MMO Updates

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• Starter zones for Dragon's Prophet unveiled
• Leaderboard: What's your feeling on Garriott's Shroud of the Avatar?
• Chaos Theory: Where in The Secret World is Carmen Sandiego?
• The Stream Team: Pot o' gold edition, March 11 - 17, 2013
• The Daily Grind: Which developer would you like to see on Kickstarter next?
• MMO Week in Review: Revising the F2P model
• EVE Evolved: Do PLEX make EVE pay-to-win?
• Dragon's Prophet character classes trailer released
• Rise and Shiny: Kartuga

Starter zones for Dragon's Prophet unveiled Posted: 11 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Dragon's Prophet Every story has to start somewhere, and for the folks entering mystical world of Auratia in Dragon's Prophet, it will begin in either the rugged island of Bakra or the vast plains of Satuma. SOE has revealed the two starting zones for the upcoming fantasy MMO from Runewaker that will feature dragons, dragons, and more dragons. Each zone boasts its own unique scenery and contains quests and content for players up to level 30. Scarred by a fight between two legendary dragons, the land on Bakra is marked by steep gorges and ruined cities. Life on this island focuses on mining and trade, though wild dragons inhabit deserted mining pits. In Satuma, the battles of the First Dragon War widened the plains until, in time, they became a massive lake. Many inhabitants ply the fishing trade, although a dangerous sub-human species called Wolfmen has also evolved. Dragon's Prophet begins its Taiwanese beta in just two days; folks who are hoping to get into beta can try for the keys that will be distributed at SOE's meet and greet at PAX East. [Source: SOE press release] Starter zones for Dragon's Prophet unveiled originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Leaderboard: What's your feeling on Garriott's Shroud of the Avatar? Posted: 11 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Leaderboard, Crowdfunding Richard Garriott's recent Shroud of the Avatar announcement was greeted with both huzzahs and catcalls (though the former seem to outnumber the latter if the project's current Kickstarter numbers are any indication). Now that Lord British has spent the weekend answering questions via livestream and elaborating on game mechanics in the press, what do you think about the new project? Are you backing Shroud's Kickstarter, or are you taking a wait-and-see approach? Or do you not care one whit? Let us know via the voting booth after the cut. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: What's your feeling on Garriott's Shroud of the Avatar? Leaderboard: What's your feeling on Garriott's Shroud of the Avatar? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Where in The Secret World is Carmen Sandiego? Posted: 11 Mar 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real life, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Chaos Theory OK, so I openly admit that the title's reference probably predates the majority of you (unless you've happened upon the Facebook puzzle game, which apparently there is one!), but sometimes oldies are goodies. Or they just have catchy theme songs you can't get out of your head no matter how many decades you try... So what does the older game featuring the notorious Carmen Sandiego have to do with The Secret World? For starters, it involves solving clues to complete the objective, just as investigations missions do in the newer game. Basically, both involve using your head to continue in the story. And both also use various locales around the world as the backdrop for the adventures. It's this last one specifically that my mind has been mulling over for a bit, especially in light of recent changes. You see, even with the roadmap sketched out for the release of the next six updates (including Tokyo, woo!), some folks are worried about TSW's smaller centralized team. There is concern that there won't be enough resources to devote to the game and that it will languish. This is so where I come in. Instead of seeing the negative, I see opportunity: Iin order to free up more developer time and energy to focus on the nuts and bolts of creating the game, I'll provide the team with new ideas for future issues. This week, let's see where in the world we'll go. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Where in The Secret World is Carmen Sandiego? Chaos Theory: Where in The Secret World is Carmen Sandiego? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Pot o' gold edition, March 11 - 17, 2013 Posted: 11 Mar 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team It's a magical time: Throughout this week there will be sightings of leprechauns, lucky shamrocks will sprout up everywhere, and folks will be chasing rainbows hoping to find a special treasure. It's also the time I can say "blarney" without everyone looking at me askance! Yup, Saint Paddy's is right around the corner, the day that capstones a week when untold masses find their inner-Irish self. Those brave enough to admit they've adopted the traditions of this time can stand up and be counted in the poll at the end. Need more to do while awaiting Sunday's revelry and pinch-a-thon? Why not watch a smorgasbord of tomfoolery on Massively TV. You can join your favorite Stream Team hosts in chat or even in game and be a part the trouble they get themselves into! Just check the schedule for the when and the where. You can also catch previous shows at your own convenience and laugh at the crazy antics displayed (and trust us, they are plenty crazy). It's all waiting for you after the break! Continue reading The Stream Team: Pot o' gold edition, March 11 - 17, 2013 The Stream Team: Pot o' gold edition, March 11 - 17, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Which developer would you like to see on Kickstarter next? Posted: 11 Mar 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Crowdfunding Richard Garriott. Chris Roberts. Brian Fargo. These are just three of the big-name game devs who have taken to crowdfunding in recent months and reinvigorated fans of their earlier work. Roberts' Star Citizen funding drive is the current top dog in terms of pledge money among all Kickstarter gaming projects. Fargo's Wasteland 2 smoked its $900,000 goal by over $2 million, and Garriott's just-announced Shroud of the Avatar RPG achieved over 60% of its $1 million hurdle in less than three days. To make a long story short, celebrity crowdfunding is all the rage, and for today's Daily Grind, we'd like to know which developer, current or past, that you'd like to see enter the fray next. 