MMO Updates

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• Storyboard: Grieving in character
• End of Nations rebranded as a MOBA
• TUG to release first alpha on Monday
• Eternal Saga goes into alpha testing
• Anonymous donor posts 500K bail for jailed League of Legends player
• Marvel Heroes makes it easier to earn new superheroes
• The Daily Grind: Why do you avoid MMO guilds?
• Netmarble announces the shutdown of Arcane Saga
• The Summoner's Guidebook: A League of Legends guide to guides
• DUST 514 issues a challenge to all players
• Guns of Icarus adds new ship, upgrades chat and more
• Guild Wars 2 releases Bazaar of the Four Winds music
• Lost Continent: Should we worry about ArcheAge's crafting?
• The problem with F2P is dishonest product marking, says David Paris
• Firefall hosts beta e-sports tournament
• Defiance is currently 66% off on Steam
• World of Warcraft player becomes trade chat hero
• The Guild Counsel: The guild leader's gone - now what?
• The Think Tank: Which MMO can you just not bring yourself to delete?
• Hurk released to Mabinogi Heroes test server

Storyboard: Grieving in character Posted: 12 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous Grief is not the same as being sad. Being sad is something I've discussed before, and it's a temporary emotional state. Grief is a filter, something that colors your whole perception and pushes you into a holding pattern of regret and sorrow. Real grief colors even things you do that make you happy so that even as you're smiling and laughing there's a pall over what you do. It's the way you feel when you lose a parent. Or a lover. Or a nation. Or almost anything profoundly important that you can lose, that you weren't ready to lose, that you don't know how to exist without. The point is that it's a very important human emotion, one that is going to come up in roleplaying. But it's also a problematic one because you have to convey what is in large part an internal sensation externally. So how do you get the sense of grief across without just making your character into a constant font of moping? Continue reading Storyboard: Grieving in character Storyboard: Grieving in character originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

End of Nations rebranded as a MOBA Posted: 12 Jul 2013 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, War, MMORTS, Miscellaneous, MOBA Trion's End of Nations, which started its life as an MMORTS, is now being called a MOBA, according to the game's website and discovered by Eurogamer. The game suffered through some layoffs late last year as developer Petroglyph handed the game over to its publisher, Trion Worlds. All's been quiet on the EoN front since then, but the changes from the original game to a MOBA seem to already be underway as shown off by five hero vehicle images on the website. If you'd like to find out more about what Trion is calling "The first MOBA RTS," head on over to the game's official site and sign up for the beta. End of Nations rebranded as a MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Beta Sign-ups Via: Eurogamer

TUG to release first alpha on Monday Posted: 12 Jul 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, Sandbox, Crowdfunding There comes a time in every crowdfunding backer's life where s/he questions when (and if) entrance to that magical new world will actually happen. For TUG supporters, the answer is next Monday! Nerd Kingdom has announced that The Untitled Game will launch alpha testing in the early evening hours of July 15th. At that point, all alpha backers will be able to log in and see firsthand what their funds are building. The studio invites those qualified to jump in and help find potential bugs for the development team to squash. However, it also emphasizes that this is early alpha, and as such there will not be any real gameplay such as combat or tree climbing (or any other terrain interactions) -- yet. Constant and regular updates are expected throughout the alpha testing stage, implementing new mechanics, functions, and systems. Oh, and plenty of bug fixes, too! TUG to release first alpha on Monday originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Alpha release date

Eternal Saga goes into alpha testing Posted: 12 Jul 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Browser Browser-based Eternal Saga is heading into alpha testing today, R2Games announced. This testing phase will conclude on July 18th. Eternal Saga may appear like a typical fantasy MMO on the surface, but R2Games says that it has unexpected twists. There's a pet leveling system, weapons can be fed to mounts, and there's even an option to hang out on an AFK map. Players start out with a choice between three classes -- Warrior, Hunter, or Mage -- and will zoom around the world on their first mount, a paper airplane. While all characters will be wiped at the end of the alpha, R2Games is giving players the opportunity to earn rewards during the week that will be carried over to the live game. Eternal Saga goes into alpha testing originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Alpha announcement, Alpha events

