MMO Updates

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• Choose My Adventure: I am so confused in World of Warcraft
• Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs
• Hearthstone players struggle to buy expansion packs
• Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Most Improved MMO
• Get a 3-D virtual preview of Skyforge's Naori Island
• Eleven (the Glitch resurrection project) is moving into alpha
• Eliotropes land in Dofus and Wakfu
• The Daily Grind: Could a non-combat MMO be compelling?
• Echo of Soul story trailer tells of the war between gods and giants
• Bless Online adds mounts in closed beta
• Professor to hold open course in Lord of the Rings Online, asks for bodyguards
• World of Warships testing event this weekend
• Here's everything new and noteworthy in EVE's Rhea patch
• Massively Speaking Episode 324: The server is down
• Enter at Your Own Rift: Five advantages RIFT has over WoW
• Guild Wars 2 season 2 to continue on January 13th
• SWTOR releases Shadow of Revan trailer to celebrate official launch
• Carbine's Chad Moore on WildStar's fresh focus on lore

Choose My Adventure: I am so confused in World of Warcraft Posted: 10 Dec 2014 09:30 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Polls, Expansions, New Titles, PvE, Hands-On, Choose My Adventure, Subscription, MMORPG Last week's Choose My Adventure polls for World of Warcraft set me on a very unexpected path. Male Blood Elf? Really? If you had asked me to predict the result of the class/race/gender/faction polls, I would have been extremely super-wrong. I thought for sure Massively's readership was full of carebear Alliance sympathizers who spend their WoW hours hosting hug parties in Darnassus. Anyway. This week saw me creating our new character, using the included-with-Warlords of Draenor instant level 90 character boost, and diving through the Dark Portal to experience the starting moments of Blizzard Entertainment's latest bundle of WoW content. It was... something. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: I am so confused in World of Warcraft Choose My Adventure: I am so confused in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs Posted: 10 Dec 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Patches, PvP, PvE, Free-to-Play, DC Universe Online DC Universe Online fans who've long wanted Legends PvE learned at SOE Live that the feature was finally on its way to the game. And now patience is about to pay off! Legends PvE is launching with GU43, along with plenty of other goodies like new underwater bases and a new legends character. There's even something for the PvPers: revamped arena award rules. Executive Producer Larry Liberty and Creative Director Jens Andersen recently led a media tour of this upcoming content, showcasing Deathstroke in all his Legends glory along with sharing a few other tidbits of news (like the release window for Amazon Fury Part II). As Liberty put it, "Game Update 43 wound up becoming quite a bit bigger than we initially anticipated." Continue reading Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hearthstone players struggle to buy expansion packs Posted: 10 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Expansions, Previews, Free-to-Play, Trading Card Games, Hearthstone While a new expansion to the hit card game Hearthstone is cause for much celebration, in some corners it's also been cause for consternation as players have struggled to buy the right packs from the in-game store. This and other expansion issues got so bad, in fact, that getting these CS requests sorted out forced Blizzard to slightly delay Goblins vs. Gnomes' European launch (although it is now live in that region). The problem, as dismayed players and streamers discovered, is that the default pack purchase option in Hearthstone's store was for the base game's cards, not the expansions. Gung-ho players would then accidentally mass-purchase a whole lot of packs thinking that they were from Goblins vs. Gnomes, only to discover that they just wasted hundreds of dollars on cards they already had. Touch Arcade has come to the rescue by pointing to a handy guide how to buy the right packs for the expansion. Hearthstone players struggle to buy expansion packs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The Daily Dot, Polygon, Touch Arcade

Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Most Improved MMO Posted: 10 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous Massively's end-of-the-year awards continue today with our award for the Most Improved MMO of the year. Pretty much all MMOs were eligible for this particular award, even if they didn't launch in 2014, as long as they improved significantly in 2014. All of our writers were invited to cast a vote, but not all of them chose to do so for this category. Don't forget to cast your own vote in the reader poll at the very end. The Massively staff pick for Most Improved MMO of 2014 is... Continue reading Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Most Improved MMO Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Most Improved MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Get a 3-D virtual preview of Skyforge's Naori Island Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Previews, Free-to-Play, Skyforge If a picture is valued at a thousand words, how much is an interactive panorama worth? That's a question that you might just have to answer yourself when you check out this jaw-dropping gorgeous tableau of Naori Island from Skyforge. Naori Island is a tropical resort that got caught up in the war, leaving it scarred yet still beautiful. You can check out the interactive 3-D screenshot of the island on the game's official website, which allows you to scope out the key landmarks and warm visuals all around you. Get a 3-D virtual preview of Skyforge's Naori Island originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Naori Island

