MMO Updates

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• The Anvil of Crom: A look inside the Forgotten City
• Global Chat: These times they are a changin'
• The Daily Grind: What half-developed content intrigues you the most?
• Perpetuum dev blog talks intrusion revamp
• Darkfall video and screenshots highlight new leather armor
• One Shots: Calling this meeting to order
• The Tattered Notebook: You've got some DCUO/EQ/CWA/VG in my EQII!

The Anvil of Crom: A look inside the Forgotten City Posted: 31 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play A couple of weeks ago I took you on a tour of the Breach, one of two new instances that debuted with Age of Conan's free-to-play Unchained patch. Today, we'll nose around the second dungeon, an outdoor playfield called the Forgotten City that -- like its predecessor -- has AoC's distinctive far-eastern flavor written all over it. The two instances are similar in that they both scale to a player's level between 40 and 80, and they're both accessed via the Gateway to Khitai zone that serves as the entry point into AoC's Rise of the Godslayer content. That's about where the similarities end, though, as the dungeons are quite different in terms of visual style and challenge level. Gallery: Age of Conan - The Forgotten City Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: A look inside the Forgotten City The Anvil of Crom: A look inside the Forgotten City originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Global Chat: These times they are a changin' Posted: 31 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Global Chat, Miscellaneous Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat! Today's Global Chat covers some big game changes as well as some NPCs we love to hate. As always, our readers have plenty to say about issues both game-changing and lighthearted, and much of it can be applied to the MMO field in general. How long is too long to wait for game updates? How do you balance in-game currency vs. real-world cash purchases? And seriously, is that one NPC ever going to shut up? Hit the jump for our readers' thoughts on these burning questions. Continue reading Global Chat: These times they are a changin' Global Chat: These times they are a changin' originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What half-developed content intrigues you the most? Posted: 31 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Lore, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Virtual worlds, Miscellaneous A live MMO is like an old building, expanded and built upon time and again. And just like a large enough building, there are rooms that get built over and sealed off. Except they're not rooms, they're abandoned pieces of content and storylines and mechanics that never got expanded upon. Things like the Karazhan Crypt in World of Warcraft hint at elaborate pieces of content that never quite made it to release, with only the barest elements remaining in place for players to wonder about. Sometimes you don't get a full map, of course, just a few datamined points or a spell that looks like part of a larger series of spells that never came to pass. Whether or not you're happy with the game as a whole, the idea of these islands of abandoned content can be alluring, suggesting a pattern of development that almost went into production but not quite. So what's your favorite piece of content that clearly got dropped off partway through? Where do you find a hint of what might have been that ultimately didn't come to pass? 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: What half-developed content intrigues you the most? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Perpetuum dev blog talks intrusion revamp Posted: 30 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Perpetuum, Dev Diaries Avatar Creations has updated its Perpetuum dev blog, and the latest entry is quite a long read (and also of interest to players concerned about the game's intrusion and outpost conquest systems). As it currently stands, base attack and defense in Perpetuum is a pretty random affair. "One's ability to hold an outpost is largely luck, combined with the number of players one can bring to bear in a specific time zone," Avatar admits. The blog entry sums up the tentative path forward, and a future intrusion revamp will be deployed "rather than build[ing] upon a broken mechanic and creat[ing] more issues." What will the revamp entail? For starters, outpost ownership will cease to be about raid-and-retreat gameplay and instead will be focused on players who actually live on a particular island for the long term. Avatar is confident its new system will encourage PvP while simultaneously preventing instances where players wake up and are unable to access their assets. While there's no date for the intrusion revamp as of yet, there is quite a bit of mechanical info to be read on the official Perpetuum dev blog (and don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments and on the forums after you've checked out the details). Perpetuum dev blog talks intrusion revamp originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Darkfall video and screenshots highlight new leather armor Posted: 30 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Darkfall, MMO industry, News items Aventurine snuck in a couple of quick Darkfall updates while we weren't looking, and though there's still no definitive word on Darkfall 2.0, there is an armor video and some nifty screenshots to sort of make up for it. This week's Darkfall blog update is a short one, and basically pays a bit of lip service to the siege system that's still in progress (and that Aventurine hopes to have in final testing next week). As for the screenshots, they feature some closeups of the new "intricate leather armor" that took a bow in Thursday's short video release. The set is a bit of a departure from the game's grungy medieval aesthetic, with clean lines and some appealing sleekness but for the giant spikes protruding from the helmet and and limbs. Head past the cut to get a look at the video. Continue reading Darkfall video and screenshots highlight new leather armor Darkfall video and screenshots highlight new leather armor originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Calling this meeting to order Posted: 30 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Dark Age of Camelot, Betawatch Today's One Shots image is a blast from the past -- one that a lot of players remember fondly, and many still play. Ogrelin Blodig sent us this Dark Age of Camelot image: This screenshot was taken in 2003 during one of Svea Ulvars guild meetings. We played on the European server Prydwen in the realm of Midgard. You can unfortunately only see the feet of the guild-founder Zog in the middle. Some of us still play in the guild together, but sadly many of the members in that picture haven't been seen in a long time. Next week's One Shots theme is Some Assembly Required, and yes, it's a little nod to Massively's newest column. If you'd like to participate, send your best screenshot of content that you've created to us at oneshots@massively.com. It can be a house you built, an item you crafted, or anything you like as long as it came from your two (virtual) hands. Include your name, the game, and a little description of the image, and we'll feature it here on Massively! Gallery: One Shots: 2011 One Shots: Calling this meeting to order originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: You've got some DCUO/EQ/CWA/VG in my EQII! Posted: 30 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook As excited as I am to see some of the changes coming to EverQuest II, I have to admit that some of it felt slightly familiar. I've been doing a bit of an MMO walkabout recently, and I've re-upped my Station Access so I could sample some of SOE's other titles, and also revisit some that I haven't played in a while. As I played, I came across features and gameplay that tended to look similar. The Aether races in EQII look a lot like the race tracks from DCUO. The upcoming house database, with a ranking system, sounds a lot like what's in Free Realms. I'd wager that the Mercenary system will be modeled on the one that's already in EverQuest. And the on-again-off-again gifting system in EQII resembles the one already in Clone Wars Adventures. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll take a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at a few other features from SOE games that would be great to see in EverQuest II. Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: You've got some DCUO/EQ/CWA/VG in my EQII! The Tattered Notebook: You've got some DCUO/EQ/CWA/VG in my EQII! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMO updates

