MMO Updates

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• The Road to Mordor: When storm clouds gather...
• Elder Scrolls Online lifts its NDA for everyone
• WRUP: Adopt a train edition
• The Daily Grind: Would you buy a spinoff game based on an MMO?
• MMObility: Line of Defense Tactics is a fun start for an IP
• Betawatch: February 8 - 14, 2014
• Camelot Unchained meets Depths stretch goal, Giant race next
• The Stream Team: Heading to EVE Online's EVE gate
• Storyboard: Skipping scenes
• New Darkfall patch features Chaos Primalist, village requisition
• Rhode Island Governor signs 38 Studios settlement bill
• Path of Exile previews its first mini-expansion, Sacrifice of the Vaal
• Trion's Elizabeth Tobey departs
• EverQuest Next Landmark lays out development roadmap
• Guild Wars 2 phasing out Glory on March 18th
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Fitting into the genre or forging its own?
• The Trove Diaries: Exploring the wild, wild... peaceful forest?
• Massively's Valentine's Day roundup

The Road to Mordor: When storm clouds gather... Posted: 15 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor When I think about the news swirling around Lord of the Rings Online lately, I feel a bit like Sam and Frodo getting their first glimpse of Mordor and Mount Doom. It's hard to think of cheer and happiniess when the view is full of heavy clouds and ash. I have several positive articles that I'd rather be penning this week, but I think it would be a mistake to avoid the questions and feelings that all LotRO players are experiencing right now, including me. It may not be the journey that I'd like to be taking, but it's the one that's needed right now. So let's sit down together, fill our tankards, and mull over just what's going on with our Middle-earth. Maybe in the talking and in the company we will find the solace and comfort that we need. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: When storm clouds gather... The Road to Mordor: When storm clouds gather... originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Feb 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elder Scrolls Online lifts its NDA for everyone Posted: 15 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG The press had its turn to spout off about The Elder Scrolls Online these last couple of weeks, but now it's your turn: ZeniMax has lifted the NDA for the ESO beta. Now you don't have to just take our word about state of the game; you can hear the opinions of our commenters and the other thousands of players who have been playing the highly anticipated MMO during the past few beta weekends. Unfortunately, there isn't a beta event this weekend for fresh impressions. However, if you have played ESO in a former beta, we want your thoughts. Was the game everything you want an Elder Scrolls MMORPG to be? Was it absolutely nothing special? Or was there still merit to the game once you've passed level 10? Maybe PvP turned your opinion of the game around, or maybe it didn't. Let's hear it! Elder Scrolls Online lifts its NDA for everyone originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Feb 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ESO NDA lift

