The ordocast: Episode 5: Transmission from behind the line

[Esva]

 

 

 

 

 

 

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxBU1CgW6b8

 

 

 

 

- The Ordocast is HIRING! --

 

 

As the Ordocast progresses I'm now on the look out for two quirky & fun idividuals to join me on the weekly show. If you're interested in doing something a little new for Ordo then please send me a Private Message with the headline of "Ordocast Presenter" with your name and availability.

 

The lucky two will be announced on July 24th in Episode 6 - "The Imperators Locker"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Awards] (Covering recent, old and missed)

• DeathlyAnubis - [Warlord]³⁰ *cited for domination and leadership in planetary conquest. [TOR]
• Faardor - [Warlord]³⁰ *cited for domination and leadership in planetary conquest. [TOR]
• Hoedown - [Medicus]⁵ *cited for shown proficiency and dedication to the support role. [WS]
• Odin047 - [Corona Vallaris]³⁰ *cited for excellence in planetary conquest contribution. [TOR]
• Odin047 - [imperial Historian]²⁰ *cited for documentation & storage of records & archives. [GEN]
• qoheleth - [imperial Historian]²⁰ *cited for documentation & storage of records & archives. [WS]
• Ramses - [Corona Vallaris]³⁰ *cited for excellence in planetary conquest contribution. [TOR]
• SMilmore - [Corona Vallaris]³⁰ *cited for excellence in planetary conquest contribution. [TOR]
• Thectelo - [Guardian of the Watch]²⁵ *cited for sizable contribution in galactic conquest goals. [TOR]

 

AP

 

 

• Akkadian - 3^AP[WS]
• Aldotsk - 3^AP[GEN]
• Angelin01 - 3^AP[PS2]
• Banh - 27^AP[WS]
• Blue Rose - 24^AP[WS]
• Burnout - 30^AP[WS]
• ByteMy - 9^AP[WS]
• CaptainFishSticks - 3^AP[PS2]
• Cerqua - 6^AP[WS]
• Cheeks - 24^AP[WS]
• Culex - 33^AP[WS]
• Deadmon - 3^AP[WS]
• DeathlyAnubis - 45^AP[TOR]
• DeumDeorum - 64^AP[TOR]
• Epic - 27^AP[WS]
• Erro - 3^AP[PS2]
• Esme - 15^AP[WS]
• Faardor - 40^AP[TOR]
• Gun Zim - 21^AP[WS]
• Healing Chu - 15^AP[WS]
• Hellfighter - 21^AP[WS]
• Hesruk - 62^AP[TOR]
• Hoedown - 39^AP[WS]
• hulkman - 85^AP[TOR]
• Jai - 18^AP[WS]
• Jamie - 12^AP[WS]
• Junah - 15^AP[WS]
• Jundani - 10^AP[TOR]
• Kavia - 97^AP[TOR]
• Stephen Green Vo - 43^AP[WS]
• KuntaKinte - 9^AP[WS]
• Mad Murphy - 18^AP[WS]
• MadSeasonOfGrief - 3^AP[PS2]
• Moshcrates - 33^AP[WS]
• Nefarix - 27^AP[WS]
• Netzeom - 25^AP[TOR]
• Nites - 6^AP[TOR]
• Odin047 - 93^AP[TOR]
• Pork - 3^AP[WS]
• qoheleth - 44^AP[WS]
• Rabid Mogwai - 18^AP[WS]
• Ramses - 39^AP[TOR]
• Requiem - 33^AP[WS]
• Research - 5^AP[WS]
• Root - 28^AP[TOR]
• SMilmore - 12^AP[TOR]
• Szurke - 30^AP[WS]
• Thectelo - 55^AP[TOR]
• Tilcevol - 33^AP[WS]
• Tyche - 33^AP[WS]
• veli - 3^AP[GEN]
• Wagons - 6^AP[WS]
• Wongnim - 27^AP[WS]
• Xevrand - 35^AP[TOR]
• Xoza - 18^AP[TOR]
• Yollo - 9^AP[TOR]

 

 

 

 

-- SWTOR --

 

Vacation - Nico Okarr Story 

The latest short story published on the SWTOR website is called Vacation and features the upcoming companion Nico Okarr

 

Vacation

 

Even by Outer Rim standards, the Sarlacc and Loaded cantina was considered the end of the line. Smoke sullied by the stench of bodily fluids and putrid food assaulted the nostrils. Except for a flickering sign above the bar, it was dark and muggy. Sand carpeted the floors and seats. Customers didn’t frequent the Sarlacc–only regulars–the same five sorry slobs who sat in the same chairs, drinking the same drinks, and mumbling the same woes day in and day out.

 

Under normal circumstances, a man like Seamus Kaldo wouldn’t send his servants to such an establishment, much less visit himself. But the trail had led him here and Seamus was in too deep to stop now. No one had looked up when they entered. Unless provoked, the Sarlacc’s finest were content to keep their faces nose deep in unwashed glasses.

 

“You’re sure this is the place?” Seamus double-checked with Vhonu, his bodyguard, as they breathed in the ripe air.

 

“Matches the description we received from the Hutt.” Vhonu was around the same age as Seamus, but his features were weathered, coarse, and he stood a foot taller than the Valahari noble. “Your man should be here, Master Kaldo.”

 

Seamus took a deep breath and stepped towards the Molavaran bartender.

 

“I’m looking for someone.”

 

“Wrong place.” The Molavaran sighed and poked at a fresh pile of sand that had settled on the bar. “All we got here are nobodies.”

 

Vhonu placed a few credits on the counter and slid them towards the bartender, leaving a trail in the sand. “The Snare. Where is he?”

 

The Molavaran examined the credits, then shrugged and pointed over his shoulder. “In the back.”

