Welcome to the 1,230th edition of Loading...

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

As we move headlong into the holiday season many gamers may be
dreaming of sugarplum fairies or at the very least scampering around in
their virtual world of choice to check out the newest seasonal
events.  Some of us, however, are secretly scheming our way to
sci-fi bliss in the New Year. With three massive titles set to ship
within a week of one another, for the first time in a long time genre
fans may be facing some tough decisions as to which game to aim their
organic optical receptors at first. We’ll take a closer look at the
latest info on these three sci-fi beasts – Mass Effect 2, href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/926">Global
Agenda

and Star
Trek Online
– today in Loading… Sci-Fi Trifecta.


Become a Premium
Member for LIFE
for $49.95! ($29.95 for existing members.
Regular
price - $99.95). Get beta keys,
exclusive content, contest advantages and href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/membership">much more.
For life.
Offer expires January 3, 2010, so act now.

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/" target="_blank">What
is The Pulse?).

Here are today's top 5 Pulse results:

  1. World
    of Warcraft
  2. Star
    Trek Online
    (Up 9 to #2)
  3. Dungeons and
    Dragons Online
  4. EverQuest 2
  5. Lord of the
    Rings Online

Biggest movers today:

  1. Star
    Trek Online
    (UP 9 to #2)
  2. Global
    Agenda
    (Up 3 to #12)
  3. EVE
    Online

    (down 2
    to #15)
Recent Releases
Upcoming
Releases

  • 2/1
    - Global
    Agenda

    (release date)
  • 2/2
    - Star Trek Online
    (release date)
  • 2/16
    - href="http://everquest2.station.sony.com/expansions/sentinelsfate/index.vm">EverQuest
    2: Sentinel's Fate (expansion)
  • March 2010
    - APB

Loading... Daily

If you haven’t guessed by now I’m a pretty massive fan of the sci-fi
genre, though that can mostly be attributed to the cleverly crafted
ramblings of the late, great Philip K. Dick. While novels such as the
VALIS trilogy or The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich
have sated my
sci-fi cravings much more so than anything the wacky world of gaming has
had to offer over the years, all of that could very well be about
to change soon after we hop across the New Years fence.

The buzz surrounding upcoming Star Trek Online is beginning
to build up
steam as we’re now just under a month away from the open beta which
kicks off on January 12, 2010. Speaking of Steam, the digital
distribution giant is just one of the 17 retailers listed as preorder
partners according to the href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/78170">Pre-Order Bonus FAQ
that went up on the
official site yesterday. As forum member kitsunegirl put it,
“Cryptic
wins the internet… again!” which seems to mirror the thoughts of many
fans excited by the news that the bonus items bundled with various
preorders will indeed stack. So fear not captains – you can snag
yourself an awesome Starfleet Constitution Class Ship and add a Borg
bridge officer to your crew come launch day should you so desire.

Ten Ton Hammer has also whipped up an excellent href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/78146">Star Trek Online
FAQ of
our very own which compiles all the nitty gritty details known about
the game thus far. If you’re curious to discover more about crafting,
combat or class info then be sure to check it out. It sounds as though
Cryptic is taking an interesting new approach to crafting in particular
in that you will not only be able to create useful items for both space
and ground combat, but then your bridge officers will be able to be
trained up with specific skill sets and then traded to other players.
For more details on how it all works, our most recent href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/77956">exclusive
interview with Cryptic’s Al Rivera has all the info.

Global Agenda also gained a href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/78082">release date earlier
this week, coming to a
PC near you just one day prior to the launch of Star Trek Online,
or on
February 1, 2010. It’s been quite some time since I’ve had two MMOG
titles that I’m not only equally looking forward to playing, but seeing
a release in such a short window of time to boot. If you’re frantically
searching for the perfect gift for the gamer in your life, Global
Agenda
also has numerous preorder offers available, so be sure to
check
out their official
site
for more details.

Last but certainly not least (although in terms of release date this
one leads the pack) is the eminent release of Mass Effect 2,
the sequel
to one of the most memorable RPG experiences in recent history
regardless of genre. Set to ship on January 26, 2010, ME2 looks to be
an even more epic experience than the original, but don’t take my word
for it. Instead, be sure to check out a pair of Mass Effect 2
exclusives hot off the presses and found only at Ten Ton Hammer. First
up, Ethec provides his hands-on
impressions
of the game from his recent
visit to BioWare’s Edmonton studio, and then we’ve also got an
excellent video
Q&A
with Mass Effect Project Director Casey Hudson
which you won’t want to miss.

How crazy is it that we’ll be seeing three awesome sci-fi titles
released in such a short period of time? Have any or all of their
preorders wiggled their way onto your holiday wish list? Share your
thoughts right here in the Loading… forums!


Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day




From our STO News & Articles Discussion



style="font-weight: normal;">Avatar Review {The only question is: How
will Cameron ever top this?}




There's
been some movie buzz around Jame's Cameron's Avatar for a while now,
which hits theaters tomorrow, and our community isn't exempt.
Personally, I'll wait to see the movie until I've heard some first-hand
reports from real people (not reviewers) saying it's a must-see. Until
Avatar releases, you can talk about it in our forum. And if you're
going to opening night, or an early screening, come href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=48407">share
your own review.



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

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread




"I have read a couple reviews
(Roger Ebert being one of them) that have said it does follow a
"standard" story a la Dances with Wolves but is visually amazing. If
anything the harshest criticism is that the previews continue to show a
lot of the movie (and I really hate that) - though probably not as bad
as Sherlock Holmes. I do want to see it but it will probably be
Christmas weekend before I am able to do so
"



- Miralyn

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



Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=32559">Tell
us!

7 new Ten Ton Hammer MMOG
features today! 81 in December! 2,262 in
2009!

Exclusive
Features and
Guides

  • Mass Effect 2
    Hands-On Preview


    Mass Effect 2 isn't just a sequel to the award-winning 2007 Role
    Playing Game (RPG) from the talented minds at BioWare, it's a
    continuation in every sense of the word. Recently Ten Ton Hammer had a
    chance to play Mass Effect 2 at BioWare's studio in Edmonton, Alberta,
    and learn about the game from three Mass Effect originals: Product
    Director Casey Hudson, Lead Designer Preston Watamaniuk, and Mass
    Effect writer Mac Walters.


  • Playing it
    Forward: A Mass Effect 2 Video Q&A with BioWare's Casey
    Hudson


    Mass Effect 2, the second release in a trilogy that is poised to become
    the most sweeping RPG epic of our time, also may become the most
    personalized gaming experience in the history of games as well. How the
    process of continuing the story of your characters from the original
    game works, plus the PC vs. the X360 version of the game, fun extras
    and customization options, and much more in this video Q&A with
    Mass Effect Project Director Casey Hudson.


  • Ten Ton Hammer's
    Star Trek Online FAQ


    We've recapped the the highlights of information from the many
    interviews and articles posted about Star Trek Online. Read the latest
    FAQ as we share insight, facts and offer a few of our own
    interpretations. Did you know you'll be able to create your own race?

  • WoW:
    Guide Portal Relaunch


    We're relaunching our guides portal with many improvements to help you
    find the guide you need so you can get back to what really matters,
    playing the game.

  • Clandestine Moon
    Mining in EVE Online (Part Two)


    Moon mining has always been jealously guarded by endgame
    mega-alliances. No longer! Ten Ton Hammer Contributing Writer, Space
    Junkie, shows us how to find neglected moons in the second of two
    articles dealing with moon mining on the sly.

  • href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/rom/guides/classes/dualclass_knight_guide">Runes
    of Magic
    : The Knight - Dual Class Guide

    The dual class system in Runes of Magic is just one of many ways that
    the game sets itself apart from the churning seas of generic
    free-to-play MMOGs. Join our resident Runes of Magic expert, ZeroMerc,
    as he explores the dual class options for the Knight.

  • href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion/guides/world/eltnen-morheimrifts">Aion
    Eltnen and Morheim Rift Locations

    Rifts are an Aion player's link to the opposing faction outside of the
    Abyss and a great opportunity to engage in PvP as well as our only
    means to complete some very rewarding spy quests. To help you find
    these rifts (or perhaps avoid them) we've compiled quick reference maps
    for both Eltnen and Morheim that include both the exit and entrance
    points.

Today's Hottest Content

  1. Mass Effect 2
    Hands-On Preview
  2. Playing it
    Forward: A Mass Effect 2 Video Q&A with BioWare's Casey
    Hudson
  3. Ten Ton Hammer's
    Star Trek Online FAQ
  4. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/sesonal/winterveil">WoW:
    The Feast of Winter Veil Guide
  5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/general/dungeonfinder">WoW:
    Dungeon Finder
    Guide
  6. MMOG
    Wishes - The Devs'
    Letters
    to Santa
  7. EVE
    Clandestine Moon
    Mining (Part
    One)
  8. WoW
    Guide to the Halls of Reflection
  9. Building
    Starships - A Crafting in Star Trek Online
    Q&A
    with Al Rivera
  10. WoW:
    Icecrown
    Citadel 5-man Attunement Quest Line Walkthrough

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 Star Trek Online Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Reuben "Sardu" Waters has been writing professionally about the MMOG industry for eight years, and is the current Editor-in-Chief and Director of Development for Ten Ton Hammer.

Comments