| Take a casual stroll through LotRO Update 11 Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Hands-On Over at Lord of the Rings Online fansite A Casual Stroll to Mordor, Andang gives us a nifty walkthrough video of the incoming Wildermore region for Update 11. The 19-minute video shows off the snowy mountainous region near Dunfast down to the plains near Norcrofts. Take note that this tour is done on the public test Bullroarer server, so things may change before the update is officially launched. Still, it's worth watching the whole video if you're a LotRO fan anticipating the new content. Continue reading Take a casual stroll through LotRO Update 11  Take a casual stroll through LotRO Update 11 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Pathfinder Online dev blog talks dynamic PvE, escalation Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Pathfinder Online  Pathfinder Online's website has updated with a two-pronged dev blog attack. The first salvo concerns Kickstarter updates and more importantly, when backers will start receiving some of their rewards. The game's pledge management system is coming next week, so be sure you have a Paizo.com account set up and ready to receive rewards like the PDF superpack. The second portion of the update concerns escalation cycles and escalation mechanics which tie into Pathfinder's version of PvE content. "An escalation is a dynamic story event such as a Bonedancer goblin invasion, an outbreak of widespread banditry from the League of the Wood, or a raid of dark elf slavers," the blog explains. Goblinworks says that its escalation mechanics are such that players will encounter a wide variety of content and story scenarios. "The combination of different types of strength-based advances, expansion preference, stage advances, and quests associated with stages provides us with a wide variety of tools for creating very different experiences from escalation to escalation," the company says. "Some escalations like the barbarian raid will effectively march across the map; some will reach a defensible limit and fort up; some will keep trying to expand indefinitely and attempt to overrun the entire map." [Thanks to all who sent this one in!] Pathfinder Online dev blog talks dynamic PvE, escalation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Online store reopens with new products Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, MMO Industry, Sandbox What better way to express your love for EVE Online than with EVE-branded clothing? OK, well, a tattoo might beat that, but you'll have less regret with a Concord Ops jacket. CCP has announced today that its EVE store has reopened, allowing fans of the popular space MMO to buy starmap-adorned t-shirts and Guristas jackets to their hearts' content. In addition to what's currently available on the store, CCP plans to announce all new products (an expansion pack for the store, if you will) at this weekend's Fanfest. Speaking of Fanfest, you can follow our coverage of the Icelandic party event all weekend. EVE Online store reopens with new products originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Neverwinter founder early access begins today Posted: 25 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Launches, New Titles, Neverwinter, Buy-to-Play If you're a diehard Neverwinter fan (i.e. you threw down $200 for the Hero of the North founder's pack), you're probably sitting at home in your PJs, notebook full of character names in hand, ready to hit the Neverwinter open beta running. Or you might be at work/school wishing you played sick this morning. Either way, Cryptic Studios' and Perfect World Entertainment's D&D-based MMO Neverwinter is celebrating a soft launch this morning as the open beta early access period will begin at 12 p.m. EDT (9 a.m. PDT). For those who purchased the Guardian of Neverwinter founder's pack ($60 US), your early access begins at 12 p.m. EDT (9 a.m. PDT) on April 27. Good luck to everyone stressing about name reservations and watch the open beta trailer after the jump below to get you pumped up! Continue reading Neverwinter founder early access begins today Neverwinter founder early access begins today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part two Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous Last week, I promised you a second round of questions and answers regarding the types of calls Massively makes on which games and stories it will cover and why. Let's get to it. Mike9 wrote, "I will play [State of Decay] because it looks awesome, but I never understand why Massively covers it; it is a single-player game, not an MMO by even the loosest of definitions, not unless Super Mario World is also considered an MMO now (well, I guess that did allow two players)." I assume you're looking for a better answer than braaaaaiiiiinnnnsssssss! Continue reading Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part two Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part two originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Will Helm's Deep bring you back to LotRO? Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind  Lord of the Rings Online is one of those MMOs, at least for me. You know the ones I mean. They're great games for the most part, but for whatever reason you've quit and returned and quit and returned to them more times than you can count. With yesterday's announcement of the forthcoming Helm's Deep expansion, I'm finding it harder than ever to keep to my pledge of staying away from Turbine's Middle-earth. What about you, morning crew? Assuming you're a LotRO expatriate, will Helm's Deep bring you back?  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: Will Helm's Deep bring you back to LotRO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| What to expect from EVE Fanfest 2013 today: DUST 514 keynote and more Posted: 25 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Consoles, MMOFPS, Events (Massively's Coverage), DUST 514, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Anniversaries EVE Online's colossal tenth anniversary Fanfest hasn't even officially begun, but the excitement from attendees is already practically palpable. The Reykjavik nightlife has been invaded by hundreds of foreigners yelling about internet spaceships as players from around the world reunite with their online comrades and meet corpmates for the first time. Over the course of the weekend, a record 1,400 EVE fans and hundreds more press and partners will flood into the Harpa building for non-stop news and festivities from EVE Online, DUST 514, and World of Darkness. The talks and events start later today, but last night CCP kicked off the festivities with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra delivering stunning renditions