MMO Updates |
- Star Wars: The Old Republic highlights the strengths of strike fighters
- Bless Online offers first closed beta February 20th
- Dragon's Prophet EU creating player council
- Dev blog offers snapshot of Pathfinder's finances, new screenshots
- The Think Tank: What's your favorite game genre (other than MMOs)?
- Darkfall runs one-week promotion
- A look at WildStar's crafting mechanics
- The Daily Grind: Are you missing out if you skip an MMO launch?
- The Stream Team: SWTOR masters of dread
- Why I Play: Neverwinter
- The Stream Team: Questing in the cold in WildStar
- Choose My Adventure: Through the starting gates of EverQuest
- Transformers Universe now a 'MOTA,' set for summer release
- TUG gets the greenlight on Steam
- RIFT announces Dream Weaver patch date, introduces new Budgie mounts
- MMO Mechanics: Comparing vertical and horizontal progression
- SOE opens 2014 G.I.R.L. scholarship submissions
- Elite: Dangerous moves into multiplayer alpha
- Star Wars: The Old Republic takes you to the gun(ship) show
- EVE: Valkyrie to be co-published by Oculus
- World of Warcraftless: What would the world look like without World of Warcraft?
- Mythic devs form new studio, take over DAoC and Ultima Online
| Star Wars: The Old Republic highlights the strengths of strike fighters Posted: 06 Feb 2014 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Game Mechanics, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Subscription  Oh, right. It can eat other ships alive by blowing past shields and ripping enemy hulls apart. The new development blog highlighting the strike fighter discusses how strike fighters are generally the targets of all the other defensive mechanisms -- sure, a gunship can snipe things, but if it gets caught within weapons range of a strike fighter, it's in big trouble. The strike fighter might not have the speed of the scout or the armor of gunships and bombers, but it's maneuverable, nimble, and built for dogfighting. Check out the full development blog for more details on the lynchpin of the fighter squadrons.
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| Bless Online offers first closed beta February 20th Posted: 06 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items  Continue reading Bless Online offers first closed beta February 20th
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| Dragon's Prophet EU creating player council Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet 
[Source: Infernum Productions press release]
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| Dev blog offers snapshot of Pathfinder's finances, new screenshots Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Pathfinder Online  The blog continues by introducing new devs working on Pathfinder, announcing a new funding feature for those who still want to back but missed the Kickstarters, and offering new screenshots. Check out the images in the gallery below and head to the official site to meet the new staff. [Thanks to Chrysillis for the tip!]
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| The Think Tank: What's your favorite game genre (other than MMOs)? Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank  So many game genres come together to form the MMO genre, so it only makes sense that we like other games too. So I picked the brains of our staff members to see what other types of games they enjoy when they'e not playing the latest MMO. Read along after the jump for their picks. Continue reading The Think Tank: What's your favorite game genre (other than MMOs)?
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| Darkfall runs one-week promotion Posted: 06 Feb 2014 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, PvP, Promotions, Subscription  The subscription PvP MMO is running a February promotion aimed at, well, everyone. Lapsed players will find that Aventurine has reactivated their accounts for a week, new players can pick up the game for 75% off, and current players can pick up a six-month subscription for 45% off. This promotion will go through February 13th. Aventurine also posted a note saying that lapsed accounts three months or older will require a support ticket to dig those characters out of storage. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
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| A look at WildStar's crafting mechanics Posted: 06 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, News Items, WildStar, Crafting, Subscription, Buy-to-Play  The answer to that last one is a pretty firm no. As it happens, there's a lot going on under the hood of WildStar's crafting mechanics, enough to intrigue dedicated crafters of many styles. We had a chance recently to sit down with system designer Phillip Chan to talk in-depth about the game's crafting mechanics and how the team is working to keep crafting relevant through the whole game, from start to finish. The goals were to create crafting mechanics that rewarded players for taking part, gave room for custom creations and specialized crafters, and to make the whole thing feel fun. The net result? Not just clicking a button and going off to make a sandwich. Continue reading A look at WildStar's crafting mechanics
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| The Daily Grind: Are you missing out if you skip an MMO launch? Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription  I'll play it at some point due solely to my fondness for the IP, but as of now I probably won't be paying full price for it at launch. And I'm kinda bummed out by that. What about you, Massively readers? Do you feel like you're missing out if you skip an MMO's launch window?  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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| The Stream Team: SWTOR masters of dread Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Guilds, Endgame, PvE, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Livestream, The Stream Team, MMORPG  Game: Star Wars: The Old Republic Host: Larry Everett Date: Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: SWTOR masters of dread
