| The Mog Log: Winging right along Posted: 16 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, The Mog Log Out of every expansion that Final Fantasy XI has sported, Wings of the Goddess feels the most incidental to me in some ways. Not that it was bad or unimportant or anything of the sort, just that it wasn't quite like the other expansions in the game's history. Part of that is because of the fact that it was released at a time when I was taking an extended break from Final Fantasy XI, but part of that is because it's probably the least ambitious of all the game's expansions. Rise of the Zilaart was unambitious, but for most gamers in North America, it wasn't really a distinct expansion so much as another part of the core game. Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urhgan were both ambitious, with the former probably being the least successful of the lot and the latter probably standing out as the "best" expansion. That leaves WotG in the unenviable position of being the mediocre expansion, just good enough to beat out the nadir but not nearly good enough to reach the game's apex. Continue reading The Mog Log: Winging right along  The Mog Log: Winging right along originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: Let's talk about privilege edition Posted: 16 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Miscellaneous In movies, you frequently hear about people expecting to get their one phone call. This is a myth. Phone calls are a privilege, and they work like absolutely everything else -- if you prove that you can't behave yourself, you get that privilege taken away. The same goes for posting on forums, playing MMOs, or even getting to sit down and order a meal in Denny's. If you show the people in charge that you aren't able to handle the basic levels of responsibility required, then you lose the right to do any of the above. Okay, you probably could never reach a point where Denny's wouldn't let you sit down and order, but it's possible in theory. Anyway, now that our random opener is over, let's just move straight into WRUP without pretending that I have a segue. This week, we're talking about the same thing as every other week -- what we'll be playing over the weekend. We also discuss what challenges we've added to games we play. So head on past the cut to see what we'll be up to, and let us know your plans in the comments! Continue reading WRUP: Let's talk about privilege edition WRUP: Let's talk about privilege edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Would you play a game for kids? Posted: 16 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Kids, Family Most MMOs released in the US get a Teen label slapped on the front of the box, and for good reason. MMOs generally aim at players heading in to college or older, with a certain degree of assumed maturity in the setting and language used. But that's by no means the only target age group -- games such as Wizard101, Free Realms, and Clone Wars Adventures all target a much younger age bracket, aiming squarely at the pre-teen crowd while still offering a solid play experience. For some players, of course, playing in a brightly-colored world can feel like a step backwards. For other players, the idea of enjoying a simple light-hearted romp is to be celebrated, which is why there's no shortage of adult players in Wizard101. Or perhaps you want a game that you can play with your child, and you don't feel comfortable exposing your youngster to the environment of a game like RIFT. So today we ask -- would you be willing to play a game aimed at children?  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 play a game for kids? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: July 15-21, 2011 Posted: 15 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking. Quite a few games bid farewell to beta status this week. Gamania announced the commercial launch of Lucent Heart, Uncharted Waters Online celebrated launch with player contests, and Black Prophecy launched just two days ago. Nadirim is gearing up for launch as well: Closed beta has ended and the game's home page has a launch date of July 26th. Finally, Luvinia Online entered closed beta on the 11th. Need a key? We've got you covered! Head on past the cut for the full list of this week's betas! Continue reading Betawatch: July 15-21, 2011 Betawatch: July 15-21, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XIV opening up the Grand Companies Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV They've been previewed on the main page, they've been hinted at in quest texts, but the Grand Companies of Final Fantasy XIV haven't been seen in the game -- at least, not until now. Along with all of the mechanical shifts, patch 1.18 is also bringing the long-awaited organizations into play, offering players new opportunities for adventure and advancement. A new official preview has placed the process for joining the Companies and adventuring with them in the spotlight, giving a clearer picture of what can be expected from the upcoming patch. As previously noted, there will be a company in each of the three city-states, but players are not required to join the company corresponding to their home state. Rather, characters past rank 22 will be presented with a mission, and success will give the opportunity to join the company. There will also be a new part of the UI added to track a character's standing with the Company of