Thursday, December 11, 2014

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Chaos Theory: The best places in town, Secret World style

Posted: 11 Dec 2014 09:00 AM PST

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Chaos Theory: The best places in town, Secret World style
When discussing the best things about The Secret World, I'm almost at a loss for where to start. There really is just so much that's great, so many amazing little details woven into the game, that unless you really narrow it down, you could wear yourself out trying to name it all. And you'd still know you missed too much! That's one reason Chaos Theory has recently focused on a few top five/top ten lists. We've already covered compelling missions, the best NPCs, and even my first favorite moments. As integral as those elements are, however, any real estate agent can tell you that one facet can trump them all -- location, location, location! And it's true. The game's setting has a huge influence on the other aspects of the game: Missions are more meaningful and character personalities are enhanced by their surroundings. So as promised, this time around we'll tour some of the best places TSW has to offer.

Continue reading Chaos Theory: The best places in town, Secret World style

MassivelyChaos Theory: The best places in town, Secret World style originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Elder Scrolls Online's Undaunted Pledge system promotes daily dungeons

    Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST

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    ESO
    Are you wandering around The Elder Scrolls Online in a post-Update 5 haze, lost on what to do? Wander no more: ZeniMax has released a dev blog today to give you some guidance.

    The guide details the pledge system of the Undaunted, whose tasks are reminiscent of daily dungeon quests in other themeparks. Starting at level 45, players can swear themselves to the Undaunted faction, which offers two daily quests to complete dungeons, one veteran and one not. Depending on how well they complete the dungeon and the difficulty of the encounter, players will be awarded reputation with the faction as well as a key to unlock a sweet chest of loot. "The Undaunted chests can contain a variety of helpful loot, from valuable Ornate items and soul gems to unique items sets and attention-grabbing shoulder pieces fashioned from the very brutes you've slain," writes ZOS.

    The full guide is on the official site.

    MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online's Undaunted Pledge system promotes daily dungeons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Best MMO Studio

    Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST

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    Massively 2014 Awards
    Massively's end-of-the-year awards continue today with our award for the Best MMO Studio of the year. Every studio that runs an MMO in 2014 was eligible, even those who didn't launch anything this year, but whatever the studio did to impress us should have occurred this year. 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 just-for-fun reader poll at the very end.

    The Massively staff pick for Best MMO Studio of 2014 is...

    Continue reading Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Best MMO Studio

    MassivelyMassively's Best of 2014 Awards: Best MMO Studio originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Final Fantasy XIV has 2.5 million registered accounts

      Posted: 11 Dec 2014 07:00 AM PST

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      We're going to need a bigger house, like the one I just bought.
      At the very end of Final Fantasy XIV's Eternal Bond trailer on Tuesday, there's a small line imploring watchers to join 2.5 million adventurers worldwide. The last official word from the game on numbers was two million registrations back in April. It was easy to miss that line at the end, but it was caught by blogger Syncaine, and we reached out to Square-Enix to confirm that the game has indeed passed the 2.5 million mark in registrations.

      Registered accounts is obviously not the same thing as active subscriptions, but it's still a milestone for the game, especially with an expansion on the way in spring of next year. That's good news for both the Final Fantasy XIV team and the players who will have plenty of other people to adventure with.

      MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV has 2.5 million registered accounts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      A dragon interloper is approaching ArcheAge

      Posted: 11 Dec 2014 06:00 AM PST

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      I think he's kind of angry.
      ArcheAge is gearing up for its December update, and that means getting ready for a dragon. A long time ago in the in-game lore, the dragon Misagon tried to take the land of Erenor for himself and his kin, which led to the Nuon rising up and killing him because that's just a really rude way to move in. The dragons panicked and left, but one among them started planning for Dragon Invasion II: The Dragoning.

      That invasion is going down as part of the December update, with the somewhat uncreatively named Red Dragon leading his minions in an assault on Erenor. This is the same dragon who resorted to feeding on other dragons to get stronger, so you know he's... well, not a good guy. Go ahead and check out the lore post for a slightly less irreverent explanation of what flies forth on crimson wings, and get ready to undertake some dragon hunting in the game's next major patch.

      MassivelyA dragon interloper is approaching ArcheAge originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Do you fill out MMO cancellation surveys?

      Posted: 11 Dec 2014 05:00 AM PST

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      I cancelled my Star Wars: The Old Republic subscription this week. Given my history with the game I'm sure it's only temporary, but for now I got what I needed out of the 12x event and I'm off to greener pastures.

      I told BioWare as much in the post-cancel survey thing, too, but I seriously doubt it'll be removing the gear grind just for me! What about you, Massively readers? Do you think cancellation surveys are a formality? Do you fill them out?

      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: Do you fill out MMO cancellation surveys? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Players power direction of Oort Online's development

        Posted: 10 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST

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        oort
        Oort Online's dev team is not content to make this voxel sandbox in the isolation of its ivory tower (or the corner of a deserted warehouse, whatever may be), but it has been asking for constant input from backers for the direction of the game's development. "As the game currently stands, the playable features are quite contained as we've been focusing on establishing the core MMO services and game engine," the devs posted.

