So watch out the next time you’re driving through Alabama, or you might wind up with this cruiser behind you!

The co-branded Visa debit card is the first of its kind in North America. The cards will feature art from Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5 and Bionic Commando.

The pre-paid cards will also let gamers earn points on Capcom-Unity.com, cash back from online or retail purchases and earn “accelerated rewards” through the online Capcom rewards mall…

Unity card holders will also be able to “jump the line” at Capcom events or gatherings, gain access to Beta tests and other things like “being written into a Capcom game or comic book or possibly even being an extra in a Capcom movie.

The cards actually look pretty damn cool. Except, it’s not so cool when you have a $5 monthly fee and a set-up charge.

After being delayed for a month new details have emerged about Bethesda’s second pack of downloadable content for Fallout 3. This pack takes the player to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is now called “The Pitt”. The Pitt is controlled by Raiders and according to this month’s UK OXM, the player will be able to talk with Raiders, as opposed to just shoot them. Just like Operation Anchorage, The Pitt will add new weapons, armor, quests, and achievement’s to Fallout 3, it will not be available for the Playstation3, only the Xbox 360 and PC. Unlike O:A, The Pitt will be set in current Wasteland time and will have more of a traditional Fallout style quest, with ambiguity and moral dilemmas. It’s expected to be released in early March and cost about the same as Operation Anchorage, around $10 (800MSFT Points)

Escape From City 17 Part 1

We scored an exclusive interview with Apostol Apostolov, the Lead Game Designer for the upcoming sci-fi MMO Earthrise, which is getting ready to enter its first beta phase. We learned a little more about the economy, insurance and looting of items in PvP, how players will be able to control the market, and the unprecedented level of power that crafters will receive. So here’s the beef:

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SC: So, can you please summarize what Earthrise is all about in a few sentences for me?

AA: Earthrise is a post-apocalyptic, science-fiction MMORPG set in the future of mankind, where a world-shattering war has brought about the end of our civilization and widespread mutation among the flora and fauna. A project to preserve humanity has allowed our race to survive and flourish once again in the futuristic city of Sal Vitas. Reaching new technological heights and turning humanity immortal through access to cloning facilities, a power-hungry corporation-gone-government Continoma plays God by choosing who is reborn and who is forever lost.

After a failed coup de grace, a rogue organization called Noir is formed to lead the opposition in armed conflict to bring freedom to the Sal Vitas’ citizens. As players enter the game, they will find themselves not only caught in the tense political situation among the two factions, but also the rising entrepreneurship that allow players to shape the world through the most powerful weapon of all – market influence. Earthrise is a post-apocalyptic game of political intrigue, military action, economic rivalry and global guild-based warfare for the resources that the island holds – a skill-based, level-less game where players are free to shape their fate and every action has consequences.

SC: The features that caught my eye the most were the lack of a level cap and the skill-based advancement system. How did the idea for a skill-based advancement system come about?

AA: The concept of skill-based character development with no artificial limitations was one of the design foundations that Earthrise has been built upon from the very beginning. We wanted to craft a game where players did not feel constrained and were able to experiment and customize their character as they choose the exact style of play that suits them. As science-fiction games concentrate on realism rather than heroic tales of power, we knew Earthrise had to provide players with a system flexible enough to handle the variety that the game promises, and the skill-based system was the only type of mechanic that could deliver what it promised.

SC: Did you take any inspiration from games like EVE Online, Dragonrealms, or any other MMORPGs that also utilize skill-based advancement systems?

AA: Probably the strongest design inspiration when designing the skill-based advancement system has been drawn from the grand-daddy of MMO games – Ultima Online. We believe that game deserves a lot more praise and attention than it has received recently. At the same time, Earthrise is different as it allows players to learn all skills rather than juggle between them – availability of skills is tied to the equipment that players choose to wear. Also, we bring customization to a new level with Tactics – enhancements integrated deep into a special attack that allow players to fine-tune their properties to enhance their play style.

SC: And the lack of a level cap, that hasn’t been done too often before in MMORPGs. Obviously it creates unique balance issues between power-gamers and casual players. What made you decide to go without a level cap, and what kind of challenges has it created for the development team?

