| Prepare for Riders of Rohan's launch with patch notes, FAQ, and a trailer Posted: 15 Oct 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Launches, News items, Free-to-play Many a Lord of the Rings Online fan is eager to delve into the Riders of Rohan expansion today as soon as the servers come back online. But once prospective warsteed owners set foot in the lands of Rohan, what do they do? Turbine offers a handy launch day FAQ to answer important questions like "How do I get there?" and "Where's my loot sparkle?" The guide offers gems such as: "A server is never late, LOTRO players. Nor is it early. It comes up precisely when Turbine means it to." Players can also bide their time reading through the hefty expansion patch notes, which feature juicy tidbits on all the new goodies and changes. For a quick guide to more information and impressions on the expansion, check out Massively's pre-launch guide. And check out the launch trailer after the break. Continue reading Prepare for Riders of Rohan's launch with patch notes, FAQ, and a trailer  Prepare for Riders of Rohan's launch with patch notes, FAQ, and a trailer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MechWarrior Online open beta delayed Posted: 15 Oct 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, MechWarrior Online Looking forward to jumping into MechWarrior Online's open beta tomorrow? You might want to rein in those expectations. Citing issues with MWO's stability, Piranha Games announced that there will be a "short push back" for the start of the open beta until a better build is released. The devs cited feedback from current beta testers in making this call, and addressed other concerns that players have expressed. The team said that it is working on lag issues, a better match making system, new player tutorials, and general balance tweaks. Players who have paid for a premium account will also have the option to decide when they want to start using the benefits from the bonus. There is no word as to when the open beta for MWO will commence. [Thanks to John for the tip!] MechWarrior Online open beta delayed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Battle for the high skies: Hands-on with Pirate101 Posted: 15 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Casual, First Impressions, Kids, Family, Pirate101 Her name is Reckless Roslyn Ramsey, and she is a pirate. She sails a ship, loots treasure, hangs out in seedy bars, and fights anyone who stands between her and the fame and fortune she so rightly deserves. You wouldn't be lying to say that young Ms. Ramsey has swashed a fair few buckles in her time, and the pink and white, panda and crossbones flag under which she and her crew sail is feared the world over. Such is life in Pirate101, a family-oriented MMO created by KingsIsle Entertainment and due to launch today. Placing you in the role of a young pirate at the beginning of his or her quest for glory, Pirate101 asks you to carve your own path, gather cunning crewmembers, and discover the hidden mysteries of The Spiral (a fantasy world the game shares with smash hit Wizard101). I hopped in on the Pirate101 head-start over the weekend to get an idea of what this colorful MMO has to offer and to see whether its kid-friendly design hinders its ability to be fun for those of us jaded gamers who expect a little blood with our sword slashes. What I found was an accessible game with a clear slant toward younger players as well as a robust and fun MMO with plenty to offer grown-ups seeking to step away from the grim, dark worlds of more traditional fare. Continue reading Battle for the high skies: Hands-on with Pirate101 Battle for the high skies: Hands-on with Pirate101 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Stream Team: October 15 - 21, 2012 Posted: 15 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team What's worse than a surprise monster troll invasion? Missing watching a surprise monster troll invasion happen to your favorite Stream Team host! It may not happen today. It may not happen tomorrow. In fact, you never know when or where or even to whom it might happen, but it just might happen! Heavens to Betsy: It could be that one has already happened. Don't take chances; don't risk missing such an iconic moment. Be sure to watch Massively TV this week to catch all of the action, commentary, and surprises that live gaming can bring. And check any missed livestreams from last week. Those trolls could be anywhere! They could even be hiding in the poll at the end of this column... Continue reading The Stream Team: October 15 - 21, 2012 The Stream Team: October 15 - 21, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Why is fluff considered fluff? Posted: 15 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind Yesterday's news of the World of Warcraft player who leveled to 90 without a single kill generated some interesting comments. A couple of them got us to thinking why MMO fluff is considered fluff, and why video gaming in general is so heavily focused on combat. Combat is probably the easiest answer when it comes to progression and monetization-based design, but shouldn't MMOs be something more than sticking the pointy end into the other man over and over again? So how about it, Massively readers? Why is fluff considered fluff?  