General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


MCM Comic Con 2013 Cosplay Pictures

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 11:51 AM PDT

Female assassin's creedAnd you thought the Halloween costumes you saw were good

October in the UK brings the cold and the rain, but thankfully this past weekend at the London MCM Comic Con expo, the cosplayers powered through the weather and showed up in full force, sporting some amazing costumes, ranging from the completely terrifying to the remarkably sweet and adorable. Outfits covered the gamut of everything in between games and comics.  

Check below to see some of the best costumes from this weekend's event and let us know what your favorite outfit is.

*Note: Make sure to click on each image for the full-size photo. 

Major Patent Dispute Pits Apple/Microsoft-led Rockstar Group vs Google, Samsung, and Others

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 11:49 AM PDT

NuclearThe mother of all patent lawsuits

Patent disputes are unfortunately a common occurrence in the tech industry, but boy-oh-boy, the patent lawsuit filed by Rockstar may take the cake. In this case, Rockstar doesn't refer to Rockstar Games, makers of Grand Theft Auto V, but a consortium made up of Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Ericsson, and Sony. At the heart of the dispute are thousands of former Nortel patents Rockstar purchased for $4.5 billion, and according to the lawsuit, several Android players infringe on these patents.

Google stands accused of infringing on seven patents covering technology that helps match Internet search terms with relevant advertising, Reuters reports. That makes up the backbone of Google's search business, so this is a pretty big deal.

In addition to going after Google, Rockstar also filed patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung, HTC, Huawei, LG, Asus, Pantech, and ZTE. Notice a trend? Every single company builds Android devices.

If and when this case goes to trial, you can bet Rockstar's legal team will point out the fact that Google tried to acquire Nortel's patents for $900 million back in 2001, and then eventually increased its bid to $4.4 billion. Rockstar ultimately won the bidding war, prompting Google to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, which was primarily motivated by Motorola's patent portfolio.

Stay tuned, this is going to be big.

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Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine Review

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 11:18 AM PDT

Steal all the things

Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine could really just be called Monaco: What You Make of It.

It's not that Monaco's gameplay is overly complicated. At its core, this is one of the more simplified crime-themed titles you'll likely ever get your hands on. You need to master all of three buttons or so in this top-down, pixilated "heist game" that developer Pocketwatch Game has released via Valve's Steam platform.

Monaco isn't Rainbow Six. In many ways, it's difficult to pre-plan for some of the twists and turns the game's AI throws your way. Sneaking your way through a level works wonders until a random, nearby phone starts ringing and guards start a-rushing to answer it. The game's unique "fog of war"–like effect perfectly renders exactly what you can and cannot see within a level based on where you happen to be hiding. You can even stop and listen for nearby guards; the game highlights their walking paths with footsteps directly on your map.

We love Monaco's line-of-sight mechanism, even as much as it ruins our stellar planning.

We love Monaco's line-of-sight mechanism, even as much as it ruins our stellar planning.

Invariably, though, something will hit the fan in Monaco: Your planning will go awry, you'll sneak into a room from a tight corridor only to find a guard or civilian staring directly at you, or perhaps you'll just get tired of stealth and opt for a little run-and-gun burglary. And that's where Monaco truly shines, especially in the game's more frantic multiplayer mode.

You and three of your fellow cronies—found over the Internet, your local LAN, or via hot-seat gaming using a single monitor with multiple keyboards/controllers/etc.—all pick a character class and work your way through the level using voice chat (we recommend) or text (you're crazy). The classes and characters can complement each other. For example, when one of you picks The Lookout, all can then see the footsteps of nearby guards in adjoining rooms.

And, naturally, when one of you screws the pooch and raises alarms—which in turn, raises the franticness of the game's lovely 1920s-themed piano score—it's a mad dash for guns, exits, hiding places… you name it. Hello, survival-at-any-costs.

While we generally enjoyed our criminal career, we think that Monaco could be improved a bit by more directly tying use of the game's characters to its levels. We liked being able to just stick to our favorites to beat the game's single-player campaign, but Pocketwatch could better incentivize the use of underused or ill-fitting characters via achievements or other unlockables.

