MMO/RPGs

Final Chance to Pre-order Obsidian’s Forthcoming Epic before March 26 Release

Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today announced that Pillars of Eternity, the fan-funded modern take on a classic role-playing game (RPG) set in an original world created by some of the best minds in RPG development, has reached “Gold Master” (GM) status, and is now ready for its release on March 26, 2015. Pillars of Eternity, originally called “Project Eternity” the 10th most funded Kickstarter ever and second most funded video game , has been in development for two and a half years, and is now ready to complete its journey, arriving on Windows, Mac, and Linux PC next week. The game will release globally via digital distribution, with backers receiving their digital copies as well.

Pillars of Eternity is an RPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, featuring an original world and unique game system, Pillars of Eternity ushers in a renaissance for a much beloved style of role playing game. Funded via Kickstarter in late 2012, raising over $4 million through both backer pledges on Kickstarter and PayPal. Pillars of Eternity has been a project of passion for both the development team and the loyal fans who made it possible.

Pillars of Eternity is scheduled to launch next week, on March 26, 2015, and the game can still be pre-ordered until that time. Pre-orders also include two special in-game items: a Giant Miniature Space Piglet companion who will accompany players through the world of Eora, and the Gaun’s Pledge ring, which provides powerful support to heroes in times of peril. Pillars of Eternity can be pre-ordered by visiting http://buy.pillarsofeternity.com.

For more information on Pillars of Eternity, visit the games official website.

Source: Gamer’s Hell

Wargaming offers the fourth installment from a series of developer diaries for World of Warships, a free-to-play naval action MMO based on epic sea battles of the 20th century that will complete the “World of” war trilogy. In this video, the team take you on a journey with some of the iconic U.S. 20th century vessels that clashed across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. You can check out the roles warships such as the USS Michigan and Montana played in ocean warfare and discover how our team brought these vessels to life in World of Warships.

More game info available via the official World of Warships website.

Wargaming is excited to announce that preparations are underway for the World of Warships Closed Beta, which will begin on March 12. Applications open for Europe at 11:00 CET, North America at 11:00 PST, and Asia at 17:00 SGT. During the test, players will dive into online naval battles, sharing their feedback with the development team to improve the experience.

Held in December 2014 and January 2015, the two World of Warships Beta Test Weekends attracted over 75,000 users. Boasting 15,000 concurrent players, there were an average of 60 battle sessions played by each tester in only four days.
In the upcoming Closed Beta, players will have access to five original maps, taking them on a journey through arctic oceans to tropical archipelagos. On their voyage, 50 U.S. and Japanese warships are available for players to challenge the seas and enemy ships.

Both nation’s cruisers are great, nimble vessels that have the upper hand against enemy destroyers, and even deal a significant blow to ships of the same class. Japanese battleships are fierce attacking ships, which, thanks to their thick armor, can also offer other vessels on their team excellent cover. Destroyers from both nations are perhaps the most maneuverable of ships, and are perfect for scouting, offering backup, and carrying out deadly torpedo strikes. The fourth and final class are aircraft carriers, initially represented by American warships. These types of ships are unmatched at attacking the enemy and providing reconnaissance—ideal for the more tactical player.

Crews (represented by warships commanders) play an integral role in gameplay. With each level, Commanders gain points that can be spent on a variety of skills divided into several ranks and categories. Players can choose to improve the Commander to best suit their play style from increasing a ship’s resistance to certain damage to decreased reloading times.

In addition to personnel training, Modernizations allow players to develop a ship’s combat capability. There are numerous Modernizations available, such as increasing a weapon’s durability or ship’s resilience to fire and flooding.
For those that enjoy working together as a team to conquer the seas, they can join forces with two other players in Divisions.

In the future, World of Warships will add Japanese aircraft carriers and U.S. battleships. Achievements for many accomplishments in battle as well as customization options will also be introduced to the game.

To learn more about World of Warships and become involved in the Closed Beta, visit:

• http://worldofwarships.com (North America)
• http://worldofwarships.eu (Europe)
• http://worldofwarships.asia (Asia)

ESL developers are preparing to integrate Wargaming.net’s latest technological development, Battle API (Application Programming Interface), into their online ESL Play platform. As the world’s largest esports company, this is set to significantly improve the esports experience for World of Tanks players from all around the globe. Since ESL and Wargaming.net partnered in 2011, ESL World of Tanks players have secured themselves well over one million dollars in prize money. Battle API integration represents just the latest step the two companies have taken towards paving the way to a higher standard of esports events and user experience worldwide.

