Wednesday, January 14, 2015

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Choose My Adventure: Air travel is not very safe in TERA

Posted: 14 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST

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TERA
Massively multiplayer online games are collections of interlocking systems. A character's skills allow her to interact with the world, interacting with the world gives her experience points, experience points give her levels, levels give her skills, and so on. Inventory, items, professions, quests, and social interactions are also systems, layered on top of the core combat and gameplay mechanics.
When you have mastery over an MMO, you don't just have mastery over skill rotations; you have mastery over all of the systems underneath. By the time a normal person hits 60 in En Masse's TERA, for example, that person can probably tell the difference between good gear and bad gear, organize a character's inventory, and use the game's menus. This is the stuff you take for granted when you've been playing an MMO for weeks, months, or years.

Leaping into expansion content with a near-max-level character but little core game experience is, thus, not very smart. But I did it anyway, charging into TERA's Fate of Arun with a brand-new-yet-level-60 Castanic Warrior for Choose My Adventure.

It went okay.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Air travel is not very safe in TERA

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Air travel is not very safe in TERA originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Black Desert readies sieges for January 17th

    Posted: 14 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST

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    Avon calling!
    Ready to lay siege to your enemies and take control of whatever strikes your fancy (as long as it's a castle) in Black Desert? The developers are getting ready to let players do just that. Sieges will be enabled on a single server on January 17th for a live test, and as long as nothing breaks horrendously, all servers will have the mechanics enabled on January 24th.

    Each guild will be able to build two towers and one command center as part of the lead-in to the warfare; the last guild standing after a siege will take control of the castle and be the defenders during the next assault. Still no word has been offered on an exact date for a North American release, for those of you watching this with hungry eyes. You'll have to find out how the siege tests go from the sidelines.

    Continue reading Black Desert readies sieges for January 17th

    MassivelyBlack Desert readies sieges for January 17th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Crowfall says 'play2crush' wasn't meant to mean 'everyone else sucks'

    Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST

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    Crowfall
    Were you put off by Crowfall's hardcore "play2crush" reveal just before Christmas? You weren't alone. One player told studio ArtCraft that the original announcement "felt a little too political attack ad" -- and he got an official response on the game's new forums. Creative Director J. Todd Coleman explained that Crowfall's controversial introduction wasn't quite meant how it was taken:
    You know, that original play2crush site wasn't meant to be "everyone else sucks." It was a mea culpa. We're the guys who make these games. The first line was "where did WE go wrong?" "We" didn't mean everyone else, it meant us. It meant me. I wrote that because I feel like I have let you down... by not pushing myself to innovate. It was too easy to pitch "wow in space" or "wow with vampires" or "wow with space vampires." I want to fix that. I want to build something new.
    The game released its first screenshot and city siege concept art (below) yesterday, exposing a stylized graphical theme and meaty statistics panel. You can sign up for the beta by rolling up an account on the official site right now. The mysterious countdown timer on the front page currently has just over 40 days remaining.

    [With thanks to Leiloni for bringing the post to our attention.]

    Continue reading Crowfall says 'play2crush' wasn't meant to mean 'everyone else sucks'

    MassivelyCrowfall says 'play2crush' wasn't meant to mean 'everyone else sucks' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Final Fantasy previews dungeons and plans maintenance for patch 2.5

    Posted: 14 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST

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    Oh, good, two decades of dragon corpse can still move around and fight us. Super.
    The last pre-expansion patch for Final Fantasy XIV is going to be a big one. So big, in fact, that the game is dropping 12 hours of maintenance for the first part. Servers will go down at 6:00 p.m. EST on January 19th before coming back online at 6:00 a.m. EST on January 20th. As always, exact completion time is subject to change.

    If you missed yesterday's trailer, you can get an idea of some of the fuss by checking out today's dungeon preview, which shows off the Keeper of the Lake, Amdapor Keep (Hard), Wanderer's Palace (Hard), and the World of Darkness. While the exact item level requirements for these dungeons are hidden, it is clear that the Keeper of the Lake will once again be part of the main scenario quests like Snowcloak was in patch 2.4. So get ready to fight a dragon corpse, slaughter various voidsent, and most importantly rescue a whole lot of far-less-rancorous Tonberries.

    MassivelyFinal Fantasy previews dungeons and plans maintenance for patch 2.5 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: What is your favorite Marvel Heroes character?

    Posted: 14 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST

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    marvel heroes
    I have to say, Marvel Heroes preys relentlessly upon the weaknesses of an altoholic like myself. I want to collect and play all of the title's (currently) 43 characters, even though I could spend countless hours working on just one superhero to get him or her up to spec.

    Squirrel Girl is my current favorite toon because what is better than ordering a horde of rampaging squirrels to overrun your enemy? Plus, she's very peppy and has all sorts of upbeat quips, unlike certain dour heroes that I could name. But I'm starting to branch out by playing other characters such as Rogue and Cable, so I am a long way away from declaring a winner.

    If you play Marvel Heroes, what is your favorite character and why?

