Tag Archive

E3 2018: One of the Games I’m Most Excited For (From E3) Is a Mobile Elder Scrolls Game


Posted on June 19, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

The Elder Scrolls series doesn’t exactly have a positive history with mobile iterations – there’s that cancelled PSP version from 2008 that never saw the light of day and a 2006 Java phone game which is probably better off forgotten. All of that is about to change with the upcoming release of The Elder Scrolls: Blades for Android and iOS. 

It seems that technology has finally caught up to Bethesda’s vision for a mobile ES title, as Blades is set to offer full dungeon exploration, full movement via digital touch controls, spell casting and console quality graphics. From the brief look given to the Blades at their E3 press conference it will be a hybrid between dungeon exploration (both procedurally generated and human designed) and customizing a town. Rather than being an open world sandbox players will be upgrading their town, taking on quests in various dungeons and leveling up their player avatar. 

No word yet on how The Elder Scrolls: Blades will be monetized – it is available for pre-order on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store right now. Seems pretty silly to pre-order a free to play title, here’s hoping there aren’t literal “loot chests” in Elder Scrolls: Blades. As much as I despise “stamina systems” that encourage you NOT to play a given title, random loot drops are by far more predatory. 

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is scheduled for release sometime this fall on Mobile and may eventually come to PC, Nintendo Switch and other consoles. 


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Bethesda Announces Fallout 76, May Be A Online Survival Game


Posted on May 30, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

Bethesda had been running a mysterious and unannounced Twitch stream yesterday that was literally just a Fallout bobblehead standing upright in front of a camera and occasionally a “Please Stand By” title card.  Not exactly something that was going to set the world on fire, and it can be easy to see why the hype and announcement of Pokemon Lets Go: Eevee & Pikachu overshadowed anything Bethesda was doing it. 

It turns out all of this was to build up hype to the announcement of Fallout 76, a game officially know nothing about and whose press release simply confirms that it exists and will be released on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 – alongside an official logo. 

Unofficial sources told Kotaku that the game is an online survival RPG in the vein of Rust or ARK or 7 Days to Die. That means it will allow multiple players to connect via a central server to build fortresses, gather resources and well.. Survive. What we don’t know about Fallout 76 is whether or not the game will support offline play or player run servers (as both 7 Days to Die and ARK do).  

More details are expected at Bethesda’s E3 showcase in two weeks time. 


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Quake Champions Next Update Brings Quake 2’s Strogg and a New Arena


Posted on April 9, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

Bethesda and Sabre Interactive has released a brief tease about future content coming to Quake Champions. Future patches will that bring forward a classic Quake enemy – the baddies of Quake II, The Strogg – as a playable champion.  Also introduced in this latest patch is a brand new map called Awoken – this ruinous labyrinth is sure to be home to many bloodbaths when it is finally released.

Here is the official description of the upcoming champion the Strogg and its drone companion, Peeker:

Half metal, half decaying flesh, and 100% ready to rage, the primary enemy of Quake II and Quake 4 is back as Strogg fights to be freed from the Dreamlands and reestablish contact with his ruthless warlord, Makron.

Players will also be able to take control and fight as Strogg’s drone sidekick, Peeker, who can fly around the battlefield, shoot at enemies and deal damage with its explosive self-destruct attack. Enemy kills are turned into a nutritional paste called Stroyent that provides 25HP, but players need to act fast – other Strogg players can steal your Stroyent!

New Weapon: The Plasma Cannon

Quake III’s face melting Plasma Cannon will finally find its way into Quake Champions in a future update. For many Q3A Veterans the lack of a proper Plasma Canon has made the available arsenal feel a bit bare.

Here’s the official description:

A blast from the past, the Plasma Gun from Quake III Arena finds its new home in Quake Champions! This high-powered cannon melts unwitting foes with bursts of pure energy and is sure to shake things up when it joins the Quake Champions arsenal later this month!

Last month’s March Update also brought a number of new modes and enhancements to Quake Champions, which unfortunately I did not have time to write about at the time of release. That patch saw the implementation of the much requested insta-gib mode where players are killed in a single hit as well as a brand new 2 Vs. 2 Ranked Mode.

