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Smite World Championships 2016

January 11, 2016 Alex McCumbers

Yes, I’ve harped about Smite for years, almost since its inception, but it has become one of the top E-Sports spectator games available. That is a fact, Giga Bytes. Riding off the success of League of Legends treatment of high level play and showmanship, Hi-Rez has created an amazing environment for community members, fans, and players that rivals all other gaming events.

This year’s World Championships saw some awesome match ups and included a whole new platform with the release on the Xbox One. Both tournaments were filled with exciting moments from Thanatos triple kills to Adapting‘s dominating presence with Thor. Every god kill, tower takedown, and objective acquisition was met with the roar of thousands of diehard fans at the event. Even I, at the comfort of my home on Twitch’s livestream, found myself shouting and clapping with each battle.

On the Xbox One, controls were still a factor, even after being available for almost a year, making dangerous gods like the Egyptian assassin Serquet less mobile. Even with less precise options, the players in the finals make it look easy. In fact, some teams opted most of their members out of the PC bracket to try to take the gold on the newest console.

The final match-up on the Xbox brought EnVyUs against COGnitive, who won last year’s World Championships. One player in particular, dubbed Omega, showed excellent play for EnVyUS with the tanky Xing Tian, forcing COGnitive to keep an eye out for his mobility and dominance.

Unfortunately, COG was dominated by EnVyUS 3-0. The competition was fierce, but a closer margin would always have been better. Despite a fairly split record this year, COG, last year’s champions still impressed by earning second. EnVy, celebrates as the first to claim victory on the Xbox One.

The PC tournament held the most excitement, bringing more than 50,000 people on Twitch, let alone the packed house at the venue in Atlanta, Georgia. While this pales in comparison to League of Legend‘s numbers, it stands as a testament to just how far Smite has come.

The final match up put the North American underdogs Enemy against the European Epsilon who’ve put up consistent victories throughout the year. Would Enemy’s new team prove the perfect formula to combat Epsilon’s solid structure?

No secrets here, I wanted Enemy to pull through with a victory for North America. Even though, I usually spend my picks on Epsilon, due to their record, remaining almost undefeated with a 27-1 record for the year. Enemy were definitely the underdogs, almost completely reforming their team not long before the Championships. Many were surprised at their positioning, but their skills just weren’t enough for the expert objective coverage of Epsilon.

In each match, Epsilon kept objectives on their minds, rotating in and out of their lanes, baiting in Enemy at every turn. It seemed like every time the Fire Giant was contested, one of the game’s strongest power ups, Epsilon was there to capitalize on it. The third match was the closest, as Enemy lead significantly in overall character levels and stayed ahead a few hundred gold.

However, smart plays by Epsilon turned their potential Championship victory around, not even giving Enemy a single match victory. The European Epsilon finished out their amazing year as the top Smite team in the world, beating Enemy 3-0. Epsilon takes the one million dollar prize pool, the beautiful champion cup, and each of them earn a championship ring.
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Now, I eagerly await a character skin to congratulate them, and give them a permanent mark in Smite history.

Not only did the Smite World Championships bring high octane competition, but it also brought a god reveal. A while back, Hi Rez confirmed it would be adding a new pantheon. Japanese gods will prove to add some more variety in the character roster, starting first with Amaterasu, The Shining Light.

Adding Japanese deities is a big step for Smite as a game that will stay in the minds of players for many years to come. Fans have been asking for new pantheons for quite some time, asking for Japanese, Celtic, and the twisted creatures of Lovecraft. Hi Rez have been at the forefront of letting the community help shape Smite, adding a Cthulhu inspired skin and many, many balance changes over the years.

All of this was built on the free to play model, offering much of the game’s content for no cost at all. Combine this with the ability to purchase every character and all future characters for about thirty dollars. Smite has become a dominant force on the PC marketplace.

E-Sports continues to fascinate, considering most of my peers are into professional football and basketball. What’s interesting is that these people miss some games due to it not being on a TV station or stingy leagues having the rights to live streams. On the other hand, almost every major E-Sports event is streamed on Twitch for free. That alone is a dead giveaway for the popularity of the sport, aside from the support developers have given.

Smite has been a game that I continue to come back to. It’s mechanics and competitive nature creates a timeless play environment. Hi-Rez continues to impress with their support of the game and of high level competitions.

