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PAX Interview: Warhammer Online's Associate Producer, Spyke Alexander |
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Written by ReesyCup
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Monday, 01 September 2008 00:00 |
PAX Interview: Warhammer Online's Associate Producer, Spyke Alexander
We caught up with WAR's Spyke Alexander at PAX in Seattle this weekend and got his feelings on this year's convention and about what is in store for the highly anticipated Open Beta phase of EAMythic's Warhammer online: Age of Reckoning. The Warhammer booth was all the buzz at PAX, and we learned some nice details about what the dev team has been up to in final days before the launch of Open Beta on September 7th. Have a look!!
MMOFury
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| How do feel about this year's Pax turn out?
| | | | | Spyke
| | Oh it's insane! Friday, the amount of people here at PAX is about the equivalent of what most conventions have on a Saturday, and [Pax's] Saturday was Huge, even bigger than that. And Sunday, except for the last 30 minutes or so, it was as busy as most convention's Fridays.
| | | | | | MMOFury | | Yes this has definitely been a very successful convention, and its not all local.
| | | | | | Spyke | | Exactly, there are people coming in here from other countries, I mean its been phenomenal because we know in coming here that we are dealing with the consumers, the ones that are going to want to get in the game.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| How well do you think Warhammer went over with the crowd?
| | | | | | Spyke | | Amazingly well, we have had many people walk up and say "Hey, I currently play another game, why do I want to play your game?" and so we have them sit down and play the game and they walk away saying "You sold me, I want to pick up your game". Every single station we have had pretty much all weekend has been full. We have had loads of people hanging around the stations asking questions coming up saying "Hey, I have a question on this or I have a question on that" and hearing the scuddle from other people and other media venues and hearing the posts that have gone up on some of the community sites have been very positive.
| | | | | | MMOFury | | What has been the most common positive feedback you have received on Warhammer this weekend.
| | | | | | Spyke | | That we are different. The fact that the Realm vs Realm concept that we are really pushing, people really like that. The fact that we have an angle and we are not just trying to do the same tired thing that's been done a million times before. The little things like the Tome of Knowledge, public quests, you know things like that that make people say "that's a really awesome concept". Our Open Party and Open Warband system has also been a great hit for a lot of people.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Obviously with this kind of exposure to the people coming in, you will here the positive and negative. Was there any negative feedback that you heard that caught your attention that you will take a closer look at when you get back to the studio?
| | | | | | Spyke | | Not really, anything that we heard that might have been criticism in some way shape or form we have heard in some way from the beta and some other things as well, nothing really unexpected came up that we don't already have a solution to or have something in the works potentially to fix. Or, it's just something personal in such that sometimes people just don't like a choice that we've made and sometimes that's OK, it's just how some things just work out.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Are we going to see any major changes from the Closed Beta client to the Open Beta client?
| | | | | | Spyke | | There are a bunch of changes still coming in, Tome of Knowledge enhancements as far as the build, the visualization, how your going in, some advanced graphics concepts that we will be throwing in there as far as people being able to have a more advanced detailed way of being able to handle their graphics settings. There will be a lot more client based bug fixes to make sure that certain visual effects that some players are seeing right now will get fixed before launch to make the whole visual experience a lot better.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Which updates are scheduled for the beginning of open beta and which ones are expected toward the end?
| | | | | | Spyke | | That I'm pretty sure we are getting the additional advanced graphical settings in, in some way shape or form. Any of the client enhancements for what some people call the "blurring effect past five feet" I know that our engineers are working hard to try to get fixes for that in. So, a lot of that is slated for the beginning of open beta, whether it makes it or not I don't know. I have been here all weekend while they are getting the build ready for open beta, but I know before I left those were all things they were trying to get in before open beta. But if not then during.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Obviously the City System has changed.
| | | | | | Spyke | | We went from 6 to 2.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Yes, what do you think is the most exiting thing about the new system is, what is the most important aspect of doing that?
| | | | | | Spyke | | The big thing was we changed the three pairings from being three separate non-connected battlefronts, to three connected battlefronts. The idea now is you need to own two of the three to gain access to the enemy's cities. So the idea is, that before with six cities, it would have been entirely possible that there would have only ever been one pairing had anyone ever fought it. Now with those blind two out of three, the idea is that it doesn't matter which two. So one of the big concerns when we first announced we were dropping the four extra cities, was players saying "oh wow, that means that there is only ever going to be fighting in Empire vs Chaos; not true. You could lose High Elf Front and Dark Elf or Dwarf Greenskape and not lose Empire Chaos and still lose access to your city. So it really helps focus the end RvR to be a lot more systematic, if you're losing in one pairing you can move your defenses and go on the offense in another.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Taking in consideration that you are going to eliminate that many cities, that's a lot of content within those cities. Does that mean you have taken the content that was in the removed cities and moved those in to help saturate the remaining cities with content?
| | | | | | Spyke | | Basically, yea. What ended up happening was a lot of people were not necessarily miss-informed, but a little confused because they are in the beta and they see Altdorf, or they see the Inevitable City, they see how much content it is and how big they are and they are like "Wow, you guys cut 4 of these?", but no we didn't. When we were at 6 cities they were a lot smaller, there was content that was a lot more spread out.
