General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Dark Souls 2 Review

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT

Dark Souls 2 009Fun, yet frustrating

I'm fighting against a skeleton wielding a large greatsword. I roll out of its way to dodge its first attack and immediately parry a second one with my shield. With my enemy off balance, I quickly get in a couple of slashes with my broadsword and get his health down significantly. At this point, I'm feeling confident that the fight is almost over as I roll out of the way of the skeleton's next attack. But, to my horror, I anticlimactically fall off a cliff and die which forces me to lose all the souls I've collected.

Mouse flies in one direction, the keyboard flies in the other, and somehow there is a fist-sized hole in the monitor.

It seems to us that frustration is the currency that From Software likes to deal in when it comes to the Dark Souls franchise and Dark Souls 2 is no exception. There were many times we became frustrated as we played the game. But perhaps not for the reasons many who have played, or will play, the game will expect. But we'll address that soon enough.

Praise the Sun!

Praise the Sun! The graphics are good!

There are various reasons to like Dark Souls 2, with graphics being one of them. The game's visuals are pleasing to the eyes with great lighting and shadow effects. The scenery looked good and is certainly a cut or two above its console counterpart. PC gamers will certainly appreciate the fact that they can go into the video settings and adjust resolution, texture, water surface, effects, and shadow quality, among other options. However, we are disappointed by the game's limited character creation. To be fair, there are a lot of awesome-looking armor sets that will cover your character up anyhow. 

Coupled with the graphics is the tone of the game which is depressing, foreboding, and scary. We never knew what was going to happen whenever we stepped through a door or walked around a corner. As if fighting all the undead, monsters, and bosses in the game aren't hard enough, there are traps and ambushes in Dark Souls 2 that kept us on our toes the entire time. 

In addition, there are a plethora of secrets and hidden areas to be found that are not immediately noticeable. This made the journey through the land an enjoyable one since we liked to explore and discover things that would go unnoticed to the casual eye. It also added to the mystique and terror we felt as we pondered the risks and rewards of straying off the beaten path in hopes of finding useful items and souls.

Those souls you collect are the currency to the game. Not only are souls needed to purchase gear and level up, but it also helped our undead Knight maintain his humanity. As an undead character, there is a curse that slowly erases our hero's memories unless they can collect these souls. So we are tasked to collect many souls throughout the game. While the reasons for the soul collecting eventually become unraveled through the game, it ends up being an almost forgettable and uninteresting story.

Dark Souls 2 007

Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?

Yet, while the game looks good, has a great atmosphere, and kept us occupied and challenged the entire time, there are many frustrating components to the game. Reasons beyond us dying over and over again, which is an experience that, for those who play challenging roguelike games, will be familiar with. 

One aspect we were really annoyed with were the button prompts. All button prompts in the game are for a controller setup rather than for mouse and keyboard combo. For example, we often found ourselves having to open up the menu to see what something like the "A" button was (shift + left click, in case you were wondering). Considering we're confident many keyboard and mouse users will also be bewildered by this, it's a major oversight. 

As for the M/KB layout, reconfiguring will definitely be required for a better gameplay experience. That is, unless you were born with three hands because the button layout ranges from the WASD keys, to the "O" button if you want to lock on to an enemy during combat, to the arrow keys for scrolling through equipped items. We were also left scratching our heads at the fact that the developer hadn't even utilized the number keys above the QWERTY keys. If that isn't enough, we couldn't even bind any actions to the fourth and fifth buttons on our mouse.

This means that Dark Souls 2 is only partially optimized for the keyboard and mouse. While the game may work better with a controller, there is no reason to alienate PC enthusiasts in this fashion. There is simply no excuse, especially not when other third-person action games such as The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (which can be played first-person as well), and Clan of Champions can do a good job of utilizing the versatility of the mouse and keyboard. 

