Thursday - February 21, 2002
 Trade Wars - Dark Millenium Interview at RPGVault
(PC: MMORPG) | Posted by Rendelius @ 18:41 - Top 
| Game Info | Homepage |
RPGVault has published an interview about Trade Wars - Dark Millenium with Lead Designer / Lead Programmer David Adams. A little info on this MMORPG: Trade Wars: Dark Millennium is the first persistent Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMPOG) set in a science-fiction universe that allows players to explore both the vastness of space and distant worlds. Players can pilot ships to navigate through hundreds of space sectors and explore planets with mysterious uncharted lands. In addition, Trade Wars will provide the game player with the most robust mission system in the MMPOG market. This mission system will ensure the player has new and exciting adventures available at their fingertips. Trade Wars will be the first MMPOG to provide players with both traditional role-playing (RPG) mission types and real-time (RTS) strategy missions as well. In addition to retrieving special items and killing story based NPC creatures, players will be able to conduct war campaigns against enemy empires, stage elaborate traps to sabotage trade routes, assault enemy outposts, and many more.
Now here's a bit from the interview:
Jonric: Will it be possible to play characters of different races and classes? What are the primary character attributes, and can they be modified or customized to any extent?
David Adams: When creating a character, players will be able to pick race, gender, physical appearance (facial features, hair color, color of clothes, etc…) and character class. We currently have four different playable races in the game, and plan to add more as time permits. Each race has four unique character classes, for a total of 16 different character classes.
The primary attributes for a character are Strength, Agility, Toughness and Power. The character class dictates starting values for these attributes. Players can add points into these attributes each time they level.
Jonric: Will the character development be based on skills, levels or a combination? Will any or all skills and abilities be limited to particular races or classes? And to what extent will this system allow or encourage unique characters?
David Adams: Character development in Dark Millennium is both skill-based and level-based. Levels are used to track progress and reward players with skill points, which are then used to develop the character's skills. Some skills are available cross-class, but we are trying to give each character class its own unique set of skills. Our goal is to make each character class as unique as possible.
As a character develops, the player is able to dictate their progression through skill selection. Many skills have prerequisite skills, forcing players to choose different paths of development. In this way, it is somewhat similar to Diablo II in that skill-prerequisites form "skill trees" from which the player chooses their skills. |
| You can't get enough of them can you? Prophecy has posted another 30 screenshots from Dungeon Siege... |
XGR announced that they will broadcast an audio interview with Irrational Games' Ken Levine at 9:30 PM EST. You'll need a shoutcast-compatible media player for that. Here's what you'll hear:
Quick catch-up on the basics of Freedom Force
Extensive discussion on the Power Builder System
Discussions on different, lesser-known heroes
Character Design Tool (which is available on the official website now)
The modability of the game (it's at a level that is quite impressive)
Follow-ups to Freedom Force
Much, much more!! |
Right. Not a Pendragon (test servers) patch for a change but the actual game servers have upgraded to version 1.46 today. Shortly after the update, Mythic applied several small fixes to it:
|
Microsoft has just sent in a reminder media alert (quoted below), regarding the chance to win a sneak preview copy of its highly anticipated action RPG/RTS mix Dungeon Siege this Friday (=tomorrow).
However, the real news in the press alert is the existence of a new official video on Microsoft's DS website. It shows some fierce fighting in the Glitterdelve mines, an area once inhabited by dwarven workers and now the home of fearsome creatures such as Giant Scorpions and Rock Beasts. The video is offered in streaming format (WVX) and the footage is 0:37 minutes long.
Now, here's the alert:
REMINDER: DUNGEON SIEGE SNEAK PREVIEW SIGN-UP STARTS FRIDAY
New Video Released on Official Dungeon Siege Site
Some lucky winners will be among the first gamers to peer into the world of Dungeon Siege, the highly anticipated RPG from Microsoft and Gas Powered Games. At an undisclosed time on Friday, February 22, gamers will be able to sign up for the chance to win a sneak preview copy of Dungeon Siege at http://www.microsoft.com/games/dungeonsiege/, or any of 19 other games sites. The official Dungeon Siege site hosts a complete list of all participating sites.
Gamers will want to keep and eye on the participating sites frequently, as the sign-up form may appear anytime between 1 a.m. and midnight PST on Friday. The first ten submissions from each site, along with 50 additional winners randomly selected from all entries, will be able to play Dungeon Siege before the game hits store shelves.