ESL will be the first external company to integrate Battle API into their leagues and competitions. Once integrated players will also be able to earn themselves in-game credits and battle experience when taking part in both online and offline competition. This is due to the integrated Battle API negating the need for ‘Training Room’ use.

The Battle API will be built into the World of Tanks game itself and will communicate with the ESL Play platform to automise actions such as in game invites, score postings and bracket updates. This form of game integration also allows for a more meaningful post-match analysis with statistics such as the number of shells shot, shot accuracy and amount of damage dealt available for use just moments after a game is over.

For more information please visit www.eslgaming.com.

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that Update 1.47, titled “Big Guns”, for the award-winning MMO WWII online game War Thunder is now live. Now War Thunder’s eight million players worldwide have access to a slew of new and improved features, including map improvements, graphical enhancements and additional armored vehicles and aircraft. To see the full list of new improvements and features, check out the official patchnotes.

The name Big Guns signifies the arrival of the biggest vehicles from WWII to War Thunder: the formidable bomber B29 Superfortress, with a wingspan larger than some modern airliners, and the super-heavy tank, Pz.Kpfw.VIII Maus, which weighed an incredible 188 tons. Additionally, the USSR gets the early version of the legendary Il-2 Sturmovik, which has the most detailed armor modelling (30 individual components) on any plane in a flight sim to date and sets the new standard for future aircraft in War Thunder.

Overall, 14 new planes and tanks join the War Thunder arsenal. Plus, with Beta-testing for the American tank line-up now complete, all players can use more than 30 US WWII tanks in high intensity battles.

War Thunder ground battles become even more realistic with the addition of different terrains. Now tanks move faster over roads, but drift more and slow down when they hit mud or soil. Adding even more realism, the tanks actually slow down and start to chew up the earth, carving deep grooves in the tank’s path, and of course this off-road driving affects the vehicles’ appearance, leaving them covered in dirt and dust. Tank warfare becomes even more tactical now, as the straightest route isn’t necessarily the fastest one!

Update 1.47 also sees the implementation of in-game items, which players can obtain in a number of ways, including daily login bonuses, special gifts, winning battles and through the in-game store. Players can use them immediately or store them for future use. Examples include boosters for research points for individual players or for the whole team, discounts for particular vehicles, chances to get premium planes or tanks and much more. Wagers are special items that allow players to set some conditions (e.g. several victories in the row) and get a huge reward if they succeed.

Of course this is not the complete list of new features that Update 1.47 “Big Guns” yields, as there are binocular views and driver cameras for more realistic tank game modes, operable canopies for aircraft, night lights and contrails for planes and improved performance and graphics quality for low-end PCs. For more details and to see the complete list of new and improved features, please check the developers blog and patchnotes.

Check out the latest trailer here.

New German ground attack aircraft enter combat

Wargaming today announced that update 1.7 for its flight combat MMO World of Warplanes has been released in Europe and will be available to players from North America on February 19.

A new branch of German ground attack planes has been added to the mix, including the iconic Junkers Ju.87G Stuka and the Messerschmitt Me. 265 prototype.

Lower tiers of the new branch feature more classic ground attack planes, and middle tier planes are equipped with impressive major caliber weapons. For higher tiers there is a swift increase in speed, and players will find that they are excellent, all purpose vehicles.

Update 1.7 also introduces two new game locations, “Province” and “The Observatory”, both available for tiers 5–10. “Province” transports players to an Italian-themed warzone during spring. Here they can find snaking valleys of canyons and plateaus, littered with several towns and connecting bridges. “The Observatory” is a European-themed battleground. In this harsh winter environment, players can soar across mountain ranges to discover a wide canyon marks the center of the map.

For more information on World of Warplanes Update 1.7 and to register for a free account, visit the games official website.

