So long, Space Cowboy

_{[Header courtesy of Steam user Apoc Hedgie]}

Tribes 2 was one of my favorite games as a pre-teen. I would wake up super early so I could get some uninterrupted play in on my dial-up modem. That is a piece of technology I haven't thought about in a long time, but those memories were joyous. I learned to type really fast because of Tribes 2.

Tribes: Ascend, while solid, never clicked with me. I couldn't seem to get into the series after the glory that was Tribes 2. I did give the game a fair shot and even accumulated about 10 hours on Steam, but I e??ventually grew tired of the free-to-play schemes that were bolted on. I just wanted different weapons without paying, despite being pretty damn good at the game.

After a surprise patch last year, it looks like developer Hi-Rez Studios is done with the title. In a new update, titled "Parting Ways," Tribes: Ascend will be coming to an end. The?? game will still remain up fo?r download (and with all of its microtransactions up for purchase, heaven forbid), but there will be no official support moving forward.

I think this would be a great opportunity to turn the game over to the community. Much like how, in the distant past of 1997, id Software turned over the keys to Doom, it would be wise to let people go nuts with Ascend. It runs ??on the Unreal 3 engi??ne, so people could easily mod the hell out of it.

If nothing else, at least remove all of the free-to-play nonsense. I'd love to actually have a different ?weapon and class without playing for an exorbitant amount of tim??e. The game was really fun, at first.

Tribes Is Dead Again [Kotaku]

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All is not lost

The team behind Tribes: Ascend have no more major updates planned for the game in the foreseeable future as they focus development on their MOBA, Smite. All is not doomed for the frantic first-person shooter community t??hough as High-Rez Studio is looking to bring in map-making tools to the game.

"The one thing we’re going to be working on next is a path for users to basically add their own maps,” CEO Todd Harris told Rock, Paper, Shotgun. “We just feel like it’s at a good point to have users maintain it. We feel that?? it’s a complete experience, and we want to give users the tools to add their own maps – versus, say, us adding more guns that wouldn’t benefit [the experience].”

The exact specifics of how and what these tools would entail weren't given, but Todd did mention in his interview that work has started toward an SDK. Todd also hopes to have these tools released within the n?ext six months.

Not Dead Yet: Tribes Asce?nd To Get Map-Making Tools [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

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Studio to shift focus on Smite

Some rather worrisome news for Tribes: Ascend players has emerged from its development team regarding future support. According to a statement put out by High-Rez Studios' co-founder, t??here will be an absence of any 'major' updates for the free-to-play shooter for six months.

Responding to a question on Reddit, Todd Harris revealed that the team will be spending the next six months working on their upcoming MOBA, Smite and went on by saying that, "TA2 would be more likely than a major update to TA," though he made i??t clear that an actual sequel is not currently being worked on.

Harris also revealed that one person from the development team is working on additional mapsand that, "if time allows," said maps, along with some b??ug-fixes, will be pushed out -- though no date has been pledged.

I have no doubt that many Ascend player??s out there are disappointed about this; what's your take on all of this?

Open Letter To Hi-Rez - Response [Reddit via PC Gamer]

The post No more ‘major’ updates for Tribes: Ascend for six months appeared first on Destructoid.

Unlocks all gameplay content

I've always wished that free-to-play games would allow me to pay a certain amount of cash upfront and just give me everything I want. Well, Tribes: Ascend is doing exactly that, starting February 15. Stop reading my diary, Tribes! Titled the "Tribes: Ascend Game of the Year Package," a single payment will unlock "all gameplay impacting items" including weapons, perks, and cla?sses.

Starting at a discounted price of $29.99, it seems like a pretty reasonable price. If you're a VIP, it gets cut even further to $19.99. It's a bit of a bummer for the people who have spent more than that and still don't have everything, but for the many who hold the??ir money back this could be a nice investment. There are also new maps being added and some balancing tweaks in a new patch, also ar??riving on Friday.

The Tribes: Ascend Game of the Year Package will be available starting on February 15, and the patch notes can be read here.

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There's a weird subdivision of people who will only play PC games if they are on Steam. I understand the basic notion of this (it's easier), but I do not understand the fundamentalists who follow this notion. S??houldn't you want to play a good game regardless of how that's accomplished?

Anyway, good news for people who want all of their hours logged and displayed online for everyone to see: Tribes: Ascend is now on Steam! There aren't any Steam achievements, but there is a sale on the "Steam Starter Pack" which includes "a lifetime 50% XP Boost, 4 Bonus Weapons for base classes, 2 ?c?lass unlocks, 4 Perks, and 800 Tribes Gold." Currently on sale for $9.99, this will otherwise run you $19.99. That lifetime XP boost seems mighty tempting. This update also includes a new map, Stonehenge, first-person spectating, and some new supported languages for the game.

This is great news for Tribes: Ascend fans and Hi-Rez Studios since this will undoubtedly bring in way more llamas players into the game. If you're new to the game, read over this Tribes 101 image and be prepared!

