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SWTOR increases Sniper damage, fixes bugs, and cures the Rakghoul plague

Larry Everett — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Patches, PvE, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Snipers and Gunslingers should be happy about the changes to Star Wars: The Old Republic this morning. Five of their most prominent abilities have received a 5% increase in damage output. With the latest patch 1.2.1, abilities like Snipe, Charged Burst, Aim Shot, and Ambush now have a measurable difference in damage output.

Although Snipers and Gunslingers were the only classes to receive a bonus to damage, many other minor and why-is-this-an-issue bugs have been fixed with the introduction of this patch. For instance, each player can add other players to his friends list even if those other players are offline. And that persistent and annoying jet-engine sound heard on Carrick and Vaiken station has been fixed.

On a sad note, the Rakghoul plague has come to and end (or is that good news?). Either way, the announcements on the stations have stopped, and the crash site has been fully cleaned up, including the jawa vendor. But chin up, event-fans: Lead Designer Daniel Erickson mentioned on Mos Eisley Radio that although BioWare does not have plans to revive this specific event, there is a whole team specifically dedicated to creating future live events.

SWTOR increases Sniper damage, fixes bugs, and cures the Rakghoul plague originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now you don't see him: Meet PlanetSide 2's Infiltrator

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Classes, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2

He's the boogeyman whom battle-hardened soldiers fear and the guy whom Batman consults with on a daily basis. He's the Infiltrator, PlanetSide 2's sneaky assassin, and he won't stop coming for you until you are dead. Unless he gets lost. Planets are big.

SOE revealed the Infiltrator today as the game's stealth-user and long-distance sniper. Using advanced technology and camouflage systems, the Infiltrator can get to places that no other class can -- and do a lot of damage once there. Interestingly enough, while the Infiltrator lacks heavy armor, SOE does claim that the class' tactical advantages will prove to be just as protective as a titanium suit.

Infiltrators can use both sniper and scout rifles as well as pistols for close-quarter combat. The sniper rifle boasts the best range, while the scout rifle is better for mobile assault missions. It will, of course, be up to the player to decide whichever is the best to use in which situation.

Now you don't see him: Meet PlanetSide 2's Infiltrator originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Fitting the Gallente Talos

Brendan Drain — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides, Sandbox

Among the hundreds of changes brought by EVE Online's recent Crucible expansion, the new tier 3 battlecruisers certainly rank as player favourites. Rather than giving each race a bigger, tougher battlecruiser, CCP gave the new ships the ability to fit battleship-class weapons but heavily limited their defensive capabilities. All four tier 3 battlecruisers are turret-based, letting them output massive damage with close-range guns or hit for solid damage at battleship sniping distances.

As with all new ships, it can be difficult to figure out how to fit the new tier 3 battlecruisers to make full use of their unique combination of high damage output and high mobility. Last week I looked at three viable setups for the Caldari Naga, which proved to be an absolute monster with 1,000-1500 DPS when using close-range blaster setups and a terrifying 650 DPS when sniping at 100km-130km. This week I take a similar look at the Gallente Talos, a ship designed specifically for close-range combat. I explore a traditional armour-tanked blaster fitting with dual webs, a shield-based variant that packs a huge 1,500 DPS punch, and two long-range blaster fits that give the Naga a run for its money.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I explore four solid PvP fittings for the Talos, with both shield and armour setups.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Fitting the Gallente Talos

EVE Evolved: Fitting the Gallente Talos originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Fitting the Caldari Naga

Brendan Drain — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides, Sandbox

While EVE Online's recent Crucible expansion brought us over a hundred small features, balance tweaks, and graphical updates, its headline feature was undoubtedly the four new tier 3 battlecruisers. It's been several years since a new combat ship was added to EVE, and combat had begun to get a little stale. Most of EVE's ships follow a logical design progression, with larger ships having more tank and higher damage output. CCP turned that concept on its head with the new tier 3 battlecruisers, which deal battleship-class damage but have both the agility and paper-thin tank of a tech 1 cruiser.

