MMO Updates

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• Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's adventures in babysitting
• Black Gold Online introduces female-only Occultist class
• SOE's John Smedley blames Rhode Island for 38 Studios closure
• Massively Speaking Episode 284: Your opinion is invalid
• Finish off Flappy and the filth in The Secret World's massive raid event
• WildStar previews upcoming adventures
• Prepare to escape from Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2's next content release
• The Daily Grind: When should a game lose the 'beta' defense?
• Not So Massively: Elite's Alpha 2.0, Star Citizen hits $38m, PoE's first expansion, and MOBA news
• The Stream Team: Guild Wars 2 and the almighty errand
• Dungeons and Dragons Online allies with Ed Greenwood to revive Haunted Halls of Eveningstar
• The Stream Team: Braving Inferno Legend
• Chaos Theory: Controversy swirls around The Secret World's new Mystery Boxes
• Pantheon talks 'The Gnome,' 12 days remain on Kickstarter campaign
• The Elder Scrolls Online has been given (very) unofficial Oculus Rift support
• EverQuest Next Landmark shows off the building blocks of the desert

Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's adventures in babysitting Posted: 11 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, PvP, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play I'm having a great time in Guild Wars 2's new Edge of the Mists map. It's rekindled my love of World vs. World. I've spent so much time there that I've gotten pretty good at not accidentally running off ledges (although I've probably just jinxed myself), and my collections of empyreal fragments and badges of honor are steadily growing. Against all odds, I also managed to tear myself away long enough to write this column, which is good because there's a lot to talk about this week: What's so great about this cluster of floating rocks? How is Braham handling his new caretaking responsibilities? Why do people keep referencing the Zerg from Starcraft when they talk about GW2? Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's adventures in babysitting Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's adventures in babysitting originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Black Gold Online introduces female-only Occultist class Posted: 11 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, News Items, Free-to-Play, Steampunk, Black Gold If you prefer to play female avatars in game, Black Gold Online has a new class just for you. Snail Games unveiled the new Occultist class, a female-only support healer and ranged DPS that sports leather armor. With a low resistance to damage, Occultists rely on sapping and stunning their enemies while replenishing the stamina of her group and providing heals. The Occultist joins Black Gold's line up alongside the recently revealed Spellsword class, the Pyromancer, the Assassin, and more. For a chance to check out this class when beta starts, sign up on the official site. [Source: Snail Games press release] Black Gold Online introduces female-only Occultist class originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE's John Smedley blames Rhode Island for 38 Studios closure Posted: 11 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous So who's at fault for the 38 Studios debacle? It's a question that's been thrown around a lot with no clear answers. But John Smedley of Sony Online Entertainment thinks that it's a pretty clear case of Rhode Island getting involved in something it shouldn't have and then backing out at the worst possible time. He stated on Twitter that having seen the game himself, it had potential and it could have been something if it had actually made it to release. Smedley agrees with Governor Lincoln Chaffee that the funding deal was a bad idea and should never have taken place, but once it had taken place, it was in the state's best interest to aid the studio rather than letting it fail. Chaffee's comments and naysaying for the project doomed the chances of the game getting any additional funding, ultimately shuttering the studio altogether. Despite that, Smedley also notes that in the long run it was a bad idea that should never have taken place, and that SOE was approached for funding on the game and declined, which should have been indication enough for Rhode Island not to make the deal. SOE's John Smedley blames Rhode Island for 38 Studios closure originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Massively Speaking Episode 284: Your opinion is invalid Posted: 11 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous Disclaimer: Massively Speaking is both a news show and an opinion show. Objectivity has nothing to do with our viewpoints, snarky remarks, and keen insight into the workings of MMOs. We will demonstrate this as we talk about certain games under NDAs, new studios taking over old franchises, and what 200,000 subscribers means, more or less, in the large scheme of things. Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 284: Your opinion is invalid Massively Speaking Episode 284: Your opinion is invalid originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Finish off Flappy and the filth in The Secret World's massive raid event Posted: 11 Feb 2014 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Events (In-Game), News Items, The Secret World, Dungeons, Buy-to-Play Flappy's time has come! The Secret World fans can now exact some long-overdue payback on the filth-flinging winged nemesis that has been tormenting players throughout The Whispering Tide event. The final phase of the event -- a 40-man raid against Flappy himself -- has now started, and players of all strengths and skill levels can take part in taking this black behemoth down. The instanced raid will open every three hours for 30 minutes, and offers the chance to collect epic raid loot. Once the filth is completely eradicated from Agartha, the portal to Tokyo will open and usher in the long-awaited Issue #9. [Source: Funcom press release] Finish off Flappy and the filth in The Secret World's massive raid event originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WildStar previews upcoming adventures Posted: 11 Feb 2014 06:15 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, WildStar, Dungeons, Subscription, Buy-to-Play It's fortunate for adventurers on Nexus that they won't be alone. And that's not just a matter of their faction; no, they'll have a little help from the Caretaker, a sentient AI left behind by the Eldan. Yes, he may have been waiting just a little while to deal with another sentient life form, but he's certainly not bitter about untold centuries of complete neglect without any word or even so much as a steady stream of information. So when you meet him in WildStar, why not let him take you on an adventure? The latest WildStar teaser is just past the break, and it hints at how adventures will work -- players will be put into a virtual construct wherein they can choose how to proceed, with consequences depending on which choices are made. They're also replayable, allowing groups to go back through and try different choices on the second time around. Click on past the break to let the Caretaker explain it in his own words... but you might want to sit a little further back from your monitor. He's a bit on edge. [Source: Carbine Studios press release] Continue reading WildStar previews upcoming adventures WildStar previews upcoming adventures originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Prepare to escape from Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2's next content release Posted: 11 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Interviews, Patches, Previews, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play For over 250 years, the city of Lion's Arch has been a place for players of Guild Wars 2 and its predecessor to call home. It's iconic enough that the ruins of the original city can still be explored beneath Sanctum Harbor. Unfortunately, one of Scarlet Briar's mysterious probes has been discovered within those ruins -- and if she gets her way, the people of Tyria may not have to wait very long at all to pick through the ruins of the city's current incarnation. On February 18th, Scarlet will bring her armies and all of their horrible weaponry to the city in the Escape from Lion's Arch release. Players will join forces with the Orders of Tyria, the allies they've gained through the living world story, and each other to help innocent citizens evacuate and try to mount a counterattack. ArenaNet's Colin Johanson, Steve Hwang and Steven Waller sat down with Massively to deliver both a new teaser trailer and a grim warning: Nothing lasts forever. Continue reading Prepare to escape from Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2's next content release Prepare to escape from Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2's next content release originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: When should a game lose the 'beta' defense? Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Bugs, Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous There are people who will cry that a game is "just a beta" right up until the day before a launch. There are also people who will proclaim that a game should have been ready for prime time as soon as players were let loose in the playground, even if release is a day away. There appear to be no methods to counteract these two stances. But there is a happy medium somewhere, isn't there? Final Fantasy XIV launched largely clear of bugs despite its brief beta; Cataclysm had a normal beta but still arguably launched in a mid-beta state. Realistically, if a game is suffering from glaring performance issues or enormous bugs when it's a month from launch, these things will not be fixed in time for launch. The few games that have tried to do launch-day patches (such as Champions Online) rarely go over well. But it's hard to know how much work fixing something will take. So when does a game lose the defense of "it's just a beta"? When release is announced? When there's one month remaining? Two? Does it depend on the size of the bug or the issue? 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: When should a game lose the 'beta' defense? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Elite's Alpha 2.0, Star Citizen hits $38m, PoE's first expansion, and MOBA news Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Business Models, Culture, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, Endgame, News Items, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile Elite: Dangerous released the second phase of its alpha testing this week, giving early adopters the chance to smash each other to bits or play co-operative horde-style missions. Star Citizen hit the $38 million crowdfunding mark to unlock a solar system with an interesting oceanic planet where terraforming is banned, and it showcased the talents of its modders in episode 1.2 of The Next Great Starship. Turn-based MOBA Arena of Heroes asked for votes on its Greenlight campaign to help the game secure a free-to-play release on Steam. SMITE revealed the deadly and barely-dressed Greek goddess Nemesis in a new god reveal video. League of Legends made a change its ladder system that allows highly skilled players to actually skip the promotion series matches, and week four of the Legends Championship Series ended with further upsets for European team Fnatic. Blizzard revealed that Diablo III's sales have topped 15 million worldwide on all platforms, putting console sale figures at somewhere below three million units. We also discovered that items dropped before Reaper of Souls will not be enchantable when the expansion hits, and several legendary and set items will be exclusive to Torment mode. And Path of Exile announced that its first mini-expansion will land in March and has promised teasers with more info all this month. Continue reading Not So Massively: Elite's Alpha 2.0, Star Citizen hits $38m, PoE's first expansion, and MOBA news Not So Massively: Elite's Alpha 2.0, Star Citizen hits $38m, PoE's first expansion, and MOBA news originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Guild Wars 2 and the almighty errand Posted: 10 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, The Stream Team, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play Guild Wars 2 takes a slightly different approach to questing than other MMOs, letting you adventure through the game's open world deciding what tasks need doing as they come up. Instead of demanding you talk to an NPC who will then politely ask you to kill 10 rats, Guild Wars 2's dynamic quest system may alert you to a nearby bandit invasion or to a giant spider that could really use some killing. Tonight, Massively's Mike Foster is prepared to wander the mid-level zones of Guild Wars 2 looking for things that need doing and NPCs that need rescuing. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST for the action, and hop over to the Blackgate server if you'd like to play along. Game: Guild Wars 2 Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, February 10th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Guild Wars 2 and the almighty errand The Stream Team: Guild Wars 2 and the almighty errand originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dungeons and Dragons Online allies with Ed Greenwood to revive Haunted Halls of Eveningstar Posted: 10 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Interviews, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Anniversaries Along with the names Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Ed Greenwood is a keystone figure in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. It was from his mind that the Forgotten Realms and Elminster sprang, and it's to his mind that Turbine has turned to make DDO's next update something truly memorable. So to celebrate D&D's 40th anniversary, Turbine and Greenwood have collaborated to bring the players an online version of the classic Haunted Halls of Eveningstar module. Even if you've played Haunted Halls as a pen-and-paper adventurer, you'll be in for a new treat this time around. Turbine's created two versions of the dungeon, one that mimics the original module and an extended version that uses Greenwood's unpublished notes. Plus, for the first time in DDO, Greenwood himself will provide the narration and optional commentary as the module's DM. We sat down with Turbine to take a look at how Update 21: The Legendary Halls is shaping up and what players will be in for when the past of pen-and-paper meets the present of online gaming. Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons Online allies with Ed Greenwood to revive Haunted Halls of Eveningstar Dungeons and Dragons Online allies with Ed Greenwood to revive Haunted Halls of Eveningstar originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Braving Inferno Legend Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Casual, Livestream, The Stream Team Inferno Legend is a new title from ChangYou, the former publisher of Zentia and many other current games. Will this game have the same magic that Zentia did? Beau's about to find out. Join him in the chat room to ask about the game! Game: Inferno Legend Host: Beau Hindman Date: Monday, February 10th, 2014 Time: 4:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Braving Inferno Legend The Stream Team: Braving Inferno Legend originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Controversy swirls around The Secret World's new Mystery Boxes Posted: 10 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play Although neither the most recent recent patch notes nor the January Game Director letter mentions it, something happened in The Secret World recently that might, if you believe the cries of some, portend the beginning of the end for the horror-filled game. What powerful behemoth will be responsible for slaying TSW and grinding it into the ground? No, not the Økokrim; this time, it's the mighty Mystery box. Players logging in since January 30th have been met with a launchpad announcement heralding the introduction of the new Mystery Box to the item store. And while some players are up in arms about the significance of this addition, I'm going to tell you why it's no big deal. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Controversy swirls around The Secret World's new Mystery Boxes Chaos Theory: Controversy swirls around The Secret World's new Mystery Boxes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pantheon talks 'The Gnome,' 12 days remain on Kickstarter campaign Posted: 10 Feb 2014 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Races, Crowdfunding, Subscription, MMORPG, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen Mysterious, diminutive creatures that love magic are standard fare for fantasy MMOs, and Brad McQuaid's Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is no exception. Visionary Realms, which is attempting to raise $800,000 via Kickstarter to develop Pantheon, has posted an update diving deeper into the game's race of tiny "secretive sorcerers." Originating from the world of Aruska, gnomes are creatures whose mastery of magic has made them "one of the more proficient crafters of magical items and allowed them to unlock the arcane potential of even the most mundane of items." According to the lore, Pantheon's gnomes are slightly antisocial creatures with a penchant for hoarding who destroyed their magical troves after a conflict with a tribe of humans. The locations of the new troves are unknown, even to the gnomes left behind. Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen has raised $360,000 of its $800,000 funding goal with 12 days remaining. Gnomes (and halflings) will only be added if Pantheon reaches $2,000,000 in funding, which at this point is starting to look like a serious long shot. Pantheon talks 'The Gnome,' 12 days remain on Kickstarter campaign originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The Gnome

