| Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's Season Eight Preview Posted: 11 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log It's almost here: Season Eight in Star Trek Online releases tomorrow, November 12th! There is a lot of new material that will be implemented into the game when the season goes live, so much that there really hasn't been a single list of everything that's to come. So in today's Captain's Log, allow me to do a breakdown of all of the new content that Star Trek Online players can expect to see when they finish patching. You can also catch a quick glimpse of Season Eight's material by watching the official Season Eight trailer that Massively revealed last week. As you can imagine, this column will be chock-full of spoilers! Continue reading Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's Season Eight Preview  Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's Season Eight Preview originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Hands-on with EQ Next Landmark: Building my castle of dreams Posted: 11 Nov 2013 08:15 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, EverQuest Next, Player-Generated Content If they can build it, they will come. When presented with the opportunity to get my hands on EverQuest Next Landmark and build something for myself, I leaped at the chance. Who hasn't been sitting back, eagerly awaiting the moment he could dive into the wilds of Landmark and let his creativity run rampant? As one half of the Some Assembly Required team, I knew it would be no great sacrifice to try out this upcoming beacon of player-generated-content. And man, was it worth it! I met with EverQuest Franchise Director Dave Georgeson to talk shop and check out Landmark's tools in my own personal hands-on pre-alpha experience. Instead of just gazing longingly at a screen while watching a demonstration, I got to test drive all the various building tools as I obsessively constructed my own amethyst castle. The only real problem I ran into was that my time ended all too soon, and now I must wait until February for the alpha to play again. So is it better to have built and lost than never to have built at all? I may have to get back to you on that when -- and if -- my withdrawals subside. Until then, here's the scoop on my experience along with a new video and some juicy tidbits of new info straight from Georgeson himself. Continue reading Hands-on with EQ Next Landmark: Building my castle of dreams Hands-on with EQ Next Landmark: Building my castle of dreams originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EverQuest Next Landmark Founders Packs, alpha announced Posted: 11 Nov 2013 08:05 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Promotions, EverQuest Next, Sandbox, Player-Generated Content If you are anxious to get in and start building the home of your dreams (or treehouse or Orc-infested ruins or whatever) in EverQuest Next Landmark, you'll have that chance early next year if you purchase one of the newly announced Founders Packs. Players who want to get in on Landmark's alpha, which will launch on or before February 28th, 2014, can get access by purchasing the Explorer Pack for $59.99 or the Trailblazer Pack for $99.99 (with Trailblazers getting a headstart). Players who can hold off their building desires can buy the Settler Pack instead for $19.99 and get access to the first wave of beta testing that commences on or before March 31st, 2014. Each pack offers various other in-game perks such as titles, tools, storage pockets, and vaults. For a full list of all the goodies in each tier, check out the image below. And to learn more about EQN Landmark, read up on our our hands-on experience. Continue reading EverQuest Next Landmark Founders Packs, alpha announced EverQuest Next Landmark Founders Packs, alpha announced originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Gloria Victis updates animation tech, hires famous writers Posted: 11 Nov 2013 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, Patches We first heard of Gloria Victis during last year's unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, but the medieval MMO has grown by leaps and bounds since then. The most recent update provides news on a reworked database, Warband creation, mo-cap animations, and the addition of three well-known writers for the game's lore. Jacek Komuda and Maciej Jurewicz have both worked on The Witcher and Bulletstorm, as well as dozens of other published works. Their "gritty, bloody, dark" style will show through in the game's storyline and the team at Black Eye Games hopes to show off a few lines for fans soon. [Source: Black Eye Games press release] Gloria Victis updates animation tech, hires famous writers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Video previews Wednesday's Path of Exile update 1.0.1 Posted: 11 Nov 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Path of Exile Players interested in Path of Exile's upcoming 1.0.1, which is hitting servers Wednesday, can get the scoop in the devs' latest update preview video. The clip highlights a sequel to the popular race mode Descent, changes in Purity, a new enhance support gem, and more. Also noted is that Season 5 will start this weekend. Additionally, PoE will be releasing seven bi-weekly content updates between now and