Last time we checked in with the Magicka devs, they were debunking the ancient technique of "water bombing" and the frustrations of losing character control. Come take a seat at the Arrowhead campfire and listen to tales of PvP glory and fights to the death.

Another week, another Dev Diary! This time, we're going to talk about the various PvP modes—the different ways you can blast your friends to oblivion. Game modes have been a hot topic of discussion, both on the forums and here in the office. Without further ado, let's get into this.

When pondering what game modes we should have in Magicka, we took a good, long look at other games and the solutions they adopted; we also listened closely to the solutions posed by the Magicka community. Certain things about PvP seem fairly obvious: for example, we always knew we would need a classic Deathmatch mode. You know, the standard kill-people-until-they-all-die game mode. Creating the mode was a relatively simple matter of establishing a time limit and a kill counter. Throughout development, we reserved the word “Deathmatch” for this normal everyday meaning: it’s a very well known expression, and it means a very specific type of game mode which all players easily recognize.



But there’s more than one way to blast your friends to giblets. Considering a slightly different flavor of PvP, but something still quite familiar, we turned to the Brawl game mode. Brawl is largely inspired by Super Smash Bros., which doesn’t count how many kills you’ve scored, but instead gives each player a set number of lives. There was some question early on if this was really different enough from Deathmatch for it to be included, but after much heated discussion, we decided to implement it. Once we started playtesting, we found that it made for very different gameplay experience compared to Deathmatch, especially when playing four-player Free-For-All. It was definitely unique enough to warrant its own game mode, but familiar enough that players would immediately feel at home with it.

The final game mode we’re offering is a tribute to our awesome community—and the individual who created the very first Magicka PvP tournament. We call it Krietor’s Tourney mode. For those unfamiliar with his history, a forum member by the name of Krietor made a mod for Magicka shortly after it was released, implementing the rudimentary PvP functionality that was left in the game (which, for reasons of time, we had to cut before the main release). Instead of just publishing the mod and calling it finished, Keritor followed through and kept improving the mod for a very long time. He introduced an interesting tournament style which included a time limit, and set up timed rounds. Whenever someone scored a kill, the playing field was reset, with everyone healed up to full strength, and stripped of any spells or other effects. This introduced structure and fairness to an otherwise chaotic PvP environment. He also implemented a system whereby Magicks were unlocked based on how far the tournament had progressed. As you got further into a match, more powerful Magicks were unlocked. This made for very interesting tournaments—and we thought it a brilliant idea to implement these ideas in our official Magicka PvP release.



The official version of Krietor’s Tourney mode will feature the same basic functionality as Krietor's original home-made version, polished and refined a bit so it fits perfectly into Magicka PvP. Each round has a certain time limit, and whenever only one person or one team remains (yep, every game mode supports team play), time stops, and everyone is replaced at their spawning positions to begin the next round, with all remaining spells and effects removed for a clean start. This means that no matter who won the last round, nobody will have an edge from one round to the next. Magicks will be unlocked after certain time intervals, and the order and time at which they unlock is unique to each PvP map. The goal of Krietor’s Tourney mode is to make matches as fair as possible, while at the same time keeping things very interesting. (By contrast, randomization is basically fair, but when it comes to competitive multiplayer, randomization rarely generates interest.)

These three new game modes come with lots of new settings, and the lobby we have in the current version of Magicka has no way to represent the various options. So we've reworked the lobby to include PvP. When designing the new lobby, we tried to make it as flexible as possible, so we can easily add more features and options in the future.

It's our hope that these three game modes will satisfy the community’s PvP cravings. We all really enjoy them ourselves, and feel that each game mode contributes its own little piece of fun. We hope that this introduction of PvP will bring an exciting new facet of Magicka to light!

It's been a very busy year for PC news at E3. All last week we were bombarded with new trailers, announcements, screenshots and interviews from LA. We got to see some of the most exciting games of the next few years demoed right before our eyes. You can find all of our E3 2011 posts right here. If you don't fancy clicking through five days of madness, we've compiled the biggest stories of this year's conference into one post with links to all the best trailers, screens and stories of the show.

Battlefield 3 gets a release date, beta plans announced


Battlefield 3 was spectacular at E3 this year. It was one of the best looking games at the show. The EA conference tank mission demo stole our war-obsessed hearts and made us all go "ooooh!" at the screen. In terms of actual news, however, the October 25 release date is a big deal. Battlefield 3 will get a couple of weeks head start on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (out November 8). There will also be a Battlefield 3 beta in Septermber.
Far Cry 3 revealed


Far Cry 3 is coming. The sequel plans to combine the lush jungle environments of Far Cry with the open world of Far Cry 2. Ubisoft promise that the AI has been altered this time so the action happens when the player wants, not when an overzealous patrol comes within a mile. The lawless island will be fully explorable, and the game is built in an upgraded version of the powerful Dunia engine that fuelled Far Cry 2's enormous world. Check out our Far Cry 3 E3 preview for more.
Arma 2: Free announced


