| EQN's Steve Klug talks voxels and making editing fun Posted: 11 Oct 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Sandbox Would you like to know more about EverQuest Next's voxel-powered sandbox? SOE technical director Steve Klug recently gave an interview at EQNexus that focuses on the technology used to power the fully destructible fantasy world. "There are many different approaches to rendering voxels, but they all boil down to what amounts to a three dimensional pixel," Klug explains. "Using voxels allows for a very editable world. They allow for meaningful destruction during combat situations. They also allow you to build the castle or dungeon of your dreams." Klug also says that players will have access to the same building tools that SOE's developers use. The company is attempting "to make all aspects of editing really fun," Klug says. "So we like to think of them more as games unto themselves than just plain tools."  EQN's Steve Klug talks voxels and making editing fun originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Oct 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Citizen unleashes the Next Great Starship design contest Posted: 11 Oct 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Contests, MMO Industry, New Titles, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Player-Generated Content, Star Citizen So you've already pledged your Kickstarter funds, but now you want to be even more involved in the development of Star Citizen. What's a fan to do? Luckily, Cloud Imperium Games has announced a new competition that gives any potential player the chance to design, model, and rig Star Citizen's next spaceship. The modding contest will see three-person teams compete for a grand prize of $30,000, the inclusion of the winning ship design in the game, models of the ship, 3D modeling software, and more. Registration runs from October 31 through December 31 with the grand prize being announced in June. Check out the video after the cut and the main site for more information. [Source: Cloud Imperium press release] Continue reading Star Citizen unleashes the Next Great Starship design contest Star Citizen unleashes the Next Great Starship design contest originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Oct 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Some Assembly Required: A dev's-eye view of Dragon's Prophet's frontier system Posted: 11 Oct 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, PvP, Endgame, Free-to-Play, Some Assembly Required, Housing, Dragon's Prophet, Player-Generated Content For getting a better look at the big picture, there's nothing like witnessing a PvP battle from afar instead of being in the midst of it. And that's exactly what I got to do in a recent dev tour of a PvP event in Dragon's Prophet: Spectate. Thanks to the spiffy use of technology, I was able to zoom along through the air as the battles unfolded below and around me without my having to dodge killing blows from my enemies. On top of that, I got to hear Senior Producer Todd Carson and Associate Producer Rod Haza detail different aspects of this system that melds PvP and housing in Dragon's Prophet. Dubbed the Frontier System, this combination puts PvP on the housing islands of Auratia. However, the implementation is probably not quite what players envisioned when they first heard about it. Luckily, I got a pretty good look at how it all works from my invulnerable perch and can share that with you. Continue reading Some Assembly Required: A dev's-eye view of Dragon's Prophet's frontier system Some Assembly Required: A dev's-eye view of Dragon's Prophet's frontier system originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Oct 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Looking for Guild: Even more FFXIV Posted: 11 Oct 2013 07:00 AM PDT |
| The Daily Grind: Does your MMO character reflect you or the other way around? Posted: 11 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying, Miscellaneous Last summer, we reported on research that suggested people's behavior changes because of the proportions of the characters they were assigned to play. This week, we saw related results from a Stanford/OSU team that posed a similar question in relation to sexualized avatars in online settings like MMOs. The researchers tested the "Proteus effect," finding that subjects who were assigned hyper-sexualized avatars in a virtual setting "internalized" their avatars' appearance, focusing more on body image and expressing more "rape myth acceptance" than the control group. Setting aside the obvious implication that playing a sexed-up toon in an MMO might temporarily darken our mental health, I have to wonder what other bad habits we might be learning from our characters. How much control do we really have when we roll up a new avatar in an MMO? Did I choose to roleplay a snarky pirate in that last game because it would be fun or because I have a problem with authority and a rude attitude I needed a way to express? Worse, did her negative traits and wardrobe rub off on or change me? Do you think your MMO character reflects you, or do you think you subconsciously reflect your MMO character? Have you ever found yourself picking up or dwelling on the attributes of your characters?  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: Does your MMO character reflect you or the other way around? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Oct 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| 3000AD partners with DC for Line of Defense comic Posted: 10 Oct 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous Derek Smart-led Line of Defense developer 3000AD announced this week that it has partnered with DC Comics to create a digital comic book set in the Line of Defense universe. The comic, built as a 12-part miniseries, will cover four separate stories from both factions of the game's core conflict. One story will launch each quarter, with the first hitting shelves this month and the final set due in July of 2014. While the Line of Defense comic is mostly stuck in the digital world, a limited edition printing of the first story, Payback, will be available as a free giveaway at DC Comics' booth during New York Comic-Con. Ten thousand copies will also be distributed to comic book stores; Line of Defense fans who can't make the con can pick up a free copy October 16th at their local nostalgia dungeon. The Line of Defense game, meanwhile, continues its cruise through a very extended beta. [Thanks to Saucelah for the tip!] 3000AD partners with DC for Line of Defense comic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Earn free tanks during World of Tanks: Xbox 360 beta event weekend Posted: 10 Oct 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, Events (In-Game), War, Free-to-Play, Consoles, World of Tanks, Promotions, MOBA World of Tanks is sounding the siren's call for the Xbox 360 edition, tossing out special rewards for those who participate in the beta this weekend. There are three events occurring simultaneously on the beta server from Saturday, October 12th, through Sunday, October 13th, and all of them dangle goodies for participants. Players can earn an M22 Locust Tier III premium tank by completing 50 matches in this time span, and a Ram II Tier V premium tank will be given to everyone who engages this weekend as long as 10,000 players log in simultaneously. Wargaming is also handing out XP bonuses for the first win on ever tank a player owns and 2,500 gold for use during the beta process. An Xbox Live Gold account is needed to join in with this beta. [Source: Wargaming press release] Earn free tanks during World of Tanks: Xbox 360 beta event weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Watch Cloud Imperium's CitizenCon livestream right now Posted: 10 Oct 2013 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Anniversaries, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play One year ago today, Chris Roberts set space sim fans' hearts all a-flutter with news of his impending return to the game genre he put on the map. The ensuing 12 months saw Star Citizen mushroom into the most successful crowdfunding project of all time and expand its scope far beyond the initial Squadron 42 reveal. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the announcement, Cloud Imperium is hosting its inaugural CitizenCon In Austin, Texas. Click through the links below to watch the livestream comment section while CIG gets its technical issues sorted out. Continue reading Watch Cloud Imperium's CitizenCon livestream right now Watch Cloud Imperium's CitizenCon livestream right now originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MechWarrior Online looks forward to the next month Posted: 10 Oct 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, MechWarrior Online Are you ready for another month of MechWarrior Online? The team behind the game certainly is. Creative Director Bryan Ekman took to the forums to outline what players can expect from the next month of updates, including items for players who purchase one of the game's Phoenix packages (aside from the Saber tier) before October 15th. That includes bugfixes, new content, and of course new 'Mechs to enjoy. Slated for release this month are the Locust, the Hero Atlas, and the Champion Spider, along with the Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt, and Battlemaster 'Mechs for Phoenix package owners. The game will also drop a new map and a new paint pattern. Meanwhile, the team is working hard on optimizing game performance and UI accessibility. The letter closes by examining where several proposed pieces of the Community Warfare are in the development process. Dedicated MechWarriors will want to take a careful look at what's coming up next and probably start blasting away in preparation. MechWarrior Online looks forward to the next month originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Players successfully petition to change ArcheAge's business model Posted: 10 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Culture, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox Who says player petitions don't matter? Not Russian fans of ArcheAge, who are fresh off a successful attempt to sway publisher Mail.ru's plans for the sandpark title's regional business model. MMO Culture reported on the brouhaha last week, and most of the outrage was directed at the fact that Mail.ru's initial model gave major in-game advantages to players with fat wallets. "A rich Russian player [could] get his whole guild to level 50 within a day," the site said. After a mass player outcry, the publisher is now offering players a choice of how to move forward. Option one involves refining the current model, option two would use the same free-to-model found in the Korean version of ArcheAge, and option three would use both models simultaneously. Trion is slated to publish ArcheAge in the West, but thus far no business model information has been forthcoming. [Thanks Mikey!] Players successfully petition to change ArcheAge's business model originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Court sides with Acti-Blizz, Vivendi split moves forward Posted: 10 Oct 2013 03:30 PM PDT |
| Prime World devs tackle gender issues, hero prices Posted: 10 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, MOBA The folks over at Nival have posted a quick dev diary that addresses some of the biggest player concerns with its still-in-beta MOBA, Prime World. The studio wants players to know that matchmaking is being refined, an EU server should solve European lag issues, a report system is on the way, and hero prices are under review (though the team seems generally happy with them). Perhaps the most interesting tidbit is Nival's decision to nix all gender features from the game. Prime World has been the subject of some controversy due to its treatment of gender; male and female characters have different abilities that operate in relation to their gender and the gender of other heroes, and player hero choice is determined by the gender established either on the player's Facebook page or Prime World account. Nival explained that the decision to remove gender-specific features will soon be discussed in greater detail in a separate post. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Prime World devs tackle gender issues, hero prices originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| RIFT's Autumn Harvest begins October 17th Posted: 10 Oct 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, RIFT, MMORPG October is a special time in the world of MMORPGs when ghosts, goblins, and headless horsemen take over our favorite haunts and pumpkins litter the lands. RIFT is no different, and this year's Autumn Harvest brings new items, new rewards, and new Halloween-themed monsters to slay -- and, of course, new items to buy. Look for Halloween masks, grab bags, and supply crates in the RIFT store and collect spectral reward tokens by completing Autumn Harvest events. Spectral reward tokens can be spent to purchase rare loot and spectral mounts. It would also be wise to keep an eye out for Atrophinius, RIFT's harvest master, as he has a number of special tasks related to the harvest including the slaying of vampires and werewolves and the reclaiming of loot back from nefarious thieves. Autumn Harvest goes live on October 17th. RIFT's Autumn Harvest begins October 17th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| CCP responds to EVE Online favoritism scandal Posted: 10 Oct 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Economy, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Subscription, MMORPG It's never wise to kick a hornet's nest, and there is perhaps no hornet's nest in the world of MMOs that is as prone to swarm and sting as that of the EVE Online community. EVE players have been up in arms over allegations that CCP, the studio behind EVE, showed favoritism to SOMER.Blink, a third-party lottery site, by providing its employees with exceptionally rare Ishukone Watch Scorpions (fancy ships), as a reward for the site's continued contribution to the EVE community. After a few days of fan caterwauling, CCP has issued a lengthy and detailed response built to clarify what happened, why it happened, and what it means. First, CCP explained that the Ishukone Watch Scorpion is a promotional item with no value beyond that which is created by its rarity. The studio also noted that only 132 ships exist, all of which were handed out by CCP to community contributors. CCP explained that giving away the ships to fansites and contributors was meant to be a continued initiative but is now on hold. Continue reading CCP responds to EVE Online favoritism scandal CCP responds to EVE Online favoritism scandal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Samuel L. Jackson voices the objectively best announcer pack for Heroes of Newerth Posted: 10 Oct 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA You're going to play Heroes of Newerth now. It's the best game of its type, and that's simple fact. No, stop going on about balance or game mechanics or anything else in the world. Heroes of Newerth has an announcer pack in which all of the clips are voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, and if you think there's any other reason to play or not play a game, it's time for you to step back and re-evaluate your life choices to date. Jackson's announcements are... well, pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the terms "Samuel L. Jackson announcer pack." You can check them out past the break, although we should warn you that if your workplace or home has an issue with shouted profanity, you might want to turn down the volume. For everyone else, click past the break and enjoy the new pack. Continue reading Samuel L. Jackson voices the objectively best announcer pack for Heroes of Newerth Samuel L. Jackson voices the objectively best announcer pack for Heroes of Newerth originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Diablo III polls players about expansion prices Posted: 10 Oct 2013 12:30 PM PDT |
| The Guild Counsel: Speed up those slogging raids Posted: 10 Oct 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel If you ask guild members for their number one reason why they avoid making the leap from casual to a more focused, hardcore progression path, the answer would be time. Progress means raiding multiple nights for several hours, and that's time that many either don't have or aren't willing to give up. Ironically, one of the things that separates good raiding guilds from everyone else is their use of time. Cutting-edge gear and high DPS parses are fine, but even average guilds can progress quickly by making the best use of their time during the raid. And in addition, slow, monotonous raids suddenly feel vibrant and fun. Let's take a look at how to speed things up in this week's Guild Counsel. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Speed up those slogging raids The Guild Counsel: Speed up those slogging raids originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Perfect Ten: Consequences of living in an MMO world Posted: 10 Oct 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Humor, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous Escapism and daydreams are, in my opinion, wonderful and part of what fuels our creativity and excitement. I mean, most of us probably engage in some form of escapism just by the act of playing MMOs. These are settings that make us heroes, gives us clearly defined objectives with assured rewards, and continually dole out progression and backpats. Am I the only one who purrs when the game says, "Well done, chap?" But there's always that next level of escapism where the mind starts to fantasize about leaping through the monitor and living in these vivid, exciting worlds. Consider the amount of homework or responsibilities or job tasks you have on your plate, and then consider dropping it all to spend your life as an adventurer in Azeroth, Norrath, Tyria, or Eorzea. Wow, that would be such a relief, wouldn't it? Nay, say I -- it would be a nightmare from which you would be unable to escape. You would most likely star as an ironic mishap victim in a Twilight Zone episode. Today we're going to look at 10 consequences of trading the real world for a virtual one. Continue reading Perfect Ten: Consequences of living in an MMO world Perfect Ten: Consequences of living in an MMO world originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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