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Cataclysm Beta Signups Begin
Earlier this week Blizzard updated it's World of Warcraft luncher and website to direct users to update their Beta Profiles on their Battle.net accounts. Like the ongoing Starcraft 2 beta, participants for the testing program are chosen from a database of user-submitted system specs. For a chance to take part, you must setup or update your system profile using the Windows or Mac-based profiling app.
I should note that you can only submit one system profile per Battle.net account, so I'd recommend using your most recent/capable machine to use the profiling application.
Get those opt-ins ready for the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm closed beta! The sundering of Azeroth is nigh, and you don’t want to be left out in the cold of Northrend when you could be enjoying the sun-drenched beaches on the goblin isle of Kezan. To ensure you’re opted-in and eligible as a potential candidate, you’ll need a World of Warcraft license attached to your Battle.net account, have your current system specifications uploaded to the Battle.net Beta Profile Settings page, and have expressed interest through the franchise-specific check boxes.
So get your opt-ins set up, updated, and ready; we're worgen real hard to get the beta going soon!
Thanks to AKS member Dragonmonk for the heads up.
Live Events Return to EVE Online
As promised in a recent CCP developer post, EVE Online's Live Events have returned to herald the forthcoming Tyrannis expansion for the popular space MMO. CCP Headfirst mentioned that, if feedback is positive, the Icelandic-based company may make this an ongoing experience for their players.
In the spirit of all of the other fundamental changes about to take place in the Tyrannis expansion, players will also be able to participate in the return of Live Events. They have, in fact, already begun.
Although only a tentative first step at this time, we hope this experiment ("and others like it," CCP Dropbear wanted me to add) will pave the way for a new generation of interactive storylines.
For this first run of events these encounters will take place both in-game across all sectors of space and through other out-of-game mediums, the latter of which is the part of this already in motion, if you know where to look (hint: news, forums and, oh...why not...other places you may not expect).
All in-game events will be personally run by EVE Online developers and, for the immediate future, every other facet of event production will be handled in-house too.
The Atlanta Content team, in conjunction with a variety of other departments, has been working hard on a new story involving one of New Eden's oldest and most insidious threats, and with the advent of these events, one that will become increasingly real.
The purpose of these events is multi-faceted. For one, we want to elaborate on an entirely new plot line, and one with far-reaching implications. Another objective is to reach out and grab players who may not otherwise be aware of EVE's rich storyline, and of course, to breathe some more life into that world.
Perhaps most importantly though, we want to begin taking our first new steps since AURORA towards creating truly interactive storylines; that is, storylines that players can influence and shape - have an impact upon. This is no small feat for a game as uniquely "shared" as EVE; when participation in a single event can theoretically scale upwards into the thousands, and the "roleplayers" and "non-roleplayers" (if you believe in such a dichotomy) are all playing on the same single server.
These design issues and others are some of the things we want to try and tackle as we experiment with this first run. Feedback from you players is going to help shape current and future events, so please share your opinions and suggestions as things unfold.
Lastly, here are a few ground rules we'll be using to conduct events:
We will be using "reactive" rules of engagement, meaning that in most cases, you won't be shot at unless you fire first. Nullsec is the exception to this rule, and you will be engaged freely there, as you would expect. These rules of engagement will only apply to unique "actors" however. We cannot (currently) tell NPCs not to shoot you unless you shoot them, so if you encounter NPCs in the course of these events, treat them with the same caution you would any other.
No developer tools (or "hacks") will be used in-game to win fights or otherwise influence the outcome of events. Special tools and commands will be used, of course, but only to progress the event itself and never to save the hide of an event actor.
Unique "actor" characters will have standard fittings, and will not have access to modules that you as a player would not.
That's the brief overview of what's to come. As the events begin to unfold we'll likely return here to speak a little more candidly about what is in store, but for the meantime...When you discover an event taking place, think about spreading the word and even checking it out yourself. You never know what's going to happen...
A number of popular fan sites are following the developments of this "Sansha Abduction" event.
Icecrown and 3.3 Landing Tomorrow
Shine your battleaxes and stock your reagents, Icecrown Citadel and Patch 3.3 are landing tomorrow. Aside from the highly anticipated new raid content, the patch introduces the cross-server "Looking for Dungeon" system and a plethora of other changes.
To wet your whistles, the current patch notes from the Test Realm can be sampled here.