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| Posted: 05 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Casual, Why I Play, Neverwinter, Player-Generated Content  Neverwinter is one of my favorite themeparks out there. There are quite a few reasons it works so well, many of them obvious. I'd like also to point out some of the reasons Neverwinter might work so well for certain types of players. Continue reading Why I Play: Neverwinter
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| The Stream Team: Questing in the cold in WildStar Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Livestream, WildStar, The Stream Team  Game: WildStar Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Questing in the cold in WildStar
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| Choose My Adventure: Through the starting gates of EverQuest Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, First Impressions, Choose My Adventure  Figuring out where in EQ I was going to go was pretty cut and dried; Firiona Vie was the server winner by a landslide. Either you know me well enough and placed me accordingly, or you're just saying that's an awesome place to be. Of course, it could be both, which is a double bonus. The racial fight was more of a nail-biter. Tier"Dal, Iksar, and Froglok battled it out, but in the end, good won. Well, actually let's not be too hasty tossing that "good" label around: As for classes, only two choices were running pretty much neck in neck, and both were decidedly evil! Ultimately the caster lost and tin can won. So instead of summoning and commanding my own hordes of undead (for which I thank you profusely), I dub myself Sir MJ, the Shadowknight. As much as I have rarely played plate or tank classes, I do appreciate this; necromancy is definitely not a favorite pastime of mine. Add in your final decision to start me off in my racial lands and we are all set to go. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Through the starting gates of EverQuest
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| Transformers Universe now a 'MOTA,' set for summer release Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Transformers Universe  The last we heard about Jagex's development of Transformers Universe was in July of 2013 when it was announced that 13 employees had been laid off from the game's development team. Today, however, Jagex CEO and CTO Mark Gerhard announced some big news regarding the would-be Transformers MMO. Specifically, he announced that... it's not exactly an MMO anymore. Transformers Universe is now being called a "massively online, tactical action game, or MOTA," and Gerhard states that it offers "fast-paced, battle centric, tactical action with a selection of game modes for core gamers, casual gamers, and Transformers enthusiasts alike." All the nitty-gritty gameplay details can be found in the official post, but Gerhard specifically addresses the studio's long radio silence, stating that "from today onwards [fans] can expect regular updates, and soon all start participating first-hand" in the game's ongoing development. He mentions that the studio is "100% set to launch Transformers Universe this summer" and that they will be progressively inviting registered players into the game's beta testing. To get all the full details on this new "MOTA" or to sign up for beta, head over to the Transformers Universe official site.
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| TUG gets the greenlight on Steam Posted: 05 Feb 2014 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, Sandbox  Fans voted that TUG should be offered on Steam's digital distribution platform and apparently Valve agreed. Of course, TUG had some help getting there: The creators had offered supporters several types of virtual goodies if they helped TUG pass the greenlight threshold. TUG is still in early alpha with an eye to release sometime next year. Steam said that it will work with the studio to offer the title as a release on the platform.
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| RIFT announces Dream Weaver patch date, introduces new Budgie mounts Posted: 05 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT  Telarans anxiously awaiting the next RIFT update won't have to wait much longer because Trion Worlds has announced that patch 2.6, Dream Weaver, will go live on February 12th. The update brings with it a slew of new features, perhaps the most notable of which is an entirely new crafting class: the titular Dream Weaver. The Dream Weaver tradeskill allows players to craft keys for 15 new dimensions and create a number of lighting and particle effects that can be used to add a little pizzaz to your dimension. The update will also kick off a new Air Saga storyline that takes players back in time to relive the story of Crucia, the dragon goddess of air, and will see the addition of the new bounty system, new combat pet skins, and unstable artifact sets. But if you just can't wait one week to get your RIFT fix, perhaps you could pass the time trying to acquire an adorable new mount, the Frosty Budgie. Until February 11th, players can compete in daily Budgie races in Silverwood (for Guardians), Freemarch (for Defiant), Pelladane, and Cape Jule. Completing all three races will earn an achievement and a Budgie Trove, which has a chance to contain the rare Frosty Budgie. Players can also complete new daily quests in the aforementioned zones to earn bird seed, which can be used to purchase the new Ashen Budgie mount. For players who absolutely must have these new mounts can purchase additional bird seed and Budgie Troves via the in-game cash shop.
