Sunday, February 3, 2013
The Best Minecraft Server
League of Legends Season 3 Has Arrived
League of Legends is changing again, and developer Riot Games is attempting to capture an even larger portion of the eSports audience with the launch of Season 3. This begins with the new League ranked play, which abandons the gigantic ladder system and puts groups of players into smaller leagues of 250. Each of these leagues falls into one of six skill tiers, with five divisions further dividing them.
If you win enough Ranked games you'll earn League Points. Earning 100 then unlocks an "advancement series," giving you a chance to play a best-of-three tournament to move up between divisions. Once you're at the top of your skill tier, you can play a best-of-five match to advance to the next skill tier. Reach the highest tier, called the Challenger Tier, and rise to top of this, and then you and your five-player team can play against the current pros for a chance to take their place.
Alongside the launch of Season 3, Riot Games has launched a new eSports hub. The idea is to have a website dedicated to the sport, instead of the hard-to-find sub-section of the main League of Legends site. Check it out at lolesports.com. Here you can find a full schedule of upcoming matches, something Riot hopes will make their Championship League easier to follow.
Additional changes have also been made to several champions and items, and you can read the full patch notes on the game's official site. To get some of the highlights, as well as a walkthrough of how the new League system will work, watch the patch preview video below.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
E3 2011: League of Legends: The Next Three Champions
Riot usually stays pretty tight-lipped about upcoming champions until a week or two before they're released, but at E3 this year Lead Champion Designer Ryan Scott told us exactly who is coming in the next few updates.
In the next patch, a brand new style of champion is joining the league. His name is Yorick, the Grave Digger, and he is the League's first minion-champion. All three of his primary abilities are called Rituals, and all trigger an effect when used, and simultaneously summon a short-lived ghost. The names of the abilities and the important numbers are still in flux, but the general concepts driving them are already settled on.
Yorick's first ability increases his movement and attack speed, and summons a ghost with high movement and attack damage that will chase the enemy for a few seconds. His second ability triggers a slowing area-of-effect ability and summons a ghost in the same spot. The ghost deals little in the way of damage, but has a slowing aura that will hinder the movement speed of any nearby foes. Yorick's third skill summons a ghost with 100% lifesteal, and the stolen health will also heal Yorick. The extra part of that ability is still being worked on.
Yorick's passive gives Yorick a stat-boost whenever a ghost is out, which makes playing Yorick effectively a case of mastering the ghost timing, and cycling through them similar to Udyr's stance-dancing. His ultimate is still up in the air, according to Scott.
After that, fans will be pleased to hear that Leona, the Radiant Dawn will be introduced. Leona is a strong, tanky initiator. Scott describes her as a "Sun Paladin," with her abilities tied to the giant, fiery ball above. Only her ultimate (which could still change) was described to me -- a circle of sunlight appears on the battlefield. Units who pass through it are slowed, and after a few seconds a plume of fire falls from the sky, stunning and dealing damage to everyone in the area. I was told she would also have an initiating ability and a crowd-control ability.
Then after Leona's launch comes Skarner, a massive, crystalline scorpion. All that is known about him, other than that he is an intelligent and terrifying crystal-friggin'-scorpion is that he is intended to be a tank/fighter. The ability they are currently testing on Skarner involves him impaling his target, allowing him to move with the enemy champion attached to his tail for a few seconds.
I asked Ryan Scott why there had been so few control champions -- characters adept at disabling, repositioning, stalling or otherwise incapacitating their enemies (rather than taking or dealing damage). The reason is simply that control champions are difficult to make feel rewarding to play as and really frustrating to play against. Scott made sure to cite an example. "Alistar is kind of a dick," he told me. Having played as and against the tanky minotaur, I have to agree.
So that's the next month and a half of League of Legends. Excited? Or were you hoping for something different?
In the next patch, a brand new style of champion is joining the league. His name is Yorick, the Grave Digger, and he is the League's first minion-champion. All three of his primary abilities are called Rituals, and all trigger an effect when used, and simultaneously summon a short-lived ghost. The names of the abilities and the important numbers are still in flux, but the general concepts driving them are already settled on.
Yorick's first ability increases his movement and attack speed, and summons a ghost with high movement and attack damage that will chase the enemy for a few seconds. His second ability triggers a slowing area-of-effect ability and summons a ghost in the same spot. The ghost deals little in the way of damage, but has a slowing aura that will hinder the movement speed of any nearby foes. Yorick's third skill summons a ghost with 100% lifesteal, and the stolen health will also heal Yorick. The extra part of that ability is still being worked on.
Yorick's passive gives Yorick a stat-boost whenever a ghost is out, which makes playing Yorick effectively a case of mastering the ghost timing, and cycling through them similar to Udyr's stance-dancing. His ultimate is still up in the air, according to Scott.
