MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Here's a look at ESO's first major content update

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:30 AM PDT

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ESO Craglorn
Ready for Elder Scrolls Online's first major content update? Me too, but since it's not out yet, we'll have to make do with this video preview. It's a four-minute clip detailing the Craglorn adventure zone, which is aimed at high-level players and features new quests, incentives to explore, main story updates, dungeons, and quite a bit more. Click past the cut to see for yourself!

Continue reading Here's a look at ESO's first major content update

MassivelyHere's a look at ESO's first major content update originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2014 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Nexus Telegraph: Is WildStar a World of Warcraft clone?

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT

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This isn't a metaphor.  Metaphors are subtle.
No.

That was quick, so we can all -- oh, wait, no, I need to write more. Also saying we can all go home is pointless; most of you are reading this from home. All right, we'll start over. This is one of those things that gets trotted out every time a new game comes along, and in WildStar's case it comes out twice as regularly, since it's the first game in history to use colorful and stylized graphics other than World of Warcraft, except that it isn't.

It's kind of ridiculous, and it's a bit of a pet peeve. As someone who has played World of Warcraft extensively, I find the list of similarities between the two pretty shallow, and it comes across more as a way of dismissing the game without bothering to learn about it. So let's talk about where WildStar does take its cues from Blizzard's game, where they differ, and why saying it's just a clone is absurd.

Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Is WildStar a World of Warcraft clone?

MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: Is WildStar a World of Warcraft clone? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    CCP's Valkyrie eyeing 'a really big transformation in how games are built and played'

    Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

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    EVE Valkyrie
    Eurogamer recent talked to CCP chief marketing guru David Reid about the company's place at the forefront of the fledgling virtual reality movement. EVE Valkryie was the first title to be publicly played on both the Oculus Rift (PC) and Sony's Morpheus (PS4), which puts CCP in the driver's seat in terms of VR game development.

    "There aren't a lot of white papers and APIs and ways of doing these things yet," Reid explained. "We want to be a flagship game. We're on the cusp, potentially, of a really big transformation in how games are built and played, but we have to do our part to make sure that's worthwhile for everybody."

    Reid also talks up Valkryie's connection to the economies in DUST 514 and EVE Online as well as its "rock/scissors/paper" game mechanics. "As I go into a battle and I earn skill points and I earn currency, I can translate those to having the capabilities to fly bigger, better different ships and can kit them differently," Reid says. "It's a fundamental mechanic of the EVE universe, in EVE Online and in DUST, and it'll be coming to Valkyrie as well."

    Continue reading CCP's Valkyrie eyeing 'a really big transformation in how games are built and played'

    MassivelyCCP's Valkyrie eyeing 'a really big transformation in how games are built and played' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Trion shows off ArcheAge housing in dev video

    Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT

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    ArcheAge
    A new dev video from Trion Worlds showcases the housing system in ArcheAge, including tips on claiming the land and building your new house in the game.

    If you were curious about ArcheAge's housing system, the Trion community team shows off the process of claiming your desired land and the details on placing a house from your inventory. Of course, there's an intricate construction process that goes on while the house is being built (in which players can attack the construction site and loot the materials!).

    What happens when you don't pay your taxes? Will that lurking alpha player loot the dev team's stone packs? Check out the full video after the cut to see more!

    [Thanks to everyone who sent us this tip!]

    Continue reading Trion shows off ArcheAge housing in dev video

    MassivelyTrion shows off ArcheAge housing in dev video originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Here's how you can customize your Black Desert character

    Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT

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    Black Desert character creator
    Black Desert's second Korean closed beta test starts on April 22nd, and one of the new features on display in the fantasy sandbox will be a more robust character creation system. Daum and Pearl Abyss have released a four-minute video showing the system in action, and we've embedded it for you after the cut.

    Continue reading Here's how you can customize your Black Desert character

    MassivelyHere's how you can customize your Black Desert character originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: What's your definition of a polished MMO launch?

    Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT

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    Elder Scrolls Online - Spindleclutch swarm mother
    I feel bad for ZeniMax, because it put itself in a bit of a no-win situation when it declared that Elder Scrolls Online's launch would be "polished" and "lag-free." The first of those terms is of course subjective, and there's quite a bit of wiggle room in the entire statement, but even so it was the equivalent of painting a bullseye on your chest and inviting the chorus of anti-ESO snarkanauts to take their best shot.

    From my 50-hours-of-playtime perspective, though, the launch has in fact been completely lag-free. It's also been one of the more polished overall launches I've experienced in a number of years, though I wouldn't say it's number one (Lord of the Rings Online had fewer quest bugs out of the gate, which was all the more impressive since smooth MMO launches were unheard of in 2007).

    In any case, what's your criteria for a "polished" MMO launch? Assuming you played ESO last week, does it qualify?

    Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

    MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's your definition of a polished MMO launch? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Trove offers a peek at March improvements

      Posted: 06 Apr 2014 06:00 PM PDT

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      Lousy Smarch zombies.
      If you want to invest yourself in voxel-based crafting and destruction, you're not starved for options. Trove might not be the highest-profile option within that field, but the game is still in heavy development and updating regularly. An official update shares what the team has been working on in March for anyone who hasn't been kicking around in the game itself, starting with laser mining. Yes, you're not hacking away with a pick any more; you're burning things out with laser beams.

      March also saw the inclusion of ultimate abilities for the Knight and Gunslinger and the rollout of Personal and Adventure worlds. Players can also forge their own dungeons and wear gear free of the threat of decay. For April, the development team will be hard at work with a forging system to upgrade equipment as well as the inclusion of the Fae Trickster. Isn't it nice to have options?

      MassivelyTrove offers a peek at March improvements originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Stream Team: Creating your Elder Scrolls Online CMA character

      Posted: 06 Apr 2014 05:00 PM PDT

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      Elder Scrolls Online
      The Elder Scrolls Online is enjoying a fairly smooth early launch period this week that corresponds perfectly with the start of a new Choose My Adventure. As you've been focusing your energy on picking his character's starting gender, race, alliance, and class, Shawn Schuster has been enjoying the game so far. But the real fun begins when he plays the character you've selected for him to create. Come join Shawn Schuster at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday for a Choose My Adventure livestream.

      Game: The Elder Scrolls Online
      Host: Shawn Schuster
      Date: Sunday, April 6th, 2014
      Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT

      Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

      Continue reading The Stream Team: Creating your Elder Scrolls Online CMA character

      MassivelyThe Stream Team: Creating your Elder Scrolls Online CMA character originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        MMO Week in Review: The Elder Scrolls Online's PC launch

        Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:00 PM PDT

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        ESO
        At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

        After a few pre-launch hiccups, ZeniMax's Elder Scrolls Online MMO formally launched on PC this week. We celebrated with a five-part launch week diary, a guide to exploration, two livestreams, and a month-long Choose My Adventure series in which you'll boss us through playing the game.

        Read on for a look at the rest of this week's top MMO stories.

        Continue reading MMO Week in Review: The Elder Scrolls Online's PC launch

        MassivelyMMO Week in Review: The Elder Scrolls Online's PC launch originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Elder Scrolls Online runs into free sub time billing issues

          Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT

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          You didn't really want to play past early access anyway, right?  You did?  Oh.
          The early access period is over, and The Elder Scrolls Online has launched. Unfortunately, it's running into a bit of a subscription problem. Thirty days of free time are included with the box purchase, something that most subscription-based games include; that's not the problem. The problem is that the game won't let players start in on those 30 days of free time until a subscription has been set up... and paid for, it appears.

          At the moment, cards used to set up accounts are being charged the subscription cost immediately as a verification measure, which means that players who are not able to pay yet are locked out of the game. This is a strange state of affairs, obviously; most verification charges are for a single dollar, but people are reporting a full month's charge being applied immediately. It's most likely a mistake, although it can cause problems for those looking forward to playing on the free month during the launch weekend.

          [Thanks to anonymous for the tip!]

          MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online runs into free sub time billing issues originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          MMORPG News

          MMORPG News


          Celtic Heroes: Mobile MMO Launches Via Android

          Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:05 AM PDT

          Mobile MMO Launches Via Android

          One Thumb Mobile has announced the release of its mobile MMO, Celtic Heroes, for Andoid devices. Mobile users join desktop and browser players in the fully-fledged MMO based on the Unity game engine.

          World of Warcraft: Waiting for Draenor

          Posted: 05 Apr 2014 05:00 PM PDT

          Waiting for Draenor

          This week in the WoW Factor we take a look at six things you can do while waiting for this fall's release of Warlords of Draenor.

          General: This Week's Live Stream Schedule

          Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:01 AM PDT

          This Week

          We've got this week's Live Stream goodness for you to peruse. Check out the games and times to be sure not to miss a single minute.

          MMORPG Reviews

          MMORPG Reviews


          Exclusive Review on Let’s Fish

          Posted: 07 Apr 2014 01:25 AM PDT

          RATINGS: Graphics: 5 Gameplay: 5 Sound: 6 Overall: 5 Pros: Plethora of tackle combination option to try and catch new fish. Cons: Very simple “catching” mechanics | pixelated graphics in full screen.                                                                                                                     We took a look at Let's Fish, the fishing MMO from Ten Square Games that is playable for free in any major […]

          The post Exclusive Review on Let’s Fish appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.



