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The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend

Jef Reahard — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions, The Firing Line

Skiing! Jetpacks! Pew pew!

Yes, kids, Tribes: Ascend is officially in open beta, and that means you no longer have an excuse. Hi-Rez Studios threw open the doors this morning, and despite the fact that the game's closed beta exceeded all expectations and hosted over 300,000 players since its November kickoff, there's always room for more.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend

The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay

Jef Reahard — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, The Firing Line

Today's a big day for fans of Tribes: Ascend, and it's also a big day for Hi-Rez Studios, the Atlanta-based indie firm behind the upcoming online shooter.

You see, today is patch day, and while that's not terribly unusual (Hi-Rez has updated the Tribes beta client early and often since the start of closed testing last November), the latest tweak is a bit of fan service that will likely bring smiles to the faces of franchise die-hards waiting in the wings to see what becomes of their baby.

Continue reading The Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay

The Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Tribes impressions and a visit to Hi-Rez

Jef Reahard — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Business models, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, MMOFPS, Massively Hands-on, The Firing Line

What's up folks, and welcome to The Firing Line. We've been branching out our coverage lately, first with MMO-specific columns and then with Not So Massively and MOBAs. Now we're doing something similar with online shooters. This genre is positively huge, and while there's a lot of room for debate in terms of what constitutes an MMO shooter, there's also no denying that all of the games hovering around the periphery of that designation are a lot of fun.

So what will we be talking about in The Firing Line? Well, this is the part where I rub my hands together in anticipation! Naturally we'll spend a lot of time with the genre's big guns (sorry, I had to use that at least once), so I'll be playing huge amounts of PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, Firefall, Global Agenda, and the semi-obscure free-to-play titles crowding the market -- all in an effort to bring you the very best news and views from the world of pew pew.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Tribes impressions and a visit to Hi-Rez

The Firing Line: Tribes impressions and a visit to Hi-Rez originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hi-Rez prepping Global Agenda's largest expansion

Jef Reahard — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

Hi-Rez Studios has big plans for Global Agenda, and the autumn months will see the sci-fi shooter's largest expansion to date made available to everyone for free. The Recursive Colony patch (version 1.5 if you're counting at home) will include a new open zone with instanced missions, quest chains, social spaces, and mid- to high-level content. New enemies, daily repeatable quests, and further avatar customization options are also on the way.

"Players seeking a quest-driven, narrative experience post level 20 can now level up in the new open zone as an alternative to, or in addition to, our instanced missions," said Hi Rez's Todd Harris. "We've also included a new set of instanced PvE and PvP content for players at all levels."

Said PvP content takes the form of a new mercenary map (Push Dust) and a new acquisition map (Colony Caverns). Finally, if you're going to be at PAX Prime this weekend, stop by the Hi-Rez booth (number 252) and be the first to check out the new content.

Hi-Rez prepping Global Agenda's largest expansion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively Extra: Hi-Rez talks Gamescom plans and shows off first SMITE screens

Jef Reahard — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Screenshots, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Global Agenda, Not So Massively

Gamescom is just around the corner, and Hi-Rez Studios is gearing up to show off two new titles at the Cologne trade show on August 17th. The makers of Global Agenda are bringing a demo version of Tribes: Ascend to the event and will also be unveiling SMITE, a MOBA announced last April that features battles between gods from various mythologies.

Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris will also be talking up the future of Global Agenda, and senior designer Travis Brown will be answering SMITE-related questions as players get their hands on the initial demo version of the title. SMITE is built on the Unreal Engine 3, and Hi-Rez has released the first two screenshots of the game which we've got for you after the break.

Continue reading Not So Massively Extra: Hi-Rez talks Gamescom plans and shows off first SMITE screens

Not So Massively Extra: Hi-Rez talks Gamescom plans and shows off first SMITE screens originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's new F2P model a resounding success

Jef Reahard — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

The business model saga of Global Agenda is an interesting one, and PC Gamer recently sat down with Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris to chat about it. In a brief interview, Harris mentions his observations on free-to-play and the future of gaming as well as Global Agenda's resounding success since going to a full-featured F2P model.

