Patch notes for Quantum Rise, released 11 November 2008
These patch notes may be added to in the future, this document is to provide patch notes while EVE Online: Quantum Rise is being deployed. For the most recent patch notes,
US, November 11, 2008 - War, as Fallout 3 so famously puts it, never changes. While the weapons and tactics may differ, it's still about chaos and fear and the overwhelming of the senses as adrenaline surges through your veins. That's a hard experience to capture on a screen, but the Call of Duty series comes close thanks to its constant redefinition of what "11" is in terms of intensity for first-person shooters. Last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare delivered an awesome and varied single-player experience that was matched with an even better multiplayer suite, and it made for some really big shoes for Call of Duty: World at War to fill.
If you've been living in Antarctica the past year and haven't heard, then yes, World at War returns back to the series' World War II roots. This has caused no end of grumbling from fans of Modern Warfare's contemporary setting, as well as the fact that this installment was done by Treyarch, a sister-studio to Call of Duty-creator Infinity Ward. Treyarch did the somewhat-maligned Call of Duty 3, but the studio looks to atone for that by delivering a game with an impressive amount of content. There's a solid single-player campaign, co-op play, a huge multiplayer suite, and even a fun, silly mode featuring zombies.
It certainly helps that World at War focuses on the less popularized theaters of World War II. Instead of serving up Normandy and D-Day for what would have been the umpteenth time for World War II shooters, the game covers the island hopping campaign in the Pacific as well as the Red Army's reversal of the tide at Stalingrad all the way to the Fall of Berlin. This provides some interesting new battlefields set on sun-bleached coral atolls in the Pacific. You will see some more familiar spots with the bombed-out cities and farmlands ofthe Eastern Front missions, but it's still well done.
War tends to be a savage affair, but the Pacific and the Eastern Front were especially so. In the game, Japanese soldiers swarm out of the brush, erupting out of spider holes to charge straight at you in an attempt to run you through with their bayonets. They'll play dead and wait for you to walk into the middle of a trap. Though set outdoors, it feels like close-quarters combat much of the time. Meanwhile, the Russian Front is full of merciless moments; there's plenty of gunning down of wounded and unarmed soldiers by both sides, and sometimes you're asked to pull the trigger yourself.
This remains a Call of Duty game through and through. What that means is that the action is fast and fluid, as well as rigidly scripted. The success of the franchise proves that there's a vast audience for that, and this won't change anyone's mind. Enemy soldiers and your computer-controlled teammates respawn endlessly until you advance far enough to hit the triggers to make them stop reappearing. Then you advance to the next firefight and repeat the process over again. The thing is, you're far too busy shooting and ducking and dying to really notice much of the time. The sense of immersion is pretty complete.
There are plenty of deafening, large-scale set-piece battles, but there's also variation to change things up. Case in point is the PBY mission, where you man the guns on a Navy aircraft. At first glance, this seems to be a mirror to the Spectre Gunship mission in Modern Warfare; in both missions you rain fire down from above. But the Spectre Gunship mission has a cold detachment to it; those tiny blips on the screen that are human beings die from a foe that they cannot see and fight back against. In World at War's PBY mission, you're in the midst of a raging air and sea battle, taking damage and fighting for your life. Or there's a sniper mission to whack a German general that doesn't quite have the cat-and-mouse feeling of Modern Warfare's sniper level.
The campaign does suffer a bit due to its broad scope; the narrative skips over months at a time, showcasing the major battles of the war. The result is that the sense of story doesn't seem as strong as it did in Modern Warfare. It probably doesn't help that we all know how the war eventually turned out; Modern Warfare had the advantage of a fictionalized story with plenty of shocking twists and turns.
All told, the single-player campaign is about as short as that in Modern Warfare, but it doesn't drag on. Plus, there's considerably more replayability here because the bulk of the campaign is playable in cooperative mode with up to three other players. I say the bulk because a handful of missions are missing, notably the sniper mission and the PBY mission; the former wouldn't make sense with four snipers, while the latter doesn't have enough room in the narrow PBY for more than one player to scamper about. Not only is the campaign in co-op, but there's also a Death Card system reminiscent of Halo 3's skull system. Scattered throughout the campaign are death cards that you can find. Each one unlocks a different capability, like Sticks & Stones, which only gives you a knife and dud grenades. Sure, it might seem strange, but it lets you have fun if you want to challenge yourself.