Here’s the official description from those two features from last month’s patch:

NEW GAMEPLAY – Everyone, meet Instagib – The fast-moving, gib-tastic classic will finally make its way to Quake Champions, introducing a fun, fast and casual game where every shot is a one-hit kill. Players will start each match with the only weapons available – the Rail Gun and the Gauntlet – and there will not be weapon, health, armor, or power-up pickups. Champions will still be able to use active and passive abilities, and cool-down hourglasses will spawn on the map.

NEW RANKSIntroducing 2v2 TDM Ranked Mode – In addition to the head-to-head intensity of Duel mode, players will be able to grab a buddy and face off against teams from around the world in deadly 2v2 showdowns. Finding the right Champion and ability combinations will make the difference in the fight for the top spot on the leaderboard.


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Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset Isles Expansion Announced For May Release


Posted on March 22, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

Bethesda and Zenimax Online Studios have taken the wraps off of the 2018 full expansion coming to The Elder Scrolls Online later this summer. Players will be heading to the home of the high elves, the Summerset Isles – Releasing on PC and Mac on May 21st and on Xbox One / PlayStation 4 on June 5th.

Lore wise Summerset Isles has Queen Ayreen opening up travel to the titular isles in order for them to help uncover a conspiracy that could spell doom for the entirety of Tamriel.

Prologue Quest

Like other add-on DLCs and full expansion releases The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset Isles has a prologue quest that will prepare players for adventures in the new zones on launch day. Grab the “Mage’s Message Stone” for free from the Crown Store to begin the prologue quest which is called “Through a Veil Darkly” and tasks players with traveling to each of the Mage’s Guilds in all of the capital cities around Tamriel.

Known Zones / Cities In The Summerset Isles

The following cities, areas of interest and dungeons have been revealed to be included in The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset Isles. Each area also has a small one paragraph blurb over on the expansion’s official website:

  • Alinor
  • Cloudresr
  • Crystal Tower
  • Lillandril
  • Rellenthel

New Skill Line: The Psijic Order

Summerset Isles comes complete with a brand new skill line for players to explore which takes place on the isle of Araeum. There players will learn about the 350 year old Psijic Order and begin harnessing new passive and active abilities as well as a very powerful ultimate ability.

Here are three known abilities from the Psijic skill line and their official descriptions:

Time Stop – Freeze the passage of time at a specific location. Should you catch your enemies within this ability, they’ll be slowed and eventually frozen in place, giving you the opportunity to make your move!

Meditate –  Focus your mind and body into a deep meditative state. While active, you will restore Health, Stamina, and Magicka over time. Perfect for those who want to reflect upon and recover from a tough fight.

Undo – Become a true master of time and step backwards into the past to instantly reset your Health, Magicka, and Stamina to what they were only four seconds ago. If the battle isn’t going your way, reset the board!

Physical Edition and Pre-Order Bonuses

Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset Isles will come in 4 different configuration depending on what ESO products players own and what content they want to experience.

Here’s a quick breakdown of all of the different configurations:

The Elder Scrolls Online Collection (All Platforms) –  For new players, includes ESO Gold Base Game, 5 DLC-Addons, Morrowind Expansion, Summerset Isles Expansion.

Digital Collector’s Edition – (New players and existing players) ESO base game for new players, Psijic Scrying Talismin (in-game item), Exclusive emotes, Fledgling Griffin Pet, Bloodshadow Wraith Steed Mount, Divine Prosecution Costume Set

Standard Edition – Available digitally only the Standard Edition includes access to the ESO base game for new players. Existing players get access to the Summerset Isles expansion upon release, access to the Morrowind Expansion right away, the Queen’s Bounty Pack and the Nightmare Senche Mount.

A special physical edition of The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset Isles will be made available in limited quantities. Not only does it include the base game, Morrowind expansion, all of the items mentioned above for the Digital Collector’s edition as well as a number of physical only goodies.

