MOGS

Star Wars: The Old Republic release date announced!

Bioware and Lucasarts finally announced the release date for the much anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic.  The game will launch on December 20, 2011 in North America and on December 22, 2011 in the European Launch Territories. This was announced at the 2011 Eurogame expo in London by BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk.  The game comes with one month free, then will be $14.99 a month.

Electronic Art’s Frank Gibeau recently announced each of the games six classes will each have over 200 hours of solo game play.  This does not include any raiding or any sort of multiplayer, which is obviously the main focus of the game .  The developers really wanted each class to have its own distinctive feel and a completely individualized playthrough.  The 200 hours unique to each class is the realization of this goal, providing over 1,200 hours of game play to those who want to experience the solo side of each class.  Having all this class based game play should be a refreshing change from the standard MMO formula, of running through the same quest lines with every character class.

Huttball is type of PVP in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and it was shown off this year at PAX 2011.  It is 8v8 PVP based off of the capture the flag formula with a ball that can be thrown to your other teammates.  A team scores when they cross the other team’s endline with the ball, but the ball can be turned over with incomplete passes or attacks on the ball carrier by the other team.  The ball can even be detonated in case of campers who just hold onto the ball and do not score.

The DPS classes such as the dual wielding Jedi Sentinel are charged with protecting the ball carrier.  The carrier will usually be a tank class, who has an ability that increases their effectiveness to run the ball.  The playing field has deathtraps such as acid pools and fire grates that turn off and on.  There are also cover obstacles, anti-gravity panels, and air vents that will blast you up to another floor.  The first to 4 points wins, or the team with the higher point total after 15 minutes of play.

We will see all of you Star Wars: The Old Republic players when the game launches on December 20th, 2011!

Jake

Mogs.com

Age of Conan: The Savage Coast of Turan

The Savage Coast of Turan pack adds over 50 quests and a lot of new instances to explore.  In addition to this, it includes references to the newly released Conan movie!  The pack takes place in the city of Ardashir, where you face priests, generals, and old evils that need to be extinguished.  The new instances include a level 80 solo instance, an instance that adjusts to your level, a team instance, and a raid instance with three new boss battles.

Dead Man’s Hand is a solo instance that scales to your level, provided you are between levels 50 and 80. You must contend with pirates and indigenous savages on the island of Dead Man’s Hand. Since this location is meant to returned to, there are side quests you can tackle in addition to the main quest.

Moreover, there are some tie-ins with the newly released Conan movie.  You help Artus fight to maintain his brotherhood,  and assist Ela-Shan in creating a thieves guild in Ardashir. There are more tie-ins, but the developers wanted to leave them as a surprise for players to find.  Also, there are armor sets to collect based on the Turanian culture, some of which you will see in the movie.

Concerning PVP, the content added in this pack is outdoor and objective based.  However, unlike the Shrines, the world bosses only spawn and are available at certain times.  Therefore, you must amass a group of players in order to take down the bosses in the limited window of time they are active.

The level 80 team instance is Fort Ardashir.  Going through the instance, the first boss encounter takes place in a courtyard.  Here, you must defeat Commander Kamangir on his war Rhino.  After defeating him, you traverse the halls of the fort battling other enemies, while making your way towards a secret cave.  This cave hosts the Ardashir fleet, in addition to General Arman who is a protagonist for this pack.  General Arman is working with a witch, who has tapped into an ancient evil and is channeling it to serve his malicious intent.

While this pack is not a full fledged expansion, it adds a little content to each aspect of the game.  Thus, there is something for every Age of Conan player in The Savage Coast of Turan pack.

-Jake

Mogs.com

IO Graph

As an art major I’m attracted to new forms of creating art using any medium. The conventional means of online art has most artists using tablets and drawing programs. A piece of art can take hours of concentration to complete. Well what if I want to draw while I game? IOGraphica has the answer to this question. The IO Graph, easily downloaded from Iographica.com, tracks all of your mouse movements while you go about your pc activities and records them onto a document creating a unique piece of art for every session. Whether you’re playing an FPS:

or World of Warcraft:

IOgraph can track any of your mouse movements and create a unique piece from it. These best look if photoshopped with color;

And they make great desktop backgrounds.

I recommend you check the program out and see what masterpiece you can game up today.

-Jon

mogs.com

Starcraft Universe

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2-kM3cctn8

Originally called “World of Starcraft”, the newly named Starcraft Universe is well into development. Starcraft Universe has been in the works for almost a year now, and I must say it’s looking mighty fine. The game will be free to play for anyone that owns a copy of Starcraft 2 and will be available as a custom game map. Their game will look and play very similar to World of Warcraft except on a smaller scale version. There are currently 8 classes; 4 Protoss and 4 Terran. Each of them currently has 11 different moves, and 4 complete item sets. They are working on having 15 moves for each class and 5-6 item sets for each class before the mod launches into Beta.