Multiplayer is definitely an area where World at War shines. Modern Warfare had arguably one of the greatest multiplayer suites in recent history, and World at War builds on it. There remains the create-a-class and rank system that lets you unlock perks, weapons, and upgrades that you can then mix-and-match to create different load outs. Many of Modern Warfare's perks are here, adjusted for the earlier age. For instance, what used to be the UAV Jammer is now Camouflage to keep you from being spotted by any spotting planes the enemy calls in.
There are also about a dozen new perks, about half of which are associated with vehicles for the four huge vehicle-enabled maps. And while tanks can deal out a lot of punishment, they're also very vulnerable to infantry antitank weapons and other tanks. Driving around in a tank is cool, but you'll realize just how slow World War II-era tanks are. Just like in real-life, you need to coordinate infantry and armor together for maximum effectiveness, and it's nice that the PC version has built-in voice chat. Fans of Modern Warfare on the PC had to set up third-party voice systems out of game to talk to one another.
The reward mechanic in World at War is also similar, but it does have a nice twist. Three kills in a row gets you a spotting plane rather than a UAV, five kills gives you an artillery strike instead of an air strike, and seven kills without dying lets you call in my favorite new feature: dogs. Yes, you unleash the hounds of war, a pack of killer dogs that will make a beeline to the enemy (helpful in spotting where they're hiding) as well as tear their throats out if they can. The dogs are difficult to take down, because they'll swarm you, and if you're busy shooting at the dogs you're often not paying attention to the fact that an opponent is lining you up in his sights.
All the popular modes from Modern Warfare return, like Headquarters (each team battles to seize a point on the map; the team that does doesn't gets to respawn if they die), search and destroy, team deathmatch and the like. There are also two new modes, war and capture-the-flag. The former is similar to Battlefield's conquest mode; there are five points on the map that must be seized. The kicker is that only one point is under contention at a time, so it focuses the action. (And, yes, Call of Duty 3 fans will recognize that it had war mode as well.)
And then there's the icing on the cake, a silly-yet-fun bonus co-op mode called Nacht der Untoten, or Night of the Undead. It's also referred to as Nazi Zombies, and it's a last stand against waves of oncoming zombies. You and up to three others are holed up inside a bunker; the zombies try to break down the barricades at the doors and windows and you have to kill them. Each wave becomes harder by throwing more zombies at you or making the zombies faster or both. You gain points for killing the zombies and for rebuilding the barricades, and these points can be used to purchase weapons, ammo, and access to other parts of the bunker. There's even a mystery box that can serve up a ray gun straight out of 1940s pulp fiction. Still, eventually the zombies will kill you, and the goal is to survive as long as possible to compare your performance on the leaderboard.
Given that it uses the Modern Warfare engine, World at War looks every bit as good on both the PC and the Xbox 360. I've always been impressed with the level of detail on everything; walk up to a fellow soldier and you can see the seams in their clothing. The most memorable visual in the game for me has to be the arterial blood spray that happens when a human body gets torn apart by explosions and gunfire. The dark red of the blood is in stark contrast to the dust and smoke in the air. And the frame rate is Call of Duty-smooth
Activision tapped Hollywood's top talent for the voice acting. Kiefer Sutherland does his part for the Marines, while Gary Oldman is the main voice for the Russians. Sutherland's voice is so distinct that it's easy to imagine him in the recording booth, bellowing his lines into the microphone (that must have been some recording session). Oldman, who has made a career out of being an utter chameleon, is almost unrecognizable in his role, and he delivers a convincing Russian accent. The rest of the sound effects are as authentic as we've come to expect; when you hear the metallic thunk of various machine guns you know that the sound guys spent a lot of time shooting and recording those World War II guns in a desert somewhere. Yet it's the mixing of all these elements that makes a Call of Duty game; there's so much audio erupting all over the place, from gunfire, explosions, guys yelling out commands or warnings, the whistle of artillery above, to the rumbling of vehicles nearby. It all combines to create a rich soundscape comparable to those in movies.