 

Seamus led the way as Vhonu kept a wary eye. “The back” was a small, decrepit room with a table and four chairs, one of which was broken. It was occupied by a single man who sat casually, feet on the table, brown wide-brimmed hat pulled low to cover his face. Seamus wrinkled his nose—the man smelled stronger than whatever was in the unlabeled bottle on the table. The Hutt had described a bounty hunter beyond comparison, but all he saw before him was a bum. Seamus was ready to return to the bar until he saw the man’s blasters—one hung from his belt, while the other rested next to the half-drunken bottle.

 

Seamus clenched his sweaty fists and tried to sound confident. “I’m looking for the Snare. Is that you?”

 

“Sure,” a gravelly voice answered. A gloved hand idly flipped a single credit with an audible ring. The coin’s golden glint somersaulted through the air and tugged at Seamus’ attention. Vhonu nudged his arm, encouraging him to continue.

 

“My name’s Seamus Kaldo. I’ve a job for you.”

 

“Sorry.” The Snare’s words were bored, slurred. “On vacation.”

 

“Chose quite the spot,” Vhonu chimed in, eyes narrowing.

 

“Molavar’s got its charms.” The Snare nodded towards the bottle.

 

Seamus pulled out one of the two remaining chairs at the table. Vhonu took the other. “I think you’ll find the credits I’m offering more than charming.”

 

“I’m not strapped for funds at the moment. Just a good time.”

 

“This isn’t an ordinary job,” Seamus pressed.

 

“It never is.” The Snare yawned. His thumb once again launched the coin upward.

 

“Have you heard the name Nico Okarr before?”

 

The Snare’s hand jerked upward to grab the credit mid-toss. His fist lingered for a moment, gripping the coin before he slipped the currency into his overcoat pocket. Beneath the worn rim of his hat, the hunter let a smile slip. “Once or twice. What’s he to you?”

 

Seamus’ brow hardened. “A thief. One I’d like apprehended. I’m told you’re the best at finding people who don’t wish to be found.”

 

The Snare swung his feet off the table and leaned forward to take a swig from the bottle. “People, sure, but you’re looking for a legend. When it comes to Nico Okarr–hard to decipher what’s truth or fiction.”

 

“What he stole from my family was real enough.” Seamus dug his index finger into the table. Vhonu’s leg bounced.

 

Rubbing the stubble on his chin, the Snare pursed his lips. “It’s personal then.”

 

“It’s a job. That’s all you need to know,” Vhonu snapped.

 

Seamus shot Vhonu a look. Smarmy as the Snare might be, they needed him. For months they’d chased the ghost of Nico Okarr with no luck. Vhonu was a capable bodyguard, but they needed a tracker–and someone willing to keep the job hush-hush. “Okarr would be an old-timer now, but as you said, he’s a legend. Think of what this could mean for your reputation.”

 

“Oh, I am.” The Snare chuckled.

 

“Then you’ll do it?” Dust scattered as Seamus jerked forward, palms flat on the tabletop.

 

“Hold on now.” The Snare held up both hands and leaned back in his chair. “Let’s discuss the particulars. Not sure what you’ve heard about me, but I’m no assassin. You want Nico dead, I’m not your man.”

 

Vhonu rolled his eyes. “He said, ‘apprehended.’ Your ‘morality’ is safe.”

 

“Just making sure. Wouldn’t want an unhappy customer.” The Snare produced a wooden toothpick from behind his ear, plopped it into his mouth, and began chewing gingerly. “How much is this guy worth to you?”

 

Seamus relaxed–credits was a topic he was comfortable with. “I know your standard rate. I’m willing to double it.”

 

“I’m willing to accept that.”

 

Vhonu snorted and crossed his arms. “I’m sure you are.”

 

Ignoring the jab, the Snare transferred the toothpick to the other side of his mouth. “So. I deliver Nico into your custody. Alive and well. Then–”

 

“It’s a simple deal.” Vhonu cut in. “You bring us Nico Okarr, get paid, and leave.”

 

The Snare spit the mangled toothpick to the ground, where it was swallowed up by the sand. “You have the credits on you?”

 

Seamus hesitated and cast a quick glance at Vhonu. “You’ll be compensated the moment we have your bounty.”

 

“Clear on that point.” The bounty hunter waved a dismissive hand. “I’m asking if you need time to gather my payment or if it’s ready now.”

 

Seamus tried to keep the offense out of his voice. He was Valahari nobility–money wasn’t an issue. “I don’t need to ‘gather’ funds, but no one’s seen or heard from Okarr since the start of the Great Galactic War. Might take you some time to find him.”

 

“Won’t take any time at all.”

 

“How’s that?” Vhonu barked.

 

The Snare pushed back his hat to reveal tan, smooth skin and a goatee threatened by a layer of stubble and grime. Two brown eyes, ringed by crow’s feet, sparkled as a grin settled across his features. “He’s sitting at this table.”

 

A large crease marred Seamus’ otherwise soft forehead. His mind simultaneously recognized the infamous smuggler’s face, but rejected his explanation. “That’s impossible. You’re too young.”

 

Nico Okarr sighed and spun the now empty bottle on the table. “Know what gets old? People always judging me by my looks.”

 

“He’s nothing but a common swindler.” Vhonu pushed back from the table and tugged on Seamus’ sleeve. “Come on, Master Kaldo.”

 

Nico rubbed his eyes. “Kaldo… Kaldo… name’s familiar, but do enough jobs and they all tend to run together. Well, except the big ones. Don’t think I’ll ever forget saving Grand Master Satele Shan.”

 

Vhonu pulled harder on Seamus’ arm, but the noble stood still, eyes scanning the hunter’s face. “Can you prove you’re him?”

 

Nico’s grin widened and he held out the bottle. “Should be enough of me on there for a sample. Guessing you brought a scanner. Hope you wouldn’t just take any old man based on a hunter’s word.”

