Welcome to the 1,146th Edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

Richard Garriott talked briefly about his future plans in gaming at the 8th annual Syndicate World Conference last weekend. Some random thoughts about what Lord British had to say, plus two fresh bits from GamesCom in Cologne - a new EVE MMOFPS and more info on the rumors of a Age of Conan expansion. All this in today's Loading... What's in a name?

The Pulse

You 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:

  1. World of Warcraft
  2. Aion (UP 1)
  3. Champions Online (down 1)
  4. EverQuest 2
  5. Age of Conan

Biggest Movers today :

  1. The Agency (UP 45 to #17)
  2. Darkfall (UP 18 to #13)
  3. City of Heroes (down 5 to #19)
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For today's Loading..., I thought I'd share what Richard Garriott had to say about his possible return to gaming at last weekend's The Syndicate World Conference, since I haven't seen it reported elsewhere. The following preview has been approved for all audiences:

"I'm fairly commonly asked a) what's next for me in gaming, and b) am I going to do something that's space related since I've obviously spent so much of my time and focus on space. I actually don't have anything to announce by any remote stretch, because literally I have exactly nothing going on in gaming at this precise moment."

"That being said, space has been a part of me for thirty years. Games have been a part of me for thirty years too, and by no means do I think that my journey in gaming is over. The next thing that comes from me or the teams I'm working with probably won't be space related, just because that isn't to me where the inspiration feels like it's coming-from. I've spent 25 years of my career here in Austin, so the Austin gaming community is very near and dear to my heart; they still throw the yearly Austin gaming development parties on my property. So I have a lot of people knocking on my door saying, 'Ok, you've finished your space thing, let's get back to it.'

"So while I have nothing to announce, I think it is quite reasonable to expect and assume that things are moving. I hope to come back to you guys next year about this time and be able to talk more explicitly about my return to gaming."

While I personally like Richard Garriott and, from my few personal encounters with him, I think he's a pretty earnest guy as larger-than-life glory hounds go, I'm not sure we want Richard Garriott back (or Brad NcQuaid) unless it's the old Garriott and McQuaid, the ones that fronted companies that cared more about quality games than dropping names. I'm all about more rockstar treatment for game devs - that kind of attention, when properly earned and properly received - does everyone plenty of good. When big name devs offer nothing to games except rockstar egotism and sour rumors, perhaps its time for another more ambitious generation of rockstar devs.

What's your take on Richard Garriott's latest overtures? Feel free to stop by the Loading... forum or email me with your thoughts.


Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day




From our Aion
General Discussion




Your Beta Experience



I've been out of the dating scene for a
while, but I remember it well enough that I can relate playing an
MMO beta or trial to meeting a new person. Sometimes, you know right
away that your date's not a good match for you. At other times, it
takes a while to discern whether this compelling creature is going
to take you to paradise or break your heart.

Aion's last
closed beta weekend wrapped up yesterday, so let me hit you with the
age-old question: was it good for you? How did your
Aion experience play out? Will you be coming back for more or
telling Aion, "Sorry, it didn't work out. It's not you, it's me?" Share!



==============================

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread




"Aion's graphics are amazing.
Everything is so realistic and, unlike the characters in WoW, these
actually feel somewhat alive. They hold up a green leaf when it rains,
fan themselves when your in a desert when it's hot.... In some areas
you see the wind rising from the ground and blow away.
"



- Sinn

==============================



Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell
us
!

7 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 54 in August! 914 in 2009!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today [Thanks Phil Comeau for links and Real World News]

  • DUST 514 Brings Persistent FPS and RTS Action to EVE Online
    Surprise! That's the way I felt this morning when I opened my inbox to find this little tidbit concerning EVE Online nestled in its folds. Apparently the recently leaked DUST 514 title that CCP had legally nabbed is going to be the name for its upcoming console-based MMOFPS set within the EVE Universe. Sounds pretty cool, right?