"We have many, many more people creating accounts every day, many more people playing concurrently, our revenues are higher than they ever have been before which means we can develop content and put it into the game faster than ever before," he explained.

It wasn't always so, as Harris also admits to a bit of F2P bias in a previous life. With Global Agenda flying high under its new model, though, it's unlikely that Hi-Rez will be looking back. "I do think [F2P is] clearly the direction of gaming," Harris says.

Global Agenda's new F2P model a resounding success originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda celebrates F2P success with jetpack use in Dome City

Matt Daniel — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

After a substantial wait and numerous requests from the community, Hi-Rez Studios has finally granted one of the most-wanted wishes of Global Agenda players: the ability to use their jetpacks in Dome City. The addition, the studio says, comes as a token of celebration for the recent success of Global Agenda's switch to a free-to-play model as well as a nod of appreciation for the players who have helped support the game with the purchase of booster packs (which grant double XP, credits, tokens, additional loot drops, and a daily allowance of 2000 tokens).

What does this mean for the players who purchase the booster packs required to unlock jetpack use within the city? Well, honestly not much except for slightly more expeditious travel around Dome City, which operates as the game's social hub between bouts of players ruthlessly murdering one another. Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Harris does note, however, that now that aerial travel is possible in Dome City, the studio plans to release "some penthouse level content in future updates." The upcoming patch 1.43 goes live tomorrow and also includes some general bug fixes and improvements. Full details on the new feature and complete patch notes for 1.43 can be found on the official site.

Global Agenda celebrates F2P success with jetpack use in Dome City originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda: Free Agent reloaded and ready

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

It's a big week for Hi-Rez, as Global Agenda's pushed out update 1.4 and is now available to play for free!

Rechristened Global Agenda: Free Agent, the new client is available with no up-front cost, although the studio hopes that enough players will be enthralled with the game enough to want to plunk down $20 to be upgraded to Elite Agent status for extra goodies. Already paid for Global Agenda in the past? Good news -- you're automatically an Elite Agent. Time to update those business cards!

Hi-Rez's Todd Harris is fairly psyched about the switch: "Today Hi-Rez Studios delivers exceptional class-based shooter combat for free. To a free-to-play audience tired of click and wait fantasy MMOs, or unbalanced pay to win shooters, we think that the advanced sci-fi visuals and balanced combat of Global Agenda: Free Agent will be very refreshing. We've seen a very positive response from our announcement and have invested in server capacity to handle the increased demand."

With the financial barrier abolished, there's no excuse not to check out this spiffy MMOFPS today. Head on over to Global Agenda and let us know what you think!

Global Agenda: Free Agent reloaded and ready originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PAX East: Hi-Rez Studios unveils new Tribes: Ascend title

Jef Reahard — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, MMOFPS

Way back in October of 2010, we broke the news that Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios would be revisiting the Tribes franchise in an upcoming online persistent-world shooter. At the time, Hi-Rez was focused on Tribes: Universe, and our interview with CEO and lead designer Erez Goren shed a bit of light on the company's followup to Global Agenda.

Today at PAX East, Hi-Rez officially took the wraps off a second Tribes game, and Tribes: Ascend is set to re-introduce the venerable franchise to gamers all over the world. "Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes," says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO, before going on to reveal that the new game will be available in late 2011. Hi-Rez will distribute Tribes: Ascend as a digital download and is targeting Windows PCs as well as the Xbox 360 for the initial release.

Why a second Tribes title? "We've had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer-focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multiplayer shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game," Harris said.

Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 11-13, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR or Guild Wars 2 or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!

PAX East: Hi-Rez Studios unveils new Tribes: Ascend title originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiltrate and destroy: Global Agenda Q&A runs a gauntlet of player queries

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, Community Q&A

"We just did five new hats -- that should keep them busy for a while," Global Agenda Executive Producer Todd Harris cheekily says before launching into a rapid-fire community Q&A video session. In this 10-minute back-and-forth, Harris and the other members of the Hi-Rez crew tackle a multitude of subjects from marriage proposals to jet packs.

One of the biggest upcoming goals for the team is to balance existing (and underperforming) devices in the game, which Harris says will be at the center of patch 1.4, while new device creation will be held back for 1.5. For those worried about performance in certain regions, west coast servers are scheduled to be added to help with both that area and Australia. The team also has plans to improve the Demolition game type for the future.

Global Agenda recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, so it's great to see the team continue to be this involved and passionate with both the game and the community. You can watch the full Q&A after the jump.

Continue reading Infiltrate and destroy: Global Agenda Q&A runs a gauntlet of player queries

Infiltrate and destroy: Global Agenda Q&A runs a gauntlet of player queries originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's 1.39 patch is here

Jef Reahard — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

Well, technically Global Agenda's latest patch will be here when the servers come back up, which is tentatively scheduled for 5:00 p.m. EST according to Hi-Rez Studio's server status Twitter page. While you're waiting, a run through the extensive patch notes might tide you over. In a nutshell, the update brings four new maps (including Breach and Payload types), new PvP rewards, updates to the /challenge system, tweaks to Dome City, and seasonal flair for the holiday events coming later this month.

Don't forget to read up on the new Global Agenda Alienware laptop contest, and also be sure to check out our recent interview with Hi-Rez producer Todd Harris for all the latest info on 1.39 and beyond.

Global Agenda's 1.39 patch is here originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Global Agenda's Todd Harris talks 1.39 to 1.5

Jef Reahard — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

Massively's got its share of sci-fi shooter freaks on staff, so we jumped at the chance for a virtual sit-down with Hi-Rez Studios producer Todd Harris. Big things are on the horizon for the Atlanta-based indie developer, and no, we're not just talking about Tribes Universe.

Global Agenda is soldiering right along, adding PvP and PvE content to satiate the ravenous trigger-happy hordes of super agents that clutter the plasteel and concrete walkways of Dome City. The latest content drop takes the form of version 1.39, a new patch currently in testing and coming to a live server near you sooner rather than later.

Join us after to cut as we chat about 1.39 and beyond, including new Mercenary PvP maps, PvE content, rewards, and in-game event listings.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Global Agenda's Todd Harris talks 1.39 to 1.5

Massively Exclusive: Global Agenda's Todd Harris talks 1.39 to 1.5 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda getting new mercenary PvP maps, high level PvE content

Jef Reahard — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Expansions, Interviews, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, Global Agenda

If you're concerned that Hi-Rez Studios might abandon its Global Agenda MMO in favor of the recently-announced Tribes Universe, you can rest easy. In an interview with Lorehound, Hi-Rez executive producer Todd Harris announced several exciting additions coming to Global Agenda over the next few months.

First up is the 1.39 patch, which will bring several new mercenary PvP maps to the team-based shooter. After that, the game will be getting its first shot of downloadable content which will focus primarily on high-level PvE content. "It will contain some PvE open zone content, new themed weapons, a new PvE defense mission, and our first 10-person PvE offensive aid. A 10-person team will be able to infiltrate a hive colony node and fight new Recursive Colony bots and bosses," Harris said.

He goes on to state that Hi-Rez will be releasing similar DLC expansions every four to five months going forward. Check out the good news over at Lorehound.

Global Agenda getting new mercenary PvP maps, high level PvE content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda offering friends with benefits

Jef Reahard — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, Promotions

Itching to get your frag on with someone you love (or at least, lust after?) Hi-Rez Studios has a deal for you in the form of its Friends with Benefits discount promotion for Global Agenda.

If you've purchased the massively multiplayer third-person shooter, you now have a set of coupon codes that can be gifted to a friend, granting him or her 30% off the initial client cost. Your benefits accrue in the form of an in-game referral achievement score, which in turn grants reward items at specific levels (including a mini-warlord pet that resembles an angry Laurence Fishburne bobblehead doll).

