MMO Updates |
- Blade & Soul interview talks Summoner class, customization
- CCP releases EVE's emergency CSM meeting minutes
- March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary
- Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video
- Bonus round: RuneScape kicks off a weekend of extra XP gain
- The Daily Grind: Which MMO do you think is underappreciated?
- The baddies of City of Heroes' First Ward
- SOE's services disrupted by massive California blackout [Updated]
- The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition
- Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense
- The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly'
- Turbine unveils LotRO expansion point costs
- Answer your beta-related questions, Star Wars: The Old Republic does
- One Shots: Function over form
- Guild Wars 2 Charr plushies on sale now, but you can win one free from Massively!
- Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition
- Captain's Log: Setting a new course
- Beta and bucks: John Smedley discusses PlanetSide 2's future
| Blade & Soul interview talks Summoner class, customization Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Blade & Soul  Said customization is "almost unlimited. NPCs in the game are actually made by not modeling but customizing each. Blade & Soul will provide the most free customizing system ever so far," according to the devs. It's somewhat unclear as to whether this customization will take the form of character skills and abilities or physical differentiation via body types and personalization options. It's also worth noting that some of the article's information may have been lost in translation, and if your Korean language skills are up to the task, you can read the full original text on ThisIsGame's main site.
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| CCP releases EVE's emergency CSM meeting minutes Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox  CCP has finally gotten around to releasing the minutes from the "emergency" Council of Stellar Management meeting that took place in Iceland from June 30th through July 1st. According to CCP Xhagen, the lengthy delay was due to the fact that "it takes time to create a document that everyone can accept. It is important to keep in mind that CSM meeting minutes are not released unless both CCP and the CSM give their approval." The document summarizes the discussions and presents the brouhaha surrounding captain's quarters performance, the Noble Exchange, and CCP's future plans for virtual goods from the perspective of both devs and player representatives. The PDF ultimately serves as a useful summary of EVE's latest drama explosion, and you can read it in its entirety by following the link below.
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| March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  Turbine is excited to introduce this long-awaited nation of horse-riders to the game, and in a new developer diary, an overview of this infamous region is given. While the Gap may not be large in size, it is critical to both armies to control, as it commands one of the best crossings of the river Isen. The developers also share some behind-the-scenes info about the "tricks" used to simulate large armies fighting alongside player characters -- all while still running on your average computer. We have several new action screenshots of combat in the Gap of Rohan for you below, and the full dev diary can be watched after the jump! Continue reading March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary
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| Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events, real-world, New titles, Opinion, Hands-on  PWE recorded video testimonials from PAX attendees who just finished playing their game demo, showing off some true-to-life opinions of the game, while still riding high on the adrenaline from that famous Rusty Hearts action combat. "Rusty Hearts cuts all the bull crap out," one attendee claims, while several others are particularly excited about the game's gothic art style. If you'd like to check the game out for yourself, it's set to hit open beta on September 13th, and don't miss the PAX video right after the cut. Continue reading Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video
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| Bonus round: RuneScape kicks off a weekend of extra XP gain Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser  During this weekend event, RuneScape subscribers -- not free players -- will enjoy a hearty bonus to their training activities rate. The bonus multiplier begins at 2.7 times the normal rate and decreases in percentage every half-hour played after that, until it hits 1.1 times the normal rate of XP gain, at which point it will remain until the bonus weekend is over. This bonus rate will not be used up if a player is logged out or in the game's lobby, and does not affect quest XP, XP rewards at the end of activities, assist XP, the circus, and XP that is awarded via items. Because of the unique nature of the Summoning skill, Summoning will be locked in at a 1.1 bonus rate for the duration of the event.
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| The Daily Grind: Which MMO do you think is underappreciated? Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Plus, the majority of games launch, lose that initial rush of tourists, and settle into a comfortable niche for as long as they can. But these games often fall by the wayside as the new shinies rise to prominence. These "forgotten" games aren't necessarily bad; they're just old news. For me, it's Free Realms. Every time I jump into that game, I think about how it does so many things right but is quickly written off as a "kids" game. So I want to know what you think! What game would you say is the most underappreciated by other MMO players?  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!
