MMO Updates |
- TERA Europe closed beta weekend starts today
- TERA hi-resolution textures patch now available
- A closer look at Guild Wars 2 world vs. world PvP
- Ask Massively: Continuing dental nightmare edition
- The Daily Grind: Would you fund an MMO via Kickstarter?
- MechWarrior Online discusses the fine details of advancement
- Free for All: Comparing the payment models of RuneScape and Illyriad
- Choose My Adventure: Quest rhythm
- Dark Age of Camelot producer's letter looks toward the future
- WildStar unveils questing with a Twitter budget
- Online gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction
- SteelWar Online kicks off alpha testing
- Pathfinder Online will let players run the kingdom
- City of Heroes takes to the shadows with new Darkness Control info
- Seven Souls Online gets competitive with its closed beta
- Dark Legends' teaser trailer is to die for
- Star Trek issues Foundry Challenge to all captains
- Why I Play: Wurm Online
- DCUO's Battle for Earth pack spells the final confrontation with Braniac
- A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Assume I'm making a pun about the Super Pack
- Enter at Your Own Rift: A RIFT wedding primer
- Guild Wars 2 to implement Spanish localization
- Achievement Unlocked: A look at the Guinness world records of online gaming
| TERA Europe closed beta weekend starts today Posted: 16 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA  Testers will receive two character slots and they'll have the opportunity to explore content up to and including level 22. Frogster is also enabling guild PvP and a new outlaw mission in the town of Velika. This weekend's test marks the start of five closed beta events leading up to TERA Europe's May 3rd release date. [Source: Frogster press release]
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| TERA hi-resolution textures patch now available Posted: 16 Feb 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA  The only catch is the fact that the new shinies have added a whopping seven gigabytes to the client download, but luckily En Masse is allowing testers to start patching now. The firm has also released the latest beta patch notes, so head to the official TERA forums for all the details.
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| A closer look at Guild Wars 2 world vs. world PvP Posted: 16 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries  Guild Wars 2's competitive 5-player PvP has been getting a lot of love lately. To even the score, ArenaNet has put up a blog post dedicated to the second PvP type in Guild Wars 2: world vs. world, in which three servers compete in a two-week battle for glory. Each WvW arena is made up of four huge maps. Each map is capable of holding more than 100 players from each of three factions (servers), which means that upwards of 1,200 concurrent players will be able to get in on the large-scale action. The beauty of having three teams duking it out is that things tend to balance themselves out naturally. If one team goes beast-mode and starts making life miserable for everybody, the other two teams can naturally gang up to fight against the first. Although lore justification might be a little tricky, in a world with as much magitech the Guild Wars universe already plays host to, it's not too hard to imagine that people from alternate versions of the same world get spat into yet another mutually accessible copy of the world, where their first inclination is (naturally) to start beating the crud out of each other. Continue reading A closer look at Guild Wars 2 world vs. world PvP
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| Ask Massively: Continuing dental nightmare edition Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous  In other news, it's time for this week's installment of Ask Massively, covering our column procedure and the continuing saga of World of Warcraft's subscriber losses. As always, questions for future installments may be submitted via mail to ask@massively.com or left in the comments. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity. Continue reading Ask Massively: Continuing dental nightmare edition
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| The Daily Grind: Would you fund an MMO via Kickstarter? Posted: 16 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  RPG maker Obsidian has begun exploring its options, Brian Fargo is interested in creating a sequel to Wasteland via crowdfunding, and it's only a matter of time before a fledgling MMORPG designer follows suit. For this edition of the Daily Grind, let us know how you feel about a brave new publisher-free world. Would you enjoy cutting out the proverbial middleman when it comes to your gaming dollars, and more specifically, would you contribute to an MMO via Kickstarter?  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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| MechWarrior Online discusses the fine details of advancement Posted: 15 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Community Q&A, MechWarrior Online  As outlined by the questions, the experience system will in some ways be reminiscent of EVE Online's -- players won't be able to respec, but there will be no limitations on starting to put points in a new tree while retaining the benefits of previously spent points. It's also confirmed that your experience with a given chassis remains even if you move on from the 'Mech in question should you later choose to return. If you're worried about the fine details of self-improvement in the upcoming game, the latest answer should put most of your questions to rest.