Needless to say, Smite has a permanent home on my PC’s hard drive.

Watch the final day of the Smite World Championships in full below. Might have to skip a countdown timer to get to the action, but there are some truly epic moments.

Community, Games and Software, Indie Pennant, Random Giga

Big Bad Bosses – A Music Team Up of Gaming Proportions

January 4, 2016 Alex McCumbers

Being the savy game journalist that I am, I would be failing all of my readers if I ignored what is created by gamers. Sure, the world of gaming is built on the minimalist approach of Shigeru Miyamoto or the world building of Todd Howard, but everyday, in unique ways, gamers themselves build on the foundation laid by the greats.

Sites like Youtube, Twitch and Facebook spawned the likes of Jirard the Completionist, Pewdiepie and more. These talented gamers often take their love of digital worlds into other areas of expertise like video creation, writing (cough cough) and even game design.

Music has also been a popular outlet of creation for gamers: the pounding raps of Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan in Starbomb to the somber tones of Lindsey Stirling. The amount of excellence in these works is astounding, trumping professional audio productions and even outselling some of the most popular acts of our time.

A new collaboration effort seeks to join these phenomenal music works with an A-list of talented gamers and composers behind the helm. Behold the Big Bad Bosses‘ first album, Power Overwhelming, a gaming tribute pop album with raps and rocking melodies. The parody album gives some of our favorite villains a voice, which features the skills of Jake Kaufman of Shovel Knight and Double Dragon Neon glory, Jirard Kahlil, Alex Faciane, Satchell Drakes and Nate Sharp.

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Gaming culture has evolved drastically from the defiant file sharers of early PC gaming. Now, gamers dominate media, just as authors and film producers did. This movement not only helps gamers branch into professional skills, but also shows just how much video games have become a influential medium as a whole. Games used to be the root cause of evil, as Doom was linked to violent crimes and Grand Theft Auto taking the stand after each release, but there is so much more available.

Video games are a medium worth defending. Gamers like the Big Bad Bosses are leading the movement in a dynamic way.

To snag the new album, head over to the official site of That One Video Gamer’s merchandise, Yetee. Or, find them on iTunes and the Google Play store.

Game File, Games and Software

Alex’s Top 5 Games of 2015

December 31, 2015 Alex McCumbers

This year has brought all sorts of great design and excellent experiences through a multitude of titles. From fighting off beasts to fulfilling the childhood dream of creating levels, gaming has seen some truly awesome innovations. Reflection is an important part of advancement. Therefore, I’ve collected my favorite games released this year.

Note, the games in this list are ones that I’ve personally played and are in no particular order. I also try to include games that brought something different to the overall library of content available.

Super Mario Maker

Creating levels in a classic NES setting is something I’ve always wanted to do, but always lacked the tools, knowledge and gumption to fully realize it. Luckily, Nintendo reworked its development engine into a game with Mario Maker. The result is the most absurd game on the console, oozing with possibility and merit. Years from now, we will surely see game-design courses using this software to teach concepts. It’s sure to be a game I come back to regularly, just to see what’s been made.

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is a Skyrim mod, proving that amazing gaming experiences can come from anywhere. During my playthrough of this narrative-driven mod, I spent 6-8 hours straight, completely immersed. Few games have put me in that state of pure concentration. The puzzles are intriguing, the characters are endearing and the whole experience feels amazing. It’s astounding that such excellence is used to create a free product. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the developers of this one for future projects.

Monster Hunter Ultimate 4
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There has been but one game to sit for months in my 3DS and that’s the newest Monster Hunter. I wasn’t sure about portable hunting, but with the innovations adding layers of depth to an already solid combat system, I’m hooked. It’s also a game that’s a blast to play with friends over the internet or across the room. Capcom has also been abnormally considerate with its additional content, releasing tons of challenges and rewards for free. Monster Hunter Ultimate 4 is a must on the 3DS.