        In a recent backer survey, 43% of those surveyed asked for the devs to prioritize the creation of character races out of the four options presented. In addition, the team said that some of the biggest priorities for a 1.0 release include resource gathering, crafting, and PvE combat. At the bottom of the list? "Real money purchases -- I want short cuts!"

        Oort Online is a "universe-sized" sandbox that's currently in alpha testing and has raised over $123,000 in crowdfunding.

        [Thanks to Jose for the tip!]

        MassivelyPlayers power direction of Oort Online's development originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Stream Team: The art of ArcheAge bot wrangling

        Posted: 10 Dec 2014 05:00 PM PST

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        What do you do when rampant ArcheAge bots are littering your landscape and lording over the mining nodes? Why not make them sleep with the fishes? It seems as if the devs aren't doing enough to help stem the bot problem, so Massively's MJ and the Minions took matters into their own hands and developed an amusing new minigame within ArcheAge: Bot Wrangling. It takes a bit of skill mingled with some luck, but unlike PvP, this game can be played in peacetime zones. Join us live at 8:00 p.m. to see who can rustle up the most bots.

        Game: ArcheAge
        Host: MJ Guthrie
        Date: Wednesday, December 10th, 2014
        Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

        Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

        Continue reading The Stream Team: The art of ArcheAge bot wrangling

        MassivelyThe Stream Team: The art of ArcheAge bot wrangling originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          DDO Update 24: Heart of Madness goes live tomorrow

          Posted: 10 Dec 2014 04:00 PM PST

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          ddo
          Tomorrow, Dungeons and Dragons Online will be getting its last big patch of the year, Update 24: Heart of Madness. Considering the cheery title, one might expect scarring challenges and experiences that will drive your average player insane (including using yourself as a puzzle piece to get through a fiendish game).

          The crux of the patch centers around an invasion from the plane of madness to Eberron, with popular D&D figures like the Lord of Eyes, the Lord of Stone, and Yalthoon the Mindflayer. Players will tackle a trio of high-level madness-themed dungeons in this paid adventure pack, although there will also be a fourth free dungeon that's part of the ongoing Wizards of the Coast Tyranny of Dragons event.

          Update 24 will also come with cosmetic armor effects, smarter AI monster champions, and a revamp of Barbarian enhancements.

          MassivelyDDO Update 24: Heart of Madness goes live tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Star Citizen's latest patch adds another ship, drunk effects

          Posted: 10 Dec 2014 03:00 PM PST

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          Star Citizen's latest patch is now live. Actually, it's Arena Commander's latest patch, where Arena Commander is the dogfighting and ship pornography simulator that allows players to explore various craft as Cloud Imperium developers get them "hangar-ready."

          AC version 0.9.2.2 adds the Anvil Gladiator to the mix, along with a drunk effect for your hangar's liquor cabinet. CIG encourages you to "please drink responsibly."

          MassivelyStar Citizen's latest patch adds another ship, drunk effects originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Shards Online showcases 30 seconds of housing

          Posted: 10 Dec 2014 02:30 PM PST

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          Housing enthusiasts who have been following Shards Online will like the game's latest video release. Though short in duration, it whets your abode appetite by showcasing various housing styles that players will be able to obtain and place in the open world. It also teases the customization options by giving a peek at a few decorations and promising oodles more.

          Shards Online has surpassed its Kickstarter goal and has less than $5K remaining until the next stretch goal (the story editor toolkit) is reached. Interested fans have two more days to back the project; the Kickstarter closes at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 12th.

          [Source: Citadel Studios press release]

          Continue reading Shards Online showcases 30 seconds of housing

          MassivelyShards Online showcases 30 seconds of housing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            HEX releases Shattered Destiny card set

            Posted: 10 Dec 2014 02:00 PM PST

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            Hearthstone isn't the only online card game that's getting an expansion this week; HEX launched its Shattered Destiny set today, vastly expanding the MMOTCG's play potential.

            Shattered Destiny, HEX's second set, comes with 200 new cards, five additional heroes, dual-shard cards, dual-socketing, and fun abilities such as tunneling, lethal damage, and skyguard defense. To celebrate the release, HEX is awarding two exclusive alternate-art cards to players who partake in Shattered Destiny-only tournaments this weekend.

            Whether you're playing or merely interested in what's been added, you can read both the patch notes and the card list for this update.

            MassivelyHEX releases Shattered Destiny card set originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            SWTOR turning three, giving away anniversary decor

            Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:30 PM PST

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            Star Wars: The Old Republic is turning three this month, and BioWare is celebrating by making the game's Coruscant and Dromund Kaas Stronghold housing instances available for three credits.

            Which isn't as cool as it sounds, since their normal 5,000 credit price is pocket change that you can earn in 30 seconds. But hey, three! Fortunately the devs are doing something else that is actually cool. Namely, they're giving away slick-looking decor for your player house including a holographic projection of the galaxy, paintings, and a fireworks launcher.

