Thursday, December 25, 2014

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Chaos Theory: A guide to TSW's Christmas Conspiracies event

Posted: 25 Dec 2014 09:00 AM PST

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Silver bells, Krampus and Hel,
It's Christmas time in The Secret World
Ring a ling, hear them scream,
Soon you will see a Christmas play!

Ahh, it's the holidays. A time when other games pull out the stops on cute and cuddly, flinging festive colors and joviality about like Christmas confetti to make a joyous celebration. Then you have The Secret World. In TSW, the season is dark, twisted, and fiendish; nightmares are brought to life, and conspiracies worm their ways throughout even the most revered of traditions. And we wouldn't have it any other way!

I always wonder how on earth the devs are going to top themselves each new event, and this season's Christmas Conspiracies definitely does not disappoint! From the story to the puzzles, this mission chain fits right in. It even incorporated my favorite new element introduced this year -- music -- and literally makes you play for your reward. Want to experience it? You've got until January 5th to thwart the conspiracy and collect all the treasure you can. (Of course, even if you have done the two previous Christmas' events, you'll want to do them again just to get the special goodie bags!)

Here's a not-quite-a-guide to help nudge you through. As always, I won't offer a direct step-by-step walkthrough but instead will just drop hints (in italics) to help you along. That said, here's your warning: There will be spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk! If, however, you want even more spoilers, watch Massively TV tonight, December 25th, at 9:00 p.m. for a Stream Team walkthrough special.

Continue reading Chaos Theory: A guide to TSW's Christmas Conspiracies event

MassivelyChaos Theory: A guide to TSW's Christmas Conspiracies event originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    One Shots: Mandy the Christmas Whale

    Posted: 25 Dec 2014 07:00 AM PST

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    guild wars 2
    Last year in our household we started up a new tradition, the legend of Mandy the Christmas Whale. Mandy, I told my children, was a green-and-red whale with lights on her tail that would swim through the first snow of the year to deliver cookies to the bedsides of good little boys and girls. Sometimes she even brought a snowsuit (an actual suit of snow) when it came to houses in warmer climes.

    Maybe reader James' Guild Wars 2 picture here isn't of Mandy, but one never knows what she might look like in disguise during the other days of the year. Have you been good enough to deserve cookies lately?

    Want to be featured in a future edition of One Shots? Send your favorite MMO screenshots to oneshots@massively.com, and don't forget to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of the scene. Large, colorful, UI-free shots that tell a story and really show off the game make for the best images. Look ma, we brought back One Shots!

    MassivelyOne Shots: Mandy the Christmas Whale originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Did you get any good gaming gifts this week?

      Posted: 25 Dec 2014 05:00 AM PST

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      eq
      In both real life and in MMOs, gifts have been flying back and forth at such an astonishing rate that you might think that there's some sort of holiday going on or something. While I haven't had time to "work" for rewards in seasonal events, I've been more than happy to take in-game gifts that several titles, including Marvel Heroes and RIFT, were willing to give to me.

      So as you're sitting there in an eggnog haze, do you have any gaming gifts that you'd like to boast about this week? They could either be things you've gotten in MMOs, digital gifts, or real-life goodies. Spill!

      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: Did you get any good gaming gifts this week? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Dec 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Latest EVE dev blog charts module rebalancing

        Posted: 24 Dec 2014 05:00 PM PST

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        EVE's forthcoming Proteus release will feature the second round of rebalancing work that CCP has termed Module Tiericide. Today's dev blog explains some of the changes courtesy of a sizable chart that shows stats like CPU usage, optimal range, powergrid usage, and more.


        There are a lot of numbers to parse, but if you're into that sort of thing, CCP says that it will be collecting player feedback and acting on it prior to Proteus' January 13th launch date.

        MassivelyLatest EVE dev blog charts module rebalancing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Camelot Unchained's latest newsletter tackles player-built structures

        Posted: 24 Dec 2014 03:00 PM PST

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        Camelot's Unchained's latest newsletter is hot off the virtual presses. It's a lengthy read, too, so grab yourself a snack and a beverage before perusing the community Q&A section, a state of the build update, an art update, and a design discussion on the RvR sandbox's building system.

        "The world of CU, while it will have some important pre-built structures, leaves the dynamic creation, capture, and destruction of keeps and castles firmly in the hands of our players," City State says.

        MassivelyCamelot Unchained's latest newsletter tackles player-built structures originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Elder Scrolls Online definitely coming to consoles in 2015

        Posted: 24 Dec 2014 01:00 PM PST

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        ZeniMax has posted a holiday greeting to Elder Scrolls Online fans that also promises a console launch for the fantasy MMO in 2015. "We've released five major updates and tons of improvements and fixes," the blurb reads. "Next year promises to be just as exciting as we introduce the Champion and Justice systems, launch on the PS4 and Xbox One, and continue to release new adventures for you to experience."

        MassivelyElder Scrolls Online definitely coming to consoles in 2015 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Soapbox: Better models for MMO endgame progression, part three

        Posted: 24 Dec 2014 11:00 AM PST

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        There's a climb we can make, if we try.
        Today marks the last entry in my better models for MMO endgame progression series, the follow-up to my series on why MMO studios should abandon raiding. And that means providing two more possible models along with something of a thesis statement. But it also means that at this point I'm far more willing to wander off into the woods with these ideas. The first part had slight twists on standard formulas, the second had ideas that was a bit further afield, and this one features two ideas that are still almost entirely unrefined.

        More specifically, today's concepts are more about tackling the very principle that progress has to be tied past a certain point to things that you get. You earn a thing and then you're better. But there's no reason that progress can't be oriented the other way, with the gear (etc.) just being a gating mechanism for your actual forward motion.

        The funny part is that a lot of these systems aren't really at odds with one another; they can coexist without too much trouble. But then, that's the nature of the beast.

        Continue reading The Soapbox: Better models for MMO endgame progression, part three

        MassivelyThe Soapbox: Better models for MMO endgame progression, part three originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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