Tribes Ascend - F2P - Gotta Go Fast!

[Sekh765]

So there is a new F2P coming out soon that we've talked about a few times but noone was sure how good it would be. After playing in the beta with friends for a week now, I can say pretty definitively if they go ahead with their plans to add real dedicated servers, I would very much want to set up a TFP server/group for this game. So I am making this post about it for folks to learn! I'll be putting this up on the main TFP website as well.



Tribes Ascend is the 4th PC game in the Tribes series of shooters. It is a very fast paced game whose primary selling point is that all 3 of the armor classes (Light, Medium, Heavy) has a jetpack. This allows for combat to go vertical with people flying around over and under each other firing wildly. The second part comes from the fact that eventually you run out of energy and fall down. Due to a glitch (intentional or un, I forget) in the original game's physics though, people learned how to "ski" in tribes. Hitting the ground super fast and flinging yourself off hills using your momentum. This became an incredibly important to gameplay and has become a staple in all tribes games since! Here is a video of someone skiing around, going fast!



So as you can see, you can get going pretty damn fast! It takes practice to be able to move like that, but it's not super difficult.

So how do I get a key you ask? Well, it's actually super easy. Right now the game is in "closed" beta, but closed in this sense means about as open as a pasta strainer. So you can get a key a number of ways. First anyone who is already in the beta has about 4 keys to give out. If you know someone in the beta who still has a key, you can direct them to this page (https://account.hirezstudios.com/tribesascend/) and have them login and go to friend referral. Once you have made your own account, you should be given some keys to give out yourself! Another way is to log onto their facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/tribesascend?sk ... 3417467788) and "like" their page when logged into your account. You will be directed through a series of links and eventually be given a key, again, very easy to do. The last way I know of getting a key is through 4chan's /v/ section (http://boards.4chan.org/v/) where the developers HiRez are known to frequent and most threads about the game will have a number of keys just floating around in them. A final method of acquiring a key is to "preorder" the game from their website (https://account.hirezstudios.com/tribesascend/). This gives you a number of advantages I detail in the edit below, as well as a key and 4 other keys to give out. This game is free, there is no reason to not try it out!


CPU/Processor: Intel Celeron E1500 Dual-Core 2.2GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4800+
Video Card Required: Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS / ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT 512MB
Minimum RAM (Memory): 2 GB
Hard Drive Space Required: 9 GB
DirectX Version Needed: 9

They aren't extreme. If you can run TF2 you can most likely run this game.




This game is about going fast, shooting people and yelling Shazbot (vgs). Also there are some game modes and maps. I recommend the above video for a fun view on the game.

There are currently 3 gametypes and 5 maps. Keep in mind this is a beta and they are still regularly adding content. A new map was added just this week.

Capture the Flag - Traditional CTF Mode, Two teams, Two large bases complete with turrets, sensors and a power generator and vehicle pad. The teams battle to capture the flag and a tie can result in an overtime battle if the match goes on long enough. Very fun maps with an exception I will detail below. This is the main mode I play.

Team Deathmatch - Not 100% traditional. Each team starts with 100 lives, each death subtracts one life, the first team to 0 loses. However there is a flag in the middle of the map and whichever team is holding the flag costs their opponent 2 lives per kill, so the match revolves around chasing/holding the flag as long as possible while killing your opponents.

Rabbit - Every man for himself keep away game. Grab the flag and run. You can only gain points while holding the flag or killing the flag carrier. First to 30 wins.



So we all know how F2P games work, the game is free but there's a catch somewhere that involves real money otherwise why make it F2P. Well here is how Ascends works.

There are three resources in the game. XP, Tokens, and Gold.

XP gained on a per class basis (more on that later if people are interested) and is used to upgrade the specific class with minor abilities such as +15% energy recharge or +10% damage to armored targets, etc. Each class has 2 perks at the bottom of its skill tree which can be assigned to any class once unlocked. They are much larger things such as recharging health off a downed enemy or -30% self damage for rocket jumping (Disc jumping in Tribes).