choice. The full preview should help get Final Fantasy XIV players excited for the patch, due to release late next week. Final Fantasy XIV opening up the Grand Companies originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Darkfall dev update beats around the free-to-play bush Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Business models, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items It's Friday and that usually means an update of some sort from the folks at Aventurine. True to form, Tasos Flambouras has checked in with his weekly Darkfall blog post. This time around we're treated to a round of Q&A with a couple of Aventurine devs, and reader-submitted questions are the order of the day. The discussion meanders from Darkfall 2.0's crafting changes, which are described as " a complete overhaul," to mechanical concerns like AoE melee damage as well as surges and fizzles. Flambouras also drops an interesting comment regarding Darkfall free-to-play rumors. " We also read around the internet about Darkfall going free-to-play. Rumor has it that if you start a sentence with 'rumor has it' you can say pretty much anything you want. Not true," he writes. Whether the "not true" was a reference to Darkfall's alleged F2P conversion or a reference to the latter portion of the sentence isn't completely clear, and we'll be interested to hear a definitive answer as it relates to business models. Darkfall dev update beats around the free-to-play bush originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArenaNet's Daniel Dociu wins award for digital art Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play Guild Wars 2 has had a distinctive art style ever since it was first announced, helping to solidify the game's image in the minds of fans. A big part of that has naturally been the vision of Daniel Dociu, art director for ArenaNet and overseer of the visuals for the project. So it should come as no surprise that Dociu has been awarded the Grand Master Award for Exposé 9, Ballistic Publishing's digital art annual for 2011. Both Dociu and concept artist Kekai Kotaki were featured in the pages, with both praised for their expressive and immersive artwork for the game. It might be a surprise to the readers of the magazine, but it's no surprise to the players who have been enjoying the work of these talented figures for years. Congratulations are in order for the award, one well-deserved considering the visual treat that Guild Wars 2 promises to provide. ArenaNet's Daniel Dociu wins award for digital art originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| 4Story Defenders of Broa update goes live Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play Zemi Interactive's free-to-play MMORPG 4Story has undergone a bevy of new updates today. The changes include some modifications to its Broa Warriors system -- which now allows the Warriors to support the more greatly populated nation rather than just the least populated one -- and the new Gemstone imbue system which allows players to add an extra attribute to their weapons and armor. In addition to this, the 4Story GMs have taken note of player feedback and have moved the upcoming Aerial War day from Wednesday to Saturday in order to better accommodate their players. For more information on the updates and the Aerial War, head on over to the official site. 4Story Defenders of Broa update goes live originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Road to Mordor: For want of a horseshoe, my sanity was lost Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, Humor, The Road to Mordor So a while back I was at an art fair with some friends when I commented on how much I liked a strange piece and one of the guys with me said, "Justin, you know what? You're kind of esoteric, ain't ya?" I agreed wholeheartedly and then rushed home to look up " esoteric" in the dictionary. And yeah, it sort of fit. Sometimes I get obsessed with small details that get shrugged off by others, a habit which extends into my MMO playing career. So you'll forgive me if today's post is a little more esoteric than usual, because this topic is honestly driving me up the wall. I think many of you already know what I'm talking about from the column title up there. Today, we're going to talk about a horseshoe. A very interesting, very confounding, very obtuse horseshoe. It may even be the biggest smallest mystery that Lord of the Rings Online has to offer. I haven't stopped obsessing over it since I first found out about it. So it's better for me to exorcise my demons here than keeping them bottled up inside. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: For want of a horseshoe, my sanity was lost The Road to Mordor: For want of a horseshoe, my sanity was lost originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Perpetuum dev blog talks player influx, bug fixing, and new features Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Perpetuum, Dev Diaries Avatar Creations has come up with a new Perpetuum dev blog, and it looks like the little sandbox that could has turned a bit of a corner when it comes to server stability and accommodating its expanding community. Avatar's Dev Calvin explains how the team had to allocate most of its resources to dealing with an influx of EVE Online refugees. The scramble was a successful one, but " the development plan for the first two weeks [of July] was ruined," he writes. Going forward, Perpetuum