| New EverQuest Next Landmark screens show off possibilities Posted: 17 Oct 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Sandbox, Housing, Player-Generated Content If you have been hungry for more images showing off the possibilities in EverQuest Next Landmark, Franchise Director Dave Georgeson might very well be your favorite person today! He just released via Twitter a number of screenshots depicting a small outpost keep he assembled yesterday in about four-hours time. With the images, players can get a look at architectural elements like arches as well as a variety of props, including a couch made out of totem pole pieces! See them all for yourself in the gallery below. For those of you eager to get in and show off your own creations, Georgeson noted that the alpha phase will be the only phase with an NDA. If you just want to see more of Landmark and EverQuest Next, keep your eyes peeled for the new livestream series; Senior Producer Terry Michaels announced in last night's Round Table livestream that players can expect to start seeing the game in future streams.  New EverQuest Next Landmark screens show off possibilities originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| See the dark side of survival in Nether's live-action trailer Posted: 17 Oct 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Horror, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Post-Apocalyptic Last month, we gave you a deeper look into the post-apocalyptic survival game Nether being developed by Phosphor Games. Today, the studio announced that pre-orders for the game will grant early access and allow players to try their hand at survival against the mutated monstrosities starting (fittingly) on October 31st, 2013. Additionally, pre-orders will net 72-hour game keys to share with friends, as well as other in-game perks. Creative Director Chip Sineni stated, "As an online multiplayer game, we feel strongly that the focus is on community collaboration so we want to reward the early players with solid pre-order incentives and really make them a part of the future of the rich, urban environment that is Nether." Along with the announcement, the studio released a new live-action trailer. If you want to get a feel for the game, check out the video after the cut. Then if you like what you see, join the community and help direct the development path of future content in Nether. [Source: Phosphor Games press release] Continue reading See the dark side of survival in Nether's live-action trailer See the dark side of survival in Nether's live-action trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| New Elder Scrolls Online video shows off character creation Posted: 17 Oct 2013 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, New Titles, News Items, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription For some players, getting the unique look of their character just right is the first step to enjoying an MMO, a fact the Elder Scrolls Online devs understand. In this new video, Art Director Jared Carr not only explains that the team wanted to offer a robust customization system for characters, but he demonstrates the system as well. Players can watch as Carr walks through character creation, showing off the multitude of sliders and palettes available for both the body and the face. From defining your physique to skin color to separate body and face tattoos, players will find plenty of options to create their own look. You can see all the details for yourself in the video after the break. Continue reading New Elder Scrolls Online video shows off character creation New Elder Scrolls Online video shows off character creation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Heva Clonia Online begins open beta today, hosts Halloween events Posted: 17 Oct 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (In-Game), New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play Last week we gave you the heads-up that Heva Clonia Online was moving into open beta testing today. And as part of the transition, OGPlanet assures players that there will be no more wipes between now and launch. So now players can jump in and enjoy guild PvP battles, two-man dungeon challenges, cloning monsters as pets, and a number of mini-games without losing any of the goodies or progress accumulated while playing. In celebration of the start of open beta, Heva Clonia Online will be hosting a number of Halloween events offering players different ways to get a hold of some prizes. These prizes can be won simply by attending (with the Halloween Attendance Event), by hunting (the Kill Monster and Earn Items event), and even by playing Halloween bingo! To play, sign up on the official site. [Source: OGPlanet press release] Heva Clonia Online begins open beta today, hosts Halloween events originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Neverwinter announces Coins of Waukeen event Posted: 17 Oct 2013 08:30 AM PDT |
