Civilization 5 Giveaway

Thanks to XCOM Enemy Unknown, I now am in possession of an extra copy of Civilization 5.  That means it is time for another giveaway!  Civ 5 is an excellent game and I highly recommend it, especially when it is free.  So, how can you get your hand on it?

We'll be using Sites with Benefits (formerly known as Project Murdock), which is a project of mine.  Since I have only a single game to giveaway, it is a perfect chance to test out the lottery functionality.  As usual, you can earn points a few ways.  Then you can spend those points on buying lottery tickets.  You can buy as many as you want.

Reward.  Free copy of Civilization 5 for Steam.  The lottery will end on Saturday, October 6th at 12pm EST.  Each ticket costs 15 points and you can buy as many as you want.  Or, you can do the missions and save the points for another giveaway.

If you sign in using twitter, you may want to stop by http://www.siteswithbenefits.com/ and enter an email address so you can be notified if you won the lottery.  Otherwise, it will show up in the Rewards Earned tab after the lottery ends.

Missions


Sign In.  Using the widget on the left side of the screen, sign in and get a cool 20 points.  You can use existing logins ( Google, Twitter and more), so no need to create a new account.

Daily Visit.  You'll also receive 5 points just for stopping by.  (Daily mission)

Trivia.  Answering a question about Civilization can get you 10 points.  You only have one chance to answer, so choose wisely.

Tweet.  Sent a tweet about this giveaway and receive 15 points.  Just use the link on the Mission window to send it out.

Comment.  Which civilization is your favorite?  Leave it in a comment and get 5 points!  (Daily mission)

------------------

Please let me know of any problems, as Sites with Benefits is still in its beta phase.  Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

Read More

Pink for Tink Revisited

A couple of years ago, an event was held in Warhammer Online called Pink for Tink.  It was player run and Mythic supported to celebrate and support one of our fellow players who had breast cancer.  It was actually one of my Guild Mates, who played a Bright Wizard rather well.  Mythic even provided NPC's in her name that gave out pink dye.  Not something you'd expect from a cutthroat PvP community.

Sadly, Andy (former WAR and CoH community manager) brings us sad news.  It turns out that the cancer has progressed and Tink entered Hospice care.  That basically means a new journey is about to begin for her.  I can't imagine how her husband must feel, along with her children.  I wish them all the best.  And Tink, I enjoyed helping you melt Destro on my Engy.

Read More

UFO Online Beta Keys

This morning I found some Beta keys for the upcoming game UFO Online in my mailbox.  I don't know too much about the game, but it involves UFO's and tactical play, so why not pass it along?  Their next beta test starts this weekend and they will be giving out prizes.

To obtain a key, we'll be using Project Murdock! :)  It's the widget on the left hand side of the screen.  Has the initials SwB at the bottom (to be discussed later).  Just signing in will give you enough points to get a beta key, so give it a shot.  Feel free to do any of the other missions as well, there will be new giveaways happening soon that you can spend points on!

Read More

I went purple and I liked it

I've been spending some of my free time playing the PlanetSide 2 Beta, and it is awesome.  One of my complaints has been the difficulty in finding good fights though.  This is most likely due to beta and the time of day I like to play.  So I took Bootae's advice and rolled on an EU server.

I also took the opportunity to roll a Vanu character as they are often under populated.  You know, the purple guys. I figured they might also see more defensive action.

Ever since making an EU character, the battles have been crazy!  Just a couple says ago, we were assaulting a NC facility and it was at least 30 minutes of non-stop fighting.  The NC were dug in with Max's, turrets and a lot of defenders.

It was night time, and quite a sight.  A bunch of our tanks were pounding the building, there was an air battle overhead and all of us grunts were trying to make progress.  Of course death was everywhere, but luckily we had several Sunderer's we could spawn from.

I switched back and forth between heavy Assault and Infiltrator (Sniper).  I also died, a lot.  It was a good old fashioned meat grinder.  Friendly Fire is a hell of a thing which takes some getting used to.  PS2 will lock your weapons if you kill too many of your own, but luckily I have not found out the limit yet.

In the end, we took the facility but it was a heck of a battle.  It reminded me of the good ol days of WAR, but with tanks and air battles.