          General Gaming Article

          General Gaming Article


          Facebook Paid Out $1.5 Million in Bug Bounties in 2013

          Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:38 PM PDT

          Facebook Bug Bounty

          Highest number of valid bug reports came from India, followed by the U.S. and Brazil

          Facebook on Friday published an update on the progress of its four-year-old bug bounty program, revealing that it paid out $1.5 million in bounties last year to take the program's lifetime payouts beyond $2 million.

          Total submissions in 2013, according to the social networking giant, rose 246 percent from the year prior to reach 14,763, the vast majority of which were found to be invalid. The $1.5 million it paid out in 2013 were distributed among 330 researchers around the globe, with the average reward being $2,204. Further, most of the bugs brought to light under the program were "in non-core properties, such as websites operated by companies we've acquired."

          "We're grateful to all the researchers around the world who have taken the time to evaluate our services and report bugs. Researchers in Russia earned the highest amount per report in 2013, receiving an average of $3,961 for 38 bugs," the company said in a note. "India contributed the largest number of valid bugs at 136, with an average reward of $1,353. The USA reported 92 issues and averaged $2,272 in rewards. Brazil and the UK were third and fourth by volume, with 53 bugs and 40 bugs, respectively, and average rewards of $3,792 and $2,950."

          The company is particularly pleased with its handling of high-severity bugs, having managed to bring down "the median fix time for high-severity issues down to just 6 hours."

          Intel Announces 14-nm ‘Braswell’ Atom Chip

          Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:24 PM PDT

          Intel Braswell

          Will replace 22-nm Bay Trail

          At the recently concluded Chinese leg of its semiannual Intel Developer Forum, Intel announced the codename of the 22-nm "Bay Trail" Atom chip's successor. The 14-nm chip, dubbed "Braswell", will be aimed at low-cost desktops and entry-level notebooks.

          "Today I want to announce the code name of the next-generation Atom microarchitecture–based PC called Braswell," Intel SVP and GM of the PC client group Kirk Skaugen said during his keynote address on the second and final day of IDF - Shenzen 2014, without giving any release schedule. "It'll be a leading 14-nanometer technology, delivering even lower bill-of-material (BOM) cost and higher performance."

          Whenever it does arrive, Braswell could also end up powering future Chromebook models, with Chromebooks being a key area of focus for the Santa Clara-based chipmaker this year.

          "Last year, we had only four designs on Chrome. Today I can announce that we will have over 20 designs on Chrome,"Skaugen said

          Image Credit: Intel

          Five-year-old Exposes Xbox Live Vulnerability

          Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:10 PM PDT

          Xbox Live Password Vulnerability

          Managed to log in to dad's account with simple trick

          Each month, the Microsoft Security Response Center publishes a list of security researchers to whom it is thankful for privately disclosing bugs in its online services and, often, working with it to fix them. On the surface, the latest list may not seem too different from the previous ones, but that's only until you realize that one of the over three dozen security researchers on it is actually a five-year-old kid.

          Late last year, Kristoffer Von Hassel, a San Diego-based five-year-old, stumbled on a vulnerability in the Xbox Live service, which he promptly exploited to log in to his dad's account and access Xbox One games he wasn't supposed to. This went on until his father, Robert Davies, found out about his exploits and asked him how he was doing it.

          When confronted, Kristoffer, who had until then been "nervous" about his father finding out, was more than happy to spill the beans. He informed his dad that entering the wrong password brought up a password verification screen that could be bypassed by simply entering in a series of spaces.

          "How awesome is that!" Davies told a local news station. "Just being 5 years old and being able to find a vulnerability and latch onto that. I thought that was pretty cool."

          A proud Davies, who works in computer security, promptly notified Microsoft about his son's discovery. The tech giant has not only formally acknowledged Kristoffer's valuable contribution in keeping Xbox Live secure, but also showered him with a few gifts —  four games, $50 and a one-year Xbox Live.

          "We take security seriously at Xbox and fixed the issue as soon as we learned about it," the company said in a statement.

          Image Credit: Microsoft

          MMO Updates

          MMO Updates


          Ultima Online's April state of the game address

          Posted: 06 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT

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          UO
          On Friday, Ultima Online Producer Bonnie Armstrong and the Broadsword Online Games crew took to Google Hangouts for an informal state of the game address and player question-and-answer session. The event marked one of the first time we've heard from the Broadsword team about its plans for the game since its pseudo-acquisition a few months ago. The highlights?
          • The artwork update is still on the way, are are new housing tiles.
          • A resurrection of the old MyUO.com website is planned, along with a revamp of the new and returning player experience.
          • The team hopes to resume putting out one expansion or booster every year.
          On the downside, the team isn't currently working on new housing areas, new items for the cash shop, or storage expansions, and there's no ETA for the bug-free return of vendor search, which was implemented and promptly went kaput just a few weeks ago.

          An interesting factoid pointed out by Stratics poster Nails Warstein: The player split between the old classic client and the newest enhanced client is now 50-50.

