Fan Questions Answered in Qsteel Segment

Every Friday, members of the Exteel staff answer questions in a segment called Qsteel. In the most recent Q&A session, Hawksteel answered seven questions, with the majority focusing on new forums. According to Hawsteel, the new forums will launch hopefully in the next few months.

Hawsteel also said they are looking at adding more graphics options to the game and that there will be new servers.

The answers to every question can be found here or below.

NCsoft Revitalizes Lineage with 2 New Episodes

NCsoft announced today in a press release that it is revitalizing the original Lineage franchise in North America with the launch of two new updates: Episode 6 and Episode U.

The release of Episode 6 and Episode U adds many new encounters, such as battling Varlok in Desire Cavern, confronting hordes of pirates from the Ship Graveyard, and exploring the new Haunted House and the rebuilt town of Gludin. Players may also spend time learning to cook or fish, or may choose to enter their pets in organized fighting matches.

The full patch notes for both episodes can be found here. Also, be sure to check out the newly designed Lineage.com Web site. NCsoft's press release regarding the announcement is after the jump.

Deployment 13 is Live, Patch Notes Available

Deployment 13 is now live! Here's just a small sampling of the updates:

It features the new Crafting System, our Series 3 Laser Pistols, purchasable tabs for your AFS Footlocker, the new map and radar style, and much much more.

Check out the full patch notes here or below.

Also, according to this announcement, a bug making it impossible for new players to obtain the Wilderness Target of Opportunity should be fixed by early next week.

Allakhazam DNA Launches with Operation Immortality

Allakhazam

Jeffrey Moyer, Mr. Allakhazam himself, is sending his DNA into space via NCsoft's Operation Immortality.

Jeff is the founder of Allakhazam.com and President of the ZAM Network which encompasses Wowhead, Thottbot, Allakhazam, MMOUI and Online Gaming Radio. The network reaches millions of players every month for their MMO guides, community, item databases, podcasts and wiki content.

The NCsoft project says the goal is to "collect and archive the very best of what humanity has accomplished by sending a digital time capsule of the human race, including messages from people around the world and DNA samples from some of our brightest minds, musicians, athletes and video game players."

Jeff has been an outspoken and dedicated proponent for players, shaping the games they all love, and has interviewed developers and players across the industry including Blue Oyster Cult's Eric Bloom and MLB pitcher and 38 Studios Founder and Chairman Curt Schilling.

Jeff's DNA is being digitized and will be deposited at the International Space Station (ISS), along with accomplishments of the human race.

CoX PvE Power Changes

Issue 13 is bringing changes to PvE powers including balance changes!

A big part of the game is the balance of all the Archetypes, their respective power sets and how they compare. Maintaining a level of equity between everything is a continual goal. In this article, NCsoft NorCal Senior Designer Floyd "Castle" Grubb gives us the scoop on some proposed powers changes that will be in testing with Issue 13. Please keep in mind that there is still the entire testing and revision process to go through with these changes. The team is excited to see how these refinements stand up to player feedback, datamining, and the beta process.

Introduction
For Issue 13, we have a rather wide selection of PvE (Player vs. Environment) related powers changes. These changes focus on either Quality of Life concerns or on powers which were not quite in Balance with others.

Read on for a full list of the changes!

NCsoft Updates Graphics, Suggests Current Drivers

Due to small graphical changes in Exteel, NCsoft is recommending that you install the most current drivers for your graphics card. The developer also expects more graphical updates to occur in future patches, as well.

This is actually good advice for any gamer, so we also recommend that you check your manufacturer's Web site for up-to-date drivers.

Stephen Hawking's DNA to be sent into space

NCsoft will now be sending the digitized DNA of world-renowned theoretical physicist and author Stephen Hawking into space as part of its ambitious “Operation Immortality ” project, which the Tabula Rasa publisher is considering humanity’s “saved game.” This gives us the opportunity to imagine what would happen if the digital DNA of Hawking and Stephen Colbert were to accidentally merge on the International Space Station. Sounds like a great sci-fi sitcom to me.

Hawking, along with his daughter, Lucy, are participating in the project to raise awareness for the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, a competition that will award $10 million to the first person or team that can sequence 100 human genomes within 10 days or less.

New Action-Packed Exteel Video

NCsoft released a new video today showing off some of the awesome action that exists in their 'free-to-play' game "Exteel". The video, which would have been much better without any audio, is seemingly narriated by a cowboy who's script is on a sticky note. I highly recommend watching this video if you've been wanting to check out what the game is all about. Just make sure to turn the volume off before pushing play!

 

NCsoft Offers Opportunity for Immortality

NCsoft's Operation Immortality (tm) offers humans the chance to "contribute to mankind's greatest achievements." The initiative, founded by legendary game designer Richard Garriott, under the belief that perhaps some catastrophic event could destroy human civilization. Operation Immortality's goal is to record mankind's greatest achievements and also keep a digitalized archive of DNA structures of exceptional people.

And they want your help.

Olympic Medalist Joins NCsoft to Save Humanity

Scott Johnson, Olympic gold medalist, three time National Champion, and 2006 Olympic Hall of Fame inductee, has been invited to send his DNA into space as part of NCsoft's Operation Immortality.

Operation Immortality (TM), a project intended to collect and archive the very best of what humanity has accomplished, is creating a digital time capsule of the human race, including messages from people around the world and DNA samples from some of our brightest minds and most accomplished athletes. Scott Johnson, Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, three-time National Champion and 2006 USA Olympic Hall of Fame inductee, now stands among those who have been asked to participate in Operation Immortality's mission to preserve the most talented and influential people of our time, and has submitted his DNA to be added to the capsule.