MMO Updates

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• RuneScape opens Evolution of Combat beta this weekend
• The Guild Counsel: What barbecue teaches us about raid leadership
• Blizzard admits Diablo III lacks 'long-term sustainable end-game'
• ArcheAge seeks info on western demographics with survey
• WildStar's holidays on display
• The Daily Grind: Do you join a new guild in each new MMO?
• Jayce is coming to League of Legends with a transforming twist
• Choose My Adventure: Chasing TERA's BAMs with Rielene
• Free for All: The old becomes new on Ragnarok's classic server
• City of Heroes shows off the Water Blasting set under development
• Enter at Your Own Rift: Why Summerfest is the best
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All we need are radio missions

RuneScape opens Evolution of Combat beta this weekend Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser Much has been said about RuneScape's upcoming combat upgrade and this weekend folks will have the chance to test out The Evolution of Combat for themselves. Starting at 5 a.m EDT on Friday, July 6th and lasting until 5 a.m. EDT on Monday the 9th, all RuneScape members will be able to join the 50,000 current beta testers in playtesting the new features like duel-wielding. If you happen to miss this one, don't worry -- three more open beta weekends will follow. However, players that manage to take part in all four weekends will be rewarded with a unique mad scientist outfit. For more about the upcoming changes, check out Massively's interview with Mark Ogilvie, Lead Designer from Jagex. [Source: Jagex press release] RuneScape opens Evolution of Combat beta this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: What barbecue teaches us about raid leadership Posted: 05 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, Humor, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous The fourth of July is here, and along with the fireworks and fun in the sun comes my favorite meal of all: barbecue. There's nothing better than grilled-up meats rubbed in spice or slathered in sauce. Recently, as I was finishing off a perfectly smoked rack of ribs, I realized that there's an interesting parallel between barbecuers and raid leaders. You can see many similarities between the personality types. I put my theory to the test and consumed lots and lots of barbecue, all in the name of science, and I have concluded that you can indeed tell what type of raid leader you are by your barbecue style. So grab burger and a nice cold drink and read on as we interpret the smoke signals and read the tea leaves of grilling! Continue reading The Guild Counsel: What barbecue teaches us about raid leadership The Guild Counsel: What barbecue teaches us about raid leadership originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blizzard admits Diablo III lacks 'long-term sustainable end-game' Posted: 05 Jul 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Endgame, News items, Diablo III Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step to rectifying it. And for Diablo III fans, Blizzard's recent admission that the game is lacking a sustainable end-game gives hope that the problem is on the road to recovery. In a recent post on the official forums, Community Manager Bashiok stated the company believed that the item hunt would would work for a sustainable end-game, but now recognizes that that isn't the case and admits that players are eventually "going to run out of stuff to do (if they haven't already)." Baishiok goes on to state that while there isn't currently anything to really keep players engaged, upcoming patches will offer more things for players to do. Blizzard admits Diablo III lacks 'long-term sustainable end-game' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Games Industry

ArcheAge seeks info on western demographics with survey Posted: 05 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox For sandbox fans in the western part of the globe, watching the development of ArcheAge is a bittersweet experience: sweet that a game with so many coveted features is being developed and bitter that the game is only launching in the East for now. But XL Games has indicated that a Western launch is not so much an "if" as a "when." In that vein, the studio is seeking information on North American and European demographics through a short survey posted on Facebook. The information garnered from responses may be used to shape decisions concerning ArcheAge in the NA and EU markets. Fans can also give their email address to receive information about the game in the future. [Thanks to Halldorr for the tip!] ArcheAge seeks info on western demographics with survey originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ArcheAge FB survey

WildStar's holidays on display Posted: 05 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Dev Diaries, WildStar With real-world summer festivities like Canada Day and the 4th of July fresh on the minds of many gamers, it seems like the right time for the folks at Carbine Studios to talk about WildStar's celebrations. CM David Bass lays out two such holidays for our perusal: Starfall and Foundation Day. Starfall is an Exile holiday that remembers the day that the wandering fleet crossed the galaxy to discover the Eldan planet. For the Exiles, Starfall marks the end of their journey and the beginning of a new home. It's a weeklong celebration that includes plenty of games, including Kiss the Matria (chances are that's a lot less sexy than it sounds). The festival is capped by an enormous fireworks display put on by the Alchemist's Guild. Foundation Day, on the other hand, remembers both the foundation of the Dominion Empire and the establishment of Nexus as its new homeworld. Contrasted with the rough-and-tumble celebration of Starfall, Foundation Day is far more regal and official. After all, speeches are way better than kissing Matrias, right? Both Starfall and Foundation Day come around about the same time each year, and depending on a player's allegiance, they might find him or herself engaging in a different celebration than their friends. WildStar's holidays on display originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WildStar Wednesday

The Daily Grind: Do you join a new guild in each new MMO? Posted: 05 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Guilds, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous So I was asked about starting up a Massively cabal (otherwise known as a guild) in The Secret World. It's an interesting idea, and one that would probably be a lot of fun if there was some way to make it work with an insane schedule. See, in addition to TSW, I'm also heavily invested in an Age of Conan guild. Then there's that small group of friends that still pal around in EverQuest II, and oh yeah I'm actively looking for a PlanetSide 2 outfit. Today's Daily Grind, then, is all about MMO guilds and how you approach them. Does your guild join you as you check out new games or genres, or do you strike out on your own and join another group in each new game? 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! The Daily Grind: Do you join a new guild in each new MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jayce is coming to League of Legends with a transforming twist Posted: 04 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends It smashes, it flashes, and it makes Jayce a unique character in the League of Legends roster! It's the amazing Mercury Hammer or Mercury Cannon, the transforming weapon wielded by the aforementioned Jayce. Jayce is himself a character organized around a special dual-mode weapon kitted out for both ranged and melee carry roles. As a result, he has a broader range of potential builds and a need for a variable playstyle, one that makes full use of his multi-role talents. When using his weapon as a cannon, Jayce can create fields to accelerate allies and projectiles, deploy area-of-effect attacks, or hasten his attacks. He can then move into melee range and make use of localize area bursts, mana regeneration on his attacks, and increased armor. Moving in and out of range and switching between the roles is most advantageous, as he gains benefits for each switch between modes, meaning that expert Jayce players will need to be quick to adapt to a shifting situation. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Jayce is coming to League of Legends with a transforming twist originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Jayce preview

Choose My Adventure: Chasing TERA's BAMs with Rielene Posted: 04 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Game mechanics, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, TERA Higiri will be delving further into the depths, seeking that fundamental alchemy that separates a generic implementation of mechanics from a standout one. I wish her luck, but this week doesn't focus on her adventures. No, it's time for Rielene to once more take center stage, complete with her twin blades and her dangerous game. Rielene's destiny was to hunt the great beasts of TERA, the monsters whose colossal stature relegates them to assault by groups or fearless individuals. I speak, of course, of BAMs. OK, for the epic names that could have been chosen for these creatures, that's probably not one of the better ones. But they're still pretty distinctive. They're these roaming monsters that don't just wing you a bit if they connect with a hit; they shred you to pieces. They're bosses that roam around, daring you to try and take them on alone. And I did just that, and I emerged victorious, and it was undeniably worth the price of admission. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Chasing TERA's BAMs with Rielene Choose My Adventure: Chasing TERA's BAMs with Rielene originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: The old becomes new on Ragnarok's classic server Posted: 04 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Interviews, Launches, Previews, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, Free for All, Anniversary Ragnarok Online might seem very familiar to many of my readers. In fact, if you are from a certain age group, the group that grew up with the internet instead of watching it come into being while you were already living on your own, you might have played Ragnarok Online. I can often tell a Ragnarok fan as well. They're OK with the grind as long is it pays off in the end, and they usually have a pretty exact way of looking at MMOs. I have yet to find a Ragnarok player who is over 30 and who roleplays more than anything. In other words, Ragnarok has affected almost an entire generation of MMO gamers. Personally, I always enjoyed the graphics of the game when I got a few chances to play it, but the overwhelming world and gameplay was a bit too much, and I didn't really enjoy the entire experience. Well, good news for me! I can now roll on a brand-new, old-school server that promises to be more like something from the early days of the game. The best news? All players will start off on the same page. Want to know more? Keep reading because I sat in on a conference call with Ragnarok producer Jason Koerperich to talk about all of the changes. Continue reading Free for All: The old becomes new on Ragnarok's classic server Free for All: The old becomes new on Ragnarok's classic server originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

City of Heroes shows off the Water Blasting set under development Posted: 04 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Free-to-play Are you ready to get wetter than you've ever been? If not, how about letting your enemies get drenched? The Water Blasting set coming to City of Heroes will allow you to do just that, and it's a set that players have been waiting on for what seems like half of forever. And if you're wondering what the set can actually do, it's probably a fine time to take a look at the newest issue of the Intrepid Informer, showing off the set's powers and the new mechanics involved. The core of Water Blasting is a stacking buff known as Tidal Power. Certain powers build Tidal Power, certain others consume it, and some build the buff if you're at less than maximum capacity but consume it otherwise. The powers involve several knockdowns as well as a heal, a short-range defensive burst, and an assured AoE knockdown when played correctly. Take a look at the full rundown and start planning on your upcoming squirt gun character (Super Soaker being the obvious choice)! City of Heroes shows off the Water Blasting set under development originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Intrepid Informer 23

Enter at Your Own Rift: Why Summerfest is the best Posted: 04 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift Over the past few weeks, I've been over on RIFT's test shard to preview some of the changes arriving with update 1.9, like Summerfest. So now that it's live, it was fun to spend some time on the live servers to see it launch. And since I didn't get the chance to spend a lot of time with the Summerfest event, I decided to roll up my sleeves, break out my fishing pole and cooking pan, and try a few of the events and scavenger hunts. I mentioned in a previous column that I thought 1.9 would be the biggest one yet and that it would bring some really important game changes, but my recent adventures in game this past week were even more eye-opening than I expected. Read on! Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Why Summerfest is the best Enter at Your Own Rift: Why Summerfest is the best originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All we need are radio missions Posted: 04 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, City of Heroes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter Radio missions are not the most controversial aspect of City of Heroes. Considering the nature of the game, I'm hesitant to even point to one thing as being "the most controversial," but PvP and Incarnates would probably be near the top. That doesn't mean that radio missions aren't an important part of the game, nor does it mean that these missions are universally beloved, and that's because they screw with a very big part of the game in a way that not everyone is going to like. First added in City of Villains as newspaper missions and later ported over to heroes via the police radio, these missions are great little bursts of content that give you a place to fight and a reason to do so without hunting down a contact or a specific arc. Unfortunately, they also do so in a way that really steamrolls much of the game's content and encourages their nigh-exclusive use. Like many of the systems added to City of Heroes over the years, they add a lot of fun, but they also are directly at odds with an existing set of fun content. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All we need are radio missions A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All we need are radio missions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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