Closing Comments
It's easy to be jaded about World War II shooters, but Treyarch makes a convincing argument to stay excited with World at War. The game is packed with a deep amount of gameplay to appeal to every type of player, from those who want to experience a gritty single-player campaign to those who like to play with their friends to those who just like to play multiplayer. This is a solid, confident shooter with plenty to offer the casual and hardcore alike.
Activision and Treyarch have announced that "Call of Duty: World at War" has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available.
"Available now, Call of Duty: World at War takes players to a grittier WWII than ever before — from facing down Imperial Japanese Banzai charges and guerilla tactics in the Pacific — to exacting ruthless revenge as you beat back the enemy all the way to the steps of Berlin one bloody inch at a time. In addition to introducing franchise-first four-person cooperative gameplay, Call of Duty: World at War serves up a host of new enemies/tactics and a cache of weapons, like the flamethrower. The highly-anticipated title also delivers deep multiplayer action that features squad and vehicular combat, as well as a lush audio landscape set in 5.1 surround sound, accompanying cinematically-intense, high-definition graphics.
"Our goal from Day 1 has been to make sure that Call of Duty: World at War re-defines players’ expectations of World War II first-person action," said Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia. "From cooperative gameplay to a multiplayer that combines vehicle and squad combat, along with a host of new weapons, settings and enemies, we’ve left no stone unturned to make this the best experience possible."
For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the "No One Fights Alone" mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. The title also incorporates traditional multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats into the co-op campaign for deeper re-playability and advanced gameplay.
Following the U.S. Marines in the Pacific campaign, Call of Duty: World at War shows a side of World War II never seen previously in the series. Players will experience swamps, beach invasions and tropical undergrowth as they go head to head with one of the most brutal enemies of the war. The European campaign will feature uncompromising and vicious battles as the Red Army pushes into the heart of Berlin.
Multiplayer delivers squad-based interaction while expanding on the Party System feature with party privacy and match-making preferences. Combined infantry and vehicle missions add a new dimension to the online warfare. Players unlock a dozen new Perks while participating in epic battles ranging from massive wide open fields in the European theatre to the intimate courtyards of a Japanese castle.
Call of Duty: World at War is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore and is available now on Xbox 360(TM) and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $59.99 and the Windows® PC and the Nintendo® Wii(TM) for a suggested retail price of $49.99. Call of Duty: World at War is also available for the Nintendo DS(TM), developed by n-Space, the title is rated "T" (Teen) for Blood and Violence, with a suggested retail price of $29.99.
For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit http://www.callofduty.com."
Activision announces new shooter title
Tuesday 14th October 2008 - 17:00
Secret Service set to arrive before Xmas, FIFA 09 retains top spot and White Knight Chronicles PS3 screens
Never let it be said that Activision likes to let the grass grow beneath its feet. The US publisher, probably most famed for the Call of Duty and Tony Hawks games, has quietly announced that a brand new first person shooter is all set to launch on the Xbox 360,PS2 and PC in time for Xmas; with what is hoped, a budget price tag!
Secret Service takes place on Inauguration Day in Washington D.C. An extremist assault has been launched against the capitol - security has been compromised and it is unclear who is friend or foe. The action takes place among famous landmarks and everywhere in between, including both Marine One and Air Force One.
With Call of Duty just on the horizon we can't help but wonder why Activision hasn't made a bigger deal about it having another new shooter franchise under its ammo belt. In addition, we've also learnt that the new game is scheduled to receive a budget price rating in the US - with the Xbox 360 version selling for a paltry $39.99! Could this be the start of a new budget range featuring first-time games, not re-runs of classics? Let's hope so!
Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Collector's Edition @ EB Games
* Limited Edition collector's tin
o Five exclusive multiplayer/skirmish maps
o Bonus DVD featuring the following:
o Full-length Raising the Iron Curtain making-of movie with exclusive interviews from the star-studded cast
o Concept art montage video "From Pens to Pixels"
o Bloopers and outtakes from the cinematics sessions
o Women of Red Alert 3 montage video
o An inside look into the future of Command & Conquer and Red Alert
o Tips on how to unlock the secrets of each side, directly from the developers
o Complete video walk-thru on one of the game's most difficult missions
* Game Soundtrack including exclusive remixes of Hell March and Hell March 2 by From First to Last, plus the all-new Hell March 3
* Women of Red Alert 3 Poster
* Exclusive Beta Key to a future Command & Conquer game;
* An exclusive in-game item for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning - Korssar’s Helm Description: This magical Kislevite helm is imbued with the spirit of the wild North and will magically transform the wearer into a ferocious bear.
Bonus Offer
Reserve Red Alert 3 and receive the following items:
* Free copy of Red Alert 2
* GameStop Exclusive multiplayer/skirmish map with in-game Gamestop
* Red Alert 3 Bonus DVD
In addition, you will receive an exclusive in-game item for Warhammer
Online Customers – Bonus items will ship with your game.
In-Store Pickup Customers – Bonus items available at designated store. While supplies last.
Store Customers – Bonus items available at time of reservation.
To read more please click on the "Read More Option"!!!! Good Stuff!
Posted by Admin on Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:57 pm (Read More... | 4702 bytes more | comments? | Score: 0)
Call Of Duty: World At War Limited Collector's Edition!
The Xbox 360 and PC Limited Collector's Editions include the following:
Day 1 Edge: Dominate your rivals online and rank up faster with your instantly available FG 42 Machine Gun. The FG 42 is a high-level (45+) machine gun which you can have from day-one. Saw through your opponents from 50 yards with this fast firing machine gun.
Double Experience: Take advantage of a week of double experience in multiplayer to accelerate your advancement. (Limited time offer. Exact date for week of double experience will be announced on CallOfDuty.com, register online to receive confirmation of date and time and other key information.)
Colored Clan Tag: Identify your VIP-status in multiplayer with a uniquely colored clan tag.
Stainless Steel Canteen: Authentic 8-ounce brushed stainless steel Call of Duty branded canteen.
Metal Storage Tin: Featuring Call of Duty inspired artwork, this collectable metal storage tin provides enough space to store multiple games and their cases.
Patch notes for Empyrean Age 1.1.2, released 02 October 2008
Fixes
World Shaping
The autopilot avoidance system has been updated. Jita has been removed from being a preset default value in the avoidance system. A side effect of this is that any entries that you have added to the avoidance system will also be removed. We have done this as there was an unexpected side effect where any solar system that has been set to be avoided would show as being 2 billion jumps away. We are working on a full fix for this at present. This means that any solar system added to the avoidance system will display in your market as being 2 billion jumps away.
The autopilot was ignoring certain links between systems. The map cache has been corrected so the autopilot will correctly plot a course to your destination.
User Interface
Outposts and Conquerable Stations were not displaying in the right click menu. We have identified the cause of this and fixed the issue.
Posted by Admin on Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:24 pm (comments? | Score: 0)
Patch notes for Empyrean Age 1.1.1, released 30 September 2008
CRITICAL
A new autopilot feature has been added: Avoid System. This will allow you to set systems, constellations or even entire regions to be ignored by your autopilot. By default, all autopilots will avoid Jita unless you configure it otherwise.
Dynamic System Cap: We have implemented a system that allows us to set a maximum number of players that are allowed into a given solar system. At this time only Jita has this cap set. The cap can be changed during runtime and we will be adjusting it in the coming days as we make software improvements and add more hardware to Jita.
An Auto-Move feature has been added to the login process. If you are trying to log into a system that currently has more people in it than the dynamic cap (see above), you will be given the option of moving yourself to a neighbouring system.
