MMO News |
- World of Warcraft – Highmaul Raid Reviewed
- Face Check! JamesBl0nde Plays Dying Light @ PAX South
- Cabal II PAX South Preview
- Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns Expansion Interview w/ Colin Johanson (PAX South)
- Magicka 2 – An Interview Without the Vampire
- Forge of Empires – Android App Teaser
- Madden 15 Super Bowl 2015 Predictions
- SMITE World Championship: Creating the Trophy
- Das Tal – New RPG Features Released
- Block N Load: Old School Nigel Detention Now Available
| World of Warcraft – Highmaul Raid Reviewed Posted: 27 Jan 2015 04:12 PM PST By Jason Parker (Ragachak)
Only One Raid? Scandalous! With World of Warcraft‘s Warlords of Draenor recently releasing, only one raid was prepared for the expansion's launch: Highmaul, an Ogre compound controlled by Imperator Mar'gok. Currently, all portions of this first raid are available in Looking for Raid, Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties. Though the regular difficulties were available at launch, the wings in LFR were released over the course of a few weeks so that players could not leap directly in at the start. However, the difficulties do not have to be tackled in order of difficulty. Players, if they have the knowledge and gear (or someone willing to carry them), could in theory start directly on Mythic. In fact, some players did start on Mythic right away by abusing the Black-Market Auction Hall to buy Mythic gear, and swapping servers to get more mythic gear for gold. Though shameful, it did create results in that the raids were incredibly easy for these groups of people. But is that all this raid is, a DPS check before Blackrock Foundry? Highmaul, while being the only content currently available for end-game raiding, is more than just a tank and spank. It is an interesting mesh of old mechanics used in new ways, perhaps as a test to see if guilds are ready to tackle the Blackrock Foundry. It's not all shiny happiness, though. While there are a great many positives to the current end-game content, there are little things that are pesky and frustrating, such as trash runs for BoE items. Personal Loot is also a blessing and a curse in Highmaul. The chance for everyone in a group to find loot is fantastic, but constantly only landing gold in a group can be an incredible downer. Master Looter is still an option for non-LFR raids, but fewer people tend to gain new gear that way. So what is in store?
And That Makes One Hundred It is a challenge to come up with new game mechanics constantly, especially for a game that has been out for ten years. The Highmaul raid has a few brief tank-and-spank encounters, such as the Butcher or Twin Ogron, but even these have different mechanics to require coordination and get raids working together. Simply standing in Butcher's range and not moving, switching, or getting out of the way will result in very swift deaths. Failing to avoid Quake, waves of fire, and not grouping up for Shout during Twin Ogron will also cause repeated raid wipes. The raid difficulty of Highmaul is much higher than most starting raids; the mechanics are pretty intense until players out-gear the content. Even with high item level though, raids who simply walk in could find themselves wiping repeatedly due to a lack of attention to detail. And of course, many thanks to my guildies on Bloodscalp, <Open Source>, for raiding and progressing to help me put this together. Imperator Mar'gok in particular has an incredulous amount of abilities, and phase changes. He feels more like a final end-expansion battle such as those found in Tempest Keep or Black Temple. He is not at all a "filler" boss with few if any difficult mechanics to handle, such as one might find in other expansions. In fact, this expansion so far is very much a call-back to Burning Crusade, so I would expect to see more content that is a reminder of those days. Each battle is different, and each one has an important caveat. It can be very easy to be overwhelmed by Moss in Brackenspore, or the breaking down over time of Tectus. Attention to detail is important on all levels of Highmaul.
It's a Kind of Mythic As you ramp up the difficulty in Highmaul, you get more challenges than the shift from Normal to Heroic in past expansions. Previously, the bosses would simply hit harder and/or gain more health. During Mists of Pandaria, changes to raids were tested such as Flex Raids (which are now 'normal' difficulty). The difficulty between modes is a more important change. Normal mode uses all of the traditional boss mechanics that are expected in the Raid Journal of the in-game Interface. Heroic adds a few more bits and pieces, and Mythic is difficult on a whole new level! Players can admittedly farm Mythic difficulty trash for higher level gear to make raiding easier (or earn extra gold), but the bosses will be much more difficult regardless of gear. Moving from Normal to Heroic is not a stressful feat, but moving from Heroic to Mythic can be incredibly challenging. The difficulty ramp is steep, but not so much that it is impossible. A prime example is Kargath Bladefist. Normal requires you to have five players get pulled into the crowd to deal with two new enemies to avoid their damaging attacks on the raid, avoiding the tiger pit, and kiting Kargath into the flame traps. Mythic adds three more painful raid mechanics. Roar of the Crowd is an energy bar that tracks the favor the crowd has shown the players. The more the raid follows certain mechanics, such as kiting Kargath for longer during Berserker Rush, the more favor gained. The more favor, the more damage the players do. The Tiger Pits are now even more dangerous! The Tigers pop out of their pits, fixate players, and continually damage them. The Flame Pillars now also target players, which can be frustrating if you are not paying attention. And this is just the first boss! Not all bosses gain tons of new powers, but changes must still be made, such as two players entering Ko'ragh's field, and Expel: Fel requiring players to move as little as possible, which could completely crush the raid if it hits a player that has to stand in the falling orbs.
