MMO Updates

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• Working As Intended: Lessons from the history of MMO housing
• Pathfinder Online gears up for a stress test
• RIFT shows off the City of Nightmares
• World of Warcraft addresses upgrading to the Warlords of Draenor CE
• The Daily Grind: Who gets your MMO accounts when you die?
• The Stream Team: Solving new Sidestories in The Secret World
• Trion's Hartsman on more ArcheAge servers, communication
• The Think Tank: Surveiling ArcheAge's launch
• The Stream Team: New is new in Guild Wars 2
• Champions' Steel Crusade now live with new instances and more
• Tank racing coming to World of Tanks on September 29
• EVE wormholes getting visual makeover with Oceanus
• Bruce Lee comes to Conquer Online... sort of
• Get Imagine Dragons' League of Legends song for free
• Norrathian Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup V
• Star Trek Online explains the Voyager MSD redesign

Working As Intended: Lessons from the history of MMO housing Posted: 19 Sep 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, EverQuest II, Lord of the Rings Online, Bugs, Game Mechanics, Launches, MMO Industry, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, Vanguard, RIFT, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, WildStar, Housing, Player-Generated Content, Working As Intended, Landmark Once upon a time, a subscription MMORPG sandbox had open-world housing, only there wasn't quite enough for everyone. Well, there was, but there wasn't enough of it in safe lands, so a lot of the people who wanted a place to live had to live in dangerous places they didn't like, places where they could be killed on their doorstep by other players. Even most of the plots in the safe lands were so remote or allowed for such small homes that they were undesirable. In fact, there were only a few housing plots on every server that afforded a strategic advantage in PvP or trade or storage, and if you didn't own one of those, you were at a distinct disadvantage. And when new lands opened up, scripters and gold farmers were first in line to grab the best plots and sell them on Ebay for hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of dollars. And legit players were pissed. I speak, of course, not of ArcheAge but of Ultima Online. Continue reading Working As Intended: Lessons from the history of MMO housing Working As Intended: Lessons from the history of MMO housing originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Image credit, Image credit, Image credit, Image credit

Pathfinder Online gears up for a stress test Posted: 19 Sep 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News Items, Sandbox, Pathfinder Online The early access period of Pathfinder Online has been delayed a little bit, but the game is still moving forward, and that means opening up for stress testing. On September 20th the game's current alpha client will be receiving an update for a variety of game mechanics; following that, the servers will open their doors on September 22nd for all players who have Open, Early, Explorer, or Alpha access. This means that more people than ever will be allowed to fire up the game and start playing. Access will be provided on a rolling basis, chiefly to prevent a huge rush of people from all attempting to log into the game at the exact same moment. The goal, as with any stress test, is to ensure that the system can handle itself under severe loads. The official update offers more details on what's coming for the 22nd as well as mechanical changes players can look forward to when the test version goes live. Pathfinder Online gears up for a stress test originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Alpha Stress Test

RIFT shows off the City of Nightmares Posted: 19 Sep 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Lore, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT, Subscription What's your next vacation spot in RIFT? Have you not yet decided? Then perhaps you'd like to consider Draumheim, City of Nightmares! Don't worry; it's just a name. It's really more of a collection of eldritch horrors and faceless creatures shaped of dread. Some of them are even downright pleasant! Draumheim is home to the Onir, creatures of dream born in the unconscious thoughts of Telara's residents. Some of them are perfectly happy and well-adjusted people who will be happy to make your acquaintance, while others are just as nightmarish as their place of residency would imply. Lord Arak has taken much of the city, however, raising new nightmares and taking control of the local government through violent means. As you can imagine, that means it will be up to the player characters to set things right. So get ready for a visit to the city of nightmares itself! (For the record, Silent Hill is just a small town of nightmares.) RIFT shows off the City of Nightmares originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Exploring Draumheim

