| TERA Vanarchy candidate Oloh on the political game within the game Posted: 19 Jun 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Guilds, Interviews, PvP, Massively Interviews, TERA  For some time now, meaningful in-game politics have been the domain of sandbox golden-children like EVE Online, but En Masse Entertainment's action-oriented TERA aims to break that monopoly. The studio recently introduced its much-touted Vanarchy system, which allows players to run for political office and has resulted in a rush of guilds vying for the coveted positions. The Basilisk Crag server's Nagafen is one such guild. The guild, headed by founder and Vanarchy candidate Don Shelkey (in-game alias Oloh), is in the midst of a large campaign for control of the province of Ostgarath, and the group means business. Shelkey even went so far as to rent ad-space on the front page of TERA's ZAM network database site, TeraTome, bringing the in-game campaign into the real-world of hundreds of TERA players. We had the chance to have a little tête-à-tête with Shelkey himself to talk a bit about the socio-political climate of TERA and its implications on the real world. OK, not really. But we did talk to him about the joys of playing politics in a virtual world and what it takes to run for a Vanarchy in TERA, so head on past the cut and check it out! Continue reading TERA Vanarchy candidate Oloh on the political game within the game  TERA Vanarchy candidate Oloh on the political game within the game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Secret World beta weekend features new PvP zone Posted: 19 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Events, in-game, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, The Secret World It's almost time for anxious fans to sink their teeth into The Secret World. First, though, tire-kickers will get one last opportunity to test sample the game for free courtesy of its final beta weekend. The festivities kick off at noon eastern this Friday, June 22nd, and the party doesn't stop until the wee hours of June 25th. All of The Secret World's content from the previous beta weekends will be playable, so if you've yet to brave dungeons like Polaris and Hell Raised or zones like the Savage Coast, chop chop. New this time around is a persistent PvP warzone called Fusang Projects, where 200 players will duke it out for bragging rights and factional supremacy. The Secret World officially launches on July 3rd, and Massively has your back with plenty of news, guides, and opinion on the beta thus far. [Source: Funcom press release] Final Secret World beta weekend features new PvP zone originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Xsyon totem abandonment phase for MIA tribes starts June 25th Posted: 19 Jun 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, News items, Xsyon, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, Sandbox Deserted structures in neglected lands, abandoned goods sitting unusable in baskets; in Xsyon, as in any game where players can own property, there comes a time when owners move on leaving valuable in-game resources tied up and inaccessible to those who remain. To combat this, Notorious Games is implementing decay for all inactive totems starting June 25th. Abandonment, the culling of inactive tribes from land ownership, is a four-phase process. Any tribe without at least one active member will move into the first stage, neglected. The second is the deserted phase; all bins on the land will become accessible and the area will no longer be a safe zone. Revenants (aggressive creatures who can loot players and equip their gear) will haunt tribes in this stage and increase in number during the next stage -- abandoned. In the removal stage, buildings can be demolished and the land reclaimed by active citizens. All Xsyon players -- past or present -- have the chance to log in and claim their totems from Friday, June 22nd until Monday, June 25th before Abandonment begins. All active accounts prior to June 25th will also receive two weeks of free play time. [Source: Xsyon press release] Xsyon totem abandonment phase for MIA tribes starts June 25th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: The truth behind the transfers Posted: 19 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Events, in-game, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon If you don't know by now that Star Wars: The Old Republic has been struggling with server population issues, then you must have been on a deserted island for the last couple of months. When the game was released, far too many servers were introduced, so the population thinned out quite a bit. The only solution was to allow some of these communities to merge. Hopefully, by now you have logged into SWTOR and transferred your characters to your new higher-population server if you were offered that chance. Although I've leaked out bits and pieces of thoughts about the whole transfer process, I figure it's probably best to give my impressions all in one spot. Welcome to this week's Hyperspace Beacon. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The truth behind the transfers Hyperspace Beacon: The truth behind the transfers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Those wanting EverQuest Next information have a long wait ahead Posted: 19 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, EverQuest Next, Miscellaneous No news is EverQuest Next news. Players interested in hearing more about the development of the next installment in the EverQuest franchise should find a very comfy chair and stockpile a significant cache of snacks -- it's going to be a very long wait. In response to questions posted on the official EverQuest II forums about EverQuest Next and how it will affect the current games, developer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson issued the statement that no news would be forthcoming for a very long time. He states, " The *earliest* we are currently considering that we *might* reveal info is late this year." He also noted that old screenshots should be disregarded as they had no relevance to the game in its current state. Dave further addressed players' concerns about the Next version supplanting both the original EQ and EQII by assuring that " EQN is not being designed to replace those games." He does, however, acknowledge that the game could conceivably squash the other two if it was just astronomically better and everyone decided to play it instead. Massively readers chimed in not too long ago about their thoughts regarding jumping ship for sequels. Those wanting EverQuest Next information have a long wait ahead originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Blade & Soul unleashes its Korean open beta trailer Posted: 19 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Free-to-play, Blade & Soul With Blade & Soul's South Korean open beta starting this week, NCsoft released an action-packed trailer to highlight the game's characters, attitude, and insane combat sequences. It's... pretty nuts in several ways. Whoa, is he juggling that guy in the air with his sword? That cannot feel good! That lady is so unconcerned about her general welfare that she's just strolling through combat and swatting down bad guys like flies! And is that...? It is. A girl with a mustache and bunny ears? Huh. Let's just roll with it. While we don't know when Blade & Soul will be making its way overseas, the title is scheduled to launch next month in Korea. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump and let us know what you think! Continue reading Blade & Soul unleashes its Korean open beta trailer Blade & Soul unleashes its Korean open beta trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What incidental feature do you wish every MMO would adopt? Posted: 19 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Star Wars Galaxies, The Daily Grind, Sandbox, Crafting With all the MMOs currently available, there's bound to be a game out there that resonates with just about everyone. That doesn't mean it's the perfect game, though, nor does it mean that said game has all the features you desire. If you play in this genre long enough, you'll likely run across a mechanic or a fluff feature so endearing that you wish developers would implement it in every succeeding MMO. For me, that feature is the ability to name crafted items. Star Wars Galaxies' crafting system allowed for this (and it even allowed you to name the sub-components), which added an immeasurable amount of immersion and enjoyment on a personal level. What about you, Massively readers? What incidental feature do you wish every MMO would adopt?  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 incidental feature do you wish every MMO would adopt? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Not So Massively: DreamHack Summer 2012 edition Posted: 18 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Legal, Massively Event Coverage, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III This weekend was DreamHack Summer 2012, during which the MOBA world got together to run some awesome tournaments with huge cash prizes. Heroes of Newerth set the tone for the event with the biggest prize pool at DreamHack: a whopping $60,000. In addition to a standard tournament, S2 Games held the first ever Mid Wars tournament and invited amateur players to battle against the professionals. Bloodline Champions made its usual grand showing with its own packed tournament, and Dota 2 ran the massive $57,000 Corsair Vengeance tournament. League of Legends continued the trend with its own $40,000 tournament and announced that Greece will get a fully voice-localised game client in the near future. Rumours of gold duplication in Diablo III continue to spread this week despite a lack of hard evidence behind the claims, and legislators in South Korea proposed a new law that will make the real money auction house illegal in that country. Path of Exile started a new community character build showcase to demonstrate the upcoming game's incredible customisation system. Finally, Blacklight Retribution showed off its interesting new Kill Confirmed game mode, while Rise of Immortals released its official Kreed immortal spotlight. Continue reading Not So Massively: DreamHack Summer 2012 edition Not So Massively: DreamHack Summer 2012 edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArenaNet presents: A day in the life Posted: 18 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries Deep in the clutches of Guild Wars 2 withdrawal? Counting down the unknown number of days 'til you can play again? Here, maybe staring at pictures with Guild Wars 2 running on other people's computers will help. I mean, I guess there are also ArenaNet employees in there and some nice scenery shots of the office and surrounding area. But don't worry -- I know what you're really looking at: It's all about that flowing lava and those character designs. ArenaNet's new Facebook photo album highlights some members of the ArenaNet team, including our own dear Rubi and the rest of the Community team, as well their working environment and creative decorations. Be sure to take a spin through it in an attempt to find still more release date conspiracy fuel. ArenaNet presents: A day in the life originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SWTOR's Ohlen: F2P 'not super easy to do' Posted: 18 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Does BioWare think free-to-play can work for Star Wars: The Old Republic? It's probably a bit early to know for sure despite the scuttlebutt circulating in the gaming press recently. If you're looking for further insight into what many see as the inevitable, though, you should check out PC Gamer's recap of an E3 interview with game director James Ohlen. "I think [F2P] can work for different games. It really depends on how you go with your game. Games that have been built to be free-to-play from the start definitely work out," Ohlen explains. "Now, there have been games that weren't free to play from the start and transferred over to becoming free-to-play that have worked as well. But it's definitely not something that's super easy to do." SWTOR's Ohlen: F2P 'not super easy to do' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| DC Universe Online brings fans into the recording studio with Mark Hamill, Adam Baldwin, and Arleen Sorkin Posted: 18 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Video, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online  DC Universe Online's upcoming DLC pack, The Last Laugh, will be hitting the live servers tomorrow, June 19th. As you may have surmised from the DLC pack's title ( which it shares with a renowned comic story arc), the new content will heavily feature everyone's favorite Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. And of course, when it comes to voicing the Joker, we know there's only one man for the job: the legendary Mark Hamill. In a new video released by Sony Online Entertainment, Hamill brings fans into the recording studio as he lays down his lines for the maniacal Mistah J. Joining Hamill are the voices of Superman (Adam Baldwin), and Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin). Together the trio talks about the joys of voicing three of DC Comics' iconic characters and their work on the upcoming Last Laugh DLC. To see these talented voice actors bringing your favorite DCUO characters to life, just click on past the cut for the full video. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release] Continue reading DC Universe Online brings fans into the recording studio with Mark Hamill, Adam Baldwin, and Arleen Sorkin DC Universe Online brings fans into the recording studio with Mark Hamill, Adam Baldwin, and Arleen Sorkin originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wings Over Atreia: Drowning in dailies Posted: 18 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia, Guides Two weeks ago, in the midst of supplying Daevas below max level a list of things to do (which I am so glad many of you found helpful!), I mentioned daily quests. Since then, you've been asked about your opinions on repeatable quests, including daily ones; even the Massively staff members chimed in with their thoughts. Love 'em or leave 'em, daily quests are a pretty abundant in Aion. Abundant -- that's almost an understatement. I was not kidding when I said we're drowning in dailies; there are just so many dailies sprinkled throughout Atreia now that it's crazy! Heck, I almost went insane just trying to hit them all up these past couple of weeks. No one can accuse Aion's system of being a minuscule afterthought with all of the various quests and rewards available for all levels. But with so many other things to do besides daily quests, you might find it easy to miss out on them even if you really want to do them. We can't have that! So here is a quick(ish) reference guide to all of the types of daily quests... assuming the devs don't sneak more in on me that I haven't even found! Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Drowning in dailies Wings Over Atreia: Drowning in dailies originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Leaderboard: Superhero costume creators Posted: 18 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Polls, City of Heroes, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard Every cape worth his, her, or its salt knows that without a snappy fashion statement, all of the powers in the universe won't be able to make you a cool superhero. That's why our current trifecta of superhero MMOs place such a premium on giving players tools to create a unique, memorable, and suitable outfit for their comic book star. But this being Leaderboard and all, we can't just allow the three costume creators to co-exist peacefully. Nay, we must throw them into the DoomSphere[TM] and spin that puppy around until only one good-looking candidate remains. Will it be the grand-daddy of them all, City of Heroes? Or Cryptic's follow-up with Champions Online? Or perhaps the upstart, DC Universe Online? Vote for the best costume creator after the jump and help to pulverize the competition! Continue reading Leaderboard: Superhero costume creators Leaderboard: Superhero costume creators originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| City of Steam's blind-as-a-bat race Posted: 18 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Races, Dev Diaries, City of Steam While their name might sound like something a cat hacked up in your sock drawer, the Draug are actually the latest revealed race in City of Steam. Boasting a line of noble Elfish blood dating back to whenever, the Draug eschewed adapting and instead became a reclusive society living off the remnants of its former glory. Interestingly enough, the Draug have incredibly poor eyesight, which probably should make them terrible adventurers. But in another clever City of Steam twist, the race compensate for their bad vision with bursts of sonar to "see" around them. That's right: The Draug are bat-men. And bat-women. A dev journal on the Draug talks about how this echolocation works both for and against these batfolk. While they have an advantage in low-visibility situations over normal folks, they're more blind than usual if there's a lot of noise nearby. City of Steam's blind-as-a-bat race originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Anvil of Crom: On Age of Conan's 'bad launch' Posted: 18 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Game mechanics, Launches, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Anvil of Crom I recently ran across an internet discussion featuring the worst MMO launches of all time. Age of Conan was in there, of course, and while I'm not going to tell you that the title's debut was perfect, I feel that there's quite a bit of misinformation stemming from the game's early days. Some of you may disagree and interpret this week's column as a fanboy defense of Funcom, but if you've been reading The Anvil of Crom for more than a month, you'll know that I take the devs to task far more often than not. The stark reality is that AoC's launch simply wasn't as bad as some people make it out to be. Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: On Age of Conan's 'bad launch' The Anvil of Crom: On Age of Conan's 'bad launch' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wargaming.net installing gaming center on USS Iowa Posted: 18 Jun 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Business models, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, World of Battleships Wargaming.net's public relations machine is larger than life. Whether we're talking about the ginormous booth on display at this month's E3 or the full-size tank the company brought with it last year, the maker of World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Battleships is fond of both spectacle and military hardware. The firm's latest endeavor ties in with World of Battleships by taking gamers and history buffs on board the USS Iowa, a battleship commissioned in 1943 that took part in almost every major Pacific theater naval engagement during World War II. Wargaming.net is installing a gaming center below deck on the Iowa, as well as a "bridge experience" that will simulate an attack by Japanese forces and allow partcipants to defend the ship and fly Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter planes. "Not only is sponsoring a museum and a vet-run organization a good thing, it also naturally clicks and fits within our business mission," explains Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. "That brings us fantastic brand awareness and spreads the word about our company and our products, so it's a very perfect fit. It is business and it is passion for history and historical accuracy. It's a mutually beneficial thing." Head past the cut for a video interview with Kislyi on the deck of the Iowa. Continue reading Wargaming.net installing gaming center on USS Iowa Wargaming.net installing gaming center on USS Iowa originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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