MMO Updates |
- The Road to Mordor: Anatomy of a failed quest
- WRUP: Desert disclaimer edition
- The Daily Grind: Have you ever attended an in-game funeral?
- GamersFirst reveals APB live action trailer
- Betawatch: November 5-11, 2011
- EverQuest II releases free-to-play trailer
- Class adjustment philosophy previewed for Final Fantasy XIV
- MMObility: The clever design behind War of Dragons
- New Darkfall blog post addresses reactivation weekend, upcoming patch
- The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter
- Massively Exclusive: PlanetSide 2's New Conglomerate Q&A
- The Old Republic opens the beta blast doors for its final testing weekend
- New EVE dev diary talks PvE content
- Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord
- Receive the Nova Force in Super Hero Squad Online
- PlanetSide 2 intel details the New Conglomerate
- En Masse talks more on Creatures of Magnitudinous Derrieres
- LotRO removes server transfer restrictions
| The Road to Mordor: Anatomy of a failed quest Posted: 12 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor  The quest in question? Rise of Isengard's Taking a Stand, which, coincidentally, was the only quest I've done this past week, and not because I was super-busy but because every time I'd log in I'd hit my head against it, try it a half-dozen times, and then give up out of frustration. Rinse and repeat. Since it was part of a chain and I am trying to do all the quests in RoI, skipping it wasn't a possibility. It had to be done, and it stood between me and the remainder of the content like a bully that's four times my size and has no compunction against shoving me to the ground. So what was it about Taking a Stand that failed me so badly? And what could Turbine learn from this quest for future reference? Hit the jump as I break it down, piece by stupid piece. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Anatomy of a failed quest
|
| WRUP: Desert disclaimer edition Posted: 12 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous  This week's WRUP might seem a bit more like a desert than normal, as everyone's talking about some new offline game. (Probably a Mario game or something.) But you can still click on past the break to see what the staff will be up to over the weekend, as well as hear about what turns us off from a game before we even try it. And, of course, you can let us know what you'll be up to in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: Desert disclaimer edition
|
| The Daily Grind: Have you ever attended an in-game funeral? Posted: 12 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying, Miscellaneous  Other players hold funerals for players who have passed away in the real world. In some games -- Ultima Online comes to mind -- players are deeply respectful, and devs sometimes get involved too, inserting permanent shrines of remembrance in the game. In other games (we're looking at you, World of Warcraft), funeral-crashers and social miscreants have infamously ruined more than one somber occasion. How about you? Have you ever attended (or held) an in-game funeral, RP or otherwise?  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!
|
| GamersFirst reveals APB live action trailer Posted: 11 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Real life, Trailers, Video, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, All Points Bulletin, Crime, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous  The clip is a three-and-a-half-minute exercise in gangsta wish fulfillment, and it features enough short skirts, big guns, and urban thug chic to fill several summers' worth of action films. The video release coincides with APB: Reloaded's new Facebook campaign, which is designed to spread the word about the free-to-play title and reward customers who get their friends to join in the fun. Check out the clip after the break, and head to the official website for more details. [Source: GamersFirst press release] Continue reading GamersFirst reveals APB live action trailer
|
| Betawatch: November 5-11, 2011 Posted: 11 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Massively Meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous  It's a bit of a quiet week on Betawatch, but there are a few additions and changes to this week's list. The Dark Eden MMO joins our closed beta list this week, as does UFO Online. Star Supremacy makes the jump to open beta, so the doors are open to all on that title. Follow along after the jump for the latest Betawatch list. Continue reading Betawatch: November 5-11, 2011
|
| EverQuest II releases free-to-play trailer Posted: 11 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, EverQuest II, News items, Free-to-play  EverQuest II is officially going free-to-play, allowing players to experience the wonders of Norrath without paying a dime. In order to commemorate the occasion, SOE has put together a short trailer to show players what they can expect from the freshly free-to-play title. Just jump on past the cut and give it a look, and don't forget to read our interview with Dave Georgeson on the F2P transition. Continue reading EverQuest II releases free-to-play trailer
|
| Class adjustment philosophy previewed for Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 11 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Among the bigger changes is the abolition of the current system for setting actions, replaced by a much more straightforward setup. All class actions will be automatically added to a players' bars, with players able to equip more actions from other classes as they increase in level. Traits are also being revised to be class-exclusive and automatic, helping to differentiate the classes as you obtain more via leveling. The full rundown is even more extensive, but it looks to be aimed at keeping classes more fun as a whole in future updates.