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Tribes: Ascend is, fittingly enough, becoming a popular eSport at alarming speeds. It shares a lot of common themes as traditional sports, like football, so the transition into watching eSports is less jarring for some players. Tribes: Ascend is about to kick off the "Summer of Tribes" tournament, lasting until August, and you can catch the finals for the first event over at the cyber-sports stream this Saturday starting at 7:00pm Eastern. There's $2,500 on the line this weekend, but the top prize of the summer is $10,000! That's a lot of Tribes Gold...

Hi-Rez has also made an announcement that made me as giddy as a school girl: you'll soon be able to stream matches of Tribes: Ascend straight from the client itself, powered by Twitch.tv! With such a heavy emphasis on the eSports community, this is so great. Dota 2 lets you stream player matches seamlessly and I'm glad to see a similar feature in Tribes: Ascend. 

For more information on the tournament, check out the NASL website.

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Tribes: Ascend has been getting a lot of positive feedback from not o??nly the gaming press, but also the community. After less than a month after it's release, Hi-Rez shares some footage of it's 2 upcoming maps and gameplay changes that they will be implementing.

The video shows off 2 new maps, as well as some new features and modifications that were requested by the community. "Tartarus" is a new Capture the Flag map with a giant dilapidated ship serving as it's central hub. "Hinterlands" is a new Arena map that has lush and colorful foliage, as well as deadly pools of aci?d. The level designers wanted to go for a more organic feel to these maps, and the strong color palettes and design elements incorporated into them really help push that forward.

These new maps and changes are available now on the newest update 1.0.961.0. I just hope that King Foom, Ryan and the rest of our team can utilize the power of load out switching against those Machinima vagabonds.

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Destructoid is taking on Machinima once again, this time in the free-to-play Tribes: Ascend. Destructoid.TV's King Foom, and associate editor Ryan Perez will be leading the charge with our community team made up of the winners from the playdate last month: Artt?emis, dndmatthew, H??olopoint, Jahok, and UncleAlty.

The match will be streamed live by Hi-Rez Studios, Destructoid, and Machinima on each of our channels, all of which can be viewed on one page right here. Destructoid will be representing team Blood Eagle, with the Machinima losers playing as te??am Diamond ??Sword.

The matches begins at 2PM Pacific/5PM Eastern today, and wil?l consist of seven rounds of 7v7 Capture the?? Flag. Machinima is going DOWN!

The post Destructoid versus Machinima in Tribes: Ascend?? ?live! appeared first on Destructoid.

Tribes: Ascend is the fast paced free-to-play first-person shooter from Hi-Rez Studio that just launched this past month. A bunch of us at Destructoid have been playing like crazy, including Patrick Hancock. If you haven't touched the game yet you should go read his preview and see ??wha??t all the excitement is about.

Or, you know, you can just go download it for free! Lucky for you new players, we're giving away the medium Spinfusor weapon for the Soldier class of Tribes: Ascend! It's a great weapon for players just startin??g off and a boost for any current players who have yet to unlock the weapon.

To get the weapon, login or create a Destructoid accou??nt, then head to our distribution page and click the "Get my beta code!" button. Once you've gotten the code, use the in-game menu to select "Extras" then "Redeem Promotion". Enter the code and you got the Spinfusor!

While we're at it, what's your Tribes: Ascend name? Let's play together!

The post Here’s 10,000 codes for the Spinfusor in Tribes: Ascend appeared first on Destructoid.

We are at the doorstep of a new generation of games. The free-to-play market is doing its best to shake the stigma frequently associated with its business model. These new free-to-play titles have no barrier to entry, and they're actually good! One of the handful of developers pushing this movement is Hi-Rez Studios with Tribes: Ascend.

Tribes: Ascend is considered to be the successor to Tribes 2, which came out over ??a decade ago. Thankfully, this new foray into the universe does a great job of bringing the jetpacking, multiplayer-only, first-person shooter up to spee?d. About 200k/h, to be precise.

Tribes: Ascend (PC)
Developer: Hi-Rez Studios
Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios
Release: April 12, 2012
MSRP: Free-to-Play
Rig: AMD Athlon 7850 2.80 GHz, with 4GB of RAM, GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPU

Tribes: Ascend claims to be the fastest shooter available, something that becomes highly evident to both spectators and players alike after only a few short moments of gameplay. The main m??echanic is "skiing," which allows frictionless movement across the game's terrain. Holding the spacebar will allow you to ski, but without any actual momentum, you won't go very fast. 

This is where the jetpack comes in. The jetpack is your main source of vertical movement, but it’s limited by the amount of Energy your character class has. Ideally, skiing down big hills and letting gravity do all the work wil??l conserve the Energy needed to burst uphill using the jetpack, allowing the player to f?ly smoothly around the map at incredible speeds. Once mastered, you can begin to use explosives to boost yourself to even higher speeds.

Having a good grip on this movement mechanic is required if you want to stay at the top of the scoreboard. By moving slowly, you're almost guaranteed a quick death. There's a jump button, I think, but if you're using that instead of your jetpack then you're not doing it right. Movement is the most unique aspect of Tribes: Ascend and will take some time to get used to. An in-game tutorial introduces the basics of how skiing works, while a skiing mini-game allows you to really test your skills. Once you get the hang of it, skiing gives you?? an incredibly natural and smooth feeling that is just about unmatched by any other title.

