Sunday, December 1, 2013

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Rise and Shiny: Rusty Hearts

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 09:00 AM PST

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Rusty Hearts screenshot
I have a soft spot in my heart for action-based titles. They just seem to skip past a lot of the BS that is involved with all of that theory-crafting math stuff and let you get right to the heart of the fight. OK, so sometimes I prefer to use my brain more than my character's brawn, but give me a good action title and I am almost instantly happy. In fact, the inclusion of an action mechanic can make a bad game much, much better just because the action is potentially more unpredictable than standard MMO combat.

Not all action games are great, however. Some of them hide a grind behind a lame story and expect us to appreciate it. There are plenty of gamers who see achievement as much more important than having a good time, so even crappy action-based titles find an audience.

So how does Rusty Hearts fare? Where does it fit in the action spectrum? I sat down with Mark Hill, Senior Producer from Perfect World Entertainment, to talk about the game.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Rusty Hearts

MassivelyRise and Shiny: Rusty Hearts originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Dec 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    One Shots: Find the chicken

    Posted: 01 Dec 2013 07:00 AM PST

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    Glitch
    Will there ever be a game as visually distinctive and memorable as Glitch? Considering that I'm still getting screenshots in from a game that was canned almost a year ago, I doubt it.

    Reader Phinneas gave me this maddening puzzle that has consumed my days as I pore over it looking for the chicken. Where? Where? Where could it be? Under that tentacle-plant-thing? Under the next? Lurking beyond the frame? Oh, what trickery is this?

    "This picture is of my favorites of the game's last few days," Phinneas said with an implied taunt in his voice. "I still hold out hope that it will be resurrected someday."

    As I continue to look for the chicken, you can move on to the rest of our week's submissions!

    Continue reading One Shots: Find the chicken

    MassivelyOne Shots: Find the chicken originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Dec 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: How have you been surprised lately in-game?

      Posted: 01 Dec 2013 05:00 AM PST

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      EverQuest
      I love (good) surprises. I really do not want to know what anyone's gotten me for Christmas. I love it when something awesome falls in my lap out of the blue. And I delight in any MMO that can pull a fast one on me and have me smiling as a result.

      Sometimes MMOs can do that -- surprise you. Maybe a content patch or expansion is released earlier than expected. Maybe coming back to a game or trying a new one turns out to be a wondrous experience. Maybe you encounter a quest or meet some new friends that generate terrific memories that renew your faith in gaming. Maybe you get a free present or find a cool secret or witness a truly epic event.

      How have you been surprised lately in-game? Let's hear 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: How have you been surprised lately in-game? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Dec 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        EverQuest Next devs talk lore delivery in latest roundtable response

        Posted: 30 Nov 2013 06:00 PM PST

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        Lore -- love it or leave it? EverQuest Next's 15th roundtable response focuses on the recent question posed to players: What is your favorite way to consume lore? In the video, Lead Content Designer Steve Danuser and Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani tackle the idea of how to deliver that game lore, especially when the vast majority of respondents voted for a mixture of methods.

        Danuser talked about taking a different approach to how story is delivered; NPCs talking, cutscenes, and such are all tools in devs' story-telling toolbox (and will be utilized in the game), but they're not the only ways. "We don't rely on those to get the story across for you," he said. "We want you to be exploring the world and having this very dynamic story playing out." Players can take lore or leave it, just play or seek out deeper stories. Find a library of ancient tomes? You can read them or not -- it's up to you. Catch all the details in the video below.

        Continue reading EverQuest Next devs talk lore delivery in latest roundtable response

        MassivelyEverQuest Next devs talk lore delivery in latest roundtable response originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 17 - 30, 2013

          Posted: 30 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PST

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          One thing gamers can definitely be thankful for this year is crowdfunding! Thanks to this phenomenon, we have many more options opening to us than ever before. And there are definitely some good gaming prospects on the horizon, even if news about all but one is seeming a bit scarce lately.

          While it's true that a few funded projects tossed out a news morsel or two, two new campaigns replaced two unsuccessful ones (neither The Zodiac Project nor Omuni Online made their goals), newcomer The Mandate already made its goal, and another hopeful -- Ever, Jane -- has secured three-quarters of its goal with only a couple of days left, the majority of the spotlight has been stolen the upcoming space sim Star Citizen, which continues to blast the crowdfunding record to smithereens. If you missed any of the news, you can catch up on it all right here in Make My MMO.