We would also love to see a bit more variety in the missions themselves: Perhaps a more spy-themed Monaco spinoff could make us feel like the Tom Cruise we've always wanted to be, instead of just a mere cat burglar who occasionally punches through walls while collecting hundreds of items scattered around a map (to unlock additional levels). Monaco's multiplayer is absurdly fun; its single-player campaign feels like someone stole the wind from the game's sails just a wee bit.

$15, pocketwatchgames.com, ESRB: T

Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 2 CPU Cooler Review

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 10:46 AM PDT

60 percent of the time, it works every time

Although the gearhead legions appear to be moving in droves to liquid cooling, there's still plenty of value in large air-coolers. You don't need to remap your case airflow to accommodate them, and there's no chance of them peeing all over the inside of your computer someday. Depending on your setup, however, even a nice air cooler can meet its match.

One 12cm and one 13.5cm fan push air through this beast.

One 12cm and one 13.5cm fan push air through this beast.

The latest challenger is Be Quiet, a German company that until now has been selling its coolers and case fans mostly in Europe. We Americans had to shop at specialty websites and use secret handshakes to get our grubby, freedom-loving hands on one. The Dark Rock Pro 2, however, is available now on NCIX.com. What's the appeal? Well, the DRP2 is all about low noise, and it looks pretty slick. Its 12cm and 13.5cm fans will max out at about 1,425rpm; for reference, a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo's 12cm fan will crank up to 2,000rpm.

We experimented with the DRP2 on an LGA1155 motherboard last month, in our Build It article. It performed fine with an Intel Core i7-3770K, a quad-core CPU that we overclocked to 4GHz. And it wasn't too difficult to install, despite its size. Were this our test platform, then the DRP2 would probably come away looking quite impressive.

However, our test rig uses a hexa-core Core i7-3960X overclocked to 4.1GHz. It has nearly twice the TDP of the 3770K and can make a lot of heat when pushed hard. While the DRP2 performed at least as well as a 212 Evo when the CPU load was light, it struggled to keep up when we engaged Intel's thermal testing tool, coming in several degrees higher than the Evo. Granted, the Evo will produce substantially more noise at this point (a 2,000rpm fan speed, versus 1,400rpm). But the DRP2 currently costs about three times as much an Evo, which we find difficult to justify when dealing with a beefy CPU like this one. We also tested the DRP2 against the similarly designed and quiet Phanteks TC14PE, which came in about 5 degrees Celsius lower and currently costs less, too (Be Quiet says it expects prices of the DRP2 to drop as more retailers carry it).

Also, a word on installation. The Core i7-3960X uses Intel's LGA2011 socket, which has a non-removable backplate. This alters the way in which coolers are installed. In the DRP2's case, this was a change for the worse. It attaches to its bracket by threading nuts onto some bolts. But the nuts are almost completely obscured by the sheer size of the cooler. We actually had to pull the motherboard out of the case and remove the RAM and video card to get enough clearance to install the nuts. Meanwhile, the 212 Evo just uses a 2011-specific bracket whose fasteners are reachable with a standard screwdriver. The TC14PE is manageable if you have a screwdriver with a long shaft.

The Dark Rock Pro 2 performs respectably and quietly on any LGA1155 processor, but the Phanteks TC14PE remains the overall champ for lower-noise air coolers.

$100 (street), www.bequiet.com

Good News HTC One Owners, Android 4.4 (KitKat) is Coming

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 10:11 AM PDT

HTC One RedHTC One promises an update to KitKat within 90 days

Android 4.4 (KitKat) has arrived, having hitched a ride on top of Google's Nexus 5 smartphone that was made available to order yesterday. That's great if you plan to purchase a Nexus 5, but what if you already own a smartphone and aren't in a position to upgrade? More specifically, what about HTC One owners? Well, the good news is that HTC apparently confirmed plans to port KitKat over to its One smartphone.

Even though the One is HTC's flagship smartphone, we've learned never to take upgrades for granted. However, HTC America president Jason Mackenzie told Engadget in an interview that KitKat is definitely on the roadmap for the One, though the rollout will depend on your specific model.

The Google Play edition will be updated within the next 15 days. Those who own a Developer Edition and/or an unlocked version can expect KitKat to arrive within 30 days. Finally, every other HTC One owner will see an update to Android 4.4 within 90 days or less.

