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15 CommentsMMO Anomaly: Behind the scenes with the world builders of Firefall
By Russ Pitts on Jun 18, 2013 06.18.13
The firefall The firefall Firefall has been in development for years. Exactly how many of those years are relevant depends on who you ask. According to Pearsey, the current iteration of the game has been in active development for just over three years. Before that, there was another game called Firefall in development at Red 5, but recent hires, a high-level strategy shift, the founding of a TV studio (Stage 5) and a radical technology revamp have all but obliterated most traces of it. What remains, say Red 5 staffers, is so far removed from what it was that it is essentially a different game. Still, whether it's been three years or ... more than three years, one would think, judging from the game's presence at various trade shows, that there would be more to it...
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2 CommentsFirefall’s final public beta starts June 7
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Firefall, Red 5 Studios' massively multiplayer, free-to-play shooter, will enter its final public beta Friday, June 7, the developer announced via press release. Following tester feedback, the latest beta includes new locations and missions, updated progression and crafting systems, new abilities and improved targeting. Firefall's public beta will run for three days and includes a special contest that gifts winners high-end gear and a special unlock, the Infiltrator Nightvision Goggles. Public betas began in January of this year, and Firefall's open beta kicks off July 9. The Founder's Pack, which includes permanent XP and squad bonuses, in-game currency and more, will be available until July 8.
Firefall public beta coming July 9
By Jenna Pitcher on Apr 18, 2013 04.18.13
Firefall developer Red 5 Studios will open up its beta version of the game for public testing on July 9, the company confirmed with VG247 today. The closed beta will receive updates in the period before July 9, such as players who increase the power level of major cities through local missions and encounters will be awarded with new bonuses and rewards. New battle instances against the belligerent alien race called the Chosen, will be added to the closed beta. Gamers will also be able to explore "pockets" of the Melding storm by unlocking special dropships and raising city power levels. The closed beta will also receive major additions to the crafting and Battleframe progression, along with a new UI. Interested parties can register for the Firefall beta on the official website. For...
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4 CommentsFirefall progression system to undergo second round of changes
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Mar 17, 2013 03.17.13
Massively multiplayer online game Firefall will receive another update to its progression system in order to address difficulty and limitation problems, according to a post on the game's website. Cameron Winston, one of the game's senior designers, detailed the upcoming changes. After the patch, players will no longer have to level specific battleframes to unlock more powerful abilities. Instead, they'll have "a far more flat access to the frames." Battleframes will also now have unique progression trees and be split into three different tracts for Power, Mass and Cores. The new progression system will also include more emphasis on crafting items, which will give players more abilities and gear. Additionally, PvP players will compete with "stock versions" of battleframes they've...
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1 CommentFirefall developer offers a roadmap to upcoming changes
By Dave Tach on Feb 06, 2013 02.06.13
Firefall developer Red 5 Studios revealed a roadmap outlining several changes and tweaks to its MMO shooter set to be released in the coming months. In a post called "Q1 2013 Milestone Plans," Firefall community manger Matt "Phobos" DeWald revealed that the developer has broken down the changes into several categories. The Matchmaking Team will fix bugs, balance player-versus-player matchmaking and rework the challenge mode tool. Red 5 is also creating a new PvP game that focuses on a single objective, working on an experience tailored to new users and iterating on Firefall's progression system to make it "easier to understand and more fun to use overall." Earlier this week, Red 5 detailed some of the changes coming to PvP encounters. You can check out the official post for all the...
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1 CommentFirefall tweaking PvP to remove tiers, regulate gear and ban crafted items
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 04, 2013 02.04.13
Developer Red 5 is tweaking the player-versus-player gear system in MMO shooter Firefall to create a more balanced experience for players participating in both PvP and player-versus-environment instances, according to a recent post on the game's official blog. The post states that the main issue plaguing Firefall's PvP is that it's "not possible to provide a balanced and entertaining experience in both PvE and PvP, for both types of players, if both realms use the same gear." PvP battles should be tests of "skill and teamwork," and since use of gear crafted over longer periods of time will give players significant advantages, Red 5 will disallow the use of player-crafted equipment in PvP and institute "regulation" battleframes (the name for the armor used in Firefall). These...
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0 CommentsFirefall servers now available in Europe ahead of upcoming beta weekend
By Samit Sarkar on Dec 04, 2012 12.04.12
Firefall developer Red 5 Studios has now added European servers to the game, enabling players in the region to try out the MMO first-person shooter during the beta period scheduled for this weekend, Dec. 7-9, the company announced today. Red 5 performed a successful "dark launch" in Europe during last weekend's beta period, and said today "the European servers are now live, stable and ready for additional testing" this weekend. "We still expect some kinks as the stress-testing continues," said Red 5 CEO Mark Kern, "but overall, performance should be significantly improved with less lag for European players." With servers in the region, they should be able to play with much lower latency. Registration for the Dec. 7-9 beta weekend, "Chosen Invasion," is still open. This weekend, the...
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1 CommentThree Firefall beta weekends coming this fall
By Samit Sarkar on Nov 09, 2012 11.09.12
Firefall developer Red 5 Studios is opening up the game's beta on three upcoming weekends, the company announced yesterday. Players can apply to join existing beta testers — Red 5 isn't guaranteeing that everyone who applies will get in — for 48 hours of "unlimited access" to Firefall on the following three weekends, each with its own theme: Nov. 9-11: "Thump the Server," in which players will call down thumpers and fight the creatures they attract Nov. 30-Dec. 2: "Population Control," in which players will work together to keep down the amount of dangerous wildlife in the world of New Eden Dec. 7-9: "Chosen Invasion," in which players will halt the progress of the Chosen The beta weekends will help Red 5 stress-test the servers, in addition to giving players a chance to try...
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0 CommentsFirefall Halloween update brings event and collectibles, developer offers immediate beta access
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Oct 30, 2012 10.30.12
Massively multiplayer online shooter Firefall, currently in closed beta, has received an update replete with a Halloween-themed event and items, developer Red 5 Studios announced today. The update includes the Night of Melding, a two-week event during which players can purchase items like bat-bombs, animated tombstones and a Halloween-themed costume. It will run until Nov. 14. Alongside the Night of Melding, Red 5 is bringing a slew of gameplay changes, new class abilities and bug fixes. You can check out the full rundown on Firefall's official forum. Red 5 is also offering immediate beta access to purchases of the Firefall Founders' Pack, giving buyers a chance to join on the Halloween festivities in the free-to-play first-person shooter.
PAX Prime 2012: Everything you need to know
By Dave Tach on Sep 01, 2012 09.01.12
Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) began in 2004 as "big ass, two day party for gamers." The show is the brainchild Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the team behind Penny Arcade, which is most famous for the duo's long running webcomic starring their alter egos, Tycho and Gabe. Its focus has always been gaming, and PAX remains fundamentally a celebration of games and the culture that surrounds them. PAX features hundreds of current and classic gaming consoles, and provides entertainment from geek-certified artists like Jonathan Coulton and nerdcore pioneer MC Frontalot. As PAX has grown since its inception, it attracted publishers and game developers, who were brought into the fold. Players major and minor will be in attendance. We'll have our gumshoes on the ground, ready to dig up all the best...