The free-to-play model allows you to jump straight into Tribes: Ascend and start playing immediately, though a ton of things remain for you to unlock. You are given three free character class loadouts out of a possible nine. The amount of diversity among these three classes, specifically when it comes to weight, allows you to experiment and discover your preferred play style. Each weight class has a different level of maneuverability, so don't expect to be the fastest skie??r while playing as the Doombringer.

Each class allows for a lot of customization, though you'll have to unlock more weapons and items in order to really start personaliz??ing your classes. While playing the game, you'll earn XP depending on what accomplishments you achieve in a match. Unlocking the classes themselves is rather cheap, which is great since you won’t be set too far back in currency by unlocking a class that you don't jive with. So far, each item that affects gameplay can be unlocked without spending any real money, requiring only XP. To expedite the process, however, real cash can be spent to buy Gold within the game, which can then be used to unlock various items.

While everything can be obtained throu??gh XP only, some items will take for-ev-er to unlock this way. The most expensive items right now cost 100,000 XP to unlock. At a casual rate of play, this could take weeks to accomplish and may even feel like a grind. If you were to purchase $10 worth of Gold, that weapon could be yours instantly. Most of these weapons aren't?? necessarily better, but offer a different -- and sometimes easier -- way to play the class. 

It's a shame that most of the starting weapons for the classes aren't explosive weapons, as these are much easier to use for newer players. There are plenty of weapons with an explosion radius so large that you need only shoot near an enemy to do damage, but very few classes start with one, requiring you to shell out either XP or Gold in order to unlock ?them. This is the only real issue with the unlocking system -- some gated items feel like they should be the starting items for a class.

There are four gameplay modes in Tribes: Ascend, but only two of them are truly balanced and fun. Team Deathmatch has a single flag that grants the holding team double points, but in the end it just feels a bit "been there, done that." Arena Deathmatch is even worse, placing you in a much smaller arena with a set number of team respawns. Even though you're skiing really fast (hopefully), these modes feel uninspired and certain classes feel underpowered. They are quick diversions at best, but they don't contain the true Tribes experience.

The remaining two modes -- Capture the Flag (CTF) and Capture and Hold -- are where the most engaging gameplay can be found. CTF truly captures (get it?) the essence of what Tribes: Ascend is. Besides the basic "get their flag" aspect, each t?eam has a base that they have to keep powered and upgraded in order to?? properly defend. A radar station and base turrets are powered by one central generator, which the enemy can destroy to cut power to everything until it is repaired. This often means that playing defense is just as vital and important as playing offense. 

Capture and Hold is a bit larger in scope, as there are five control points to manage. The team dynamic is definitely there, but it feels more disjointed. Usually, there are about two or three points that will constantly go back and forth between teams. There is no generator to take care of, but you'll still want to make sure that the radar station and turrets are up and running while you control the point. In fact, once I repaired a turret for one of our captured points, but unbeknownst to me, it was simultaneously being captured by the enemy. Naturally, as soon as I repaired it back to its functional state, it shot me point blank in my face. Small moments like this are what make Tribes: Ascend so interesting to play. 

During matches, you'll earn credits to spend on a multitude of things. These are different from the XP and Gold that you can spend outside of matches. Credits are earned on a per-match basis and can only be spent during that match. Credits allow you to upgrade you?r base, call in air strikes, or purchase vehicles. Vehicles are somewhat pointless at the moment because ?of how quickly they are destroyed. They just aren't worth it for the amount of credits you have to spend to purchase them.

The maps themselves are absolutely huge, except in Arena mode, and consist of plenty of hills used to gain speed. Map knowledge is crucial, especially in CTF, as it will allow you to set up the perfect routes to gain speed and capture the enemy flag without stopping. Luckily, Tribes: Ascend allows you to roam the map freely whenever you wish to gain such knowledge. If you capture the flag without a lot of speed, it's considered a "llama grab," and the game makes sure to let you know when you've accomplished such a heinous crime by awarding you a special medal. 

In fact, the game gives you plenty of medals for your in-game achievements. Such standards as Double Kill or Revenge Kill are still there, but the game has included some original ones, like the Blue Plate Special (hitting an enemy with an explosive weapon while in mid-air), to let you know it really cares. These medals are nic?e little rewards that make you feel good for doing something useful or impressive. 

While you can probably tell just from the screenshots, Tribes: Ascend looks fantastic. Although almost every ma??p consists solely of hills upon hills in terms of terrain, the overall aesthetic varies greatly. One map consists of snowy terrain and an icy-looking sky, while another has a deep red hue and two giant lava-filled castles. You won’t have to worry about getting the feeling of déjà-vu whi?le playing the various maps, thanks to the huge difference in aesthetics. 

Lag seems almost non-existent, as long as you stay on your region's server. It is not common to see players instantly teleport to where they were three seconds ago, or deal with damage not registering due to a drop in latency. Getting into a match is also really quick, with wait times often clocking in at under?? a minute.

