Archive for the ‘Guild Wars 2’ Category

More Guild Wars 2 World vs World Details Revealed

16 February 2012 | 5 Comments » | Mike

A flood of information has been revealed today about Guild Wars 2’s World vs World system, and here at Lore Hound we break it down for you. For those of you who want to read the full article, which is massive, head over to the ArenaNet blog; but for those of you with shorter reading attention spans, continue below.

Up until this point, we actually know a fair about the World vs World system: mainly that there will be three sides (server VS server VS server), and each match would last 2 weeks with a definite winner. Below I’ve outlined the main points from the article, many which have already been known, but I’m going to list them anyway. I’ll bold any that I believe to be new information.

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Guild Wars 2 Large Scale Beta in March!

15 February 2012 | No Comments » | Mike

Guild Wars Insider has posted some fresh new details from NCSoft’s earnings call where it revealed that Guild Wars 2 will be setting up some large scale beta tests in March and April; which will then determine the next step for the game.

Whether these beta tests will be open, or remain closed, has yet to be revealed. However, the “large scale” statement suggest that if it’s not open, there will be plenty of closed beta keys up for grabs.

In March & April there will be large scale testing for GW2; depending on results of testing a finalized commercialization schedule will be determined.

They also confirmed that NCSoft is working on a console version of GW2, which will be released after the PC version.

We stated multiple times in public that we have a small team working on a console version, but that we are fully dedicated to make the most kickass game for PC.

Exciting news for Guild Wars and MMORPG fans a like.

The Upcoming MMOGs of 2012

30 December 2011 | 5 Comments » | LHStaff

It’s not quite over yet, but 2011 was not a banner year for the MMOG genre. There was no massive success, no breakaway hit. Players did receive their handful of expansions and new content patches, but with the exception of the just-released Star Wars: The Old Republic – a title which may become that massive success – most events were a blip on the radar.

Perhaps 2011 will be remembered not for its lack of breathtaking releases in the genre. No, no, the Year of the Rabbit may go down in history for a paradigm shift in the genre itself. Yeah, you guessed it, a continued aggressive shift to the free-to-play model.

What started with a last-ditch effort by Turbine Entertainment to save Dungeons & Dragons Online has continued to spread through the industry like wildfire. From dieing titles to titles that would have surely been paid-to-play years ago to upcoming AAA games, escapisms from every subgenre, every part of the world and catering to every type of game were released, entered beta or teased during the year. It’s getting to the point that drawing the line between what is an MMOG and what isn’t is becoming increasingly difficult.

Below you’ll find the titles that have us here at LoreHound.com the most excited. There’s a little bit of everything, AAA to F2P, MMORTS to MMORPG, casual to hardcore. An exhaustive list of expansions, content patches and releases? No, but the post is choke full of excitement, previews and information.

We’ll kick it off with the prediction for Star Wars: The Old Republic’s seemingly bright future. More after the cut.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: BioWare has definitely set themselves on the right track with this game, going full blown into production. They have stated that they have a years worth of content already in back log before launch, giving them a year’s head start worth of content as they still work on more to come. Add to the fire the fact they’ve watched every MMO that was released in 2011, and took notes, along with everything the head megabeast, World of Warcraft, has done for the last 5 years. The game is only just over a week old (officially), and besides the hiccups with a launch of any new game, the game is going pretty solid with 1 million subscriptions already created on December 22nd (before people who got it for Christmas could subscribe).

Is the game perfect right now? No. Give it a few months, and all the kinks will be found and ironed out, with some new content. Yes, yes, that statement could be recycled for almost every MMOG release in modern history. That doesn’t make it any less true. The fully voiced story gives a very cinematic feel. Check out the Lore Cast Episode 5 in the coming days to hear how Mordil, Beararms, and perhaps a few others are feeling about the game.

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Why I am Excited for…

24 June 2011 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

I have had numerous guilds collapse because of summer over the years. Vacations, school breaks, Honey Do lists, gardening, general desire to go outside, there are plenty of reasons one’s indoor entertainment may be curtailed during this time. Mine certainly has. Drastically.

No matter my current state of MMOG enjoyment, I still keep my ear to the ground (gotta write about something!). Trailers, cinematics, class reveals, screenshots, no matter the form of information, I gobble it up on a variety of titles. I continue to absorb information on each for very specific reasons.

Let me tell you them.

Guild Wars 2: ArenaNet’s second crack at the market is the closest thing to a WoW-a-like on this list. The game continues to draw me in with innovative ideas and iterations to last-generation MMOG tropes. Streaminlined questing, advanced public quests, fast-action combat, resurrections for all, a new, deep world. Each time I’ve seen the title at a convention there’s been a new feature that leaves me impressed.

TERA: TERA has been a joy to play. The world is unique with hardlined races, genders and classes. The combat is fast paced, dependent on intellect and positioning and flat out fun. Warfare is visceral enough to set hearts a pumpin’ and adrenaline a flowin’. The battles against the epic monsters, random mobs of enormous proportions and angry demeanors, are so enjoyable that it raiding isn’t even needed. I’d be as happy starfish in a clam shoal with a swath of dungeons as the endgame. The visual are absolutely stunning to boot.

Dragon Nest: Dragon Nest’s art scheme is rather deceiving. It’s not some quirky casual game. In fact, it’s quite hardcore, with much the same combat mechanics as TERA. TERA light, if you will. That fact, and its F2P business model, keep it on my radar. Not something that can be said for any other anime styled title.