WRUP: Adopt a train edition Posted: 15 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous You. Yes, you, reading this right now. Have you adopted a train? Are you going to go give your money to a train to make sure that it's taken care of? You selfish monster. There are trains across our great nation that aren't able to afford so much as a single roof-mounted machine gun and accounting calculator, but you're sitting and reading on your solid gold computer about them. You make me sick. Adopt a train. Give the trains all of your money. We have no other hope against the car uprising, people. What's that? Oh, yes, it's time for WRUP, in which there are no trains, just the Massively staffers talking about their plans for the weekend or something. You can say what you'll be up to over the weekend down in the comments, but I really hope your plans involve a whole lot of adopting a train. Bring it into your home and make it a nest. Continue reading WRUP: Adopt a train edition WRUP: Adopt a train edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Would you buy a spinoff game based on an MMO? Posted: 15 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous It's not really fair to call Hearthstone purely a spinoff of World of Warcraft, since World of Warcraft itself is a spinoff of the original RTS games, but it's close enough for consideration. Nor is it the only game to have an odd sort of related spinoff game; City of Heroes had some HeroClix figures, Star Wars Galaxies had a card game, Final Fantasy XI has had characters show up in a number of crossover video games and card games, and so forth. For some people, the whole point of playing an MMO is that you aren't playing a board game or a card game or whatever else the spinoff focuses upon. But there's also a certain appeal in playing with characters and locations you recognize from the online game you play extensively. So would you buy a spinoff game based off an MMO? Have you done so in the past? If so, what sort of game would you want to play? 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: Would you buy a spinoff game based on an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Feb 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMObility: Line of Defense Tactics is a fun start for an IP Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Video, Game Mechanics, New Titles, Previews, Opinion, MMOFPS, MMORTS, MMObility, Buy-to-Play Line of Defense is an upcoming MMOFPS created by 3000AD. It looks like an interesting twist on the shooter genre, complete with large battles and vehicles to control. It offers only a beta sign-up right now, so if you are interested in diving into the LoD universe, you can download the newly released Line of Defense Tactics standalone game. It's not an MMO, but it still introduces players to the IP. If you're a fan of real-time turn-based combat and challenging gameplay, you might want to give it a go on your portable device or PC. I downloaded a version of Tactics from Steam and tried it on my Android tablet as well. Both experiences felt pretty much the same, and my game save synced between both devices easily. Today I am going to cover the mobile version mostly, but it should be noted that the PC version looks and acts pretty much identically. Continue reading MMObility: Line of Defense Tactics is a fun start for an IP MMObility: Line of Defense Tactics is a fun start for an IP originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Betawatch: February 8 - 14, 2014 Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Is Final Fantasy XIV seriously back in beta again? Yes, but this time it's a beta on the PlayStation 4, all in an effort to ensure that the client works right on the new console before the official port. The first phase of testing starts on February 22nd. Elsewhere in the beta world, Icarus Online Flying is entering open testing in Korea during the first half of this year, although whether or not the game will make it over here eventually remains to be seen. Mark Jacobs has also promised that Camelot Unchained will not be delayed due to the addition of any stretch goals, so that just limits potential causes for delays to everything else that usually delays MMO launches. Our usual list of games along with our testing notes are just past the break. As always, if a game added a cash shop, moved to open testing, or otherwise crept under our radar, please let us know down in the comments. Continue reading Betawatch: February 8 - 14, 2014 Betawatch: February 8 - 14, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Camelot Unchained meets Depths stretch goal, Giant race next Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Crowdfunding, Camelot Unchained, Subscription Camelot Unchained has met another of its stretch funding goals, which means that The Depths are now confirmed for the forthcoming fantasy RvR title. CU's website has updated with the next stretch goal, which is "the giant races of Camelot." "Giants will be used as both player races and as inhabitants of The Depths," says the update. "Each giant race will be unique to their Realm (no mirrors used here either). While the concept of giants isn't new, it wouldn't be Camelot Unchained if we didn't do things just a wee bit differently." Details as to what "differently" means are pretty scarce at this point, but keep on eye on this space for more Camelot Unchained news as it happens. [Thanks Guinness!] Camelot Unchained meets Depths stretch goal, Giant race next originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: CU update

The Stream Team: Heading to EVE Online's EVE gate Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, EVE Online, PvE, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Subscription, MMORPG According to the lore that powers EVE Online's universe, civilization in New Eden exists only thanks to the EVE gate. The gate, which was actually just a massive wormhole, allowed explorers, adventurers, and folks looking for a new life (or a new fortune) to leave their home worlds and venture deep into the outer reaches of space. Unfortunately for citizens of New Eden, the EVE gate eventually collapsed, leaving those citizens cut off from their home worlds and stuck fighting over whatever resources could be found in New Eden's sparse star systems. Tonight, Massively's Mike Foster is taking the somewhat dangerous route from EVE's market hub out to the site of the EVE gate. The pilgrimage is one completed by many EVE players wishing to see where the game's story began. Check it out live at 7:00 p.m. EST. Game: EVE Online Host: Mike Foster Date: Friday, February 14th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Heading to EVE Online's EVE gate The Stream Team: Heading to EVE Online's EVE gate originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Storyboard: Skipping scenes Posted: 14 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous There are certain bits of roleplaying that I like to think of as mechanical. They're there, they're necessary, but they're not terribly interesting. They're like random battles in Bravely Default: kind of neat the first time, altogether forgettable all subsequent times, and never blessed with an abundance of fascinating stuff. You need to get through them, but you can't really look forward to them any more than you can look forward to the most routine-filled parts of your day. So the best bet is to say they happened without acting them out. Yes, I'm saying there are bits of roleplaying that are best acted out only in reference. And I'm not just talking about your characters' bathroom visits; I'm talking about things like dates and shared experiences. So when is it actually an advantage to roleplay by not actually roleplaying at all? How do you determine the scenes that you know happened and are important but aren't important enough for you to actually play them out? Continue reading Storyboard: Skipping scenes Storyboard: Skipping scenes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Darkfall patch features Chaos Primalist, village requisition Posted: 14 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Sandbox, Subscription Today's Darkfall patch is a significant one since it brings major changes via village requisitioning and the new Chaos Primalist school. Chaos Primalists "specialize in disrupting, relocating, and general face-melting," according to Aventurine's patch notes. You can read up on the school's ability descriptions on the official Darkfall website. While you're there, you might also want to look through the forum thread that explains the new requisition mechanics in more detail. New Darkfall patch features Chaos Primalist, village requisition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Feb. 14 patch

