Tag: MMO

Comic Con Hands On: Marvel Heroes


When thinking about Marvel Heroes, I want you to remember one name: David Brevik. If you already know who David Brevik is, then my mention of his name should automatically make you think of Diablo, and that is where I would like to begin. For a while now, you may have heard of Marvel: Heroes be referred to as “Marvel Ultimate Alliance Online.” It isn’t, at least in the sense that the two don’t carry much resemblance. Instead, I think it would be more suitable to think of Heroes as the spiritual successor to Diablo. Born of the same mind, and although vastly different in many ways, it feels quite familiar.

As I’ve already mentioned, I had an opportunity to head over to New York Comic Con, and I made a note of going to the Marvel: Heroes booth and taking the game for a couple of spins. And the folks handing out cards and helping out players wanted me to be absolutely clear: Marvel: Heroes is completely free to play, and not at all pay to win. You don’t have to pay to continue through the story, you won’t have to pay to unlock heroes, and you won’t have to worry about pay to win equipment.

The demo I was able to play was rather short, a condensed version of the level that took about ten minutes to play through. Starting out on the rooftop of a city building, I was given a quest to head down into the subway and defeat Electro. Down in the city below, I took to the streets with my fellow heroes (with usernames like NYCC19), on an expansive but linear street filled with gang members. Along the way, our heroes grouped up momentarily to take down Shocker, who cut through our group of newbie players like a hot knife through butter. But through diligence (and an incredibly lenient revival system for the sake of the demo), we managed to take him down.

Heading into the sewer, I found myself in one of Marvel’s instanced areas. It was just Electro, myself, and a whole bunch of grunts in the way. The inspiration that Marvel: Heroes draws from Diablo is obvious, the player moves around by clicking the left mouse button on the scenery, which also translates to the character’s primary attack. Each character has a secondary attack made possible with the right mouse button, and additional powers that are unlocked and used with the ASDF keys.

The game looks fantastic, and handles just as fluidly. Heroes handle pretty much just like you’d expect them to. For instance, Tony Stark is more suited to ranged combat, and while he isn’t afraid to get down and dirty, I wouldn’t recommend staying in melee distance for too long. The Hulk doesn’t have much on the side of ranged combat, but he does have a knack for smashing things. And Deadpool carries both his trademark swords and pistols, making him useful in melee or ranged situations. In total there will be a few dozen heroes to choose from, each with a massive range of costumes, with the possibility of more heroes post-launch.

Overall, Marvel: Heroes is turning out to be a great game. I’ll be looking forward to covering the game as it progresses closer to launch.

Kickstarter Updates: Old And New


1. SideQuest: Unfunded

If SideQuest does end up being funded successfully, I will gladly tip my hat and sell MMO Fallout to the highest bidder (minimum bid starts at $400,000), but with fifty hours left to go as of this publishing and only sixteen hundred collected of the ten thousand required, the prospects are looking bleak. If you haven’t been paying attention to previous Kickstarter articles here at MMO Fallout, SideQuest is an indie title in development by Fractal Entertainment as a free to play MMO. The game touts a fully immersive single player story as well as party based combat, player vs player, and a full collectible card game.

So why will SideQuest come away from Kickstarter with a low 15-20% of its goal? Perhaps it was the note that Fractal Entertainment doesn’t really need your money in order to make SideQuest a reality, the game is going to be completed no matter what the outcome of the Kickstarter funding. So rather than donate to ensure that the game sees the light of day, players are more likely to withhold their cash, regardless of the rewards offered, and wait and see if SideQuest is worth paying into in the first place.

2. Project: Gorgon

Finally an MMO for people who don’t want their hand held. Project: Gorgon aims for the old school MMO crowd, for players who desire a game that rewards exploration, an MMO that requires you to think before you act, and more importantly: An MMO with a crafting system. So Project: Gorgon aims to bring back the best of the old school (including being able to drop items on the ground and have them actually appear, apparently) with the new fangled contraptions like questing and guild mechanics. Players will have to deal with permanent, game altering changes, including being bitten by a werewolf and having to choose between rushing to find a cure or allowing their new found powers to consume them.

Oh and you can change into a cow, and provide your milk to other players. No, I’m not joking.

Taco Tuesday: Four MMO Revival Pitches


Welcome to Tuesday, there are trays at the front of the line and plenty of tacos to go around. Due to the past few weeks sucking up most, if not all, of the Greenlight and Kickstarter MMOs, you may be glad to hear we are shifting paradigm to having a real discussion. So on to today’s top 5:

Aventurine today announced Darkfall: Unholy Wars, a total revamp to just about every aspect of Darkfall, from the graphics to gameplay, user interface and beyond. So for today’s topic, let’s take a look at some MMos that could use a fresh facelift, new coat of paint, and perhaps a less rusty engine.

