| The Game Archaeologist: Anarchy Online turns 12 Posted: 22 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Anarchy Online, Free-to-Play, The Game Archaeologist, Anniversaries Most MMOs rolling into their 12th year (what few of them there are) live pretty quiet lives. Sure, there's the odd EverQuest expansion here and there, but for the most part the development has simmered down, the team trimmed to a handful of folks, and the best hope for the future is maintaining the status quo. Anarchy Online, however, is not angling to molder in some nursing home. As the 2001 sci-fi MMO turns 12 this month, it's looking back at a year full of exciting developments, scary moments, and hopeful visions. It might be the smallest arrow in Funcom's quiver right now, but I see it as a scrappy underdog that isn't willing to lie down and be ignored. So what happened this past year and what do Anarchy Online players have to look forward to? Glad you asked! Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Anarchy Online turns 12  The Game Archaeologist: Anarchy Online turns 12 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| WRUP: Freedom edition Posted: 22 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous As of yesterday evening, my second job is no longer an issue. I'm free to focus on working on Massively full-time. Three and a half years I've been working most of the day, but now I have time to start new writing projects here, more time to play games and engage with readers, and more time to pursue the career that I love. Also more time to sit in a panic whilst fearing I made a horrible mistake, but I've been struggling to fit that into my schedule anyway. Too personal for you? Then you're going to hate the rest of WRUP, because it's nothing but myself and the other Massively writers discussing our plans for the weekend. Very personal stuff. If you can stomach that, you can check our plans out past the cut, and you can let us know what you'll be up to down in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: Freedom edition WRUP: Freedom edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Daily Grind: How stat-heavy do you like your game mechanics? Posted: 22 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Playing Allods Online, you will not find yourself simply raising one stat even if all you do is swing a weapon at something. See, there's one stat that increases your overall damage, another stat that improves the range of that damage (so you're more likely to hit for a higher number rather than a lower one), and a few other stats that also affect something as simple as "how hard do I hit." It's not simple by any means, but it does provide an interesting dynamic wherein your primary stat isn't all that high, and you hit for astonishingly consistent amounts. Is that a good thing? Well, some players will be quick to point out that the game is doing with four stats what could really be done with one. Others like to have that amount of fine control over a character. So today we ask: How stat-heavy do you like your game mechanics? Do you want even the simplest character to be looking at seven or eight different numbers at all times, or are you happiest when you've got a choice between three stats at most?  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: How stat-heavy do you like your game mechanics? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Betawatch: June 15 - 21, 2013 Posted: 21 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous This week, the biggest beta news is that Black Desert Online's beta testing has been slightly delayed as the developers put a final bit of polish on the game. Of course, that's just for the game's Korean beta, and considering how long it's taking ArcheAge to come over it's probably safe to bet on not seeing Black Desert Online for a while. Beyond that, Neverwinter launched again (but this time for real, you guys) and Final Fantasy XIV rolled out a beta version of the community site in addition to the game's beta. Turn-based MOBA Arena of Heroes also found the time to hit open beta, so if you feel like something with a bit slower action there's that option. And, of course, we've got a whole list of games in testing just past the cut. Check it out, and if there's something egregious that we missed, feel free to point that out in the comments. Continue reading Betawatch: June 15 - 21, 2013 Betawatch: June 15 - 21, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Some Assembly Required: Five ways MMOs should support player events Posted: 21 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, Aion, EverQuest II, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, Vanguard, RuneScape, The Secret World, Miscellaneous, Some Assembly Required Over the course of Some Assembly Required, we've covered a few player-run events out there that haven't been highlighted in their respective game columns. After all, we're all about PGC here, and you can't really get content more player-generated than that! But with all the the possible events across the whole gamut of games, there's no possible way to attend them all, let alone cover them here; there is only so much time in the day and space in the column. Of course, that won't stop me from trying! From Age of Conan to Warhammer Online, a few of the events I've been able to catch are festivals, races, plays, fishing contests, tavern storytelling nights, quests (yes, quests), treasure/scavenger hunts, trivia contests, arena