MMO Updates

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• This screenshot really makes me want to play Darkfall
• World of Warcraft starts previewing Garrisons
• Norrathian Notebook: So you aren't Landmark's greatest builder
• Here's part three of that Guns of Icarus post-mortem
• Lineage II classic server detailed
• Star Citizen's Arena Commander delayed
• The Daily Grind: Do you make small-talk while grinding?
• The Stream Team: Ambling through ArcheAge's Automaton Factory
• World of Speed's new trailer blends game, reality
• Black Gold opens up preorders
• Infinite Crisis shows off Atrocitus
• Leaderboard: Will you PvP in WildStar?
• EVE Online warns supercarrier pilots of impending changes
• Armored Warfare accepting applications for closed beta testing
• Bethesda's Hines on ESO console delay
• Why do games prompt cruel behavior?
• Guild Wars 2 starts Season 2 of the Living World on July 1st
• WildStar releases its server list

This screenshot really makes me want to play Darkfall Posted: 29 May 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Darkfall, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Sandbox, Subscription Have you ever felt that way about a screenshot? It's kinda annoying, really. I don't have time for another game right now, and I don't have the energy to seek out a guild and make new friends (both of which are basically required in the sort of FFA PvP environment that Darkfall offers). So, yeah. I guess I'm just going to sit here and look longingly at that dude's spyglass and think about the good ol' Darkfall days. Oh, and Aventurine's put out its latest newsletter, if you want to give that a read-through. And there's a custom roles video after the break. Continue reading This screenshot really makes me want to play Darkfall This screenshot really makes me want to play Darkfall originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Newsletter

World of Warcraft starts previewing Garrisons Posted: 29 May 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, Game Mechanics, News Items, Housing, Subscription Garrisons are one of the big defining features for World of Warcraft's next expansion, but we haven't heard a whole lot about them. That's all changing with the start of a new four-part series explaining how the system works and how players can unlock and improve their Garrison, starting with the absolute basics. The first part is available now, outlining the overall scope of the fortifications and what players will be able to do with them. The short version is that Garrisons will be centrally located for both the Horde and Alliance, but you'll have access to satellite locations in each of the various zones through the expansion. You'll also have choices about which buildings to construct as you move through Draenor, which will affect both the central location and the satellite region -- building a Lumber Mill, for instance, will mean unlocking one back at your main Garrison as well as offering unique buffs while in the zone with the Mill. Check out all the details in the official posting. World of Warcraft starts previewing Garrisons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Garrison Preview, Part 1

Norrathian Notebook: So you aren't Landmark's greatest builder Posted: 29 May 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Player-Generated Content, Norrathian Notebook, Landmark The walls are lumpy. The stairs are crooked. You couldn't make a statue of a blob if your virtual life depended on it, and everyone comments on your creative Koi pond that's actually a fireplace. So you aren't Landmark's greatest builder. Join the club! Despite how it may appear at times (especially when you see majestic jaw-dropping creations plastered all over Twitter and featured in livestream tours), there really are a number of us. So who cares if you can't build a voxel replica of the Taj Mahal with the Bronx Zoo on the side? Well, you do if your perceived lack of skills is keeping you from enjoying the game! It can be hard when you see such amazing builds springing up around you; it's easy to get discouraged if you are one of the skill-impaired. I already know of players who have lost hope and even some of their interest in the game because they feel their skills are not quite adequate. But I'm here to tell you that you -- yes, you -- are indeed a valuable member of Landmark's community and we need you. So for those without any leet building skills, here are some tips for avoiding creative frustration and ways to more fully enjoy the game. Continue reading Norrathian Notebook: So you aren't Landmark's greatest builder Norrathian Notebook: So you aren't Landmark's greatest builder originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here's part three of that Guns of Icarus post-mortem Posted: 29 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Dev Diaries, Crowdfunding, Steampunk Did you miss part one of Muse CEO Howard Tsao's ongoing post-mortem for Guns of Icarus? How about part two? All caught up now? Good, because Gamasutra has published part three. In the latest installment, Tsao shares lessons learned from two successful Kickstarters. "We realized that Kickstarter was amazing, and it would fundamentally change the relationship between developers and fans/players, but we couldn't have predicted how soon and how spectacularly," he writes. Here's part three of that Guns of Icarus post-mortem originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Lineage II classic server detailed Posted: 29 May 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lineage 2, Culture Lineage II will be opening a classic server to appease those players who miss the original version of the popular MMO. This classic server will be a hybrid of C1 and C2, offering everything from the old inventory system to the old party system to the old skill system, and more. The open beta for this classic server is going on now for Korean players and will end on June 3. After beta, the classic server will be pay-to-play. Lineage II classic server detailed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMOcast

Star Citizen's Arena Commander delayed Posted: 29 May 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Bugs, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play Despite the best efforts of a dev team that's been working around the clock for the past two weeks, Cloud Imperium has decided to delay today's planned Arena Commander release for Star Citizen. CIG's Chris Roberts offers a lengthy explanation on Star Citizen's official website, complete with a list of critical bugs soon to be squashed. It would be foolish to release an unstable build, even if pre-alpha for the sake of meeting an internal deadline. This is the power of the crowdfunding that made Star Citizen possible: a publisher would make us ship tomorrow regardless of the current build quality... but as you are all focused on quality rather than a financial return for shareholders we are able to take a few more days to deliver something that is stable. I know that's not the news you wanted to hear tonight. No-one would like to see the community get their hands on Arena Commander more than I would. This is what can happen with an open development process, especially when we are sharing code and content long before one normally would in traditional development. [Thanks Kommissar K!] Star Citizen's Arena Commander delayed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Official site

The Daily Grind: Do you make small-talk while grinding? Posted: 29 May 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind I've stomped my share of shrews in this week's Lord of the Rings Online Spring Festival, and while I'm content to semi-AFK my way through a token grind to get a couple of the spiffier rewards, it strikes me as odd to see a dozen players doing the same activity in close proximity and basically ignoring one another. Sure, there's that one guy who's always spamming the emote with the most over-the-top animation in the game, but apart from that, this might as well be a slice from a single-player RPG. So, how about it Massively readers? Do make small-talk in situations like this, or do you just go about your business? 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: Do you make small-talk while grinding? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Ambling through ArcheAge's Automaton Factory Posted: 28 May 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Livestream, ArcheAge, The Stream Team Things are heating up in ArcheAge for Massively's MJ. She's finally moved into unfamiliar territory and is facing foes that are giving her a run for her money. With her affinity for fire, you'd have thought she'd find kindred spirits in Flamehawk Canyon; instead, she was met only with spark beaks and piercing talons. Perhaps things will get better as she heads to the Automaton Factory. Rumor has it there's also a mine nearby to explore. Join us live at 8:00 p.m. and watch her latest adventure unfold. Game: ArcheAge Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, May 28th, 2014 Time: 8:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Ambling through ArcheAge's Automaton Factory The Stream Team: Ambling through ArcheAge's Automaton Factory originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Speed's new trailer blends game, reality Posted: 28 May 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Real-Life, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Races Racing MMOs haven't proven very popular, at least with Massively's audience. But you know what? I don't care! I like racing MMOs! So here's another one that I'm going to blog about. It's called World of Speed and it's being built by Slightly Mad Studios. There's a new video, too, that shows off the game's McLaren 12C setting the streets of Moscow on fire. Slightly Mad has even spliced in some real-world footage of the same track in order to showcase the game's visual fidelity and accurate layouts. Have a look for yourself after the break! Continue reading World of Speed's new trailer blends game, reality World of Speed's new trailer blends game, reality originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube Via: ZAM

