Marvel’s Avengers War Table Weekly Blog Week #41
Welcome to our Marvel’s Avengers WAR TABLE Weekly Blog, where we’ll give you the scoop on news, patch notes, Marketplace updates, and more!
Hello and happy Thursday, everyone! This week is a simple one, with your usual updates, as well as a special Community Spotlight with Outer Rims, one of our community’s awesome digital photographers! Rakabraka on down to that section to read up on that interview!
We know you’re excited for Square Enix Presents—we are too! It’s only 3 days away!! Tune in for the live show on the Square Enix Youtube or Twitch channels at 12PM PT on June 13 to learn more about the upcoming War for Wakanda expansion, and more about what’s to come for Marvel’s Avengers!
- Multiplayer Mega Hives are nearing completion. We feel good about being able to bring them to you very soon.
- For Mega Hives (which will support both single and eventually multiplayer), we want to cut the amount of steps in half so that it takes less time to complete. Even though we’re making it easier to complete, the rewards will be exactly the same as they are now, which means the race for better gear will take less time overall!
Own a glimpse of an alternate brass and velvet future with the Steampunk Outfits! BYOC (Bring your own cufflinks). This week has the outfits for Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Kate Bishop. Embody the romantically mechanistic aesthetic and get gilded before they fly away on their metaphorical dirigible!
For the fans of casual outfits, we have two new items for you! Get back to basic training in Captain America’s Boot Camp outfit, or don a rugged look ready for some DIY with Thor’s Hardware Store outfit.
Three new takedowns are here: Black Widow’s Come a Little Closer, Iron Man’s A Little Hand to Hand, and Ms. Marvel’s Making My Own Fun. Add some pizazz to your finishers!
Additionally, Kate Bishop has two items on sale this week. Get her Legendary Young Avenger outfit for 30% off, and her Epic Always Stick the Landing takedown for 50% off.
This week’s free Marketplace offering is the CB069 Nameplate—make sure you pick it up! Speaking of free items, have you used your Hero’s Catalysts yet? They’re great items to use in order to level up your Heroes, especially since Omega Level Threats are on the horizon.
The Marketplace is a place for us to feature purchasable cosmetics in the form of Outfits, Emotes, Takedowns, and Nameplates. The Marketplace’s Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary items rotate weekly, and can be purchased with Credits.
PlayStation Exclusive Community Challenge
Team up with the global player base to meet mega-goals and unlock rewards.
Goal: Defeat 15,000,000 Drones
Reward: 500 Units
Community Q&A
We pulled up our virtual chairs and sat down with OuterRimsPhoto for a quick interview discussing his digital photography!
1. Can you introduce yourself?
Greetings True Believers! I’m Steve (AKA OuterRimsPhoto). I’m a Vancouver based filmmaker and a lifelong Marvelite.
2. How did you get involved in virtual photography?
When the pandemic hit and film production in town shut down I had a lot more free time. I’ve been reading Marvel comics and playing video games since the 80’s so the release of the game couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Getting to photograph the characters that I’ve loved for so long has been a real treat. Marvel’s Avengers is my first foray into Video Game Photography!
3. What is your process like when trying to capture that perfect shot?
I’m used to composing for film & tv so I almost always use widescreen in my VP. I try to create images that are dynamic (they’re super heroes after all!) and that you could imagine seeing in the comics or movies.
I approach VP the same way I do when I’m lining up a shot on set. I get to know my subject and how they move and I’m mindful of the environment they’re moving through. And I almost always try to create depth by using foreground, mid-ground and background elements.
I transfer all my photos from my PS5 to my computer as I find it’s best to look at your shots on the device you will most likely be viewing them on.
Brightness levels are important. The superpowers, lighting effects etc. are pretty dramatic in the game and it’s easy to let them get away from you. Which is why I tend to take 3 bracket exposure shots. 1 at 70% brightness, 1 at 75% and 1 at 80%. This ensures that your highlights and shadows are protected and you can choose the shot that has the best overall exposure.