Here’s the official breakdown of the physical goodies that come with ESO: Summerset Isles from Zenimax’s official site:

  • Mephala Statue: A monument to the Daedric Prince Mephala, this 12″-tall replica was unearthed from a cultist shrine.
  • Razum-dar’s Journal: A spy’s report to Queen Ayrenn chronicling the knowledge collected during Razum-dar’s investigation of Summerset.
  • Map of Summerset: The home of the High Elves is open to foreign visitors for the first time in history. Let this map be your guide through previously uncharted lands.
  • Exclusive Steelbook Case: A limited edition metallic case, perfect for any collector’s shelf.

[Source]

 


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Getting To Quake Champions Hasn’t Been Cheaper With New $4.99 Entry Level Pack


Posted on March 19, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

The arena FPS genre hasn’t exactly been a hotbed of activity – especially with games like Battleborn and Unreal Tournament 4 seeming to cease development. Bethesda’s Quake Champions might be the last true arena deathmatch FPS game in production, not counting the AFPS indie offspring like DUSK and TOKIK.

Previously access to Quake Champions was divided between the previous closed beta test players who are able to play the game in “free to play mode” through the Bethesda Launcher or by purchasing the $29.99 USD “Champions Pack” which provides access to the Quake Champions client and all of the released / future champions.

Now players on Steam have the chance to get access to the base game for $4.99 USD which includes unlocks for two champions – Ranger and Scalebearer. Ranger will be unlocked for all players by default whether they’re playing in F2P mode or this newly released $5 pack. Scalebearer is an interesting choice to provide at a low cost – he’s a giant hulking tank class champion who has a plentiful health pool and is able to obliterate enemies in his way with his charge ultimate. Truth be told Scalebearer is probably my favorite champion in the game with the versatility that his kit can provide.

Quake Champions exited closed beta last August and has been available in Early Access ever since. It does make use of micro-transactions and blind RNG boxes (both provided for “free” and paid with in-game currency for real money). We’ve covered in the past why RNG boxes in AAA games can set a bad precident and be harmful to players in general but also those with addictive tendencies.


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Skyrim Roars Onto The Nintendo Switch Today


Posted on November 17, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Bethesda has released the long-awaited Nintendo Switch version of 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It has been five years since the original release of Skyrim on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 but the Nintendo Switch version does see several improvements from last year’s Skyrim: Special Edition. This means that the Switch version of Skyrim runs on a modified version of the 64-bit Fallout 4 engine and can make use of the system’s full 4GB of ram. As well Skyrim for Switch also includes the Dawnguard, Dragon Born and Hearth Fire DLC add-ons right on the cartridge. 

A few Nintendo specific treats are also available that might interest those who are returning to Tamriel- Link’s Master Sword, Hylian Shield and Champions Tunic from the Legend of Zelda series are obtainable exclusively in this version of the game.  

With the release of Skyrim on Switch every game from the original Nintendo Switch reveal video has been released!😀 


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DOOM Rips & Tears Its Way On To Nintendo Switch Today


Posted on November 10, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Have you wanted to take id Software’s 2016 FPS masterpiece DOOM on the road with you? Now you can, complete with the game’s competitive multiplayer mode intact. Today’s release is part of Bethesda’s support of Nintendo’s unique hybrid console. Which includes not only today’s release of DOOM but also the upcoming release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on November 17th and Wolfenstien II sometime in early 2018.

DOOM was one of last year’s most noticeable releases for several reasons. First and foremost it helped revive the troubled DOOM franchise, which had languished in development hell over the past decade and a half. It was also filled to the brim with all of the violence, classic weaponry, and science fiction trappings players have come to expect from the series with the added addition of modern FPS mechanics, rich lore and a campaign that didn’t shy away from being over 12 hours in length.

Here is part of what I had to say about the PC version when I reviewed it back in July 2016:

“[The weaponry] in this game satisfies like no other shooter this year. A lot of the DOOM classics return – the pistol, the shotgun, the super shotgun, the pulse rifle and the BFG 9000 to just name a few but ID Software has once again outdone themselves by adding a bevy of secondary modes and modifications for each weapon. While playing challenges will passively be completed throughout the campaign awarding “weapon upgrade” points that can be spent on your arsenal. “

One of the marquee features from the console & PC additions did not make the transition to Nintendo Switch, however. The innovative SnapMap mode, which allows players to create their own custom Multiplayer arenas & single player missions is absent from the Switch port. However, Bethesda did include all of the previously released DLC multiplayer maps and the Arcade Mode which allows the DoomSlayer to return to the scenes of his previous rampages and earn new high scores.

