MMO Updates |
- Flameseeker Chronicles: Living on the Edge (of the Mists) in Guild Wars 2
- Age of Conan's January Director letter talks PvP gear, daily quests, and crafting system
- Georgeson on Landmark's crafting specializations, NDA, and roadmap
- World of Tanks rolls onto Xbox 360 February 12th
- Massively Speaking Episode 283: NDAmark
- Guild Wars 2's Edge of the Mists content release goes live today
- Hyperspace Beacon: The official launch of SWTOR's second expansion
- The Daily Grind: How soon do you think a game should lift its testing NDA?
- Not So Massively: Star Citizen design contest, Dota 2's New Bloom, and LoL tournament controversy
- The Stream Team: Rising from the ashes in Dota 2
- Georgeson on the state of Landmark's alpha
- Captain's Log: Stepping between stars in Star Trek Online
- The Stream Team: Finding adventure in Guild Wars 2
- SOE outlines upcoming content plan for EverQuest II
- Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen unveils the Rogue class
- SWTOR lays out 2014 roadmap including two digital expansions
- The Stream Team: Get a glimpse of EQN Landmark's alpha
- Dungeons and Dragons Online announces 2014 player council
- The Secret World's Game Director letter heralds open raid of final phase of Whispering Tide
- Chaos Theory: Twelve things to do once you've beaten The Secret World
| Flameseeker Chronicles: Living on the Edge (of the Mists) in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, PvP, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play  I do enjoy World vs. World, both in spite of and because I am terrible at traditional team-based PvP activities -- unless you count some special event minigames, which I am inexplicably OK at. On the whole, ArenaNet has done a pretty good job in GW2 at giving someone who has no business trying to poke fancy cutlery at other players avenues through which to do it anyway without bringing the whole structure crashing down. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Living on the Edge (of the Mists) in Guild Wars 2
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| Age of Conan's January Director letter talks PvP gear, daily quests, and crafting system Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Crafting  PvP armor will be receiving the same re-balancing treatment that PvP weapons recently got, giving newly level-80 players a fighting chance to land some good blows and dish out damage in PvP. As an update on the long-awaited crafting revamp, the letter notes that all existing items can be broken down into salvaged components for upcoming crafting recipes. And finally, new daily location quests will give players a reason (and rewards) for traveling across Hyboria each day and visiting different locations.
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| Georgeson on Landmark's crafting specializations, NDA, and roadmap Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, New Titles, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Crafting  Although currently busy with a slew of EQN Landmark work (if you doubt that, follow him on Twitter), Georgeson sat down with me to talk a bit about the game's alpha and the plans moving forward, revealing some promising tidbits about incoming crafting specializations, fast travel options, landownership, and the upcoming alpha roadmap. He also expounded on the world's shortest NDA. Continue reading Georgeson on Landmark's crafting specializations, NDA, and roadmap
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| World of Tanks rolls onto Xbox 360 February 12th Posted: 04 Feb 2014 06:45 AM PST Filed under: Historical, Launches, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Consoles, World of Tanks, MOBA  [Source: Wargaming press release]
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| Massively Speaking Episode 283: NDAmark Posted: 04 Feb 2014 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous  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 283: NDAmark
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| Guild Wars 2's Edge of the Mists content release goes live today Posted: 04 Feb 2014 06:05 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play  Edge of the Mists is a dedicated overflow map that will allow GW2 players to jump right in to playing WvW while queuing up for the bigger battle on the Eternal Battlegrounds and Borderlands maps. This release also features an overhaul of the WvW UI to make it more informative and streamlined.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: The official launch of SWTOR's second expansion Posted: 04 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Events (In-Game), Expansions, Interviews, Launches, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, MMORPG  It's not often that the Hyperspace Beacon coincides with the launch of a SWTOR update let alone the official launch of an expansion. This week, I intend to give you all the juicy details of the new type of starfighter, the new Starfighter PvP maps, and the brand-new flashpoint. I also had a moment to ask a few of questions of Producer Blaine Christine and GSF Lead Designer Michael Backus. But first, let me show you a few screenshots from the new content below and a launch trailer after the break. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The official launch of SWTOR's second expansion
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| The Daily Grind: How soon do you think a game should lift its testing NDA? Posted: 04 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  On the one hand, lifting the NDA earlier implies a great deal of confidence in the game being developed. It's hard to look at a long-running NDA and think that the company behind the game is sure people will like the game on release. But on the other hand, letting people talk freely about a game can lead to no mysteries left on release, which might drive some people away and lead to overload for others. What do you think? How soon should a game lift its testing NDA?  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!
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| Not So Massively: Star Citizen design contest, Dota 2's New Bloom, and LoL tournament controversy Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Business Models, Events (In-Game), Expansions, Game Mechanics, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile  The League of Legends Championship Series is off to a great start with Gambit breaking Fnatic's undefeated winning streak in the EU circuit. On the smaller end of the competitive scene, Razer has come under fire for allegedly unfairly disqualifying a team in its own $1,000 tournament. Dota 2's New Bloom update has introduced a hilarious new game mode that lets players trade skills with each other and added a clever new feature that lets players jump into recorded games and take control of them. Third-person MOBA SMITE introduced its first limited edition skin and has pledged to add $5 from each purchase to the prize pool of its upcoming launch tournament. Turn-based MOBA Arena of Heroes hit version 1.44 this week and got its official release on iPhone and Linux. Diablo III showed off the contents of its Reaper of Souls expansion collector's edition box, and a new Path of Exile video shows content update 1.0.6's awesome new summoning spells in action.