To join a game, you'll simply pick a mode type and be placed in a queue. You can also join in on a friend’s game if you want to play together. Now that Tribes: Ascend is out of beta, Hi-Rez Studios has a?lso added a "Custom Server" option for players who want a slightly modified experience. Not just anyone can create a server yet (though it still says "Sneak Preview"), so you're currently funneled into whatever specific modifications that other people have chosen. Apparently, people hate the Technician class enough to create servers banning it.

Tribes: Ascend brings jetpacks back to the FPS genre in a major way. Even if you've never played a Tribes game before, Ascend offers the perfect opportunity to jump in and see why the franchise has lasted this long. You'll want to spend the majority of your time in the CTF mode, though, as that is what Tribes was created for and is likely where you'll find the most enj??o?yment.

Some of the items will require either a significant amount of playtime to?? unlock or a quick cash payment, but if you want to support Hi-Rez Studios for making an incredible free-to-play game, you shouldn't feel cheated by paying some extra money. Just because it is "free-to-play" doesn't mean you can't throw some of your money their way.

I didn't expect Tribes: Ascend to finagle its way into my normal rotation of multiplayer games along with Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2, but once I started embracing the skiing mechanic and playing as a team, I found myself booting it up more often. Given its free-to-play nature, one can only hope that the vehicle imbalances will be fixed and additional worthwhile game types will be added in the future. For now, it's still an incredibly enjoyable and unique FPS experience that you have no excuse not to download and GO F?AST.

The post Review: Tribes: Ascend appeared first on Destructoid.

Tribes: Ascend will soon be exiting its open-beta stage and will finally be considered a full-release-quality product. Sterling and I already agree that the game is incredibly fun to play even if we aren’t the best skiers on the server. Since Tribes: Ascend will be released as a ??free-to-play title, Hi-Rez studios knows that? their work will never truly be done. 

The professional players were playing on a CTF map new to Tribes: Ascend called Raindance. Former Tribes players may remember this map from Tribes 2 and it was pretty clear that the pros already knew how to navigate the map. It was their first time (in Ascend at least) and they were already mastering skiing routes that led right up to the flag. Perhaps more importantly, though,?? is the idea that new maps will continue to be added to the game across the various modes.

Recently, an Infiltrator weapons pack was added to the game, giving the class three new playthings and some new skins. As with everything in the game so far, yo??u can unlock the weapons by either shelling out real cash or earning enough experience by just playing the game. I asked Todd if we could expect to see packs like this for all of the classes in the future and his answer was an emphatic "Of course!" He also assured me that they will follow the same payment methods for weapons: experience or real money -- your choice. Skins, however, will be real-money only, a model that many games use with great success.

I also got to talk about Tribes: Ascend being played as an e-sport, something that Todd really enjoyed. We both mentioned that Tribes: Ascend has a lot of potential to break through one of the largest barriers that many games encounter: understanding what’s happening. To people who don’t play StarCraft II, it can be incredibly hard to understand just what is going on in any given match. They might get the gist of it, but beyond that the jargon and colloquialisms used will turn many people a?way.

Tribes: Ascend contains an alarming number of similarities to "normal" sports that are popular in the West. The flag is essentially the ball, and there’s legitimate passing, interceptions, and a midfield. Commentators are not limited to game-specific jargon which might confuse certain members of the audience. Todd and I both agreed that this seemingly little detail could help bring Tribes: Ascend up to a competitive level that encompasses many new audienc??e members. 

Tribes: Ascend officially releases on April 12th on PC.

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Shazbot! Tribes: Ascend has been taking up quite a bit of my time over the past few weeks. It's currently in its open-beta phase, with a released date of April 12th. It's a free-to-play FPS for PC and many of you may already be familiar with the series. Tribes 2 was kind of a big deal.

You can head over to the official site and give it a go if you wish and hey, while it downloads, why not read this here discussion? Join me, my amazing segue abilities, and my discussion buddy Sterling "Aiayla" Lyons for our tho?ughts on the beta! Spoiler: we like it.

Patrick Hancock: So, if you had to describe Tribes: Ascend in ONE WORD, what would it be? I'm going with lovely.

Aiayla: I'd sa??y ... extreme! And if I could use two more words: holy shit! or fuck yeah!

PH: Damn, now you've got me PUMPED! So I guess it's pretty obvious out of the gate that we're both fans of Tribes: Ascend. Have you played any of the previous Tribes games?

A: I actually have not. Tribes: Ascend is my first foray into the series, honestly. I remember hearing that jetpacks, vehicles, and large-scale battles were what the games were about, and that piqued my interest. Also the whole ... Tribes: Ascend-being-f??ree thing. But yeah, I became a pretty instant fan when I first jumped in. It really is extreme, and awesome at the same time.

PH: Me neither! I've always known about it but I was always playing either Counter-Strike or Team Fortress Classic back then. You can imagine my confusion when I jumped into Tribes:Ascend? and tried to zoom in and started using my JETPACK. ??The game is definitely unique, which brings us to our first topic.

Why is Tribes unique?
PH: I wanted to include this short section to set up some of the game's mechanics for those who don't know. First off: this is a first-person shooter game in which you ski. Think SkiiFree with guns. ??Basically, you hover across the ground with the spacebar and use momentum to get up to incredible speeds. How long would you say it took you to comprehend the skiing mechanic?