4. City of Heroes 2

Did anyone see that pander bear just walk by? There is a pretty unified consensus among players and the press, as well as hinted from Paragon Studios, that City of Heroes was still quite profitable, and fell victim to corporate restructuring. And since the game isn’t quite buried in the ground yet, let’s discuss digging up its corpose and reviving it via electricity.

The show of support for City of Heroes should be enough for a small (or large?) developer to either pick up the City of Heroes IP or create their own roster of notable villains and heroes, and set to work creating a new super hero MMO with a focus on slower combat and deeper strategy, alongside a deep character creation system. Think Champions Online but not as arcadey.

So what are you waiting for, indie developers? Get off of your generic, WoW-ish fantasy MMOs and listen to the pleas of the internet.

3. Warhammer Online 2

I know what you’re saying, “Omali, EA wouldn’t give Mythic the funding to buy a Snickers, let alone fund a new MMO based on Warhammer Online.” You are correct, and that’s why part one of this plan hinges on someone tearing the Warhammer MMO license from Mythic, not unlike Lucas and Star Wars Galaxies. Nothing personal, and Mythic could even keep Wrath of Heroes.

How do you create a new Warhammer Online? First, by not programming it on the gamebryo engine. This is an important factor, because it will prevent the mass exodus of your players over the engine not being capable of handling basic systems, and you won’t have to worry about disabling certain portions of the game or cutting mass swaths of content.

Who wouldn’t like to see a new Warhammer Online? Perhaps with three faction PvP, open world combat, and territory control perhaps?

2. Earthrise

Tell me you didn’t fall in love with Earthrise…on paper. Of course I’m talking about the version we were advertised, where thousands of players would battle in an epic science fiction sandbox MMO, dictated by one’s skill on the battlefield. Not the one where perhaps a dozen or so players battled the forces of lag, game breaking bugs, and unfinished features in a game that provided little more than quest grinding without a community to provide it purpose.

Imagine, if you will, if Earthrise was more like Darkfall but in a science fiction setting. So instead of swords, spells, and archery, you would have guns, nanotechnology, and big heavy stuff to hit other things with. On the other hand, I’d settle for an Earthrise that just wasn’t

1. Ultima Online 2

That pander bear just won’t go away. I must say that out of the items on this list, Ultima Online 2 is likely the only game with even a wink of likelihood. For that matter, it’s the only one that has officially been mentioned, by Jeff Slaski telling players to show EA that they want a sequel. So I’m being optimistic with this list, but I’m not dense. I know that the odds of most of these games even making it past the drawing board are slim.

I love Ultima Online as it is, but I will admit that the code that the game is built on is likely ancient and very obsolete and likely difficult to work with. If the folks at EA were able to upgrade Ultima’s underlying engine, they would likely be able to push the MMO to do far more than it is currently capable of, without sacrificing much if any of the features that the loyal community has come to love.

So it wouldn’t be as much of a sequel as it is a reboot. Like Funcom upgrading Anarchy Online to the Dreamworld Engine.

Neverwinter Delayed To Early 2013


Neverwinter is still alive. Announced back in 2010, Neverwinter has been thrown out as the MMO that Champions Online and Star Trek Online never were (polished). With all of the past events at Cryptic Studios, being discontinued by Atari and then sold off to Perfect World Entertainment, having their new executives delay the title until late 2012 so the game could have some polish and content, and then revising the game to be a full fledged MMO, the idea of Neverwinter being delayed a couple of times isn’t all too alien.

So Neverwinter has been delayed once again, the new release date being “early 2013,” when it will launch with a free to play business model.

(Source: Eurogamer)

Why Aren’t You Playing: Bullet Run


Whenever I hear about free to play shooter MMOs I think of one thing: over-extensive cash shops. I think about time-limited cash shop weapons and upgrades, with the option of spending a very long time grinding through kills in order to nab that better weapon. For myself, and a number of others, such titles start out fun but quickly lose their edge as the slow grind to achieve new weapons becomes longer and what might normally be random, mindless violence is now less enjoyable than slogging through quests in a fantasy MMO. Thankfully, Bullet Run is not that title.

First things first, before you can start shooting people you must create an avatar capable of holding an automatic weapon. Character customization at creation is virtually nonexistent. Apart from a type, tone, and gender, there isn’t much you are able to alter about your avatar. All characters start with the same basic submachine gun. The in-game marketplace is used to purchase additional cosmetic gear as well as new weapons and attachments, both of which can be purchased with either Station Cash or currency acquired through regular play.

