Thursday, January 17, 2013

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

GamesCampus closing doors on Scarlet Legacy

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 08:30 AM PST

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GamesCampus closing doors on Scarlet Legacy
While last year certainly had its share of MMO closures, it didn't take long for a game to hit the chopping block in 2013. Scarlet Legacy, the free-to-play game that started its run with an open beta back in August 2011, will head into the sunset on February 12th. While the server will remain open until this date for players, the cash shop has already closed down.

GamesCampus thanks players for all their support and noted that while it cannot offer compensation for already purchased items, it is looking into giving folks Campus Credit or bonus packages to other GamesCampus games.

MassivelyGamesCampus closing doors on Scarlet Legacy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook: Teamfight positioning wins LoL matches

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST

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The Summoner's Guidebook Teamfight positioning wins LoL matches
Two weeks ago, I talked about zoning in League of Legends. One of you mentioned in the comments that I should focus more on teamfight positioning and less on laning, since there is more complexity in that. I agree, but there's a caveat.

It is extremely difficult to explain how to position properly in League of Legends. It is one of my greatest disappointments that I learned this skill purely through practice and experience. Positioning is a fluid thing; no guide can tell you exactly what you should do in the situations you find yourself in. Mistakes are the greatest teacher. I can do only so much.

However, it was a request, so I will do my best to convey my instincts on this. I had to play and watch a bunch of games just thinking about this to try and put my feelings into words. I hope it will help you out, if only a little bit.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Teamfight positioning wins LoL matches

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Teamfight positioning wins LoL matches originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Aion 3.5 finally lands on EU servers today

    Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST

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    Aion 3.5 soars to EU today
    While North American Daevas have been enjoying all the goodies that came with Aion 3.5 since last October, folks across the pond had to continue to wait for their turn. Now, though, the wait is finally over as Gameforge has released patch 3.5 on the European servers. EU Daevas can get their PvP on in new arenas, enjoy special legion quests (along with a legion level cap increase to eight), and dive into new dungeons like Tiamat's Stronghold. Players wanting a break from the adventuring side of life can take part in the new village improvement process to get new housing designs and add NPCs to the neighborhood.

    Get a glimpse of Tiamat as she awaits you in the trailer after the break, then hop in game to face her for yourself!

    [Source: Gameforge press release]

    Continue reading Aion 3.5 finally lands on EU servers today

    MassivelyAion 3.5 finally lands on EU servers today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Exclusive: Granado Espada expansion to feature drunken pistoleer recruit

      Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST

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      Granado Espada - Kielce port city
      Earlier this month we reported on the impending relaunch of Granado Espada, and today we've got some new screenshots and a bit of info relating to the title's new Bristia expansion.

      When the content patch drops next month it will feature new missions, quests, items, and zones, including the port city of Kielce which is featured in the gallery below. Also on tap are new recruited characters, which are a large part of what sets Granado Espada (formerly known as Sword 2) apart from other MMOs. The game's multi-character mechanics allow you to control three avatars simultaneously, either by creating them all at the start of the game or hiring new recruits as you play.

      Bristia will also include a drunken barber recruit known as Barrol who uses dual pistols. Publisher Redbana says that "as his drinking increases, so do his attacks, critical hit chance, and movement speed."

      Gallery: Granado Espada - Bristia

      MassivelyExclusive: Granado Espada expansion to feature drunken pistoleer recruit originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: What's the most recent game you've played that falls outside your comfort zone?

        Posted: 17 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST

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        Path of Exile gameplay screenshot
        So yesterday's Path of Exile trailer has me quite intrigued. To be frank, I've never been much of a dungeon crawler fan, and I basically soldiered through Diablo a couple of years ago because my friends kept looking at me funny when I said that I'd never played it.

        For whatever reason, though, Grinding Gear's teaser really resonated, and I'll probably be picking up the game in a couple of weeks even though it strays pretty far from my usual play list. What about you, Massively readers? Do you play games outside your comfort zone, and if so what was the most recent one? Did you enjoy it?

        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: What's the most recent game you've played that falls outside your comfort zone? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Free for All: Adventure Time's nostalgia is MMO drama done right

          Posted: 16 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST

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          Glitch screenshot
          I've tried to explain my love for a bit of melodrama several times over the years. It's sort of a hard thing to explain. I like a good bit of "sad" in my MMOs when I can get it, and I can say that I enjoy some measure of drama as well. Sure, many MMOs have a dramatic storyline quest here or there, but more often than not, the game forgets to be a world and rushes us off into yet another combat assignment.

          The fact is that it's very hard to find the balance. We all want a good story, but many of us just want to get to the good stuff. The loot. The treasure. The virtual glory. I've had a hard time explaining my want for a game that makes me feel real emotion and explaining why I enjoy those feelings. Well, the PBS Idea Channel on YouTube did it much better than I ever could, and it used the popular Cartoon Network series Adventure Time as the perfect example of why nostalgia is a powerful and universal thing.

