MMO Updates

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• Granado Espada preps Bristia Season 2 update
• The Guild Counsel: Making sense of the guild bank
• Ask Massively: Taboo topics
• Guild Wars 2's Colin Johanson outlines big plans and 'course correction' for the game
• Firefly Online coming to mobile devices in 2014
• The Daily Grind: How do you define combat feel?
• New Pathfinder vid shows animations, world fly-throughs, angry troll
• SOE sends PlanetSide 2 implants 'back to the drawing board'
• Touring DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy's prison city
• Allods Online celebrates Needle Eye Day
• Looking into the Heart of Fear with the EverQuest team
• Free for All: MMOs will never be the same again
• Dragon's Prophet update brings Wintertide and new level cap
• Leaderboard: Which FFXIV race is your favorite?
• End of Nations resumes alpha testing, boasts new MOBA features

Granado Espada preps Bristia Season 2 update Posted: 18 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play Granado Espada is preparing to fire up the engines to its second season of the Bristia expansion next week. Bristia Season 2 is scheduled for July 24th and has a new recruitable character, new area, and plenty of additional surprises. Well, they won't remain surprises if you read the rest of this article, so it's your choice. The new recruit is Olivia, a traitor and spy who likes to do her fighting up close and personal. Olivia uses light armor and attacks furiously with fists and daggers. You'll have to finish up the first part of Bristia in order to get her to join your team, however. Bristia Season 2 will also include a new haunted field map called the Scar, retuned stats, new elite weapons, improvements to character buffs, and a continuation of the storyline. Granado Espada preps Bristia Season 2 update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Season 2 update

The Guild Counsel: Making sense of the guild bank Posted: 18 Jul 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous Guilds face big challenges each week from tough bosses, heavy competition from other guilds, and even internal strife. But there's one thing that can pose an even greater challenge: managing the guild bank. More and more MMOs are including central guild storage that members can access, but it can quickly get out of hand if not managed well. A guild bank might seem fairly innocuous, but there are some potential problems to watch out for and some things that make it easier to get all those resources and items into the hands of those who need them. Let's look at some ways to keep the guild bank running smoothly in this week's Guild Counsel. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Making sense of the guild bank The Guild Counsel: Making sense of the guild bank originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ask Massively: Taboo topics Posted: 18 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Guilds, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Roleplaying, Humor, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous In the US, we have a joke about how you never discuss politics or religion with friends if you want to keep those friends, which is a shame since those are usually the most interesting subjects, especially when it's three in the morning and you're out of jello shots. Today's topic might seem as if it's about religion and politics on the surface, but it's really not. A reader named Ediz wrote to us with the following question: While browsing the official Neverwinter forum guild recruitment section, I noticed several guilds openly advertising their religious orientation. I think this is really bad, even if they accept non-religious members. This type of behaviour should be strongly dealt with by community managers. The last thing I want in a game and especially MMO is to see people's religious, sexual, or political orientations openly advertised as it just ruins my immersion. I politely complained about it on the thread, and my post has been casually removed by the moderators. What is wrong with these guys? Short answer? Nothing at all. Continue reading Ask Massively: Taboo topics Ask Massively: Taboo topics originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2's Colin Johanson outlines big plans and 'course correction' for the game Posted: 18 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, News Items, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play The past two weeks have seen a veritable flood of information about ArenaNet's plans for the immediate future of Guild Wars 2, but are you ready for even more details about the long-term goals for the title? Well, ready or not, it's comin' at you: Game Director Colin Johanson published a blog post today that outlines some of the features and changes players can expect to see in the latter half of the year. Curious about ANet's answer to character progression after the release of Ascended gear? The blog post has it covered. Tired of beating up Champion enemies for their lunch money, only to find that their moms packed them nothing but pairs of blue-quality trousers? Read up on how ANet plans to make them worth smacking around. Do you spend your days weeping softly over that 600 gold precursor that is the absolute last thing you need to complete your Legendary weapon? Boy oh boy, today is your lucky day. That's not all; Johanson's mammoth blog post also discusses the expansion of the crafting system, plans to add new Legendary gear and player-crafted Ascended items, improvements to structured PvP and World vs. World, and more. He was also kind enough to take the time to answer our questions about ArenaNet's vision for GW2's future, so be sure to check out our interview summary after the break! Continue reading Guild Wars 2's Colin Johanson outlines big plans and 'course correction' for the game Guild Wars 2's Colin Johanson outlines big plans and 'course correction' for the game originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Firefly Online coming to mobile devices in 2014 Posted: 18 Jul 2013 06:15 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Mobile Well Browncoats, it's true: Firefly Online is about to be a thing. It may not be as big of a thing as you may have hoped, however. Developer Quantum Mechanix Interactive revealed that the title will be a mobile game for the iOS and Android platforms. It looks to have the full support of Fox and is scheduled to hit the app stores in summer 2014. QMx is aiming to both misbehave and to recreate the Firefly experience for wannabe captains. Players will customize their ships, hire a crew, and seek jobs in the 'Verse. This project is not to be confused with the dubious Firefly Universe Online. The official announcement trailer is after the jump. Continue reading Firefly Online coming to mobile devices in 2014 Firefly Online coming to mobile devices in 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Official announcement