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The Weekend Journal Posted: 31 Jul 2011 06:34 AM PDT So, I got some help to briefly redesign my small blog and was down for a few days. I am glad to receive several emails asking me what happened to my blog and access was restricted. I apologize as well since this redesign idea cam out of the blue and I wanted to get it done immediately... That's the kind of person I am ^_^ And I am glad the number of readers increased over the past few days after the the blog returned. So ChinaJoy 2011 ended today, I hoped I covered enough of the more major stuff to keep you people occupied and updated. Next up will be Gamescon 2011 held in Germany I believe. I know Nexon, Gamania and Red 5 Studios will be there, but let's see if there will be interesting news to cover since most major English online gaming sites will be there. Before I end this post, here are some photos of my favorite showgirl at ChinaJoy 2011. She is gorgeous!

[ChinaJoy 2011] Crytek speaks on Warface Posted: 30 Jul 2011 10:59 PM PDT Warface is a new MMOFPS developed by Crytek Seoul using their latest engine, CryEngine 3, which wa sused to power Crysis 2. The unique thing about this project is that Warface is built to cater for the Asian crowd, at this moment China and Korea. Published in China by Tencent Games, the game was on show at ChinaJoy 2011 and Chinese gaming website, 17173, managed to speak to 3 of the company's executives, Michael Khaimzon, Paha Schluz and Eric Hu. Q: What makes Warface stand out? A: The technology used to develop Warface is very advanced and it will surpass all current available FPS titles. The game also has a new creative element, the PvE mode. Most FPS titles are focused on PvP, but Warface will introduce team PvE in grand settings and storyline. Q: Can you tell us more about the PvE mode? A: Our PvE maps will have various locations, including Middle East, South America etc. The AI found will not be like other games' where enemies act like zombies just rushing at players. Together with things we observed and designed, Warface will have a very exciting PvE mode. Personal note: There will apparently be a function to help teammates get up seen below. Q: Players in China are worried about the system requirements since Warface is developed using CryEngine 3. Can the mainstream systems handle the game? A: We are in the knowing that the advanced CryEngine 3 system is used. But during development, we had in mind that Warface is a MMO where many players are in the game, hence the game will be tailor-made for the Asian and China market. We will be optimizing the system while not compromising on the graphics, hence players need not worry about Warface having the same high requirements needed by Crysis 2. Q: The Crysis series is the company's most famous product. Will we see shades of Crysis in Warface? A: Majority of the Warface team worked on the Crysis games before, so it will be fair to say shades of Crysis will be found in Warface. The quality will be the same as well. Q: How will the payment model be like since nothing official is announced so far? A: We chose Tencent Games to publish the game in China due to its years of experience operating games in the region. Tencent Games have dealt with different models and each has its own uniqueness. The official beta and final payment model is still unavailable at this time, so please stay tuned to the official Warface website for more details. Personal note: Crytek did specify on its official website the game is Free to Play though... Q: With companies like Electronic Arts (EA) starting to develop MMOs based on their popular games, will we see the Crysis series having one as well? A: We do hope to bring successful projects and business models from the West here to the East, but rather than changing current franchise to a MMO, why not we tailor make games for the Asian market instead? As for your question about Crysis adding a MMO to the series, we do not have an answer now, but everything is possible.