One of the benefits is, long before we made the announcement months ago, we made the decision to cut the 4 cities because that way it allowed us to focus on RvR and Tier 4 so everything is relevant. It also made it so that a lot of the extra content that was in the cities we could add to and make the 2 cities that we had super polished, super huge, and super awesome as far as PvE content, quests, more things you could do when you try to capture them. You know, make them just bigger all the way around.
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| Well that is about all of my questions, but before I go let me ask you this. Seeing the kind of numbers you have received for beta access, you are not exactly having to talk a lot of people in to try the open beta, but what would you say to someone that is sitting on the fence debating if they should try the game or not? What you could you tell them about the content that they could expect when they get in to the game that could make them interested in Warhammer?
| | | | | | Spyke | | Sure, for someone that's kind of on the fence that isn't quite sure if they want to try things out, I would say to them basically that they want to try out our game because it's a different experience with a focus on RvR but with some excellent PvE that based on the lore that Warhammer has given us, the 25 years of lore that we really tap into. We've got a visual and artistic style with a tone via the text and the quests that's really unique. You know, you site down and read and you can see the overall story concept and the art that we've got going into things, as well as just trying out the RvR Aspect. Some of the things like our public quests, some of the things that we are using as our marketing bullet points, that really set us apart from the other games, those are the reasons why you want to try our game. Oh, and also because we're just awesome!
| | | | | | MMOFury |
| lol, good point. Well thank you for sitting down with us today, this year's PAX has been a blast and we look forward to the Warhammer Open Beta on the 7th.
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Last Updated on Monday, 02 February 2009 06:48 |
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NavyField Europe Gets Submarines |
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Written by ReesyCup
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Friday, 29 August 2008 03:20 |
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NavyField Europe Gets Submarines
NavyField Europe announced today the successful launching of Submarines and other August patch details and Events.
NFEU is saying, The first tier of Submarines launched on 28th of August and the next tier of Submarines will be updated on September Patch.
They also said, NFEU added Supper BB/CV balancing, German ship and gun balancing, Bonus Exp increase, CVs in Blitzkrieg, Blitzkrieg setting option, etc.
They are preparing the Submarine Event, Party-weekend Event and “Navylimpics” Event that community created specially and the Event joiner will have Submarine Model-Ship and many benefits of boosting and items as a prizes.
NFEU expect submarines will give new possibilities to play and improve the game-play of small ships as well as battleship have a new enemy now.
The user’s reaction is very hot and many of gamers are enjoying the new contents of Navyfield Europe.
Navyfield’s GNGWC (Game&Game World Championship) European Finals took place on the 21st of August at Games Convention in Leipzig and was a lot of fun for all participants.
The 1st place goes to Band of Brothers, the 2nd place goes to Hochseeflotte.
Both fleets received the ticket to Korea as a prize and will participate at the world final of Navyfield in Korea on November.
For more information for this news, you can check on www.navyfield.eu.
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Aion: The Tower of Eternity The Asmodian Ascension Quest |
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Written by ReesyCup
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Friday, 29 August 2008 03:19 |
Aion: The Tower of Eternity The Asmodian Ascension Quest
NCsoft® Europe presents details of what Asmodians must do in order to be able to fly in the epic and beautiful Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) RPG, Aion: The Tower of Eternity. The chance to earn your wings and become a Daeva comes relatively early in the life of every true Asmodian, though the path itself can be hard and somewhat mystifying. As you reach level 9 you discover that you must find the Asmodian known as Munin, who has been detained deep within the Ishalgen Prison Camp.
Trapped within a crystallized prison cell, Munin is your key to Ascension. This Daeva can discern the future, even trapped in his cell. This expert fortuneteller will be able to tell your future and how you will ascend to be a mighty Asmodian, but first he needs items that can help piece together your past. He will need these items, the cards of fate, from three different disciples in order to proceed.
The first appears as an old tailor by the name of Urd, who resides in Aldelle Village, which you should already be familiar with as it was one of the first places you would have passed through as a young Asmodian. Urd give you a card that represents your past—“I see two twisted creepers”—and sends you to the next disciple, the Old Lady Fortuneteller.
