Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

The MMO Times: No Blizzcon & Giant Robots

By

On January 25, 2012

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

Hey gamers! Welcome back to another MMO Times. I hope everyone is enjoying SWTOR, for those that are playing it. Check out the newest headlines and enjoy.

Rift: Carnival of the Ascended

Trion has announced patch 1.7 for Rift entitled Carnival of the Ascended. The oddest thing I find is Trion is including a marriage mechanic. As if these games don’t already create alternate realities which can pull a person in and dominate their life, now there is the ability to marry. I wonder if there will be a new profession soon too, Divorce Attorney. Follow the link to read the article on Massively
Massively article

TERA Release Date Announced

En Masse has officially announced a release date of May 1st for North America. If some of you forgot, this game received some pretty big awards at E3 last year including Best PC Game and Best MMO. Based on some of the videos and screenshots I’ve seen, the graphics look amazing. Follow the link to read more at Nerd Reactor.
Nerd Reactor post

Diligent Testing Pushes SWTOR Patch

If you were expecting the 1.1 patch in SWTOR on the 17th, you probably noticed that it didn’t happen. During the public testing, some issues were discovered that weren’t found during internal testing. As a result, Bioware delayed the release of the patch. I like to see developers taking player feedback and choosing to delay a patch. I think its the sign of pride in a quality product. Follow the link to read more from GameSpy.
GameSpy post

No Blizzcon in 2012

This October something is going to feel a bit off. Blizzard has announced that there will not be a Blizzcon this year since they have so many titles promised. They do have a full plate with Diablo 3, Mists of Pandaria and Star Craft 2: Heart of the Swarm promised by the end of the year. Follow the link to read more on MMO Crunch.
MMO Crunch post

Guild Wars 2 Beta Coming In March

An article on Game Bandits has a post about ArenaNet’s plans to have a beta starting in March. They are wrapping up some of their internal testing and closed beta testing in preparation. The president of ArenaNet still assures gamers that they plan to release Guild Wars 2 this year. Watch for invitations during March to get into the beta. Follow the link to read the post.
Game Bandits post

Centurion Unveiled for MechWarrior Online

Piranha Games has added an old favorite to the roster for MWO, the CN9-A Centurion. This was one of the fan favorites from the old school games and I’m sure fans watching the development of those game are rejoicing about this announcement. The article on Massively is short but they suggest going to the official website for more details.
Massively article |  MechWarrior Online website

WoW 4.3.2 Patch Notes

I am going to wrap up this issue with a link to the patch notes for 4.3.2 coming to World of Warcraft soon. I know its odd to single out a minor patch update but I wanted to because of a new feature coming with the patch. In this patch you will be able to form same faction raids with Real ID friends. I think this is pretty sweet because I do have a few friends on different servers and doing LFR with them will be great fun. Follow the link to read the patch notes on WoW Insider.
WoW Insider post

I also provide The MMO Times in an e-mail. If you are interested in receiving the e-mail version please subscribe.

May the Force Be With You, George

By

On January 19, 2012

In Movies, Star Wars

The man that brought us our beloved Star Wars universe announced on January 18th, 2012 that he is retiring from the film making industry. While many so-called “fans” continue to belittle and berate the man, I wish him Happy Retirement and Thank You. Your stories will live on forever in the hearts of millions.

I honestly can’t stand all the negative press and despicable grief thousands have been giving him over the prequels and the minor (and I mean extremely minor) changes that he has done to the original trilogy. I don’t blame him for retiring for these reasons; some ungrateful “fans” we turned out to be! Unless you can cough up a few million bucks and purchase the rights to the Star Wars movies, I say leave it be and STFU. These are his movies, his stories, his intellectual property. He is entitled to make, change or remove anything he feels like and if you don’t like it, well … tough! Buck Up, Sally!!

If it weren’t for him in the beginning we wouldn’t even have a community. We would all be worshipping Klingons and wearing pointed ears, and who wants that?? (Just teasing Trekkies!) I’m just saying that just because you have been a fan since you were 10 years old doesn’t entitle you to dictate how the story should be told when it’s not your story to begin with. I admit that the prequels have their flaws, but a true fan, a dedicated fan, can learn to accept the flaws and embrace all of it, unequivocally.

