| The Game Archaeologist: Classic MMOs in July Posted: 20 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Anarchy Online, Asheron's Call, Dark Age of Camelot, EverQuest, MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, News Items, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, RuneScape, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous It's been over a month since our last round-up of news, events, and community features covering the classic MMOs we know and love. You wouldn't think that a lazy summer month would contain a lot of new information regarding these older titles, but these past few weeks have been absolutely hopping. We've had several anniversaries, patches, player celebrations, mobile adaptations, and more. I'm constantly encouraged to see how players keep the memories of deceased games and the spirit of currently running ones alive throughout the blogging community as well, so we'll look into that today too. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Classic MMOs in July  The Game Archaeologist: Classic MMOs in July originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: Temporarily content edition Posted: 20 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous At the beginning of the year, we talked to you about what we were going to do with WRUP, which consisted of several things you didn't ask for and very few of the things you actually wanted. Now that we've had half of a year to provide you with a rotating schedule of absurd nonsense that doesn't connect with anything else or tie into a larger theme, we've decided that we're tired of your being upset about that. Starting now, we're undergoing a course correction. What does that entail? Well, it means that we'll be providing more topical WRUP headers instead of the usual strings of incoherent nonsense. But don't worry; we'll still have plenty of incoherent nonsense available. So you can feel like there's an impact on a dynamic string of nonsense syllables, as we said we would do back in the beginning of the year. We're still committed to bringing you a weekly update on what the Massively staff is playing, though. Check that out past the break. Continue reading WRUP: Temporarily content edition WRUP: Temporarily content edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What do you do when you're out of content for a game? Posted: 20 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Endgame, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous I've subscribed to Star Wars: The Old Republic since launch, but right at this moment I'm running a little low on things to do. I've got almost every class story completed; my high-level characters have explored all the content I care about. There are still a few more things here and there, but the newest patch can't come soon enough. And that raises the question of what you do when you just don't have as much to do any longer. Some people switch to exclusively roleplaying. Some people farm. Some people log in to chat with guildmates, and some just don't log in any more at all. What about you? What do you do when you're out of content for a game? Do you want to explore all the content first, or do you just explore the bits that interest you and then decide you've seen enough? And when that happens, does it mean it's time for a break or time for you to leave?  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: What do you do when you're out of content for a game? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: July 13 - 19, 2013 Posted: 19 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous What a long and strange road it's been, End of Nations. At first you were an MMORTS; then you lost your staff and sat in limbo. Then you were rebranded as a MOBA and went back into testing, and then... well, I guess that's the end, actually. So not such a long road after all. But still a bit strange. The road to Dragon's Prophet is not nearly as strange, with the game recently getting a big drop of additional beta content. Ultima Forever has had to delay its US release for more testing, which doesn't qualify as strange either, although it is somewhat inconvenient. Last but not least, Eternal Saga moved into open beta, which is actively the opposite of strange. It's what you do. While this week didn't have the beta shakeups of last week, we've still got a nice long list of games in testing just past the break. As always, if something sneaked into a different sort of testing (or launch) without our noticing, feel free to mention it in the comments. Continue reading Betawatch: July 13 - 19, 2013 Betawatch: July 13 - 19, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMObility: RuneScape, HTML5, and plenty of bacon Posted: 19 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Culture, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-Play, Browser, Livestream, MMObility, Sandbox, Subscription RuneScape, as always, is moving forward with killer new content and additions to the game. I was so excited this week to get a chance to play through the Bringing Home the Bacon questline and scout out the open beta of the HTML5 version. I was initially eager to see just how much better the HTML5 version looked and played, but I didn't want to dive in until any issues had been worked out. Boy, does it impress. Sure, it might not seem like much to someone who is used to the graphics from games like Guild Wars 2, but this browser game that is over a decade old looks great not only for a browser game but for any type of game. It's still a bit of an acquired taste, but once you try it, you'll be smitten. I also had fun playing through the bacon-flavored quest line that is featured this month. I'll tell you about both... how's that? Continue reading MMObility: RuneScape, HTML5, and plenty of bacon MMObility: RuneScape, HTML5, and plenty of bacon originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Trion Worlds: End of Nations 'not drastically changed' Posted: 19 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Interviews, MMO Industry, War, MMORTS, MOBA The rebranding and reworking of End of Nations from an MMORTS to a MOBA was cause for concern to some players who are worried that Trion Worlds has taken a hatchet to the grand concept of the game. Executive Producer Scot Lane says that the move is for the best, as the change doesn't present a radical shift in focus. "The game hasn't changed as much as it sounds like," Lane said in an interview with RTS Guru. "We've made the game more hero-focused, and the biggest change would be tactical leveling. The addition of tactical leveling opens up lots of different strategies throughout a battle. Combat is very similar but faster, and we've made a lot of changes to the UI. We don't feel we drastically