World of Warplanes: World of Tanks is boatloads of fun. Boats that are full of Mauses (Mausi?). The new WoW (WoWp?) intrigues me on a variety of levels. Blowing crap up chief among them. Planes, well, they’re always fun. However, on a design level I am eagerly waiting for more details on its strategy and replayability. Much of the fun of WoT comes from the randomly chosen map, instantly devising a strategy for it and adopting to the terrain as the blitzkrieg rolls. Being in the air adds the z-axis, but I fail to see how it can remain as engrossing with the loss of environmental strategy.

Summer Love & It Ain’t WoW

22 June 2011 | 3 Comments » | iTZKooPA

I am very backlogged.

In fact, I quit World of Warcraft. Again. It’s the second time that Blizzard’s behemoth has fallen out of favor with me. To be honest, it took me by complete surprise. I was frothing at the mouth for the Cataclysm, the rebooting of the world. Despite the revamped world, new direction in story telling and new content, I felt the grasp slipping. Then my ferret passed, and as sappy as it sounds, WoW and said furball were inexplicably linked in my psyche. When I was playing, she would be skittering across my keyboard. With her gone, I couldn’t bring myself to login. For months.

Solidsamm and Solidsagart have been dark since. Their candles slowly burning to the nub. June 1, 2011 saw the fire succumb to the wax pool. The subscription expired.

Azeroth has been replaced by a cavalcade of titles from niches high and low. Everything from 3DS distractions to single-player RPGs have been devoured. FPS games have seen their return, League of Legends is back on top of the regular rotation and StarCraft II has me constantly lacking pylons. On the MMOG front, Global Agenda and World of Tanks have encroached on Rift’s time, with various F2P games seeing installs from time to time. There’s little chance of any of these titles garnering my undivided attention like WoW did. That is until TERA or Guild Wars 2 comes out.

Until then, it’s into the backlog of unopened games, unfinished projects, quirky Flash games and the new crop of browser-based titles.

Thou Holy Trinity Becometh

20 May 2011 | 4 Comments » | iTZKooPA

Tank, Healer and an assortment of DPS. That’s how it goes in MMOGs, right? It’s a long-standing cliche that has endured for nearly fifteen years (Wow, have these games really been around almost two decades?). From EverQuest to World of Warcraft to Rift, the composition of a group has been based on these three archetypes with little difference. Even the sci-fi third-person shooter Global Agenda subscribes.

Gamers have poked fun and complained about the setup, crying for innovation in the stagnate design. Many developers have tried breaking the bounds to offer a unique experience, but not one has truly succeeded. Another round of contenders is coming in 2011/2012.

BioWare is addressing the issue in Star Wars: The Old Republic by enabling every class to heal in some capacity. Current information on the oft-delayed title reveals that if not yourself and comrades, then a player will, at minimum, be able to heal itself. ArenaNet is passing the healers’ duty of resurrection to everyone in Guild Wars 2. Any player on the battlefield will be able to revive a downed ally with a bit of moral support. Or, barring a local teammate, you can self-res with a little determination (killing a mob). Iterations really, not rethinking the classic composition.

Developer Bluehold Studio and Publisher En Masse Entertainment are taking it a bit further in the action-oriented MMORPG TERA, as explained in a recent post. En Masse’s Scott James Magner bluntly states “we’re redefining [the holy trinity] as we move into the next generation of online games.” Continue Reading

PAX East 2011: Guild Wars 2 Live Demo/Developer Interview

14 March 2011 | 2 Comments » | LHStaff

We’re back with another live recording of the latest Guild Wars 2 demo! You might recall we got our first sneak peek at the game during last year’s PAX Prime, and the folks at Arenanet were kind enough to invite us back for a second go. Of course, a lot has been revealed about the game recently, content that has been reflected in the footage below. We take another trip through the character creation process, then move into exploring the Norn starting area, before jumping into a higher-level zone to score some Thief action (note that the class was officially unveiled at the event).

It’s a bit of a lengthy chat, so we’ve split it up into four parts for you, three of which you’ll find after the jump:

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PAX East 2011: Guild Wars 2 Introduces Thief Profession and New Playable Demo

11 March 2011 | No Comments » | pixiestixy

Just in time for the shenanigans at PAX East this weekend, NCsoft has released a whole hodge podge of information, plus some dandy screenshots and even a video on the thief class in Guild Wars 2. Check it out:

Now, I’ve always been a fan of melee classes. Assassin, rogue, thief — whatever you want to call them, they’re my idea of fun. The GW2 thief is about what one expects when thinking of these classes: masters of surprise, stealthy on their toes, good with daggers. But what else?

This weekend, these new thieves actually are on target to be one of the playable professions in NCsoft’s PAX demo, so we’re hoping to bring you some insider insight on just how well they play, and maybe add in some details on what sets these guys apart from the other classes we’ve already played in previous MMOs.

Speaking of the playable demo, here’s what else iTZKooPA and Heartbourne will have their hands full with this weekend at the GW2 booth:

  • Debut of the guardian as another playable profession
  • New Profession features, from an expanded selection of pets for rangers to new weapon capabilities for necromancers and warriors
  • Norn opening experience, including your own character biography, the introductory cinematic and starter areas
  • Access to Gendarran Fields, a mid-level area
  • New UI, with reportedly new functionality, new chat features and “hints of things to come.”

Check out the official site for all the juicy details on the thief class, and check back here soon for more on what iTZKooPA and Heartbourne have to say about the new demo.