Then there is the issue we had with the game's combat, a key selling point for the franchise and its acclaimed difficulty. For a game that requires perfect timing to parry an enemy's attack, or land a blow of our own, we noticed about a half-second delay between mouse clicks and attack executions. While this might be attributable to the fact that the light (one click) and strong (two clicks) attacks are bound to the same key, it once again shows the developer's error for not properly utilizing the control scheme. Especially since a special attack like Bash requires the player to press "W" and the light attack button (left mouse button) at the same time. 

Dark Souls 2 006

Dashingly handsome undead Knight reporting for duty!

Another reason for our frustration is a glitch we encountered in our very first attempt at playing the game. At the time we thought nothing of this glitch, or even considered it such. But eventually we discovered that we could only equip the starting weapon in our left hand and that, whenever we would try to do the same with the right, nothing would register and we would fight with our bare hands. The weapon would be equipped but, as far as the game was concerned, there was nothing there. So when we finally found a shield several hours later, we discovered that we could equip the shield in our left, but couldn't equip a weapon in our right. 

Suffice it to say, we had to start the game all over.

While at first this seemed to be a glitch that happened at the start of a new game, we discovered that this is not the case. During another playthrough, we recreated the same glitch simply by equipping a shield in our right hand and trying to equip a weapon in the left. Then, when we switched both items, the glitch returned. Which meant we had to start all over again if we wanted to play as a sword-and-shield-wielding Knight. 

(We've also heard that quite a few players have experienced crashes with the game. However, we never experienced a single crash during our playthrough.)

Finally, we come to Dark Souls 2's limited combat system. At first, we disliked it. It felt contrived to create an unnecessarily difficult experience. We also didn't like the fact that you need to carry two different types of swords: one for open environments and one for enclosed spaces. Seems a bit contrived to us, but maybe we're just being nitpicky.

However, we will admit that as we continued to play through the game, we became attuned to the way combat works. Maybe this is a case of Stockholm Syndrome because we did get to a point where we did appreciate Dark Souls 2's combat. But, it is nowhere near the best we have ever experienced. Not when we compare it to the aforementioned combat systems of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. But it is hardly the worst combat experience we've had. 

Dark Souls 2 002

We got so frustrated by the combat that we smashed this guy into the wall!

Those who enjoy the combat system, however, will certainly like Dark Souls 2 for both its singleplayer and multiplayer campaigns. We were able to work together with other players to fight the game's bosses and even invaded someone elses' game and fought them. 

Overall, Dark Souls 2 is a fine game. But it will be frustrating for many PC gamers who use a mouse and keyboard to play (unless modders or the developer itself improves it). It will also be frustrating for those who might not have the patience to learn the ins and outs of the game. But those that enjoy it will find that they will be spending a lot of time in the land of Drangleic. 

Asus Gives Glimpse of Z97-A Motherboard

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT

Asus Z97-A MotherboardAn early look at an Intel 9-Series motherboard from Asus

The motherboard market's been whittled down to a handful of players, one of which includes Asus, a top tier mobo maker. Always on the front lines of what's new and emerging, Asus has begun sending out samples of its forthcoming Z97-A motherboard based on Intel's new 9 Series chipset (Z97 in this case, obviously), which will support Intel's refreshed Haswell processor line.

Our sister site PC Gamer posted a few pics of the Z97-A. When the dust settles, the Z97-A will take its place as one of the mid-range offerings from Asus, hopefully with a favorable price to performance ratio.

PC Gamer notes that this isn't a board that's meant to be showed off through your enclosure's side windows. Instead, it's more about function. It features an EZ mode in the BIOS, but perhaps the biggest news is that of a pair of new storage interfaces -- M.2, which is similar to mSATA, and SATA Express (for external devices). Both are included on the Z97-A.