FEATURES
World Shaping
3 new jumps have been added around Jita:
Muvolailen - Maurasi
Maurasi - Perimeter
Veisto - Sarekuwa
CHANGES
Science & Industry
Added a show all check box to the reprocessing dialog. This will allow the toggling of showing all items in your hanger in the reprocessing window or just those you selected.
User Interface
The services button has been hidden on the Neocom. It will show up once a service is configured via right clicking on the Neocom.
FIXES
Corporation & Alliance
Corrected some exceptions being caused by the sanctionable actions list. Neither the error or the fix cause a visible problem. Additionally, the code has been optimized for better performance.
Graphics Premium
The Stabber Fleet Issue model was not cloaking correctly or was simply not displaying. The model has been fixed and now displays correctly.
User Interface
The decorations tab was not being displayed on the show info of a militia member. This has been corrected.
Having multiple windows set to be in the top right hand corner of the screen could prevent a character from logging in. This has been corrected.
The star map popup button (for switching between system, solarsystem and starmap) will now relocate surrounding windows correctly.
In certain solar systems, the list of asteroid belts was not being sorted correctly. This problem has now be resolved.
Fixed an error where closing the scanner window or changing tabs during a scan would cause no results to be displayed.
EVE Voice, Mail & Chat
Reinstating missing right click options in the chat system, such as the "Copy URL" option
Modifying the default location of the ships and items tabs and the chat channels. In the default position they would overlap somewhat.
In a channel you are a member of and is part of a stack has its password changed, it would prevent chat channels loading correctly. This has now been fixed.
Localization
Added a missing translation when a CEO is trying to enlist himself in Factional Warfare in the German client.
Corrected some Italian translations in the tutorial.
Miscellaneous
"Containerlog.xml.aspx" is now returning the correct data. This fix relates to the container log previously returning a general error.
Posted by Admin on Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:23 pm (comments? | Score: 0)
PlayStation Universe is proud to present the complete list of unlockable Perks for the upcoming Treyarch title, Call of Duty: World at War. Many of the perks from Modern Warfare are making a return, though there are quite a few new additions to the list. Take a look for yourself at the complete list below.
- Stopping Power
- Fireworks (explosives cause more damage)
- Flak Jacket (decreases damage taken by explosives)
- Gas Mask
- Juggernaut
- Camouflage
- Sleight of Hand
- Shades (decreases intensity of signal flares)
- Double Tap
- Overkill
Perk 3:
- Deep Impact
- Extreme Conditioning
- Steady Aim
- Toss Back (resets fuse on tossing back enemy grenade)
- Second Chance (ability to revive allies)
- Martyrdom
- Fireproof
- Dead Silence
- Iron Lungs
- Reconnaissance (shows artillery and tanks on map)
Vehicle Perk:
- Water Cooler
- Greased Bearings
- Ordnance Training
- Leadfoot
- Coaxial Machine Gun
Posted by Admin on Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:21 pm (comments? | Score: 0)
Call of Duty 4 Technology – Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes a bedrock of technology that delivers jaw-dropping visuals, while empowering players to employ elements like fire to affect the dynamics of the battlefield. Players that attempt to harness the power of new weapons, like the flamethrower, will find themselves capable of burning away environmental elements that give cover to a camouflaged enemy, leaving a charred battlefield – and their foes – in their wake
Coordinated Assault and Support – For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the No One Fights Alone mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. The title also incorporates traditional multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats into the co-op campaign for deeper re-playability and advanced gameplay
New Theaters of Operation – Players fight as U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers facing enemies – some new to the Call of Duty franchise – that employ lethal new tactics and know no fear, no mercy, nor the rules of war. Epic conflicts are fought on multiple fronts, playing through the climactic battles of WWII in the grittiest, most chaotic and cinematically intense experience to date
Innovative Multiplayer – Multiplayer builds from the success of Call of Duty delivering a persistent online experience for more squad based interaction. New development with party systems allows an intimacy with squad based combat never before seen in Call of Duty. Combined infantry and vehicle missions add a new dimension to the online warfare and offers more PERK abilities
Cinematic Quality Graphics and Sound – Treyarch's award-winning sound department returns with effects that add to the already immersive cinematic intensity of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine
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