| Star Vault reveals more Mortal Online territorial control details Posted: 01 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, News items, PvE, Mortal Online, Sandbox A couple weeks back we heard tell of Mortal Online's territorial control update. Today, Star Vault has elaborated on the new sandbox system via a news bulletin on the game's official website. It seems that the feature is still fairly early in the development process, as the site says that internal testing is still in full swing. External testing, by way of a specially selected focus group, is planned for next week. What's that, you want to hear more about mechanics? Very well. Keeps act as a "starting point" for guilds in the territorial control system. Each keep awards control points (CP) that can be spent on towers and "various things." Keeps also feature an overseer NPC who provides extra protection, sells goods and features, and more. Finally there's the prominence system, which involves earning prominence points (PP) through various methods including PvP and PvE. There's more, of course, but we don't want to deprive you of a chance to visit the Mortal Online website, so off you go.  Star Vault reveals more Mortal Online territorial control details originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: Another year older edition Posted: 01 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Miscellaneous I'm going to take a momentary break from my usual pictures of men with hats to talk about a subject near and dear to my heart. Namely, the fact that today is my mark for two years with Massively, and I'd like to think that's kind of special. (OK, technically the anniversary is tomorrow, but it's easier to just mark off the start of October.) Time to start another year, and I hope this one involves more dinosaurs. (Any, for instance.) But that's not what I'm here to talk about right now, neither anniversaries nor dinosaurs. No, I'm here to introduce another week's installment of WRUP, where the Massively staff members share their plans for the weekend as well as their thoughts about achievements and the junkiedom thereof. Jump on past the break for our plans, and let us know what you'll be up to over the weekend in the comment section! Continue reading WRUP: Another year older edition WRUP: Another year older edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Do you complain about games you don't play? Posted: 01 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor, Miscellaneous It seems like everyone has an opinion on big-name MMOs, even if the person with the opinion has never been past the starter areas. Whether you're discussing EverQuest or Star Trek Online, there's someone who has a long list of reasons about why the game is terrible. Of course, said complainers frequently don't play the game, sometimes because of the issues they like to raise -- but sometimes this leads to people complaining about bugs or bad systems that have been patched out months ago and are no longer an issue. Sometimes, the complaints are simply "I didn't like how it was designed and it's not for me." Other times, the complaints are hate-filled rants that would fit nicely in a breakup letter for an ex-lover. But whether the complaints are valid or not, today we ask you if you complain about a game that you do not play. If so, which game, and how much did you play before you left? And if not, what springs to mind when you see people who do?  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: Do you complain about games you don't play? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Allods Online previews the Mausoleum of Sparks Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Allods Online, Dungeons One of the most traditional challenges in video games is having players face off against waves and waves of enemies, testing endurance as well as reaction time. Allods Online is putting forth its own version of this challenge with the upcoming 2.0.6 patch via the Mausoleum of Sparks, and if you can't wait to face off against the gauntlet, the game's development team has put together a preview to help sate your appetite. As explained in the preview, players won't be facing these waves unaided; health bonuses, regeneration bonuses, and other buffs obtainable from the machinery of the arena. However, the resources for upgrading the area are limited, so it'll take strategy to ensure that you can make it through all of the waves in store. There are also rewards for the groups that perform the best in the trial, all giving Allods Online players more incentive to take part in the new challenge. Allods Online previews the Mausoleum of Sparks originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Fallen Earth's newest patch aimed at improving a life of crafting Posted: 30 Sep 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Crafting Crafting has always been one of the major elements of Fallen Earth, and with good cause, really: you're in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and you can't just buy all your supplies down at the S-Mart. But that doesn't mean crafting is all roses and happy thoughts; some items are far rarer than necessary and others present in useless abundance. It's ripe for some revisions, and that's exactly what the game's newest patch, set for release on October 4th, is meant to address. Several recipes have been streamlined, with unnecessary parts removed from the equation to make a crafter's life easier. At the same time, craftable items are being removed from merchant inventories, encouraging players to seek out other players or assemble the items themselves. If you're feeling a bit leery of the changes, though, fret not -- you still have a couple of days left to stock up on materials. Fallen Earth's newest patch aimed at improving a life of crafting originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: September 23-30, 2011 Posted: 30 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking. We've got plenty of launch news on this week's Betawatch. The Dawntide launch, originally scheduled to happen tomorrow, October 1st, has been delayed. No new date has been given, but we'll keep you posted when there's more information. Glitch, on the other hand, launched successfully earlier this week with an overwhelming number of players. If you want in this one, you might find there's a brief waiting period. Dragon Nest left open beta for the land of launch as well, and BioWare announced the launch date for Star Wars: The Old Republic to an overwhelming chorus of "It's about time!" The game will launch in North America on December 20th of this year and December 22nd in Europe. Finally, Digimon Masters Online jumps to our open beta list this week. Follow along after the jump for the latest Betawatch list. Continue reading Betawatch: September 23-30, 2011 Betawatch: September 23-30, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XIV releases notes for patch 1.19 Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV It's going to take another few days before Final Fantasy XIV drops the enormous patch 1.19 onto the live servers, but the patch notes have already been released. And most players will likely agree upon glancing at the extensive list of updates that the patch is well worth the wait. Several portions of the update have already been previewed, ranging from the crafting changes to the battle mechanic updates, but