Executive Producer at id Software Marty Stratton had this to say about today’s release of DOOM:

“We’re excited to welcome Nintendo fans back to the world of DOOM … This game is all about powerful guns, crazy demons, and fast, relentless gameplay, which we think Switch players will really enjoy.”

Rip, tear, rend and repeat anywhere with the only portable rendition of DOOM!


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The Witches Festival Spooks Up Some Fun In ESO For The Next Week


Posted on October 23, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Denizens of the online version of Tamriel can spend the next week collecting time limited epic loot to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with The Witches Festival in-game event. After picking up a free “Crows Caller” memento item from the Crown Store players can begin a special holiday quest. Completing the quest will reward players with a Witchemother’s Whistle and Witchemother’s Cauldron Memento items. While players can keep these items, their XP granting powers will only work until the event ends. 

Defeating World Bosses and Delves bosses will award players with a “Plundered Skull” which is a time-limited item that will provide with special Witches Festival recipes, housing items, and even armor motifs!

Here is the full rundown of items available from the Plundered Skulls: 

  • Hallow Jack Crafting Motifs 
  • Sweet Sanguine Apples (Recipe) 
  • Crunchy Spider Skewers (Recipe) 
  • Pumpkin Snack Skewer (Recipe) 
  • Ghastly Eye Bowl (Recipe) 
  • Frosted Brains (Recipe) 
  • Witchmother’s Potent Brew (Recipe) 
  • Witchmother’s Party Punch (Recipe) 
  • Double Bloody Mara (Recipe) 
  • Pumpkin Mask (Runebox) 
  • Scarecrow Specter Mask (Runebox) 
  • Spooky Housing Items (Housing – Various) 

Bethesda and Zenimax Online Studios have also included seven different achievements for The Witches Festival. Unlike other achievements completing them won’t give you access to exclusive dyes but if you manage to complete all seven you’ll be granted the unique title: “Sun Dusk’s Reaper”. 

I spent the majority of my evening farming delve and world bosses to get my hands on some of the Plundered Skulls. In combination with the several Plundered Skulls that I collected this evening and the gold I had on my main character I was able to afford the Hallow Jack style pages for my feet, chest, and gloves. I’m only missing shield, sword, shoulders, and helm and I’ll have the complete set. World bosses seem pretty generous when it comes to the Amber needed to craft any of the Hallow Jack styles that you may learn.  

Stock up on these items now because in a week they’ll be gone. More information on The Witches Festival is available at the source link below. 

[Source]


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Small Hotfix Patch Released For Quake Champions Early Access


Posted on October 17, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Yesterday Sabre Interactive & id Software released a small hotfix for the Early Access version of Quake Champions. These fixes come just two weeks since the latest game update which brought with it new content & champion adjustments but also had players reporting increased lag during matches / other performance issues and problems with the game’s’ social functions.

In addition to performance fixes related to the loading & unloading of characters, this hotfix also addresses problems that may occur when a player has a large number of friends on their contact list. Also added to the game is a brand new vanity item for Ranger, “The Keepers Head”, which ties into the upcoming The Evil Within 2.

Here are the full patch notes:

  • Fixed crash some players were experiencing on loading/unloading from game
  • Fixed crash some players were experiencing in customization screen when buying item with both platinum and shards at the same time
  • Fixed crash some players were experiencing on purchasing vanity items in customization
  • Fixed issue where players were being kicked from match while loading into Burial Chamber with the exception of the Spectator
  • Fixed in-game Contacts list so it properly shows player’s online/offline status and no longer causes performance issues with larger Contacts lists
  • Fixed issue when Spectating a player that died did not show the death animation and instead showed the player select screen
  • Fixed issue where Sorlag’s acid spit ability was doing double damage at certain distances
  • Improved double landing sounds for all Champions
  • ‘The Keeper’s Head’ vanity item added for Ranger. Instructions on how to obtain it can be found here: http://steamcommunity.com/game

[Source]


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The Elder Scrolls Online: Clockwork City Expansion Now Has A Release Date & Price


Posted on October 11, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Adventurers should be prepared to enter the world of mechanical gears and golden wonders as Bethesda & Zenimax Online Studios have announced that the Clockwork City DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online will be available on PC & Mac on October 23rd.  Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players will receive the add-on two weeks later, on November 7th. 