While the OS is getting an update, HTC said its Sense UI will stay at version 5.5.

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Dell's UltraSharp UP3214Q Monitor Brings Ultra HD Sex Appeal to the Display Market

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 09:41 AM PDT

Dell UP3214QOoh la la!

It doesn't matter if the chicken or egg came first, we have tasty recipes for both. Likewise, it doesn't matter if Ultra HD monitors or 4K video becomes commonplace first, just so long as both get here, and in short order. So far, it looks like hardware might be winning out. We're seeing more and more Ultra HD panels come to market, including Dell's new UltraSharp 32 PremierColor (UP3214Q) display.

This sexy monitor features four times the resolution of Full HD at 3840x2160 spread across 31.5 inches of real estate. Like most other 4K monitors, the panel is a Sharp IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) screen, which uses smaller transistors and thereby allows for smaller pixels.

For what it's worth, other rated specifications include a 1,000:1 typical contrast ratio (2,000,000:1 dynamic), 350 cd/m2 brightness, 8ms response time (gray to gray), and 176 degrees of vertical and horizontal viewing angles. On the connectivity front, the UP3214Q features HDMi, mini DisplayPort, DisplayPort (version 1.2a), four downstream USB 3.0 ports, an upstream USB 3.0 port, and a media card reader.

You can adjust the monitor's tilt, swivel, and height. Dell says you can also fine tune the colors with the user accessible hardware look-up tablet (LUT) as well as with optional color calibrating hardware and software.

Hong Kong has dibs on the monitor where it's selling for HK$41,899, or about $5,400 in U.S. dollars -- oomph!

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AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta Driver Fixes Battlefield 4 Crashing Issue in Windows 8

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 08:17 AM PDT

Battlefield 4Latest Catalyst driver from AMD makes BF4 more stable

AMD has been busy belting out beta drivers as of late, both because the company launched a new line of graphics cards (Radeon R7 and R9 Series) and to improve performance in Battlefield 4, one of the most anticipated games of the year. We know it can get old installing GPU drivers all the time, but if you're experiencing crashes in Battlefield 4 under Windows 8, you should considering loading up the newest AMD Catalyst 13.11 beta driver.

The newest software includes all the feature highlights of previous betas (some of which we'll point out in a moment) and resolves intermittent crashes experienced with Battlefield 4 on Windows 8 systems. There's no indication from AMD that BF4 has any issue with AMD graphics cards in Windows 7, so if you're running the previous generation OS, there's really no need to install this driver unless you haven't grabbed one of the previous beta releases and want the performance benefits that come with them.

Catalyst 13.11 beta 7 ushered in up to an additional 20 percent performance boost in Battlefield 4 in CrossFire configurations. Prior to that, the beta 6 release introduced performance gains of up to 35 percent in Batman: Arkham Origins with MSAA 8x enabled, up to 10 percent in Total War: Rome 2, up to 10 percent in Battlefield 3, and several other bumps in performance.

More information and download links can be found in the Catalyst 13.11 beta 8 Release Notes.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD Sound Card and Free Gift!

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 06:50 AM PDT

Sound Blasternewegg logo

Top Deal:

There's no denying that onboard audio has come a long ways, but has that relegated discrete audio solutions to obsolescence? Blasphemy! A set of cheap speakers or janky headphones picked up on clearance won't take advantage of discrete audio, but that's what makes today's top deal so special. It's for a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD Sound Card for $150 with free shipping with free Creative gaming headset with purcahse (limited offer on the headset). It's like pairing peanut butter with jelly, but beyond that, the X-Fi Titanium serves up 24-bit 192KHz audio, Dolby Digital encoding, and THX Trustudio effects.

Other Deals:

Intel Core i5-4430 Haswell 3.0GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $175 with free shipping (normally $190 - use coupon code: [EMCWXTW35])

Corsair TX Series 750W 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply for $90 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCWXTW38])

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $119 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCWXTW23])

WD Red 4TB IntelliPower 3.5" NAS Internal Hard Drive for $180 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [EMCWXTW22])

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


MMObility: Grepolis mobile plays almost perfectly

Posted: 01 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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Grepolis screenshot
Grepolis is one of my favorite browser-based MMORTS titles because of its simplicity in design and in-depth gameplay. I can jump into the game for a few minutes a day and survive or play it more than that and can actually become powerful. I've loved browser-based MMORTS games for those very reasons, but Grepolis continues to improve even more quickly than others thanks to Innogames' obvious commitment to the community. I've talked about the developer's recent community-based projects and have covered the developer a lot in the past. The company just seems to pay attention -- for the most part -- to its playerbase.

