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I just want to know if we'll see the insidious death devices with long timers that the hero invariably escapes from!
PvP zones in City of Villains, the stand-alone sequel to the comic bookish City of Heroes, will be handled in much the same way as in Dark Age of Camelot; you must be of a certain level to enter one of the 3 PvP zones. This and more goodies from "Zeb" Cook, producer of this very much anticipated year-ender.

"Q: What will prohibit an upper-level hero from going into one of these zones and just beating up on the lower-level villains? 
Zeb: 'We were very worried about that. One of the things we do is in all of the zones, they each have a bottom level, first off, so you can’t enter the zone until you are a certain level. So you will have at least a certain base-level in powers. And then what we do, once people are in the level, and it’s partially to deal with the high level versus the low level but it is also to deal with the broad range of characters versus the mobs that are in there, is that we sidekick and exemplar people all to the same level.

So if you go into Siren’s Call, you are going to be level 30, you are going to be functioning as a level 30 character. If you are below level 30, you will be brought up to that level; you are obviously not going to have all the powers. There are still going to be obvious advantages for the higher-level guy, but it’s going to be a much more even thing. And the other thing people really have to understand about PvP, and in a game like City of Heroes and City of Villains, is you want to find yourself a good team to go with.'"

What else will we see in City of Villains? It's time to click!

"Sales numbers and words do not a strong MMO make, mmmhmm."
Star Wars Galaxies producer Julio Torres talks with Gamecloud about the current status of SWG and the coming expansion. Do a million units sold equal a large and strong playerbase, as Torres proports? Hmm, I still have a copy somewhere I think, and I'm large and relatively strong I suppose.

" Gamecloud - First, what can you tell us about the current status of Star Wars Galaxies in terms of player population?



Julio Torres - Well, you may have heard that Star Wars Galaxies recently passed the 1 million units-sold mark, which is a testament to our large and very strong player base. We are very proud of this milestone and feel that it really drives home the message that Star Wars Galaxies continues to grow, both in number of players and content."

I can't fault Gamecloud for letting that one go and moving to the next question, it's hard to do decent investigative interviewing over email. If you get too harsh, the answers don't come back! Anyway, see the rest of the Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan interview with Julio Torres here!

IGN Reviews WoW "RP-PvP" Ruleset Servers
Consider it a "no tresspassing" sign for brats, morons, and their ilk.
IGN takes a look at what makes a WoW roleplaying server a nice alternative to the gank-a-rific flame-fest that gave WoW PvP servers a skanky reputation. Arnold Schwarzenegger, after being terminated one too many times in Molten Core (and using his gubernatorial powers to have the perpetrators summarily executed), recently made the big switch. He quoted this excerpt from the article in a press conference:

"When it comes down to it, "RP" is more of a special tag that keeps out the jokers, letting those who play well with others do their thing without much hassle. In general, it seems to be a more mature crowd full of people who genuinely enjoy the game and enjoy socializing within it. I've been playing the game since closed beta in April last year (with a few gaps, mind you), and I've experienced my share of hair-pulling aggravation that only a dedicated asstard can generate, so it's nice to come across what looks like a fresh change of pace."

View the "review" on RP / PvP play in World of Warcraft at IGN.com.
Other links you might enjoy:

• TTH's WoW community site
• Past WoW news stories
• Links to some funny WoW comics - These ones aren't from the mainstream guys, so you may not have seen them.

Unhand me you brute!
NCSoft has posted a walkthrough of the "Brute" that will appear in their upcoming title, City of Villains. Andre The Giant, known for his brute force tactics did not have this to say:

"Despite the potentially dangerous side effects, Karl spent weeks
developing a specific formula to fulfill his totemic destiny.  Finally perfecting the formula, Karl retreated to his uncle’s mansion and injected the specially prepared wolf serum into his own arm.  Expecting an epiphany of joy at being reunited with the animal he believed he shared a blood pact with, Karl was horrified by the rage and anger that swept through him.  Every ounce of inner anger, insecurity, and self-hatred was funneled through the inhuman cravings that swept his trembling body.  Feeling himself filling with strength yet overwhelmed by intense pain and unnatural, violent urges, he collapsed onto the floor. " 

You can read the entire Brute Walkthrough for City of Villains at the Official Site.
Related Links:

• Other City of Villains News
• Official Andre The Giant Site