GAMING
It is a form of art unto itself. Members of Rune Works have even made artwork for video games past and present. For all the video games, computer games, science, art, and design we, at Rune Works, offer up our thoughts on all things gaming here and in our NEWS & REVIEWS spot.
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Reinventing PvP in The Division’s Last DLC: The Last Stand

The first State of the Game of 2017 brought pleasant news in regards to Year One’s last DLC: “Last Stand” has a primary focus for PvP players, although there will be news of PvE elements to be released soon, as was stated by Massive Community Developer, Hamish Bode with Red Storm Studios Developers, and Terry Spier and Keith Evans who worked on developing The Last Stand.
“It is step one for organized PvP” within The Division,” says Spier.
The new game mode opens new areas of the Dark Zone, with seamless movement through DZ 6 to “DZ North”, which expands the current Dark Zone to 7, 8 and 9.
DZ North will comprise “…more interiors, bigger spaces, rooftops and building interiors,” says Spiers, doubling the size of Dark Zone 7-9 in an Arena style type of gameplay, while promoting player/s to play intelligently, strategically and tactically as a cohesive unit.
They are also promoting no penalties for dying, and the respawning times will be faster and will take place at Area B where heavy combat takes place. Spier also commented on Gearsets and said that there will be NO new gear scores because “we want people to jump into this right away.”
The Last Stand is structured in 8v8 squad mode in which you will have to queue-in (i.e., your 4 person squad will be paired with another squad of 4 to comprise your team and is objective based, capturing Area A, B and C.
This is much like “Conquer” mode in games like Battlefield 1 and Star Wars: Battlefront. Once the objectives are obtained, the session with be over; however your gameplay-style among other things will factor into the end-session leaderboards for Dark Zone. Everything you do counts and will receive bonus rewards for winning.
What is most interesting is that players will be taking on the role of either Shay Agent and/or Rogue Agent—thereby being a good guy is subjective if you followed the game’s storyline.
Also, the players who like or primarily engage in PvE, Update 1.6 will have a New Incursion (I’m hoping its at the USS Interpreid which at one point players where able to leave the playable map before bug fixes in 1.2). More news is to be released on PvE aspects of 1.6 in the upcoming weeks.
Other news Hamish addressed in this week’s State of the Game:
I can’t wait to see what this does for the PvP community and those hardcover PvPers. I am also eager to see how the environmental design north of the DZ will turn out, as well as engaging in penalty-free PvP in the DZ.
We can only hope that the Red Storm team has guided PvP within The Division toward the right step.
"Reinventing PvP in The Division’s Last DLC: The Last Stand" was first seen on Rune Works: Gaming.
by Maria Sumoza
Lead Writer, On Gaming
Twitter: @hermione2k5
RuneWorks Productions
“It is step one for organized PvP” within The Division,” says Spier.
The new game mode opens new areas of the Dark Zone, with seamless movement through DZ 6 to “DZ North”, which expands the current Dark Zone to 7, 8 and 9.
DZ North will comprise “…more interiors, bigger spaces, rooftops and building interiors,” says Spiers, doubling the size of Dark Zone 7-9 in an Arena style type of gameplay, while promoting player/s to play intelligently, strategically and tactically as a cohesive unit.
They are also promoting no penalties for dying, and the respawning times will be faster and will take place at Area B where heavy combat takes place. Spier also commented on Gearsets and said that there will be NO new gear scores because “we want people to jump into this right away.”
The Last Stand is structured in 8v8 squad mode in which you will have to queue-in (i.e., your 4 person squad will be paired with another squad of 4 to comprise your team and is objective based, capturing Area A, B and C.
This is much like “Conquer” mode in games like Battlefield 1 and Star Wars: Battlefront. Once the objectives are obtained, the session with be over; however your gameplay-style among other things will factor into the end-session leaderboards for Dark Zone. Everything you do counts and will receive bonus rewards for winning.
What is most interesting is that players will be taking on the role of either Shay Agent and/or Rogue Agent—thereby being a good guy is subjective if you followed the game’s storyline.
Also, the players who like or primarily engage in PvE, Update 1.6 will have a New Incursion (I’m hoping its at the USS Interpreid which at one point players where able to leave the playable map before bug fixes in 1.2). More news is to be released on PvE aspects of 1.6 in the upcoming weeks.
Other news Hamish addressed in this week’s State of the Game:
- AlphaBridge WILL be nerfed confirmed (no surprise there).
- PTS will only be available on PC; PTS Last Stand TDB.
- Survival solo queue fixes will be corrected in 1.6.
- No wait delay for PS4 users. To be released on all platforms at the same time.
I can’t wait to see what this does for the PvP community and those hardcover PvPers. I am also eager to see how the environmental design north of the DZ will turn out, as well as engaging in penalty-free PvP in the DZ.
We can only hope that the Red Storm team has guided PvP within The Division toward the right step.
"Reinventing PvP in The Division’s Last DLC: The Last Stand" was first seen on Rune Works: Gaming.
by Maria Sumoza
Lead Writer, On Gaming
Twitter: @hermione2k5
RuneWorks Productions

Mass Effect: Andromeda on 4K? AND in Playstation NEO?...Say WHAT?!?!
On Wednesday, September 7th, BioWare unveiled to Mass Effect fans a taste of what we have anxiously been waiting for―a glimpse of what Mass Effect: Andromeda's gameplay will look like with a little help of Frostbite and Playstation Neo.
A power house combination? There's no doubt...Kind of hard to say from a die-hard Xbox fangirl...
Although the Mass Effect: Andromeda is schedule to release in early 2017 on all current platforms; Aaryn Flynn, General Manager at BioWare clearly states that this small morsel is meant to be experienced on a 4k.
The purpose? for fans and gamers alike to comprehend and grasp the scope of what BioWare is trying to achieve in visually and aesthetically with the best and latest technology has to offer in Next Gen gaming.
The BioWare Developers chose to utilized the Playstation Neo to demonstrate Andromeda's potential.
Yet, I can't help but wonder what Andromeda may look under Xbox's 'Project Scorpio'?
Time will tell.
Read the rest here.
On Wednesday, September 7th, BioWare unveiled to Mass Effect fans a taste of what we have anxiously been waiting for―a glimpse of what Mass Effect: Andromeda's gameplay will look like with a little help of Frostbite and Playstation Neo.
A power house combination? There's no doubt...Kind of hard to say from a die-hard Xbox fangirl...
Although the Mass Effect: Andromeda is schedule to release in early 2017 on all current platforms; Aaryn Flynn, General Manager at BioWare clearly states that this small morsel is meant to be experienced on a 4k.
The purpose? for fans and gamers alike to comprehend and grasp the scope of what BioWare is trying to achieve in visually and aesthetically with the best and latest technology has to offer in Next Gen gaming.
The BioWare Developers chose to utilized the Playstation Neo to demonstrate Andromeda's potential.
Yet, I can't help but wonder what Andromeda may look under Xbox's 'Project Scorpio'?
Time will tell.
Read the rest here.

ON GAMING: BATMAN—A TELLTALE SERIES: Ep 1: Realm of Shadows
RUNE WORKS ON GAMING: BATMAN: A Tell Tale Series Ep 1: Realm of Shadows is Telltale Games latest entry in episodic gaming—continues to succeed in what the developers do best: story telling through immersive interactive gaming.
While Telltales’ BATMAN follows the same core mechanics that have made Telltales games wildly successful—critical decision making and a mild gaming style.
Episode One: Realm of Shadows bundles well known iconic heroes, anti-heroes and villains integral from Batman DC Comic Universe. However, it is the minor cameos of a surpassingly variety cast of characters that enriches the story with key conversation points; and ensures that the player will be sure to encounter them in future episodes.
Read the rest here.
