Hardware News
Enemy Territories: Quake Wars Preview
April 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Finally tonight, GameSpot has posted a preview on the Strogg vehicles in Splash Damage's upcoming first person shooter, Enemy Territories: Quake Wars. Here's a bit on the Hornet:
A nightmarish, buzzing peril, the hovering Hornet is a heavily armed threat to infantry with its heavy lacerator, vehicles with its "strocket" missiles, and aircraft with its light plasma cannon. The Hornet is only lightly armored, however, and while the four vectored antigravity repulsors let it hover over a target, they also make it a conspicuous target. The Hornet can be operated by a single player, but it's most effective with a pilot maneuvering it and a gunner operating its weapons.
Read on!Age of Conan Interview
April 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Written in article format, GameSpy has slapped up an interview with Funcom's Gaute Godager regarding their upcoming online RPG, Age of Conan. Here's some interesting PvP info:
The first element of Age of Conan's "separate track" system was something called "drunken brawling." Most of the taverns in Age of Conan will be PvP zones, but the system will be quite different than that in the outside world. Rather than sword battles and duels to the death, players will instead swig mugs of ale and smack each other over the head with cups and broken table legs. Losing the battle doesn't mean death -- it just means getting tossed out by the bouncers. There will be no levels in bar fights. Everybody from level 20 to 80 will be on an even playing field.
Nice! :lol:Rise & Fall: Civilizations At War First Impressions
April 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
EuroGamer has tossed up some first impressions on Midway's upcoming Strategy title, Rise & Fall: Civilizations At War. Here's a snippet on formations:
5) Third thing is that even at this point some of the more interesting, differing mechanisms appear. While units are created in small groups of three or so, much like most RTS games', and are manoeuvrable individually, in practice any soldiers who are generated close together automatically huddle into a "formation" you can order around. This immediately makes things more manageable than usual - and becomes even more important when it's revealed that the larger a formation of soldiers, the bigger the combat bonus they get. It's a streamlined and efficient mechanism. Hurrah.
RF Online Review
April 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameClubCentral for letting us know that they have fired-up a review on Codemasters' massively multiplayer online RPG, RF Online. Here's something to nibble on:
Even though one of RFO's focuses on the war between the three races and the player versus player which follows, the game also has a focus on player versus environment that goes along with it. When you start the game, after a decent tutorial, you progress through a good number of levels in "friendly" territory where only players of your race can get to. There are a lot of monsters there that can be fought to get the player accustomed to the game and get their skill set up to a respectable level. Even after that there's still some monsters you can get rid of either solo or in a group, but when traveling through neutral territory be sure to be weary, as players from the other races will be around as well, and they will not take so kindly to seeing one of your kind wandering around their territory.
GR: Advanced Warfighter Preview
April 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN kicks things off with a preview on the multiplayer portion of Ubisoft's upcoming tactical shooter, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Here's a bit on the Domination gameplay mode:
The second mode of play is called Domination and is a style similar to that of both Battlefield and Onslaught from Unreal Tournament 2004. Each of the five Domination maps will be split up into a bunch of different zones. These zones, each made up of a good sized area of the map and not just a flag, are captured by the team with the largest number of guys inside of it. Having a larger number of your team inside of the zone will help capture it faster. When inside a zone, players will automatically be able to see how many enemies are trying to capture the zone as well. The mini-map will also show all of the zones, which team they're controlled by, and if they're being contested or not.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Preview
April 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Bringing the evening to a close, GameSpot has taken a look at some of the vehicles in Splash Damage upcoming first person shooter, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. Here's a snippet on the "Badger":
The GDF's ubiquitous reconnaissance and light-raider, the Badger 4x4 is lightly armored and armed with only a single machinegun, but it enjoys excellent speed and maneuverability. The Badger's cabin seats a driver and a gunner (either can operate the machinegun remotely), with space in the open rear for three more soldiers--two sitting on the tailgate and one standing, operating the machinegun manually.
Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers Review
April 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has whipped up a short review on Pandemic Studios' tactical shooter, Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers. Here's a nugget on the game's controls:
As mentioned before, a number of refinements have been added to the control mechanics, and at times, these do make it easier to more execute complex tactical maneuvers. Primarily, it is now possible to give cross-team commands; e.g., Alpha team can give Bravo a move order, or vice-versa. Similarly, you are also able to temporarily divide one of your fireteams into two distinct subteams, in order so that, say, Alpha can execute a flanking maneuver without having to tie up Bravo. You sacrifice raw firepower by doing this (not to mention 360-degree coverage), but you gain a good deal of flexibility. Another welcome change is "hot movement." Unlike a typical move order, this allows your team to maintain a full degree of coverage (or alternately, to focus on a certain fire sector, if you so choose) when traveling to an assigned location. As the name implies, this helps a good deal when you have to move through "hot" locations, and even more so when you've set a fallback location for your team, if things happen to get ugly.
Serious Sam II Patch
April 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Croteam has released a new 53mb patch for their action-packed first person shooter, Serious Sam II. Fixing a few bugs, this puppy also includes the Serious Editor 2. So all you mod maker can now get to work! uNF:
B&W2: Battle of the Gods Review
April 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has chimed in with thier take on Lionhead Studios' recently released Black & White 2 expansion pack, Battle of the Gods. Here's a bit on the new buildings:
A handful of new buildings add a few more tactical options this time around. A blacksmith can upgrade your soldiers for instance, making them more effective on the battlefield. Hospitals heal damaged units, letting you save the mana you normally spent on healing for other miracles. While the new buildings are nice, none of them really alter the game in any significant way. They merely serve as small supplements to your existing strategies.
Titan Quest Preview
April 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Getting things started, 1Up.com has slapped up an interview with Randall Wallace, the writer behind Iron Lore's upcoming Action-RPG, Titan Quest. Here's something to nibble on:
1UP: Crossover between film, music and videogames has become a regular part of the modern entertainment landscape, but what was it about Titan Quest that made it the right fit for you?
Randall Wallace: The people working on Titan Quest wanted a story that had epic resonance -- not just superficial furniture of an epic story (the mythological characters, the settings of the ancient world), but an experience for the game player of growing as a character, of meeting people who challenge the player/character to expand his way of thinking. I love this in movie storytelling, and thought it would be exciting to explore in the game world.
B&W 2: Battle of the Gods Review
April 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has slapped up some impressions on Lionhead Studios' recently released Black & White 2 expansion pack, Battle of the Gods. Bring on the minigames!
Perhaps the biggest noticeable change is the addition of more minigame challenges that you can pursue for tribute points, which let you unlock new buildings and powers. These challenges can provide a short diversion from the main focus of the game, as you can solve puzzles, partake in some ice curling, shoot down zombies with lightning bolts, and more. Then again, these diversions aren't really necessary, and you'll usually tackle them at the end of a level after you rout the Aztec god from the land.
Stronghold Legends Interview
April 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FiringSquad has fired-up an interview with Firefly Studios' Simon Bradbury regarding their upcoming Strategy title, Stronghold Legends. They cover everything from the game's engine to multiplayer modes. Snip:
FiringSquad: What other new gameplay elements will Stronghold Legends have?
Simon Bradbury: There are many new elements especially on the combat side heres a few examples. Glory points are a new resource, they is obtained from hand to hand fighting and allow the player to build honor giving statues, the idea here is to offer a reward to the more aggressive player, helping to combat a certain tendency for players to all build a nice castle and sit back waiting to be attacked!. Also some of the new one off units have special recharge powers, all the knights of the table for example have their own unique power and when you play as Arthur you can achieve quite a lot by sending forth a squad of your famous knights on a destructive quest. One final example, we have dealt with Strongholds long time archer dominance issue in several ways, one interesting new element is the ability of vampiric creeper units to scale walls and turn the archers, they are impervious to arrow fire of course
!
Oblivion Wizard's Tower Released
April 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Bethesda Softworks have released a new purchasable plugin ($1.89) for their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Entitled Wizard's Tower, this sucker features a fully detailed tower with an indoor botanical garden, teleports to every Mages Guild and more! Click here for the goods.
Age of Conan Hands-On
April 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has whipped up a preview on Funcom's upcoming Online Action-RPG, Age of Conan, after getting some hands-on time with this bad boy. Here's a bit on the game's enemy AI:
The first thing I noticed was that there is no definitive "aggro radius" for a defined "combat cycle." According to the game's AI development team, they're trying to make creature intelligence a bit more flexible and interesting than the standard hard-coded combat routines that players are used to. Enemies in Age of Conan have sight, hearing, and olfactory senses. Yes, creatures can smell, which means that certain enemies won't be fooled by invisibility spells and opens up interesting gameplay avenues in which the player will need to mask, change, or eliminate their scent. Creatures will also try to judge what kind of a risk a player represents, taking into account how many there are and what sorts of equipment they're carrying, and decide their combat strategy accordingly. That means that a pack of wolves may attack a lone traveler but run from a party, and enemies may try to pepper a warrior without a shield with arrows rather than closing to melee range.
Guild Wars: Factions Q&A
April 24, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has sat down with ArenaNet's James Phinney and Eric Flannum for a short Q&A regarding their upcoming Guild Wars expansion pack, Factions. Here's a bit on the new guild alliance feature:
GS: What's the deal with the new guild alliances? We know that multiple guilds will be able to ally together for the persistent war, but it sounds like the alliance will be useful for other things, as well.
JP: First and foremost, alliances exist as a way to promote community building among players. Players within an alliance may use alliance chat to communicate with one another and may freely visit the guild halls of other guilds in the alliance. (Currently, in order to visit a friend's guild hall, you must be issued a guest invitation by a member of that guild.)