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| The baddies of City of Heroes' First Ward Posted: 08 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lore, Previews, News items, Dev Diaries  First up are the mystics of the Carnival of Light, the perfect counterpoint to the existing Carnival of Shadows. These new Carnies are much better dressed and seek to "restore the balance of good and evil" in Praetoria. They're followed by the Direct Urban Strike Team (D.U.S.T.) units, elite PPD members with rugged armor and enormous plasma rifles that are surely not compensating for anything. If you're into tentacles, you'll love the failed Seer experiments known as the Awakened. And finally, the dreadful, harpy-like Talons of Vengeance embrace "themes of vengeance, magic, and the embodiment of the apocalypse." Enjoy the new enemies (and their awesome high-detail graphics) at PC Gamer.
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| SOE's services disrupted by massive California blackout [Updated] Posted: 08 Sep 2011 07:34 PM PDT Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, PlanetSide, Events, real-world, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, Miscellaneous  Because of this interruption, some of SOE's MMOs and websites have gone offline, as SOE's servers are located in San Diego. The company sent a brief note over Twitter and Facebook saying that players might not want to hold their breath at regaining these services tonight: "The San Diego power outage could persist throughout the night affecting login servers, forums, and websites. We appreciate everyone's patience as the City attempts to restore power." According to authorities, power is expected to be restored by Friday. [Update: Some of SOE's services, such as EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Clone Wars Adventures, appear to be back up and running.] Update #2: SOE tweeted the following on Friday morning: "We appreciate everyone's patience during the recent power outage. Power has been restored and all services should be back online."] [Source: Twitter]
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| The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition Posted: 08 Sep 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Video, MapleStory, Culture, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Humor, DC Universe Online, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous  The show hits all the MMO news highlights for the past week including DC Universe Online's new content pack, Minecraft's new adventuring trailer, The Secret World's sub-plus-cash-shop business model reveal, and Star Trek Online's foregone conclusion of a free-to-play announcement. Casey has a bit of fun with fans of the F2P model, saying that STO is "answering the call of thousands of underpaid comics and collectible store employees who can't afford 15 bucks a month." If that's not enough for you, consider that Casey also spends a bit of time talking about the merits of in-game marriage, and more specifically, why so many of MapleStory's pairings end in annulment. Seriously. Check it out after the break. Continue reading The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition
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| Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense Posted: 08 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Behind the Mask  Blocking reduces incoming damage by a ton, even with no investment in upgrading it. It also gives you sizable energy boosts for every attack you block, which gives you comeback potential. Many players block only charged attacks, and even more simply never block. While it's important to block charged attacks, blocking isn't just for the few times when those happen. Continue reading Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense
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| The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly' Posted: 08 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous  The easy answer is to ream him out, boot him, and refuse to ever rez him again, but it's not that simple because he is extremely nice, is married to the guild leader, is helpful and contributes immensely when not raiding, or is a combination of all three. That's right, in this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at what to do with the nightmare of having a Mr. Wiggly in your guild. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly'
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| Turbine unveils LotRO expansion point costs Posted: 08 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Business models, Expansions, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  The short version is that the expansion quests and deeds will set you back 3,250 Turbine points, while the new Draigoch raid will cost an additional 1,250 TP. There's also a bindable item called Derudh's Stone that grants a permanent 25% XP bonus on monster kills through level 64, and it is priced at 995 TP. Finally, the new Update 5 instances, currently slated for a December release, will run you 1,495 TP. There's more info, and a load of comments and discussion, at the official LotRO boards.
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| Answer your beta-related questions, Star Wars: The Old Republic does Posted: 08 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  In light of the Star Wars: The Old Republic's beta testing weekends' recent inception, Stephen Reid stopped by the SWTOR official forums to drop a couple of FAQs on the masses. The first deals with the ongoing beta testing, beta weekends, and early access for pre-order customers. The second hones in on the first beta test weekend, which took place last weekend. The beta FAQ begins by outlining the differences between early game access, beta weekends, guild testing, and the normal beta testing. Early game access, of course, is access to the launch version of the game prior to the official launch date; this privilege is given to those who pre-order the game. Beta testing weekends are exactly what they sound like, and Reid notes that the team is aiming for one more test weekend this month, which will host more players than the last test. Game and guild testing are both the normal, ongoing beta test, with the latter differentiated only by the invitation process for guilds rather than individuals. The post goes on to remind players that, even with the advent of the beta testing weekends, the NDA is still in effect, and that a player's participation in one beta test weekend does not guarantee her selection for subsequent weekends. And lastly, we'd be remiss to omit this small detail for our European players: Game testing for European players is "imminent," says the post, and these tests will include localized French and German versions of the game. Beta weekends for European players will begin around the same time. Now then, the beta weekend FAQ. The post declares the intent of the first beta weekend to have been a "small-scale simulation of a launch scenario." The post also discusses the successes and failures of the test and notes that almost every goal set by the team was met or exceeded. However, there were a few hitches with the invite process, which the team has since fixed. For the full details, hop on your speeder bike and head on over to the official forum posts.
