I recently had the chance to sit down with Josh Grafton of Strangely Interactive to discuss their FPS Angels Fall First. We talked a bit about the previous Angels Fall First game, the mod that Angels Fall First evolved out of, and development philosophies. Me: Is Angels Fall First a direct evolution of Angels Fall First: Planetstorm? Grafton: It is [...]
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I’m on a grinding spree, purging Elwynn Forest of wildlife to assert humanity's dominance in the virtual world. But my rampage comes to a groaning halt. My bags are full, littered with junk items titled in smoky grey—a color reserved for only the most useless garbage. I have no choice. Opening my bag I destroy with the same ferocity I [...]
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A staple of traditional MMORPG combat is the use of a large number of buttons. More recent games, such as TERA, Skyforge, and Elder Scrolls Online. have streamlined the system down to a core set of skills—closer to those of MOBAs—but they also make use of action combat systems. More traditional MMORPG combat systems still maintain hotbars of ten [...]
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So, given that the Russian version of Black Desert Online just implemented an IP block for all non Russian/Eastern European users, I decided to write up this short guide on how to get around IP blocks for any MMO/MMORPG. This guide will teach you about IP blocks and show you to bypass them on any game. This guide is particularly useful [...]
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The video game industry may seem like a fount of creativity and innovation, but the truth is most games rehash the same few proven concepts. ‘Evolution not revolution’ is the guiding principle of the industry. Thankfully, sparks of genius do light up the industry from time to time. Often these flashes of insight come not from leading studios, but from [...]
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Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! Before WildStar went Free-to-Play I had spent a lot of time post-level cap working on my tradeskill (Armor Crafting). The appeal to advance this skill came about because of the allure of customized gear that I wouldn’t get from just running dungeons, or running battlegrounds. Since the Free-to-Play update, I have been looking to continue where [...]
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Edit 03/03/2016: Since writing this piece, it's clear that Black Desert Online is off to a superb start (400k+ Preorders according to some sources). The servers are extremely packed and the launch has been super successful so far. I admit I was wrong about the Buy to Play model not working, because it's definitely working. Edit: 02/08/2017: I think it's [...]
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I recently had the chance to sit down with Scott Shicoff, Lead Designer of Neverwinter at Cryptic Studios to talk about the latest Neverwinter expansion, Underdark. We talked about Dungeons and Dragons tie-ins, R.A. Salvatore's involvement, and the difference between "repeatable" and "replayable." What made you choose to make Underdark the eighth expansion? Shicoff: Wizards has a really cool story [...]
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Excited to play First Assault earlier this month, I giddily downloaded the game’s client when disappointment reared its head, “by participating in this test you agree to the terms of the NDA.” The non-disclosure agreement suffocates my excitement and I return to old habits. I want to share my experience, not take a vow of silence like a mid-life crisis ascetic. [...]
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All MMOs are built around a story and combat system but after that initial attraction they need more to keep players interested and happy. One of the ways that games produce happy players is by providing a cosmetic system that appeals to every player's fashionista side. Here are a few games that have their apparel on point! [singlepic id=7312 w=600 [...]
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