the expansion in early March, 2014. Descent Champions, like Descent, is a special scenario separate from the storyline filled with challenging monsters. Unlike its predecessor, however, this version sports a choice in forks in the progression and a selection of unique items to pick from at the start the event. Purity has been changed so that it doesn't alter players' maximum resistances; instead players can utilize the new player purity aura gems for fire, ice, and lightning. You can get more details on all these changes (plus a spoiler for one of the five new uniques coming!) in the update video below. Continue reading Video previews Wednesday's Path of Exile update 1.0.1 Video previews Wednesday's Path of Exile update 1.0.1 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Turn-based League of Angels plans closed beta for late 2013 Posted: 11 Nov 2013 06:30 AM PST |
| The Stream Team: Celebrating vets edition, November 11 - 17, 2013 Posted: 11 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Polls, MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team In the MMOverse, we talk often about veterans -- those old-timers who have stuck with a game through thick and thin, playing steadfastly as the years go by even when others head off for new horizons. And with a nod to their dedication, we pay homage those stalwart members of the community who just don't give up. Today, Massively TV recognizes vet in a different context, honoring those who preserve our freedoms through their service in the various armed forces. Because of their sacrifices, we can do the things we enjoy, even things like diving into our favorite games and hanging out watching The Stream Team. So a big thanks to veterans everywhere, and may we all remember them in our thoughts as we partake in those freedoms we have. Continue reading The Stream Team: Celebrating vets edition, November 11 - 17, 2013 The Stream Team: Celebrating vets edition, November 11 - 17, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Trion Worlds registers Trove domains Posted: 11 Nov 2013 05:30 AM PST |
| The Daily Grind: What's the weirdest MMO you've played? Posted: 11 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Real-Life, MMO Industry, PvE, Opinion, Buy-to-Play I found myself playing a little bit of Test Drive Unlimited 2 this weekend. I'm not sure why, but I'll chalk it up to an obsession with vehicles and an incurable case of MMO wanderlust. The game is a bizarre mixture of online racing and The Sims, with out-of-car activities including casinos, dance clubs, outfit collections and player housing. The title's main draw is the vehicles, though, and while some of the driving mechanics leave a lot to be desired, the models themselves are impressive. I particularly enjoy the virtual cockpits and the ability to raise and lower windows, etc. Anyway, that's my weird MMO story of the day. What's yours? What's the weirdest MMO you've played?  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's the weirdest MMO you've played? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Nov 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| BlizzCon 2013 in photographs Posted: 10 Nov 2013 08:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Galleries, Screenshots, Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Humor, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous, Diablo III, Hearthstone  BlizzCon might be over, but pictures last forever, or at least until something happens to our data center. Don't get any ideas. Hey, where are you going with that tornado?! Enjoy our view of the con!  Massively's on the ground in Anaheim during the weekend of November 8th, bringing you all the best news from BlizzCon 2013. Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's and Diablo III's next expansions or reveals from Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!BlizzCon 2013 in photographs originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Nov 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Week in Review: BlizzCon 2013 roundup Posted: 10 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post. Massively may skew toward ex- World of Warcraft players, but whether you're a hater or a veteran, your gamer eyes were undoubtedly glued to BlizzCon this weekend. Blizzard announced a new expansion for World of Warcraft, complete with time-traveling orcs, housing, and nostalgia for expansions past; we also got our hands on new MOBA Heroes of the Storm and stole a few glances at Hearthstone and Diablo III, with plenty more to come this week as we unpack the con. In the meantime, we've rounded up all the best of Massively's and WoW Insider's BlizzCon coverage for you, so read on! Continue reading MMO Week in Review: BlizzCon 2013 roundup MMO Week in Review: BlizzCon 2013 roundup originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Evolved: Ghost Sites and PvE goals Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Economy, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Subscription PvE in most MMOs revolves around killing hordes of NPCs for currency, XP, tokens, or loot, and EVE Online is no exception. Players can hunt for rare pirate ships in nullsec asteroid belts, farm Sansha incursions for ISK and loyalty points, or team up against Sleeper ships in dangerous wormhole space, but most