Read More

1.4.7 Update

Version 1.4.7 of Warhammer Online is on its way.  Developer Keaven Freeman took to the forums yesterday with a status update.  In it, he also tried to address some players concerns over the crowd control changes being implemented.  I hope we see more regular updates like these.  Keaven also responded to the thread a few times, I appended that at the end of the post.

--------------------


The Wild Hunt will be ending tomorrow (9/26), and so will the anniversary XP/RP bonuses.

Hardware issues have slowed the deployment of 1.4.7, but it looks like we’ll have things ready by next week.

There are still some community concerns with the upcoming CC changes I would like to address (note: these are summaries of the 15 pages of comments, and may not be an exact word-for-word quote from anyone in particular):
====================================================================
The knockdowns duration seems to long, since it is longer than the current time-to-die.

Not all knockdowns affected by this change will see an increase in their duration.

1vs1s will see too large a benefit with the new knockdown duration.

None of the careers were designed for any long-term one-on-one survivability against every other career. WAR is a group-combat game, and it would be a mistake to judge the worth of any given change from solely a 1v1-fight comparison.

The new duration of stagger seems to low to bother with it.

I imagine any change to abilities would require some players to reevaluate their current ability-rotation and mastery specs. The effective worth of “removing” an enemy from the fight for any amount of time is variable based on that combatant’s role, but I would argue any amount of time advantage given to your team is still exactly that: an advantage.

Standardized CC requires other considerations in order to work.

This is true, which is why we made shallow but wide reaching changes first. Additional changes, such as tank vs. DPS, or melee vs. ranged, will require a deeper level of work; this is something we do want to address, and felt the current changes were a necessary first step in that direction.
====================================================================

I feel it’s important to reiterate that our goal with these changes was to take CC and make it more of a road-bump in the fight, rather than something that makes or breaks the fight. We want fights to be more dynamic and organic, and it will take us a few steps to get there, but we strongly feel this was a necessary first step in that direction.

------------------------------

Also from the thread:

There will be a new line up, yes. I'll see if i can that posted for you tomorrow. The city portals will be moved to the Warcamps.

and

Identifying the game as a group-oriented combat game is not an excuse, nor is it a blindfold - it's the reality of the game design. In order to make each career totally viable and effective against every other career in a 1v1 situation, the entire game would have to be reworked from the ground up. I'm not saying that's a bad idea, i'm just saying it's not something we're prepared to do at this time.

Read More

LGV

Saw this video pop up on Dev Spy, and it made my morning.  Great stuff Red5 :)

Read More

What WAR means to me

In honor of WAR's 4th Birthday I am going to do something I never do on this blog, get personal.  I've avoided doing it for years, as it is just the kind of person I am.  But this is a story I want to share and explains why WAR will always be special to me.

Around 2006, my wife and I decided to try and have a baby.  Everyone makes it look so easy to do, but in our case it was not.  Eventually, with the help of Doctors we were able to get pregnant.  Now, I am a naturally nervous person... always have been.  This event turned that up a few notches for sure, but we were very happy.

Sadly, that all ended one day in an Emergency Room.  It ended up being an Ectopic pregnancy, and my wife was rushed to surgery.  Needless to say, we lost the baby and it it was looking like my wife would be unable to have another.

Fast forward a year or so... medical science (IVF) is an amazing thing these days.  With the help of more doctors and even more money my wife was expecting again.  If I was nervous before, now I was scared out of my mind that something bad was going to happen.

This is where WAR came into the picture.  It still had a bit to go before launch, but reading all about it and starting this blog to write about it provided the perfect distraction.  The timing could not have been better, as the same week WAR went live my first daughter was born. Like WAR, she is now 4 years old.

A couple years later when my wife was pregnant again, WAR was still there to provide a distraction so I didn't constantly worry.  Everything went fine that time too :)

So thank you to Mythic and all those who work(ed) on WAR.  You and your game helped me through some very rough times.  I will always be grateful for that.  Happy Birthday!

Read More

Terror from Beyond

If you have been reading this site for any amount of time, you'd know that I am not much of a raider.  I actually ran the 10-man Kara in WoW way back when, but that was it for my raiding career.  The main reason I don't is the time it takes and the usual need for a guild.

I am pretty tempted to get involved with raiding in SWTOR though.  Mainly because of their Story Mode level of difficulty and the fact you can join a raid with their Group Find tool.  It would seem to solve my issues with raiding.  Of course, I need a level capped character to get started, but that's another issue all together :)

The new raid coming in 1.4, Terror from Beyond looks pretty cool.  Here is a video of the first boss, The Writhing Horror.





And the official developer dispatch.





Have a good weekend!

Read More

Guild Wars 2 Tracker

Guild Wars 2 has officially joined the Dev Spy family (up to 14 games).  It's been on the page from the beginning, but it now enjoys full support and customization.  As always, the page live updates so there should be no need to refresh. What is tracked?

• Developer forum posts
• Reddit
• Live Streams (Own3d and twitch)
• Facebook
• Twitter

Dev Spy also supports Desktop Notifications for browsers that offer that functionality.  They are little popup windows that show even if the browser is minimized.  You can enable them by going to Customize -> Notifications.

http://devspy.weritsblog.com/

Enjoy!

Read More

WAR's Birthday Presents

Yesterday, Warhammer Online officially celebrated its fourth birthday. Although, I consider the Head Start to be the real day, that's not important.  What is important is presents!  What MMO birthday would be complete without some gifts for their players?

First, we are getting the standard gifts.  A 50% XP/Renown buff that goes on for the next 10 days.  Players will also be able to loot fireworks off of your fallen enemies.

For the 4 year veterans, there is a new item to be had:  A summon-able mailbox.  It will last for 3 minutes and cannot be placed near other mailboxes.  So no blocking the keep entrances ;)  I suspect this item will appear in the Entitlements window on a billing date, we'll see.  Each realm gets the mailbox from their capital city.

That's not all that was interesting about the birthday post.

As well, we’re putting in the framework for a new Live Event, not bound by seasonal constraints, and able to spring up more often and unexpectedly.  In fact, look for it to invade the servers soon after 1.4.7 premieres. 

I have no idea what this is all about.  It sounds like some semi-dynamic content, but who knows?  As long as it is something NEW, I'll be happy.  So bring on 1.4.7 so we can see what this is all about! ;)

Read More

Test Results

Last week, I introduced Project Murdock with a code giveaway.  Basically, PM is a reader engagement system which allows you to reward your readers.  It does this through Missions, which are things like visiting a link and leaving a comment.  All of these are tracked and your readers are given points which they can redeem for good stuff.

What went well

1)  It worked!  I received very little in the way of reported problems.  Readers were able to cplete their missions, redeem the points and obtain a code.  On the backend, things went very smoothly too, so I am quite happy.

2)  It drove traffic.  One of my main goals for PM is to be able to better drive visitors to other places in the community.  In this case I picked Tarelther's videos and 6v6v6.com.  I hope I gave them some increased exposure, although 6v6v6.com probably gave me more than I gave it :)

What didn't go so well

1)  The first batch of codes had expired.  This is totally my fault as I had them for a while and never considered that they would expire.  Thankfully, the Mythic team was quick to bail me out and provided a batch a new and better codes.

2) The missions were limited.  There were only a few missions available, and only a single reward.  In the future I'd like to offer more mission and reward choices.  For the test though, it was fine since it confirmed the pieces of the system worked.

3)  The widget is just plain ugly.  It needs to be brought into the 21st century pronto.  I've already started work on that and you should see the results soon.

What's Next?

I'm currently preparing for the next test.  It will feature more missions (Twitter), more reward choices and a better widget.  Beyond that, I have a 3rd test being planned which will have some really cool rewards and also open the system up for people to use on their sites.

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped test the system.  Thanks also go out to BioWare Mythic for the codes and the Facebook post!

Read More

Happy Birthday WAR

Believe it or not, Warhammer Online is 4 years old now.  On September 14th, 2008 the Head Start period began.  While the game may or may not have met peoples expectations, it is still chugging along.  Four years is a long time to play a game.  The Mythic team has a birthday gift in the works, I'm just not sure exactly when we will receive it.

In honor of the anniversary, my post from that day.

---------------------


My non-beta adventure in Warhammer Online officially began on Sunday with the Collectors Edition Head Start. Originally, they had planned to start it at 7am EDT, then 1pm, then 12. That worked out fine for me, as I did not have to get up early or anything.

Me and my fellow CoW's logged in as soon as the servers un-grey'd. I was able to secure 2 names I wanted, so that is good. I was on the Order side and had no queuing issues that others have had.

A recap of what I did:

• Werit the Dwarven Engineer arrives in Ekrund to take up the Oathbearer cause.
• Achieved battle Rank 5 and Renown Rank 4.
• Did most of the starting quests.
• Did the first PQ a couple times and maximized my Chapter 1 influence. Best finish was #3.
• Found a Plunger! It told me it was not secret enough and to go find others.
• Read through all of my Tome entries. Very neat stuff in there.
• Picked up Scavenging and Talisman making.
• Did a few Gates of Ekrund scenarios.
• Guild reached Rank 2 when I logged off.
• Total play time was about 2.5 hours.

It was pretty fun and problem free. I am trying to take the game slow and stop to smell the roses. The changes to the Engineer class have been nice. I feel like I am more dangerous in scenarios now. The new turret animations are nice!

That about covers it for Day 1.

Read More

Alchemy

One of the things that has always bothered me about Wrath of Heroes was their Elite Tactic system.  These powerful options were only available from an expensive Ornate Chest.  You were sure to receive an Elite Tactic, but it was random.  These are necessary to compete at the high end of WoH, so the random aspect never sat well with me.

Turns out that Mythic has been listening and is introducing the Alchemy system next week.  It basically lets you do something with all those duplicate normal tactics you might have and even extra elite tactics.  The important part is, you can create an Elite Tactic by combining five of the same normal tactic.  It will still cost you 40,000 gold but you get the tactic you want.

One way to get those normal tactics is to purchase heroes and unlock them with Mastery Points.  Those points are gained with levels, making XP important.  I'm currently giving away 7-Day 100% XP boosts, so stop on by :)

Is it the perfect solution?  I'm not sure.  I had always thought selling Elite Tactics individually in the store would have been easier and made Mythic some money.  That might walk the Pay 2 Win line though, so maybe Alchemy is a better way to go about it.

Read More

SWTOR 1.4 Data Dump

I took a look at the latest SWTOR patch, currently on PTS, and extracted some interesting information.  This is straight from the files, and may or may not be seen in 1.4.  It is new stuff though, so take from it what you will.  The output is pretty raw.  Lots of F2P stuff though.

I did not include new equipment in this list, as other sites cover that in much more detail.   For SWTOR Dev Posts, Tweets, Live Streams, Facebook, and Reddit check out Dev Spy. 

WARNING:  Possible Spoilers!

------------------------------

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/0

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/1

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/2

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/3

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/4

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/5

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_1/7/6

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/0

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/1

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/2

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/3

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/4

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/5

abl.itm.potion.grenade.shock.shock_grenade_mk_2/11/6

abl.itm.premium.ball_toss

abl.itm.premium.ball_toss/2/0

abl.itm.premium.ball_toss/2/1

abl.itm.premium.eye_glow_dark_side

abl.itm.premium.eye_glow_dark_side/3/0

abl.itm.premium.eye_glow_dark_side/3/1

abl.itm.premium.eye_glow_light_side

abl.itm.premium.eye_glow_light_side/3/0

abl.itm.premium.eye_glow_light_side/3/1

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_a

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_a/2/0

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_a/2/1

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_b

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_b/2/0

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_b/2/1

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_c

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_c/2/0

abl.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_c/2/1

abl.itm.premium.imperial_banner

abl.itm.premium.imperial_banner/3/0

abl.itm.premium.imperial_banner/3/1

abl.itm.premium.incentive_banner

abl.itm.premium.incentive_banner/3/0

abl.itm.premium.incentive_banner/3/1

abl.itm.premium.malgus_holo

abl.itm.premium.malgus_holo/2/0

abl.itm.premium.malgus_holo/2/1

abl.itm.premium.republic_banner

abl.itm.premium.republic_banner/2/0

abl.itm.premium.republic_banner/2/1

abl.itm.premium.satele_holo

abl.itm.premium.satele_holo/2/0

abl.itm.premium.satele_holo/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.major