Players looking to experience the brand new single player content that ESO: Clockwork City has to offer will have a few different options to access the content. Clockwork City can be purchased as a standalone add-on pack through the Crown Store for 2000 crowns (closest IAP 3000 crowns for $39.99 CDN) – this adds the new zone to a players game forever without subscription. Those looking for a more premium package can opt for the Clockwork City Collector’s Bundle which includes the base DLC as well as “Clockwork Skeevaton pet, the Kagouti Fabricant mount, and Five Crown Experience Scrolls” additional items (closest IAP in the Crown Store being 5500 crowns for $49.99 CDN). Clockwork City will also be included as part of an Elder Scrolls Online Plus subscription which retails for $14.99 per month, although subscribers lose access to any unpurchased DLC should they end their subscription. 

A prologue quest leading up to the beginning of Clockwork City – titled “of knives and long shadows” can now be accessed at your local Mage’s Guild.

Here is the official description on how to begin that quest:

“Prominent diviners, scholars, and planar archaeologists are being killed by their own shadows, and it’s up to you to investigate these deadly assaults. To get started, travel to any local Mages Guild headquarters in Tamriel and find the note on a nearby table titled “Order of the Eye Dispatch”. Read the note to receive the quest “Of Knives and Long Shadows” and begin your new adventure.” 

[Source]


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Clockwork City DLC Now Available On Elder Scrolls Online Public Test Realm


Posted on September 19, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

A world of interlocking gears, steam power, golden metal, and robots might sound like a steampunk paradise envisioned by the wildest visionaries of the Victorian age of sci-fi but I’m actually describing the broad aesthetics of The Elder Scrolls Online‘s next major expansion known as The Clockwork City. Owners of The Elder Scrolls Online willing to install the near 80GB Public Test Region’s in-development client can accept the quest to explore the weirdly wonderful world of the Clockwork God,  Sotha Sil. 

Here is Bethesda’s brief description of this new DLC zone and how players can accept the introductory quest:

Clockwork City.
Venture to the bizarre realm of Sotha Sil, the Clockwork God and the third member of the Dunmer Tribunal! The machine world is rife with frightening and alien dangers lurking beneath its metallic deserts and artificial trees, where only tiny pockets of citizens are able to carve out a quasi-religious society that values enlightenment and experimentation in emulation of its detached benefactor. A dark conspiracy threatens the integrity of the Clockwork City and signs of a powerful Daedric relic manifesting within that realm draw all interested eyes toward Sotha Sil’s domain.

  • To visit the Clockwork City, you can acquire the quest to take you there by accepting it from the Collectibles/Stories interface, or by visiting the Mages Guild in Mournhold.
  • Additionally, the supplied Character Template will bring you directly to the questline to begin your Clockwork City journey

Clockwork City brings brand new World Bosses and explorable Delves for all adventurers to test their mettle. Sotha Sil’s work on The Imperfect God, a terrifying mechanized weapon of death that is always improving is never ending but players will be able to take it on. Players can choose to venture either into the inner-gears and workings of the Clockwork City in The Shadow Cleft delve or explore an artificial environment that has broken down for an unknown reason in the Halls of Regulation Delve. 

Here are Zenimax Online’s official descriptions:  

The Clockwork City is a treacherous place with dangers both native and invasive.

