MMO Updates |
- BioWare talks SWTOR testing, post-release content
- Bethesda fails to block Fallout MMO progress, again
- EVE contest winners announced, free Aurum for everyone
- SWTOR companions detailed in new video, interview
- The Daily Grind: Is your bandwidth too slow?
- Take to the skies with MapleStory Ascension
- Lineage II update talks auction house, Goddess of Destruction zones, and more
- Guild Wars rolling out the annual Halloween contest
- Final Fantasy XIV shows off upcoming transportation innovations
- The MMO Report: Rainbow lightsaber edition
- Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy
- CCP to EVE players: We've heard you, unprecedented development refocusing in the works
- The Perfect Ten: Pirates ahoy!
- New LotRO dev diary addresses upcoming Warden changes
- Nexon, NCsoft refuse to fully cooperate with South Korean MMO gambling probe
- One Shots: High above me
- Ask Massively: Let's stop the tomfoolery edition
- The Guild Counsel: Running a guild on a free-to-play server
- Captain's Log: Preparing for launch (and farewells)
- Digimon Masters preps for open beta
- Two years after the fall of the world: Fallen Earth's second anniversary
- Prius Online changes up servers, entices players with contests
| BioWare talks SWTOR testing, post-release content Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  There is, however, some interesting chit-chat about polish, post-release content plans, and the necessity of MMORPG playtesting. Ohlen downplays the notion that large-scale fan testing is paramount to a game's success, saying that "the big changes that we've been making were planned from way before." He acknowledges that beta testers have their uses, but says that the BioWare devs would be "terrible game designers" if they didn't figure things out on their own. "It's good for fans to feel like they're having an impact, and sometimes they do," Ohlen says. "There [have] been surprises on the project, but mostly they've come from us playtesting this stuff."
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| Bethesda fails to block Fallout MMO progress, again Posted: 23 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Post-Apocalyptic, Fallout Online, Miscellaneous  TRO stands for temporary restraining order, and Bethesda was seeking such against Interplay and Masthead Studios, which are developing the long-awaited Fallout MMORPG. This isn't the first time that Bethesda has turned to the legal system as a way of preserving its Fallout brand. It's also not the first time the company has been denied, as a 2009 ruling allowed Interplay to continue working on the massively multiplayer version of Fallout despite Bethesda's objections.
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| EVE contest winners announced, free Aurum for everyone Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Culture, News items, Sandbox  The grand prize of an Alienware gaming rig went to Tez Saurus of Test Alliance for his video I Love New Eden, which received a massive 1800 votes (almost 1000 votes more than the next-most-popular video). The song beat legendary videos like Clear Skies III, War Has Come, and the popular official trailer EVE: A future Vision from 2011's Fanfest. At the start of August, CCP gave every active EVE account 1000 free Aurum to spend on Incarna clothing as a thank-you for sharing EVE museum pictures and videos on Facebook. The second sharing milestone for the visual museum was reached this week, and all active EVE players will soon receive 1500 Aurum free of charge. As clothing bought with Aurum can be sold on the normal in-game market, this is a big financial boost to new players. The total value of the Aurum being distributed is around $1.75 million US.
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| SWTOR companions detailed in new video, interview Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  A new video and interview at Gamespot has all the companion-related info that's fit to print -- or compress into a seven-minute clip and throw on a file server, to be more precise -- and game director James Ohlen has a lot to say about companion customization, gameplay mechanics, and the fact that your computer-controlled co-stars "are going to be a significant innovation to MMORPGs." While the recent brouhaha over same-gender companion romance generated much rancor both in and out of the SWTOR community, BioWare steers clear of the topic here and focuses squarely on the launch-day features. Have a look at the video after the cut, and head to Gamespot for the interview text. Continue reading SWTOR companions detailed in new video, interview
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| The Daily Grind: Is your bandwidth too slow? Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  To MMO gamers, our connection is our life. We don't enjoy a hiccup in the tubes, but it gives us a handy excuse when we die in PvP, right? Government restrictions, lack of proper infrastructure, and a general lack of technological understanding and foresight all contribute to the slow speeds that plague the rest of the civilized world. So with this Pando study in mind, we'd like to conduct an informal study of our own among the greatest internet citizens of all time: the Massively readers. What's your internet speed? Is it too slow, too fast (impossible!), or just right for your gaming needs?  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!