Rhode Island Governor signs 38 Studios settlement bill Posted: 14 Feb 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: MMO Industry, Legal, Miscellaneous Following successful votes in the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives, a bill designed to help settle the 38 Studios fiasco was signed into law by Governor Lincoln Chafee yesterday. Lawmakers hope that the bill will encourage settlements by shielding defendants from further litigation. Involved parties say that this bill will pave the way to recover as much as possible of the $90 million that Rhode Island is responsible for paying following the defaulted loan to 38 Studios. Rhode Island Governor signs 38 Studios settlement bill originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Boston.com Via: Game Politics

Path of Exile previews its first mini-expansion, Sacrifice of the Vaal Posted: 14 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Path of Exile The first mini-expansion for Path of Exile is coming out on March 5th, and it's meant to be a big one. This isn't supposed to just improve and expand the core game but to set the pace for the game's upcoming update structure and future expansions. So today is serving as the first preview of the update, teasing the lore behind Sacrifice of the Vaal as well as outlining the future reveals. Players will be set against Queen Atziri and the Vaal corruption she has spread throughout the land, as they try to harvest these malicious powers for their own ultimate ends. It's also hinted that players may have to sacrifice before the expansion is over if they want to put down this threat. The development team is hoping that Sacrifice of the Vaal will be the start of a four-month update schedule for the game, so players should keep their eyes peeled -- more reveals are coming before the March 5th launch date. Path of Exile previews its first mini-expansion, Sacrifice of the Vaal originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Sacrifice of the Vaal preview

Trion's Elizabeth Tobey departs Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:30 PM PST Filed under: MMO Industry, RIFT, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, Defiance Trion Worlds Director of Global Communications Elizabeth Tobey announced today that she's leaving the studio to work for Smule. She also firmly squashed any speculation that her departure signaled that Trion is conducting layoffs: "Firmly no to downsizing; in fact, I've been working with our amazing team for quite a while to get some great people on deck for you." Tobey chronicled her history with RIFT and Defiance on her personal blog. "Trion's taught me a ton," she wrote. "I learned what it meant to run an MMO community (which, in comparison, makes anything I'd ever done before look like child's play). I also not only launched RIFT's first expansion but also helped it transition into (in my completely unbiased opinion) the best free-to-play MMO on the market." She also testified to the addictiveness of ArcheAge: "ArcheAge, you are going to blow people's minds. I could write an entire swan song on the awesomeness of raising livestock, charting the open seas, and hijacking my fellow coworkers as they try to complete trade routes, but I want everyone to experience that for themselves. Trust me, it's better than any blog post." [Thanks to Sanguinesun for the tip!] Trion's Elizabeth Tobey departs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: A goodbye of sorts, Dahanese.com

EverQuest Next Landmark lays out development roadmap Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Dev Diaries, Sandbox EverQuest Next Landmark Director of Development Dave Georgeson has posted a roadmap for the title's next few months last night, divvying up the upcoming features into three phases that are independent of alpha and beta labels. In the first phase that's coming in "the next few weeks," SOE will be adding in player ratings for claims, key mapping, voice chat, groups and grouping bonuses, social media integration, quick travel options, better building tools, underground caves, claim expansions, required upkeep for claims, and an improved chat system that includes links for map waypoints. Phase two will happen about four weeks later, with guilds, SOEmote, naming freedom, mini-hubs, health, dying, basic combat, buffs, plant harvesting, water, a tree harvesting revamp, a journal system, achivements, salvage, treasure chests, claim storage, and more movement options including flying. SOE was a little more vague about the third phase, saying that it will include PvP, advanced combat, more physics, and better AI. [Thanks to Michael18 for the tip!] EverQuest Next Landmark lays out development roadmap originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EQNext Landmark roadmap