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SanDisk Goes Big, Launches Industry's First 4TB SAS Solid State Drive

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 09:17 AM PDT

SanDisk Optimus MAXMeet Optimus MAX, a big capacity enterprise SAS SSD

SanDisk on Wednesday unveiled the Optimus MAX, a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) solid state drive (SSD) and supposedly the first of its kind to offer a whopping 4TB of capacity. The selling point to enterprise customers is that the Optimus MAX achieves a capacity point that outpaces today's highest-capacity 2.5-inch 10K and 15K RPM SAS mechanical hard drives, thereby making it a trule replacement for legacy mission-critical data center SAS HDDs.

"Customers have been looking for a way to transition their data centers from HDDs to NAND flash, but have been forced to decide between cost and performance, or give up important functionality," said John Scaramuzzo, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Storage Solutions at SanDisk. "The Optimus MAX eliminates the need for compromises. We believe that the Optimus MAX will be a disruptive force within the storage industry, catalyzing many organizations to make the switch from their HDD-prominent data center infrastructures to SSDs."

According to SanDisk, the cost advantage that's typically associated with 10K and 15K SAS HDDs is largely negated by their inability to meet today's application demands as real-time access to large volumes of data becomes increasingly important. The Optimus MAX is supposed to be the SSD solution they've been waiting for to replace underperforming HDDs, while also offering significant cost savings in infrastructure expenses (fewer racks, PSUs, HBAs, and the such) and without needing to swtich to SATA, or so the sales pitch goes.

The Optimus MAX -- and the entire Optimus family, as of today -- sport 19nm multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. As for the 4TB Optimus MAX, SanDisk says it can deliver sequential and write performance of up to 400MB/s, and random read and write performance of up to 75,000 IOPS and 15,000 IOPS, respectively. Here's a video with more information (complete with cheesy soundtrack):

No word yet on price or availability.

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Grab a Select EVGA GeForce GTX Graphics Card, Score Watch Dogs for Free

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 08:46 AM PDT

Watch DogsA sweet deal from EVGA and Ubisoft

The GPU wars certainly heated up in the past year or so, and they don't show any signs of cooling down. It's not just a game of playing leapfrog for the performance crown anymore, either. When all things are equal (or close to being equal), game bundles can be the nudge you need if you're on the fence. With that in mind, EVGA let us know that it's giving away copies of Ubisoft's Watch Dogs with the purchase of select GeForce GTX graphics cards.

The promotion applies to EVGA brand GeForce GTX 660 or higher video cards. Purchases must have been made on or after April 29, 2014 from EVGA's online store.

To collect your game code, you need to register your card with EVGA, upload your invoice showing a qualifying purchase, and request a Watch Dogs code by filling out a form.

Easy cheesy, right? Full details for the promotion can be found on a special page on EVGA's website.

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BitFenix Attacks Power Supply Market with a 'Fury' Line

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 06:27 AM PDT

BitFenix Fury PSUAn attempt to mesh top quality design with aesthetic flair

Which is more important to you, form or function? If you're thinking both, you might be a candidate for BitFenix's new Fury line of power supplies. Looking at "challenging the status quo," BitFenix designed its Fury PSU line to run reliably and look good while doing it. Usually when a PSU maker talks about aesthetics, it's a sign that quality took a backseat, but that doesn't appear to be the case here.

We haven't tested one of these so all we have is BitFenix's description and specs to go on, but what's listed is pretty impressive. The Fury PSU line is 80 Plus Gold certified for efficiency, uses all Japanese capacitors, comes with a single beefy +12V rail, and is backed by a 5-year warranty.

As far as the Fury's aesthetic swagger, both the top and bottom sport a stamped BitFenix logo along with a custom aluminum ring so that it's visible no matter matter which end is sticking up. It's a somewhat aggressive looking unit with a matte power-coat finish and individually braided cables that are modular (save for the 24-pin main ATX connector, which is permanently attached).

BitFenix says the Fury will be available in May in 550W, 650W, and 750W variants. No word yet on price.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 27-inch LED Monitor, Samsung 840 Evo 500GB SSD, and More!