To help celebrate the launch of this contest, Microsoft is releasing another Dungeon Siege video on the official site. This time, adventurers can experience the deep, dark catacombs that are known as the Glitterdelve mines. While these mines were once inhabited by many tireless dwarven workers, they now are the home of fearsome creatures such as Giant Scorpions and Rock Beasts.
Dungeon Siege is an action fantasy role-playing game featuring an immersive fully 3-D environment. The game plunges players into a continuous 3-D fantasy world on a quest to stop a mysterious evil that has been unleashed. Beginning with a single character, players can travel through the world and gather a party of up to eight characters, or choose to face the challenge alone. The action role-playing in Dungeon Siege propels players into one over-the-top battle after another as the storyline unfolds. Dungeon Siege will be available in April 2002 for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).
For more information about Dungeon Siege, visit the official Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/games/dungeonsiege/
|
World of Gothic has scanned and published a new Screenshot from Gothic 2, which appeared in the March issue of PC Action, another German Print Mag...
While the Screen looks again very promising, JoWood's PR Strategy remains a mystery, completely ignoring the Online Community (You have to understand, that it is not Piranha Bytes' fault, since the PR rights lie with JoWood only) :( |
| Thanks to Klaravoyia who posted the link at TELP's MM9 Tavern, we've learnt of an awesome looking poster of both, MMIX and Heroes IV. How does art from both games' cover boxes fit into a single poster ? Check it out right here. | | Source: TELP's MM9 |
| German site WorldofWarcraft.de has published a report about their visit to Paris where they got a WoW presentation. Some photos there, but they all show people, not the game *g* |
Here's the press release from Ubi Soft:
Warlords Battlecry II Goes Gold
Ubi Soft® Bringing Strategic Studies Group's Fantasy Real-Time Strategy Game to U.S. Retail Shelves in March - Original Warlords Battlecry Available Now For Only $9.99
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - February 21, 2002 - Ubi Soft Entertainment, a world leader in interactive entertainment, today announced that Warlords Battlecry II, the sequel to the popular and award-winning fantasy Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game Warlords Battlecry, has gone gold. The title is expected to ship to U.S. retail shelves March 12, with an MSRP of $39.99. Additionally, the company announced that the original Warlords Battlecry is now available at retail and from ubi.com for only $9.99, allowing gamers to fully immerse themselves in the world of Etheria and Warlords Battlecry experience.
Warlords Battlecry II is a fantasy RTS game allowing you to build a hero and from battle to battle, gain new skills, spells and levels, ultimately becoming the mightiest force in all the Realms of Etheria. With 12 different races, each with their own tech-trees, buildings, units and playing styles, and 20 different hero classes, hundreds of heroes can be created offering something for every kind of gamer. The title also features more than 100 unique special abilities and spells further adding to nearly limitless replayability.
"Warlords Battlecry II is a unique blend of real-time strategy and role playing that will appeal to fans of both genres," said Garrett Graham, Warlords Battlecry II's producer for Ubi Soft Entertainment. "With all of the new units, races, spells, terrains and awesome gameplay, Warlords Battlecry II builds on the strength of the original, adding features that significantly enhance the gaming experience."
Warlords Battlecry II Features:
Height Mapped Terrain - Clever generals will use height and obstacles in the all-new lush height-mapped terrain to their advantage.
Almost 140 Different Units - Everything is here, from the tiny Sylph, to the mighty Moon King on his Golden Dragon.
Auto-Spellcasting - Spellcasters can now be set to cast offensive & defensive spells intelligently and (more importantly) automatically.
Multiplayer - Built on top of SSG's stable and fast multiplayer engine, Warlords Battlecry II can handle 6 players via IPX LAN, TCP/IP LAN, or 4 players over the Internet (or 2 via Head-to-Head Modem).
In-Game Matchmaking Service - Ubi.com support is totally integrated into Battlecry II, giving it a flexible & easy-to-use matchmaking service.
A New Campaign - Choose any hero and any side to battle over the whole of Etheria with our new open-ended, dynamic, non-linear Campaign. Fight duels, beat off invasions, capture territory and use your hard-earned cash to purchase powerful magical artifacts.
Awesome Graphics Engine - Scar the ground with Dragon breath; track down enemies who leave footsteps in the snow; soak the ground with blood in action-packed battles. Particle & lighting effects complete a truly remarkable graphical experience.
CD Quality Orchestral Score - almost half an hour of original Celtic/Orchestral music.
Titans - Each side has the ability to summon a Titan - an immensely powerful god-like character who can wipe the floor with your enemies, if you can afford the resources to build one.
Enhanced Computer AI - SSG's proprietary AI gives you unparalleled pathfinding and incredibly cunning opponents.
Customizable Side AI - Choose from our many new customizable AI's or download new AI's from the SSG website.
Customizable Unit AI - Lots of new interesting attitudes available for your units. New attitudes will be made available on the SSG website.
Map Editor - Create your own battles with our integrated Map Editor. Our entire event-scripting system has been made available and is waiting for clever map-designers.
Powerful Resource Collection - Our simple system of resource conversion removes the need for players to micro-manage their bases & resource collection, and lets them concentrate on the important things: like FIGHTING!
Units Gain Experience - As the battle progresses, your units gain experience, get awarded medals, and can gain new levels.
Retinue - After a battle, your most experienced units can join your Hero's Retinue, ready to fight alongside him in future battles. Other powerful units can be enticed to join your side by paying a hefty bribe.
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows® 95/98/ME/2000/XP
Pentium® II 350 MHz PC or compatible (Pentium III 450 or AMD® K6-3 500 or greater recommended)
845 MB of hard disk space
64MB RAM (128 MB or greater recommended)
8X CD-ROM
DirectX compatible video adapter with 4MB of memory and a Color SVGA Monitor
8 MB video card (DirectX 8 compatible)
Windows compatible pointing device
Support for 1- 6 players LAN 1-4 players Internet (56K Modem or faster required)
DirectX 8.1 (included on CD)
DirectPlay compatible modem for Internet play |
| There are two new screenshots from Darkfall Online at the official site, showing off the current state of the engine... |
| Russian site Gamenavigator.ru lets us know that they have the first two screenshots from the upcoming MMORPG Sphere (developed by Nikita, published in late 2002 by 1C - see our game info page for the links) on their pages. The shots do look nice, but I am unable to decipher what the game will offer to the players... |
Thanks to Morrowind Summit for spotting this collection of most frequently asked questions about Morrowind, answered by Pete Hines:
Pete's Read This First Before Posting sticky thread:
There are many, many questions that get asked over and over on these forums. Before you ask your question, please look through the questions below to see if the answer you're looking for is there. We will update this list regularly.
When is Morrowind coming out?
The official release date is spring of this year (2002). We have not announced a more specific date than this. We plan to release the PC and Xbox versions simultaneously.
What about Europe?
Ubi Soft will distribute Morrowind throughout Europe and has indicated a June 2002 release date.
Will there be localized versions?
Yes, localized versions are in the works for France and Germany, and possibly other territories as well. Contact Ubi Soft Europe for more info.
Where can I order it?
You can place a pre-order for Morrowind at any software retail store like EB, Babbages, Best Buy, as well as through their online sites. You will also be able to pre-order it directly from us in the next few days.
Is there a Collector's Edition? If so, what's in it?
There is a Collector's Edition for the PC version. It contains all of the contents of the regular edition, plus a pewter Ordinator figurine (2 1/2 inches tall), a book on the Art of Morrowind, and the Morrowind Original Soundtrack on a seperate CD. To find out more, visit www.elderscrolls.com and choose Team from the Codex Menu. You'll see the Collector's Edition article in the list on the left side.
How much does the game cost?
MSRP is $49.99 for the PC and Xbox versions, $59.99 for the Collector's Edition. However, each retailer decides for themselves how much they charge.
Will there be a strategy guide?
Yes. The Morrowind Prophecies is the official strategy guide for Morrowind and is being written and published by Bethesda Softworks. It will be available for $15.99 wherever you can buy Morrowind.
What are the system requirements for the PC version?
We are still confirming system requirements through external compatibility testing. However, we can tell you that you'll want to have at least a Pentium III with a 32MB video card that supports hardware T&L.
How big is Morrowind? Is it bigger or smaller than Daggerfall?
Morrowind is huge. It's over 10 square miles. Unlike Daggerfall, Morrowind has been created entirely by hand, thereby ensuring that it does not feel "generic" and that there are plenty of things to do as you wander all over this massive world.
Is Morrowind an online game? Does it have multiplayer?
No and no. Morrowind is a massively single-player game. We did not include multiplayer because it would have detracted from making the single player game as good as it could be.