 

Seamus nodded to Vhonu to scan the bottle. The bodyguard jutted his jaw forward in protest, but eventually relented, and pulled out a small, metallic DNA reader. He swiped the bottle from Nico’s outstretched hand and got to work.

 

“Let me ask you something,” Nico continued. “Otherwise, it’ll bug me all day. That thing—guessing it’s a thing—I stole from your family. Heirloom? Mom’s jewels? Pet maybe?”

 

“If you’re Nico, you should know,” Seamus said, struggling to keep his voice steady.

 

Nico shrugged. “You’d think that, but…”

 

His hands fidgeted without the bottle or the credit coin to keep them busy. After a pause, the right one slammed down on the table’s surface. “Engine schematics! Right? One of your competitors paid handsomely for them–and I got to upgrade the Redshifter in the process. Good run.”

 

Seamus’ nostrils flared. “Those schematics were my father’s life’s work. We had buyers lined up from the Republic and the Empire. My family was set to make billions. Instead, we were humiliated.”

 

“Look like you’re still doing alright for yourself.”

 

Seamus opened his mouth to respond when the reader emitted a soft ding.

 

“Well?” Seamus asked, whirling around in his chair.

 

Vhonu shook the scanner. “It must be a trick.”

 

Nico slapped his palms together and rubbed them back and forth, oozing with self-congratulation. “So about my reward?”

 

“You’ll get no reward!” Vhonu barked, replacing the scanner with a blaster.

 

“Now, now…” Nico pointed at the bodyguard. “The deal was I bring you Nico Okarr, get paid, and leave. As I see it, I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

 

“That was when we thought you were the Snare!” Seamus yelled, jumping to his feet.

 

“The Snare’s my professional name. Looks like I’ll have to find another.” Nico remained sitting, calm.

 

Vhonu aimed the pistol at the Nico’s heart. “Don’t waste your breath on this son of a Hutt, Master Kaldo.”

 

“Set your blaster to stun. I promised Father to bring him back alive,” Seamus ordered.

 

Nico sucked in a mouthful of dusty air and clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “A man who goes back on his word. That’s something I can’t abide by.”

 

“Abide by this!” Vhonu yelled as he pulled the trigger.

 

Nico moved quicker than a heartbeat. His knee kicked up the table to block Vhonu’s shot, while his left hand caught the blaster previously resting on the surface. He unholstered his other pistol with a spin, set it to stun, then fired exactly two shots over his makeshift barricade.

 

The shots were met with two thuds and a scurry of footsteps from the Sarlacc’s main bar. Nico counted to three before standing to assess the damage.

 

Seamus and Vhonu lay motionless in the sand. Nico searched the nobleman’s body. He found the Snare’s reward, just as the bartender reached the room in a huff.

 

“You promised–not again!” His long face shook with anger.

 

“Just a little business,” Nico responded, flipping a few credits the bartender’s way.

 

The Molavaran was not appeased. Nico was already halfway out the door as he heard the bartender yell, “Take your business elsewhere!”

 

No one else in the Sarlacc and Loaded gave him a second look. Standing in Molavar’s heat, Nico chuckled. “Guess vacation’s over. Again.”

 

Operation & Flashpoint Changes

 

 

SWTOR Operation designer George Smith discusses operations and flashpoints in the upcoming expansion.

 

 

I’m George Smith, Senior Designer in charge of Operations and Flashpoints and I am here to talk to you a little bit about what Knights of the Fallen Empire has in store for you.

 

First, a little bit of a backstory about the current state of group content in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. As you level your character, you have the opportunity to play through quite a few Flashpoints for gear and a break from your story. As you continue to play and progress in the game and pass the level range of those Flashpoints, you no longer play them, as they become obsolete. Similarly, due to the nature of gear progression or an increased level cap, as we release new Operations we continue to make older Operations obsolete. What this means is that we have a situation where we have a lot of group content, that many players don’t get an opportunity to play through. We believe that all players should be able to enjoy all the content in the game, and have exciting experiences available to them every week, and that is what we intend to bring you with Knights of the Fallen Empire!

 

Flashpoints 

For Flashpoints, we have made quite a few changes to give you more options on what to play, and how to play them. For starters, all of the Flashpoints which are important to the core story have had a Solo Mode added, similar to what we did for the Forged Alliances Flashpoints. Also, those Solo Modes are repeatable, so you can play through them again if you want! These Solo Mode Flashpoints use a new level sync system that lowers your character’s level and power to the level of the Flashpoint, ensuring that you’re experiencing the content at the difficulty level intended – you never have to skip story content because you’re over-leveled for it!

 

Next, most of our Story Mode Flashpoints have been converted to Tactical, meaning you can play them at any level between 10 and 65! These Flashpoints also bolster your character, so you never have to worry about being under-geared or under-leveled, and can play with friends of varying levels. As an added bonus, each player can also receive loot specific to their Class and their non-bolstered level, so running these Flashpoints is always beneficial.

 

Hard Mode Flashpoints are getting love as well! All Hard Mode Flashpoints, including the Red Reaper for the first time, will be available starting at Level 50 up to Level 65. There will be a small Bolster to allow different level ranges to play together, but you’ll need to bring a balanced group with a Tank and Healer just as with Hard Mode Flashpoints currently. Just like the new Tactical Flashpoints, each player can get their own individual loot suited for their class from entirely new sets of gear. This will provide the perfect jumping off point for getting you ready to tackle Operations!

 

Operations 

Operations are a larger change, in that every single Operation in SWTOR will be raised to level 65! Every Operation will drop a new tier of Elder Game gear, as well as new vanity rewards such as Mounts, Vehicles, and Decorations for your Stronghold. Story Mode Operations will be playable from Level 50 to Level 65, and will grant a Bolster to ensure everyone in your group is prepared! Soa will once again be the ancient Rakatan Warlord who threatens to take over the Galaxy, with the challenge to match!