Luckily my new 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 caught up with the rest of the internet, and I am now able to play Grepolis on Android. It's a nice little tablet, and the larger-sized screen really makes games look great. The Android version of the game is not much different from the browser-based version, but playing on a tablet just feels much more natural.

I do have some gripes, however, but I have a feeling that they might be addressed sometime in a future update.

Continue reading MMObility: Grepolis mobile plays almost perfectly

MassivelyMMObility: Grepolis mobile plays almost perfectly originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    City of Steam: Arkadia outlines compensation package

    Posted: 01 Nov 2013 09:30 AM PDT

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    City of Steam Arkadia outlines compensation package
    Last week, Mechanist Games assured that returning City of Steam players would be compensated as the company worked to restore fans' faith in the title. Today, the studio released the details of that compensation. For early supporters, the in-game currency will be refunded using the scheme that was utilized in alpha and beta: money's worth plus extra percent bonus. And for all players -- paid or not -- who reached at least level 30, the company is offering two tiers of welcome back packs, one for levels 30 through 37 and one for players who made it to level 38.

    Both packs include a large supply of vehicle parts, revamp kits, transmuter orbs, key bundles, cardiotonic, transmuter coolant, spiremarks, and more. Both packs also offer a Santa cap, and the level 38 pack includes an "awesome mega super dooper mystery item." Each account can claim one pack by contacting support. Full instructions and the contact information are available in the announcement.

    MassivelyCity of Steam: Arkadia outlines compensation package originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Age of Wushu's Ultimate Scrolls expansion launches November 13

    Posted: 01 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PDT

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    Age of Wushu Ultimate Scrolls Release Date
    Grab your parkas (or sunblock, if you live in the southwest) because winter is right around the corner! Age of Wushu's Ultimate Scrolls winter expansion is coming in less than two weeks. On November 13th, players will be able to enter Ancient China's forbidden grounds and test themselves in new school-specific instances. Other incoming features include secret scripts (in the form of teachings of the treasured Helianthus Codex and Star Vortex), a new tier of martial art skills with ultimate scrolls, and the new marriage system.

    You can read more about the expansion in Massively's behind-the-scenes interview. And to help tide you over (or just tease you some more), Snail Games also offers the following expansion trailer.

    Continue reading Age of Wushu's Ultimate Scrolls expansion launches November 13

    MassivelyAge of Wushu's Ultimate Scrolls expansion launches November 13 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Brad McQuaid looks to Kickstarter for new MMO

    Posted: 01 Nov 2013 08:30 AM PDT

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    Brad McQuaid's new MMO turns to Kickstarter
    Brad McQuaid, best known as one of the original EverQuest designers and Executive Producer on Vanguard, is throwing out hints for his newest upcoming MMO that he plans to fund through Kickstarter.

    In a series of tweets, McQuaid asks for interested fans to submit questions for him to use on his Kickstarter campaign video. "Please email your questions to aradune@hotmail.com," the tweets suggest. "We're excited to start this dialog with our future players! We hope to have our kickstarter page up in the next 3 weeks or so... The game is high fantasy and if you've played EQ 1 and/or Vanguard, you've got a general idea of what the game's about and what kind of questions to ask :)"

    But McQuaid doesn't want to leave out the younger players: "I should also add that if you are a younger player & didn't play EQ or VG, but you want a challenging game & not a game that tries to be all things to all players, then you should feel right at home too, so please send us some questions as well :)"

    After being rehired by SOE in 2012 to work on Vanguard and EverQuest, McQuaid was let go in August of this year. We first heard hints at this new MMO project back in September.

    [Thanks to BabaGraPL for the tip!]

    MassivelyBrad McQuaid looks to Kickstarter for new MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Try Old School RuneScape for free this weekend

      Posted: 01 Nov 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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      Plenty of RuneScape fans -- one million to be exact -- have been enjoying the nostalgia of the Old School servers that opened up last February. And now those who aren't paid members can get in on all the fun; Jagex is offering free access to everyone from now through Monday, November 4th.

