| Perfect Ten: Annoying things you hear in general chat Posted: 28 Jun 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Humor, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous General chat, sometimes called "Barrens chat" or "zone chat" or "the party line," is both the bane and the secret fixation of my existence. It's like a text-based reality show that plays out in real-time whenever I log into an MMO. If -- for some rare reason -- I'm bored of playing the game or talking with friends, at least I have the jibber-jabber of screeching opinions to fill my eye sockets. It's safe to say that general chat earns its bad reputation, but have you ever stopped to analyze exactly why that is? I have. I have traveled that long, terrible path, and at the end I peered over the edge into the abyss, and the abyss told me that I was a carebear who needed to L2P. Here are my findings. Continue reading Perfect Ten: Annoying things you hear in general chat  Perfect Ten: Annoying things you hear in general chat originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: For spacious skies Posted: 28 Jun 2014 08:00 AM PDT |
| The Daily Grind: Are you still playing TERA? Posted: 28 Jun 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous You know what's one MMO that I haven't heard much about lately? TERA. I guess it's doing fine following its free-to-play switch, but it seems like there's been zero chatter about it in the comments or on blogs, so I'm wondering if anyone's still playing it. Are you? Maybe you are still playing and enjoying TERA. Maybe you have good things to share about the new Reaper class. If so, pipe up for this game today! Why are you playing it and why should others check it out?  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: Are you still playing TERA? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SMITE claims four million players since launch Posted: 27 Jun 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA In a new interview with RedBull.com this week, Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Harris revealed that since SMITE's launch last March, both the MOBA's dev team and its player population are on the rise. In fact, he says, the game has become so profitable that Hi-Rez has "double[d] the size of [its] studio." At the game's release in late March, we were at three million players, and we are now well over four million. We are not on Steam, but comparing to Steam stats, SMITE would sit around number 10 to 12 in terms of popularity and daily players. Most importantly to us, the playing population has increased every month since the start of the Beta. [...] Our players are currently 45 percent Europe, 40 percent North America, 10 percent South America and five percent other. Harris drops a few other bits of trivia, including the fact that SMITE's original sci-fi IP was based on the studio's MMOFPS Global Agenda, but the mythology theme was deemed more "compelling." [With thanks to keen-eyed tipster Sorenthaz!] SMITE claims four million players since launch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: June 21 - 27, 2014 Posted: 27 Jun 2014 06:00 PM PDT |
| Darkfall's action-mode HUD to get some lovin' in July patch Posted: 27 Jun 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Subscription Aventurine has published a lengthy blog post previewing Darkfall's update schedule. Now that the game's custom roles are a thing, the devs are turning their attention to two July patches. The first is basically a fix and balance update to address bugaboos with the recent custom roles patch. The second update will the first of two designed to flesh out the game's action-mode HUD and will provide "a far more customizable experience with those GUI elements that are most used and most visible)," Aventurine says. After that, the devs are circling back to the planned economy rebalance as well as tweaks to quests, inventory management, alignment, and more. Darkfall's action-mode HUD to get some lovin' in July patch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| City of Steam previews its 2.7 update Posted: 27 Jun 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, City of Steam, Steampunk City of Steam has another update in the works, and it's going to make you look good. How, you ask? Well, partly by adding a new and expanded wardrobe system that will improve categories and free up storage space for your cosmetic outfits. The interface is still rough, but it's also a step toward giving players more options and power when it comes to character appearance. What else is coming? There's a new Lucky Wheel option in the works, allowing players a chance to spin and win all sorts of great prizes whether they're playing for free or not. The Mercenary system is also being revised, with appearances being improved, new mercenaries being added, and an improved interface for organizing and managing the soldiers of fortune. You can check out the full patch preview, which sadly for players does not yet include a targeted release date more specific than "soon." City of Steam previews its 2.7 update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wakfu details boost benefits for free-to-play model [Updated] Posted: 27 Jun 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play Wakfu has always had a free option for players, but the game is saying goodbye to subscriptions altogether with its relaunch, giving all players access to every part of the game from start to finish. Of course, there has to be some way to balance that, since the company running the game will still need to make money. That incentive will take the form of boosts, allowing players to gain bonus experience on their first and subsequent characters. Boosts will be available in several different durations, with the longest duration corresponding to the greatest overall bonus. Players will have improved drop rates, health regeneration, and battle rewards as well. Prices have not yet been announced, but the goal is for the boost days to be affordable. Players with subscriptions will also see their remaining subscription days converted into boost days, allowing everyone currently playing to reap the benefits early. [Update: The team has just posted another chart with all of the veteran rewards that will be distributed to current subbers on July 9th.] [Thanks to Avaera for the tip!] Wakfu details boost benefits for free-to-play model [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Captain's Log: A year of Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus Posted: 27 Jun 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Culture, Expansions, Lore, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log, Subscription The first expansion to Star Trek Online was the expansion everyone expected and yet one that no one really expected. Romulans were the obvious choice, the big gap in the game's factional lineup, the third major power that had been floating around in the darkness like some vast, predatory bird since the original series. But the idea of seeing a new faction after the Klingons had languished for so long seemed like a pipe dream. When it actually happened, I know I was sort of left just staring and disbelieving. Of course, now we've had the Romulan Republic as a playable sort-of-faction for a year now, and that prompts all sorts of reactions. In many ways, this expansion is better than we could have hoped for, and in other ways it feels as if it kind of falls short. I come here not to praise or to bury Legacy of Romulus but to look at it a year out from launch and perhaps see what lessons could be gleaned for the expansion we're due to receive late this year. Continue reading Captain's Log: A year of Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus Captain's Log: A year of Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Blizzard dispatches Warlords of Draenor closed beta invites Posted: 27 Jun 2014 01:30 PM PDT |
| Final Fantasy XIV breaks down Desynthesis Posted: 27 Jun 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription In most MMOs, you want your efforts with crafting to produce more items by the time you're done, not fewer. But the upcoming Desynthesis system in Final Fantasy XIV is meant to destroy items rather than make new ones, although you can end up making new ones after you break them down. It's a chance to take your crafting skills and apply them to break down items that you have no use for, making something better from the resultant materials. Desynthesis will allow the breakdown of items by crafting classes above level 30, who will recovering some of the items used in its construction. Skill level affects the odds of a successful desynth; there is a maximum skill level shared across all crafting classes, which will prevent players from being equally skilled in all crafts. More to the point, breaking down an item can unlock materials that can't be acquired through other means, allowing players to make even more powerful items than would otherwise be available. Final Fantasy XIV breaks down Desynthesis originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE's Crius to revamp manufacturing on July 22 Posted: 27 Jun 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Economy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Crafting, Subscription Are you sorta curious about EVE Online's science, manufacturing, and research aspects but have never managed to jump in with both feet? If so, you might want to hold off until July 22 when CCP releases its Crius update. The patch will feature "a complete overhaul of the tools for industry activities," along with dynamic pricing across New Eden helped along by the removal of slot limitations for science and industry jobs. Traveling worker teams will also be available, as will new options for reprocessing. There's a lot more to the update, too, and CCP has helpfully provided links to all the appropriate dev blogs in today's news post. EVE's Crius to revamp manufacturing on July 22 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Anarchy Online turns 13, celebrates with Desert Nomads event and member offers Posted: 27 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT |