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.major/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.major/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.minor

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.minor/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.minor/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.major

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.major/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.major/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.minor

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.minor/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.minor/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.major

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.major/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.major/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.minor

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.minor/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.minor/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.major

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.major/4/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.major/4/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.minor

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.minor/4/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.minor/4/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.major

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.major/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.major/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.minor

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.minor/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.minor/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.major

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.major/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.major/2/1

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.minor

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.minor/2/0

abl.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.minor/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v01/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v01/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v02/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v02/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v03/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v03/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v01/4/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v01/4/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk/8/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk/8/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v02/8/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v02/8/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v03/7/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v03/7/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v01/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v01/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v02/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v02/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v03/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v03/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v02/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v02/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v03/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v03/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v02/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v02/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v03/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v03/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v04

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v04/5/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v04/5/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v01/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v01/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v02/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v02/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v03/2/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v03/2/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v03/4/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v03/4/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v01

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v01/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v01/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v02

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v02/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v02/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v03

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v03/3/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v03/3/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel/4/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel/4/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v02/4/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v02/4/1

abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v03/4/0

abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v03/4/1

epp.itm.premium.ball_toss

epp.itm.premium.eye_glow_dark_side

epp.itm.premium.eye_glow_light_side

epp.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_a

epp.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_b

epp.itm.premium.fireworks.fireworks_c

epp.itm.premium.imperial_banner

epp.itm.premium.malgus_holo

epp.itm.premium.republic_banner

epp.itm.premium.satele_holo

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.major

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.class.minor

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.major

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.exploration.minor

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.major

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.flashpoint.minor

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.major

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.generic.minor

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.major

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.space.minor

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.major

epp.itm.premium.xp_boosts.warzone.minor

qst.location.balmorra_republic.world.colicoid_massacre_eligibility

qst.qtr.1x3.hk_51.republic.assertion_repairs_required

qst.qtr.1x3.hk_51.republic.hk_51

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.cleanse_the_cannon

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.dread_guard_elimination

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.prison_break

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.research_cancellation.research_cancellation_reward

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.research_cancellation.research_cancellation_stage_1

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.research_cancellation.research_cancellation_stage_2

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.bonus.research_cancellation.research_cancellation_stage_3

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.horror_on_belsavis

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.hyperbiology

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.lost_reconnaissance

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.march_of_the_dread_guard

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.puzzle_pieces

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.section_x_crisis

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.targeted_misfire

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.imperial.the_aurora_cannon

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bio_reform

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.ancient_prison_suppression.ancient_prison_suppression_reward

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.ancient_prison_suppression.ancient_prison_suppression_stage_1

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.ancient_prison_suppression.ancient_prison_suppression_stage_2

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.ancient_prison_suppression.ancient_prison_suppression_stage_3

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.ancient_prison_suppression.final_stage_ancient_prison_suppression

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.cleaning_out_the_cannon

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.dread_sabotage

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.bonus.the_terraformed

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.imminent_threat

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.key_to_decryption

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.long_shots

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.section_x

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.section_x_crisis

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.the_dread_guard

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.republic.wake_the_lightning

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.superboss.dreadtooth_corrupted

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.superboss.dreadtooth_frenzied

qst.qtr.1x4.daily.belsavis.superboss.dreadtooth_nightmarish

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.imperial.alert_hostiles_imminent

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.imperial.bonus.the_dread_forces

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.imperial.directive_activate_assassination_protocols

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.imperial.fatal_errors

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.multi.bonus.fate_of_the_theoretikan

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.multi.bonus.trial_and_error

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.republic.assertion_repairs_required

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.republic.bonus.the_dread_forces