    It gets better. Apparently the game will actually interact with EVE Online in some capacity. While I don't really know what that encompasses, the idea *sounds* intriguing. It gets better. Apparently the game will actually interact with EVE Online in some capacity. While I don't really know what that encompasses, the idea *sounds* intriguing.

  • A New Saga Begins - A Fresh Look at Vanguard Pt. 2
    When it was released, most people will admit that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes had a lot of faults. From bugs to exploits to glitches, you name it and VG probably suffered from it. That said, a few years can do a lot to change a game, and Vanguard certainly hasn't been collecting dust. To get another look at the game, Ten Ton Hammer sent in Danny "Ralsu" Gourley to try his hand at the new Telon. In the second installment of his new saga, Ralsu tackles some lingering performance concerns and more, so be sure to check it out!
  • Comic: Zeroes - "Meet Killjoy"
    Champions Online is based entirely off of superheroes. The big, the bad, and the bold all share Millennium City as their home. But what about the less than average caped crusaders? Who will tell their story? This week, Bill Murphy introduces you to Killjoy. Can you guess what he likes to do?
  • World of Warcraft Op/Ed - Overgeared and Underskilled
    Anyone who has played the World of Warcraft and tried to get a group
    of players together to do an instance or a raid knows one simple
    truth; getting a good group in the World of Warcraft is anything but
    easy. All players have run into a horrible pick up group (PUG) at one
    time or another while playing the game, but what really leads to PUG
    Hell, as it is referred to? Does the term ‘Overgeared and
    Underskilled’ really apply to most players in the World of Warcraft?
    Find out as Byron “Messiah” Mudry wades into this delicate topic with
    his usual not-so-delicate manner.
  • Champions Online - Queer Eye For The Superhero Guy
    Welcome, dahlings, to our first installment of your soon to be favorite feature….Queer Eye for the Superhero Guy! As always, I am Ronaldo, your humble fashion czar and arbiter of good taste in the superhero world! We’ll take a look at some hits, and lots of misses, of various costumes worn by our well-toned heroes. Naturally, you’ll have the benefit of my sharp eye (and even sharper wit!) as we peruse the following wares. Well, enough chit-chat, dahlings, let’s get on with it!
  • Research and Development: Crafting in Champions Online
    The crafting system in Champions Online offers players the opportunity to expand their arsenal of upgrades and devices, and can even be a means of creating interesting new visual elements for many of the available powers in the game. At first glance the system can be a bit daunting, as crafting deviates from industry norms in a few key areas while still providing a fairly robust overall experience. To help players better understand what Research and Development is all about, we’ve put together a complete guide to crafting in Champions Online.
  • World of Warcraft - Druid Theorycrafting Series - Restoration Spec
    To begin our in depth look at Druid theorycraft, we will start with the spec that is both nearest and dearest to my heart, and also the least “complex” of the three - restoration. Join us as we take the mystery out of the complex theorems and formulas to get to the root numbers that matter to the everyday player the most.

Giveaways:

Hottest Content:

  1. Guild Wars - Rediscovering Tyria
  2. Star Trek Online Closed Beta to Begin in October?
  3. Champions Online: Exclusive Interview on Sidekicks, Super Groups, and Supervillains
  4. World of Warcraft - New Expansion = New Tamable Pets?
  5. World of Warcraft - Vanity Pet Collecting Checklist
  6. Age of Conan - A Year Later, Part 2
  7. The Hollywood Cycle: Comparing the MMO Industry with the Silver Screen
  8. Flight or Fight: A Look at Advanced Flight and Combat in Aion
  9. The Co-Op PvE side of Global Agenda: A Q&A with Exec. Producer Todd Harris
  10. An Advanced Guide to Crafting in Aion

Real World News:


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 Ultima Online Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Jeff joined the Ten Ton Hammer team in 2004 covering EverQuest II, and he's had his hands on just about every PC online and multiplayer game he could since.

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