Killzone Message Board
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The interactive event known as First To Greatness, which celebrates the many different gaming firsts to be had across the PS4 launch lineup, is drawing to a close. Only a single challenge of the 64 remains open, and today we’re going to reveal how you can complete it to become part of PlayStation 4 history.
The “Ending Ebolt” challenge requires you to take out Killzone Shadow Fall lead designer Eric Boltjes (a.k.a. Ebolt) in an online multiplayer match. To prove that you’ve truly ended him, you must upload video evidence of your actions to your Facebook account using the DualShock 4 Share button, and submit the footage to FirstToGreatness.com by signing in with Facebook.
Finding and eliminating Ebolt has been no easy feat, but we can make it slightly easier by revealing when and where he’ll be online: a little OWL has told us that Eric will be playing Classic Warzone on Friday, January 17th at 9:00 PM PT.
So be on the lookout — you might just go down in PlayStation history as the first player to beat Killzone Shadow Fall’s lead designer at his own game. Good luck!
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2013 has been an absolutely phenomenal year for all of us here at Guerrilla Games, from launching Killzone Mercenary – the go-to shooter on the PS Vita – to the honor of launching Killzone Shadow Fall alongside PS4 this November with unprecedented love and affection from fans old and new.
We stand amazed and humbled by the love that fans have shown, and the thousands of hours of gameplay and live streams that stand as a testament to their engagement. We are committed to supporting you all with many more hours of content and events as 2014 begins. From Guerrilla, best of wishes for this season. *Raise toast* For the Players!
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This generation, your epic moments are meant to be shared, and the Share Button makes it easier than ever to show the world your greatness.
We just launched one of PS4′s hero games, and one of the most exciting to use the new Share Button functionality.
Killzone Shadow Fall has evolved for the new generation, and will be exploding with stunning graphics and intense heroic moments that you can capture and share with your friends and the gaming community.
For Killzone Shadow Fall, we’ve also created a never-done-before custom sharing experience, to bring the content you share to the next level.
For the first time, you and other gamers can upload your own gaming footage into a Killzone Shadow Fall trailer and create a personalized, filmic story filled with your most epic Shadow Fall kills, combat honors, and war zones. We’re handing over the trailer to you, so you can make it greater. Make your own Killzone Shadow Fall film at taketheoath.com.
Our next-gen gaming experiences are most epic when you get your hands on them and share your greatness for the rest of the world to see. Greatness Awaits.
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As Killzone Shadow Fall gears up for PS4’s November 15th launch in North America, we caught up with Game Director Steven Ter Heide to get answers to your burning questions across single-player and multiplayer.
We reveal new details on co-op, dedicated servers, weapons, DualShock 4, and much more. Enjoy!
@ShawnMacLean: Is Killzone Shadow Fall a good entry point to the Killzone franchise? (source)
Steven Ter Heide: Absolutely! In many ways, Killzone Shadow Fall is a fresh start for the franchise — the game takes place some thirty years after the original Killzone trilogy, so most of the characters and story arcs from those games have passed into history. And while die-hard fans will appreciate the nods to earlier Killzone titles, no knowledge of the Killzone universe is required to get into the story.
@nick_serio: How long is the campaign? (source)
STH: Killzone Shadow Fall’s campaign should last well over 10 hours for most gamers.
@DGuetta52: Will Killzone’s campaign be co-op? (source)
STH: No, the campaign will not have a co-op mode. However, we’re planning to release a separate Online Co-op Expansion Pack after launch; it will add a new wave-based game mode, in which up to four players take on hordes of enemies in special arena maps. For more information about the Online Co-Op Expansion Pack, please refer to our Season Pass announcement.
@LB_Ed: Any plans for split screen support? Playing a game has always been more fun locally then online. (source)
STH: We currently have no plans for split-screen support.
@Mr_Tom_B: Will Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer run on dedicated servers, or peer to peer? Will there be peer-to-peer hosting at all? (source)
STH: We are running with dedicated servers to handle the transfer of data between clients.