After that, fans will be pleased to hear that Leona, the Radiant Dawn will be introduced. Leona is a strong, tanky initiator. Scott describes her as a "Sun Paladin," with her abilities tied to the giant, fiery ball above. Only her ultimate (which could still change) was described to me -- a circle of sunlight appears on the battlefield. Units who pass through it are slowed, and after a few seconds a plume of fire falls from the sky, stunning and dealing damage to everyone in the area. I was told she would also have an initiating ability and a crowd-control ability.
Then after Leona's launch comes Skarner, a massive, crystalline scorpion. All that is known about him, other than that he is an intelligent and terrifying crystal-friggin'-scorpion is that he is intended to be a tank/fighter. The ability they are currently testing on Skarner involves him impaling his target, allowing him to move with the enemy champion attached to his tail for a few seconds.
I asked Ryan Scott why there had been so few control champions -- characters adept at disabling, repositioning, stalling or otherwise incapacitating their enemies (rather than taking or dealing damage). The reason is simply that control champions are difficult to make feel rewarding to play as and really frustrating to play against. Scott made sure to cite an example. "Alistar is kind of a dick," he told me. Having played as and against the tanky minotaur, I have to agree.
So that's the next month and a half of League of Legends. Excited? Or were you hoping for something different?
E3 2011: Soulcalibur V -- Sibling Rivalry
Sophitia's family has weathered incredible hardship. A beautiful warrior touched by the gods, Sophitia gave birth to two children: a son, Patroklos, and a daughter, Pyrrha. Due to Sophitia's involvement with the great swords of history, Pyrrha came under the influence of the evil blade Soul Edge as a child. Now, years later, battles will be waged by both Patroklos and Pyrrha, with the swords waiting at the center of the conflict. This is the stage for the story of Soulcalibur V.
Here at E3 2011, I sat down with Soulcalibur V Producer Hisaharu Tago to talk about the next member of the long-running Soulcalibur series. Patroklos and Pyrrha are not only the newest fighters in the Soulcalibur roster, but they'll also serve as the main characters of the story. Tago was unable to describe the specifics of the story, but it will take place 17 years after the events of Soulcalibur IV.
Soulcalibur V is still in its early stages, so I wasn't allowed to play personally. I did look on as Tago and another Namco Bandai representative showed off how Pyrrha and Patroklos perform in battle. Both warriors, like their mother before them, use short swords and shields. Patroklos looks to be an aggressive fighter with repeated, savage thrusts. His demeanor in the ring is confident and ferocious.
Pyrrha, alternatively, is a swifter, softer fighter. Her attacks, which often launch her opponent into the air, sport the same beauty as those of her mother. Pyrrha also vocally apologizes to her opponent mid-match when inflicting damage. This stands in stark contrast to Patroklos, who slams his sword against his shield in lofty boasts.
Pyrrha and Patroklos are just two of the new characters that will be introduced to the Soulcalibur universe. Tago noted that of the expected 20 to 30 character roster, half will be entirely new to the series. The other half might be familiar, but all will have aged and changed considerably over the 17 year gap that separates Soulcalibur V from the rest of the pack.
I don't know what else to expect in Soulcalibur V because it's still very early in development. But one thing's for sure: the fate of Sophitia's children is at stake, and you'll play a critical role in shaping it.
Here at E3 2011, I sat down with Soulcalibur V Producer Hisaharu Tago to talk about the next member of the long-running Soulcalibur series. Patroklos and Pyrrha are not only the newest fighters in the Soulcalibur roster, but they'll also serve as the main characters of the story. Tago was unable to describe the specifics of the story, but it will take place 17 years after the events of Soulcalibur IV.
Soulcalibur V is still in its early stages, so I wasn't allowed to play personally. I did look on as Tago and another Namco Bandai representative showed off how Pyrrha and Patroklos perform in battle. Both warriors, like their mother before them, use short swords and shields. Patroklos looks to be an aggressive fighter with repeated, savage thrusts. His demeanor in the ring is confident and ferocious.
Pyrrha, alternatively, is a swifter, softer fighter. Her attacks, which often launch her opponent into the air, sport the same beauty as those of her mother. Pyrrha also vocally apologizes to her opponent mid-match when inflicting damage. This stands in stark contrast to Patroklos, who slams his sword against his shield in lofty boasts.
Pyrrha and Patroklos are just two of the new characters that will be introduced to the Soulcalibur universe. Tago noted that of the expected 20 to 30 character roster, half will be entirely new to the series. The other half might be familiar, but all will have aged and changed considerably over the 17 year gap that separates Soulcalibur V from the rest of the pack.
I don't know what else to expect in Soulcalibur V because it's still very early in development. But one thing's for sure: the fate of Sophitia's children is at stake, and you'll play a critical role in shaping it.
E3 2011: Skyrim: It's in the Details
Listening to Bethesda Game Studios explain its latest Elder Scrolls game in demo sessions can be a bit overwhelming. It's impossible to try and squeeze everything from the game into something like a half-hour session, so many throwaway comments made while the demo's running could gloss over a feature that represents tens of hours of gameplay. There's so much going on in Skyrim, from dramatic encounters with dragons to the ways you can disrupt the economies of individual towns by messing with their lumber mills, that it's great to see Bethesda hasn't overlooked the details either.
