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Interview: planeswalking the walk in Magic: The Gathering – Tactics

Robert Hathorne — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 23:43:55 +0000

If you’ve ever played the Magic: The Gathering customizable card game, you’ve no doubt wondered what it would look like if the creatures you cast duked it out on the table in front of you. SOE’s free-to-play Magic: The Gathering – Tactics, a turn-based strategy game based on the CCG universe, renders your summoned creatures in 3D, fighting in formation on a tactical grid. We got the chance to talk about the game with Mark Tuttle, executive producer at SOE Denver, about the launch. Read on and see what it took to turn the classic tabletop card game into a grid-based battle of wits.

The grisly demise of Miss Muffet's husband.

Beginning the project, what was your biggest goal? Where did you want to take Magic?

Mark Tuttle: With Tactics, our biggest goal was to make a game that appealed to both Magic players and fans of tactics games. It’s easy to take a game as rich and detailed as Magic and go down the rabbit hole of complexity, but you lose casual players. If you chase the casuals, then you risk boring the Magic players. We hope that we hit the sweet spot somewhere in the middle. We’d like to have Magic players enjoy this iteration of the universe that they enjoy, and maybe introduce more casual players to the concepts that embody Magic.

How do you plan on expanding the experience in the future? More card sets, campaigns, etc?

Tuttle: As Tactics is a live game, content is extremely important to us. Our first release tells the story (though our campaign chapters and missions) of your avatar’s ascendancy as a Planeswalker. We plan on adding more chapters to that tale within the months following our launch as mid-release content. Roughly five months from our initial launch, we’ll begin releasing regular expansions which will add anywhere from 150-180 new figures and spells into the mix. Magic players will feel the familiarity with this model, and new players will be constantly challenged with new gameplay.

How many cards are there in the current set?

Tuttle: Right now we’re looking at roughly 180 figures and spells. Of those, 60 percent represent content taking directly from the trading card game and 40 percent was created exclusively for Magic: The Gathering – Tactics. There are also a handful of promos, rewards, prizes and such that we’ll be mixing in.

What is the level cap? Do you foresee this eventually being raised?

Tuttle: The current level cap is 50. It certainly can be raised, and we have accounted for that, but we have no plans to raise it in the near future.

Cost of the real Black Lotus: $2000. If only we could print this one out.

What was the thinking behind reintroducing the Black Lotus to Magic? How is it balanced? Do you think it’s less powerful in a tactical setting?

Tuttle: The fact that you’re asking me about the Black Lotus is the answer to your question. We wanted to make sure that we gave players some of the powerful and iconic cards they have experienced in Magic for the last 17 years. The Black Lotus in Magic: The Gathering – Tactics is powerful, yes, as it gives you three additional mana, but its use happens on the turn after you activate it and using it is a turn-ending mechanic. It’s hard to explain out of context but it’s a great artifact and we hope we’ve done it justice.

What do you think Tactics’ most powerful card is?

Tuttle: It’s probably a little early to say, but Tooth and Nail is a really popular green spell that allows you to play two figures into play for free. One of my favorites is the common Drudge Skeleton. Due to the tactical nature of the game, it’s amazing how powerful a regenerating creature can be in blocking your opponent’s largest advances.

How is XP handled in multiplayer? Do your talents from the skill tree carry over into multiplayer?

Tuttle: Talents do carry over into multiplayer for the most part. They are used in pick up games as well as open and constructed tournaments. Talents are not used in draft. Since players never know for sure what spellbooks they’ll make for drafts, having talents might influence players to draft according to their talents rather than what they think will make a good draft spellbook. Plus, we also like to think of draft as the purest skill form in Magic: The Gathering – Tactics.

When angels start slicing and dicing, you know it's on.

Will co-op ever be added either for campaigns or 2v2, etc?

Tuttle: Co-op is absolutely something on our drawing board for an upcoming release.

What happens if you drain your library before the scenario/game is over?

Tuttle: You keep playing! We don’t have the concept of decking in Magic: The Gathering – Tactics so if you do empty your spellbook, you should still have figures in play to continue the fight. It could just come down to the two Planeswalkers beating on each other, but sooner or later someone is going to win.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Tuttle: I’d just like to thank the folks at Wizards of the Coast who were so great during the development process. It’s always a scary thing to let someone else play with your toys, but they were very forthcoming with access and assistance. They were actively involved in the development and I think together, we’ve made a terrific game that we hope gamers of all types will find appealing.

Stay tuned for our review of Tactics, but until then, keep on tapping lands and casting creatures.

Magic: The Gathering – Tactics exclusive video

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:58:50 +0000

In Magic: The Gathering, the best blue players are manipulative and never show their hand. At PC Gamer, we’re also manipulative, and if you won’t show us your hand, we’ll cut it off and post it on our website. Which is what we did with this exclusive Magic: The Gathering – Tactics video featuring some of the blue team’s finest, such as Jace Beleren and a djinn with the kind of ponytail that makes real ponies reevaluate their existence as smaller and less useful horses. Poor ponies.