duels, gambling nights, musical concerts, war games, horse races, weddings, dance-offs, terraforming challenges, auctions, jousts, fashion shows, tournaments, funerals, crafter fairs, and more contests than can even be mentioned. These examples aren't restricted to any one genre, either; creatively concocted events run the gamut and include themeparks like Aion, MOBAs like SMITE, and more -- and not just sandboxes. As you might have noticed, that's quite a bit of content, content that comes at no cost to the the studio! So why is it these events can be so hard to find? With so much free content at their fingertips, it would behoove studios to make it the norm to support and promote these events. And the tools they need to do so are already at their disposal. Continue reading Some Assembly Required: Five ways MMOs should support player events Some Assembly Required: Five ways MMOs should support player events originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| How ArcheAge's Korean F2P model works Posted: 21 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, ArcheAge Are you wondering about ArcheAge's business model? You're not alone, particularly given that the game is going free-to-play in its native Korea next month. Developer XLGAMES and publisher Trion have not revealed any pricing information for the western market, but there is a bit of info available on the Korean F2P model thanks to users on the ArcheAge Source forums. Korean F2P customers may advance to level 50, but may not own homes or regenerate labor points (labor points are a pool much like traditional health and mana pools, but set aside for the game's numerous non-combat activities). There are other restrictions too, most of them contingent upon whether or not Korean users are playing from home or from their local PC Bang internet cafes. [Thanks Dengar!] How ArcheAge's Korean F2P model works originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Take a tour of RIFT's free-to-play store Posted: 21 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT |
| Path of Exile introduces Descent Events Posted: 21 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play Path of Exile, despite not actually being out yet, has a reputation for holding special events that challenge its most loyal and hardcore players and offer them a slight break from the normal day-to-day of killing monsters in dungeons. They're called Signature Events, and participants receive community rewards and other perks for participating. Next week, Grinding Gear Games is set to announce the next series of events for Path of Exile players and an all-new mode known as Descent Events. Descent Events are completed alone and boast a unique array of monsters and loot. When the event ends, the characters and items are deleted. The idea to create a host of solo, standalone experiences that give players a chance to play with builds and step outside of regular Path of Exile gameplay. Descent Events will last one hour, with roughly 50 of them being scheduled for the duration of season three. Path of Exile introduces Descent Events originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Cryptic: Neverwinter 'not trying to compete with World of Warcraft' Posted: 21 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Cryptic's Craig Zinkievich doesn't think that Neverwinter stands a chance at being the next mega-MMO hit -- and he's completely fine with that. "Frankly, we're not trying to compete with World of Warcraft. Anyone whose goal is 'lighting in a bottle' is not being realistic," the executive producer said to Red Bull UK. "Don't get me wrong, we'd love to have the success WoW earned over years of hard work. But, our immediate goal is simple and attainable: operate a fun game people like to play and want to come back to. We make that game free so, if it is fun, there's no reason not to play and come back." Zinkievich said that Cryptic's research into the market revealed that eliminating box sales and subscriptions was the necessary zag to World of Warcraft's subscription-focused zig. "This is the first AAA MMO to be free-to-play at launch here in the west, built from the ground up to be free," he boasted. [Thanks to Ben for the tip!] Cryptic: Neverwinter 'not trying to compete with World of Warcraft' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Guild Wars 2 introduces the Aetherblades Posted: 21 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Lore, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play Who are the Aetherblades? ArenaNet is glad you've asked and has prepared a well-researched essay on the topic. The Aetherblades are a new group that has crashed the Dragon's Bash and is looking to make all kinds of trouble as players head into Guild Wars 2's living story for July. The devs struggled with how to make a new pirate faction that wasn't quite like all of the other pirates in an already piratetastic title. The solution, the article says, was to combine steampunk, lightning, and airships to make a dashing group of electric buccaneers: "We imbued the Aetherblades a lightning aesthetic: They arrive in a bolt of lightning and their skill effects, traps, and weapons are all laced with electrical effects." The article also outlines some of the mobs players will face when they tangle with the Aetherblades, from the basic minions to the razzle-dazzle officer corps. Guild Wars 2 introduces the Aetherblades originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