| The Summoner's Guidebook: How to get through a LoL teamfight alive Posted: 17 Oct 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook It feels good to be back to writing strategy articles about League of Legends. When I play a lot, I want to punch out words about what I'm thinking about, and while covering a tournament is exciting, I really enjoy teaching fundamentals a lot more. This week we're going to cover teamfighting again. You guys might remember some things about teamfighting from me a while back, including a basic primer and a guide on positioning. I feel that my understanding of teamfighting -- and perhaps more importantly, my ability to communicate it -- has improved a lot since then. Some of that is from watching tournament matches and listening to others talk about teamfighting, but a lot of it is from watching pro streams and hearing what is going on in a top player's head too. This edition of The Summoner's Guidebook is a continuation of both of the previous teamfighting articles, and I suggest reading them too as the information there is still useful. I definitely recommend going back and reading them after you've finished reading this if you haven't already. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: How to get through a LoL teamfight alive The Summoner's Guidebook: How to get through a LoL teamfight alive originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Think Tank: Do you believe in MMO reincarnation? Posted: 17 Oct 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, The Think Tank, Sunsets As living worlds, MMOs lend themselves to much more than just a simple shelf life. When they succeed, they can thrive; when they lose, they can lose it all. But some MMOs are returning from the dead lately, whether through a new publisher, as with APB: Reloaded, or through a complete redesign, as with Final Fantasy XIV. Further still, some games are enjoying renewed interest levels from players as game-changing expansions are being announced. So what does the Massively staff think of MMO reincarnation? Follow along after the jump to see! Continue reading The Think Tank: Do you believe in MMO reincarnation? The Think Tank: Do you believe in MMO reincarnation? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO expansion? Posted: 17 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Expansions, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind I was thinking about MMO expansions the other day, particularly after I realized that both EVE Online and EverQuest have now released 20 of them! Oh, and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Galactic Starfighter reveal brought back pleasant memories of what is easily my favorite MMO expansion of all time: Star Wars Galaxies' Jump to Lightspeed. It's not that the JtL and SWTOR: GS are at all similar, but hey, both are Star Wars and both are in space so my mind made the connection. In any event, what's your favorite MMO expansion?  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's your favorite MMO expansion? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| A foundation for future growth: Examining LotRO's class restructuring Posted: 16 Oct 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Game Mechanics, Previews, Free-to-Play Let's start out with the elephant in the room: The comprehensive and radical class changes that are coming to Lord of the Rings Online with Helm's Deep have a portion of the community rattled. After all, we are protective of our characters and concerned about changes that affect them, and this looks to be a doozy. You want to hear a secret? Turbine's a little scared too. When asked if this might become LotRO's NGE -- the reviled shift in Star Wars Galaxies' gameplay structure -- the devs said it's something they've been asked a lot these days. They know that there's a part of the playerbase that's fearful, and in all honesty, the devs have had a few sleepless nights over the changes too. But past the fear is the certainty that this is the course the game needs to take right now, and that certainty grows by the day as they continue to test the changes on the beta server. The team told us as such during a class tour today, going on to show us the scope of what's going to happen. What we're looking at here is the old class trait system thrown in the trash to be replaced by specializations and trait trees, as well as the paring down of many class skills into a more manageable number. It's going to impact everyone all at once, so if this is your game of choice, you'll want to read on. Continue reading A foundation for future growth: Examining LotRO's class restructuring A foundation for future growth: Examining LotRO's class restructuring originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Free for All: Why I'd love to buy high-level characters Posted: 16 Oct 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: EverQuest II, Business Models, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Casual, DC Universe Online, Free for All, Buy-to-Play There is a seedling of a possibility of an up-and-coming trend that I've noticed lately, one that has some players' hackles raised. It's just one of many trends that have shaped MMOs over the last several years. Some of those trends include the massive market switch to free-to-play models, social gaming's influence on the MMO industry, the continuing popularity of selling power even by publishers who seem set against selling power, and the ever-growing mobile market and switch to mobile devices as favorite gaming destinations. But to me, this new trend is one of the most exciting: the recent trend of giving away or selling high-level characters in games that require leveling. When I really think about it, it's been going on in some form for a long time, but the different designs and systems of all of the different MMOs we play have hidden it for much of that time. I'll tell