The Morr the Merrier

Wrath of Heroes is launching a new patch today, which contains a number of new features.  This includes a new map:  the Garden of Morr.  When I was down at the Mythic HQ recently, I was able to check it out.  I liked what I saw, and am looking forward to playing it today.

Garden of Morr.  This is a cross between the Arena and WAR's Mourkain Temple.  You gain points by killing your enemies, but there is a bobble you can get which grants more points.  It is no ordinary bobble, as it transforms the player into a Skeletal Standard-Bearer who has its own set of abilities.

Practice Mode.  Now you can mess around with heroes and your builds without playing a real match.  Sounds like a neat addition.

Rydion.  Oh yeah, they are also adding a new hero in this patch, Rydion the Archmage.   Another dress wearing Elf, bah!  Need more Dwarves.

Perk Balancing.  The WoH team went through a lot of the perks and made them a bit more balanced.  Some, like Power Unbound, are a bit less potent.  Others, like Lil' Helper, have had their requirements decreased.  This is a pretty important change, as Perks have been controversial.

Check out the full notes:  http://wrathofheroes.warhammeronline.com/news/193

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Durrig's Secret Stash Update

Today marks the midway point of Durrig's Secret Stash Giveaway, with the Ornate Chest lottery occurring on Monday, October 22nd.  So far everything has been working well, with a minor bug here and there.  But there are changes for this last week.

New Missions.  Several new mission have been added, and other missions removed.  That means new opportunities to gain points!

Comment Mission.  This has been changed to a one-time mission instead of a daily.  As a result, it is worth a bit more points.

Video Sharing Mission. This is still a Daily, but you can now only share a video once for each sharing type.  We had a couple of submissions, so go share them! :)

Unlocks.  Sites with Benefits now has the capability to unlock new missions by completing a mission.  We'll be testing that this week.

You can find the widget on the left side of the webpage, please let me know if you have any issues.  Thanks!

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SWTOR 1.5 Data Dump

I was pretty surprised to see 1.5 pop up on the PTS for SWTOR yesterday.  It's the HK-51 patch, so I'm pretty psyched about this one.  I took my customary peek at the files and exported some stuff that was newly added.  It's mostly Vanity pets and some crafting in this patch (of what I looked for).  Check it out below.

Looks like HK-51 will be a ranged tank or dps from the new cybertech schematics.


abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v01/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v01/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v02/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v02/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v03/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.acklay.lylek_a01v03/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v01/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v01/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.battledroid.battledroid_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.bird.orobird/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.bird.orobird/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.bird.orobird_a01v02/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.bird.orobird_a01v02/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.bird.orobird_a01v03/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.bird.orobird_a01v03/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.blurrg.blurrg_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk/10/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk/10/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v02/10/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v02/10/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v03/9/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.akk_a01v03/9/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dog.horranth_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.dragonbat.dragonbat_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.flutterplume.flutterplume_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.gizka.gizka_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v01/4/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v01/4/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v02/4/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v02/4/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v03/4/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.larva.greelarva_a01v03/4/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v02/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v02/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v03/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a01_v03/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v02/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v02/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v03/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v03/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v04/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.manka_cat.manka_a02_v04/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v01/4/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v01/4/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v02/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v02/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v03/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.monkey_lizard.monkey_lizard_a01v03/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.classic/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.classic/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.collectors_edition/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.collectors_edition/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.karaggas_mousedroid/9/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.karaggas_mousedroid/9/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.sandcrawler/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.mousedroid.sandcrawler/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.black/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.black/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.low_tech/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.low_tech/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v03/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.probe_interrogation_a01v03/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.tan/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.probe.tan/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.rakghoul.rakghoul/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.rakghoul.rakghoul/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.rakghoul.rakghoul_a01v02/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.rakghoul.rakghoul_a01v02/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.rakghoul.rakghoul_a01v03/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.rakghoul.rakghoul_a01v03/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a01v02/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a01v02/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a01v03/8/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a01v03/8/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a01v04/6/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a01v04/6/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a02v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.tauntaun.tauntaun_a02v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.vrblthr.vrblthr_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v01/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v01/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v02/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v02/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v03/5/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.womprat.womprat_a01v03/5/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v02/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v02/7/1
abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v03/7/0
abl.itm.vanity_pet.wraid.lobel_a01v03/7/1
abl.player.learn_schematic/7/0
abl.player.learn_schematic/7/1
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_chest
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_feet
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_hands
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_head
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_legs
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_waist
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.ranged_dps_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_wrists
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_chest
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_feet
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_hands
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_head
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_legs
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_waist
itm.schem.gen.cybertech.tech_tank_aim.09x3.artifact_heavy_droid_wrists

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Q&A with WAR's Dev Team

Warhammer Online's 1.4.7 patch is now live on the PTS.  It mainly features some Combat and Career balancing and the introduction of a mysterious new kind of Live Event.  Since it should be live soon, I figured a Q&A about the patch was in order.  I also got the goods about what 1.4.8 will feature :)

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1)  The main focus of 1.4.7 is Combat and Career balancing.  I'll be honest  I find that topic boring, so let's talk about something more interesting... the new Live Event!  It was mentioned briefly in the Anniversary Letter and more recently in the 1.4.7 Patch Notes as being a bit different.  What makes this Live Event different from those that came before?

