MMO Updates

The Think Tank: What components make up your ideal MMO?
New F2P sandbox Fantasy Realm Online invites everyone in to play
Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014
Field Journal: Floundering in Neverwinter's Foundry
Black Desert shows off new features for its second beta test
The Daily Grind: Do you gather your own crafting materials?
The Stream Team: Ring in the new year with SWTOR raids
The Stream Team: Causing chaos in World of Tanks
Hackers harass League of Legends livestreamer with DDoS attacks and police calls
The Art of Wushu: Tricks of the royal chains
Choose My Adventure: Allods Online's compelling crafting
Path of Exile boasts 3.7 million registrations, prepares for patch next week

The Think Tank: What components make up your ideal MMO?

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank

We received a reader tip last week from Aislinn asking us what our ideal MMO components would be. She wrote, "Seeing your picks for Best of 2013, reading your opinions especially on subscription models, and reading the comments of those replying in the article, I wonder: What are the staff's opinions on what makes an ideal MMORPG? With sub? No sub? Buy-to-play with cash shop? I'm curious now what you guys think is an ideal MMORPG."

Well, Aislinn, that's a good question. We've covered similar topics before, even dedicating a column to it for a while (until we ran out of ways to stretch Star Wars Galaxies to a thousand words), but it's a good topic to frequently revisit. So I asked the team members to give me their ideal MMO components, and a few of them went to town.

Continue reading The Think Tank: What components make up your ideal MMO?

The Think Tank: What components make up your ideal MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New F2P sandbox Fantasy Realm Online invites everyone in to play

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 08:30 AM PST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sandbox

Fans hunkering for a free-to-play sandbox game that's reminiscent of Ultima Online have a new place to hang their hats and crafting tools: Fantasy Realm Online. The new game just opened its doors to the public, and players can adventure through the world and collect treasures while dispatching mighty foes or explore as a merchant and apprentice under a shopkeeper, harvest, and craft. Fantasy Realm Online is a blend of single-player RPGs and MMO and is designed to be played either solo or with others. Want to get a glimpse of the action? Check out the trailer below. Then if the game is your cup of tea, head on over to the official site to download and jump in.

[Source: Fantasy Realm Online press release]

Continue reading New F2P sandbox Fantasy Realm Online invites everyone in to play

New F2P sandbox Fantasy Realm Online invites everyone in to play originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, EverQuest Next, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, WildStar, The Elder Scrolls Online, Destiny, Shroud of the Avatar, Elite: Dangerous, Pathfinder Online, Trove

Out with the old desk calendars that you didn't use past February 2013 and in with the new, I always say! It's a brand-new year, and while we don't know all of the twists and turns that we'll travel in MMO news in 2014, I dare say it promises to be a fascinating ride.

Last January I gave my list of 10 new MMOs to watch for that year, and I'm a sucker for traditions. With 2014 a mostly blank slate right now, I want to lay out the up-and-coming class of games that at least have a shot at releasing by December. There are the big names, of course, but several other titles that could be sleeper hits if all goes right. Which will succeed, which will flop, and which won't even get out of the door? I don't claim to know all, but I know all, so here are my prognostications for 2014!

Continue reading Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014

Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Field Journal: Floundering in Neverwinter's Foundry

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Roleplaying, Neverwinter, Player-Generated Content, MMORPG, Field Journal

It's surprisingly fiddly to have objects lie perfectly flush with the floor.

Given that I'm a roleplayer, you might think that I find Neverwinter's Foundry an amazing expressive tool that I relish wholeheartedly. To that I respond with a resounding sort of! I love that it exists and seeing all the neat, even mind-blowing creations of others. Actually using it to make something of my own, though? That's pretty daunting, and I'm not talking about the interface.

I am a very creative person, but there are many kinds of creativity. I've long since given up trying to be the game master in tabletop games given how painful it is for me to prepare and how I bring so much more to the table as a player. I'm the expressive sort, coming up with great ideas on the fly that make things more fun for everyone, drawing everyone's characters, that sort of thing. I'm not the constructive sort, so I have a hard time building worlds compared to inhabiting them. That might be why I had to stick a cameo from my own Trickster Rogue in the quest I designed.

Continue reading Field Journal: Floundering in Neverwinter's Foundry

Field Journal: Floundering in Neverwinter's Foundry originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Desert shows off new features for its second beta test

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert

Oh, wow, this is a sweet weapon. Let's put it on a cart and hunt squirrels with it.

The testing process for Black Desert continues apace in South Korea, and the process of staring at the monitor and speculating continues apace for Black Desert fans who are not actually in South Korea. Luckily, there's a translation available of the game's latest development blog which shows off the new features available in the game's second closed beta test. We've heard about a new region, and now we know about some of the new monsters being introduced as well as a new town.

The town is a coastal fishing city known as Eferia, offering players plenty of saltwater fishing opportunities as well as the other services you'd expect from a seaside fishing town. Players will also be facing off against new monsters including what appears to be a dinosaur, a harpy, and... well, that third one isn't exactly clear. Still, it's more new stuff for players to look forward to when the second test goes live.

[Thanks to levakd for the tip!]

Black Desert shows off new features for its second beta test originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Development blog

The Daily Grind: Do you gather your own crafting materials?

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind, Crafting

Lord of the Rings Online - Gathering black ash

I've been doing a bunch of gathering in Lord of the Rings Online lately. I'm trying to raise a couple of my crafting professions, see, and the auction house prices for the necessary materials are -- in a word -- ridiculous.