of tracks from the EVE Online soundtrack. Today, I'll be reporting back from key talks including the Retribution expansion roundup at 8 a.m. EDT (noon GMT), ship rebalancing at 9 a.m. EDT (1 p.m. GMT), lowsec PvP and crimewatch at noon EDT (4 p.m. GMT), and of course, the DUST 514 keynote speech at 2 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. GMT). I may also be able to join in on the roundtable discussion on wormholes and live events at 10 a.m. EDT (2 p.m. GMT) for an inside look at CCP's current thoughts. Check out the Fanfest timetable and let me know if there's something interesting you think I should try to squeeze in. I'd expect the tone of these talks to be one of looking back at another successful year and the great player response to the Retribution expansion. We probably won't hear much of anything about the Odyssey expansion today, but I do expect some big DUST 514 news from the keynote. While many are probably hoping for word of a PC release, I'd be very surprised to see CCP actually do it. We'll most likely just get a release schedule for the PS3 launch and possibly footage of the game running on a PS4 devkit. I'm personally also hoping for more details on post-release updates such as the ability for DUST corps to own and manage their own territory and industrial supply chains.  Whether you're a die-hard fan of internet spaceships or just a gawker on the sidelines, EVE Fanfest is the EVE Online event of the year (and the key source of new DUST 514 and World of Darkness scoops!). Follow Massively's Brendan Drain as he reports back on this year's Fanfest starpower, scheming, and spoilers from exotic Reykjavik, Iceland.What to expect from EVE Fanfest 2013 today: DUST 514 keynote and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Forge rerelease introduces tons of new features, goes 75% off on Steam Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News Items, Promotions, Buy-to-Play  Keen-minded readers may remember Forge, Dark Vale Games' action-oriented PvP title that launched via Steam Greenlight in December of last year. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, the game was released in a decidedly unfinished state, lacking many of the key features that the studio hoped to incorporate. Despite this, many players flocked to the game, providing the devs with the money needed to polish up the game, and now Forge has been officially "rereleased" on Steam. To celebrate the occasion, Dark Vale Games is allowing fans to play Forge for free from today until Sunday. The game's rerelease brings with it a number of new features sure to satisfy fans of all playstyles. The fashionistas in the crowd will be pleased by the addition of new armor customization options, while completionists will have plenty to work toward thanks to the introduction of achievements to the game. New players will be able to jump into the action faster than ever thanks to a new-and-improved tutorial, and new ranking and matchmaking features ensure that players can always find the perfect match. On top of all of that, the UI has received an overhaul, and the addition of bots and co-op modes allows players to practice new strategies before they take them into the game proper. So if you're up for some adrenaline-fueled PvP action, you can check out the game for free and/or snag it on the cheap for a paltry $5 US. [Source: Dark Vale Games press release] Forge rerelease introduces tons of new features, goes 75% off on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Age of Wushu retail edition offers Jet Li training session Posted: 24 Apr 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Free-to-Play, Promotions, Sandbox, Age of Wushu If you're up for dropping some money on the recently launched Age of Wushu, a new special retail edition is available both online and at Gamestop. This box version of the game goes for $20 and offers "more than $80 worth" of in-game goodies. These incentives include a special horse mount, in-game currency, 30 days of VIP access, reputation scrolls, fashion outfits, and boosts for experience and Chi. If that hasn't sold you yet, Snail Games is hoping that some one-on-one time with martial arts film star Jet Li will. Players can train with a digital Jet Li in a special instanced adventure that comes only with this edition. We direct the curious to the special retail edition trailer after the jump. Continue reading Age of Wushu retail edition offers Jet Li training session Age of Wushu retail edition offers Jet Li training session originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIV's beta phase 1 and 2 Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, First Impressions, Final Fantasy XIV I'm going to completely fail to surprise any longtime readers of the site with this sentence: I am kind of a fan of Final Fantasy XIV. Of course I am. I write our weekly column about the game, I discuss the game in other columns, and I went across the country to preview the game back in February. It's not a secret. Nor should it come as any surprise that I am a Legacy player and thus have had the opportunity to take part in the game's first two beta test phases. As of today, I can start talking about those experiences. Well... I can sort of talk about those experiences. A lot of what I have to say was already conveyed back when I took that aforementioned trip in February. My warm feelings about the game have not diminished in any way over the past few months, but rather than rewriting everything, I thought I'd go with a look at some things I've discovered from not hitting just the highs and the lows. Continue reading First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIV's beta phase 1 and 2 First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIV's beta phase 1 and 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WildStar's lead PvP designer on differentiation and dynamics Posted: 24 Apr 2013 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Interviews, News Items, WildStar Wildstar features a huge world, a variety of wildlife, an in-depth housing system, a variety of questing mechanics... but for some players that's just not the interesting part. No, the interesting thing is finding out how you can take up arms against a fellow player. A new interview with lead PvP designer Jen Gordy sheds some light on the game's PvP mechanics and how the designers are using this side of the game to continue encouraging players to play the game how they want. There will be two PvP-centric stats on the game, one to improve damage to other players and one to decrease it. The development team is also including features like the ability to minimize the duration of a stun once you've been hit to avoid having PvP matches boil down to a race to incapacitate the other side. But both PvP