First, to respond to some feedback:

“The dark theme and name do not suit the show’s content.”

• First the obvious reasoning behind the name: Everybody talkes about MMOs, and everybody considers themselves an expert worthy of a name and brand. Hence, MMO-everything is taken. I kid you not.
• More importantly, the concept of looking at the inner workings of a living industry is very much in line with the idea of cataloguing and studying our dead.
  • I chose this theme and name to illustrate a scientific and analytic approach to the stories that will be covered herein.
  • The communities, technologies, and professionals of this industry are very much the heart, lungs and brains of any MMO. Without analysing what motivates and drives any of these, we potentially lose sight of the whole.
• And lastly, the MMO industry is a dangerous place. Covering titles and technologies that are dead, and finding out what put them there, is something that WILL be covered on this show.

“You need a co-host.”

• If this was a show about sharing the latest press releases and announcements, I would be inclined to agree. Finding commentary and conversation on such topics is easy, and flows best between separate minds.
  • However, as this show is 100% editorial driven, the content is created from the mind of its host. Increasing the number of minds involved would only fragment the content and any opinions contained herein.
• That said, there will occasionally be important industry events which either slip my radar, or about which I know too little to accurately form an editorial opinion.
  • In these circumstances, I intend to invite “correspondents” to join me on air to discuss those particular situations. If you feel as though you would like to become a correspondent, please contact me by posting at jupitercolony.com, or by emailing jeremy@jupiterbroadcasting.com, to start a discussion on what content you would like to present to our audience.

DCUO and SOE outage

• Infographic
• On May 2nd, SOE went dark. Then hundreds of thousands of gamers cried out in frustration, and never went silent.
• It took almost two weeks to get the network, and all of Sony’s games, back up and running and (apparently) secure from further invasion. That outage is estimated to have cost SOE a total of $171 million.
• And this is AFTER a fiscal year that ended in March, which reported an annual loss of $3.2 billion for the company.

What does this rough patch mean for the future of DCUO?

• Nobody at SOE is making any official statements yet, other than to say that DCUO’s population is currently “very good.”
• In the past 3 months, there have been two replacements among the DCUO project’s upper management that were made from within … existing execs taking on extra responsibility instead of promotions, or new hires.
• And this after the project suffered a round of layoffs in April.
• It is likely that subscriptions will see a noteworthy drop due to the outage. Even with the incentives being offered by SOE by way of apology.
  • This comes down to Consumer Confidence, which is fancy way of saying “people don’t like to be jerked around.”
  • SOE has a large overhead, capable of supporting a few rocky patches. Even so, they’ve been known to shut down games (Matrix Online).
• GOOD NEWS: Apparently this outage scared SOE into being more interactive with their customers, and their forums are now ablaze with Dev Posts at regular intervals sharing REAL info instead of SOE’s standard practice of silence and mystery.
  • Let’s hope it lasts.

MegaServers

• Just days before the SOE network outage, it was announced that ALL of the existing DCUO servers would soon be merged into a few instanced networks called “MegaServers.”
• Through the use of “phasing” technology, players will still be participating in areas that will have reasonable populations.
• The benefit of this is to allow all of the back-end queueing for Raids, Duos, Alerts, and PvP to work across ALL players (on a per-platform basis).
• The idea of server mergers has always been seen as a bad thing by the MMO press. It indicates a population decline, and a lack of interest.
  • This MAY be different, as this sounds more like a fundamental tech shift, and not just a run-of-the-mill merger.
  • However, it is still addressing an issue that would not be present if the game had a large and active population of gamers (queue times for instanced content).
• Community outcry of “name collision” issues, and lack of solid responses from SOE, are causing additional schisms and rage among players.

Champions Online – Atari divests itself from Cryptic

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/34704/Atari_Drops_Champions_Online_Developer_Cryptic_Studios.php

First, rumor killing:
– Nothing is happening YET. Atari has only announced their INTENT to divest. They have not announced that they are seeking a buyer, nor that any change of staff will occur as a result of this decision.

Atari is making a Bad Choice

• Investing in casual markets
  • Casual / Facebook games do not create brand recognition, fan loyalty or press.
  • As this market continues to mature, games will become more and more complex and impressive until their development budgets rival current standalone titles.
  • Long-term investment in this area will continue to require more and more finances to remain competitive. It is not a quick and cheap money-maker market.
• Profits continue to rise
  • 17.3 million prior year, 7 million this year, next year = ??
  • While actively developing at least one unreleased title – Neverwinter
  • Early indications that Champions Online move to F2P has resulted in huge increase in profits, which only occurred in Q3 of 2010.
• Foundry Tech
  • No other MMO has created such a successful and robust UGC tool, and it is now available to be ported to all titles using the Cryptic Engine: STO, CO and NWO.
  • Giving the power of content creation to users opens up new doors to new types of gamers, and creates a powerful sense of community.
  • Other MMO devs would probably love to get their hands on this technology…

Independence for Cryptic?