          Continue reading Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 17 - 30, 2013

          MassivelyMake My MMO: Crowdfunding November 17 - 30, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Guild Wars 2 to make World XP account-bound

            Posted: 30 Nov 2013 04:00 PM PST

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            Guild Wars 2
            ArenaNet is pleased with the community embrace of World XP in Guild Wars 2's WvW and has announced that it will be making this XP account-bound in the near future.

            "As we begin to roll out our new core horizontal progression system of continually-expanded skills and traits, we felt there was no longer a need to have a character-specific progression system unique to WvW," the devs posted. "The skill and trait system will provide game-wide horizontal character progression for all players."

            When the change is implemented, every account will pool earned World XP, and that pool will determine world rank and world ability points. Players can then take those world ability points and dole them out to various characters as desired.

            MassivelyGuild Wars 2 to make World XP account-bound originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Aion's menagerie

            Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST

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            What does every Daeva need while jetting around Atreia besides a sturdy set of wings? Why, a Daeva's best friend, of course! And there is certainly quite an assortment of pets to choose from in Aion, from the standard pooch to the very non-standard heavy machinery. Introduced three expansions ago in Assault on Balaurea, pets have become a common sight as you travel about the world, whether you are chillaxing in town or hot on the trail of some XP. Pets are even commonplace in PvP; practically every contestant in the recent PvP tournament had a pet out. That's because not only are pets fun, but they are functional, too.

            Just how many pets are there? Back when I first started this project, I had almost everything together in fairly short order. Then I blinked, and the pet population exploded! And every time I thought I had them all, more would pop up. So chances are NCsoft will throw another one into the mix by the time you read this, but we'll forge ahead anyhow; it's time to get this guide out there to help all those who wish to adopt the cute cuddliness of some little critter (just one look in those big puppy/panda/bulldozer eyes, and you know you're a goner) or even those who just want to know where that pet they just saw comes from. So regardless if whether you're in the market for one pet or just have the urge to collect them all, welcome to the Aion menagerie.

            Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Aion's menagerie

            MassivelyWings Over Atreia: A guide to Aion's menagerie originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Mog Log: Thankful for Final Fantasy XIV

              Posted: 30 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST

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              No thank you for weapon drops, I mean seriously, what's up with that?
              A year ago, Final Fantasy XIV had just ended and I was embarking on my long road of speculation about what the relaunch would look like. Today, I am... well, I'm a little bored because I've got to wait until the 17th to get any new content in the game. I could really use a break from chain-running Wanderer's Palace. But beyond those details, I'm pretty darn happy to be playing the game that I've got in front of me.

              And you know what? It's the time to be thankful if you live in the United States. So while I'm writing this before the annual turkey-induced coma that is Thanksgiving, I'm going to talk about what I'm thankful for in Final Fantasy XIV. For all the quibbles that I do have with the game, the relaunch has wildly exceeded my expectations, and I think it's only fair to give the game some respect.

              Continue reading The Mog Log: Thankful for Final Fantasy XIV

              MassivelyThe Mog Log: Thankful for Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Road to Mordor: First impressions of Helm's Deep

                Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST

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                LOTRO
                The past five or six months for me and Lord of the Rings Online have been full of apathy and disconnection. While technically fine, Wildermore didn't grip me in the least and left me feeling as if I was slogging through content for no great rewards. I hardly saw or heard other players there and eventually stopped feeling the urge to log in to the game. So while I was somewhat positive about a new expansion, I secretly worried that it would be a lot more of the same.

                My play time over the past week or so speaks to how I've taken a shine to Helm's Deep because I've been enjoying it to the exclusion of almost all of the rest of my games. I don't want to overreact because I know there's always that "new car smell" that comes with major game updates like this, but I've started to fall in love with LotRO all over again.

                I don't think there's any secret why this is happening. Helm's Deep has (thus far) some of the best questing content in the game to date, and the class revisions have gone a long way to making my characters feel fresh and fun once more. So here are a few vital first impressions of the expansion, both good and bad, that have come to mind as I've traveled Rohan since the launch.

                Continue reading The Road to Mordor: First impressions of Helm's Deep

                MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: First impressions of Helm's Deep originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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