Filed under: The Firing Line

The Firing Line: World of Warplanes producer talks matchmaking, progression

by Jef Reahard May 18th 2012 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - World of Warplanes producer interview

Last week I talked a bit about a couple of flight sim shooters coming soon to a PC near you. One of them is World of Warplanes, the followup title to Wargaming.net's ubiquitous World of Tanks hit.

The World War II action MMO masters are slipping the surly bonds of earth with a new lobby-based battler that's currently flying through the early phases of its global alpha test. I had a few burning questions for the devs, including specifics on the matchmaking system, progression, and the possibility of historical scenarios. Producer Anton Sitnikau was gracious enough to answer those and more, so head past the break to see what he had to say.

The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition

by Jef Reahard May 11th 2012 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, The Firing Line

What do War Thunder, World of Warplanes, Leonardo da Vinci, and Tribes: Ascend have in common? Not a whole lot aside from their respective appearances in this week's edition of The Firing Line.

Won't you join me after the cut for a rundown on some recent and notable online shooter news? If you're feeling particularly ornery, you can point and laugh at the fact that I'm still not in the War Thunder beta.

The Firing Line: Hands-on with Firefall's beta

by Jef Reahard May 4th 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, MMOFPS, First Impressions, The Firing Line, Firefall

The Firing Line - Hands on with Firefall's beta

I'm dying on the beautiful beach outside Firefall's starter town. As I lay bleeding from a hundred holes and generally making a mess of my shiny new bumble bee-colored battleframe, my avatar collapses to the sand and says the funniest thing I've heard in a while.

"Grandpa!"

This is delivered in his best rural Georgia twang, and it lessens the sting of my latest newbie move. The whole scene is Firefall in a nutshell: It's fun, frustrating, and funny all at once.

The Firing Line: Five reasons to love Tribes: Ascend

by Jef Reahard Apr 27th 2012 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Historical, Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, DUST 514, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - Five reasons to love Tribes: Ascend

Oh, Tribes: Ascend, if only you were an MMO.

Actually, wait a minute. When I think on it, if Hi-Rez Studios' new free-to-play sci-fi shooter were an MMO, I probably wouldn't like it as much. There's something to be said for frequent updates and instant gameplay gratification, and Tribes provides those things (and more) in spades.

The Firing Line: World of Tanks first-anniversary retrospective

by Jef Reahard Apr 20th 2012 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Historical, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, PvP, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks, The Firing Line, Anniversary

The Firing Line - World of Tanks anniversary retrospective

We've been hearing about World of Tanks for so long that it seems crazy to think the title is just now celebrating its first anniversary. Sure enough, though, Wargaming.net's lobby-based multiplayer title is barely a year old. Well, OK. It's almost two years old if you count its summer 2010 beta release, which we won't since the title up there says first anniversary.

Anyhow, what's even scarier than the passage of time is the fact that World of Tanks (and the company behind it) is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Firing Line: Firefall, Defiance, John Romero, and more

by Jef Reahard Apr 13th 2012 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, The Firing Line, Defiance

Dude, there was a ton of big shooter news this week!

I mean, this isn't terribly unusual, particularly since the genre is expanding at a rapid rate, but when I've got to cut interesting items out of this column for length reasons, you know it's been an eventful few days.

Join me after the break for a recap on everything from Firefall to Defiance to John Romero and beyond.

The Firing Line: Can you hate EVE and love DUST?

by Jef Reahard Apr 6th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - Can you hate EVE and love DUST?

Hoo boy, CCP and EVE Online.

Wait, what? Isn't this Massively's shooter column? Well, yes, yes it is, and if you weren't already aware, CCP has made a shooter called DUST 514 set in the EVE universe. I bring this up for two reasons. One, I'm really looking forward to the game (as I might have mentioned last time). Two, CCP has taken some lumps in the PR department over the past couple of weeks primarily because of its annual alcohol-fueled sausage-fest.

I'm not going to rehash cyber-bully scandals today, but since e-thug players will undoubtedly have some sort of DUST presence, and since DUST shares certain unforgiving gameplay tenets with its sister title, should those of you who love sandbox shooters but hate EVE Online even bother with the game?

The Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition

by Jef Reahard Mar 30th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Economy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - DUST 514 Fanfest 2012 highlights

Oh man, this back and forth between PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 is going to be the death of me. I feel like I'm cheating on one game every time I get excited about the other, but I just can't help it since both titles are drawing a bead on my personal sweet spot.

This week's Firing Line is all DUST all the time, thanks to the massive info dump at last weekend's Fanfest 2012 event. I didn't get to go to Iceland for the hands-on, unfortunately, but I did log into PlayStation Home for the keynote livestream (which is archived after the cut in case you missed it).