Besides, in the end it isn’t about midichlorians, or who shot first, or what Vader should or should not have exclaimed. It’s about immersing ourselves in the lore and adventure of different worlds and different species. It’s about total strangers from all over the world, coming together under a single, unifying, albeit fictitious, universe. This is what George Lucas has done; that is his legacy.

Thank you, George! And May the Force Be With You!
Cheers!

The MMO Times: First of 2012

By

On January 13, 2012

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

Issue 25

Hellooooo Everybody! Sorry for the delay between issues, the Christmas and New Years holidays have a tendency to make things pretty busy. So without keeping you any longer, check out these headlines that I hope you find interesting as I have. Enjoy!

TERA Beta Sign-ups Opens

January 12, En Masse has sent to call for TERA testers. This game got a lot of attention in the gaming conferences last year. The graphics look pretty awesome. I probably will not have time to try out the beta, but if anyone else does check it out, let me know what your thoughts are. Remember, this is just a sign-up which means its not a guarantee beta invite. Follow the links for the Massively article or the TERA website for signing up.
Massively Article | TERA Website

League of Legends Hits 11.5MM

This is probably another foreboding sign for Blizzard and World of Warcraft. League of Legends, a Free-2-Play MMO by Riot, now has 11.5 million active players far surpassing the 10.3 million that are playing WoW. I think its pretty interesting that a F2P game now has more players then WoW. Follow the link to see the Forbes article.
Forbes Article

More On MechWarrior MMO Going F2P

A developer at Piranha Games explains the reasons the MechWarrior MMO will be going with the Free-2-Play model. They mention in the article that the games anticipated release is expected to be in the second half of 2012. There is also a link in the article that elaborates on the CryEngine 3, which is the graphics engine the game is being built on. Follow the link to read more at VideoGamer.
Video Gamer Article

Rift Offers New Subscription Plans

Another interesting competitive move by one of WoW’s biggest competitors, Rift. They have adjusted their subscription plans which actually makes playing Rift cheaper then playing WoW. As if Blizzard didn’t have enough problems keeping players in WoW, lowering prices below their rate is going to make life even more difficult. Many have been clamoring for Blizzard to consider the Free-2-Play model and they have fervently stated they will not consider the Free-2-Play model beyond level 20. Follow the link to read more at tom’s hardware.
tom’s hardware Article

SWTOR ‘Fastest Growing MMO’

I love reading good things about SWTOR and I think this one is really exciting. Based on the millions of players that flocked to play SWTOR when it was released, it has been crowned the “Fastest Growing MMO in History”. I think that is a pretty prestigious acolyte. Follow the link to read more Attack of the Fanboy.
Attack of the Fanboy Article

SWTOR Covers New Flashpoint

On January 17th Bioware will be issuing its first content patch for SWTOR. The patch will fix several known bugs and introduce a new, level 50, flashpoint. The planet of Kaon has fallen victim to the Rakghoul plague (which is the Star Wars version of zombies – because who doesn’t like zombies!). Players must go to the planet to rescue survivors and eliminate the plague. Follow the link to read more on Massively and view the trailer.
Massively Article

WoW 4.3.2 Patch Notes

I decided to go way back on WoW Insider to find the post about the 4.3.2 patch. The reason is that I wanted to  point out a particularly interesting feature that will be in the patch. You will be able to enter Raid Finder with your Real ID friends (as long as you are the same faction). So if your friends are on other servers, you can now do a raid, or older normal/heroic raids. They are also fixing a few bugs, such as the annoying mature language filter, and players winning multiple copies of an item in Raid Finder. Follow the link to read more at WoW Insider.
WoW Insider Article

I also provide The MMO Times in an e-mail. If you are interested in receiving the e-mail version please subscribe.