Todd Harris, Global Agenda's executive producer, outlines the new program on the game's official forums. "Referral achievements and new prestige items will be introduced and visible before the end of October in the 1.38 update. But we invite you to start recruiting now -- you'll earn credit for all referrals going forward as well as any referrals done prior to this campaign launch," he writes.

Global Agenda offering friends with benefits originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's Todd Harris talks player loyalty and the future

Jef Reahard — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, News items, Global Agenda

Global Agenda is fairly unique in the massive genre, not only for its blend of sci-fi setting and shooter mechanics but also for the fact that the development team at Hi-Rez Studios is renowned for actually listening to its playerbase. Producer Todd Harris recently sat down with Lorehound for an interesting interview that shows the Atlanta-based game-makers still have their finger on the pulse of Global Agenda's communal desires.

Harris touches on crafting additions, endgame raid content, and new PvP maps as specific community ideas actively being kicked around in the dev cave, and also goes into a bit of detail regarding the team's appreciation for the loyalty shown by Global Agenda's early adopters. "The folks playing AvA are our most dedicated and accomplished players, and we've changed the rules on them a lot! I know that has led to some player burnout or frustration," he says. Harris goes on to illustrate how the title's evolving endgame wouldn't be possible without player feedback, and concludes by dropping a hint regarding the game's forthcoming achievement system.

Be sure and check out the full interview over at Lorehound.

Global Agenda's Todd Harris talks player loyalty and the future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's Todd Harris on the newly added open zones

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Global Agenda

Global Agenda has been making some changes of late. That almost goes without saying -- very few MMOs exist in a static state, after all -- but very few implement sweeping system changes and zone additions so quickly after launch. One of the largest additions with the newest phase of the Sandstorm patch is the Sonoran Desert, an open and persistent PvE zone for players to enjoy. In a new video developer blog, executive producer Todd Harris explains what the zone means for the game and how the systems within work.

The desert, which is aimed at providing a complete experience for players between levels 5 to 15, will be familiar in many ways to long-time MMO players. It's not that the idea of quests picked up from an NPC is new, but it's certainly new within the context of the game. Take a look past the cut to see the zone demonstrated in depth, and if the look strikes your fancy, it would be fair to point out that Global Agenda is subscription free.

Continue reading Global Agenda's Todd Harris on the newly added open zones

Global Agenda's Todd Harris on the newly added open zones originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's newest video diary details Defense Raids

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Patches, Global Agenda, Post-Apocalyptic

Global Agenda 's Sandstorm patch is pretty sizeable, and the Hi-Rez team recently produced a video developer blog that provided an overview.

The newest video follows in that same vein, but is a bit more specific. Executive Producer Todd Harris and Lead Artist Chuk Vinson sit down to explain Defense Raids, 10-man raids in which you are tasked with the protection of your dome city.

Every now and again, the city's alarms will go off to indicate that an attack by robots is imminent. High-level players can work together to prevent it from happening by trying to keep the enemy from breaching the defenses and destroying the power core. If you succeed, you get a big boss fight and big loot at the end.

Follow along after the jump to see the video firsthand.

Continue reading Global Agenda's newest video diary details Defense Raids

Global Agenda's newest video diary details Defense Raids originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's newest dev blog talks Sandstorm

Jef Reahard — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Patches, News items, MMOFPS, Global Agenda

The development team at Hi-Rez Studios has released a new dev blog focusing on the upcoming changes to their Global Agenda MMOFPS. Codenamed Sandstorm, the updates will begin reaching the live servers in early June. Phase I of the patch, now in public testing, features a host of additions and improvements including new epic weapons, a new loot and token system, new PvP maps, new PvE missions, and new social features.

"So if you're looking at the patch notes for 1.3, you're probably saying to yourself 'holy crap they changed every aspect of the game,'" says Executive Producer Todd Harris. "We wanted to preserve all the good balanced combat, but also add a layer of device variety and new variety that our MMO players are looking for."

Check out the dev blog over at the official site or embedded after the cut.