Tactics gives you what every trading card game player dreams of, your creatures springing to life from the cards and crunching bones in addition to numbers. It takes all the features of the classic game (including full deck customization) and combines them with turn-based strategy that puts unit placement on par with deck balance. The mana bonanza releases on January 18th.

18 essential Dragon Age mods

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:45:47 +0000

Brace yourself, and venture forth to a horrifying alternate reality. Imagine a world so like our own, less observant visitors might never know the difference at all. Here, in this awful den of deception lurks an unimaginable truth–Dragon Age DLC is, at best, mediocre! Ah, you’re starting to catch on. This isn’t an alternate reality at all. We never left our world, silly. Mwahahaha! Hush now, don’t cry. We’ll suffer not this treacherous DLC. We’ll protest, we’ll riot, we’ll download mods! Butterfly sword be damned!

1 Essential Tool for 18 Essential Mods

The DAModder is essential for anyone dealing with more than a few mods. The easy to use interface makes installs/uninstalls hassle-free. Just download a mod, unpack it, and drop the file into the DAModder window. Simply click install and away you go. Remember, you should still consult the readme for specific install instructions. You could be sparing yourself a huge headache. Link.

1. JBtextures

Let’s face it, DA is not a pretty game. That’s why the first mod you should install is JBtextures–mostly because the install process overwrites your overwrite folder, thereby potentially messing up any other mods you have installed. Done right, there’s no risk, and the addition of HD textures makes the game much easier on the eyes. Link.

Before and After

2. Improved Atmosphere

A top-to-bottom reinvigoration of Ferelden life (and death), Improved Atmoshpere touches just about every aspect of the game in some subtle way. The mod not only squashes a few bugs and alters starting loot for various companions, but also tweaks the origin stories, adds new weapons to the fray, modifies certain boss encounters, and prevents dead bodies from fading into the, well, Fade. Did I mention it adds squirrels? Link.

I guess we got a little carried away.

3. Dragon Age Redesigned

Lore masters rejoice! This sweeping mod redesigns the appearance of almost five-hundred NPCs as well as all of your party members in an effort to more accurately convey various character types. It doesn’t make the game play any differently, and environments still look the same, but the hundreds of subtle changes yield an overall, more enjoyable experience. You know that Alienage beggar who seems pleased as punch to be an alienage beggar? This mod takes those wide, hopeful eyes, and plunges them into a bucket of abysmal world weariness–it’s lovely. Link.

4. Forced Deathblows

As you slay, scorch, annihilate, and chit-chat your way through DA, you may find yourself hankering for an even more obnoxious amount of blood than is already in the game. If this is the case with you, look no further than Forced Deathblows. The package includes four files (one at a time please) that let you dictate how often you get to see those wicked pummel-ponce-knife-to-face animations that come only rarely in the vanilla game. Merry stabbing! Link.

5. Skip the Fade

Every game has its flaws, not every game has a fix. While Skip the Fade may be a bit cynical, you can’t deny the convenience. I can’t count the number of times I’ve wanted to start a new campaign and stopped when I remembered that awful slog through the ether after Jowan goes ballistic. Not only does this mod allow you to circumvent the games most annoying sequence, you still reap the same attribute points, codex entries, and XP as if you had completed it. Link.

6. Alley of Murders

This quest is one of the best fan-made adventures out there. You can access the alley murder-mystery in the Denerim market district at a new signpost right in front of the Chantry. The fully voiced, sixty minute quest sends you down a seedy Denerim alley with the task of cracking a series of murders thought to be linked with what’s going on in the Alienage. Link.

Guild Wars 2: the art dump

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:00:44 +0000

Have you read, reread, and read again all of our recent Guild Wars 2 posts and still crave more? Have you ever felt a need to look at lots of fantasy art in rapid succession? Do you need illustrations for your fanfic? If some or all of these scenarios describe your situation, look no further than PC Gamer’s own Guild Wars 2 art dump!

Catacombs Concept Art

Ranger Concept Art

Guild Wars 2: invasion of privacy [giveaway]

Robert Hathorne — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:08:03 +0000

Imagine yourself not as the dashing hero that rushes in to save the day in every game you’ve played, but as a skeleton, or ogre, or disembodied head. Forced to live underground, work in hazard areas such as lava flows and dank caves, and perform menial tasks like standing in anticipation. Most monsters are just trying to get by, and it’s hard enough without adventurers busting into your space all the time to smash your vases and open your chests, “What the hell?” Unmitigated invasion of privacy is what it is, and I won’t stand for it. Lower your weapons and earn loot the right way for a change, by entering our Guild Wars 2 loot giveaway.

All you have to do to earn one of our coveted jewels is answer a simple question in the comments section of this post: If you were a monster in the Guild Wars universe, say a troll or one of the afflicted, how would you get back at the adventurers for wrecking your cozy dungeon? Remember, GW2 lets you utilize environmental weapons as well as combine various powers for unique effects, so go crazy with your ideas!

On the prize table are:

2 huge, canvas concept art posters
1 “The Art of Guild Wars 2” concept art book
1 Guild Wars “Ghosts of Ascalon book”
3 Guild Wars 2 hats
2 copies of Guild Wars Trilogy

The contest ends Thursday, October 21 and winners will be selected shortly thereafter. Contest is restricted to US Residents only.

Aion 2.0: Silentera Canyon survival guide

Robert Hathorne — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:00:35 +0000

Here it is, the final installment to our guide through Assault on Balaurea, Aion’s upcoming free expansion. Within this tome, we’ll reveal the ins-and-outs of Silentera Canyon with selfless devotion to your survival; many Shugo died to bring us this information. Behold–the future.

These guides were put together with the help of Aion’s PowerWiki team: Jennifer “Gennwu” Randall, Scott “Hammer” Hannus, and Sean “Knite” Orlikowski. Read more of their awesome work at The Aion PowerWiki.

The Canyon

Silentera Canyon is an underground corridor that links Inggison and Gelkmaros. Here you’ll find the Beshmundir Temple’s entrance and also access to the other faction’s zone in Balaurea. Both races use this space so there are always fierce battles occurring.

To access the corridor, you’ll need to secure both of the fortresses in your own territory. The Elyos must control both the Altar of Avarice and the Temple of Scales in Inggison. The Asmodians must control both the Vorgaltem Citadel and the Crimson Temple in Gelkmaros. Controlling the fortress only affects whether you can access the Canyon or not. If your race fails to defend a fortress while you are inside the Canyon, you will not be removed from it.

How to get to Silentera Canyon

The Silentera Canyon is a corridor between Inggison and Gelkmaros that links the two zones to each other.
When a race occupies both fortresses in their own zone, their entrance to Silentera Canyon becomes available. If either of those fortresses are recaptured, the route will close and you will lose access to the Canyon until the fortresses are under your control once again.

Elyos entrance to Silentera Canyon

Asmodian entrance to Silentera Canyon

Path to the Elyos entrance to Silentera Canyon

1. Take the Air Line from Ingisson Illusion Fortress to Soteria Sanctuary Village.
2-A. Move from Soteria Sanctuary Village to The Temple of Scales using the Air Line.
2-B. Alternatively, you can use the Windstream in front of Soteria Sanctuary Village.
3. Walk to the Silentera Canyon entrance.

Path to the Asmodian entrance to Silentera Canyon

1. Take the Air Line from Gelkmaros Fortress to Rhonnam Refugee Village.
2-A. Move from Rhonnam Refugee Village to Vorgaltem Citadel using the Air Line.
2-B. Alternatively, use the Windstream in front of Rhonnam Refugee Village.
3. Walk to the Silentera Canyon entrance.

Aion 2.0: Elyos Leveling Guide (53-55)

Robert Hathorne — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:00:47 +0000

At long last, we guide the Elyos to level 55 in Aion’s September 7 free expansion, Assault on Balaurea. You’ve likely slain many beasts to get this far, but you’ve faced nothing so fearsome as what awaits in the Abyssal Splinter. If you’re clueless right now, maybe try the level 51-52 baby Elyos leveling guide first.

What’s going on?

At this point, you’re no noob to either Aion or this guide, so here’s an overview of what we’ll cover today. You’ll unlock the last Greater Stigma slot in Beshmundir Temple, follow a quest chain for extendable weaponry, and defeat Yamennes of the Abyssal Splinter.

The guides

As always, Duddlinerk is here to cool the mustard, and Pinky has returned to freak-out around every corner.

The final Greater Stigma slot

Duddlinerk: Why must Daevas work so hard for just one Stigma Slot?!

Pinky: Patience, Duddlinerk! Stigmas are a Daeva’s true source of power!

When you complete the repeatable quests in Beshmundir Temple the required number of times, you will open your last Greater Stigma Slot. Beshmundir Temple is located within Silentera Canyon, which cannot be entered unless the Elyos conquer all fortresses in the Inggison region. The completion of this takes a little bit of luck and a lot of effort.

Fabled Grade Armor Rewards

Duddlinerk: No loot from Named Monsters, but can still acquire Fabled item?! Duddlinerk think deal like this almost too good to be true!

When you complete the repeatable quests within the Abyssal Splinter, Fabled Grade Shoes are rewarded. To start this quest, meet Craftsman NPC Laum in front of Teminon Fortress. Completion is fairly easy and involves killing monsters inside of the Abyssal Splinter. The only difficulty is that these quests are only available for completion when the Elyos have control of the Divine Fortress. To give you something to look forward to, here are the Fabled Armor Rewards available once you hit level 50:

Rosarea’s shoes restoration [Shoes reward when repeated 8 times]
Rosarea’s gloves restoration [Gloves reward when repeated 8 times]
Rosarea’s shoulder restoration [Shoulder reward when repeated 8 times]
Rosarea’s gaiters restoration [Pants reward when repeated 12 times]
Rosarea’s breastplate restoration [Breastplate reward when repeated 12 times]

At level 52, you can take two quests simultaneously from the list above, but you must complete the Rosarea’s gaiters restoration quest to receive the breastplate quest.

Rich with Items: Beshmundir Temple

Duddlinerk: Fabled items can easily be obtained if Daeva completes quests, nyerk! Duddlinerk is worried Shugo business may suffer from such good deals!

Intended for a Group, the Beshmundir Temple is located deep inside Silentera Canyon and is only accessible for those Daevas who are level 55. In the deepest reaches of the temple, a huge dragon, Stormwing (that used to be a rival of Tiamat), is imprisoned. There is also a Petralith Energy Source and related structures hidden within. Defeat the ultimate boss, Stormwing, for a chance at some amazing items!

To acquire a Fabled grade item, collect Decrees of Valor (given when the temple quests are completed) and exchange them at the designated NPC. Without a doubt, this is the place for those seeking fat loot.

Extendable Weapon Quests

Duddlinerk: Quest is too hard! Duddlinerk doesn’t care about extendable weapons, nyerk! Doubts they would give such weapons to Shugo anyway!

Pinky: Stop whining like a shade cursed Asmodian! A strong will is a must if you want a good weapon!

The quest offers good EXP and a Fabled Weapon with good performance. Later, you can proceed with an upgrade quest (related to the weapon) to drastically improve the performance and make a lasting weapon. In case you’re interested, here’s the weapon upgrade path.

Step | Classification | Quest Name

1st | Fabled Weapon reward when repeated 30 times | Blessing to the Agent
2nd | N/A | Fate [weapon type]
3rd | Expansible Fabled Weapon reward when repeated 30 times | For a Better [weapon type]

Aion 2.0: Asmodian Leveling Guide (53-55)

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:44:59 +0000

As our journey continues through Assault on Balaurea, Aion’s huge free expansion releasing on September 7, we take a look at levels 53-55 as an Asmodian. In this update, NCSoft hopes to alleviate many of the problems early adopters had with the game, like too much grinding and a distracting number of bugs. One thing’s for sure, no matter how user-friendly they make it, the blue guy with crystals coming out of his head will always want to kill you.

Welcome back

Congratulations on reaching level 53! You’re not level 53? Then see the level 51-52 Asmodian Jr. guide–this area’s for the grown-folks. Here you’ll further extend your arsenal, slay ravenous beasts in the Abyssal Splinter, and unlock the final Greater Stigma Slot at Beshmundir Temple.

Our trusty guides

Still nyerking along, Duddlinerk is here to demystify mystery and get offended at everything Bluebeard says. Speaking of which, he’s back too–wrathful as ever.

Unlock the final Greater Stigma slot

Duddlinerk: What is one more Stigma slot, Daeva? Does it help much? Duddlinerk thinks one more cube slot would be nice, but not help business.

Bluebeard: One more, ONE MORE?! Greater Stigmas are a Daeva’s true source of power, not to mention the knowledge, skill, and soul of our ancestors, and I crave souls, Shugo–MOAR SOULS! Omnomnom!

Duddlinerk: Duddlinerk is scared, nyerk!

By completing repeatable quests in Beshmundir Temple, Daevas can unlock their final Greater Stigma slot. In order to access Beshmundir Temple, the Asmodians must first own all the Fortresses in the Gelkmaros region. When the Asmodians own all the Fortresses in Gelkmaros, the path to Silentera Canyon will open, inside of which is the Beshmundir Temple.

Fabled Grade Armor rewards

Duddlinerk: Even Duddlinerk knows that Named Monsters can be stingy with loot, nyerk! But Daevas can now earn Fabled items through repeatable quests!

New repeatable quests involving the Instanced Dungeons in the Lower Abyss and the Abyssal Splinter are available from Darkhum at Primum Landing. By completing these quests a certain number of times, Daevas will receive Fabled armor pieces as a reward, and Daevas level 52 and up can fulfill the requirements for two quests simultaneously.
To complete these quests, the Asmodians must hold the Lower Abyss Fortresses, so there is some amount of luck involved in completion. To help even the playing field, we’ve listed the Fabled armor quests below:

Reward | Level Quest | Name and Description

Fabled Shoes | 50 | Restoration of Laize’s Shoes [Complete the quest 8 times to receive Fabled shoes as a reward]
Fabled Gloves | 50 | Restoration of Laize’s Gloves [Complete the quest 8 times to receive Fabled gloves as a reward]
Fabled Shoulders | 50 | Restoration of Laize’s Pauldrons [Complete the quest 8 times to receive Fabled pauldrons as a reward]
Fabled Pants | 50 | Restoration of Laize’s Gaiters [Complete the quest 12 times to receive Fabled pants as a reward]
Fabled Chestpiece | 50 | Restoration of Laize’s Breastplate [Complete the quest 12 times to receive a Fabled chestpiece as a reward]

**To receive the Restoration of Laize’s Chestpiece quest, it is first necessary to complete the Restoration of Laize’s Gaiters quest.

