MMO Updates

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• Previously on MV TV: Week of February 6th, 2012
• The Daily Grind: What dead game would you play in a second if it revived?
• Lime Odyssey dev blog features the music of Yasunori Mitsuda
• The Mog Log: Who mourns for Eorzea?
• The Tattered Notebook: Build a better character with EQ2U

Previously on MV TV: Week of February 6th, 2012 Posted: 12 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Video, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Previously on MV TV Welcome back to Previously on MV TV, your source for highlights from last week's Twitch.tv streams! If you happen to miss one or want to check out some of our shows for the first time, then this is a great place to start. This week we have some Guild Wars developer fun with Richie and then again with Adventure Mike, a bit of Wurm Online exploration and construction with Jeremy and the creator of the game, the first stages of owning land and building a house in Second Life with yours truly, some MOBA action in Heroes of Newerth with Dylan, and the usual Star Wars: The Old Republic goodness with Larry. So what are you waiting for? Click past the cut to catch up on the streams you might have missed. While you're at it, bookmark our Massively TV guide so you won't miss any more! Continue reading Previously on MV TV: Week of February 6th, 2012 Previously on MV TV: Week of February 6th, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What dead game would you play in a second if it revived? Posted: 12 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Amidst all of the new games being released and the veteran titles still chugging along, it can be easy on occasion to overlook the titles that are no longer with us. Games like Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault, and The Matrix Online all had fans, but they are no longer available for players to enjoy in any form, leaving some with memories and others with the wish that they had tried it when they had the chance. So which games would you jump on if you had the chance again? What games stick out as ones that you wish you had tried or seem like old friends that are now sadly departed? We've seen a lot of closures over the past several years, ranging from small free-to-play titles to a few high-profile departures, so there's almost certainly one game you can think of that's no longer with us. What dead game would you play if it got a revival? 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 dead game would you play in a second if it revived? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lime Odyssey dev blog features the music of Yasunori Mitsuda Posted: 11 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries It's time for another Lime Odyssey dev blog, and today's piece focuses on the free-to-play fantasy title's soundtrack. Aeria Games tapped veteran composer Yasunori Mitsuda to create the score, and though this is Mitsuda's first MMO project, it's definitely not his first video game suite. You've heard his work before if you've played Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, and Xenogears, and you can hear his latest in the sound samples we've got for you after the break. Click through to read a bit about the themes for Blue Coral, West Tumbara, and Pripet. [Source: Aeria Games press release] Continue reading Lime Odyssey dev blog features the music of Yasunori Mitsuda Lime Odyssey dev blog features the music of Yasunori Mitsuda originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: Who mourns for Eorzea? Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log Final Fantasy XIV takes place in Eorzea, which is one of the continents of Hydaelyn. It's also the smallest continent, and it's generally sort of off in the middle of nowhere. The land is surrounded by tiny islands, it's filled with bickering city-states of varying influence, and it generally seems to be seen as a place that's both wild and not always particularly pleasant. And from the player's perspective... well, we don't even see all of the continent. So every single player adventure has taken place on a small portion of the smallest continent in the world. And yet despite this, this tiny little land mass has apparently become massively important. The Garlean Empire is preparing to sweep into the land with all its might, and the land has become a hotbed of activity as the various city-states try to stop stabbing one another long enough to mount a defense. But all of that prompts the question about what, precisely, makes Eorzea noteworthy. Why is this tiny little corner so important? Continue reading The Mog Log: Who mourns for Eorzea? The Mog Log: Who mourns for Eorzea? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Build a better character with EQ2U Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Interviews, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, The Tattered Notebook, Guides For years, EverQuest II fans have quietly suffered in silence as the EQ2Players site remained broken and buggy. We watched other games, with their Armories, Magelos, and extensive databases, and we pined for the day when we could once again look up things like characters, gear, stats, and guild rosters. The wait was worth it, though, and EQII players have gone from famine to feast. This past week, we got a glimpse of the newly refurbished EQ2Players site, but what's really exciting is that the EQII team has been working with fansites to provide the data feed and allow community figures to create their own resource sites. Morgan Feldon and Dethdlr, who do an amazing job with EQ2Wire, did just that, and on Friday, they officially launched EQ2U. It's a thorough and regularly updated database of things ranging from character stats, gear, and AAs to spell lists and warder pets. What's more, you can look up gear, track spells, and create your own wish list for your character. Feldon and Dethdlr have been working on this for the bulk of the past year, and Massively had a chance to talk with them about the project. Read on for a glimpse into the site's early beginnings and learn how EQ2U will help you get your characters up to snuff! Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Build a better character with EQ2U The Tattered Notebook: Build a better character with EQ2U originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMOGaming News

