| The Road to Mordor: Six ideas to improve LotRO's deeds Posted: 02 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor When Lord of the Rings Online launched in 2007, one of its most-lauded features was the deed system. You have to keep in mind that achievement systems in MMOs weren't really the norm yet; World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online would boost their popularity a year later. And these weren't just meaningless Gamerscore points here; they were achievements that usually offered an in-game reward. From Turbine Points to virtues to mounts, deeds provided an alternate path for play and progression (albeit one that usually paralleled your standard path). But in 2013, LotRO is six years old, and rethinking core features of the game is a theme of the year. We're on the cusp of a massive class and class trait overhaul, and Turbine did promise that housing will be getting some major love at some point this year (although hey, it's almost November. Perhaps this should be mentioned?). So why not rethink deeds? As much as we love routine and become skittish about change, I feel it's important not to take anything off the table when it comes to improving the game. Deeds have served admirably thus far, but they're not without fault or potential for so much more. Here are six ideas that could take a good system and make it far better. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Six ideas to improve LotRO's deeds  The Road to Mordor: Six ideas to improve LotRO's deeds originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: Six years of Massively was just a fad edition Posted: 02 Nov 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous Well, guys, it's been a fun six years, but as a stunningly large number of other gaming news sites seem to believe, online games have really just been a fad. We all knew that to begin with, let's be honest. Frankly the whole idea of the Internet was really just a way to keep ourselves occupied between Pokémon games. So let's all move on to the next big thing while the Second Life band plays us a farewell round of Daft Punk remixes. Oh, the next thing? We were thinking writing the word "fart" in the margins of library books. Yeah, we've got Monday's features lined up. For tradition's sake, we've still included our plans for the weekend past the cut, because WRUP. Also we shared our favorite memories of the past year here at Massively, because it's what we do. Let us know what you're up to and what your favorite memories were down in the comments! Continue reading WRUP: Six years of Massively was just a fad edition WRUP: Six years of Massively was just a fad edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Nov 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Have you messed with other players? Posted: 02 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor, Miscellaneous Sometimes, something beautiful happens in shared chat channels. I was playing Final Fantasy XIV and wandering through Coerthas when someone asked at random whether Halo or Metroid would win in a fight. This prompted no shortage of people explaining that those games were not eponymous, which just spun off into more comedy like the original speaker asserting that The Legend of Zelda is about a green guy named Zelda, since why would you name a game after someone who needs to be rescued? It's Super Mario Bros. not Super Princess Peach Is Kidnapped. It was a pretty obvious attempt to get people to correct an assumption that didn't exist, and it was pretty funny. It was also harmless, which is another plus. Not everyone who messes with players is that kind; I've seen people teleport someone to a high-level area and then warp away, leaving the other player stranded, or a tank undressing and then pulling the boss just for giggles. Those might be a little less funny, depending on perspective. But today we're not asking about validity; we're asking about the act itself. Have you messed with other players just for the heck of it?  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: Have you messed with other players? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Nov 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Prime World defies gender stereotypes in latest update Posted: 01 Nov 2013 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Culture, Launches, Free-to-Play, MOBA In a stunning twist of irony, Prime World is now challenging gender stereotypes by adding effieminate males and burly females for the upcoming NA and EU release. Producer Marc Singer commented on the new customization options: "We want to give a lot of skin options that are not just hairdos and color changes. We want to completely shift them from one spectrum to the other. We want effeminate males and we want burly, bulky females. We want animal-style stuff and old women and young kids." Singer said that this was part of a game-wide effort to combat tired portrayals of sexy girls: "A lot of games nowadays are very over-sexualised or male-centric when it comes to character pools. When you have over-sexualised characters, when you have male-centric hero pools, that's not something that the Russians are concerned about, because culturally for them, it's not a big deal. And even in parts of Europe, it's not a big deal either. But in the US, it's a very big deal." This change is ironic because the MOBA is perhaps best-known for originally forcing gamers to play their gender and incorporating gender-specific abilities and buffs, including a team-wide defensive buff if a female was part of the squad. Nival later decided to (mostly) remove these features for the NA/EU release, although gender locking is still part of the experience. Prime World defies gender stereotypes in latest update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Stream Team: Surviving Lord of the Rings Online's skirmishes solo Posted: 01 Nov 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-Play, Livestream, Dungeons, The Stream Team Previously, you've watched as Massively's MJ duoed her way through a few of Lord of the Rings Online's skirmishes. Now the times comes for her to challenge them on her own. Can she cowbell her way to victory? Or maybe you'd rather hear the bagpipes again? Either way, join us live at 9:00 p.m. EDT to see if her solo adventures are successful! Game: Lord of the Rings Online Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Friday, November 1st, 2013 Time: 9:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Surviving Lord of the Rings Online's skirmishes solo The Stream Team: Surviving Lord of the Rings Online's skirmishes solo originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: October 26 - November 1, 2013 Posted: 01 Nov 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous WildStar is not yet into the open testing phase, but it is ready for another round of closed testing starting this winter. If you've already been playing the game in previous testing phases, you'll get to see all of the changes; if you've been invited to the new testing, you'll be able to try the game in a whole new light. And if you're left out... well, it won't be all that different. Meanwhile, other games in testing are strutting their stuff. Aura Kingdom has revealed its last set of classes, Shroud of the Avatar has brought out a new development video, and The Repopulation has also put out another trailer for the viewing public to enjoy. Browser-based Blood and Jade has also opened up its beta testing doors. Oh, and there's a list of games past the break of games that are testing, as always. Let us know if there's something we've missed, from games opening cash shops to changing beta phases. Continue reading Betawatch: October 26 - November 1, 2013 Betawatch: October 26 - November 1, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Trek Online Mac beta starts November 12 Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:30 PM PDT |
| Storyboard: You are what you pretend to be Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous It's the day after Halloween, and that means we all take off our costumes. Or to be more accurate, we all take off the costumes that other people get to see. We're still wearing costumes just the same, except we call them our normal personalities and hope that no one notices. None of this is shocking. We all know that we present ourselves differently to different people. You don't act the same way around your boss that you do around your closest friends, you don't treat strangers like your mother, and so forth. It's part of the human condition: We put on different faces depending on whom we're dealing with at any given moment. Do your characters do the same? They should. Even if they aren't technically human, most alternative options in games still have more or less human thought patterns. So let's talk a little more about putting on a brave face for the outside world and what it says about your character as a whole. Continue reading Storyboard: You are what you pretend to be Storyboard: You are what you pretend to be originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Age of Conan sneaks a peek at some (selectively) stylish crafting Posted: 01 Nov 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Crafting Age of Conan is already unchained according to its subtitle, but players are still restrained in certain ways. You can't just craft an item with your chosen stats and have it look like whatever you want, can you? Of course not! At least, not until the major crafting revision goes live, and the latest game director's letter shows off how players will be able to do exactly that. The letter previews the new crafting interface, which along with ingredients allows players to select a style for the crafted product. New styles are unlocked via completing missions and certain achievements. The system also allows for adding new visuals as endgame drops or from the cash store, giving players more flexible options about how to look. Take a loot at the full letter for more details, as well as discussion about the next major content update and the possibility of porting elements over from The Secret World. Age of Conan sneaks a peek at some (selectively) stylish crafting originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Tamriel Infinium: What you need to know about Daedra in The Elder Scrolls Online Posted: 01 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Lore, New Titles, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online, MMORPG, Tamriel Infinium Who are the scariest monsters in The Elder Scrolls Online? With Halloween being yesterday, it might be appropriate to talk about some of the quintessential spooky monsters found in ESO. The traditional fantasy monsters like dragons and orcs, obviously, found their way into the Elder Scrolls universe, but traditional scary-movie monsters find a home in Tamriel, too. We've seen vampires, and ZeniMax even did a write-up on werewolves. However, I want to talk about devils, or as they are called in ESO, Daedra. You might argue that Daedra aren't devils. They have been compared to Greco-Roman gods and demigods. I'll accept that opinion, but they carry too many demon-like qualities for me to believe some of them aren't at least comparable to those evil creatures, especially when you consider the variety of creatures that fall under the category of demons. Because Daedra are so essential to the world of Elder Scrolls, we should probably know as much about them as we can. Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: What you need to know about Daedra in The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Infinium: What you need to know about Daedra in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Destiny devs on Star Wars influences and the MMO stigma Posted: 01 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Destiny How does Bungie plan to escape the shadow of its own Halo megaverse in the upcoming sci-fi shooter Destiny? By going the Star Wars route, according to a piece at IGN. The dev team even has a name for its genre-melding mashup, and the ingredients include Force-like abilities and gunpowder to go along with the new IP's spaceships and ray guns. "Internally we've started calling it Mythic Science Fiction; a world that's rooted in science fiction but with more fantastical elements than we've ever had before, at least with Halo," said Bungie senior writer Eric Osborne. "So you can have a guy with a cape and a gun that shoots gunpowder but then he can use the power of the Traveller, which is effectively light, to fire flames at his enemy and disintegrate them." So, is Destiny an MMO? Sort of, according to Osborne. "There are certain places where the tag is certainly applicable. We want to bring players together in a shared space while making everyone feel unique. That's certainly the realm of MMOs, as is that social aspect of getting people to meet one another and play with one another and form bonds and lasting relationships," he says. "So there are [MMO] aspects, it's just that out of the gate we wanted to explain that it's an action game from Bungie." Destiny devs on Star Wars influences and the MMO stigma originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Secret World hints at Aegis system with Issue #9 Posted: 01 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, Previews, The Secret World, Post-Apocalyptic, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play With Issue #8 on the way next week for The Secret World, Creative Director Joel Bylos hinted at what lies beyond in his latest game director letter. While the fans have known that the first part of the long-awaited Tokyo zone would be coming with Issue #9, Bylos dropped a small bombshell that a new system will arrive as well. "We will be introducing the new Aegis system," he said, "which will expand the horizontal progression of The Secret World and provide new mechanics that allow us to build consistent horizontal progression mechanics that will keep content fresh, not only in Tokyo, but also for all new areas in the future." Bylos reports that "full production is underway" for Issue #9, including work on missions, characters, motion capture, and voice acting. He said that once it's completed, it will be the single largest content update the MMO has seen to date. [Thanks to Cotic for the tip!] The Secret World hints at Aegis system with Issue #9 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Rumor: Warlords of Draenor trademarked as possible World of Warcraft expansion Posted: 01 Nov 2013 01:45 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, Rumors, Subscription The cat may be out of the bag with the next World of Warcraft expansion, as a few eagle eyes spotted Blizzard applying a trademark for "Warlords of Draenor" today. The trademark covers both computer game software and entertainment service categories, and the website www.warlordsofdraenor.com was registered during this past month. Of course, this is just a trademark and does not constitute confirmation of any expansion, past, present, or future. We'll be sure to find out more when BlizzCon opens next week. Rumor: Warlords of Draenor trademarked as possible World of Warcraft expansion originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Cross-platform play comes to DC Universe Online... on consoles Posted: 01 Nov 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Launches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Consoles, DC Universe Online It's always been just a little frustrating for players of DC Universe Online that you can't always play with your friends. If you play on your computer and your best friend is on her PlayStation 3, well, the two of you just aren't going to be able to team up. But starting with the launch of the game on PlayStation 4, players will be able to experience cross-platform play, assuming the two platforms are the PS3 and the PS4. Creative director Jens Andersen confirmed that all console players will be able to work together on the same servers, thus ensuring that old-school players and new console players will coexist. Andersen also confirmed that while the launch version will not make use of the system's new controller, it's possible that more controller support will be introduced further down the line. This is good news if your friends are on the same platform, although PC users will still have to simply look on with longing. Cross-platform play comes to DC Universe Online... on consoles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Stream Team: Braving Aion's Nightmare Circus Posted: 01 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Free-to-Play, Livestream, Dungeons, The Stream Team The circus is in town, but it isn't all clowns and cotton candy; no, this one is definitely more sinister than that! Massively's MJ teams up with some friends to mount a rescue mission to save the Queen of Dreams in Aion's limited-time instance, the Nightmare Circus. Join us live at 3:00 p.m. and see if they can save the day! Game: Aion Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Friday, November 1st, 2013 Time: 3:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Braving Aion's Nightmare Circus The Stream Team: Braving Aion's Nightmare Circus originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Life is Feudal begins Indiegogo campaign Posted: 01 Nov 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, Crowdfunding Promising to deliver "realistic medieval" MMO, game developers from Russia are seeking crowdfunding to push hardcore sandbox Life is Feudal over the finish line. Bitbox has been working on Life is Feudal for over three years but recently decided that an Indiegogo campaign was needed to further finance the title to the tune of €200,000. "We have reached a point where additional external funding is required for us to complete the development and release our game, and we spent many nights and days weighing our options," the devs wrote on the campaign page. The project page has a good summary of this ambitious title's selling points, including a 441-square-kilometer seamless world, full terraforming, a rich crafting system, a no-target combat system, and the ability to track and hunt wild animals. We recently saw a trailer for Life is Feudal showing some of its potential. The game will be free-to-play with an alpha starting soon after the fundraising campaign if the money is raised. [Thanks to Alessio for the tip!] Life is Feudal begins Indiegogo campaign originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Some Assembly Required: Mark Jacobs on Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter Posted: 01 Nov 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Camelot Unchained Given all the MMO-hopefuls flocking to it, you'd think that Kickstarter is the only way to make a game these days. And in some ways, it is. Indie companies and niche games now have a real chance to see the light of day, whereas previously only the "sure sells" got financial backing. For developers like Mark Jacobs, who as City State Entertainment's CEO spearheads the development of upcoming sandbox Camelot Unchained, Kickstarter is a way to bypass those detached investors and appeal to the gamers themselves. As he told us, "Kickstarter is the perfect platform for an indie developer both to gauge interest in a concept and to receive either all or part of the funding necessary to make the game." Jacobs offered other musings and insights about the role of Kickstarter and updated us on the development of Camelot Unchained in our exclusive interview. Continue reading Some Assembly Required: Mark Jacobs on Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter Some Assembly Required: Mark Jacobs on Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XIV launches Libra Eorzea for Android Posted: 01 Nov 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News Items, Mobile, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV Imagine, for a moment, that you've brought your Android smartphone to a restaurant while your date has brought her iPhone. You both play Final Fantasy XIV, and she suggests you both pull up your character page on the Libra Eorzea app. Yesterday, you would have had to say no, hanging your head in shame before beginning your new life in the dumpster outside the restaurant for some reason. But now, you'd be able to just pull up the app, flash a confident smile, and ruin the date some other way. Yes, Libra Eorzea is now available on Android, offering a searchable database of items, quests, and achievements along with a wealth of knowledge about your character and friends. It's all available for one low payment of absolutely nothing. If you already have the app on an iOS device, it's the exact same thing, but for everyone else it's a chance to enjoy a little on-the-road database functionality. [Thanks to Wolfyseyes for the tip!] Final Fantasy XIV launches Libra Eorzea for Android originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Ten things to love and hate about Path of Exile Posted: 01 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, Path of Exile Grinding Gear Games' Path of Exile officially launched last week after a long open beta. Like so many similar titles trailing in Blizzard's wake, it's a dungeon-crawly pseudo-MMO that skirts the boundary between sinking to "just another Diablo clone" and rising above the genre. Some journalists are praising it as Diablo II's rightful heir, while others are putting it aside in favor of their weatherbeaten copies of Titan Quest, which better satisfy their urge to click-click-click. The reality is usually somewhere in the middle of these extremes, but extremes are fun. So let's examine the top 10 things we love and hate about Path of Exile. Continue reading Ten things to love and hate about Path of Exile Ten things to love and hate about Path of Exile originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The gentlemen of Smashmuck talk champion design Posted: 01 Nov 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, Interviews, Free-to-Play, Humor, MOBA Smashmuck Champions has a pretty diverse roster of characters, and it took a crazy group of mad scientists to assemble such a motley crew. It has everything from a robotic pop diva to an alien riding a velociraptor. Everything from the appearance to the gameplay of each character is fairly wild and unique, and it's clear that the design team goes out of its way to create avatars that are "not just another frost archer." I sat down with the design team for the game, including Kiz Studios art director Allen White, lead designer Ben Rodgers, and lead developer Jacob Schieck. In-between the jokes (these are some funny guys), we had a pretty deep discussion about the wacky designs and what the team looks for when making a character. Continue reading The gentlemen of Smashmuck talk champion design The gentlemen of Smashmuck talk champion design originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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