The Caldari Naga is the very definition of a glass cannon, able to output more damage than a Megathron or Rokh but at the cost of having practically no tank. It can be sniper-fit to deal around 650 DPS at ranges of 100-130km, blaster-fit to output a raw 1,500 DPS at ranges below 10km, or even set up to fight effectively with blasters outside web range. Its high top speed and cruiser-like agility add new gameplay options to existing sniper and heavy damage-dealer fleet roles, providing battleship-class damage for roaming cruiser gangs. It's a potential game-changer for nullsec alliances engaging in hit-and-run style warfare, but as with all new ships it can be difficult to figure out an effective ship fitting.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I explore three solid fittings for the Naga designed to fill common PvP roles.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Fitting the Caldari Naga

EVE Evolved: Fitting the Caldari Naga originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR: So you want to play an Imperial Agent

Matt Daniel — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Launches, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides

Espionage! Subterfuge! Classy accents! Such is the life of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Imperial Agent. If a career full of clandestine operations and lots of assassination sounds like a good time to you, then the Agent is your class. Agents can fill one of two roles: ranged DPS and healing/melee DPS hybrid. Whether you prefer to keep your friends alive, shank an unsuspecting opponent, or put a blaster round in someone's head from a mile away, the Agent's got something for you.

Did I mention the sexy accent? Mmm.

Continue reading SWTOR: So you want to play an Imperial Agent

SWTOR: So you want to play an Imperial Agent originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snipers and biters: War of the Immortals opens up on Rangers and pets

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, Free-to-play

Who doesn't like playing a Ranger, really? Deadly at a distance, this fantasy version of military snipers gives players the immense satisfaction of dealing pain in large quantities before one's enemy can even close the gap to fight back.

War of the Immortals, which is currently in closed beta, has a deep, abiding love for Rangers and their long-distance love. Did you know that Rangers get to ride sonic tigers to work every day? Makes your Prius look like a brick now, doesn't it? Rangers do sound sweet, and if you want a better look at them, you can watch the class spotlight trailer after the jump.

Perfect World Entertainment is not only dishing out the love for Rangers but also the game's pet system. This system is perhaps a step beyond the typical attack dogs we see in other MMOs. For instance, you can not only teach your pets skills, but with the right souls ripped out of monsters, you can upgrade them and even combine them to create a completely new animal. If your pet's stats are really terrific, you can "fuse" yourself to that pet to gain a stat bonus at the expense of losing that particular beast for combat use (don't worry, you can have an additional pet to serve in that role).

Continue reading Snipers and biters: War of the Immortals opens up on Rangers and pets

Snipers and biters: War of the Immortals opens up on Rangers and pets originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Gallente and hybrid balance

Brendan Drain — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, PvE, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

It's been another week filled with announcements and positive news for EVE Online, with CCP showing off EVE's new nebulae and revealing the Amarr and Caldari tier 3 battlecruisers. For Gallente pilots, no news was celebrated more than the rebalancing of hybrid weapons and ships that specialise in their use. Short-range blasters can technically deliver the highest damage output of any turret, but their extremely short optimal range means they deal a smaller fraction of their maximum damage in most fights than other ships. Blaster ships have to spend valuable travel time closing into weapons range, and once up close, targets are hard to track.

Although railguns were designed by the Caldari, they're hybrid weapons just like blasters, and so they are the long-range weapon of choice for Gallente sniping and mission-running ships. They have good range and tracking speed but have always suffered from slightly worse damage output and alpha strike than beam lasers and artillery cannons of the same size. Countless suggestions for fixes to blasters and railguns have appeared on the forum over the years, but until now they've remained unchanged. As a Gallente pilot and avid Thorax and Dominix fan, I'm very excited by the hybrid balance changes coming this winter.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I take a break from the new player experience experiment to take a look at the impact of the upcoming hybrid balance patch and why the announced changes are needed.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Gallente and hybrid balance

EVE Evolved: Gallente and hybrid balance originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Why Elves are the scourge of MMOs

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Races, Humor, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

Astute readers of Massively or my personal blog Bio Break are probably quite familiar with my blatant prejudice against all things Elf. I hate Elves and everything for which they stand. And nowhere does this hatred blossom more brightly than in the fertile fields of MMOs.