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 05:57 AM PDT

ASUS VE278Qnewegg logo

Top Deal:

There are over 6 billion hours of video on YouTube alone, and 100 hours of video are uploaded YouTube every minute. If our math is right, it would take you at least a day to watch them all. And if that's you're plan, you can watch each and every single YouTube video on today's top deal -- an Asus VE278Q 27-inch LED-Backlit Monitor for $210 with free shipping (normally $250 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHA48]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate).

Other Deals:

Samsung 840 Evo MZ-7TE500BW 2.5-inch 500GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive for $245 with free shipping (normally $255 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHA22])

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $135 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHA27])

Intel Core i7-4770 Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor for $295 with free shipping (normally $310 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHA33])

Asus GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5 GeForce GTX 770 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 Video Card for $300 with free shipping (normally $310; additional $10 Mail-in rebate)

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Choose My Adventure: Goodbye for now, Elder Scrolls Online

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , ,

TESO
My time with The Elder Scrolls Online has come to a close for this month's edition of Choose My Adventure, and while I have enjoyed myself, I've taken a lot more away from this experience than I expected. One month and 14 levels later, I have not only this character we've built together but several alts spanning every race, class, and alliance.

But did I like the Nightblade the most? Will I continue to play after this Choose My Adventure is over?

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Goodbye for now, Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Goodbye for now, Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Here's what CCP's World of Darkness looked like

    Posted: 30 Apr 2014 09:30 AM PDT

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    World of Darkness
    CCP may have cancelled World of Darkness, but thanks to a leaker on Reddit you can get a look at some screenshots from the game as well as the lengthy manual from a March 2014 alpha playtest.

    Eurogamer reports that WoD featured safe zones such as your haven and various Elysium areas near churches, but otherwise the game allowed for open PvP. CCP's take on the beloved White Wolf property also featured four clans: the Tremere, Brujah, Toreador, and Ventrue, each with different skills, abilities, and aspect buffs.

    See the links below for the original Reddit post as well as the screenshot gallery and manual.

    MassivelyHere's what CCP's World of Darkness looked like originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Play Darkfall for free from May 1 to May 5

    Posted: 30 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

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    This rarely happens in Darkfall
    Aventurine is throwing an extended Darkfall birthday party from May 1st to May 5th, so if you've ever wanted to try the fantasy combat simulator sans its monthly subscription fee, now's your chance! The devs are also doubling prowess rewards for the duration of the event, and there's even talk of "dynamic happenings" including a treasure hunt and GM-controlled monsters.

    Darkfall's latest patch is also live. Click through to the notes if you fancy reading about new armor dyes, the mentor system, and more.

    [Thanks Jane!]

    MassivelyPlay Darkfall for free from May 1 to May 5 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    This is how mounted combat looks in Black Desert

    Posted: 30 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT

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    Black Desert mounted combat
    Pearl Abyss released a new Black Desert gameplay vid this morning that focuses on the fantasy sandbox's mounted combat. MMO Culture reports that not all character skills can be used while mounted, but "a couple of new ones are granted."

    Click past the cut to view the footage.

    Continue reading This is how mounted combat looks in Black Desert

    MassivelyThis is how mounted combat looks in Black Desert originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Elder Scrolls Online disables forum PMs, encourages outing gold sellers

    Posted: 30 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT

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    Here's a floating girl in ESO
    The Elder Scrolls Online has disabled PMs... on it's official forums, at least. ZeniMax is attempting to combat gold-spammers, and it's going a step further by setting aside a portion of its Code of Conduct and encouraging players to publicly identify suspected spammers.
    We request that anyone who has received a private message they believe to be from a gold spammer to post the sender's username as a comment in this thread. As we have disabled PMs, you will not be able to access your inbox on the forums, but if you received an e-mail notification to alert you to the PM you received, the sender's username should be in that e-mail.

    Please note that our Community Code of Conduct does prohibit naming and shaming. However, in an effort to expedite the process of identifying and banning the spammers' accounts, we are making an exception for this situation. We will investigate each alleged spammer account individually to avoid false reports.
    [Thanks alleomurand!]