We went to E3 expecting more information on Arma 3 following the announcement in the week leading up to the conference. What we got was entirely unexpected. Instead, Bohemia announced Arma 2: Free. One of the best military sims ever made will be free to download this month. The only caveats are a downgrade in graphics, and a lack of mod support. You'll still be able to jump into 50-player missions with your friends. Think of it as the best demo ever.
Modern Warfare 3 could get dedicated servers and mod tools


The fact that Infinity Ward and Activision are even thinking about adding PC specific features like dedicated servers and mod tools to Call of Duty is big news. While it faces stiff competition this year in the form of Battlefield 3, Call of Duty is still one of the biggest games in the world right now. If its creators start paying more attention to supporting the series on PC, that can only be a good thing.
Star Wars: The Old Republic raids revealed


The Old Republic's raids were shown for the first time at E3 this year. Tim dived in and got to see the improved UI and a raid set on Alderaan. You can read all his thoughts on the new raids here. Bioware released some footage of the Eternity Vault raid on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic site. They also released an in-depth dev diary detailing a whole mission set on Tatooine from start to finish.
XCOM returns


After a year of media silence, XCOM re-emerged from its alien cocoon this year a changed animal. The trailer wasn't great, but Graham reported distinct improvements when he saw the game behind closed doors. Check out Evan's overview for a summary of changes that have been made to XCOM in the past year.
Bioshock Infinite trailer and demo amazes


This year's Bioshock Infinite E3 trailer was impressive, but the behind the scenes demo Graham saw was even better. He saw a world full of big ideas and exciting gun fights, a battle of philosophies on a gorgeous floating city. Read all about it here.
Mirror's Edge 2 plans hinted at, could use Frostbite 2


While not quite exactly confirming anything, EA games president Frank Gibeau made it quite clear that EA plan to bring back Mirror's Edge. What's more, it could be powered by Battlefield 3's Frostbite 2 engine. We don't expect a sequel anytime soon, with DICE hard at work on Battlefield, but the prospect of a new Mirror's Edge game further down the line is still exciting.
John Carmack on Rage 2, and the power of PC


It's no understatement to say that John Carmack is one of the giants of the industry. The multi-talented engineering wizard has been building state-of-the-art engines for years. When Carmack starts talking about his predictions for the future of the gaming industry, it's a good idea to listen. We spoke to Carmack about his work on Rage, and his thoughts on where the PC is at. His says the PC is "an order of magnitude" more powerful than the consoles, and that he's keen to change his development approach to one in which id design more efficiently for the PC first, and then move to consoles afterwards. Coincidentally, this is the same approach taken by DICE with Battlefield 3.
Mass Effect 3 gets release date


Not to be outdone, Mass Effect 3 got a release date of March 3 2012, which feels like a long, long way away. It's looking good, though. Check out Josh's hands-on preview for more
World of Warplanes announced


World of Tanks developers, Wargaming.ne, revealed their next MMO at E3 this year. It's called World of Warplanes,and will follow a very similar 'free-to-play with microtransactions' pricing structure to World of Tanks. As with WoT, players will be able to build up their own hangar of warmachines, purchasing planes and upgrades with real and in-game cash.
Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 revealed


Brothers in Arms has gone mad. Gearbox unveiled a brand new direction for the series at the Ubisoft press conference, surprising everyone. Furious 4 replaces existential angst with axes and tactical squad combat with chaotic hyperviolence. It's a bold move by Gearbox, but will it backfire? Check out the Furious 4 trailer for a good look, and read Tim's impressions of the game.
Payday: The Heist unveiled


The choice discovery of E3 this year, Payday: The Heist mugged Tim with its foul language, feisty action and criminal sense of cool. Tim says it's like Left 4 Dead, but with cops instead of zombies. You can read his hands on with the game here. Check out the in-game footage for more.
Dust 514 to be PS3 exclusive, could come to PC


CCP are trying to realise a staggering vision. They're trying to unite PC and console gamers in the same universe. Their FPS, Dust 514 is designed to let PC players send console players on missions to take strategically important planets in the Eve Online. Dust 514 players will share the same chat channels as PC gamers playing Eve Online, and will be able to join Eve's player-created corporations. Eve players floating high above conflict zones will even be able to deliver orbital strikes that will have a direct effect on the FPS battle raging below. It sounds incredible. It will release as a PS3 exclusive, funded by microtransactions, but we'll eat our hats if it doesn't come to PC within a year. You can read Josh's Dust 514 impressions here.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has 30 hour main quest and horses