 

We are also making several Quality of Life improvements to Operations in the Group Finder to make a better, more engaging experience. Each day, a new Story Mode Operation will be available in Group Finder, and will all drop relevant gear for your character.

 

Nightmare Mode will also be available for all the Operations that had it previously, and will reward the same as the highlighted Hard Mode, as all as all the unique mounts and titles available currently.

 

For Hard Mode Operations, one Operation per week will be highlighted to give even greater rewards! Ultimately, the goal is that you will have a reason to visit all of our Operations and will feel rewarded for doing so.

 

We know that many players love our Operations and look forward to the introduction of new challenges, however with Knights of the Fallen Empire there will not be any new Operations. We felt it was important to first address some of the issues with our Elder Game before moving on to new content. These changes will allow us to be more flexible with how we release new content, as the content no longer needs to be tied to a new gear tier or level cap increase. Even without new Operations, though, you will have a whole lot of content to play at the level cap. Let’s go over everything you will be able to play in Knights of the Fallen Empire!

 

Solo Mode Flashpoints 

These Flashpoints are repeatable, and made to be played solo or with a Companion. Your character will be adjusted down to the appropriate level so that you are experiencing the Flashpoint at the level and difficulty that is intended.

 

Black Talon

Esseles

Boarding Party

Taral V

The Foundry

Maelstrom Prison

Battle of Ilum

The False Emperor

Assault on Tython

Korriban Incursion

Manaan Research Facility

Legacy of the Rakata

Blood Hunt

Battle of Rishi

Tactical Flashpoints 

These 4-Player Flashpoints are available from level 10-65. Your character will be Bolstered so that friends of any level can play together!

 

Hammer Station

Athiss

Mandalorian Raiders

Cademimu

Red Reaper

Kuat Drive Yards

Czerka Labs

Czerka Core Meltdown

Korriban Incursion

Assault on Tython

Depths of Manaan

Legacy of the Rakata

Blood Hunt

Battle of Rishi

Hard Mode Flashpoints 

These Level 65 Flashpoints are designed to present more of a challenge to players. They provide a small Bolster, but still require a full 4-Player group, including a Tank and a Healer.

 

Black Talon

Esseles

Boarding Party

Taral V

The Foundry

Maelstrom Prison

Kaon Under Siege

Lost Island

Battle of Ilum

The False Emperor

Hammer Station

Athiss

Mandalorian Raiders

Red Reaper

Cademimu

Kuat Drive Yards

Czerka Labs

Czerka Core Meltdown

Korriban Incursion

Assault on Tython

Depths of Manaan

Legacy of the Rakata

Blood Hunt

Battle of Rishi

Operations 

These 8 and 16-Player Operations are all available at level 65 in both Story and Hard modes. A different Story Mode Operation will be available in the Group Finder each day.

 

Eternity Vault (5 bosses)

Karagga’s Palace (5 bosses)

Explosive Conflict (4 bosses)

Terror From Beyond (5 bosses)

Scum and Villainy (7 bosses)

Golden Fury (1 boss)

Dread Fortress (5 bosses)

Dread Palace (5 bosses)

Ravagers (5 bosses)

Temple of Sacrifice (5 bosses)

As you can see, while leveling your character, and when your character reaches level 65, there is a whole Galaxy out there available to you. So whether you want to take the journey alone, or with 15 of your closest friends, we can’t wait for you to get your hands on Knights of the Fallen Empire!

 

May the Force™ be with you!

 

George

 

 

-- PLANETSIDE 2 --

 

DDOS Attacks 

 

 

Notorious hacker group Lizard Squad has attacked Daybreak games including PlanetSide 2 in an apparent retaliation against boss John Smedley.

 

Earlier this week John Smedley, boss of H1Z1, PlanetSide 2 and Everquest developer Daybreak, formerly Sony Online Entertainment, heavily criticised convicted hacker Julius "Zeekill" Kivimaki, who he blames for a series of personal attacks.

 

Kivimaki, who has been accused of helping to bring down PlayStation Network and Xbox Live last Christmas, was convicted of a whopping 50,700 charges related to computer crimes by a Finnish court - but avoided jail.

 

Last night Lizard Squad targeted Daybreak's games with what Smedley called a "minor" Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack - but it was significant enough to render all of the company's games unplayable for many.

 

Earlier, Smedley took to Reddit to explain further his Twitter comments on Kivimaki and his anger at his sentence.

 

"He was the guy that brought down my flight with a bomb threat," Smedley said. "I've heard the entire recording where he convinced an airline customer service agent there was a bomb on the plane. He also in conjunction with others has sent me pictures of my father's grave with nasty stuff on it. I've had my entire credit history put out on the internet including my SSN and my families info. We've had multiple social networks and other things hacked and had my family members called.

 

"I've also been swatted (multiple times) and had over 50 false credit applications submitted in my name and had to deal with the ramifications of what happens to your credit when this kind of thing happens. It's not good. And to top it all off they decided to submit false tax returns."

 

And Smedley reiterated his desire to sue Kivimaki.

 

"So to put this bluntly - I want this kind in jail for a long time," he said. "You shouldn't be able to do crap like this without any hint of a consequence. I plan on doing everything in my power to see him get what's coming to him in court one way or another."

 

 

 

-- GUILD WARS 2 --

 

Map Changes July 10

A list of the new changes for Stronghold PvP map in preparation for the Revenant/Stronghold PvP weekend.

 

Hi all,
Below you can find a list of changes that have been implemented since the last Stronghold Beta. We’re especially interested in feedback on the new Mist Champion and the new overtime mechanic. Check out Stronghold during this weekend’s “Revenant and Stronghold Beta” and let us know what you think!