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| MMO Mechanics: Comparing vertical and horizontal progression Posted: 05 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Game Mechanics, PvP, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, EverQuest Next, Sandbox, MMORPG, MMO Mechanics  The relative merits of these two diverging approaches to progression are commonly debated by modern MMO players. Many players wish to see a blended hybrid approach to progression that emphasises the horizontal, multi-faceted growth of their characters over rattling through yet another gear tier. Despite this, players still favour a goal-oriented attainment system and perhaps progressive gear that doesn't require a long run on the grinding treadmill. This balance can be very hard to achieve, so titles such as Guild Wars 2 have taken some knocks on the path towards perfect horizontal and vertical progression balance. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I will look at what is meant by both vertical and horizontal progression, how they are mechanically implemented in MMOs, and what each type of progression means for the playerbase. Continue reading MMO Mechanics: Comparing vertical and horizontal progression
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| SOE opens 2014 G.I.R.L. scholarship submissions Posted: 05 Feb 2014 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Contests, Culture, MMO Industry, Miscellaneous  To apply, you'll need to be enrolled in an undergraduate program that has something to do with video games, have a 3.00 GPA or higher, be 18 or older, and be a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or District of Columbia. The application includes concept artwork, captions, and an essay. Interested participants need to submit their application by March 19th. We interviewed the 2013 winner, Esther Wu, last October about her experience with the competition, which is worth a read if you're interested in participating.
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| Elite: Dangerous moves into multiplayer alpha Posted: 05 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Patches, Elite: Dangerous  With Alpha Phase 2.0, Elite: Dangerous players can try out four multiplayer scenarios, including free-for-all, two-team melee, co-op defense, and an advanced pirates and bounty hunters mode with "fluid choices and roles." Players who engage in these scenarios can earn credits for better ship loadouts. But don't just read about Alpha Phase 2.0 here; watch the dev video with all of the stunning highlights after the break! [Thanks to Peteris for the tip!] Continue reading Elite: Dangerous moves into multiplayer alpha
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic takes you to the gun(ship) show Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Subscription  Gunships all possess a Railgun of some kind, characterized as a long-range sniping weapon with an emphasis on charge time and careful aim. They also feature engines that allow pilots to close distance with a target quickly and others that allow gunships to dart away whilst crippling enemy thrusters. Take a look at the development blog for more details, and if you missed it yesterday, check out the the trailer for Galactic Starfighter just past the cut. Continue reading Star Wars: The Old Republic takes you to the gun(ship) show
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| EVE: Valkyrie to be co-published by Oculus Posted: 05 Feb 2014 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items  The net result is that Valkyrie will be an exclusive launch title for the Oculus Rift, making it one of the first AAA titles developed specifically for the device. Oculus is also reaching out to other development studios interested in potentially introducing more titles designed with the VR experience in mind. While there are still no firm details regarding launch dates for the title, expect to see more information about it as the headset moves toward completion.
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| World of Warcraftless: What would the world look like without World of Warcraft? Posted: 05 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, MMO Industry, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Anniversaries  So it's kind of natural that we'd start asking if we'd all be better off without it. You live with the same title dominating the industry for a decade, so it's only natural to think about what it'd be like if it weren't there. Personally, I think that's a kind of loaded question that also overlooks a far niftier option. Asking whether we'd be better off first requires one to figure out what the world would look like without World of Warcraft, and for my money that's much more interesting. So let's look at just that. What sort of scenarios might have unfolded if World of Warcraft had never come to pass at all? Continue reading World of Warcraftless: What would the world look like without World of Warcraft?
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| Mythic devs form new studio, take over DAoC and Ultima Online Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, MMO Industry, Ultima Online  Today Mythic announced that 14 members of its team, including co-founder Rob Denton, have left to form Broadsword in order to take over daily operations and development of Mythic's two remaining MMOs. Broadsword will continue to work with EA for the games' billing and account services. The new studio said that it will be releasing more information about plans for UO and DAoC shortly.
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