Guild Wars 2 phasing out Glory on March 18th Posted: 14 Feb 2014 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play In just about a month, there will be no more glory in Guild Wars 2 PvP. We don't mean that you will no longer have the chance for glorious battles; we mean that the currency will no longer be awarded as of March 18th. Chests will be removed as well, and bonus rank points will be rolled into end-of-match rewards where relevant. So if you want some more Glory to spend, you'd better start earning it now. For players who do have a lot of Glory stocked up, the vendor introduced on December 10th will remain in-game for a bit after Glory is discontinued. That vendor will remain in place until the new reward system is implemented, and new rank rewards will also be released when Glory gets banished to the land of wind and ghosts. No word yet on exactly when players can expect new reward systems to be implemented. Guild Wars 2 phasing out Glory on March 18th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Phasing Out PvP Glory

The Elder Scrolls Online: Fitting into the genre or forging its own? Posted: 14 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions, Events (Massively's Coverage), Crafting, The Elder Scrolls Online It's been about nine months since I first got my hands on The Elder Scrolls Online. Since then, like many of you, I've been trapped on the sidelines, watching and waiting for my turn to jump into the game. This past weekend, I got my chance, but I've found my experience to be distressingly similar to those described by other journalists. Like Massively's Eliot before me, my early foundation was in console gaming, but my reason for avoiding The Elder Scrolls series was very different from his: The Elder Scrolls has always been a single-player series, and after having my world opened by MMOs, I found that going back to single-player games has become difficult. I need people! I need multiplayer options! I need MMOs. Enter The Elder Scrolls Online and my excitement for it. I knew a lot of the series' famed freeform gameplay would be cut back in exchange for letting me play alongside my friends, but that was something that I, as a series newbie, was willing to sacrifice. But while my overall impression of the game was positive, I still have this lurking sensation that something important was missing. Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online: Fitting into the genre or forging its own? The Elder Scrolls Online: Fitting into the genre or forging its own? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Trove Diaries: Exploring the wild, wild... peaceful forest? Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Kids, Trove, Trove Diaries In a recent Trove patch, the team added in a new chest at the central world hub for players to toss in gear to share with others. A community chest. Other than making me think about Monopoly for a minute, it gave me one of those brief, warm feelings that this game tends to do on a regular basis. It's a small thing but a good thing. Trove has a lot of that. So welcome to the Trove Diaries, a chronicle of my sporadic adventures through this developing quirky title from Trion Worlds! Let me bring you up to speed: Trove was a side project at Trion that got the internal greenlight to be developed into a full-fledged MMO. However, the team's taken a cue from recent crowdfunding projects by offering fans the opportunity to buy into the game and see first-hand how it's being developed on a daily basis. Trove is a strange combination of building and destroying that bucks the typical MMO trend while creating something that it light, breezy, and quite frankly fun. Continue reading The Trove Diaries: Exploring the wild, wild... peaceful forest? The Trove Diaries: Exploring the wild, wild... peaceful forest? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's Valentine's Day roundup Posted: 14 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, Promotions, Miscellaneous When a mob hits your eye with a big sharpened spike... that's not really amore! In fact, it's downright painful. But it's February -- a time when love is in the air, hearts are aflutter everywhere, and pink and red festoon your favorite MMOs. So in the spirit of the season, go ahead and give that mob an extra-hard love tap, right from... er, to the heart! And don't forget to collect whatever treasures it had for you because we all know Valentine's Day isn't all about the love; no, it's about the loot! Want to know where to get your hands on something special for this holiday? There are plenty of celebrations throughout the MMOverse offering a plethora of events and goodies. Check out some of the various Valentine's events and specials going on now. Continue reading Massively's Valentine's Day roundup Massively's Valentine's Day roundup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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