The 12 biggest names in World of Tanks set to compete in totally revamped eSports tournament format

Wargaming is excited to announce that the Wargaming.net League 2015 Grand Finals will be taking place on April 25–26 at EXPO XXI in Warsaw, Poland. Organized with support from the city of Warsaw, the event will see the 12 finest World of Tanks teams clash in a series of high-octane battles to determine who deserves the title of the world champion.

“The biggest WGL eSports event is about to start its engine,” said Mohamed Fadl, eSports Director of Europe and North America at Wargaming. “The recent revamp of tournament rules changed the surface of WGL eSports. Soon, we’ll see the best of the best meet in the final face-off in what’s set to be a breathtaking and action-packed Grand Finals.”

“I’m delighted that Warsaw, for a second time in a row, will be hosting the best World of Tanks pro players,” said Michał Olszewski, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw. “It’s thanks to the excellent cooperation and the great atmosphere of last year’s event that organizers decided to choose the Polish capital once again for the Grand Finals. The previous tournament gathered masses of spectators and I hope that this year will be another resounding success.”

Ahead of last season’s regional qualifiers, the Wargaming.net League introduced a revamped tournament format, coming up with Attack/Defense mode. The new setup and rules were developed in cooperation with pro gamers to strengthen gameplay and streamline objectives in eSports matches for World of Tanks.

Whether playing in attack or in defense, teams now have to take a proactive role in order to win, enhancing the tournament’s entertainment value. Having no chance of a draw, players must seize the initiative in battle to ensure victory. The teams had one season to refine their tactics and master the new setup.

During its first year, the Wargaming.net League has attracted over 200,000 pro gamers and hosted over 1000 tournaments. Drawing on the enthusiasm of Wargaming, its players and fans, the upcoming Grand Finals are set to be an even larger spectacle than last year’s event.

The 2015 Grand Finals will be free to the public, with a variety of prizes and exclusive giveaways for the most passionate spectators.

Click here for more information on the Wargaming.net League 2015 Grand Finals.

The mobility and tactical flexibility of aircraft carriers bring a real strategic dimension to the battle

Wargaming is excited to share a new video featuring the aircraft carrier into the game.

With the introduction of the aircraft carrier class, bringing the total class of warships up to four, players also have the chance to take advantage of stealthy destroyers, stalwart cruisers and devastating battleships. Aircraft carriers offer a unique angle to combat, delivering RTS style gameplay and the ability to launch three types of warplane squadrons (fighters, dive bombers and torpedo bombers) against any opponent.

To learn more about World of Warships second Beta Weekend, Click Here.

Personalized campaign setup and unique in-game rewards available to all players

Wargaming today announced the all new personal mission system for the free-to-play online action game World of Tanks is now live worldwide. The intricate system gives tankers the opportunity to personalize their mission experience by selecting specific missions from a variety of different campaigns and offers unique rewards upon completion.

Each campaign in the new setup is composed of a collection of missions for players to choose from. Players are not restricted to one single campaign, and they may opt to complete missions from different campaigns without playing them in succession.

After completing a chain of missions in a campaign, tankers will be awarded unique prizes specific to each mission. These new rewards include credits, Free Experience points, and high tier vehicles, the StuG IV (Tier 5), T28 heavy tank concept (Tier 7), Т-55 NVA DDR (Tier 9), and Object 260 (Tier 10), all with 100% tank crew, as well as the Sisterhood of Steel perk and female crew members.

Click Here for more information about World of Tanks.

Gaijin Entertainment has released the full original War Thunder soundtrack to fans. Split into two albums – Air Forces and Ground Forces – the soundtrack contains 50 inspiring orchestral tracks as featured in the epic, breath-taking battles in War Thunder.

The soundtrack was created in collaboration with Strategic Music studio to produce an exquisite live-performed orchestral score, and can now be purchased from iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. For more information, visit: http://warthunder.com/en/soundtrack

Over eight million players already know the enjoyment of laying opponents to waste, leaving only burned out hulls in their wake in War Thunder. This cross-platform MMO game is currently in Open Beta for PC, Linux and Mac OS, available for PlayStation®4 and OnLive®, Oculus Rift and is in development for other unannounced platforms. Players have access to over 450 historically accurate WWII planes and armored vehicles. For more information, please visit http://www.warthunder.com