    MassivelyElder Scrolls Online disables forum PMs, encourages outing gold sellers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: Do you feel guilty for not playing an MMO?

    Posted: 30 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT

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    As a fan of much of the MMO field, I often feel torn, stretched, and downright guilty that I'm not playing more than I am. The allure of a familiar berth is often much more preferable than trying out a new game and having to fuss around with learning all of these unknown systems.

    Then there's the guilt that comes when I'm going through a low point with one of my staples. When I'm not "feeling it," I don't log on much and then I realize that it's been weeks since I've really played. Then a tear trickles down my cheeks as I wonder if the game and my guild feels abandoned from my stellar presence. It's horrible, I tells ya.

    So do you ever feel guilty for not playing an MMO? Is this a completely weird emotion for me to have?

    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: Do you feel guilty for not playing an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Blizzard feels 'validated' by Hearthstone's F2P model

      Posted: 29 Apr 2014 07:00 PM PDT

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      How much money have you spent?  Thirty thousand dollars?
      So how long did it take for Blizzard Entertainment to feel that Hearthstone was right to adopt its free-to-play model? According to a recent interview at Eurogamer, the choice was validated when the game was still in beta. When streamers were reaching the top tier of play without having spent any money on the game, it reinforced the idea that players could do well without having to spend a great deal of money.

      Production designer Jason Cheyes mentions that there was always a concern that players would hit some sort of monetization wall, an impediment that the design team wanted to avoid. As it stands, while players can spend money to advance faster, winning matches and completing quests alone can serve to get gamers to the top -- and that's exactly what the design team wanted. It just so happens it saw it happening even during beta testing.

      MassivelyBlizzard feels 'validated' by Hearthstone's F2P model originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Massively Speaking Episode 295: The money show

      Posted: 29 Apr 2014 06:00 PM PDT

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      AA
      How much money would you drop on a pre-purchase for a free-to-play game? That seems like a trick question, but as the Massively Speaking crew finds out, it's somehow a serious question in the MMO industry. Join us for another great show as we debate moneys, murder, and Evony. Wait, who put Evony in this show? Must've been the intern, Yogash. Stupid Yogash.

      Get all of our opinions and analysis on the most important stories of the past week right here on Massively Speaking, the industry's leading MMO podcast. And if you have a comment, question, or topic for the podcasters, send an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

      Get the podcast:
      [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
      [MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
      [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
      [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio.
      Listen here on the page:



      Read below the cut for the full show notes.

      Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 295: The money show

      MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 295: The money show originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        World of Warcraft continues its raid retrospective

        Posted: 29 Apr 2014 05:00 PM PDT

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        It's raid night every night.  Still.
        The launch of Warlords of Draenor is going to shake up the raiding experience in World of Warcraft, and if raiding is what you like to do in the game, that's pretty important. But rather than just explain how raiding will be in the new expansion, Blizzard has opted to look past through the previous expansions and examine how revisions have affected the game over the years. Yesterday's blog covered launch through Wrath of the Lich King, while this entry focuses on Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria.

        Cataclysm removed the difficulty gap between 10-person and 25-person raids, but the side effect was a pressure to produce smaller raid groups rather than grow to bigger groups. It also introduced the raid finder as a mechanic, encouraging more people to experience the content. Mists of Pandaria, on the other hand, suffered from bottlenecks that prevented non-raiding groups from making any progress, although flex raiding was deemed a better way to get groups in and playing. Take a look at the full article for more details on the ups and downs, with part 3 set to address the future of raiding in Warlords of Draenor.