AA: While a level system and a level cap allows designers to create balanced and digestible system for many players to enjoy, we wanted to provide players with a system that valued customization and flexibility above the accumulation of raw power and gear. But as we added more and more interesting abilities and variety of skills, it became obvious that the biggest challenge will be balance! With hundreds of abilities spread over dozens of skills, we’re constantly finding new and inventive ways to create interesting character builds… some of them probably too “interesting”, so a lot of time and effort goes into tweaking the gameplay system to allow a fair and fun game for all players of all player styles and player skill levels.

SC: I understand there’s something of an offline component to Earthrise too. Is it going to provide real benefits to players? Other than cash, what kind of perks will there be?

AA: Players will not only receive a monetary income from their choice of an offline profession, but also have a chance to receive a small reward that ties in with the economy of the game world. We will have more information about this in the future.

SC: Speaking of monetary income, tell me a bit about the economy for Earthrise.

AA: The economy of Earthrise is completely player-run open market, with a heavy emphasis on the importance of inventive designers and dedicated manufacturers to populate the market with the most powerful and useful items. Unlike other games, Earthrise takes away most of the item customization from the end user and puts it in the hands of the crafter, who can use Technologies and Designs to create unique items for every possible situation. This gives crafters an unparallel influence in the game world and a viable profession that could bring immense riches to those who handle their craft right. It also brings interesting problems to the whole server population – if an item is not yet designed and manufactured, it would not exist. So there’re hundreds if not thousands of niches that crafters can fill in as they care for the needs of their customers.

SC: As I’m sure you’re aware, economies in MMORPGs can differ drastically. Compare, for instance, Warhammer’s relative lack of focus on in-game currency, compared to EVE, where in-game currency has a fairly significant role. Where will Earthrise fit on the scale?

AA: We are definitely siding with EVE on the importance of in-game economy. Like in real life, money in Earthrise will have an incredibly powerful role. While offline professions make it reasonably easy to acquire enough money to buy a standard suit of armor and a weapon of choice, when it comes to buying customized, uniquely designed gear that works best for your gameplay style and role in your guild, it quickly becomes an expensive investment. Add to this the fact that all items wear with time and that one crucial mistake not to insure your inventory could lead to a disastrous full loot in favor of your opponents, and item investment becomes a constant flow rather than a one-time investment until the next tier of power. This makes personal budget management an important part of your adventurous life, as you always have to plan a couple moves ahead.

SC: Will the game come from a first or third person perspective?

AA: The game will provide a third person perspective, allowing players to experience the presence of their character within the vibrant environment of the game world rather than experience in a limited fashion through their player’s viewpoint. The third person perspective camera also allows freedom of the camera that is not available to first person games.

SC: Will it be a twitchy shooter like Planetside? Or will dice-rolls play a larger role like in Tabula Rasa?

AA: Earthrise is first and foremost a role-playing game, but that doesn’t mean it has to play by the tradition of dice-heavy computations that could take all the life out of a dynamic combat. Combat system is very simple at its core, with streamlined, dynamic combat system that rewards player skill and puts heavy emphasis on skills and their use to achieve spectacular combinations and synergies either alone or in a team. The way Abilities will combine with Tactics, it will open ground for a staggering amount of different builds and combinations and we believe it will be the portion of the game players will want to explore first.

SC: Earthrise is currently taking signups for a closed beta. Any word on when that’s going to go live, and when you expect to be ready (approximately) for an open beta?

AA: It is too early to tell that. Right now we are focused on the closed beta process.

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Our thanks to Apostol Apostolov and Masthead Studios for giving us this interview. Keep an eye on Stratics Central for the latest information and news on Earthrise as it moves into the beta process.