@IronSir: How will the level system in multiplayer work? (source)
STH: We have a Challenge-based system, where completing one of the 1,500 Challenges will increase your rank by one. We will continue to add new Challenges after launch.
@MrFredchr: Why did you choose to remove XP and levels? (source)
STH: Levels are part of the game, as completing one of the 1,500 Challenges increases your rank. However, we felt XP was less about skill and more about time, so we designed a new system with a greater emphasis on skill.
@Fishrock123: Any news of vehicles in the multiplayer? (source)
STH: Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer will not have any vehicles (such as Exoskeletons or Jetpacks) at launch. We wanted to ensure that player-created, custom Warzones work on all multiplayer maps, and the inclusion of vehicles would have introduced too many new variables and exceptions to guarantee this.
@BucktownzFinest: Since there are Warzones to join, does that mean there’s no standard matchmaking? (source)
STH: Not sure what you mean by standard matchmaking, but when you select a Warzone, the game will then look for a suitable match to join.
@WilliamPeter417: How many weapons are available for customization for multiplayer mode? (source)
STH: Killzone Shadow Fall will have 22 weapons at launch, and pretty much all of them can be enhanced with various attachments.
@HamseD: Since all the weapons are unlocked, what about the attachments? (source)
STH: Attachments are not unlocked by default — you can unlock them by completing Challenges.
@TheWroster: How will the DS4 touchpad work in this game? (source)
STH: For singleplayer we are using the touchpad to select the mode the OWL is in. It can be set into four different modes with quick swipes on the touchpad. For multiplayer, we use it to bring up menus.
@double_T_azn: Will there be more hand to hand takedowns than what we’ve seen in previous trailers? (source)
STH: We have a variety of melee moves, including combo kills where you take down two enemies in quick succession, or a dropdown melee. The dropdown is also available in multiplayer.
@double_T_azn: Will there be bonuses for transferring Vita saves for Killzone: Mercenary onto the PS4? (source)
STH: No, we have no plans for connectivity between Killzone: Mercenary and Killzone Shadow Fall.
@nurseman22: My question is: where have you been all my life? (source)
STH: Right here in the studio, working hard on Killzone Shadow Fall!
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Hi, everyone. We’re very pleased to announce the launch of the second update for Killzone: Mercenary.
Firstly, we need to start off with the bad news. You’ll see that the patch size is similar to that of the previous patch, and you’ll need a spare 1190MB in order to download it. When this new patch installs, the first patch will essentially be deleted, but you will need the extra space initially. This download is necessary in order to pave the way for future planned revisions to the game.
We’re currently investigating solutions to reduce the overall size of the title and free up more of your valuable memory card space. We hope to be able to share more news on that work very soon. However, it seems unlikely to us that the overall size of the downloaded game, plus the patch, will ever be under 4GB.
The main focus for the second patch has been in targeting some of the connectivity issues that have been experienced over the last month. We’re hoping that many of you who were previously unable to connect into the community will now be able to enjoy Killzone: Mercenary to its fullest.
The other main area of work has been to provide a better distribution of respawn points across all game modes. The intention here is to give a better balance to the multiplayer games.
We’ve also addressed the issue that some of you were reporting with loadout slots not being unlocked, in addition to problems with the melee medal (which was always being awarded as a “bronze”).
Finally, there are also a number of stability fixes, to address some of the crashes that have been reported.
Please note that our previous workaround information regarding connectivity is now redundant, and it’s recommended that any steps you may have followed in order to connect should now be reverted.
Getting everyone into games (and keeping them there) remains our number one goal on the Mercenary team. Given the myriad of network setups and usage patterns out there, we realize that issues may still arise. As such, we’ve now set up a poll to allow more detailed feedback to be given.
Please be assured that we monitor the forums regularly in an effort to focus our development towards the most common issues and requests.
We hope to be able to share more details on the next patch in the near future. For now though, please enjoy the updates, and continue to relay your feedback through the official forum.