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General gaming

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The 1UP Staff Reacts to the 3DS News Posted: 30 Jul 2011 09:19 AM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet The 1UP Staff Reacts to the 3DS News The 1UP Staff shares their reactions to the Nintendo news as well as what they would do if they were running the company. By 1UP Staff This week, Nintendo made quite an impact in the headlines thanks to the 30% price drop of the 3DS as well as news stating that their executives are considerable taking salary cuts. Futhermore, reports are stating that Nintendo's stock hasn't been doing well for the majority of the year as has seen a 20% loss. The 1UP Staff takes the time to share their thoughts regarding the recent turn of events and share what they would do if they were in charge of the mighty entity known as Nintendo. Mike Nelson - MyCheats, Senior Editor It's a cheaper price but I'm still not sold on the system. A cheaper price doesn't fix the system's poor battery life and I just don't like 3D in my games. The DS itself is still an excellent system with a huge catalog of games I have yet to play. Most of the current 3DS catalog are sequels or remakes of classic games that many of us have played. Remakes don't make me jump on board to buy a new system, regardless how cheap it is. Once the catalog grows I'll take another look at the 3DS. For now, I'm more than happy enough with my regular DS Lite.

Play Test: Why You Should Want Xenoblade to Come to the U.S. Posted: 30 Jul 2011 09:08 AM PDT This may seem a bit odd to you, dear American readers, but the European release of Monolith Software's Xenoblade Chronicles is a thoroughly weird and unsettling experience for me. Allow me to elaborate. I'm a long-time importer of American and Japanese games. Starting in the good old days of the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis, as you American folks refer to the system), importing was always the way to go. Sometimes import games were cheaper than official releases; sometimes they came many months earlier; and most often the games I imported never made their way to Europe at all. The list is long -- at first, I imported mainly shooters like Musha Aleste, Gleylancer, and Thunder Force III. Later I took an interest in RPGs like Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Final Fantasy Tactics, Lunar, and many, many more -- none of which were ever released in Europe.

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MMORPG News

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• DC Universe Online: Update 4 Coming Monday
• Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising: Scout Screens and a Video
• Fallen Earth: Log in With Your G1 Account Now
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: The 15 Year Plan

DC Universe Online: Update 4 Coming Monday Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:15 PM PDT Update 4 is headed to DCUO players this coming Monday, August 1st. Expect some downtime while SOE integrates the new content into the live game. You can expect patch notes the same day.

Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising: Scout Screens and a Video Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:09 PM PDT Fresh on the heels of Thursday's announcement that the newest game patch would include the new class; The Scout, the Gods and Heroes team have released a series of screenshots, and a video, celebrating the new class.

Fallen Earth: Log in With Your G1 Account Now Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:05 PM PDT Starting today you will be required to log into Fallen Earth with the use of your G1, GamersFirst account! If you haven't already transferred your account over, make sure you do it.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The 15 Year Plan Posted: 30 Jul 2011 07:08 AM PDT The Story of the Week for the past seven days involves a quote buried in the Comic-Con 2011 discussion of the road map for the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic. In it, Bioware's senior creative director James Ohlen mentioned that the game will feature seventeen worlds on launch and has the ability to expand to over 500 by 2025. This off-the-cuff remark created a tsunami of discussion on our forums.

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MMOGaming News

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• SWTOR 'The Esseles' Developer Walkthrough
• Crafting the Sound and Music of Firefall
• 5 Common Issues Related to Our Gaming Experience
• Disney to Acquire MMORPG Developer UTV IGNITION

SWTOR 'The Esseles' Developer Walkthrough Posted: During the week of San Diego Comic-Con, a select number of people had the opportunity to play through 'The Esseles,' a Flashpoint that Republic heroes will be able to experience for themselves early in their hero's journey. In the Flashpoint, players must group together to protect a high-ranking diplomat and fend off Imperial boarding parties.

Crafting the Sound and Music of Firefall Posted: Red 5 Studios is being busy with their upcoming Firefall video game and in the latest developer diary, developers of Red 5 Studios talk about the sound and music design. In the video that is available, Michael Bross and Boon Sim discuss the trials and tibulations of creating the auditory bliss that exists in Firefall.

5 Common Issues Related to Our Gaming Experience Posted: How many times have we wished to play all the new MMORPGs without thinking we will get bored after playing them? Perhaps, we thought about this many times before, but when we tried to seek a new MMORPG, we only found look-alike games. In this article we will talk about some problems that we might be able to face when we try to get into the MMORPG world.

Disney to Acquire MMORPG Developer UTV IGNITION Posted: Last week, Ignition Faxion Online Studio was laid off, although it was said that this wouldn't affect any Faxion Online related content, and the game would be continuously updated as always. This means, Disney is taking over the Indian Gaming Market with this purchase.

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