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WoW: Till Death Do You Part Posted: Players across Azeroth have recently embraced a new, very personal achievement: leveling a character "Iron Man" style. What started out as only a small movement, this bare bones, no-frills style of play has now transformed into a community-wide call-to-arms known as the Iron Man WoW Challenge, inviting World of Warcraft enthusiasts to see how close they can get to level cap with only the barest of necessities. Continue reading WoW: Till Death Do You Part.

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Gotham City Imposters Review: It Will Cure You of The Military Shooter Blues
• Rift set to open in China
• Age of Wulin (CN)
• How Grand Theft Auto V Could Crib From Its Past to be Rockstar’s Biggest Game.
• Blue Moon (KR) – Multi
• Diablo 3: How Does it Feel to Play With Friends

Gotham City Imposters Review: It Will Cure You of The Military Shooter Blues Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:53 AM PST If the impending conclusion to the NFL season is giving you a case of the crazy eyes, it might be a good idea to take your aggression out on NFL Blitz, EA’s addition to (formerly) Midway’s hyperviolent football series. This downloadable title features the same frantic action that fans of the franchise have loved for the past decade — seriously, the exact same action. It’s so faithful that playing it takes me back to the halcyon days of 1998 when we had dial-up internet, a Clinton in the White House, and Chumbawamba had a bright future ahead of them. The only thing missing from this iteration is the post play grab-assing which allowed you to brawl for a few moments before the play selection screen reappeared. Evidently the NFL didn’t want their sport — which is built upon the pillars of violence — to be marred by such behavior. Minutia aside, fans of the original home or arcade versions of NFL Blitz will be pleased to know that this current outing does the series justice. The basic game is still a fast paced, violently simplified take on the Sunday tradition, and this downloadable entry surprises with an impressive level of polish. The HUD and transition effects — things too often ignored — get presented with a certain sheen and flourish that enhances even the simplest menu navigation. Likewise, the announcers have just enough wit to keep me from muting my television — which is a rarity for sports games. While the core mechanics of the game may be carried over from the late ’90s, the presentation makes it clear that this is a Blitz for today’s gamer. This fact is further pronounced in the plethora of different modes. The Blitz Gauntlet charges you with climbing a ladder of opponents similar to how you would in a classic Mortal Kombat title. Every few victories against NFL teams rewards you with a Boss Fight: four quarters against a squad comprised of hot dogs, Neanderthals, and other assorted macho warriors. These specific matches take a page from NBA Jam by adorning the field with various power-ups, making the games even more frantic. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/reviews?cId=3186706 Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