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| Take to the skies with MapleStory Ascension Posted: 22 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Classes, Patches, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Dungeons  Rise up, MapleStory players! The new Ascension update is coming on September 28th, and it's bringing players a wealth of new features to enjoy. Warriors, Magicians, and Bowmen are all receiving class revamps that update the classes with "new strength and new looks." Players can also band together to take on the challenges of Spiegelmann's Monster Park, which grants an extra 50% experience for parties as well as higher drop rates. For the lovebirds in the crowd, the team is implementing new wedding quests. Meanwhile, team players are being given three new party quests as well as six updated ones, and the rewards from party quests are "more lucrative than ever." To top it all off, a new event calendar has been added to the game, so players will always be up to date on current events. To get in on all the Ascension action, head on over to the official site and register for an account.
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| Lineage II update talks auction house, Goddess of Destruction zones, and more Posted: 22 Sep 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items  Alas, today's news isn't a release date, but at least the official Lineage II website has updated with some interesting tidbits about the new content. The GoD expansion is finally bringing an auction house to the seven-year-old fantasy title, and consequently players will no longer need to clutter up various town squares with their AFK store bots. There's also a bit of insight into the new awakening process that level 85 players will experience prior to their journey toward the new level cap. Finally, there are some details about two of the new zones coming with the patch, and Shilen's Altar and Ye Sagira both look to open up exciting new adventuring areas for denizens of Aden.
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| Guild Wars rolling out the annual Halloween contest Posted: 22 Sep 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play  Running until October 13th, the contest calls for players to submit a photo of their work in .JPG format for ease of viewing. This year's prizes are split between the general art category and costumes, with both sides receiving the same lineup of offerings. Win the Grand Prize, First Prize, or Second Prize, and you'll be able to call one of the adorable fiery harbingers of destruction your own. Make sure to take a look at the official rules, and then you should probably buckle down and start working on that Dervish outfit.
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| Final Fantasy XIV shows off upcoming transportation innovations Posted: 22 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Players who have fully enlisted with a Grand Company will be able to purchase a personal chocobo for 3000 company seals, which will allow unrestricted access to your personal bird. Players without that option can still rent a bird for 800 gil as long as they've achieved level 10. Last but not least, airships will allow players rapid transit between the city states. But if you're the sort who won't believe it until you see it, jump past the break for all the bird-riding action you can imagine. Continue reading Final Fantasy XIV shows off upcoming transportation innovations
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| The MMO Report: Rainbow lightsaber edition Posted: 22 Sep 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Video, News items, Humor, DC Universe Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The MMO Report, Dragon Nest, Miscellaneous  Welcome to another exciting episode of The MMO Report, now with 100% more beard. That's right, the first note on the agenda today is BioWare's announcement that same-gender romance arcs will indeed be present in Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare claims that the feature couldn't be implemented at launch, citing time and design constraints. Next up on the list is DC Universe Online's imminent free-to-play transition. Players will be able to choose between playing for free and shelling out for DLC and extra character slots or subscribing to the game with the benefit of expanded character slots and free DLC. Meanwhile, World of Warcraft's patch 4.3 is gearing up for release, and it will bring the end of an era with it. When the patch, titled Dragon Soul, goes live, players will finally be able to bring an end to Deathwing's reign of terror. And of course, with the help of the new Transmogrification system, they'll be able to look dashing while they do so. Dragon Nest is next in line with the announcment of its official launch, and Red 5 Studios announces the inclusion of in-game pets in upcoming MMOFPS Firefall. And of course, no episode of The MMO Report would be complete without a trip into Uncle Casey's mailbag, so for all of the meme-tastic goodness, click on past the cut to watch the full video. Continue reading The MMO Report: Rainbow lightsaber edition
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| Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy Posted: 22 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Behind the Mask  We'll also cover how fantasy elements can use realism to expand -- rather than subtract -- your options for roleplaying. Last week, we only covered weapons technology, but there's a lot more to any fictional setting than just weapons. Everything from communications and transportation to food production is important to discuss, and while we can't touch on everything, we can look at the hows and whys of the superhero genre. Continue reading Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy
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| CCP to EVE players: We've heard you, unprecedented development refocusing in the works Posted: 22 Sep 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  While it's not quite a mea culpa, CCP Zulu does say that the company has been engaging in an "extensive and intense introspection and revitalization. The result of this is a refocusing and reprioritization on a scale unheard of within our company." How extensive (and how intense)? That remains to be seen, of course, but the post points to the recent ship-spinning update and also goes a step further. "We are listening to you, we have heard you, and plans are already in motion," Zulu writes.
