump into melee range and deal massive damage. It’s great to see more unique and interesting heroes in Heroes of the Storm.

 

 

Overview of Greymane

Greymane does everything well that you need an assassin to do; he has good damage output, the ability to chase, escape, and secure kills. It feels like Greymane can do almost anything. However, he is still squishy, which is expected from an assassin, and also lacks any sustain. If you do not have a healer or good support on your team, you will often find yourself being forced to fall back and heal if you do not manage your health points very well. This makes it essential that you use the human and worgen forms efficiently and do not put yourself in too much danger without return.

As a human, he can damage enemies from afar and slowly (although very consistently) wither down their health points. His Q ability, Gilnean Cocktail, can be used to deal area of effect damage in fights or to clear creep waves. It is important to note that this skill shot deals minimal damage to the target it hits but deals high damage to those behind the target in a cone. This makes it great for clearing waves but can also be a good way to damage enemies hiding behind their tank. His second ability, Inner Beast, increases Greymane’s attack speed for three seconds. Three seconds may not seem like a long time but this ability resets every time you attack! This means that as long as you stay in combat, you will always have a 50% attack speed bonus. This can be difficult during fights when you are forced to position yourself well but it is great for taking down buildings.

Using his third ability, Darkflight, Greymane can leap at an enemy, dealing damage and transforming to a worgen. In this form, new abilities become available in your arsenal. His new Q ability, Razor Swipe, dashes at enemies dealing AoE damage. His second ability remains the same in both human and worgen form but his third ability changes from Darkflight to Disengage. Disengage may be used to dash back and transform into a human. While Greymane does not have an escape ability, he can still engage and disengage very effectively. This means that you will not be able to get out of a sticky situation easily if caught off guard, but if you initiate a fight, you can easily disengage when things begin to head south.

 

 

Enemies out of position can easily be punished

Greymane has two ultimate abilities which are shared in both human and worgen form. Go for the Throat leaps at an enemy hero while shapeshifting into a worgen to deal massive single target damage. If this kills the enemy, you can cast this ability again for free within 10 seconds. This ability is my go to choice when picking between the two ultimate abilities as it deals massive damage and can be great to chase down escaping enemies. If you would rather stay safe and fight from afar, Marked for the Kill may make more sense. This ability shapeshifts you into a human and fires a shot hitting the first enemy hero. This hero is marked for five seconds causing them to take 25% more damage. You may reuse this ability to leap at them as a worgen. This ability is great for dealing damage from afar or up close and can be used to safely weaken an enemy before leaping in for the kill.

Being able to position yourself correctly and using Greymane’s passive (which grants bonus damage to basic attacks while in worgen form) is the deciding factor between good and bad Greymanes. It can always be tempting to leap at enemies to deal massive damage, but it is important to keep in mind that you are still very squishy. One small misstep and you can get caught in a bad situation. Knowing when to fight up close and when to stay back is essential when playing Greymane.

 

 

While Greymane is great at chasing, sometimes it’s better to not chase

Keeping this in mind, you will want to pick talents which work well with your playstyle. Generally, the talents available to Greymane are split between his long range ability in human form and his melee fighting power in worgen form. You can pick between talents which increase the range and strength of his Gilnean Cocktail or those that improve his damage in worgen form. I personally prefer to boost my damage in worgen form as this is the optimal build for dealing the most damage. However, there are cases when it can make sense to focus on improving your Gilnean Cocktail. There may be games where it is impossible or very difficult to survive in melee range or those where being able to poke or split push makes more sense. In these kinds of games, the Gilnean Cocktail build is the way to go.

I highly recommend Wolfheart at level 1 as this talent can allow you to always have Inner Beast ready to go. It can allow Inner Beast to be usable even when simply clearing creep waves as it will greatly reduce the skill’s cooldown. I also recommend Wizened Duelist at level 7 if you are confident in getting kills. Normally in HoTS, a single hero cannot snowball out of control but this talent can provide massive damage boosts to Greymane if you rack up a lot of kills.

 

 

Don’t be afraid of constantly engaging and disengaging for better positioning

Conclusion: Solid kit, fun playstyle, and meta approved

I was really pleased to see Greymane actually being quite strong after we saw how weak Lunara was. Greymane still isn’t considered to be top tier but given some time I think more people will begin picking him up. He is definitely a lot of fun to play, and I look forward to seeing how he evolves as more players experiment. I would definitely recommend picking up the hero if you’re looking to add a solid assassin to your roster.