Continue reading Global Agenda's newest dev blog talks Sandstorm

Global Agenda's newest dev blog talks Sandstorm originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 May 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda's Todd Harris spills the beans on Sandstorm

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Global Agenda

Since its release a few months ago, nobody can claim that Global Agenda has merely sat back to rake in sweet kudos, particularly with the rapid additions and fixes shot through the development pipe. As we sit on the verge of Global Agenda's 1.3 patch -- aka "The Big Patch of Awesome" or "Sandstorm" -- Hi-Rez Studios' Todd Harris sat down with Massively to share how this patch will live up to its name and then some.

Sandstorm will be rolling out in several phases, each housing a different chunk of content and polish for Global Agenda, and it's no small patch at that. It's a genuine game-changer, taking out what wasn't working right and putting in a lot more that hopefully will.

As more gear with varying stats drops, the concern of balance -- or imbalance -- arises. What happens when a warrior enters the scene with uber-leet gear and stares down Mr. Newbie, fresh from the farm? While GA does have an "anything goes" type of PvP with AVA, Harris points to their selective matchmaker system: "Matchmaking does a good job at taking a look at win percentage, player skill, and classes, and certainly does the best job it can based on who's online to make it a fair match."

Continue reading Global Agenda's Todd Harris spills the beans on Sandstorm

Global Agenda's Todd Harris spills the beans on Sandstorm originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda takes aim at bots, aimbots specifically

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, MMORTS, Global Agenda

There are beasts out there that are far worse than a simple macro auto-pilot program, a la Glider. In the FPS community, beasts like the notorious aim bot, capable of auto-targeting your enemies in a game of shooting skill, exist to ruin everyone's fun. And when you cross your MMORTS with the battles of an FPS... well you start getting people using the latter program.

Global Agenda finally has one such program out for it, and yes, it does work. Snipers are accurately killing people from across the map, assaults are using chainguns that never miss, and all other types of havoc are being let loose. However, we don't recommend that you use any of these programs, unless you want to be targeted by Hi-Rez Studios.

Continue reading Global Agenda takes aim at bots, aimbots specifically

Global Agenda takes aim at bots, aimbots specifically originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developer round table: MMO betas, page 3

Kyle Horner — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Massively Interviews

Continue reading Developer round table: MMO betas, page 3

Developer round table: MMO betas, page 3 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better know Global Agenda's Assault class

Kyle Horner — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, New titles, News items, Global Agenda

In an interview with Hi-Rez Studio's executive producer Todd Harris, Ten Ton Hammer discusses Global Agenda's Assault class at considerable length. For those looking for a simple analog, the Assault is like a meaty tank class wielding huge weaponry such as mini-guns. The interview covers such topics as ammo concerns -- as the aforementioned mini-guns chew up ammo like a man on a desert island drinks fresh water -- and several other matters that dig deep into the earth center of the class. Then again, if blowing stuff up is your preference, that's offered as well.

Much of what we've seen of the Assault class tells us that it's going to be a favorite with players who generally enjoy inflicting damage in the most terrible of ways. And really, that's a whole lot of people; those who drool at rocket launchers and chain-fed ballistics weaponry.

Better know Global Agenda's Assault class originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda interview breaks down PvP game mechanics

James Egan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, PvP, MMOFPS, Global Agenda

A game we've had our eyes on from Hi-Rez Studios is Global Agenda, a cross between a class-based shooter and an MMO. Given its first person shooter roots, the game is heavily PvP-oriented. This match-based combat is the focus of an interview by Jon Wood at MMORPG.com with Global Agenda Executive Producer Todd Harris.

Harris relates that PvP in Global Agenda happens both in small squads and "AvA" (agency vs. agency), where players will participate in a "massive meta-game to control land and resources involving hundreds of territory locations and tens of thousands of player agents."

Continue reading Global Agenda interview breaks down PvP game mechanics

Global Agenda interview breaks down PvP game mechanics originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda video interview gives a closer look at the game

James Egan — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, New titles, MMOFPS, Global Agenda

Massively has been keeping an eye on Global Agenda, a title on the way from Hi-Rez Studios that's one of the new breed of shooter MMOs. Our own Shawn Schuster recently visited their Atlanta studio for a video tour as the Hi-Rez team prepped for closed beta. We see that BarnGamerz also got an early look at Global Agenda and scored some face time with the developers, who explained a bit about their respective roles in creating the game. They put it all into a video, with Lead Technical Artist Mick Larkins discussing a bit about his work, and an interview with Executive Producer Todd Harris.