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: Why is fluff considered fluff? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Week in Review: GDC Online's business model battle Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Free-to-play, 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. F2P is the " platform of the future!" No, F2P is " entertainment socialism" that preys on the mentally ill! The participants in this year's GDC Online in Austin, Texas, didn't exactly solve the business model problems posed by the modern MMO industry, but they sure did provoke some passionate commentary from the folks at home. Massively's GDC Online reporters heard from notables like John Smedley, Raph Koster, Ultima Forever's Paul Barnett, SWTOR's Damion Schubert, Guild Wars 2's Cameron Dunn, and SOE's Linda Carlson; slaughtered zombies in The War Z; took a peek at World of Warplanes, Age of Wushu, and Otherland; and raised their eyebrows at the results of the Developer's Choice awards. Read on for a look at this week's other top MMO stories. Continue reading MMO Week in Review: GDC Online's business model battle MMO Week in Review: GDC Online's business model battle originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| NYCC 2012: Transformers Universe trailer unveiled Posted: 14 Oct 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play, Transformers Universe Jagex has been keeping details about the upcoming Transformers Universe MMO on the down low until today, when the Jagex team took advantage of NYCC to release the game's first official trailer. Transformers Universe will be free-to-play with microtransaction support. Jagex has announced plans to keep the game running for at least 10 years, allowing for exploration to take players to the stars -- even to Cybertron itself. Skip below the cut to feast your eyes upon the glory of Transformers Universe! [Thanks to groovy webizen Guy for the tip!] Continue reading NYCC 2012: Transformers Universe trailer unveiled NYCC 2012: Transformers Universe trailer unveiled originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Evolved: Bounty hunting and revenge Posted: 14 Oct 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox Last week I looked into the major PvP changes coming in EVE Online's upcoming Retribution expansion, from the piracy revamp to a new global flagging system that puts players in the driving seat of justice. This week CCP Games revealed full details of the upcoming bounty hunting system revamp, and I have to say I'm really excited. The new bounty system not only makes bounty hunting a viable profession again but also gives players a way to deal significant financial damage to their enemies without getting their hands dirty. As if that weren't enough, players will even be able to enforce the law on their own terms, trawling high-security space for criminals and lighting them up for everyone to kill. Corporate- and alliance-level bounties will push grudges to new levels, enabling a new type of passive financial warfare. The new bounty system can also be used as a tool to motivate troops into battle, a way to incentivise boring but necessary starbase warfare, and even a method for running tournaments. In this week's EVE Evolved, I get ridiculously excited about EVE's upcoming bounty hunting revamp and explain why it makes the Retribution expansion a complete game-changer. Continue reading EVE Evolved: Bounty hunting and revenge EVE Evolved: Bounty hunting and revenge originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Riot killing bad League of Legends behavior with science Posted: 14 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends Riot's well aware of the fact that it has an awful community on its hands in League of Legends. Fortunately for all concerned, the company is killing the problem with science. Team Player Behavior is a group of 30 developers tasked with reducing negativity, abuse, and offensive language, and it includes PhDs in statistics, human factors psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. "We're never going to come to a place where there's no toxicity in League of Legends," says Jeffrey Lin, LoL's lead designer of social systems. "We're never going to get there. But we're finding different strategies [for situations where] if toxic behavior happens, how do we shield players from it? How do we reduce the frequency of it?" Riot is tinkering with solutions ranging from the recently released honor system to turning off chat by default. The company has also seen some success with its tribunal system, and Lin cites an instance where a 10-year-old LoL player responded positively to the disciplinary action handed down via a Riot reform card. "I showed [the boy's response] to the team and I said 'can you guys see the difference you're making in peoples' lives? This is not about games anymore, you guys are impacting these players,'" Lin explained. Riot killing bad League of Legends behavior with science originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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