• In today’s MMO landscape, no Dev survives alone.
• They all need a publisher, and most publishers end up owning the Dev studio
  • Blizzard was acquired by Activision in 2007
  • Bioware became a part of EA in 2007
  • Turbine, the biggest example of a successful “indie” developer, was purchased by Warner Bros in 2010.
• To date, no major developer has managed to leave its parent publishing company, and survive. In fact, it’s such a risky prospect that studios typically just dissolve rather than even attempt it.

So then, who buys Cryptic?

• I think it’d be a bit presumptuous for me, as a gamer and not a financial analyst, to try and make an educated guess on this one.
• MMORPG.com has a couple good editorials that cover most of the major candidates in this area. Check the show notes for details, as I don’t have much else to add to the discussion at this point.
  • “Who Should Buy Cryptic?” — Western buyers
  • “Cryptic’s Future Unclear” — Eastern buyers
• Fans of Star Trek Online are hoping that the company is acquired by CBS, the IP holder of the Star Trek franchise.
  • Would CBS be interested in entering the online gaming arena? They haven’t yet.

Future of Neverwinter IP?
Possibly the biggest question mark in all of this…

• Atari holds publishing rights on all Dungeons & Dragons products until 2017.
• A lot of money and time already invested in the project, including a co-publishing deal with a line of novels written by R.A. Salvatore, and a deal with Wizards of the Coast for additional tie-ins.
• Unlikely that Atari will let this one go completely.
  • It will either get pulled from Cryptic and given to another studio with Atari maintaining their publishing oversight, or a new deal will be worked out to keep Atari on board in spite of their divestment from the studio.
  • Either option discounts the title from being a bargaining tool in obtaining a new investment partner.

Marvel Universe

F2P

• Attempting to live under the title of “First ever AAA F2P MMO in the West, at time of launch”
  • Color me completely unimpressed.
  • First of all, you can’t CLAIM a title like “Triple-A” without having a product. At this time, with the total lack of game footage, screenshots, timelines for beta/release, or even branding… what is here to lay claim to?
  • This just sounds like empty hype, from a company that has already started disappointing us with overblown hype for their other unlaunched MMO, Jumpgate:Evolution.

No Character Customization
Rank this as my “most worrying” concern for this title.

• On the one hand, it will allow players to jump into game as iconic well-known superheroes from the Marvel franchise.
  • A lot of people will find this appealing, as evidenced by the outstanding sales records for single-player superhero titles like “Ultimate Alliance.”
  • Developers at Secret Identify Studios claim this will make everyone feel more heroic, and “we won’t be merely ‘sidekicks.’”
    • EMPTY CLAIM — CO allows heroes to feel like heroes, and even have their own Nemesis with minions and a base. What sidekick has that?!
• On the other, how many Wolverines and Hulks will be roaming around? Or will each server have only one instance of each? Where’s the “massive” in this MMO, if that’s the case?
  • And how about progression? If you have to unlock the powers of your favorite superheroes, how do you explain them losing their abilities at the start of the story?
• Possibly one of the biggest selling points of superhero MMOs to date, has been character customization. CoX and CO had it in droves, and DCUO’s comparative lack of options brought them a lot of criticism from MMO players and press.
  • This is a technological step backwards, and will only work if this is NOT a true MMO as we’ve come to define it.
  • If this is just another “X-Men Legends” or “Ultimate Alliance” with robust online matchmaking services, then it could work.
  • But any form of persistence, progression and community, will be lost without personalization of your avatar.

Written by Bendis
This has the potential to make me excited.