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| The Stream Team: Rising from the ashes in Dota 2 Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Patches, PvP, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, MOBA, The Stream Team  Game: Dota 2 Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, February 3rd, 2014 Time: 7:30 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Rising from the ashes in Dota 2
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| Georgeson on the state of Landmark's alpha Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:25 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Sandbox  Finally, Georgeson announced on Twitter that Landmark will only support 64-bit operating systems going forward. He explains why in the aforementioned forum post. "To prevent our voxel database from crashing under load, we are converting it to 64-bit processes. That will make our DB very stable, and we can then ensure that any other issues no longer have this variable in the discussion so we can narrow down any other 'voxel loss' issues quickly," he said.
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| Captain's Log: Stepping between stars in Star Trek Online Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (In-Game), Patches, PvE, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Captain's Log, Anniversaries  I was able to ride out the network issues long enough to play the most recent mission, which highlights the voice talents of actor Tim Russ as he reprises his role of Tuvok from Star Trek: Voyager. There are a lot of spoilers ahead; you've been warned! But I won't make any mention of the specific story choices that can be made during the mission. I want to leave some things a surprise. Continue reading Captain's Log: Stepping between stars in Star Trek Online
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| The Stream Team: Finding adventure in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 03 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, The Stream Team, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play  Game: Guild Wars 2 Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, February 3rd, 2014 Time: 6:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Finding adventure in Guild Wars 2
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| SOE outlines upcoming content plan for EverQuest II Posted: 03 Feb 2014 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, MMORPG  Future content for EverQuest II will now work like this: Feature refinements, short adventures, holiday events, and other small content will launch every week. Every month, a bigger addition will be made, such as an overhaul an existing dungeon, the addition of a series of quests, or the creation of a new world event. All other resources will be invested into developing full expansions for the game, which are still slotted for annual releases. Georgeson promises that SOE is locked into the new schedule, saying, "Yes, we mean it. We're going to work hard to make it happen regularly and dependably."
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| Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen unveils the Rogue class Posted: 03 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, New Titles, News Items, Crowdfunding, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen  Everyone knows that it's not truly a fantasy MMORPG without a stealth class, and Brad McQuaid's brainchild Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is no exception. In a post on the game's Kickstarter page today, the devs revealed that the latest class to join Pantheon's roster is the Rogue, everyone's favorite dagger-wielding, backstabbing shadowstepper. In Pantheon, Rogues will fill the roles of DPS and debuffer and notably will have the ability to disarm traps or even "alter the trigger so they fire on enemies only." In addition, Rogues looking for a bit more focus can specialize as an Assassin or a Planestalker. The Assassin is exactly what it sounds like: stab things, poison things, and generally make things more dead. Planestalkers, on the other hand, are described as Rogues "that have exposed themselves to the planar energies emanating from Terminus." The post notes that by doing so, they have "given up much oftheir influence on the physical plain," but in exchange, they can see and sever a creature's "magical connections," which can cause "ill effects" such as lowering a target's damage or hampering its spellcasting, so it would seem that they tend toward the debuffer end of the spectrum. If you want the full details on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen and its latest class, just head on over to the game's official Kickstarter page.
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| SWTOR lays out 2014 roadmap including two digital expansions Posted: 03 Feb 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic  "Expect to see two digital expansions in 2014 just like you did last year," Maclean said, "with one similar to Galactic Starfighter in scope and one more closely resembling Rise of the Hutt Cartel." Maclean also gave out a few specific dates for the near future. Tomorrow, February 4th, Galactic Starfighter will open up to the free-to-play crowd with additional content for all. Game Update 2.7 is scheduled for April 8th and includes two new flashpoints, a nightmare mode Dread Fortress operation, a Quesh Huttball warzone, and an additional space battle zone. Then on June 10th Game Update 2.8 will arrive with a nightmare mode Dread Palace operation and more ships for the Galactic Starfighter battles. One thing to note is that the team will be moving to a nine-week cycle between major content releases to allow for more minor patches and bug fixes.
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| The Stream Team: Get a glimpse of EQN Landmark's alpha Posted: 03 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Livestream, The Stream Team  Game: EverQuest Next Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Monday, February 3rd, 2014 Time: 4:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Get a glimpse of EQN Landmark's alpha
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| Dungeons and Dragons Online announces 2014 player council Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Free-to-Play  The player council members are listed by forum handles and will serve the studio and the community by providing feedback and testing for DDO throughout the year. According to Turbine, the council is representative of "a wide diversity of players and playstyles" and is under an NDA while serving. DDO also posted a FAQ about the player council and its NDA for those with more questions.
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| The Secret World's Game Director letter heralds open raid of final phase of Whispering Tide Posted: 03 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, The Secret World, Dev Diaries, Dungeons, Buy-to-Play  This last step in clearing the way to Tokyo will involve open 40-man raid instances that are available for 30 minutes every three hours. Any player can simply walk into the lair; when that lair is full, a new instance will open. However, the first group to defeat Flappy during each round will receive a reward bag as well as bonus silvers and fragments. Additionally, the reward bags might contain raid-level items.
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| Chaos Theory: Twelve things to do once you've beaten The Secret World Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, Endgame, Opinion, The Secret World, Guides, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play  Months ago I "beat" the game as I see it, having finished all of the missions and main storyline. That left me feeling off-kilter because I didn't know what to do next. I still am feeling less focused than I had been while leveling because the core of TSW to me is the excellent missions and the stories tied to these zones, and I simply wanted more of them. Even with the generally excellent issues from 2013, I'm still endlessly pining for Tokyo, and if that doesn't get here in February, then I'm going to start developing long-distance telepathic powers to make it get done. So I've been chewing on what to do now. It's not as though TSW lacks options; it's just that they're either quite different from the game that I've played up to this point; they're repetitive or group-dependent or require some self-motivation to go after them. I made a list to help focus my future efforts and thought I'd share that with you today. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Twelve things to do once you've beaten The Secret World
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