By details, I mean the finer points of the presentation. The way fish will jump up small waterfalls in swift streams, or the way clouds drift around the peaks of craggy, snow-clogged mountain peaks. I mean the way the horses animate with a noticeable sense of weight to each hoof step as you ride them up rocky passes into hostile territory. The way every spell you equip produces a different effect in your character's hand, like shards of light while the Circle of Protection spell is active and strips of electrical energy for your lightning spell.
I know these types of things may seem minor, but I've always felt detail like this does a lot to make the world more believable. If you get attacked by a frost dragon, for instance, its frigid breath will coat your equipped axe in ice. It's an effect that's so logical it can easily be overlooked, but one that lends even more of a sense of excitement to the battle.
This attention to the finer points of presentation extends to the interface, reworked in Skyrim to be less cluttered. Your character's skills are displayed as star constellations, and as you dive into each to see the individual perks contained within they're displayed as stars within each celestial pattern. The text that pops up while in conversation and while quick-swapping weapons and armor is designed to be unobtrusive, so it that it doesn't feel like it's calling any more attention to itself than it has to. Models of all the items, from the more impressive pieces of armor and weapons down to individual herbs, can be inspected, rotated and zoomed in on however you see fit.
Effects big and small, from the bassy thud of dragons as they slam down to the ground from the sky to the multitudes of books you can read in your inventory, make me look forward to Skyrim all the more. Maybe these details are something a more casual role-playing fan might not care as much about, but to me it shows an extreme level of care.
By details, I mean the finer points of the presentation. The way fish will jump up small waterfalls in swift streams, or the way clouds drift around the peaks of craggy, snow-clogged mountain peaks. I mean the way the horses animate with a noticeable sense of weight to each hoof step as you ride them up rocky passes into hostile territory. The way every spell you equip produces a different effect in your character's hand, like shards of light while the Circle of Protection spell is active and strips of electrical energy for your lightning spell.
I know these types of things may seem minor, but I've always felt detail like this does a lot to make the world more believable. If you get attacked by a frost dragon, for instance, its frigid breath will coat your equipped axe in ice. It's an effect that's so logical it can easily be overlooked, but one that lends even more of a sense of excitement to the battle.
This attention to the finer points of presentation extends to the interface, reworked in Skyrim to be less cluttered. Your character's skills are displayed as star constellations, and as you dive into each to see the individual perks contained within they're displayed as stars within each celestial pattern. The text that pops up while in conversation and while quick-swapping weapons and armor is designed to be unobtrusive, so it that it doesn't feel like it's calling any more attention to itself than it has to. Models of all the items, from the more impressive pieces of armor and weapons down to individual herbs, can be inspected, rotated and zoomed in on however you see fit.
Effects big and small, from the bassy thud of dragons as they slam down to the ground from the sky to the multitudes of books you can read in your inventory, make me look forward to Skyrim all the more. Maybe these details are something a more casual role-playing fan might not care as much about, but to me it shows an extreme level of care.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
NGP Offically Named Vita, Gets Priced and Dated
Update: The system is coming this holiday season at two price points. The Wi-Fi-only model will retail for $249.99, while the 3G-equipped model will cost $299.99.
Original Story: Sony confirmed the rumors and reports that have been going around recently that the PlayStation Portable's successor will be known as PlayStation Vita.
The 3G-enabled model of Vita will be powered exclusively by AT&T, a revelation that was met with moans and groans from many of those in attendance. Those with AT&T service plans will be entitled to free Wi-Fi access at 24,000 hotspots around the country.
Sony is pushing the system's connected features. "Party" allows you to be in a game room together with other PSN users that you can voice chat with either through an external microphone or a built-in mic, regardless of what game you're currently playing. "Near" allows you to connect and play with other Vita users nearby, recommend content, compare Trophies, and do other social things.
As of this writing, no release date or price has been announced.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm Preview
In the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm's opening cinematic, shots are being fired. Everything is in chaos. There’s no indication where we might be other than it looks like a high-tech Terran facility. Just when we begin to get our bearings, Nova, the female Ghost from StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty comes on screen and frantically yells “Find Kerrigan!” Jim Raynor, the hero marine comes into view, shooting his way through the facility. He blasts open a huge door and finally comes upon a room where he meets up with Kerrigan. She looks human and is wearing her staple Ghost outfit, but her hair is still distinctly Zerg, and she looks to be summoning some sort of force.
This is how our demo of the first StarCraft 2 expansion, StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, campaign began. If you didn’t get a chance to play through the SC2:WoL campaign, beware, as spoilers lay ahead. And by ahead I mean right now, so turn away if need be and come back when you've finished the game.