  • World Bosses
    • The Sanctuary of Verification: Sotha Sil is a distant ruler, and his experiments are often left for hundreds of years at a time until a new idea occurs to him. In the case of the frightening war machine known as the Imperfect, the Clockwork God has set the storage facility itself to continually tweak and make improvements to the dangerous construct. For what purpose was it built, and even more chilling to ask, how many of them are there?
    • The Exarchs’ Egress: An unknown Daedric force creeps through the shadows of the Clockwork City, bringing with it a new type of Daedric monster – the Wraith-of-Crows. Through a mysterious, remote gate, you can travel to the Daedric realm that houses these malignant monsters and battle a triumvirate of these creatures.
  • Delves
    • The Halls of Regulation: As an artificial environment, the Clockwork City requires breathable air, potable water, and the processing of waste. The Halls of Regulation do all of this, crewed by enigmatic automated machine-people known as Factotums located in the eastern half of Clockwork City. Unfortunately, the facility has broken down for reasons unknown. Have the Factotums malfunctioned, or is this a case of sabotage?
    • The Shadow Cleft: Another dark artery winding its way into Clockwork City can be found in the Shadow Cleft toward the western half of the zone. Nightmare creatures and things that go bump in the night all lurk in this strange place, where several enterprising Clockwork Apostles disappeared attempting to discern its true masters.
  • Repeatable Bounties: The Clockwork Facilitator and Novice Holli, both residing in the eastern portion of the Brass Fortress, each offer daily bounties to investigate and overcome dangers at these locations.

Within the heart of The Clockwork City sits a place known as The Brass Fortress. In this center of power priests and zealous inventors dedicate themselves to Sotha Sil and aim to replace the flesh & blood parts of their bodies with machine replacement parts. The Brass Fortress is also home to those not loyal to the whims of Sotha Sil, these outcasts have become known as The Tarnished. 

The Brass FortressGoing to the Clockwork City will eventually lead you to the Brass Fortress, the center of the city itself and the one place that the Clockwork Apostles, dedicated priests, and inventors, work to improve their bodies and minds – sometimes with dubious “replacement” parts! Here, you can find the usual services and commodities. 

The Tarnished: Not everyone in the Clockwork City pledges themselves to Sotha Sil. He is a benevolent god, in his own way, and allows them to remain regardless of their lack of devotion. This sub-society of outcasts, transients, and vagabonds are known collectively as the Tarnished, and have made themselves a valuable part of the city even if the Apostles themselves do not always appreciate it. Razgurug, the “mayor” of these downtrodden folk, offers what recompense he can in exchange for assistance to support the society that the distant Apostles will not. 

More information about other changes that will be introduced in patch 3.2.0 including new collectibles, new item sets, new furniture, new crafting motifs and updates to the base game & ESO: Morrowind are available in the PTR patch notes. We don’t have a solid release date or price point for Clockwork City just yet but given the fact that Zenimax Online is ready for players to test it, it can’t be more than a few weeks out. 


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Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Launch Trailer Released


Posted on September 14, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is out on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This standalone sequel to last year’s Dishonored II also provides Billie Lurk with the starring role as the playable protagonist for this entry in the Dishonored franchise. 

Billie does not have “the mark of the outsider”, instead she has her own unique set of abilities allowing her to plan a bank heist, enter underground fight clubs and ultimately take down the Outsider and bring a close to the plotline of Dishonored II. 

Content Warning: Bethesda’s recently released launch trailer does mature content including graphic violence and at least one beheading. 


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Quake Champions Releasing On Steam Early Access As A Paid Product This Coming Tuesday


Posted on August 17, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Bethesda and  more specifically id Software have a large convention coming up on Thursday August 24th – QuakeCon. To celebrate the convention’s namesake or perhaps capitalize on the finals for the Quake Champions World Championship $1 million dollar tournament that is coming to a close at QuakeCon, Quake Champions will leave open beta testing and appear on Steam for the first time since the game’s announcement.

Let’s get the bit of news that is probably going to polarize possible new players before diving into the meaty details of the first Early Access patch – Quake Champion’s monetization model. Originally Champions was advertised as a free to play title and it is clear from the titles core design that this is still the case: renting champions, multiple forms of currency and loot boxes are all still in the game. What is changing with the Early Access release on Steam is that Quake Champions will not be free to play right out of the gate.

