Friday - February 22, 2002
| RPGvault features issue no. 3 in a series of Q&A's they have conducted with members of the Freedom Force team. Pretty much all of the team members are on display this time. From Jonathan Pelling, an artist, on to Max Sneddon, QA Lead and on to Morgan Jaffit, a designer and lots of others. Go have a look! |
The EverQuest graphics engine has been updated, regarding the following gfx issues yesterday (good news for Radeon users, BTW):
** Graphics Engine Update **
- - Fixed a bug that was causing some crashes/disconnects/drops to desktop.
- - Fixed the graphic problem that caused massive flicker on ATI Radeon cards while using the boats.
- - Performed optimizations which have improved framerate on some systems.
- The EverQuest Team
| | Source: PlanetEverQuest |
1) There is a new wallpaper over on the official Morrowind site. This time featuring the location of Tel Vos.
2) The forums have been updated to UBB-style in order to offer more options and features. |
The new kits and classes are now all listed in their own forum. Besides the info on the thread the following extra info was spotted:How fighters are different in IWD2
Fighters in IWD were awfully powerful compared to many of the classes. Until HoW, they were significantly more powerful than paladins and rangers as well. In IWD2, fighters have been pulled back considerably. Not only have the ranger and paladin been beefed up, but the base classes now can get similar bonuses from strength and con -- oh, and extra attacks as they increase in level.
To maintain the fighter's role in an IWD2 party, the fighter must be allowed to keep a hold on those things that are sacred to fighters: specialization at first level, mastery, high mastery, and grandmastery at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels. That is how fighters keep their edge in a sea of characters with special abilities, spellcasting, and other assorted benefits.
On the comparison of fighters and archers
If you want to play the most powerful offensive missile weapon character in the game, make a fighter and give the character grandmastery in bows or crossbows.
Wood elf fighter + bow grandmastery = excellent character.
Wood elf ranger (archer) + bow mastery = excellent character.
Here is what an archer has with mastery:
+3 to hit and damage
Here is what a fighter has with grandmastery:
+3 to hit and damage
Increased chance to critically hit
Chance to stun on a successful attack
The archer will hit exactly as often as the fighter. Please do some calculations on the effectiveness of these characters before you write them off. Not only does the archer have exactly the same chance to hit as the fighter, he or she has druid spells and stealth.
About the archer being too powerful, Briareus had this to say
I think I'll just chime in with my $0.02 since I'm the one that kept telling Josh the Archer was too powerful.
Well, the Archer is too powerful as it currently is in IWD2.
Seriously. Even when going up against a creature that isn't the Archer's hated enemy, the current +1/3 levels to-hit and damage makes it not only hit more often then a fighter of equal level (Half-Orc with 20 STR), but also hit for more damage. On top of that, he gets all the awesome druid spells (Sunscorch to blind underdark denizens, Entangle to... entangle, Static Charge!, Charm/Hold Animal, Cure spells, Call Lightning!, and protection from element-type spells, etc., etc.). Now, add to that if you're going up against the Archer's Hated Enemy, it's just disgusting how bad-ass the Archer is. (Oh, and I haven't had to use Called Shot yet so I don't know how much more of a bad-ass the Archer could be).
As it currently is, (from my play experience with IWD2) an Archer outclasses any Fighter of equal level up through 13th level (as high as I've had time to play through the game) and I see no reason for why it would change later. That's why Josh is toning down the Archer.
About spellcasters and haste
Spellcasters now make checks to overcome spell disruption. It works pretty well. You don't need to worry as much about your mage losing a spell for taking a bump on the head.
Haste now grants an additional attack per round, instead of DOUBLING your attacks per round. |
Off-topic 1st: Ever seen the 'Death of a Salesman' movie? If not, it's hereby highly recommended, esp. because of Dustin Hoffman, acting as the, well, salesman. He's got to be among the top 3 of all actors from each and every movie genre on an acting skills list. Simply amazing :)
On to the news: Mythic's Camelot Herald reports of a bug involved with killing a dragon by the name of Golestandt on the Palomides server last night. The loot distribution didn't work as it should. They resolved the issue by contacting the initiator of the dragon raid and gave him the loot Golestandt should have dropped. They then made him distribute the loot among all those involved in the dragon raid. Aside from that, a few more minor bugs were discovered. Just follow the link from above for all the details. |
The Krauts (before you flame me - I'm a Kraut, too *gg*) from German Siege Tower have posted their first impressions of the recently released press beta.