The Elder Scrolls Online has been given (very) unofficial Oculus Rift support Posted: 10 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Culture, News Items, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription If you're looking forward to playing The Elder Scrolls Online but want to really feel that you're in the game, your options are a bit limited. Odds are you don't want someone standing by to hack at your torso with an edged weapon during on-screen combat, for instance. But if you've got an Oculus Rift and want the full VR experience, that might be a bit more doable after all; a fan has hammered together unofficial support for the headset. The video contained past the break shows about five minutes of footage -- nothing novel, but more than enough to get a sense of the game running on the Rift's paired screens. The fan in question is aware that this is breaking the terms of his testing agreement; however, he hopes that this will convince ZeniMax Online to add in native Oculus support before the game goes live. If you want a peek at what it looks like, feel free to check out the video past the break. Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online has been given (very) unofficial Oculus Rift support The Elder Scrolls Online has been given (very) unofficial Oculus Rift support originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Polygon

EverQuest Next Landmark shows off the building blocks of the desert Posted: 10 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Previews, News Items, EverQuest Next, Sandbox EverQuest Next Landmark is all about building things right now. There's going to be more to do in the future, but right now it's all about making your own stuff. So it's helpful to know what you can use to make those things. The latest trailer, past the break, shows off another set of building blocks for the game in the form of desert-based plants, landscapes, and textures. Just like real deserts, it's not just an unbroken sea of sand and rocks -- there are cacti, withered trees, sparse grass, bluffs, valleys, and the like. All the things you could need if you want your own little slice of the game to be a dusty place full of blowing tumbleweeds, in other words. Take a look at the video past the break, and keep your eyes peeled for similar videos in the future. Continue reading EverQuest Next Landmark shows off the building blocks of the desert EverQuest Next Landmark shows off the building blocks of the desert originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube Via: Polygon

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