Visiting an ally's guild hall will be especially useful in Factions because we are providing that guild scrimmage feature that allows you to arrange a test battle in that guild hall. You can use this option for practicing guild-versus-guild strategies, trying out skill combinations, or just to have some fun, informal combat.
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey Review
April 23, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Yahoo!Games has thrown up their take on Funcom's Adventure title, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. Here's a little something on the game world's feel:
Perhaps one of the game's greatest achievements is its feeling of normality. Although all its settings are unfamiliar, and colossally abnormal things are happening everywhere, the game doesn't feel the need to explain itself as it goes along. Many unusual details of the setting are just accepted by the characters -- you'll figure them out as you go. Without the need for clumsy explanations of concepts that the game's characters rightfully take for granted, Dreamfall's astonishing worlds take on a refreshingly everyday tone.
Prey Dev Diary
April 22, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Finally tonight, Human Head Studios' Chris Rhinehart has slapped up a new developer diary regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Prey. Here's a snippet on some of the music that will be included in the game (specially MXPX's "The Setting Sun"):
Besides listening to my own free punk rock show all day, I was impressed with their speed that they were able to fly through the recording session. They moved from drums to rhythm guitars, to bass guitar, to vocals, and then to lead guitar and they did it all like clockwork, without any cutting remarks, squabbles, or wasted time.
Caesar IV Preview
April 22, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpy tonight are some impressions on Tilted Mill Entertainment's upcoming city-building title, Caesar IV. Here's a nugget:
Based on my initial demonstration of Caesar IV, it looks like Tilted Mill has learned more than a few lessons from Children of the Nile. The game is taking the best element of that game, intelligent citizens, and incorporating it back into classic Impressions-style gameplay. Instead of building the city around "building influence," Roman citizens in Caesar IV will intelligently try to fulfill their various needs, including food, shelter, money, and recreation. Citizens will be assigned to a specific home and have a sort of "psychological neighborhood" around which they search to fulfill desire. That means there's a certain distance they'll travel for certain tasks. Citizens will always try to buy food from a local market, for example, but they'll go straight to a warehouse or even to the field if they need to -- albeit at the cost of lost time to meet other needs. They may be willing to walk a few blocks to a local stage for a play and halfway across the city to attend a show at the Hippodrome.
Click here to learn more!TimeShift Preview
April 22, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping things rollin', GameSpy has thrown together a short preview on Saber Interactive's upcoming first person shooter, TimeShift. Let's play with time, shall we? Snip:
The main feature that should set TimeShift apart from most first-person shooters is the time controls built into the chronosuit. Swift can stop time, slow time down, even rewind time for small intervals, opening up several gameplay possibilities. The most basic are simple puzzles that require time manipulation to get through: You might need to stop or slow time to sneak through a manufacturing complex, dodging machinery or timed fire blasts from various vents.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A; Part 5
April 22, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has slapped up the last part of their interview with Bethesda Softworks this evening. This time they chat about some of the teams more memorable moments while playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's a taste:
Jonric: What are a couple of particularly memorable moments or situations you encountered while playing or testing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and what made them special for you?
Michael Ryan, Level Designer and Dungeon Builder: One of my most memorable moments involves something that happened to another developer here, actually. He was playing through a dungeon and was very low on health when he stumbled across some goblins that began chasing him. Out of potions and close to death, he heard a war cry and turned to investigate. Suddenly one of the Orc Adventurers bursts into the room and slaughters the goblins, saving the player's life. That definitely made my day.
The Witcher Interview
April 22, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FiringSquad has caught up with CDProjekt's Gary Keith for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, The Witcher. Here's a bit on the game's storyline:
FiringSquad: For people who are not familar with the game, what can you tell us about the fictional backstory for The Witcher?
Gary Keith: The Witcher is based on the fantasy literature of Andrzej Sapkowski. We developed the story of our game based on his series of books by first focusing on the main character of his novels, Geralt of Rivia. Without giving away too much of the backstory I can say that the game world contains all the elements of a typical fantasy universe, but in our world there is no clear distinction of good vs. evil. Essentially The Witcher has two main plots, global and personal, which interact during the game and end finally as one epic tale. As Geralt a renowned slayer of monsters tries to regain his lost memory and pursue a group of assassins who raided the witchers stronghold, he finds himself trapped in a struggle between powerful political powers. The background includes an ancient prophecy, racial tensions, a mysterious Order, a horrible pestilence and an invasion of monsters. Geralt will become involved in many types of relationships including friendly, treacherous, passionate, rivalrous and hateful. The story will end in one of three ways depending on the players behavior and choices throughout the game.
Public SystemInfo Beta Test!
April 21, 2006 - Nicklas Renqvist
If you would like to help us creating even better products and services in the future, it is now possible! We just launched a public SystemInfo Beta Test for anyone interested.
Before you start the beta testing you should read the following:
- Works only with Windows 2000/XP
- Requires IE6+
- Close all open applications and save all unsaved work. This is a BETA test, and thus Futuremark can not guarantee that it works without problems.
- If you have used any online services before which uses our Measurement Service Client, you should uninstall it prior to testing this new Beta version. Please go to your Control Panel -> Add/remove programs and uninstall the "Futuremark Measurement Service Client" if it is installed.
- The Beta SystemInfo module corrects most known and reproduced detection issues (blue screens, crashes etc.) users have experienced with 3DMark05, PCMark05 and 3DMark06.
- The beta version also includes an updated module for detection of graphics card core & memory speeds.
- Please note that this is an online beta test, and thus it won't install itself into your installation folders of 3DMark or PCMark.
http://live.futuremark.com/beta/
We will also be giving out 3DMark06 Advanced licences to twenty (20) randomly selected users, so there's no reason why not to head over and give the beta test a go! :cool:
If you experience problems and need some assistance, please post your findings at our Discussion Boards.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Preview
April 21, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown up a preview on the classes in Splash Damage's upcoming first person shooter, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. Here's a bit on my class of choice, the Engineer:
The Engineer is a support/defence class, constructing and repairing vehicles, deployables, and objectives (such as bridges and machinery). He also deploys and maintains defence turrets, such as the Anti-Personnel, Anti-Missile and Anti-Vehicle deployables. The Engineer carries the N22 Shotgun and multi-purpose mines.
Click here for more!Command & Conquer 3 Announced
April 21, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Electronic Arts have announced the development of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium War, the third installment in their hit Strategy franchise. With a release date set for 2007, this should be an RTS to watch! Anyways, here's a clipping from the press release:
CHERTSEY, UK - April 20, 2006 – The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and The Brotherhood of NOD continues...and the third Tiberium War is about to begin. Welcome back, Commander. Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that Command & ConquerTM, the groundbreaking series that put the Real-time Strategy (RTS) genre on the map, is returning in full force with Command & ConquerTM 3 Tiberium Wars*. This highly-anticipated next chapter takes the popular series back to its roots in the Tiberium universe and features the fast, fluid gameplay that Command & Conquer is known for and a gripping story that will redefine storytelling in RTS games.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A; Part 4
April 21, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault keeps the content flowing with a fourth Bethesda Softworks interview regarding the locations in their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's some lovin':
Jonric: Among the many locations players can visit in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, what are a few that rank among your personal favorites, and why?
Mark Nelson, Designer: Almost any mountain peak is a great location - some of the higher points that offer a view of the Imperial City are spectacular.
The interiors of Arkved's Tower are fantastic. There's a lot of stuff going on in there that you won't find in any other place in the game.
Border Watch is another of my favorite places, because it has a Cheese Museum... and some other fun things that go on.
Titan Quest Interview
April 21, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
EuroGamer has sat down with Iron Lore's Brian Sullivan for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Titan Quest. Here's a snippet on the game's setting:
"We felt if we just did a Greek game, it wouldn't feel very epic - we were looking for a game that went beyond what you would expect the scope of any story would be in this time period. So to do that, not only do we go to Greece, Egypt and Babylon, but we also went as far as to go to China. "I think for a lot of players, when you're playing in the Mediterranean area, you think, 'This is great, I'm going all over.' Then when you find out, story-wise, you have to go all the way across to China, it's so out of your realm of focus that it's going to feel like a really epic game."
CivCity: Rome Preview
April 21, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Kicking things off, PC.IGN has thrown up a preview on FireFly Studios' city-building title, CivCity: Rome. Here's a bit on the game's technology tree:
Appropriately for a Civilization-themed game, CivCity has an elaborate technology tree. Rather than relying on libraries and scholars to boost your research, technology in CivCity just costs money and time. Spend enough denarii and sooner or later you'll get the tech you wanted. It seems really clear that you'll only be able to research a handful of advances in the course of a single mission but they're well worth the investment. Not only do they confer significant bonuses on your city, but they also open up construction of new wonders.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A: Part 3
April 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has posted the third installment of their interview with Bethesda Softworks regarding their rockin' RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This time they look at the team's favorite enemies. Snip:
Jonric: What are some of your favorite enemies in Oblivion? Why is each of them special for you, and what's particularly enjoyable about encountering and defeating each of them?
Erik Deitrick, Programmer: I like any enemy that dies comically. When you've leveled up enough that a wolf is a one shot kill and you watch them tumble over and end down a mountainside... that is entertaining.
Ogres are another enemy that sometimes make me smile. They're very top heavy, and every once in a while, after you've killed them, the top of their body falls back and they're left balancing on their feet and the tops of their heads.
