Frustrating Game Mechanics in MOBAs

Posted by on April 22, 2013 - 1 Comment »

When you’re playing an online game there are a few crucial systems under your control that you depend on for an enjoyable experience. Your computer, your Internet connection, your input devices (no batteries here!), they all have to be responding adequately or one may be thrown through the other. On the flip side, the company providing the experience needs dependable servers, few latency spikes and, naturally, compelling gameplay.

What if the gameplay itself becomes frustrating?

I’m not griping about a challenging boss fight, the umpteenth FedEx quest, an unusual balance change or an encounter so unique or gimmick-driven that it’s outside the cultural norms. I am referring to actual gameplay systems that cause active inhibitions. In an MMOG, you can brush a nuisance game mechanic off. There’s plenty of other content to chose from. Worst case, you have to wait for the next batch of content. In a MOBA, that’s not possible. Unless the character is modified it’s possible to come across the “broken” design at any moment. Read more…

Wargaming.net Announces World of Tanks Account Security Breach

Posted by on April 20, 2013 - No Comments »

Sound the alarm.

Last night, we announced from Twitter that Wargaming.net has set up a “Change Your Password Event.” The request isn’t without incentive. Players that partake in the advice will be award 300g, the real-money transaction currency in World of Tanks. Processing of the gold delivery may take up to 24 hours after the password has been changed (mine arrived effectively immediately).

The request event was created in response to a security breach of personal information that the publisher/developer stores. The firm “immediately launched an investigation into the incident” and assures gamers that no financial information was accessed during the breach. Email addresses and passwords may have been breached.

At any rate, be sure to grab your free 300g and change your password to a unique, secure password. Random is best, but if you need something more memorable be sure to mix it up as best as possible.

 

Arctic Sees Return of Aliens in Latest ARCTIC COMBAT Patch

Posted by on April 19, 2013 - No Comments »

No, it’s not Aliens vs. Predator 3, which, by the way, how is that not a thing yet? Aliens, of the more general kind, have begun descending on the frozen tundra thanks to the latest patch to MMO shooter ARCTIC COMBAT. Launched originally as a strict PvP shooter, the team at WEBZEN unleashed a new 4-player co-op mode where players battle an alien invasion.

The new Defense Mode pits four gun-wielding players against a swarm of incoming aliens. Protecting a nuclear reactor from ground and aerial assaults, players will battle it out against 15 different types of aliens including bosses and minibosses. Destroying the extra-terrestrial invaders on three different difficult levels award points used to purchase a variety of rewards.

The patch, which marks the first major update since ARCTIC COMBAT’s December 2012 release, also includes a new map, the shotgun, skill upgrades and a revamped AI. WEBZEN is running a new giveaway to promote the patch. Details on the official Facebook page. Media, including screenshots and the official trailer, are after the cut. Read more…

SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained – Apollo

Posted by on April 18, 2013 - No Comments »

SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.

Lore: *twang* Apollo, God of music, poetry, oracles, sun, medicine…let’s just go with art. He’s the God of Music et. al. No, that’s not correct either. Anyways, aside from being the god of plague, he was a fairly benevolent and talented individual. Born of Zeus and Leto, he came from the same seeds as his gamely twin sister Artemis. Given his ridiculous proficiency for mastering a vast array of topics, Apollo was a clever and complex individual routinely given different praises through the times of ancient Greece. Complex enough to maintain the same name and heritage for the Roman pantheon!

Be it with bow and arrow or his famed lyre given to him by Hermes, Apollo could turn the tides of war with a variety of resources. Early fame was brought to him when he killed Pytho, the earth-dragon of Delphi, after it was sent to end his mother’s life. Unphased by her minion’s failure, Hera sent the giant Tityos to finish the deal. Aided by Artemis, the pair once again saved their mother from certain death. Zeus then stepped in, casting Tityos to Tartarus for crows to feast on his liver. Read more…

Romulans Force UI Changes in Star Trek Online [Updated with Pre-order Pricing]

Posted by on April 18, 2013 - No Comments »

[Update] Cryptic and Perfect World Entertainment have released details on the Legacy of Romulus pre-order options. $124.99 or $19.99. Pick your poison.

The introduction of the anti-Vulcan Romulan faction to Star Trek Online shook up the game last November. The update included new Borg, the beginning of new itemization for endgame content, the addition of Vesta-class starships and new modes of progression. But it wasn’t called New Romulus for no reason. The patch highlighted the faction, including a new planet for them, and continued the storyline of their previous home world’s destruction.

Changes indeed. Now there’s another one to be tied in with the release of the third faction. The latest Dev Blog reveals that the user interface for Star Trek Online will become more customizable with the release of Legacy of Romulus. To that point, it’ll be up to snuff with what gamers have come to expect from Cryptic Studios, near full customization as seen in Neverwinter and Champions Online.

Interchangeable color schemes, situationally aware and immersive overlays, a new Red Alert mode and an overall “flatter” style are all ready to be testing on the Tribble test servers. Hit the jump for the full gallery of UI changes. Read more…

FireFall Heading to Open Beta This July

Posted by on April 18, 2013 - No Comments »

Yeah, FireFall will be heading to just open beta testing this July. July 9, 2013 to be exact. The game has had the closed beta testing tag applied to it for over a year after Red 5 Studios has gone through three major progression revamps, from dropping levels to eradicating branching battleframe progression. After over a year of closed community feedback and a few Chosen weekends of open beta testing, the firm has applied dozens of changes based upon their suggestions. The company finally feels confident that the open-world MMO shooter is ready for the big time. In just under three months time.

Obviously, the new tag won’t stop Red 5 Studios from continuing development. In the interim the company will continue to hit major milestones in May and June. Many focus on PvE elements.

Upcoming features include:

  • City Power Levels: offering players bonuses for aiding in localized missions.

  • Melding Exploration: Unlocked by increasing City Power Levels, players will be able to explore the Melding via special dropships.

  • Chosen Instances: Strengthening the open world environment will unlock these instanced dungeons.

  • Crafting & Progression: Crafting system alterations and ever-improved UIs for the new Battleframe progression system.

For those thinking of joining closed beta testing now via invite or by becoming a Founder, don’t forget that James Macauley already promised an end to character wipes in 2012. Check out the Open Beta FAQ for all the details.

SMITE Adds Ne Zha, the Third Lotus Prince in Patch 0.1.1467 [Update]

Posted by on April 17, 2013 - No Comments »

**Update: Hi-Rez released the God Reveal video today, so you can find it below the cut now.

Hi-Rez Studios patched SMITE today, adding Ne Zha. This has been the first Chinese pantheon added since Guan Yu way back last summer during Closed Beta.

I quickly patched and headed into a Joust match against my wife as Anhur. We discovered that Ne Zha’s early game could potentially be very potent if played correctly, but his mid game is lacking. Without levels or items to negate other players, Ne Zha can easily be overtaken if abilities are missed. Anhur managed to kill me five times until I had the items to completely take him down.

Late game gets pretty crazy if you build movement and attack speed. Crits here and there will hit for anywhere between 300-600, with attacks being thrown out 2.5 times per second.

At any rate, here’s the list of things to note in this patch, according to me:

  • Portal has had a major change from 1 use and indefinite lifetime to as many players every 2 seconds for a 30 second lifetime.
  • Motivate has had a major change as well, from buffing the protections and health of nearby minions to the nearest 3 minions getting fully healed, and become fire minions.
  • Cacodemon Ymir is released this patch. Anyone who is level 30 now, or hits level 30 before SMITE goes live will earn this skin.
  • Twitch streaming integration is fully added to SMITE, allowing players to stream via the SMITE client without the need of a third party tool.

After the cut you can find Ne Zha’s abilities in text form, along with the rest of the patch notes. Hi-Rez hasn’t has released the God Reveal video for Ne Zha yet, so when they do, we’ll update this post to include it. Check out the official reveal after the cut!

Read more…

Defiance to Address Game/TV Synergy in Today’s Q&A

Posted by on April 17, 2013 - No Comments »

The Q&A starts in just a few moments, running from 1:00 PM-9:00 PM EST. Presented by Raptr, the Q&A session will feature the game’s executive producer and VP of development Nathan Richardson and community manager Lance James. The pair will be tackling anything related to the media tie-in project between Syfy and Trion Worlds. A topic Lore Hound covered at length previously.

Participation is encouraged with prizes! The top 5 questions will earn PC Digital Deluxe copies of Defiance. More of a lurker? Readers commenting are eligible for two copies. You can participate now, with the session beginning in just a few moments.

Defiance, the game, launched on April 2 with many issues, especially for the console releases. Defiance, the TV show, smashed records for Syfy and in general on April 15. You can catch Defiance on Hulu Plus if you missed it.