|
| MMObility: The clever design behind War of Dragons Posted: 11 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Trailers, Video, Business models, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Roleplaying, MMObility  I've also stumbled across this newish world of semi-graphical, browser-based, MUD-like MMOs. They have shown me that text and description can still be very powerful tools, especially mixed with graphics or even basic animation. Then I stumbled upon War of Dragons, a wonderful browser-based MMO that shows me just how amazing browser-based gaming can be. Click past the cut and I'll explain. Continue reading MMObility: The clever design behind War of Dragons
|
| New Darkfall blog post addresses reactivation weekend, upcoming patch Posted: 11 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Events, in-game, Patches, News items, Sandbox  Last week, we reported that Darkfall would be hosting a reactivation weekend with increased skill-up rates and loot drops. Head-honcho Tasos Flambouras stopped by the official site today to announce that the festivities will be beginning on Friday, November 18th, and that they will last through the weekend until the 21st. He warns, however, that the team is also busy preparing a patch, which -- understandably -- takes priority over the reactivation weekend. As such, it's possible that the event will be postponed. The patch itself includes a number of bug fixes and other adjustments, "more specifically addressing emotes cutting off animations and sounds." The team is also working to combat some of the game's exploits such as using the trading system to bypass over-encumberance. For the full details, head on over to the Darkfall official site.
|
| The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter Posted: 11 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, DUST 514, PlanetSide 2, The Firing Line  When I talk about MMO shooters with friends and colleagues, one of the first things mentioned is the definition of the term. Everyone knows what a shooter is (or at least what he thinks it is), and everyone knows what an MMO is (although thanks to MOBAs and the social networking explosion, the definition of the latter grows murkier by the day). Can we all agree on the definition of an MMO shooter, though? Probably not, and to be honest, that's perfectly OK. Continue reading The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter
|
| Massively Exclusive: PlanetSide 2's New Conglomerate Q&A Posted: 11 Nov 2011 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Free-to-play, Community Q&A, PlanetSide 2  Massively: As an introduction for new players, what's the philosophy behind the New Conglomerate? Matt Higby: The New Conglomerate are an insurgent guerrilla force fighting against pretty stacked odds: an enormous military machine in the TR on one side and the vast technological superiority of the VS on the other. This forces the New Conglomerate to be adaptive, use creative tactics and take advantage of every possible opportunity they can to accomplish their goals. Their weapons run the gamut from conventional to experimental, and they're not willing to say no to anything that might give them an edge. Continue reading Massively Exclusive: PlanetSide 2's New Conglomerate Q&A
|
| The Old Republic opens the beta blast doors for its final testing weekend Posted: 11 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Star Wars: The Old Republic  If you're like our Have Nots and have yet to get into the SWTOR beta, BioWare has good news for you today. The next beta testing weekend, which is scheduled for sometime later this month, will open up to everyone who's applied before November 11th. If that's not you, there's still a good chance you can get in, as BioWare will be handing out additional beta keys via sites like Massively in the near future. According to an additional FAQ covering this event, this will probably be the final beta testing weekend for the MMO prior to its December 20th launch. Even if you're not in a SWTOR launch country, as long as you have signed up or get a key, you'll be invited to test this season's hottest ticket. BioWare also announced that SWTOR will be available to play at this month's Dreamhack gaming event, from November 24th through the 27th.