Black & White 2: Battle Of The Gods Q&A
April 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FiringSquad has fired-off some questions at Lionhead Studios' Philip Robinson regarding their upcoming Black & White 2 expansion pack, Battle Of The Gods. Here's a bit on the new creatures:
FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the brand new creatures in the expansion?
Philip Robinson: There are two new Creatures; the first is a playable Creature, the Turtle. Hes fantastic, he really is; hes cute, funny, and definitely loveable. The other Creature is a nightmare that you want to run away from; its actually the resurrected Aztec ape, no longer with the living, in fact he has started to rot, and hes not too happy about that! In fact hes not too happy about anything at all, especially the fact that you defeated his tribe in B&W2!
New Quake 4 Patch Released
April 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Raven Software has released a new patch (v1.2) for their hit first person shooter, Quake 4. Included in this bad boy are four new multiplayer maps, the addition of voice chat and much, much more! Hit one of the following mirrors to download either the full patch or the v1.1 -> v1.2 upgrade:
- FileShack Full/v1.1>1.2
- 3DGamers
- WorthPlaying
2006 FIFA World Cup Review
April 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at PC.IGN has slapped up their take on Electronic Arts' soccer (or football) title, 2006 FIFA World Cup. Here's a bit on the game's eyecandy:
Visually, World Cup looks good. It's always hard to make regular soccer gameplay look outstanding -- the camera is too far back for that. But with smooth animations and recognizable player models, World Cup suffices. The cutscenes and atmosphere is where World Cup really shines. Finally the players show real emotion after a goal and celebrate in a variety of amusing dances. Streamers and confetti rain down on the field from the crowd. The crowd goes wild with giant banners and flags. All of this makes this game more of a celebration of soccer's great spectacle than we've ever seen before. The atmosphere and presentation is outstanding and that carries over into the sound department, on the field at least.
Read on!SiN Episodes: Emergence Interview
April 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
ShackNews has thrown up an interview with Ritual Entertainment regarding their Source Engine-powered first person shooter, SiN Episodes: Emergence. Topics range from weapons to the auto-adjusting difficulty feature. Here's a clipping:
Shack: What about the weapons. What will we be using to free Freeport City of its various humans and mutant enemies?
Ritual: The first episode introduces four weapons more will be added as the series goes on. Blade's signature weapon, the Magnum pistol, makes a return, but apart from that, all the weapons are new to the SiN universe. Another change from the first SiN is that each weapon has two firing modes for example, the Magnum can fire a depleted uranium round that penetrates certain materials, allowing you to pick off enemies taking cover behind doors or pillars.
We also have incendiary grenades, which are a lot of fun to play around with. As they explode, they'll set any flammable materials around them on fire including enemies. So that makes them a great tool for clearing out rooms and creating tactical obstacles.
We want to make sure that each of the weapons is and remains useful, even as more and more episodes are released we want them to be like a tool belt players use to tackle the situations and obstacles we throw at them. A lot of balancing goes into making sure that each weapon fulfills its purpose without becoming redundant.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A: Part 2
April 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has tossed up the second part of their interview with Bethesda Softworks regarding their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This time they touch on the team's favorite types of player characters. Snip:
Jonric: Speaking as a gamer, what is your favorite type of player character in Oblivion, and why do you find it particularly fun or special as well as a good fit for you?
Ashley Cheng, Lead Producer: My favorite type of character is an Argonian assassin / thief who primarily utilizes his alchemy, blade, conjuration, and marksman skills. I enjoy making poisons and picking off targets from a distance. Conjuration is a must because summoning creatures allows me to distract opponents so I can get a nice shot off. Argonians are resistant to diseases and can breath underwater, which can also come in handy, especially since I often have a high infamy, so chapels don't like me very much, hehe.
Caesar IV Preview
April 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at PC.IGN tonight is a preview on Tilted Mill Entertainment's upcoming City-building title, Caesar IV. Here's a blurb on the different gameplay modes and such:
Like Civilization IV, Caesar IV looks like one of those games with bunches of replayability and sheer content. You have "Career Mode," where you work your way up to being Caesar; scenario mode, where you play isolated missions; and a sandbox, my personal favorite. There are also more than 75 unique character types that will roam through a given city, and you can click on a person to get their opinion of what's going on. There's also the simple pleasure of roving over your city and looking at stuff, which Caesar IV is happy to indulge with a surprising level of detail. Since citizens have specific needs, you'll see them doing specific things, like going to the market, laboring in the fields, or practicing a monologue for a play.
TimeShift Preview
April 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has slapped up a preview on Saber Interactive's upcoming first person shooter, TimeShift. Here's a snippet on how controlling time in the game works:
As you've probably heard by now, TimeShift distinguishes itself by allowing the player to manipulate time. You can slow it down, stop it, and even reverse it, but it's not just a gimmick for blowing up baddies extra good. There's plenty of that, sure, but what appears at first to be a potentially silly bullet point looks like it's actually a fundamental game mechanic. One example features a bomb you must plant that has a very short timer. Although stopping time seems to be the easiest route, that option uses up a lot of juice in a short amount of time, so you may not get clear of the blast. If you slow time, however, you'll get plenty clear.
Battle For Middle-Earth 2 Review
April 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Moving right along, WorthPlaying has whipped up a review on EA Games' Strategy title, The Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth 2. Here's a bit on the game's unit upgrades:
Many units come in groups instead of as singular units, which lend a much more epic scale to the visual experience of BFME2. All units gain experience and level up as they progress, becoming better fighters in the process. Heroes gain new abilities or improve upon their existing ones. As is common these days, the heroes and units have specific abilities, some which need to be activated, while others are passive. All heroes have unique abilities such as fireballs, lighting bolts, terror-inducing screams, or passively improving the abilities of those around them. Heroes often have "morale boosting" abilities, as well as a devastating attack or two. Other units, such as mountain giants, can be switched from throwing rocks to close-range attacks. Upgrading units with armor or better weapons typically requires research at the base that produces the unit, or at another building, such as the tavern or treasure trove, for some upgrades.
Warhammer Online Interview
April 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameZone has Mythic Entertainment s Mark Jacobs in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online. Here's a clipping:
Q: So you took the IP, you saw what Climax had been trying to do with it you just took everything they had been trying to do, threw it out the window and started from scratch?
Jacobs: Yes. The extent that we looked at their stuff was as follows: We looked at their art. Games Workshop owned everything the art, the design documents, the code. So it was a JV (Joint Venture) where Climax was putting up the sweat equity and Games Workshop was putting up the IP and the cash. So GW owned everything. So they asked look at this and see if there is anything you want to use. So we looked and we looked through all the art, and we said we didnt want to use any of it, there was nothing that fit where we wanted to go with the game. In terms of the code, I didnt even want to look at the code so nobody at Mythic ever saw it. We said keep it away from us, we want nothing to do with it. Not because it might not have been good, but I dont even want to go down that path. With the art, it was 100% clear that it was all GW.
And their game (Climaxs vision), from the get-go, was a very different game than ours. It was a game much more like an incredibly dark EverQuest than it was like a Camelot. So I didnt think there was anything to gain from looking at the Climax design docs.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A
April 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has posted an interview with a bunch of the folks behind Bethesda Softworks' hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It's a one question, many answers deal. Here's a taste:
Jonric: What was your role on the Oblivion team, and in regard to your contributions to it, what stands out most in your mind, what are you most proud of, and why?
Emil Pagliarulo, Designer: I was primarily responsible for the Dark Brotherhood and Arena, had a lot of input in determining Oblivion's stealth system, was the primary designer for the lock picking mini-game, and wrote most of the combat dialogue. I guess for me, my greatest personal achievement has to be the Dark Brotherhood quest line. Really, for years, I'd been wanting to make a medieval or fantasy-themed assassin game. It's something I had thought a lot about and sort of put on my wish list of fantasy design projects.
I had worked on the Thief series prior to working on Elder Scrolls, and as much as I loved that series' sense of moral ambiguity, I really wanted to explore the more sinister side of stealth gameplay. What if you weren't just an anti-hero thief; what if he were a cold-blooded, remorseless killer? So, when I got the chance to write and implement Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood quest line, it was the fulfillment of my deepest, geekiest designer dream. It became my passion during Oblivion's development, and overall, I'm really happy with the way it came out and the reception it's received.
Gods & Heroes Interview
April 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
MMORPG.com has sat down with Perpetual Entertainment's Stieg Hedlund and Chris McKibbin for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, Gods & Heroes. Topics range from PvP to the camp system. Here's a nugget:
MMORPG.com: You tout unique combat that lets players chain moves together and have finishers. Can you explain this in a bit more detail? What exactly sets Gods & Heroes apart in this regard?
Stieg Hedlund: Our combat system is very interactive compared to those in other MMOs: swords and fists actually contact the creatures they are damaging. And that's just the beginning; we have some very complex interactions between characters such as my favorite: "the ladder". In the ladder you jump on your opponent's back and apply a leg scissors and a sleeper hold until he loses consciousness. Its a move from historical pankration, an ancient art combining boxing and wrestling, that weve brought back to life in our game, but more importantly some very intricate interaction for an MMO.
Rogue Trooper Preview
April 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sticking with PC.IGN, they have also slapped up a preview on Rebellion's upcoming Action title, Rogue Trooper. Here's a snippet on the game's visuals and audio:
Visually, this early build of Rogue Trooper appears adequate but doesn't raise the bar in any way, although there are some nice explosive effects. The sound is particularly well-done at this point as the loud explosions and roar of overhead spacecraft punctuates the tense atmosphere of war Rogue Trooper is trying to push.