If you haven't been following the coverage of Global Agenda across the various MMO sites, this might serve as a good primer on the game. Harris sits down with Jaimie from BarnGamerz to discuss the basic concepts behind the title, including Global Agenda's classes and how they'll be employed, illustrated with some in-game footage. You can see the Global Agenda Studio Tour at BarnGamerz or check out the video embed after the jump.

Continue reading Global Agenda video interview gives a closer look at the game

Global Agenda video interview gives a closer look at the game originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preparing for beta: A video tour of Hi-Rez Studios

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, Events, real-world, Interviews, MMO industry, Hands-on, Spy, Global Agenda, Massively Interviews, Massively Hands-on

Last week, we made the trek down to Hi-Rez Studios in Atlanta, Georgia to get a look at how Global Agenda is shaping up just before the closed beta goes live. As you may remember, we were one of the first MMO news sites to visit the studio in October of last year, and we're happy to see the popularity that the game has enjoyed since then.

In the video embedded just after the jump, you'll see a bit of the inner-workings of the studio, as well as a few interviews with members of the Hi-Rez team, asking the question, "How are you preparing for the closed beta?"

Continue reading Preparing for beta: A video tour of Hi-Rez Studios

Preparing for beta: A video tour of Hi-Rez Studios originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pro tip: Getting into MMO closed beta Mongbat style

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Guilds, News items, Global Agenda, Humor

We're sure you've heard about the No Elves! movement in Global Agenda by now. If you haven't, it all started with a hilarious machinima promotional video showing how Elven magic is no match for future technology and that players can be rest assured that no Elves will appear in the game.

Well, a quick-thinking guild recently decided to capitalize on this movement and it earned them a spot in Global Agenda closed beta starting July 24, 2009. Mongbat, famous for other closed beta shenanigans, decided to gift wrap a couple bruised and bloodied plush toy Elves and send them off to Global Agenda headquarters with a note. Hi-Rez was so impressed they took a picture of Executive Producer Todd Harris and CEO Erez Goren welcoming the hostages to their new prison.

This wasn't the first time Mongbat pulled such a prank. Back in June 2008, they marched into Mythic's head office and firmly planted their guild banner, claiming the development studio of Warhammer Online. They made it into a funny video podcast featuring a number of developers and earned quite a bit of community spotlight. So, the next time you want to get into a closed beta, you might want to ask yourself, "What would Mongbat do?"

Pro tip: Getting into MMO closed beta Mongbat style originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda producer interview explains Players vs. Playable Environments

James Egan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, PvP, PvE, Global Agenda

How can we describe a game like Global Agenda? "It's like a sci-fi Team Fortress 2 with elements of territory and resource control." That works. Or we could say, "It's an MMO that's gene spliced with a first person shooter." That's pretty accurate as well. But whichever way you look at it, Global Agenda is a game that's hard to define with any single, existing label. You'll play as an "agent" in one of four classes -- Assault (heavy weapons), Recon (stealth and melee), Robotic (gadgets galore), or Medic -- in a game that's as much about fast-paced combat as it is about controlling territory and tapping resources on an alliance (guild) level.

The title is in development at Hi-Rez Studios, and I4U News recently spoke with Global Agenda executive producer Todd Harris about what makes this game unique. Harris discusses Global Agenda's elements of world control and says, "When a player alliance successfully claims an entire zone, anticipated to take approximately 45 days, that group will be rewarded with prestige items, public display of their alliance banner, and permanent notation within the lore of the world."

