| Stick and Rudder: Why Star Citizen's development model matters Posted: 21 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Opinion, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Stick and Rudder, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play Chris Roberts' Star Citizen crowdfunding colossus exploded onto the gaming scene late in 2012 with a chip on its shoulder and a certain can-do attitude that resonated with gamers because of its conspicuous absence over the past decade. "I am a PC game, and I am a space sim," the game's trailer defiantly proclaimed. PC games and space sims, of course, were long past the prime of their 1990s golden years, according to most industry pundits, so how and why did Star Citizen make such a successful splash (over $8.5 million in crowdfunding as of press time, with an additional $5,000 to $10,000 gained on a daily basis)? More importantly why is the title's development model so integral to the future of gaming? Continue reading Stick and Rudder: Why Star Citizen's development model matters  Stick and Rudder: Why Star Citizen's development model matters originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| One Shots: Yo ho ho! Posted: 21 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, Culture, Guild Wars 2, One Shots, The Secret World, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous, Pirate101 There's probably no gulf as wide as the one between historical pirates and the pop culture versions that we venerate. As a guy who had a pirate-themed 30th birthday party, I can't say that I'm against our off-kilter brand of scallywags. Neither is reader Phinneas, who sent in our featured screenshot from Pirate101. "These shots are of the main starting area with my fearsome pirate looking to the horizon for adventures ahead," he writes. Best of luck to ye, laddie! May the wind be at your back, your enemies in Davey Jones' locker, and a bottle of ginger ale in your belly! Yet pirates are only the beginning of today's adventure through One Shots... Continue reading One Shots: Yo ho ho! One Shots: Yo ho ho! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Do you bring MMOs into real life? Posted: 21 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous One of the aspects that I like about MMOs is the sense of accomplishment when it comes to achieving specific goals. Maybe they're my goals or maybe they're goals set by the game, but checking things off a list and knowing that I've made progress is satisfying. That's why I often look at real world chores like an MMO quest log these days, filling my to do list up before knocking them out. I'm only slightly disappointed when victory music doesn't play when I turn in a quest to my wife. Mental note: Must buy wife a kazoo. Anyway, do you ever experience moments where your passion for MMOs bleed over into your real life? Do you grind reputation with your boss at work? Have you found yourself opening up a fridge and wondering what kind of epic consumables are inside? Did you strip to your skivvies and dance on top of your mailbox until the neighbors complained? Is all of this a cry for help?  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 bring MMOs into real life? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Building the perfect fortress in Camelot Unchained Posted: 20 Apr 2013 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, Interviews, PvP, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Crafting, Housing, Camelot Unchained, Player-Generated Content, MMORPG The Camelot Unchained team has just released a new video dev blog for Kickstarter backers outlining some fairly ambitious plans for mining and construction in the upcoming PvE-free sandbox. The system will involve combinations of custom and prefab cells in which players so inclined can build up the empires and trading posts and fortifications of their dreams. And in a nod to games like Minecraft, the construction mechanics are built on a foundation of supplies procured through co-op mining gameplay. Ahead of the reveal, we asked City State Entertainment's Mark Jacobs a few questions about the systems he's proposing, from the influence of Mojang's popular sandbox to whether mining will become my new part-time job. Read on for the complete interview! Continue reading Building the perfect fortress in Camelot Unchained Building the perfect fortress in Camelot Unchained originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Mog Log: Pushing back on Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 20 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log Among the things I'm reluctant to talk about early when it comes to Final Fantasy XIV are the live letters from Naoki Yoshida. There's always a thread rapidly updating players on what is said during those letters, but that thread is filled with quick translations that may or may not be accurate, and I'd prefer not to analyze and speculate on information that may have been misconstrued. The man speaks in dense blocks of information. To my surprise, this week we got the full translation of the latest live letter, and something that struck me was how much of the game we're still being told is just over the horizon. This is not to say that I don't believe in Yoshi-P; Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 showed that if he promises something, it will be delivered. But there are a lot of things being held back for later, and honestly it's a little disconcerting for someone waiting eagerly for the game to come out. Continue reading The Mog Log: Pushing back on Final Fantasy XIV The Mog Log: Pushing back on Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Elyos spy quests in Morheim Posted: 20 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Wings Over Atreia, Guides When I first thought to make a listing of spy quests in Aion, the idea was that folks could be sure to finish all the parts of the different lines before certain zones became unavailable due to leveling. I can remember on at least one occasion my quest progression was halted when I found myself leveled beyond the rift's parameters. It was a sad time, as I was prevented from obtaining the rewards and titles involved. Even worse, I was left with an incomplete quest in my journal. Oh, the horror! I moved on, but there was always that nagging feeling of something missing. All that has changed. Once the Fast Track server was introduced, the level limits on the rifts preventing Daevas from returning to enemy lands were removed. Now, any Elyos or Asmodian can return to those lower zones and wrap up any unfinished business. Of course, with so much to keep you occupied at the higher levels in Aion, you probably wouldn't even have time to flit back to the old haunts just to finish up old quests, which makes getting them done early all the more important. So to help you out, here's a guide to the Elyos spy quests in Morheim. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Elyos spy quests in Morheim Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Elyos spy quests in Morheim originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Road to Mordor: Happy sixth birthday, LotRO! Posted: 20 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor, Anniversaries Uh, seriously guys, it was just yesterday that I was celebrating the third anniversary of Lord of the Rings Online with you in this column. At least it felt like yesterday. Really, has it been six years already? I guess it must be. It just seems like time moves so rapidly in MMOs, especially ones you've been in for years. Even if you don't count my first six months in the game prior to and after the game's launch, my current stint in LotRO is the longest period of time that I've ever played an MMO. It's been a little over three years now that I've been playing and covering this game for Massively, and my interest in it has yet to wane. That amazes me; just when I think I might burn out on it, I find something about LotRO to rekindle my interest and passion. There's something special about this game world that I haven't found elsewhere, I've concluded. Perhaps it's the IP restrictions and continuity that makes Middle-earth more "real" to me than other virtual worlds. Maybe it's the sheer breadth of content or the goofy hats. I can't decide. But I'm happy to raise a glass to LotRO as it turns six and look back at some of my favorite moments over the years. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Happy sixth birthday, LotRO! The Road to Mordor: Happy sixth birthday, LotRO! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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