I’ve been clambering for subscription-based MMOG publishers to investigate alternative subscription rates for years. Not just because of the recent “external” pressure from the popularity of the free-to-play model. That’s a more recent occurrence. Even before the new (and exciting) business model began encroaching on the juvenile market, I was suggesting that smaller developers experiment with price points lower than the norm.

The Fallen Earth and Champions Online pedigree, for all their collective innovations, simply could not compete with World of Warcraft or even Warhammer Online on the AAA front. However, I felt, and still do feel, that these titles would act as a fantastic second-in-command at a lower monthly price point. Trion Worlds isn’t going that far with its latest RIFT promotion, but it’s awfully close.

For the next few days, those looking to ascend can do so at amazing rates. As low as $8.25 per month, or a slim $99.00 per year. That’s a lock in rate, not a super special, born on this day die on this, ping-pong ball bingo drop rate. That $99.00 rate will be “billed every year” and entitle purchasers to the “Veteran Rewards” program; a great promotion on its own. Other packages, for three and six months at $12.29/month and $10.29/month, are also available at 18% and 31% discounts compared to the 45% savings from above.

Launched just over a year ago, Trion Worlds has delivered seven large updates, with the title seeing its eighth, v1.8, coming just around the corner.

For more information, head to your Account Management page. Get it while it’s hot. The deal ends when March does.

Perfect World Entertainment released the latest trailer for Blacklight: Retribution, the upcoming F2P FPS from Zombie Studios. The short trailer, seen above, breaks down the beta process by everyone’s favorite subject, math. Even if number munching isn’t your cup of tea, it’s pretty astounding how much action the beta process has seen in a few short weeks.

• 14 million minutes played
• 280 million shots fired
• 13 million agents K.I.A
• 494 million combat points spent
• 04 03 12

Zombie should have taken it a step further. It’s even more interesting is when you analyze these numbers against each other.

• 26.64 years of human productivity gone. Conversely, 26.64 years of hand-eye coordination training for post-apocalyptic survivors.
• 21.54 shots per kill. Marines we are not.
• 0.33 shots per second. Trigger happy, we are.
• 1.76 combat points earned per shot or…
• 35.29 combat points per minute player.
• April 3, 2012 – I already took vacation.

Simple take away; shoot more for more CP!

Blacklight: Retribution will be launching on April 3, 2012.

Gamers, I have a serious confession to make. I, iTZKooPA, am an absolute sucker for lists. Since my youngest days, those lacking hair follicles on certain parts of my anatomy, my consciousness has held fast that productivity meant the absence of sleep. Oddly, not further growth of said follicles.

You see, sleep, was a weakness. Something that must be done. Something that stops me from doing necessary goals. Usually while conscious. The only aspect in this nerd’s life to sway such unreasonable notions was my adolescent brain’s discovery of lists. The hatred of sleep hasn’t been eradicated, but toned down thanks to the ability to formulate my thoughts into concrete objectives. A simple piece of paper with ink generated from my cranium solidified my metaphysical needs.

Jumping to the present, I routinely carry around targets. Not only for organizational purposes, but to feed my personal desire to measure productivity. These goals remain handwritten, on paper. Not on an iPad note or Google Document. The need to cross off tasks as completed is so great that, and this is a confession, I add tasks after I have completed them just to cross them out.

Originally, objectives in games had to be kept the old-fashioned way, pen and paper. Then we gamers were given a quest log. Not because designers felt they could take advantage of this psychological factor, but as a quality-of-life benefit. No more pen and paper means no break from immersion. It’s only in the last few years that designers have begun leveraging this humanoid need for concrete progress to benefit the experience. Achievements are great, usually, but their ability to keep us playing should be just the beginning. By expanding upon that genius innovation, I believe questing can be saved.

Recent AAA titles haven’t pushed this boundary. To date, nothing, and I mean nothing, tops the product that EA Mythic put out with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning four years ago. The ToK combined all of the information a player may need for his career in WAR in one incredibly well-designed feature. WAR’s lore, quest details, history of the world, notable NPCs, a beastiary and even your character’s historical armor are tracked and viewable in-game at any time. Returning to the facsimile feature in other games after leaving WAR, spread across numerous screens mind you, was as poor an experience as viewing standard definition TV today.

The questlog is now a standard feature. Yet it’s rarely more than a digital pen-and-paper approach. Add, complete, check off, remove, rinse and repeat. Players are lucky if there’s any historical information at all. WAR’s grandest feature should not be abandoned to history after all it has been heralded. As the industry so often does, its concept should be borrowed and innovated further.

It’ll never happen, but one addition I would like to see is bylines for the writers.

This post was partially inspired by The Checklist Manifesto.

We’re glad to inform you that Perfect World Entertainment will be releasing Zombie Studio’s free-to-play FPS Blacklight: Retribution on April 3, 2012.

Shwing!

The title is currently in Open Beta, so you might as well jump in an begin leveling your permanent character now. If the “headstart” isn’t a good enough incentive for you.

How about this tidbit: The game is currently undergoing a Bonus XP Weekend. Actually, that’s weekend++, as the event will end on Tuesday!

We’re not worthy!

“After five successive months of closed and open beta testing, Blacklight Retribution has recruited a strong community of dedicated players that have provided valuable feedback for our development team to create a tight and polished free-to-play game with innovative and exciting features,” said Andrew Brown, Executive Producer for Perfect World Entertainment. “Our team has been working really hard to prepare the game for its release, including additional content like new game modes, supporting maps, and a variety of new weapons and related gameplay enhancers.”

Above you’ll find the latest trailer for Blacklight: Retribution. To be fair, it’s geared more towards getting your adrenaline pumping than showcasing in-game experiences. This blogger has never faced enemies that stupid, or that willing to spill their blood, which doesn’t exist in BLR.

“Add it in post” indeed.

(Sorry, I just watched Wayne’s World).

[Update]

In fact, this was confirmed and expanded upon by the Creative Head of Zombie Studios, Jared Gerrtizen:

Aftereffects and a path in the video that isn’t in the map…. Heads have rolled.

Zombie Studios takes its community very seriously.