CATACALYSM

                                                              CATACALYSM

World of Warcraft Cataclysm has launched! This broad new expansion will feature many redesigns of the already huge game world. Two new races will also be added. There are two factions in the game that your character can align with, the Horde or Alliance. The Horde faction will recruit the deadly goblins into their ranks of battle hardened soldiers. The Alliance will unite with the Worgen (wolf like humanoids).  World of Warcraft is an MMORPG game set it a fantasy universe. There is a mass amount of content. Some people estimate the play time to be 8000+ hours to complete every objective in the game. The article was written by the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm-wow reviews and guides team. The authors give their own opinions as well as important facts.

The article explains many MMO retailing things that are significant to my own blog. The article gives us a synopsis of upcoming features.  It also states the prices for the games. The article gives quotes from Blizzard game producers. They say that “this expansion will shatter the previous expansion sales”.

I am very excited to enjoy the content is this World of Warcraft expansion.  Blizzard has(the creators of World of Warcraft) changed the entire game world to make it more eye appealing and worthwhile. Before the expansion, the world was bland with not many storyline quests. Know the whole game is refurbished with many storyline quests and vibrant detail. During the launch other people were so anxious to log in to get a head start on leveling. The queue to log in on my realm was over 2600!

http://www.wowction.com/2010/10/04/world-warcraft-cataclysm-launch-date/

EVE: INCURSION

                        EVE: Incursion

On December 1^st, CCP (the creators of EVE) released a new expansion, Incursion. The expansion is for EVE online. EVE online is a massively multiplayer online game set 30,000 years in the future. Players take on the role of capsuleers (clones) to fulfill their destiny in the Universe. The capsuleers are immortal, as long as their cloning vats stay online. This expansion brings many new things to the EVE online universe, one of those being the new character creation tool. Players will know have to ability to make a full bodied character.  The Incursion is based off of the attacks of Sanshas Nation. Sanshas Nation was originally a band of arms manufacturers, but as they were discovered, the four empires (Amarr, Gallente, Caldari, and Minmatar) took action against them. Ever since then, the remaining Sanshas Nation fleet has lived in worm holes. Know they seek retribution. The fleets have attacked many planets since May and have taken over 4,000,000 slaves/hostages. The article was written by the CCP news team.

The article gives details about Sanshas Nation incursions in real-space. It also states how many people were taken from the planets they have raided. The article gives information about the brand new character creation, and the removal of the learning skills (cumbersome skills that lower skill training time as a whole). I am excited to see what the game will be like with the new character creation, and the removal of learning skills, I am looking forward to more attacks from Sanshas Nation. On December 3^rd, CCP did a test on the removal of learning skills. The test was a success. More major updates will be available on December 13-15^th.

I am hoping that this expansion will be a great success. I also hope that it will bring more players to EVE online. The EVE game world itself is only one server. The estimated maximum amount of people allowed at one time online is 70,000. 300,000 people have registered accounts. CCP is doing their best to expand the number of players that can be online at one time. I personally have never seen the population rise above 51,000. I agree that CCP should re-create the character creation tool.  The old one has very outdated graphics. In this expansion the character creation character actually look like real-life people!

EVE: Incursion has launched, but the major updates have not. They are scheduled to release December 13-15^th.  The game will feature many new experiences, tools, and advancements to the already large game.

http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=824

:http://www.eveonline.com/en/incursion

http://www.eveonline.com/

Stay Frosty, Tango at 6 'o' Clock Low

I am doing an overview of a game called Combat Arms. Combat arms is a massively Multiplayer First Person Shooter. The game takes place in modern times where a mercenary (you) battles other mercenaries (players) to achieve the objective of the game type. There are many different types of weapons in the game. Over 175 different guns have been added since the games release. There are assault rifles, Sub-machine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and machine guns. The game is free to play but if you want a special item then you must purchase NX credit. NX credit ranges from $10 for 10,000 NX to $50 for 50,000 NX. The game is very fast paced and enjoyable. The article was found on IGN.com. The article was written by the IGN team. http://pc.ign.com/articles/112/1122704p1.html

I am looking for even more content for this game. It gets updates frequently to protect the game and its users from hackers and viruses. I am interested in the fact that the game never dies out like console fps’s such as the Call of Duty installments. The game has been around for quite a few years and its player base is growing steadily, with over 3million players. I am excited that Nexon now gives free hard- to- get items on the holidays. I am looking forward to getting very special items from Nexon’s new service.

