MMO Updates

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• The Game Archaeologist: World War II Online
• WRUP: Best geeky rom-com ever
• The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best newbie support system?
• Marvel Heroes introduces Mr. Fantastic and a boost weekend
• Betawatch: July 5 - 11, 2014
• DC Universe Online dev weighs pros and cons of recent update
• Star Wars Galaxies lead designer passes away
• Defiance drops patch 2.1 on Monday
• Dino-survival: Hands-on with The Stomping Land's early access alpha
• The Stream Team: Living like a Teir'Dal in Landmark (and a beta giveaway)
• Here's 13 minutes of Moonlight Blade in HD
• Heroes & Generals on Steam today

The Game Archaeologist: World War II Online Posted: 12 Jul 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, MMO Industry, Opinion, MMOFPS, The Game Archaeologist The 1990s saw the rise of flight simulators that thrived on detailed, complicated controls and handling. Such games threw out accessibility and casual-friendliness for stark-raving realism, and a certain subset of gamers really thrived on them. I tried my hand at a couple and found myself breathing rapidly when pouring through keyboard charts and doing basic algebra just to get a plane off of the ground. Not for me, I said then. I don't think there's ever stopped being absurdly complex video games that aim for immersion through detailed realism, even though that appeals to only the fringe of the fringe. Some people have their gaming standards set exactly that high and no lower, and some devs refuse to water down their visions just to sell more box units. For these people, Cornered Rat Software (CRS) created World War II Online, an overly ambitious MMOFPS that stumbled out of the gate in 2001 but has gamely soldiered on since then. Over a decade now an epic war has been raging for control over a continent, and it's been up to the fiercely loyal fans to keep the fight going. Today we're going to take a look at the guts 'n' glory of this project to both praise its complexity and curse it for the same thing. If nothing else, it was a game that could only have arisen from the early landscape of 3-D MMOs, and for that it warrants our attention. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: World War II Online The Game Archaeologist: World War II Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jul 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: Best geeky rom-com ever Posted: 12 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous Welcome back to Massively's What Are You Playing, the game in which we tell you what we're playing this weekend and you wipe away a tear because the Jedi Guardian who re-sparked Jef's flame for Star Wars actually stumbled into his post and they fell in love and got married because of SWTOR but not really. But wouldn't that make a great geeky rom-com? Continue reading WRUP: Best geeky rom-com ever WRUP: Best geeky rom-com ever originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best newbie support system? Posted: 12 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Everybody's a new player to a particular MMO at some point, even if grizzled vets would like you to believe that they were already at the level cap when the cosmos came into being. I think it's easy to forget how complex and mystifying these games can be to a fresh set of eyes, especially when one is coming into the game long after launch. That's why I always applaud an MMO that puts an emphasis on supporting newbies with helpful advice and even structured mentorships. Two examples come to mind: Fallen Earth has a terrific help channel that's staffed with volunteers and CMs on a regular basis, and Anarchy Online had a player advisory group that roams the beginner zones looking to help lost players. So which MMO do you think has the best newbie support system? 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: Which MMO has the best newbie support system? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Marvel Heroes introduces Mr. Fantastic and a boost weekend Posted: 11 Jul 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes He's the leader of the first super team in the Marvel Universe, he's a brilliant scientist, and he has perhaps the most egotistical name in the entire franchise. He's Mr. Fantastic, and he's now available in Marvel Heroes for players to enjoy. Launching with two costumes, Richards has access to all of his usual tricks, including forming giant fists, stretching to insane lengths as a travel method, and presumably blasting his friends and family members with untested inventions just to see what happens. If you can't wait to get your (normal human-sized) hands on the FF's leader, you'll be well served by the bonus event running this weekend. All players will receive a 100% bonus to experience, SIF, and RIF gained during the weekend. Players will also have access to A.R.M.O.R. Research Drives, which can be turned in to Jocasta for A.R.M.O.R. Bounty Boxes as well as rewards from the previous bounty event. No better time to get stretching, in other words. Marvel Heroes introduces Mr. Fantastic and a boost weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Mr. Fantastic, A.R.M.O.R. Up!