-Hugh and the PvP team

• Supply
  • The way that players gather supply at the depot in the center of the map has changed.
  • Each supply pile only has a maximum of 2 supply in it at any given time.
  • Supply piles will replenish their stores after 15 seconds.
  • NOTE: There is a known issue where if player A finishes a channel while player B finishes channeling, it will cancel player B’s channel and not give them supply.

• Stronghold trebuchet changes
  • Trebuchets will now do increased damage to Door Breakers and Archers
  • Trebuchets shots will now remove up to 25 stacks of stability from any targets they hit prior to knocking them down.

• NPC/Champion Changes
  • Mist Champions
    • The Mist Champion system is now available in the PvP Build Menu.
    • More information on the Mist Champion system can be found in our recent blog, found here.
  • Archers
    • Archers prioritize guards
    • Archers also do increased damage to guards
    • Archers move faster
  • Guards
    • Guards prioritize Door Breakers
  • Door Breakers
    • Door Breakers prioritize doors

• “Behind Enemy Lines”
  • Enemies inside your stronghold now have a buff on them “Behind Enemy Lines”
  • Behind Enemy Lines – Dying while in the enemy stronghold will cause you to drop 2 supply even if you don’t currently have supply

• Overtime
  • If a game goes to time (0:00) and a lord is engaged, the game will not end. It will continue on until one of the following conditions has been met:
    • A lord is stomped
    • Both lords are out of combat
    • Overtime lasts longer than 6 (-6:00) minutes

 

Stronghold Testing Weekend 

 

GW2 will be having a test weekend from July 10 to July 13 available for all pre-purchasers of Heart of Thorns.

 

Hello, Tyrians!

We’re busy preparing for the first Beta Weekend Event, but in the meantime, we’d like to get in some extra testing of the new revenant profession. We’re inviting all pre-purchasers to join us for a special revenant test weekend starting Friday, July 10, at noon Pacific Time (UTC-7) and running until noon Pacific Time (UTC-7) on Monday, July 13. During this test weekend, you can create and play a revenant beta character anywhere in the existing game: PvE, PvP, and WvW! We’ll also be opening up our new Player vs. Player game mode, Stronghold, to all players who play in the queue for Unranked PvP over the course of the weekend.

These testing events are an exciting opportunity for you, our players, to help shape the development process and the experience you’ll have when Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™ is completed. Though the trend these days is often more to treat beta events as simply marketing sneak peeks, we very much believe in having beta events that mean much more. We want to let you experience vertical slices of the final game experience; we’re going to listen to your thoughts and suggestions, we’re going to iterate on the experience, and only when we love it will we ship the expansion. These are real beta tests, and you have the real opportunity to help shapeGuild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns with your feedback.

Revenant and Stronghold Test Weekend Feedback

For this test, we’re looking for your thoughts on balance and how fun it is to play as our new profession, the revenant—along with its newly announced Ventari legend and the staff weapon—in the existing Guild Wars 2 game world with (and against!) existing professions.

As a result of feedback, Stronghold has had a number of changes since the last time it had an open test. One of the big comments we heard from the most recent open test was a request for queue preferences between Conquest and Stronghold game modes, so we’ve added one that you’ll be able to test out for the first time during this bonus event.

We’ve also added our new Mist Champions, which will give all players access to Turai Ossa, and players who pre-purchased will have access to two additional Mist Champions for the bonus weekend. We’ve also made changes to the balance of NPCs’ abilities, added an overtime mechanic that keeps a game going as long as a lord is still in combat when time runs out, and more! We’re looking to see how well these solutions addressed the feedback we saw from the last public event, and we’ll be gathering any additional thoughts on your experience with the game mode.

Beta Weekend Events—Coming Soon!

Though this bonus weekend event will help us get more feedback on the revenant profession and Stronghold experience, full Beta Weekend Events will be starting soon to test larger components of the expansion. We’ll come back with more details on our first Beta Weekend Event shortly.

We’ll see you in game!

Source: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/announcing-the-guild-wars-2-revenant-and-stronghold-test-weekend/

You’ll be pre-geared, level 80, with full hero points earned and your inventory will have a bunch of different gear options available you can swap to if you like.

Just like any other beta event – all progress on beta characters is not saved, so items you earn won’t be kept, etc. when playing with a beta character slot.

 

 

July Patch Notes

 

GW2 patch notes for the July 7 Game Update.

 

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
World vs. World

• Hop into World vs. World between July 17 and July 24 to experience our newest special event, Golem Rush, where siege golems are better, faster, and stronger!
  • During the special event, all golems will be supercharged and have the following effects:
    • All siege golems in WvW no longer require supply to construct.
    • All siege golems in WvW will deal 100% additional damage to other golems and players.
    • All siege golems in WvW will move at 100% additional movement speed.
• The Mist War Summons bonus effect will be available to all players during the event and will apply the following:
  • +15% World Experience Bonus in WvW
  • +15% Experience Bonus in WvW
  • +50% Magic Find in WvW

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
General

• Chill condition now stacks to a maximum of 5.
• Tutorial maps are now using the megaserver system.
• Fixed a bug in which the attack targets of some bosses could not be hit by melee or ground-targeted attacks.
• Fixed an issue that prohibited world bosses from being critically hit from some attack locations.
• Fixed several significant graphical issues with the Monk’s Outfit.

Items

• Wurmslayer’s helms and gloves can now be used in the Mystic Forge with an Anthology of Heroes to create ascended gear with different stats.
• Small bags of spirit shards can now be opened in the Heart of the Mists.

Profession Skills
General

• Fixed a bug that caused skills that convert boons to conditions to not properly convert stability to fear.

Elementalist

• Conjure Flame Axe—Flame Leap: Updated the skill facts to properly list a burning duration of 8 seconds rather than 7 seconds.
• Empowering Flame: Fixed an issue that caused this trait to permanently give 150 bonus power to the elementalist.
• Arcane Precision: Adjusted this trait’s cooldown time to accurately reflect its listed internal cooldown.