you why I love a free or paid-for high-level character. Continue reading Free for All: Why I'd love to buy high-level characters Free for All: Why I'd love to buy high-level characters originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Latest Defiance patch gives weapons an overhaul Posted: 16 Oct 2013 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, News Items, MMOFPS, Post-Apocalyptic, Dev Diaries, Defiance It's been about a month since Trion delivered the most recent Defiance state-of-the-game address, which promised a number of sweeping improvements throughout the game. Players can now see the first step of those improvements on the live servers in the form of patch 1.105, which was released today. This particular patch is all about shooting things and, more specifically, the weaponry players use to do so. In a nutshell, the new patch has reworked the stats of all new weapons in the game, meaning that players should no longer find weapons with useless bonuses (like melee bonuses on a sniper rifle, for instance), and rarer weapons will be universally better than their lower-quality counterparts. The official dev blog goes into all sorts of detail that we couldn't possibly squeeze into the remainder of this paragraph, so any curious Ark Hunters should head over that way. Latest Defiance patch gives weapons an overhaul originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Leaderboard: Which of these IPs would make the best MMO? Posted: 16 Oct 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, Leaderboard Let's talk about IP-based MMOs. There are a few currently available. There are a couple that are no longer available. There are probably some that I'm forgetting. The point I'm getting to, though, is that there are some fairly well-known IPs that haven't crossed over to the land of kill-10-rats, faction grinds, and endless character progression. Maybe your favorite IP has already been made into an MMO. Maybe it hasn't. Maybe you hate the idea of IPs or IP-based MMOs in general. Regardless, you should click past the cut and participate in this week's poll.  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: Which of these IPs would make the best MMO? Leaderboard: Which of these IPs would make the best MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Asta open beta begins in Korea, gameplay vids abound Posted: 16 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play Remember Asta: The War of Tears and Winds? MMO Culture does, and the fan site has posted a handful of gameplay videos from the fantasy title's Korean open beta. Asta is powered by CryEngine 3, and MMO Culture refers to it as a "traditional point-and-click MMORPG" as well as "the Asian World of Warcraft." The open beta just started yesterday, so be sure and click past the cut for a look at all the early footage. Continue reading Asta open beta begins in Korea, gameplay vids abound Asta open beta begins in Korea, gameplay vids abound originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Latest Star Trek Online dev blog talks dinosaurs, Voth technology Posted: 16 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Lore, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries Like Star Trek? Like the Voth species that made its way into Trek lore during Voyager's third season? Then you'll love Cryptic's latest Star Trek Online dev diary penned by systems designer Jeff " AdjudicatorHawk" Hamilton. He's got a lot to say with regard to STO's Voth ground combat experience including tidbits about Voth mechanical exosuits, bio-engineered dankanasaurs, and rank-and-file soldiers, medics, and so on. "When looking at the Voth as a species, our starting point was only one episode," Hamilton explains, "so we had to look at what stood out about them and extrapolate from there. Their actions demonstrated that they were highly defensive, both culturally and militarily." Latest Star Trek Online dev blog talks dinosaurs, Voth technology originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| League of Legends aims for harmony with new Team Builder feature Posted: 16 Oct 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, MOBA, League of Legends  MOBA golden child League of Legends has long been renowned for its incredibly hardcore community, which can make matters unpleasant for newer players and for those looking to learn a new character or try a new strategy. The folks at Riot Games are aware of this and are looking to do something about it. That "something" just happens to be making its way to LoL's PBE (Public Beta Environment) in the near future, and it's called the Team Builder. Riot's Lead Social Systems Designer, Jeffrey "Riot Lyte" Lin, stopped by the forums today to drop some knowledge on this upcoming feature. Essentially, the Team Builder allows players to designate their preferred playstyle and strategy, and then the system attempts to match up those with similar mindsets. This saves players the trouble of wondering who's going to play which role, who will be in which lane, and what the team's overall strategy will be, hopefully resulting in a much more harmonious gameplay experience. On top of that, the Team Builder will also include a "smarter matchmaking system that can dynamically account for your experience with a given role, position or champion," so players looking to change up their playstyle need not be afraid of invoking the ire of their teammates as they learn. For