Betawatch: July 5 - 11, 2014 Posted: 11 Jul 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Shroud of the Avatar, Pathfinder Online, Landmark ArcheAge dazzled MMORPG players this week with the announcement that its closed beta will kick off on July 17th. What else is new in the world of MMO testing? Archlord 2's open beta began, complete with a brand-new patch. Pathfinder Online released a new alpha client. World of Warcraft showed off its updated male Draenei models for Warlords of Draenor. We got our hands on two in-testing dino-survival MMOs: Beasts of Prey and The Stomping Lands. Destiny announced beta starts for PS4 on July 17th and Xbox on July 23rd. R2 Games' browser MMO Shadowbound opened its alpha on July 8th. Landmark enshrined its beta contest winners in the game world. We took a peek at Shroud of the Avatar's bonus test weekend. The complete Betawatch roundup for the week of July 5th to 11th is below. Continue reading Betawatch: July 5 - 11, 2014 Betawatch: July 5 - 11, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DC Universe Online dev weighs pros and cons of recent update Posted: 11 Jul 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Free-to-Play, DC Universe Online, Dev Diaries Lead Content Designer Donovan Kennedy has a new dev blog up on Gamasutra in which he breaks down the challenges the team faced with DC Universe Online's recent Amazon Fury Part 1 DLC pack. He first identified three "strengths" of the DLC: helpful early internal feedback, cool story missions, and the opportunity to visit familiar locations. "These missions were right on target and players have given overwhelmingly positive feedback-not just on the cool game mechanics, but also for Wonder Woman and Circe's personalities really supporting their personal objectives and how they interact with the other Amazons," Kennedy wrote. On the flip side, Kennedy said that the studio over-planned the map, needed more internal playtesting, and got pushback from players not always happy that they had to learn new combat mechanics for a couple of the missions. He was especially apologetic about pushing out an update that wasn't fully polished: "When Amazon Fury was pushed out to our public test server, there were a few glaring bugs that came back to bite us (after they were found by players -- ouch!)." DC Universe Online dev weighs pros and cons of recent update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Star Wars Galaxies lead designer passes away Posted: 11 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Real-Life, MMO Industry, Miscellaneous Massively is saddened by the news that veteran MMO designer Ben Hanson has passed away, according to a recent tweet by friend and fellow designer Raph Koster. Koster and Hanson worked together on Star Wars Galaxies's Jump to Lightspeed expansion, on which Hanson was the lead content designer. In addition to working at SOE, Hanson worked with Simutronics, Origin, ArenaNet, and Digital Anvil during his long career. Our deepest condolences go out to Ben Hanson's family and friends. Star Wars Galaxies lead designer passes away originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Defiance drops patch 2.1 on Monday Posted: 11 Jul 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Lore, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Consoles, Defiance Ready to roll out into more Defiance content? You'll have to wait... until the weekend is over. Patch 2.1, Alter EGO, is going live on July 14th, bringing a new mission and two new factions into the game. The new mission helps keep the game's lore humming along and should provide plenty of interesting revelations, as players investigate the apparently resurrected Karl Von Bach and his newfound desire to just give EGO implants to whoever wants them. Meanwhile, the two new factions are the Tarr Family and the Defiant Few; the latter faction is headed by Camden Pace and promises big rewards to anyone who aids her goals. Players are also promised a new mission line and a new arkbreak in the coming weeks. If that's just what you've been waiting for, load up your gun and get ready to roll out when Monday comes around. [Thanks to Gaius Cavadus for the tip!] Defiance drops patch 2.1 on Monday originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 2.1 patch notes

Dino-survival: Hands-on with The Stomping Land's early access alpha Posted: 11 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Bugs, Business Models, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions Yesterday, I examined up-and-coming dinosaur-survival MMO Beasts of Prey. Today, let's look at another game in the same niche genre: The Stomping Land. The Stomping Land isn't technically billing itself as an MMO, but it boasts a semi-permanent world. But my experience in it was nothing like the trailers shown back in May. The current game is totally different. In fact, it seems to have regressed. There's no customization, there are no berries, and no one I talked to knew how to name a tribe. It feels like a semi-permanent shooter, similar to other survival games except without a lot of the building. You either make a teepee or you don't. You make a bow or you don't. You have a dinosaur mount or... you don't. The biggest servers I saw had 24 people, meaning I was able to avoid other players very often, but the game was more fun when I encountered people -- at least people who didn't one-shot me and waltz away. Continue reading Dino-survival: Hands-on with The Stomping Land's early access alpha Dino-survival: Hands-on with The Stomping Land's early access alpha originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Living like a Teir'Dal in Landmark (and a beta giveaway) Posted: 11 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Free-to-Play, Races, Livestream, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content, Landmark Landmark just wrapped up its first racial contest and will soon be exploring the building styles of the next. That makes it a perfect time for Massively's MJ to show off some of the Dark Elf contest submissions that players have built. Come join MJ as she tours various bridges, towers, and castles in all their sinister glory. Need more incentive than just staring at awesome creations? How about free beta and portcullis codes! Join us live at 3:00 p.m. for the latest tour and a chance at your own codes to join in the fun. Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Friday, July 11th, 2014 Time: 3:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Living like a Teir'Dal in Landmark (and a beta giveaway) The Stream Team: Living like a Teir'Dal in Landmark (and a beta giveaway) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here's 13 minutes of Moonlight Blade in HD Posted: 11 Jul 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items Steparu is still playing around in martial arts MMO Moonlight Blade. In addition to this week's beta review-in-progress, there's now a lengthy hi-def video that captures the title's beautiful environments as well as a few of its fancier outfits. Click past the cut to see for yourself! Continue reading Here's 13 minutes of Moonlight Blade in HD Here's 13 minutes of Moonlight Blade in HD originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steparu