and PvE are meant to still work toward the same whole -- things that you get on one side will be useful on the other, freeing you to explore the game aspects you find the most rewarding. Read the full interview for more details on how you can cut down your fellow players for glory and (presumably) profit. WildStar's lead PvP designer on differentiation and dynamics originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Update 11 hits LotRO's public test server Posted: 24 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play It's not quite yet time for Update 11 to hit Lord of the Rings Online officially, but it is time for folks to start testing it out on Bullroarer, the public test server. The testing patch notes have been posted, so let's take a look at what we may see in Update 11. There's a new LotRO launcher with several changes. A new region, Wildermore, has new quests, warbands, and endgame activities. The story is pushing players into Wildermore with Book 10: Snows of Wildermore. Mounted combat is getting a big update which will give players a class-specific trait tree for optimal maneuverability. The UI is getting worked over a bit to change the way players can view alerts. Players will now be able to pay for their housing further in advance, which will now go into foreclosure six months after they stop paying for upkeep. Read the full update notes for Update 11 on the official forum. Update 11 hits LotRO's public test server originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Camelot Unchained reveals building system demo Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, Dev Diaries, Housing, Crowdfunding, Camelot Unchained, Player-Generated Content With just a little over one week and $600k left in the Kickstarter campaign, City State Entertainment's Camelot Unchained is consistently pumping out the updates for all fans of the project. Today's update goes into detail on the game's building system, including a video demo with programmer Tim Mills showing a quick prototype of what you can expect in the game. Mark Jacobs also teases tomorrow's tonight's update where he'll reveal the main lore of Camelot Unchained, including some early concept art and another video. Camelot Unchained reveals building system demo originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Perfect World releases Neverwinter Helm's Hold video, pics Posted: 24 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Is it irony or subtle PR manipulation that a new Neverwinter update focused on Helm's Hold has released on the same day as Turbine's Helms Deep announcement? We're not really sure, and in the end you're probably more interested in the content than the things that make game bloggers chuckle. So, yes, Perfect World has released a video and some screen shots of Helm's... er, Hold, the latter of which you can view after the cut and former of which you can view at the official Neverwinter website. Continue reading Perfect World releases Neverwinter Helm's Hold video, pics Perfect World releases Neverwinter Helm's Hold video, pics originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Warhammer Online's Keaven Freeman leaves Mythic Posted: 24 Apr 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, PvP, Warhammer Online, Subscription Lead Developer Keaven Freeman is no longer heading up Warhammer Online. Freeman wrote a goodbye post on his personal blog stating that he is leaving Mythic Entertainment to "explore new growth and new career possibilities." "It is with heavy heart I report I am leaving Mythic Entertainment. I have worked with Mythic since 2007, and it quickly became my family," he said. Freeman expressed his gratitude to the company and fans, saying that his time with WAR was rewarding: "I'm by no means saying everything was perfect -- there was a lot I could have done better, in hindsight, but I think we really managed to take some giant steps forward as well, as non-perfect as those steps may have been." Warhammer Online's Keaven Freeman leaves Mythic originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Turbine billing system has attained sentience (not really) Posted: 24 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Bugs, Business Models, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play We hope you've got a little extra money squirreled away in your bank account because the Turbine billing system is hungry. It seems that some players were charged a bit more than usual for their Dungeons and Dragons Online accounts this week, some of them as many as 100 times their normal VIP fee. TurbineTolero took to the forums to clarify the issue: This impacted a limited number of players after the maintenance work, and we have a list of the affected users. We're working with our partners to make sure that over charges are reversed. You do not need to contact us to receive help, but if you have any questions you are welcome to call or send a ticket (phone is 1-855-WBGAMES and tickets contact can be done via http://support.turbine.com). Our sympathies extend to those affected more than passingly by the bug. [Thanks to Marc for the tip!] The Turbine billing system has attained sentience (not really) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Art of Wushu: The war for server time Posted: 24 Apr 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Events (In-Game), Opinion, Free-to-Play, Age of Wushu, The Art of Wushu, MMORPG Scheduled events are a huge part of Age of Wushu. While each player has the option of enjoying the game at his own pace, scheduled events mark the major ways people can have an impact on the world at large. Because these events have to occur at a specific time, their placement will always be convenient for some and inconvenient for others. Recently -- and without warning -- Snail changed the server time in response to complaints about various events being inconvenient. This time change was influenced by a vote thread on the official forums, but was otherwise invisible; there were no warnings in the game's launcher or via in-game announcements until days afterward. The lack of communication about the time change was bad enough, but unfortunately, listening to the vocal minority had much larger, far-reaching problems for players. I was going to talk about meridians this time, but addressing this topic was something you requested. You came to the Massively tip jar. You emailed me directly. You messaged me in game. You even came to my house and said, "Hey man, you should write about how messed up the time change is." You asked, and this is my reply. Continue reading The Art of Wushu: The war for server time The Art of Wushu: The war for server time originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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