Loading...
is the premier daily
MMOG news and commentary
newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.
Welcome
to the 1,352nd
edition
of Loading...
It's that
magical time of year again for gamers, as the relative news blackout
leading up to E3 2010 seems to have all but dissipated in the last week
prior to the event. Either that or ArenaNet and Blizzard must have both
tapped into the same collective consciousness reserved for MMOG
developers, as new information on Traits in Guild
Wars 2 and Talents in
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
was revealed yesterday. We’ll
take a look at what these two heavy hitters had to share with fans
today in Loading... Talent Show.
The
Pulse
You vote with what you
view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the
result
is the Ten Ton Pulse (
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/thepulse/">What
is The Pulse?).
Today's
top 5 Pulse results:
-
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow">World
of Warcraft - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eq2">EverQuest II
- href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aoc">Age of Conan
-
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro">Lord of the
Rings Online -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/ddo">Dungeons and
Dragons Online
Biggest
movers today:
-
size="-1">5/1
- href="http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/game_updates/issue_17/issue_17_overview.html?utm_source=COHemail&utm_medium=US&utm_campaign=banner"
target="_blank">City
of Heroes - Issue 17: Dark Mirror
(content
update) -
size="-1">5/11
- Age
of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer size="-1">
(expansion) -
size="-1">5/26
- EVE
Online: Tyrannis size="-1">
(expansion) -
size="-1">5/27
- href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2422">Craft
of Gods size="-1">
(release) -
size="-1">6/9
- href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1004">Mortal
Online size="-1">
(release)
Releases
-
size="-1">June
29,
2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/998"
target="_blank">APB
(US release- July 2 in UK, EU) -
size="-1">July
13, 2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1801"
target="_blank">Mytheon
(release)
-
size="-1">July
20,
2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2461"
target="_blank">Need
for Speed World (release) -
size="-1">TBA
2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2079"
target="_blank">Final
Fantasy XIV size="-1">
size="-1">Upcoming
Events
-
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;">6/15 -
6/17 - href="http://www.e3expo.com/" target="_blank">E3
Expo -
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;">6/25 -
6/27 - href="http://www.lfgexpo.com/" target="_blank">Looking
for Group
Expo -
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;">7/22 -
7/25 - href="http://www.comic-con.org/" target="_blank">Comic-Con
International -
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;">8/5 -
8/8 - href="http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/" target="_blank">SOE
Fan Faire 2010 -
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;">9/3 -
9/6 - href="http://www.dragoncon.org/" target="_blank">DragonCon -
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;">10/22 -
10/23 - href="http://us.blizzard.com/blizzcon/?rhtml=y" target="_blank">BlizzCon -
size="-1">
style="font-weight: bold;"> 3/24
-
3/26 (2011)- href="http://fanfest.eveonline.com/" target="_blank">CCP
FanFest
Loading... Daily
In the dozen or so years
since the original
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/38">EverQuest
first hit the scene, many core elements of that
particular MMOG have seen numerous iterations in other titles. In
particular, the Alternative Advancement system from EQ has not only
stood the test of time, but has become a staple of character
development and customization in the vast majority of more recent
releases. Even if the format for obtaining these secondary paths of
advancement may differ from game to game, the fact that the core
concept is so prevalent is testament to how impactful it's
been on MMOG class design over the years.
One such widely recognized
example would be
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow">World
of
Warcraft's
various Talent trees, which are a slicker, more
streamlined version of the AA concept. Since every character of a given
class has access to the same skills or spells as they progress,
it's the talents they choose that ultimately help shape their
specific role in combat.
For most WoW players,
optimizing builds is one of the most critical
elements of character development. So when Blizzard previewed the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/features/previews/cataclysm-talents-rogue-druid-priest-shaman">talent
trees for Rogues, Druids, Priests and Shamans in Cataclysm
yesterday, it was a pretty major deal among WoW players. For all the
awesome details, be sure to
check out Ten Ton Hammer's exclusive analysis for
each class on our
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow">World
of Warcraft community site.
In another interesting take on
the base concept behind alternate
advancement systems, ArenaNet also shed some light yesterday on how the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/85188">Traits
system will work in upcoming
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/gw2">Guild
Wars 2.
Rather than being a
static list that players can pick and choose where to spend points,
traits in GW2 will be something that players will earn through a series
of class-specific challenges found throughout the world.
Once earned, you'll then be
able to select which traits you
feel best augment your specific build. Given the constantly shifting
nature of what's considered the “optimal”
build for a given profession in the original game, I have no doubts
that traits will add a lot of depth to character development much more
so than many of the other iterations on the concept.
Personally, I love the idea of
going out and interacting with the world
to earn the dozens of available traits that will be available for each
class. Not only are you progressing your character in meaningful ways
in the process, but it's something that you'll
actively need to pursue rather than simply selecting a cookie cutter
build from a static listing that's considered to be the
“best” for your given class. I'm sure
that it will only be a matter of time before the location of each of
the challenges associated with traits is plotted on intricately
detailed maps, but I'm equally sure that traits will still remain one
of the
game's biggest talking points long after launch.
Whether you're a current WoW
player excited about the latest
Talent reveals for Cataclysm or hyped about the Traits system in
upcoming Guild Wars 2
I'd love to hear your thoughts on these
two heavy hitting reveals right here in the Loading... forum!
Shayalyn's
Epic Thread of
the Day
From our
href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=725">GW2
Temple of Ascension - Profession Discussion forum
href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=51689">Just
a wild shot, but...
