MMO Updates |
- The Tattered Notebook: A grizzled veteran goes free-to-play
- EverQuest video features new zone from Veil of Alaris expansion
- WRUP: Let's class this place back up edition
- The Daily Grind: What's the worst guild death you've witnessed?
- Istaria publishes September content update, looks to the future
- Patch 1.19 bringing leve reset changes for Final Fantasy XIV
- September's Ask Cryptic details STO's F2P transition, new content, and more
- Betawatch: September 2nd-8th, 2011
- Darkfall update talks sieges, again
- Wasteland Diaries: F2P -- What to expect
- SWTOR shows us how to level like a Smuggler
- New RIFT Ascend-a-Friend commercial offers players strong incentives
- Wargaming.net dangling World of Warplanes alpha tester carrots
- The Road to Mordor: Inside Isengard
- Early Freedom for City of Heroes VIPs [Updated]
- One Shots: Points for originality
- Roll into the World of Tanks with a starter pack from Massively
- Storyboard: Go for the goal
- Age of Conan's Savage Coast adventure pack officially live
| The Tattered Notebook: A grizzled veteran goes free-to-play Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Free-to-play, Hands-on, The Tattered Notebook  But now that EQ2X is almost a year old, I decided it's time for me to bury the hatchet and pay a visit to the free-to-play server. I rolled up a new character on a bronze account, and over the next several weeks, I'll be taking a close look at EverQuest II Extended. It's a journey in EQII free-to-play through the eyes of a longtime player. Read on for my first arrival! Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: A grizzled veteran goes free-to-play
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| EverQuest video features new zone from Veil of Alaris expansion Posted: 10 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, EverQuest, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items  Players will initially encounter the zone while traveling on a giant airship, and among the challenges are mobs made of molten steel as well as deadly free-floating swords. SOE's video clip features game designer David Stewart and environment artist Shannon Parnell discussing their work on the new zone, as well as various fly-through angles of the finished product. Check out all the details after the break. Continue reading EverQuest video features new zone from Veil of Alaris expansion
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| WRUP: Let's class this place back up edition Posted: 10 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Miscellaneous  Where was I? Oh, right, WRUP. It's time for that again, and this week, just like always, we're going to talk about what the Massively staff will be playing over the week. But let's still class it up with some nice new headers, hmm? And let's talk about the available content in free-to-play games, while we're at it. And just to make it super-classy, we'll even invite you to leave your own weekend plans in the comments. Classy! Continue reading WRUP: Let's class this place back up edition
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| The Daily Grind: What's the worst guild death you've witnessed? Posted: 10 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Guilds, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Some guilds die quietly, with most of the members having moved on. Some are shut down with an understanding that the group of a whole is moving on or just isn't interested in managing a guild any longer. Other times -- and more memorably -- the guild's death is a loud and uncomfortable affair, with drama flaring up and turning the final few weeks into the equivalent of an in-game divorce. And that's just the least of the ways in which a player organization can exit stage left. If you've been playing MMOs for any real length of time, of course, you've seen at least one or two guilds evaporate. So what's the worst death that you've seen? Long? Short? Angry? Calm? Or just a slow wasting followed by a disbanding?  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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| Istaria publishes September content update, looks to the future Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox, Dungeons  Aside from the usual bug-fixing and quest tweaks, the September patch added a new high-level region called Winter Vale and a revamp of the game's portal system. That's just for starters, too, since the Istaria devs are hard at work on the new Helian's Tomb mini-dungeon and quest series as well as the return of seasonal events. Finally, there are several network and game client optimization projects in the works, including new launcher functionality and character management options. In short, there's never been a better time to return to (or discover) the world of Istaria. If you're curious, the game client is free to download, and you can also partake of an unlimited 14-day free trial or a feature-limited free-to-play option. Oh, and did we mention that you can build your own town and play as a dragon? [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
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| Patch 1.19 bringing leve reset changes for Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  At each 12-hour reset, players will be given an opportunity to acquire four new leves, with up to 99 total allowances stacking. These resets are shared across all leve types, ensuring that players will always have full access to content of an appropriate level for whatever classes they care to level. There's also a new evaluation system in place that allows players to acquire new leves based on recent history, replacing the old evaluation system with the promise of further content enhancements. While 1.19 doesn't yet have a release date on the table, most players will likely be excited enough by the promise of an easier and more straightforward system for leveling any chosen discipline.
