MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Flameseeker Chronicles: The pros and cons of multiple guild membership

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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Yay guilds!
ArenaNet may have increased the speed of Guild Wars 2 reveals in a big way, but we've still got a long-running question that's not been answered: How will guilds work?

In a game where guilds are an important-enough feature to be included in the game's name, it's natural that we'd be very eager to know how they fit in. We still don't have many details, but last week we got one very important one. The ArenaNet crew made an announcement regarding guilds at PAX: "Guild membership is account wide, and you can add as many guilds as you like. You will be able to choose, at any time and on any character, which guild chat you are viewing and what guilds you are currently affiliated with." (Hat tip to Elixabeth at TalkTyria.)

This is an exciting development, and it's spurred a lot of talk in the GW2 community, so I want to take a closer look. Follow along the jump and let's talk guilds in Guild Wars 2!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The pros and cons of multiple guild membership

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: The pros and cons of multiple guild membership originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall blog update teases new dungeon video

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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Darkfall - Niflheim yeti dungeon
Another Darkfall update, another letdown in terms of a release window for Darkfall 2.0. Aventurine updated its blog over the weekend and acknowledged fan anticipation for the sweeping revamp, but remained coy on the timeframe. "We're in a better position to estimate but we haven't concluded our discussions with our partners yet," wrote producer Tasos Flambouras.

If the new video that accompanies the blog update is any indication, we're a ways off from release since the clip is described as an "alpha version." What's in the video? It's basically a quick look at the new Niflheim dungeon, and there are a lot of yetis running around as well as a lot of bloodspray courtesy of the newly implemented splatter system. You can also see a few of the dynamic elements that make the dungeon more challenging than its old-world Darkfall predecessor, and there's even a paragraph related to the lore behind the lair. Check out the clip after the cut and head to the official Darkfall website for more.

Continue reading Darkfall blog update teases new dungeon video

MassivelyDarkfall blog update teases new dungeon video originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MV Guide: September 5-11, 2011

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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Champions Online screenshot
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During livestream events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

Continue reading MV Guide: September 5-11, 2011

MassivelyMV Guide: September 5-11, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How do you deal with extended downtimes?

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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Yeah, this is more important than raid night anyway.
Sometimes, games go down for maintenance, or your power goes out, or there's an internet hiccup. You have to deal with a bit of time out of the game, and it's no big deal. But other times, you have to deal with an extended hiatus from your game of choice due to massive natural disasters or other catastrophic circumstances. You might have bigger problems than just not logging in to Star Trek Online, but it doesn't change the fact that you're going to be out of circulation for a bit.

If you've been messing around exclusively with low-level characters that have nothing time-related on their plates, naturally, you won't be affected. But if you're in the midst of endgame work in RIFT or long-term roleplaying in Lord of the Rings Online, being out for a long stretch of time can cause some issues. So how do you work around it? And equally importantly, how do you manage your time when you're taking an unwanted hiatus from one of your hobbies for a while?

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: How do you deal with extended downtimes? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Week in Review: Boldly going

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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STO screenshot
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. Miss a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week? You've come to the right post.

Ever since Cryptic's other MMO, Champions Online, went free-to-play earlier this year, speculation over the future of Star Trek Online has consumed fans of the sci-fi game. Perfect World Entertainment's recent acquisition of Cryptic Studios only broadened the buzz. This week, the companies made it official: STO is indeed transitioning to a F2P model, and the devs have been quick to address player concerns, noting that the switchover will have little impact on current subscribers.

Boldly go beyond the break and see what else we found newsworthy in MMOland this week.

Continue reading Week in Review: Boldly going

MassivelyWeek in Review: Boldly going originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: A new nullsec for everyone

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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EVE Evolved title image
Several weeks ago, EVE Online developer CCP Greyscale published possibly the single most important devblog of the past two years. Titled Nullsec development: Design goals, the blog laid the ground rules for high-level discussion on EVE's upcoming nullsec revamp. For those who live in nullsec, territorial warfare and nullsec life represent the true endgame of EVE. It's in these massive lawless regions of space that players forge alliances, build their own empires, and lead massive fleets of ships into enemy territory to kick over some space sandcastles.