Eleven (the Glitch resurrection project) is moving into alpha Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Culture, News Items, Free-to-Play, Miscellaneous It's been two years since Glitch shut down, and there are two possible responses to that. The first is to be sad that the MMO landscape lost an attractive, quirky, interesting little game. The second is to be quite happy because Eleven, the project that seeks to restore the original functionality of Glitch with a new team as a labor of love, is entering its alpha test phase. How awesome is that? The first phase of testing is not a particularly large one: The amount of functional stuff in the game is tiny, and only 13 people are getting let in for test purposes. But it does mean that the project is moving along, and those lucky 13 people are going to get to play a game whose fans have been mourning ever since its shutdown. It's also a project done with Tiny Speck's blessing, ensuring that a successful alpha test now is the first step toward opening the doors of this world once more. Eleven (the Glitch resurrection project) is moving into alpha originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Alpha announcement

Eliotropes land in Dofus and Wakfu Posted: 10 Dec 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Dofus, Classes, Game Mechanics, News Items, Free-to-Play, Miscellaneous The Eliotropes are coming! Wait, sorry, that's not quite right; the Eliotropes are here if you're playing Wakfu. They're also here if you're playing Dofus. Yes, both of the games based on the same lore are getting the same class on the same day. The class also promises to be a tricky one, as it's centered around making use of martial arts attacks projected over long distances through a series of portals. Eliotropes can serve as healers and positioners in the game's combat system, launching powerful assaults through portals and slipping through those same portals to evade damage. But enemies can also use these portals for transport, making the class a bit more tricky to play well. Check out the videos on the new class just past the break because this new option is already here. And there. Lots of places, really. [Source: Ankama press release] Continue reading Eliotropes land in Dofus and Wakfu Eliotropes land in Dofus and Wakfu originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Could a non-combat MMO be compelling? Posted: 10 Dec 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous As much as I like being the action hero in MMOs, even I must admit that the ratio of combat to non-combat activities is lopsided to the extreme. Some days I feel like I'm playing an endless kill simulator that doesn't allow me to live in these virtual worlds so much as attempt to murder most of what is in them. So sometimes I think about MMOs where combat isn't just marginalized but non-existent. Could it work? Sure, we have seen titles like A Tale in the Desert and Myst Online replace combat with community crafting, but such games are so few in number and under-populated. What do you think? Could a non-combat MMO be compelling? Would you play a game that was heavy on sandbox elements but had no fighting? 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: Could a non-combat MMO be compelling? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Echo of Soul story trailer tells of the war between gods and giants Posted: 09 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Lore, Free-to-Play With Echo of Soul heading from Korea to North America and Europe next year, it may be time for those interested in the fantasy MMO to discover a little about its world and lore. For those fans, we present Echo of Soul's story trailer, which gives an overview of the conflict and struggles that players will be facing in this game. Players will take part of an ongoing battle between gods and the giants by attempting to prevent the giants from assembling six fragments of a "shadow soul" (Arrogance, Sloth, Jealousy, Rage, Despair, and Discord) that could spell the end for, y'know, everything. You can watch the full minute-and-a-half video after the break. Continue reading Echo of Soul story trailer tells of the war between gods and giants Echo of Soul story trailer tells of the war between gods and giants originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Bless Online adds mounts in closed beta Posted: 09 Dec 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, News Items It's disheartening to play an MMO that forces your character to walk everywhere like an animal. Much better to get an actual animal to do all the walking for you, yes? Thankfully Bless Online will allow players to do exactly that, with the game's current closed beta test adding 30 mounts for players to use as their personal transport tools. Mounts in the game can be obtained via NPC trainers, via quests, or via finding and taming certain creatures out in the wild. They're also not meant as mere cosmetic variations, as each one supposedly has unique skills and attributes once you climb on its back. It looks as if flying mounts will be available in the future, giving players all sorts of different ways to get from point A to point B without having to rely on something so undignified as actually walking there. Bless Online adds mounts in closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steparu

Professor to hold open course in Lord of the Rings Online, asks for bodyguards Posted: 09 Dec 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Lore, Free-to-Play, Livestream Dr. Corey Olsen, better known as Washington College's Tolkien Professor, will be holding an open course in Lord of the Rings Online for any and all who would like to understand the lore of the books by exploring the game. The course will take place on the Landroval server. Here, Olsen (who has a mid-level Guardian) will go through the epic storyline, explore the areas, and compare those to passages from Tolkien's writings. He asked for players to help fight off mobs during his explorations so that he will be free to examine and lecture without distraction. Olsen's teachings will initially be livestreamed on LotRO's official Twitch channel, although the course will be recorded for viewing later on as well. No dates for the course have been set as of yet. [Thanks to Braxwolf for the tip!] Professor to hold open course in Lord of the Rings Online, asks for bodyguards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: LOTRO Players