As the axiom goes, where there is fantasy, there are Elves. Blame J.R.R. Tolkien for popularizing a race of what used to be cookie and Santa helpers. Almost overnight Elves became in vogue in geek culture, and efforts to root them out with flamethrowers have been in vain. Any fantasy MMO that is announced is required, by some arcane law that can only be broken with the blood of a virgin god, to include Elves as a racial choice -- or, if the developers are feeling particularly sadistic, more than one choice. Wood, night, blood, dark, light, mystical -- take your pick. There are plenty of Elves for everyone!

Well, I'm not having it. Elves don't get a free pass on my watch, and I'm not afraid to stand up to the powerful Pro-Elf lobby and nail my 10 theses as to why Elves suck on the doors of this blog. Consider your pointy ears on notice, you woodland freaks -- the jig is up!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Why Elves are the scourge of MMOs

The Perfect Ten: Why Elves are the scourge of MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer

Jef Reahard — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, MMO industry, News items, RIFT

It's been a while since we've seen a class video from Trion, but today the drought is over thanks to the spiffy new RIFT Rogue trailer. The two-minute clip mixes in-game footage with title screens showing the various permutations of the Rogue's soul system, giving would-be rascals a cursory glance at RIFT's take on one of the fantasy genre's most beloved archetypes.

Because of RIFT's build-your-own-class mechanics, Rogues in the world of Telara stand out from their contemporaries due to a good bit of versatility. The trailer shows us three incarnations of the class: a death-dealer, a sniper, and a support specialist. In addition to those roles, you may even see a RIFT Rogue playing a lute, teleporting, or possibly tanking a mob. Check out the clip after the cut for more details.

Continue reading Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer

Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: Bosses and battles

Edward Marshall — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, PvP, Endgame, PvE, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

This week in Fallen Earth has been, for me, a good mix of PvP and PvE action. I've gotten plenty of both. I literally wished that I had more time to play. Alas, real life was standing in the way again. I haven't played any other games all week. Unless you consider the Fallen Earth forums a game (which I sometimes do). Between protecting territory that rightfully belongs to the CHOTA and cracking the skulls of world bosses for their precious volatile chemicals, I've found myself pretty busy.

I know that everyone feels that Sector 4 is long overdue; it's probably the reason most people haven't come back to Fallen Earth. If you are on the fence about re-subbing or are waiting for Sector 4, there is still plenty to do, especially if you left before Deadfall Point and Deadfall were released. Even if you left in the past couple of months, things have changed, and new content has been added. There is plenty of PvP action if you know where to look, and new faces are joining the fray every day. After the cut, I'll give you some examples of what I've experienced this week, and it may help you decide to come back... or to keep holding out for Sector 4.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Bosses and battles

Wasteland Diaries: Bosses and battles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist goes PlanetSide: Your journeys

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, PlanetSide, Culture, Interviews, MMOFPS, The Game Archaeologist

While war itself is a hellish, nasty activity that we'd be better off without, there's always been something compelling about playing war as both kids and adults. When you strip war of death and suffering, the play version can become downright compelling as we get engrossed in tales of heroics, deep strategies, risky gambits, and clear-cut victories. It's why we invest so much time in simulating war throughout our lives -- in snowball fights, toy soldiers, laser tag, and MMOs.

For the soldiers of PlanetSide, the war has been raging for over eight years now with no end in sight, and that's just fine with everyone involved. The game was designed to be a perpetual struggle between military forces -- not due to politics or prejudice but simply for the love of the fight.

In the year or so I've been writing this column, I've never seen so many people come forward when asked to share their experiences with an MMO as have done for PlanetSide. There's definitely something compelling and unique about this MMOFPS that's become a dear part of many gamers' memories, and I'm pleased to be sharing those stories with you today. Hit the jump for the glory, trooper!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist goes PlanetSide: Your journeys

The Game Archaeologist goes PlanetSide: Your journeys originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy the SWTOR Imperial Agent!

Larry Everett — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Classes, Lore, New titles, Professions, Races, Star Wars: The Old Republic

When BioWare gives out so much information about one class, where do you start? We now have confirmation of the Sniper DPS sub-class and the support/healing Operative class for the Imperial Agent. Also, we know more about the Chiss' origins, the Agent's starship, and the Agent class' combat role in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The Chiss hail from the the unknown regions of galactic space, and their advanced Ascendancy evolved independently from the Republic and the Sith Empire. Despite having a grand army these blue-skinned humanoids prefer to handle war through negotiation and espionage. So when the Sith Empire brought its fleet to conquer Chiss Space, instead of being met by brute force as in other systems, the Empire was met by diplomatic messages. These negotiations allowed for the Chiss to become the only true ally of the Sith Empire.