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Fallout 4

Sure, the first trailer didn’t blow me away, but Bethesda’s presentation at E3 left me drained from excitement overload. It quickly became a game of pure experience, setting out with nothing but Vault 111 stitched on my clothes and a need to explore. Sure it doesn’t have the most gripping writing and action seems to be the cure-all solution to problems in Boston, but Fallout 4 consumed me and my peers in a way few games do. Scrounging for duct tape has never been so immersive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGjx-4_R10

Bloodborne

Bloodborne, from a design perspective, has a lot in common with games like Castlevania and Megaman on the NES. Everything in this game was created with purpose. Enemies attack in particular ways, telegraphing their intentions. Weapons function in unique ways. Exploration and mastery of the combat system is required to succeed, even in early levels. Each area has its own feel. The narrative is told in hints through descriptions and subtle visuals. There is nothing like it. I’ve only scratched the surface of Bloodborne, just recently defeating Vicar Amelia, but it has impressed me since my hunter rose from that hospital bed. Just like the Eternal Night, Bloodborne will perpetually be a milestone in game design.

Each of these fantastic games offer something that stands out in a marketplace flooded with content. Of course, there are some amazing games I haven’t gotten the chance to play yet, like Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt or Undertale, but that’s why I love this medium so much. It’s an art that continues to evolve, both in technology and execution.

Who knows what journeys gaming will take us on next.

Game File, Games and Software

Paladins: First Impressions with the Beta

December 28, 2015 Alex McCumbers

It’s no mystery that I am a huge fan of Smite by HiRez Studios. Many tireless hours have been spent dropping the hammer as Thor or opening the pits of the underworld as Anubis. Even though I shy away from the usual MOBA fair, Smite does a great job of blending action, quirky characters and MOBA elements for a solid multiplayer addiction with plenty of depth.

Thus when Paladins, a first person shooter created by the same team was announced, I was giddy. I’ll admit it.

Ruckus is capable of laying down fire while others swoop in for points.

Paladins is a team-based shooter in which players will control a hero with unique skills and weaponry. One minute you can be a knight with a laser shield and a flamethrower, the next minute you can be a goblin piloting a steampunk mech suit. Characters are zany, interesting in their design and have unique play styles. They do lack the familiarity of the mythical beings found in Smite, but these new designs should continue to evolve as the game sees more development.

The core focus of the game is player vs player action. The current mode is comparable to Siege in Smite, but in Paladins there is more speed built into the game type. On average, a match takes about 10-13 minutes, but can be as short as five. On the map are areas which must be held by standing in them. If another player of the opposite team is in the same circle, no points are made (similar to Battlefield or Warframe). Once the bar is filled, a Siege weapon spawns then travels down a set path to one of the enemy’s three gates. The final goal of the match is to use the siege weapon to do massive damage, crushing each gate before blasting the final one, ending the match.

Cards take the place of levels or items and have sweet art to boot!

Mechanically, the game is similar to Smite in its ability use, but feels more like Team Fortress 2. Heroes will have to be rather precise with their shots, like an Unreal Tournament contender or the origin of Deathmatch, Doom. Certain heroes are easier to use than others, with weapons that makes contact easier or an ability that hits a larger area. Experimenting with each character is recommended. Ultimate abilities are currently missing, but may not be needed in the grand scheme of things.

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Pick a card, but not just any card. Think strategically. — Pick a card, but not just any card. Think strategically for success.

What sets Paladins apart from other arena based shooters is its unique card system. Instead of building items like in Smite or picking a loadout like in Call of Duty, once a level is gained, three random cards are drawn from a random or pre-constructed deck depending on the mode being played. The player then picks which cards they want for the effect to activate, creating a controlled random element, forcing strategies and experimentation. Each character has their own special sets of cards, as well. So playing a new character will have a different experience with card builds as well as their innate abilities.

Adding to the card strategy is the ability to construct decks with earned cards. Cards can be unlocked from chests, a mechanic similar to that found in Hearthstone. Earning Epic cards is still just as rewarding, while familiarity with the cards and their effects will build with time as you play the game.

Simplicity meets function in the character designs. Cassie sports her falcon friend and her bow with flair and is one of the better damage dealers in the game.

Artistically, the game looks simple, but with enough fantasy detail to make it seem bigger than it actually is. Dwarves toting around heavy weapons meet elves with bows. Anything can happen in Paladins‘ design, an open way of leaving room for the game to evolve in any direction Hi-Rez decides.

Paladins‘ Beta tests are shaping up to be another interesting multiplayer affair. With Hi-Rez’s track record, one can also assume they will be giving Paladins the eSports treatment, meaning competition will be fierce. The game’s framework is fairly solid, but what will be built upon it is what’s exciting. Even after just a few months, several patches have been added.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on Paladins as it develops.