The Daily Grind: How do you define combat feel? Posted: 18 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Horror, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvE, Opinion, The Daily Grind, The Secret World, Subscription, Buy-to-Play ↵ Yesterday Justin asked which MMO has the best combat feel. After 200-odd responses, the Massively commenter consensus seems to be somewhere in the neighborhood of Guild Wars 2 and/or World of Warcraft. Interestingly, few of those responses defined combat feel, and I'm assuming this is because it's a murky, subjective phrase on par with old favorites like balance, hardcore, and casual. To me, World of Warcraft's combat feels (and looks and sounds) bloody awful, but then again most people laugh when I say -- with a straight face -- that I like The Secret World's famously maligned combat. So how about it, Massively readers -- how do you define combat feel? 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: How do you define combat feel? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Pathfinder vid shows animations, world fly-throughs, angry troll Posted: 17 Jul 2013 08:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Pathfinder Online If you've been waiting for something tangible to sink your teeth into with regard to Pathfinder Online, look no further than the four-minute video clip recently released by GoblinWorks. The video is an updated version of the one shown during the Pathfinder seminar at PaizoCon, and it's got everything from world fly-throughs to static character models to combat animations. Click past the cut to view the trailer, and read more about it on the official Pathfinder blog via the link below. [Thanks Chrysillis!] Continue reading New Pathfinder vid shows animations, world fly-throughs, angry troll New Pathfinder vid shows animations, world fly-throughs, angry troll originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

SOE sends PlanetSide 2 implants 'back to the drawing board' Posted: 17 Jul 2013 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2 If you were getting excited about all of the possibilities that implants might bring with PlanetSide 2's GU13, it's time to put a lid on that enthusiasm and shove it back into the fridge so that it won't go bad. SOE President John Smedley said that the team is revisiting the feature due to feedback from the community. "After reading through your comments we have decided to go back to the drawing board on implants," Smedley said on Twitter. "They will not be coming with GU13." Implants were cheap consumables designed to offer specific abilities or bonuses over a short span of time. SOE sends PlanetSide 2 implants 'back to the drawing board' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: John Smedley's Twitter