there's also a long list of improvements, additions, and other elements to look forward to. More details are available regarding the many additions to the Grand Company system, including Company leves, new quests, and the details for obtaining a Company chocobo along with obtaining membership. There's also a listing of new items available, a rundown of the new materia system, and a variety of updates and improvements to stats, mechanics, and abilities. The patch is planned for release on Tuesday, October 4th, a date that the game's players will likely be awaiting with bated breath. Final Fantasy XIV releases notes for patch 1.19 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wasteland Diaries: Factions and you Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Game mechanics, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic There was a time in Fallen Earth when the factions were more diverse. When I say diverse, I don't mean in ideology. I am talking about the game mechanics. These days, they are a bit more homogenized. Before everything was de-factionalized, your build would have a great bearing on which faction you chose. Sometimes, if you were a min-maxing PvPer like I am, you would wind up in a faction you didn't necessarily like. That was the main reason I didn't like the faction diversity. The ideology of the factions didn't appeal to me, but the factions' perks complemented my playstyle. I'll get into that a bit later in the post. Another problem with the wide diversity between factions was the issue of balancing. It's hard enough to balance the three weapon classes, but once you have six different factions with six different sets of abilities, mutations, and capstones, it gets worse. I still see people asking in game about which faction is the pistols faction or which faction has access to Nano-manipulation. The short answer is all factions do. There is a misconception that your faction is still dependent on your build. It isn't. There are still a few artifacts of the old system lying around, but by and large, most of them are just minor annoyances. In this post I'll look at what is really important in choosing a faction in the new Fallen Earth. Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Factions and you Wasteland Diaries: Factions and you originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Storyboard: Mistakes I know I was making Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous When I write this column, I talk a lot about what works within the context of roleplaying. I make suggestions, declare certain things as being bad ideas, and otherwise make a point of speaking as someone who knows what he is doing. This is not unfounded; I've been playing MMOs for eight years and roleplaying for fifteen, so I at least have some benefit of experience to work with. But a lot of the conclusions I've reached and the ideas that I've formed have been the result of trying something, failing, and learning from the experience. Today, I'm going to look back to three characters whom I played, characters I was excited about, characters who absolutely failed to work. Beyond just that, however, I want to talk about why they failed to work and what I might have done to overcome their innate problems and make them fun to play after all. These are points I've touched on before, definitely, but it never hurts to fit these things into an actual context. Continue reading Storyboard: Mistakes I know I was making Storyboard: Mistakes I know I was making originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Trek Online dev blog introduces new mission journal Posted: 30 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries The big news around Star Trek Online of late has been the game's free-to-play conversion. Today's new dev blog contains nary a mention of business models, though, and instead focuses on quality-of-life improvements like the new front page of the game's mission journal. Executive producer Stephen D'Angelo does the honors with a lengthy look at a new update that has just been deployed to STO's Tribble test server. "One piece of feedback we frequently received from Star Trek Online players is that it was often hard [...] to answer the question 'what do I do next,'" D'Angelo explains. The solution is a multifaceted UI tweak that puts a lot more info at the player's fingertips. You can read all about it, and check out a screenshot, at the official STO website. Star Trek Online dev blog introduces new mission journal originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| One Shots: Final contribution Posted: 30 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Star Wars Galaxies, One Shots Our last reader submission for One Shots comes from Xarrin, Massively reader and Star Wars Galaxies fan: I'm pulling this screenshot out of some forgotten folders to commemorate One Shots' passing. This is Ockom, my favorite Star Wars Galaxies character, standing outside of his newly purchased and placed home on Naboo.
Although there were other homes in the vicinity, the neighbors who never failed to show up were wandering fambaas like this one. Thanks for running One Shots as long as you have, guys. It's been a joy. We'll be wrapping things up tomorrow with a final look at One Shots -- we'll feature some of the best submissions from the past four years, so watch for that and thank you all for your screenshots! One Shots: Final contribution originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Road to Mordor: A week in Dunland Posted: 30 Sep 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play, First Impressions, The Road to Mordor Dunland: savage land of strife, tradition, and body paint. As I stood at its borders, my heel slightly sinking into the soft mud of the river shore, I could hardly believe I was there. The grass blew gently in the breeze, and for a moment it was easy to fool myself into thinking that all was right with Middle-earth, that my journey could be over. The moment passed, and I hefted my staff and walked resolutely toward the first village I saw. It's been almost a year since we first heard that, yes, we were going to take the Hobbits to Isengard (and Dwarves, Men and Elves, for that matter). It's been a long time coming, and now that it's here, it's a lot to absorb. I purposefully didn't spend a lot of time in the beta so as to not be spoiled; I wanted to savor Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard from start to finish. I wasn't going to be concerned with racing to the new level cap or attempting to devour all of the content in a couple of days. With that mindset in place, I've been vastly enjoying Rise of Isengard these past few days -- more than I thought I would, to be honest -- and I wanted to document this first week in Dunland in today's Road to Mordor. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: A week in Dunland The Road to Mordor: A week in Dunland originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Hurt Locker is known in BitTorrent circles as more than just an Oscar winning blockbuster, but also the poster child for movie industry lawsuits. The maker of the film, Voltage Pictures, has been working alongside the U.S. Copyright Group to pursue over 24,583 IP address across almost a dozen ISP's. Up until recently the lawsuit has only been expanding, but now suddenly the folks over at 
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