MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Hands-on with SWTOR's Galactic Starfighter

Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST

Filed under: , , , , ,

The objective is just on the horizon. We're a ragtag group of journalists -- no, starfighter pilots -- and we're hellbent on taking a key objective from the enemy. The problem isn't the defending turrets; it's the five red squares that have just popped on our HUDs: Sith fighters. In a few moments, we'll lose each other in a storm of blaster fire and exploding ships. The ship to my right engages the turbo on his engines, rocketing forward. One by one, we all follow into the fray.

This is Galactic Starfighter, the new expansion coming to Bioware's Star Wars: The Old Republic. The new ships, their customization options, and the chaotic, free-flight-PvP space combat make it one of the largest feature upgrades since the game's launch. It won't put you in the Death Star's trenches, but it will get you close. Join me in the cockpit as I tell you about my experience in rail-less throes of space mayhem.

Continue reading Hands-on with SWTOR's Galactic Starfighter

MassivelyHands-on with SWTOR's Galactic Starfighter originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

    The Stream Team: Cleansing the toxic tower in Guild Wars 2

    Posted: 14 Nov 2013 08:30 AM PST

    Filed under: , , , ,

    Guild Wars 2 The Nightmares Within
    The nightmare continues in Guild Wars 2's latest patch, The Nightmares Within, and players are once again facing the machinations of their nemesis. Scarlet Briar is Tyria's consummate matchmaker, bringing unlikely pairs together to form the likes of the Molten Alliance, the Aetherblades, and the Toxic Alliance. The krait and the Nightmare Court have made a mess of Kessex Hills, and their tower of nightmares is seriously impacting property values of the local residents.

    Massively's Richie will be climbing the poison-filled structure armed with ample amounts of weed killer in order to put an end to this waking nightmare. Watch him live at 11:30 a.m. EST as he checks out the Nightmares Within patch in Guild Wars 2!

    Game: Guild Wars 2
    Host: Richie "Bog Otter" Procopio
    Date: Thursday, November 14th, 2013
    Time: 11:30 a.m. EST

    Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

    Continue reading The Stream Team: Cleansing the toxic tower in Guild Wars 2

    MassivelyThe Stream Team: Cleansing the toxic tower in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

      Cute adventures in Alfheim Tales Online begin November 26th

      Posted: 14 Nov 2013 08:00 AM PST

      Filed under: , , , , ,

      If you've been sitting back and thinking, "Gee, I just don't have enough cute in my MMO diet," we've got some news for you. You'll be able to serve yourself up some on November 26th at 9:00 p.m. EST: Alfheim Tales Online, a new browser-based fantasy world with a heaping helping of cute, is opening up for adventurers. Produced by the Hong Kong-based Ray Media Group, this game sports cute characters with cute pets romping about the fairtytale-esque world of Carlyl on cute mounts. And if combat can actually be considered cute, this game probably has a lock on that as well.

      [Source: Ray Media Group press release]

      MassivelyCute adventures in Alfheim Tales Online begin November 26th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

        Uncharted Waters Online relaunch set for November 28

        Posted: 14 Nov 2013 07:00 AM PST

        Filed under: , , ,

        Uncharted Waters Online
        The relaunch of Uncharted Waters Online has been dated for November 28, 2013. This relaunch will see the historic seafaring MMO enjoy a new publisher with OGPlanet.

        The current UWO service will conclude on November 25, but all current accounts will seamlessly transfer over to the OGPlanet service when players sign up on November 28. Steam users can link their account with a new or existing OGPlanet account at any time through the 25th.

        [Source: OGPlanet press release]

        MassivelyUncharted Waters Online relaunch set for November 28 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

          Ask Massively: Why WoW's 1.3% matters

          Posted: 14 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PST

          Filed under: , , , , , , ,

          Welcome back to Ask Massively! Let's play with numbers and WoW. I like numbers and WoW.

          "I'm no WoW fan, but a change in population of 1.3% either way is nothing worth writing about," wrote a Massively commenter last week on the pre-BlizzCon news that World of Warcraft dropped another 100,000 subscribers over the last quarter.

          Sure it's worth writing about! Ever hear the phrase "no news is good news"?

          Continue reading Ask Massively: Why WoW's 1.3% matters

          MassivelyAsk Massively: Why WoW's 1.3% matters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

          Permalink | Email this | Comments

            The Daily Grind: What MMO systems or content revamps would you like to see?

            Posted: 14 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PST

            Filed under: , , , ,

            DC Universe Online newbie content
            MMO revamps are a thing this week, what with RIFT retooling its Deepstrike Mines dungeon and DC Universe Online augmenting its pre-30 leveling curve with additional quests and various NPC/AI tweaks.

            That got me to thinking about what other pieces of MMO content or systems I'd like to see reworked. There's Age of Conan's long-in-development crafting revamp, of course, and I'm also keen to see Lord of the Rings Online's housing after Turbine's done blowing it up and putting it back together.

