Requiem: Turan Race Preview

Ralsu — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:56:25 -0400

Hey, Vanilla Can Still Have Flavor

Gravity Interactive has taken Requiem: Bloodymare, their horror-style massively multiplayer online game, to Open Beta. Players choose from one of three races and make a character to fight against grotesque monsters and the effects of a land cursed by the abuse of magic and scientific experimentation.

Ten Ton Hammer has acquired a dozen screens of the Turan race, the humans in Requiem. Gravity Interactive also released a description of the Turans:

It takes courage to be human in a world filled with monsters.

Check out the Requiem Turan Race preview
Then tell us what you think in our forums

Top Ten Free-to-Play Games Week 5

Ralsu — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:31:33 -0400

Several Changes to the List

In this week's Top Ten Free-to-Play games, three games make the list for the first time, with Dream of Mirror Online making its debut at #5:

The hundreds of people who flooded our forums to get free DOMO gifts the last two weeks were there for a reason. The game is fun.

Read this week's Top Ten Free-to-Play Games
Then tell us your top 10 in our forums

WoW: Remembering Northrend, Part 2

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:01:27 -0400

Another Visit to Northrend

Northrend's storyline didn't end when the Lich King's plans to foil the Legion were successful. With Warcraft 3's Expansion, Arthas returned to Northrend to seek out the Lich King and faced many hardships before finally becoming one with the Lich King. In this second part, we go over his revisit to this cold land and the challenges he faced before reaching Icecrown.

Arthas, having being weakened by the Lich King's power loss, stood no chance against Kael'thas's forces, however, Anub'arak the great Cryptlord came to help him and welcome him back, sent by the Lich King himself.

WoW: Remembering Northrend, Part 2

Warhammer Online Sorceress Career Mastery

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:00:35 -0400

The Winds of Magic are Blowing

Harnessing the potent energy of the Winds of Magic is no small matter, but in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the Dark Elven Sorceresses make it look easy. These mistresses of the arcane are the heart of the destructive forces of the Druchii armies, unleashing massive torrents of mystical power upon the foes of the Witch King. However, all power comes with a price and the Sorceresses are no exception. Lack of careful planning will cause a backlash, doing massive damage to the caster. To offset this possibility, or to even increase their power, the Sorceress can follow one of three Paths of Mastery, the secrets learned by only the most powerful Dark Elven magi.

The Path of Agony is mainly concerned with slaughtering individual enemies in the messiest and most direct ways possible. This path contains a somewhat equal mix of volatile Dark Magic spells and more stable magic.

Warhammer Online Sorceress Career Mastery

Conan's War Camp Video and Fan Interview from AoC Launch Event

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:58:31 -0400

A Launch Party of Cimmerian Proportions!

Our last bit of video from the Age of Conan launch event features Ten Ton Hammer's own John Hoskin interviewing an unabashed "Conanist" and lore fan Jan Eirik. Jan was one of the lucky few members of the public to be admitted to the launch festivities.

In the second part of the video, we'll take you to picturesque Holmenkollen, the ski jump area and environs used during the Lillehammer Olympics in 2000 and, last week, the site of Conan's War Camp. It was a launch party of Cimmerian proportions, so enjoy the sites and sounds to close out our Age of Conan launch event coverage!

Conan's War Camp Video and Fan Interview from AoC Launch Event

The Agency: Exclusive Interview with Senior World Designer Kevin O'Hara Part 2

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:55:44 -0400

Danger! Espionage! And Part Two of our Agency Interview!

Ten Ton Hammer concludes it's interview with SOE's The Agency Senior World Designer Kevin O'Hara discussing various design concepts and methods. How are they adding replayability to the game and will you be able to scale buildings or fly in Minicopters? Kevin explains his philosophy on story telling, how developers are creating content, and what we can expect to see down the road from this espionage themed MMO game.

Ten Ton Hammer: So is building replayability like that into levels challenging?

Kevin O'Hara: I think, because we're thinking about replayability with every mission/map we make, it's just ingrained in us now. We're going to make the big segue map and them make the extra rooms and tunnels to block off so players can come back later and play a different mission. So instead of kill the chief guy, you are going to collect intel on a different map.

One of the designers liken it to where you have a huge racing track and they section off the parts they don't want you to go into yet. That's not going to be all our maps, but it's just some of the concepts we're using for replayable spaces.

The Agency: Exclusive Interview with Senior World Designer Kevin O'Hara Part 2

38 Studios: Exclusive ION Interview with Jason Roberts and Steve Danuser, Part Two

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:46:15 -0400

Behind the Doors at 38 Studios

Recently, the Ten Ton Hammer team had the exquisite opportunity to sit down with two veritable veterans of the MMOG industry, Jason Roberts and Steve Danuser from 38 Studios, to talk about the future of massively multiplayer games and the design philosophies behind their upcoming game. In Part One of our exclusive interview, we talked about a number of forward looking ideas, and we continued those thoughts in Part Two. Enjoy!

If you haven't read Part One, make sure you click here!

Ten Ton Hammer: Where do you think the industry is really going? What kind of changes are we going to be seeing in the next wave of games? Will we continue to see more "hardcore" games, or will it be more focused on the casual?

Jason Roberts: I think it's a combination of both. We're finally starting to see diversity, which is kinda nice. It's alot like when we first started seeing first person shooters; a few were released then it really started to diversify. You began to see other themes and other genres, and getting that diversity out there so you do see a lot more of game variety is essential. Players should be able to find fantasy MMOs or sci-fi MMOs or adventure MMOs. I see a lot of that actually occurring, along with a combination of different business models, so you can finally choose what you want to play.

38 Studios: Exclusive ION Interview with Jason Roberts and Steve Danuser, Part Two

Vanguard Spell List Rebuild Project - Rogue: Level 26 to 50

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:44:44 -0400

Roguish Charms

Rather than just a standard Spell List Update, Dalmarus has decided to tackle the task of rebuilding the Spell Lists by adding spell icons and more detailed information for each spell. Spell levels 26-50 finish off the Rogue this week. Over 80 spells were updated with this batch!

Vanguard Spell List Rebuild Project - Rogue: Level 26 to 50

AoC Comic: Lost In Hyboria - "How To Handle An Invasion"

Shayalyn — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:43:02 -0400

It Has Begun!

Ten Ton Hammer is proud to present the 10th issue of our weekly Age of Conan comic strip, Lost In Hyboria! The doors have opened to Hyboria, and our brave heroes find the world a very startling new place. This week, they come to the daunting realization that they... are not alone. Dun, dun, DUN!

AoC Comic: Lost In Hyboria - "How To Handle An Invasion"

Loading... Blog This or Age of Conan Feat Calculator Launched.

Boomjack — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:59:55 -0400

Welcome to the 833rd Edition of Loading...

We launch our Age of Conan Feats Calculator. Nifty!

Paul Barnett gets personal, answering 27 questions, interview with AoC's Eirik Munthe and Knut Haugen, 38 Studio's Steve Danuser and Jason Roberts, The Agency's Kevin O'Hara, new Warhammer Online screens, a look at World of Warcraft's Northrend, bloggers blasted, 911 for a taxi and so much more, today in Loading...