Engineer

• Fixed an issue in which miniatures were able to trigger med-kit bandages and antidotes.
• Med Kit: Fixed an issue in which the total number of appropriate condition stacks was not being removed correctly.
• Thermobaric Detonation: Fixed an issue in which this trait set Evasive Powder Keg on recharge.
• Incendiary Ammo: Fixed an issue in which this skill applied an incorrect amount of burning.
• Grenadier: Fixed an issue in which this trait allowed players to hit more times than intended with grenades.
• Throw Bandages: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from removing the full stack of a condition as intended.
• Grenade Barrage: Fixed an issue in which this skill gained unintended functionality with the Grenadier trait.
• Cleansing Synergy: Fixed an issue that prevented this trait from removing the full set of conditions that it was intended to.
• Kinetic Battery: Fixed an issue that prevented this trait from working properly with Detonate Mine Field.
• Smoke Bomb: Fixed the skill facts to display the proper pulse interval.
• Throw Accelerant: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from removing the full stack of a condition as intended.
• Throw Stimulant: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from removing the full stack of a condition as intended.
• Automated Medical Response: Fixed an issue that caused this trait to have a 10-second cooldown instead of the intended 90-second cooldown.

Guardian

• “Hold the Line!”: Fixed an issue that prevented this shout from playing its voice-over audio.
• Perfect Inscriptions: Fixed an issue that prevented this trait from granting light aura when using Signet of Resolve or Signet of Courage.
• “Feel My Wrath!”: This shout is now usable underwater.
• Wrath of Justice: This trait’s recharge is now properly affected by the reduction from Perfect Inscriptions.
• Symbolic Avenger: Fixed an issue that allowed this trait to deal higher damage than intended.

Necromancer

• Dhuumfire:
  • Fixed a bug with this trait that caused the skill facts on shroud skill 1 to omit the damage within a range of 600.
  • Corrected an issue in which the Dhuumfire version of shroud skill 1 would deal less damage than intended.
  • Fixed a bug in which Dhuumfire was a shorter range than shroud skill 1.
• Unholy Martyr: Fixed the description of this trait to specify that it draws conditions instead of removing them.
• Chilling Darkness: Added a 5-second internal cooldown to this trait.
• Plague: This skill no longer inflicts bleeding every second while it is active. Instead, it inflicts 10 seconds of bleeding when it is first activated. When traited with Master of Corruption, it inflicts 4 seconds of poison.
• Mark of Evasion: This trait now only activates if you are in combat.
• Last Rites: The portion of this trait that prevents allies from bleeding out now only applies to allies while you are not downed. The bonus healing power is applied regardless of state.
• Consume Conditions: Lowered the number of self-applied vulnerability stacks from 10 to 5.
• Vampiric Presence: Fixed a bug in which the Vampiric Aura effect applied by this trait allowed it to steal life on skills that did not actually hit.

Ranger

• Healing Spring: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from working properly with Rune of the Trapper.
• “We Heal as One!” and “Strength of the Pack!”: Fixed an issue that prevented these skills from working properly with Rune of the Trooper.
• Zephyr’s Speed and Vigorous Training: Added a 15-second internal cooldown.
• Beastly Warden: Fixed an issue that allowed players to taunt targets that should not have been affected.
• Light on Your Feet: Fixed an issue in which this trait provided an incorrect increase in condition duration.
• Call Lightning: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from properly applying daze.
• Cold Snap: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from applying its initial chill.
• Aqua Surge: Fixed an issue that allowed this skill to be fired twice while traited with Nature’s Vengeance.

Warrior

• Whirling Axe: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to grant 180 precision under some circumstances.

Structured Player vs. Player

• Disconnected players in Unranked and Ranked Arena games will now show on the scoreboard and party UI with a disconnected icon.
• Players will no longer be in combat on respawn if they died from attacks instead of from a finisher.
• Players can no longer rally from NPCs in Legacy of the Foefire.
• Adjusted the health of NPCs in the Forest of Niflhel and Legacy of the Foefire.

 

 

-- WARFRAME --

 

Blade & Gun Event

 

 

Blade and Gun Challenge is all about finding the most entertaining way to punch holes through the enemy - whether that means concentrated laser blasts or death from well-placed arrows.

 

Each week we pose a unique challenge for Tenno to compete in. Challenges range from specific weapon Loadouts to restricted Warframe builds. The challenge isn't just about using those selected weapons, but making them work in creative ways.

 

Last week Tenno put the spotlight in a particular kind of not-quite heroic bit of Tenno strategy -- the tactical retreat. While fleeing from the enemy is something Tenno are loathe to do sometimes survival means dashing towards the nearest extraction point posthaste.

 

Of course, running from danger isn't the most heroic thing to do. That's why when it finally comes time to make an escape we hold a special appreciation for our Companions. Unsung heroes of the battlefield these loyal allies do what they can to keep the enemy at bay so that Tenno can keep their attention focused on more pressing matters. Like not running into more trouble, for starters.

 

Tactical Retreat's and Gun Champion:

 

 

We received a lot of incredible submissions this week, but Paladin's use of color, angle and stylish Wyrm pretty much nailed it. The competition was very close, but in the end Paladin's victory marks our eighth and final Champion selected for the next round of Blade and Gun's Champion Challenge.

 

Being crowned a Champion this week means that Paladin will be receiving a unique in-game sigil, forum title, and the opportunity to participate in our upcoming Champion Challenge. Winners will all be contacted over the next week as we prepare an appropriate challenge. Congrats to all, and good luck!

 

Honorable Mentions

 

 

MystMan

 

 

AprilFools

 

 

StableSpartan

 

 

Blade and Gun Challenge: Biological Warfare

 

Tyl Regor's sealabs may be pushing the forefront of Grineer science, but if the Tenno have learned anything from Doctor Tengus' work it's that Grineer and Science rarely make a good mix. Of course, the Grineer may not see it that way -- which is why it's good to give them a reminder as to what the true cost of biological tampering is.

