Age of Empires Online – Jupiter Broadcasting

GamesCom 2011 | MMOrgue 14

chris — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:52:02 +0000

This week’s episode focuses on the biggest MMO stories that filtered out of GamesCom 2011.

The most impressive showing came from Guild Wars 2, which featured new playable demos showing off their dynamic event system, character customization, new playable races and classes, crafting, and PvP battlegrounds.

Besides GW2 however, also came Star Wars: The Old Republic, showing off a brand new twist on PvP battlegrounds, in the form of a bloodsport called Huttball.

Before we review either of those exciting new features however, we pull the lid off NCSoft and Carbine Studios’ newly announced MMORPG – Wildstar. We’ll tell you why this one is worth keeping an eye on, and why Carbine has a big job ahead of them to compete in the modern MMO market.

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Show Notes:

Welcome back to the MMOrgue!

Where we take gaming to the next… LEVEL… see what I did there?

/T-Shirt:/ “Pwn Depot”
Available at
Glitch Gaming Apparel

Last week’s Best of MMO Music episode has been receiving some great responses so far. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, I like to think it’s worth a watch. Also be sure to check that episode’s show notes for so much more music!

GamesCom hit the industry like a massive tidal wave of awesome this past week. The convention itself saw record attendance of more than 275,000 gamers, and even exceeded the location’s maximum safety capacity at least once, causing the main entrances to be temporarily closed off. Rest assured that next year’s will be even bigger, but GamesCom organizers are already talking about finding a bigger/better location to hold it.

Now, let’s talk a little bit about the games that were shown off at the convention…

The Old Republic was, obviously, present at GamesCom, although their presence was underwhelming compared to their showing at ComicCon. Their big announcement came in the form of a new PvP gameplay experience known as Huttball, which I’ll spend some time discussing later in today’s episode.

As far as the MMO world is concerned, Guild Wars 2 has walked away as the big “winner” of the floor at this year’s GamesCom. The sheer volume of awesome videos, gameplay, feature walkthrus and other newsy bits that’ve come out of ArenaNet over the past week has been astounding, and I’ll be dedicating an entire segment of today’s show to some of those juicy tidbits.

Today’s topics are by no means going to make up the entirety of all of the incredible MMO news that filtered out of GamesCom over the past several days, but I simply don’t have enough time in this episode to cover everything that was shared with us, or announced. Check our show notes for a extra round-up of other newsworthy links and coverage, including:

Release details for Secret World, TERA and Age of Empires Online
More information and visuals from the SyFy/Trion team-up project, Defiance
A new aerial assault game from the makers of World of Tanks
Dust 514 microtransaction clarifications
Torchlight II gameplay footage
… and a new trailer and game explanation for End of Nations

The reveal that has garnered the most attention from MMO gamers over the past week seems to be WildStar – the new MMORPG from Carbine Studios that was recently teased in the “announcement of an announcement” by NCSoft that I spoke of a few episodes back. Although the game is still very much in its infancy, Carbine already had a complete gameplay experience ready to put into the hands of gamers, and we’ll be digging into some of those details a bit later on.

Wildstar

Carbine Studio’s new MMO offering landed on the scene in a big way, offering not just an announcement and trailer, but actual hands-on demo time for con-goers at GamesCom.
In light of the hype currently built around other upcoming titles like TOR and GW2, this was an absolute necessity in order to get any sort of coverage or attention right out of the gate.

As you may recall, Carbine’s original announcement of this game included the fact that this game is designed to “learn” from players’ choices, and adapt to how they want to play the game. In the demo offered at GamesCom, we began to see the first of what we’re told will be many layers, of just how this works. And it comes down to story.

The game is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements, showing off technology and magic living in harmony with one another, while the art style and animations are vaguely reminiscient of Titan AE and classic-era Disney, with touches of modern anime and stylistic flourishes everywhere. Despite being visually appealing, I have to admit that compared to other modern offerings like GW2 and Secret World, it looks dated. Not much better than the graphics offered by World of Warcraft or Forsaken World. That said, graphics aren’t everything, and this game’s devils are in the details.

When first introduced to Wildstar, you have crash-landed on a strange alien world. When creating your character, you get to not only choose your race and class from a selection that includes humans, rock monsters and bunny-people, but you are also asked why it is that you are on the planet to begin with. Were you exploring? Conquering? Studying? Colonizing? These choices will lead the game to offer a different advancement path and plotline, compared to the choices that another player may make, and successive choices are said to further specialize the game content as you continue to progress.

