| Build an ArcheAge boat with this handy player guide Posted: 15 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guides, ArcheAge, Sandbox If you've heard anything about the upcoming Korean sandbox ArcheAge, chances are you've heard about the ability to sail on the high seas. From videos of fighting a Kraken to reports of piracy, players eager to shed their landlubbing ways have been teased with the knowledge that watery adventure awaits. And thanks to this guide, players have the knowledge of how to construct their very own ship to get out there and begin those adventures! The guide contains a detailed materials list as well as instructions on finding a construction site and tips for transporting materials to the site. Also included is a video that demonstrates the whole process; you can watch the full clip after the cut. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Continue reading Build an ArcheAge boat with this handy player guide  Build an ArcheAge boat with this handy player guide originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| New Age of Wushu trailer highlights game's eight schools Posted: 15 Jan 2013 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox, Age of Wushu One of the first major decisions a player comes to in the free-to-play martial arts sandbox Age of Wushu is which of the eight different schools to join. Have a penchant for panhandling? Perhaps you'd prefer the Beggars. Maybe the muses inspire you; then Scholars would be the best bet. Or if you prefer poisons, you'd fit in with the Tangmen. If none of those tickle your fancy, you can belong to the Wudang, Royal Guards, Wanderer's Valley, Emei, or Shaolin. Still undecided? Snail Games has released a trailer of the schools, giving players get a glimpse of each one. Take a peek after the cut. Continue reading New Age of Wushu trailer highlights game's eight schools New Age of Wushu trailer highlights game's eight schools originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| What DUST 514 means for EVE factional warfare Posted: 15 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox Fan site DUST514Base.com has a new blog post that's worth a read if you're curious about the changes that CCP's recent integration has brought to both EVE Online and its new shooter sibling. While everyone is basically aware of the fact that EVE capsuleers can now coordinate with DUST infantry to deliver orbital strikes, what you may not know is how the factional warfare aspects of both games synergize. In EVE, factional warfare involves earning enough victory points to wrest control of a particular star system away from the local militia. In DUST, mercs who manage to subdue militia districts on the ground make it easier for their EVE counterparts to mop up and take control of the system (or vice versa, as DUST mercs can also make things more difficult). The post goes on to point out that the current interaction between EVE and DUST is intentionally limited so as to ensure a smooth launch and integration of the latter title. Over time, though, CCP plans to add plenty of bells and whistles, all with the ultimate goal of granting players more ways to pursue power and ISK. What DUST 514 means for EVE factional warfare originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SOE soliciting EverQuest II class feedback Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play Feldon over at EQ2Wire has called our attention to an interesting dev post on the EverQuest II forums. In spite of the fact that SOE has spent a lot of time balancing the game's 25 classes over the past 18 months, there's still some work to be done. EQII mechanics lead Mike " Xelgad" Ganz put out a call for feedback designed to make each class more enjoyable to play. SOE is particularly keen on "improving tedious abilities to be more user-friendly," according to Ganz. "Balance issues are always a concern, but numbers tend to spotlight those issues, while it's easy to overlook problems that simply make the classes less fun than they should be," he says. Each of EQII's four archetypes got its own feedback thread, so click through to leave your thoughts regarding Priests, Mages, Scouts, and Fighters. SOE soliciting EverQuest II class feedback originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Massively Speaking Episode 232: Good grief Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST |
| Goblinworks answers post-Kickstarter questions in latest Pathfinder livestream Posted: 15 Jan 2013 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Sandbox So yesterday was a big day in the life of Pathfinder Online, what with the project meeting its Kickstarter goals and all. To celebrate, a gaggle of Goblinworks devs sat down for an impromptu livestream last night that gave fans and backers the opportunity to put some faces with forum names and ask a few questions of the newly funded project. The livestream is now archived on YouTube, and you can watch the entire 47 minutes after the cut. The team answered several community generated questions during the vidcast, among them a confirmed list of beginning playable races (elves, dwarves, humans, and gnomes), clarification on the game's "pet" system, and more. [Thanks to Don for the tip!] Continue reading Goblinworks answers post-Kickstarter questions in latest Pathfinder livestream Goblinworks answers post-Kickstarter questions in latest Pathfinder livestream originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future Posted: 15 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries  We've got a whole passel of Guild Wars 2 news for you today, courtesy of ArenaNet Game Director Colin Johanson, who took to the company's blog to talk about some of the game plan for 2013. Johanson kicked things off by nonchalantly dropping the fact that Guild Wars 2 has now surpassed three million copies sold. (The last million milestone was hit in early September.) He then moved on to goals for 2013 -- specifically, to "build on areas of the game that were successful in 2012" and to "learn and apply lessons from things that didn't work as well." ArenaNet has plans to add more events (since more events means fewer repeats all around), build new storylines, and give players of all levels a good reason to go back and re-examine content. Some of those good reasons will come in the form of tokens for achievements (which can be traded in for stuff like ascended gear and infusions), re-imagined daily