Rift set to open in China Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:52 AM PST Though we're more accustomed of Eastern games coming to the West, Trion Worlds are bucking the trend by striking a deal with top Chinese online firm, Shanda Games, to release their award-winning MMO in China. As part of the deal Shanda will get an exclusive license for Rift localised in Chinese and Mandarin. "Our collaboration with Shanda is a huge step for Western premium games in China and we are proud Trion is at the forefront, setting the standard once again," said Lars Buttler, Founder and CEO, Trion Worlds. "The appetite for great, new original game experiences like Rift, that disrupt the existing paradigm of traditional gaming, is universal.  Shanda, with proven track record of localizing and delivering content, is the best publisher for Trion to offer gamers in Mainland China an authentic Rift experience." Trion World's recently reported North American and European revenues in excess of $100 million are sure to be nicely topped up assuming Rift goes down well as well with its Eastern audience. The announcement comes soon after the release of Rift Lite, a new Rift client which is Free To Play forever with a lower (Level 20) level cap. While a release date has yet to be set for the Chinese client, we'll keep you posted… Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/latest-pc-news/rift-opens-in-china/ Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

Age of Wulin (CN) Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:26 AM PST So, an avid fan of Snail Game’s martial arts MMO, Age of Wulin sent me an interview article I missed out on the Chinese media. The interview is done with Snail Game’s CEO, the enigmatic Mr Shi Hai, which was is actually carried out on Weibo, China’s preferred choice of Twitter-like social media and it lasted for 3 hours. Please note that some questions and answers are summarized and only selected ones are translated. More info about the game can be found here (link). Q: Will Age of Wulin (CN) be delayed at the last moment again? A: This is the very first time the comapny has stated in black and white on Age of WUlin’s website regarding the beta schedule.We did create an illusion in the past,  having an optimistic time frame in mind for the beta test, but perhaps we were too optimistic and sent out the wrong information to the players through interviews and forums. We did try to get the beta phase out as soon as possible, but the game just wasn’t finished. A: If by then the players do not see Snail Game’s hardwork and feel that we are dropping players a smokebomb, I advise players to delete Snail Game from their to-play list. Even if they tell their friends how sh*t Snail Game is, I will have nothing to say. A: The main quest line currently takes over 30 hours to complete, but the other world and game interactions does not have any time limit. A: From what I last know, surnames do not affect the Miracle Quest system. I must confirm this again with the project department. A: For overseas players, we will open a new proxy server for them (no specific additional details). For the other regions, once again, will not be able to play with each other during Closed Beta 1. A: Currently the game can be played using game pads, but it is not officially supported at this moment. We will work on this once the game has been polished. A: Nothing is confirmed now for the final build, that is why we had the summer camp seeking advice from players and the Closed Beta phases. We want to bring out a polished product to please the players and build a trusting relationship with them. A: For the registration phase, it is up to our partners in Europe to handle. I must stress that the upcoming Closed Beta phases is the process which will optimize Age of Wulin. I can confirm the version our European partner is getting will be the more polished one after the Closed Beta phases (which ends in April 2012). A: From what I know, the NPCs will remember such acts. In theory, you can do whatever you want, but sometimes players must control their actions as well. A: It is currently around 6GB. The client can also be updated for future phases, hence there is no need to re-download. A: No, players will not be able to do that. But PK is possible when performing Qing Gong (scaling walls, buildings, treading on water). A: There is only 1 character slot available now. As the amount of freedom in Age of Wulin is high, one character will be able to leave a clan and join another. But given that all actions will be remembered by NPCs, frequently leaving and joining clans is something players must control. A: Marriage feature is actually one of the big systems in Age of Wulin and currently it has some interactions with NPCs. We have many ideas for this system, but it will be developed and implemented only after the Closed Beta phases, which means the system’s exact details are not confirmed yet. While marriage between players and players is the most important element, marriage with NPCs is also a part of the system. This will affect the whole game world in some ways. A: Many game companies nowadays take little effort in polishing this system, with players walking awkward paths and walking into objects all the time. Age of Wulin has a save path system, where players can use the routes veteran players use. Or simply save their own paths for personal use during the 2nd time. A: There will be minimal content for this feature, but it will be improved and updated once Open Beta begins. Q: Are players able to kill others who are offline (please read Point 17 here) ? A: No, the current system only supports players kidnapping players who are offline. This system will be affected by server disconnections and lags, hence we are actively seeking feedback from players during the Closed Beta phases and help us polish the game. A: No, currently skills are learned via skill manuals. In the future, user-created skills can be taught to others. However, if you have a skill manual and want to “duplicate” it, you can find a player with the appropriate crafting skill to do so (each character can only have 1 crafting skill). The higher the crafting skill, the more powerful skill manuals they will be able to duplicate. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/09/age-of-wulin-cn-ceo-reveals-new-game.html Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