She lives out in the Munihele Forest, located roughly halfway between Aldelle Basin and the Prison Camp. You can find her near a small log cabin, well off the beaten path, where she goes by the name of Verdandi. The hermit will read your palm and gives you a card of fate detailing your present state, though you are warned you will not understand what it means (though Munin will).
Verdandi then directs you to your next and last stop, this time to have your future read by a young woman named Skuld. She resides on the cliffs above the sea just south of Anturoon Crossing. Be careful, this will be one of the most perilous journeys—the cliffs are swarming with Eyvindir pirates, who don’t take to people invading their private space lightly. Also beware of the Fang Karnifs, aggressive cat-like beasts that like to pick off stragglers or unsuspecting Asmodians.
Skuld will read your future and imprint it on yet another card. Now you must deliver all three cards back to Munin, which should be an easy run on the path all way north, back to the Ishalgen Prison Camp. Munin is pleased you’ve gathered the cards from his disciples, and his motives in helping you aren’t entirely clear, but evidently he intends to change the future he sees, and the only way to do so is through you—but first he must reveal your own future.
As he reads the cards, he begins to weave patterns in the Aether, and suddenly you are transported to an outer-worldly realm, wearing a full set of Asmodian armor; the sky is a mix of dark, blood-like colors, and scattered about are several giant, swirling vortices--Portals. This is the Abyss, the nether region nestled between the two shattered halves of Atreia, and you’re standing on one of the many small, floating rocky islands that dot the Abyss. You see a line of wounded Asmodian soldiers before you, but the apparent leader—Archon Legionary Hagen—beckons you forward.
The Asmodians are in a desperate struggle to attain the floating island of Narsass, but the Elyos Legatus known as Hellion is successfully standing in their way. You must fly to Narsass and defeat Hellion personally—that is your destiny. Immediately you spread your wings and spring off the island, passing groups of Asmodians and Elyos engaged in aerial combat, before you reach the foreboding Narsass.
After defeating several Elyos soldiers, you come up against Hellion himself, and the battle does not go well. You are soundly defeated after a blinding assault. Suddenly, you seem to recover, but you’re back in your old armor again, and the form of Munin appears nearby. “The future is not fixed,” he says, and he reveals that trying to change the future is why he was imprisoned in the first place. You agree to mutually help each other—Munin claims he will need help in the future, and in return he will help save your life down the line—but first you must become a Daeva and pick a class.
Once your specialized class has been chosen, you then teleport to Pandaemonium, the Asmodian capital, where you will need to talk to friendly Heimdall of the City Guard (he’s not hard to find). The formal Ascension ceremony takes place in the Great Temple of Pandaemonium and is overseen by the high priest, Balder. There is a great ceremony—some of the Asmodians will mock you, others will be more encouraging—where the elders recognize you as a Daeva, newly Ascended, ready to prove that the Asmodians hold the true power in Atreia. The ceremony ends with the granting of your new wings, which you can now use to fly and customize as you wish.
Now this is truly the time to take a hold of your destiny.
Aion Official Site
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Phoenix Dynasty Online: Four Times the Experience |
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Written by ReesyCup
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Friday, 29 August 2008 03:18 |
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Phoenix Dynasty Online: Four Times the Experience
Phoenix Dynasty Online is constantly evolving! Vividly we remember the release of the game’s first Beta in 2007; a great hit from Ingle Games in the USA. Throughout the following year, two refreshing patches containing a vast array of exciting supplements were injected into the game as new blood, forging a leading Chinese Kungfu MMORPG featuring enigmatic Five-Element Theory and authentic oriental features in this field. As time wore on, the game grew ever ripe and the celebration of its anniversary is upon us! More enjoyment to come very soon, the third content patch, Mummy Returns, is at hand. In the times of such stirring expectation and joviality, Ingle Games is excited to announce that during this week end as well as the following four weeks, all in-game experience gain will be fourfold. With the exciting changes, heightened efficiency you are sure to enjoy while playing!
With the newest patch released, the game will offer a multitude of scenarios of breathtaking adventures, and a host of unique living skills. Self-forged, heavily enchanted gears, efficacious alchemic potions along with your unmatched courage help scour numerous murky dungeons and wind-sweeping peaks that house swarms of blood thirsty monsters. In the course of players exploring harsh lands, they will uncover more and more hidden secrets and dark revelations woven in the complicated history in the times of warring chaos. On the other hand, GMs will continue their work by arranging more systemic and regular in-game activities as additional entertainments. Such activities as PVP tournament, Seek GMs. and we do plan to add new ones in the days to come!
We look forward to seeing you in the game, enjoy PDO!
Official Site
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