Black Gold opens up preorders Posted: 28 May 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business Models, News Items, Free-to-Play, Steampunk, Black Gold Black Gold Online is launching as a free-to-play game, but there's no reason you should let that simple fact stop you from pre-ordering it! Admittedly, it's not so much the game you're ordering but a retail box that also comes with a variety of goodies contained therein, but still. Pre-orders are now open, letting you plop down $20 to unlock a variety of perks in the game when it goes live this summer. The pre-order package includes a special horse, special clothing, high-end crafting ingredients, and around $20 of in-game currency, which would serve to offset the cost of the boxed edition quite nicely. Aforementioned boxed copies will be shipping alongside the game's full launch this summer. If this is right up your alley, the game's official pre-order page will direct you to the retailers offering this deal; you can also check out the full press release just past the break. Continue reading Black Gold opens up preorders Black Gold opens up preorders originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Pre-Order Page

Infinite Crisis shows off Atrocitus Posted: 28 May 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, Infinite Crisis The Red Lanterns are a pretty mad bunch. That's not to say that they're crazy, that's to say that they are collectively very angry and in fact use that anger to fuel their power rings. (Along with blood.) So it should come as no surprise that the upcoming Infinite Crisis character Atrocitus is himself quite angry, being the leader of the Red Lantern Corps and a font of raging destruction. When he goes live on June 11th, players will have a chance to take his angry antics into the arena. Right off the bat, Atrocitus is different -- he has no Will meter, instead using Rage to fuel him. Rage is gained by dealing or taking damage, with his skills being free and turning into a more powerful version once the Rage meter is half-full. Those skills include an attack buff, a taunt for drones, a pull and taunt for other heroes, and a cone debuff and DoT as an ultimate. Check out the big guy in action in the video past the cut. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release] Continue reading Infinite Crisis shows off Atrocitus Infinite Crisis shows off Atrocitus originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Leaderboard: Will you PvP in WildStar? Posted: 28 May 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, Opinion, WildStar, Leaderboard, Subscription WildStar's latest trailer is one of those our-game-has-everything teasers, and so of course there's a bit about PvP buried in there somewhere. I'm warming to the game, and I'm also considering PvP more than I usually do in MMOs, since the clip claims that you can level up that way as opposed to the usual themepark quest grind. What about you, Leaderboard readers? Assuming you're playing WildStar, will you be PvPing at all? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: Will you PvP in WildStar? Leaderboard: Will you PvP in WildStar? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online warns supercarrier pilots of impending changes Posted: 28 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Patches, News Items, Sandbox, Subscription On June 3rd, EVE Online is rolling out its latest expansion, and that means changes are coming for everyone. This includes some pretty substantial changes to supercarriers, such as the doubling of all Fighter Bomber drones. Depending on how full your drone bays might be, that could mean you suddenly have more units in your drone bays than you have actual space to fit them. A quick post on the official site notifies players that in the event their drone bays become overfilled, all of their drones will be moved to the cargo bay, where they could leave a ship overloaded and unable to jump until cargo is jettisoned or destroyed. Players are advised to take care of the space in their supercarriers now, before the expansion launches, rather than scrambling to find places to put all of the drones once the update actually happens. You can also check out the original blog outlining the overall supercarrier changes if you missed it the first time around. EVE Online warns supercarrier pilots of impending changes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Supercarrier changes coming in Kronos