Anonymous donor posts 500K bail for jailed League of Legends player Posted: 12 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends Two weeks ago we reported that a teenager from Texas was incarcerated last March after his comments on Facebook during a verbal exchange with another League of Legends player were deemed terrorist threats by authorities. Jailed for months, Justin Carter has been in solitary confinement after repeated assaults by other inmates and on suicide watch due to depression. After reading about Carter's plight, numerous folks have stepped forward to sign the petition for the boy's release. Another anonymous donor has come forward and donated $500,000 to the family to meet bail, allowing Carter to return home until his court appearance on the July 16th. Anonymous donor posts 500K bail for jailed League of Legends player originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MSNBC

Marvel Heroes makes it easier to earn new superheroes Posted: 12 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game Mechanics, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Dev Diaries While it's always been possible to gain new superheroes in Marvel Heroes via loot drops, Gazillion CEO David Brevik says that the current system is less than ideal. "The best loot should be challenging to acquire," he writes, "but we don't want players to be overly frustrated with the process of acquiring heroes." To address this, Gazillion is preparing to scrap the current hero token drops and institute Eternity Splinters instead. Splinters are a new type of currency that will drop from mobs more frequently than hero tokens did and can be saved up to purchase the hero of the player's choice. They'll also be used to purchase ultimate power upgrades and hero respecs. Brevik says that the team is committed to adding new heroes to the game so that players will always have something new to earn. He also posted a FAQ regarding the upcoming system for those who have specific questions. Marvel Heroes makes it easier to earn new superheroes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Eternity Splinters, FAQ

The Daily Grind: Why do you avoid MMO guilds? Posted: 12 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, Guilds, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous I've been thinking a lot about guilds lately, inspired as I am by Karen Bryan's columns on the subject, and I have to say to all the unguilded people out there -- I don't know how in the world you do it. In this era of bloated perk systems that reward massive guilds for accruing warm bodies and collective achievements, I feel crippled enough in a small guild. I can't even imagine how those of you who shun the politics of guilding get by in MMOs that clearly don't care to incentivize your style of play, and I've found myself longing for the days when the perks of being in a big guild stopped at duh more friends and raids and didn't continue on to free gold, feedback summits, and special quests. So let's poll the Massively community: If you avoid guilds, what's your rationale? What reason is so compelling that you would willingly pass up the free stuff games shower upon favored groups of players? And how do you survive in MMORPGs? 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: Why do you avoid MMO guilds? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Netmarble announces the shutdown of Arcane Saga Posted: 11 Jul 2013 08:45 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sunsets It can only be hoped that during your brief time with Arcane Saga you have not gotten too attached to it. The game relaunched in the US just over a month ago, and now the game has announced an impending shutdown later this year. Somewhat unusually, the actual shutdown date is September 16th, meaning that the game will be waiting for the final shutdown longer than it was running normally. Netmarble has already closed up the cash shop; players are able to spend any remaining cash shop currency on the company's other titles. According to the announcement, the game simply wasn't taking in enough money to remain profitable. Arcane Saga was a relaunch of Prius Online, which had already been shut down once before. Our condolences go out to any gamers who had hoped for a long and fruitful future with the game. Netmarble announces the shutdown of Arcane Saga originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Summoner's Guidebook: A League of Legends guide to guides Posted: 11 Jul 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Free-to-Play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook The goal of The Summoner's Guidebook is and always has been to encourage the development of player skill in League of Legends, especially for beginner and intermediate players. The focus on developing individual skills means that we do fewer in-depth guides on specific elements of the game. When I write about why you should not always buy Deathcap, I'm trying to help you develop the critical thinking skills to look at items and make in-the-moment value decisions about which item is better. I could use any item, but Deathcap has a lot of little things to think about. Either way, there are other guides out there for League of Legends. Let's not kid ourselves here. There are thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of guides out there. Actually, there are probably thousands of websites that provide information on LoL of some kind or another. The Guidebook is really just a drop in the ocean. Therefore, this week I'm going to talk about them. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: A League of Legends guide to guides The Summoner's Guidebook: A League of Legends guide to guides originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DUST 514 issues a challenge to all players Posted: 11 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (In-Game), News Items, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Promotions There are a lot of players who have been enjoying themselves in DUST 514. Veterans and potential new players alike will have more reasons to enjoy themselves, as the Mordu's Challenge event starts today and runs until Thursday, July 18th. Mordu's Legion is one of the most respected mercenary companies in the universe of EVE Online, and as cloned mercenaries take to the battlefield in greater numbers, the company is issuing challenges to these clones to see if they can stand up to the pressure. So what can you get out of participation? A whole lot of weapons and armor, that's what. Kill 100 enemies, hack 100 objectives, assist in 100 kills, or destroy 100 installations, and you get an appropriate set of gear for your preferred playstyle. Hit all four objectives and you get an even bigger prize. There's no registration required, so take the time over the next week to log in and start showing how great you can be. DUST 514 issues a challenge to all players originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Event page