Click here for more!Dreamfall: The Longest Journey Review
April 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has take a short look at Funcom's Third Person Adventure title, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. With a final score of 7.4/10, you may want to read some reviews first. Anyways, here's a bit on the game's storyline:
Despite the staggering shortcomings of the newly added "action" elements, they aren't what you're going to be spending most of your time doing in Dreamfall. Mostly, you're going to be watching characters talking with each other, and that's by far the best part of the game. Like the original, Dreamfall continues the tradition of an extremely strong storyline and intricate character interactions, both compelling enough to keep you plodding through the game's action doldrums. A warning to those curious about this game, the character interaction sequences take an extremely long time to get through, sometimes verging on ten minute conversations. Personally I'm a big fan of storyline and strong character, so I loved to see this kind of dedication to building emotion, fleshing out motivation as well as plenty of extraneous character details. However, if you're someone who couldn't care less what a character thinks and would rather just play the game, you're going to hate Dreamfall.
SiN Episodes Dev Diary
April 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Kicking things off, Ritual Entertainment's Shawn Ketcherside has updated his blog with a look at the game design behind their upcoming first person shooter, SiN Episodes. Here's a clipping:
As we looked at it, we realized that for us, it didn't make sense to simply make "one" game and chop it up into multiple pieces To me that seemed to negate many of the advantages of being episodic. Specifically the freedom to innovate and evolve.
So, we started thinking about how to structure things. We landed on a high level story concept and spent a lot of time working on the world of SiN itself. From the beginning of the project, I was adamant that every episode serve as a standalone piece of gameplay. Meaning that each episode has the components of a story in and of itself (A beginning, middle, and an end.)
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Preview
April 17, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at 1Up.com have shot-up some impressions on Ubisoft's tactical first person shooter, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Here's something to nibble on:
With the PC release of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, your tactical squad control could actually be good enough to make up for the fact that your team is still full of people who make Jerry Springer guests seem bright. It's a combination of the control scheme on the PC, the improved tactical screen, and the changes to the Cross-com that really makes this version shine compared to the 360 version, even with our preview build.
The Da Vinci Code Preview
April 16, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping this weekend rollin', PC.IGN has thrown up some first impressions on 2K Games' upcoming Adventure title, The Da Vinci Code. Here's a snippet on the game's combat system:
To balance the puzzle and adventure side of the game, The Collective built a unique combat system it likes to call the "Struggle System." Similar to a wrestling grapple system, players will grab onto another character, and using a Simon Says-style button-tapping formula, they'll manhandle their enemies. It works like this, some bad-ass thug comes at you, and you grab them, holding onto their shoulders. A series of face buttons appear on screen and you must quickly punch them in the correct order. If successful, you'll watch as either Langdon or Neveu perform flip moves, gut punches, or throws to disable their opponents. You'll also find stealth attacks in the bag of tricks, in addition to the ability to push, defend, and dodge enemies. You can even distract opponents by throwing objects. Of course, the enemy is quite capable too. They'll fight back, throw items, throw you, dodge, and defend. To complete the package, players can hide bodies.
Prey Dev Diary #14
April 15, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
This weeks Prey developer diary has many of the Human Head folks giving us a short "a day in the life of" articles, as they work on the upcoming first person shooter. Here's a chunk from Programmer Rich Whitehouse's post:
"Started the day at 8:45am when my alarm went off. Hit the snooze button. Woke up again at 8:53 upon the next alarm trigger, then hit snooze again. Somehow managed to hit snooze while in a sleep state until 10, at which point I finally got up. I stumbled through several accumulating piles of trash at my bed side, checked my e-mail on my desktop machine, browsed around for a while, then took a shower. I got to work at 11am. Upon arrival, I began re-evaluating some optimizations on a render volume tree function, and after observing through disassembly that the compiler was using stack-relative offsets to access some memory already, I proceeded with planned changes. This worked out happily. After that, I worked on some clipping performance issues on our giant sphere deathmatch map, and then began working closely with our in-house QA tester to coordinate some internet multiplayer testing, and work out issues with our Master Server. I then went home, and played Prey until 2am while noting new bugs and issues. This concludes the glorious day in the life of Rich Whitehouse."
Hitman: Blood Money Interview
April 15, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at PC.IGN this evening is an interview with IO Interactive's Rasmus Højengaard regarding their upcoming Action-Stealth title, Hitman: Blood Money. They cover the game's AI, controls and more! Here's a taste:
IGN: What were your major goals when you approached Hitman: Blood Money and what did you want to achieve? When you sat down and reflected on the last game, what did you think you could do better or different, and how could did you feel you could improve the series?
Rasmus Højengaard: Actually, it's a two-stage rocket for us. The game design for Blood Money was created before Contracts. We made Contracts on a modified engine that we already had, and then when that happened, when we had finished it, we realized we had to be even more ambitious with the design because time had passed, so expectations were even higher. That meant that, apart all the things we wanted to add before Contracts, we wanted to add more features and we decided to reinvent everything. That meant from a tech standpoint, meaning the script engine, AI, and all that. So, the whole thing, all of Blood Money, was created from scratch. We felt that we wanted Blood Money to have the same impact as Hitman 2. We wanted it to feel just as new as when that game hit. So, to publish that on the same platforms we had to change more than just features and graphics, we had to change the way the game feels and plays. That was the initial plan.
Heroes of Might & Magic V Hands-On
April 15, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown up a preview on Nival Interactive's upcoming turn-based Strategy tite, Heroes of Might & Magic V, after getting some hands-on time with this sucker. Here's some lovin':
Many of the units have special abilities as well like the griffin that can do a sky dive attack without fear of retribution or even various spells. But the big power comes from those heroes. The funny thing about the heroes is that they don't sit on the actual grid of combat and can't effectively use melee attacks on any enemies. Instead, they're relegated to casting spells and using various abilities. Any siege weapons the hero has purchased will sit back along the back line with the hero as well. Balistas will fire missiles, camps will heal damaged units and catapults will knock down walls when besieging an enemy city.
Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War Preview
April 15, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Hitting us with a little reading material, GameSpy has taken a look at Midway Games' upcoming Strategy title, Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War. Here's a bit on the Hero units:
The game mechanics behind the hero units are what will theoretically set Rise and Fall apart from the throngs of similarly-themed RTS games currently out there. As has become rote with the genre, your heroes increase in power as you progress through the game. In Rise and Fall, you do this by defeating enemy units in battle, capturing contested outposts, and winning scenarios. All of these actions will net you Glory -- think of it as experience with a twist. By amassing Glory, your heroes levels up, which, apart from increasing their total health, bestows upon your army as a whole other, more passive benefits -- stuff like increasing the number of units you can deploy. Every time you level up, you also gain the option of hiring on a new advisor to help your army. Enlisting the aid of a botanist, for instance, will increase the rate at which your worker units gather lumber; a weaponsmith, meanwhile, permanently increase the damage that your infantry units inflict in combat. These bonuses stack on top of anything you gain from upgrading units and structures, seemingly providing a nice way to tailor your army to your own playstyle.
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Review
April 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
And finally tonight, PC.IGN has thrown together some impressions on Ubisoft's tactical first person shooter, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Here's a bit on equipping your squad before a mission:
One of the nice features that adds even more depth when dealing with the squad and the player character is the inclusion of a much deeper weapon load-out screen (as seen in the "Load-out and Intro" video). Before missions players will be able to equip themselves and the squad with any of the standard equipment. Nearly all of the weapons (minus the machine pistol) can be enhanced with attachments like silencers, scopes, and grenade launchers. Each of these items will have an effect on overall performance of the gun however. For example, adding a grenade launcher to a rifle will decrease it's accuracy considerably but provide a valuable and explosive addition to your arsenal. More importantly, the ability to load out the rest of your team means a perfect death squad for whatever situation you're entering into. Going into a mission where quick and quiet killings are preferable to all out warfare? Make sure everyone has a silencer. On another note, any soldier will also have the option to carry a sub-machinegun instead of a pistol providing even more options.
New Age of Empires III Patch
April 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ensemble Studios has released a new patch (v1.06) for their Strategy title, Age of Empires III. Fixing various bugs, you can find a list of what's new right here or just start downloading this puppy. In the words of Wayne Campbell, "Game on!".
NeverWinter Nights 2 First Look
April 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sticking with previews, Total Video Games.com has taken a quick look at Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming Action-RPG, NeverWinter Nights 2. Here's a little something to sink your teeth into:
Despite the game's name, Neverwinter Nights 2 actually begins in the coastal town of Westharbour, and it was there that some of the new changes were introduced. Ripping out the graphics engine of the original game, Obsidian has written from scratch a whole new proprietary engine called 'Electron' to bring the game up to date so it can include techniques such as bloom lighting. One of the key changes made to the visuals of Neverwinter Nights 2 however is something much more fundamental, which deals with the creation of the actual gameworld itself. In a departure from the original title, the exterior locations are now created from rolling textures enabling the land to feel more organic than its predecessor, though the interiors of buildings remain tile-based.
Half-Life 2: Episode One Preview
April 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com keep the content flowing with a preview on Valve Software's upcoming Half-Life 2 expansion pack, Episode One. Here's a snippet on Alyx's new role in things:
What Valve is really priming in this new era of episodic Half-Life though is Alyx. Lovely Alyx. "In Half-Life 2, Alyx was helpful mainly because of what she said," explains Walker. "In Episode One, she's helpful because of what she does. After you've fought the Combine and other enemies with her at your side, you won't want to go into battle without her."