How Grand Theft Auto V Could Crib From Its Past to be Rockstar’s Biggest Game. Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:43 PM PST When I was in junior high school (centuries ago), I always found the metalhead clique at my school intimidating. Rangy boys with long, oily hair and a collective uniform consisting of boots, black-washed jeans, and black T-shirts imprinted with art from album covers by bands whose names bore gratuitous double consonants and lent themselves to harsh, angular logo designs, the metalheads always hung out together at the side of gym class, discussing their heroes’ latest wailing guitar concoctions and glowering at the rest of the world. They sported the shifty desperation unique to 14-year-olds jonesing for a drag on a stolen cigarette. It was all kind of alarming for us clean-cut students whose main ambition for gym class was to avoid notice by the jocks and dropouts while hanging out on the sidelines discussing the latest Zelda strategies with each other (dude, if you just keep going up when you get to that one spot in the mountains, there’s a dungeon there!). In hindsight, though, I realize that the metalhead kids were harmless. They never picked on anyone; they never caused trouble outside of skipping class to hang out and listen to noisy music. They were as geeky as the video-game-fixated A-students; the only difference between us was that their obsessions were wrapped up in an affected antisocial style. Their music may have been about volume and screaming and satanic posturing, but it was just that: Posturing. Underneath it all, those guys just wanted to do their own thing, and they wore their ragged Dokken shirts with pride because they sincerely thought that airbrushed zombie warriors chained to naked, guitar-wielding sex slaves was, like, so awesome. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3186701 Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

Blue Moon (KR) – Multi Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:43 PM PST A new Korean online RPG on the block, Blue Moon really stands out as it is a multi-platform title. First of all, it is not a client game. Blue Moon is a true blue web browser title, but it is currently being developed for other platforms as well, such as tablet and smartphones, allowing users of different gadgets to play together in a single online world. Published by Neowiz Games and developed using the Unity 3D engine, Blue Moon is also being marketed as “MMMRPG”, or Massive Multiplayer Multi-platform Role Playing Game. The web browser version is currently in the Closed Beta phase. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/02/blue-moon-kr-multi-platform-goodness.html Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us. Incoming search terms: blue moon (kr) blue moon kr blue moon mmorpg

Diablo 3: How Does it Feel to Play With Friends Posted: 10 Feb 2012 01:27 PM PST Greg Street, lead systems designer for World of Warcraft, can scarcely contain his excitement. When I called him to discuss the game’s upcoming Patch 4.3 with him last week, I half expected to sit through 20 minutes of dodgy answers and vague generalizations. Instead, Street spoke with the intensity of a man who has withheld a secret for far too long, and I half worried that his superiors would wince at the details he poured out throughout the call. Even Shon Damron, a member of Blizzard’s PR team who also sat in on the call, was barely able to get in a word. It was, all in all, an infectious passion, and one that left me feeling more excited about the game than I’d felt in years. “We’re super excited about this patch,” Street says. “I know we say that every time, but I think players are going to look back on this patch and say, ‘Wow, that was something I’ve never seen before.’” Street began by recapping known news about the upcoming patch–such as the introduction of cosmetic armor, the implementation of wider bank storage options via “void storage,” and the implementation of a new “raid finder — and then announced that the patch would introduce a new pair of legendary daggers tentatively called “The Fangs of the Father.” But the conversation truly hit its stride when he turned his attention to the new raid encounter and three five-man dungeons that lie at the heart of the patch. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3185753 Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