I agree that Nexon is doing a good job with keeping its players happy. They do not have buggy servers like other fps game have. Combat Arms has the most players of an MMOFPS on the American market. I think it would be wise for Nexon to have a greater customer service department. They do not have many English speaking people working with Nexon (Nexon is a Korean company). As a result of this, Nexon’s costumer service usually takes a long time to respond to problems. Overall I think Combat Arms is the best MMOFPS game that I know of. There is so much choice and depth.

BUILD!!! BUILD!!! BUILD!!!

The game Minecraft indulges you in a free build type environment where almost anything is constructible. Players choose their own box looking avatar, they can then join a world where they  build huge structures in their very own space. If players want to have fun they can join an online free-build. If players want a challenge then they can join survival mode. In survival mode you must gather supplies and build a suitable shelter before day turns to night. Nighttime is a hostile environment. Zombies, enormous spiders, skeleton with bows and other nasty creatures will stop at nothing to kill you. The article was found at http://jayisgames.com/archives/2009/07/minecraft.php the article is written by DanTheArcher. The article itself is about the mechanics of Minecraft and the games focus.

This article shows you how much freedom you have in Minecraft. Anything that your mind thinks up, you can build. Whether that thought be a very large fortress or a huge spaceship. The resource in this game is blocks, which I found very interesting when I first saw the game. The entire world is made up of blocks that you can knock down, or build up. This allows a player to clear a patch of land, or just build onto it. Even the individual characters resemble block like shapes!

I was very surprised that this game was created in less than two weeks, yet it has sold about 250,000 game copies. That is estimated to be $3,250,000! This game has endless amounts of freedom. Another good thing is that the world is randomly generated so no two people will get the same world twice! I hope that the producers of this game create new graphics. The only thing that is missing in the game is a good graphic foundation. The texture and details are terrible. The game is still very enjoyable though. Anything is possible if you have the skill to build it.

Although Minecraft is still in early alpha, the game has great potential of selling millions of copies and becoming one of the best sandbox type MMO’s on the market. Minecraft is a great game for people who love to build and express themselves.

Minecraft castle (classic version of the game)


 http://i56.tinypic.com/f016ya.png--- Picture
http://jayisgames.com/archives/2009/07/minecraft.php --- Website review

Star Wars: Alderaan

Star Wars the Old Republic has released a new video about their upcoming MMORPG. It is about the player vs. player aspect of the game. Players can choose to play as either Sith or the Republic depending on what side they choose. The player vs. player looks very engaging as each character seems to be doing something important. The close combat characters are holding the other side at bay while the healing classes keep their health up. Some of the characters are getting into ambush positions (1:06). This character is most likely an imperial agent because they rely on stealth and ambush. To objective of the game is to capture the gun battery and possibly other objectives so you can secure the map. I also see that the player vs. player requires you to move around to survive. It looks very engaging!

The article explains what the battles will be like and the history of the planet Alderaan (where the battle takes place). In the trailer there are signs of vehicles such as jet bikes. I hope players are able to ride these into battle at insanely high speeds. This article interests me because it tells you the objectives. The players in the game look as if they have low-mid level armor so I plan on this warzone being available for players early on.

One thing I would like for Star Wars: The Old Republic to add in the article is more information. Many people look forward to this game but Bioware (the producers) have not yet revealed the release date. Many people think it will be released in April of 2011 but no one is 100 percent certain. I am hoping that the player vs. player in this game will be top notch in every way because it is what I look forward to the most. I cannot wait for this game to be released!

http://www.swtor.com/

Prepare For The Apocalypse...

Fallout: New Vegas Is a role playing game (RPG) in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda softworks. The game was released on October 19^th, 2010. The game takes place in a post apocalyptic wasteland, and specifically Las Vegas. Fallout New Vegas is similar to Fallout 3 (a previous RPG). Fallout New Vegas takes place in the year 2281, far from today. Throughout the game you will encounter many characters and villains. Areas of the wasteland house dangerous inhabitants. Slavers travel the lands looking for people to enslave and sell for caps (money). There are also ferocious raiders and super mutants who kill, maim, and destroy many human settlements. Everything from wolves and wild dogs to mutants and deadly clawed humanoids roam the wastes looking for prey. Fallout New Vegas has a very hostile world indeed. Players will also encounter factions. From the New California Republic who are thought to be good guys, to the slavers of Caesars Legion. Players can either use first person or third person view. This game has lots of choice and option that will affect the game world itself. I found the article on ign.com (http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/143/14341976.html%20 OR http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/112/1128957p1.html) which explains Fallout New Vegas. The article is written by Kristine Steimer and the ign team.