Soapbox: Programming Is NOT For Everyone

By

On January 13, 2012

In Programming, Soapbox

I read an article on CNN where the author seems to think that Americans should learn to write computer code just as they learn to read and write. In fact the guy has started an online “academy” to teach people how to write code … For Free!! I’m sorry but I completely disagree with what this guy wants to do. The ability to write software is far too advanced of a skill to compare it to learning to read. In fact it’s insulting to suggest that programming is that simple. I obtained a four year degree to learn to develop software; granted a four year degree isn’t necessarily required, but thats only if you have a gifted background in computers and/or programming.

I do agree with the guy on one of the points. It would be a benefit, as a software developer, if people understood what went into developing a piece of software. If that were the only reason to offer this academy then I wouldn’t have a problem. Sadly that isn’t the case. Any putz can participate in the online tutorials and suddenly they are “qualified” to write software. The concept, in my opinion, is absolutely ludicrous and frightening.

I appreciate the authors concern that America is losing its competitive advantage but the last thing we need is a bunch of hillbillies thinking they can write robust and effective code. I hate to sound like an elitist but if a company is in need of a competent programmer, and they have to choose between someone with a four year degree and someone who took an online tutorial … Who do you think will get the job?

/end soapbox

SWTOR: Tips & Tricks Part II

By

On January 9, 2012

In Gaming, MMORPG, SWTOR

I have put together another list of tips to share with everyone that is playing Star Wars The Old Republic. If you have made it all the way to 50 by now then these tips will probably be of no use to you. However, if you are just starting out, you might find these tips useful too.

  • Show Me The Credits! – Training and Crafting Missions get expensive. You will be forking over 3-3.5k per ability by the time you get into the early 20s. Also, speeder training will cost you 40 Gs at 25 (and a speeder bike will cost you an additional 8k). So make credits fast!
  • Focus But Don’t Hurry – When you are questing focus on completing your class quests. You unlock ships and companions as you progress through your story. However, don’t skip the other quests; the story and rewards are worth the time.
  • Make Them Happy – Your companion will complete crafting and mission quests faster the more you build up affection. I know its difficult to resist punishing Vette, but there is a greater output to getting her to like you sooner.
  • You Don’t Have to Tank/Heal – Regardless of which advanced class you roll, you can always DPS. All the advanced classes have a DPS tree; how you spend your talent points ultimately determines your role.
  • Crafting Conundrum – Sometimes its terribly difficult to pick the right profession. The Codex is your friend. Visit all the profession trainers to gather all the codex entries and use the information to help you decide.

That is all I have to share. I don’t think I am going to share many more tips. I think its important that you find some things out for yourself. I will be doing a post soon where I break down all the classes, which I hope people find useful as well. Enjoy Star Wars The Old Republic!

SWTOR: Vette Doesn’t Seem To Mind

By

On January 5, 2012

In Gaming, SWTOR

People are so inane it’s infuriating! The recent SWTOR rancor (see what I did there) floating around the Internet is that people are uptight because the Sith Warrior class has the option to “abuse” their companion.

Wait!! It’s not cool to be sadistic??!! Why am I just now finding this out??

Yes, when you first get Vette she is wearing a shock collar. You have the option, occasionally, to shock her for being insubordinate. There is a means to an end for it, she will eventually turn evil (her story is that she’s essentially a captive republic smuggler). You do have the option to remove her collar, which is actually the option I chose. In fact, here is a tip for you, the sooner you build affection with your companion, the quicker they will complete crafting quests and tasks.

I just don’t understand why people get so upset over pixels on a screen. I’m not going to buy into the argument that it promotes domestic abuse and violence. No it doesn’t! That’s asinine! Wouldn’t you rather the player “abuse” a video game character then a real person? It’s up to the parents to teach their children the difference between pixels and people.

I’m sure this is all happening because SWTOR is the new kid on the block and it’s rivals are just looking for fodder. This will all blow over in a week. I’m just tired of people blaming video games for bad parenting or a bad moral compass. Here is my advice for all these antagonists, life is a lot easier to endure when you buy the panties that don’t bunch up!

Cheers!

Page 161 of 181

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén