MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Captain's Log: Season Four launch recap

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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Captain's Log, Stardate 65037.1...

Hello, computer (and players)! As I mentioned in last week's Captain's Log entry, Season Four: Crossfire is now alive and kicking on Star Trek Online's Holodeck server. Based on past experiences with major content and code pushes, I feel that this was the smoothest to date with virtually no server issues or overload. While there have been a few snags along the way with some bugs making it past Cryptic's "white-glove" QA process, the update was a success and players are having more fun than ever before.

As discussed in one of my past log entries, Season Four was to bring many updates to the game, including the acclaimed ground combat 2.0 system, which would make it an even better Trek experience -- in all honestly, Cryptic delivered. STO is more active than ever and the fleet that I am in is having multiple newbies sign up each day; it is an exciting time to be a player and your weekly columnist. What I would like to do this week is revisit what I let you know was coming to the game and let you know some of my thoughts on them now that I have been experiencing them for myself.

Ensign, warp 12! Oh yeah, we are taking this to a whole new level...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Season Four launch recap

MassivelyCaptain's Log: Season Four launch recap originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet LotRO's latest Big Bad: The dragon Draigoch

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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Lord of the Rings Online's Rise of Isengard expansion is still a couple months away, but that doesn't mean we should be saving up our collective drool for that moment. Instead, let us lavish our eyes on a brand-new piece of concept art and feel our mouths go slack with anticipation!

This piece of art depicts Draigoch, the giant dragon who will be the big bad boss of the expansion's 24-man raid. Turbine says that Draigoch is one of the most powerful creatures in Middle-earth, and after getting a look at him, we're inclined to agree. Reportedly, he'll be so big that players will only be able to fight his head.

Rise of Isengard is slated for a September 27th release, and can be pre-ordered now to gain spiffy bonuses and cosmetic gear.

MassivelyMeet LotRO's latest Big Bad: The dragon Draigoch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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I love me a good map. Seriously. When I was a boy and we'd go on vacations, I think I spent more time flipping through the detailed atlas in the car than looking out of the windows (and how sad is that?). Even today, I'm fascinated with a good map, as it allows my imagination to roam across lands quickly and imagine what they must be like.

In MMOs, maps are one of the most important tools in your user interface. They help orient you, direct you to your next quest objective, allow you to plan a journey in the safest possible manner, and tantalize you with the potentials of unexplored areas. I started to think about how much we rely on a good in-game map when I was reading the Star Wars: The Old Republic dev diary on how that team is implementing their map system.

I've found that in-game maps can be a mixed bag, depending on the game you visit. Some may look great but be functionally useless. Some may be uglier than dirt but hit the spot nevertheless. But the best are the ones that marry good aesthetics with practicality, and those are the ones I want to spotlight today. So without further ado, my favorite in-game maps from MMOs!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: I'm very sorry about the events of last Friday edition

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:00 AM PDT

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I do not think of myself as an overly proud man, and as a result I would like to apologize to my neighbors, the local fire department, the men and women of the FBI, and the ACLU for my actions on Friday, July 8th. You may not have heard about it, but per the advice of my attorney I will decline to go into details. Just know that I am extremely sorry, that I had no idea the chinchillas were rabid, that several of the motor vehicles involved in the incident were in fact made in the United States, and I really thought the wall would hold.

Assuming we can put all of this behind us, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively, in which we take on the question of why we can't just play an MMO offline whenever the urge strikes us. If you have a question that doesn't involve the incident mentioned above, mail it off to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below.

Continue reading Ask Massively: I'm very sorry about the events of last Friday edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: I'm very sorry about the events of last Friday edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Would you keep playing if your character was wiped?

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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So the scuttlebutt has it that Darkfall is getting ready to give way to an entirely new version. The PvP sandbox has gone through several iterations since its early 2009 launch, but one thing that has always been consistent is the player characters.

Aventurine recently hinted at character wipes in conjunction with Darkfall 2.0, and while front man Tasos Flambouras hasn't said definitively that there will be a fresh start, he also hasn't said there won't be.

For today's Daily Grind, we'd like to know your thoughts on character wipes. Whether it's a game like Darkfall or any other sort of progression-based affair. Would you keep playing if your progress was reset?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Would you keep playing if your character was wiped? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT patch 1.4 arriving on test servers tomorrow

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 06:30 PM PDT

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"The seas have not calmed here at Trion as we continue to bring you more to enjoy with each update," Trion Worlds' James Nichols writes. Why doth the seas continue to roil? Because RIFT's patch 1.4 is landing on test servers tomorrow, July 14th, at 6:00 p.m. EDT.

Patch 1.4 follows 1.3's Waves of Madness world event, Hammerknell raid and guild banks with even more high-profile goodies. Probably one of the most-requested features, the ability to look for groups across servers, will be part of the update. This will allow the LFG tool to draw from a wider range of potential dungeon runners.

Also included in the testing process is an alternative gameplay mode for the Whitefall Steppes PvP warfront. Players will have to collect and hold Sourcestone at their base to activate powerful rune cannons to obliterate the enemy.

Instructions on how to participate in RIFT's public test server can be found over at the site.

MassivelyRIFT patch 1.4 arriving on test servers tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eden Eternal update bringing raids, dungeons, and adorable mouse-people

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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Today, Aeria Games announced the first content update to its free-to-play MMO Eden Eternal. We've already taken a look at one of the new additions coming with the update, the adorably ingenious Zumi race, but now we have more information on what else will be coming to the charming little MMO.

The update will add eight-player raids to the mix alongside Heroic Dungeons. The first of many planned Heroic Dungeons will be Angor Quarry, which players will recognize as the first dungeon they encounter on their journey, and it will provide Eden Eternal players with "new challenges, new items and new crafting recipes." And for those of you with a competitive streak, the game will be introducing ranking-based rewards, which will track the top players and guilds on each server and reward the top percentage with rare and unique rewards. To jump into the game yourself, head on over to the official Eden Eternal website.

MassivelyEden Eternal update bringing raids, dungeons, and adorable mouse-people originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Prophecy launch-day interview

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 05:30 PM PDT

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Reakktor Media's space-faring MMO Black Prophecy saw its North American launch today, as well as its first major content update. We've already provided you lovely readers with a launch-day roundup for your perusal. To commemorate the game going live, we have a launch-day interview with gamigo's Executive Board Member Patrick Streppel. So strap yourselves in, kick your thrusters into overdrive, and jump past the cut for the full interview.

Continue reading Black Prophecy launch-day interview

MassivelyBlack Prophecy launch-day interview originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 156

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT

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Massively Speaking Episode 156 returns this week with Shawn and Rubi covering the week's MMO news, including Black Prophecy's North American launch, DCUO's newest DLC, Darkfall 2.0, CCP's partnership with Nexon, The Secret World's info explosion, and this little game called Planetside 2. They also read through a few listener emails and go on and on about the games they played this week.

Since Rubi will be gone next week, let us know which Massively writer you want to hear on the show. An old favorite? A fresh voice?

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to shawn@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
Listen here on the page:



Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Massively Speaking is the official podcast of Massively.com. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster and Community Manager Rubi Bayer, Massively Speaking takes on the week's biggest news and dev interviews with plenty of opinion, rants, and laughs thrown in for good measure. Join us every Wednesday afternoon to listen in and see what we'll say next!

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 156

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 156 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: In the case of archetypes

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 04:30 PM PDT

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I can't say I'm unhappy about the announcement of a new round of powerset proliferation in City of Heroes, but I can be a little upset about the timing. I mean, really, Paragon? You couldn't have waited until my ten-part series talking about the powers available to each archetype was a little more cold in the ground before shooting it to pieces? Would that have been such a tragedy? Now it's pre-obsoleted before I even had the chance to develop a profound dissatisfaction for it.

Oh, well. I might not be able to go back and edit all of the columns to accommodate all the upcoming changes (well, not credibly, anyway), but I can at least talk about the process and my thoughts behind the overall focus. And even if the columns won't quite stand the test of time, methodology matters, right? So let's get on with it and take a look back over the ten core archetypes, talk a little more about the epic archetypes, and even glance at the future of each given set.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: In the case of archetypes

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: In the case of archetypes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Masthead releases first Earthrise expansion, reactivates old accounts

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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Today marks a significant milestone for Earthrise, the indie sci-fi sandbox from Masthead Studios. A rather large patch has made its way to the live servers, and the changes are so numerous that Masthead's press release labels the update as Earthrise's first expansion.

The big kahuna in terms of new content is the Territorial Wars functionality, and the patch notes mention new zones with bases ripe for the capturing as well as the ability for guilds to construct various economic and military structures. Speaking of guilds, leaders can now make use of a new ranking and permission system, and Earthrise now sports both friend and ignore lists in addition to improved client performance.

The patch also brings a laundry list of weapon effect changes, combat re-balancing, and bug fixes, all of which are viewable via the patch notes on the official Earthrise forums. If all that's not enough to whet your appetite, consider that Masthead has reduced the initial client cost by 40% as well as gifted all previous account holders with 10 days of free play.

MassivelyMasthead releases first Earthrise expansion, reactivates old accounts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive community Q&A with the Elsword crew

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 03:00 PM PDT

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The makers of the hyper-kinetic Elsword Online have made it their mission to sit down with the community and tackle the pressing questions of the day. In the first of an exclusive series here on Massively, Kill3rCombo devs respond to player questions about the fresh-faced title.

Q: How do the developers come up with new content? Do you guys sit around and throw out ideas? Or do you have certain developers come up with their own designs then present them to one another until everyone can agree on one thing?

A: There's a game design team within the development team that's responsible for planning and proposing game content. Often, one of the game designers will present his or her ideas to the team and get feedback to help refine the feature. They'll also freely discuss their ideas on our internal message board, a very similar tool to the forum. Every member of the development team has a chance to voice their ideas about new content they'd like to see or how to improve existing content.

We also have a team specially dedicated to developing Elsword for North America. The team updates the Korean Elsword content so it's tailored for North American gamers. Everyone on the team has a chance to offer ideas to create a more fun experience for players in North America.

Continue reading Exclusive community Q&A with the Elsword crew

MassivelyExclusive community Q&A with the Elsword crew originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Under the Arisen sun

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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Massively reader Dalton has a treat for us on One Shots today: A great-looking main character who just happens to be aboard an intimidating mount, while standing against a gorgeous environmental backdrop.
This is my level 30 Fire/Lightning Arisen Sorcerer in Allods Online. Here I'm at Edge of Eternal Night in the Eljune zone, riding my Indigo Wolf Mount. I love the atmosphere here.
We've taken a look at all of your accessories over the past few weeks on One Shots: weapons, armor, mounts, and pets. But now it's time to turn the spotlight on the star of the show. We want to see you -- well, your character. Snap a screenshot of your favorite character in your favorite MMO. Let us know about him or her by sending the screenshot, your name, and some information about the character to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it here on One Shots!

MassivelyOne Shots: Under the Arisen sun originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT

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Like many of you, I've been exploring RIFT's Waves of Madness event over the past couple of weeks -- and enjoying it, too. You can really see how Trion Worlds has taken some of the lessons learned from River of Souls and improved its second world event. There just seems like more to do, much more in terms of atmosphere (I love the dripping ceilings in Sanctum), I'm not feeling as rushed, and the event story is coming through loud and clear.

One of the interesting things I've noticed is that the event's daily quests have subtly shifted our focus from single-player activities to group ones. In phase one, it was all about boring solo quests: find hidden invaders, collect eggs, defeat a few underwater baddies. But just when we started to get used to (and bored from) the routine, the successive phases have moved us toward the game's dynamic content. Namely, rifts, rifts and more rifts.

I think this is brilliant, because we're now given a solid reason why we should participate in rifts above the mere rewards. I've been worried that Trion's letting its focus on dynamic content slip as it's been rushing to get other game features and endgame raids out the door, and RIFT without people playing rifts would be sadly ironic.

Today we're going to look at just how much RIFT depends on its titular feature, and what Trion should be doing to ensure that it doesn't become another nice yet abandoned idea.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retired RIFT players, come back for free July 13-19

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

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A lot has happened in the world of Telara since RIFT's launch, and now Trion Worlds is inviting retired players to come back to see what's new. Beginning today, July 13th, and ending on until Tuesday, July 19th, players can come back to RIFT without paying a single red cent.

It's the perfect time for former players to jump back into the game to take part in the ongoing world event and to see everything that patch 1.3 has to offer. For more information on this limited-time offer (call within the next fifteen minutes!), head on over to the official RIFT site.

MassivelyRetired RIFT players, come back for free July 13-19 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Ork in da wild

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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Not to put too fine a point on it, but this past week was the sort of event that turns one's entire life upside-down. The stuff that happened was also pretty unambiguously good, yeah, but between that and my computer randomly screwing up, this has not been the best of weeks for Warhammer Online and myself. Which is odd, seeing as how there's been big (albeit secretive) news for the community, and I've still managed to sit down and get some solid time clocked in with Klurgind despite that.

Last week's polls both indicated that I should follow the WAR Report around the map, and they also indicated that people would really like to roll up with some Massively warband action. So we're going to make an event out of it, based on the best details and planning I can provide. Click on past the break for a recount of Klurgind's most recent adventures in Warhammer Online, plans for the meetup on the weekend, and the new set of polls.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Ork in da wild

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Ork in da wild originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrate Massively's 10,000th Twitter follower with a gaming prize package from Massively!

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 11:30 AM PDT

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Back in May, we celebrated our 9,000th Twitter follower with a contest. One lucky reader/Twitter-follower picked up a brand-new Steam game, and the event was such fun that we decided to follow up with something even bigger for the next milestone.

We're closing in on 10,000 Twitter followers this weekend, and we want to celebrate the occasion by giving one of those followers a surprise gaming package from Massively.

Want to be in the running? Simply follow us on Twitter right now, retweet our tweet of this contest any time from now until Friday at 12 p.m. Eastern, and we'll randomly select a winner from among those retweeters. We'll then announce the winner and present the prize pack on Friday afternoon. Good luck -- we'll see you on Twitter!

MassivelyCelebrate Massively's 10,000th Twitter follower with a gaming prize package from Massively! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR writer talks economy, endgame, and polish

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT

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We told you yesterday about your chance to get your hands dirty with a Star Wars The Old Republic flashpoint demo later this month. Today we've heard tell of a new video interview with TOR lead writer Daniel Erickson that's worth a viewing.

Game Reactor has just released a 15-minute sit-down with Erickson from this year's E3, and the discussion ranges from story, to endgame, to the possibility of an open beta in the near future.

"It's our launch year," Erickson says, "so I finally get to quit saying -- for the most part -- I can't talk about that." Head to Game Reactor to see what Erickson can talk about, including blurbs on the player economy, raiding, and polish, and don't forget to let us know what you think in the comments.

[Thanks to Petter for the tip!]

MassivelySWTOR writer talks economy, endgame, and polish originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO updates

MMO updates


Legend of Martial Arts (CN) - New update teased

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:07 AM PDT


One of China biggest online game developer, Perfect World Beijing, revealed over the past few days some artwork for the unnamed expansion hitting LOMA (China) next month. As you can see from the various pictures below, there are new towns, islands, dungeons, maps, pets, newbie zone, monsters and also the strongest bosses to ever grace the game (final picture). Also teased in the news is the new beginner class for the Reaver faction. The English server's website can be found @ http://loma.perfectworld.com/.

Age of Wulin (CN) - Rage over Closed Beta

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 08:49 AM PDT


As most of you might have know by now, Age of Wulin will be published by gPotato Europe for the English market. Supposedly delayed for several months, the Chinese service will go into its Closed Beta phase in August. It seems Snail Games, the developer, is intending to squeeze every drop of cash from the excited players. On sale soon will be 2 packages, each containing 1 Closed Beta key. Yes, data will be wiped, but Snail Games is willing to shamelessly capitalize on the enthusiasm shown towards the game.


For package 1, selling at 149 Chinese Yuan, it will contain a CBT key, 100 points card (for cash shop during OBT) and a monthly access card.


For package 2, selling at 249 Chinese Yuan, it will contain a CBT key, 100 points card (for cash shop during OBT), a monthly access card, a limited edition T-shirt and iPhone 4 cover.


The official forum is in a mess now, with players questioning why is there a sale of CBT keys and a mysterious monthly access card. According to some, the monthly access card (valued at 30 Chinese Yuan) will provide players with a VIP service, or perhaps access to more content of premium channels. Even though the price is pretty low, no staff from Snail Games has clarified the situation. 50,000 of the CBT keys will be sold through the packages, with another 10,000 scheduled to be given out via events.

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