Upgrading to an extendable weapon

At level 55, a new quest to create an extendable weapon becomes available

Bluebeard: This is taking too long—I want my extendable weapon now! You lied to me Shugo, I don’t believe this extendable weapon quest even exists!

Duddlinerk: Daeva accuses Duddlinerk of lie?! Duddlinerk never lies, nyerk! Well, was one time Duddlinerk passed off Common weapon as Fabled weapon with gold paint, but was different circumstances!

At level 55, Daevas can upgrade the Fabled weapon reward from the To Stand Against the Elyos quest. To extend the weapon, complete the For a Better [insert weapon type here] quest. Follow this quest order and you’ll be Inspector Gadget in no time:

Quest Chain | Description | Quest Name

1st | Complete the quest 30 times to receive a Fabled grade weapon as a reward | To Stand Against the Elyos
2nd | N/A | Fatebound [weapon type]
3rd | Complete the quest 30 times to upgrade the Fabled weapon from the To Stand Against the Elyos quest | For a Better [weapon type]

Aion 2.0: Elyos Leveling Guide (51-52)

Robert Hathorne — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:36:41 +0000

Yesterday we took you on a tour of levels 51-52 in Aion’s upcoming free expansion, Assault on Balaurea, from an Asmodian‘s-eye-view. Today, it’s all about navigating those first treacherous two levels as the Elyos, and of course, we have new usually-friendly guides to lead the way.

Where to begin

The most likely place to start would be at the beginning, but sometimes, that’s easier said than done. The skinny of it: enter Balaurea and head to the solo instanced Taloc’s Hollow for level 51. For level 52 do the group instances in Udas Temple and Lower Udas Temple, then the Greater Stigma expansion quest. Oh, and be careful, I heard someone mention something about brainwashed minions and a dragon lord.

Your Guides

He was so helpful and well, we just liked him so darn much, Duddlinerk the Shugo is back to lead the way in all things Balaurean. At his side this time is the quirky, if not loud, Pinky the Elyos. Once you’re past level 50, hitch your wagon to these guys and enjoy the ride through level 52.

Assault on Balaurea Introduces Pets

Pinky: Where’s my Pet? I will name him George… and I will hug him, and squeeze him, and pet him…

Duddlinerk: Daeva can have Pets!? Duddlinerk thought he was pet. Duddlinerk doesn’t care for Pet Merchants in Capitol cities. Too many strange creatures on four legs. Shugo only needs two legs, and is smarter than pet!

The Rotund Ayas is to dye for

Assault on Balaurea is bringing cute and cuddly pets to Atreia. Buy a Pet egg from Unos, the Pet Merchant in Sanctum, and then visit Amis to hatch your egg, name your pet, and even add custom accessories. Some pets are purely for decoration, while others offer practical uses and can give you additional storage, alert you when enemies are near, or turn your rags into riches!
**Several pets are also only available in exchange for Daily Quest Tokens, as drops from high level bosses, or through retail purchase of Aion: Assault on Balaurea.

Balaurea: Entry Mission

Pinky: Shards! I’m level 51 and ready to enjoy Assault on Balaurea, but I don’t know what to do first.

Duddlinerk: The first thing Daeva should complete is entry mission for Inggison. When Daeva opens quest window, Daeva will find mission named Lavirintos’s Call. It is simple two step quest for blessed Daeva, so get started immediately, nyerk!

Dudds is right, if you wanna get to the good stuff, you’ve got to answer Lavirintos’ Call (not so bad itself) which puts you Inggison bound. If that’s not spelled out enough, here are some shots of the endeavor:

Inggison is in peril and faces a fierce attack from the Chantra Dredgion

Watch as the story of Inggison’s rescue unfolds

May the speed and swiftness of Aion be with you

Welcome to the jungle

Pinky: Holy Aether Aircraft, what is this place?! I’m so scared and lost in this strange world.

Duddlinerk: Daeva is level 51! How come Daeva shows such weakness?! Daeva must stop brooding like self-loathing Asmodian. First mission introduces Daeva to new geographic features and hunting areas. Keep wits and remember to grab the entry quest for Taloc’s Hollow. Don’t disappoint Duddlinerk!

When you complete Secret of Inggison and Proving Yourself to Outremus, you can take the Taloc’s Hollow’s entry mission, Friends for Life. There are a plethora of quests in Taloc’s Hollow, as well as new Collection items and Greater Stigmas.

New Quest Search Feature

Pinky: Shinyrific! The Assault on Balaurea update adds a new feature allowing you to see the locations of NPCs with available quests on your map.

This new feature can be configured in your Options menu

When you enable this feature in Options, the locations of quest NPCs will be visible on the map. The feature can be useful when you want to confirm what quests that you can receive or plan to complete multiple quests more efficiently. It’s especially useful while advancing in Balaurea.

Level 60 Manastones

Pinky: Hah! Assault on Balaurea now has level 60 Manastones. All Attack Manastones need to be changed to level 60 immediately. Off to Manastone Remover. GO GO!