 

This week Tenno will use some of the most dangerous weapons in their arsenal to wage biological warfare on the Grineer. Show them just how dangerous Infestation-riddled weaponry can be when exposed to their cloned flesh, and hopefully we can encourage them to limit their exploratory projects in the future.

 

All variants of the following Primary weapons can be used in this challenge:

 

· Torid

 

· Phage

 

· Synapse

 

· Paracyst

 

All variants of the following Secondary weapons can be used in this challenge:

 

· Acrid

 

· Embolist

 

· Tysis

 

All variants of the following Melee weapons can be used in this challenge:

 

· Dual Ichor

 

· Scoliac

 

· Mire

 

No Kubrow or Sentinels may be present in this challenge.

 

How to Participate:

 

Entry into each week's challenge requires:

 

• A screenshot of the specific Loadout used for the Challenge.

 

• A screenshot of the completed Challenge Objective

 

Although the objective changes from week to week, entries should be submitted in the form of in-game screenshots. All submissions must be included in a single post in the Blade and Gun Challenge: Biological Warfare forum thread.

 

No Photoshop allowed.

 

You may provide multiple submissions, up to a maximum of 2 screenshots.

 

Challenge Objective:

 

Participants in the Blade and Gun Challenge must have the following in their submitted screenshots:

 

· Gunning down enemy Grineer using one of the listed Approved Weapons.

 

It must also include:

 

· All submissions must take place on the Grineer Asteroid or Grineer Galleon tilesets located on Saturn.

 

· The more Grineer featured dead or dying in the screenshot, the more consideration will be given.

 

· Creative use of the tileset as a backdrop will earn more consideration.

 

 

Screenshots must include at least one feature from the first category and entries must be submitted in the same post as the Loadout. All screenshots should include weapons approved for the Blade and Gun Challenge as listed above.

 

Deadline:

 

Entry to the Blade and Gun Challenge: Biological Warfare closes at June 4, 12:00 p.m. EDT. All submissions must be delivered before that date.

 

Reward:

 

One qualifying Tenno that best display the Grineer being 'educated' in Infested weaponry wins this week's Blade and Gun Challenge and earns the following rewards:

 

• A unique Forum title: Blade and Gun Champion

 

• A chance to create a future Blade and Gun Challenge to test their fellow Tenno!

 

In addition, all of our Blade and Gun Champions will receive a unique Sigil in-game to commemorate their creative victories. This Sigil will be distributed to Champions as soon as possible.

 

All Challenge Winners are tracked over the course of eight weeks. Once eight Challenge Winners have been determined, winners will form into teams to compete in a special edition Blade and Gun Challenge featuring Platinum prizes!

 

Good luck and have fun, Tenno!

 

-DE_Adam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star Wars Battlefront will soon make it's return to the world of P.C and Console gaming in a big way in November this year spearheaded by DICE, the studio behind such games as Battlefield 4 and Mirror's Edge. More recently though Star Wars Battlefront just went through it's first phase of closed Alpha Testing, and I was lucky enough to be among the first to test the Alpha.

 

This alpha was a tech focused alpha with only two game modes available, "Walker Assault" Which is based on the snow world of Hoth and is played over two rounds, So you get the experience of either defending Echo Base against the Imperials or destroying Echo base and the rebellion. The other game mode was Survival on Tatooine, and at this point I would point out that all the screenshots showing a downed star destroyer in the background with everyone screaming "JAKUU" Well no, it's Tatooine, so just throwing that out there to start. 

 

 

So lets get to the crux of this, and the one thing that everyone is saying that annoys the hell out of me ... "Oh this is just a battlefield reskin!"

 

Okay, so lets really get into this and dis spell the myths here. The new SW:B does indeed run on the frostbite engine similar to Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline, and this is evident in the overall quality of the game it's self. However SW:B runs on a heavily modified version of the Frostbite engine which is glaring obvious when you play. It's unhampered by many of the platform issues experienced in games such as BF4 & BF:H and runs at a surprisingly consistent frame rate. During play my FPS never dropped below 90 on Max Graphics, With that same benchmark applied to BF:H for example my frame varied drastically between 30 - 70 depending on what was going on at the time. The engine also runs allot smoother and more consistently in times of intense action when there are many physical , particle and mesh calculations that have to be made in a very short amount of time and in a very enclosed space making the overall gameplay feeling more smooth, fluid and without stuttering or frame loss at crucial times. So by a technical stand point this modified Frostbite engine is already superior to the basic engine used in BF4 & BF:H.

 

The modified engine also has far better optimisation for the core aspects of the game namely the visuals allowing for a farther viewing distance and far superior quality on the materials used on the meshes. A side by side look at materials used in BF4 & BF:H compared to SW:B show this. The models and materials used have a much higher fidelity, much finer detail in the texture work which shows through with crystal clear clarity close up along with a higher detail in the normal maps which really make every fine detail pop and gives a quality that is just impossible to give in BF4, BF:H and even Mirrors edge.

 

So, that's enough about the eye candy, lets get down to combat . . . . 

 

The combat in SW:B is somewhat solid at the time of the 1st closed Alpha, however there is still room for improvement as it's still a little bogged down in certain areas. When playing in a third person perspective it feels fluid and intense, capturing what was good about combat in titles like BF4, however the first person aspect lets it down a little as it just feels like a rushed feature more than a core mechanic. Although visually stunning, it feels a little sluggish and hampered compared to the alternate viewing aspect, however even the 3rd person aspect has an issue. EA & DICE were hot on the fact that you could "Switch seamlessly between 3rd and 1st person views" And this just simply isn't the case. You would expect this to happen on a single key press which it does not, instead upon key press you're thrown into a 3rd person view, pressing again simply switches the camera from the right to left shoulder, and you have to waste time holding the key down to get back into a first person perspective which takes something away from the game play. If your in an intense situation where you need to switch from third to first person quickly this will let you down in a big way as the the time it takes is just too long, kills the immersion and again just feels like a rushed and hampered feature. However every time I grumbled going from view to view I did have to remind myself that is is an alpha technical play test. 