          When it comes to video games, I believe nostalgia is even more powerful than loot.

          Continue reading Free for All: Adventure Time's nostalgia is MMO drama done right

          MassivelyFree for All: Adventure Time's nostalgia is MMO drama done right originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            A Mild-Mannered Reporter: How superheroes died and why it's good

            Posted: 16 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST

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            I really need to settle on a header instead of randomly pulling old ones. Thoughts, oh handful of readers who look at the alt text?
            2012 was probably the worst year ever for fans of superheroes in the MMO space. The best months of the year were just kind of there, and then the biggest game in the genre unexpectedly closed. Unpacking what caused the City of Heroes closure is something that's ongoing to the moment, and I'd be remiss to not talk about the recent anonymous claims that City of Heroes was profitable up to its closure combined with a denial that... isn't, really.

            At the same time, I'm a firm believer in the idea that bad things can have positive outcomes. So I think that for all the bad that happened in 2012, we might be looking at 2013 as a banner year for superheroes. Not that it's certain by any means, but between last year's media and the current state of affairs, there's space for some awesome possibilities. And a lot of screwups, too, but isn't that always the case?

            Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: How superheroes died and why it's good

            MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: How superheroes died and why it's good originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Fallen Earth devs explain how schedules are made

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST

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              Fallen Earth devs give a behindthescenes tour
              As January is fairly quiet for the devs working on Fallen Earth, they've used the monthly state of the game post to share a behind-the-scenes look into the production process. The team begins by making a list of all of the ideas it wants for the game, and then reviews this list quarterly. Out of the list comes the schedule to bring these ideas to reality.

              Schedules are almost impossible to stick to 100%, however. Issues and limitations pop up, requiring the team to be flexible. "This is actually where the strength of the team comes into play," Napalm posted. "They're very adaptable and adept at changing direction or coming up with 11th hour solutions. And despite the best laid designs there are ALWAYS 11th hour solutions."

              The state of the game does mention that the team is cleaning up some bugs relating to farming and has hopes that the new system will be more integrated in the future. There's also a sneak-peek at the sector 3 coresuit, which is currently being modeled.

              MassivelyFallen Earth devs explain how schedules are made originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Broken Realm enters open beta

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 01:30 PM PST

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              This guy looks like he wants to eat your soul: y/y?
              Congratulations to Broken Realm for going into beta! The first official beta server, Frost Highland, opened for business yesterday. Forget keys, this beta is open to all comers -- you can just sign up and start playing. There are oodles of beta activities going on, including welcome packs, XP happy hours, the ability to try out the VIP service for free, and a competition to become one of the top-ranking players on each server in order to unlock special rewards and titles.

              MassivelyBroken Realm enters open beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              SWTOR wants to hug every cat-person, including Aric Jorgan

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST

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              SWTOR wants to hug every catperson, including Aric Jorgan
              BioWare is reviving its in-depth look at Star Wars: The Old Republic by hosting a look at the grumpiest of Cathar, Aric Jorgan. Jorgan stars in the latest Companions 101 as the author takes a closer look at what makes this Trooper sidekick tick.

              Jorgan's personality and history are up front and center in the article, although it does devolve into the issue of personal relationships. As one of the potential romances of SWTOR, Jorgan's has a gruff personality that needs a little finessing to get past. The article gives a few pointers for wooing Jorgan as well as an overview of how he feels about the other companions on the team.

              BioWare's also included a look at Jorgan's different visual options and a couple of cool wallpapers if you don't have enough grumpy cats on your computer monitor already.

              MassivelySWTOR wants to hug every cat-person, including Aric Jorgan originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              EVE's CSM7 meeting minutes released

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 12:30 PM PST

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              PONIES IN SPACE
              EVE Online's Council of Stellar Management (CSM) is a player-elected council of, well, players. Their job is to represent the community's interest to CCP, and one of the ways they do that is by meeting with CCP in Iceland to discuss stuff and things. The most recent CSM meeting was in mid-December 2012, and we bet you're just dying to know what they talked about. CCP put up a full topic list of the three-day meeting sessions earlier today.

              The council members discussed everything from customer loyalty to factional warfare. Null-sec, ship balancing, live events, the UI, marketing, and a number of other topics were all on the agenda. You can read the full minutes to go in-depth with the topics (and find out who wants ponies to be included in EVE).

              MassivelyEVE's CSM7 meeting minutes released originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Obama orders CDC to study violence in video games

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST

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              Obama orders CDC to study violent video games
              While violence in video games and the effect upon its participants wasn't at the crux of today's gun control press conference, President Obama did mention that he is sending the Center for Disease Control after the industry to root out a possible cause of gun violence.

              One of Obama's 23 executive orders was to "Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence." Among these potential causes are movies, television, and video games.

              The President defended the order by saying, "We don't benefit from ignorance. We don't benefit from not knowing the science of this epidemic of violence. Congress should fund research into the effects violent video games have on young minds."

              Vice President Joe Biden previously met with several video game industry leaders as part of the task force to make recommendations on the issue.