achievements (and eventually, the option to complete only a certain subset of dailies to get the reward), and more vanity items. Guilds will be getting more love with some new types of content, due "in early 2013," which will allow members to go on missions together. Over time, that system will be expanded with new rewards, missions, and tools to strengthen the importance of guilds within the Guild Wars 2 community. World vs. World will be seeing a lot of the same tweaks as the rest of the game, with the addition of improvements to culling and the introduction of paid server transfers. PvP will also be getting some polish. Revamped reward systems, matchmaking based on skill, the ability to observe other matches, custom arenas, and leaderboards have all been listed as part of the plan. In case that's not enough for the first half of the year, there are also plans to improve the looking for group tool, fix up the Fractals dungeon, set up leaderboards on the website, redesign world and dungeon boss encounters, continue the war on bots, and otherwise tighten up the game as we know it. Skip below the cut to let Johanson speak for himself. Continue reading ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Score a Neverwinter alpha key by posting on the forums Posted: 15 Jan 2013 05:30 AM PST |
| The Daily Grind: Which games make you feel lost without a guild? Posted: 15 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Guilds, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous There are games I will play happily without a proper guild. I'll happily tool around in Star Wars: The Old Republic or Final Fantasy XIV when I'm between groups, after the old one fades away or doesn't work out for my playstyle. But I'm finding there are other games where the loss of a guild just kills my enthusiasm. There's no reason why I should suddenly stop feeling a push to move forward in Guild Wars 2 without a guild, but that's what happens. For some people, not having a group for endgame content is a dealbreaker, but sometimes it's nothing so transparent. You find that you just prefer having a guild around for roleplaying or chatting or PvP or random instance runs or whatever you like. So which games make you feel lost without a guild? A couple of games? Every game? Or do you keep playing even when your guild isn't there any longer?  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: Which games make you feel lost without a guild? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Not So Massively: Exploits, updates, and World of Warcraft's DotA battleground Posted: 14 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Not So Massively, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding Several Diablo III players have recently been caught abusing the votekick feature to kill other players in public games. Undeterred, Blizzard announced details of upcoming patch 1.0.7's new Demonic Essence and PvP duelling system. Path of Exile called last orders on its crowdfunding campaign and revealed that 150 people have already bought the $1,000 diamond supporter's pack. We interviewed Ironclad on upcoming MOBA Sins of a Dark Age, its new Realm Quest feature, and plans to support competitive gaming. Dota 2 completitive tournament website joinDOTA has had its YouTube channel restored following last week's unexpected and still unexplained shutdown. To add a bit more of a competitive spirit to its own game, Hi-Rez Studios published a list of SMITE's top 200 players and revealed new character Hercules. With the League of Legends North American championship qualifiers underway, this week Riot Games revealed its new digital artwork contest and displayed the five gingerbread masterpieces that won its recent sculpture contest. Bloodline Champions celebrated its second birthday yesterday with a free gift for all players, but developers admitted that updates will be much less frequent from now on. Last but certainly not least, a new video has been making the rounds recently showing an upcoming 10-player World of Warcraft battleground suspiciously named Defense of the Alehouse Continue reading Not So Massively: Exploits, updates, and World of Warcraft's DotA battleground Not So Massively: Exploits, updates, and World of Warcraft's DotA battleground originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Captain's Log: Our Star Trek Online year in review plus a look ahead Posted: 14 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log, Anniversary As I took the time to really go over the past 12 months in Star Trek Online, I began to realize just how much the game had changed between this time last year and now. While some people will never be pleased, I can't say I'm one of those people. I'm utterly delighted by most of the changes in the game and am looking forward to the expansion of the reputation system into 2013. With that said, however, there are improvements that Star Trek Online still needs if it wants to quell some of the harshest (and sometimes deserved) critiques. Join me as I finish up my year in review and then touch on some of Executive Producer Daniel Stahl's answers to player questions in this month's Ask Cryptic post. Continue reading Captain's Log: Our Star Trek Online year in review plus a look ahead Captain's Log: Our Star Trek Online year in review plus a look ahead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Diablo III lays out the welcome mat for patch 1.0.7 testing Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, Diablo III You know that good feeling from an all-around patch that fills gaps, patches up broken supports, and leaves you with a stronger structure? Prepare to feel that when Diablo III's 1.0.7 comes to town. Currently the patch is in testing, although Blizzard has posted the contents of this "kitchen sink" update. One of Patch 1.0.7's chief features is the addition of a dueling zone to the game. This anything-goes, just-for-fun area is called the Scorched Chapel, and it's there that groups of two to four people can hang out and go all fight club on each other. While dueling has neither score nor rewards, the studio figures people might want to do it just for the fun factor. Other improvements coming with 1.0.7 include tweaks to Wizards and Monks, more crafting recipes, an increase to the amount of XP that the monster power system produces in Inferno mode, and an end to the increasing resurrection timer for consecutive deaths. Diablo III lays out the welcome