Over the past two weeks, I've been delving into the discussion surrounding the upcoming nullsec revamp and speculating on what changes we might see. I started with a look back at the early days of nullsec industry and went on to give some ideas aimed at reclaiming those glory days. I followed that up with last week's summary of EVE Online's empire-building history, the problems faced by today's territorial warfare mechanics, and further speculation on how the system could be radically changed for the better.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I conclude this series of articles on the upcoming nullsec revamp with an examination of the discussion surrounding PvE, the local channel, and the potentially revolutionary smallholding system that could give even casual and solo players a taste of nullsec.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: A new nullsec for everyone

MassivelyEVE Evolved: A new nullsec for everyone originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Does the ability to float midair count as OP?

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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Guild Wars Screenshot
Today's One Shots image comes to us from Guild Wars courtesy of Massively reader Toni. Guild Wars has some graphical quirks here and there that often lead to amusing results.

In this one, Toni's Ritualist wanted to sit down for a bit of people-watching in the Shiverpeaks and got an unexpected "boost." Becoming wedged halfway in a support beam high in the air is likely not what she planned, but the view is great!

We've showed off some of the most attractive landscapes, characters, mounts, armor, and more here on One Shots, so we figure it's only fair that we give a nod to the opposite end of the spectrum. Next week is ugly armor week. Whether you have an eye-searing color scheme, a set of armor pieces that clash like crazy, or something that you just put together for a laugh, we want to see. Send your screenshots in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature them in next week's One Shots!

MassivelyOne Shots: Does the ability to float midair count as OP? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: Face of Mankind, a revisit

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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Face of Mankind screenshot
I'm not exactly sure why I am such a glutton for punishment, but over the last week I thought it would be a good idea to revisit Face of Mankind, an MMOFPS that pushes roleplay and politics in its description. I had already known from my previous experience that roleplay was pretty much non-existent and that the crowd was made up largely of typical MMOFPS or PvP types, but I have a rule to always give games second, third and sometimes fourth chances. It's a simple fact that many of them, especially independent ones, take a long time to grow and mature into the games they always should have been.

So how has Face of Mankind matured? How has it grown?

I have to be honest with you and tell you that the game surprised me in some ways this time around. Perhaps it was because I was already familiar with the controls and layout, but click past the cut and let me tell you all about it.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Face of Mankind, a revisit

MassivelyRise and Shiny recap: Face of Mankind, a revisit originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning: Get Ready for Wrath of Heroes

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 07:37 AM PDT

The Warhammer Online Herald has a new announcement for current subscribers to the game: An invitation to participate in beta events for the recently-announce Wrath of Heroes is on its way!

General: Fantage Connects Kids & Teachers

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 07:29 AM PDT

Fantage is an online virtual world specifically geared to the under-sixteen crowd. The dev team has introduced new 'school' features for kids to participate in including a music room, a private classroom feature, and new education-specific games for kids to play.

Luna Online: Plus Version Launches with New Dungeons

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 07:20 AM PDT

Luna Online is now Luna Online Plus. The new version of the game features updated graphics, new content and quests yet maintains the "cute" appearance of the original.

Rift: PAX & The Chronicles of Telara

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 09:46 AM PDT

At PAX, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy caught up with the Rift team and got an inside look at the upcoming 1.5 patch. With new "raids" geared to decked out solo players or pairs of players, The Chronicles of Telara dungeons will allow all players access to areas that might never been seen if not a member of a large group or due to a lack of time. Check out Bill's thoughts about The Chronicles of Telara and then let us know what you think in the comments.

Guild Wars 2: PAX 2011 – Dynamic Events and Guild Halls

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT

Some of the biggest and most exciting stories PAX centered around the hotly-anticipated Guild Wars 2. MMORPG.com's Carolyn Koh sat in on a panel discussion with Arena.Net developers to find out more about both dynamic events and guild halls. We've got some terrific nuggets of information to share so keep reading! Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Picaroon: Review - Pirates Are NOT Your Friends

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 10:49 AM PDT

In the latest review here at MMORPG.com, columnist Greg Dodd takes a look at Picaroon, a game where pirates are present but they are NOT your friends. Check out what else Greg has to say about Picaroon and then add your comments.

General: StoryBricks: A Retrospective Walk Down MMORPG Lane

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 10:08 AM PDT

StoryBricks is the brainchild of a new company called Namaste. StoryBricks is a tool for players to create their own in-game events and is something that Namaste is planning to use in its own MMO. Get a look back at some of the MMOs of the past and at how far we've come: Lineage, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Mickey's Toontown and Pirates of the Burning Sea all make an appearance among others. Take a look back in our exclusive video, StoryBricks: A Retrospective Walk Down MMORPG Lane.

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