In related news, they will be hosting a Dungeon Siege German community chat on Sunday. For details check here. |
| Neverwinter Vault, a fansite dedicated to BioWare's potential super-RPG offers up a new section on their site. It's called The Module Factory and in case you're a mod(ule) maker you just scored a new bookmark. No doubt about that. |
| Sony's Station features a new player tips section, offering help on the most frequently asked questions to GM's and guides. Not necessarily for newbies only. Check it out. | | Source: PlanetEQ |
There was an interesting announcement on and regarding Blizzard's Battle.net multiplayer service yesterday:
In keeping with our aggressive stance against hacks and cheats, we
have deleted accounts that were caught using hacks (including but not
limited to duping hacks and server-crashing or game-terminating
hacks).
We will continue to monitor the Battle.net Realms for malicious
players. Be aware that if you are caught using a hack, your accounts
will be deleted. We regret having to employ these extreme measures,
however, certain unscrupulous players impair the gameplay of the
Diablo II community as a whole, and severe action is now both
warranted and required. We appreciate your understanding and
cooperation in this matter.
If you would like to report additional instances of hacking and
duplication, please contact us at hacks@blizzard.com.
Thank you again for your continued support.
Blizzard Entertainment
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Lucas/SOE have taken care of the weekly Star Wars: Galaxies FAQ update by adding this new Q&A:
4.30 Is there a smuggling profession?
Yes! This profession provides skills designed to help smugglers avoid detection of "illegal" materials by authorities. There are also skills that make players better at getting out of trouble once they are caught (something Han Solo didn't spend enough skill points on). In addition, the smuggling profession incorporates some slicing and combat skills.
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Reakktor Media issued a press release today, announcing the first issue of the Neocron Fanzine (PDF format!) NeoCronicle - the links takes you to Necron Central where you can get it. If you have spent the last two years in bed with your lover or behind the moon, here's what Neocron is:
Neocron is an action packed 3D MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) set in a post apocalyptic metropolis. Live a virtual life in the exciting world of the 28th century. The user becomes a citizen of Neocron and it`s up to him whether he wants to experience exciting adventures or just live a normal life in this virtual world. |
Disciples 2 generates a lot of (positive) fuzz around the net, and the review at Action Trip is no exception. Just look at this conclusion and the rating (90%):
Disciples II is one of the best games in its genre and there is no better way to wait for the fourth sequel of HoMM than to play a bit of D2: Dark Prophecy. |
The latest "Biting The Hand" editorial by Jessica Mulligan deals with the question: "Who owns your Avatar"?. Interesting one, as this snippet shows you:
Now, let us look at a section from Mythic’s EULA for Camelot:
You acknowledge and agree that all characters created, and items acquired and developed as a result of game play are part of the Software and Game and are the sole property of Mythic. You acknowledge that: (i) the Software and the Service permit access to Content that is protected by copyrights, trademarks, and other proprietary rights owned by Mythic as covered in Section 3 below.
From 2. Other Rights and Limitations, Dark Age of Camelot End User License Agreement.
In this specific case, it seems cut and dried. To play the game, you have to agree to the EULA. If you agree to the EULA to get access to the game, Mythic owns the characters and items, you get to use them for a while, end of story. If you don’t agree to the EULA, you don’t get to play. It seems pretty self-serving to come back later, when you’ve been violating that same EULA and making money off of what could rightly be termed a derivative work and say, "Just kidding!" I really don’t see how a court could rule against Mythic, but I’m not a lawyer and, of course, strange things can happen in the US court system. Like $4 million jury awards for being scalded with no permanent injury by a cup of hot coffee at McDonald’s. Personally, I didn’t like the way the cheese was staring at me the last time I was at Burger King, it made me all paranoid n’ stuff and I almost dropped my tinfoil hat; time to call a lawyer.