mat for patch 1.0.7 testing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Fox News discusses Star Wars: The Old Republic's gay expansion planet Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic Star Wars: The Old Republic fans already know that Makeb is the Planet of Gay, containing far more gay than even the fabled Gay Level on Coruscant. Or perhaps it's just the sight of the game's upcoming expansion, Rise of the Hutt Cartel, which will feature the first implementation of same-gender romances in the game. These romances will be limited to characters already on the planet rather than new or existing companions. This is not new information for most players. However, it's news to Fox News, whose take on the planet's status is... slightly different. According to Fox News, Makeb will be the "gay planet" added in the expansion, likening the current limitation of this new content to segregation and noting that many players are opposed the inclusion of same-sex relationships in the game. There is no mention of the number of players requesting the feature, nor of the variety of (presumably) non-gay quests and content available on Makeb. In short, it's missing a number of nuances regarding the situation, something that might be good for a raised eyebrow or two from fans and detractors alike. Fox News discusses Star Wars: The Old Republic's gay expansion planet originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Check out the D.I.C.E. awards finalists Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Contests, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Miscellaneous  The nominees for the 16th annual D.I.C.E. (hint: It's spelled out right in the image) awards have been listed! While Journey is (deservedly) leading the list with 11 nominations, MMOs and not-quite-MMOs have done their genre proud. Diablo III, Torchlight II, and Guild Wars 2 are all in the running for Role-Playing / Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year. Diablo III also got tapped for a shot at Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition. World of Warcraft's Mists of Pandaria expansion is also in the running for the original music composition award.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, February 7th. There are oodles of other games in the running for oodles of other titles, so be sure to check out the complete listing of nominees. Check out the D.I.C.E. awards finalists originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Gas Powered Games announces Wildman Posted: 14 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST |
| Pathfinder Online Kickstarter now successfully funded [Updated] Posted: 14 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding  Pathfinder Online's Kickstarter campaign is coming right down to the wire, and it's anyone's guess whether the game will achieve its funding goal of a million bucks before the campaign ends in six hours. As this is being written, the campaign has amassed $972,177, meaning that the campaign needs to pick up an additional 30 grand or so within the next six hours. So far, the campaign has been raking in a steady flow of contributions, and $30,000 in six hours isn't a terribly farfetched goal. Unless there's a sudden drought of pledges, it looks like Pathfinder Online is going to achieve its goal with (admittedly very little) time to spare. If you're trying to decide whether or not to pledge and would like to know more about the game, Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey has started an impromptu ask-me-anything thread on Reddit, so feel free to pop by and ask some questions. [Update: The Kickstarter just passed $1,000,000. Pathfinder Online incoming!] Pathfinder Online Kickstarter now successfully funded [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Chaos Theory: The Secret World's events deserve encores Posted: 14 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Real life, Events, in-game, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Chaos Theory Two, four, six, eight,
No more Mayan Zombie hate! The end had finally come. No, not of the world -- of the in-game event that was celebrating the end of days in The Secret World. For just over two weeks, folks got to enjoy special missions, collect special loot, purchase special costumes, and even fight special mobs. But once the end came, the opportunity was lost forever. You see, the End of Days was a singular affair commemorating one particular real-world happening. As such, it was a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime deal. That particular happening -- the end of the Mayan calendar -- will never repeat, so it makes sense that TSW's event shouldn't either, right? Wrong. While I fully concur that events should not go on forever or be so frequent that they lose their special nature and the excitement that comes with being a part of them, I do not agree that The Secret World should have any one-time-only events. Like any successful performance, events should be granted encores. Instead of these events being once-in-a-lifetime, I propose that events should be once-in-a-long-time. Anything else actually hurts the game. Here's why. Continue reading Chaos Theory: The Secret World's events deserve encores Chaos Theory: The Secret World's events deserve encores originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Leaderboard: Yay or nay on NPC mercenaries Posted: 14 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Leaderboard I recently returned to EverQuest II, and while I'm fortunate to have an active guild already in place, true newbs may find that grouping prior to the level cap is quite challenging. The game's population is pretty top heavy, and though veteran players do roll a lot of alts (there are 25 classes to choose from!), they typically use power-leveling strategies or NPC mercenaries to solo themselves to max level. For today's Leaderboard, I'd like to focus on these NPC bots, not just in EverQuest II but as an MMO design concept in general. On the one hand, they're clearly a boon to solo players. On the other, they do discourage grouping and could possibly be seen as a detriment to newer players checking out an older game. What do you think? 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: Yay or nay on NPC mercenaries Leaderboard: Yay or nay on NPC mercenaries originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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