Guns of Icarus adds new ship, upgrades chat and more Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Steampunk, Buy-to-Play Now might be a good time to check in with Guns of Icarus Online if you're fond of steampunk airships or blowing them out of the sky. Muse Games' buy-to-play title recently updated to version 1.3 of its client, which adds a new ship type, a new gun, and plenty of upgrades to the game. The new ship is called the Mobula, and Muse says that it's ideal for both standoffs and pursuit. "Of course, this comes at a price," the company's press release says. "Its slow turning speed makes it vulnerable to flanking maneuvers, and its repair points are tucked away inside the hull." Also new this patch is the ability to form parties, assemble crews prior to entering a match, and a "bigger, better, faster, stronger" chat system. Various other systems have been tweaked, and we highly recommend visiting the official website to find out how. Guns of Icarus adds new ship, upgrades chat and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 1.3 update

Guild Wars 2 releases Bazaar of the Four Winds music Posted: 11 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars 2, Music, Buy-to-Play Guild Wars 2's soundtrack might be best known for its core Jeremy Soule composition, but fans of the game are quite aware that ArenaNet has been adding in new tracks on a regular basis with its updates. This week's Bazaar of the Four Winds event included two brand-new pieces of music, and now the studio has released them on its SoundCloud page. The two tracks are Labyrinthine Cliffs and Sanctum Sprint. Give them a listen and let us know what you think! Guild Wars 2 releases Bazaar of the Four Winds music originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SoundCloud

Lost Continent: Should we worry about ArcheAge's crafting? Posted: 11 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, PvE, Opinion, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Crafting, Lost Continent It finally happened. XLGAMES did something to ArcheAge that I really don't like, and while I'll stop short of labeling it a deal-breaker, it's definitely made me think about the game in a different light. To be fair to the company, this particular gameplay tweak was made to the Korean version several months ago, so it's a) not a certainty for the American version and b) not exactly breaking news. It was breaking news to me when I read a recent high-level review of the title, though, because I'd been purposely steering clear of the Korean release in order to more fully enjoy myself when the game finally lands on U.S. soil. Continue reading Lost Continent: Should we worry about ArcheAge's crafting? Lost Continent: Should we worry about ArcheAge's crafting? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The problem with F2P is dishonest product marking, says David Paris Posted: 11 Jul 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play Game developer David Paris has penned a new blog at Gamasutra focused on the stigma of free-to-play business models. Paris, whose bio lists him as the builder of the world's first subscription-based internet MOG (Valhalla), says that there's nothing inherently wrong with F2P that more honest product marking won't fix. And thus we come to the core of the problem - the lack of honesty about how much impact IAPs [in-app purchases] have on games. The truth is that F2P monetization is frequently very much about concealing exactly this impact from its players so that we will either play until we are so invested that we will cough up and pay, or so that we'll provide an audience for the whales to lord it over. Burying pay-to-win mechanics under an initial layer of skill-to-win, providing advantages that become required for competitive play, roadblocks or surprisingly reduced game functionality tucked underneath paid barriers that weren't obvious when you started. He cites League of Legends and Marvel Heroes as games that do it right and wrong, respectively, though he does criticize LoL for failing to offer an all-the-content-for-a-single-price option. The problem with F2P is dishonest product marking, says David Paris originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Firefall hosts beta e-sports tournament Posted: 11 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Contests, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Firefall Yes, Firefall was serious about that e-sports thing. Like, super-serious, guys. Showing that it's in it whole-hog, Red 5 Studios announced that it will host the first open beta tournament series this summer. The tournament is called Go4Firefall and begins Sunday, August 4th. It will be run in cooperation with the Electronic Sports League and take place across North America and Europe. The best teams will take home some of the $10,000 and €10,000 prize pools over a series of weekly matches. Go4Firefall will utilize Firefall's Jetball mode. In Jetball, five-man teams have to fly or shoot a ball into their opponent's goal. The catch is that the ball carrier can't use weapons, making him or her a prime target for foes. Firefall hosts beta e-sports tournament originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Go4Firefall