            You can pick these up at the Anniversary Personnel vendor in the Strongholds area of the Fleet from December 16th through January 13th.

            MassivelySWTOR turning three, giving away anniversary decor originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Leaderboard: Would B2P or a sub-only server bring you back to ArcheAge?

            Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:00 PM PST

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            I've been thinking about ArcheAge a lot this month, and most of what I've been thinking about it is pretty negative. XL's fantasy sandpark has more problems than any single MMO should, but despite all of them I would still enjoy it if it weren't for that godawful cash shop.

            Yeah, the bugs are annoying as are some of the more pervasive exploits (flower dance griefing, really?), but underneath all that is a feature-rich virtual world I'd love to keep playing. At this point, though, the only thing that would bring me back is some sort of subscription-only server, or failing that, a buy-to-play-with-a-cosmetic-cash-shop server that doesn't sell labor potions, tax certificates, appraisals, and the like.

            What about you, Leaderboard readers and disgruntled ArcheAge expats? Would you come back for a subscription-only server or a less invasive cash shop? Vote 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: Would B2P or a sub-only server bring you back to ArcheAge?

            MassivelyLeaderboard: Would B2P or a sub-only server bring you back to ArcheAge? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              World of Tanks' replay files vulnerable to code injection

              Posted: 10 Dec 2014 12:30 PM PST

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              Are you a World of Tanks player who watches match replays from Wargaming's free-to-play arena battler? You'd best be careful, as the company has publicized a vulnerability that allows third parties to "inject malicious code into replay files."

              The problem will be addressed in WoT's 9.5 update as well as the 1.7 patch for World of Warplanes. In the meantime, Wargaming says that "the code is executed automatically when opening the compromised replays via the game client. Your system may be at risk if you download potentially modified replays from the internet."

              MassivelyWorld of Tanks' replay files vulnerable to code injection originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Origins of Malu needs your vote on Steam Greenlight

              Posted: 10 Dec 2014 12:00 PM PST

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              Origins of Malu is now on Steam Greenlight, so hustle over and give it a vote if you're a fan of Burning Dog's sci-fantasy sandbox or, heck, sandboxes in general.

              The long-gestating indie project is now employing a modular development schedule, and you can get a glimpse of the many game world improvements in the alpha video after the break. Don't forget to check out Massively's recent interview with producer Michael Dunham, too!

              [Thanks Thomas!]

              Continue reading Origins of Malu needs your vote on Steam Greenlight

              MassivelyOrigins of Malu needs your vote on Steam Greenlight originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Elite: Dangerous is due for zero more wipes, releases launch trailer

              Posted: 10 Dec 2014 11:00 AM PST

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              Elite
              If you weren't clear on whether Elite: Dangerous has launched yet, prepare to remain slightly unclear. Frontier Community Manager Edward Lewis hit the forums earlier this week to clarify that the gamma 2 test phase open to backers will not be wiped prior to next week's official launch:
              Hi guys, This is just a quick update to confirm that there won't be a wipe at launch.
              So it's not formally launched until December 16th, but it's pretty much launched in the ways that matter. Lewis further dismissed concerns about exploits benefiting early access players. "We're looking at ways to find people who have used exploits. Don't worry about that! But also, don't worry about it if you have used an exploit - the guys on the dev team know the difference between testing something out and abusing the systems!"

              Massively's Mike Foster toured the game a few weeks ago, writing that "the gamma version finally brings Frontier's full vision into focus, and the result is a challenging, complex title." The buy-to-play MMO took home Massively's Most Underrated award this year.

              We've got the new launch trailer tucked behind the break!

              Continue reading Elite: Dangerous is due for zero more wipes, releases launch trailer

              MassivelyElite: Dangerous is due for zero more wipes, releases launch trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Guild Wars 2 is revamping dailies... again

              Posted: 10 Dec 2014 10:00 AM PST

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              GW2
              ArenaNet has just announced that it's revamping Guild Wars 2's daily achievements... again. "We want to give players the opportunity to try things they may not normally experience and feel like the rewards they earn for doing so mean something," says the studio. "Rather than [give] a generic reward for all achievements, each one will give players something that is thematically tied to the content they're playing." Completing dailies will allow players to earn everything from achievement points to fractal relics and badges of honor, depending on the daily's difficulty and type (PvE, PvP, WvW).

              The studio is also rolling out a new achievement track that replaces the old monthlies system and rewards players just for logging in. "One way to think of this is like a holiday calendar that gives you a new present from ArenaNet each day," the devs write. "There are 28 individual rewards on the track, each one building toward an epic chest containing a permanent 1% increase to account gold find and your choice of either ascended crafting materials, materials necessary for crafting your legendary weapon (including mystic clovers), an additional sum of laurels, or tomes of knowledge."

              Yesterday, the studio revealed that the ongoing season two plotline will be on hiatus through the holidays, being replaced by Wintersday. Season two resumes on January 13th.

              MassivelyGuild Wars 2 is revamping dailies... again originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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