        MassivelyWorld of Warcraft continues its raid retrospective originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        SOE's revamped All-Access membership plan is finally live

        Posted: 29 Apr 2014 04:30 PM PDT

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        SOE
        After a brief delay this month, SOE's Mark Tuttle announced today that the refreshed All Access membership plan is now live across all of the studio's core games (and some of its future titles), including EverQuest, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, Landmark, PlanetSide 2, and eventually, EverQuest Next and H1Z1.
        For $14.99 per month (or less if you purchase multiple months at a time), players can now have top tier access to all participating SOE games. This means if you want to take a break from sneaking around Auraxis in your Stalker Cloak and test your mettle against the dragon, Nagafen, or The Joker in DCUO, you can do so with all member benefits. And since your Station Cash wallet is good in all SOE games, you can drop some coin on a snazzy new outfit in EQII to announce, "Yes, I have arrived!" To continue the awesome, as a member players get 10% off the Marketplace price of that item! Go ahead, splurge for the spikey hat and the bunny mount!
        Tuttle reminds players that station cash must be manually redeemed via the claim button within a game's marketplace and that a discounted package deal (12 months for $99.99) is also available.

        Addendum: Tipster Joshua points out that PlanetSide 1 will also be partly supported by the new plan. SOE explained, "We will offer PlanetSide 1 as free to play game for everyone when the new program rolls out, on or about April 29th, 2014 (or sooner!). Please note that PS1 has no Marketplace and will not see further game development. We know that a large number of people have played it in the past, and we hope you'll enjoy it again, on us."

        MassivelySOE's revamped All-Access membership plan is finally live originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Come sail away with this ArcheAge ship preview video

        Posted: 29 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT

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        AA
        It seems as though there is a lot of buzz around ArcheAge's watercraft, although this impression may be caused by Massively's Jef running up and down the halls screaming, "They have rooooowboaaaaats!" on the half-hour. However, if you haven't seen what this upcoming title has in store with ships, check out the following video preview that demos several types, from small to big.

        Aly and The Professionals say that there can be a lot of fun on these "party boats;" however, "you should be aware that parties on the sea include being jumped by sea creatures, pirates, and over-excited guildmates who take full advantage of character collision by pushing you overboard."

        Give these crafted ships a watch after the break!

        Continue reading Come sail away with this ArcheAge ship preview video

        MassivelyCome sail away with this ArcheAge ship preview video originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Leaderboard: In which you help Massively plan its EVE Fanfest coverage

        Posted: 29 Apr 2014 03:00 PM PDT

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        This CCP Fanfest roundtable is more of a rectangular table
        Normally Massively's Leaderboard is all about flame-worthy lighthearted MMO-related polling shenanigans. This week, though, we're putting on our serious business suits and traveling to the land of CCP in order to bring you the best EVE Fanfest coverage on the internet.

        EVE Online expert Brendan Drain is our man in Iceland, but he needs your help! See, Fanfest is huge, and there are a lot of panels and roundtables to attend. While CCP streams the former, the latter are typically behind closed doors. They're also extremely important, as they inform devs about player opinion and help guide future development.

        So, if you've ever wanted to help direct Massively's event coverage, click past the cut and vote on the panel and roundtable that you'd most like Brendan to attend. Don't forget to leave us a comment with your general suggestions and potential interview questions, too!

        Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

        Continue reading Leaderboard: In which you help Massively plan its EVE Fanfest coverage

        MassivelyLeaderboard: In which you help Massively plan its EVE Fanfest coverage originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Record of Lodoss War Online revealed

          Posted: 29 Apr 2014 02:00 PM PDT

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          Lodoss War
          Record of Lodoss War, the long-running D&D-inspired franchise, will now get its own MMO, 2P.com reports. Record of Lodoss War Online is a Japanese MMO based on the anime, manga, and computer game series that spans back to the mid-'80s. The main storyline is based on the novel Record of Lodoss War: Grey Witch.

          The MMO was shown to have at least three classes so far: Esquire, Oracle, and Magic User. Combat will incorporate a reaction system that allows users to set skills in advance that will be triggered by different thresholds. Players will be able to build relationships with NPCs through questing, although the nature and depth of these relationships remains to be seen.

          Developer GameOn said that the MMO will go into alpha testing this summer. You can check out a trailer for Record of Lodoss War Online after the break.