Duddlinerk: Stop! Garrr! We now have a variety of level 60 Manastones, but there are no level 60 Attack Manastones. Daevas must check what’s available before visiting the Manastone Remover.

Equipment level 41 and higher can be socketed with level 60 Manastones. To give you an idea of what’s on the way, this list shows Normal | Superior level 60 Manastones:

Critical Strike +14 | Critical Strike +17
Magic Boost +22 | Magic Boost +27
HP +70 | HP +95
Accuracy +22 | Accuracy +27
Block +22 | Block +27
MP +70 | MP +95
Evasion +14 | Evasion +17
Parry +22 | Parry +27
none | Magic Resist +14
none | Magical Accuracy +14
none | Maximum Flight Time +7

New Skills and Stigmas

Duddlinerk: Level 51 Daevas can learn new Skills and Stigmas, Nyerk! Matters not if Daeva is hunting or entrenched in ferocious battle, new skills are must haves. Learn new skills first, nyerk!

Pinky: New Skills can be purchased from class specific Preceptor NPCs and Normal Stigmas can be purchased from the Stigma Tuner, Clymene.

Duddlinerk: Now level 51 Daeva has expanded knowledge! Daevas level 51 and higher can also purchase Greater Stigmas using Abyss Points (AP). Enjoy utilizing stronger skills, nyerk!

Skill Manuals and Greater Stigmas are available for Daevas level 51 and above in the Cloister of Kaisinel in Sanctum. When Kaisinel’s Teleport Statue is activated, you will teleport to the Cloister of Kaisinel.
**You can purchase Normal Stigmas in the Protectors Hall from Clymene, but Greater Stigmas are only sold in Cloister of Kaisinel.

Level-up in Balaurea

Duddlinerk: Daevas should move on to hunting in fields of Inggison. Inggison full of vicious monsters level 51 and above. Vicious is good, Daeva! This means loads of sweet EXP, level 60 Manastones, Special Greater Fluxes, and new items, nyerk!

See those red circles? That means things only want to normal kill you. If you’re in a zone marked with purple, things will want to kill you epically, meaning your brains are extra drippy in these areas.

Aion 2.0: Asmodian Leveling Guide (51-52)

Robert Hathorne — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:39:51 +0000

Assault on Balaurea (“Aion 2.0″), Aion’s massive, free expansion is just around the corner–it’ll be hitting live servers on September 7th. In order to make sure you’re prepared for the coming changes andthe new content, we’ve teamed up with NCsoft to get you all sorts of insider guides and tips for where to go and how to succeed on day one. This is the first post in the series, which will last all week, and it walks you through a recommended strategy step-by-step for leveling through level 51-52 levels as an Asmodian.

These guides were put together with the help of Aion’s PowerWiki team: Jennifer “Gennwu” Randall, Scott “Hammer” Hannus, and Sean “Knite” Orlikowski. Read more of their awesome work at The Aion PowerWiki!

What will you do first?

Let’s pretend we’re three weeks in the future–its September 7th and the expansion just hit live servers. You’ve rushed through Vidar’s Call (the recommended way to get through that first level) and now you’re level 51, ready to conquer the rest of Balaurea and seize all of the powerful weapons and shiny armor contained within its exotic locales. Balaurea is the home of your hated enemies, the Baluar, and it ain’t a pretty place. Brainwashed followers of the Balaur, the horrible Dramata, and even the Dragon Lord Tiamat stand between you and the new level cap of 55. If you want to wield the amazing skills and abilities you get at those new levels, you’re going to have to do so over their dead bodies.

Meet the guides

You’re going to need some help along the way. Luckily, our cute little helpers Bluebeard the Asmodian and Duddinerk the helpful Shugo are here to act as your tour guides for this epic journey, interjecting their hints, humor, and recommendations along the way. Feel free to offer the little guys a small bill at the end–tipping is customary.

Duddlinerk’s big picture outline

Recommended Quests, Dungeons, and Undertakings (51-52)

Travel to Balaurea and complete the Vidar’s Call Quest.
Level 51 – Solo Instanced Dungeon – Taloc’s Hollow
Level 52 – Group Instanced Dungeons – Udas Temple and Lower Udas Temple
Level 52 – Greater Stigma Slot Expansion Quest
Learn New Skills and Stigma!

Balaurea: Your first pet

Bluebeard:Oh noes, Assault on Balaurea has finally launched, and I have no idea what to do first! Wait…nevermind…WHERE ARE DA PETZ?!

Duddlinerk:Impatient Daeva! What does Duddlinerk look like—stable Shugo? Daeva can speak to Katin in Pandaemonium about pets. Katin stands between Shadow Court and Legion Administration Office.

Katin, the Pet Merchant, can be found in Pandaemonium.

Katin offers a selection of entry-level pets, both fashionable and functional. More effective pets can be acquired by killing bosses and other more difficult tasks later on in the expansion, but these ones should be perfect for getting your pet stable started.