Put
on your +5 speculation goggles (contrary to popular opinion, they do
something) and come play Guess That Class with fellow Guild Wars 2 fans
in our community site forum. Does that concept art image of the Thief
Queen represent a new class called the Thief? Is she merely an NPC
bandit? Is she a cross between a Ranger and an Assassin. We don't know,
and you don't know, either...but speculation is fun.
href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=51689">Join
us!
==============================
Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread
"She
gives off the vibe of being a NPC, esp because of the name. But the
armour and weapons she's drawn with could be a clue - a rapier suggests
a faster paced melee class, and the leather armour is also typical of
the archtype."
- Ghaidheal
==============================
Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums?
href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=32559">Tell
us!
New
and Exclusive Content
Today at Ten Ton Hammer
6 new Ten Ton Hammer
articles today! 36 Ten Ton Hammer
features
in June! 626
in 2010!
INTERVIEWS
color="red">HOT!
Putting the MMO in APB - An Exclusive Video Interview with APB's Josh
Howard
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/apb/video/mmo-in-apb">http://www.tentonhammer.com/apb/video/mmo-in-apb
APB's
online shooter and customization aspects are well-documented, but what
about its massively multiplayer underpinnings? Throughout APB's
history, both Webzen and Realtime Worlds have attempted to distance APB
from players' preconceptions of an MMORPG, hoping to create a game that
defies easy classification. But in the final analysis, fans of the
massively multiplayer category might find a lot to love in the game.
For clarity's sake, we asked APB Executive Producer Joshua Harris about
instance numbers, role levels, innovative payment options, and more in
this new, exclusive, gameplay-footage filled video previewing All
Points Bulletin.
BETA GIVEAWAYS
color="red">HOT!
Heroes in the Sky Closed Beta Key Giveaway
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/giveaways/his-cbt">http://www.tentonhammer.com/giveaways/his-cbt
GamesCampus
is known for its lineup of free-to-play sports and fantasy MMOGs from
golf simulator Shot Online and baseballer MLB Dugout Heroes to, most
recently, Soul Master. But Heroes In The Sky (HIS for short) marks
their first foray into online dogfighting genre, and now you can test
out the game with a closed beta key from Ten Ton Hammer!
FEATURES & GUIDES
WoW Cataclysm Talent Preview
for Rogue, Druid, Priest, and Shamans
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/features/previews/cataclysm-talents-rogue-druid-priest-shaman">http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/features/previews/cataclysm-talents-rogue-druid-priest-shaman
Blizzard
has given Ten Ton Hammer a chance to share with our readers the
upcoming talents for Rogues, Druids, Shamans, and Priests in World of
Warcraft: Cataclysm. Some changes are negligible while others are
drastic. Curious to how your class will change in Cataclysm? Then check
out these new talents while they're hot.
WoW Cataclysm Rogue Talent Preview Analysis
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/features/previews/rogue-cataclysm-talents">http://www.tentonhammer.com/features/previews/rogue-cataclysm-talents
The
Rogue Talent Tree has undergone some fairly major changes that are now
present in the Cataclysm Beta. All three trees have received new
abilities, and a fair number of abilities have been shuffled around
within their trees or moved to other trees. Here we will try to get a
grip on exactly what has changed and what that means for the class.
WoW Cataclysm Druid Talent
Preview Analysis
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/features/previews/druid-cataclysm-talent-analysis">http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/features/previews/druid-cataclysm-talent-analysis
The
big talent preview reveal yesterday for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
was massive. It introduced WoW players to what some of the new talent
trees may look like in the expansion and already people are
theorycrafting builds. It's especially important to Druids to know
their talents since the talents define the class. That's why we've got
an analysis of the upcoming talents here at Ten Ton Hammer.
The Top 25 WoW Daily Quests
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/top-25-daily-quests">http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/top-25-daily-quests
Questing
for gold is the backbone of the World of Warcraft economy. All the gold
out there has to come from somewhere, and with the trifling amounts
that drop from mobs most of it comes from quests. Which ones are the
best? Here are our picks.
Today's
Hottest Articles, Guides, and Features
-
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/apb/video/mmo-in-apb">Putting
the MMO in APB
- An Exclusive Video Interview with APB's Josh Howard -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/features/previews/cataclysm-talents-rogue-druid-priest-shaman">World
of Warcraft: Cataclysm Talent
Preview for Rogue, Druid, Priest and Shaman -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/nfsw/interviews/gaudechon-jun-2010">MMOtoring
Along - A Need for Speed World
Q&A with EA
Black Box -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/gw2/features/editorials/recent-gameplay-reveals">Analysis
of Recent Guild Wars 2
Gameplay Reveals -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eve/guides/business/optimize">Four
Tips For Optimizing Your Business In EVE
Online -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/reviews/alpha-protocol">Alpha
Protocol (PC) Review -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/sto/features/editorials/looking-ahead-to-season-two">STO:
Looking Ahead to Season Two
-
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/fallenearth/devdiaries/fast-travel">Fallen
Earth – Limited Fast
Travel -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/podcasts/live/9"
target="_blank">Ten
Ton Hammer Live Ep. 9 - TERA's
Sam Kim and Matt
Atwood -
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/apb/impressions/community-day-2010"
target="_blank">APB
Community Day Q&A and Hands-On Impressions
Thanks
for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!
- Reuben "Sardu" Waters and
the Ten Ton Hammer team
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.