      This event grants players the full member feature set for the duration of the weekend, just in time to participate in the holiday events (like going for the black Halloween mask, the first new one since 2002). All progress made during the weekend will be saved and stored so players can continue their adventures if they purchase a membership anytime in the future.

      Also on tap this weekend are the RuneFest 3 festivities (which players can catch via livestream) and the launch of the new PvP worlds.

      [Source: Jagex press release]

      MassivelyTry Old School RuneScape for free this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Extra Life fundraising marathon begins tomorrow

        Posted: 01 Nov 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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        Extra Life banner

        It's once again time for gamers from around the world to come together for a cause with the annual Extra Life charity event. Every year, thousands of gamers commit themselves to playing video games for a whopping 24 hours straight from 8 a.m. November 2nd until 8 a.m. November 3rd. Participants are asked to raise money through their marathons by soliciting donations from family, friends, or even livestream viewers. In the end, all of the cash raised over the course of the event goes to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, where it's used to provide hospital treatment for children in need.

        But of course, if you're reading Massively, then you're probably an MMO fan, so perhaps you'd like to join one of your favorite MMO studios in its Extra Life efforts. Funcom, Trion Worlds, En Masse, and Turbine all have teams taking part in the event, so if you want to be a part of Extra Life and show your allegiance to one of those studios in the process, all you have to do is head over to that team's Extra Life page and click "join team." Not only do all players who register for Extra Life get a digital copy of Defiance and a RIFT starter pack (for free!) just for signing up, but many of the studios are holding events and prize giveaways for players who participate under their banners.

        Know of other MMO studios or individuals playing MMOs for charity this weekend? Share links in the comments and spread the love.

        MassivelyExtra Life fundraising marathon begins tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: Should MMOs put an end to veteran rewards?

        Posted: 01 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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        EQ2
        In previous Daily Grinds, we've asked you whether you sub for veteran rewards, whether they should be recycled, and whether they should be more awesome, but we've never asked you whether they should exist in the first place. Massively reader The_Grand_Nagus wrote to us pointing out that while old-school gamers, accustomed to playing a single game for years, take for granted veteran rewards and expect them from studios as something they "deserve" as compensation for their loyalty, other players consider that attitude to be selfish and entitled, believing that what vets got for their loyalty and money was the game they paid for and that they deserve nothing more, certainly not rewards that future players or new players can't realistically earn.

        The Ultima Online community, for just one example, spent the summer storming over whether new players should even be allowed to use veteran rewards purchased from actual veterans. Some players genuinely believe that all new players should wait another 16 years to erect a garden shed in their yards. Garden sheds are serious business. It all starts to seem a little silly in the context of our modern, free-to-play, game-hopping MMO culture, where veteran rewards teeter on becoming an outright waste of developer resources since few people stick around long enough to become vets (and games seldom stick around long enough to accrue such devotion).

        What's your take? Are veteran rewards a product of a bygone era of subscriptions and loyal communities? Should studios do away with them? Or should modern MMOs use veteran rewards to encourage loyalty in a market that seems to provide fewer and fewer reasons to stay faithful?

        Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

        MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should MMOs put an end to veteran rewards? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Smashmuck Champions has a new champ, arena, controller support

          Posted: 31 Oct 2013 07:00 PM PDT

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          Smashmuck Champions has a new champ, arena, controller support
          If you're a Smashmuck Champions player, today's a good day because Kiz Studios has released a "mega-update with new champs, a new spooky arena, and -- answering the calls of fans -- controller support."

          A company press release has the details which include Kovax Nobo, a champ designed live by fans at PAX Prime. Oh, and there's also the Tesla Turret skill-swap, too. We've embedded two preview videos after the break. One focuses on Kovax while the other is a general patch update.

          [Source: Kiz Studios press release]

          Continue reading Smashmuck Champions has a new champ, arena, controller support

          MassivelySmashmuck Champions has a new champ, arena, controller support originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Summoner's Guidebook: Bringing power from one LoL lane to another

            Posted: 31 Oct 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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            In most of the League of Legends games that I win by a landslide, I win because my mid lane takes an early lead and uses it to help win our other lanes. Lately, my main role in League of Legends has been the jungler, and while it's nice to be fed as a jungler, I often can't win the game for my team even if I'm 6/0. However, my mid lane can simply by making things happen elsewhere.