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| September's Ask Cryptic details STO's F2P transition, new content, and more Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Previews, News items, Star Trek Online  In the midst of the recent hullabaloo over Star Trek Online's free-to-play transition, September's Ask Cryptic focuses on what players can expect from the change. Executive Producer Dan Stahl touches on the subject of skilltree revamps, server availability, and much, much more. Space skills are getting a few sweeping changes in order to make them more applicable to players of all builds. As such, skills that "apply only to a specific ship class or energy type" are being replaced with more general skills, such as increased damage, increased turn rate, and so forth. Stahl also reveals that the team has ordered new hardware and made perfomance tweaks to the game in order to allow for a potential influx of new players once the game goes F2P. Players also ask about new content, noting that talked-about post-Season 4 content has not materialized as players expected. Stahl notes that Borg Red Alerts were just released, and work on the Deep Space Nine Feature Episode Series is progressing steadily. The Q&A also details the upcoming Borg Ground Invasion, which assigns players the difficult task of removing a Borg infestation before the Collective can successfully assimilate an entire planet. The Q&A goes on to touch on new social zones, a great deal of "nice to have but low-priority" additions, and oodles more. For the full Q&A, hop your way on over to the full Ask Cryptic post.
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| Betawatch: September 2nd-8th, 2011 Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous  In true feast-or-famine style, it's been a very quiet week on Betawatch, but we do have a bit of open beta news to hold you over. Luvinia Online moved to open beta this week, while Perfect World Entertainment announced that Rusty Hearts will do the same on the 13th of this month. Follow along after the jump for the latest Betawatch list. Continue reading Betawatch: September 2nd-8th, 2011
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| Darkfall update talks sieges, again Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Sandbox  Alas, this week's announcement steers clear of reveals and instead offers a few more specifics on the new siege mechanics as well as a new concept art sketch of the revamped Khamset monster family. Finally, there's a short lore blurb to go along with a ton of unanswered questions.
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| Wasteland Diaries: F2P -- What to expect Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, Patches, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic  There are still a few concerns that many in the Fallen Earth community (including me) have about the F2P transition, and not all of them are technical concerns. I'm really not sure what to expect exactly as far as numbers of players, but I'm sure we'll see a huge influx of players both new and returning. How many exactly? I don't have a clue. I'll cover the sub levels first and then discuss my fears about what's to come afterward. So click past the cut and let's get started. Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: F2P -- What to expect
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| SWTOR shows us how to level like a Smuggler Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic  The keen eye can pick up on some of the Smuggler abilities, as well as the obvious armor sets. One of the first Smuggler-specific abilities happens about 30 seconds in when our rebel rogue kicks the large alien in the groin followed by a roll towards cover. No other class can distract a foe like that. And speaking of crowd control: pay close attention to his other abilities. The Smuggler can misdirect enemies by dropping everything out of his pockets or launch a gas cloud so he can step in for a sucker punch. Of course, hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, right? Smugglers are the masters at the dual blasters. Catch the full two-and-a-half-minute video after the break. You'll love it. We know. Continue reading SWTOR shows us how to level like a Smuggler
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| New RIFT Ascend-a-Friend commercial offers players strong incentives Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, News items, RIFT, Promotions  What's in the commercial? Well, we'd rather not say. But you can trust us when we say that it's a short watch that should prove quite convincing -- not only in displaying the rewards you get for recruiting your friends, but in convincing you of the inherent desirability of these rewards. So jump on past the cut to watch the commercial, and you may very well want to watch it even if you're not currently playing RIFT. [Thanks to Joemamma for the tip!] Continue reading New RIFT Ascend-a-Friend commercial offers players strong incentives
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| Wargaming.net dangling World of Warplanes alpha tester carrots Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Real life, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous, World of Warplanes  Wargaming.net has thrown open the application process for its upcoming World War II aviation MMO, and would-be testers will need to install both Overwolf and Xfire on their gaming rigs. A news blurb on the official World of Tanks website spills the beans, and Wargaming.net says that the aim of the test is to "discover how functional and comfortable these programs are for you." In addition to the alpha tester position, the devs are also dangling some sort of "special award" carrot. We're not sure whether it's an in-game title, ability, or other perk, but we do know that simply signing up doesn't guarantee you access to the testing phase. There's also a questionnaire that needs filling out, and "those of you who [...] provide [the] most detailed and descriptive answers will be awarded with the chance to become alpha testers [for] World of Warplanes!"