            What about you, Massively readers? What MMO revamps would you like to see?

            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!

            MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What MMO systems or content revamps would you like to see? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

            Permalink | Email this | Comments

              The Stream Team: SWTOR's night of the living Dread Masters

              Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:00 PM PST

              Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

              Dread Masters
              Massively's Larry Everett continues his quest to end the fear-filled reign of the Dread Masters. With the guild Nefarious Intent, Larry travels to the moon of Oricon to bring an end to the Dread Masters' power once and for all. Join us live at 9:00 p.m. EST for this 16-man Star Wars: The Old Republic operation.

              Game: Star Wars: The Old Republic
              Host: Larry Everett
              Date: Wednesday, November 13th, 2013
              Time: 9:00 p.m. EST

              Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

              Continue reading The Stream Team: SWTOR's night of the living Dread Masters

              MassivelyThe Stream Team: SWTOR's night of the living Dread Masters originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

              Permalink | Email this | Comments

                Choose My Adventure: A Neverwinter storm is brewing

                Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PST

                Filed under: , , , , , ,

                Choose My Adventure: A Neverwinter storm is brewing
                Making a Foundry mission is difficult, but not because Neverwinter makes it difficult -- not yet, anyway. The number of elements used in creating a good mission is bigger than I had initially thought. However, we will stumble through it, as I did this weekend.

                When I initially tried out the Neverwinter Foundry, there were many elements that were just clunky. I constantly had to switch from Foundry mode to 3-D-mode just to add objects, and I had to hope that they were placed correctly. With the recent changes, I can now pop into editor mode and place objects directly into the world, an amazing step forward.

                The tough part comes in creating the story and building the world in which the story takes place. Today, I'd like you to help me with a few of the elements I still need to round out my story.

                Continue reading Choose My Adventure: A Neverwinter storm is brewing

                MassivelyChoose My Adventure: A Neverwinter storm is brewing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                Permalink | Email this | Comments

                  Fight your way into War Thunder's ground forces beta

                  Posted: 13 Nov 2013 04:30 PM PST

                  Filed under: , , , , , , , , , ,

                  War Thunder - P36
                  War Thunder's devs have come up with a novel way for interested gamers to get in on the game's upcoming ground forces closed beta test. Starting today, Gaijin is hosting special in-game daily missions, the completion of which could lead to a spot in the beta.

                  There are no guarantees, unfortunately, but Gaijin's announcement says that "the more you complete the higher your chances are." Today's mission involves destroying 60 ground units in War Thunder's arcade mode or 30 ground units in the title's historical battles mode or full real battles mode.

                  War Thunder currently features instanced World War II-era aerial combat. The dev team is in the process of adding ground and eventually naval combat as well. The ground forces closed beta is scheduled to start "before December 4th."

                  MassivelyFight your way into War Thunder's ground forces beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                  Permalink | Email this | Comments

                  The Stream Team: Every World of Warcraft dungeon needs a healer

                  Posted: 13 Nov 2013 04:00 PM PST

                  Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

                  World of Warcraft
                  If you're going to slash your way through a dungeon, murdering monsters and stealing loot all the way, you're going to need someone to watch your back. Generally, you'd want that person to be a healer. Join Massively's Mike Foster as he dusts off his resto Shaman and groups up with a few random internet strangers in the hopes of toppling tough foes and moving his character just a bit closer to the current World of Warcraft level cap without suffering a nasty pick-up group wipe.

                  Mike's dungeon runs start at 7:00 p.m. EST.

                  Game: World of Warcraft
                  Host: Mike Foster
                  Date: Wednesday, November 13th, 2013
                  Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

                  Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

                  Continue reading The Stream Team: Every World of Warcraft dungeon needs a healer

                  MassivelyThe Stream Team: Every World of Warcraft dungeon needs a healer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                  Permalink | Email this | Comments

                    Free for All: Five ways to create immersion in MMOs

                    Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:30 PM PST

                    Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

                    Second Life screenshot
                    Immersion. I've used the word so much over the past several years that it has almost lost all meaning. I've played around with my Immersion Project, a set of rules designed to force me to play in a way that creates an almost physical connection with my characters. I've written about immersion and why it is important. I've even played the other side and fell in love with MMOs that are seemingly designed to be anything but immersive. It's one of those flashy terms that sounds more complicated than it is.

                    The fact is that it's important only to those who value it. And those who value it do not value it all the time. Immersion is simply a feeling of being lost in an MMO. It's the same feeling we get when reading a good book or when completely entrenched in a good movie. It's a feeling that designers must pay attention to, but if you pay too much attention to it, the game you design can miss the mark.

                    So what defines immersion for me? Well, it's easier to list off some specific game elements that help me feel immersed.