Talking about Bullet Run’s gameplay aspects almost seems redundant, because if you’ve played any other recent first person shooter, you already know what to expect. There are two game modes present, Team Deathmatch and Dominion. The former features two teams of players sparring over a set of maps to see who can rack up the highest score in the time allotted. Dominion, on the other hand, has one team attacking a set of nodes as the other team attempts to defend the map. Dominion is played in two halves, allowing each team a chance to attack and defend. As you complete matches and kill other players, you gain experience and currency which are used to level up and purchase additional weapons and attachments. Abilities are docked and slowly build up a charge over the course of the match as you kill enemies and gain points, and encompass everything from mobile turrets to massive chainguns.

As far as cash shop titles go, Bullet Run scores a few points with its durability system. In many other free to play shooters, items offered on the marketplace are limited by time, often times not allowing the player to purchase a permanent version with in-game currency (assuming one exists at all). Once the time limit has passed, your purchased weapon is useless. In Bullet Run, weapons operate on a durability system  where the weapon must be repaired with either Station Cash or currency. The advantage of the system, however, is that even if you allow the durability to run out, the weapon can still be used at a 10% loss in damage. And considering the fast paced nature of Bullet Run, a 10% drop in your gun’s effectiveness isn’t going to lose you any battles.

Playing Bullet Run isn’t all run and gun, however. One feature added to give an advantage to players who can keep their cool under stress is a sliding bar when you reload. If you have decent reflexes, you can easily receive a speedier reload and some point bonuses as well. On the other hand, you can let the reload take its course, or risk jamming the gun and leaving yourself open to attack. When you find someone in a tight corridor and both of you empty your clips, the reload bonus can mean the difference between life and death.

Where Bullet Run falls short is content, the game lacks variety in almost every sector possible. Most important: There are only two modes to choose from, Team Deathmatch and Dominion. And while the marketplace plays host to a wide assortment of guns, the cosmetic clothing and hairstyles offered are few. Even the commentary by the characters in-game is lacking, with the same phrases being repeated over and over. The end result is that Bullet Run feels incomplete, as if the game had launched as soon as there was a stable product to show, rather than waiting until more content could be added. This isn’t to say that Bullet Run is a bad game by any means, it functions as intended, is fun to play, and the cash shop is much more player-friendly than similar titles.

With further development, and assuming Sony doesn’t cut the game short like a certain other developer, Bullet Run will enjoy a loyal following of shooter fans.

Pros:

  1. Generous cash shop: Weapons/Attachments can reasonably be purchased with in-game currency.
  2. Functional: I didn’t come across any notable bugs, and the servers even managed to stay stable on launch night.
  3. Stable: Lag was not a problem in any of the matches I played.

Cons:

  1. The game lacks content.

Why Aren't You Playing: Bullet Run


Whenever I hear about free to play shooter MMOs I think of one thing: over-extensive cash shops. I think about time-limited cash shop weapons and upgrades, with the option of spending a very long time grinding through kills in order to nab that better weapon. For myself, and a number of others, such titles start out fun but quickly lose their edge as the slow grind to achieve new weapons becomes longer and what might normally be random, mindless violence is now less enjoyable than slogging through quests in a fantasy MMO. Thankfully, Bullet Run is not that title.

First things first, before you can start shooting people you must create an avatar capable of holding an automatic weapon. Character customization at creation is virtually nonexistent. Apart from a type, tone, and gender, there isn’t much you are able to alter about your avatar. All characters start with the same basic submachine gun. The in-game marketplace is used to purchase additional cosmetic gear as well as new weapons and attachments, both of which can be purchased with either Station Cash or currency acquired through regular play.

Talking about Bullet Run’s gameplay aspects almost seems redundant, because if you’ve played any other recent first person shooter, you already know what to expect. There are two game modes present, Team Deathmatch and Dominion. The former features two teams of players sparring over a set of maps to see who can rack up the highest score in the time allotted. Dominion, on the other hand, has one team attacking a set of nodes as the other team attempts to defend the map. Dominion is played in two halves, allowing each team a chance to attack and defend. As you complete matches and kill other players, you gain experience and currency which are used to level up and purchase additional weapons and attachments. Abilities are docked and slowly build up a charge over the course of the match as you kill enemies and gain points, and encompass everything from mobile turrets to massive chainguns.

As far as cash shop titles go, Bullet Run scores a few points with its durability system. In many other free to play shooters, items offered on the marketplace are limited by time, often times not allowing the player to purchase a permanent version with in-game currency (assuming one exists at all). Once the time limit has passed, your purchased weapon is useless. In Bullet Run, weapons operate on a durability system  where the weapon must be repaired with either Station Cash or currency. The advantage of the system, however, is that even if you allow the durability to run out, the weapon can still be used at a 10% loss in damage. And considering the fast paced nature of Bullet Run, a 10% drop in your gun’s effectiveness isn’t going to lose you any battles.