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| The Perfect Ten: Pirates ahoy! Posted: 22 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Warhammer Online, Humor, Free Realms, Runes of Magic, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous  It seemed like a perfect week, therefore, to look at piratey life in MMOs. From entire games to mere outfits and from the token pirate union that has a chapter in each game to delusional madmen, this list aims to sate the swagger of keyboard swashbucklers. It's a testament to the pirate phenomenon that most developers can't help but include a buccaneer or two, even if the setting isn't always asking for it -- a phenomenon even the U.S. Navy has accepted. Hit the jump to start, and sail straight on 'til morning! Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Pirates ahoy!
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| New LotRO dev diary addresses upcoming Warden changes Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Free-to-play  Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard is only five days away now, but Turbine still isn't quite done with its pre-Isengard dev diary series. Today's entry focuses on the Warden class, which -- as Allan Maki puts it -- "is in a good spot, not a great one, but not really needing a complete revision or reimagining." Instead, the team is taking a look at some of the class' shortcomings to see where improvements can be made. For instance, Wardens are quite underpowered when it comes to filling a DPS role in a group, and their rotation for doing so isn't exactly exciting. As a result, the spear skills Mighty Blow and Unerring Strike have been modified to provide the Warden with more DPS utility while also giving the class a more exciting rotation. Next up is a matter of building, dumping, and maintaining threat. Three new skills have been added to the Warden's gambit system, and each of them fixes one of these problems. Deflection will rapidly drop threat on the Warden, Aggression allows Wardens to quickly absorb threat from nearby Fellowship members, and Never Surrender allows Wardens a five-minute window wherein they cannot be defeated, and if their morale drops below 5%, they will be healed to 75% health and 50% power. The Warden's lack of any sort of stun immunity is the third issue to be looked at. To remedy this situation, at level 74, Turbine is granting Wardens the ability Shield Tactics, which is a new gambit that provides the Warden with stun immunity for 10 seconds. The team is also introducing a new feature called Potency to the class. Potency is a combat state that has a chance to be activated whenever a simple gambit (Goad, Deft Strike, and Defensive Strike) is used. Once a Warden has entered the Potency state, he can then commit one of his gambits to Battle Memory, which will allow him to use that gambit on command throughout the battle, though at the cost of Morale rather than Power. For the full, intricate details on the changes coming to the Warden class, head on over to the dev diary and give it a read-through.
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| Nexon, NCsoft refuse to fully cooperate with South Korean MMO gambling probe Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous  NCsoft, Nexon, and HanbitSoft are just a few of the companies mentioned in the report, and while the publishers have given up item names, costs, and other details related to the transactions, the companies are thus far refusing to divulge information on payout percentages. GRB chairman Soo Keun Lee says that his organization is simply trying to determine the legality of RMT transactions using a set of gambling standards adopted by South Korea in 2008. "Game companies ask us why GRB tries to touch their business model and [they] refuse our request[s]," he said.
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| Posted: 22 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, One Shots  Hi! I saw this landscape in Lord of the Rings Online and thought I would share it. Too bad I couldn't remember the "hide UI key" fast enough because 10 seconds earlier was a much prettier shot!We're all about looking up this week on One Shots! Show us your favorite aerial image -- whether it be taken from the ground looking up or from atop a high-flying mount or tall perch, we want to see! Add your name and a little bit about the image, send it in to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it in this week's One Shots! Next week we're throwing the ball back to you. There's no theme and no requirement; just send us your favorite screenshots and tell us why you love them. Ready, set, go!