Already, folks are throwing around comparisons to Tabula Rasa, for a few obvious reasons. The most obvious comparison is the blend of tech and magic in the world, but perhaps more telling is that Carbine Studios’ developers are what many in the business would term a “dream team.” As some of you may recall, the same claim was made of the Tabula Rasa team back in the day, and turned out to be one of the major downfalls of that title’s development cycle. Too many “chefs” and not enough “cooks.” Carbine’s staff includes the former lead developer of WoW, the co-founder of Troika Games, and the co-founder of Turbine, as well as several other experienced and respected names in MMO gaming. This SOUNDS like it’s a very good thing for a game, but remember that Tabula Rasa (which was also under the direction of NCSoft, same as this title) ended up having to be redesigned from the ground-up several years into the development cycle because of creative disagreements among high-profile “rockstar” developers. Let’s hope that Wildstar doesn’t suffer from the same speed bumps.

I’ll be getting my own hands-on demo of Wildstar at PAX, so look for more to come on this potentially innovative gameplay experience.

Old Republic: HUTTBALL

I get the impression that The Old Republic has reached critical mass. Over the past month or so, we’ve seen very little announced in the way of new features, and most of the gameplay now available around the web is starting to feel a bit same-ey in terms of visuals. That’s not say I don’t wanna get my grubby little hands all OVER this hot mess, just that there seems to be very little else that Bioware can release that’s going to get me even MORE excited.

At least, that’s how I felt until I saw Huttball.
Introducing… HUTTBALL

So, at it’s core, it’s really just a variant on Capture the Flag, with a little football thrown in the mix for good measure. As well as some acid pits and flaming death traps. All good fun until somebody loses a limb, and then it’s HILARIOUS.

They’ve told us already that the teams will not follow the strict Republic vs. Empire party lines, and if the announcer from the trailer makes it into the game, you can bet there will be as many laughs as frags on the Huttball courts.

The concept of a steady stream of repeatable sports games is much more palatable to me personally, than an endless stream of “battleground” PvP matches, in terms of overall game lore. I mean, how did running a flag back and forth across Warsong Gultch really help the Horde’s war efforts against the Night Elves? At least in Huttball, we’re seeing something that can actually fit into the environment of the game, and make sense to a larger narrative. Even if the sense it makes is that it can be completely ignored and discarded by anyone not wishing to participate.

As with any feature announcement, there’s been a small amount of hubbub raised on TOR’s internal forums about whether or not it suits the game world, and a not-tiny contingent of pro-Jedi gamers have voiced their concern about having their favorite neon-swinging zen masters participate in what amounts to a bloodsport.

To them, I’d like to say first – Maybe the Jedi are simply out to prevent the Sith from gaining a positive public image as sports celebrities? I mean, think of the impact such celebrity status could’ve had for Darth Maul. Commercials, Wheaties boxes, merchandising contracts. These could lead to impressionable minds being swayed to the Dark Side!

Secondly, and more importantly – lighten up a little, guys. It’s a game, and Huttball looks like a ridiculous amount of fun that is likely to get even stalwart non-fans of PvP like myself, involved in the bloody game of bashing in my fellow players’ heads in a whole new way.

Guild Wars 2

Character Customization:

What is currently in the game, I find underwhelming. Compared to other “next-gen” character customization, as seen in APB and Eve, the customization in GW2 is fairly lacking. For the most part, it consists of choosing from presets of existing choices, plus a few tweaks available for individual pieces.

Given the amount of focus that ArenaNet places on art assets and visual impressiveness, what we’ve seen so far of customization is sorely lacking. It doesn’t live up to their established reputation as makers of beautiful games, or makers of innovative games.

We’re quite a ways from launch, though. This could easily improve dramatically between now and then.

Crafting System:

It’s rare in the MMO industry for a crafting system to get me excited, but GW2 has a few unique things going for it that have me looking forward to staring at a crafting UI for hours on end…

2 at a time, but can max them all
Must be a cost for swapping, or no point in limiting to 2
When you swap, you are back at the level you left off at, with all your discoveries intact

Discovery system allows you to learn new recipes through experimentation (or reading them from a wiki online, you lazy gamer you.)
It looks as though discovering a recipe rewards you with more xp than crafting it alone, leading to crafters using this system on a regular basis (even after all recipes are discovered and catalogued on wiki sites).

The look of crafted items will generally be more distinct than the loot that drops in the world.

Skill gains are steady and xp-based, happen regardless of what you’re crafting. No guesswork in leveling up.