• Brian Michael Bendis is the godfather of Marvel’s “Ultimate” universe, and creator of some of the most critically acclaimed stories ever to spring from comic books. Including “Avengers Disassembled,” “House of M,” “Civil War,” and “Secret Invasion.”
• He claims to be writing stories for MUO that will portray some of the most iconic moments from each characters’ lore, and re-imagine them into events that players will experience in-game.
• Not much else to say about it, really. Bendis has never really done anything ‘wrong’ (except, arguably, killing off Hawkeye… ) so it’s great news for the story side of the game.
• Between this, and the news that R.A. Salvatore is writing for Cryptic’s “Neverwinter,” it could set a precedence in the industry to bring in more established high-profile writers to flesh out the story of an MMO. Nothing wrong with that at ALL. There’s a reason they are high-profile after all… it’s because they’re AWESOME.

https://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/5187/page/1
https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-marvel-universe-is-an-mmo/

—————

Man… this whole episode was a lot of bad news, wasn’t it? And here I was hoping that superheroes were a HAPPY topic of conversation…

Well, maybe next week will turn some of that around…

+ RIFT feedback and discussion
+ 2KGames enters the MMO arena, through a partnership with XLGames (Lineage)
+ Bioware talks Mass Effect MMO

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

WSJ Review: Portal 2 Is A Hole In One
Techland(TIME) Gives it a Perfect 10
PC Gamer Scores at 94/100

The Early Launch Project — Potato Sack
– Players that purchased and played indie games on Steam fueled a launch ahead of schedule.
– Served to promote indie gaming, Steam, and PC gaming in general.
– Also probably made Valve a few hundred thousand dollars. And I have no problem with that.

Review Points (SINGLE PLAYER)

PROS
– ENVIRONMENT ART / ANIMATION
The intro is breath-taking. The environments built to re-introduce you are magnificent. And the way they grow and change throughout the game is brilliant. The environment IS a character, or at the very least a bodily extension of one (or … two …)

– RE-INTRODUCTION
Being a test subject “again” was fun because of how it was introduced. Also good for brand new players that didn’t play the first, or have taken a long break. A nice easy way to get you back into the swing of things.

– OLD FRIENDS
I’ve been worried for months now that the “soul” of Portal 2 would end up feeling bland and overworked, because Valve might put too much effort into making another landmark game, where the first felt like sort of an accident. Those fears have been put to rest.

– NEW FRIENDS
* Cave Johnson, the voice in many of the trailers released so far, is a ridiculous fossil of manliness from the 50s/60s. And he lampoons it with such efficiency that it becomes AWESOME. (think, “Mad Men”)
– “When life gives you lemons, invent combustible lemons and burn life’s house down with them. You don’t deserve lemons!”
* Getting to know GladOS on a more personal basis was worth the price of the game.

– LENGTH/DEPTH
Whereas Portal1 felt like nothing more than a clever puzzle game that could be beaten in a single sitting, Portal2 is an awesome ride through an incredible story, as it tells you the history of Aperture Labs without actually having to TELL you anything. Incredible storytelling.

– NO ENEMIES
I like having a sense of danger without actually having to kill anything. Too many puzzle games introduce enemies, when their gameplay could be designed in a way to do without it. (e.g., “The Ball”)

– AUDIO/MUSIC
* Some of the more complicated puzzles give you a subtle musical cue when you’re on the right track to solving it.
* Top notch ambient audio all over. Distant explosions, whirring machinery, etc.

CON
– Some REALLY tough puzzles, involving extremely fast hand-eye coordination. I may not be able to beat this game because of it.
– Did not like Wheatley. I know a lot of people did, but it’s tough to sympathize or enjoy interacting with him. I can’t put my finger on it.
– A few (VERY few) cut corners, it feels like. With so much attention given to the atmosphere, it was a minor moment of disappointment to see some missed opportunities (eg. the ‘intro movies’ playing near each lift, many were repeated dozens of times.)
– No explanation given (as far as I know) for your character’s reintroduction to the Labs. At the end of Portal1, you seem to escape to the surface. So why are you back inside at the start of Portal2?
– Few achievements. Or maybe I suck. Either way, it comes across as a negative to me. I’d like more badges for my efforts, even if they’re not uber leet..

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Co-Op Review

PROS
– Very easy to start up, well integrated into Steam network (obviously…)
– Communication is excellent, over Steam. Also with press F to point, use timers, etc.
– Incredible variation of maps. Some were just STUPIDLY awesome to complete. Aiming lasers using your partner’s mini-viewscreen, etc.
– GladOS’ commentary keeps it light hearted, even when you die repeatedly. Especially when you die repeatedly.
– Fully featured, completely time consuming. We finished the first 6 maps, thought that was it, and were still satisfied. Then found a dozen more, and there are probably even more after that.

CONS
– No chatting during load screens.
– Complicated. Requires a teammate with lots of patience. Not recommended for strangers.
– It can, at times, feel like playing pool with a friend. But both of you can only use one hand each, and you’re both using the same cue. At the same time.

