Welcome to the 1,134th Edition of Loading...
Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.
Today's Loading is a farewell to one of the longstanding and pivotal members of the Ten Ton Hammer team, who's leaving us to spend more time with his family. We'll also say goodbye to yet another release date, but the brief delay was far from unexpected in this case. All these goodbyes are kind of a downer, so how about a quick EU AoC time card giveaway and some Star Trek Online beta hijinx? It's all in Loading... Never Say Goodbye.
Coyote is back from Comic-Con in a big way, and his daily column explores all things geek with Coyote's trademark wit in It's All Geek to Me. Read it daily at Ten Ton Hammer! Today's topic: Live Action Cartoons - Love 'em or Porkchop Sammiches?
The PulseYou vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Pulse (What is The Pulse?). Here's today's top 5 Pulse results:
Biggest Movers today :
|
Recent MMO Releases |
|
Important Dates
|
|
Upcoming Releases
|
Loading... Daily
And here we are at the start of another Aion preorder preview weekend. Though a pet project will take much of my time this weekend (you'll see it soon enough if Herr Dr. Wooglestein finds success in my lightning-powered basement laboratory), I personally hope to level up enough to get into the Abyss and some PvP a bit, just to try out that side of the game.
Today is a sad day for Ten Ton Hammer. Though 3 years at any one site is practically methusalan in this business, Danny "Ralsu" Gourley is stepping down to spend more time with his family today. Danny made huge contributions to our Vanguard community site in his heyday, then single-handedly took on the tremendous task of sorting out the best microtransaction driven MMOs with his Top Ten Free-to-Play lists, and finished out as our contest and giveaway czar. That's not to mention all the roles he filled in and between these huge jobs. You'll be missed, Danny, and should all that free time drive you or your family nuts, you'll always have a place here. If you'd like to say farewell, head to this thread.
Turbine has pushed back the release date for DDO Unlimited, and you heard it at Ten Ton Hammer first. The community seemed to take the news in stride, with folks noting that pushed release dates are par for the DDO course. I spoke with Turbine's Adam Mersky, who noted that DDO Unlimited is something of a victim of its own success. Adam noted subscriptions have actually increased since the upcoming subscription-free model was announced, and that the initial projections for launch were far, far lower than what Turbine is now seeing. The team realized that a month's worth of infrastructure "tuning" to handle the influx was what the doctor ordered. A month isn't too terrible of a slip, and Turbine has some thank-you initiatives and live events planned to cover the delay. Look for more info between now and Monday, and we might even have some more beta keys to let you check out the reinvented DDO for yourself.
All this heavy stuff is no way to start a weekend, so for a little comedy, head to the "Star Trek Online beta page" at http://www.startrekonline.com/beta (Thanks Metal!). Also, for good cheer, one of our members mistakenly purchased a 60-day EU-only Age of Conan time card. If you're a European AoC player (or want to be a European AoC player), send me an email ( [email protected] ) with "AoC Time Card" as the subject and the name of the god Conan cried out to as he waded into battle, and I'll pick a lucky winner at random on Monday.
Since you can already share your thoughts about all the topics discussed today have their own forum presence, how about some ongoing impressions of Aion. Is it becoming the game you thought it was? Share your Aion impressions in the Loading... forum, or send it my way via email. Have a wonderful weekend!
Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day
From our Articles, News & Events Discussion
38 Studios Having Trouble Pitching Investors
More fun with Curt and the crew!
I've
never run the same epic thread twice (at least as far as my addled
brain can recall), but this week I'm making an exception. The Ten Ton
Hammer community and staff have had an interesting and ongoing chat
with Curt Schilling of 38 Studios, developers of the fantasy MMOG code
named Copernicus. Curt has revealed a few little tidbits
about the game, and his posts even merited a visit from Steve
"Moorgard" Danuser (formerly of SOE, now with 38), whose job seems to
involve keeping Curt from spilling too much secret sauce. (Boo!)
Is Copernicus new to you? Are you curious? Check out this thread and share your thoughts.
==============================
Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread
"Oh, Danuser is going to laugh his ass off. I am the LAST MAN ON THE PLANET that wants to be quiet right now, but I am. I
am because the Czar says to, and I begrudgingly listen. Right up to the
point he screws up the first time, and then all bets are off...."