Returning closed & open beta testers can still play the tittle for free in ‘free to play mode’ (meaning Ranger only with rentals via ‘favor’ or in app purchases) but only players willing to fork over $29.99 USD (increasing to $39.99 USD once Early Access ends) to gain access to the game, all 11 Champions currently available and any future champions released in 2018. New free to play players who did not participate in the beta phase will be welcome into the game but it is unknown when that will occur – Bethesda simply says ‘at a later date’.

So what will the first Early Access patch bring to the game? First and foremost is a brand new champion in the form of Doom’s DoomSlayer protagonist. Clad in his UAC green armor from last year’s excellent reboot, the Doom Slayer joins the original cast of Quake Champions and B.J Blazkowicz from Bethesda’s Wolfenstein franchise in the arena. Quake Champions players can also look forward to the release of two new maps, brand new Rune Challenges, in-game voice chat and an in-game Lore browser that will feed players in-universe tidbits of information just like Doom (2016) did.

Here is a summary of the new features coming to Quake Champions:

  • Two New Maps: Church of Azathoth and Tempest Shrine
  • Rune Challenges: Players will be rewarded for completing new Rune Challenges found in Backpacks
  • Lore System: Players will find Lore Items hidden throughout Arenas in vases. By collecting all 10 Lore Items for a specific Champion, they will unlock that Champion’s high-end Lore Skin.
  • Improved New Player Onboarding: New features to help get fresh fraggers up to speed include a movement tutorial, shooting gallery and the ability to choose a skill level
  • New Customization Options: New options include new Champion skin sets and weapon shaders
  • In-Game Voice Chat

I’ve covered Quake Champions extensively over the past couple months and participated in both the closed and open beta test phases. You can read my impressions of an early Closed Beta build of the game right here and I’ll be posting up to date impressions from the Early Access build of Quake Champions later next week.

[Source]


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Partial Player Data Reset As Massive Quake Champions Beta Patch Drops


Posted on August 3, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

The first patch for Quake Champions in nearly a month has finally arrived and with it comes a partial data reset for existing players. Beta testers should be familiar with the practice by now but since this is an open beta sometimes players are caught off guard by data resets and progression loss. Developers do this for a number of reasons: testing new systems, getting feedback on progression changes or deeply rooted system or data changes that necessitate players be taken back to square one.

As for what was reset: any challenge progression for challenges left incomplete and the overall statistics data for players accounts have been wiped. Unlocks like shaders/skins from Loot Boxes and purchasable vanity items have all been reset as well. Individual nicknames and skill ratings remain intact alongside unlocked champions.

Here is a segment from the recent patch notes:

Player content that will be reset include:

  • User States (Armors, Weapons, Attachments, Shaders, Currency)
  • Challenges

Content that will NOT be reset includes:

  • Champions
  • Friends
  • Skill Rating
  • Nicknames

Currently, the Quake Champions community is in the midst of a $1,00,000 world tournament on the road to this month’s Quake Con. Id Software and Sabre Interactive have said that they don’t want to shake up the game’s meta too muuch while the tournament is ongoing but there have been a number of game breaking bugs including rockets that do 0 DMG and stuttering lag that hamper the online experience. With that being said this patch is more of a collection of long requested fixes and tech tweaks – you’ll see very little Champion balancing happening during the Regionals.

Previously Quake Champions only had a very basic friends list with CBT 13 a whole number of social options including spectating friends, ignoring players and a reporting system to root out abusive players.

New Social Screen

  • Player can observe all current in-match players and blocked players
  • Player can now blacklist players, which blocks invites from unwanted users
  • Player can now ignore user invites
  • Player can now report users

On the tech side of things id & co have fixed several issues with system auto detect, implemented a new “play now” screen and introduced some fixes for the ever present memory leaks which have plagued the game since the first Closed Beta but this issue has been steadily improving with each major patch.

Tech

  • Fixed an issue that could occur when the game would not revert to the player’s native resolution when changing to Borderless mode with a lower aspect ratio.
  • Fixed a localization text issue
  • Updated the list of supported video cards for a correct auto-detect
  • Fixed an issue where killed players could become stuck in place and invincible
  • Fixed an issue where local configurations would not be saved properly when including Cyrillic letters
  • Fixed an issue where Champions were not synchronized with moving objects

Performance

  • Optimized various memory leaks

New Play Now Screen

  • New screen layout integrated
  • Player can choose multiple game modes in quick match and match-make between them randomly
  • Tutorial videos available from Play Now screen

Clutch has seen the most adjustment of any Champion in the game. Originally positioned as a Tank class hero with a strong barrier shield, Clutch was later on adjusted to include the ability to float through the air while deploying its shield. This was later patched out and now Clutch is the focus of the majority of the Champion adjustments – with a new acceleration icon and several small statistics changes.