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MMO Updates

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• The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world
• WRUP: Larry will be staring at chest hair edition
• The Daily Grind: Do you game on a Mac?
• BioWare kicks off Star Wars: The Old Republic Q&A Fridays
• Storyboard: Over, done, finished, finito
• Diablo III will see you in hell... mode
• Betawatch: February 4 - 10, 2012
• Fallen Earth's Global Territory Control creates a singular faction to rule them all
• Final Fantasy XIV previews its revamp to food and medicine
• Darkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system
• LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary
• Full SWTOR-themed hip hop album released
• The Firing Line: Controller wars edition

The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor As I reported last week, I've recently rerolled as a Hobbit Minstrel in an effort to refresh my attitude toward the game, to get a different perspective, and to continue my series in which I go through all of the single-player quests in the game. It's been, in a word, smashing. Having been away from the tamer lands of Eriador for so long, I had forgotten the charm and serenity that these lowbie areas exude. Plus, it's always fun leveling up a brand-new character, since there are plenty of goals and ways to develop your character that your level-capped toons have long since surpassed. As I've been plugging away at Bree-land quests, I began to make a mental list of exactly what's so special about the low-level game in Lord of the Rings Online. The mental list became an actual one, and after a period of milling and refining, I've baked it into a nice loaf of observations to share with you. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: Larry will be staring at chest hair edition Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous Massively columnist Larry Everett has informed me that despite having sent in a different response for this week's WRUP, he will spend this weekend staring at chest hair. Why will he be staring at chest hair? I don't know, exactly. Perhaps he's captured by the primal energy it offers, the sense of a fundamental connection with mankind's somewhat savage roots. Perhaps he just really doesn't feel like logging into a game. Whatever the reason, he dared me to share this with the world, and now I'm doing precisely that. Where were we? Oh, right, WRUP. This week's edition is... well, like every other edition, with the Massively staffers letting you all know what they'll be up to over the weekend. We're also talking about the maximum fee we'd pay for a subscription to an MMO. So jump on past the break to check out our gaming plans, then let us know yours down in the comments! Continue reading WRUP: Larry will be staring at chest hair edition WRUP: Larry will be staring at chest hair edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Image Source

The Daily Grind: Do you game on a Mac? Posted: 11 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Mac, Humor, Miscellaneous War. War never changes... the platform war, that is. But even those of us who game from the comfort of decked-out PCs can feel sorry for our Mac brethren when one of the Apple MMO offerings, already in short supply, goes dark. That's exactly what's happening to the Mac version of classic EverQuest: SOE is sunsetting the single Mac server due to low population and ancient code. Apple gamers must get a PC or sample one of the other Mac-friendly MMOs like Warhammer Online, Fallen Earth, Ryzom, or Free Realms. So today we ask: Do you play MMOs on a Mac, and if so, which games? And is it really as bad as PC-loyalists like to think? 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 game on a Mac? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

BioWare kicks off Star Wars: The Old Republic Q&A Fridays Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Previews, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Community Q&A When BioWare first announced the addition of a regular community Q&A feature for Star Wars: The Old Republic, the team stated that each session would answer about 10 questions. However, the first installment has gone up with a grand total of 15 and answers more questions about the Legacy system. Patch 1.2 will bring in the first set of rewards, allowing players to combine races and classes in new ways, but the company promises there will be more enhancements and expansions for future patches. In fact, the next major patch is will bring several requested features. A new same-faction Warzone, the Hue to Chest feature, Medium and Heavy social armor, and guild banks are all on the table for the update. For players more concerned with the immediate state of the game, there are also answers about the best ways to submit feedback and how the team prioritizes which bugs to fix. It's certainly a good place to kick off the series, and community members should find something to be pleased with in the answers. BioWare kicks off Star Wars: The Old Republic Q&A Fridays originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Community Q&A