Comics 101, Indie Pennant, Interview

VERTOSCOPE: A Look Into the Dark Side

December 7, 2015 Grant Starson

Most stories try to get the audience to relate to the protagonist. A likable main character is an easy sell, it’s hard to get people to look into the uncomfortably warped reality of villains. Stories about villains do exist, but they are rare. In this 200-page graphic anthology, VERTOSCOPE adds more entries to that niche. I was recently given the privilege of interviewing the project head, Nechama Frier, to talk about VERTOSCOPE and her own experiences in the crazy world of comics.

Page from "Witchweed" by Ama. — Page from “Witchweed” by Ama.

What advice do you have for writers seeking artists?

Save up enough money to pay one artist a fair rate, for a short story about 20-30 pages. Once that’s complete, that will be your physical evidence of your work, so you can use it to show people what your writing style is. And it doesn’t hurt to do stick figures while you are looking for an artist, there’s a lot of comics out there that get by on their writing despite stick figure art.

Page from "Taming You" by Grace Park — Page from “Taming You” by Grace Park.

How did you get into creating comics for a living?

I wouldn’t say at this moment I can call myself someone who creates comics for a living, I can say I create art for a living. My main income comes from illustrations and stand-alone products, such as cute earrings or scarfs, and projects such as this are stuff I save up for in order to make what I’m really passionate about happen.

Page from "Bear My Teeth" by FATE. — Page from “Bear My Teeth” by FATE.

Why the title VERTOSCOPE?

Ten and I, my co-editor, wanted to try our best to make up a word that was sightly strange and isoteric, that kinda en-capsuled what we were trying to go for. To give a lens to view the world from a warped view, to get the point across that this is something not quite right.

Page from "Coping Mechanism" by Jenn Doyle and Ursula Wood — Page from “Coping Mechanism” by Jenn Doyle and Ursula Wood.

What inspired the creation of this anthology? Why Villains?

Because Ten and I just love villains. We also spend a lot of time on social media, and we see a lot of discourse between fans of works, who seem confused about the boundaries of fiction. A good example is Game of Thrones, where so much of what’s happening is horrible, and many people say “What this character did is horrible, and you cannot watch this show anymore.” Me and Ten are here to say that, no you can enjoy these things, reality and fiction can be kept separate.

Page from "The House of the Immaculate" by Sey Vee. — Page from “The House of the Immaculate” by Sey Vee.

Obviously, with a concept of exploring the psyche of less than noble individuals, shock typically becomes a component of that. What place does shock value have in this project, if any?

It definitely has it’s place, but I was interested to find out that because of the particular stories me and Ten are interested in, and the writers we hired, shock and gore doesn’t play a large role in the stories. It’s still there, but it’s there to emphasize moments where our characters step over those moral boundaries. One of our stories is just about children playing soccer, nothing of real shock occurs, but one character takes it a little further than his peers, so shock is relevant to the specific situation at hand. The shock value always makes sense to the context of the individual story, but none of our authors used it as a cheap gimmick to horrify and disgust viewers, because that’s really not the point.

Page from "Striker" by Stowell/Stober/Shazzbaa. — Page from “Striker” by Stowell/Stober/Shazzbaa.

Who is your favorite villain in fiction, and why?

This question is so tough, because we have so many. Someone once asked me which villain in comics I’d like to write for, and my answer was Lobo for DC Comics. I would go with the Greek God Apollo, who is not normally seen as a villain, but unquestionably is based on his actions. My view of him as a child was this nice sweet god of the sun, none of which is true. He is not nice, he’s not the god of the sun. A great example of his villainous nature is when he wins a rigged music contest against the Satyr Marcyas. He chooses as his prize to skin Marcyas and let his blood flow into the river, he did name the river after Marcyas though, so good job. I find him particularly fascinating, because his God-like status allows him to get away with stuff like this, no one ever calls him out on it.

Page from "The Devil's Pupil" by Ashley McCammon. — Page from “The Devil’s Pupil” by Ashley McCammon.

I noticed on the project description that you mention creators being pressured to create likable protagonists, is this from personal experience by you or any member for your group?

I think that was a reference to both the industry and to what I mentioned earlier with this discourse of social media. There’s been a long issue in the industry between underground comics and mainstream comics, about having complete creative freedom and having self-published stories, without fear of censorship. It’s not that we are creating something new, just that we are creating our own versions of everything. People get stuck on the word new, I can enjoy the same basic structure multiple times, because every author has their own unique take on it.