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Yesterday, Killzone Shadow Fall Lead Designer Eric Boltjes held a presentation on the game’s multiplayer mode at the 2013 Eurogamer Expo in London. Afterwards he also fielded questions from the audience, going into greater detail about some of Killzone Shadow Fall’s features and design choices.
You can watch the whole presentation here:
In addition to the answers Mr. Boltjes provided, we’ve compiled a list of some of the more frequently asked questions that have appeared online following our announcement of the multiplayer mode. In particular, we received numerous questions about the multiplayer framerate so, let’s dive right in:
Will Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer have a variable frame rate?
No, we’re running 60fps. However, the game may drop a few frames in extreme situations – when there are a lot of GPU-intensive things going on at once. Guaranteeing a constant 60fps under such circumstances would’ve required undesired concessions.
We wanted to make sure Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer would present a visual spectacle, boasting a stunning level of detail in 1080p at 60fps, while still allowing 24 players and their drones (effectively 48 entities) to take part at once. We’re very proud of the results – when you move through the maps you’ll notice lots of intricate details, from beautiful reflective surfaces to individually moving leaves on the foliage.
We’ve also received several questions about the new Classes and their abilities:
What happened to [multiplayer class X] from previous Killzone games?
There are now three classes to choose from in Killzone Shadow Fall: Assault Class, Support Class and Scout Class. Classes from previous Killzone titles such as the Tactician, Engineer and Medic are now represented by the secondary abilities of the highly versatile Support Class. We’ll have more on the Support Class and the Scout Class in upcoming Killzone.com articles.
How are the Assault Class Nano Shields balanced?
As mentioned in our Assault Class article, Nano Shields can block enemy attacks while allowing your projectiles through. Activation isn’t instantaneous, though – there’s a slight delay as you set it up, and you won’t be able to wield your weapon during this period. After activation you have to wait until the shield is destroyed or dismantled before you can place a new one.
How are the Support Class Spawn Beacons balanced?
Killzone Shadow Fall sees the return of player-deployed spawn points, known as Spawn Beacons. The Support Class has the ability to place them almost anywhere in the map (like Killzone 2’s Spawn Grenades), but it takes a while to set them up (like Killzone 3’s Tactical Spawn Points). Spawn Beacons can be destroyed by any class, although some weapons will yield quicker results than others.
Next, a couple of points about weapons in Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer:
Will rocket launchers be secondary weapons, like in Killzone 3?
Rocket launchers aren’t secondary weapons like they were for certain classes in Killzone 3. Instead, grenade launchers and rocket launchers will be available as attachments for the heavier primary weapons. This means less weapon switching in the heat of battle.
I prefer hip-firing rather than aiming down sights – can I still do that?
If you’re one of those players endowed with dead aim, you’ll be happy to know that ‘hip-firing’ (firing a weapon without using the sights) is still an option in Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer. Some weapons can only be fired by aiming down the sights, however – particularly the heavier/more dangerous ones.
Concerning the new Custom Warzones feature:
Will there be official Warzones?
For those who prefer their Warzones tried-and-tested, there will be default Warzones to play in. In addition, Guerrilla will frequently try out and highlight new and interesting custom Warzones created by the community. Both types of Warzones will be easily accessible from inside the game.
Can Challenges be completed in bots-only Warzones?
To emphasize true skill and prevent players from artificially boosting their stats, custom Warzone games featuring bots will not count towards completing challenges in the Progression System.
Can I play Custom Warzones against just my friends?
Custom Warzones can be private games that only you and friends can play. This is particularly useful if you want to train in a less competitive environment, or if your custom Warzone is a work in progress that you’re not ready to share with the community yet.
A word about Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer network structure and colorblind support:
What is Killzone Shadow Fall’s multiplayer network structure like?
Killzone Shadow Fall has dedicated servers hosted in various regions around the world. These servers do not run the logic of the game – they only act as a hub between the clients, forwarding network traffic from one player in game to all other players in game. This allows people with a slower connection or strict firewall settings to play without issues. Almost all logic relating to you (e.g. moving, shooting and taking damage) runs on your local PS4, with only a very small portion of the game logic (i.e. mission/scoring logic) running on the ‘session master’, one PS4 in the game selected for its connection quality.