As with any spy for the Empire, the Agent needs the most advanced starship one can find. In this case, we are talking about the X70B-Phantom-class Prototype. The superior technology of this starship prevents it from being mass-produced, so it is only given to the best operatives. The shape and haul keep the craft off most radars, and the navigation system will not be seen on any other ship for the next couple of decades.

Generally, the training for an Imperial Agent will go one of two ways. Secrecy and stealth are the weapons of the Agent, and much like its Republic counterpart, the Smuggler Scoundrel, the Operative can specialize in medical technology as well. However, unlike the Smuggler Gunslinger DPS class, the Sniper's advantage is the distance and precision of rifles instead of the Gunslinger's rapid-fire dual short-ranged pistols.

Be sure to check out the gallery of concept art and screenshots below, and don't miss the Agent's teaser video after the break.

Gallery: SWTOR Imperial Agent

Continue reading Spy the SWTOR Imperial Agent!

Spy the SWTOR Imperial Agent! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: Global Agenda

Beau Hindman — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Video, Events, in-game, Reviews, Opinion, Hands-on, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, Humor, Rise and Shiny

PvP is a funny thing. Essentially, it is a glorified game of tag. There are variations on the theme, of course: freeze tag, Marco Polo, or Hide-and-Seek. Most of us have had the pleasure of spending a summer evening playing it with our friends. I know that when we played it, we added the dimension of The Woods (as they were known) and all that hiding in those woods on a dark summer evening implies. It was intense, I remember. Once, I hid under a pile of leaves for 40 minutes, scared out of my mind, while my buddy tried to find me.

Good PvP can be like that, but bad PvP can ruin your evening. Bad PvP, like a rainstorm during a campout, usually ends with one or more participants taking the event way too seriously. But when you spend a few hours in good PvP, running around shooting at strangers, throwing mines at each other and getting shot down by automated turrets, your heart will race and you will realize that you have had a smile on your face most of the time.

Global Agenda has that effect on me, like a good game of tag.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Global Agenda

Rise and Shiny recap: Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamescom 2010: BioWare reveals 10 new advanced classes for TOR

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Previews, Star Wars: The Old Republic

We've known for a while now that Star Wars: The Old Republic is planning to offer players two different specializations for each class, but up until now we've only heard of a couple of them. Today at Gamescom, however, BioWare unloaded the names and loose descriptions of ten advanced classes. The best part? No Bothans died for this information.

Darth Hater reports that imperial agent characters will have the choice between specializing as snipers (long-range DPS) or operatives (who use stealth and short-range weapons to get up close and personal). If a bounty hunter is more to your liking, then the choice between a powertech and a mercenary should get your imagination racing. Over on the Republic side, troopers will sign up for either commando or vanguard training. Commandos are the tanking line, although we don't know much about vanguards yet. SWTOR-Station spied a Zabrak trooper at the BioWare booth, indicating another possible race for the class.

Force-users are also in store for powerful upgrades. The villainous Sith inquisitors choose their path between a more Force-happy sorcerer or the twin lightsaber-using assassin. Their counterpart, the Jedi consular, has a similar decision to make: that of a shadow, who can use double-bladed lightsabers, or a wizard, who uses a single lightsaber but can heal. Are Star Wars fans ready for wizards and sorcerers in their MMO? Somehow, we think so.

Gamescom 2010: BioWare reveals 10 new advanced classes for TOR originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2010: The Agency blows up in our faces... and it's a good thing

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Previews, The Agency, Hands-on, MMOFPS

After seeing the new trailer yesterday for SOE's The Agency, we thought nothing could get us more revved up about this upcoming title. We were wrong. DEAD wrong. Ahem. Sorry.