A: Not too long, actually. I thought that the game had a really good tutorial on how to ski, as well as a nicely laid out obstacle training course. Aiming?? while skiing -- that's another story. I think it's really cool how the skiing and the jetpacks complement each other though, and found that it really helps add some level of dynamic pathing to each of the maps I played on, whereas other games you'd usually stick to following a few rather laid out routes. Here, you could run, jetpack jump, land into a ski, and jump again to make it across areas in no time flat.

A: Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that tutorial. I jumped right into the game and eventually just figured it out. I saw people zoo??ming across the level and just thought "I GOTTA GO FAST!" I'm s?till pretty awful at it, actually, as evidenced from the skiing mini-game included in the game where you build up speed to go for a huge jump off of a hill. This is why I stick to mostly defensive classes. Speaking of which ...

Class gameplay
PH: There are currently nine classes in the game, each with their own properties and we?apons. There were more classes, but a somewhat-recent large patch merged some together in favor of fewer and more customizable classes. As I mentioned, I spent just about all of my playtime on defense so I unlocked the "Technician" class, capable of deploying a turret and fixing structures (more on that in a bit) better. I was really excited that this in no way hurt my spot on the scoreboard. Sure, I wasn't first, but doing defensive actions rewards you with plenty of points to feel as if you're progressing in the game.

What kind of classes did you play, Aiayla?

A: I stuck to the fast type of classes, like the "Soldier," and the "Pathfinder." I couldn't really stand how slow the bigger classes were, even when skiing. How am I supposed to become world SkiiFree champion ... wait, wrong game. Yeah, I?? liked having all that mobility at my disposal. I did end up choosing one of the bigger classes in a match where I just outright needed the more powerful weapons and the armor just to survive. I also unlocked the Technician as well to use in one of the capture the flag modes.

PH: Did you tinker with any of the class upgrades that we??re available?

A: Nah. I didn't really earn enough points to mess with much of that (especially after saving for a class), but I did do a bit of upgrading on one gun. It seems like upgrading might be fairly linear per each item, with things like magazine sizes, rate of fire, and a few other things. It looks like there are quite a few items for ea??ch class to swap around and int??erchange to make each class your own, so to say.

PH: Yeah, upgrading a weapon is linear and makes it clearly better, which might annoy some new players. However, upgrading a single weapon doesn't take very many points so it won't take long to max out any one of the early weapons. The real points are spent on new classes or different weapons. Some of them are a ton of points!

Pricing model
PH: Since this is a free-to-play game, unlocking certain things will definitely take some time. You gain points on a match-to-match basis, depending on how well you do. The most recent big patch made it that so classes don't take weeks to unlock, which is GREAT. Oh, and you can totally just buy golden points with real money if you wish to speed up the process. Personally, I never felt as if people who played more had a direct advantage because they h??ad more points. Did you ever get that underpowered feeling while playing?

A: Yes. Then I switched to the one heavy class that was unlocked and, well, I guess not, actually. I don't think that buying anything really allots any kind of special unbeatable advantages, though. I really like how everything that can be bought can also be unlocked just by playing. I remember that Blacklight: Retribution ended up doing a very similar thing once it went into open beta, where all non-cosmetic upgrades could be permanently unlocked with in-game points. I think I like how it's handled in Ascend more because it ?cuts out the middle stages of cheap "temporary rentals" before you can hit that permanent unlock on all the things. Even still, I thought that the first three classes that come with the base package provided more than enough ways to handle all the situations I came across.

A: Yeah, they ??do give you a variety of classes to start with and as I mentioned before, it won't take you too long to unlock another one of your choosing.

Game modes
PH: I spent just about one-hundred percent of my time in the Captur?e the Flag (CTF) mode. I liked it a lot more than Team Deathmatch (TDM), even if TDM still has a flag. You see, if your team is holding the flag in TDM, you get double points for kills. It adds a nice layer on top of the tried-and-true method that is in every other FPS in the world and is much appreciated.

CTF, on the other hand, has a few more layers. There's a generator for each team that powers certain structures ??around the base: Radar, Turrets, Inventory Stations, and the Vehicle Stations. Having your generator taken out will severely cripple your base so it's best to make sure it's up and running at all times. You can upgrade? most structures with the points you earn in-game, making them better overall. CTF is where I was able to play a lot of defense and still get rewarded for it. Making sure the generator and the other structures were up and running was my goal in each game.

Oh and there?'s a new Arena Deathmatch mode, but I haven't touched that?? at all. What mode did you play most?

A: I felt the same way about the Team Deathmatch mode. I actually spent most of my time in Arena Deathmatch. I dunno -- I guess I liked it because of the interesting structures that you fought on. You really have to watch your footing a whole bunch as there is very little to stand on, and falling off leads to a host of suicide deaths. Kills rolled in a lot faster there, and it was significantly more fun to me. ?I also spent a good chunk of time in the Capture the Flag mode as well. I like how the bases are established, with points that can be sabotaged to make it easier to make off with the enemy flag. It?? was a good mix of things to make it all interesting.

PH: Were the maps in Arena Deathmatch really big? Were the??re a lot of skiing opportunities?