          [Thanks to Naomi for the tip!]

          Continue reading Record of Lodoss War Online revealed

          MassivelyRecord of Lodoss War Online revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Massively's first look at sandbox Shards Online

          Posted: 29 Apr 2014 01:00 PM PDT

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          How many games have you played only to find yourself uttering the phrase, "If only I could run my own server"? Chances are, there at least one or two titles you''d love to make into a private playground for select friends using your own personal ruleset. Lucky for you, in Shards Online, you'll be able to do precisely that!

          Announced last month, this upcoming sandbox by former Mythic Entertainment devs is built on the premise that players will run the majority of the virtual worlds how they want to. Do you want a fantasy world where you can boot those who ruin immersion? You got it! What about the ability to take over mobs and fight the players while spouting personalized comments? Yup, that too. What if you want a hardcore world where survival is for the fittest? Mm-hmm, starving to death is an option, as is permadeath. And how about a world where gameplay unfolds around players as they explore rather than offers questing on rails?

          That's the theory behind the game. But how do these ideas hold up in practice? Last week I sat down with Citadel Studios co-founder Derek Brinkmann to witness a demonstration of Shards Online and talk all about the plans for the game. And what I saw certainly looks promising! So if this idea tantalizes your gaming taste buds, keep reading to get the scoop. I've even added a teaser video.

          Continue reading Massively's first look at sandbox Shards Online

          MassivelyMassively's first look at sandbox Shards Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Stanford acquires MUD1 source

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT

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            MUD1
            MUD1, the first online virtual world, was originally released in 1978. Thirty-six years later, Stanford University Libraries has acquired the project's source code and has plans to provide public online access. Details are forthcoming, according to a university blog.

            MUD1 is a text-based multi-user environment inspired by Zork and The Colossal Cave Adventure. It was created by Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw.

            MassivelyStanford acquires MUD1 source originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            MMORPG News

            MMORPG News


            League of Angels: New Features Arrive in Latest Update

            Posted: 30 Apr 2014 07:57 AM PDT

            New Features Arrive in Latest Update

            GTArcade's version of League of Angels has been updated with several new features. Players can now take on the new hero, Hecate, as well as take part in the Angels' Quiz and devs have returned wedding clothes to the game by popular demand.

            General: Quest For Infamy to Launch in June

            Posted: 30 Apr 2014 07:49 AM PDT

            Quest For Infamy to Launch in June

            Described by the dev team as a mix of Monkey Island and Game of Thrones, Quest for Infamy is set to officially launch for PC, Mac and Linux on June 26th. The game is set to combine spell-casting, adventure, turn-based strategy and classic RPG elements into a single entity.

            The Black Watchmen: An Experience For Everyone, Even You

            Posted: 28 Apr 2014 06:54 PM PDT

            An Experience For Everyone, Even You

            Human Equation is looking to change the alternate reality game scene with their persistent ARG based on The Black Watchmen from The Secret World. I had the pleasure of chatting with Andrea Doyon from Human Equation to find out more about what they have planned, what they plan to do if their fundraiser is a huge success, and also what happens if it doesn't make it.

            General: City of Titans: A Peek Into the World Being Built

            Posted: 28 Apr 2014 06:20 PM PDT

            City of Titans: A Peek Into the World Being Built

            The City of Titans team has sent along an updated trailer to give viewers a peek into the world that the all-volunteer staff is working to build. Seen as the 'spiritual successor' to City of Heroes, the team utilizes the Unreal 4 engine and is currently finishing up the preproduction stage of development. Check it out!

            General: Strife: New Patch Heralds Big Changes

            Posted: 28 Apr 2014 05:49 PM PDT

            Strife: New Patch Heralds Big Changes

            The Strife team has sent word that the next patch, based largely on community feedback, will bring a ton of big changes to the game. Included in the patch are features such as pets, crafting, improvements to match quality, and the news that Strife has partnered with Mail.ru. To celebrate the partnership announcement, the team revealed a new hero, Claudessa.