World of Warships testing event this weekend Posted: 09 Dec 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Historical, Video, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, World of Warships Wargaming is hosting a World of Warships testing weekend starting Friday, December 12th at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The event features three classes of military vessels and offers players "the chance to experience the unique rock-paper-scissors approach to naval combat," the company says. You can grab a key from one of Wargaming's "media partner" game blogs and then activate it via a link on the World of Warships website. You can see WoWS in action thanks to the gameplay video behind the break. Continue reading World of Warships testing event this weekend World of Warships testing event this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Here's everything new and noteworthy in EVE's Rhea patch Posted: 09 Dec 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Sandbox Still wondering what's under the hood of EVE Online's Rhea patch? You must've missed all those CCP dev blogs, then. In any case, wonder no more, thanks to this newly released video that takes you on a tour of the sci-fi sandbox's newest features including PBR rendering, the new Thera system, 100 new wormhole systems, and more. Continue reading Here's everything new and noteworthy in EVE's Rhea patch Here's everything new and noteworthy in EVE's Rhea patch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Massively Speaking Episode 324: The server is down Posted: 09 Dec 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous On this week's show, the podcasters will need to lower their voice or else risk attracting the attention of undesirable demons, server outages, and console delays. If you play this episode backwards, you will hear hidden messages that will unravel your mind and show you the truth of what lies beyond the black. Also a plug for Chia pets. Get all of our opinions and analysis on the most important stories of the past week right here on Massively Speaking, the industry's leading MMO podcast. And if you have a comment, question, or topic for the podcasters, send an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 324: The server is down Massively Speaking Episode 324: The server is down originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Enter at Your Own Rift: Five advantages RIFT has over WoW Posted: 09 Dec 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Free-to-Play, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift From its inception, RIFT has taken the position of being both a World of Warcraft clone and a direct competitor for its playerbase. It's not as if Trion Worlds has been subtle about it: The early campaign slogan of "You're not in Azeroth anymore" all but reached over and tweaked Blizzard's nose. While some didn't like the direct comparison, I thought it was a wise move for RIFT to acknowledge its obvious ancestry and its position as a cocky upstart. While I've never been of the opinion that only one MMO can "win" or that we should always disparage games other than the ones we play, I won't deny that comparisons get made. Listen, World of Warcraft is a fun, slick game, one I spent many years playing. But just because it's one of the most popular MMOs in the world and stuffed full of 10 years of content doesn't mean it holds all of the cards (nor is it the MMO that currently grabs most of my gaming time). In fact, RIFT has several distinct advantages that it's used and continues to use against Big Blizz, and it's those advantages that I want to praise today. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Five advantages RIFT has over WoW Enter at Your Own Rift: Five advantages RIFT has over WoW originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 season 2 to continue on January 13th Posted: 09 Dec 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), PvP, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play The living world episodes for Guild Wars 2 are taking a month off for the holiday season, as ArenaNet announced today that Season 2 will reconvene on January 13th for "moments that will forever change the course of Tyria." That doesn't mean that Guild Wars 2 will go silent during this time, however. Wintersday is scheduled to return on December 16th, although this time it will take place in Divinity's Reach. ArenaNet is also hosting a test of its ladder season from December 16th through January 13th, allowing players to compete for various rewards, and a WvW Sneak Attack event during this same period. Finally, there will be the game's "first-ever" ESL monthly championship on December 10th. Guild Wars 2 season 2 to continue on January 13th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Season 2 returns January 13th

SWTOR releases Shadow of Revan trailer to celebrate official launch Posted: 09 Dec 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, Launches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic Early access for Star Wars: The Old Republic's Shadow of Revan expansion technically opened last week, but for non-subscribers, the formal digital launch date is today. Predictably, BioWare has released a new trailer to coincide with the official launch. Spoilers: Revan, lightsabers, ominous proclamations, etc. Massively's Larry Everett explored the plotline and soloability of the expansion in his column last week. Enjoy the trailer below. Continue reading SWTOR releases Shadow of Revan trailer to celebrate official launch SWTOR releases Shadow of Revan trailer to celebrate official launch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev post, Press release

Carbine's Chad Moore on WildStar's fresh focus on lore Posted: 09 Dec 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Interviews, Lore, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play There's a big focus on WildStar's lore recently. Aside from the big lore drops, dubbed "Loremageddon" by Carbine Studios, the game's official site has begun releasing a series of short stories detailing important moments in the game's history, from the first space voyage of the Cassian people to dealing with the Genesis Prime now. That's a lot of storytelling, the sort that should be continuing on well into next year. We had a chance to sit down and ask a few questions of creative director Chad Moore regarding what we've seen thus far for the game and what the goals are with this renewed focus on the game's setting and story. If you'd like to know a little more about the setting and what players can expect from the ongoing history lesson, check out the interview just past the break. There's also a new story available today detailing the first contact between the Cassians and the Eldan. Continue reading Carbine's Chad Moore on WildStar's fresh focus on lore Carbine's Chad Moore on WildStar's fresh focus on lore originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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