Guild Wars Battle of Kyhlo

https://www.arena.net/blog/making-the-battle-of-kyhlo
https://www.arena.net/blog/the-battle-of-khylo-jonathan-sharp-on-pvp

The post GamesCom 2011 | MMOrgue 14 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

Age of Empires / APB | MMOrgue 2

chris — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:41:29 +0000

In this week’s show we’ll be discussing Age of Empires Online, which is set to soon crawl its way out of the womb of beta and bring with it an entire new subgenre into the wide world of online gaming. We’ll also take a look at the once-deceased APB Reloaded, since it is clawing its way out of the fresh dirt of its un-mourned gravesite, and shambling across the MMO landscape in search of brains. I mean … wallets.

But first up, a quick note on RIFT, and an invitation to join the fledgeling community for this show being hosted at www.jupitercolony.com

Direct Download Links:

HD Video | Large Video | Mobile Video | MP3 Audio | YouTube

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Show Notes:

Age of Empires Online

All of the ‘classic’ RTS elements are here, and each individual mission/quest acts almost exactly like a traditional RTS campaign.

Strategy vs. MMO = Persistence

In order to add persistence, AOEO added:

– Gear
Worried that high-end PvP will be less about strategy, and more about gear.

– Talents
Actually a really great idea. I’d love to see something like this implemented into single-player RTSs, where your choice of tech advancements control which missions you can play through.

– Crafting and Materials
A HUGE pain in the ass! Not enough storage space. No explanation for why you might need some and not others. No information on rarity or approximate value.

– Socialization
There are options to trade (which is a necessary part of the Materials economy), visit other kingdoms, team up for elite co-op missions, and PvP. Because this is primarily an RTS game though, means that by-and-large you’re dealing with a Starcraft-type crowd, and not a social gamer scene. Very mercenary and cutthroat.

So, with all these things added, what did it lose from a standard RTS?

Not much…

– No immersive story
Granted the AOE franchise has never been big on story, but seeing a campaign unfold before your eyes has become an expected feature of RTS campaigns. But since most hardcore fans of the genre play these games for randomly-generated challenges and online deathmatches, this isn’t a huge loss.

– Any sense of urgency or loss
Your home kingdom can never come under attack. It is completely safe, and therefore the entire game lacks any feel of true conflict. Getting slaughtered by barbarians? All your villagers get killed off? No biggie – just quit out and try again, and you’ve lost nothing but time.

But really, neither of those are game killers.

The final thing that’s lost when making the jump to the MMO space, is a fundamental shift in progression paradigm of the RTS. You see, in most single-player RTS campaigns, progression is first dictated by tech barriers as you unlock new buildings, units or abilities, and then switches over to being solely about the PLAYER getting better at the game. However, in AOEO, a large portion of that progression has been replaced by gear acquisition and social networking. Meaning that instead of having to become a better player to beat a particular mission, you can instead brute-force your way past it by having better gear upgrades and bringing along a buddy or two to overwhelm your opponents. This is standard MMO faire, but in my opinion, it diminishes one of the core charms of the RTS genre – that only the skilled will survive.

Final Verdict: As a fan of strategy games, I personally tend to play them for specific reasons. They’re a mental challenge to overcome, and not a social one. The shoehorning of multiplayer features (excessive loot, large-scale economic balance, crafting timers, gated content, slow advancement) has caused players of AOEO to have to overcome the game mechanics themself, in order to enjoy it the same as they would a single-player RTS. And while I won’t necessarily call that a bad thing – especially as a fan of social gaming – I frequently get the feeling that I would prefer that they kept their chocolate out of my peanut butter. The additional layer of complexity that an MMO game adds to the established RTS traditions is an interesting change of pace, but it is just that – an addition. This is not a melding of the two game types, it’s an RTS + more. And not all players will enjoy what’s been added.

I haven’t touched yet on the fact that this game is going to be F2P, supported by a cash shop. This is for one simple reason: The cash shop is not yet open in the Beta, so I can’t see what the developers are selling.

They are saying that no game-balance-effecting items will be sold in the shop, and that it will be limited to content. But in the same breath, they’ve mentioned selling “special units” which sound to me like an option that could fundamentally change the balance of the game, especially in PvP.

Until I see the actual items being sold, and the costs, I’ll withhold an official opinion on the matter, but be forewarned that although there is no initial cost to play this game, the addition of a cash shop will ALWAYS mean that the best gaming experience will still cost you money.

[ad#shownotes]

APB Reloaded

REASONS TO HOPE FOR SUCCESS:

1) Customization of Content

APB’s robust character customization tools allowed players to take control of their avatar’s appearance in unprecedented new ways. The sliders and facial morphing are impressive, and the ability to design custom logos, then place them onto your characters’ T-shirts or car hoods, was something no MMO had allowed in the past. Additionally, the game encouraged players to take these customized items and trade them to one another for in-game currency, allowing a substrata of the economy to grow around a single mechanic that has ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT on gameplay.

