Ragnar’s Realms

Today,  

Filed under: Virtual selves, PvP, Forums, Arena

Players who transfered servers after earning their Season 2 titles are reporting that those titles vanished after a hotfix: Blizzard poster Pavonum responds that some folks who transfer might lose their arena titles.

This mechanic is currently being examined in greater detail, so that further determination may be made as to whether its current functionality is in line with the design as envisioned by the appropriate developers; we regret to inform you, however, that any titles lost as a result of this mechanic are unable to be reinstated or reimbursed by the Game Master Department. Please accept our most sincere apologies, however, for any frustration or inconvenience this matter may have caused, and await word on any potential changes in the status of this functionality.

He later goes on to say that they’re looking into claims that titles were lost not after transfer… the titles transfered intact, it seems… but rather after emergency maintenance. Have any of you transfered a character and lost an arena title recently? If the loss is just part of the risk one assumes when transfering that’s one thing, but it would seem odd and easily correctable if the loss of a title came well after a transfer due to a glitch in maintenance, but I’m hardly an expert in the oddities of server transfer.

Thanks to Jagoex for the tip.

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Today,  

Filed under: PC, First Person Shooters

Ah, the prodigal son returns. IGN reports that long-dormant MMOFPS Huxley has fully popped back up on radar (following a random blip in December) since making a splash at E3 2005 and then flat-out disappearing after E3 2006. Publisher Webzen now plans on releasing Huxley on PC in the US by the end of this year and on Xbox 360 an “expected” six months later.

The Xbox 360 version of Huxley will also be different from what PC players experience. Beyond the obvious changes in interface, the PC version will focus on a story about the missing Dr. Huxley, while the console story will take place 50 years later and center around a terrorist group. Despite the different times, there will be “cross-platform interaction” according to the developer. As for the pricing structure of the MMOFPS? That still hasn’t been determined. Expect the Huxley info to slowly drip from here on in.

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Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Making money

Tomorrow morning Arena Season 3 is scheduled to start up and, among other things, this will bring a lot of new loot into the game. I’m sure many of you are like myself and have been hoarding up honor and arena points in order to buy the new gear as soon as it appears on the vendors. This season, due largely to the new rating requirements placed on some of the new items, I’ve decided to actually put forth effort to be competitive in the arena.

With that in mind, picking up the new PvP gear becomes a priority, and I imagine other people are going to be in a similar position. Gone are the days of dying in the arena week after week in order to finally pick up that amazing weapon. Of course, for many players, there’s a much more important aspect to preparing for Season 3: making money on the auction house.

With new equipment comes the need for new enchantments and gems. Jewelcrafters, enchanters and farmers everywhere rejoice! While you don’t have a lot of time to stockpile materials, it should be a safe bet to farm up items that lead to more Stamina and more Resilience. Any of those items should be good sellers on the auction house tomorrow and the following days. Blue, green, purple gems and Earthstorm Diamonds can all be cut to add stamina in one way or another, and I’d speculate that the blue gems, which can be cut to add pure stamina, will be the best sellers. Yellow and green gems can be cut to add resilience, so I’d also think about selling those for that reason. Primal Earth is the only special enchanting material I can think of that is needed to add these two stats, so there is less variety for this trade skill. Of course, the standard ingredients — Arcane Dust, Greater Planar Essences, and Large Prismatic Shards — should sell well.

I’m only taking into account the more defensive enhancements in this short list, so keep in mind that a lot of people will be buying enchants and gems to augment their other abilities as well. Those items are far too numerous to list here. The ones above will be necessary, to one degree or another, for all classes and specs, so they are likely to be the best sellers.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Did I miss anything that will likely be a good seller?

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Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo Wii, Business

Those worried that these new-fangled video games are taking vital attention away from the written word likely won’t be too happy with the news that Borders Books is reportedly testing game sales in its Oxford Street London store. A handful of PC titles sit alongside the store’s selection of CDs and DVDs as part of a pilot program that Borders UK and Ireland Commercial Director David Kohn thinks could expand to be a core part of the store’s business.

“When it comes to Borders, we believe that computer games could deliver a level of sales equal or greater than our current DVD business,” he said. “This could amount to as much as ten per cent of total Borders sales.”

Kohn seemed particularly interested in adding Wii and DS titles to the stores’ selection in order to “complement our market-leading children’s line-up.” Great idea … just be careful which Wii games you put in the children’s section. Flesh-eating zombies don’t necessarily complement Hop on Pop.