The Live Event is not linked to a specific holiday or Scenario. Also, there is a little something included that allows Tier 1-3 players to join Tier 4 players on the battlefield.


2)  Can we expect this new kind of Live Event to be used again in the future?  

We’re pretty excited about having a Live Event that cycles out-of-sync with everything else. We will be watching player reactions very closely, and if this goes over well, then there’s no reason not to use it again in the future.

 
3)  Let's talk rewards, will players be getting anything new to use or just cosmetic fun stuff? 

There are some new items that should fill in equipment gaps for all Tiers, and a new event item for players who complete most of the Live Event Tasks.


4)  Are there any plans to add more items to the Origin Store?

We have been working on a few things we would like to add to the store, but there’s nothing set in stone just yet.


5)  Ok, on to 1.4.8.  Can you tell us what's planned for this patch? 

We’re aiming for 1.4.8 to be a very fast patch. The #1 priority will be the introduction of a unified RvR currency. There will be a forum thread soon to go over some of the details, so be sure to watch for it!


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Thanks Mythic!

In my post about visiting Mythic recently, I mentioned being excited about 1.4.8 but could not say why.  The unified RvR currency was the reason.  No more tokens for ORvR and another for Scenarios.  Just one kind to spend how you wish! Can't wait!

In other WAR news,  there is a PTS testing event today for the city siege.


Time Slot 1: 5PM EDT (9PM UTC)
Time Slot 2: 7PM EDT (11PM UTC)

Try to stop by if you can!

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XCOM: Enemy Unknown Impressions

Yesterday, XCOM: Enemy Unknown came out.  I remember playing the original, vaguely  when I was younger.  It was a MicroProse game, therefore it was awesome.  This version is done by Firaxis, the progeny of MicroProse so I have high hopes.

I picked Normal difficulty  but with an Ironman setting.  This means there is no re-loading of saved games.  It is constantly saving, so what happens, happens.  Overall, everything is nice looking and intuitive.  You do stuff and shoot aliens.  I'd rather tell you a story than drone on about details.

There was a report of abductions, in Egypt I think it was.  The team responded, as it always does.  This mission was labeled difficult, and it certainly turned out to be.  As soon as we landed, we were under attack from 3 sides.  The aliens were nothing special, so I was confident.  Maybe a little too confident.

First to go down was Sgt. Hex, my most experienced soldier.  He has 11 kills over 6 missions.  He didn't die, at least not right away.  In Enemy Unknown, they can be in a critical injury state and be saved by using a medpack.  I had neglected to give any of my soldiers medpacks.  Hex eventually bled out and died.

This caused one of the newer soldiers to panic and she ended up opening fire on her teammate.  Ironically, she would be the only one to survive this mission.  One by one, the other soldiers died.  Included was another Sgt and Cpl.  The Rookie managed to take out the last alien, a Floater, who picked the wrong time to float.

If there was a time to reload, this was it.  But this is Ironman, so that's just not possible.  My best soldiers are gone.  I'm left with an army of Rookie's and an ever increasing alien threat.

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Durrig's Secret Stash Giveaway

Looking for the contest?  Check out this page and sign in with the Sites with Benefits widget on the left to get started!

It's time for another giveaway!  Project Murdock, the system I made to give stuff away, has leveled up and received a new name:  Sites with Benefits.  Along with the new name, I've added a bunch of new features, but more on that later.  You can find all the contest details here.  This time I am giving away:

Ornate Chest.  Probably the most prized item in Wrath of Heroes as it contains an Elite Tactic.  I have one code to giveaway, so we will be doing it lottery style.  Buy as many tickets as you want.  A winner will be drawn on October 22nd.

XP Boosts.  I have more 7-Day 100% XP Boosts to give away from Wrath of Heroes too.  These just cost points, so get yours while supplies last!


What's New?

New Widget.  On your left, you should see the new Sites with Benefits widget.  It's not great yet, but I think it is an improvement from the first version.

Themed.  As you can see with the name and the campaign page, I am trying to make the contests less dry and more themed to what I am giving away.

Create a Video.  This is a new Mission which I spent a good chunk of the weekend working on.  The goal here is two fold. First, encourage players to create videos of the game and submit the URL for big points.  Secondly, a Share Videos mission is also automatically created which will feature submitted videos and sharing links.  Users can then earn points by sharing videos made for the contest.

I wanted to try something to better promote the game I am featuring, so this is one attempt at doing that.  Making a video is not a trivial task, so we'll see if it works.