changed the game at its core[;] we brought what we felt were the best parts up to the surface and removed some stuff that wasn't working." Lane also explained why the team took out elite companies, the importance behind mods, and the increased importance of hero units. Trion Worlds: End of Nations 'not drastically changed' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Stick and Rudder Extra: Chris Roberts on Star Citizen's persistent world PvE, PvP, and more Posted: 19 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Stick and Rudder, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play At first glance, Star Citizen is a game about internet spaceships. Extremely high-poly pardon-me-while-I-pick-my-jaw-up-off-the-floor internet spaceships, but internet spaceships nonetheless. If you look deeper, though, you'll see a sim that aims to be just as immersive outside the cockpit as in, thanks in no small part to a diverse set of gameplay options wrapped around a dense player-driven economy. Creator Chris Roberts says this was the plan from the beginning. Actually, it was the plan as far back as 1999, when Roberts first spoke publicly about Freelancer and his grand ideas for a persistent universe title. Fast forward 14 years and Roberts sits in the captain's chair at Cloud Imperium, presiding over a small army of talented gamemakers and a ravenous horde of fans who've made Star Citizen the most successful crowdfunding project in history. Will the finished game live up to lofty expectations? I recently interviewed Roberts in an attempt to find out. Join us after the cut as we talk PvE vs. PvP, the passage of in-game time, and much more. Continue reading Stick and Rudder Extra: Chris Roberts on Star Citizen's persistent world PvE, PvP, and more Stick and Rudder Extra: Chris Roberts on Star Citizen's persistent world PvE, PvP, and more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Online on sale for $5 on Steam Posted: 19 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, News Items, Promotions, Subscription If there's one thing that EVE Online teaches you, it's that you've got to put a lot of thought into where your money is going. (If there's a second thing, it's that people are awful. Third thing is that you can take a nap during space battles.) Perhaps you've taken that lesson to heart and decided not to spend money on the game, but Steam is once again tempting everyone by selling the game at a mere $5 today. Not enough? You can also purchase a subscription plan at a discount in addition to the game, saving yourself money and getting in on the dynamic action of tabulating spreadsheets. The deal will be active today and tomorrow, so feel free to give it some thought, but make your decision soon before the discount is gone forever. (Or at least until the next summer sale.) EVE Online on sale for $5 on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WildStar reveals its final two races, the Chua and the Mordesh Posted: 19 Jul 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Previews, News Items, Races, WildStar Everyone has a dirty little secret -- maybe not something he'd be ashamed to admit in public but something he doesn't necessarily want to talk about freely. That's definitely the case for WildStar's Exile and Dominion factions, both of which consist of four races... of which we've seen three. Until today. Revealed today at SDCC are the last two races in the game: the Chua that round out the Dominion and the Mordesh that round out the Exiles. Even at a glance you can see why the last two races are a bit less likely to be discussed by the other races. The Chua don't have that certain sense of decorum the Dominion likes to account itself with, and the Mordesh don't have... well, a pulse. So let's learn a little more about both of these races between the official reveals on the WildStar website and the introduction trailer just past the break. We've also got some charming details from Carbine Studios about these two dirty little secrets. Continue reading WildStar reveals its final two races, the Chua and the Mordesh WildStar reveals its final two races, the Chua and the Mordesh originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| RIFT kicks off Summerfest on July 25th Posted: 19 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT It's getting hot out there. Like, really hot. Hot enough to melt plastic, even. But as long as you've got air conditioning in your house, why not stay inside and get in the spirit of summer fun with RIFT's Summerfest? It's all the fun of relaxing in the sun without the heat, risk of sunstroke, or potential for melanoma! (Please note that without air conditioning your computer will heat up your room until you burst into flames, probably.) This year, Summerfest starts on Thursday, July 25th, and brings with it a whole host of new achievements. It's also probably going to contain other treats aside from the normal seasonal events; statements from community managers imply that this year will finally see the inclusion of swimsuits, quite possibly in the cash shop. Even if you're not the sort to enjoy summer fun, you can still enjoy the event when it goes to the live servers late next week. RIFT kicks off Summerfest on July 25th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Tamriel Infinium: Phasing The Elder Scrolls Online Posted: 19 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, New Titles, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online, MMORPG, Tamriel Infinium Today, I want to talk about a mechanic introduced most popularly in World of Warcraft's expansion Wrath of the Lich King. Don't look at me like that. I didn't actually play WoW... I just heard about this second hand. I will call this MMO storytelling mechanic "phasing." The Elder Scrolls Online developers call it layering. But whatever you want to call it, we know ESO will employ this mechanic to allow for story progression and player choice within the game. Let's say you and your friend are in the open world (or maybe an instanced dungeon), and he is further along in the quest than you. At the beginning of the quest, the quest giver is alive, and by the end of questline the quest giver is dead. With phasing technology, you and your friend could be standing next to each other in the virtual world. You see him, and he sees you. But he sees a dead quest giver while you see a living one. Your computer is not broken; you are witnessing phasing. So how does this affect storytelling and the overall feel of the game itself? Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Phasing The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Infinium: Phasing The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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