A: There were less for sure, but there were a lot of straightaways. It felt more like the skiing was used to keep up momentum when clearing one side of the map to the other in a short amount of time. It felt like the jetpack was more emphasized here. I felt like I was being more tricky and skillful with my use of the combination of bot?h abilities. A simple misjudgment on when to let go of skiing, or losing track of the platform when in the air is pretty much an instant death.

PH: Hmm, that's interesting, but I love that the various modes are so different that you'll never experience that feeling of deja vu. Oh and vehicles! There's vehicles you can buy with the points you earn on a per-round basis in CTF. I think there are three tiers? Light, medium, and heavy vehicles? I've jumped in some of them to fire weapons but never actually bought any myself. Th?ey seem to be taken out really fast with an air str?ike and make it seems not very worth it. Did you drive them? How do they handle?

A: You can't ski when in them, so I didn't really experience much in the way of vehicles. The few times I bought one, I died pretty quickly, and I didn't notice many other people using them. I mean, I saw people using them, but I never really saw it firsthand. Plus, then I went with the engineer class, and stayed in base pretty much all match long to stop spies from sappin' mah sentry generator.

PH: Yeah, I can't say that ve??hicles look that great. I think those points are better spend on other things. I saw teams try to use vehicles in a competitive setting only to have them blown up about 30 seconds later. Which brings me to ...

Tribes: Ascend ShowMatch on NASL

Future as an "esport"
PH: I'm not sure I would have even thought of this topic if it weren't for the North American Star League (NASL) streaming Tribes: Ascend showmatches a couple of weeks ago. I saw people who really knew how to ski and tactics I would have never thought of otherwise. For example, sometimes teams will not return ??their flag immediately and instead keep it where it was last dropped. They do this because most people have an optimal route to capture the flag that allows them to zoom by at max speed and take the flag without losing any speed. However, if the flag is somewhere ELSE, the flag cappers have to make up a route on the spot, which will be a testament to their skill and knowledge of the map. Blew. My. Mind.

Do you think it'll be able to hold up as well as say, StarCraft II or Counter-Strike?

A: I dunno, but I always love welcoming new games into the foray of competitive gaming. I certainly think that it has a certain ... I guess the best way to put it is "extreme" factor. The whole thing reminds me of that "X-Games" atmosphere where you feel like you need to be over the top in everything you do. I suppose that fits in with how people have "optimal" routes where they can straight shoot the flag and back quickly. Plus the whole skiiing thing. It almost feels more like it IS trying to be a sports game, plus guns and shooting. If it doesn't take off like StarCraft of League of Legends, the??n I certainly think it will make its own nich??e in the limelight.

PH: Oh yeah, you saying "shoot the flag" reminds me of another advanced tactic: Flag Punting. Basically, you drop and shoot the flag with an explosive weapon all at once, usually when you're low on HP, and it goes incredibly far in one direction and usually results in you?? dying (since you would have anyway). I love that people are finding t?hese neat little quirks to the game!

And yes, it's definitely the most sport-like of games. The flag is basically the fo?otball: there's passing, a "midfield," scoring, teams, and it's a constant back and forth. I think the simplist??ic rules will make it a better spectator esport, drawing more viewers in who might not watch more complicated games. At least, I really hope so.

Closing Comments
PH: Tribes: Ascend is free-to-play, but it doesn't always feel like it. I'll be keeping it installed on my computer for a very long time and I'll likely throw some real money their way soon enough. I really enjoy playing it every so often, and I believe the developers deserve some money for their great product. Just because a game is free-to-play doesn't mean you can't give them money if you enjoy their product. I don't know what the future holds for Tribes: Ascend, but I will definitely be skiing alongside for the ride.?? GOTTA GO FAST!

A: I personally don't really see myself spending any money on anything, unless they start putting out some pretty cool-looking skins for the character classes, or maybe even some additional maps in a package, ala Halo or Call of Duty. I think it's wonderful that they made all the core game-changing stuff earnable through play, and I definitely see myself sinking a good chunk of time in it over the foreseeable future. Besides, gonna need all that time training to be the best SkiiFree champion ever! GOTTA GO FAST!

The post Blue Plate Special: A Tribes: Ascend discussion appeared first on Destructoid.

With the open beta for Tribes: Ascend going strong, Hi-Rez Studios announced today that the free-to-p?lay first-person shooter has secured an April 12 release date.

To go alongside this news, the team put together a parody trailer titled "Llama Island" that should look very familiar to those of you who keep up with game trailers. The video is pretty terrific and fans of Tribes ought to get a kick out of it.

Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris sets it up for newcomers: "the community uses the term llama to refer to a player moving too slowly, like a plodding llama. So this video demonst?rates the perils of trying to capture a flag while going too slow. The outcome is predictable but no less tragic."

The post GDC: Tribes: Ascend to release in April appeared first on Destructoid.

It's fair to say that when the Destructoid PC team was talking about its most exciting upcoming PC games in 2012, Tribes: Ascend was one of the games everyone was most looking forward to. Some of us have been playing in the closed beta for a few weeks now but we'll all get the chance to play on Friday onwards when the beta goes open.