Whereas Alyx's former appearances were by-and-large plot-driven and reserved for periods of relative inaction, she's now in the thick of it and by your side for pretty much the entire span of the episode. "She'll protect you more often than the other way around, but you do need to keep an eye on her," he adds, pre-empting our unconscious kneejerk response to those hated FPS levels in which you have to babysit flailing female NPCs. "Many of the problems you encounter in Episode One would be too much for any one person to deal with, even if they are Gordon Freeman."
UberSoldier Review
April 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Getting things started, GameSpy has whipped up a review on Burut's first person shooter, UberSoldier. With a final score of 3 out of 5 stars, the game seems to get a passing grade. Here's a bit on your special powers:
You also get an UberSoldier power: the ability to erect a force field that stops bullets in midair and can even send them in the direction you're facing when you lower the shield. The effect doesn't look particularly impressive though, nor does it add enough to the way you approach combat, compared to, say, the gravity gun of Half-Life 2.
Crysis Interview
April 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has fired-off some questions at Crytek's Cevat Yerli and Bernd Diemar regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Crysis. They cover the game's engine, multiplayer modes and more! Here's a taste:
How many weapons will we get to play with in the game and can you describe the most important ones or at least your favourites?
Cevat Yerli: We have a Gauss rifle, it's an alien technology-based weapon, we have the SCAR, which is the most advanced human assault rifle and we're getting a next generation version of it essentially, with a number of mod kits for it, including sniper configurations. But we also have a rocket launcher as you have seen, with a mini-gun version, which we're going to remodel to a more intermediary version in the final game. We also have things like grenades and C4 and also some other weapon classes which I can't talk about for now.
One thing we do have is an Icicle Gun, which is based on the alien technology. Essentially it takes water and humidity from the air and freezes it and shoots it out as ice particles, which means you're never short of ammunition. The other one I will talk about is the freezing gun, which you can pick up off the aliens. It's really fun, you can freeze someone and then shatter them. You can give those aliens some real payback after they've used it against you, but that's as much as we're going to reveal for now.
Red Orchestra Review
April 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpy have whipped up a short review on Tripwire Interactive's first person shooter, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. Walking away with 4 out of 5 stars, their first step into the retail world seems to be a successful one. Anyways, here's a clipping:
Infantry engagements are only half the fun in Red Orchestra: Ostfront. The game's wonderfully detailed and varied maps include both armored and unarmored combat scenarios and, in the former, you can crew a full battle tank or half-track (there are 14 vehicle types) en route to your objectives. The armored warfare dynamics are just as challenging as the small arms component, and successful tank engagements demand careful interplay between gunner, driver, and tank commander. Depending on your chosen role from the Unit Selection screen, mobile (albeit vulnerable) infantryman characters can also eliminate armored threats with satchel charges, anti-tank guns, or long-range artillery strikes.
ET: Quake Wars E3 Preview
April 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted an article prepping us for Splash Damage's E3 plans for their upcoming first person shooter, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. Here's the scoop:
We've seen the game before and have been impressed by what was shown. But like every game that we have our eyes trained on with high hopes, it's awesome to see it again and again and mark the serious progression the game has made over the last few months. This E3 will afford us the opportunity to see Quake Wars again for ourselves. In fact, we have found out from Activision that the game will be playable in a big way at this year's show.
This is no half-assed attempt to show off the multiplayer here. The Activision booth will house a 24 player LAN that anybody at the show can walk up and test out assuming they can break through the ridiculous crowds that will undoubtedly gather around the area.
Counter-Strike: Source Update
April 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Valve Software has released a new update for their first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Included in this bad boy are GSG9 and Arctic player models, HDR lighting for de_dust and more! Just load up Steam to start downloading!
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review
April 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has thrown up their take on Bethesda Softworks' hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's a snippet on the game's AI:
The next thing you get is the most impressive AI in a CRPG by now. Don't expect wonders from the Radiant AI, but expect it to act more lifelike than what you have seen before. People have schedules, needs, and a certain freedom in how they accomplish their goals. More than 1000 NPCs lead their lives, travel from town to town, safeguard main routes, pay visits to the inn, eat, drink, sleep, and react to you in various ways. You will discover that the voice acting is quite good as well (with a few glitches in the conversations and some repetitive talking between NPCs), and overall the NPCs help you to be immersed in this game.
May the shadows hide you!
Condemned: Criminal Origins Review
April 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown together some impressions on Monolith's just-released Action title, Condemned: Criminal Origins. Here's some lovin' on the game's audio:
The excellent sound factors in to a huge degree as well. Through each level in the game you'll usually be able to hear your enemies before you actually engage them. The click of a piece of metal they knocked over, the clunk of a barrel, the crunching of debris they tripped on, a hoarse grunt or a curse word, it all builds tension. The effect of this sound, especially on a 5.1 surround setup, is very powerful. The sounds of the weapon impacts are downright sickening. You'll be especially disgusted with the popping of necks and the wet crack of your forehead against your downed opponents when you pull off a finishing move. It may be gross, but it goes a long way towards hooking you into the game world, and is another reason why this game is so much fun to play.
Read on!New Call of Duty 2 Patch
April 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Infinity Ward have released a new patch (v1.2) for their World War II-based first person shooter, Call of Duty 2. Weighing in at 33megs, this puppy includes PunkBuster support, two new multiplayer maps and a whole lot more! Hit one of the following mirrors to start downloading:
City of Heroes Issue 7 Interview
April 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FiringSquad has sat down with Cryptic Studios' Matt Miller for a quick chat regarding the upcoming Issue 7 content patch for their hit MMORPG, City of Heroes/Villains. Here's some juice:
FiringSquad: What other new gameplay and content additions will be included in "Issue 7"?
Matt Miller:Recluses Victory is a whole new way to play PvP. We have player-controlled Heavies, which are giant robots with Mastermind-style controls, that can really swing the battle to your favor. In addition, we have introduced the dynamic that when one side is winning in Recluses Victory Signature Characters from the other side appear to help out. This means that Statesman or Lord Recluse themselves might show up in Recluses Victory to help out their side. During all of this, the physical appearance of the zone itself changes based on whether the heroes or villains are winning.
SiN Episodes Preview
April 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has slapped up a preview on Ritual Entertainment's upcoming Source Engine-powered first person shooter, SiN Episodes. Here's a bit on the game's auto-adjusting difficulty settings:
Having just died another humiliating death, I turn to lead programmer Ken Harward who explains how the system works. "Our Personal Challenge System is built to tune itself to your style of play. It monitors your abilities, your movement and how effectively you deal with the obstacles and enemies in the world. The game learns how good a player you are, and can adjust the difficulty level to your skill-set and playing style. There are almost 100 statistics that the game tracks."
The Godfather Review
April 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Getting us started, GameSpy has whipped up a review on Electronic Arts' Third-Person Action title, The Godfather. Here's a bit on extorting local shops:
In addition to following the main storyline, you're free to earn extra loot by extorting from local shop owners and taking over behind the scenes rackets such as gambling halls and brothels. The extortion tends to get a tad repetitive, though. You simply walk into a shop and rough up the owner or start breaking stuff until he (or she) relents and decides to pay you weekly protection money. You can take this too far, though: If you push the person over the edge, they'll defend themselves with everything they have, so learning the art of "persuasion" is one of the more important parts of the side missions. Still, after a while it gets boring doing the same thing over and over again -- even the contract killing side missions get old after a while. After earning some weekly income, it's best to just stick to the story and try to take over the occasional crime family warehouse in order to reduce their power.
Stronghold Legends Preview
April 11, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Bringing the evening to an end, GameSpot has thrown together a preview on FireFly Studios' upcoming Strategy title, Stronghold Legends. Hit me with that multiplayer goodness!
Multiplayer will be improved, with the addition of new modes, such as king of the hill (literally build a castle on a hill and defend it for as long as you can), capture the flag, and an economic-war mode that tasks you with certain goals, such as being the first to gather X number of wood planks. This will mean that you will have to balance offense with defense, as you may realize that the only way to stop your enemy from reaching the goal first is to attack and knock him off balance.
Chronicles of Spellborn First Look
April 11, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has posted a brief First Look on Spellborn International's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Chronicles of Spellborn. Here's a bit on breaking the rules:
A very interesting aspect of the project is the team's clearly stated intention to break with various conventions. For instance, it seems you'll be able to vary the look of your avatar without suffering penalties for not equipping specific weapons and armor. Another is that instead of having a normal backstory, the narrative will have players move back and forth in time, uncovering the hidden history of their world to unlock new content in the present. Combat is designed to be interactive, without auto-lock or auto-attack, and with a "skill deck" approach said to offer myriad possibilities. The art direction has a distinct Euro-fantasy flair, and noted composer Jesper Kyd is responsible for the music.
BioWare Interview
April 11, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FiringSquad has slapped up an interview with BioWare's Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk regarding Mass Effect, their merger with Pandemic and much, much more! Here's a taste:
FiringSquad: It's been a few months since the merger of BioWare and Pandemic. Overall what has the transition been like for the company so far?
Ray Muzyka: The transition has been incredibly positive! The partnership with Pandemic has been incredibly collaborative and both studio families continue to communicate more and more all the time. We recently had a mini GDC after the Game Developers Conference ended, with about 50 participants from each studio taking part. Greg and I have been down to Pandemic many times and Andrew and Josh, the co-founders from Pandemic, have been up to visit us multiple times as well. The feedback on our products from the folks at Pandemic, as well as from Greg Richardson (our peer at BioWare/Pandemic HQ, Greg is VP Commercial Operations of BioWare/Pandemic) and John Riccitiello (our boss, John is CEO of BioWare/Pandemic) has been incredibly valuable. Weve already made improvements to all of our titles based on this feedback and were just getting started!
CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder Review
April 11, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has taken a short look at Telltale Games' recently released Adventure title, CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder. Here's some murder mystery lovin':
: Since the CSI series is the sort of concept just ready-made for adventure games, good gameplay could've salvaged this title. The mini-mystery format -- searching for and then analyzing clues, questioning suspects -- is all stuff you'd already expect in any point-and-click adventure game. In fact, CSI 3D does this well. Each of the five mysteries begins with Gil giving you a quick rundown of what your crime scene looks like. You'll visit the crime scene and question any suspects or witnesses and collect evidence. Then it's back to the lab. As you uncover more clues, new locations might become available, along with new witnesses to question.
So how does the game stack up? Click here to read more!OutRun 2006 Hands-On
April 11, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown up some impresions on Sumo Digital's upcoming racing title, OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, after getting some hands-on time with this bad boy. Here's a bit on the Coast 2 Coast feature:
While OutRun mode returns, it's really secondary compared to the newer Coast 2 Coast feature, which provides two separate kinds of challenges to complete. The first one is very similar to the Heart Attack mode, in that you'll be tasked to complete different challenges based on the stage that you're driving through. The other one, given by the Flagman, sets you on a number of races against computer driven opponents. Some of the races will test your drifting abilities, while others will simply test your driving skill as you attempt to prevent a rival driver from stealing your girlfriend due to their drifting skills.
D&D Online Update Impressions
April 10, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has tossed up some impressions on the recently released content patch for Turbine's massively multiplayer online RPG, Dungeons & Dragons Online. Here's something to nibble on:
The Dragon's Vault chain of quests targets the higher level players in the game and begins with a series of four dungeon challenges. The first challenge takes place in the notorious Tharashk Arena, where your party must defeat the other combatants to proceed. Next up is a trip through a mind locked in torment, a surrealist dungeon theme-named The Prison of the Mind. You'll then have to enter the ruined Haywire Foundry and investigate the happenings there. Lastly, you'll delve into the subterranean depths of the Jungles of Khyber.
Hellgate: London Interview
April 9, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
1Up.com has fired-up an interview with Flagship Studios' Dave Brevik and Phil Shenk regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Hellgate: London. Topics range from their work environment to the game's multiplayer. Here's a blurb:
CGW: I think there are a lot of people who are really interested in understanding how the process of making a game works. From your perspective, can you give us a little walkthrough...for this game in particular, take it back to when you first started working on Hellgate. You left Blizzard, you guys were all sort of working out of...was it Bill's apartment or something?
Phil Shenk: It was Tyler [Thompson]'s house, and luckily his wife was in grad school so she was gone most of the day. The artists were in the basement, and the programmers were in the kitchen, and Ken [Williams] and Bill [Roper] were kind of around the dining room table, and those were good times. There was mariachi music playing next door and it was hot in the middle of the summer, but it was fun. Even at the time, we were saying we were going to look back and say, "These were our garage years and we're going to be able to wear that as a badge of honor and say how proud it was to work back then." But back then, the idea we had basically was we wanted a first-person shooter with RPG elements, basically Diablo from a first-person perspective -- or, that changed into a sort of third-person over the [shoulder] perspective -- but we wanted to bring the camera in and get that close-up feel, but have the random levels and the random items and the character advancement and all that stuff that we did in Diablo.
We started basically with a pretty simple premise. We did make a thick design doc, but we don't hold to that very rigorously. It's sort of like, "Here are some ideas," and we go off and make a game and it evolves organically.
Titan Quest Dev Diary
April 8, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sticking with developer diaries, GameSpot has Iron Lore's Ben Schneider spilling the beans on the storyline in their upcoming Action-RPG, Titan Quest. Here's a clipping:
When we set about building the world of Titan Quest, we wanted more than just a main story. What an opportunity! Here we have ancient Greece and Egypt; Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization; and the Silk Road that carried trade to China; all are rendered in stunning beauty and detail by our artists and content designers. We wanted to do our part to bring this world to life. For example, you'll find Tegea, a small Greek village, early in Titan Quest. But before you ever reach the village, you'll find a man on the roadside who has medicine for sick people there, but needs you to help him get past some satyrs blocking the road. When you finally get to Tegea, you'll learn that people are sick because their spring--their only source of water--has been poisoned. Moving on, you'll find that the larger city of Megara is troubled by the undead, and if you walk around there, more than one person is going to be interested in talking about the problems of their city.
Prey Developer Diary
April 8, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Human Head Studios' Chris Rhinehart has slapped up the 13th installment of their weekly Prey develpment diaries, this time taking a look at the voice acting in their upcoming first person shooter. Here's a snippet:
For those of you who aren't familiar with Art Bell, he's the infamous host of "Coast to Coast". "Coast to Coast" is a radio show where people call in with tales of the fantastic -- they cover things ranging from Bigfoot to werewolves to alien invasions. The show is regularly hosted by George Noory, but Art Bell still occasionally hosts on weekends.
Now how does this fit in with Prey? Well, when designing the game we realized we needed some way for Tommy to connect with Earth even though he's trapped on an alien ship orbiting many miles above the planet. What better way to get information about Earth than to have Tommy come across places where the aliens are intercepting Earth's transmissions?
Rise of Legends Preview
April 8, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy is the latest website to toss up a preview on the multiplayer portion of Big Huge Games' upcoming Strategy title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. Here's some juice:
For one thing, much like Rise of Nations, gameplay on multiplayer maps has a distinct flavor and a great "ebb and flow." At first players rush to gobble up nearby neutral cities, with each of the three cultures boasting its own approach. As a Vinci player, I tried to ramp up my economy quickly so that I could simply buy my neighbors (and acquire their armies in the bargain). Alim forces can be recruited so fast that nearby towns can be rushed almost immediately. And the insidious Cuotl can simply use their power to level nearby towns at the touch of a button. In this way, cultures slowly fan their way across the map.
Splinter Cell Interview
April 8, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com have fired-off some questions at Ubisoft's Mathieu Ferland regarding their hit Action-Stealth franchise, Splinter Cell. They look at the use of shadows, animation and more! Here's a blurb:
Was it always planned to make Sam Fisher such a strong character?
Mathieu Ferland: One of our intentions was having a new hero and a new brand, and as the series progressed we began to wonder how Sam was perceived by the players. It turned out that people perceived him as a soldier, so this is why in Splinter Cell: Double Agent, we want to focus on Sam and make him more central to the experience, showing that he's not just a puppet of the Third Echelon. So he's going through some bad moments in his personal life, he's lost his daughter, he has nothing else to lose. We think he's really going to develop as a character in the latest game.
Chronicles of Spellborn Dev Diary
April 8, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Kicking things off, MMORPG.com has posted a developer diary written by Spellborn International's Michael Perdieus regarding the animations in their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Chronicles of Spellborn. Here's a nugget:
As the Lead Animator I have the luxury of deciding the look of the animation myself to a certain extent. I make an animation set based on the creatures design and in game function. Using the Vhuul again as an example, the wings are already part of the creatures design. I make sure that my animations reflect the extra characteristics these wings provide the creature. They are not just ornaments hanging on the creatures back. I make sure that they look like they propel the creature when it is running. In terms of game play, it is important that all animations that this creature needs are made since the creature might have extra attack skills using the wings. So in the end it will always be a process involving multiple disciplines.
AoE III: The WarChiefs Q&A
April 7, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Finally tonight, GameSpot has slapped up an interview with Ensemble Studios' Sandy Petersen regarding their upcoming Age of Empires III expansion, The WarChiefs. Here's a bit on the new goodies:
GameSpot: Ensemble hasn't released many details regarding the expansion pack to date, so what can you tell us that's new? All we know is that it will feature three playable Native American civilizations and that it will have new content for the European civilizations. We also hear that it will feature new ways to play and win the game.
Sandy Petersen: Well, one of the native civilizations is the Iroquois Confederation as you know. We are going to unveil a second civilization at E3, I believe. The natives play very differently from the Europeans, and that is one of the things we want to emphasize when talking about WarChiefs. The Europeans are getting new stuff, ranging from new units to new home city cards to new mercenaries. They are also getting some new options that were not in the original game. We are also adding new maps, new paths to victory, and new game options.
NeverWinter Nights 2 Interview
April 7, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
EuroGamer has Obsidian Entertainment's Feargus Urquhart in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, NeverWinter Nights 2. Here's a nugget on the companions:
Eurogamer: You've added directly-controlled companions to the game, including similar influencing systems as seen in Knights of the Old Republic 2. Care to talk a little about who we'll be travelling with?
Feargus Urquhart: There are all different kinds. We tried to make them interesting. There's a dwarf. There's a Tiefling. There's a Githyanki. All I can say about them is that we try to make that you understand very quickly what they're about, so you can place them in your head so you can grasp why they'll be interesting to travel with. But the idea is, after that... you understand who they are and why they joined you, but as time goes on you'll understand more and more of their compulsions. As you went along more and more with your companions, you understood more and more what they wanted. What we wanted to do is that as you figure it out in Neverwinter, what you want to do and what they want to do divulge, which creates conflict and them basically wandering off to do their own thing or leaving. It makes the story and the world seem more real, as it's not just you being in complete control. If whatever you do or say has no effect, it just becomes you going through the motions.