Cast YOUR vote in our poll

Grab one of LOTSO’s feeds to get every release:

• iTunes Video Feed
• iTunes Audio Feed
• Video RSS Feed
• Audio RSS Feed

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Downloads, & Show Notes:

What we’ve been playing:
Chris: Black Prophecy & STO Foundry Missions
Justin: Crysis 2
Alan: NBA 2K11

4-19: Mortal Kombat
4-19: Portal 2
5-17: LA Noire
5-17: Brink
5-31: Red Faction
6-7: inFamous 2
6-14: Duke Nukem Forever

What’s coming up – IGN’s big 2011 List!

INTRO:

 

●     Live gameplay on Tribble

●     Math segment on a tool so powerful, we considered not doing a segment about it.

●     Explanation on the next step of our mission competition.

 

NEWS:

 

Season 2 will launch Tuesday, July 27th!

              https://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=170003

 

Rename your Runabout:

              * New Runabouts can be renamed in the usual manner.

              * Older Runabouts can be renamed using the following command:

                            – /RenameShip “Danube Class Runabout” “U.S.S. Your Ship Name”

l

Sovereign is next on CapnLogan’s revamp radar

              https://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=169587

 

This month’s “Ask Cryptic” is up!

              https://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=169905

– “Politely and respectfully” … sounds like they’ve been getting flamed out of hand.  Shame on you!

 

Martial Arts becomes viable again on Tribble!

              Power changes:

* Palm Strike/Rifle Butt: Fixed bug that prevented associated Hold from being resisted

* Palm Strike/Rifle Butt: Lowered the base chance of the Hold being triggered from 50% to 10%.

 

MAIL:

 

Keep your mission submissions coming!

 

On next week’s show, we’re going to announce our top picks that will get re-created by the STOked team as an epic tutorial/machinima video.

 

After those picks are made, we’ll be posting a POLL.  The winner of that poll will be the mission we pour the entirety of our fleet resources behind, and get turned into a fan-made STO episode.

 

MATH:

 

Guide for Demo Record – https://docs.google.com/#folders/folder.0.0B6_BVGJrO9vrNGRjMjY0YTUtYjU4NS00M2U5LWExMmItM2VlYmVhNmE4ZDhl

 

Link to EPIC Demo Record thread –

https://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=134131

Live on Tribble NOW, so go try ’em out.

To get started on the Respec process talk to the SKILL TRAINER at the center of Earth Spacedock.  Or if you’d prefer to avoid the crowds, you can also do it on DS9.

Klingons can do it near the battle ring at Q’onos

Everyone will get ONE FREE Respec when the system launches on the 25th.

You also are given one free with each promotion (LT to LTC, eg)

NOTE:  Free Respecs DO NOT STACK.  You can only have one free token at a time.

Merit Costs are as follows:

LT = 500

LTC = 

COM = 6,000

CAP = 12,000

RA = 20,000

HOW TO DO IT:

Works just like the Skill Window.

Arrows to add/remove points from a skill.

    You have to remove points from high-end skills first, then you can do lower ranks.

    Available / Spent counters update on-the-fly.

Use the “Clear All” button to start over from scratch.

Use the “Reset” button to get back to where you started before opening the retraining UI.

NOTE:  You don’t have to spend all of your points from this interface.  But you DO have to spend enough to be at your current rank.

I cannot recommend the STO Skill Builder enough.  There is no better tool on the ‘net:  https://sto-builder.binarybit.ch

You can watch Season 2 Episode 4 for a complete guide to using it:  https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=1672

SPEND, SPEND, SPEND

With a free respec at each rank, you can go for more “immediate” benefits as you level up, including ship type and weapon type changes.  Go nuts!  Try stuff out!

    If you’re already an Admiral, spend with care and plan ahead.

PLAN AHEAD

Use the character skill builder!  Examine your skills with care, take notes, and invest in what will benefit you most!

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR GROUND SKILLS

So far, both of the high-end STF zones have a large Ground Combat component.  Don’t be a detriment to your team — invest in your skills, and focus on a role/kit that you enjoy playing.

WEAPON TYPES:  BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Prepare to get MATHED, kiddies:

    I’m going to go on record as encouraging you all to focus on either Phaser or Disruptor energy weapons, and Photon or Quantum projectiles.  The other weapon types simply cost too many SPs per bonus point, an d the secondary bonuses are no better.  Some could actually argue that they are WORSE.

100sp        200sp          300sp       400sp         500sp     = per rank of bonus

900           1800           2700         3600          4500       = to max bonus

+2per        +1.666        +1.926      +1.444        +1.155    = per 100sp

As you can see, the Commander rank skills are the only ones worth investing in.  LT and LTC are worthwhile because they stack, but COMM/CAPT/RA do not stack.