The article explains what you do in Fallout 3 and about the plethora of side quest you can fulfill. It also talks about how many areas you can explore, the weapons, and about the main character him/herself ( which is actually you). There are few spoilers in the review so players will be able to discover the world by themselves if they wish.

I am hoping that this game will live up to its name. Fallout 3 is considered one of the best RPG’s on the market. I am hoping that Fallout New Vegas will match it. Fallout New Vegas seems to have more options, such as joining factions and having about 7 different characters that can join you in your quest whether it is good or evil. I am looking forward to getting this game and witnessing how good it is for myself.

Skaven, Sieges, Super Weapons Oh My!

The article is written by Mythic Entertainment. The hosts are Andy Belford and Carrie Gouskos. http://mythicmktg.fileburst.com/war/us/home/flash/WAR_games_day_10.html

http://www.warhammeronline.com/index.php

Since 2008 Warhammer Online has reached out and touched the lives of over 500,000 players worldwide. Warhammer online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (or MMORPG for short) based off of the table-top battle game Warhammer Fantasy. Warhammer online relies heavily on RvR warfare. RvR is realm vs. realm warfare where players combat other players. Players can participate in RvR warfare even at level 1! Mythic Entertainment has recently released a sneak-peak of an expansion coming to Warhammer Online.

The article and preview mini-clip explains the changes coming to Warhammer Online. One new thing is the items shop. Now, players may be doubtful of this new add-on but I think it will be good for the game. The host's in the video state that there will be no "I win button items" like there are in other games. Another thing that players will get to experience is the brand new siege warfare. New siege weapons will be in place such as reaper bolt throwers and huge cannons. I am still only scratching the surface though. With the release of the new content, there will be a new race to play. The Skaven! The Skaven are rat men who live underground in their vast tunnels. They long to conquer the surface world. Players will be able to use all of this fresh content within the next few months. It surely sounds interesting!

 http://www.warhammeronline.com/index.php

I think they should add another race to Warhammer Online as well as the Skaven. This may create an imbalance between order (the good guys) and destruction (the bad guys). It is most likely that the skaven are going to be on the destruction faction because they are evil, unforgiving, and hate man-kind. This may mean that the Order may be outnumbered. I think this expansion will boost the player base if they can get the word out. As of this moment the player base is quite low with less than 60,000 players world-wide. They should add more types of RvR so player won’t have to keep doing the same thing over and over. If all goes right, we could see more people playing Warhammer Online in the near future. The new content should really refurbish the game.

BLOG RE-WRITE

 World Of Warcraft, is about to be changed forever with the release of the Cataclysm. The world will suffer a great sundering that will lead to new areas. new quests, and new enemies. The person who causes the sundering is named Deathwing. He is the main villain in World of Warcraft Cataclysm. The level cap will be raised to 85 ( from 80) and there will be two new races to play. The goblins, and the worgen. Almost everything will be re-done. The scenery will have more detail and the classes will have more abilities. Gamestop seems really excited to play this game!

    This article is interesting in many ways. It explains what will be going on during the sundering. The world will literally fall apart. Cracks will divide the world. Dragons and many other deadly creatures will invade the world. The release of the 3rd expansion for World of Warcraft will most defiantly take its rightful place in MMO history. Getting the chance to blog about the game is a blessing, as I play World Of Warcraft quite often.

   I am interested in finding out how this game will turn out. Hopefully Blizzard has put enough time and effort to make this a good game. Their latest expansion (Wrath of The Lich King) was lacking many game tools and it was dull and boring. Luckily, you can do many more things in this new expansion. I am very hyped up for the release! I am hoping that this game will grow into something larger than it already is.

http://mmomfg.com/2010/09/16/wow-cata-patch-0916/= article website

A Dark Millennium

       The company Games Workshop is partnered up with THQ and Vigil Games to create a new massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). It is set in the 41st millennium and it is based on one of the most successful table top games ever known, Warhammer 40,000. Warhammer 40,000 (or w40k for shor)t is a futuristic table-top game where players control armies of models. Players built and paint the models themselves. The game lore is very well written and very understandable. There is now an MMOG about it, meaning that players will be able to enjoy w40k on the table-top and on the computer! This article was found on http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/09/14/warhammer-40k-dark-millennium-online-preview-space-knights/. The article gives special previews for the game such as in-game screen shots. The article is written by Rich McCormick. He states that the game is most likely to be shooter game. I also agree with this. I also hope this is not a point and click game (such as Runescape), as the gameplay gets very repetitive.

