It is a game within a game. If Tribes: Ascend was just a two player duel game, it would already be something special. Something deep, rich and zen. Bushido Blade with jetpacks. But Tribes: Ascend is so much more than that. The game offers many modes, but they are all a sideshow to the best Capture The Flag mode in gaming. Tribes: Ascend is the world’s fastest shooter – a high-adrenaline, online multiplayer shooter with jetpacks, skiing, vehicles, and multiple classes. The classic franchise Tribes has been played by well over 1 million people.
| Tribes: Ascend | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Hi-Rez Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Hi-Rez Studios |
| Designer(s) | Scott Zier |
| Programmer(s) | Mick Larkins |
| Artist(s) | Sean McBride |
| Composer(s) | Chris Rickwood |
| Series | Tribes |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | April 12, 2012 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Tribes: Ascend is a free-to-playfirst-person shooter developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, as part of the Tribes series. Aspects from previous Tribes games such as jetpacks and skiing are featured in the game.[1] The game was released on April 12, 2012.[2] In February 2013, Hi-Rez released a Game of the Year Edition, which unlocked all classes, weapons, equipment, and perks in a single package.[3][4] In July 2013, Hi-Rez halted further development on Tribes: Ascend to focus on other titles, though a small team resumed development in August 2015.[5] In December 2015, Hi-Rez Studios announced a patch for the game which introduced major changes. Due to the nature of the patch, the company reverted all previous in-game purchases.[6]
Gameplay[edit]
Loadouts and Classes[edit]
Tribes: Ascend features a class-based loadout system. Each loadout specifies what type of armor the player has, along with what weapons and items they carry. Each loadout supports two in-hand weapons, a set of belt items such as grenades or mines and a pack. There are three possible sizes of armor to choose: light, medium and heavy, with three loadouts in each weight group (for a total of nine). Players can select which loadout to use either when first joining a game, respawning, or at an inventory station. Loadouts may be acquired either through an upfront payment, or through playing the game and earning experience points, which can be used to purchase classes, weapons, perks, and upgrades.[7] Paid-for loadouts are available to the user immediately, while those who unlock them through playtime have a much longer wait. Upgrades to armor, weapons and perks are unlocked based on how much players use them in-game, but can also be purchased by experience points. Players are given three free classes: the Pathfinder, Soldier, and Juggernaut, when they first start playing the game, each wearing light, medium and heavy armor respectively.[8]
Hi-Rez also sells cosmetic items such as player skins, along with boosters that allow players to gain experience points at a faster rate. Players earn in-match credits during matches for killing enemies, repairing structures or capturing objectives. Credits are then used to buy vehicles, supply drops, Tactical and Orbital strikes and base upgrades.[9]
On February 22, 2012, the game entered open beta. Arena 5v5 was added and Rabbit was disabled during this phase of the beta, though would later return as a private server option.[10]
Game modes and maps[edit]
Hi-Rez Studios released Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, Rabbit (only available in private servers), Arena, and Capture & Hold game modes.[11] While some maps have retained the classic nature of the Tribes franchise with large open areas and base structures, others have a more urban feel to them, featuring buildings and streets. The map Katabatic, which originally appeared in Tribes 2, has been remade in Tribes: Ascend,[11] along with a revamped version of Broadside called Crossfire.
Ranking system[edit]
The ranking system is a vanity reward for players and also serves a functional purpose for the in-game queue system. Each level of a rank has a unique rank title and insignia. Players begin as a rank 1 ('Recruit') and earn ranks as they play the game. Each players' current rank insignia is displayed next to their name on the in-game scoreboard. Rank title and insignia are shown to an enemy player that the player has recently killed (displayed on the kill-cam screen). A summary report of rank experience earned is displayed on the post-match scoreboard screen at the end of each map. An experience bar is also displayed and grows in a horizontal direction as rank experience accrues.
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Tribes: Ascend was met with positive reception, with IGN giving the game a 9/10.[16] It has a Metacritic rating of 86.[18]
References[edit]
- ^Lahti, Evan (11 March 2011). 'Shazbot! Tribes: Ascend announced. Multiplayer-only, coming this year, has trailer'. PC Gamer. Future Publishing. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- ^'Tribes: Ascend Launches Today as Free-To-Play'.