Facebook.  I have integrated Facebook with Sites with Benefits.  You can now login using FB, or do missions involving FB.

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WAR's Demonic Incursion

What's this?  Something new coming to Warhammer Online in 1.4.7?  We got a teaser about the new Live Event in the newly released patch notes.  I'm not sure exactly what it means, but speculation is half the fun.  In any case, if it is new, I'm happy.

To summon or kill a powerful Daemon or group of Daemons is an impressive feat and many Champions of Chaos will purposefully take on the challenge. Those that succeed are worthy of notice by the Chaos Gods. If the original challenger fails to kill the Daemon, then it is free in The Old World and will wreck havoc until defeated. In any case, both the Forces of Order and the Forces of Destruction have something to gain by defeating these Daemons.

Just in time for Halloween too :)

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Pink for Tink Dye Returns, Disagreements Follow

In a nice gesture, Mythic will be returning the purple and pink dye vendors in support of Pink for Tink.  They are set to come back when the 1.4.7 patch goes live.  What's interesting is this has caused a little controversy in the community.

The dye vendors were intended to be re-introduced to the game with little fan fair.   Kai, the Community Manager, had this to say:

The dye merchants will come back. But they'll come back without news about it. This is nothing that needs to be broadcasted.

Sadly, some players gave him a hard time about that stance. So he responded with:

As much as I would like more marketing and media attention, getting it because someone is losing an important fight is not the right way. 

I am in full agreement with Kai though.  A tragedy is not the time to try to gain publicity.   It's just a nice gesture on Mythics part.  Using it for self-gain would just cheapen it.

One player did have a good suggestion though:

So how come you haven't considered fundraising by selling these dyes then?

I think it is a fair question.  Of course, I have no idea what goes in to getting an item on the store and doing fundraising across national boundaries.  If doable, I think it'd be a nice idea and would certainly purchase some so long as all the proceeds went to charity.

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Home again and a trip to Mythic HQ

You may have noticed it has been quiet around the blog this week.  I had to go out of town for work and did not have any time to schedule posts for the week.  On a positive note, my travels took me very close to the BioWare Mythic HQ and they were nice enough to let me stop by.

I only had a short time to spend with them, as work wanted me to work for some strange reason.  It was great to see the team and have lunch, and yes, there is still a bunch of people at Mythic.  So, what to talk about....

WAR.  I did find out that 1.4.7 will be out [REDACTED].  I also inquired into that 'live event' feature that was mentioned recently.  It looks pretty cool, [REDACTED] will be [REDACTED] in the [REDACTED] at times.  We also talked a little about 1.4.8.  I am VERY excited for this patch for one simple reason: [REDACTED].

WoH.  We did talk about Wrath of Heroes a bit too.  They have a really nice new [REDACTED] coming out soon which I am pretty excited about.  I also got to see a sneak peak of [REDACTED] which is a very cool [REDACTED].  We won't have to wait too long to see what those are either.

I apologize for having to hold out on you guys, but that is the way it works.  Thanks again to the Mythic team for letting me stop by, it was a great break from work!

So what else is going on.... oh yeah, the Civilization 5 Giveaway.  It may be an older game, but they have a brand new expansion pack out: Gods and Kings.  It's a lot of fun, so if you don't have Civ 5, now is your chance to get it for free!  The lottery ends Saturday.

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Civilization 5 Giveaway

Thanks to XCOM Enemy Unknown, I now am in possession of an extra copy of Civilization 5.  That means it is time for another giveaway!  Civ 5 is an excellent game and I highly recommend it, especially when it is free.  So, how can you get your hand on it?

We'll be using Sites with Benefits (formerly known as Project Murdock), which is a project of mine.  Since I have only a single game to giveaway, it is a perfect chance to test out the lottery functionality.  As usual, you can earn points a few ways.  Then you can spend those points on buying lottery tickets.  You can buy as many as you want.

Reward.  Free copy of Civilization 5 for Steam.  The lottery will end on Saturday, October 6th at 12pm EST.  Each ticket costs 15 points and you can buy as many as you want.  Or, you can do the missions and save the points for another giveaway.

If you sign in using twitter, you may want to stop by http://www.siteswithbenefits.com/ and enter an email address so you can be notified if you won the lottery.  Otherwise, it will show up in the Rewards Earned tab after the lottery ends.

Missions


Sign In.  Using the widget on the left side of the screen, sign in and get a cool 20 points.  You can use existing logins ( Google, Twitter and more), so no need to create a new account.

Daily Visit.  You'll also receive 5 points just for stopping by.  (Daily mission)

Trivia.  Answering a question about Civilization can get you 10 points.  You only have one chance to answer, so choose wisely.

Tweet.  Sent a tweet about this giveaway and receive 15 points.  Just use the link on the Mission window to send it out.

Comment.  Which civilization is your favorite?  Leave it in a comment and get 5 points!  (Daily mission)

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Please let me know of any problems, as Sites with Benefits is still in its beta phase.  Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

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