For aspiring Mr. and Ms. Kiss-Kiss-Bang-Bangs out there, The Agency is promising all of the hot, high-tech spy action that you can handle. Step into the shoes of James Bond, Jason Bourne, Inspector Gadget or Maxwell Smart, grab your favorite weapon, and throw yourself into one of many exciting locales where you and other players will compete for all the secrets and bragging rights.

At E3, Massively got the chance to sit down with The Agency's Senior Producer Josh Hackney and check in on how this title is progressing. Hit the jump to read about specialized roles, PvP and why mindlessly spraying hot lead in all directions is completely passé.

Continue reading E3 2010: The Agency blows up in our faces... and it's a good thing

E3 2010: The Agency blows up in our faces... and it's a good thing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth sniper trailer shows that 'life is cheap, bullets are expensive'

James Egan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Fallen Earth, New titles

Fallen Earth is an upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO that will take place in a near-future setting, one ravaged by nuclear war and viral epidemic, sparsely populated by a factionalized society of survivors. Although the game is still in beta, the Fallen Earth team has been stepping up their game trailer releases and the latest introduces us to a mercenary of sorts.

The video shows us the lengths (or depths) a person will go to for a handful of irradiated squash: stabbings, beatings, and for the sake of expediency, sniper headshots. Still, in Fallen Earth, "life is cheap, bullets are expensive" and the video aims to show us more of the game's harsh setting. Stick with us after the jump for a look at the latest HD video from Fallen Earth:

Continue reading Fallen Earth sniper trailer shows that 'life is cheap, bullets are expensive'

Fallen Earth sniper trailer shows that 'life is cheap, bullets are expensive' originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks

Brendan Drain — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, PvP, Tips and tricks, PvE, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

Although in EVE Online we tend to think of a tank as our ship's ability to absorb damage and self-repair, it makes sense to describe any strategy used to keep yourself alive as a form of tank. In the previous parts of this guide on the art of tanking in EVE , I gave some tips on choosing what type of tank to use on your ship and gave an overview of both armour and shield tanking. In this final part of the guide, I take a look at alternative strategies for keeping your ship alive. Strategies such as the spider tank, defensive use of electronic warfare and the much lauded speed-tank are put under the microscope as I look at some of EVE's more unusual tanks.

Spider tank:
When I first coined the term "spider tank" back in early 2006 (before that calling it a "squadron tank"), I was convinced we would see them on the battlefield increasingly frequently. Sure enough, spider tanks have become a staple of gang and small fleet warfare. A spider tank is a strategy in which each member of a fleet fits a remote armour repairer or shield transfer in one of their high slots and they repair anyone in the fleet who starts to take damage. When the enemy concentrate their fire on one member of the gang, the gang concentrates their remote repairers on that member to keep him alive.

Read on to find out how a logistics ship can generate capacitor out of thin air and how ECM, long range weaponry and speed can be effectively used as tanks.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks

EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An insider's account of galactic warfare in EVE Online

James Egan — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion

Prolific games journalist Jim Rossignol is an avid EVE Online player, who has made regular contributions to Eurogamer focused on this particular sci-fi MMO. His latest piece, "EVE Online: Battle Reports", is a brief account of how his PvP-focused corp (EVE's version of a guild) fared in a conflict against some steep odds.

His aim is to explain a bit about how the game works while telling his story, hopefully holding appeal for those who don't play the game as well as those who do. "Because of the open structure of the game world, player-versus-player battles happen in all kinds of contexts and situations, and the sheer number of variables means they can make for a great story," Rossignol writes.

Continue reading An insider's account of galactic warfare in EVE Online

An insider's account of galactic warfare in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tabula Rasa finally gets an FPS camera view

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Game mechanics, Patches, Tabula Rasa

Have you ever wondered why a game like Tabula Rasa never utilized that classic first-person view, considering the fact that it's billed as an FPS-style MMO? The over-the-shoulder view never really did it for most players who were looking for more of a shooter aspect in their game. Rest easy in knowing that the FPS view is finally coming to this NCsoft sci-fi MMO, according to the latest Feedback Friday.

If that's not enough, there will also be a scope view, allowing players to use their Torqueshell Rifles more authentically and adding to the immersion of playing an actual Sniper class. But wait, there's more! This Feedback Friday also describes a new mech cockpit view and increased camera distance from the character, which will be great news for the support classes who tend to hang back a bit from the front lines. Although there's no date mentioned for the implementation of these improvements, you can check out the entire news story for some impressive screenshots showcasing these new views.