So WoL ended with Raynor saving Kerrigan and supposedly ridding his love of her Zerg infestation, yet it’s unclear from the video why, once again, Kerrigan might be fighting with the Zerg; many other story-related questions still remain unanswered as well. What we do know is that Kerrigan’s Zerg powers have returned, and that she’s ready to kick some ass.
Right from the start, Heart of the Swarm feels different than Wings of Liberty. Kerrigan is basically a monster goddess who can control millions of Zerg units (a.k.a. Swarm) unlike in WoL where you control Jim Raynor who, on his best day, has a chance at maybe annoying his adversary Arcturus Mengsk with a measly force. This time around Blizzard wanted to give players that sense of absolute power. If Kerrigan tells her Zerg to die for her, they don’t get upset, they say “How many?” Now players will feel that responsibility of being the Queen of Blades.
To give off the sense that Kerrigan is truly a Supreme Being, players will be able to upgrade her using the newly introduced Battle Focus system. Battle Focus adds a role-playing game aspect to Heart of the Swarm, as it allows players to choose the style in which Kerrigan will fight. For the demo, only two focuses were unlocked, Corruption and Spec Ops, but there was space on the screen for up to four. Each focus seemed to come with a passive stat increase and a few abilities. Kerrigan can only have one battle focus equipped at a time, and she gains new abilities for each focus as she levels up. Here’s how the two focuses we saw worked (keep in mind the first bullet is a passive stat increase and the next bullets are general abilities unless stated otherwise):
Spec Ops Kerrigan:
Gains passive +50 Energy
Pulse: Deals light damage and stuns an area of enemies for three seconds
Psionic Shadow: Kerrigan clones herself and the hallucination deals half damage to enemies
Infested Cortex: Another +50 Passive Energy
Corruption Kerrigan:
Gains passive +3 Armor
Spawn Broodling: Instantly kills enemy unit and spawns five Broodlings (Massive and Hero units are immune)
Corrosive Spores: Area of effect ability, units in the area take +3 damage
What’s nice is that the focuses can be switched at any time between missions, and you're encouraged to do so. Kerrigan can also gain more health and energy through resources found while exploring various areas of missions, adding even more role-playing elements. It truly feels like you’re making a hero out of Kerrigan this time around as you upgrade her and play her as you choose. You check out and change Kerrigan’s stats and focus by clicking on her before missions start in the newly redesigned sets.
For HotS, Blizzard wanted to design a new way to built sets before you head in to missions. In HotS, Kerrigan will travel in style in her Leviathan, a massive jellyfish looking ship, and yes, you get to explore the insides of it. For each planet Kerrigan wants to conquer, the Leviathan will “land,” and between missions and upgrading and evolving units, the background of the Leviathan set will change. In WoL, players would continuously return to the Cantina, which got repetitive. For HotS, as you progress through the campaign and conquer more planets, the background will always be changing. For example, we landed on Char, a planet that is at first overrun with Terran units who have built new structures, which we can see in the background. After completing two or three missions on Char, the Terran structures in the background burn and crumble, giving you an immediate, “Wow, I did that!” feeling directly after each mission.
The sets also come equipped with two of Kerrigan’s trusty advisors: Abathur and Izsha. Abathur is the advisor in charge of the Evolution Chamber, while Izsha is the memory of Kerrigan as the Queen of Blades. She seemed to be more of the point person (Swarmling?) for the missions than anything. They both offer helpful advice and insight for the missions, but I found Abathur to be more interesting.
Abathur runs the Evolution Chamber in Heart of the Swarm, the equivalent to Wings of Liberty’s Armory. In Heart of the Swarm, unit upgrades are treated a bit differently, this time offering fundamentally different units based on how you choose to upgrade them. Each Zerg unit in Heart of the Swarm will come with three available upgrades and the option to evolve them into a whole new unit that will change its appearance and abilities (like in Pokemon). Upgrades and Evolutions can be purchased with DNA Mutagen that is found on planets while completing missions. The idea is that by the end of the campaign my Swarm will not only look different from my friend’s, but they will act different as well. Here’s a full breakdown for the three units we played as: Zergling, Baneling, and Roach:
Zerglings are the staple Zerg unit. Aside from worker Drones, they are the first unit that you use, and they can eventually morph into Banelings. They are melee units that hatch in a pair and can be upgraded the following ways:
Zergling Upgrades:
Metabolic Boost (1 DNA): Increases Zerling speed by 33%
Posthumous Mitosis (1 DNA): 20% chance to instantly spawn Zergling upon another ling’s death
Rapid Genesis (2 DNA): Zerglings instantly hatch
Zergling Evolutions:
Swarmling: Zerglings now spawn in groups of three (instead of two) at no extra cost
Raptor: Zerglings will now leap to enemies and gain 10 extra health
Banelings are explosive Zerg units that have no melee attack. When they come into contact with either other units or structures, they explode into adorable Zerg goo and deal massive damage. They can be upgraded in the following ways:
Baneling Upgrades:
Viscous Discharge (1 DNA): Upon explosion Banelings will cover their target in goo that slows their movement speed by 25%
Centrifugal Hooks (1 DNA): Increases the movement speed of Banelings by 25%
Rupture (2 DNA): Baneling splash radius increased by 25%
Baneling Evolutions:
Splitterling: Upon explosion Banelings will split into two smaller units, this effect happens twice.