Super Small Component

Surface mount components are really neat, they can help reduce the size of a project very easily. The problem with working with surface mount components is that most standard soldering irons have a very difficult time handling these super small components. Some surface mount components even have the pads on the bottom of the pieces, which makes regular soldering virtually impossible. There are many different methods to solder these components, one of them is to solder them like regular components, then use a de-soldering braid to eliminate the shorts. This method can work but it takes a lot of time and wastes a lot of solder. Another way to solder surface mount components is called the Hot Plate method, which uses a hot plate, a pulse width regulator, and a AC control unit.

Doctek, from Instructables.com, wrote up a fantastic guide to creating a hot plate soldering station, using it correctly, and properlly desiging circuts that incorperate surface mount components. Check it out here.

The new Gauss Rifle

Downloadable content is a new device developers have implemented to get new content to consumers. The idea is pretty simple; create an add-on to an existing game, charge a small amount for it, and make it easy for the consumer to obtain. For most games downloadable content has consisted of new clothing for characters new cars for racing games, or new maps for multiplayer games, few games have actually added full stories that add to the main story as downloadable content. This new delivery device has grown rapidly with the Internet capabilities of next generation consoles. PC gamers have been used to being able to download user created content and patches for a while.
Operation Anchorage is the first of three downloadable content packs planned for Bethesda’s award winning Fallout 3. Once the content has been added, via Microsoft Xbox Live on the Xbox 360, or the Microsoft Games for Windows Market place on the PC,  it will be loaded into the game automatically. When the player loads their game save they will be alerted by a radio distress signal and a new quest is added to the players Pip-Boy 3000, the content can be accessed at any point during the game, regardless of level,. O:A allows the player to join with Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts and help them secure new technology by completing a simulation of the liberation of Anchorage Alaska. In the simulation the player is stripped of all items and given a generic character, they must help complete three objectives in order to complete the simulation. The character is also given the command of a squad. While a good concept, it is poorly executed. The player can only give orders to the second in command, who gives orders to everyone else. The team mates will die in battle and the player can request reinforcements but it is very hard to notice when someone dies and your second in command fails to notify you. This results in starting a mission with a full squad then ending the mission with only the  second in command alive. The simulation itself is very linear, especially when compared to the main quests in Fallout 3. There are a few speech challenges but nothing that will dramatically change the course of the simulation. A high level character will breeze through this with no problem; a lower level character will have some difficulty. Once the simulation is over there are very little changes in the Wasteland, aside from the new items.
The biggest change the player will notice is the new items that become available after the player completes the simulation. The new weapons include a Gauss Rifle, Trench Knife, and Jingwei’s Shock Sword. The Gauss Rifle is the most powerful sniper rifle in Fallout 3; it must be reloaded after every shot, which dramatically reduces the rate of fire. The Trench Knife is a standard Combat Knife on steroids; it has spiked brass knuckles on the handle and can be repaired with a regular Combat Knife. Finally Jingwei’s Shock Sword is a unique Chinese Officer Sword, which shocks the enemy, giving damage after the initial strike, much like the Flamer. Other new equipment includes the Chinese Stealth Suit and Winterized T-51b Power Armor, all of which can be obtained after the player finishes the simulation.

The new Stealth Suit

What is important is asking “Is Operation Anchorage worth my $10?” the answer is not as simple. If you are a die-hard Fallout fan, than you most likely have played it, beat it, then played it again with a different character, however casual gamers might want to hold off. The simulation, being very linear, offers nothing new the player hasn’t experienced in the main quest. In fact some would argue that they appreciate the Wasteland more after playing O:A. After plaything through the simulation it becomes very clear that Operation Anchorage is a simple disguise for just adding new items in the game. The simulation isn’t done very well, the developers made it too obvious to the player that is was a simulation. Bodies disappear after being killed, hologram like walls block the player from areas, health and ammunition dispensers litter the simulation to help the player along the way. While it is a simulation, having the player being reminded that it is a simulation kills the whole sense of accomplishment one would feel doing the quests. The downloadable content also has a few bugs in it, many users are reporting various game play issues and problems, such as  the new content not being recognized in game. One issue that has been noted is with the ending, by not giving too much away, the problem is best described as something is supposed to happen between non-playable characters, but it doesn’t and the player is left with a sense of confusion and no recognition for what they have done. Other bugs include texture issues, friendly characters turning evil on the player for no reason, and random crashes. Operation Anchorage isn’t all bad, the combat is good and there are scripted moments during game play which add to the war setting. The characters are mildly interesting, although a bit shallow in development, and most of the dialogue can be funny.
In summery Operation Anchorage is a add-on that seems a bit rushed, and while hardcore Fallout fans will appreciate reliving the history of Fallout, casual gamers should save their money for the other two planned content packs, The Pitt and Broken Steel which will be released in February and March, respectively. Operation Anchorage is available for Xbox 360 and PC, there are no plans for a Playstation 3 release as of now. The add on costs 800 Microsoft Points, which translates to about $10.