Page from "The Wonderful World of Wasps" by H. Preece and A. Lee — Page from “The Wonderful World of Wasps” by H. Preece and A. Lee

What do you feel are the benefits to an anthology format over others?

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I think that the format is ideal for any artist that is starting out, or has lower visibility. Not only are short stories less of a time commitment, but also a combination of veteran creators along with new talent is beneficial to everyone. A publisher can be more willing to take a risk on someone who is relatively unknown. The same benefit applies to consumers, they can pick up an anthology by a veteran author they know, and find a bunch of new talent along with that.

Page from "Tincture" by One of Two. — Page from “Tincture” by One of Two.

If the project is successful, will this be something you revisit, such as with a new anthology or stand-alone series based on the stories?

I would really love to, I know a number of creators already have further plans for their short stories. I’ve taken a portion of what could be a longer story for my submission, and if we have a Vol 2. I would love to include new stories, both completely new, and some having the same artist revisit their stories from Vol 1. I would also love to include a section for prose in a future installment.

Page from "The Devil's Dentist" by Mady G. — Page from “The Devil’s Dentist” by Mady G.

How did you get together your team of writers and artists for this project?

It was completely open submission. We put a call out on Twitter and Tumblr, asking for people to turn in their portfolios, a summary of what their stories would be about, and an estimated page count. We got about 150 submissions, and me and Ten went through each to decide what fit best, and offered contracts to those who made it. Those who didn’t make it were still offered a personal response about why the submission wasn’t accepted. Because Ten and I have both been through that process of getting rejections, we felt it was more constructive to offer people with feedback. There’s never a personal reason why people are rejected but mainly budget reasons. We’d love to accept twice as many creators in the future if possible.

Page from "The Bear and the Jester" by ENOCH. — Page from “The Bear and the Jester” by ENOCH.

This is the first kickstarter you have put together, but it’s not the first group-funding project you’ve done, can you explain your past experiences?

Just last year I put together a 12 month calendar featuring 12 different artists, and it was funded through pre-orders, to make sure I had the funding to print it and to pay the illustrators. I’ve been a pro illustrator for 10 years already, and I have always delivered, whether it’s an order from my shop, or a commission. I think the reason we have been doing so well, is because we have built that level of trust with the consumer to produce a quality product and on time.

Page from "Tails" by Emilee McGlory. — Page from “Tails” by Emilee McGlory.

A large component of your stretch goals is bonuses for members of your project, what made you choose to advertise that?

Because I think that the largest part of running a kickstarter is making sure our artists get the reward they deserve. Ten and I made sure we could pay our artists no matter what. The bonuses are built into the kickstarter, but we made sure we could at least pay the artists $50 a page. Artists don’t get paid enough in the first place, and we want to make sure the book is printed, and the artists get paid enough for their work.

In terms of the commissions that are available for backers of $125 or more, what can potential backers expect from commission requests? Does the $1,000 Comics Royalty tier also include a commission from the $125 tier in addition to a 5 page commission from yourself?

Yes, in essence it does, the $1000 tier includes a water color cover for the 5-page commission. What I have done, is to have any commission backers connected via email to the person they request the commission from. After I connect them, I check in via email, and make sure everything went well for both the commissioner and the artist.

Can you tell me a little about your contribution, “C-259”?

It is a sci-fi story, basically set where humanity has lost Earth. It is set in colony 259, one of the last known bubbles of humanity in the universe. Things are going fairly well for them, they are surviving, but then aliens show up, and basically everything gets fucked. The actual story takes place in that colony, and focuses on the choices the main character, Filip Sawicki, chooses to make, given the situation.

VERTOSCOPE has so far made about half of it’s kickstarter goal. There is also a $2,000 dollar Associate Publisher and $5,000 publisher tier, with the latter granting the backer 50 softcover copies of the anthology, a publisher credit, a special bookplate signed by all the creators 15 page comic commission (drawn and colored by Nechama), along with a digitally designed and colored cover.

After talking with Nechama about my personal experiences as a writer hoping to get into comics without currently having an artist, she provided a helpful post by VERTOSCOPE contributor Ursula Wood, to assist others in a similar situation with advice.

Nechama Frier was also kind enough to give a full preview of one of the stories included in the anthology, “Breakfast in Bed”