Defiance is currently 66% off on Steam Posted: 11 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Promotions, Defiance, Buy-to-Play If you still haven't picked up Defiance and you're at all interested in Trion's Syfy shooter MMO, Steam has a summer sale you'll want to check out. Technically it's called the Summer Getaway Sale, and in addition to a bunch of cheap single-player titles that will keep you inside and out of the humid, sweat-soaked nastiness that is the middle months on your calendar, Defiance can be had for a whopping 66 percent discount. That works out to $13.59 if you're wondering. More info on the game itself can of course be had via its official website. Defiance is currently 66% off on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steam

World of Warcraft player becomes trade chat hero Posted: 11 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Subscription It started with an innocent question in World of Warcraft's trade chat: "What would you do with 200,000 gold?" Among the various responses, a player said that he'd like a Vial of the Sands to give to his friend. The vial actually gives the player a Sandstone Drake flying mount, one of the more difficult-to-obtain mounts in the game. The story doesn't end there: The asker of the question then tracked down the guy who answered and delivered the super-expensive vial into his hands. When the donor found out that the mount was for the guy's friend, he bought and gifted a second mount so that the two friends would have matching rides. The reason for the generosity? "I wanted to make someone's day," the donor said. And thus the legend of the trade chat hero is born. World of Warcraft player becomes trade chat hero originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit Via: WoW Insider

The Guild Counsel: The guild leader's gone - now what? Posted: 11 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous Every guild needs a good leadership structure in order to succeed, and much of it revolves around the guild leader. The leader helps establish the vision, tone, and atmosphere for the guild, screens potential members, and establishes goals for the guild to work toward. But there is a growing number of in-game powers that a leader has as well, making it even more important for him to be online and active. So when a guild leader suddenly becomes inactive, the guild comes to a virtual halt, and it can lead to a guild's downfall. And unlike most other guild problems, this one can't always be solved internally. Let's look at the issue of MIA guild leaders and why studios should sit up and take notice. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: The guild leader's gone - now what? The Guild Counsel: The guild leader's gone - now what? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Think Tank: Which MMO can you just not bring yourself to delete? Posted: 11 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank Whether it's a closed MMO icon still taking up space on your desktop or a free-to-play game that you "might play again one day," there's bound to be at least one MMO that you just can't bring yourself to delete from your hard drive. Since many of Massively's writers are MMO hoarders (we can stop at any time!), I felt it was fitting to take some time aside and work out our issues with separation and letting go. Hold my hand and breathe normally while we tell you which games will always maintain a special place in our hearts (and on our PCs). Continue reading The Think Tank: Which MMO can you just not bring yourself to delete? The Think Tank: Which MMO can you just not bring yourself to delete? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hurk released to Mabinogi Heroes test server Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Vindictus Last month we were introduced to Hurk, the newest hero to join Korea's Mabinogi Heroes lineup. And now we can get to know him a little bit better: Steparu.com reports that Hurk has landed on the test server and offers various videos to show the character and his skills off. While there's no word yet on Hurk for the North American version (known as Vindictus), it's a pretty good bet that he'll join the team here, too. Get a glimpse of Hurk's gameplay in the video after the break, and visit Steparu.com for more videos on character customization and testing counter timing. Continue reading Hurk released to Mabinogi Heroes test server Hurk released to Mabinogi Heroes test server originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Hurk videos

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