Not only that, but LotRO's gathering is a low-stress activity that I've always enjoyed, since it requires traveling throughout Turbine's ever-expanding version of Middle-earth and it's a great excuse to see the sights and snap a bunch of screenshots. Gathering's probably not for everyone, though. What about you? Assuming you craft in your MMO of choice, do you gather your own mats or do you acquire them some other way?

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: Do you gather your own crafting materials? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: Ring in the new year with SWTOR raids

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Guilds, Endgame, PvE, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Livestream, The Stream Team, MMORPG

What better way is there to ring in the new year than to raid with your guild? It's a way to recommit to your friends and to rededicate yourself to your favorite game. Join Massively's Larry Everett and his guild Nefarious Intent at 9:00 p.m. EST as they jump into the new year full-swing while livestreaming some Star Wars: The Old Republic operations.

Game: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Host: Larry Everett
Date: Wednesday, January 1st, 2013
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST

Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Ring in the new year with SWTOR raids

The Stream Team: Ring in the new year with SWTOR raids originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: Causing chaos in World of Tanks

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST

Filed under: Historical, Real-Life, Video, PvP, War, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Hands-On, World of Tanks, Livestream, The Stream Team

Wargaming.net recently pushed live World of Tanks update 8.1, which included new maps and new tanks for folks who enjoy heavy machinery. Massively's Mike Foster is no stranger to this heavy-armor universe, and he plans to leap into the new content headlong with his artillery canons blazing. Tune in to find out whether Mike will earn glory among the cherry blossoms or is doomed for the scrap pile. The action starts at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Game: World of Tanks
Host: Mike Foster
Date: Wednesday, January 1st, 2014
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Causing chaos in World of Tanks

The Stream Team: Causing chaos in World of Tanks originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hackers harass League of Legends livestreamer with DDoS attacks and police calls

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Livestream, Miscellaneous, League of Legends

A vendetta against a livestreamer has caused real-world havoc. A user or group identifying itself as DERP has targeted a popular Twitch streamer, calling the police on him and performing DDoS attacks against the games he was playing on December 30th.

The streamer's name is James Varga, and according to reports, the games he was broadcasting were shut down by hackers performing distributed denial of service attacks. These games included League of Legends, Dota 2, and those through Battle.net. Varga continued to communicate with DERP during this time, and either DERP or a third party escalated matters by calling 911 and claiming that Varga was holding hostages in his home. Varga was then briefly detained while the police searched his home, but he was released without charges.

This is similar to an incident earlier last month when a World of Warcraft livestreamer was arrested after someone called the police on him to interrupt his stream.

Hackers harass League of Legends livestreamer with DDoS attacks and police calls originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Polygon

The Art of Wushu: Tricks of the royal chains

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST

Filed under: Historical, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Guides, Age of Wushu, The Art of Wushu, MMORPG

Soul Chasing Claw is one of the most common and hated styles in Age of Wushu, and last week we went over many ways to counter it. However, on the flip side there are a lot of options for trickery. Like most ranged styles, Soul Chasing Claw is devastating as a switch to a melee style. Its main weaknesses are well-known, so cunning is needed against a skilled enemy.

Fortunately, it has a lot of advantages. The chain pull is near-instantaneous, so you only need the right opening. It's technically possible to pull people out of the startup of moves like Submerge the Lotus, though it's kind of difficult in practice since the pull has a minimum range. It's a powerful tool, and we'll discuss a lot about getting the most out of it today.

Continue reading The Art of Wushu: Tricks of the royal chains

The Art of Wushu: Tricks of the royal chains originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Allods Online's compelling crafting

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Video, PvE, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, All Points Bulletin, Choose My Adventure, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Subscription, MMORPG

While it may seem longer due to holidays with family and other time-crunching stresses, it has been just one short week since our last jaunt into the community-chosen Allods Online. In that first glance, we created a brand-new Arisen character, gave him a few magical abilities, and set off on a course for action and adventure. Quests were completed, loot was packed up, and enemies were destroyed.

This week, based on the results of last week's Choose My Adventure polls, we slowed things down. The community elected to stop and smell the roses and to pick up a crafting profession along the way. Taking a moment to observe details in Allods Online's character and environment design helps emphasize the title's unique and attractive aesthetic, which isn't much of a surprise. But our baby steps into the title's leatherworking profession unveiled an engaging and nuanced crafting system that's sure to deliver big payoffs down the line.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Allods Online's compelling crafting

Choose My Adventure: Allods Online's compelling crafting originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Path of Exile boasts 3.7 million registrations, prepares for patch next week

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Path of Exile

Path of Exile's team is celebrating a gangbuster 2013, but has plans for an even better 2014 starting with a new patch next week.

A forum post from the devs lists all of the accomplishments from 2013, starting with the fact that the game went from closed beta to launch during that time frame. Other significant numbers include 87 patches, 35 new team members, a peak of 70,000 concurrent players, and 3.7 million registered players.

Patch 1.0.5 is scheduled for Thursday, January 9th, and will add an Enlighten support gem, new cosmetic microtransactions, more vendor recipes, unique items, and achievements. The team said that 1.0.6 will be "even larger" when it hits.

Path of Exile boasts 3.7 million registrations, prepares for patch next week originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patch preview

2013 in summary