    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: What is your favorite Marvel Heroes character? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Jukebox Heroes: Destiny's soundtrack

      Posted: 13 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST

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      Is there any MMO soundtrack that arrived with such incredible expectations and baggage as Destiny? If so, I can't recall it. We have not only the legacy of Halo's scores (which are for some gamers the only soundtrack they know and revere) but also the saga of Composer Martin O'Donnell's firing and the boon of picking up (of all people) Paul McCartney -- because when you think "space epic video game," you of course think "former Beatles septuagenarian."

      However, here on Jukebox Heroes, we do not give preference to a soundtrack's pedigree, the game's popularity, or how many members of the Beatles it boasts. We listen to the music for what it is. And what Destiny's score is... is above-average. It's a good, but not great, orchestral album that's heavy on action and Star Wars influences. I was hoping for a little more when I listened to it, but upon a second evaluation, I found myself appreciating more what it does as a whole to construct a solar system under siege.

      Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Destiny's soundtrack

      MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Destiny's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        MapleStory 2's closed beta will have 3 PvP modes

        Posted: 13 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST

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        When MapleStory 2's closed beta doors open up in Korea from January 21st through the 25th, testers will be able to experience three different PvP modes. MMOCulture brings word of Nexon's recent update, which described these three modes, including 1v1, free-for-all, and PvPvE. Players level 30 and higher can engage in 1v1 battles in Red Coliseum or go for a reward for the most kills in Blood Mines free-for-all. The third mode, Shadow World, has no level restriction and pits players against mobs as well as players in a search for special treasures that aren't available anywhere in the open world.

        MassivelyMapleStory 2's closed beta will have 3 PvP modes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Massively Speaking Episode 329: The grand year preview

        Posted: 13 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST

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        sto
        There's one bright spot in the middle of this dark, cold month, and that's the fact that many studios are starting to open up about their plans for the year! On this week's podcast, Bree and Justin analyze what's coming for many big-name MMOs, as well as a possible game resurrection. Make sure that you endure through the new intermission segment, which will contain seven straight minutes of kazoo solos!

        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.
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        Listen here on the page:



        Read below the cut for the full show notes.

        Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 329: The grand year preview

        MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 329: The grand year preview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          There's a Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns teaser in today's update

          Posted: 13 Jan 2015 01:00 PM PST

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          Guess what awaits you at the end of Guild Wars 2's Point of No Return living story arc? Yes, it's a brief teaser for Heart of Thorns along with a reveal date. If you're attending PAX South you can see the reveal in-person at 11:30 a.m. EDT. If you can't make that, you can catch it on Twitch.

          We've embedded the Point of No Return cutscene just past the break, but don't click on it if you're concerned about spoilers!

          [Thanks Pete!]

          Continue reading There's a Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns teaser in today's update

          MassivelyThere's a Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns teaser in today's update originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          EVE Online patches in Proteus

          Posted: 13 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST

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          Deep space never looked as good in EVE Online as it does today, now that the Proteus release has gone live. This monthly update has made visual improvements to the Gallente Exequror and the asteroid fields that players will encounter on a regular basis.

          Other Proteus features include a balance pass on recon ships, additional high-end exploration sites, improvements to the beta star map, new player mining locations, and a streamlining of some module groups.

          You can check out the Proteus features page or read up on the patch notes for more info. EVE's next update, Tiamat, is scheduled for February 12th.

          MassivelyEVE Online patches in Proteus originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          RIFT plans improvements to dimensions and minions

          Posted: 13 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST

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          Two of RIFT's more popular systems, dimensions and minions, will be getting some major dev love when Patch 3.1 arrives.

          In a new dev diary that went out yesterday, the team lays out a list of improvements for these systems. Dimensions will be getting a free-fly camera to allow for even more building precision, permissions options for visitors, ban lists, and -- prepare for this to blow your mind -- a bigger +1 button.

          As for minions, players will have even more options in how they deploy these hard-working followers. The team is adding minion stamina potions, the ability to shuffle adventures, and the option to link to minions in the chat window.

          MassivelyRIFT plans improvements to dimensions and minions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Pathfinder Online outlines its update and test patterns

          Posted: 13 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST

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          They're also renaming the internal test server to Wendy's Falafel & Cheese Party (All Night Every Night) but that has nothing to do with release. You probably don't want the story.
          The early enrollment stage of Pathfinder Online has started, and that means it's time to start setting a regular update schedule. A new development blog establishes that the game is currently slated to put out a new major build every other week, with the acknowledgement that the first few weeks will be something less than reliable due to the growing pains of turning the servers on. Players can look forward to the War of Towers kicking off tomorrow, January 14th, at 1:00 p.m. EST.

          A bunch of the game's moving pieces are being either reopened or renamed. The alpha accounts are being renamed platinum accounts, since the game is no longer in its alpha testing phase. The test server is coming back online as a way to double-check all of the new adjustments to the game before they go live. Worth noting is that account perks used on the test server will still count as consumed on the live server, meaning that an account entitlement you use on a test will be gone as surely if you used it in the core game. Check out the full update for more specifics and the mechanics of taking part in update testing.

          MassivelyPathfinder Online outlines its update and test patterns originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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