prefer the safe and steady income of mission-running. Missions are essentially repeatable quests that can be spawned on request, providing an endless stream of bad guys to blow up in the comfort of high-security space. Completing a mission will earn you some ISK and a few hundred or thousand loyalty points, but most of the ISK in mission-running comes from the bounties on the NPCs spawned in the mission sites. Similar deadspace sites with better loot are also distributed randomly throughout the galaxy and can be tracked down using scanner probes. But what would happen if the NPCs in these sites were a dangerous and unexpected interference that could get you killed, rather than space piñatas ready to explode in a shower of ISK? This is a question CCP plans to test with the Rubicon expansion's upcoming Ghost Sites feature, which promises to introduce a whole new form of high-risk, high-reward PvE. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at EVE's upcoming ghost sites and explain why I think its goal-oriented approach to PvE should be adopted in other areas of the game. Continue reading EVE Evolved: Ghost Sites and PvE goals EVE Evolved: Ghost Sites and PvE goals originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Nov 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Valve responds to fan outrage at Dota 2's missing Diretide Posted: 10 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News Items, MOBA Halloween events might just seem like a trivial little thing to you, but they are serious business in Dota 2. Valve didn't turn on the game's Diretide event this year, and the resulting fan outrage could probably be bottled up and used to start fires. So what in the world happened? A week or so out from Halloween proper, the company has finally addressed the controversy in a new blog post explaining why the event failed to materialize. In short: The team was working on a major update that was meant to be ready around Halloween, so the assumption was that it would be easier just to launch that. Then it got delayed, and there was no time to stop working on that and start working on Diretide. Once the time came and the event was still missing, what happened was more or less a matter of figuring out how to fix it rather than simply stating that the company was aware. It looks as if the game's next update will contain a somewhat belated Diretide, which may not fix the problem but will at least help ameliorate lingering hurt feelings. Valve responds to fan outrage at Dota 2's missing Diretide originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WildStar's livestream serves up a big helping of Warrior fun Posted: 10 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play Are you looking forward to WildStar's big Warrior livestream? Because... we've got bad news for you then; that was yesterday. It happened. You missed it. But there's no need to fret. The livestream is still archived, and you can take a look at the full thing just past the break. And what does it contain? A whole lot of Warrior time as well as a whole lot of time looking at what's changed compared to previous game builds. For starters, this build has a chance to show off both the new ability enhancement and AMP systems, replacements to the original Milestone setup (although the interface for both is still obviously in beta stages). The Warrior also gets to demonstrate some of the new elements of the UI, like telegraphs serving as cast bars, allowing you to know just when dodging out will be absolutely vital. No need to take our word for it, though; check out the full video just past the break! Continue reading WildStar's livestream serves up a big helping of Warrior fun WildStar's livestream serves up a big helping of Warrior fun originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Nov 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| TUG begins building networking and third-person models Posted: 10 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items TUG is a game with big goals and a small start, but that's just more stuff for it to work up to over time. The latest update for the game's backers shows how far the game has already come even in its early stage, though, with the game already beginning to build upon and improve its overall infrastructure. The latest update highlights that third-person models are now partly in place, with first-person animations and some third-person animations working correctly. The game's networking is also in place, but at the moment it's only a bare-bones implementation; players can host servers but no central server architecture yet exists. The update warns that it's also largely untested, since that is part of what the testing environment exists to facilitate. There's also new biomes, new crafting, and physics -- a far cry from the initial exploration demo. It's still small, but every update makes the game just a little bigger. TUG begins building networking and third-person models originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pictures of the best cosplayers from BlizzCon 2013
A wireless headset that works with virtually any device
Score great deals and good will whenever the urge strikes
Only scraps for the competition
Beta participants will be randomly selected
Three fan design boasts 14 percent better cooling performance