- ^'Tribes: Ascend Game of The Year Edition Now LIVE'. .hirezstudios.com. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- ^'Tribes: Ascend on Steam'. Store.steampowered.com. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- ^Pereira, Chris (August 28, 2015). 'Two Years After Development Ceased, Tribes: Ascend Being Supported Again'. GameSpot. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2015-12-14. Retrieved 2015-12-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Out of the Blue Tribes:Ascend Version 1.1, December 10th, 2015
- ^HiRezTodd (29 June 2011). 'Why Loadouts?'. Hi-Rez Studios. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ^'Yak Cast 50 Interview with Todd Harris from Hi-Rez Studios'. Yak Cast (Podcast). WordPress. August 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- ^ClevverGames (29 August 2011). Tribes: Ascend Hands On Demo With Todd Harris - PAX Prime 2011. YouTube. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- ^'Tribes Ascend Entering Open Beta'. IGN. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- ^ abobsidiafr (21 August 2011). Tribes Ascend - Interview vidéo avec Todd Harris - Gamescom 2011. YouTube. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- ^'Tribes: Ascend'. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^Stanton, Rich (2012-04-19). 'Tribes Ascend Review'. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
- ^Stanton, Rich (2012-04-12). 'Tribes Ascend Review'. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^Stanton, Rich (2012-04-19). 'Tribes Ascend Review'. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ abStanton, Rich (2012-04-19). 'Tribes Ascend Review'. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^Lahti, Evan (2012-04-12). 'Tribes: Ascend review'. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
- ^'Tribes: Ascend for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
External links[edit]
| Tribes | |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Developer(s) | Dynamix Inevitable Entertainment Irrational Games Hi-Rez Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra Entertainment VU Games Hi-Rez Studios (current owner) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Linux, PlayStation 2 |
| First release | Starsiege: Tribes December 23, 1998; 21 years ago |
| Latest release | Tribes: Ascend April 12, 2012; 8 years ago |
Tribes is a series of five science fiction first-person shooter video games released between 1998 and 2012. The game plot is set in the far future (2471 - 3940). The series includes Starsiege: Tribes, Tribes 2, Tribes: Aerial Assault, Tribes: Vengeance, and Tribes: Ascend.
Plot[edit]
The Tribes series begins in 2471, when scientist Solomon Petresun invents the first cybrid, a bio-cybernetic hybrid artificial intelligence named Prometheus. Based on its design, thousands of cybrids are mass-produced as slaves. By 2602, Prometheus grows wary of humans and rallies all cybrids against humanity.
In Starsiege, the Terran resistance manages to drive Prometheus' forces out of Earth and onto the Moon where they are believed to be eliminated by General Ambrose Gierling and his squad's suicide attack. Prometheus, however, survives the assault, fleeing into deep space. To counter this threat, Petresun (having technically achieved immortality through his studies) proclaims himself the Emperor of Mankind in 2652 and succeeds in unifying and rebuilding the Terran civilization. Pursuing his goal of fortifying the Earth against the inevitable cybrid retaliation, Petresun ruthlessly exploits Martian and Venusian colonies, spawning massive resistance movements among the colonists by 2802.
The chronologically first game in the Tribes series is Tribes: Vengeance which was released in 2004. Set some time between the 33rd and 40th century, it shows the Great Human Empire, now ruled by 'Imperial King' Tiberius, having hunted down (almost) all remaining cybrids and expanded beyond the boundaries of the Solar system through the so-called Interstellar Transfer Conduit. While the Empire itself is prosperous, there are outcasts, known as 'the Children of Phoenix Weathers', whom they consider their progenitor. Their insubordination has made the Empire dispatch a great force of elite Imperial Knights, the Blood Eagles, against them, however, by the time of Tribes: Vengeance, the Eagles have fully embraced the Tribal way of life, considering themselves Tribesmen despite still having ties to the Empire.
The next (chronologically) game in the series, Starsiege: Tribes, 1998, sees the conflict between the Blood Eagles, the Children of Phoenix, and other tribes formed by the renegades of these two (such as the Star Wolf and the Diamond Sword) escalating into countless blood feuds before finally culminating in the devastating Tribal Wars about 3940.
The sequel, entitled Tribes 2, 2001, deals with the insurgent uprising of BioDerms, a new race of warriors/workers created by the Empire to replace the cybrids, and their assault on the Wilderzone, the space frontier where the Tribes mostly reside.
Tribes Aerial Assault, 2002, does not significantly contribute to the plot of the series.
Releases[edit]
| Year | Title | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Starsiege: Tribes | Windows |
| 2001 | Tribes 2 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 2002 | Tribes Aerial Assault | PlayStation 2 |
| 2004 | Tribes: Vengeance | Windows |
| 2012 | Tribes: Ascend | Windows |
Development[edit]
Six companies have been involved in the development of the Tribes franchise.[citation needed]
Dynamix[edit]
Starsiege: Tribes was released in December 1998, and sold a total of 210,000 copies.[citation needed]
A single player version called Tribes Extreme began development shortly after the release of Starsiege: Tribes, but was abandoned before completion.[1]
Tribes 2 added additional vehicles (such as a two-person tank and a three-person bomber with a belly turret), weapons, and items. A few details of gameplay were changed; for instance, the original game made a player choose his load out while he was at a supply station (sometimes resulting in long lines to use the station), while the sequel required the player to choose his load out before he used the station. Tribes 2 also included many features to help its community of players: it included user profiles, interactive chat areas, and message boards. The initial release of Tribes 2 was plagued by bugs and slow performance on release. While a very stable build existed as late as 1 month before release, several changes were introduced in the last several weeks of development that compromised stability on most systems configurations. Several patches were released over the following year (first by Dynamix, later by GarageGames) to address these issues, including a day 0 patch that had to be run after installation before the game could be played.[citation needed]
Inevitable Entertainment[edit]
Tribes Aerial Assault was a PlayStation 2 version of Tribes 2. Developed by Inevitable Entertainment and published by Sierra, it offered simplified but significantly swifter gameplay (fewer maps and vehicles, and a subset of the original's voice commands) and network support for up to sixteen players at a time.
