MMO Updates |
- Flameseeker Chronicles: After beta action report
- Ten ways En Masse changed TERA for the west
- Massively Speaking 199: Rusty Hearts reveal
- TERA launch-day roundup
- Rusty Hearts releases new Leila Vergerius character
- The Daily Grind: How dark do you like your MMO nights?
- Not So Massively: Hero spotlights and Diablo III confirms PvP arenas in 2012
- Tribes: Ascend puts together a beta infographic
- Age of Conan dev blog outlines stamina changes, multi-spec functionality
- EVE Online celebrates nine years of internet spaceships
- TERA Europe offers bonus items and skins to prepurchase customers
- Leaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions
- Allods Online's patch 3.0.1 bringing mentor system, new Astral space
- Pitchblack Games' Dominus abruptly shutting down
- Captain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online lead writer Christine Thompson, part two
| Flameseeker Chronicles: After beta action report Posted: 01 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles  It was great to be back in the game, it was great to get to talk about stuff with people and stream and share pictures, but mostly it was great to see the world populated the way it really needs to be to feel alive and whole. Beta being beta, that brought its own set of challenges and learning experiences -- mostly for ArenaNet -- but on the whole I hope that most people agree that this was, if not a truly delightful weekend (I can't expect everyone to share my taste in games), then at least a solid and informative one. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: After beta action report
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| Ten ways En Masse changed TERA for the west Posted: 01 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA  Gameranx.com has a list of 10 things En Masse did differently when it appropriated the Korean version of the game, including controller support, quest rewrites, reputation, and daily quests. The firm also made extensive changes to the game's leveling curve to avoid the dreaded "Korean grind-fest" syndrome that supposedly prevents Asian MMOs from finding success in the States. En Masse also borrowed EVE Online's anti-gold farming PLEX idea, renaming it Chronoscrolls for the world of Arborea. There's more too, but you'll have to click the source link below to read it.
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| Massively Speaking 199: Rusty Hearts reveal Posted: 01 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, City of Heroes, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, TERA, Neverwinter  Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking 199: Rusty Hearts reveal
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| Posted: 01 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA  Click past the cut to find a little bit of everything to help you start your Arborean journey off on the right foot. We've got detailed gameplay impressions, video, exclusive lore, and plenty of information about everything from crafting to the endgame political system. If you're playing TERA on launch day, join the discussion in the comments and tell us what you think of the game! Continue reading TERA launch-day roundup
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| Rusty Hearts releases new Leila Vergerius character Posted: 01 May 2012 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  Leila Vergerius is the younger sibling of Roselle Vergerius, and she's been fighting to escape her older sister's protective shadow for some time. Perfect World tells us that Leila doesn't actually need the protection since she's more than capable of unleashing a dark magic-flavored can of whoop-ass on par with those of big sis. Leila is also adept with a sword and an axe, both of which are made even more deadly by her propensity for speed, agility, and leap-and-flip aerial attacks. Check her out in the gallery below, and head to the official Rusty Hearts website for more game info. We've also got an interview with Rusty Hearts producer Mark Hill on today's podcast! [Source: Perfect World press release]
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| The Daily Grind: How dark do you like your MMO nights? Posted: 01 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, MMOFPS  Anyway, it was a refreshing change from most of the MMOs nights I've experienced, which are basically MMO days with a blue lens filter. What about you? How dark do you like your MMO nights?  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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| Not So Massively: Hero spotlights and Diablo III confirms PvP arenas in 2012 Posted: 30 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III  Diablo III revealed the Witch Doctor this week, giving Diablo II necromancer fans a peek at the closest replacement they'll get in the upcoming title. Blizzard's Jay Wilson also confirmed that PvP arenas will be released long before the end of the year. Heroes of Newerth released its new support hero Ellonia, an ice mage whose abilities focus around a stacking slow debuff. Rise of Immortals released a new immortal spotlight video on popular area-effect damage-dealer Netheurgist and encouraged players to start guilds with a contest to win 1,000 prestige points for every guild member. Continue reading Not So Massively: Hero spotlights and Diablo III confirms PvP arenas in 2012
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| Tribes: Ascend puts together a beta infographic Posted: 30 Apr 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Culture, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS  Past the cut, you'll find an official infographic tallying things like total kills, total number of flags captured, and the ever-important question of how many people met their end by falling. In a game with jetpacks and high-speed skiing, that number is a bit higher than you might otherwise think. So take a look at the full collection of stats, sigh wistfully in memory, and then start gearing up for another round. Continue reading Tribes: Ascend puts together a beta infographic
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| Age of Conan dev blog outlines stamina changes, multi-spec functionality Posted: 30 Apr 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  Today's traditional end-of-the-month development letter focuses on said updates, in particular a few systems changes slated for the near future. Funcom's Craig Morrison gives us an update on extensive changes to AoC's stamina mechanics, which have long been a thorn in the side of PvPers and PvEers engaged in lengthy battles. The new system boasts "a new personal resource that will be used just for sprinting. It is also not observable by other players," the dev blog states. Stamina will now be used exclusively for combos, and caster classes no longer have stamina at all. Age of Conan is also getting multi-spec functionality with respect to the game's feat system. Switching between specs can be done almost anywhere in the game world (aside from raids and group instances). Look for these changes on the live servers "later in the summer," Funcom says. Finally, class updates are in the works, beginning with the Tempest of Set and continuing on to the Bear Shaman, the Herald of Xotli, and the Necromancer. There's more too, so head to the official AoC site to read it all.
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| EVE Online celebrates nine years of internet spaceships Posted: 30 Apr 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, News items, Sandbox  Break out the cake and presents because EVE Online is turning nine years old on May 6th! That's right, the internet's premier spaceship/spreadsheet simulator is almost a decade old, and CCP Games is doing it up big-time with this year's anniversary gift packages. Beginning on May 4th, players will have the opportunity to choose one of eight fabulous prize packages that include goodies such as ships, skill books, implants, mining crystals, and more. To take a look at all of the wonderful goodie bags that CCP has prepared for you, just head on over to the EVE Online official dev blog and check out the full announcement.
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| TERA Europe offers bonus items and skins to prepurchase customers Posted: 30 Apr 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, TERA, Promotions  What with all the hullabaloo about TERA Europe's sex-and-violence-reducing changes to the game, some European players have professed to having second thoughts about whether or not to actually purchase the action-focused title. Frogster, the game's European publisher, announced today a new promotion for players who have purchased (or plan to purchase prior to launch) the European version of TERA. To get in on the promotion, players must have purchased the full version of TERA (not the mini pre-order version, which can be upgraded to the full or collector's edition) prior to the game's May 2nd launch. Any players who fall into that category will be rewarded with the Legendary Legacy item package, which includes an exclusive weapon skin for each class, plus three accessories: a pirate eye-patch, a pirate face-mask, and... a pair of horn-rimmed glasses? What is this, sexy pirate librarian cosplay? At any rate, for the full details, head on over and check out the official post at the TERA EU official site.
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| Leaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions Posted: 30 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Polls, Culture, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard  Two factions is the majority approach for MMOs that have them, and it's easy to understand why. We can comprehend an "us vs. them" mentality in almost every walk of life. If you're not with us, you're against us -- that sort of thing. Two factions draws a line in the sand and requires little explanation for people to understand that one side is naturally better than the other. Three factions, on the other hand, is a godsend for PvP in particular. By having a third faction, it's much less likely that one side can dominate the battlefield eternally, as the other two sides can team up to put an end to that nonsense. Three factions also offers more variety and arguably stronger factional identities. So what say you? Two or three? Cast your vote after the jump! Continue reading Leaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions
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| Allods Online's patch 3.0.1 bringing mentor system, new Astral space Posted: 30 Apr 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Allods Online  Allods Online's astral space is about to get just a little bit bigger thanks to the game's recently announced patch 3.0.1. The title's publisher, gPotato, announced today that the game's May content update will be bringing "a host of fixes and tweaks alongside some significant new features, including a new mentoring system and a new sector of astral space dedicated to free-for-all treasure hunting." The game's mentoring system allows experienced, high-level players to impart their wisdom and knowledge upon new characters of the same faction and archetype. The system is managed entirely through the game's mentor interface, which also helps to match prospective apprentices with a mentor. Mentors can receive a number of rewards, including gold and marks of diligence, depending on the amount of time the mentor spends with his apprentice. The update is also unveiling a new area of astral space wherein players will compete in a free-for-all battle for randomly spawning treasure, but be warned: The more players are in the zone, the higher the chance that a demon will show up to try to wreck your day. Players will have a limited amount of time to contend with opposing players and marauding demons and to gather the most loot possible before time's up. To get a sneak peek at these shiny new features, just head on past the cut and have a look at the update's official trailer. [Source: gPotato press release] Continue reading Allods Online's patch 3.0.1 bringing mentor system, new Astral space
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| Pitchblack Games' Dominus abruptly shutting down Posted: 30 Apr 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox  We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. Sanya Weathers, Director of Community for Pitchblack Games' in-development sandbox title, Dominus, posted on the forums today to inform players that, effective immediately, Dominus is no more. Weathers states that the team "simply cannot deliver the game [players] deserve with the resources [the studio has]." She goes on to apologize vehemently, adding that the forum is now read-only, though the game's Facebook page will remain open long enough for players to say their last goodbyes. Sanya signs off by thanking the players for proving that "there is a market for a game like [Dominus]." She concludes, "I will miss you all, and I know we'll meet again." Here's to hoping. Best of luck to the folks over at Pitchblack; we look forward to your next endeavor.
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| Captain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online lead writer Christine Thompson, part two Posted: 30 Apr 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log  Thompson confirmed that she essentially writes everything in STO. She admits that she gets some help, sometimes from developers who prefer to write their own work, but she says she writes 90% of everything in the game. The conversation picked back up with a focus on The Foundry, the user-generated content tool available to players in STO. I asked her if she had any direct advice for authors who use the Foundry to create missions and maps and social zones in the game. She said, "Authors "shouldn't be afraid to tell the stories they want to tell. That's one of the joys of The Foundry. And they should also know not every story is going to work for everybody. Some things people will love, and some things people won't. Use Of Bajor for example. I really enjoyed that episode. We took a chance and did something completely different with that episode, and I liked telling a Bajoran story. But for every person who liked that episode, there was somebody saying" -- and here she dropped her voice to a hoarse whisper -- "oh dear god, why can't I just shoot something?!"
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