Microsoft Acquires Lionhead
April 7, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Microsoft have opened their change purse again, this time aquiring the creators of Fable and Black & White, Lionhead Studios. Here's a clipping from the press release:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) on Thursday said its in-house video game unit acquired Lionhead Studios, the British developer started by the famed game maker Peter Molyneux, in a deal that gives Microsoft exclusive access to one of the industry's leading creators.
Rise of Legends Preview
April 7, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown up some impressions on the multiplayer portion of Big Huge Games' upcoming Strategy title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. Here's a bit on the lobby features:
First, they've managed to create a multiplayer lobby that offers all sorts of options, from advanced community tools to a plethora of match settings. Customization of your avatar and a wide variety of stat-tracking tools gives you a highly visible personality and presence online. Once you create an account, you're presented with a very clean, easy to manage starting screen. It looks a bit like the Windows log-on screen and includes options to manage your account as well as three different game play options -- quick play, play with a friend and create a custom game.
Steam Interview
April 7, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has sat down with Valve Software's Doug Lombardi for a brief chat regarding their digital distribution program, Steam. Here's a clipping:
To an outside observer it seems that Valve saw which way the wind was blowing in terms of digital distribution, and got in before the competition. How important was it to become the first developer/publisher to fully embrace internet game delivery?
Doug Lombardi: For us it was really just a set of things that were necessary, things that would make the overall experience of playing (and developing) our games better. Before we began development on Steam, we contacted many other companies to see if anyone had something similar to Steam already in development. We were surprised to find that, while folks were pursuing some of the individual features such as delivering bits via secure, online commercial means, no-one was pursuing the collection of the pieces we had in mind. What's odd is that statement might still be true today.
Oblivion Downloads Interview
April 6, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Gamers With Jobs have caught up with Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines for a quick Q&A regarding the recently launched Oblivion Downloads.com website and the content you can purchase from it. Here's a clipping:
Press Pass: Oblivion is a victim of its own success in many ways, every move you guys make is going to be scrutinized. Do you think its because few games have tried this model for pay-for-addons in the next-gen market and Oblivion is the first high profile game to do it?
Pete Hines: I would imagine its exactly it. Lots of people have done themes, so nobody flinches when we put out a theme for 150 points. They download it like crazy, but nobody else is doing premium content like this, so were out front on it.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review
April 6, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Voodoo Extreme have thrown together a short review on Bethesda Softworks' recently released RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Bring on the noise!
The audio in TES4 is equally as brilliant as the graphics. From the top shelf voice acting of Patrick Stewart to the roar of the crowd in the Arena, sound plays an important role in Oblivion. The music is very appropriate as well, offering up a superb soundtrack that really draws you into the experience. Every line of dialogue in the game is voice acted, which cuts down on the eye strain of having to read hundreds of thousands of lines of text. The same half dozen or so actors were reused a bit too much, but other than that, I have no complaints.
World in Conflict Interview
April 6, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has slapped up an interview with Massive Entertainment's David Polfeldt and Magnus Jansén regarding their upcoming Strategy title, World in Conflict. They chat about unit upgrades, multiplayer lovin' and more! Here's a taste:
Assume we know nothing about World in Conflict - can you give us an overview of the game and inform us of your key design goals?
David Polfeldt: The game is set in the late 80s/early 90s. It's a "what-if" scenario, where the Superpowers are pitched against each other at the very height of the arms race. We get to see what it would have been like if the US and USSR went head to head in a ruthless and desperate war that no-one really wants. That's the story and setting.
The game itself is an intense, all-out-action version of a strategy game. It is entirely focused on the fun parts of the game, i.e. the battle itself. Even though the battles are straightforward, the game contains a lot of depth. Skilled players will become superior tacticians. In multiplayer, the team members choose roles, and a team that learns how to combine roles and tactics will become a fearsome opponent.
Rise of Legends Impressions
April 6, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown up a preview on Big Huge Games' upcoming Strategy title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends, after getting some hands-on time with this bad boy. Here's some juice:
Over the course of the games that we played, we also got a sense of how important some of the powers can be. Each faction has its own unique power, such as the Alin ability to summon an army instantly or the Cuotl sunburst, a devastating laser beam from orbit. These powers recharge slowly once you use them, though, so you can't go too crazy with them. There are also dominances, special powers that are rewarded to the side that has the largest army or the biggest economy. For instance, if you have tactical superiority, you have the ability to request a cease-fire, which means that no one can attack one another for 15 seconds. This gives you enough time to disengage your units and have them fall back. Or, if you have resource dominance, you have the ability to instantly heal your units, which can be incredibly powerful if used at the right moment. Again, these powers recharge slowly after you use them, so it's all about getting a dominance and knowing when to use it to maximum effect.
Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising Preview
April 6, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN gets things started with a preview on Perpetual Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising. Here's a bit on the game's combat system:
One of the other reasons that combat could be so interesting in Gods & Heroes is due to the squad system they're implementing to allow for larger battles and also the chance to have more fun and successful solo play experiences. Squads can be set up and used creatively for strategic purposes to take down larger enemy groups. Formations can be set to take advantage of different attacks and defenses such as the arrow volley from archers and shield wall by the infantry. Mages in groups can also stand behind infantry to use healing and throw damage spells at the enemy. How powerful these squad members are depends on where you find them but will pretty much always be less powerful than the player character to keep that feeling of power intact. Nobody wants to play second fiddle to a mere employee.
Futuremark Inc. Appoints Oliver Baltuch as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America
April 5, 2006 - Nicklas Renqvist
Futuremark Inc. Appoints Oliver Baltuch as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America
Baltuch brings 20 years of strategic marketing and semiconductor experience for tier one semiconductor companies
Saratoga, CA - April 5th, 2006 - Futuremark® Inc., developer of the world's most popular benchmarks for PCs and handheld devices, announced today the appointment of Oliver Baltuch as vice president of sales and marketing, North America. He will report directly to Tero Sarkkinen, President of Futuremark Inc. Baltuch will be responsible for driving Futuremark's business in North America. Oliver's role encompasses recruiting new IT industry partners into Futuremark's Benchmark Development Programs, driving the marketing and sales of benchmark products and promoting an array of Futuremark services including technology demos and performance analysis projects.
Baltuch brings over 20 years in strategic marketing and semiconductor experience for industry leading semiconductor companies including NVIDIA, Chartered Semiconductor, SMSC and National Semiconductor. With a Masters of Engineering in Engineering Physics from Cornell University, Baltuch holds numerous honours in the IC industry and has authored influential professional papers in his field. His industry track record is well suited to support Futuremark's business that serves the world's largest semiconductor and integrator companies.
"Futuremark is positioned for significant success with their industry reputation and portfolio of performance analysis products, related professional services, and technology driving partners. This is a remarkable opportunity to help Futuremark meet its objectives in their various business segments while helping industry partners develop and deliver next generation hardware technologies" said Baltuch.
"To fill this role, we were looking for a candidate with a combination of attributes, including great technical depth, a solid track record of sales and marketing in the field with a strong base of personal contacts and industry knowledge" said Tero Sarkkinen. "Oliver is a remarkable fit for us, possessing the assets, skills and talents we were searching for. He will be a great resource for both Futuremark and for our partners alike."
About Futuremark® Corporation
Futuremark ® Corporation is the leading provider of performance analysis software products for PCs and smartphones, and professional services including technology demos, performance analysis services and data research projects. Futuremark® is known around the world for its benchmark products, including the 3DMark® and PCMark® Series and SPMark (with more than 30 million copies distributed worldwide) and value-added services powered by a database of over 13 million real life benchmarking results from over 3 million registered users. Futuremark® maintains offices in Saratoga, California and Helsinki, Finland. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com.
© 2006 Futuremark® Corporation. 3DMark®, PCMark®, SPMark® and VGMark trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. OpenVG is a registered trademark of Khronos Group Inc. in the United States and/or other countries worldwide. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.
Futuremark Contact:
Futuremark Corporation
Phone: +1-408-517-0131
Mr. Tero Sarkkinen
Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Email: tero@futuremark.com
Warhammer Online Impressions
April 5, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
More Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning impressions have popped up over at GameSpy this evening, giving us a glimpse at Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG. Here's some juice on the PvP lovin':
The game's quest system will play no small part in nudging players in the direction of the opposing faction. Among your everyday array of time-fodder will be PvP-specific quests that will require players to trade blows, in one form or another, with living and breathing enemies. These could be a simple as a collection quest -- say, one that requires an Orc player to kill ten Dwarves and collect their beards. Another may require Orc players to collectively gather enough flagons of beer to rouse a giant from slumber, in order to have him wreak havoc on the Dwarves. That last one is an example of a "public quest." Players will automatically acquire these upon entering an area in which they're active. Any appropriate tallies will appear on the player's interface upon entering, and if the given task is completed while they're in the vicinity, they'll get full credit, regardless of whether or not they were around for its full duration.
Oblivion Downloads Launched
April 5, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Bethesda Softworks have launched an Oblivion Downloads website, where you can purchase in-game items for their hit RPG. Currently available is a Horse Armor Pack, with two more items 'coming soon'. Head over for a look!
Dungeon Siege II: Broken World Preview
April 5, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
1Up.com has thrown together a short preview on Gas Powered Games' upcoming Dungeon Siege II expansion, Broken World. Here's a snippet on the enemy AI:
Apart from the new storyline, which is sizeable considering Broken World is only an expansion pack, enemy AI tweaks have been implemented in order to make the whole hack-'n-slash deal a less mindless affair. Many of the enemies will explode violently upon death in a manner that can be most harmful to your health. Consequently, often they will sidle up next to you in the hopes of taking you down with them. Some of the stronger enemies will not only feign death, but then come back as much stronger beasts altogether. Lastly, the most cunning of foes will actually spawn other enemies and absorb their HP. Because this "overlord" will always be replenishing HP from its spawn, you must dispatch with the aforementioned spawn first and then take on the stronger enemy.
SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars Preview
April 5, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sticking with previews, Yahoo!Games has taken a look at Phenomic's upcoming Strategy/RPG, SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars. Here's a bit on the game's perspective:
While many modern 3D RTS games let you zoom all the way down to the battlefield for a soldier's-eye view of the action, few actually let you control anything from that perspective, and fewer still make playing the game in that viewpoint a realistic option. Spellforce 2 actually gives you a different set of controls when zoomed in, feeling more like a third-person action-adventure or an MMORPG.
Warhammer Online Preview
April 5, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has shot-up a quick preview on Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Here's a bit on the interesting tactics and morale abilities:
Your character will have two other sets of abilities: tactics and morale abilities. Tactics will be specific abilities that you'll gain as your character advances in different ways. Mythic is keeping the details on character advancement under wraps at the moment, though there will apparently be different skill sets each character can specialize in, and over the course of your career, you'll constantly unlock new skills, abilities, and even "emote" animations. These tactics will be loaded into a "strategy" hotkey bank; some may take up two or three slots, others only one. The idea is to plan out which tactics you want to bring into battle before you get down and dirty. Morale abilities can be acquired through regular advancement and by specializing, and they work based on a meter that gradually fills up in battle (and empties out quickly once the battle is over). You'll be able to access "cheaper" abilities that cost less morale, but part of Warhammer Online's combat strategy will be deciding whether or not to use lower-level abilities or to hold off until your meter fills up completely so that you can unleash your most devastating morale ability.
SUN Interview
April 4, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has kicked up an interview with In-Kyun Hong, the Product Leader behind Webzen's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Soul of the Ultimate Nation. Here's a bit on the game's development status:
Jonric: Where does development stand at this time, and when do you expect launch? What was your original target date and what caused it to be pushed back?
In-Kyun Hong: We've pushed back Soul of the Ultimate Nation a little from the original launch date we announced at last year's E3. We have undergone some closed beta testing in Korea, and the feedback we got from gamers was great - but we required more time to tweak and hone the game for open beta testing.
Now, Soul of the Ultimate Nation is heading into open beta in Korea in the next couple of months, and it will enter commercial service after a few months of open beta testing. The US launch will follow some time after the Korean one.
Glory of the Roman Empire Preview
April 4, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping things rollin', GameSpy has slapped up a hands-on look at Haemimont Games' upcoming sim, Glory of the Roman Empire. Here's something to nibble on:
The first thing we noticed was how lifelike the game world was. While Glory of the Roman Empire may not have state-of-the-art graphics, the animations and the level of detail are spectacular. Zoom in to a farm and you'll see tiny Roman peasants in period garb harvesting wheat, bringing it to a grinding stone, getting water from the well, or working on a loom. At a nearby pig farm another citizen sprinkles feed before her animals, who wander amidst waving grass between split-rail fences. You can zoom almost down to eye-level with the people, at which point all of the distant buildings fill the horizon to form a genuine Roman skyline.
Titan Quest Interview
April 4, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gamebiz has sat down with Iron Lore's Ben Schneider for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Titan Quest. They cover the game's engine, magic system and more! Here's a taste:
GameBiz: What kind of magic system have you created for Titan Quest?
All magic is a part of our mini-class system. Each mini-class, or mastery lets you acquire a number of skills, which could be spells or special attacks. We wanted to make sure that skills you put points into early on are still useful later in the game, so weve added modifiers to many skills that you can get at higher levels. Other skills will create synergies with each other, so, for instance one skill might add poison damage to your weapons and another skill might enhance all poison damage.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review
April 4, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at 3DGamers have taken a quick look at Bethesda Softworks' recently released RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's a snippet on the game's audio:
The sound plays a big role with Oblivions immersion. The game features about an hour of custom made musical score that fits perfectly with the medieval theme and plays softly in the background. The music will dynamically change based on location, time of day, and action to keep the redundancy away. The sound effects are equally impressive with metal clashes and the hard blows to the shield that you can almost feel. Fierce creatures and ghosts can boast unearthly wails to make their presence felt. Each character in the game has spoken language that is well acted. The only problem you may run into is that the lip-syncing can sometimes be off. But this is a minor detail that you wont really notice.
Read on!
Dungeon Siege II Expansion Impressions
April 4, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Starting off the evening, GameSpot has fired-up some impressions on Gas Powered Games' upcoming Dungeon Siege II expansion pack, Broken World. Here's a bit on the tweaks to the class system:
There are some improvements to the class system in the expansion, designed to make multiclassing more effective. Before, you had to split your experience up among your character's various classes, which meant that they couldn't max out their potential. That's been changed, and now you can combine classes to create new class types. There's also a new player race that hasn't been revealed, but which should give you a whole new side to explore.
EverQuest II Interview
April 3, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
MMORPG.com has kicked up an interview with Sony Online's Scott Hartsman and Chris Junior regarding the PvP system in their hit massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's a nugget:
MMORPG.com: Are there any spells currently in the game that are considered unbalancing enough that they will not be able to be used or heavily modified for PvP?
Chris Junior: In one way or another, just about every spell in the game has been modified to have differing effects when used in PvP combat.
Melee damage, Combat Arts and Spells all have varying modifiers in place to either increase or decrease their damage. Some peak damage abilities like Ice Comet require additional tempering to ensure that battles are fun for everyone, and dont become completely one-sided due to a single overpowering ability.
It was our goal when implementing the system to ensure that all abilities available to a player were represented for PvP. Even though spells like Possession have been disabled when used against a player, the spell can still be used against a creature in the game that can in turn attack a player.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review
April 2, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FiringSquad has slapped up another glowing review on Bethesda Softworks' recently released RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's something to nibble on:
Despite the smaller world size, the amount of content is more impressive. Daggerfall was known for its huge world and empty wastes. While there was no shortage of dungeons in it, the probability of finding one by random exploration was minimal. Morrowind also had a fairly large world, though one where you could cross between towns on foot in reasonable time, but it too was rather empty. Oblivion goes the completely opposite tack, it is almost impossible not to stumble upon some ancient elven ruin, abandoned mine, mercenary hide-out or other dungeon, even after a mere five minutes wandering in the open. Later on, Daedric cult circles and Oblivion gates appear, the latter in fact popping up like the heads of a Hydra take one down and two seem to appear elsewhere.
WoW: The Burning Crusade Q&A
April 1, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted an interview with Blizzard Entertainment's Jeffrey Kaplan regarding their upcoming World of Warcraft expansion pack, The Burning Crusade. Nothing new is revealed, but it's still worth the look! Snip:
GS: What sort of system will The Burning Crusade have for socketed items, and how does it compare to the item-socketing system in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction?
JK: The system will be fairly similar to that of Diablo II, along with some nuances that will make it unique to World of Warcraft. For example, we plan to introduce a new type of gem that grants bonuses that depend on the other types of gems your character is using. In addition, players will be able to overwrite gems, but at the cost of the gem they are replacing.
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 Review
April 1, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown together a review on Tripwire Interactive's first person shooter, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. With a final score of 8.5/10, this one might be worth a look. Here's a nugget on the game's vehicles:
Vehicles also have more realistic behavior. The driver does not control any weapons, and pulling into a rapid reverse is not an option. However, you have several viewing modes accessible simply by scrolling the mouse. The more you see, though, the more exposed you are. And the tank cannon gunner has to be careful with his shots, because it takes considerable time to load another shell. You have to stay on the move once sighted, and hopefully you'll have a machine gunner along for the ride as well, to keep the anti-tank infantry off your back while you dance with the enemy tank. Although the German tanks are typically easier to spot, they take a beating, so it usually balances out.
Rise of Legends Demo Released
April 1, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Feeding our need for a little weekend fun, Big Huge Games has released a 620mb singleplayer demo from their Strategy title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. You can find this bad boy at one of the following mirrors:
Prey Dev Diary
April 1, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Human Head Studios' Chris Rhinehart has thrown up a new Prey developer diary, taking a look at everything from music to the animations in their upcoming first person shooter. Here's a taste:
The animators are working hard on cleaning up the motion capture data, and tweaking the cinematic animations to blend together smoothly. It's been a hell of a lot of work, and they're doing a great job.
Well, I use the term cinematic loosely -- as Prey doesn't actually have any cutscenes. The game is always from Tommy's point of view, and the story unfolds around the player as they progress through the game.
So, I use the term cinematic animation to apply to any animation for a specific NPC. An example of this would be if a character has to point in a certain direction, or run over and kneel by another character. That type of stuff.
City Life Preview
April 1, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Getting things off the ground, GameSpy has tossed up some impressions on Monte Cristo's city-building title, City Life. Here's what makes the game unique:
Once the player gets into the game, however, real differences between it and other city-builders start to emerge. Rather than being based on buildings and zones and some abstract version of "citizen happiness," the social model of City Life is based on the collective mood of individualized citizens. Every inhabitant of a City Life city has a name, address, place of work, and places they like to go for fun -- and an attitude. How happy they are is based on what kind of home they live in, whether they're employed, if they have access to their preferred sorts of amenities, and what sort of neighborhoods they have to pass through and the people they meet as they make their daily rounds.
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