                    Continue reading Free for All: Five ways to create immersion in MMOs

                    MassivelyFree for All: Five ways to create immersion in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                    Permalink | Email this | Comments

                      How Turbine plans to make Helm's Deep matter

                      Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST

                      Filed under: , , , , , , ,

                      Lord of the Rings Online - Helm's Deep
                      Turbine's latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary is worth reading if you're wondering how the dev team plans to generate suspense in a narrative where it doesn't actually exist. We know how the battle of Helm's Deep turns out, in other words, and so gameplay in LotRO's forthcoming expansion presents a design challenge when it comes to keeping players engaged.

                      Turbine's solution involves the moment-to-moment state of a battle whose ultimate outcome is already decided. "How many soldiers survive the wall, how many banners were burnt down, how many injured Rohirrim survived a diversionary assault," the firm asks. "All of these questions, and more, matter for various quests and objectives within Helm's Deep."

                      MassivelyHow Turbine plans to make Helm's Deep matter originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                      Permalink | Email this | Comments

                      MMO Family: How to raise an astute gamer (even if you aren't one)

                      Posted: 13 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

                      Filed under: , , , ,

                      MMO Family  How to raise a healthy gamer even if you aren't one
                      As we trudge towards winter here in the States, the frigid temperatures make outside playtime a lot more difficult. And while we're hunkered down inside during those bitterly cold days, more and more kids choose to log in and do a little gaming to get through the winter doldrums.

                      For many parents, though, negotiations with their children over video game time is about as pleasant as a snowball to the face. Many of us have come across parents who don't play video games at all and are struggling to make sense of the whole thing. What advice is crucial to the uninitiated parents of gaming children? How can they instill healthy gaming habits and get a handle on video gaming in general? Let's look at a few tips that might help in this week's MMO Family.

                      Continue reading MMO Family: How to raise an astute gamer (even if you aren't one)

                      MassivelyMMO Family: How to raise an astute gamer (even if you aren't one) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                      Permalink | Email this | Comments

                        RIFT's Deepstrike Mines dungeon revamped for level 60

                        Posted: 13 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

                        Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

                        RIFT - Deepstrike Mines boss
                        RIFT is returning to Deepstrike, according to Trion's latest blog post. The devs have revamped the dungeon for level 60, in large part due to the mass influx of F2P players who leveled right on by some of the classic game's dungeon crawls.

                        Deepstrike Mines was the winner of a player vote to see which classic dungeon would receive the upgrade treatment, and senior game designer Andy Kirton has plenty to say on said revamp's particulars.

                        MassivelyRIFT's Deepstrike Mines dungeon revamped for level 60 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                        Permalink | Email this | Comments

                        Allods Online debuts class change coupons

                        Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:30 PM PST

                        Filed under: , , , , , ,

                        Allods Online
                        If you're feeling stuck in a rut in Allods Online and think changing up your class might freshen things up, today's announcement from Webzen might be the news you've been waiting for. The studio has just unveiled a new in-game item that allows you to instantly change your character's class and try life on the other side of the fence.

                        Here's how it works: Once per week, core morpher coupons will appear on the Allods auction house. Only one coupon per class will be available. If you win the auction, you'll be able to grab the coupon out of your in-game mail (for subscribers) or redeem it via the item shop (free players). Once in your inventory, the core morpher coupon enables you to switch to a new class while keeping all of your equipment progress through a system that gives you class-appropriate items that match the rarity and power of the items you currently have.

                        Webzen advises that you mull the decision carefully, as you may change classes only once per month and you'll be competing with many other players to win your class's weekly auction.

                        MassivelyAllods Online debuts class change coupons originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                        Permalink | Email this | Comments

                        Neverwinter's new paragon paths detailed

                        Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST

                        Filed under: , , , , ,

                        Neverwinter's upcoming Shadowmantle module will finally be giving players a second option with their paragon paths. A new dev diary from the folks at Cryptic gives an overview of these new paths along with details regarding the skills involved.

                        Devoted Clerics will get a buff-centric path, Trickster Rogues will be flinging knives more, Control Wizards will go all pyro on their enemies, and Guardian Fighters and Great Weapon Fighters will be swapping each other's paragon path for a different playstyle.

                        Don't just take our word for it: Check out the Shadowmantle paragon paths preview video after the jump for a visual inspection of these lines.

                        Continue reading Neverwinter's new paragon paths detailed

                        MassivelyNeverwinter's new paragon paths detailed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                        Permalink | Email this | Comments

                        The Stream Team: I see dead dragons in EQII's Tears of Veeshan!

                        Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:20 PM PST

                        Filed under: , , , , ,

                        You didn't think Tears of Veeshan content could be summed up in just one stream did you? Of course not! That's why Massively's MJ is heading back into EverQuest II's newly released expansion to highlight all the various bells and whistles and, perhaps most importantly, to hobnob with all the dead dragons! Join us live at 3:20 p.m. EST for more adventures in the Eternal Broodlands.

