| Perfect Ten: Biggest MMO news stories of 2013 Posted: 26 Dec 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, News Items, Opinion, RIFT, Final Fantasy XIV, DUST 514, World of Tanks, EverQuest Next, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, WildStar, Diablo III, Defiance, The Elder Scrolls Online, Destiny, Star Citizen, Trove As the light slowly fades from 2013, we spend our final moments quaffing eggnog, putting up President's Day decorations, and reminiscing about the year that was. We stare at the past and realize that it's a mirror reflecting our own journeys through the past 12 months. We contemplate the impact of one small decision that ripples out and touches souls everywhere. And then we stop getting so maudlin and start getting excited for what 2014 has to offer. For me, I live for end-of-the-year lists. Man, I love 'em. I will devour them, drinking up everyone's opinions about what what the best what, what movies or songs I should check out, and what idiocy drives some people to write top 10 lists. Seriously, am I right? Learn to use a paragraph format, people! Well, here's my top 10 list covering the year's top stories in the MMO industry. Some are pretty obvious, some will be up for debate, and all will be in the past soon enough. So what will historians say about 2013 and online games? Continue reading Perfect Ten: Biggest MMO news stories of 2013  Perfect Ten: Biggest MMO news stories of 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Dec 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: How many MMOs did you play in 2013? Posted: 26 Dec 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind We've already shared our picks for the best (and worst) MMOs of 2013. And we've already asked for your feedback as well. One thing we didn't do is ask how many different MMOs you managed to play this year. Some die-hards of course stick with a single title, maybe two if they're feeling especially adventurous. And then there are the game-hoppers who try everything and then some. Whichever group you're in, tell us how many different MMOs you played this past year.  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 many MMOs did you play in 2013? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Dec 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Black Desert's next closed beta to feature new region Posted: 25 Dec 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert There's a new region coming to Black Desert's second closed beta, according to 2P. The website sources the fantasy sandbox's Korean-language homepage, and more specifically a GM diary that reveals a region called Calpheon. Players will apparently be able to make repair anvils and temporary tents in the region, as well as take advantage of its proximity to the sea to satisy their fishing urges. [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!] Black Desert's next closed beta to feature new region originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Dec 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Free for All: Revisiting EVE Online's newbie tutorial Posted: 25 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, War, Free-to-Play, Races, Humor, Free for All, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox, Buy-to-Play I might leave the EVE Online number-crunching and analyzing to Massively's Brendan Drain, but my personal history with the game is long, however, and I have proudly reactivated my 2004 account (complete with a 10 million skill point character) once a year to see how things are going. I generally spend several hours playing and getting used to the changes but end up playing other games for columns like Rise and Shiny. This time around, I thought I would try something different. I was spurred into action by the recent Steam sales, one of them offering an EVE Online Starter Pack for something like two bucks. (Now it's almost $5.00) It comes with 30 days of time, some special newbie goodies, and a booster to help skills grow faster. Sure, I could have reactivated my old account for $15.00 (and probably will after this is over), but I wondered how making a new character now would compare to what it was like all those years ago. It turns out that it's still pretty darn cool. Continue reading Free for All: Revisiting EVE Online's newbie tutorial Free for All: Revisiting EVE Online's newbie tutorial originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Dec 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Family: Setting Sail in Pirate101 Posted: 25 Dec 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Opinion, Free-to-Play, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Pirate101 Yo ho ho and a bottle of yum! It's been a while, but I've recently returned to the Spiral to explore the world of Pirate101, along with my two younger game testers. We enjoyed our time in-game the first time around, and were curious to revisit the game to see what's changed. Would we find a hidden treasure or end up sunk? In this week's MMO Family, we're donning our Tricorn hats and setting sail in Pirate101! Continue reading MMO Family: Setting Sail in Pirate101 MMO Family: Setting Sail in Pirate101 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Dec 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Mechanics: Three fair ways to distribute loot Posted: 25 Dec 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, EVE Online, EverQuest, MMO Mechanics I mentioned last week that players throw their precious characters into the MMO meat grinder in the pursuit of higher levels, new achievements, or shinier gear. We gladly jump on the seemingly endless PvE treadmill, cranking up the speed with each new patch in an attempt to catch the dangling carrot of character perfection. Of course, we don't just punish ourselves like this to say we overcame some previously impossible challenge; there's shiny new loot to be had! The best booty usually comes from completing group activities like dungeons and raids, but not everyone can agree on how to share the spoils of joint pursuits. Several different loot distribution methods have been devised over the years to solve the problem of fairly distributing the swag, with most methods starting life as player-made agreements that weren't officially supported by hard-coded game mechanics. Players have long since rolled for gear or took turns to claim items round-robin style, leading developers to implement the most popular methods as actual game mechanics to avoid ninja-looting and then the inevitable public pity parties associated with player-led arbitration. In this edition of MMO Mechanics, I'll break down three of the most equitable loot distribution systems used in MMOs today and look at why this age-old problem doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution. Continue reading MMO Mechanics: Three fair ways to distribute loot MMO Mechanics: Three fair ways to distribute loot originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Dec 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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