| Tamriel Infinium: About that Elder Scrolls VR grind Posted: 04 Jul 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvE, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, Tamriel Infinium Last time around I took a little flak from people who felt that my positive opinion of Elder Scrolls Online would change once I reached a certain veteran rank. In the past two weeks, I've gotten most of the way to VR2 whilst playing primarily solo a couple of hours per day. I would've gotten higher, but I got sidetracked into ESO's addictive crafting minigame! Anyway, so far my opinion of the world's first Elder Scrolls MMO hasn't changed despite the fact that the VR content does seem pretty grindy. The game is still a first-class themepark that's full of content, incredible art direction, and interesting progression, and the cherry on top of this particular sundae is one of my favorite IPs. All that said, ZeniMax could stand to alter its post-50 approach. Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: About that Elder Scrolls VR grind  Tamriel Infinium: About that Elder Scrolls VR grind originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Massively's Fourth of July weekend MMO event roundup Posted: 04 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Promotions, Miscellaneous It's Independence Day in the U.S., the day when gamers scarf down BBQ and try to flee family events so they can log back into MMOs. What? You know you do it. Here's a few of the events and sales and promotions MMO players can look forward to this weekend. If you know of one we missed, shout it out in the comments! - Marvel Heroes is boasting a "Red, White, and Loot" boost to rotating game modes, including increased loot drops.
- Neverwinter has unleashed the Celebration of Lliira event, complete with fireworks and rewards.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic is granting double experience all weekend.
- The Guardians of Gaia event returns to The Secret World in honor of its anniversary.
- EverQuest II features a summer rebate sale on holiday items and more; classic EQ turned on double XP last night.
- Age of Wushu has 10 different events going on this weekend. TEN.
- TERA's gone live with a double-drop weekend.
- World of Tanks celebrates Canada Day and Independence Day with discounts on cash-shop stuff and experience bonuses.
- Fallen Earth is running sales and a new summer combat patch.
- Champions Online has introduced Stars Tights and new Liberty Grav Bike. Vrooom.
- The Brits behind RuneScape are hosting an in-game BBQ and offering Uncle Sam hats.
- Enjoy a holiday bonus weekend in Dark Age of Camelot.
- Black Gold Online has dedicated an in-game monument and promises streams and contests.
- War Thunder offers discounts and RP boosts for USA victories.
- DUST 514 is running an accelerated SP week.
- Dungeons and Dragons Online has a double bonus point promotion in the official store.
- SMITE still has the Ramerica eagle skin we can't stop giggling over. Wheeee.
- Pirate101 has a Red, White, & Blue sale going on mounts, pets, and teleporters.
Massively's Fourth of July weekend MMO event roundup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What's the best loot you've ever scored in an MMO? Posted: 04 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: News Items, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Everyone's got a a story or two about the time she scored that one really great piece of game-changing loot in an MMORPG. There was the time I won the piece I needed for my World of Warcraft Priest's Benediction/Anathema staff (still have it, too!). There was the time I landed a 120-skill powerscroll for my Disco-Archer in Ultima Online. And there was the time I lucked out on my first Guild Wars birthday and received a bone dragon, a minipet whose sale for a virtual fortune helped me bankroll my characters' gear and my obsessive trading habit for years to come. Even if we wouldn't call ourselves lootmongers, we still love getting a new shiny -- the rarer, the better. What's the best loot you've ever scored in an MMO? Let's hear some juicy tales!  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!The Daily Grind: What's the best loot you've ever scored in an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Heroes & Generals adds paratroopers, new uniforms Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Browser Reto-Moto has released a new update for its World War II strategy/shooter Heroes & Generals. Codenamed "Quesada," the patch brings paratroopers to the game and allows players to jump out of C-47 Skytrains or Junkers Ju-52s and "perform surprise attacks" on the battlefield. Quesada also features new uniform variations for classes including US Recon, US Paratrooper, German Tank Crew, German Recon, and German Paratrooper. You can see the full list of tweaks and additions via the patch changelog. [Source: Reto-Moto press release] Heroes & Generals adds paratroopers, new uniforms originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Hearthstone catches players up on Naxxramas lore Posted: 03 Jul 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Previews, Free-to-Play, Trading Card Games, Hearthstone Hearthstone players will soon have the opportunity to revisit the iconic fortress of Naxxramas in an upcoming adventure pack, which means that it's time to get up to date on the backstory of what this citadel is all about. In a new lore post, Blizzard walks players through the necropolis' history, layout, and key residents. The place is run by the lich Kel'Thuzad and encompasses four sections: the Arachnid Quarter, the Plague Quarter, the Military Quarter, and the Construct Quarter. Each of these quarters lists the bosses that players will be facing off against in the single-player adventure, as well as the penultimate Frostwyrm Lair and its protector, Sapphiron. There may be no overt strategy secrets revealed in this article, but sharp-eyed players may deduce the themes and styles of the bosses that they will be encountering when the update goes live. Hearthstone catches players up on Naxxramas lore originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Here is the current Shards Online dev roadmap Posted: 03 Jul 2014 05:00 PM PDT |