                        Game: EverQuest II
                        Host: MJ Guthrie
                        Date: Wednesday, November 13th, 2013
                        Time: 3:20 p.m. EST

                        Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

                        Continue reading The Stream Team: I see dead dragons in EQII's Tears of Veeshan!

                        MassivelyThe Stream Team: I see dead dragons in EQII's Tears of Veeshan! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                        Permalink | Email this | Comments

                          Trion starts the Trove teasing

                          Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:15 PM PST

                          Filed under: , , ,

                          Trove
                          Trion Worlds made news earlier this week by registering several domains with the word "Trove" in them. While the studio made no announcement regarding new games in development, most speculation centered firmly on Trove being Trion's next big project.

                          Today we've received another little tidbit on the topic via Trion's official and brand-new Trove Twitter account. Posting under the name TroveGame, Trion asked simply, "Where will you go?" It's not much in terms of information, but the Twitter username at least confirms that Trove is a game. The profile information says only, "Something new from Trion Worlds."

                          Stay tuned.

                          MassivelyTrion starts the Trove teasing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                          Permalink | Email this | Comments

                          Humble Bundle includes LotRO Steely Dawn pack

                          Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:00 PM PST

                          Filed under: , , ,

                          LotRO
                          For the next five or so days, Warner Bros. is participating in a new Humble Bundle that includes a special package for Lord of the Rings Online. Humble Bundle allows players to name their own price for a collection of games, and as long as customers pay more than the average amount (currently $4.62), then the Steely Dawn pack will be tossed in for LotRO players.

                          The Steely Dawn pack includes a unique cosmetic armor set, the Evendim quest pack, five XP boosts, and 500 Turbine Points. To use the pack, you have to access LotRO through Steam.

                          MassivelyHumble Bundle includes LotRO Steely Dawn pack originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                          Permalink | Email this | Comments

                          Bless announces beta plans for next year

                          Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST

                          Filed under: , , ,

                          Catfight as a single entendre.
                          Before we go any further in this post, you should know that Bless is still a long way away from any sort of western release no matter how its beta testing goes, seeing as it has no announced localization plans whatsoever. That having been said, the game is heading toward beta testing starting early next year, so if you're reading the site from Korea or are just deft at translation, you can look forward to that.

                          According to the development team, the plan is to open up the beta test toward the beginning of the year with a January-to-March test window. Barring unusual developments or unforeseen glitches, the game is also slated to launch by the end of the year. From what we've seen of Bless so far, it certainly looks gorgeous with a focus on story and endgame content. Only time will tell when and whether we get to experience it firsthand.

                          MassivelyBless announces beta plans for next year originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                          Permalink | Email this | Comments

                          Diablo III's lead designer says offline mode was 'wrong', reaffirms online requirement

                          Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:30 AM PST

                          Filed under: , , ,

                          If you've been holding out hope that Blizzard would cave in and offer an offline mode on the PC for Diablo III with its Reaper of Souls expansion, don't hold your breath. A recent dev interview really put the kibosh on that idea: Lead designer Kevin Martens stated pretty clearly that dividing the community into online and offline groups is not now, nor will it be, in the cards. When asked about the offline mode in Diablo II, he pointed out that the community back then was very unhappy about that division and added:
                          "That was the wrong choice to allow people to play offline, and we still stand by that. And we think Internet access is widespread. If someone has no Internet access, then yeah, Diablo III is not the game for them."
                          In the interview, Martens and Art Director Christian Lichtner also talked about the direction of Diablo's III and the game's economy sans auction house -- notably, that stockpiling items before the change won't give much of an advantage because the post 2.0 patch economy will be full of new items that can be acquired only through play.

                          MassivelyDiablo III's lead designer says offline mode was 'wrong', reaffirms online requirement originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                          Permalink | Email this | Comments

                          Leaderboard: What do you play on patch day?

                          Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST

                          Filed under: , , ,

                          Leaderboard What do you play on patch day
                          I was as surprised as anyone to see SOE drop DC Universe Online's GU31 patch yesterday. It's not that the patch itself was a surprise, of course, but the timing was unexpected. Fortunately for me, I have other hobbies -- not to mention 1,138 other games.

                          In the late 1990s, though, when I was a wee lad and there were like three MMOs in existence (only one of which I wanted to play), unexpected patches could be quite vexing. So, how about you, Massively readers? What do you play when your favorite MMO is down for the patch day count? Or do you actually go outside or something? Vote after the cut!

                          Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

                          Continue reading Leaderboard: What do you play on patch day?

                          MassivelyLeaderboard: What do you play on patch day? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                          Permalink | Email this | Comments

                            Total Pageviews

                            statcounter

                            View My Stats