14 June 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
Oh, heavens. It’s not like SMITE hasn’t been taking up enough of our time. The still-in-closed-beta MOBA from Hi-Rez Studios recently modified the progression process in favor of a game mechanic far more appropriate to a MOBA. Favor earns you basic skins and unlocks gods and now players can farm Worshipers instead of experience.
Announced back in mid May, the change enables players to focus on their favorite gods instead of overall player-based experience. By winning a match with a chosen Demigod, Deity or God players earn Worshipers. Once you hit Level 1 with a specific god you’ll unlock the Golden skin. Alternatively, players can purchase the unique skins with large amounts of Favor or a hefty amount of gems.
As of press, details remain scarce on progression past Level 1.
Hit the jump to learn which gods currently have Golden skins available. And yes, it’s fully expected that each god will have a Golden skin down the road. Continue Reading
23 May 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
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: Isis, the Goddess of motherhood, fertility and magic, was one of the numerous pervasive gods in Egyptian mythology to crossover into later pantheons in the region. Adapted by the Greco-Roman world, she was worshipped as the ideal women, mother and wife. Like many of the old gods of the Nile region, the realms guarded by Isis changed dramatically over her reign.
Born of the union between Sky and Earth, Nut and Geb, Isis wed her brother Osiris. Their union bore Horus.
Isis’ most famous myth is not for the sibling union specifically, but for her life-giving properties. Set, the sister of both, plotted to kill Osiris by deception. The strategic Set had measured her brother the night before and offered an ornamented box to anyone that could fit inside. Osiris being the only capable, Set tested the fit by closing the lid, sealing Osiris inside. After placing himself in a now-coffin, Osiris and box was pitched into the Nile. The river didn’t do its task. Isis and Nephthys quickly found the box. Continue Reading
21 May 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
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: A giant wolf and son of Loki, Fenrir was prophesied to be the murderer of Odin. Should he have carried out the act of killing the All Father, monstrous beast would have began Ragnarök, the expected apocalypse of Norse mythology. The ensuing war would have seen the death of Thor, Tyr, Freyr, Heimdallr and Loki. Fenrir would have gained little but his own death at the hands of Víðarr, a son of Odin’s. The calamity would not have left the mortal realms safe. Various natural disasters and an ultimate flood would have made sure only two lone humans would survive.
Fenrir wasn’t just the beginning of the end. Loki’s furrier child was renowned for his strength. The great wolf broke numerous bounds as he continued to grow from the daily meals at Tyr’s hand. After two failed bounds, Leyding and Dromi, Odin had the crafty dwarves complete a third fetter, Gleipnir. The Aesir promised that if a bind could hold the great wolf he’d be freed for posing no threat. To be sure Fenrir wasn’t sandbagging his effort Tyr chose to place his hand in the beast’s mouth as a pledge that he was trying his hardest. Tyr’s loss of that hand marked Fenrir’s freedom and one of the best known tales of Norse mythology. Continue Reading
16 May 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
Guess what kind of character she is?! Did you say physical mid-range tank? If so, you need to uninstall SMITE right away! Isis, the latest sexy female to be added to Hi-Rez Studios’ mythological MOBA doesn’t feature the curvy character art like her in-game sisters, but she can be just as pesky.
The Egyptian Goddess of Motherhood, Magic and Fertility fulfills the niche of a support mage. Isis is a dangerous foe in lane or with allies capable of AoE debuffs, sharing regen or negating damage to allies. Like numerous recent additions, Isis has a special meter for her scepter. Only enabled when she launches her ultimate, the scepter will explode dealing damage and healing allies when triggered.
Isis launches with a unique Queen of the Nile skin alongside a new cross-promotion skin for Global Agenda. Vulcan players, including myself, will want to reach level 30 in Hi-Rez Studios’ original game to unlock Sentry Vulcan. In addition to skins, the developer is retiring the rather pointless notion of levels in SMITE. In its place will be God Worshippers. As players win with each god they will earn points towards God Mastery. A total of 10 levels are in the current system. It is unknown what God Mastery offers at this time.
Hit the jump for the full god reveal of Isis, Goddess of Magic. We’ll have more on her and Fenrir next week as part of the on-going SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained column. Continue Reading
23 April 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
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: Ne Zha, or Nezha as his name is most commonly spelled, originally came to Chinese folklore as a Taoist protection deity in Buddhist mythology. The boy was born as such after gestating in his mother for three and a half years. Upon his unusual birth his father, a powerful military commander named Li Jing, assailed his son with his sword in fear of creating a demon. Unphased by the cut, Ne Zha sprang from the ball of flesh a boy grown, fully capable of talking and walking at birth. This would not be Li Jing’s last attempt on his son’s life.
Ne Zha is best known for his roles in the popular culture Chinese mythology of Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West. It’s not his competition and later friendship with Sun Wukong, or conquering of the sea that gave Ne Zha his identity as a protector. It’s his work against the summons of Ao Kuang for boys and girls of his home province, Chentang Pass, that the Third Lotus Prince is held in such high esteem. After hearing that his minions had been defeated, Ao Kuang arranged a meeting with his family and that of Ne Zha. The embarrassed Dragon King threatened to flood the entirety of Chentang Pass. To save his family name and the people of his hometown Ne Zha committed suicide, returning his body to his parents. Continue Reading
18 April 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
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. Continue Reading
16 April 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
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: Aphrodite, by all accounts, is incredibly attractive. The Greek goddess of love, procreation, beauty and pleasure is so desirable that the rest of her pantheon feared that godly rivalries for her hand would result in war. This is despite her being born a full adult from the mutilated genitals of Uranus. Ehem. Origin aside, her beauty resulted in an arranged marriage to Hephaestus, the ugly and deformed equivalent of the Roman smith Vulcan.
Being a deity in the Greek pantheon means such a social chain as marriage wouldn’t stop her from messing around. Aphrodite had the pick of any man she desired, gods and mortals alike. The rotating consorts caused as much strife as Zeus and the other leaders likely feared. For instance, her union with the violent God of War Ares bore Phobos and Deimos, the personifications of Fear and Terror that road to battle with their father. Continue Reading
7 March 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
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: A product of Cronus and Rhea, Poseidon, along with his four siblings – Zeus, Hades, Demeter, Hestia and Hera – is one of the twelve major deities of the Greek pantheon. While Poseidon came from a relatively modest sized family, he did not subscribe to the same notion. The God of the Oceans spread his love from sea to shining sea, from his sister Demeter to a host of unknown consorts and a handful of male partners. The acts of the seafaring god left dozens of children in his wake, those born of normal, or in the case of Chrysaor, more supernatural ways.
Most of his lore involves chasing tail. Outside these tales, which can turn to the devious, he’s largely perceived as a “good” god. Yet, he has his faults, including being a part of Hera’s scheme to overthrow Zeus. The failed plot caused his brother to temporarily strip Poseidon of his power. During this time Poseidon toiled away constructing a giant wall for King Laomedon of Troy. Laomedon refused to pay the deity for his work winning the City of Troy a visit by a sea monster. Continue Reading