          MassivelyUltima Online's April state of the game address originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          One Shots: Up close and very personal

          Posted: 06 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT

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          GW2
          I am pleased as punch today because several of you took me up on the screenshot challenge to get an "up close and personal" picture of an enemy. Without stealth or a sniper scope, this is a very tricky proposition, but even so, three of you came out with the photographic proof.

          First up is reader Wolfger, who escaped by the skin of his teeth in Guild Wars 2. "Here's a shot of Brewer Foster getting up in the face of one of the game's favorite loot piñatas, the champion boar in Queensdale. It catches the beast reeling from a blast as our hero is facing it down with a... slingshot?"

          Mmm... anyone want a ham dinner? Either way, scoot closer to your monitor and prepare to have your eyeballs blown from the awesome images to come in this week's edition of One Shots!

          Continue reading One Shots: Up close and very personal

          MassivelyOne Shots: Up close and very personal originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Daily Grind: Are you making a vampire or werewolf in ESO?

            Posted: 06 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT

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            Elder Scrolls Online werewolf
            Vampires and werewolves may be somewhat cliche nowadays, but they have a long and, in my opinion, fun history in the Elder Scrolls series. So I was happy to see ZeniMax include the option to become one or the other in The Elder Scrolls Online, and I was even happier to see that to do so requires a rare spawn or a bite delivered by an infected player.

            At some point, I'll be turning my Nightblade into a werewolf, just as I did with my Skyrim character. What about you, ESO players? Are you going all supernatural with one of your avatars, or is that not really your thing?

            [Thanks for the links, Dengar!]

            Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

            MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are you making a vampire or werewolf in ESO? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Make My MMO: March 23 - April 5, 2014

              Posted: 05 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT

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              Make My MMO header
              This week the team at Black Eye Games released a bit of new info on its Gloria Victis fantasy sandbox. Last weekend saw a player test of the territory capture and PvP systems, and there are also some new screenshots for your perusal on the game's Facebook page.

              New this week is Contested Space, a pre-Kickstarter project for fans of sci-fi conquest, expansion, and ship design. Creator Matthew "Zon" Haralovich says that the PC/Mac/Linux title "mixes action-oriented ship combat with creativity and community. Players design their own ships and stations while defending and expanding territory for their alliance."

              Continue reading Make My MMO: March 23 - April 5, 2014

              MassivelyMake My MMO: March 23 - April 5, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Apr 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Landmark roundtable video on giving the toolset love

                Posted: 05 Apr 2014 02:00 PM PDT

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                Landmark
                In this week's Landmark roundtable video, SOE Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani is joined by Lead Building and UI Designer Jake Sones to discuss the results of a player poll about which Landmark tool needs the most work and love. Sones tells viewers that the results of the poll were even; apparently there's no one tool that needs serious work, just plenty of player sentiment that many of them need something. He specifically addresses changes being made to how tweak mode handles pasting large objects; ideally, the game will detach the preview from the mouse cursor and provide menus similar to those used by the prop tool.

                The pair also explain the studio's hesitation in implementing specialized and redundant tools like the cylinder tool, citing microvoxels -- a feature the developers didn't even know the game could do -- as something players came up with that might never have been discovered had every imaginable tool already existed to stifle their creativity.

                Enjoy the full video!

                Continue reading Landmark roundtable video on giving the toolset love

                MassivelyLandmark roundtable video on giving the toolset love originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Stream Team: Taming the wilds of WildStar

                Posted: 05 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT

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                It's a bonus day! Because we have to wait another two weeks for the next WildStar beta weekend, Massively's MJ is returning to Nexus today for some more adventures as an Exile. Why live life as an Exile? Being an Exile isn't nearly as bad as it sounds: You rescue animals, save people, and drive the forces of evil out of the land. And you can do it all with a swishy tail! Join us live at 2:00 p.m. for another round of Esper-ific exploits.

                Game: WildStar
                Host: MJ Guthrie
                Date: Saturday, April 5th, 2014
                Time: 2:00 p.m. EDT

                Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

                Continue reading The Stream Team: Taming the wilds of WildStar

                MassivelyThe Stream Team: Taming the wilds of WildStar originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  MMORPG News

                  MMORPG News


                  Line of Defense: Tactics - A Solid Addition to the Squad-Based RTS Genre

                  Posted: 03 Apr 2014 08:06 PM PDT

                  Tactics - A Solid Addition to the Squad-Based RTS Genre

                  Line of Defense: Tactics by game studio 3000AD is an RTS game designed for mobile devises and currently ported to the PC and MAC. It is small squad combat and is a companion game to the upcoming MMO Line of Defense where you control a patrol of four Galactic Commandos (yes... another name for space marines), each with different skills, infiltrating rebel bases, basically killing everything in your way.

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