Do I play in 1st or 3rd person?
Either. You can switch between the two at any time, for both the PC and Xbox version.
What are the differences between the two versions?
The only major difference is the controls/interface. All of the game content is exactly the same. The PC version also ships with the TES Construction Set, which does not come with the Xbox version. It requires a keyboard and mouse and it is not possible to make it available for Xbox.
What is the TES Construction Set?
Check out the TES Construciton Set section of our Codex on www.elderscrolls.com for an overview of what it is and what it does.
Can I get a job or internship with you?
We are not currently hiring or looking for interns. We'll post positions at www.bethsoft.com when they do become available.
Things that are not in Morrowind
Nudity, climbing rope, mounts, werebeasts, multiplayer, asparagus, N'Sync, calculus, and the Loch Ness monster. |
It was fun to play a Vamopire in Daggerfall. Most people hope that this will be the case in Morrowind, too. Morrowind Afterdark has conducted an interview with Pete Hines, Todd Howard and Mark Nelson about that subject. Here's a part of it:
Q: Even though almost everyone hates you, is it possible, although difficult and costly, to make a charm spell so powerfull that you can still interact with every npc in the game? Even the ones that REALLY hate vampires?
A: [Mark Nelson] No. The majority of the people in Morrowind are simply not going to talk to you, no matter what their disposition is. However...after some consideration, I've modified things a bit. Morrowind is very much a game about relationships, and it seemed fitting that a bit more of this got put into the vampire gameplay as well. So, there are now a couple of groups in Morrowind who will interact with you while you are a vampire. They might not like you a lot, but they'll talk to you, and they might even have a few things for you to do. That said, they still will only deal with you on a basic level. They're not about to buy or sell things from you, and they won't train you. You'll have to find other ways to accomplish those things. |
| Slashdot has an article on Blizzard's legal action against the bnet D project, a service that mimics the battle net but doesn't require CD keys to be entered to play. |
| Spelletjesgarnaal has a Warcraft 3 movie (22.5MB) for you to download. This movie runs for 16 minutes, so it is definately too long to watch that between two news updates here *g* |
| Multiplayer.it has posted another pair of Dungeon Siege movies (6.3MB and 3.9MB). Together, they feature app. 1 minute of gameplay, and both need DivX to be installed. |
Wargamer has reviewed Baldurs Gate 2 - Shadows of Amn and found the RPG to be worthwile playing. Here's their sumary:
I could go on and say a lot more good things about Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, but I would rather not keep you here all day. This is an amazing RPG, and by far the best I've ever played. It offers tons of cool monsters, interesting items, powerful spells, varied quests, and a plot I really enjoyed. When considering playing Baldur's Gate 2, there are two real things to consider. First, at a bare minimum this game will suck up about 100 hours of your life; the Coalition ground forces managed to eject Iraq from Kuwait in that same amount of time. That assumes that you stick to only the necessary quests. That also assumes you never replay BG2 as a different character class or decide to be an evil character and become Amn's scourge instead of its savior. One has to wonder whether or not reading Tolstoy or spending time with friends and family (and yes role-players do have real friends and family) might not be a better use of four days of one's life. Second, this is not Diablo II; killing monsters is a lot slower and more complex than just clicking on a demon and hacking it to death. If you completed Diablo II and were left with a desire for more enemies and faster action this may not be the game for you. If, however, you looked at Blizzard's latest product and admired the artistic way in which they told the story but otherwise thought the plot was pretty weak, then you may want to head out to your nearest games shop and pick up Baldur's Gate 2. |
| Yet another Warcraft 3 preview can be found at Techimo Gaming. Nothing really new in there, so we just mention it to be complete :-) |
| There are 39 new screenshots from Reakktor Media's upcoming futuristic MMORPG Neocron at 3DFiles.ru. |
| Gaminggroove has 3 new screenshots from Freedom Force, Irrational Games' upcoming superhero RPG. This game looks like it could be tons of fun, it really takes a fresh approach to our beloved genre :-) |
Electric Playground has done a review of Wizardry 8, and with a rating of "just" 7/10, it's on the lower side of the spectrum. Here's their conclusion:
Wizardry 8 is a decent, if unspectacular first person hack n' slash. It doesn't have the ease of use and richness of a Baldur's Gate, but it's a nice reminder of where CRPGs came from. More recent RPG fans might not see the charm. If you were one of the ones that sobbed every time Return to Krondor was delayed, you'll go through Wizardry like an adult going through their childhood home. In some ways, it's a piece of living history. |
A grade of "B" is the result of a review of Grandia 2 (PS2) (a PC version is in the making) over at Gaming Age. Their conclusion sums up the article pretty well:
Grandia II still stands out as a fantastic RPG. I'm sure there are still some unlucky folks who haven't had a chance to play it yet, and perhaps the release on the PS2 was all they were waiting for. Ubi Soft's three-for-two RPG give away (buy two of Legend of Alon D'ar, Jade Cocoon 2, Grandia II get one free) makes it even harder to pass up. If you've played through it on the Dreamcast, you've played the better version, but if you only own a PS2, you would be wise to add this to you collection.
