| Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online Posted: 23 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, Video, Interviews, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Casual, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream I sat down on Monday with NetMarble Producer Jon-Enee Merriex to discuss Arcane Saga Online, a remake/re-release/re-launch of the defunct Prius Online. I was actually very excited for Prius Online at one point, but the game fell flat once I got my hands on it. With this re-launch, would the publisher NetMarble be able to capture an audience -- and keep it -- this time? I jumped into the first hour of the game with a bit of an unfair advantage, having Jon-Enee with me to explain many of the ideas and thought processes behind the re-launch. It all makes sense when you hear it from a developer's mouth, but how does the game translate when you just log in and start playing? It turns out that it has many issues but is quite fun a lot of the time. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online  Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Age of Wushu getting new factions and character trading in China Posted: 23 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Age of Wushu While you can't be certain about the future of a game in your country based on what happens in its native country, that's certainly the way to bet. So the good news is that Age of Wushu players can look forward to some neat stuff in the future, including new factions and schools. A recent preview highlights the Villa of the Beasts, a school deep in the wilds that focuses on hand-to-hand combat in nature. There are even rumors that the school will eventually allow for pet companions. The game is experimenting with a character trading service, allowing you to directly list characters for sale without having to sell your entire account and risk hacking. Whether or not the service on a whole is a good thing for the health of the game is an exercise for the reader. There's no timetable for any of this coming over to the game in the West, but in all likelihood it's just a matter of time. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Age of Wushu getting new factions and character trading in China originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| One Shots: Friendship is magic Posted: 23 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, EVE Online, Culture, Guild Wars 2, One Shots, Humor, TERA, Miscellaneous Oh pretty ponies, is there anything you can't do? Any wisdom that you haven't already mastered? Any look that isn't absolutely stunning? Any swish of your tail that doesn't grant wishes? I think not! I'm sure that reader Michelle agrees with me, since she sent in this picture of her little pony from Star Stable. "It's April Fool's Day," she writes, "and this is my character Lili Wolfwood and her horse Everdream after having clicked on an NPC Bunny. My horse is usually brown and black." Why do I keep forgetting that there's an entire MMO about horses? Why haven't I done an extensive six-week article series on it yet? While I deal with the shame of neglect, you may proceed on to our other excellent player-submitted screenshots. Continue reading One Shots: Friendship is magic One Shots: Friendship is magic originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Daily Grind: What was the last good grouping experience you had with strangers? Posted: 23 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous I'll admit that I'm not one to actively seek out strangers for grouping. I've been burned in several bad pick-up groups and am somewhat of an introvert, so teaming up doesn't come naturally. Still, I've been pushing myself to get out there and do it more, which has created several positive moments. The other night in The Secret World I ended up grouping with a newcomer to the game who was beyond polite and friendly. In turn, I helped him navigate a few quests and answer questions about his build. I logged out feeling as though I had created a good memory, not just racked up a few more quest completions. So what was the last good grouping experience you had with strangers? Let's focus on the positive and not on snarky, "I've never had one!" answers, please and thank you!  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: What was the last good grouping experience you had with strangers? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Tattered Notebook: EQII's housing update makes feet obsolete Posted: 22 Jun 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook, Housing Life in EverQuest II just got lazier thanks to the housing system part of the this week's update. Wait... what? If you've ever delved deeply into decorating in Norrath, you'd know that one thing this housing system can not be accused of is fostering laziness. With the countless number of items (seriously, I gave up trying) and the limitless ways of using them, players have been lost for weeks, even months, on decorating projects. Just take a stroll through the EQII housing leaderboards to see the amazing detail -- and therefore time and attention -- that goes into these abodes. So how on earth can I equate housing with lazy? The lazy part comes not in relation to the actual decorating (which did become easier thanks to another recent update, by the way) but in travel. Indeed, now all Norrathians may never have to walk home through city streets again! Join me for a look at what could rightfully be billed as the new Norrathian transportation system. Oh, and the spiffy house management features, too. Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: EQII's housing update makes feet obsolete The Tattered Notebook: EQII's housing update makes feet obsolete originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Trion teases new RIFT souls, item advancement, and more Posted: 22 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT Yesterday's Trion livestream featured a number of big reveals focused on the firm's RIFT fantasy MMO. The newly free-to-play title will be getting a number of new souls (Support Cleric, Healing Warrior, Tanking Mage, and Healing Rogue) as well as companion abilities and levels. Trion is also looking at item advancement tweaks to include more customized weapon and armor upgrades tailored to specific playstyles. Finally, the devs announced that the game's 3.0 update will feature the plane of water, and they also hinted at some sort of increased interaction with regard to RIFT's dimension housing system. [Thanks Chris!] Trion teases new RIFT souls, item advancement, and more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV is home again Posted: 22 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Lore, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log For all the good things I had to say about Final Fantasy XIV's beta test, there was one negative thing I didn't say because it just wasn't fair: For all the improvements, the game didn't feel like home. For all the frustrations I've had with Final Fantasy XIV over the years, somehow, at the end of the day, stepping into Eorzea always felt familiar in a way that only Final Fantasy XI could match. But the first two beta phases felt, well, restricted. They were supposed to be like that, but I still found myself straining at the limits simply because there was some indefinable soul not yet in place. As it turns out, that soul was Thanalan. Phase 3 is importing old characters this weekend, and that will really solidify it, but testing the waters in the first weekend's test was what made me feel as if I could go home again after all. Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV is home again The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV is home again originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Cloud Imperium reveals Star Citizen's 300i Posted: 22 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play You know what the best part of buying the new Origin Jumpworks 300i is? That new spaceship smell! Cloud Imperium games has taken the wraps off its latest Star Citizen spacecraft, and the beast is given the A-list treatment courtesy of a new in-character brochure and an in-engine video. The reveal also coincides with Cloud Imperium's 300 series sale week, during which you can add a variant or two of the sleek new craft to your Star Citizen pledge hangar. Finally, there's a message from Chris Roberts, too. "I sincerely hope you enjoy the 300i materials released today. Even if you choose not to add a 300 series spacecraft to your hangar you should enjoy the new materials and have a good idea of just how detailed Star Citizen is going to be!" Click past the cut to watch the trailer. [Thanks everyone who tipped us!] Continue reading Cloud Imperium reveals Star Citizen's 300i Cloud Imperium reveals Star Citizen's 300i originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| EQII summertime Gold Rush offers members special bonuses Posted: 22 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, News Items, Free-to-Play, Promotions, Crafting Yesterday the gold rush began in EverQuest II, and it's going to last all summer long! From June 21st through September 21st, SOE is offering a special promotion for EQII players with Gold memberships. During this time, all players who have the paid membership will have access to a special new skill entitled Gold Rush. Once each day, eligible Norrathians will be able to activate this spell and get the following bonuses for the space of four hours: a +15% increase to coin loot, a +5% increase to mount speed, and a +10% boost to AA, combat, and crafting XP. Gold members who log in anytime this summer will find the spell automatically slotted on their hotbar (if they have room) or in the spell book under abilities. Bronze or Silver members wishing to take advantage of these bonuses can do so by upgrading to Gold at any point during the event. EQII summertime Gold Rush offers members special bonuses originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