World of Warcraft addresses upgrading to the Warlords of Draenor CE Posted: 19 Sep 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, News Items, Subscription Were you one of the people who pre-purchased Warlords of Draenor as soon as the digital option was open? Do you have a mighty need to pick up the physical collector's edition but no clear process for upgrading from the digital copy? The good news is that Blizzard Entertainment has World of Warcraft fans covered with a new post detailing how you can upgrade to a physical collector's edition. Just buy another copy, contact Blizzard's customer support, and then give a friend the code from the digital upgrade that you no longer need! Yes, that's what it says. Just buy another one. Which is a system that works out pretty well for your friend, at least. If you were hoping for a simpler way to use the level 90 character boost and still get the physical doodads, however, you are apparently out of luck. The Collector's Edition is priced at $89.99 and includes both digital items and physical bonuses. World of Warcraft addresses upgrading to the Warlords of Draenor CE originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Get Warlords of Draenor Now, Upgrade to the Collector's Edition Later

The Daily Grind: Who gets your MMO accounts when you die? Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Legal, Miscellaneous Last month, Delaware became the first US state to pass a broad law to ensure that families can access their deceased relatives' digital assets. In most states, though, your spouse can't even log into your Facebook account to delete it if you kick the bucket. And that makes me wonder about MMOs. It might be macabre, but I actually maintain a document that tells my survivors how to distribute my digital property, including my MMO accounts and characters, usually to guildies who will appreciate them and/or leave my characters dancing naked on a mailbox forever in tribute. Does anyone else do this? Do you have a plan for how to divvy up your MMO accounts and such when you die? 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: Who gets your MMO accounts when you die? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Solving new Sidestories in The Secret World Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Video, Patches, The Secret World, Livestream, The Stream Team, Buy-to-Play It's back to Tokyo for The Secret World's newest Sidestories! Massively's MJ and Justin are excited to dive into this latest mission pack boasting six new missions, including two investigations. With a title like The Last Pagan, this pack promises that special TSW feel that you know and love. How many missions can they knock out in one hour's time, and which ones will they choose? That all depends on if you come on the adventure with them, so join them live at 9:00 p.m. and get in on the newest content. Game: The Secret World Host: MJ Guthrie & Justin Olivetti Date: Thursday, September 18th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Solving new Sidestories in The Secret World The Stream Team: Solving new Sidestories in The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trion's Hartsman on more ArcheAge servers, communication Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox Trion CEO Scott Hartsman has posted an ArcheAge launch update letter on the game's official forum. The long and short of it is more servers, expanded customer service, and more aggressive AFK sweeps. Hartsman also mentions that he's "personally tweeted more during this launch than [he thinks he has] since Twitter existed," and he says that Trion's communication will be "redoubled," most notably on the game's forums. Trion's Hartsman on more ArcheAge servers, communication originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Launch update

The Think Tank: Surveiling ArcheAge's launch Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Launches, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, Sandbox, The Think Tank Some of the Massively staff have been playing ArcheAge during its head start and launch week, and some haven't, but all of us have been watching to see how the first major sandbox launch in recent memory fares. For today's Think Tank, I polled the Massively writers about their impressions of the game whether they are playing it personally or examining the launch from an industry perspective. Continue reading The Think Tank: Surveiling ArcheAge's launch The Think Tank: Surveiling ArcheAge's launch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: New is new in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 18 Sep 2014 05:15 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, The Stream Team, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play The good folks at ArenaNet have revamped Guild Wars 2's starting experience, and Massively's Mike Foster is prepared to meet that new new player experience head-on. The revised approach involves better direction for those who aren't sure where to go and promises to help streamline the leveling process; no longer should brand-new Guild Wars players be left lost and confused. Does it work? Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST and find out. Game: Guild Wars 2 Host: Mike Foster Date: Thursday, September 18th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: New is new in Guild Wars 2 The Stream Team: New is new in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Champions' Steel Crusade now live with new instances and more Posted: 18 Sep 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Champions Online Champions Online's newest content update is now available. Steel Crusade finds Millennium City under attack by Mechanon, "a robot supervillain determined to eradicate all organic life." The drop includes three new instances, a new mission hub (the United Nations Tribunal on International Law space station), and a Reawakened Automaton Archetype. [Source: Perfect World press release] Champions' Steel Crusade now live with new instances and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tank racing coming to World of Tanks on September 29 Posted: 18 Sep 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Real-Life, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, War, World of Tanks Wargaming is adding racing to its ubiquitous World of Tanks battler. Tank Rally mode will "pit players against each other on a racing track full of destruction and explosive action," according to a new press release. The catch is that it's only playable from September 29th through October 12th, so you'll have a limited amount of time to perfect your tactics. Teams of three tankers will compete to capture a control point, destroy each other, and race across a track filled with ramps and explosives. Participants will be limited to the new M24 Chaffee sport tank which will be given to all registered players for free. [Source: Wargaming press release] Tank racing coming to World of Tanks on September 29 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE wormholes getting visual makeover with Oceanus Posted: 18 Sep 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Sandbox Ready for another Oceanus-focused EVE Online dev diary? We hope so, because that's the subject of this here post. Wormhole space is getting a visual update in the sci-fi sandbox's next content drop, and CCP details the discussions that led up to the decision as well as the particulars of the decision itself in the blog. As you might expect, there are also a number of pretty screenshots. EVE wormholes getting visual makeover with Oceanus originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev blog

