| Rise and Shiny: Prime World Posted: 18 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream, MOBA Prime World, a combination MOBA and MMORTS-ish game by Nival, is a fresh take on what appears to be an ever-growing genre. Will vets of the familiar match-based games feel as though it goes too far into new territory, or will they appreciate the changes to their beloved gameplay? While I'll leave that question up to the experts over at Not So Massively, I can say that as someone who is more of an MMORTS fan than a follower of MOBAs, I appreciated the fact that Prime World gave me something to try in both. Better still, games like Prime World are enjoyable for a relative newcomer to the genre like yours truly because they encourage me to become better by being fun to play rather than by being brutal on newbies. Classic MOBA fans probably feel differently, however. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Prime World  Rise and Shiny: Prime World originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Aug 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| One Shots: Pandas rising Posted: 18 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, EverQuest II, Guild Wars 2, One Shots, The Secret World, Humor, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous Pandas aren't just for Azeroth, kiddos. Your favorite cuddly bears that can rip off your face even as you're saying, "Aww, who's a good little teddy?" have infiltrated many MMOs and risen to the top of the food chain as apex predators. Here is unfortunate victim Paul about to be eaten. His final words are as follows: "This is my highest-level character, a Beastlord called Kaesk who has recently just dinged level 85," Paul writes. "This means that I can now fly, hence the wings, and it also means even more opportunities to get distracted. While it looks like the Hue Mein pandas are sizing me up for the cooking pot, they are actually dancing -- and they know how to shake their booty, it seems. I just wasn't expecting to find pandas in EverQuest II, let alone dancing ones, so it made me giggle." You giggle bravely into the belly of the beast there, Paul. We admire your laughter in the face of doom. And speaking of doom, what other light-hearted pictures await us in this week's One Shots? Continue reading One Shots: Pandas rising One Shots: Pandas rising originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Aug 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Do you appreciate items more if you make them? Posted: 18 Aug 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Crafting In MMOs, there are four main ways of attaining items: You can loot them from mobs, buy them (either with in-game or real-world currency), earn them (via quests and alternative methods), or craft them. My running theory is that while all of these can provide satisfying acquisitions, it's the last one that perhaps makes us most appreciative of them. I loved everything I wore and used in Fallen Earth, for example, because I crafted every single piece of gear and weapon in that game. A pistol wasn't a mere drop; it was the result of a lot of scavenging, part-making, and skill points. One of my all-time favorite possessions in World of Warcraft was my helicopter mount created by countless hours of engineering. So our topic today is pretty simple: Do you appreciate MMO items more if you make them than if you acquired them otherwise?  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 appreciate items more if you make them? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Aug 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Fan-made infographic summarizes Guild Wars 2's first year Posted: 17 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT |
| The Tattered Notebook: Quips, quotes, and EQ Next tidbits from SOE Live Posted: 17 Aug 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), The Tattered Notebook, EverQuest Next, Sandbox It's official: I survived SOE Live! (I'd have included "with my sanity intact," but we all know I didn't have any going into it.) It's not that I seriously doubted this conclusion; I did successfully survive my inaugural visit after all. But with so much to see and hear and do, there was bound to be a casualty of some sort. In this case, it was sleep. Even sacrificing that, there was still no way to experience it all -- and I tried! If you haven't been to SOE's annual "family reunion" in a while, you might not realize just how big it has grown. And adding EverQuest Next and EverQuest Next Landmark to the already expanded portfolio of games represented made for more news than could reasonably be condensed into nice little packages. That's where The Tattered Notebook comes in! I'm going to share an assortment of hidden gems and hilarious moments from the convention, including plenty of EQ Next intel from various developer interviews. Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Quips, quotes, and EQ Next tidbits from SOE Live The Tattered Notebook: Quips, quotes, and EQ Next tidbits from SOE Live originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Microsoft PC Marketplace closure to affect Age of Empires Online Posted: 17 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMORTS Microsoft is is closing down its Xbox.com PC Marketplace on August 22nd. The company is also retiring its Microsoft Points virtual currency on the same date. What does this have to do with MMOs? Well, it affects Age of Empires Online players by limiting their ability to purchase DLC after the closure date. According to a post on the game's official forums, players may still download and enjoy previously purchased content through Games for Windows LIVE after the 22nd, even if said content was originally purchased via Steam. And even though marketplace purchases are going away, in-game purchases using Empire Points will still be available. [Thanks jackpipsam!] Microsoft PC Marketplace closure to affect Age of Empires Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Aug 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Mog Log: Returning to your Final Fantasy XIV friends Posted: 17 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log Despite my best efforts, I was unable to throw open the doors and start demonstrating the wonders of Arcanist with my time in Final Fantasy XIV's open beta. I know, I'm disappointed too. I can offer a summary of what I saw from a glance at the abilities of the class, sure, but that's a little more speculation than I want to lay on people in lieu of real playtime. (The short version is that it looks interesting, and yes, there's a cure in there.) Instead, I'm going to offer some advice to my fellow players coming back into the game with older characters. Think of these not as strict guidelines but as suggestions, tips to make the path through beta and early access just a wee bit easier. I spent most of phase 3 preparing for the launch along these lines, and it might make the transition a bit more gentle for everyone. Continue reading The Mog Log: Returning to your Final Fantasy XIV friends The Mog Log: Returning to your Final Fantasy XIV friends originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Guild Wars 2 throws anniversary bash at PAX Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (Real-World), PvP, Guild Wars 2, Anniversaries, Buy-to-Play ArenaNet is throwing its own mini-convention during PAX this month. The studio's rented out the Madison Ballroom in downtown Seattle's Renaissance Hotel to throw a grand anniversary bash for Guild Wars 2. The event takes place on Saturday, August 31st in the afternoon and all of the evening. The anniversary bash kicks off with an address by President Mike O'Brien, followed by a sneak peek play session of exclusive new content, a panel on the living world of the game, a PvP invitational tournament, and a fun party. It is first-come, first-served and the event has limited capacity. Can't come? Don't worry: ArenaNet will be livestreaming the event of anyone who would like to attend virtually. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!] Guild Wars 2 throws anniversary bash at PAX originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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