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: Which developer would you like to see on Kickstarter next? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Week in Review: Revising the F2P model Posted: 10 Mar 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous 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. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post. Its flagship franchise might be turning 14 this month, but SOE is working hard to ensure its business model isn't as ancient as its first MMO. The company revealed this week that it plans to overhaul the F2P models of both EverQuest and EverQuest II (yes, again). Specifically, SOE is eliminating some of the more draconian restrictions on quests, bag slots, shared bank space, and most importantly, race and class selection, which is welcomed more by newcomers than by highbies, who will still be saddled with gear and spell tier constraints. Read on for a roundup of the rest of this week's top MMO stories. Continue reading MMO Week in Review: Revising the F2P model MMO Week in Review: Revising the F2P model originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: Do PLEX make EVE pay-to-win? Posted: 10 Mar 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Professions, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, EVE Evolved, Sandbox Several years ago, the subscription model was king and the mere mention of an MMO selling in-game items for cash was almost enough to cause a virtual riot. RMT was the devil, and players who bought swords or spaceships for cash deserved nothing short of a permanent ban. The past decade of development has changed the MMO landscape and brought in a new generation of gamers with different attitudes. Today's players have grown up with and embraced ideas like the free-to-play business model, microtransaction shops, and perhaps even the idea of buying in-game advantages for cash. In his latest Free for All column, Massively's Beau Hindman tackled the controversial issue of MMOs selling power for real cash, and his points about EVE Online sparked some pretty interesting discussion in the comments. The crux of the argument was that an EVE player can currently take out his wallet and buy his way into a bigger ship or even pick up a pre-trained veteran character. That's certainly true, but is that the same as buying an unfair advantage and does it necessarily make EVE pay-to-win? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at why players find PLEX so much more palatable than direct item sales and ask whether the system fits the definition of pay-to-win. Continue reading EVE Evolved: Do PLEX make EVE pay-to-win? EVE Evolved: Do PLEX make EVE pay-to-win? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dragon's Prophet character classes trailer released Posted: 10 Mar 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Dragon's Prophet Runewaker's Dragon's Prophet came to our attention last year as SOE signed on to publish the title in North America. This week, the game is gearing up for a closed beta test in its native Taiwan. As such, Runewaker has released a character classes trailer, and MMO Culture comments on the game's rough-around-the-edges alpha experience. "The combat is leaning towards that of TERA's, rather than Dragon Nest or Vindictus," the author writes. Dragon's Prophet is Runewaker's followup to Runes of Magic, and it features eight different types of dragons with unique skill trees, an extensive housing system, raids, and PvP. The game's Taiwanese beta starts March 13th. You can view the classes trailer after the cut. [Thanks Dengar!] Continue reading Dragon's Prophet character classes trailer released Dragon's Prophet character classes trailer released originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

Rise and Shiny: Kartuga Posted: 10 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Screenshots, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Rise and Shiny, Livestream MMOs are a very serious business these days. If you ask someone what type of MMO she prefers, you're more likely to get an explanation that sounds as if she's telling you what political party she belongs to. As a person who writes about games, it's easy to slip up and suggest that these virtual worlds we play in should offer different types of gameplay and even offer different ways to pay for them. If you're not careful, your readers can get angry and call you insensitive and inaccurate names like noob, sell-out or, even worse, journalist. In steps Innogames. On the surface, the developer and publisher doesn't seem to be more than a peddler of semi-challenging browser-based games, but spend a few weeks with the lineup and you'll find yourself appreciating not only the innovation in the German game-maker's lineup but also the variety. Kartuga is the latest to come from Innogames, and it's fun. I know, I know... fun seems to have become a dirty word when it comes to MMOs (it's not immersive or hardcore?!), but I for one am so happy it came along. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Kartuga Rise and Shiny: Kartuga originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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