Heroes & Generals on Steam today Posted: 11 Jul 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Business Models, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play Did you know that Heroes & Generals was one of the first titles to ever be Greenlit by the Steam community? Yep, it was, and today developer Reto-Moto is launching the World War II shooter/strategy FPS on Valve's ubiquitous PC platform. But wait, isn't Heroes & Generals a browser game? Well, partly, but Reto-Moto says not to worry. "The browser version will also still be operational and both versions offer the same game and access to the same wars," the firm explains via press release. If you're already an H&G player, you can use your existing account with the new Steam version. Click past the cut to have a look at the Steam launch trailer! [Source: Reto-Moto press release] Continue reading Heroes & Generals on Steam today Heroes & Generals on Steam today originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMORPG News

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• Elder Scrolls Online: Panel - The Future of ESO
• Elite: Dangerous: Newsletter #31 - Countdown to the End of Premium Beta
• Shroud of the Avatar: Update #81 - SotA at RTX, PvP and Robot Lord British
• Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: When Two Lives Intersect
• Destiny: Enter For A Chance To Win A Beta Code!
• Marvel Heroes 2015: Mr. Fantastic Suits Up for Action
• Heroes & Generals: Now Available on Steam, New Trailer Released
• Dragon Age: Inquisition: E3 Gameplay Demo Part 2: Redcliffe Castle
• Shards Online: The Development Road Map
• General: Dragon Age's Hinterlands Unveiled
• Rift: Ten Hopes and Fears for Nightmare Tide

Elder Scrolls Online: Panel - The Future of ESO Posted: 12 Jul 2014 12:57 AM PDT For QuakeCon attendees, the countdown is on and one of the reasons for their giddiness is the upcoming Future of ESO panel and Q&A session. For anyone who can't attend in person, don't despair - beginning at 5 pm CDT, Friday, July 18th, Bethesda's Twitch channel will be broadcasting the panel and subsequent Q&A.

Elite: Dangerous: Newsletter #31 - Countdown to the End of Premium Beta Posted: 12 Jul 2014 01:12 AM PDT The clock's ticking on the Elite: Dangerous Premium Beta + Lifetime Expansion Pass; soon it'll no longer be available. Time's also growing short on other game packages including the standalone Lifetime Expansion Pass, package Upgrades and access to the Standard Beta.

Shroud of the Avatar: Update #81 - SotA at RTX, PvP and Robot Lord British Posted: 12 Jul 2014 01:36 AM PDT RTX's main mission is to celebrate Internet culture in a general way, but Shroud of the Avatar made a strong impression on this year's attendees. And with the game's PvP is nearly ready for prime time (Release 8 launches this month), is it any wonder?

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: When Two Lives Intersect Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:01 PM PDT I tell you about the awe-inspiring and terrifying power of connectedness to others because someone told me a tale that remindedly deeply of how the bonds that tie us together can also be the very one that break us entirely. This is the tale of a young woman named Edda, her adventuring band, and the severed head she carried in a box after our first fateful meeting.

Destiny: Enter For A Chance To Win A Beta Code! Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:08 PM PDT MMORPG.com is very pleased to present this exclusive sweepstakes event! We have partnered with Bungie and Activision Blizzard to give away 40 beta access keys for Desinty on the Xbox 360/One and PS3/PS4 console systems!

Marvel Heroes 2015: Mr. Fantastic Suits Up for Action Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:28 PM PDT Marvel Heroes Online players have yet another super hero with whom to take on the game with the arrival of Mr. Fantastic. Mr. Fantastic is part of the Fantastic Four and can be found in the Mr. Fantastic Hero Pack. The pack comes with two costumes as well.

Heroes & Generals: Now Available on Steam, New Trailer Released Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:01 PM PDT Fans of Heroes & Generals will want to head over to Steam to grab a copy of the game that has freshly arrived as of today, Friday, July 11th. Heroes & Generals was in the first crop of ten games to be Steam "Greenlit". It is free to play in this new standalone version.

Dragon Age: Inquisition: E3 Gameplay Demo Part 2: Redcliffe Castle Posted: 11 Jul 2014 04:56 PM PDT Bioware has posted the second video from this year's E3 convention where a demo version of Dragon Age: Inquisition was shown. In this edition, the team narrates the game play and introduces viewers to Redcliffe Castle. Check it out!

Shards Online: The Development Road Map Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:06 PM PDT If you have been a regular around the site for the past few months you have probably seen the name Shards Online. Under development by Citadel Studios, Shards is being billed as a new generation in sandbox multiplayer gaming. In fact it made such an impression on the team around here that it was awarded the Best Indie MMO at PAX this year.

General: Dragon Age's Hinterlands Unveiled Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:08 PM PDT Another week has gone by and that means more RPG news is on the offer. Thankfully, the RPG Files is here with all the news that's fit to print, presented to you in the special, snarky way that only we can. This week we have a victory for gender equality, an extended look at Dragon Age: Inquisition, a new game from one of the producers of The Witcher coming to stores, the many collector's editions of Bungie's Destiny, and more. There's always more.

Rift: Ten Hopes and Fears for Nightmare Tide Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:10 PM PDT It has been two weeks since Trion announced RIFT: Nightmare Tide. Since our announcement interview, the development team has taken to the forums and social media to tantalize us with new tidbits of information. A series of behind the scenes articles has gone up, as well as a slew of new screenshots and concept art. With all of these things in mind, it's time we outline just what we're hoping for - and what we're afraid of - in the next expansion.

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