Perhaps the one bug fix everyone in the Quake community has been finally implemented: Rocket Launchers finally work again! No more Nyx players taking three rockets to the face without taking a single point of damage. Rockets also no longer penetrate Clutch’s shield.

Balance

  • Clutch’s “Advanced Shielding” passive has been removed
  • Clutch’s Active Ability cool-down has now been set to 40 seconds
  • Clutch’s Health and Armor stats revised: Health from 150/150 to 100/100; Armor from 50/100 to 100/150
  • Slash’s Starting Armor increased +25 ap
  • Profile Progression: XP requirements tweaked
  • Random Drop: Rebalance of drop rates in Backpacks Crates and Reliquaries
  • Crafting: Item prices in shards and dismantle values changed

Champions

  • New effect for Ranger’s Dire Orb
  • Fixed a light effect issue affecting Anarki’s Banner vanity item
  • Fixed an issue affecting audio during Anarki’s hover board movement
  • Fixed issue that could occur with BJ Blazkowicz’s shooting animation while dual-wielding
  • Fixed a twitching animation issue with BJ Blazkowicz after being shot while idle
  • Enemies within 120u of the player are outlined
  • New Clutch acceleration icon added
  • Fixed an issue where rock and drill medals pop without hitting the 1000 damage requirements
  • Fixed an issue when RL damage through Clutch’s shield

[Source]


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Elder Scrolls Online Gets 5 Day Login Campaign With Bonuses For All


Posted on July 4, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Zenimax Online Studios will launch a log-in campaign for The Elder Scrolls Online that includes bonuses for both existing subscribers and users who chose to play without a recurring monthly free. Starting tomorrow at 7 AM PST non-subscribers can gain access to a 5-day trial that will give them all of the benefits of the ESO + subscription. Current ESO+ subscribers will be given 1 free Dwarven loot box (valued at approximately $5 USD per) for each of the five days of the promotion, provided that they sign into the game. ESO’s log-in campaign will come to a close on July 10th at 7 AM PST.

Here is a rundown of the benefits of ESO+, which is available for a number of different price points depending on the # of months purchased in advance:

  • Full access to all DLC game packs, including Imperial City, Orsinium, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and Shadows of the Hist – that’s a bunch of new zones, hours and hours of new quests, additional dungeons, and more!
  • 1,500 Crowns per month to spend on the in-game store (paid members only – the Free Trial will not reward 1,500 Crowns)
  • Unlimited storage for crafting materials
  • Double bank space for your account
  • A 10% increase to Experience and Gold acquisition, Crafting Inspiration, and Trait Research
  • Double Furnishings and Collectibles space in player housing
  • Exclusive ability to dye costumes

Dwarven Crown Crates contain a number of exclusive items such as themed costumes, bonus experience scrolls, riding training scrolls, crafting boost and of course the ever coveted epically rare mounts. ESO’s Crates are much more expensive than other buy to play (B2P) games – CS GO’s crates are given out as rare round rewards for free put require keys that sell for as little as $2.50 USD on the community market. Overwatch also charges for additional loot boxes starting at $0.99 USD per or earned for free by playing the game and earning levels.

As an avid player of The Elder Scrolls Online I think the ESO+ log-in campaign is an excellent idea. ESO’s base game contains access to 10 provinces, multiple guilds and almost 1,500 fully voiced quests that could keep players entertained for hundreds of hours – there is a lot of content to be had. That being said ESO+ provides access to the add-on DLC that adds Elder Scrolls staples like the thieves guild, the Imperial City and a fully PVE focused questing zone. ESO is perhaps one of the best deals around in terms of dollars per hour of content – check out my full review if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts on the base game.


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