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| The Road to Mordor: Inside Isengard Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor  The first approach is good, but I wanted to get a more in-depth look into the making of Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion from the people who actually made it. How does one approach fleshing out an area that received relatively little source support from the books? What is Turbine trying to do differently in its fourth year of LotRO development? And why should we be afraid of an old guy in a bathrobe who won't come out of his tower? See? These are good questions to ask, which is why I sat down with Bob Hess, Aaron Campbell and Adam Mersky, who graciously took me on a whirlwind tour of Rise of Isengard. I wanted to cut through the PR-speak and learn about the real stories of the making of the expansion and what we'll be encountering within, and the devs were happy to oblige. Hit the jump as we travel further down The Road to Mordor and take the Hobbits to Isengard! Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Inside Isengard
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| Early Freedom for City of Heroes VIPs [Updated] Posted: 09 Sep 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play  Beginning on September 13th, existing players can participate in a headstart program that enables access to the Paragon Market cash shop as well as the brand-new First Ward co-operative zone. Paragon Studios is also promising official costume contests with prizes, dev-led groups in brand-new Incarnate trials, and live open-world invasion events on every server in addition to headstart-only "exclusive sales bundles and promotions." Current subscribers are all set for the headstart; former players can still get in on the fun by reactivating and gaining VIP status now. [Update: The official site now features a post on the headstart program, including details on the special sales and promotions.]
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| One Shots: Points for originality Posted: 09 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots, Global Agenda  I don't really go in for ugly armor, but I will say that Global Agenda offers some truly hideous dyes and garish "flair" head pieces that are always a hit with the silly crowd. Case in point is my minotaur helm here. I can't remember how or when I got it, but I think it might have been during one of those week-long special events that Hi-Rez likes to run.It's ugly armor week all week on One Shots, so whether you have an eye-searing color scheme, a set of armor pieces that clash like crazy, or something that you just put together for a laugh, we want to see. Next week we'll be revisiting starting zones, so if you want to get a jump on things, grab a screenshot of your favorite starting zone and send it in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature it in next week's One Shots!
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| Roll into the World of Tanks with a starter pack from Massively Posted: 09 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: War, Free-to-play, Giveaways, World of Tanks  If you're one of those people, you're in luck, because we've got a second giveaway just for you! Wargaming.net has given us 3,000 starter packages containing 300 gold, one day of premium account access, and an M3Stuart premium tank. The codes are valid in Europe and North America for new accounts only. Simply visit our giveaway page to claim a code, then register for a World of Tanks account using this link. Add your code to the "Invite Code" field, download and install the game, and enjoy! 
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| Posted: 09 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous  If it weren't already obvious, today I want to spend time talking about goals. We've talked about motivation before, but goals are the tangible results of what keeps your character motivated in the first place. And while I was originally going to use one of my characters as a model for mapping goals, I realized that I've got a much better example I can use, one that helps demonstrate just how relevant goals are to real people. So I'm putting myself under examination as we talk about the many, many aspects of goals as they apply to characters. Continue reading Storyboard: Go for the goal
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| Age of Conan's Savage Coast adventure pack officially live Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  So what do you get for your hard-earned barbarian bucks? A bunch of new content for both mid- and high-level players, that's what. There's the Ardashir Coast playfield and its numerous quest lines that are designed to take you from 50 to 55. Players may also partake of Dead Man's Hand, a solo dungeon that scales from level 50 to level 80. Don't forget the Isle of the Iron Statues, either. It's another solo instance -- level 80 this time -- and it's taken directly from the works of Conan author Robert E. Howard. Finally, endgame grouping fans should note the new Fort Ardashir dungeon (and it's hard to miss as you zone into Ardashir City for the first time). The Savage Coast pack contains characters and locations from the recent Conan film reboot, and you can read more about the new content in Massively's weekly Anvil of Crom feature. [Source: Funcom press release]
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