Gorgeling: Reduces killed structures in to resources
Roaches are heavily armored Zerg units that can only attack other ground units. The staple of a Roach is that, if it uses its burrow ability, it can hide underground and regain its health rather quickly.
Roach Upgrades:
Chitnous Plating (1 DNA): Adds +1 armor to Roaches
Bile Ducts (1 DNA): Adds +2 damage to Roaches
Organic Carapace (2 DNA): Adds +2 life regen to Roaches
Roach Evolutions:
Prowler: Roaches can now move while burrowed
Leech: Roaches now gain 10 life per kill (up to 60) and they heal more rapidly while burrowed
While there were only three available units to play with in the demo, there is plenty of space in the Evolution Chamber to house a variety of others. The same can be said for the bridge, as only Kerrigan, Abathur, and Izsha were showcased in this build. However, there’s plenty of space for more characters, and I’m sure even more areas of the Leviathan will be utilized in the final version.
We only saw two missions and three new units in our StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm hands-on preview, but it’s evident that a lot is changing this time around. The sets have an entirely new feel, Kerrigan seems more like a hero unit than Jim Raynor ever did with the Battle Focus mechanic, and unit upgrades, while similar to unit upgrades from Wings of Liberty, do feel more personalized this time around, especially with the evolution aspect. It will be interesting to see the direction that HotS goes from here. As someone who loved the first StarCraft 2 campaign, I’d say so far so good.
This is how our demo of the first StarCraft 2 expansion, StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, campaign began. If you didn’t get a chance to play through the SC2:WoL campaign, beware, as spoilers lay ahead. And by ahead I mean right now, so turn away if need be and come back when you've finished the game.
So WoL ended with Raynor saving Kerrigan and supposedly ridding his love of her Zerg infestation, yet it’s unclear from the video why, once again, Kerrigan might be fighting with the Zerg; many other story-related questions still remain unanswered as well. What we do know is that Kerrigan’s Zerg powers have returned, and that she’s ready to kick some ass.
Right from the start, Heart of the Swarm feels different than Wings of Liberty. Kerrigan is basically a monster goddess who can control millions of Zerg units (a.k.a. Swarm) unlike in WoL where you control Jim Raynor who, on his best day, has a chance at maybe annoying his adversary Arcturus Mengsk with a measly force. This time around Blizzard wanted to give players that sense of absolute power. If Kerrigan tells her Zerg to die for her, they don’t get upset, they say “How many?” Now players will feel that responsibility of being the Queen of Blades.
To give off the sense that Kerrigan is truly a Supreme Being, players will be able to upgrade her using the newly introduced Battle Focus system. Battle Focus adds a role-playing game aspect to Heart of the Swarm, as it allows players to choose the style in which Kerrigan will fight. For the demo, only two focuses were unlocked, Corruption and Spec Ops, but there was space on the screen for up to four. Each focus seemed to come with a passive stat increase and a few abilities. Kerrigan can only have one battle focus equipped at a time, and she gains new abilities for each focus as she levels up. Here’s how the two focuses we saw worked (keep in mind the first bullet is a passive stat increase and the next bullets are general abilities unless stated otherwise):
Spec Ops Kerrigan:
Gains passive +50 Energy
Pulse: Deals light damage and stuns an area of enemies for three seconds
Psionic Shadow: Kerrigan clones herself and the hallucination deals half damage to enemies
Infested Cortex: Another +50 Passive Energy
Corruption Kerrigan:
Gains passive +3 Armor
Spawn Broodling: Instantly kills enemy unit and spawns five Broodlings (Massive and Hero units are immune)
Corrosive Spores: Area of effect ability, units in the area take +3 damage
What’s nice is that the focuses can be switched at any time between missions, and you're encouraged to do so. Kerrigan can also gain more health and energy through resources found while exploring various areas of missions, adding even more role-playing elements. It truly feels like you’re making a hero out of Kerrigan this time around as you upgrade her and play her as you choose. You check out and change Kerrigan’s stats and focus by clicking on her before missions start in the newly redesigned sets.
For HotS, Blizzard wanted to design a new way to built sets before you head in to missions. In HotS, Kerrigan will travel in style in her Leviathan, a massive jellyfish looking ship, and yes, you get to explore the insides of it. For each planet Kerrigan wants to conquer, the Leviathan will “land,” and between missions and upgrading and evolving units, the background of the Leviathan set will change. In WoL, players would continuously return to the Cantina, which got repetitive. For HotS, as you progress through the campaign and conquer more planets, the background will always be changing. For example, we landed on Char, a planet that is at first overrun with Terran units who have built new structures, which we can see in the background. After completing two or three missions on Char, the Terran structures in the background burn and crumble, giving you an immediate, “Wow, I did that!” feeling directly after each mission.