Bruce Lee comes to Conquer Online... sort of Posted: 18 Sep 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, MMO Industry, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play Conquer Online is co-opting one of martial arts cinema's greatest stars to be a playable character in its game. The team announced that it is bringing in a Bruce Lee "tribute" character called Lee-Long in a future update. "Many companies have put him in games to salute him, but there was no one putting his elements into an MMORPG," said the team. "As a popular oriental fantasy MMORPG in North America, and with the elements of martial arts and the Dragon combined, Conquer Online has the responsibility to create a character to show our respect to Bruce Lee." The creation of Lee-Long took a full year of work and involved motion capture and close examination of Bruce Lee's films. Bruce Lee died in 1973, but has remained a pop culture icon ever since. The team is being coy about the connection between Bruce Lee and Lee-Long, but said "more details" about be given soon. You can watch a making of video for Lee-Long after the break. [Source: 99.com press release] Continue reading Bruce Lee comes to Conquer Online... sort of Bruce Lee comes to Conquer Online... sort of originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Get Imagine Dragons' League of Legends song for free Posted: 18 Sep 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events (Real-World), Free-to-Play, Giveaways, MOBA, League of Legends, Music League of Legends has an official song for its 2014 World Championship, and you can get it for free today. The song is "Warriors" by the band Imagine Dragons. "To kick off the start of the action, we set out to craft a war cry to rally behind in a creative collaboration with Imagine Dragons," Riot posted on its site. "Whether you're a solo queue warrior or fighting off the LCS jitters -- every moment counts." The MP3 is available for free on the site, but if you want the full animated music video, all you have to do is hit the jump below. Continue reading Get Imagine Dragons' League of Legends song for free Get Imagine Dragons' League of Legends song for free originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Warriors

Norrathian Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup V Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Polls, Video, Opinion, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Sandbox, Player-Generated Content, Norrathian Notebook, Landmark Combat, combat, PvP. That can pretty well sum up a lot of Landmark's chatter recently. That's understandable, since it is the newest feature to hit the sandbox. But that is certainly not all there is to talk about. There are plenty of topics of interest that cover both EverQuest Next and Landmark, and a number of these are touched on in the regular roundtable discussions. It's been quite a while since we've gathered these all up into one concise spot for you to peruse (so long that Landmark lots part of its name in the interim!), so here's the fifth installment of the roundtable roundup. Poke through this collection and check out what other players and devs are saying about various issues. You can even participate in many of the polls if you haven't yet and add your voice to the mix! Even if some topics seem old, remember that none is irrelevant; the games are both still under development, and player input is always a good thing. Continue reading Norrathian Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup V Norrathian Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup V originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online explains the Voyager MSD redesign Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Lore, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Subscription If you're even passingly familiar with the various Star Trek shows, you'll recognize the MSD. It shows up on the bridge of every single Federation ship, offering a detailed breakdown of what is where for eagle-eyed viewers. Star Trek Online's next expansion is bringing the game into the Delta Quadrant, the stomping grounds of the eponymous USS Voyager, so it was only fair that the Intrepid-class MSD could get a nice new redesign to reflect the years of upgrades that the ship has received. The new MSD represents a much clearer picture of the ship from the series, with several elements improved to more accurately reflect in-show layouts and incorporating modifications made after Voyager's maiden flight such as the airponics bay. Take a look at the full development blog for a closer look at how much work has gone into what seems like a little detail but still forms a vital part of the aesthetics. Star Trek Online explains the Voyager MSD redesign originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Designing the Voyager MSD

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