Will Killzone Shadow Fall offer colorblind support?
Killzone Shadow Fall will have colorblind support options that can be activated from the options menu.
Finally, the recent Season Pass announcement generated some confusion, so we’d like to clear that up:
If multiplayer map packs are free, what is the Season Pass for?
The Killzone Shadow Fall Season Pass entitles you to:
an online co-op expansion pack that introduces a brand-new horde mode for up to 4 players three arena map packs for use with the online co-op expansion pack, and two additional multiplayer expansion packs that will be detailed at a later date.The expansion packs and map packs covered by the Season Pass do not include maps for Killzone Shadow Fall’s built-in multiplayer mode – as we’ve said before , such maps will be released for free so as not to fragment the online community.
Feel free to post your questions about Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer in the comments below – we’ll try to answer what we can. Additional facts and details about the game are coming very soon, so keep an eye on Killzone.com and the PlayStation Blog!
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Following our recent killzone.com Guerrilla Dossier on the Black Hand, we’ve asked Art Director Roy Postma and Assistant Art Director Dan Calvert to tell us more about the creation and design of the radical Helghast subfaction from Killzone Shadow Fall.
Click here to see the full gallery
Why do the Black Hand look so different from any of the foes seen before in the Killzone universe?Dan Calvert: We’re dealing with the universe-changing consequences of the demise of planet Helghan, plus the jump in time between Killzone 3 and Killzone Shadow Fall. We’d already started to see the Helghast fragment in Killzone 3 after Scolar Visari’s death, and the loss of their home and a vast part of their population only furthered this. The Helghast maintain their identity and their ideals, but their goals are now splintered. The Black Hand are the most divergent Helghast subfaction we see in Shadow Fall; they’re not a regular army, and they don’t use conventional warfare tactics. They’re infiltrators, not invaders.
Roy Postma: From a design standpoint, increasing the diversity between the characters was a clear choice we made from the start. Instead of constraining ourselves to the Helghast military, we expanded the range of enemies to different groups, from security to the military to special ops and the Black Hand. This allowed us to create a unique and distinct basis for each group, which we finished off with the typical Helghast details to ensure no-one would mistake them for friendly forces.
Roy Postma: The Black Hand are a good example of the setting of our new world, where Vektans and Helghast live next to each other with only a wall dividing them. Their costumes are a crossover of design elements from both main factions, combined into a whole new look. Like Dan said, the Black Hand are not an official army – they’re not equipped like regular soldiers. They hide and live among civilians until they’re activated, so the basis for their costumes is Vektan civilian street wear.
When Black Hand operatives get called into action they will pull up their hoods with the red combat goggles to hide their identity, and gear up with surplus Helghast military gear smuggled over the wall. The most noticeable elements in their equipment are the straps they wrap around themselves. On these straps they’ve fastened cloaking projectors, similar to the ones used by Helghast snipers. The Black Hand use older models, which means they need a lot of projectors strapped around their bodies, but this renders their combat gear practically invisible to the naked eye. It lets them to blend in and get close to their targets before they spring into action.
At its core, the identity of the Black Hand is defined though chaos. Their goals are to unsettle the Vektan populace with random attacks. Chaos is their manifesto, so it’s something we express through their character design – the mismatched clothing, the haphazard gear and bags, the loosely attached projector straps that flail around as they move – none of this is detail for its own sake, it’s there to show exactly how these guys are different in character from your typical Helghan infantryman.
How has developing for a next-generation platform enhanced the character design and authoring process?
Dan Calvert: There were a couple of important things that we wouldn’t have been able to achieve on older consoles, and if we’d lost these they would have really compromised our vision for the Black Hand. Having all those loose-fitting elements move naturally, respond to the motion of the character, and collide with one another would have been impossible without the advances in our simulation and character rigging.