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| Free for All: Comparing the payment models of RuneScape and Illyriad Posted: 15 Feb 2012 06:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EVE Online, Business models, PvP, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Miscellaneous, Sandbox  In fact, in one of the most disturbing trends of the last few years, players have begun bemoaning the lack of a free version of their favorite game. I see it all the time: players publicly wishing for the time that their favorite game will go free-to-play so they can return without paying a dime. Sure, I can understand being strapped for cash and needing an easy way to get back to an old title, but come on... those titles might not be around much longer if players do not support them in the first place. I am not a fan of free-to-play because I am cheap or because I need to avoid paying developers what they deserve. I have said it before, and I will say it again: I am a fan of free-to-play because it lets me decide when I want to spend my money. There's a big difference. So let's chat about two of my favorite game's payment models. Continue reading Free for All: Comparing the payment models of RuneScape and Illyriad
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| Choose My Adventure: Quest rhythm Posted: 15 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Game mechanics, Ryzom, Opinion, Free-to-play, Choose My Adventure  So it makes sense to take a good look at the questing in Ryzom, even though the game definitely veers toward the "sandbox" side of the fence. Plus, questing won the poll last week, so even if I thought quests were categorical garbage, that would still be my destination. I can't run you through all of the quests that I've done in the game, but one in particular lent itself to a narrative, albeit in a somewhat disjointed form. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Quest rhythm
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| Dark Age of Camelot producer's letter looks toward the future Posted: 15 Feb 2012 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, News items  On top of that, the devs will be adding a number of new titles throughout the year that center on the long-running title's 10th anniversary. Zissu adds that "there will also be new titles for the next phase of the live event" as well as a special trophy commemorating Dark Age of Camelot's 10 years of RvRvR action. For more information, including details on DAoC's first video contest, just click on through the link below and give the post a look.
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| WildStar unveils questing with a Twitter budget Posted: 15 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Previews, News items, WildStar  While there are ways to construct smaller entries, of course, the entry discusses how the 140-character limit makes for a good building block to keep players engaged -- it's short enough that you can read it quickly but not so short that it omits important information. In addition to showing a quest get brought down to a quick bite-sized snippet, the entry also talks about keeping control in the hands of the player and letting the story unfold organically, both things that should be of interest to WildStar fans eager for more information.
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| Online gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction Posted: 15 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Culture, News items, Opinion, Humor, Miscellaneous  The survey states that "gaming widows," whose spouses neglect them to focus on gaming, are dissatisfied with the states of their marriage. How that differs from corporate widows, football widows, or any other neglected spouse without a catchy title isn't really specified. Another conclusion pointed out by the survey is that when spouses play together, the marriage tends to be in pretty good shape. Who'd have ever thought that spending time bonding over a shared interest would be healthy for a relationship? While we're all in agreement that your level 80 Paladin probably doesn't deserve as much of your love and affection as your spouse, if you hadn't figured that out on your own, gaming probably isn't the root of your problems. Just a thought.
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| SteelWar Online kicks off alpha testing Posted: 15 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  Not a big fan of testing free-to-play games? Well, developer PopPace is trying to sweeten the pot slightly. During the alpha test, players will be given the equivalent of $2000 to blow in the game's cash shop, unlocking every option at will. While that's only good for the alpha test, players will receive an extra stash of microtransaction currency once the game goes live, and an extra stipend will be granted to players who find and report bugs. It's just the thing to fill that robot-shaped void in your life. [Source: PopPace press release]
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| Pathfinder Online will let players run the kingdom Posted: 15 Feb 2012 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Previews, News items  Solo play is meant to be somewhat discouraged, as the blog notes it will be a much more difficult road for a dedicated lone wolf. Parties will be the next step up, holding an undetermined number of players (the working target has about 24 players at the high end). Above those are chartered companies, settlements, and as mentioned, entire new player-run kingdoms. It's going to produce some interesting dynamics to have player organizations in such abundance, but the developers seem to have some confidence in their initial designs.
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| City of Heroes takes to the shadows with new Darkness Control info Posted: 15 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Previews, News items, Free-to-play  It's time for yet another issue of The Intrepid Informer, and this time the spotlight is on one of City of Heroes' upcoming new power set, Darkness Control. Darkness Control does exactly what it says on the tin, granting players dominion over the powers of darkness in order to subjugate and control their enemies. With a number of roots, debuffs, and even a couple of pets, the Darkness Control powerset is sure to please Controllers and Dominators of all varieties. But wait, that's not all. In addition to the Darkness Control power set, Paragon Studios is introducing two new secondary power sets: Darkness Affinity for Controllers and Dark Assault for Dominators. All of these new power sets will be free to VIP players, though premium players will have to purchase the Darkness Control set on the Paragon Market. Oh, and before we forget, be sure to drop into City of Heroes this weekend for a double XP weekend. For the full details on the new power set as well as some handy tips and tricks from the designers, just click on past the link below to the City of Heroes official site.