From 5:00pm GMT onwards,?? beta access will be open for all to play and there's a raft of improvements and additions to the game for existing players. Hi-Rez studios is promising four new maps, including two for a new game mode, Arena Deathmatch. Also included are new items for the soldier class, new default suits for Doombringer and Brute classes, as well as a raft of bu??g fixes and balance patches. 

I know I'm going to be downloading the game on Friday for a try over the weekend. Hopefully the PC team will be able to give you our impressions real soon. Tribes: Ascend has a big legacy to live up to but I'm?? h?opeful it'll turn out really well; my jetpack-fueled mid-air death sprees depend on it!

The post Tribes:?? A??scend beta opens up on Friday with new content appeared first on Destructoid.

Hi-Rez Studios has pinned the Tribes: Ascend closed beta for a Nov??ember 4, 2011 commencement. As the name would imply, this is going to be rolling out on an invitatio??n-only basis, though anyone who pays for the VIP Starter Bundle ($29.99) is promised an open spot for this and any future beta phases.

Got questions? Hi-Rez has answers, in the form of a convenient FAQ section. We're so trained at this point to sign up for official-game-site accounts that I don't even need to nudge you in that directio??n.

The post Tribes: Ascend closed beta on for e?arly next month appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite current hardware's expanding of the possibilities in first-person shooters, nearly every popular FPS released in the past decade have been slower and smaller in scope than the ones before them.

Tribes: Ascend feels refreshing on the merit that no other game compares in speed and map size to the original Tribes trilogy. Developer Hi-Rez Stud??ios is focused on adapting the series' strengths into a free-to-play model and updating the??m for a new era.

Tribes: Ascend (PC)
Developer: Hi-Rez Studios
Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios
To be released: 2011

Unfortunately, I missed the boat on the original Tribes. Despite buying a copy of Tribes 2 in 2001 -- I had to after the Penny Arcade guys praised it week after week -- I was let down to find that it was unplayable on my 56k modem connection. A quick YouTube search makes me all the sadder to see what I missed. Tribes, for the uninitiated, is like Halo on crystal meth mixed with Team Fortress and Tiny Wings. Yes, Tiny Wings!

The main mechanics that distinguish it from other class-based FPSes are the jetpack and skiing. The jetpack is something that should be familiar to players, especially after Halo: Reach and Killzone 3. It ?controls how you e??xpect, but offers more fuel than the ones in those games.

Skiing, on the other hand, is something entirely unique to the Tribes series. In order to quickly traverse Ascend's sprawling maps, you must learn to jet off peaks and ski down hills (a la Tiny Wings). After timing a couple dips, you'll soon achieve?? max speed (going into the red on your speed gauge), which is?? essential for successful flag captures.

ReallyBigPlanet

Tribes veterans will feel right at home speeding through the maps of Ascend. It's d??oubtful that the game will launch with 40 maps, as the original did, but in place of more maps, you'll get more detailed, varied ones.

The game runs on the Unreal 3 engine, but the color pallet has more in common with Unreal Tournament 2004 and Halo. The levels come to life with small details, such as spaceships and enormous planets hovering in the distance. What's most striking about the maps is the sheer size of them -- the largest maps in the Halo series can't even compare to Tribes' smallest maps.

The varying hills and valleys of the two maps in the QuakeCon demo not only altered the visuals of the map, but also the flow of the game due to skiing. Crossfire, the initial map I played, is modeled after Broadside from the original Tribes. I can't comment on how faithful to the original it is, but the spacing between generators (more on that below) and sequences of hills and trees made it fun to fly over on a jetpack or drive through on a Gr??avcycle.

Drydock, the other map, took place in a desert and featured much steeper hills t??hat could send a skillful player across a great amount of terrain. Although only these two maps were shown, I was told the upcoming beta?? will have four maps.

I hate CTF, but...

Capture-the-flag is a game variant that I never enjoyed. This is mostly due to the speed and aggravating flag resets you experience in games like Unreal Tournament or Quake 3. However, when played with the expansive maps and player speed of Tribes, this mode becomes something worthwhile.

In addition to capturing/defending flags, you'll also want to destroy the opponent's generator, which powers the team's turrets (these guys are tough!), vehicles, and inventory stations. This creates a much more dynamic game of CTF, where you are constantly juggling between defending your base and attacking an opponent's ??generator.

Above all, Tribes is a team-based game. As the Hi-Rez announcer said as we played, "If you find yourself playing deathmatch, you are doing it wrong!" That being said, the beta will feature Rabbit-Chase, a solo CTF-variant featured in Tribes 2.

Vehicles and loadouts

Every defeated opponent drops credits that you can pick up and spend at the vehicle station. Your options are a fast motorcycle (Gravcycle), an ??aerial fighter ship (Shrike), or a powerful, slow-moving tank (Beowulf). The final game will also feature a transport vehicle that can carry up to four players. Without it, the heavier classes in the demo seemed a bit useless.

One of the most memorable moments of my play-session was when I chased an enemy Gravcycle on one of my own. Thanks to the physics and Halo-like controls, it handled perfectly. The chase became an intense game of cat-and-mouse as we dodged trees a??nd drove through buildings, all while absolute mayhem surrounded us. I can't imagine how much better it would have been with a full 16-on-16 match (we were playing eight-on-eight).