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| Ask Massively: Let's stop the tomfoolery edition Posted: 22 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous  Unfortunately, this decision comes too late to avoid the fact that this week's header image is a kitten attempting to scale the back of an adult cat's head. It will probably help if you imagine both of these cats wearing business suits and discussing profit margins. Moving along: This week's questions should provide you with clean and intellectual discourse, covering free-for-all PvP and the recent free-to-play announcements from Sony Online Entertainment. If you have a question for a future edition of the column, please leave it in the comment field or mail it along to ask@massively.com. Continue reading Ask Massively: Let's stop the tomfoolery edition
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| The Guild Counsel: Running a guild on a free-to-play server Posted: 22 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous  Each week, we've taken a look at common issues in guild management, but what are the specific challenges that guild leaders face in free-to-play games? In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll examine some of the complexities of guild leadership in a free-to-play world. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Running a guild on a free-to-play server
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| Captain's Log: Preparing for launch (and farewells) Posted: 22 Sep 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Previews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log  To add to the craziness that must be going on at Cryptic's headquarters in Northern California, on Tuesday, Dan Stahl, Executive Producer of STO, publicly announced that he would be vacating the Captain's Chair as he moves on to a new endeavor in his career. Effective immediately, Stephen D'Angelo, Cryptic's CTO, will be taking temporary command as the search for a new EP begins. While this came as a shock to many and was completely unexpected even by me, it may not be the "end of the world" as some players are calling it. Let's explore more. Ensign, warp 10! Set sensors to maximum range as we explore a little bit more about this change... Continue reading Captain's Log: Preparing for launch (and farewells)
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| Digimon Masters preps for open beta Posted: 22 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Kids  Digimon Masters is the story of various youths who decide on an alternative career path to business school or online games journalism. Players can select from Marcus (big damage), Thomas (dodge and counter-attacks), and Yoshino (multiple special attacks) depending on their playstyles. The game features hundreds of Digimon from the anime series and promises to be loyal to the series' art design and story. Make sure to wash your eyeballs first and then you can check out these fantastic new screens of Digimon Masters below!
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| Two years after the fall of the world: Fallen Earth's second anniversary Posted: 22 Sep 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox  At the time, I was just a regular gamer looking for something a little different than the elves-'n'-fantasy fare that 99% of MMOs were dishing my way. Fallen Earth's semi-familiar setting -- modern guns, post office boxes, motorcycles, sunglasses, giant mutated ants -- was at once familiar and foreign. It took me two solid tries to get into the game, but once I did, I was hooked. I've always felt bad that Fallen Earth never got more popular than it already is, although I can understand why. The post-apocalypse setting is enough to weird players out, and the paradigm shift from getting your gear via looting to building your own gear via crafting takes some getting used to. Plus, the troubles that Icarus Studios ran into early on didn't help matters any. Fortunately, the future looks bright for Fallen Earth, and as it celebrates its second anniversary, we should look back at this past year to see just how far this cult MMO has come. Clones, assemble! Continue reading Two years after the fall of the world: Fallen Earth's second anniversary
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| Prius Online changes up servers, entices players with contests Posted: 22 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Free-to-play, Promotions  To celebrate the server restructuring, gPotato is throwing a few fun events for Prius players. On the Raven server, players who hit level 50 by October 4th will be entered into a special raffle for spiffy prizes. Other prize packages are avilable for those who amass the most Karma points and teams that succeed in the Coliseum Tournament. Over on Primus, gPotato is rewarding the first player who tames 11 specific Pero with a Special Event Pero. More rewards are in store for adventurers who complete specific dungeon quests and take screenshots to prove it (remember kids: screenshots or it didn't happen!), players who cultivate certain items, and outfitters who complete the Yellow Tulip set for their Anima. All players can benefit from a bonus event in the in-game store, where spending $10 or $50 will net the purchaser additional items. This promotion will continue until October 4th.
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