- Cschilling
==============================
Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!
8 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 95 in July! 860 in 2009!
New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today
-
EVE Online - Sins of a Solar Spymaster #22 - The Seven Types of Spy
EVE Online is practically the only game where one can assume the role of a spy in an environment where intelligence gathering is necessary and makes a real impact, and won't get you banned. While only a tiny percentage of the playerbase ends up dabbling in the metagame, a significant number became interested in the game in the first place due to the widely publicized efforts of famous agents. In the latest edition of Sins of a Solar Spymaster, the Mittani takes a look at the seven general types of agent in New Eden who have the will to persevere through some of the less glamorous aspects of the spy business. -
Never Can Say Goodbye: A Farewell Tribute to Danny "Ralsu" Gourley
Today is Danny "Ralsu" Gourley's last day as a Ten Ton Hammer staff member. For over 3 years, Danny has worked two full-time jobs, and now he bids us adieu to spend more time with his wife and child. But although he'll be wearing "civilian" clothes, he's promised to spend time with the Ten Ton Hammer community in the role of the avid gamer that he is. Read staff and community member comments about Danny here, then join us in giving him a proper send-off! -
DDO Unlimited Launch Delayed
Earlier today, Ten Ton Hammer was informed that the highly anticipated launch for DDO: Unlimited would be pushed back until September 9th. While many players have been eager to dive into the next step in the evolution of Eberron, the developers at Turbine have committed themselves to delivering a high-quality experience which they believe the extra time will help them achieve. -
Dragonica Online Introductory Interview from Comic-Con '09
Free-to-play games are nothing new to most MMO fans. We've been hearing about and playing these games since Nexon introduced maple story back near the turn of the century. Still, the concept is still new to some MMO players, and those are the folks that THQ*ICE is hoping to bring to their stable with Dragonica Online. Although Ten Ton Hammer had seen screenshots of the game, we'd never seen it in action until we caught a glimpse of it - and asked some questions - from the show floor of Comic-Con '09! -
Aion Gear and Enhancement Preview
Adventuring through Aion can be a dangerous task for the unprepared adventurer. Learning how to augment your armor with enchantments, manastones, and other needed enhancements can go a long way in increasing your survivability. This week Ten Ton Hammer takes a look at what kind of gear and enhancements are available to players of Aion, and provide you with a quick guide to what's available. -
Aion Beginner’s Guide to Skills and Chains
The fifth Aion beta weekend is nearly upon us and this time even more players will be discovering the game for the first time. No one wants to be lost when they start something new, and with that in mind, Dalmarus has created a guide on skills and chains to make the experience easier. No matter which archetype or specialized class you choose, there's something inside for everyone. -
Aion - New Sorcerer Screenshots and Details Revealed
The Sorcerer manipulates Aether to use the power of the elements to smite down their enemies. NCsoft recently released a batch of screenshots and a few details about the arcane class of Aion. -
Jade Dynasty: Exclusive Pet Evolution Dev Journal
While many MMOGs featuring pets allow your beastly companion to advance alongside your character, Perfect World International has taken that concept to a whole new level with Jade Dynasty. The latest entry in Ten Ton Hammer’s series of exclusive dev journals for the upcoming title is jam packed with details on what the Pet Evolution system is all about.
Hottest Content:
- Never Can Say Goodbye: A Farewell Tribute to Danny "Ralsu" Gourley
- EVE Online - Sins of a Solar Spymaster #22 - The Seven Types of Spy
- DDO Unlimited Launch Delayed
- City of Heroes: Power Spectrum and Going Rogue Interview from Comic-Con '09
- Champions Online: Nemesis and Omega Interview with Bill Roper
- DC Universe Online Hands-On PvP Preview from Comic-Con '09
- Bait and Switch? Ethics & Values in MMO Marketing
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Comic-Con Interview - Exploring the Expanded Universe
- Picking Up Cool Perks in Champions Online
- World of Warcraft: The Ultimate Guide to Ulduar's Bosses: Razorscale
Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!
-Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited Game Page.