Head over and read the whole thingie, it's entertaining and thought-provoking... | | Source: RPGVault |
The latest previews of Warcraft 3 - Reign of Chaos can be found at Pregaming and The Armchair Empire. Here's a bit from the latter, which took upon multiplayer:
Some players will get RoC just for the multiplayer. These players won’t be disappointed with what they get. Although it has more micromanagement than previous installments, the races aren’t (essentially) that different, and the action is a little confusing at times; the graphics and audio are slick, the Legendary Hero units are a great addition with the myriads of options they open, the interface solid, and team play (with unit sharing!) is a lot of fun. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos has much going for it – the result of a painstaking development process. The multiplayer is solid so far and with a few adjustments it will kick ass. I suppose the biggest complement I can pay to RoC, is that I’ll still be playing the Beta even after I hand in this preview. | | Source: Blues News |
The next review of Disicples 2 - Dark Prophecy can be found at GameZone. Rating is 8.8/10, conclusion is euqally positive, of course:
This game has excellent graphics, and if you haven’t played a game like this before, this program would be a terrific introduction to the genre. Strategy First has taken a solid foundation, built by the original program, and built upon it very nicely. |
 Final Fantasy 10 Review at The Mushroom
(PC: MMORPG) | Posted by Rendelius @ 11:25 - Top 
| Game Info | Homepage |
A very positive review of Final Fantasy X (PS2) went up at The Mushroom today (I have yet to see a negative one). A rating of 8/10 mushrooms and this conclusion tells us that not everything is perfect, but all comes together well:
I wound up buying FFX. There is a lot of game to be found here, although I wish the story didn't unfold so quickly so I wouldn't have had to level up so much at the end. There are very few surprises in the story and the characters aren't the most compelling, but everything comes together to create a great PS2 game that lasts quite a while. |
A preview of Heroes of Might & Magic 4 has been posted at Daily Telefrag today. Peppered with nice screenshots, it gives a good overview for those who are anxiously waiting for the game (me amongst them). Their summary reads like this:
Time to sum it up, and I have to admit there were many things I had to omit here. For example, I didn't mention awesome realization of spell casting and quality sound. In a nutshell, Heroes are going same lines with their predecessors, but advanced greatly in magic and role-playing aspects. Fans of turn-based games will have to accept for a great deal of new features, but I'm absolutely sure the community will be split because their beloved title underwent dramatic changes. Well, it's a full-fledged revolution in the world of Might and Magic. Now, expect a civil war... |
Not that there are no other out now, but Gamepen has done a preview of Dungeon Siege, too (a relatively short one). Here's a bit:
If I had to compare the game to something I’ve already played, I’m thinking the closest this game would be would be like Diablo—however, the games are much much different when it comes to gameplay and overall experience although they both have the similar point, click and attack type of control.
One particular feature I like about this game is that you can press the pause key during all the action in order to equip your warrior. This way you aren’t getting attacked while you’re trying to figure out which weapon goes where on the inventory screen. |
The official Dungeon Siege site holds the following information:Greetings adventurers and welcome to the Dungeon Siege Sneak Preview Sweepstakes. Get your pack ready, your sword sharpened, and your spells memorized because you'll need to be ready to go at a moments notice. At an undisclosed time on Friday, February 22, sign up forms will open for business and you'll be able to enter your name for the chance to win a sneak preview copy of Dungeon Siege. You will be able to sign up here, or at any of the dozens of participating sites around the Web.
A select group of gamers will win exclusive sneak preview copies for this highly anticipated game. Dungeon Siege fans will want to check the sites frequently, as the forms will be posted at an unspecified time. All of the participating sites are listed here for your convenience.
The first ten lucky winners to sign up at each site will win, in addition to 50 winners randomly selected from all entries. If you're one of the lucky winners, you'll get to explore the Land of Ehb to your heart's desire weeks before the game hits store shelves. This sneak preview copy of Dungeon Siege is the full version, complete with limited edition CD artwork.