Storyboard: Over, done, finished, finito Posted: 10 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous The best stories have an ending. And if you want to tell a decent story in a roleplaying format, you're going to need some sort of an ending eventually. The problem is that most endings have a pretty strict sense of finality to them, and really ending your roleplaying kind of implies that your character is riding off into the sunset and possibly sipping martinis. (Depending on the game, they may be space martinis. Lots of things are possible.) So you want to end the story without ending your character's story on a whole. That's a good approach and one that can be handled. But it's also one that's a bit easier said than done, hence my devoting an entire column to it. So let's talk about creating a satisfying ending that manages to wrap up a story without subsequently wrapping up every aspect of your character. Continue reading Storyboard: Over, done, finished, finito Storyboard: Over, done, finished, finito originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Diablo III will see you in hell... mode Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:30 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Fantasy, Video, News items, PvE, Dungeons If you were among the players put out because Diablo III seems too pretty to be hardcore, you'll be happy to know that Blizzard hopes to re-earn your love, not with art but with gameplay. The company has released a video in which key DIII devs talk up the game's nightmare, hell, and inferno difficulty modes. They promise a veritable ass-kicking complete with hours of wiping and mounting repair costs. Quoth the devs: "Normal mode was pretty casual. It's very fun -- you're one-clicking and you're having laughs. Once you get into Nightmare mode, it starts turning into all business. [...] The game really starts [...] at Nightmare. [...] The way the game is tuned right now, people have no idea what they're getting themselves into." Perhaps not coincidentally, the Battle.net World of Warcraft blog is now daring gamers to join a community-driven Iron Man WoW Challenge. Participants eschew luxuries like buffs, talents, and grouping and charge into the world to see just how high they can level. Death, of course, means game over for the hardest of the hardcore. The Diablo III vid is embedded just behind the break! Continue reading Diablo III will see you in hell... mode Diablo III will see you in hell... mode originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamefront, Battle.net Blog

Betawatch: February 4 - 10, 2012 Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Mmgame USA's Rise of Dragonian Era joins our closed beta list this week. The F2P sandpark title is aiming for a March launch, but prizes (including cash and video cards) await those who give the beta a spin this weekend. Massively also secured codes for Seven Souls Online's beta, which begins on February 15th. Finally, we're keeping an eye on the ongoing TERA sneak-peeks and beta events. If you preordered, you should be able to participate starting today. Read on for the complete Betawatch roundup! Continue reading Betawatch: February 4 - 10, 2012 Betawatch: February 4 - 10, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fallen Earth's Global Territory Control creates a singular faction to rule them all Posted: 10 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Previews, PvP, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox The GamersFirst crew is back with a closer look at one of the exciting PvP features that's being created for Fallen Earth: Global Territory Control. The idea behind GTC is that the devs wanted a comprehensive system that would track faction dominance in PvP across the entire game world. Global Territory Control takes in data from Conflict Towns, Faction Control Points, and open PvP areas, crunches the stats, and spits out a single point rating that shows how well (or forehead-slappingly bad) each of the game's six factions is doing. The new system will go into place for the entire game except for Sector 1, and you'll have to be level-appropriate for the zone to contribute to your faction's GTC score. If a faction earns enough points, then an insanely nice buff is handed out as a reward -- but only one faction can have it at any time. The buff increases the speed of crafting and harvesting and also improves the gain of random AP, Death Toll, faction points, and XP. This system is still being prepped for a future update. Fallen Earth's Global Territory Control creates a singular faction to rule them all originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Fallen Earth dev blog