Starcraft Universe will only have one instance available at it’s launch with 5-6 bosses available. Originally they planned on having servers hold 10 people for the raid, but to make it more accessible and easier to fill games they decided to cut it down to a 5 person instance for now. They plan on adding more instances after all of the bugs have been worked out and item/move sets are balanced.

The developers are planning on implementing a PvP arena setting, where there will be 3 v 3 or 4v4 (still yet to be decided) rated matches. You will be able to save up to 3 different characters to your account and choose between them between games. The character’s gear, loot, and experience will roll over between matches.  You will also receive AP (Allocation Points) with experience. These points can be pushed into individual stats which will very subtle but overtime can become significant.

I’m extremely excited for this mod for Starcraft II. This will be a very nice break from WoW and Starcraft while combining both into one of the best mods we will see in Starcraft II.

-Jon

mogs.com

World of Warcraft Patch 4.3

There are some interesting changes coming to WOW in Patch 4.3.  First of all, the Deathwing raid instance will finally be added! For those who enjoy 5 man instances, there will be new 5 man dungeons added in this patch as well.  Also, a transmogrifier NPC will be added that allows you to change the look of any piece of gear you are wearing. Lastly, Void storage is being added which allows you to store old armor sets, so you can keep free space in your bank for your more important items.

The Deathwing raid will be the last raid of the expansion.  As to be expected, the fight against Deathwing will have numerous phases. It is rumored that in one of these phases, you will even ride on Deathwing’s back!  This is the encounter that everyone has been waiting for, so it will be great to see how Blizzard finally implements it.

There will be three new 5 man instances added, one of which will be in the Caverns of Time.  The best part about these new instances, is that they will not include any recycled content.   Each instance will have a brand new direction, design, and visual look.  Hopefully this will carry over to the encounters as well, and we will see some original boss fights.

Next, Transmogrification is one of the big additions being made to WOW.  It will let you change the visual look of your gear, while keeping its stats.  Now, you will be able to retain the look of your favorite armor set.  With 12 tiers of armor, most players probably already have a favorite set picked out for their toon. You will not be able to change into another armor type, or class armor set however.

Furthermore, Void Storage is the answer to those with overloaded banks. It is a storage method that is specially designed for old armor sets, unique quest rewards, and other items you want to keep, but have trouble making space in your bank for. There will be a small fee for each item deposited or withdrawn from storage.  A search feature will be included too, so you can easily find what your looking for among your myriad of collectibles.

-Jake

Anonymous Wants To Destroy Facebook

Anonymous, the shady-yet-principled hacktivist group that has previously hacked into Iran’s government emails, the Pentagon, possibly the IMF, News Corp, Anders Breivik’s Twitter account, and much more, has a new target in its crosshairs: Facebook. The hackers have set the date for Facebook’s demise as November 5, 2011. The reason? Ironically, they’re worried about privacy. Full text of their press release after the jump.

DATE: November 5, 2011.

TARGET: https://facebook.com

Press:
Twitter : https://twitter.com/OP_Facebook
http://piratepad.net/YCPcpwrl09
Irc.Anonops.Li #OpFaceBook
Message:

Attention citizens of the world,

We wish to get your attention, hoping you heed the warnings as follows:
Your medium of communication you all so dearly adore will be destroyed. If you are a willing hacktivist or a guy who just wants to protect the freedom of information then join the cause and kill facebook for the sake of your own privacy.

Facebook has been selling information to government agencies and giving clandestine access to information security firms so that they can spy on people from all around the world. Some of these so-called whitehat infosec firms are working for authoritarian governments, such as those of Egypt and Syria.

Everything you do on Facebook stays on Facebook regardless of your “privacy” settings, and deleting your account is impossible, even if you “delete” your account, all your personal info stays on Facebook and can be recovered at any time. Changing the privacy settings to make your Facebook account more “private” is also a delusion. Facebook knows more about you than your family. http://www.physorg.com/news170614271.html
http://itgrunts.com/2010/10/07/facebook-steals-numbers-and-data-from-your-iph….

You cannot hide from the reality in which you, the people of the internet, live in. Facebook is the opposite of the Antisec cause. You are not safe from them nor from any government. One day you will look back on this and realise what we have done here is right, you will thank the rulers of the internet, we are not harming you but saving you.