4. Any favorite Hero or locations to take photos of?
It’s probably Iron-Man! The reflective properties of his various outfits really shine and his designs are top-notch. That being said, my favourite seems to change almost daily!
As far as fave locations? I don’t really have any. I just like running (or flying!) around and if something catches my eye I’ll stop and shoot.
Recently I’ve enjoyed the custom HARM rooms. You can program in the various hazards (plasma, lightning etc.) which are actually sources of light you can use on your heroes. I also like urban locations with simple backgrounds, billboards, translucent AIM signs etc. But overall It’s important in my photography to find locations with strong directional lighting as I find it works best with my Avengers.
5. What is the biggest tip you can give for anyone trying to get into virtual photography?
I would start at the beginning. Learn the general rules of photography. Exposure, golden ratio (rule of thirds), focal length/distance, depth of field etc. Then… once you’ve got a good grasp on these rules… break them. Photography is an art from and there really is no right or wrong.
Some other tips…
You could also try taking shots similar to some of your favourite photographers and eventually you’ll start to form your own style.
And there’s a term we use in show-biz called “happy accidents” and I find VP works the same. Look around and you may find something even better than what you were planning.
6. We asked you to choose your favorite shots to be featured in this blog. Why did you go with these?
Out of all the questions you’ve asked, this is the toughest one to answer. Having to pick 5 faves was a big task. I’m currently sitting at 7,000 captures for Marvel’s Avengers! Since the game is so diverse, with the types of heroes, outfits, environments etc. I decided to pick 5 different Avengers to showcase. And a little easter egg…some of these shots go all the way back to the Beta on my PS4!
7. Anything you want to say to the community?
After reading this, I hope some of you feel inspired to try your hand at VP and continue to play the game that I love so much! And feel free to reach out to me on Twitter for any other questions you might have. I’m always happy to talk to other Marvel’s Avengers fans. And be patient… trust in Marvel. They haven’t let us down yet. Excelsior!
Community Spotlight
Black Widow appreciation time! Isn’t that all the time? Check out this week’s community spotlight, which continues the Black Widow theme from last week.
Digital Photography by CITIZEN69105
Digital Photography by EddyZ115
Digital Photography by Evening26retro
Digital Photography by Gayming_Avenger
PRIORITY MISSIONS
Priority Missions have modifiers that will challenge even the toughest Super Hero. Your first weekly completion of these missions earns you unique gear you won’t find anywhere else.
More Than Inhuman
Minimum Power Level 25, +3 Power Level Offset
Modifiers:
- Pressure
- Torpedo
- Snowball
Guaranteed Reward: Epic Gear
Out of the Shadows
Minimum Power Level 120, +5 Power Level Offset
Modifiers:
- Incinerator
- Torpedo
- Heavyweight
- Pressure
Guaranteed Reward: Polychoron & Hero-Specific Gear
PRIORITY HARM CHALLENGES
Priority HARM Room Challenges have additional modifiers and reward comics that increase your collection and boost your stats.
Weekly First Completion Reward: The Incredible Hulk (2001) #25
Minimum Power Level 15 Challenge
Modifiers:
- Oasis
- Torpedo
Minimum Power Level 100 Challenge, +5 Power Level Offset
Modifiers:
- Famine
- Clash
- Collider
MEGA HIVE
The Mega Hive is a single-player chain of eight missions that tests your team’s might. Each week you’ll have a shot at completing the Mega Hive mission chain. When you defeat all eight missions, the Mega Hive mission chain is removed from the War Table until the next weekly refresh, when you can run it again with new modifiers.
This week’s modifiers include:
- Resurgence
- Famine
- Oasis
- Scourge
Weekly Rewards: As you progress through the Mega Hive, rewards start as basic gear, resources, and small amounts of cosmetic currency. The more missions you survive, the more resource drops increase. As you near the final mission, you’ll see better gear and artifacts awarded more often, as well as increased chances for patterns/nameplates. When you complete all eight Mega Hive missions you’ll be rewarded with exclusive goodies reserved for this gauntlet, including a significant amount of high-quality resources.
Till next week, we’ll see you online, and in-game!