| WoW Archivist: More beta surprises Posted: 20 Jul 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Fantasy, Bugs, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, Opinion, Subscription, WoW Archivist WoW Archivist is a biweekly column by WoW Insider's Scott Andrews, who explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? It first appeared on our sister site on July 18th and is included here by permission. As the Warlords of Draenor beta rolls onward, Blizzard keeps managing to surprise us. Recently we've learned about a huge overhaul to guild systems, random upgrades for quest rewards, and an extra-awesome core hound mount. In the last WoW Archivist column, we looked at the surprises from the original beta and the betas of The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King expansions. This time, we continue with Wrath and also look at the surprises during the Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria betas. As before, I won't go into storyline surprises here. And I won't cover surprises announced at BlizzCon outside of a beta. BlizzCon already has its own feature for controversial surprises. Continue reading WoW Archivist: More beta surprises  WoW Archivist: More beta surprises originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| One Shots: Life isn't fair Posted: 20 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, One Shots, RIFT, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous Today, this boss mob woke up to the harsh realization that life just is not fair. Even with his impressive stature and the rather expensive sword that his grandma gave him for Christmas, he's unable to hold down any full-time job. What's worse is that every would-be "hero" in the world keeps ganging up on him. Even if he emerges victorious, everyone sneers and jeers at him. He just can't win. So let's meet our first antagonist, reader William, who documented this shameful moment from Final Fantasy XIV. "The new hunts are incredibly fun and have added a lot of variety to the game!" he chirped. "My friends and I recently tackled this S-Rank Hunt, Agrippa the Mighty, along with some additional help from people in the zone. Don't worry; I healed that poor Black Mage lalafell after taking this screenshot." But did you heal Agrippa and try to make friends with him? That's what would lead to a true storybook ending! Continue reading One Shots: Life isn't fair One Shots: Life isn't fair originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What's your favorite LotRO update or expansion? Posted: 20 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind I'm kinda slow-poking my way through Blackroot Vale in Lord of the Rings Online's latest update. So far it's pretty standard fantasy themepark fare, but I'm enjoying it well enough thanks to the setting (Gondor!) and the general ease with which I can wander through it. As far as LotRO updates go, I think my favorite would have to be the Riders of Rohan expansion, both because of its sweeping vistas and a delightful soundtrack. What about you, Massively readers? What's your favorite major update or LotRO expansion?  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 your favorite LotRO update or expansion? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Make My MMO: July 13 - July 19, 2014 Posted: 19 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Crowdfunding, Make My MMO This week in MMO crowdfunding news, Camelot Unchained dominated the headlines. Oh sure, Star Citizen made its money and the Elite: Dangerous devs said a couple more interesting things, but by and large we were all oohing and ahhing over City State's week-long batshit-crazy reveal schedule. Whether or not the finished game actually incorporates all of these awesome ideas is anyone's guess, but for now it sure makes for fascinating reading! Click past the cut for the rundown on the rest of this week's crowdsourcing news. Continue reading Make My MMO: July 13 - July 19, 2014 Make My MMO: July 13 - July 19, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Shroud of the Avatar preps PvP update and asks for player music submissions Posted: 19 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT |
| Elder Scrolls Online shows new zones, active world PvP, and more at Quakecon Posted: 19 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Dungeons, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription Quakecon is the place to be if you want the latest Elder Scrolls Online news. Last night during the Future of ESO panel, ZeniMax showed off a boatload of upcoming features including video of new zones, further discussion of the veteran rank revamp, and details on the justice system. This last bit is particularly interesting since it involves some sort of "active world PvP" outside of Cyrodiil. In a nutshell, the system allows players to murder NPCs and steal items. If caught, you can choose to pay a bounty (and lose the stolen goods) or run, exposing yourself to guards. You can also be a guard and hunt down player bounties, hence the PvP. In terms of new zones, there are videos for Imperial City, Murkmire, and Wrothgar after the cut, as well as a look at the stealing and justice system mechanics. Dulfy has a breakdown of the panel, too, including info on new armor and weapons, spellcrafting, and more! Continue reading Elder Scrolls Online shows new zones, active world PvP, and more at Quakecon Elder Scrolls Online shows new zones, active world PvP, and more at Quakecon originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| McQuaid says a playable Pantheon will happen 'in a matter of months' Posted: 19 Jul 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Dev Diaries, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen Brad McQuaid is back with a mammoth 3,200-word update (treatise?) on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, specifically to rebut misinformation about the project without returning to his former "evangelist" mode. What's most interesting is how he indicates that there will be a playable build much sooner than anticipated. Pantheon is now "truly client-server," he explains, allowing users to log in and explore the game's single zone, Halnir's Pass, while the database saves persistent information. McQuaid said that the team is revising the game lore and working on a world map. The plan is for Pantheon to have nine playable races and three starter cities when it launches. "Our goal is to make adventure, exploration, and combat working pre-alpha," McQuaid wrote. "We're going to be grouping up, exploring, and killing mobs in a matter of months, not years." [Thanks to Kirsan for the tip!] McQuaid says a playable Pantheon will happen 'in a matter of months' originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Stream Team: Visiting Vanguard before it's gone Posted: 19 Jul 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Livestream, The Stream Team, Sunsets It's hard to see an old friend leave, so Massively's MJ is heading back into Vanguard to spend a little quality time with the title before it's gone. But don't think the visit will be all sadness and moping! There are still tons of dungeons to delve, landscapes to explore, and friends to reminisce with. Maybe there is a particular place you want to see or memories you want to share. Let us know! Join us live at 1:00 p.m. to be a part of this walk down memory lane that celebrates the world of Telon. Game: Vanguard Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Saturday, July 19th, 2014 Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Visiting Vanguard before it's gone The Stream Team: Visiting Vanguard before it's gone originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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