The riots are underway. It is not a battle over the future of privacy and publicity. It is a battle for choice and informed consent. It’s unfolding because people are being raped, tickled, molested, and confused into doing things where they don’t understand the consequences. Facebook keeps saying that it gives users choices, but that is completely false. It gives users the illusion of and hides the details away from them “for their own good” while they then make millions off of you. When a service is “free,” it really means they’re making money off of you and your information.

Think for a while and prepare for a day that will go down in history. November 5 2011, #opfacebook . Engaged.

This is our world now. We exist without nationality, without religious bias. We have the right to not be surveilled, not be stalked, and not be used for profit. We have the right to not live as slaves.

We are anonymous
We are legion
We do not forgive
We do not forget
Expect us

“Kill Facebook for the sake of your own privacy” — doesn’t that sound strange, coming from people who routinely steal private information as they please? But this echoes the manifesto of a related group, LulzSec, whose nihilistic perspective on the state of the Internet kind of made sense. An excerpt:

Do you think every hacker announces everything they’ve hacked? We certainly haven’t, and we’re damn sure others are playing the silent game. Do you feel safe with your Facebook accounts, your Google Mail accounts, your Skype accounts? What makes you think a hacker isn’t silently sitting inside all of these right now, sniping out individual people, or perhaps selling them off? You are a peon to these people. A toy. A string of characters with a value.This is what you should be fearful of, not us releasing things publicly, but the fact that someone hasn’t released something publicly.

Will Anonymous be able to successfully lay waste to Mark Zuckerberg’s fortress? This is set to be the Internet showdown of the year.

I cant wait to see what happens. It’s going to be interesting.

EVE Online:Incarna

The newest update/upgrade  to EVE online is Incarna. It allows you to leave your ship while you are docked in a station. I haven’t been able to play yet but I hear it’s pretty cool. Here is some information I got from the Evelopedia.

Incarna (Also known as Ambulation or Walking in Stations) is an expansion for Eve Online which introduces the ability for pilots to step out of their pods and explore the Space Stations throughout the galaxy. Walking in stations was first announced in 2006 [1]. The title Incarna was given as the official patch name during the 2009 Fanfest, as part of an update revealing the release to be sometime in 2010. The expansion will be released in stages, the first of which was on 21st of June 2011.

Game Design

The expansion is initially going to be relatively bare-bones, due to the nature of the challenges of creating the technology and creating game play that does not encroach on the methods people play Eve Online today.

A Tactical Map is a major feature being planned for the expansion. [3]

On release, the primary content will be the ability to run shops inside of stations, ranging from Plastic Surgeons to Fashion Outlets. Players will also be able to set up corporate offices where they can hold meetings and introduce recruits. Player scripted NPCs will deliver dialogue to people looking for information.

Mini Games are an expected feature of the Walking in Stations expansion, with a thread on the Eve Online forums taking player suggestions for games to include. Gambling is one of the primary functions that is planned for inclusion, with the ability to place anything from ISK to Ships in a wager.

Custom, player made clothing is another major feature. It will be possible for anyone to have a custom made uniform or outfit, but to prevent “visual griefing,” the color palette is being kept subdued and realistic. CCP has also hired fashion designers to aid in the development of clothing and fabrics within the Walking in Stations expansion.

Locations

Players will be able to ambulate inside of Space Stations, the offices, and the ships located within them. In addition, the captain’s quarters of a ship will also be a visitable location where the player can decorate and furnish their quarters to some degree.

Art Direction

The design and art for the Walking in Stations expansion, much like the rest of Eve Online, pushes for grittiness, functionality, and a grim reality. The player visible areas of the space stations will be expansive, with a lot of space to visit. Since there will not be running in Ambulation, special accelerated walkways will be provided to allow faster transport from place to place.

Graphics Technology

Incarna will make use of a radiosity based lighting system licensed from Geometrics. This gives Incarna a softer, warmer look when compared with Eve. As described at the CCP Presents! panel at Fanfest 2009[4]:

Final Fantasy XI Walk of Echoes Battlefield Adjustments

With Final Final Fantasy XI’s next big version update, The Walk of Echoes Battlefields are in store for some changes. The goal behind these changes is to make gear more accessible to everyone. No longer will you need to be over a certain level to qualify for extra spoils, and the coin drop rate has been increased.

Moreover, high tier battlefields will be added to make things more challenging for veterans. Along with the new battlefields, new rewards have also been added. Below is a full list of all the changes.

General:
The no-reservation system will be preserved.
The once-per-Vana’diel-day entry restriction will be preserved.
All PCs in a single battlefield will form an allied group, similar to Campaign battles.
The spawn delay for subsequent waves of monsters in each walk will be reduced.
The cutscene displayed upon receiving Kupofried’s medallion will appear only once.
New upper-tier walks will be added.

