14 February 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: Vulcan, God of Fire, is not the most revered god in the Roman pantheon. In fact, Vulcan, who was also said to control the fires of volcanoes, is considered a young god, thus little known. Only being mentioned in the most recent documents of the Roman pantheon.
The later Romans worshipped Vulcan for his control of fire, wielding the dual purpose of destruction and fertilization. In the fear that he may burn foodstuffs, Vulcan was celebrated by Volcanalia in the annual festival of Vulcanalia to placate the God of Fire during the summer heat. The consuming fires wielded by Vulcan were viewed in a beneficial light, as defensive technique against enemies. Continue Reading
13 February 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
Hi-Rez Studios is staying true to its word and pushing the single-purchase option for Tribes: Ascend, discussed earlier this week, out as part of Friday’s upcoming content patch. The purchase option to obtain all current XP-locked content in one fell swoop will run gamers $29.99. Current VIP Tribes members can purchase the package for $19.99.
I’ll allow Hi-Rez Studios to cover the changes to F2P gamers:
“Nothing changes for players that are enjoying the game with the free-to-play model,” says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Chief Operating Officer. “But we now also offer an additional single-purchase option to unlock every weapon in the game.”
Let’s not forget about the content patch part. The incoming patch will bring six new maps to all players, three CTF/Blitz and three Arena maps, a new weapon and a pair of cosmetic skins.
You can find all of the details to the patch and the latest official GotY trailer after the cut. Continue Reading
12 February 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
Hi-Rez Studios announced yesterday that the company is planning to offer a new purchase option for its fast-paced first-person shooter Tribes: Ascend. Breaking from its previous statement of all free-to-play, made after Global Agenda failed to capture an appropriate-sized audience, Tribes: Ascend should be available “in the ballpark of other PC multiplayer shooters.”
The single purchase price point – likely between $30-50 – will award the purchaser with all classes, weapons and perks currently available. Everything besides cosmetic items. VIP Tribes players will receive an additional discount. Should all go according to plan, the new option will be made available this Friday, February 15 with the title’s latest content patch.
Hi-Rez Studios was quick to point out that the game will not change for F2P players. Additional maps will remain free. Essentially, should the grind be too hard and your wallet a little too heavy, you’ve a new option at your disposal.
Let the pay-to-win complaints begin!
7 February 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: Hercules is a demi-god of the Roman pantheon, spawned from his mortal mother, Alcmene, and her “fling” with the womanizing God of the Sky, Jupiter. Hercules is renowned for his incredible strength, which repeatedly aided him during his string of oft-repeated adventures. The sheer number of his adventures have delivered a smorgasbord of content, character flaws and inconsistencies for popular culture to pull from.
The range of his feats are best captured in the Bibliotheca. After Juno caused him to murder his own children out of madness, Hercules sought redemption, which King Eurystheus used to his advantage. Seeing an opportunity to rid himself of Hercules, Eurystheus assigned the demi-god to the Labours of Hercules, twelve impossible tasks. The dozen challenges included capturing the Erymanthian Boar, slaying various feared mythological creatures, obtaining beloved items from the likes of Artemis and the Queen of the Amazons and bringing back Cerberus. Each tale unveils a different side to the demi-god, from cunningness to raw power. Each accomplished. Continue Reading
24 January 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
Hi-Rez Studios announced that their godly MOBA, SMITE, has made its way to Open Beta. In Closed Beta testing for the better part of a year, the growing community can start to prepare for a $100,000 Launch Tournament. Qualifications and scheduling will be detailed in the coming weeks.
The content patch that came along with the transition includes a massive graphical update for the Conquest game mode, a new practice match again AI Ra, in-game Team and Roster management systems, a modified Ranked Team Conquest queue and long-awaited Refer-a-Friend program.
The program offers extra Favor as your “friend” levels up. Stepping away from most programs, players that level cap will earn their referrer actual money in the form of 200 Gems. Care to join me?
There’s another incentive for getting started on your account. All players that reach level 30 before SMITE launches, which is still TBD, will receive a Limited Edition Ymir skin. Thankfully, those that have already begun their progress do not have to fear any wipes. Hi-Rez Studios will not be wiping progress now or in the future.
Hit the jump for the Open Beta trailer. Don’t forget to head over the official SMITE Facebook page to snag the awesome Ra skin shown above. SMITE Wiki has the latest patch notes in full.
Update: Below the cut, we’ve also got the first look at the upcoming Limited Edition Ymir skin!
Continue Reading
3 January 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: Xbalanque, pronounced Shib-a-lan-que, is one half of the Maya Hero Twins. The tale of Xbalanque and Hunahpu is the most retold, well known and common motif in all native American mythos since the pair are protagonists to the Maya creation myth.
The brothers were created from the seed of their murdered father after he and his brother were summoned to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, by the Lords of the Underworld. Their pregnant mother fled the scene, raising her sons to avenge their father and uncle. Taking after their elders, the pair became famed ballplayers, eventually challenging the Lords of the Underworld under guise and avenging the death of their relatives. The realm of Xibalba was never the same. Continue Reading
28 November 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
According to a recent forum post by HiRezShadowCouncil, the developer is working hard to implement a guild system into SMITE. The exact title of the system has not been solidified – Tribe (lulz), Sect, Order, Cult – yet we’ve early details on what to expect. And they’re exciting.
Whatever it ends up being named, it’s not going to be an empty bulletpoint to add to the website’s feature list. The system will possess your typical clan expectations, like membership management including ranks and tags. Clan members will earn bonuses for being a part of a clan, such as additional Favor. Clans can also flag members as ranked ready, enabling them to represent the clan in an upcoming Clan vs Clan ranking system. Ranked-ready and players without the flag can gain clan benefits.
Hi-Rez Studios continues to push the expectations gamers can have with the MOBA genre. Many other studios have discussed multiple game modes, guild systems and extra maps. Still in closed beta, SMITE already has three game modes, with a fourth well along the way, and now a guild system.
27 November 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
Keep looking for that code!
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: Unlike everyone’s favorite cherub, Bacchus is not the better known of the Greek versus Roman gods. The renaming of Dionysus by the Romans is so little known that Wikipedia, purveyor of topics important and mundane, doesn’t even have a unique page for the Roman incarnation. That’s not a knock on the importance of the God of the Grape Harvest, Wine, Ritual Madness and Ecstasy. After all, aside from military prowess and early democracy, we all know how important parties were to these cultures.
Bacchus was viewed as a liberator of those that followed him. Freeing them from social norms, stigmas and oppressive restraints through his bakkheia frenzy. Wielding his thyrsus, a staff tipped by a honey-dipped pine cone and wound in ivy, Bacchus used the staff for beneficial and combative purposes. Through his imbibed female followers, the maenads, Bacchus was viewed as a divine communicator between the living and the dead planes. Swarmed by his female followers and their male counterparts, the rotund and bald Sileni, Bacchus was a traveling party. Continue Reading