The sets also come equipped with two of Kerrigan’s trusty advisors: Abathur and Izsha. Abathur is the advisor in charge of the Evolution Chamber, while Izsha is the memory of Kerrigan as the Queen of Blades. She seemed to be more of the point person (Swarmling?) for the missions than anything. They both offer helpful advice and insight for the missions, but I found Abathur to be more interesting.
Abathur runs the Evolution Chamber in Heart of the Swarm, the equivalent to Wings of Liberty’s Armory. In Heart of the Swarm, unit upgrades are treated a bit differently, this time offering fundamentally different units based on how you choose to upgrade them. Each Zerg unit in Heart of the Swarm will come with three available upgrades and the option to evolve them into a whole new unit that will change its appearance and abilities (like in Pokemon). Upgrades and Evolutions can be purchased with DNA Mutagen that is found on planets while completing missions. The idea is that by the end of the campaign my Swarm will not only look different from my friend’s, but they will act different as well. Here’s a full breakdown for the three units we played as: Zergling, Baneling, and Roach:
Zerglings are the staple Zerg unit. Aside from worker Drones, they are the first unit that you use, and they can eventually morph into Banelings. They are melee units that hatch in a pair and can be upgraded the following ways:
Zergling Upgrades:
Metabolic Boost (1 DNA): Increases Zerling speed by 33%
Posthumous Mitosis (1 DNA): 20% chance to instantly spawn Zergling upon another ling’s death
Rapid Genesis (2 DNA): Zerglings instantly hatch
Zergling Evolutions:
Swarmling: Zerglings now spawn in groups of three (instead of two) at no extra cost
Raptor: Zerglings will now leap to enemies and gain 10 extra health
Banelings are explosive Zerg units that have no melee attack. When they come into contact with either other units or structures, they explode into adorable Zerg goo and deal massive damage. They can be upgraded in the following ways:
Baneling Upgrades:
Viscous Discharge (1 DNA): Upon explosion Banelings will cover their target in goo that slows their movement speed by 25%
Centrifugal Hooks (1 DNA): Increases the movement speed of Banelings by 25%
Rupture (2 DNA): Baneling splash radius increased by 25%
Baneling Evolutions:
Splitterling: Upon explosion Banelings will split into two smaller units, this effect happens twice.
Gorgeling: Reduces killed structures in to resources
Roaches are heavily armored Zerg units that can only attack other ground units. The staple of a Roach is that, if it uses its burrow ability, it can hide underground and regain its health rather quickly.
Roach Upgrades:
Chitnous Plating (1 DNA): Adds +1 armor to Roaches
Bile Ducts (1 DNA): Adds +2 damage to Roaches
Organic Carapace (2 DNA): Adds +2 life regen to Roaches
Roach Evolutions:
Prowler: Roaches can now move while burrowed
Leech: Roaches now gain 10 life per kill (up to 60) and they heal more rapidly while burrowed
While there were only three available units to play with in the demo, there is plenty of space in the Evolution Chamber to house a variety of others. The same can be said for the bridge, as only Kerrigan, Abathur, and Izsha were showcased in this build. However, there’s plenty of space for more characters, and I’m sure even more areas of the Leviathan will be utilized in the final version.
We only saw two missions and three new units in our StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm hands-on preview, but it’s evident that a lot is changing this time around. The sets have an entirely new feel, Kerrigan seems more like a hero unit than Jim Raynor ever did with the Battle Focus mechanic, and unit upgrades, while similar to unit upgrades from Wings of Liberty, do feel more personalized this time around, especially with the evolution aspect. It will be interesting to see the direction that HotS goes from here. As someone who loved the first StarCraft 2 campaign, I’d say so far so good.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Sims 3: Generations Review
The Sims 3: Generations bucks Sims expansion conventions. Previous Sims 3 expansions have offered meaty updates that enhance the classic life-simulation experience with new gameplay features and a glut of new items, like world exploration, hands-on professions, and even a vampire nightlife. The changes and nuances are more subtle in The Sims 3: Generations. I still got a kick out of giving my Sims über-hairy man chests, making "Woo-Hoo" in the shower, lighting bags of dog feces on fire, and creating home videos of my various shenanigans. But the value proposition falls a little short.
The Sims 3: Generations focuses on fleshing out and expanding the depth of the different stages of your Sims' lives instead of drastic changes to the core game. Unfortunately, it's hard to pinpoint the bulk of the new content unless you really dive back into the flow of Sim life and experiment. Even then, much of it is easy to miss. New options are woven into each of the main phases of Sim-life, from stumbling around as a toddler to growing old. Most of the updates don't jump readily out at you, though it's the teen and adult stretches that see the most interesting and exciting changes. Some of the more forgettable new features are strange additions, like optional body hair for male characters or the Sim mid-life crisis. But at least a few updates in The Sims 3: Generations have a meaningful impact on the gameplay.
