Saturday, January 30, 2016

MMO News

MMO News

Ultimate Chicken Horse – PAX South 2016

Posted: 30 Jan 2016 07:25 PM PST

With a name like Ultimate Chicken Horse, how could you go wrong? This curious title from Clever Endeavour offers players a unique party game that challenges you to reach the goal. Sounds simple? Oh, did I forget the part where everyone chooses an obstacle or platform every round to make this goal easier or harder? Sorry about that. I guess reaching that goal isn't going to be as easy as it first sounds.

With the game launch about a month away, the Clever Endeavour team was showcasing their little gem for people to play. MissyS and I got to compete against two complete strangers in the game's Pyramid level, and while it started out quite whimsical and fun, it quickly turned quite strategic as each of us sought to undermine the others with our placement of objects. If you took the classic arcade game Rampart, gave it a dose of Little Big Planet, and threw in some Speedrunners, you can start to understand how this game works a little better.

Ultimate Chicken Horse - PAX South 2016

No time to think! Just grab the best props.

There are currently seven different animal characters to choose from, differing only in appearance. Each round you select an object from the Party Box, which can range from simple platforms to devious traps. Each item can only be grabbed by one player, leading to a madhouse grab for the best (and worst) looking objects first. Next up you have a chance to place that object on the stage pretty much anywhere. You can rotate the object, stack it on another object, or in some cases, use it to make an existing object more dangerous (like adding barbed wire traps or ice traps). The whole idea is to make a map that keeps your competition from reaching the goal – while you can still get past it.

In fact, you get points for completing the stage, and bonus points for finishing first, finishing solo, for each trap you've placed that eliminates a player; even collecting a cleverly placed coin in the stage will lead to rewards. The person that reaches the end of the score bar after each round is the winner of the match (which was me; Raccoon game too stronk).

Ultimate Chicken Horse - PAX South 2016

The course can get pretty vicious towards the end.

UCH has a nice handful of levels currently, and quite a few tricks and traps to play with. Each level really is as easy or difficult as you all make it. Make it easy enough that everyone reaches the goal, however, and no one gets points. Not getting defeated by your own traps, though, is also a challenge, especially in later rounds when crossbows are firing and a black hole looms right over the goal.

The team also explained their vision for the future of Ultimate Chicken Horse, with a desire for Mario Maker style levels that people can build and challenge their friends to complete. The idea is that these stages can be shared and offer a base challenge on which players continue to add obstacles and traps as they would on a normal stage. If you're thinking Rube Goldberg device, so was I. With this added ambition, Ultimate Chicken Horse is a solid party game that's sure to provide some hilarious outtakes.

The post Ultimate Chicken Horse – PAX South 2016 appeared first on MMOHuts.

Invisigun Heroes – PAX South 2016

Posted: 30 Jan 2016 11:03 AM PST

You know what’s popular these days? Party games. Oh, and battle arenas. Stealth games are on the rise too, especially after Metal Gear Solid V. So why not mash them together into a single-screen game and let the mayhem begin?

That’s the premise behind Invisigun Heroes, one of the games showcased at the PAX Rising booth where a select few indie games are showcased with direct developer face-time. I met with Shadi Muklashy to learn more about this creative title.

Invisigun Heroes Gif

An advanced game of peek-a-boo.

Featuring 2-4 players with optional AI bots to fill in the gaps, Invisigun Heroes drops the players into a single-screen arena filled symmetrically with environmental obstacles. And, with only a second to see where your feet have landed, you’re gone, cloaked in invisibility – along with the rest of the players in the arena. You will have to pay attention to sounds, the grid-based map, and small tells in order to not only locate your enemies, but also to be aware of your own surroundings.

Players are uncovered in a few ways, some of which depend on the environment. If you bump into an object, it’ll turn the same color as your character, giving away your location. In a snowy map, footsteps will be left behind in the snow as you move. Sentries and special skills can also reveal players on the map. Of course, using a skill or taking a shot at your enemy will also expose you, so every moment and action you make has to count. Each character has its own special skill, and eight heroes are already planned.

While describing the game mechanics makes the game seem slow, in reality games play out very quickly as players scramble to kill each other before they’re spotted. In a few rounds I watched on the floor, usually the first few rounds would be indecisive, followed by a clear victor emerging as they adapted to the gameplay and their environment. This is only enhanced by the game’s audio (not very distinct on a busy PAX show floor), but which is carefully crafted to give away each step.

Currently the game features 5 planets with ten maps each, giving players a full variety of 50 maps to play on. Some environmental objects are destructible while others remain more permanently. Shadi revealed that he has a lot of additional ideas for the game’s map systems, including special tiles like ice that slide the player, The big goal however is to be expected: a map editor that will allow players to create and submit their own playable maps to the community.

Invisigun Heroes also has several game modes already built in, from the direct “last man standing” of Survival to kill-count based Hunter. The Carrier mode offers an interesting twist, as the player to carry the relic the longest wins, but is visible while carrying and can’t fire. Currently all modes are versus with no team-based play, although Shadi remains open to the possibility if it can be created and balanced properly. In fact, we shot ideas back and forth for a while, and it’s clear that the developer has an upbeat and open attitude toward developing the game to be fun and fair.

Currently Invisigun Heroes is on Kickstarter, and the project runs until February 20. I’ve got to add here that I’m impressed by the Kickstarter campaign. It has a modest base goal ($32,000), an impressively rewarding tier system – starting with the ability to add a custom taunt into the game just for backing the game at any amount over one dollar. Already about halfway through its funding goal, Invisigun Heroes looks like promising fun for both couch and online competitive play, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it being a popular YouTube and Twitch game after its launch.