The loss of this series of features from the MMO landscape when APB was closed down, was a sad day. So imagine my excitement when I heard the news of APB’s resurrection at the hands of GamersFirst!

2) Future Resurrections

This is the first time that we’ve ever seen a big-budget ‘top shelf’ MMO get a second lease on life after failing to impress fans following a dismal launch. PlanetSide, Matrix Online, Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault… all of these titles could have warranted a similar treatment back in the day, but nobody was willing to take the risk. Could this be the beginning of a new era of second-run MMOs? Could games that begin life as a financial flop, look forward to resurrection at the hands of a new owner? Time will tell if APB’s story of a second coming is a unique situation, but it would be short-sighted to ignore the potential impact that this could have on the MMO industry if APB Reloaded becomes a successful game with a long lifespan and active playerbase.

PRIMARY HURDLES:

1) Cash Shop and a Pay-to-Win atmosphere

I mentioned earlier that there will be a cash shop within APB. This is because GamersFirst is doing away with the previous subscription system, where players would pay per hour of game time, and replacing it with a Free To Play system that is supported by microtransactions. Now, I can already see many of you rolling your eyes at this, and saying things like “nickel and diming” and “pay to win.” Well, let me tell you… your concerns, are my concerns.

You see, when I first met APB, I saw a game ripe for cash shop exploitation, in the form of gating off their massive customization tools into a series of unlockable features driven by microtransactions. Hair packs, tattoo packs, shirt packs, jacket packs, nose packs, beard packs — all of these could’ve ended up on an in-game cash shop, and people would’ve paid thru the nose for a new nose. And it would’ve had absolutely ZERO effect on the game’s PvP-driven game content, doing away with concerns of it becoming a Pay To Win atmosphere.

But no, that’s not the way GamersFirst does things. You see, they are primarily an Eastern Market publisher, and cash shops in Asian MMOs are known for their Pay To Win offerings. Especially in games with PvP. While American and European markets tend to eschew this financial inequality, it’s been embraced by the Eastern markets for years now, and has become a core part of their long-term business models for many different MMOs.

The result, is a cash shop for APB that offers things like Rocket Launchers, Machine Guns with unlimited ammo, and extra-durable vehicles that can take a massive amount of pounding. Yes, you heard me right, in a deathmatch shooter where survival is frequently determined by the quality of the gun you’re toting, you can now spend real-life cash to ensure that your survival is more likely than the enemies’. Pay To Win.

Players unwilling to spend money on goodies like this out of the gate are destined to suffer through a pretty brutal starting process of being nothing but cannon fodder for their more well-equipped teammates, while earning tiny portions of the overall mission bounty, until they can either scrape up a decent weapon or break down and purchase one from the cash shop. So not only will you be at a disadvantage for being new, but you’ll be at an additional disadvantage if you don’t slap down a credit card and start spending.

2) The Gameplay Itself

It’s up to each player to determine if a particular game suits their habits, budgets, and needs. Despite the bleak picture I’ve painted here of a cash-driven power struggle, I actually think that APB is destined for success this time around. The game has a visceral, fast-paced and action-packed feel to it that many gamers are sure to enjoy, and the additional layers of complexity offered by customization and exploration could definitely win over some long-term fans. I will forewarn you though that this game is not standard MMO faire, and instead should be considered more akin to a massive deathmatch shooter with a seamlessly integrated matchmaking system and persistent graphical lobby. You’re not likely to spend time getting to know your fellow players while you’re lobbing grenades at the opponent, or racing the wrong way down a busy street. Or sidewalk. You’ve got a gun to aim, and badguys to kill. The rest is just flavor, and not the main course.

Download:

The post Age of Empires / APB | MMOrgue 2 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review | LOTSO 27

chris — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:29:05 +0000

The boys tried out some Mafia II and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 this week, and give you their thoughts! Plus an update on the Age of Empires MMO, and L.A. Noire update, and a Dr. Who MMO?

News

Join Doctor Who in a Free-to-Play MMO
Age Of Empires Online Switches Developers In Mid-Game Rockstar Announces L.A. Noire Pre-Order Bonuses
New iPad reveal march 2nd?
Minecraft on iPad

Reviews
Mafia II
-gameplay
-Trailer
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
-hyper-combo madness
-trailer
Wiki Page

Download

The post Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review | LOTSO 27 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.