players will be seeing the long-awaited storyline PvE missions in short order, as well as tweaks to beta outposts and a large helping of what Avatar calls " industrialist love." Calvin does point out that new features will be taking something of a backseat to bug fixes, though, so a little patience is in order. " The influx of players brought light to a lot of glitches, imbalances and dysfunctional mechanisms in the game, so instead of rushing forward and pushing out new features in the next few weeks, we are taking a step back and making everything that is available in the game better," he said. Perpetuum dev blog talks player influx, bug fixing, and new features originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SWTOR Studio Insider dives into opening cinematics Posted: 15 Jul 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dev Diaries About once every four weeks, BioWare gives us a backstage look at what it takes to put together the monumental MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. These articles are simply called Studio Insider. This week, Senior Video Editor Brian Arndt tells us all about putting together the unique cinematics every player will see the first time he or she logs into SWTOR. Typically, the job of video editor ends for MMOs when the trailers are produced or all the PR work is done. In TOR, it's a little bit different. This editing team actually worked on the introduction to each class in the game. Arndt explains on the official site, " Developing the text crawls and intro scenes for each of the classes was a blast for us. We so often create videos and trailers to show off all the awesome work our colleagues have developed in the game, so it was very cool for us to use those same skills to contribute something to the in-game experience as well." After the cut we have the first part of the opening crawl to the Sith Warrior class as well as a mini-progression video of the Smuggler class intro. After you view those, visit the official Studio Insider for Arndt's complete article as well as fan questions answered by Senior Audio Artist Scott Morton. Continue reading SWTOR Studio Insider dives into opening cinematics SWTOR Studio Insider dives into opening cinematics originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| One Shots: Stand back, I'll handle this... as long as it's not too messy Posted: 15 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots, RIFT Today's One Shots image is of a character from RIFT's defiant side, and she looks like one you want to think twice before tangling with: "This is my Rogue, Wonder, posing in front of a Life Rift in Perspice. I would say it's right before she conquered said Life Rift, but she didn't want to get her new tunic dirty, so she sat that one out." We've taken a look at all of your accessories over the past few weeks on One Shots: weapons, armor, mounts, and pets. But now it's time to turn the spotlight on the star of the show. We want to see you -- well, your character. Snap a screenshot of your favorite character in your favorite MMO. Let us know about him or her by sending the screenshot, your name, and some information about the character to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it here on One Shots! One Shots: Stand back, I'll handle this... as long as it's not too messy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Storyboard: Type events Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Events, in-game, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous There are certain ideas for movies that get trotted out time and again. I'm talking about remarkably specific plots being rehashed over and over, like "spunky professionally-motivated attractive woman is single and attempts to rectify that problem through a process of mishaps." You would think that people would stop going back to the well at some point, but somehow there's a twist here or there that keeps getting made, and so you can expect to see almost the same movie coming back around on a regular basis. Roleplaying is similar in that regard, at least when it comes to events. I've seen a lot of innovative ones come around, but I've seen far more events that wind up fitting into the same basic archetype. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing -- having a consistent type gives players an easy framework to work with. But some of these events work better than others, and all of them can use a bit of polish here and there to make sure that everyone has fun in the midst of things. Continue reading Storyboard: Type events Storyboard: Type events originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| LucasArts releases an official statement to Star Wars Galaxies fans Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Endgame, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies For a majority of MMO players, the announcement that Star Wars Galaxies was shutting down came as no surprise. However, many SWG loyalists have been extremely upset by the turn of events, blaming everything from the hacks on Sony earlier this year to the impending release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. SOE CEO John Smedley stated in his interview with us that the security breach and SWG's shutdown were unrelated. Furthermore, Community Manager of SWTOR, Stephen Reid, stated emphatically on the TORWars podcast that there was no relationship between the date of SWG shutting down