Irrational Games[edit]
Tribes: Vengeance is a prequel to the other games, was released in October 2004. In addition to multiplayer support, it featured a full single-player game with a storyline. It was developed by Irrational Games using a heavily modified Unreal engine to bring the game's appearance up to par with other modern first-person shooters. This new Tribes largely de-emphasized the focus on massive maps and slower gameplay that was typical of Tribes 2 in favor of the swifter action of the original, battles were faster paced, and teamwork and vehicles were less necessary. Tribes: Vengeance was released with almost no marketing support shortly after the release of Doom 3 and Far Cry and just before the releases of Half-Life 2 and Halo 2. Sales were predictably poor. After six months, only 47,000 copies of the game had been sold. In March 2005, all support for Tribes: Vengeance was dropped, including a planned patch that would have addressed several bugs and added PunkBuster support.[2]
InstantAction[edit]
InstantAction announced PlayTribes, a planned browser-based version of Starsiege: Tribes, in March 2009 along with their acquisition of the Tribes intellectual property.[3] An open beta was scheduled to release that summer but was continually pushed back. The game was shown publicly in September 2009 at PAX in a relatively playable state,[4] but was eventually canceled after InstantAction sold the Tribes IP to Hi-Rez Studios in October 2010.[5]
GarageGames[edit]
In February 2006, GarageGames 'leaked' short videos of a tech demo which featured 'tribes like' game play on their Torque Shader Engine. The demo made its debut at the 2006 GDC as 'Legions', an allusion to the Tribes series for which the team is famous for. Announced officially in 2007 as a 'spiritual successor' to Tribes, Fallen Empire: Legions was marketed to the public in June 2008 on InstantAction, and is currently being developed by the community after InstantAction was shut down in November 2010.[6]
Hi-Rez Studios[edit]
On October 23, 2010, Hi-Rez Studios announced that they had bought the Tribes IP from InstantAction.[5] Hi-Rez Studios released Tribes: Ascend, a multiplayer-only successor to Tribes 2 for the PC on April 12, 2012.[7]
Best Mac Fps Games
Tribes Universe was a massively multiplayer online shooter developed by Hi-Rez Studios. The game, along with Hi-Rez Studios' Tribes IP acquisition from InstantAction, was first announced on October 23, 2010. While alpha testing was said to begin at the start of 2011, development on Tribes Universe was canceled when Hi-Rez Studios decided to start working on Tribes: Ascend.[8]
Hi-Rez has been criticized by gaming communities, mostly regarding their mismanagement of Tribes: Ascend and Global Agenda.[9][10] In 2013, Hi-Rez Studios announced they would stop releasing updates for both games, but planned to maintain active servers and customer support.[11] Hi-Rez Studios did eventually come back to Tribes: Ascend in late 2015 and released several patches.[12] The final patch for Tribes: Ascend was released in September 2016.[13]
In 2015 Hi-Rez announced that in celebration of the Tribes franchise 21st anniversary, all games in the franchise (starting with 1994's Metaltech: Earthsiege) would be free to download on the Tribes Universe webpage.[14]
Tribes Ascend Fps Games Mac Download
References[edit]
- ^'Tribes Extreme Cancelled'. IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC. December 1, 1999. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^Feldman, Curt; Surette, Tim (March 28, 2005). 'VU Games discontinues Tribes support'. Gamespot. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^Fahey, Mike (March 17, 2009). 'InstantAction Brings Tribes To Your Web Browser'. Kotaku. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^'Engadget - Technology News, Advice and Features'. Engadget. Archived from the original on 2014-11-01.
- ^ abRossignol, Jim (October 24, 2010). 'Hi-Rez Announce Tribes Universe'. Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^Rossignol, Jim (December 21, 2010). 'The Long Zoom: Legions Will Fly Again'. Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^Lahti, Evan (March 11, 2011). 'Shazbot! Tribes: Ascend announced. Multiplayer-only, coming this year, has trailer'. PC Gamer. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^http://forum.tribesuniverse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=398&p=4937#p4937Archived 2012-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Tribes: Ascend for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
- ^Grayson, Nathan (July 19, 2013). 'Hi-Rez On Tribes' Failings And Future, Tribes Ascend 2'. Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^'Hi-Rez Communication Focus'. Hi-Rez Studios. 2013-08-05. Archived from the original on 2013-08-08. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
- ^Marks, Tom (September 25, 2015). 'Hi-Rez president: 'None of us felt good' about leaving Tribes: Ascend'. PC Gamer. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^Donnelly, Joe (September 29, 2016). 'Tribes: Ascend will not receive further updates'. PC Gamer. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^'Tribes Universe'. Hi-Rez Studios. Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2015-10-30.