Personalizing your experience in Guild Wars 2

Robert Hathorne — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:33:06 +0000

At San Diego Comic-Con, I had a frantic hallway chat with Guild Wars 2 lore man Jeff Grubb and lead designer James Phinney. I learned a good bit about how making Tyria persistent will yield significant changes for many GW2 systems, but no change sounds quite as exciting as the ability to hurl a jar of bees at your opponent.

We can only assume those were incendiary bees.

Okay, hurling bees sounds a little silly, but it’s a great example of how persistence is affecting the traditionally instanced, and thus static world of GW. The ever-changing world makes every player’s experience that much more unique by way of dynamic area events. Jeff tells me “In order to get a jar of bees, you need to get honey from the honey combs, and then we have some bee hives over here, and a whole story grows up about that. It’s a very dynamic world, and because of this event, other events may not occur or other events may happen.” It’s a small scenario that’s part of a goal both Jeff and James mention several times: a huge, epic story, with a personalized feel. They aim to achieve this with a combination of large and small events.

In a larger example, Jeff tells me about a centaur attack on a garrison. “What a lot of MMOs do is, if the centaurs are attacking the garrison, there’s really just a whole bunch of centaurs outside. What we do when the centaurs attack is, if they take the garrison, they seize it and burn it to the ground. Now you’ve got a new problem–you have to get the garrison back. When you get it back, you’ve got another problem–you have to rebuild the garrison. It works over a cycle of events, and one of the big goals is so you don’t always see the same world when you step out the door.”

You really let the orphanage burn? You monster!

Just because Tyria prime will be a constantly changing landscape, GW2 has by no means abandoned instances. While the big story tends to be out in the persistent world, the more personal story will often be found in instance–don’t worry, you can bring your friends along too.

James says “you might be starting up going into an instance that’s very personalized to you, like you let this orphanage get destroyed. You go back to this part of town, and it’s obliterated. You might be going in there to do a quest that has to do with your story, but you can bring people in there with you. Even though it’s your quest and you’re the one trying to get the really specific reward, they actually get points for helping somebody else do a quest.” Because you get to chose who comes into instance with you, and everyone gets something out of the deal, the team is hoping to alleviate the “you stole my kill” mentality that often plagues GW1 battles. “It’s looking at: how do we create reward systems, and how do we create ease of use that makes it so everything is friendly, that makes it like ‘dude, we’re just playing together.’”

During the GW2 panel, I also learned that a new level of clothing customization is in the works, allowing you to further personalize your experience. Excited character artist Kristen Perry eagerly announced “You know all those outfits you see the NPCs wearing? Well, most of them, you’ll be able to wear too.” While fashion probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think GW, Kristen says sometimes “you just want a sensible pair of shoes;” if that spells a more vibrant and ‘alive’ world in the long-run, I’m all in.

If you’re wondering why I haven’t touched on guilds, it’s because ArenaNet hasn’t either. All James could tell me was, “We’re putting a much greater investment into social tools in guilds and guild management than we did in GW1.” Hopefully, we’ll learn more about guilds when GW2 goes hands-on at gamescom and PAX. If you’re curious about what’s been going on in Tyria for the 250 year lore gap between GW1 and 2, Comic-Con also saw the debut of Ghosts of Ascalon, which was co-authored by Jeff Grubb and Matt Forbeck.

Something looms in Looming, I don’t know what

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:46:11 +0000

While I was supposed to be doing something productive, I stumbled upon a dandy of a flash game that’s about, well, I have no idea. Despite you being a little man that runs around a huge expanse of land trying to figure out an unknown something, I don’t think it’s a life sim, but then again, maybe it’s a metaphor for life. In spite of, or perhaps because of its ambiguity, Looming has kept me going for two hours, and what’s more, I’m going to keep playing.

Portals like this will open when you find enough of an artifact type or align objects in the right way--unlocking a letter from your lover in the real world.

According to the developer, Gregory Weir, “This game is about two lovers named January and September. No, wait; it’s about a group of people who don’t believe in the sky. No, it’s about a pantheon of scientific disciplines. Or maybe it’s about an ancient beast who knew exactly when it was going to die, and how. It’s about a place. A place called Looming.” Thank you Mister Weir.

As you move about the world, you’ll encounter various objects like otherworldly animal bones and etched tablets that provided clues to what happened. The white speckled map seems divided into at least two sections. In the East, I’ve discovered artifacts from the Lorem, a civilization that understood all things through their Gods of Logic, Psychology, Biology, and the like. In the West, artifacts of the Seecha turn up. They seem to have been a more primitive people, but with a knack for mechanical engineering–constructing huge structures to capture an ancient monster.

Something tells me these are important.

I’ve spent an awful lot of time in Looming to know so little, but that plays a large part in why I like it. I’m gaining enough information often enough to keep me intrigued, and at this point, I’ve got to know what’s going on. I feel a lot like the protagonist, September. In a letter to his lover, he says “That is Looming, January: a snapshot of the end of time, a place for remembering and discovering.” So yeah, Looming is like that–try it and let me know what you think.