Touring DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy's prison city Posted: 17 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, Previews, Free-to-Play Take a formerly prosperous town, wall it up, and turn it into the region's largest prison. Then add a handful of adventurers who are sent in to rescue a kidnapped official while kicking all kinds of butt. If Dungeons and Dragon Online's Wheloon sounds a little like the 1981 movie Escape from New York, well, that's intentional. Turbine's team wasn't afraid to put in a sly reference to John Carpenter's seminal prison film when the devs were constructing this new adventure area for DDO's Shadowfell Conspiracy expansion. The devs also weren't afraid to push the boundaries of what's been done and seen in the game up until now. We took a tour of Wheloon's highlights and managed to escape that wretched place with a first-hand look at the sinister goings-on of this unusual penitentiary. It's all the purple you can stand and then some when you head over the wall into this town! Continue reading Touring DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy's prison city Touring DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy's prison city originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Allods Online celebrates Needle Eye Day Posted: 17 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Free-to-Play, Allods Online, Crafting "Raise those fabric scissors in the air like you just don't care," the Allods Online team soberly commands. This comes as the call goes out for tailors to celebrate Needle Eye Day (well, more like 10 days, but who's counting?). Needle Eye Day is a special in-game holiday for folks who have specialized in tailoring. Tailors participating in the event can earn several new items, including a peaked cap, festive suit, and a tailor's bag. The festival will take place from July 18th to July 27th. Just as a reminder, please do not run with those fabric scissors like you just don't care, because it's dangerous. Massively loves you too much to see you succumb to scissor wounds. Allods Online celebrates Needle Eye Day originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Needle Eye Day

Looking into the Heart of Fear with the EverQuest team Posted: 17 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, EverQuest, Game Mechanics, Launches, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), Dungeons SOE Live is just a couple of weeks away, but before the EverQuest team heads to Las Vegas, it has launched a brand-new update for the game called the Heart of Fear. It continues the storyline of the House of Thule and Cazic Thule, the god of Fear, that began three years ago. The team led a tour of the new areas and gave some insight into what new goodies players will discover along the way. Check out the highlights of this final chapter in the Thule storyline. Gallery: EverQuest Heart of Fear Screenshots Continue reading Looking into the Heart of Fear with the EverQuest team Looking into the Heart of Fear with the EverQuest team originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: MMOs will never be the same again Posted: 17 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, Anarchy Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Free for All Most of the arguments I make in this article come down to basic science. Once something is created, it can only be copied. The original is just what it is. Some of the MMOs that started me off on this journey across hundreds of worlds are closed now, but many still remain open and active. I can go back to those older games and enjoy them, but in most cases I go back and find that I'm glad I moved on. I have changed, and so has the internet and how I access it. All of these things factor into my changing opinion and the fact that MMOs as I remember them will probably always remain relics of the past. Don't worry; I'm not here to tell you how incredible older titles like were. Those were some good times, but it's depressing to think that I would constantly be stuck in the past, never moving forward. Still, it's nice to think that those titles might be copied but never replaced. After all, gamers have moved on and so has design. As both should. Continue reading Free for All: MMOs will never be the same again Free for All: MMOs will never be the same again originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dragon's Prophet update brings Wintertide and new level cap Posted: 17 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet, MMORPG Sony Online Entertainment's Dragon's Prophet beta has just receive a big update in the form of Wintertide, a snowy, chilly region packed with new content and more than a few bits of lore to discover. The expansion also brings three new dungeons that feature new enemy types and bosses, along with a fourth dungeon recommended only for players confident in their dungeoning abilities. Players can now quest, kill, and loot their way to level 70, and a new feature known as the Dragon Chamber has been added to allow players to keep an additional 96 dragons in their stables. Also new in the beta: a secret floating island housing option, Dragon Sanctuaries for guilds, new achievements and emotes, and guild storage. If you're curious about Wintertide, you can check it out yourself or tune in for the next Scales and Tales livestream on the official Dragon's Prophet Twitch channel at 5 p.m. EDT this Friday. Dragon's Prophet update brings Wintertide and new level cap originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Producer's Letter

Leaderboard: Which FFXIV race is your favorite? Posted: 17 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Opinion, Races, Final Fantasy XIV, Leaderboard Final Fantasy XIV is back on my gaming radar here lately, thanks mostly to the positive word-of-mouth surrounding the forthcoming reboot. I played the original version of the game for a month when it launched, and while I didn't stick around, I always meant to check back at some point. I don't remember much about my original character, though, and due to the fact that all of the races are appealing in some way, I'm having a hard time deciding on a main. That's where this week's Leaderboard comes in, as mayhap the Massively commentariat will influence me one way or another when it comes to A Realm Reborn's races. Which FFXIV race is your favorite? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: Which FFXIV race is your favorite? Leaderboard: Which FFXIV race is your favorite? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