Suggested prerequisites includes a working knowledge of StarCraft strategy and suggested reading includes The Art of War by Sun Tzu and Crazy as Me by Lim Yo Hwan.

While the course isn’t listed on the UC Berkeley website,  the university’s Haas School of Business has verified that the course is real. The course is being taught by a student at the school as part of the Democratic Education in Cal initiative and students can receive college credit for taking it. Other DeCal classes include There Be Dragons, The Ethics of Star Trek and Beginner’s Scrabble: Strategy, Knowledge, and Fun.

Game Theory in StarCraft, will meet once a week for two hours with probably the second best Lab meeting once a week from noon to five.

Course Description:
UC Berkeley students with an interest in real-time strategy games and the competitive gaming landscape are encouraged to participate in this class.
This course will go in-depth in the theory of how war is conducted within the confines of the game Starcraft. There will be lecture on various aspects of the game, from the viewpoint of pure theory to the more computational aspects of how exactly battles are conducted. Calculus and Differential Equations are highly recommended for full understanding of the course. Furthermore, the class will take the theoretical into the practical world by analyzing games and replays to reinforce decision-making skills and advanced Starcraft theory.
Class will start with lecture and usually include a special discussion topic having to do with the day’s lecture to inspire new and original thought. At the end of lecture, there may be time to analyze student-submitted replays to illustrate a point or to improve analysis. Homework will be assigned at the end of each class and is due at the beginning of each lecture.

Course Learning Objectives and Goals:
What may look like complex topics are just ways we want you to think more deeply about the game to derive a greater satisfaction from playing. Furthermore, this understanding should have applications in real life, to further synthesize new information from limited inferences. The primary goal is for students to learn, enjoy the art of competitive StarCraft, and have fun. Overall, students will be applying critical thinking, quick decision-making, and game theory skills throughout the sessions. Students will also learn what to look for in a replay or game to learn most effectively.

(Tentative) Course Outline:
Week 1: Orientation / Competitive Gaming Industry Overview / StarCraft Boom in Korea
Week 2: Units, Strength, Weakness, Attributes, Stats
Week 3: Fighting Micro and Unit Use
Week 4: Army Movement and Positioning
Week 5: Expo and Macro
Week 6: Building Placement and Base Layout
Week 7: Scouting and Counters
Week 8: Harass
Week 9: Overloading the Enemy, Multi-plays
Week 10: Economic Basis, Micro vs Macro
Week 11: Timing and Evaluation of Resources
Week 12: Deception
Week 13: Mindset and Series Play
Week 14: Tournament

There will be a final project where students will present and explain their contribution to the Starcraft Community. This may take the form of an essay detailing new theory or calculations, or an in-depth analysis of a significant game. Whichever final project is chosen will be displayed or published on a public forum for peer criticism.

Unfortunately there are only 60 seats available for the course and Berkeley students get preference.

Welcome to Starcraft Decal ‘09

Announced in mid-December, the aims of the update was reportedly to make the scout a more effective class in rush maps with significant bottle-necks.

Robin Walker has said that the coding for the actual update is complete and the team has already moved on to working on the next class and its merely aesthetics that are being finished.

There will also be several exploits and bugs fixed in the coming days, including an adjustment to the second minigun (Natasha) in response to the expected influx of scouts on servers.

No word as yet from the valve team as to a specific date for the release, or when the xbox 360 will receive it’s upgrade.