Younger Sims in Generations will find extra content themed around imagination, creativity and playfulness. Babies come with a doll that can turn into an imaginary friend that only they can see. Fiddling around with chemistry can make their invisible pal a permanent addition to the household, which is a cool touch. This introduces a subtle extra level of task-oriented gameplay that made it more fun to manage my Sim kids. Hardcore Sims enthusiasts will eat up the new kid-centric items like playground structures, tree houses, and hop scotch pads, but I got more mileage out the updated toy boxes that let me encourage my virtual tykes to dress up in silly costumes and act out fantasy roles. Watching them parade around the house in a pink T-Rex suit or brandishing a magic wand as a wizardly prince is at least worth a few laughs, even if it's not a huge addition.
Things really ramp up for teen Sims. They can throw parties and attend special social events, and pubescent Sims also have raging hormones to contend with. They'll undergo wild mood swings at random – usually to comic effect. When this happens, they're prone to acts of rebellion, which is where Generations' new prank feature shines. Rebellious Sims can rig faucets to explode, plant whoopee cushions, and stick hair dye in the shower, and pranks get crazier when pulled on neighbors. It's easily my favorite fresh element in the game, as it injects some extra randomness and added comic relief into the daily grind.
At one point my angst-ridden teen followed me to the abode of a potential love interest to cause trouble. He hurled eggs at her porch and flung them at my prospective date when she came outside to yell at him. This continued until the cops came to haul him to jail for the night. Good times.
Thankfully Generations also grants parents the ability to punish their brats, from simple grounding and chores to boarding school. The dynamic between pranks and punishments makes for some hilarious moments. It was also amusing to see my younger Sims take things into their own mischievous hands when left unsupervised.
Adults have new opportunities to cut loose too. Expanded party events let you throw elaborate wedding ceremonies and bachelor/bachelorette parties, but it's not a free-for-all. There's a new romantic relationship system that tracks any romantic activities you engage in throughout your travels, and other Sims take notice of your romances. You earn a reputation based on whether you're faithful or attempt to steal other people's spouses. While it's another opportunity to wreak havoc, it's a rather dull addition though.
Other notable features were also worth exploring. The new Daycare profession has neighborhood Sims dumping their kids on your doorstep each day, and it was surprisingly fun to juggle their occasional tantrums, emergencies, and happiness. Purchasing new video camera items lets your characters record short home movies that they can watch on their TV sets. The best part was sitting down and popping these in the TV to replay those wacky moments, and this is easily one of the most creative features added into Generations.
Closing Comments
The majority of the new features introduced in The Sims 3: Generations are enjoyable enough to fiddle with, but none of them are major game changers. Greater depth to the different life stages provides enough fresh material to make it worth revisiting your Sims’ worlds for another go around, particularly when it comes to pranking neighbors with flaming dog poo and other mischievous tricks. But Generations doesn’t usher in the same level of sweeping change found in the last few expansions. As a result, it comes across as a weak link in the chain.
The Sims 3: Generations focuses on fleshing out and expanding the depth of the different stages of your Sims' lives instead of drastic changes to the core game. Unfortunately, it's hard to pinpoint the bulk of the new content unless you really dive back into the flow of Sim life and experiment. Even then, much of it is easy to miss. New options are woven into each of the main phases of Sim-life, from stumbling around as a toddler to growing old. Most of the updates don't jump readily out at you, though it's the teen and adult stretches that see the most interesting and exciting changes. Some of the more forgettable new features are strange additions, like optional body hair for male characters or the Sim mid-life crisis. But at least a few updates in The Sims 3: Generations have a meaningful impact on the gameplay.
Younger Sims in Generations will find extra content themed around imagination, creativity and playfulness. Babies come with a doll that can turn into an imaginary friend that only they can see. Fiddling around with chemistry can make their invisible pal a permanent addition to the household, which is a cool touch. This introduces a subtle extra level of task-oriented gameplay that made it more fun to manage my Sim kids. Hardcore Sims enthusiasts will eat up the new kid-centric items like playground structures, tree houses, and hop scotch pads, but I got more mileage out the updated toy boxes that let me encourage my virtual tykes to dress up in silly costumes and act out fantasy roles. Watching them parade around the house in a pink T-Rex suit or brandishing a magic wand as a wizardly prince is at least worth a few laughs, even if it's not a huge addition.
Things really ramp up for teen Sims. They can throw parties and attend special social events, and pubescent Sims also have raging hormones to contend with. They'll undergo wild mood swings at random – usually to comic effect. When this happens, they're prone to acts of rebellion, which is where Generations' new prank feature shines. Rebellious Sims can rig faucets to explode, plant whoopee cushions, and stick hair dye in the shower, and pranks get crazier when pulled on neighbors. It's easily my favorite fresh element in the game, as it injects some extra randomness and added comic relief into the daily grind.
At one point my angst-ridden teen followed me to the abode of a potential love interest to cause trouble. He hurled eggs at her porch and flung them at my prospective date when she came outside to yell at him. This continued until the cops came to haul him to jail for the night. Good times.