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.republic.the_fatality

qst.qtr.1x4.hk_51.republic.warning_rivals_detected

qst.qtr.1x4.raid.asation.imperal.new_frontiers

qst.qtr.1x4.raid.asation.imperal.terror_from_the_deep

qst.qtr.1x4.raid.asation.republic.ancient_allies

qst.qtr.1x4.raid.asation.republic.terror_from_the_deep

qst.space_combat.50.m03h.imperial.farcradlestrike

qst.space_combat.50.m03h.republic.regnantstationassault

qst.space_combat.50.m04h.imperial.kabal_station_defense

qst.space_combat.50.m04h.republic.ardis_outpost_fortification

qst.space_combat.50.m05h.imperial.kanz_minefield

qst.space_combat.50.m05h.republic.new_cov_asteroid_field

qst.space_combat.50.m07h.imperial.duma_strike

qst.space_combat.50.m07h.republic.baros_ambush

qst.space_combat.50.m08h.imperial.lorta_escort

qst.space_combat.50.m08h.republic.hypori_escort

qst.space_combat.50.m09h.imperial.cha_raaba_assault

qst.space_combat.50.m09h.republic.thanium_disruption

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b09_operation_far_cradle_strike

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b10_operation_kabal_station_defense

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b11_operation_kanz_minefield

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b12_operation_duma_strike

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b13_operation_lorta_escort

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b14_operation_cha_raaba_assault

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.b15_operation_foe_smasher

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.c15_space_combat_far_cradle_strike

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.c16_space_combat_kabal_station_defense

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.c17_space_combat_kanz_minefield

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.c18_space_combat_duma_strike

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.c19_space_combat_lorta_escort

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.imperial.c20_space_combat_cha_raaba_assault

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b09_operation_regnant_station_assault

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b10_operation_ardis_outpost_fortification

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b11_operation_new_cov_asteroid_field

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b12_operation_baros_ambush

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b13_operation_hypori_escort

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b14_operation_thanium_disruption

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.b15_operation_clean_sweep

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.c15_space_combat_regnant_station_assault

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.c16_space_combat_ardis_outpost_fortification

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.c17_space_combat_new_cov_asteroid_field

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.c18_space_combat_baros_ambush

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.c19_space_combat_hypori_escort

qst.space_combat.fleet_command.republic.c20_space_combat_thanium_disruption

qst.test.jkoch.map.quest1

qst.test.jkoch.map.quest2

qst.test.jmoretto.bounty_test

qst.test.jmoretto.race_test

qst.test.jmoretto.test_mastermind

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_logic

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_reward_tier1

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_reward_tier2

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_reward_tier3

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_stage_1

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_stage_2

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_1.example_1_stage_3

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_logic

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_reward_tier1

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_reward_tier2

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_reward_tier3

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_1

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_2

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_3a

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_3b

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_4a

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_4b

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_5a

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_5b

qst.test.mpucevich.pq.example_2.example_2_stage_5c

qst.test.mpucevich.survey.surveyforstuff

qst.test.training.rick_burton.hidden_quest_bonus

qst.test.training.rick_burton.hidden_test

Read More

XP Boost Giveaway

UPDATE:  Codes are all gone, thanks for the help testing!  I have more codes to give, so look for another test soon :)

It's time for another Wrath of Heroes XP Boost Giveaway!  This time is special though.  To give out the codes I am using a new project of mine, temporarily named Project Murdock.  It's a web system that rewards you, the readers, with points for doing some basic stuff like visiting the page or leaving a comment.

To obtain a WoH code, you need to earn 45 points.  There are 4 missions you can do to gain those points.  You can click on Missions link (bottom of post) to see what's available, and find links mentioned below.

Sign In.  Using the widget below, sign in and get a cool 20 points.  You can use exisiting logins ( Google, Twitter and more), so no need to create a new account.

Daily Visit.  You'll also receive 5 points just for stopping by.

Visit Tarelther.  Tarelther has a whole bunch of Wrath of Heroes videos, so visiting his site will get you 10 points.

Leave Feedback.  I'd like to know what you think about the project (other than the looks, I know it is ugly :)    If you leave a comment, you'll get another 10 points.  You can even do it as a Guest.

Now that you have 45 points, click on the Rewards link and you should be able to Redeem those points for a Wrath of Heroes XP Boost code (1 per person).