            General: SOE All-Access Goes Live

            Posted: 28 Apr 2014 05:41 PM PDT

            SOE All-Access Goes Live

            Sony Online Entertainment's Mark Tuttle has taken to the corporate site to explain why he believes that the SOE All-Access plan is a great deal. SOE users will be happy to hear that the All-Access plan is now live for $14.99. Tuttle goes into detail about what exactly that subscription will include.

            Dark Age of Camelot: New Frontiers, Doppelgangers Return & New RvR Objectives

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 02:36 PM PDT

            New Frontiers, Doppelgangers Return & New RvR Objectives

            A big shiny new patch has been deployed for Dark Age of Camelot that includes some new material, some overhauled content and sees the return of the doppelgangers. The notes have been posted on the DAoC site along with screenshots to show improvements to several frontiers.

            General: Disruptor Beam: Can Social Games Be MMOs Too?

            Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:23 PM PDT

            Disruptor Beam: Can Social Games Be MMOs Too?

            Online games have taken on many forms over the past few years. With the changes of platforms and technology the MMO as we know it has split into plenty of splinter groups. The online social game has become one of those groups and continues to grow. Mobile and Social developer Disruptor Beam has harnessed two of the best properties on the market right now and built up a network of solid gameplay which works extremely well in the social space.

            General: Dawn of Immortals Coming this Summer for Mobile Devices

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:44 PM PDT

            Dawn of Immortals Coming this Summer for Mobile Devices

            Perfect World Entertainment has announced that its mobile MMO, Dawn of Immortals, will be headed to iOS and Android devices this summer. Dawn of Immortals is a fully-featured MMO that can be taken anywhere. To celebrate the announcement, the team has released a new video to show it off. Check it out before heading to the official page for more information.

            General: Games of Glory MOBA Announced

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:21 PM PDT

            Games of Glory MOBA Announced

            Lightbulb Crew, a new studio in France, has announced that it is working on a new MOBA, Games of Glory. The team is actively seeking community support and input as the game develops over the long haul.

            Prodigy: Female Fighter, Siren, Revealed As Latest Hero

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:01 PM PDT

            Female Fighter, Siren, Revealed As Latest Hero

            With only three days remaining in its Kickstarter initiative, the Prodigy team has revealed the latest character, Siren, a female fighter. The game is fully funded and well on its way to reaching its first stretch goal at $250,000.

            Elsword: Third Anniversary Arrives with Elesis' 2nd Job Path

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 11:38 AM PDT

            Third Anniversary Arrives with Elesis

            Kill3r Combo is ready to pull out the stops in celebration of Elsword's third anniversary. As part of the fete, players will be able to get a first look at Elesis' second job path!

            Elder Scrolls Online: ESO Hate

            Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:16 PM PDT

            ESO Hate

            The Elder Scrolls Online sucks, it does not live up to its hype, it's not an Elder Scrolls game, PvE is lack luster, someone stole my chest, end game is boring, ESO needs <insert common MMO feature here>. Yes, ESO has flaws, not a game in the world is flawless. In this week's column I'm going to take a look at the ESO / MMO community and try and explain why they have so much hate towards such a fantastic game.

            WildStar: Weekend Beta Access Keys!

            Posted: 29 Apr 2014 09:44 AM PDT

            Weekend Beta Access Keys!

            MMORPG.com has been given 10,000 beta access codes (NA only!) for Wildstar for this weekends beta event! Get your key now while supplies last!

            Shadowrun Online: More like ShadowFUN

            Posted: 27 Apr 2014 07:05 PM PDT

            More like ShadowFUN

            The much-anticipated Shadowrun Online (SRO) from Cliffhanger Productions is currently in Alpha, and I had a chance last week to give the cyberpunk MMORPG a whirl. The current build is a stripped down version of what will be on offer when the game goes into beta and beyond, but provides a pretty good snapshot of what we can expect come launch.

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