Tokens are gained per game and are account based, these things are used to purchase new classes. Currently there are 15 classes, with only 2 unlocked at the start, the Ranger and Soldier, both medium armor classes with decent abilities. You can definitely top the scoreboard with these two classes alone. Tokens accumulate slowly, and classes have a wide variety of prices. Some are very cheap (Juggernaut and Pathfinder), while some are very expensive (Doombringer and Scrambler). It will take a good amount of time to unlock them, but nothing extreme.

Gold is the real money currency in this game. It can be used to unlock any class for very low cost (If you prepurchase the game you get enough gold to unlock every class but 2 right away). It can also be used to transfer xp from one class to another, say if you really hate playing Raider but you want it's perk at the bottom of the skill tree. You can use gold to transfer XP from another class into raider and unlock it's perks without having to play it. HiRez has hinted at skins and other cosmetic unlockables being purchased with gold in the future, but they are not implemented in the beta. Nothing in this game is pay to win though, which should be kept in mind. Anything gold can unlock can also be unlocked by playing, making it rather nice in comparison to some other less well thought out F2P systems.




Well that is the basic information of the game. I can make another post about each of the classes and maps if folks become interested. I just wanted to get folks interested since I find the game very enjoyable. Please post comments below and friend me on Ascend. The game lets you join any friends game or if you just hit "que for match" and a friend is in a game with slots it autoslots you with them. My Ascend name is Sekh765. Tell me what ya think/questions below!

Please don't llama grab please don't llama grab please don't llama grab...

EDIT - Since people were confused/asking about it. The game IS F2P. However you can "preorder" the game on their front page. This gives you VIP Status (Priority on joining servers that are full, increased token/xp gain), a 30 day "Booster" (even more increased XP and Token gain), and 30 dollars worth of Gold tokens, which buys you every class in the game but 2 if you spend it right. This costs 30 dollars. It also guarantee's you a key. However if you just nab a key and go to the download client option, you can get the game for free outright.

DOUBLE EDIT - TL:DR image for you folks. http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9012 ... ummies.png (Not embedding it because it is HUGE!) - This is a image guide to the entire game.

[ReverendBrowning]

I was very, very wary of the class system when I first heard of it, but I have to say, Hi-Rez has really made this game a labour of love. The skiing mechanic is even tighter than it was in Tribes 2, and the addition of a speedometer is just brilliant. If you wanna help me blow up the burd, my name over there is RevBrowning.

[Nynnja]

GOTTA GO FAST AND FAST TOO SLOOOOOOOOOW

[Oktoberwolf]

I dislike the token farm needed to unlock most classes, but everything is still fun overall - i'd just wish i knew how to use the Ranger :<

Ingame name: Oktober

[Sarki]

This game is fuuuuun :3

Classes do take a little bit too long to unlock, which can give it a "pay 2 win" feeling at first, but the ones you start with are pretty capable of competing with anything else you can unlock. (atleast it's not Blacklight *cheapshot*)
Aside from it~ it's a lovely shooter for people who like to move fast >:3
Fun weapons, easy-to-pick/hard-to-master skying mechanics, shazbot.

See you in the battlefield blood eagles

[Sekh765]

I have a number of keys to give out now, went and grabbed some from my friends for TFP members who can't use the free Facebook keygen. If you need one send me a PM on steam. My only stipulation is when you get some keys on your own account (they are handed out weekly it seems), you give them to me to give out to other TFP members that need them.

[Tasho]

Feel free to add me folks, been playing since Thanksgivingish. In Game: Spottycat. Also Spottycat on Steam. :>
I should have some keys now and again for other anti-facebook people. :>

[Felix]

Go fast with felixfox ! :3

[Jinx]

My username is Jinx364. SHAZBOT

[Pathia]

Will they be releasing the server software (assuming they do servers at all?), or is this something we have to pay them to host a server for us?