If you want to know more about this upcoming PC RPG, check our "game info" link under the headline. |
Entertainment Deopt entertains us with a review of Dark Age of Camelot. Their overall impression was very good, and they rated the game 8/10. Here's their conclusion:
While lacking the ongoing story of Asheron’s Call and the age of EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot should not be underestimated, as it provides a highly addictive and polished gaming experience. From the end of the beta a few months ago until now, the game has improved leaps and bounds and continues to do so daily. There is little as exhilarating as picking your realm and defending it until death, and there are few gaming experiences out there, either online or single-player, that can provide such an enriching experience. Hampered by a few imminently reparable problems, Dark Age of Camelot is poised to take the crown of this new genre. It’s worth the price of admission now, and it’s hard to imagine how much better it will be a few months down the road. See you in Albion! |
Trent Oster and Greg Zeschuk from Bioware talked to IGN.PC in an interview about Neverwinter Nights, giving them (and us) a progress summary. Here's a bit:
IGNPC: What are some of the most recent things you've been working on in the game?
Trent Oster: I've personally been fixing "shadow gacks" (yes, gacks is a technical term) in the weapon models in my spare seconds throughout the evenings. I have also been making macro passes through the game interface, the spells and other major game features with other team members. Each pass we identify any weaknesses of the system at hand and come up with a strategy on how to remove the problems. Last night we made a visual appearance pass through the game GUI screens and identified some areas for revision. Later today I plan to play through chapter one in the game and send out some bugs and suggestions.
IGNPC: What's still left to be done?
Greg Zeschuk: At BioWare we do significant story and content reworking in the final months of development based on feedback from people testing the game (this includes everyone that plays it, not just the testers). Our opinion is you can't really finish a story until you can fully experience it -- this is usually right at the end of the development process.
We also go through extreme degrees of polishing art and optimizing code. We typically work on our games for a long time, so we put a lot into prepping them to their maximum quality before we release them. We also try to fix every bug we can possibly find (this is quite a challenge considering the various hardware ranges and products that exist on the PC).
In essence -- we're making it fun! |
Gamebanshee has an interview with Kevin Osburn of Black Isle Studios about Icewind Dale 2. Her's a bit about 3e rules in the game:
GB: Can you give us a rundown of what 3rd Edition rules we will be seeing in Icewind Dale II?
Kevin: We’ve brought over a whole ton of the new 3E rules. Starting from Character Creation, you’ll be able to choose from all the 3E based races and classes (ie Barbarians, Monks, Half-Orcs, etc). Ability scores are no longer fixed between 3-25, and statistics are very linear now, giving the player a much easier time in figuring out how well his character is progressing throughout the game. After every four levels, you’ll get to add one point to one of your ability scores. Plus the combat system has been totally revamped to use Base Attack bonuses, armor class that is better the higher the number is, and spells use the new Fortitude, Will and Relfex saving throws. |
One of the few *g* Dungeon Siege previews on the net can be seen at RPGPLanet today. Here's something about the land of Ehb (that's where the story takes place):
Graphically, Ehb is rich in detail. Forests are thick with vegetation that sways in the breeze and rustles when monsters pop out at you. Torches line dungeon walls and can be lit by the players for better visibility. The towns are intricately rendered with all the little touches that make an area feel "lived-in." The models of the monsters and the players are superbly animated, making combat a joy to watch. And you never forget that the world is 3D; when dozens of tiny spiders scamper over your head and then rush down the wall like water, you can't help but be transported to another place.
Addendum - this seems to be the same preview as seen on Gamespy before, according to our reader Spleen. |
| Gamespot has news that Might & Magic 9 is on track for a late March release, and offers 17 screenshots for you to look at... |
|