     One thing I found interesting about this preview is that the game seems to be built on war. This probably means that there will be less peaceful pastimes such as player housing and crafting. Instead the three companies decided to bulk up Dark Millennium and add more action. This will probably in people who play first person shooter games such as Call of Duty. Dark Millennium will also have another twist, vehicles. From what Rich McCormick stated, there will be tons of vehicles, from huge titans (bi-pedal war machines) to nimble jet bikes (anti-gravity skimmers). They will all be available for players to pilot. I’m eager to find out how much action this game really has. If it does, then no other MMOFPS game could match it. Dark Millennium could possibly be an epic success or a terrible failure.

    I have been waiting for a w40k online game ever since I started playing the tabletop version in 2005. My friends and I used to play it quite a bit. I agree that this game should continue to be constructed. It will give MMO players something to get their blood rushing. The combat looks very exciting and fast paced! One thing I hope the three companies will add is more races. I only saw space marines (heavily armored good guys), imperial guard (humans), and Chaos space marines (the opposite and mortal enemies of the space marines). I really hope they add alien like races such as eldar (sleek armored humanoids). I am keeping an open mind about this game. It looks very nice, but as one of the first MMOFPS games created by a major company, it might not turn out as we want it to. Rich McCormick seems pretty excited to me. He seems eager that a MMOFPS game is going to be released.

   Overall this game looks to be pretty good. The nice graphics add to the appeal of the game. Dark Millennium should turn out well if the producers listen to what the players want and not what they want. This will make many Warhammer 40,000 fans happy. It will also lead to decent game sales. I am excited about an MMOFPS game based on my favorite tabletop game!

Lego Universe is live!!

                                               LEGO UNIVERSE

Friday October 8, 2010 Lego Universe goes live after years of development.

    Lego Universe is a massively multiplayer online game or MMOG/MMORPG for short.
You can create your own unique avatar and start constructing and having fun in a virtual 3d world! Players are able to build almost anything they wish, and use it. From castles to race cars and rockets, nothing is impossible. The main quest in the game is to save imagination from the deadly maelstrom villains. You can choose between four factions. The Sentinels (knights in armor). The Venture league (pirates with a taste for risk). Paradox (red ninjas). The Assembly (builders). Together they form the protectors of imagination, the Nexus Force. I found out about this article on MMO reviews and decided to do my own "review".

    I found out about this game going live on the Lego Universe website. It was supposed to launch October 16th for the people who pre-ordered it. I find this article interesting because it literally dissects all of the many different things you can do. From exploring to fighting monsters. It shows you the different building techniques and ways to build. I was planning on writing about this game once it was released. There it could have more relation to “Upcoming MMO's".

    I cannot wait until I can play this game. The article gives much detail and makes the game look very interesting and fun. I agree that this game is good. It will give young kids something to look forward to and to escape from the woes of homework and school for a few hours. This will make kids’ worldwide happier. This game will be very good from what I have seen. The game world is very expansive and players will have tons of fun exploring. http://www.mmoreviews.com/lego-universe/

EVE create a starship contest.

       

http://news.deviantart.com/article/128272/

                                    Create your own starship for a chance to win fabulous prizes and your ship added to EVE online!

Copyright CCP games. I do not own ANY of this content

<----Nyx supercarrier with battleship escort.       

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          Great news has behold EVE online players. CCP is teaming up with deviantART for a contest. Not just any contest though. A special contest which includes special reawrds. Until 11:59:59 October 13th, 2010. Players of EVE online can create a detailed sketch of there very own starship. Then submit it to CCP for a chance to have your starship added to the game and fabulous prizes.The website URL is: http://news.deviantart.com/article/128272/

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         This contest will give a fresh look at EVE online, as players submit their starships to see who will win and have their ship added to the game. This article/contest is interesting because it will most likely draw new players to the game who want to fly space ships and explore new solar systems. This relates to my previous blog because they are all fresh news updates.
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          I am interested in this because I want to see the different designs and what ship is the winner. I am also going to be submitting my own star ships to CCP to see if my ships get ranked. This will be a very pleasant experience for me. I will get to practice my drawing skills and learn more about EVE online. I  disagree about how many ships get placed into the game. I think CCP should boost it up to 3 (from 1) to give plaeyers a variety. Over all, I think players will have fun drawing and entering their ships. This "alliance" with deviantART will surely be worthwhile for CCP and devianART's sake.

                                                                             Great Prizes!