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| Posted: 08 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Fallen Earth, One Shots, Post-Apocalyptic  While being able to craft 95% of the armor you'll wear in Fallen Earth is a major attraction of the game, early on you'll have to suffer through outfit pieces that don't quite go well together (although some may argue that's in step with the game's setting). Probably the worst aspect of the armor system is that there's no way to turn off helmet graphics unless you simply take it off.It's ugly armor week all week on One Shots, so whether you have an eye-searing color scheme, a set of armor pieces that clash like crazy, or something that you just put together for a laugh, we want to see. Next week we'll be revisiting starting zones, so if you want to get a jump on things, grab a screenshot of your favorite starting zone and send it in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature it in next week's One Shots!
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| Guild Wars 2 Charr plushies on sale now, but you can win one free from Massively! Posted: 08 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Guild Wars 2, Giveaways  The ArenaNet crew handed out several as prizes during a panel and some trivia contests on stage, and promised fans that the plushies would be for sale at some time in the future. That time has arrived a little sooner than most fans expected -- as of right now, the little guys can be purchased in the Penny Arcade store for $34.99. Even better, we've got one here at Massively to share with a lucky reader! All you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you should be the winner. Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EDT, we'll go through the entries, choose the best one, and mail Charrlie the Charr to the winner right away. Be sure to read our contest rules, hit that comment button, and good luck! 
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| Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition Posted: 08 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Massively meta, Humor, Miscellaneous  And yes, I'm looking forward to buying a Vita just to buy a remake of Persona 4. This is apparently what I do now. Moving along from my tendency to re-buy what I already own, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively. We're going pretty meta this time around, much like last week, talking all about avatars and cross-site issues. As always, questions can be left in the comments or sent to ask@massively.com for inclusion in a future edition. Continue reading Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition
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| Captain's Log: Setting a new course Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log  The press release and new F2P information page that Cryptic has launched on STO's home page contains a lot of information that explains the different benefits that paying and non-paying players will experience. As it did with Champions Online, the development team is planning on being as transparent as possible, listening to feedback, and making adjustments based on closed beta experiences of the new hybrid model. This week's Captain's Log is going to explore some of these benefits, shed some positive light on some worries, share with you exclusive answers to some questions we sent into PR, and let you know some of my overall personal thoughts -- so without further ado, make it so! Ensign, warp 10! Let's help our readers decide whether they are going to be Silver or Gold members... Continue reading Captain's Log: Setting a new course
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| Beta and bucks: John Smedley discusses PlanetSide 2's future Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Business models, Free-to-play, PlanetSide 2  MMOsite carried the English version of the story early this morning, but there were a few points that were lost in translation. So we contacted Smedley for clarification, and he said that while he had previously mentioned that the game will be "some form of free-to-play," SOE is not prepared to announce specifics just yet, but we should "expect something that will be very player friendly." He mentioned that a Blizzard-style auction house won't be a part of that plan but that he was fond of what League of Legends had done with its system. It's also his opinion that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the last large-scale MMO with a subscription fee. "The game looks great," Smedley commented, "and I will be playing myself. BioWare is doing an awesome job." Smedley also made mention of PlanetSide 2's beta schedule. SOE is aiming to begin wider testing of the title later this year or early next year in North America, but the company doesn't know for sure just yet. PlanetSide 2 is aiming to be bigger and better than the original, with battlefields holding up to 2,000 players at the same time, a flexible skill system that allows players to fine-tune their troops and engage in crafting, and a struggle to control territory between three factions. Interestingly enough, Smedley said that the factions might not always be at each other's throats; the PlanetSide 2 team has plans to launch PvE world events such as alien invasions where all players will put aside their differences to combat a shared threat.
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