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Today,  

Filed under: News, Halo 3

We have to ask our readers a question: have you seen any movies this month? If not, the people in Hollywood think they know why. You were too busy playing Halo 3, weren’t you? According to many film executives, as reported by Advertising Age, Halo 3 is behind the worst October 5th opening weekend since 1999. Ticket sales for said weekend were down 27% from the same weekend last year, and executives are blaming Halo 3 for it all. As an example, the Ben Stiller flick The Heartbreak Kid opened with only $14 million, well shy of its $20-25 million goal. We suspect there may be another reason for the film’s failure, but with Halo 3 raking in hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s hard not to believe that the film industry is starting to take notice of the game industry. The difference is that games aren’t simply a source of inspiration anymore. Now they’re competition.

[Via Joystiq]

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Today,  

Filed under: Polls, Fan stuff, Features, Humor, Comics

It’s Sunday morning on a holiday weekend, and we’ve got the funny stuff. From a star-struck quest to an inventive new attack, to some puns that backfire, this week you’re sure to be entertained.

1. Thanks to Andrew for the tip on Awkward Zombie’s first WoW-themed comic, due to the artist having recently subscribed to WoW. Check out Swindling Kindling!
2. Also check out Grimfate’s mage envy with this Comic Contest Honorable Mention!
3. Clutch Time from Action Trip.
4. Dark Legacy Comics presents Keydar isn’t Punny.
   
5. From Extra Life comes Questing of the Stars.
6. Shakes and Fidget visit A New World. Check out get buffed for more comics.
   
7. GUComics wants you to Stop Crying.
8. LFG #121.
9. Silent…Deadly from Ding!

If you’ve already picked out your favorite, make the jump to give it your vote!

Continue reading Sunday Morning Funnies: Swindle my kindle

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Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360

Though the many deaths of a Halo-based film were pretty hard for us to swallow, there have been several events since that have helped to cushion the blow. First were director Neil Blomkamp’s live-action short films which were, frankly, not particularly Halo-esque. Now, courtesy of Level Up, we learn that Master Chief would have played a supporting role in the story, driving the film right past Relevantville and into Pointless Gorge.

So we don’t put words in Bungie’s Joseph Staten’s mouth, we’ll give it to you straight from him. “Over time,” he said, “I think everybody around the table agreed that the Master Chief is best left as the most important supporting cast member.” The thing is, when you read his full response, you realize he’s kind of got a point. We’re still not sure if that means we want a Halo movie with the Chief as the wacky neighbor, or if we want the film to just stay dead. What do you think?

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Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Interviews, Gamers on the Street

Gamers on the Street logs into U.S. servers to get the word from the front on what’s going on in and around the World of Warcraft.

What’s the “right” class and spec to be playing right now? What’s going to make the biggest splash on the scoreboards? Why do players choose the classes that they do? WoW Insider readers, who generally enjoy theorycrafting and playing their classes to the absolute hilt, are a savvy lot when it comes to class balance and what specs are hot, hot, hot. Log in, though, and you’re much less likely to encounter players who are concerned with theorycrafting or running up whatever spec is considered the new hawtness. In game, players seem concerned about how to get a fair shake with their character of choice.

We logged in during prime time last night on The Forgotten Coast (PvP) realm to see what players had to say about the classes of 2008 — who’s hot, who’s not and how it all affects their characters and play styles. Who got the raves, and who’s chalking up the most bad press? Read on to find out …

Continue reading Gamers on the Street: The classes of 2008

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Today,  

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, GDC, Galleries

As a general trade show rule of thumb, it is unwise to turn down free food, free IN-N-OUT burgers even more so. With this in mind, we gladly accepted the invite from Microsoft’s Gamerscore Blog. We met fascinating people, ate delicious food, and enjoyed one of the few relaxing moments available during the otherwise hectic GDC schedule. And of course we scored a total megaton story, which was nice. Check out our shots of the event and experience the thrill vicariously through the magic of the internet.

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Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Blizzard, BlizzCon, Wrath of the Lich King

Evidently attendees of Blizzcon have begun receiving emails claiming that Wrath of the Lich King Beta will begin in only three weeks. According to Bornakk, these emails are a hoax, and the original statement provided regarding such a beta still holds. There is currently no WotLK beta, and should one be in the works, there would be an announcement on the official site.

As always, please remember to be especially cautious when asked to provide any account information. Do a search to find out if anyone else has received the same requests, and under what circumstances. If you are concerned about keylogging programs, refer to our guide on protecting your system.

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