| Cryptic removes exploration clusters from Star Trek Online Posted: 03 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Crafting If you were particularly attached to Star Trek Online's exploration clusters, you'll probably want a shoulder to cry on for the next sentence. Cryptic has decided to remove them from the game altogether with this month's Season 9.5. The team explained the rationale behind the decision, saying that while these clusters were created to fill an exploration niche, the end result was too limited and simple. "With the steadily improving quality of mission content available throughout STO as well as our recent efforts to explore more distant parts of the galaxy, exploration clusters have become something we're reluctant to steer new players towards because they are not up to our current standards," Cryptic posted. With the reworking of the crafting system, exploration clusters are no longer needed as crafting mat havens, and so they have reached the end of their usefulness in the game. However, the team said that Foundry users can still whip up player missions that use exploration cluster settings. Cryptic removes exploration clusters from Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Asheron's Call is now buy-to-play Posted: 03 Jul 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Business Models, Events (Real-World), News Items, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play As announced back in May, Asheron's Call (and by extension, Asheron's Call 2) has shifted from a subscription to a buy-to-play model this week. Turbine wrote in May that the last sub payments would be processed on June 30th and that the game would become buy-to-play thereafter. Massively can confirm that logging into the Turbine account site and attempting to resume an old account currently allows players to select a "Lifetime AC Plan" for $9.99, which matches the buy-to-play price for all gamers who wish to play for the first time. Players who were subbed at the transition should be grandfathered in and will no longer be billed every month. While both games will continue in maintenance mode, Turbine still plans to facilitate player-run servers this year. [With thanks to Arpeggio.] Asheron's Call is now buy-to-play originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XIV previews chocobo training Posted: 03 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription Your chocobo is your lifelong companion in Final Fantasy XIV, but is he really getting all he can out of life? Does he have the options necessary for a robust avian lifestyle? Is he stuck sitting outside in the cold while you go in and have a few drinks? Are you one of the relentless achievers who has reached max level with the bird and wants to advance past rank 10? Then patch 2.3's chocobo raising system is for you! Once your free company builds a chocobo stable on its housing plot, you can stable your bird there, allowing him to earn experience and train skills on an hourly basis. Training requires treats, with a special treat allowing your companion to exceed rank 10 (although you're still limited to rank 20 as a maximum). Players will not be able to summon their companion whilst he's stabled. Read the full preview for more details, and get ready to start intimately tending to the needs of your feathered friend. Final Fantasy XIV previews chocobo training originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Turbine: Raiders make up the smallest player group in LotRO Posted: 03 Jul 2014 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Lore, Free-to-Play, Dungeons If you've wondered why Turbine has decided to forgo developing new raids for Lord of the Rings Online (at least for the time being), it all comes down to numbers. According to CM Rick Heaton, raiders make up the smallest portion of the playerbase even if they are quite vocal on the forums: Raiders comprise the smallest, by far, group in our game. PvMP players are far larger and even they are small. in fact together the two groups wouldn't comprise 10% of the total player base and never have (this is important. it's not a new thing, it's a long standing historical fact).
Forum posters comprise a slightly larger group than the combined group of PvMP and Raiders. However, Raiders and PvMP players make up the overwhelming majority of forum posters (More than half. Though raiders are the smaller group of the two (PvMP/Raiders)). So you have a tiny group, inside a small group that is grossly disproportionately represented on the forums. [Thanks to Dan for the tip!] Turbine: Raiders make up the smallest player group in LotRO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Stream Team: Talking WildStar with Jeremy Gaffney Posted: 03 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT |
| Rob Pardo leaves Blizzard Posted: 03 Jul 2014 12:40 PM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous In a rather surprising move, Blizzard's Executive Producer Rob Pardo announced today that he is leaving the company. At this time he has announced no immediate career plans or subsequent goals, although he mentions a desire to spend the summer with his family and consider his next move. Pardo's forum announcement thanks the design teams for all of their hard work and notes that he has immensely enjoyed his time with the company; he expresses great satisfaction at the growth of the company and all of the changes that have come about during his tenure there. Pardo mentions that he began working with the studio during development of the original StarCraft, having since worked on titles including Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm. He has promised fans that he will attempt to be communicative about his next move via Twitter. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!] Rob Pardo leaves Blizzard originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Minor criminals in Elite: Dangerous will incur fines, compound interest Posted: 03 Jul 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Economy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Elite: Dangerous, Buy-to-Play Frontier has published the 30th edition of its Elite: Dangerous newsletter. This issue features tidbits on ship decals, new code systems meant to enforce law and order within radar range of authority ships or space stations, and potential fines for minor criminal offenders. Fines will "give the authorities a proportionate level of response rather than shooting to kill regardless of the severity of a crime. Minor crimes and non-threatening infractions will incur a fine, which can be paid off to your local space station authority representative," Frontier explains. "If you don't pay off your fines, they will initially attract compound interest and then, once the authorities lose patience with your tardiness they will be converted into a bounty, and lead to you being hunted down." There's a lot more to this week's newsletter, so follow the links below to give it a read! [Thanks Cotic!] Minor criminals in Elite: Dangerous will incur fines, compound interest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Swordsman enters open beta today Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:00 AM PDT |
Looking back at the classic military shooters