Again, the sweepstakes begins on Friday, February 22 and ends on Sunday, February 24 at 11:59 PM PST. Winners will be finalized on or around February 25, so be sure to stay tuned on each of the participating sites for the list of winners in the days following the sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is open to entries worldwide, with the only requirement being you provide a valid email and postal mailing address when you enter. Duplicate entries will be disregarded. |
| GamersPulse is the next site to feature some new screenshots from the recently golden Warlords Battlecry 2... |
 RPGDot Feature: RPGDot weekly Newsletter
Posted by Rendelius @ 04:46 - Top
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RPGDot proudly announces a new feature for our readers and those of our hosted sites: The RPGDot Weekly Newsletter. In this newsletter, we sum up the most important happenings in the CRPG scene, provide you with links, rants, insights and - from time to time - exclusive features. The newsletter will be published in HTML and arrive in your inbox every 7-10 days.
We invite you to subscribe to this free service here and are looking forward to serve you even more RPG stuff from now on :-). |
| The Lost Continents Field Guide has been updated with a new episode: Them Bones". What is Lost Coninents anyhow? Lost Continents brings more than sixty years of serial thrillers and pulp adventure stories to life in this massively multiplayer online action adventure - and that sounds like fun to me :-) |
A short interview with Pete Hines on Morrowind can be found at Gamebanshee today. Here's a snip about the editor:
GB: There are three popular RPGs currently in development that will include an editor allowing players to modify many aspects of the game: Dungeon Siege, Morrowind, and Neverwinter Nights. How do you feel The Elder Scrolls Construction Kit will stand up to the customization of the other two games?
Pete: I think the TES Construction Set ranks up there with the best editors of all time in terms of its easy-of-use and how much it can do. People are really going to be stunned when they get their hands on this thing and realize just how much it can do. The ability to change literally any part of the game, and create plug-ins that work with your existing game(s), is really amazing. We're just as proud of the TES Construction Set as we are of Morrowind. |
Voodooextreme have readied the second part of their Freedom Force preview (first part can be reached from here). Here's a small clip:
Beyond the story and the origins of Irrational's rag-tag heroes is the world that they have to interact with. How the player goes about doing this is really a matter of discretion. Sure you can go into the world and take a "no holds barred" attitude towards defeating the enemy. You can toss cars, rip up light post. level buildings, kill civilians, etc to get the job done. The military calls this collateral damage. The downside to taking this kind of stance is that it's going to cost you prestige, and prestige makes the world go round. Luckily Irrational has balanced the gameplay out enough so that you can kick some serious bad guy ass and leave the mission area relatively unscathed. It's okay to rip up a signal pole and whack a bad guy clear across town, or toss a truck at a group of them. No Problem. It's when the player decides to level a city block that things can start costing you serious prestige points. This gives the player full freedom to do whatever it is they think is necessary to get the job done -- but with a price. And what can you do in the game world? You could conceivably level an entire mission area. Just about everything in the game can be destroyed, blown up, smashed or killed. Much like X-Com there's a price for not taking care of the innocent victims that loiter about in many of the missions. No matter what choice you make, it'll prove to be a lesson in "just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should". |
HomeLan Fed has published an interview with Jens Bremmekamp from Reakktor Media about their upcoming MMORPG Neocron. Here's a bit about PvP in the game:
HomeLAN - How are you handling Player vs. Player combat?
Jens Bremmekamp - Everyone in Neocron can choose to participate in PvP combat or to leave this part of the game to others. This is done by the "Law Enforcer" implant. All new characters start with this special implant, which means that they are not able to hurt any other players and that they cannot be hurt themselves by other players. Only characters who have had their Law Enforcer deimplanted can engage in Player versus Player combat. You can implant or deimplant the Enforcer any time you wish without any special tools or skills, though it takes quite a while to do so (about ten minutes at the moment). This was done so to prevent misuse in combat.