In addition, we’ve become a lot better at cloth and civilian-style clothing – instead of sculpting the character’s clothes out of digital clay, we now cut and sew digital clothing patterns and then precompute how they would hang on the character to get the most natural folds and seams possible. We’ve also improved our ability to render cloth-like materials and simulate in-game cloth behavior.
Thanks Roy and Dan! Check out the gallery below for concept images for the Black Hand operatives, and keep an eye on Killzone.com and PlayStation.Blog for new Guerrilla Dossiers coming soon!
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A week after Killzone Mercenary’s launch, one of the great things to see is how so many different people play the game in so many different ways. Looking at the stats I can see that the M82 and the silenced STA-52SE are the weapons of choice for a lot of people, each racking up 5M+ kills already, but digging deeper it’s great to see that some of the other weapons are being wielded very effectively.
I’d expected my personal favourite – the STA-14 – to be topping the headshot charts, but it’s actually being pipped at the post by the up close and personal touch of the silenced STA-18SE. It seems there are a lot of you out there who really don’t want to show up on the radar! No doubt those people have already bought the Infiltrator Armour as well.
If you want to check out some of the stats for yourself then take at looks at Blackjack’s on the official Killzone Mercenary site.
If you’re already playing, then I hope you like watching what’s been going on in a blur as you notch up yet another kill, and if you haven’t played yet, then I hope you like what you see and dip your toes in. Just be careful – people are getting pretty accurate with that STA-14!
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At a recent event in New York, I got my hands on Guerrilla Games’ upcoming PS4 launch title, Killzone: Shadow Fall. The game will feel instantly familiar to anyone who’s followed the long-running series, but there are enough new features and additions that even the most battle-worn Helghan veterans will want a primer before heading into battle.
The tools at your disposal in Shadow Fall are many: In addition to the requisite bullet-driven armaments, the new OWL drone gives you an enormous tactical advantage. Swipe up on DualShock 4‘s touchpad to set the OWL into attack mode, point your crosshairs at a space in front of an enemy and press L1 to deploy the drone, which both attacks its target head-on and serves as a distraction while you flank around the other side. The OWL is also incredibly useful when trying to keep track of one of the game’s teleporting enemies. Just follow the bullets.
The OWL has other uses, too. Swipe left on the touchpad to put the drone into stun mode, which will incapacitate foes and nearby electronics. Swipe downward for a drop-anywhere shield, creating last-minute cover from gunfire when things go south. Swipe right to turn your OWL into a zipline — especially useful for covering large amounts of ground quickly or escaping a tower you just planted some C4 on. The OWL can also hack security systems, ensuring your enemies can’t call in reinforcements in the middle of a fight.
Holding up on the directional pad sends out a pulse that scans for nearby enemies. This is a big help when you’re trying to quietly take out foes, but be careful: hold it for too long and the signal will become strong enough for enemies to notice, alerting them to your location (and likely ruining whatever plan you had in mind). One strategy I employed was to locate mid-range enemies while hidden behind a rock or tree, then attach a scope to my rifle (by pressing left on the d-pad) and take them out from afar with a charged shot. If I missed and things got hairy, I could quickly switch weapons, send out my trusty OWL drone, and switch to Plan B (shoot things and try not to get shot).
From time you time, you might find yourself faced against odds that you aren’t quite ready for. Pressing down on DualShock 4′s d-pad will not only restore your health (using up one of your reserved med-kits), but gives you a shot to turn the tables by putting you into a slow-motion mode when looking down the scope of your gun. This effect lasts for just a few seconds, but is usually all you’ll need to get yourself out of a messy situation and back on your feet.
PS4′s enhanced hardware is beautifully showcased in Shadow Fall: each melee takedown gives you an up-close look at the finely crafted intricacies of enemies’ uniforms. Ropes dangle and sway from ledges, and guns are seemingly machined from real, tangible metal. I found myself constantly stopping to marvel at the little details, like an accurately rendered lens flare that swept across the screen when I panned the camera across a particularly gorgeous sunset. If a PS4 launch title already looks this good, I can’t wait to see what developers get out of the system throughout the course of the generation.
