Sunday, October 21, 2012

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Rise and Shiny revisit: Dark Age of Camelot

Posted: 21 Oct 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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Dark Age of Camelot character creation screenshot
About once a year I like to take a look back at Dark Age of Camelot, the classic PvP MMO by Mythic Entertainment, just to reassure myself that older MMOs are still some of the best around. Dark Age of Camelot comes from that older crop of titles like Asheron's Call and EverQuest, games that still shine despite their age. Of course the next logical question is, "If these games are still so good, why aren't more of us still playing them?" There's an easy answer, really. First of all, we don't spend time sitting around listening to our favorite albums or watching our favorite movies constantly, but we still appreciate them, possibly more than we did when we first found them. Next, all games are finite for us as individuals. There is no MMO that offers endless content if we take away the endless player-made content that comes from roleplay or exploration.

No matter how good a game like Dark Age of Camelot was and still is, many of us have already experienced it quite a bit. It's only human to become slightly bored with something we've played with time and again. But once again, I've spent a week in a game that shows it's always a good thing to check back on our favorites. They just might surprise you all over again.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny revisit: Dark Age of Camelot

MassivelyRise and Shiny revisit: Dark Age of Camelot originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    One Shots: Don't go chasing waterfalls

    Posted: 21 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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    One Shots Don't go chasing waterfalls
    The wisdom of TLC flows down through the ages in many forms, but perhaps the group's greatest lesson was this: Don't go chasing waterfalls; please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to. In other words, if you go exploring in MMOs, you're only inviting destruction to rain down on your head, so just stay home.

    Wait a minute, that's not a good lesson at all. Forget it. Right now.

    Welcome back to One Shots, the column that you brought back and is now extremely lonely because only faithful reader Eric sent us in something from this past week! Admire Eric's pursuit of Guild Wars 2 waterfalls after the break, and be more like Eric by sending us in your favorite MMO screenshots with descriptions.

    Continue reading One Shots: Don't go chasing waterfalls

    MassivelyOne Shots: Don't go chasing waterfalls originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Are you into squad-based MMOs?

      Posted: 21 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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      The Daily Grind Are you into squadbased MMOs
      With the recent releases of XCOM Enemy Unknown and Pirate101, we've seen the rebirth of enthusiasm for turn-based squad strategy titles. While conventional MMO wisdom says that you bond most strongly with an individual avatar, there seems to be plenty of folks who really dig being in charge of entire teams.

      Personally, I love squad-based games and always have. I think they allow for the possibility of permadeath (of a single team member) while not hitting the reset button on everything, and that feels like a good compromise. Plus, I usually assign personalities to each member and enjoy feeling that they're growing together through all of these adverse circumstances.

      So what about you: Are you into squad-based MMOs? Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future?

      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: Are you into squad-based MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Mog Log: Consoles and the online Final Fantasy

        Posted: 20 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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        The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
        You could be forgiven for losing faith in the prospect of Final Fantasy XIV ever coming out for the PlayStation 3. Yes, it had been a promised platform, but it wouldn't be the first MMO to abandon console promises. Heck, the development team is still working on fulfilling some of the promises made by the original team; it could be forgiven for putting that one on the back burner.

        But it's a real thing. We've seen the screenshots, and we know that two years after the game's initial launch, we will finally get to play around in Eorzea on our televisions. (The "we" in this case refers to fellow PS3 owners.) This is sort of a mixed blessing.

        This isn't a column about console gaming compared to PC gaming; I really don't care which platform you prefer, and it's also not the point. This is a column about the fact that Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV are both going to be console games as well as computer games, and that introduces some interesting wrinkles.

        Continue reading The Mog Log: Consoles and the online Final Fantasy

        MassivelyThe Mog Log: Consoles and the online Final Fantasy originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Game Archaeologist: A City of Heroes memorial, part 1

          Posted: 20 Oct 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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          The Game Archeologist A City of Heroes memorial, part 1
          When I first heard that City of Heroes would be given a hero's farewell, I felt for the players who call that game home. I also was depressed because I spent a fair amount of time in Paragon City myself and have a particular affection for the game. But beyond empathy and misery, I knew that the Game Archeologist had a duty to perform: to preserve the memories of what would soon fade into history.

          Thus, I put out a call for your City of Heroes characters along with their stories so that I could share them with the world at large. Dozens of readers responded, and for the next couple of weeks, we're going to be looking at the digital face of tragedy and memories. These are the avatars who genuinely meant something to someone, and while they are about to be deleted from the servers forever, I hope that by archiving them here, they'll live on for future generations (read: December 2012 readers) to discover.

          Let's go meet some of them, shall we?

          Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: A City of Heroes memorial, part 1

          MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist: A City of Heroes memorial, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            SOE Live 2012: John Smedley on EQ Next and SOE's future

            Posted: 20 Oct 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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            SOE President John Smedley on EQ Next and SOE's future
            There's been a never-ending news stream this weekend at SOE Live, and underlying all the announcements has been a single theme: a fundamental shift towards emergent gameplay. We had the chance to talk to SOE President John Smedley about that philosophical change and how it fits in to current and upcoming titles. He spoke about the growing popularity of MMOs as viewing entertainment and how it's caught on in PlanetSide 2. And while he wouldn't go into details about EQ Next, he did give some exciting hints about what players will get to experience with this third EverQuest title. Read on for a look at the future of SOE!