Tabula Rasa finally gets an FPS camera view originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Electronic Warfare, part 3

Brendan Drain — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Classes, Game mechanics, Guides, PvP, Tips and tricks, Grouping, EVE Evolved

In the first two parts of this three part guide, I explained the basics of electronic warfare in EVE Online and examined the skills and equipment you'll need as an electronic warfare specialist. In this final section, I tackle the tricky issues of battlefield operations and survival.

Survival:
An unfortunate fact about being part of a fleet's electronic warfare crew is that you'll almost certainly be a high priority target for your enemies. To make matters worse, specialist electronic warfare ships tend to have very poor defensive capabilities. Fitting any kind of tank on an electronic warfare ship can waste vital module slots and severely impact the performance of your ship. This is particularly true in the case of ECM jamming ships where the low slots should be used for signal distortion amplifiers.

What can you do to keep your ship safe on the battlefield and what should you do to help your fleet be victorious? Join me as I answer these questions in a thorough tactical overview of electronic warfare in EVE Online.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Electronic Warfare, part 3

EVE Evolved: Electronic Warfare, part 3 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Professions, Tabula Rasa

In this week's installment of TR's Feedback Friday, we get some information on a needed improvement to the Public Test Server and a change to the Shredder Ammo skill that players have come to love since the last patch.

For the last few Public Test Server proliferations, a game master has been on-hand to give players an instant boost to level 30 in order to check out the Tier 4 class changes. This only seemed fair since the majority of changes happened to these high-level classes. In the spirit of convenience, the developers have created a PTS Level Command NPC who will do that dirty work for them.

In addition to this, they mention their awareness of the problems with the Sniper's signature weapon -- the Torqueshell Rifle -- and how players have resorted to the Chaingun/Shredder Ammo combo with their Snipers. They state their intentions to re-balance this in order to make the TSR more effective, and lower the extremely unbalanced power of the Chaingun/Shredder combo.

Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TR's Ranger classes get a second look

Chris Chester — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Tabula Rasa

We're pleased to report that this week's Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday is uncharacteristically juicy. The decision was made in the Classes and Combat teams that Rangers and Spies needed a serious looking at in patch 1.7. Their logic was that the two Ranger classes, Spies and Snipers, are too narrowly restricted by their class-defining weapons. Snipers have been struggling with this recently with the changes to Torqueshell rifles. And while Spies have been anything but hindered by their spectacular Blade damage, their effectiveness discourages Spies from trying different tactics.

Among the changes that will be heralded in patch 1.7 (it's worth reiterating here that patch 1.6 is still in testing and has no confirmed release date) is a new ability called Fire Support, which will take the place of Carpet Bombs in the Ranger repertoire. It's different effects at different ranks should give it increased utility for single-target DPS. Another ability with the potential to be quite cool is Tactical Evasion, which, at pump 5, would give the Ranger player the ability to set up a temporary beacon that you will teleport back to after a given amount of time. It sounds like a near way to rush into a crowded area, take out an important target, and get away quickly. To check out the full range of changes, make sure to check it out on the official site.

TR's Ranger classes get a second look originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TR Sniper problems addressed

Chris Chester — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Tabula Rasa

Critters and the TR dev team have used this week's Feedback Friday to address the recent uproar that's risen up over the change to the Torqueshell rifles in patch 1.6. In line with our hopes, it seems like the development team has seen the light, and has decided to cede a little room to player feedback. They're working on another build for the test server that will change the nerf in Torqueshell damage from the 55% wollop that it was originally down to only about 75% of the pre-patch damage. With the increased rate of fire from the change in the shooting mechanic, this comes out to a far more favorable DPS number in the end.

Critters goes on to explain how the development team's vision for the Torqueshell weapon and the Sniper class is one where players really have to know their class and have all their buffs and abilities in order to be able to achieve the one-shot one-kill scenarios that most Snipers have been clamoring for. The increased speed of attack also means that players will have more maneuverability and capacity to adapt during battle, instead of standing static waiting for their shot to go off.

TR Sniper problems addressed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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