RUNE WORKS ON GAMING: BATMAN: A Tell Tale Series Ep 1: Realm of Shadows is Telltale Games latest entry in episodic gaming—continues to succeed in what the developers do best: story telling through immersive interactive gaming.
While Telltales’ BATMAN follows the same core mechanics that have made Telltales games wildly successful—critical decision making and a mild gaming style.
Episode One: Realm of Shadows bundles well known iconic heroes, anti-heroes and villains integral from Batman DC Comic Universe. However, it is the minor cameos of a surpassingly variety cast of characters that enriches the story with key conversation points; and ensures that the player will be sure to encounter them in future episodes.
Read the rest here.

Massive Entertainment: Pioneers in a New Frontier with The Division
It is no secret that Massive’s Tom Clancy’s The Division has been riddled with bugs and hackers since its first major update 1.1 and so on.
And slowly the quality of gameplay has suffered; steadily declining with many of its core original player base and streamers, a fraction of what it once was.
As a dedicated player of The Division since its release‒who has gone through a shear range of emotions from raged quitting, harassment for being a female gamer and getting hit on by strangers FOR being a female gamer that has become adequately good‒I still returned to it, because of its potential.
Never in my gaming experience had I need to grind for loot so hard, matchmake due to mission difficulty and building effective sets to optimize gameplay either for PvP or PvE. Even with its flaws, these are the qualities that endeared me to this game...
The August 25th ‘State of the Game,’ brings major news in the heels of last weeks' 'State' show in which the Community Development Team fronted by dynamic duo: Hamish Bode and Yannick Banchereau took the "bull by the horns" and engaged the community in full-on honest discussion by addressing the core issues of the game in detail‒and their solution.
Read the rest here.
It is no secret that Massive’s Tom Clancy’s The Division has been riddled with bugs and hackers since its first major update 1.1 and so on.
And slowly the quality of gameplay has suffered; steadily declining with many of its core original player base and streamers, a fraction of what it once was.
As a dedicated player of The Division since its release‒who has gone through a shear range of emotions from raged quitting, harassment for being a female gamer and getting hit on by strangers FOR being a female gamer that has become adequately good‒I still returned to it, because of its potential.
Never in my gaming experience had I need to grind for loot so hard, matchmake due to mission difficulty and building effective sets to optimize gameplay either for PvP or PvE. Even with its flaws, these are the qualities that endeared me to this game...
The August 25th ‘State of the Game,’ brings major news in the heels of last weeks' 'State' show in which the Community Development Team fronted by dynamic duo: Hamish Bode and Yannick Banchereau took the "bull by the horns" and engaged the community in full-on honest discussion by addressing the core issues of the game in detail‒and their solution.
Read the rest here.
Pealing Back the Layers in LAYERS OF FEAR
Bloober Team's latest's creation, Layers of Fear is a testament in subtle psychological horror artistry.
The game immerses the player in becoming the an obsessed artist, who is trying to complete his "magnum opus." Unbeknownst to the player, it is while trying to complete this masterpiece that the our artist psychologically unravels.
Check out our premiere article on gaming from our supreme gaming writer Maria Sumoza on LAYERS OF FEAR here, in the NEWS & REVIEWS section.
* * *
MORE IS COMING!
Tune in here and in the News & Reviews weekly and for Gaming and Entertainment fun and for all things Comic Book go to POWkabam.com.
Bloober Team's latest's creation, Layers of Fear is a testament in subtle psychological horror artistry.
The game immerses the player in becoming the an obsessed artist, who is trying to complete his "magnum opus." Unbeknownst to the player, it is while trying to complete this masterpiece that the our artist psychologically unravels.
Check out our premiere article on gaming from our supreme gaming writer Maria Sumoza on LAYERS OF FEAR here, in the NEWS & REVIEWS section.
* * *
MORE IS COMING!
Tune in here and in the News & Reviews weekly and for Gaming and Entertainment fun and for all things Comic Book go to POWkabam.com.