all the nitty gritty details on the Team Builder, check out the full post over at the League of Legends forums. League of Legends aims for harmony with new Team Builder feature originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Choose My Adventure: Indecision 2013 Posted: 16 Oct 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Aion, Opinion, Hands-On, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, Choose My Adventure, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2, Neverwinter My goodness, it's been a long time since I've done Choose My Adventure. I cannot wait to dive into it again. But first, I should probably break down the rules and let you know how my Choose My Adventure will likely differ from those who have come before me. Besides the weekly column that comes out on Wednesday, I will also run a livestream whenever I play the game. Of course, Massively's livestream sessions are abbreviated, so I cannot stream on that channel for the number of hours that it will take me to accurately get a taste of what the game is like. So I will run the regular livestream on my channel, then take over Massively's stream when I can. That also means that some of the choices made during the course of this adventure will be made on the livestream and not in this column. However, I will attempt to let the readers of this column make the major choices. So let's decide what game I'll be playing for you. After the break, I've listed five games that I am interested in revisiting or visiting for the first time. Read the descriptions, then at the end, vote on the game you'd like to see me play. I will have to close the voting on Fridays, so that I will have the weekend to actually implement the choices you make. Happy adventuring! Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Indecision 2013 Choose My Adventure: Indecision 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| NCsoft announces Valiance, Lineage II's next expansion Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Expansions, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, MMORPG NCsoft has just announced Valiance, a new content expansion for Lineage II set for launch at some point before the end of the year. According to the company, the new content includes a storyline that "wreaks havoc across the lands" and brings big mechanics changes and skill updates. Valiance marks the return of the Hellbound zone, which has been upgraded with new areas and hunting parties. NCsoft has added 25 new skills to the game, tweaked a number of existing skills, and entirely reworked the core skill system. Additionally, the studio is implementing an abilities system that allows players to customize skills to make characters more specialized. Some of Lineage II's most popular raid bosses are also on deck to return. More information should be forthcoming as Valiance edges toward launch. Lineage II just celebrated its 10th anniversary in Korea; April 2014 marks 10 years of Lineage II in the west. [Source: NCsoft press release] NCsoft announces Valiance, Lineage II's next expansion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Istaria preps for 10-year anniversary, big content patch Posted: 16 Oct 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Dev Diaries, Anniversaries Can you believe that Istaria will be 10 years old in December? Well, technically the game was called Horizons way back when, and while the name has changed, the focus on playable dragons has not. Virtrium community manager Amarie Ancalimon has penned a new dev diary that features some exciting news for fans of the long-running fantasy MMO. Join us after the cut for this developer exclusive that talks crystal-shaping, pets, and more! Continue reading Istaria preps for 10-year anniversary, big content patch Istaria preps for 10-year anniversary, big content patch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Trion answers questions about RIFT's server merges Posted: 16 Oct 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News Items, Free-to-Play, Roleplaying, RIFT Next week's RIFT server merge is far from the first time that the game has compressed its servers, but it's still producing no shortage of anxiety and apprehension. The game's community managers took to the forums to answer some of the more pressing questions, starting with the (unwelcome) news that the merged EU servers will wind up without a server flagged for roleplaying. Name changes will be necessary; surnames are possible for the future, but they will not be in place for the merges. Players with more than the maximum number of characters after the merge will only have access to the first 12; players will need to delete existing characters to see the characters in overflow, but they will not be lost. Guild banks do not need to be emptied. Players are also reminded that characters can be transferred before the merger. The one bright point is the fact that the EU servers will have an auction house supporting French, English, and German clients at the same time, allowing all players in the region to interact successfully on the merged worlds. Trion answers questions about RIFT's server merges originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AMD steals thunder from Nvidia's press event
Tis the season to stay inside and play games
Flat ribbon cables and 80 Plus Bronze certification
Never underestimate a giant
Windows 8.1 update now available to download