            If you're ahead in your lane, you have to make your presence known, and sooner is better than later. It's nice to be 2/0 in mid lane or be up several kills as the support. However, if all you do from there is push the enemy team members to their turret and let them farm safely, you're not doing much to win the game as a whole.

            Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Bringing power from one LoL lane to another

            MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Bringing power from one LoL lane to another originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Ask Massively: Nick Burns edition

              Posted: 31 Oct 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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              Yay comments
              Today's Ask Massively letters come from David and Abionie, both of whom wrote us over the summer with comments about, well, our comments. This first one's from David:
              I'm probably not the only one who is generally displeased with the state of trolls on the internet today. You know them: doomsayers, hatespreaders, the "HAHA company X is failing, finally!" types, the kind of people for whom the hatred of a video game or company has become more addictive than playing the game that company made. Unfortunately, the internet gives soapboxes to people who probably don't have much of a relationship with soap. I would like to see more moderation towards keeping an articles comments on the topic of the article. It's becoming tiring to open up an article talking about something I am interested in, only to fear scrolling down too far and inadvertently opening up the comments to see "FAIL GAME IS FAIL COPYING X GAME IS LAZY" and the many hundreds of comments like that.
              We hear you, David, and not just about the soap. But also that.

              Continue reading Ask Massively: Nick Burns edition

              MassivelyAsk Massively: Nick Burns edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Destiny devs on weapons, vehicles, and more

                Posted: 31 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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                Destiny devs on weapons, vehicles, and more
                There's a new eight-minute Destiny video making the rounds, and you'll want to set aside time to watch it if you're curious about vehicle customization, weapons (three different classes, yo), and social features in Bungie's upcoming sci-fi shooter.

                Plenty of gameplay footage is on hand, and Bungie says players may choose to play a solo campaign and/or avoid PvP in spite of the title's online multiplayer stylings. Sadly, there's still no word of a PC version, so if you're OK with that, have a look at the video after the cut.

                Continue reading Destiny devs on weapons, vehicles, and more

                MassivelyDestiny devs on weapons, vehicles, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                League of Legends' Harrowing adds spooky skins and mystery gifting

                Posted: 31 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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                League of Legends Harrowing adds skins and mystery gifting
                Once again it's time for The Harrowing in League of Legends, and this Halloween-themed update contains spooky champion skins, a new mystery gifting system, and exclusive summoner's icons.

                There are two new champion skins that can be tried out during the event and purchased to keep afterward: a Haunted Zyra and Officer Vi. Riot Games is also bringing back legacy Harrowing skins for a limited time for those who missed them in previous years.

                Players can choose to spend their RP to send a mystery gift in the form of a random skin to a friend. This mystery gifting will result in a skin that's worth more RP than what it cost to buy, perhaps to encourage friends to gift to each other. The team's also added five summoner's icons that can be earned during the event.

                The Harrowing will continue through November 12th.

                MassivelyLeague of Legends' Harrowing adds spooky skins and mystery gifting originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Shroud of the Avatar video gives six-month dev update

                Posted: 31 Oct 2013 02:00 PM PDT

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                Shroud of the Avatar video gives sixmonth update
                Buckle down to a half-hour video from Lord British himself taking you through the development progress of Shroud of the Avatar now that it's hit the six-month mark.

                Lord British begins by showing off Kingsport Village and talking about how housing is one of the big features and choices of the game. The video continues to another town where the devs fade player housing in and out to demonstrate how towns might be built up over the course of the game. The housing decoration system and the different types of dwellings were toured, including Germanic, Druidic, and Nordic dwellings.

                He also shows off the female avatar, crafting, and the "natural language conversation system." The latter allows players to type full sentences to NPCs, who will then parse the conversation for important keywords.

                We've got the full developer commentary video for you after the break.