Punch a unicorn! Fighting nature in Oblivion

Robert Hathorne — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:51:04 +0000

A four-year-old game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion continues to draw thousands thanks to a hallmark of PC gaming–freedom. The game raises you from a rutty hole in the ground, and with a “go-on, git!” and kick, you’re in a world were just about anything is possible. Today, I’m an orc. My mission: Kick. Nature’s. Ass.

Arrows in the back are Orc for acupuncture.

Arty is an orc of humble machinations. As a pup, he witnessed the slaughter of his parents by a huge swarm of sewer rats. His mother placed him in the hollow of a log while they tried to fend off the attack, but the rodents were too much. Arty was found lying in a pool of his parents’ blood and didn’t speak for another two years, but when he finally did, he was surprisingly well-adjusted. Unfortunately, the ridicule he received in high school for his striking blue hair was more than enough to push poor Arty over the edge. Try as he might, Arty can’t help but venture into the forest every so often to punch the snot out of woodland critters.

With a back story in place, I’m ready to take to wilds. In the past I’ve been a necromancer and a gladiator and even a librarian, but a recent run-in with a raccoon has found me ravenous for retribution. I start small, maybe a fish will satiate my temper.

Fish punching is all the rage in Cyrodiil this time of year.

Nope, not even close. I’m going to have to take Arty out for some real game. Let’s see, I buck perhaps?

Hhagh!

Still no. There’s still ripped trash bags from the raccoon, the buck got away, and Arty’s hair is still blue. Arty and I will have to think even bigger if we’re ever going to rest easy again.

Okay, maybe too far.

Garden to galactic dominion in Eufloria

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:15:28 +0000

Whether it’s Sins of a Solar Empire, Rise of Nations, or Grand Theft Auto, my very nature compels me to virulent conquest throughout any potential dominion like a tyranid swarm. Nothing is more satisfying than the sight of my player-color ominously enveloping a map. Unfortunately, many of the games that allot such maniacal pleasures are quite the time-sink, which is why I was so thrilled when I discovered Eufloria a few months back. It’s all the blind land consumption I want, without the advanced features that require a greater time investment.

Fear the swarm!

Eufloria’s art style is its first tell of simplicity. It’s a 2-D minimalist design filled with flitting petal creatures called seedlings that soar through pastel skies; instead of a headquarters, your floral armies bloom from trees on asteroids represented by unassuming circles. By sacrificing seedlings, you can plant more trees, and thus exponentially increase the rate of your fleet’s growth.

Why is all this death so beautiful?

It’s a simple game with even more simple AI, which relegates it solely to the realm of cool-down game–the lack of multiplayer further cements the fact. Even in advanced levels, you’ll have little trouble methodically trumping your enemies. Eufloria isn’t a game you’ll sink hours into at a time, but rather, a pallet cleanser between more hearty games–for when even your downtime needs a little conquest.

The PC, a place where games never age

Robert Hathorne — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:10:06 +0000

On last week’s podcast master producer, Andy Bauman, asked if I thought StarCraft II was going to feel a bit antiquated after all these years. No way, if anything, the PC is the last bastion for oddballs and old school designs to not only exist, but thrive.

The day this is antiquated is the day I drop gaming.

The way I see it, we’re a blessed bunch here on the PC because there’s no such thing as out-of-style. Frankly, there’s too damn many of us, and we demand variety. When we start to identify certain aspects of a game as out-dated, that is, should no longer be used, we start limiting what we think games ought to be, and devalue the medium as a whole. Even if we’re tired of the tedious base building in Command & Conquer (whole sites are still committed to the game), surely we can’t deny the hours of enjoyment we’ve drawn from the series.

Noth'n burns like a sprite.

For a recent Game Club, the crew and I jumped into Uplink, a 2001 release that looks like something out of 1995. The entire game is played on a sparse pseudo-desktop, and all of your interactions are either clicking icons or filling in text. It’s hardly cutting edge in presentation, but what it lacks in gloss, it makes up for with timeless design and a unique style that’s yet to be matched. And that’s just it–on the PC, conventions can’t become antiquated–for every one of us that’s repulsed by the tapioca C&C shot above, there’s another that wants to marry it.

What could be more sleek than eighty-four right angles?

Okay, so some designs are just bad, and I’ll be the last to argue they’re not (I’m looking at you every escort mission ever), but old designs can still be good designs, even if we’re tired of them. Believe me, if it’s a good design, you’ll eventually be back no matter how over-played it may seem; hence the remake madness we’ve witnessed and mostly enjoyed over the last few years. What I’m saying is, it takes all kinds, and we’re lucky enough to be on a platform that permits them. So the next time you’re ready to toss a game you’ll never play again, take a step back and try to appreciate it for what it was. Be a curator and really figure what made that game so great for you in the first place, then toss it–it’ll be awhile before you’re ready to see that crap again.