DualShock 4 has earned quite a few kudos since E3, and in Shadow Fall those positive impressions are solidly reinforced. The longer, concave analog thumbsticks respond to the tiniest adjustments while the extended, textured handles made extended play sessions feel more comfortable. And the triggers… oh, the triggers. My index fingers felt like they were made to wrap around the lovingly redesigned L2 and R2 buttons, which are assigned to look down the scope of your gun and fire, respectively. Throw in the touchpad implementation discussed above, and Killzone: Shadow Fall is a perfect showcase title for PS4′s new controller.
Killzone: Shadow Fall makes a strong case for FPS titles on PS4, from the ultra-slick graphics to the impeccably implemented controls. You’d do well to keep an eye on this one if you’re considering your PS4 launch day options. Stay tuned to PS.Blog for more updates on the game, right up until its launch this holiday.
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Sign-ups for the Killzone: Mercenary closed beta start today! Enter here for a chance to be selected as one of the few participants in the exclusive multiplayer closed beta.
Candidates have until 2:00PM PDT on Wednesday, July 17th to sign up for the public’s first look at Mercenary’s impressive multiplayer package. If chosen to participate, you will receive an email with directions on how to get started.
Mercenary’s multiplayer suite will provide players with a diverse range of weapons, grenades, armor, and special VAN-Guard devices enabling the player to customize their multiplayer load-out slots. This customization supports the tactical element of the game; will you armor yourself up and go in like a tank, or take a more precise approach and assassinate enemies stealthily?
No matter your tactical approach, Mercenary’s multiplayer beta will give gamers an early look into the power and promise of PS Vita as the optimal handheld platform for first-person shooters.
Salivating yet? Sign up now before all slots are filled.
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In Killzone: Shadow Fall, being a Shadow Marshal is all about dominating the flow of combat and fighting on your own terms. Your OWL combat drone gives you enormous freedom in choosing how each fight plays out.
The OWL has several modes of operation you can activate via DualShock 4‘s touch pad: a stun mode, which creates an area-of-effect shock blast that stuns enemies and disrupts electronics; an attack mode, in which the OWL attacks anyone within range or targets a specific enemy; a shield mode, which creates a one-way energy shield in front of you; and finally, a zipline mode, which allows you to quickly and safely reach lower areas.
To allow you to tailor your gameplay experience even further, we’re happy to announce the Shadow Pack – a bundle of exclusive content you’ll receive for pre-ordering Killzone: Shadow Fall at participating retailers! The Shadow Pack will gain you access to these extras:
OWL SkinGive your OWL a unique appearance with these exclusive skins. Who says combat drones need to be devoid of personality?
MP Spotlight MoveCelebrate your triumphs over enemy players in multiplayer mode in a new and unique way with this special victory move.
Official SoundtrackListen to the epic cinematic score for Killzone: Shadow Fall as it brings both sides of the conflict to life like never before.
Remember, the only way to obtain the Shadow Pack and get your hands on these exclusive bonuses is by pre-ordering the game! Stay tuned to Killzone.com and PS.Blog for more Killzone: Shadow Fall news!
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With Killzone Shadow Fall, we are part of an exciting line up of launch titles for PS4. This is both daunting and exciting, but a good feeling to have!
Since the game’s announcement earlier this year at the PlayStation Meeting 2013, we have been hard at work on Killzone Shadow Fall. At the event, we were able to give you a brief glimpse of the direction we are taking the game with live on-stage gameplay. The demonstration focused on setting up the new conflict between the two warring factions that now occupy the same world, we are very much looking forward to sharing more of the exciting new gameplay opportunities soon.
Today we are happy to show you a developer diary as part of PlayStation’s Conversations with Creators. In this video, we briefly talk about what it means to us to be a launch title on this new platform.
Killzone: Shadow Fall is scheduled for a Holiday 2013 release, and will be available exclusively on PS4.
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