For more about this interesting futuristic MMOPRG, check out our own interview with Jens from last week... |
There are two new reviews of Disciples 2 - Dark Prophecy on the net today: The one at Gamezilla rates the game 78/100 and comes to this conclusion:
Not being a fan of turn-based stategy or role playing games, my positives concerning Disciples II: Dark Prophecy are more of appreciation than enjoyment. However, this game gave me a new respect for turn-based strategy. Turn-based does not equal boring, as I had thought. Clearly, a lot of hard work went into this game to balance the units for challenging gameplay. One thing that bugged me throughout the game was that the story and characters seemed to have been drawn from every source imaginable and thrown into the melting pot and stirred. Anything goes: elements from Tolkien, Norse mythology, Judeo Christian theology and even Himalayan folklore appear in the mix. If you’re trying to teach your kids about religion or science or diplomacy, they are probably going to be very confused after giving this game a whirl. Other occultic elements like spirit possession, will be too much for some to handle. Those who already enjoy turn-based strategy or who are enchanted with today's fantasy genre will likely be captivated by Disciples II: Dark Prophecy. For others, it may require being under a spell.
The scond review ca be found at Tech TV. Their rating is about the same: 4 out of 5 stars. Here's a bit from what they wrote about gameplay:
Turns involve exploring the map with your armies and expending gold and mana to upgrade them. Most neutral stacks on the map (i.e. not one of the enemy races) are stationary and can be encountered at your discretion. Enemy stacks generally move about the map according to various event triggers or AI settings that you will learn to recognize as you play. Encountering an enemy stack initiates combat, which is resolved in turn-based melee style. You'll want to set your formation and use any enhancement potions or scrolls before combat. Unit position is fixed and you'll only be able to access a maximum of two items equipped by your leader once combat begins.
Despite the variety of objectives, most quests will involve an initial exploration, a period where you build up two or three high-powered stacks, and a final assault on some location. You can take your time with most quests, using as many turns as necessary to build your army. Units are improved by gaining experience points (XP) earned from successful battles. |
IGN.PC has posted a progress report for Shadowbane, Wolfpack Studios' upcoming MMORPG. It includes an interview with programmer Thomas Stiche, from which we bring you a short bit:
IGNPC: What's still left to be done?
Thomas Stiche: Well, we are in closed beta, so everyday we are receiving great feedback on gameplay and features from the community. We want to create a MMO game unlike other standard MMOs. We are creating the type of experience MMO gamers have always dreamt of, therefore we listen to our beta testers' input very closely. Currently, we are working to add content to the worlds, we want to make them as deep and impressive as possible for gamers. We are also working to fine tune the graphics engine. |
There is a new update at the official site for City of Heroes with more details on the Superior Human origin, as well as a new designer Q&A in the forums. Here's what our game info database says about the game:
City of Heroes is the first superhero themed online RPG and will offer a host of exciting and compelling gameplay features. Players create their own heroes, choosing from hundreds of different powers, skills, abilities, and items and design their own unique costumes. Then they can band together with other players to fight evil, build their own secret headquarters and strive to become the premiere hero group in the city. Gamers will confront super villains, aliens, madmen, monsters, criminals, and other fearsome foes. They can take on personalized missions and rid the city of dozens of different evil organizations and hundreds of individual enemies. With success players acquire power, wealth, and fame and come to bask in the spotlight and rake in the rewards as their powers and fame grow with each successful mission and every defeated foe. City of Heroes takes place amongst the skyscrapers, slums, sewers and streets of Paragon City, a sprawling online metropolis that offers unlimited adventure and countless surprises. Players become an integral part of many and varied different ongoing story arcs as the villain groups menace Paragon City and react to player victories and defeats. |
| RPGVault posted a new screenshot and animations from RatHunt on their front page. RatHunt is a fast, action packed First Person Perspective Role Playing Game powered by Monolith's LithTech engine. It is now being developed for both, PC and console platforms by Mirage Interactive (formerly Mirage Media) from Poland, one of Poland's biggest game developers (e.g. producer of Mortyr: 2093-1944). |
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