Thankfully Generations also grants parents the ability to punish their brats, from simple grounding and chores to boarding school. The dynamic between pranks and punishments makes for some hilarious moments. It was also amusing to see my younger Sims take things into their own mischievous hands when left unsupervised.
Adults have new opportunities to cut loose too. Expanded party events let you throw elaborate wedding ceremonies and bachelor/bachelorette parties, but it's not a free-for-all. There's a new romantic relationship system that tracks any romantic activities you engage in throughout your travels, and other Sims take notice of your romances. You earn a reputation based on whether you're faithful or attempt to steal other people's spouses. While it's another opportunity to wreak havoc, it's a rather dull addition though.
Other notable features were also worth exploring. The new Daycare profession has neighborhood Sims dumping their kids on your doorstep each day, and it was surprisingly fun to juggle their occasional tantrums, emergencies, and happiness. Purchasing new video camera items lets your characters record short home movies that they can watch on their TV sets. The best part was sitting down and popping these in the TV to replay those wacky moments, and this is easily one of the most creative features added into Generations.
Closing Comments
The majority of the new features introduced in The Sims 3: Generations are enjoyable enough to fiddle with, but none of them are major game changers. Greater depth to the different life stages provides enough fresh material to make it worth revisiting your Sims’ worlds for another go around, particularly when it comes to pranking neighbors with flaming dog poo and other mischievous tricks. But Generations doesn’t usher in the same level of sweeping change found in the last few expansions. As a result, it comes across as a weak link in the chain.
E3 2011: Batman: Arkham City Gets a Batarang Controller
If wielding Batarangs in RockSteady's upcoming Batman: Arkham City isn't enough to satisfy you, Power A is teaming up with Warner Bros. to produce a new Batarang controller for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The new Batarang controller is styled to look like – you guessed it – a Batarang complete with a gray finish, Batman-themed buttons, LED illumination, and textured rubber grips.
The PlayStation 3 version will support a wireless USB transmitter, while the Xbox 360 controller will be wired via a 10 foot USB cable.
The Power A Batarang controller will launch alongside the game in North America on October 18.
The new Batarang controller is styled to look like – you guessed it – a Batarang complete with a gray finish, Batman-themed buttons, LED illumination, and textured rubber grips.
The PlayStation 3 version will support a wireless USB transmitter, while the Xbox 360 controller will be wired via a 10 foot USB cable.
The Power A Batarang controller will launch alongside the game in North America on October 18.
Paramount Digital Entertainment Unveils Star Trek
Los Angeles, CA - Paramount Digital Entertainment confirmed today that Star Trek will be coming to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in summer 2012. With an original story and unprecedented co-op experience, the game casts players as Kirk and Spock for the first time ever.
The game, which continues the adventure that director and producer J.J. Abrams envisioned with Star Trek (2009), boasts a stand alone story filled with action-packed combat as Kirk and Spock must work together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.
"Star Trek challenges the boundaries of co-op gameplay with a galactic adventure that gamers and fans have never experienced," said Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment. "Working closely with the Star Trek filmmaking team throughout development, the game is sure to deliver AAA production values, a wide variety of gameplay and all the action you would expect from the hit franchise. This will be the definitive Star Trek gaming experience."
Star Trek features an original story by BAFTA award winner and God of War writer, Marianne Krawczyk, in collaboration with the writer/producers of the new Star Trek films, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
The game is under development by Digital Extremes (Bioshock 2, Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector, The Darkness II), working closely with Bad Robot, K/O Paper Products and Damon Lindelof and published by Paramount Digital Entertainment through a license with CBS Consumer Products. Star Trek will be available in stores 2012.
Paramount Digital Entertainment will be providing a first look at the title to press during the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, June 7-9, 2011.
About Paramount Digital Entertainment
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, and emerging technologies.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.
The game, which continues the adventure that director and producer J.J. Abrams envisioned with Star Trek (2009), boasts a stand alone story filled with action-packed combat as Kirk and Spock must work together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.
"Star Trek challenges the boundaries of co-op gameplay with a galactic adventure that gamers and fans have never experienced," said Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment. "Working closely with the Star Trek filmmaking team throughout development, the game is sure to deliver AAA production values, a wide variety of gameplay and all the action you would expect from the hit franchise. This will be the definitive Star Trek gaming experience."
Star Trek features an original story by BAFTA award winner and God of War writer, Marianne Krawczyk, in collaboration with the writer/producers of the new Star Trek films, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
The game is under development by Digital Extremes (Bioshock 2, Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector, The Darkness II), working closely with Bad Robot, K/O Paper Products and Damon Lindelof and published by Paramount Digital Entertainment through a license with CBS Consumer Products. Star Trek will be available in stores 2012.
Paramount Digital Entertainment will be providing a first look at the title to press during the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, June 7-9, 2011.
About Paramount Digital Entertainment
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, and emerging technologies.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.
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