                Continue reading Shroud of the Avatar video gives six-month dev update

                MassivelyShroud of the Avatar video gives six-month dev update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Final Fantasy XIV producer letter talks classes, cheating, and housing

                Posted: 31 Oct 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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                Final Fantasy XIV producer letter talks classes, cheating, and housing
                A hefty two-and-a-half hour live Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter has tackled a wide range of questions from the community, including issues regarding class balance, anti-cheating efforts, and housing details. While free company housing is coming soon, the producer said that it will be another half-year or so before individual housing arrives.

                One of the big topics of the day was how the team is dealing with the disagreeable elements arising from the use of the duty finder. Square-Enix is considering changes to add a bulletin board-style system for more specific groups, better communication options for group participants, and an MVP voting system that will allow players to give points to good teammates that can be later spent on rewards.

                Executive Producer Naoki Yoshida also addressed the question of whether the game's subscriber numbers are decreasing: "As FFXIV:ARR is a subscription-based business model, naturally there will be players who will not play anymore once they finish the main scenario. MMORPGs that launched after 2008 with a subscription based model retained a maximum of 35% of their users during the first month of subscriptions. However, FFXIV:ARR has surpassed this number by a wide margin."

                There's a lot covered for Final Fantasy XIV players who want to be in the know, so check it out!

                MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV producer letter talks classes, cheating, and housing originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Blink-182 will bring BlizzCon to an 'epic conclusion'

                Posted: 31 Oct 2013 12:30 PM PDT

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                Blink182 will bring BlizzCon to 'epic conclusion'
                Blizzard's already starting its surprises for BlizzCon, announcing that the punk rock group Blink-182 will be closing the convention on November 9th.

                The concert is scheduled to wrap up BlizzCon 2013, and Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime can't stop gushing about the big show: "After two days of hard work watching games and playing games and talking about games, we can't think of a better way to kick back and relax than to have your face melted by Blink-182. We're thrilled to have such an awesome band helping us bring BlizzCon to an epic conclusion."

                While BlizzCon is completely sold out, fans can still purchase a Virtual Ticket from the site or a Pay Per View event from DIRECTV to see Blink-182's performance.

                MassivelyBlink-182 will bring BlizzCon to an 'epic conclusion' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Think Tank: How are we celebrating Halloween this year?

                Posted: 31 Oct 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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                The Think Tank How are we celebrating Halloween this year
                Halloween is an iconic holiday in most MMOs. Costumes and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night are both staples of our favorite gaming hobby anyway, so a holiday is an added bonus.

                So how do the Massively writers celebrate Halloween in MMO-land? Do they grind for special promotional items or just enjoy the spooky new quests? Read on past the jump to find out more!

                Continue reading The Think Tank: How are we celebrating Halloween this year?

                MassivelyThe Think Tank: How are we celebrating Halloween this year? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  The Guild Counsel: How to handle the horrors of conflict

                  Posted: 31 Oct 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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                  The Guild Counsel How to handle the horrors of conflict
                  With the arrival of Halloween, I'd like to revisit an all-too-common nightmare scenario: handling guild conflict. We've looked at how to treat complaints before, but what should you do when those complaints balloon into full-fledged clashes?

                  Guild leaders dread dealing with conflicts, to the point that it deters many players from giving guild leadership a try. But even if strife is inevitable, it can be made less painful. Let's take a look at how to steer through the choppy waters in this week's Guild Counsel.

                  Continue reading The Guild Counsel: How to handle the horrors of conflict

                  MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: How to handle the horrors of conflict originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Perfect Ten: Virtual haunted houses

                    Posted: 31 Oct 2013 10:30 AM PDT

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                    Perfect Ten Virtual haunted houses
                    Happy Halloween! Or if that's not politically correct enough for you, Happy Scare-Related Holidays feat. the Stylings of Ed Casbar and His Electric Teeth. It'd be the best of holidays if most people didn't have a prejudice against a middle-aged guy going trick-or-treating. Hey, us adults need sugar fixes too, you know! And just because you don't understand my seductive Night Elf cosplay outfit doesn't mean it's less valid than the tots with Iron Man masks.

                    At least the online world is prejudice-free, which is why I love bouncing around between MMOs looking for a little haunted mansion action. Let's take a quick tour through 10 virtual haunted houses that go from zany to freaky, although not necessarily in that order.

                    Continue reading Perfect Ten: Virtual haunted houses

                    MassivelyPerfect Ten: Virtual haunted houses originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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