• $900
• Apple iPad (16 GB)
• Wacom Intuos4 Tablet (large)
• Nvidia GeForce 480 GTX
• dA PRO Digital Artist Backpack
• 16,000 deviantART Points
• A deviantART shirt of your choice*
• One year Premium Membership
  to deviantART

• $750
• Apple iPad (16 GB)
• Wacom Intuos4 Tablet (large)
• 12,000 deviantART Points
• A deviantART shirt of your choice*
• One year Premium Membership
  to deviantART

• $500
• Apple iPad (16 GB)
• Wacom Intuos4 Tablet (medium)
• 8,000 deviantART Points
• A deviantART shirt of your choice*
• One year Premium Membership
  to deviantART

*depending on availability

Everyone who submits an eligible entry will receive
a special gift from EVE Online!

                                                                      Rules


Entry must be received by 11:59:59 PM (PT) on October 13, 2010 and be submitted to the Contest gallery on www.deviantart.com 

• Entrants must be at least 13 years old;
• Entries must be in GIF, PNG, or JPG file format;
• Entries must depict a starship suitable for integration into EVE Online;
• The depiction in the Work must be of a Starship which, if it were in use in the game's universe, would have an equivalent size of 50 meters to 1000 meters in length proportioned to the human form.
• Entrants must indicate the length of the starship on their entry;
• Entries must be made by Entrant exclusively for this contest;
• Entries may not use any watermarks or distinguishing artist marks (such as signatures);
• Examples are provided for inspiration only. Entrant may not use the Examples in their work.
• You may submit more than one entry;
• Online entries only, hard copies not accepted;
• You must be a member of deviantART to enter.
  Membership is free.
• Entrants will need to provide six (6) views of their entry (all in the same image) – left, right, front, back, top and bottom. The six views are to provide accurate representation of details, measurements, and shapes. The six views should be clean, uncolored line drawings / illustrations / schematics of the exterior hull of the starship. If you’d like, you can include a fully shaded / colored view (a seventh view) of the starship in the entry as well.

SWTOR Mysteries of KOTOR

                                 Mysteries of the knights of the old republic

       It is said that the Jedi civil war left many questions.  The battles between Darth Revan and Darth Malak. And how the Jedi struggled to survive.

       In Star Wars The Old Republic, players can venture through ancient ruins of temples to find clues about Darth Revan and his past.. But adventurers beware, opposing forces lurk on both sides of the predicament.  Throughout the SWTOR world, players will fight monsters and the opposing faction alike.  I am guessing that players will be able to adventure inside the sith temples. But also that they must complete a quest before they can enter the dungeon. The video and small article does not give much information. It is my prediction that players don’t access the dungeon until after they complete a certain quest. In my opinion this will be an added challenge to get you prepared for the harder encounters. Star wars TOR will most surely have great battles and many characters not seen in the movies.





Jedi Knight Copyright Bioware. I do not own ANY of this artwork.


www.KOTOR.com
Unknown writer/editor

Upcoming MMO's by Derrick

                                                                                                                                                             Blog Introduction:

       Hello, my name is Derrick Phillips. I am doing a series of blog entries on upcoming and newly released mmo’s. Every week I will review a certain mmo and what it is like. I will do my best to keep you updated. I started playing massively multiplayer games when I was 9 years old. I started with Runescape but that game got pretty boring and dull in about a year. I then played World Of Warcraft.  I started my new gaming hobby at the age of 10. I was soon raiding with my guild mates and I still am today. Now I will share my gaming experiences with you so we can better understand the purpose and enjoyment of a multiplayer game. After World of Warcraft I moved to the complex game of EVE. A superior online game when compared to others.

 

        The interesting thing about mmo’s (and my blog) is that it is always changing. Usually in a persistent world such as Guild wars, nothing stays the same for long. People get new gear, they run instances (dungeons) and they enjoy slaying bosses. I love the thrill of fighting huge dragons and interacting with other people. The enjoyment of talking to your friends and forgetting about your real life worries is great. Playing an mmo lets you be a different person, say you’re a human but you want to be a troll. All you would have to do is create a character and start playing.  One my most favorite things to do in a massively multiplayer mmo is role-playing.  Role-playing is acting how your character would act.  It is like being that character instead of typing random stuff on the chat channel. Say if I was a dwarf. Instead of saying “Hey guys lets go questing c’mon!” I would say  “Hey lads lets go adventuring in that thar dungeon!” It provides a sense of importance to the game that you are playing.

     

     I picked mmo’s for many reasons. One of the reasons is that I love them. A lot of mmo’s have a large player base so you’ll never run out of people to talk to. Also, it provides a challenge. Taking down a boss takes coordination, skill, and timing. You can’t just charge in the chamber and think that you will succeed.  In my opinion computers have the best games. No console can match the diversity.