              MassivelyObama orders CDC to study violence in video games originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              City State Entertainment releases another teaser trailer

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST

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              City State Entertainment releases another teaser trailer
              City State Entertainment released a mysterious teaser not too long ago, and now it's time for round two. Every bit as cryptic as the first, this trailer has some ominous music and some peculiar references to times long-lost, veils, and souls. The same trinity motif that intrigued us before is still present.

              What do you think Mark Jacobs and all the fine folks at CSE have in store for us? All we can really do for now is wait for the third and final teaser.

              Continue reading City State Entertainment releases another teaser trailer

              MassivelyCity State Entertainment releases another teaser trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Guild Wars 2 will soon offer paid server transfers and guesting

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 11:15 AM PST

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              THE REAL POINT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS HERE IS GUESTING
              Paid server transfers and the ability to "guest" to other servers have been in the cards for Guild Wars 2 for, like, ever. Well before launch, players knew that those would eventually be features of the game. Until today, though, we never knew precisely when they'd come about. ArenaNet's Martin Kerstein has given us the final word: Both features will be coming in with the January patch on the 28th. They're part of a series of improvements and updates the company plans to make throughout early 2013.

              Guesting gives players the ability to join friends on other servers to participate in pretty much everything but World vs. World. Server transfers will cost an unknown number of gems and be limited to once every seven days, so make sure you're on your desired home server before the patch hits on the 28th. Head on over to the official announcement for a full guesting how-to.

              MassivelyGuild Wars 2 will soon offer paid server transfers and guesting originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Allods Online Russia opens up subscription-based server

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST

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              allods opens sub server in russia see team email, thank tipster
              The Russian branch of Allods Online made an interesting move and opened up a subscription server for an otherwise free-to-play MMO. The catch and selling point of the server is that its players won't be able to access the cash shop at all. Every character will be on an even playing field in terms of perks and boosts. Certain quality of life items will be available for gold or as quest rewards, but no one will be able to just buy perks outright.

              You can read the full FAQ here. (If you don't read Russian, we suggest a translator.)

              [We don't speak Russian, so thanks to intrepid tipster Tandarighttanon for bringing this to our attention.]

              MassivelyAllods Online Russia opens up subscription-based server originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              WildStar Wednesday: The return of Tester Man

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 10:30 AM PST

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              WildStar Wednesday The return of Tester Man
              This week's edition of WildStar Wednesday wraps up the tester tell-all that started last week. The anonymous Friends and Family tester made a heroic effort to answer another round of questions.

              He states that Nexus feels like a place ("albeit a semi-hostile one") rather than simply a video game location. He said that while leveling, it's difficult to want to rush through things, given how engaging the story and environment are. "While you can ignore content and proceed through the zones," he says, "I would feel like I missed out on something if I did." With refreshing honesty, he said that not all of his expectations have been met ("YET") but that he's been pleased with how some features are "way better than [he] had even imagined." He also said that the level of communication between testers and developers is "unprecedented."

              Tester Man's favorite class and race were both redacted. To let him speak for himself, go ahead and read the full Q&A.

              MassivelyWildStar Wednesday: The return of Tester Man originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Choose My Adventure: Back into the cave I go

              Posted: 16 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST

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              Choose My Adventure Back into the cave I go
              Time for another turn at Choose My Adventure! It's been a while since my last turn at doing this column, but it certainly was memorable. Halfway through my six-week tour of Pirates of the Burning Sea, SOE was attacked by hackers and sent offline, leaving my pirate in drydock for quite some time. Hopefully this time around, things will be a bit smoother.

              One thing I'm particularly interested in this time around is getting to know not only the game but the community. Usually one of the first things people ask about a title they're considering playing is what the community is like. I explore a variety of guild and community related topics in my weekly column, so it seems natural to do the same during my adventure.

              So what will it be, Massively readers? Will I spin my own tale in the desert? Hang around with Poochums? Take a journey to Middle-earth? I look forward to your votes!

              Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Back into the cave I go

              MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Back into the cave I go originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                League of Legends implementing new league system for Season 3

                Posted: 16 Jan 2013 09:30 AM PST

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                LoL infographic shows season 3 at a glance
                Season 3 is on its way for League of Legends, and just like the previous seasons, players will be fighting for position in the ranked tournaments. However, this next round of ranked play comes with a twist: Riot Games is implementing a new league system. Why the change? To make competition even more compelling and play more meaningful for everyone.

                Instead of just one single ladder for folks to climb, players will belong to a league within one of six different tiers based on their skill. Leagues will be comprised of up to 250 players broken into five divisions (except for the top Challenger tier). Players can rise and fall within the divisions and even work their way into a new league at the next tier.

                The new system is detailed in the infographic after the cut; click the image to see the full-res version. And for even more details, check out the official FAQ.

                Continue reading League of Legends implementing new league system for Season 3

                MassivelyLeague of Legends implementing new league system for Season 3 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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