End of Nations resumes alpha testing, boasts new MOBA features Posted: 17 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA We reported last week about End of Nations' transformation from sci-fi MMORTS to sci-fi MOBA. Now, Trion is making it official via a press release that touts a "re-engineered build" and "enhanced tactical gameplay." As of today, EoN's alpha server is back in business, with the invite-only testing build boasting "noticeably quicker and more dynamic MOBA gameplay, streamlined UI, cleaner graphics, smaller teams, and more powerful heroes," Trion says. Teams now feature two to four players, the objectives are more focused, and there's more of an emphasis on commander abilities plus four new classes. Finally, Trion has added something called "streamlined tactical leveling" that allows players to advance on the fly. You can register for an alpha or summer 2013 beta invitation via the official site link below. [Source: Trion press release] Gallery: End of Nations MOBA End of Nations resumes alpha testing, boasts new MOBA features originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMORPG News

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• Elder Scrolls Online: Forum Q&A With Creative Director Paul Sage -- BEGINS NOW!
• Dragon's Prophet: Wintertide Arrives
• EverQuest: Diving Into the Heart of Fear
• Neverwinter: Foundry Focus: Andy Stops by for a Chat
• Age of Wushu: New Trailer Shows off Yanmen Pass Instance
• General: PWNED - A Novel Idea
• Runescape: Focused on Emerging Markets
• Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Moving Forward and Looking Back

Elder Scrolls Online: Forum Q&A With Creative Director Paul Sage -- BEGINS NOW! Posted: 17 Jul 2013 04:48 PM PDT Elder Scrolls Online creative director Paul Sage (ZOS_Sage) is now taking questions live from the MMORPG.com community. Drop your questions in this thread and who knows, maybe you'll get an answer!

Dragon's Prophet: Wintertide Arrives Posted: 17 Jul 2013 02:44 PM PDT Sony Online Entertainment has announced the release of the Wintertide content expansion for Dragon's Prophet. The new content takes players to an icy zone that includes a level cap increase, new dungeons, public quests and more.

EverQuest: Diving Into the Heart of Fear Posted: 17 Jul 2013 12:44 AM PDT We were privy to a tour from SOE this week, and today we break down Heart of Fear, the latest major content update to EverQuest, in our latest preview.

Neverwinter: Foundry Focus: Andy Stops by for a Chat Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:38 PM PDT This week's Neverwinter Foundry Focus is a very special one which features Cryptic Studios' Andy Velasquez. Andy spends time discussing Neverwinter in general and a tiny bit about August's first module release, Fury of the Feywild. Check it out and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Age of Wushu: New Trailer Shows off Yanmen Pass Instance Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:22 PM PDT In preparation for the Age of Wushu expansion, Mount Hua, Snail Games has released a new trailer to show off a new location that players will encounter. Called "Yanmen Pass", the instance offers players multiple choices to complete the location.

General: PWNED - A Novel Idea Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:29 PM PDT This week, Lisa Jonte takes a look at a project that is technically an independent one, though more about a book about an MMO. Find out more about PWNED. Have you ever had a novel idea about the gaming world? Let us know in the comments.

Runescape: Focused on Emerging Markets Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:13 AM PDT Jagex has announced more plans to expand its properties into emerging markets. After an earlier announcement that a partnership agreement had been inked for the Brazilian market, Jagex has now announced plans to release a Spanish version of RuneScape 3 in Latin American nations.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Moving Forward and Looking Back Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:57 PM PDT Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn stands on the unprecedented edge of getting a second chance at release. In our latest FFXIV: ARR column, we take a look forward while still looking back. Check it out before heading to the comments.

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