The post Invisigun Heroes – PAX South 2016 appeared first on MMOHuts.

Invisigun Heroes Kickstarter January Gameplay Trailer

Posted: 30 Jan 2016 10:35 AM PST

Invisigun Heroes showcases the latest build to promote their Kickstarter campaign.

The post Invisigun Heroes Kickstarter January Gameplay Trailer appeared first on MMOHuts.

Dreadnought PAX South 2016 Dev Interview + Hands-on Gameplay

Posted: 30 Jan 2016 10:16 AM PST

JamesBl0nde & BakermanBrad spend time with GreyBox in the secret underground Dreadnought lair playing the latest alpha build of the game! 

Dreadnought is a multiplayer "aerial armada" game, a spaceship shooter featuring massive dreadnoughts and cruisers. The game offers five core ship classes: Dreadnought, Destroyer (Assault), Corvette (Scout), Artillery Cruiser (Sniper), and Tactical Cruiser (Support). Each ship offers unique skills and advantages in battle, and can be specialized to let players hone in on certain gamestyles.

The post Dreadnought PAX South 2016 Dev Interview + Hands-on Gameplay appeared first on MMOHuts.

Vainglory Lunar Teaser – PAX South 2016

Posted: 30 Jan 2016 10:10 AM PST

It's hard to believe how fast Vainglory has rocketed into eSports success. At last year's inaugural PAX South, I talked with the game's developer and publisher, Super Evil Megacorp, about the budding possibility of eSports for the handcrafted mobile MOBA. At the time, Vainglory lacked a spectator mode and hadn't yet launched on Android. A year later, Vainglory's wrapped up its first seasonal tournament and awarded $350,000 in prize money. With new announcements about Vainglory's expanding eSports presence, along with its upcoming Lunar New Year patch, I sat down with Heini Vesander, Marketing & Communications Director at Super Evil Megacorp, to catch up.

Part of Vainglory's continued push into the eSports arena is the hiring of Vaingloryleague founders Tomek "bluberryz" Borowka and Jonathan "DonJon" Sakoucky. Vaingloryleague (VGL), the biggest Vainglory eSports community, has been around since the game's beta in Singapore. Tomek and Jon are being brought on to help expand Vainglory's eSports programs into new territories, including South America, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In Korea, Vainglory is partnering with OGN. In Japan, a special cage match style tournament is being organized. While some of these international events may be less frequent as the NA/EU season, it's a huge headway for Vainglory.

Another sign of health for Vainglory's eSports is Media Pixel eSport's acquisition by Team Secret, one of the top Dota 2 eSports teams. Media Pixel eSport was the French team that won the European Autumn Championship. This marks the first non-PC title for Team Secret to include in its eSports roster, and marks a significant recognition for mobile eSports in a PC-dominated market.

Why has Vainglory gotten so popular? I'm sure that one of the key factors is its accessibility, something we praised at our meeting last year. With mobile phones so widely used, Vainglory opens up a competitive scene to a massive market. There's no need for an expensive PC setup worth thousands of dollars in order to compete.

Another key factor is in Vainglory's design, built from scratch with mobile in mind. Many mobile MOBAs feature large and intrusive UIs, traditional three-lane maps that are difficult to navigate on a small screen, and awkward swipe and gesture controls. Vainglory, on the other hand, considered the challenges of mobile design from the beginning, crafting a minimalistic UI, new single-lane map design, and familiar but adapted MOBA mechanics that are better suited to the tap-and-act playstyle of mobile.

Vainglory Lunar Teaser - PAX South 2016

Preview of Lunar Map.

With Vainglory's recent launch of the Winter Season patch, another round of competition is about to go underway. Over 800 teams have registered for this season internationally, and dates and venues have been announced for the North American and European competitions. Winter Championships will take place in Santa Ana, California from March 11-13; European Championships will be held at the Gfinity Arena in London from March 18-20. Tickets are available now on Eventbrite.

Outside of the eSports arena, Vainglory is also preparing to launch Update 1.14 within the coming weeks. This patch celebrates the Lunar New Year with a limited map skin, a limited edition Lunar New Year skin for Koshka, a new Rona skin, and a new hero: Ozo.

The Lunar New Year map features traditional Chinese red lanterns, along with fireworks in the background, setting a festive atmosphere. While it's not something you may notice during the heat of a match, looking over the edge to watch a distant explosion of fireworks is a lovely touch from the game's environmental artist.

 

Vainglory Lunar Teaser - PAX South 2016

Ozo splash preview.

As this year marks the Year of the Monkey, Ozo himself is a monkey-like character with a ringed blade. Designed with the mobility of a jungler in mind, Ozo's weapon path offers him a damage focus while crystal will gear him more towards being a tank. Ozo's first ability is a three-in-one (the first of its kind in Vainglory), a chain combo that's activated manually. The first attack is a direct strike, while the second attack closes distance with a short dash, and the third runs through and past the opponent entirely, putting Ozo on the opposite side. His second ability is a bounce attack. His ultimate, which only works on enemy heroes, sends Ozo jumping in and throwing the enemy over his shoulders.

It's shaping up to be another exciting and expanding year for Vainglory. There's no more ignoring Vainglory's force as a leader in the mobile eSports market, especially given their incredibly fast rise to fame. With its expanding market into serious global arenas in only a year's time, Vainglory is a real star. I can only imagine where it will be in another year's time.

The post Vainglory Lunar Teaser – PAX South 2016 appeared first on MMOHuts.
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