            Continue reading SOE Live 2012: John Smedley on EQ Next and SOE's future

            MassivelySOE Live 2012: John Smedley on EQ Next and SOE's future originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              SOE Live 2012: Getting to know Wizardry Online

              Posted: 20 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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              SOE Live 2012  Getting to know Wizardry Online
              There's probably no better way to sum up Wizardry Online than with the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for." If you've been yearning for a game with permadeath, you have reason to celebrate. At this year's SOE Live, the Wizardry Online team showed off the game, and it's every bit as hardcore as promised. If you're looking for an old-school challenge, you'll want to check out the highlights below.

              Continue reading SOE Live 2012: Getting to know Wizardry Online

              MassivelySOE Live 2012: Getting to know Wizardry Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                SOE Live 2012: A deeper look at DCUO's housing lairs

                Posted: 20 Oct 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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                Some Assembly Required at SOE Live 2012 A deeper look at DCUO's housingSOE Live 2012
                Thursday's announcement of the addition of player lairs to DC Universe Online set this little housing-lover's heart all aflutter! While there were more bits of news about the new Home Turf DLC coming next year, my focus was understandably on the lairs. And I was very happy to sit down at SOE Live and talk shop with Jens Andersen. As creative director for DCUO, Jens shared many juicy tidbits about the new system for this special edition of Some Assembly Required.

                So what's in store for denizens of Gotham and Metropolis? Let's start with personal instances that are accessed from realistic points within the cities, functions that stretch to accommodate different levels of creativity and decorating savvy, and a unique dueling system that will be unlike anything players (or their furniture!) have seen before. Players can even get rewards and achievements for collecting items and decorating their homes. Sounds intriguing, no?

                Continue reading SOE Live 2012: A deeper look at DCUO's housing lairs

                MassivelySOE Live 2012: A deeper look at DCUO's housing lairs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  SOE Live 2012: EQII's Chains of Eternity adding tradeskill prestige and much more

                  Posted: 20 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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                  SOE Live 2012  EQII Chains of Eternity adding tradeskill prestige and much more
                  Players were so excited about some of the announcements made in yesterday's EveryQuest II's panel on mechanics for Chains of Eternity that the room erupted into applause multiple times. What types of goodies brokered this response from attendees? How about new tradeskill specializations (including a separate AA pool and a gathering sidekick that can harvest rares!), new guild amenities, new adornments, and even adornment removers?

                  Of course, those aren't the only incoming changes. Others include increasing in the level cap to 95, alterations to the mentoring system to prevent AFK XP farming, and new prestige abilities.

                  Continue reading SOE Live 2012: EQII's Chains of Eternity adding tradeskill prestige and much more

                  MassivelySOE Live 2012: EQII's Chains of Eternity adding tradeskill prestige and much more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    SOE Live 2012: Friday keynote highlights DCUO, EQ, and EQII

                    Posted: 20 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                    SOE Live  Friday Keynote highlights DCUO, EQ, and EQII
                    Day two of SOE Live wrapped up with yet another keynote, this one focused on DC Universe Online, EverQuest, and EverQuest II. Creative Director Jens Anderson of DCUO, Executive Producer Thom Terrazas from EQ, Executive Producer Holly Longdale from EQII, and Dave Georgeson, the EQ Franchise head, all took a turn on stage to give a rundown of what each game had launched over the past year, and more importantly, where each is headed for the future. But before that, SOE paid tribute to the military veterans in attendance (pictured above) and gave two of the longest-serving military members NVIDIA cards to thank them for their service.

                    Read on for the highlights!

                    Continue reading SOE Live 2012: Friday keynote highlights DCUO, EQ, and EQII

                    MassivelySOE Live 2012: Friday keynote highlights DCUO, EQ, and EQII originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      RIFT drops Storm Legion NDA, livecasts player housing tour

                      Posted: 20 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                      RIFT drops Storm Legion NDA, livecasts player housing tour
                      As RIFT enters its second beta weekend for Storm Legion, the team at Trion Worlds announced that the NDA for the expansion is now lifted. In addition to all of this craziness, the devs took players on a livestream tour of the new player housing system.

                      In the livestream, the dimensions of Granite Falls Inn, Faen's Retreat and Dormant Core were shown off. Players are able to have multiple dimensions, with the first two available for free. At the launch of Storm Legion, there will be 250 objects included in the system with more to come.

                      Dimensions can be set to either private or public, with the latter being able to hold up to 200 people at once. Public dimensions have a rating system, may be joined randomly, and can have the option to allow visitors to add their own creations as well.

                      You can watch the full dimensions video after the jump, and stay tuned for Massively's hands on with the beta!

                      Continue reading RIFT drops Storm Legion NDA, livecasts player housing tour

                      MassivelyRIFT drops Storm Legion NDA, livecasts player housing tour originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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