and the release of The Old Republic. Lastly, GamePro posted a statement directly from LucasArts about the efforts put into keeping the MMO alive: The decision to shut down the game has not been an easy one. SOE and LucasArts investigated every option to keep the game open, including taking it to a free to pay model. However, that model just isn't financially viable. Changing the business model for an experience like Star Wars Galaxies takes a major investment and overhauling of the existing infrastructure of the game. We're unfortunately at a point in our life cycle where a change of this magnitude is just not possible. The harsh reality is that we've reached a point where the game is no longer a sustainable business. None of us wanted to see this point, but we're extremely proud of the last eight years of the game and the community that has supported it.
We have a lot planned between now and December and we want to make sure that from now until then, we send off Star Wars Galaxies in a style befitting such a great game. We'll be right there in the game with everyone else, counting down until the end, making sure we connect with all the friends we've made over the past eight years. It may be bittersweet, it may feel like it's happening before it should, but we have approximately five months remaining where we can all enjoy the game together. We sincerely hope the community will join us. Read the article on GamePro and check out Massively's full interview with Smedley for more information. LucasArts releases an official statement to Star Wars Galaxies fans originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel Posted: 15 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Expansions, Opinion, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic Normally, I prefer to PvP in Fallen Earth. It gives me the biggest sense of accomplishment and it's a handy way to gain tons of faction rep. But, while I'm leveling up my PvP clones and getting used to the new combat system, I've been doing mostly PvE. I went to Alpha County and ran some missions, but I'll go into more detail on that later in this post. I also got a chance to check out the progress towns. I have to admit, they are fun, and rewarding too! I actually had more fun messing around in the progress towns back in Deadfall than I did roaming around in Sector 4. Sure, I didn't do every mission in Alpha -- I probably didn't even do half of them. After a while, I decided to put my time to use in the progress towns. After the cut, I'll tell you why I left Sector 4 and came back to Deadfall. Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel Wasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Massively's Code of Conduct reminder Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta Hello faithful readers! As any Massively.com veteran may remember, this site established a code of conduct a few years ago for our commenters. This code is located under our Community link at the top of the page, and outlines common sense rules for commenting on the site, including the fact that we won't tolerate attacks on other readers or our writers. But since the site has grown so drastically in the last year, we feel it's time to send out a friendly reminder for any new readers who may not be aware that there even is a code of conduct. So we invite you all to take a moment to read over the rules, and note that our goal is to provide a place for readers to comment without fear of personal attacks or unnecessary trolling. We want you to be able to express your opinions in the comments (yes, even negative ones) without fear of being called names or cursed at, so we've been actively banning commenters who can't seem to understand the basics of grown-up human interaction. Plus, we expect that you would want us to concentrate our own time and energy into making this site the best it can be, instead of continuously giving warnings to people who troll the site and its readers. And most importantly, if you see a comment that breaks a rule in our code of conduct, please report it so that we can take necessary measures from there. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at shawn@massively.com. Massively's Code of Conduct reminder originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Global Agenda gifting AP to booster account holders Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Global Agenda, Promotions Hi-Rez Studios is throwing a bone to Global Agenda veterans who raised concerns about the limitations on the title's Agenda Points. Agenda Points are Global Agenda's item shop currency and were introduced with the Free Agent patch as a way for players to spend real-life money on optional character items. Agenda Points will now be distributed for free to active Booster supporters on a daily basis (to the tune of five AP per day plus an additional five for each level 50 character on an account). Theoretically players could walk away with 1,350 AP per month if they have eight max-level toons. In other Global Agenda news, Hi-Rez's month-long player appreciation promotion is in full swing, and each successive week brings a 50% AP discount on all store items for one of the game's classes. Head to the official GA website to learn more, and don't forget to download the game! Global Agenda gifting AP to booster account holders originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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