You can also visit http://projectmurdockhm.appspot.com/  to see a log of points you've received and any rewards you have obtained.  Please let me know of any issues.  Thanks!  P.S.  This is a project I am planning on opening up to other people to use :)

NOTE:  The codes being given out have expired :(  Do redeem them still though. I will have new ones tomorrow, so just e-mail me the code you get (address is on the right side) and I'll return you a working one.  Sorry for the trouble, didn't realize that they could expire.

NOTE #2.  The new codes have come in!   They are actually 7-day 100% XP codes and are in the system.  If you redeem your points now, you should get one.  If you got an old expired code from before, send me an e-mail with it and I'll give you a new one.

NOTE #3.  New mission added!  More rewards to come :)

Read More

Werit does PlanetSide 2

On Friday, SoE announced its Alpha Squad promotion for PlanetSide 2.  basically, you can buy your way into the beta test, get 4,000 Station points and some other free stuff.  I've been looking to get into this game for a while now, so I shelled out the cash.  After work, I was in the game. Ah, modern gaming technology.

I had missed the boat on the original PlanetSide, and to be honest, I suck at FPS games.  I think I used to be ok at them back when Quake 3 was around, but now I am just terrible.  Keyboard/mouse, 360 controller, it really makes no difference.  I hit everything except what I am aiming at.  Still, the lure of PlanetSide 2 was too strong.

I ended up going Smurf (New Conglomerate).  The Vanu are alien, sleek and purple... therefore not for me. The Terran Republic is more my style, but overpopulated.  So I went with the NC.  Probably will do the same when the game launches, need to develop some faction pride.

I'll talk more about PS2 later in the week, but let me share a memorable moment from the weekend.  I had joined a 12-man squad (using a WAR-esque Public Group system) and we were defending some big installation from a TR assault.  The TR had an incoming Galaxy (transport plane) trying to drop off some troops.

It was just about to make the drop when one of our own Galaxies kamikazied into it, blowing up both ships. The resulting explosion was rather large.  It was also the turning point of the assault and we managed to hold the base.  I was playing an Engineer at the time, defending our squads Galaxy and repairing it.   We then hopped in and went off to retake another base.

Read More

Outsourcing, Sony Style

Yesterday, SOE dropped a big announcement about their new offering: the Player Studio.  It was said to be a fundamental change to the industry and I'd say that that's almost right.  What this basically comes down to is user created art assets for the SoE Marketplace.

Game companies using player art assets is nothing new, I remember when Pirates of the Burning Sea let players build ships and they were used in game.  This time is a bit different though, as designers will get paid cold hard cash for their efforts.

I'm all for leveraging the talent available through the internet, and compensating them for their effort.  I do have to wonder how SoE artists took this news.  I don't see the art department downsizing as these items are only for the Marketplace.  They will also probably need artists to touch up the submissions and make them workable in game.

It's still taking work away from potential employees though, and if it is wildly successful who knows where it might lead for those employees?

I have a feeling they are going to get a ton of submissions, but only a small amount will probably be offered for sale.  You can't just flood the Marketplace with hundreds of items.  That'll be a lot of time 'wasted' for some.

Since I have zero artistic talent, I will not be participating but I'm looking forward to seeing how the Player Studio pans out.

Read More

Legacy and Career Updates

SWTOR patch 1.4 is right around the corner, as shown by the recent outbreak of developer blog posts.  However, we don't have to wait for 1.4 to see one small, yet important change.  I'm sure it'll be a controversial change to some, and a godsend to others.

From 1.3.7 yesterdays patch:

Legacy names are no longer unique. New Legacies that are created are now able to use a name that is already in use on the server. All players will be able to rename their Legacies once, at no cost, in a future update.

This was a dealbreaker to some when the server mergers occurred, as they had grown quite attached to their Legacy name.  So attached, that it killed their motivation to play when they had to make the change.  I was lucky and my legacy was still available.

Personally, this change doesn't mean much to me.  I actually have nameplates turned off in a lot of situations (except PvP).  To those who want their original legacy names back, I imagine they'll be pretty happy when the team institutes a reset.

Career Updates.  A developer blog was recently released discussing career changes in 1.4.  The focus of the blog seems to be on the Resolve (CC immunity), Trooper/BH,  and the Consular/Inquisitor.  It's a long read, so I'll only go over what is important to me.