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| Seven Souls Online gets competitive with its closed beta Posted: 15 Feb 2012 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play  Last week, we gave you folks the opportunity to grab a beta key for NEOWIZ GAMES' upcoming F2P title Seven Souls Online. Well, the time has come to put those keys to good use. The game's developers announced in a press release today that Seven Souls Online has entered closed beta testing, but this isn't an ordinary beta test. No, this is a beta contest. You see, NEOWIZ GAMES wants to make sure that players report all the bugs they come across, so the studio is offering some extra incentives. Throughout the course of the beta test, players can take part in The Great Bug Hunt, in which players are asked to submit bugs with screenshots and directions for replication. The seven players who submit the most useful bug reports will be rewarded with an iPad 2. If you're not up for all that bug-reporting work, though, don't worry. The studio is also asking beta testers to submit their most iconic screenshots that they think "represents Seven Souls Online." Players will vote on the forums for the best entry, and the top five contestants will receive an "ultra-rare" mount known as the Burning Ghost Mount, which sounds pretty awesome if a bit surreal. To get in on the beta testing action, just click on over to the game's official site. [Source: NEOWIZ GAMES press release]
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| Dark Legends' teaser trailer is to die for Posted: 15 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Trailers, Video, Free-to-play  Slated for release in the first quarter of this year on iOS, Android, and Chrome, Dark Legends is all about the supernatural underbelly of society. Players will choose a society of vampires to join and go forth to battle nasties like werewolves and zombies. You can watch the trailer after the jump! Continue reading Dark Legends' teaser trailer is to die for
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| Star Trek issues Foundry Challenge to all captains Posted: 15 Feb 2012 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Contests, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Sandbox  Creators have three weeks (until March 7th) to make a mission revolving around the murder of a diplomat on Risa, after which players will field-test the results and vote on the best one of the bunch. Only one winner will be selected for the prize. This is intended to be the first of many subsequent Foundry Challenges, each running the span of a month. There are several rules for each entry, including length and story topic. Cryptic is encouraging players to discuss the created missions on the forums in their quest to disseminate the cream of the crop. In other STO news, Cryptic's adding a Deep Space 9 bundle to the game that includes a bridge set, special Duty Officers, costumes, weapons, and a Type-10 (Chaffee) shuttlecraft. The bundle will set purchasers back 1800 CP.
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| Posted: 15 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Wurm Online, Opinion, Free-to-play, Why I Play  Here at Massively, we're exposed to more MMOs than we could ever possibly play to the point of complete enjoyment. We play some for First Impressions articles, we play some for livestreaming, and we play some to see what all the hype is about, but these are often very different games than the ones we sit down to enjoy at the end of the day. That's why I wanted to start this series of articles called Why I Play. Just like The Soapbox articles, Why I Play will be a weekly column penned by various members of the Massively staff. We'll talk about which games we enjoy the most and what it is about these MMOs that keep us hooked so passionately. These aren't reviews; they're not guides or lists of features; and they're not based on any kind of launch-day deadline. We're not selling you anything, and we don't expect you to agree with us. These articles will simply be a personal ode to our favorite MMOs. So follow along as I kick things off with what has been my favorite MMO for probably the last 18 months: Wurm Online. Continue reading Why I Play: Wurm Online
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| DCUO's Battle for Earth pack spells the final confrontation with Braniac Posted: 15 Feb 2012 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, Galleries, Screenshots, Business models, Patches, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online  To assist players with this new raid, SOE is arming superheroes with the game's ninth powerset: Earth Powers. Earth-using heroes can excel at both tanking and damage by using earthquakes and constructs to bring the pain to enemies. The core of the pack's storyline will lead players through the struggles against Brainiac as he creates Prime Avatars to conquer the world. The Battle for Earth DLC pack also includes an invasion in South Gotham, another raid, duos, and a Courthouse Alert. SOE says that the DLC pack is coming "soon" and will be included for Legendary members or available to purchase for Premium and free players. You can check out screenshots from the pack in the gallery below. [Source: SOE press release]
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| A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Assume I'm making a pun about the Super Pack Posted: 15 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter  But if Paragon Studios is going to do something to induce rage, I'm not really given many options. Case in point: the Super Pack. I don't need to tell a lot of you why this is a bad idea. I shouldn't even really need to say this is a bad idea. This is one of those ideas that shouldn't have ever made it past the conceptual stage. The moment it was suggested in a board meeting, everyone else in the room should have rushed for the person who suggested it, driving him or her into a closet for safety. That this did not happen speaks volumes. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Assume I'm making a pun about the Super Pack
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| Enter at Your Own Rift: A RIFT wedding primer Posted: 15 Feb 2012 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Opinion, RIFT, Guides, Enter at Your Own Rift  I can't say I'm surprised because we've been married for the better part of 17 years, and he's never really been into the social part of gaming as much as I have. But he's also a good sport, so he agreed to buy a tux and do the ceremony anyway. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll walk you through the process of tying the knot in game, from the pre-wedding prep to the lively celebrations afterwards. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: A RIFT wedding primer
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| Guild Wars 2 to implement Spanish localization Posted: 15 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2  With that in mind, ArenaNet is now looking for Spanish QA and a localization editor to join its team in Bellevue, WA and a Spanish-speaking community manager for its Brighton, England offices. If that's your wheelhouse, polish up your résumé and head over to NCsoft's jobs page for more information.
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| Achievement Unlocked: A look at the Guinness world records of online gaming Posted: 15 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous  We're just over a month into the new year, and already we've got plenty to look forward to: The Secret World is expected to hit in April, TERA will follow shortly in May, and Guild Wars 2 will be out... sometime this year (we hope). But before we all start looking toward the future, let's take a moment to look back at some of the gaming achievements of the past. Thanks to the handy-dandy Guinness Book of World Records 2012: Gamer's Edition, we've got a quick compendium of MMO-related records from the past year and then some, so if you're at all interested in the shortest-lived MMO to date or the longest time anyone's spent playing MMOs from inside a crate, join us as we take a stroll down memory lane to take a look at some notably (in)famous MMO achievements. Continue reading Achievement Unlocked: A look at the Guinness world records of online gaming
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