Final Fantasy XIV previews its revamp to food and medicine Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV Final Fantasy XIV's foods and medicines have always been a major part of the game -- after all, both Culinarians and Alchemists focus on producing precisely those items. Unfortunately, the items have been awkward to make, unwieldy to use, and frequently unclear in their effects. That's why the game's next major patch is bringing along a major overhaul to the system, giving the two categories of item clear roles and more transparent effects. While the full list of item changes is not unveiled in the preview, the general philosophy is laid out in detail. Food items provide long-term buffs (including a small experience gain) with lesser overall values and a very short cooldown between uses. Medicines, on the other hand, provide a short-term buff with a long cooldown, but the buff is significantly larger. These changes will also tie into a revamp of several recipes to account for ingredient locations and overall synthesis difficulty. It's something to look forward to in the game's next major patch, and it promises to make your character's eating habits much easier to manage. Final Fantasy XIV previews its revamp to food and medicine originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Revamping food & medicine preview

Darkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system Posted: 10 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game mechanics, PvP, Dev Diaries Aventurine continues its trek toward Darkfall's game revamp, aka Darkfall 2.0, and in a new producer letter, Tasos Flambouras drops a few interesting info nuggets to tide loyal players over until the job is done. He states that the team is retuning each of the game's eight schools of magic so that each one feels more unique and focused. For example, air magic will be specialized to do more damage in close quarters against fewer targets, while fire magic will excel at long-distance AoE attacks. The team also thinks it has figured out this pesky "death" problem by coming up with a more interesting limbo system. The way it works is that when players are taken down, they have a choice between either respawning back at a bind stone or waiting for a timer to count down to zero and initiate a respawn on the spot. If players opt to endure the limbo period, they can re-equip their characters from their bank boxes. Aventurine continues to hire on new team members for the project, including a designer who will facilitate communication between devs and the community. Darkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Feb 10th update letter

LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary Posted: 10 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Deep under the soil of Middle-earth are riches galore, and only the Dwarves know where to dig. Fortunately for players, the Dwarves are totally fine with interlopers coming along to try their luck at finding a bit of buried treasure -- and they've even made an event out of it. While we previously saw a test run of the Buried Treasure event in Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine's put forth a dev diary that indicates we should be seeing more of it fairly soon. The event challenges players to flock to a treasure field, grab some picks, and get diggin' for booty. There's a strategy behind it that utilizes trained animals and dowsing sticks to find the best goods, although treasure hunters can just start digging randomly as well. The treasure will vary in size and quality, ranging from special mounts and cosmetic gear to more picks and barter tokens. While players can earn picks in-game through a repeatable quest, Turbine will also be selling them through the LotRO store for those who want to speed up their winnings. The dev diary posted several pictures of the nifty rewards that can be mined and states that the event is "seasonally agnostic," coming and going at various times during the year. LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev Diary

Full SWTOR-themed hip hop album released Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Fan art, Star Wars: The Old Republic If the one thing missing from your life has been music to show the world how much you love Star Wars: The Old Republic, rejoice! Your wait has come to an end. Richie Branson, who put out his first SWTOR-themed song late last year, has released Cold Republic Episode I: The Empire Likes Rap, which has the peculiar honor of being the world's first SWTOR mixtape. Are you a Hutt Ball phenomenon? Are you hot like a pot on the stove that's boilin'? Does it take more than seven men to kill you 'cause you're a tank -- and can you, in point of fact, take that to the bank? This might be just the thing for you! It's worth noting that the characters represented in the album also tip holo dancers hundred thousand credit bills and stick their missiles in all the ladies' exhaust ports. Your mileage will definitely vary. Full SWTOR-themed hip hop album released originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Richie Branson's site

The Firing Line: Controller wars edition Posted: 10 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, PlanetSide, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, Consoles, MMOFPS, DUST 514, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox Welcome back to The Firing Line, shooter fans. Some interesting stuff went down this week, much of it related to DUST 514. Even if you're not partial to what some have dubbed "the controller wars," there's still plenty of online shooter news for you to peruse after the cut. Join me on the other side for a glimpse of Hawken, Firefall, and my PlanetSide character! Continue reading The Firing Line: Controller wars edition The Firing Line: Controller wars edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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