Playing Bullet Run isn’t all run and gun, however. One feature added to give an advantage to players who can keep their cool under stress is a sliding bar when you reload. If you have decent reflexes, you can easily receive a speedier reload and some point bonuses as well. On the other hand, you can let the reload take its course, or risk jamming the gun and leaving yourself open to attack. When you find someone in a tight corridor and both of you empty your clips, the reload bonus can mean the difference between life and death.

Where Bullet Run falls short is content, the game lacks variety in almost every sector possible. Most important: There are only two modes to choose from, Team Deathmatch and Dominion. And while the marketplace plays host to a wide assortment of guns, the cosmetic clothing and hairstyles offered are few. Even the commentary by the characters in-game is lacking, with the same phrases being repeated over and over. The end result is that Bullet Run feels incomplete, as if the game had launched as soon as there was a stable product to show, rather than waiting until more content could be added. This isn’t to say that Bullet Run is a bad game by any means, it functions as intended, is fun to play, and the cash shop is much more player-friendly than similar titles.

With further development, and assuming Sony doesn’t cut the game short like a certain other developer, Bullet Run will enjoy a loyal following of shooter fans.

Pros:

  1. Generous cash shop: Weapons/Attachments can reasonably be purchased with in-game currency.
  2. Functional: I didn’t come across any notable bugs, and the servers even managed to stay stable on launch night.
  3. Stable: Lag was not a problem in any of the matches I played.

Cons:

  1. The game lacks content.

The War Z Announced, Zombie Survival MMO


The War Z describes itself as a survival horror MMO, pitting players in a world of zombies and humans in a fight for survival the likes of which we haven’t seen since, well, Day Z. Yes, The War Z takes a great deal of inspiration from the mod to Arma II, even down to the pricing of $30 for the game with no subscription fees. The War Z is currently being developed by Hammerpoint Interactive, a relatively new developer, and is on track for a release this fall. Yes, an MMO set to release within just a quarter or two of being revealed.

Players play on standard servers, of 200 – 400 square kilometers, and will be able to choose from normal and hardcore mode. There will be player vs player combat, and of course player vs zombie. Each server will support up to 250 players, and players will be able to purchase and manage their own War Z servers. As mentioned above, there is no subscription fee for The War Z. The game will be maintained with regular content updates for free, but we aren’t discounting the possibility of a cash shop.

More on The War Z as it appears.

DUST 514 Not Impeded By Sony Certification, Says CCP


Being an MMOFPS, the idea that CCP is releasing DUST 514 on the Playstation 3 understandably has some users worried. How would an ever-expanding and changing world react on a console where updates are notoriously held up in Sony’s certification system? CCP Senior Producer Jon Lander wants you to know that Sony’s certification will not be a problem. In fact, the developer plans on bypassing it entirely.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Jon Lander points out that the game is built with multiple systems in place to allow the addition of new items, or swapping servers around without requiring a client update.

“But if we want to do major client updates to the PS3, then we go through Sony’s usual submission process. But we do have ways of just being able to change other parts of the infrastructure as we need to.”

Additionally, this means that while DUST 514 and Eve Online may exist in the same universe (and servers), Eve Online’s updates also will not affect DUST 514 users.

DUST 514 launches (hopefully) sometime in 2012, although CCP has noted that the game will not launch until the team is satisfied.

(Source: Eurogamer)

Raptr Giving Away 10,000 Copies of Rift


It’s Corgi time. Do you use Raptr? If you aren’t familiar with the program, Raptr runs on your desktop and tracks your game usage over the PC, PS3 and Xbox360. In essence, Ratpr is quite similar to Xfire, except it also tracks your Xbox/Playstation achievements/trophies. As you play your games more and achieve not just time played but achievements in-game as well, you have the opportunity to unlock rewards (generally in the form of virtual items and coupons for tech gear).

If you achieve “experienced” in any of the games below, you will be able to claim a free copy of Rift. Claim your copy of Rift and rank up on that in Raptr to also claim a free digital upgrade to the collector’s edition and a free pair of Dwarven Smithy goggles. Sorry, folks, the rewards system is in beta and is only available in the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany.

EVE Online (PC)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC)
Aion (PC)
EverQuest 2 (PC)
Diablo III (PC)
World of Tanks (PC)
Champions Online (PC)
World of Warcraft (PC)
The Witcher 2 (PC)
Diablo III Beta (PC)
League of Legends (PC)
Everquest (PC)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
The Lord Of The Rings Online (PC)