Armored Warfare accepting applications for closed beta testing Posted: 28 May 2014 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, Trailers, Video, Free-to-Play, MOBA Guys, Armored Warfare is totally not a World of Tanks clone. Guys? Guys? C'mon, don't give me that look. It's not! Well, maybe it is a little bit. The question is, then, will it be better or worse than its competition? Armored Warfare is a "tanktical" (their words, not ours) shooter that features all sorts of heavy combat vehicles. One key difference between it and World of Tanks is that Armored Warfare's lineup is more current, ranging from the 1950s to present-era tanks and other armored trucks. Obsidian Entertainment is pushing Armored Warfare hard these days in preparation for its E3 showing. The title has begun to accept closed beta applications and has put out a new trailer that you can check after the break. Continue reading Armored Warfare accepting applications for closed beta testing Armored Warfare accepting applications for closed beta testing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Bethesda's Hines on ESO console delay Posted: 28 May 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Consoles, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription Bethesda VP of PR Pete Hines spoke to CVG recently, and while the thrust of the interview focused on the company's interests outside of MMORPGs, there were some tidbits relating to The Elder Scrolls Online's console delay. It's a closed system. It's not just an ESO thing -- they have rules and regulations that govern all games, if you're going to do something it has to work a certain way. It doesn't matter the way that we want to do it -- it has to fit their requirements. I'll give you an easy example; payments. When we do stuff on PC, we manage it ourselves, it goes through our store, we manage the whole thing. When it goes through somebody else, that someone is doing all of that; taking your money, charging your PayPal, and then transferring that information to us. This is just inherently a different process than the one that we have, where it's our store and we just have to make sure our system works. It's the same thing on PSN -- you have to just make sure that all of that stuff communicates. When you start adding up the pile of things and everything that we learned from launch, it was clear that we needed to take the time to do this right, because it has massive ramifications if it doesn't work right for the consumer experience. Bethesda's Hines on ESO console delay originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: CVG Via: GI.biz

Why do games prompt cruel behavior? Posted: 28 May 2014 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, News Items, Opinion, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, Sandbox Games like DayZ and Rust have become a whole genre unto themselves: open-world survival sandboxes that quickly turn into simulations of human cruelty. But why is that, exactly? Why do people in a sandbox devote so much of their energy to tearing one another down with such vigor? A recent article on Wired asks exactly that question, exploring these open-world games and why they tend to provoke such abject cruelty in their participants. The piece comes to no hard and fast conclusions, speaking both from personal experiences and from interviews with other players. One player speculates that the core of it is that these games give you nothing but tools, so players invent their own fun by using other players as content. Another possible explanation is the very nature of catharsis, envisioning dark behaviors whilst knowing that you would never carry them out in the real world. Take a look at the full article if you'd like a deeper look at why players spend so much time in games where anything goes by clubbing others with rocks. Why do games prompt cruel behavior? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Wired

Guild Wars 2 starts Season 2 of the Living World on July 1st Posted: 28 May 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Previews, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play It's happening, all right. Season 2 is coming to Guild Wars 2 starting July 1st, meaning that we've got a month of what will no doubt be teasers, hints, and taunts. That image above is a teaser. If you stare deeply enough, you may be able to uncover its mysteries. For within its depths lie... well... who knows? No, seriously, we don't know either. It could be anything. Speculation has already begun, but that first image is all we have to go on for certain right now, and that means... what? Take a gander at a larger version of the image just past the break and start your speculation engines. Or just wait a month if that's your speed. Continue reading Guild Wars 2 starts Season 2 of the Living World on July 1st Guild Wars 2 starts Season 2 of the Living World on July 1st originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WildStar releases its server list Posted: 28 May 2014 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Launches, Previews, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play Head start for WildStar starts on Saturday, but where will you be creating your character? How can you know without a server list? You can't. So it's a good thing that the official server list has been released for both US and EU servers. A grand total of 22 servers will be available, with equal numbers for both regions and at least one PvE, RP-PvE, and PvP server for each. US PvE servers are Avatus, Caretaker, Mikros, Thunderfoot, Orias, and Stormtalon. PvP players in the US can choose between Widow, Pago, and Pergo, while roleplayers will be on Evinora. There's also an Oceanic PvE server available, Myrcalus. Meanwhile, English-speaking players in Europe will choose between Ascendancy and Eko for PvE, with Hazak for PvP and Lightspire for RP. German players get Ikthia and Kazor for PvE, Progentior for PvP, and Toria for RP. Last but not least, French players have three servers: Stormfather (PvE), Treespeaker (PvP), and Triton (RP-PvE). So you can start making your plans about where you want to go; the servers are all right here. WildStar releases its server list originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2014 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Twitter

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