 

Don't let the negatives get you down though, because when the combat is fun, It's really fun. It's intense, explosive and quick paced just what you would expect from a Star Wars title and they have captured the essence of what made the first two Star Wars: Battlefront games awesome to play. A good mechanic they have added is the partner spawn system. Upon joining a game your randomly partnered with someone else in your faction and upon death you can either spawn or spawn at partner, Think of it like the squad system in BF4 however instead of a squad of 5 your a squad of 2 which actually helps with the combat as it doesn't make you feel like your just a mobile spawn point the entire time, you can just get on with it and forget about them ... if you want to. 

 

Vehicle combat, feels solid and fluid again it captures that thrill of games such as Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and dare I say games such as Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 1 & 2 and fits them in perfectly with the surrounding game mechanics and maps they are available on and don't feel clunky, misplaced or vastly overpowered as they are in BF4 & BF:H andf they removed the ability just just go on an almighty killing spree with vehicles by adding a simple depreciating timer, So when in a vehicle such as an AT-AT or AT-ST although true you can decimate ground forces, your limited to how long you can do it for before your thrown out and back into the world. Which is a good thing because it means you can't just camp a spot and troll everyone that walks past.

 

In my own opinion, with what's good, what's bad and what still needs improvement I just can't agree with the masses who have jumped on the band wagon simply because of their hate of EA, Dice or previous disappointment with previous Frostbite engine titles, Although true it has similar aspects, and some similar game play which is evident in 1st person Combat this is just fare superior to BF4 and BF:H, If this was a simple a "Reskin" or a "Conversion" of BF4 many of the engines previous glaring issues would be present when it comes to networking, optimisation, detail, mesh work and core mechanics and this just simply isn't the case with SW:B. If anything BF4 and BF:H would benefit being completely remade on this new modified Frostbite engine and taking full advantage of what it's now capable of. Technically the engine is far superior, Graphicly it's fare more appealing, and in terms of mechanics ... although it has some teething issues and aspects that could be improved on it's still so much of a richer, fluid and more fun combat experience.

 

However even with this said, as the saying goes "Haters gonna hate" all I will say is though don't hate on something you know nothing about, jump off your soap box and stop following the masses, at least until you have tried it yourself. 

 

 

 

I will update this as time goes on through various stages of development, namely the second round of closed alpha which will bring new maps and updates from the first alpha, the closed and open betas as well. 

 

For now though I will summarise with this ....

 

 

Although Star Wars Battlefront is bogged down with some hampered features and can sometimes feel like a generic FPS it does capture allot of the excitement of previous star wars titles in the genre and feels like an amazingly immersive game that fun, fluid and balanced. However the issues that bog down the game are glaringly obvious and only serve to feel like an afterthought and hyped over as something amazing. Visually and technically the game looks and is far superior over other titles built on the engine and this shows through quite allot and to say it's just a "Reskin" or a "Conversion" would be like saying a triple choc cheesecake is a reskin or conversion of a bowl of fruit. Even with all this said though I will make a  shocking admission, even with how much I adore and love the Star Wars I.P, loved previous games in the series this is one title, probably the first Star Wars title in many many year that I will .......

 

Not! be playing at launch, I base this solely on what I have seen and experienced so far, and I may change my mind depending on what further optimisation and core game play that add, fix or change closer to launch but for now, although stunning and fun, the issues that hamper it are enough to make me want to wait.

 

However as I said, I will be adding to this as time goes on, So lets just see what happens 

 

May the force be with you.

 

 

 

 

 

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML5wnK3_0Jw&index=8&list=PL74kmskk6GKK4ko7nKBF_k8DOokA-FJG2

 

 

 

 

With the news of ordo Imperialis: Blacktarget going live, the idea struck me to get some real community involvement going with the title, but instead of just seeing your creation live in the game, there's also $30 of steam goodies up for grabs. 

 

All you have to do is submit an idea for anything in the game, weapons, locations, environments, a bit of story, interesting textures or models absolutely anything and the winner gets the following:

 

$30 of Steam goodies

Their idea put into game

Custom character made to be playable in Multiplayer (Or if Ordo Member in SL before Titan closed donw your SL character remade)

Name in the credits

 

And all you have to do is send me a private message with the idea. Winner will be announced July 24th

Edited July 11, 2015 by Esva

[AxaraBlue]

You did a great job there Esva. Keep up the great work and you know if you wanna slip me that steam prize I will not tell a soul. :p

[Xoza]

Well done as always. (I can pitch in for prizes / incentives as well)

 

Esva is looking for ANY pictures / references / concepts of Ordo stuff, send them to him!

[Esva]

**UPDATE**

 

Added all info from the stream

Added better details of contest.

[Esva]

You did a great job there Esva. Keep up the great work and you know if you wanna slip me that steam prize I will not tell a soul. :p

 

 

Glad you liked it, and haha nice try. You can have Xoza's soul ... speaking of which ....

Well done as always. (I can pitch in for prizes / incentives as well)

 

Esva is looking for ANY pictures / references / concepts of Ordo stuff, send them to him!

Xoza has put his soul up as a prize!! .... kidding :P. Glad you like it 

Edited July 12, 2015 by Esva

[AxaraBlue]

Dang it my space program will elude me again.

[Kishoshima Dragonash]

<p>Well.. since no one else is doing it.. sign me up... will be like old times, but with less rambling... because I ramble..... a lot. sometimes.</p>

Edited July 24, 2015 by Kishoshima Dragonash