In the past, Tribes games offered loadout settings that let you chose equipment and armor type. Ascend narrows the selection to a number of pre-set classes based around size and role. While it makes the game approa?chable to newbies (here is your sniper, over there is your spy), the customization has already caused some backlash from fans online.

During the demo, I played mainly with the sniper, scout, and soldier classes. All of them felt good but lacked the distinguishing features you find in Brink and Team Fortress 2. Speaking of TF2, rocket-jump experts will be happy to have another game to show off their skills. Achieving max speed and rocket-jumping off a hill is one of the most effective s?trategies I saw during the demo.

Don't call it a budget title, because it's free

I've read the complaints from series fans online: "guns ar?e too ?big," "it isn't fast enough," "why no modding?" etc.

As a newcomer to the series, Tribes: Ascend feels like a great place to start, and the unique qualities of the series that I've always been curious about live up to my expectations. Whether they will live up to the expectations of a Tribes junkie, who knows? the old maps front-and-back, is a question I'll let an expert answer.

Hi-Rez, which previously developed Global Agenda, is offering Ascend at the price of free. The catch is that players will only have access to a set number of classes which rotate each month. If you want the others, you will need to pay. This sounds disastrous when consider??ing team-balance.

I'm used to hearing, "No, screw you! You be the sniper!" in Team Fortress 2. Not, "Dude, I can't afford it!"

I had fun playing the game, but it remains to be seen whether it wi?ll hold up when long-time community players get a hold of the clos?ed beta in September. An open beta will follow later in the fall, with a full release date to be announced.

Console fans will have to wait for a while longer, ho??wever. Although Hi-Rez hasn't confirmed a console release, they said they are interested in releasing one. Unfortunately, they are struggling with Xbox Live Arcade's positioning on free updates (an essential par??t to a game like this).

Talking to the Hi-Rez members gives me faith that they will listen to the community and take the feedback from the beta into consideration. If they do, they could have something really great on their hands -- not that it isn't great fun as is.

Tribes: Ascend makes me sad that I missed out on decade of Tribes. It also makes me very grateful that Hi-R??ez is bringing it back for both long-time fans and newbies like me.

The post Preview: Tribes: Ascend appeared first on Destructoid.

Hi-Rez Studios is getting into the multiplayer online battle arena scene with SMITE. The game was announced earlier this year, but we're only now getting our first real look at it. Various gods spanning multiple mythologies are all out to get each othe?r, appare??ntly. Fairly cool premise, given the genre.

The full reveal of SMITE will happen at gamescom, which kicks off on August 17. What's more, Hi-Rez is going to have Tribes: Ascend playable; for those not attending QuakeCon 2011, this?? will be your first public chance to try out the game's multiplayer.

The post First screenshots of Hi-Rez Studios’ SMITE appeared first on Destructoid.

When Hi-Rez announced Tribes: Ascend at PAX East earlier this year, it was scheduled as a downloadable PC and Xbox Live Arcade title for 2011. It turned into a free-to-play title shortly afterwards, and now Hi-Rez has told G??ameSpot that it is focusing primarily on PC development, meaning the XBLA release is put on hold for the time being.

That doesn't mean it's not going to happen eventually, as Hi-Rez puts it: "An eventual XBLA version -- and even PSN version -- is not out of the question but neither will be this year." Maybe they are waiting for free-to-play games to debut on Xbox Live?

What a sad, sad day for that legion of hardcore Tribes fans who were ?anxiously awaiting a quick conso??le release for its better controls and graphics at the cost of the PC version's quality.

Tribes: Ascend back-burnered on Xbox Live [GameSpot via Gamasutra]

The post No console version of Tribes: Ascend this year appeared first on Destructoid.

Want to get your hands on the new Tribes game first? You can at this year's QuakeCon.&nbs??p;

Developer Hi-Rez Studios has said that new game Tribes: Ascend will be making a??n appearance at this ?year's QuakeCon. Playable. The game will be playable by the public for the first time at the August 4-7 event in Dallas, Texas.

"QuakeCon has been called the Woodstock of gaming and we're thrilled to introduce Tribes: Ascend at this show," said Todd Harris, COO of Hi-Rez Studios. "QuakeCon has always delivered exceptional, competitive multiplayer gaming for free; and that's our mission with Tribes: Ascend."

GamePro says that attendees will have a chance to win a key to the Tribes: Ascend closed beta. If you're an old Tribes fan (and yes, you're old), you should defi?nitely follow up on this.

The post New Tribes game playable at QuakeCon 2011 appeared first on Destructoid.

Our first look at Tribes: Ascend in motion naturally includes plenty of soldiers zipping across large spaces, and many a firing laser rifle. What else did you expect from a Tribes game?

This beta footage comes with the news that Ascend has now moved itself into free-to-play territory; I feel like I've written this story five times in th?e past week alone. The announceme?nt makes sense given the title in question, and seems like something Hi-Rez Studios would do.

Tribes: Ascend is currently on for a fall release.

The post First footage of free-to-play Tribes: Ascend appeared first on Destructoid.