Mercenaries and Commandos now have a 30-meter interrupt, Disabling Shot. This ability interrupts the target's current action and prevents that ability from being used for the next 4 seconds. This ability can be trained at level 18.

Prior to this change, Commando's did not have an interrupt ability.  Well, that's not really true.  We had a couple of hard CC stuns but they are on long cooldowns and only worked on specific enemy types.  This interrupt will be extremely useful.

I especially like how it prevents the ability from being used for the next 4 seconds, the NPC's who use that are rather annoying.  Now I get to be too.  We don't know what the cooldown on this skill will be, but I can't wait to use it in PvP on some healers.

Read More

Durrig First Impressions

Yesterday, Wrath of Heroes re-introduced Durring the Engineer to the game.  I, of course, had to own him to quickly bought up some gems and made the purchase.  Thankfully, Mythic just upped the amount of gems you get for the same amount of money too.  I can't resist me some Engineer gameplay.

Durrig is sort of like Felicia, AoE focused.  There are some differences though.  Durrig deals Physical damage and has turret.  You can check out his full list of abilities here.  In the end though, he is a ranged DPS class and I do tend to favor them.

What I liked.

Dwarf.  He's a Dwarf who carries a gun.

Turret.  You have 2 turret options with the Mastery tree, Bombardment and Steam.  Unlike WAR, these are instant cast and can be cast on the move, which is sweet.  The Steam turret is good for when you are up close and personal, the bombardment tutrret is good for when you want to hang back.

Stopping Power.  This tactic adds a snare to your Gun Blast.  Very nice to keep people from running away, or to just be annoying.

AoE.  He can do quite a bit of area of affect damage, and his steam turret can also apply an AoE snare.

What I didn't like.

Low Damage.  Just like WAR, the Engineer has trouble with burst damage.  The abundance of tanks currently being played does not help this problem, it is demoralizing to see your AoE hitting for 7 damage.  There are times when you can get some good damage due to the passive.  Tracer Rounds (98 damage), at close range gets doubled.

Stopping Power.  I like it sometimes, but I ended up unslotting it.  There are just too many ways for melee classes to run faster that the snare felt negligible.

Squishy.  The Engineer is a bit squishy, especially when running in to drop off a Steam Turret.

Tactics

There are some tactics that can help Durrig out.

Carnage.  We can cause a lot of damage, even if its small.... so Durrig works well with procs.  Once these start hitting, your damage goes way up.

Eternal Knowledge.  20% lower cooldowns is great for everyone.

Bloodthirst.  This is another proc based tactic, but instead heals you.  It is only an 8% chance, so it felt like it rarely occurred.

Absorb Vitality.  This perk is usuable at 8,000 damage, which Durrig can get without too much of a problem.  It'll do more AoE damage and heal you.  I actually don;t have access to thhis one yet.

Adaptation.  This tactic provides some crit immunity.  Always good if you want to survive a bit longer.   I have this on Ilanya, may need to move it over to Durrig.

Overall

I found him fun to play, and plan on making him my main (as if there was any doubt).  In almost all of my matches I was able to top the damage charts, as much as that matters.  I will likely buy his second skin so I can get access to another loadout.  Switching between Steam and Bombardment turrets depending on the map will be important.

Read More

Send in the Clowns

Project Aquarium has reached a new stage, the addition of fish!  Now instead of looking at some rock and rapidly growing 'stuff', there are things swimming around.  To start of we went with the ever popular Clown Fish.  Mainly because the kids recognize them as the Nemo fish.

One of them is a bit of a jerk though, course I couldn't tell you which.  They just look too much alike.  Overall, they are pretty fun to watch and the kids love to feed them.  We will be getting more fish soon, but it is a build up process.  Handling algae growth is still a priority.

I also need to get some background paper to cover up the tubes and wires one of these days.  Next up, is some sort of algae rock which soaks up the nitrogen before the algae can get it.  Or something like that, most of this stuff is still a mystery to me.

I picked up a really neat glass cleaner over the weekend, since algae was growing on that too.  It's a two piece system, one on the inside, one on the outside both connected by a strong magnet.  Works very well.  This concludes another exciting fish tank related blog post.

Read More