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Global Agenda producer interview explains Players vs. Playable Environments originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2009: Global Agenda impressions, continued

Mike Schramm — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, PvP, PvE, Hands-on, MMOFPS, Global Agenda

My "Engineer" equipped, we ran over to the PvE mission master, grabbed a mission, and then got a cinematic of a dropship taking off and landing in the zone. After a little experimentation with the force fields and turrets (Robotics characters put down a marker which then needs to be repaired up to full strength with a special weapon), we dropped into the building, and were instantly confronted with some Star Wars-style droid robots. With the character at mid-level already, they were a little tougher than beginners will find, so at first, when we tried just a straightforward assault with the "flubber" gun, they got the better of us. But after a short delay (death brings just a few seconds' respawn time, and then you can respawn and warp back into the battle through a respawn beacon), we went back into the fray, and when we used our special skills (put up a one-way forcefield and created a turret and a robotic pet to help us fight), we finished off the robots (including a "worker," who served to bring in reinforcements and had to be taken down first, and a bigger ED209-esque boss robot).

Next up, we tried jumping in to some PvP. Players in Global Agenda will be able to level up via either PvE or PvP -- PvE missions will accept 1-4 players, and while the enemies may be the same (though Harris said they were experimenting with putting players in at different spawn points or switching up enemy spawns a little bit to give the levels some more variety), they'll scale in difficulty depending how many friends you bring along. PvP missions are more common shooter settings (Attack and Defend, Capture the Flag, Escort), though sometimes with a special twist: The CTF maps are actually "capture the robot," where the flag is actually a giant mech that players need to jump in and return to their side to score.

This time, we specced a medic together, and saw a few of the different ways you can play that class: you can make it very much like a TF2 medic with just a single target healing gun, or go with a chain-healing gun (that can hit multiple targets with the tradeoff of being weaker), or you can choose a "nanite" weapon, which hits with single shots rather than a channeling stream, and provides a heal over time when they hit. All weapons and abilities are governed by an energy stat, which works like mana in other MMOs -- there's no ammo, so if you have energy, you can fire, otherwise you'll have to seek cover and rest. Lower level guns can be fired indefinitely, but more powerful guns have a rate of fire just limited by how much energy you use with each shot.

Turns out our medic did pretty well -- not only did we keep up some friendly players in the Attack and Defend map, but with the medic's boost ability (all classes also build up "boost" as they play, and when you fill that meter, you can use a special move that usually affects the whole team, very much like Call of Duty 4's perks), we laid down some great AoE healing that turned us into a pretty powerful force on our own, too. PvP was actually lots of fun -- given that the game is still in alpha, it wasn't completely balanced yet, but the feeling of a good shooter is there: we took attack points, Robotics turrets defended until they were overpowered, medics held up tanks through enemy assaults, and Recon characters snuck around with stealth and tried backstabbing with melee.

But while the action is in a good place, the rest of the world still needs work. Harris says that outside of battle, there will be similarly instanced social areas to go through, but the places we saw were still pretty generic: you can visit mission givers, buy armor in an auction house, and buy dye to customize that armor, but otherwise the social areas were pretty lifeless. There were still people running around -- the game is currently in an alpha, and is starting up a closed beta this summer -- but there's no open world, no place to watch matches in action, and no real social mechanics to tie people together. At the highest levels of the game, the world depends on huge guilds working as a team: players will be competing for hundreds of different maps to try and advance their Global Agenda (see what we did there?). But while there will be a pickup matchmaking system in place, with no open world, it'll be interesting to see how players find each other. A little social boost might go a long way.

But other than that, Global Agenda is shaping up well -- Hi Rez is doing a great job of mixing in some uncommon influences and combining them with the persistent MMO genre. We'll definitely be on the lookout for the beta later this year.

E3 2009: Global Agenda impressions, continued originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2009: Global Agenda hands-on with executive producer Todd Harris

Mike Schramm — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, PvE, Hands-on, Global Agenda

Global Agenda is coming right along nicely -- we last saw the game in action at GDC, and today at E3, executive producer Todd Harris was nice enough to sit down and show us a never-before-seen part of the game: PvE gameplay.