Uniting the Clans This is a very positive start for the expansion. In no way does Highmaul feel like filler content before the real encounters drop. The bosses are by no means impossible, but raids will have to put in the effort to conquer the content. I'm certain some raiding groups will blast through it, while others have to struggle and push week after week. I personally raid a few nights a week on Bloodscalp, and we have made progress from Normal to Heroic in a nice amount of time. I have to say that I am pleased with the content so far, and I am looking forward to seeing how Blizzard transitions from Highmaul to Blackrock. I will be intensely disappointed if they reuse the same style of raid that occurs in Blackrock Foundry. I doubt that will happen, though. Thus far the expansion has not let me down, so I'm expecting good things in the future for Warlords of Draenor. |
| Face Check! JamesBl0nde Plays Dying Light @ PAX South Posted: 27 Jan 2015 02:50 PM PST Face Check! JamesBl0nde Plays Dying Light @ PAX South After seeing all the awesome parkour and zombie action Dying Light has to offer through trailer after trailer I decided to try the game out for the first time at the EVGA booth at PAX South… totally getting this game now! Dying Light released January 27th, 2015 and is a buy to play game from Techland & WB Games. Available now on PC, PS4 & Xbox One! WHAT IS DYING LIGHT? Dying Light is an action survival game presented in first-person perspective. The game is set in a vast and dangerous open world. During the day, you roam an urban environment devastated by a mysterious epidemic, scavenging for supplies and crafting weapons to help you defeat the hordes of mindless, flesh-hungry enemies the plague has created. At night, the hunter becomes the prey as the infected grow in strength and aggression – but even more lethal are the nocturnal, inhuman predators that leave their nests to feed. You will need to make use of all your skills and any available means to survive till dawn.
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| Posted: 27 Jan 2015 02:22 PM PST By Jaime Skelton (MissyS), Senior Editor On the first day of PAX South, we visited with ESTSoft to get our first hands-on look at Cabal II. For those of you unfamiliar with its predecessor, Cabal Online is a classic MMORPG in its own right, released first in 2005 (2008 in North America). For old fans of the series, and new players curious alike, Cabal II is promising to be a real treat. The very essence of Cabal's gameplay has been reborn in Cabal II, rather than completely replaced or redesigned. Five of the classes return – Warrior, Wizard, Force Archer, Force Blader, and Force Shielder – but the Blader class has been replaced by the new Priest class. This class composition looks to be more balanced so that each class has unique abilities that make them not only distinct from each other, but also highly desirable in a group. As a result, most groups should prefer to take one of each class, rather than simply stack four of a single DPS class with a tank and healer. Likewise, comboing and battle modes also remain a key part of Cabal II's gameplay. Skill combos are a crucial element of combat, and may be activated either through special conditions (such as knockdown) or as part of an attack's natural chain. Comboing and chaining attacks results in more powerful attacks, healing, and skills, and are limited only by a player's ability and attentiveness to the battle. Battle mode, on the other hand, is a special mode on a long cooldown which transforms the player and gives them particularly powerful abilities for a limited time. Both are essential to master for all players if they want to succeed in end-game content. Speaking of end-game, it already looks promising. During our hands-on demo, we got a taste of the Heavenly Citadel, a semi-randomized dungeon that offers a different series of bosses each time. Each fight has a series of mechanics to pay attention to, and players will need to learn to move out of danger, prioritize enemies, and use skills and knockdowns efficiently to succeed. Players will also find instance portals in the world's open areas to offer additional challenges. For players who prefer PvP as their end-game meal of choice, don't fret. Cabal II already has two PvP modes prepared with more on the way. The first is a very MOBA-like mode in which players must push down 'lanes,' fight against waves of enemies, and try to capture the other enemy's territory. The second mode has a unique gate mechanic which can get players trapped in small arenas alone, with monsters, or with enemy players, making it a constant mental challenge as players push for success. There's much more to Cabal 2 than all of this, of course. Mounts, pets, and player crafting are just a start of the other features available that make this a promisingly robust MMORPG. The game also looks brilliantly crisp and plays with a rewarding level of complexity. For fans of action MMORPGs, and veterans of Cabal Online, Cabal II is definitely worth looking forward to. |
| Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns Expansion Interview w/ Colin Johanson (PAX South) Posted: 27 Jan 2015 01:21 PM PST Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns Expansion Interview w/ Colin Johanson (PAX South) Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™ is the first expansion for Guild Wars 2. Founded on the idea that the journey is the goal, the Heart of Thorns expansion continues the Guild Wars 2 tradition of challenging the conventions of MMOs to fulfill the promise of what online worlds should be. Features:The Mastery System - We’re reimagining progression with our new Mastery system. Explore new training opportunities for your character beyond level 80 and master abilities like hang gliding in the jungle, tearing the bark off of heavily armored Mordrem, or building new collections that earn precursors to a legendary weapon. The Heart of Maguuma - New adventures await you in the heart of the Maguuma Jungle. Confront the growing hordes of Mordremoth’s minions, discover allies from ancient civilizations, and battle new enemies. -Tackle challenging group content. -Explore new open world jungle maps. -Experience new events and storylines. -Test your mettle in new boss battles. Specializations - Evolve your gameplay. With profession specializations, you’ll unlock access to a weapon previously unavailable to your profession as well as new traits, skills, and unique mechanics – all of which will transform your profession into something new. New Profession: Revenant - Channel legendary powers to slaughter foes and unleash chaos on the battlefield with our brand new profession: the revenant. Enter the field of battle heavily armored and equipped with the otherworldly powers of the Mists. Guild Halls - Your guild has roamed the world together. Now, it’s time to claim a piece of it. Work with fellow guild members to claim and grow your own guild hall in the heart of Maguuma. PvP: New Stronghold Game Mode - Gather supply to hire soldiers. Battle for control of heroes. Man the trebuchet to defend your stronghold, and storm the enemy gates to defeat the guild lord! Use our new guild team feature to team up and battle to the top of the leaderboards. Stronghold offers an entirely new way to play competitive PvP in Guild Wars 2! WvW: New Borderland - Experience epic battlefield combat like never before in World vs. World’s latest core addition, the new Borderlands map. Navigate treacherous heights with traps that blow your foes to the depths below and ferocious defenders to help keep the enemy at bay. Map objectives will be more important than ever before, as they’ll unlock new strategies, tactics, and play mechanics that you’ll want to use to your world’s advantage! |
| Magicka 2 – An Interview Without the Vampire Posted: 27 Jan 2015 11:07 AM PST A quirky interview with Vlad as a live-action trailer.
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| Forge of Empires – Android App Teaser Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:49 AM PST Peer Kroeger, game designer of Forge of Empires, talks about the upcoming Android app.
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| Madden 15 Super Bowl 2015 Predictions Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:37 AM PST See if this year’s Madden predictions will come true at the big game.
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| SMITE World Championship: Creating the Trophy Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:31 AM PST Learn what went into creating the SWC trophy.
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| Das Tal – New RPG Features Released Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:24 AM PST To support their campaign on the Square Enix Collective ,the creators of Das Tal, a new upcoming Sandbox MMO, has just released details of their upcoming test schedule, as well as a new video. The game is in the middle of having all new RPG and Sandbox features added, such as player settlements, resource warfare, crafting and player progression. Those participating in February playtests will get a chance to see the basic versions of these features and give the first round of feedback for their improvement. The new video is an in-depth explanation of all the combat abilities currently in-game, going through each weapon and armor set to give a brief summary of the sort of playstyle that each item might pair well with. The aim is to give people a better idea of how the skill-based, player targeted 'MOBA meets MMO' combat system works, as well as being a resource for testers to learn the available abilities. For more info, visit http://www.das-tal-game.com/home |
| Block N Load: Old School Nigel Detention Now Available Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:24 AM PST Block N Load, the online multiplayer shooter from Jagex, has introduced a new skin for the character of Nigel. The hero's youthful makeover is available to use immediately for anyone who has purchased the Fully Loaded Edition of Block N Load. Old School Nigel's arrival in the game coincides with the latest map rotation for players to battle across and sees the arrival of two new arenas, The Last Bastion and Shuko Style. The Last Bastion Two massive fortresses face off against each other with only a muddy pool and a single bridge to link them. Sniping from on high, charging over the bridge, or tunnelling underground to cause panic amongst the enemy; how you wreak havoc is entirely up to you! This is a vast battlefield for larger-than-life characters, and at this scale setting up small forward bases is crucial! Shuko Style O.P. 'Juan' Shinobi isn't the only character that's right at home on this brand new arena! Building bridges or jumping from platform to platform provide just some of the alternative routes for you to utilise as you take out the enemy's generator cube. Clever placement of radars will also warn your team of flanking attacks while well-placed, hidden turrets can mow down enemy attackers before they get your base. The arrival of Old School Nigel and the new maps represent the most recent update to be released during Block N Load's beta. For further information on the pre-order deal, the other heroes in the line-up, and the game itself, visit www.blocknload.com/preorder. Block N Load: Fully Loaded Edition is available to pre-purchase for the special promotional price of £15.40 until 12th February on Steam. |
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