|
| New EVE dev diary talks PvE content Posted: 11 Nov 2011 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, PvE, Sandbox, Dungeons  Anomalies will feature increased payouts and more NPCs, and consequently more ISK for the players. Magnometric sites will also see their overall value increase, and CCP is even adding a minimize function for dungeon-related pop-up messages to improve capsuleer quality of life. Read all about it on the official EVE website.
|
| Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord Posted: 11 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Events, in-game, Interviews, Opinion, Roleplaying, Some Assembly Required  Most player-created events range from RP tavern nights to full-blown tests of skill to races and scavenger hunts. These events are smaller affairs involving either a group of close friends, a guild, or perhaps even a mixture of a few guilds. However, there are occasions when events can grow larger... much larger. Such is the case with EverQuest II's Festival of Discord. Not only is this a server-wide festival designed and hosted by players, but it is fully supported by Sony Online Entertainment. And let me tell you, SOE has pulled out all the stops! Want to see what this festival is all about or (better yet) make some of these events on EQII's Antonia Bayle server in person? Grab your cloak and join me past the break for a rundown of the festival, its history, and even events yet to come! Continue reading Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord
|
| Receive the Nova Force in Super Hero Squad Online Posted: 11 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, News items, Free-to-play, Kids, Family, Super Hero Squad Online  Have you ever wanted to have the Nova Force all to yourself? Well, you're in luck, as Gazillion has announced that everyone's favorite space cop is coming to Super Hero Squad Online. To get a look at what Nova's bringing to the game, jump past the cut and check out his announcement trailer. Then head over to the game's official site and join the mayhem. [Source: Gazillion press release] Continue reading Receive the Nova Force in Super Hero Squad Online
|
| PlanetSide 2 intel details the New Conglomerate Posted: 11 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Previews, News items, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2  PlanetSide 2's Terran Republic has already had its time to shine, and now it's the New Conglomerate's turn. Sony Online Entertainment has released an intel debrief which details the faction, noting that the Conglomerate is known for being unpredictable and ruthless. NC forces rely on "unconventional tactics and brute strength," though their equipment isn't quite as sleek or advanced as those of the Terran Republic and the Vanu Sovereignty. To see more of the New Conglomerate, head on past the cut and check out the new video. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release] Continue reading PlanetSide 2 intel details the New Conglomerate
|
| En Masse talks more on Creatures of Magnitudinous Derrieres Posted: 11 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News items, TERA  Mmmyes, quite. TERA's press onslaught continues in full-force (though still sans release date) as En Masse Entertainment has released some new information regarding -- you guessed it -- Big Ass Monsters. Of particular note in the article is the ovolith, an arachnid BAM that transforms into a cocoon and is capable of spraying players with a lethal venom. Players, of course, can't just rely on the random number generator to save them. They have to actively dodge the poison as well as the monster's quick pincer attacks. The game's Monster Concept Lead Artist, Junghyun Kim, says there are certain challenges that arise when designing new creatures. Kim states that "The monster's outer shape matters a lot in combat because TERA lets players aim their attacks naturally. Auto-targeting games only need a normal attack with different attack motions, but we have more aspects to consider because the player's character actually gets hit in TERA. But this extra challenge is one of the joys of creating monsters for TERA." Well, that's great, but can we get a release date please? Pretty please? [Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]
|
| LotRO removes server transfer restrictions Posted: 11 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Economy, Free-to-play  It looks like this has changed, as Turbine recently posted an update to its paid premium services forum thread. In it, the studio announced that all such transfer restrictions are removed: We are also happy to announce that NA World Character Transfers are now available for transfer between ALL North American servers as of 9th November, 2011! Yes, you may now transfer TO Brandywine, Crickhollow, Dwarrowdelf, Elendilmir, Imladris, Landroval, or Riddermark!European players have access to this service as well. Unfortunately, these transfers aren't free but come with a hefty pricetag. Players looking to move server homes will need to shell out either $24.95, €21.95, or 2995 Turbine Points. There is also an issue with moving a character back to a server that it came from, so players cannot do that until Turbine resolves the issue.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Massively To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