We started off by checking out the character creator, which has come along quite a bit. They've built a very in-depth face creator -- there are about eight or ten different factors to switch between (eyes, mouth, and so on), and for each one, there are seven or eight sliders to adjust and tweak. Which allows for quite a few different variations, as you might imagine. Hair and skin color can also be edited, but Harris told us that body shape will generally be determined by the armor you wear (which is more or less determined by the class you choose).

Gallery: Hi-Rez Studios and Global Agenda Gallery

Massively is on the ground in Los Angeles this week and covering all the latest E3 MMO news coming from the convention. Check out our breaking coverage (or all the Joystiq network E3 reporting) and keep your eye on Massively's front page for the latest developments.

Continue reading E3 2009: Global Agenda hands-on with executive producer Todd Harris

E3 2009: Global Agenda hands-on with executive producer Todd Harris originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hi-Rez Studios executive producer Todd Harris on Global Agenda's gameplay tiers

James Egan — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMOFPS, Global Agenda

One of the new breed of sci-fi MMOs that crosses a first person shooter with an MMO is Global Agenda from Hi-Rez Studios. For those fans of class-based FPS games like Team Fortress 2, Hi-Rez Studios has emphasized that TF2 has been a major influence on Global Agenda's development. While the game's release date hasn't been announced yet, Hi-Rez has been fairly active in terms of promoting Global Agenda. Hi-Rez Studios executive producer Todd Harris has written a dev blog for MMORPG.com titled "A Minute To Learn, A Lifetime To Master", a motto which is very much the spirit behind Global Agenda's game design.

Harris breaks down the major tiers of Global Agenda's gameplay as: Action/shooter mechanics and reflexes; RPG/build; Team tactics and cooperation - per mission instance; and Domination strategy and coordination - per alliance vs. alliance campaign. Harris goes into detail in each of these facets of the game, and explains how these tiers have played out with the roughly 1000 Global Agenda alpha testers. For more on the game design decisions Hi-Rez Studios has made with Global Agenda, see "A Minute To Learn, A Lifetime to Master" at MMORPG.com.

Hi-Rez Studios executive producer Todd Harris on Global Agenda's gameplay tiers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video interview tells us more about Global Agenda's storyline

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvP, PvE, Spy, Global Agenda

When you think of Global Agenda, what do you think? Action-packed PvP, right? While that's a huge part of this upcoming game from Hi-Rez Studios, there is a story side that we don't hear much about. In the latest Game Trailers video from GDC, they interview Global Agenda's Executive Producer, Todd Harris, about more of the storyline and PvE aspects of the game. All the while, we get treated to some amazing in-game combat footage, showing off the updated look and animations in the game as it approaches its beta period.

In this video we learn about the primary entity in the game, known as the Commonwealth. Your character begins as a fugitive from the Commonwealth who escapes to join player-run agencies, where the real action begins. From here, these agencies (or guilds, if you will) fight for control over the scarce land and resources left after World War 3 wiped the slate clean. Wanna find out more? Check out the entire video interview embedded after the cut below.

Continue reading Video interview tells us more about Global Agenda's storyline

Video interview tells us more about Global Agenda's storyline originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda Q&A explains Hi-Rez Studios approach to sci-fi MMO

James Egan — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, Global Agenda

More opportunities for sci-fi MMO gaming will present themselves in the coming years, and we've been taking a closer look at these in-development titles. One such game that we've written about is Global Agenda, an MMO that uses Unreal Engine 3, which its developer Hi-Rez Studios describes as a futuristic "spy-fi world of advanced technology and player-driven conflict."

MMORPG.com recently ran a Q&A with Todd Harris, Executive Producer for Global Agenda: "Top Three Questions about Global Agenda... Answered!" The developer journal addresses the fact that Global Agenda is more about tactics than twitch. Despite being a (third person) shooter, the game has RPG elements. Harris writes, "... your character actions and contributions affect the outcome of a single mission (like an FPS), your character career (like and RPG), and your agency's long-term Campaign goals (like a strategy game.)"

Continue reading Global Agenda Q&A explains Hi-Rez Studios approach to sci-fi MMO

Global Agenda Q&A explains Hi-Rez Studios approach to sci-fi MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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