We got a good look at The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim at E3 this year. The footage and screenshots Bethesda released showed dragon-slaying, horse-riding and plenty of combat. Graham delivered his impressions from the show floor, while Tom delivered his analysis of the video. We discovered a few more facts about the game as well. The main campaign will be about 30 hours long, but with enormous scope for exploration. You'll be able to ignore the main quest from the start of the game, and a carriage-based fast travel system will let you travel to all of Skyrim's major settlements straight away.
Torchlight pirated more than 5 million times


We managed to get hold of Runic Games' CEO Max Schaefer on the show floor for a frank discussion about piracy, DRM and Torchlight 2. The former vice president of Blizzard North revealed that Torchlight has been pirated "millions and millions" of times in Asia, and explained why that doesn't bother him. Check out the interview for more.
Magicka has sold 600k, PvP DLC will be free


Magicka has been a runaway success story for Paradox games. Graham had a chat with Paradox CEO Fred Wester about the future of the game, which Wester predicts will sell a million by the end of the year. He also reveals that the next piece of DLC, which will add a PvP mode to the game, will be free to everyone who owns the game.

And there you have it, an overview of some of the best showings at this year's conference. What were your favourite bits of E3 2011?

Graham's been speaking to Paradox CEO Fred Wester in Magicka's weird language about the game's success.

"Fredrik Wester: It’s now sold close to 600,000, and we’re still selling ten to fifteen thousand a week. We’re probably going to pass a million by the end of this year because we’re seeing no steep drop-off in the purchase rate."

That's a lot of accidental friend-murdering. Read on for Fred's thoughts on the game's crippling early bugs, details of the free PvP DLC, and why Paradox might release a standalone PvP-only Magicka in the future.


Magicka began with a miniscule development team of seven people. Fred explains Paradox's process for bringing developers on board:

"PC Gamer: Does the company have any overriding philosophy to the type of games you make? Or is it purely that you’ve stumbled across a market and you want to service that market?

Fredrik Wester: It’s a mix. Obviously we’re looking for certain types of games. We’ve been working with TaleWorlds now since 2006 on the Mount & Blade series and I chased Armağan Yavuz for two years before he signed with us. I was thinking “This is so perfect because it’s niche and hardcore and even though it’s an RPG it’s still the same style that we want to do”. The Magicka team came to us and said “Can you do this game?” We were blown away by the whole concept. If we can choose ourselves we pinpoint companies we want to work with and we take it from there. Cyanide for example: they’ve done Blood Bowl, and they’re making Game of Thrones: Genesis. I’ve known Patrick, the CEO for many years. I contacted him in March saying “We have this idea and we want to do this game with you guys” and he was like “Great”."

Fred took to Magicka immediately, and described the game to Graham as "sort of Monty Python in gaming." Monty Python, if watchers had their televisions turn themselves off for the first three episodes, anyway - Magicka's bugs were game-breaking until a few weeks after release. Fred's aware of the game's issues, and diplomatically describes it as "somewhat buggy." How do Paradox mean to stop that happening again?

"PC Gamer: There’s been problems with bugs in a few Paradox games. Is that because you don't have a big enough Q&A team, or is that a budget constraint?

Fredrik Wester: Our biggest challenge in the coming two or three years is quality assurance. We’ve been - I wouldn’t say sloppy - but inexperienced on how to deliver a fully polished product. We’re still learning. We’ve hired a new producer who comes from DICE and has a lot of experience on the Battlefield series. It’s a totally different approach to the whole gaming scene.

I agree with you both Hearts of Iron 3 and Ship Simulator Extremes should have been released in more polished states."

Paradox aren't done with Magicka. After the release of the gloriously unhinged Magicka: Vietnam pack, they're experimenting with payment models. Fred confirmed PvP DLC - which they've "put a lot of effort into" - will be free for owners of the original game. Rather than a flat fee, players can purchase cosmetic items for minimal cash. In a departure from the normal 'stupid hat #1, #2 and #3' cosmetic items, these will serve a visual purpose for dedicated teams. Fred explained players can dress their wizard as RPG archetypes like the tank and healer to denote their preferred battlefield role. "It doesn’t do anything for your character, it’s just a visual feature."

The PvP DLC will be out June 21st, but might be the precursor to something more substantial, as the developers have had so much fun with it:

"Fredrik Wester: It might've been that we put even more effort into the PvP parts of Magicka because it's so solid. I would like to do, in the future, a standalone PvP-only online game for Magicka. That’s just a dream at the moment, but we’ll see."

A charitable crumb of DLC has been released for Magicka. The Nippon DLC adds a katana that cuts through armour, a bamboo stave that wards off elemental attacks, and a kimono robe for your wizards. Half of all revenue will be donated to the Japan Relief Support program to help victims of the Japan earthquake. The DLC costs $1 / 59p and comes with a bonus wizard's cowl for the Demoman in Team Fortress 2 if you buy before June 5. You can buy the Nippon pack now on Steam.