And I'll go ahead and beg your forgiveness for my fanboy breathlessness in advance this week. I've been an EVE Online player for a number of years now, so I'm already enamored of both the DUST universe and CCP's propensity for sandbox mechanics. What I didn't know prior to Fanfest, though, was just how deep the rabbit hole's going to go.

The Firing Line Exclusive: Tribes Ascend utility pack giveaway

by Jef Reahard Mar 19th 2012 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Giveaways, The Firing Line

Like Tribes: Ascend? Like the Soldier class? If you answered yes to those questions, Massively and The Firing Line have an exclusive giveaway that you're going to love. We've teamed up with Hi-Rez Studios to bring you the Soldier utility pack, which is an upgrade item that grants an additional grenade slot and additional health (don't worry, balance fans; your Soldier avatar will sacrifice a bit of his energy pool when the pack is equipped).

How can I get my hands on this fine item, you ask?

It's as easy as clicking on the giveaway button after the break. After you've secured your code, boot up your Tribes client and select "extras" from the in-game menu followed by "redeem promotion." Enter your code in the box and then click over to your Soldier class to swap out your new pack!

The Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream

by Jef Reahard Mar 16th 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, The Firing Line, Defiance

Welcome back to The Firing Line, shooter fans. I'm still recovering from Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 demo last week (as well as CCP's reveals regarding DUST 514 gameplay footage and impending beta dates).

Life goes on, though, and there are plenty of interesting tidbits to talk about with regard to our favorite genre. Won't you join me after the break for a recap?

GDC 2012: The Firing Line's PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 redux

by Jef Reahard Mar 9th 2012 at 10:30AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, The Firing Line

This week I was fortunate enough to chat up the developers on the two biggest MMOFPS titles of the year. Exactly what year that is remains to be seen, and after hearing Sony Online Entertainment use the word "alpha" quite a lot, I suspect that PlanetSide 2 may slip into 2013. And that's not a bad thing at all, by the way.

CCP's DUST 514, on the other hand, is surely coming in 2012. The devs will be doling out some long-awaited hands-on time with EVE's precocious little brother at Fanfest in a couple of weeks, and while DUST and PS2 share similar core gameplay, their target audiences (and the general feeling I get from each game) are completely different.

GDC 2012: The Firing Line talks release dates with Tribes Ascend's Todd Harris

by Jef Reahard Mar 9th 2012 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - GDC 2012 Hi-Rez Interview, Tribes release date

It's been a crazy week at GDC, and though I've already gotten the skinny on both PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514, there's more on the way when it comes to online shooter news. Yesterday morning I headed over to the Hi-Rez Studios booth on the main show floor, where COO Todd Harris had some exciting news to share with fans of the firm's Tribes: Ascend title.

The free-to-play shooter will officially launch on April 12th, and Hi-Rez has also released a new parody trailer that pays homage to Dead Island and shows off the perils of the dreaded "llama capture" (if you're a Tribes newb, just know that speed equals survival when it comes to flag-grabs).

Join me after the cut for some Tribes-related chit-chat as well news of new content on the way for Global Agenda.

The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend

by Jef Reahard Feb 24th 2012 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - Tribes open beta edition

Skiing! Jetpacks! Pew pew!

Yes, kids, Tribes: Ascend is officially in open beta, and that means you no longer have an excuse. Hi-Rez Studios threw open the doors this morning, and despite the fact that the game's closed beta exceeded all expectations and hosted over 300,000 players since its November kickoff, there's always room for more.

The Firing Line: Derek Smart on Line of Defense

by Jef Reahard Feb 17th 2012 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, MMOFPS, The Firing Line

Welcome to a special interview edition of The Firing Line, folks. True MMOFPS titles are few and far between these days, though 2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for the genre thanks to games like PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, and possibly even Firefall. There's another massive FPS on its way, too, and even though it hasn't had quite as much press coverage as the aforementioned titles, 3000AD's Line of Defense project is worth a look.

Join me after the break for a conversation with lead designer Derek Smart as he talks about what makes the game massive as well as what sets it apart from its competitors.

The Firing Line: Global Agenda year two retrospective

by Jef Reahard Feb 3rd 2012 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - Global Agenda turns two

You! Yeah, you! You still haven't played Global Agenda, have you? I know, I know, you're going to get around to it, it's on your list, blah blah and etc. While you've been dilly-dallying about, Hi-Rez Studios' sci-fi shooter has gone and turned two years old!

That's OK, though, because the game has more options, more content, and more pew-pew than at any time in its history, and thanks to a gaggle of anniversary events, now is the perfect time to saddle up.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Cataclysm Launch	Dec 7, 2010
DCUO Launch	Early 2011

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Brianna Royce	Senior Editor
Rubi Bayer	Community Manager
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Larry Everett	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Karen Bryan	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist