MMO Updates |
- The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you
- WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition
- The Daily Grind: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs?
- Star Wars: The Old Republic answers questions on companions and modifications
- MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters
- TERA prepares for political machinations
- Betawatch: May 5 - 11, 2012
- The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video
- Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble
- EVE Online: Inferno website goes live
- Blizzard renames Blizzard DotA to Blizzard All-Stars
- Brace yourself: The Guild Wars 2 stress test is coming
- MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer
- MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations
- Lineage II celebrates its eighth anniversary with a Massively giveaway
- The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition
| The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you Posted: 12 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor  So what does this game update mean for you? That's a good question, and it really depends on where you are in your leveling journey. New players won't be fazed by it whatsoever, but both mid-game and endgame adventurers are going to have some new (and reworked) content to devour. I am heartened that Turbine doesn't have tunnel-vision for the endgame and is still willing to go back and examine what does and doesn't work about its earlier content. So let's walk through the major highlights of Update 7: Shades of the Past and give it the ol' Road to Mordor analysis, shall we? Continue reading The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you
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| WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition Posted: 12 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous  But you didn't come here to read about my furniture shopping. Well, not just my furniture shopping, anyway. You came here for this week's installment of WRUP, wherein we of the Massively staff discuss our plans for the weekend. We also talk about whether or not we mourn the games that never saw widespread release, if any. So jump on down past the break to see what we're up to over the weekend, and let us know what you've got planned in the comments! Continue reading WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition
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| The Daily Grind: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs? Posted: 12 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Apparently, the idea annoys at least one government too. Earlier this week, rumors began swirling that the Japanese government might crack down on social games that employ "konpu gacha" -- essentially a crafting mechanic that requires a succession of lottery-esque random rolls. To gather the random and rare items you need to craft the gizmo you really want, you wind up spending tons of real cash on a bunch of stuff you don't. Sound familiar? I'm not a fan of legislative meddling in how fools and their money are parted, but I'm still wondering what you all think. Are these kinds of cash-shop tricks fair play, or do you think the genre would be better off without them?  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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| Star Wars: The Old Republic answers questions on companions and modifications Posted: 11 May 2012 09:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  If you were hoping for better news, don't fret, as the other answers are a fair bit more positive. The technical hurdles preventing some classes from having a modifiable offhand are being looked into, and the answers also delve into the details of adding a new augment slot to existing modifiable items. There's also a discussion of the different rates of gear acquisition for players on the PvE and PvP progress tracks, along with a variety of other answers for players of several stripes.
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| MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters Posted: 11 May 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MapleStory, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play  Do you feel lucky, MapleStory players? You should, because Nexon is celebrating the game's lucky seventh anniversary, and the studio is passing the good fortune on to the players with a series of in-game events and double experience weekends. For the duration of the month, players will be treated not only to double experience and drops every weekend, but they'll also be able to take part in events such as the Maple Rising Star Contest, which requires players to complete tasks to show support for their favorite NPC contestant. And of course, no anniversary would be complete without a visit from the deliciously vicious Cake Boss monster, which combines a challenging battle and a tasty treat into one mutant monstrosity. To put the icing on the proverbial cake, Nexon has released a short anniversary trailer that recaps the major MapleStory events of the past year, so put on your party hats and join the festivities after the cut. [Source: Nexon America press release]
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| TERA prepares for political machinations Posted: 11 May 2012 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, TERA, Dev Diaries  If you've thought that a bit of political campaigning and intrigue was all that was missing from your complete enjoyment of TERA, have we got good news for you. It's almost time for the vanarch election wheel to start a-turnin', so start polishing your speeches! Players elected to the vanarch position will reign for three weeks over their province. Vanarchs get to turn their whimsy into mandate by setting and collecting taxes and choosing which specialty shops to open up. They'll also be accruing fame (or infamy) for themselves and their guilds. Of course, not just anyone is worthy to rule o'er the masses: In order to be eligible, candidates must be the leader of a level three guild with at least 20 members, must have reached at least level 50 on their character, and must pay a fee of 3,000 gold and 100 Catharnach Awards. Sound like you? Registration for vanarch candidates opens up on Friday, May 18th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT and runs 'til Friday, May 25th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT. After registration week comes a week of voting, and then three weeks of sweet, sweet power. Registration for the following reign opens up in the second week of the on-going vanarch's office, so if you're interested in getting to the top and staying there, you don't have a lot of time to rest on your laurels. If the mantle of power isn't made for your shoulders but you still want to flex your political muscle, be sure to vote! Each game account gets one vote per continent on a given server. Are your fingers itching for a ballot? Next week TERA's game guide will be updated with some more juicy details on the political system. Knowledge, after all, is power.
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| Posted: 11 May 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous  City of Steam has announced an alpha test for July, while Storybricks is accepting alpha signups for its alpha demo right now. Compounding the season's MMO drama is Phantasy Star Online 2, which is aiming to open up its beta early this summer. The Secret World, with its 1,000,000 beta signups, is is kicking off its first beta weekend starting today. Meanwhile, Glitch's epic beta housing patch is finally upon us, World of Warcraft has unveiled cross-server grouping in the Mists of Pandaria beta, and Guild Wars 2 announced a surprise stress test for pre-purchasers this coming Monday. Finally, if you're bored this weekend, why not check out Diablo III-rival Path of Exile? Tipsters Don and James report it's holding a public stress test starting right as this post is published at 8 p.m. EDT tonight. The full Betawatch roundup lies in wait behind the break. Continue reading Betawatch: May 5 - 11, 2012
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| The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video Posted: 11 May 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World  The ability wheel breaks everything down into one of three categories: melee, magic, or ranged. Each is subdivided a further three times into different types of weapons (blood magic, blades, rifles, etc.). Technically you can learn every ability in the game, but you can only equip 14 at a time (seven active and seven passive), and you're also limited to equipping two weapons simultaneously. Your 14 abilities, when paired with your weapons of choice, make up your build, and half the fun in The Secret World is trying out all the possible permutations. Learn more after the break, and don't forget to check out our Secret World press beta impressions while you're at it. Continue reading The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video
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| Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble Posted: 11 May 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous  I've covered a lot of topics in this column that circle around that topic. I've talked about why roleplaying is important and how you can roleplay without tears, but I've never touched the central question, something that was brought to mind recently by a fellow Massively writer. Why even bother with roleplaying? The usual answer is a shrug and a self-evident "because it's fun," but that's more a dismissal of the question than a functional response. That's not a good thing because there's a case to be made against roleplaying. Your character doesn't have an impact on the game world. Your roleplaying is, in the context of the game itself, irrelevant. The game doesn't care why your character wears weaker gear than normal; it just downgrades your stats and makes your life harder. You derive no benefit and wind up losing a lot of time for social interactions that are prone to drama and arguments. So why bother? Continue reading Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble
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| EVE Online: Inferno website goes live Posted: 11 May 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics  The brand-new website has information on EVE's 17th expansion, including details on the graphics update, the war declaration system, the mercenary marketplace, the unified inventory, and more. According to the website, "Inferno invites new players with a lower barrier to entry, empowers veterans with more control over their wars, and entices combatants of all types with advanced new weaponry." Our own EVE Online columnist Brendan has been busy covering the expansion, with analysis on Inferno's mining system and the PvP revamp.
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| Blizzard renames Blizzard DotA to Blizzard All-Stars Posted: 11 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: News items, Legal, Miscellaneous, MOBA  It sounds like a little matter until you remember that Warcraft III was the source of the map that spawned this game type, leading to both companies developing competing versions of a sequel. Blizzard All-Stars currently has no release date, while DOTA 2 is due out sometime next year and is currently in beta testing. Luckily, the terminology is only being changed on the corporate side, meaning players are free to continue discussing the games as they would have anyway.
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| Brace yourself: The Guild Wars 2 stress test is coming Posted: 11 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2  The ArenaNet team is rallying the troops for a Guild Wars 2 stress test this coming Monday. While the existence and details of the test were already known, Rubi Bayer has added a note to participants to the game's Facebook page. The goal of the stress test is to see how the servers handle concentrated activity, so she gave a few tips on how best players can help the company during the short test. No simulation or prediction can ferret out as many problems as letting thousands of players loose on a game, so Rubi encouraged players to pile on the servers, find bugs, and be patient as they, well, find bugs. The test will run on Monday, May 14th, from 2:00 p.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT, and will be available to pre-purchasers only. One nice treat is that although the company has mentioned character wipes between beta weekend events, players will still have their darling creations from BWE1 to run around with. Get ready to flood the servers on Monday. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. Fly, my pretties!
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| MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer Posted: 11 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, News items, Free-to-play, MechWarrior Online  Piranha Games has spent the last few weeks inundating us with information on the various gameplay mechanics and customization options that players can expect from its upcoming free-to-play 'bot-battling title, MechWarrior Online, but today the studio has unleashed a deluge of screenshots and a new video that shows what the game's really about: big robots and even bigger explosions. Also, lots of lasers. Pew pew! The screenshots showcase a variety of 'Mechs -- including the first in-game screens of the Dragon -- going at it with everything from lasers to long-range missiles and everything in between, plus there are quite a few showing off the game's MechLab customization features. The video, meanwhile, gives players yet another look at the game's combat, which, judging by the number of lasers flying around, could double as a (potentially fatal) light show. But enough words; go on and click through the gallery below and feast your eyes on all the giant robot goodness. [Source: Piranha Games press release] Continue reading MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer
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| MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations Posted: 11 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Patches, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMObility, Sandbox, Crafting  Lately, however, the changes being tested and implemented into the game have just been too cool to stay hushed about. Housing is receiving wonderful, wonderful updates that will allow for complete creative freedom that is rarely seen in MMO housing. The UI is transforming as well, and new skills and creatures are being introduced. Beta or not, there is some crazy-cool stuff going on in the land of Ur. In fact, check out these brand new patch notes! Continue reading MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations
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| Lineage II celebrates its eighth anniversary with a Massively giveaway Posted: 11 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Contests, Giveaways, Anniversary  If you'd like to grab one of these special items for your Lineage II character, head on over to our giveaway page to grab a code. And be sure to visit the item redemption page for complete instructions on how to add the code to your account! 
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| The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition Posted: 11 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, The Firing Line  Won't you join me after the cut for a rundown on some recent and notable online shooter news? If you're feeling particularly ornery, you can point and laugh at the fact that I'm still not in the War Thunder beta. Continue reading The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition
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