Evaluation and Rewards:
Evaluation conditions will be revised.
The system providing exclusive rewards to only the highest-rated participants will be changed to one in which all characters rated above a certain level will qualify for extra spoils.
Monster item drops and lottable spoils will be abolished.
New rewards will be added.
Coin drop rate will be increased.

Difficulty Adjustments:
The linked enmity system will be revised.
Characters who remain KO’d for 30 seconds will automatically receive a Raise effect.
A possible time limit extension to 60 minutes is under consideration.

On a side note FFXI’s producer Hiromichi Tanaka mentioned that Square Enix is considering porting the game to the Playstation Vita. The Vita is Sony’s new hand held gaming console, with PS3 quality graphics. With dual analog sticks, two touchscreens, and 3G, it will be interesting to see this plan come to fruition. The touchscreens might be utilized for a keyboard, the right analog stick for solid camera control, and with 3G you could play virtually anywhere. Hopefully we will see it happen!

-Jake

Infinity : The Entire Galaxy at Your Fingertips

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7eREddMjt4&feature=player_embedded&fmt=22

I recently stumbled upon an mmo that has been in working progress for a couple of years now: Infinity.  It’s still a work in progress and has been since 2006. Created by third party developer I-Novae the demos that are up for viewing are nothing short of jaw-dropping.  I-Novae is taking the universe concept to the infinity and beyond….literally.

Infinity uses a procedural programming technique that allows the game engine to generate objects within game space on-the-fly, in real-time and on request, rather than manually building everything beforehand. This creates a massive universe  that everyone on the server can view and is ever expanding and shared by all. This game is going to be the largest scaled MMO to date, hopefully it isn’t too large where the population is diluted and players are difficult to find. However I-Novae mentioned that warp drives and jump-gate like stations will be set up to help traverse the universe.

Like Eve, Infinity will be based on a strong player community. You can command a single ship in a fight or become a military general and command an attack on a base, and mine for ores by yourself or control a corporate empire, all on the same character. Also your character will play while you aren’t at the computer. So docking in a safe location or mining in a secluded field will be of your best intentions.

Unlike Eve, Infinity is a twitched based MMO. It seems that it is joining the ranks of AoC, and TERA, aiming to see how the twitched based combat will fair for space exploration. Honestly I think this is the best decision they could have made. Space fights tend to be the most fun played full twitched based, where  a joystick and throttle can be set up. Where out-maneuvering an opponent and catching him off guard in a dog fight gets you the kill rather than hitting the correct button combo at the right time.

One cool thing the main page did offer is that you can go through the past developments they’ve done through since 06 and watch the progress of the game in blog/video form. I’m very excited to see this game’s development and completion. Although with a new developer it’s hard to get an exact timeframe on things but they’re hoping for Alpha and Beta testing to appear within the next year or two. Check back for updates on their twitter account or their occasional blog at; http://www.infinity-universe.com/

I hope to see this game in my game collection the moment it releases.

-Jon

Mogs.com

Star Wars Pre-Orders are here!

SWTOR Collector's Edition

The last couple of days have brought upon some new SWTOR news with comic-con out and about. Pre-orders for the game are now available! But there’s a new catch to this preorder.  Bioware is putting you in a queue for digital pre-orders and we are theorycrafting that there’s a chance that with this queue that a select few will get an early release of the game. Currently there’s three ways to preorder the game.

There’s the normal preorder for $60 that includes a free month of game time and a Color Stone that allows you to change the color of your lightsaber and blaster bolts.  An extra $20, bringing the total to $80 will net you the Digital Deluxe preorder edition that includes the above along with several in game items.

• Flare gun: Fire flares into the air

• Training droid: Hovers at your side for combat assistance

• HoloDancer: Project your own holographic dancer
• HoloCam: Keep visual records of in-game adventures

• STAP: Sleek and unique in-game vehicle

• Exclusive Mouse Droid: Spunky droid to join your adventures
• Exclusive Collector’s Edition store: Unique in-game vendor with a dynamic assortment of items

Then the is the pricey $150 preorder that will net you all of those in game items along with:

• Exclusive Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue

• Game disks collectible metal case

• The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural as annotated by Satele Shan

• The Old Republic galaxy map
• Custom Security Authentication Key
• Music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD
• High-quality Collector’s Edition box

If you have a hole burning in your pocket an your huge into SWTOR and want that $150 collector’s edition preorder, I’m sorry to say that so far it seems they are sold out everywhere. Hoping that they make some more statues and reopen the preorder for everyone else to dip into the package. I’m personally looking at the normal pre-order and ganna hope that the rumors of an early release are true! See you in the Star Wars Universe.

Questions or comments? E-mail me at Jon@mogs.com

-Jon

Mogs.com