Virtual World News
The Road to Mordor: Purveyor of Odd Things
February 25, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor
But it's perhaps the title gained on reaching Kindred that tickles me the most, as I can thus be called Purveyor of Odd Things. LotRO has a lot of weird titles, but this one takes the cake. It says that I'm just as likely to go jaunting off if a sparkly stone catches my eye as I am to fight that big dragon you guys are struggling with over there. It says that I am to be shunned at parties and talked about to children in a low, urgent tone.
In the spirit of collecting odd things, this week's column will be a hodge-podge of topics instead of one overarching theme. Minstrel melodies, buried treasure, and Mithril Editions lurk just around the corner. Are you prepared in mind, body, and soul to hear what I have to say about them?
Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Purveyor of Odd Things
The Road to Mordor: Purveyor of Odd Things originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Mog Log: Ul'dah on 15 gil a night
February 25, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log
Of course, it's also the most dangerous. Sure, there are spirits woven throughout Gridania and pirates in every corner in Limsa Lominsa, but Ul'dah is filled with those who'd smile to your face and then shiv your spine as soon as you turn around. Beneath a glittering facade lies a horrid hive of cruelty, and the journey to the top the city is rife with backstabbing and strife. If you're not a native, you might not realize just how bad the place really is -- or how far the city's powerful members are willing to go to ensure that Ul'dah remains at the center of trade.
Continue reading The Mog Log: Ul'dah on 15 gil a night
The Mog Log: Ul'dah on 15 gil a night originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Tattered Notebook: Breaking up the family
February 25, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook
This is the cartoon that launched a thousand posts. Well, maybe not a thousand, but it created tension on the forums and resulted in a temporary ban for popular community figure Morgan Feldon. With this week's news about the ProSiebenSat.1/Alaplaya deal, SOE fans were up in arms, and EverQuest II was at the epicenter of the protest. There were concerns ranging from account security to quality of player support, but the biggest concern was the fact that there would be a barrier between U.S. and European players going forward.
I've written before about how tight-knit the community is in EQII, and that's probably why you saw some of the strongest protests originate on the EQII forums. That closeness extends to the EQII development team as well. I've been to a couple of Fan Faires and was surprised at how accessible the team always made itself. Combine that with a core community of longstanding, loyal players, and you basically have one big family. So when fans were hit with the second big news story of the week, the departure of Associate Producer Emily "Domino" Taylor, players reacted as if a friend or family member had moved out of the home. What do these two news stories have in common, and what can they tell us about EverQuest II?
Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Breaking up the family
The Tattered Notebook: Breaking up the family originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
A second look at The Secret World
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on
Last weekend, I nabbed a second look at Funcom's upcoming MMO The Secret World, now scheduled for a June 19th release. I was going in with high expectations, having been blown away by my first playtest of this modern-world-based MMO, and I'll say that this second visit managed to convince me that this game is on the right track to impress gamers with fresh gameplay, vicious puzzles, an ability wheel full of synergies, and new elite abilities at the top tiers of weapon specializations.
I
Continue reading A second look at The Secret World
A second look at The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Guild Wars 2 info keeps on comin'
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2, Community Q&A
If you're a Guild Wars 2 fan, you're used to the jarring transitions between droughts and floods of information. This week, happily, it's flood time. It's been a busy week for ArenaNet, but the team gives no signs of slowing down. After a successful press beta weekend and opening up a signup form for upcoming beta tests, ArenaNet has kept up the flow of information -- and excitement -- by gracing GuildCast with the presence of a few of its devs, clarifying some points on world vs. world in a new blog post, and setting up a Reddit Ask Me Anything session for 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday the 24th. The blog post clarifies some of the more prominent questions the community has been voicing about WvW over the last few days, while the Reddit AMA is a good chance to get in those nit-picky questions that you're still dying to get clarified (no, "can I have a beta key" should not be one of 'em).
The most important information out of all of this? Mike Ferguson put a stop to a debate that might otherwise have been endless: WvW is "wuv-wuh." You're welcome.
The most important information out of all of this? Mike Ferguson put a stop to a debate that might otherwise have been endless: WvW is "wuv-wuh." You're welcome.
Guild Wars 2 info keeps on comin' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards?
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous
I'm intrigued by games that offer parallel power tracks that show your overall investment in the game, not just in one character. Lord of the Rings Online's Destiny and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy systems do just that: They reward you for playing multiple characters by allotting you currency that can be spent on special rewards.
So today we ask you: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards like Destiny and Legacy points? Or do you think they unduly reward scattered play rather than specialization in one character and class in the game?
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: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Uncharted Water Online bribes greenhorn sailors with gifts
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Historical, War, Free-to-play, Promotions
In addition to the novice pack, players can earn up to three additional gift packs by leveling up. If a player hits level 20 in all three main skills, he or she will even be gifted with a fine new sea vessel of his or her very own.
The giveaway goes through March 21st, so if you've been eying Uncharted Waters Online, you might want to make your move sooner rather than later to get in on this deal.
[Source: Netmarble press release]
Uncharted Water Online bribes greenhorn sailors with gifts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MMObility: Let's make a mobile MMO, part four
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility
Well, here we are at the last. I wanted to go over some of the best ideas the readers had, cover what we were able to do with the actual game, and debate how much further it would need to go to be considered officially "done."
Continue reading MMObility: Let's make a mobile MMO, part four
MMObility: Let's make a mobile MMO, part four originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BioWare: Average SWTOR play session tops four hours
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic
Zeschuk goes on to say that the retention is a sign of the title's addictive "just-one-more" gameplay, and that the firm is pulling an "intense amount of analytics and telemetry" from the title.
Finally, he hints at the theory that most SWTOR players are happy due to a general drop in forum tomfoolery. "You can tell when things are going really well in the game," Zeschuk explains. "The amount of forum chatter drops. People don't go to forums. They just play."
Take that as you will, and let us know how long your average SWTOR session lasts.
BioWare: Average SWTOR play session tops four hours originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Kotaku
Guild Wars 2 beta signups pressing on for the millionth signup
February 24, 2012
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2
After an exciting 48 hours, the Guild Wars 2 beta signup session left ArenaNet a little less than 10,000 signups short of a million. Rather than settling for this already impressive number, the folks at ArenaNet have decided to keep going until they hit their million application mark.
To add to the fun, the company has quite nearly crippled Ducksboard, a stat-tracking website, by tweeting a link to a live ticker that Ducksboard is hosting. We know you, dear savvy reader, have probably already done your bit to try for a spot in future tests, but on the off-chance you've been under a rock for the last 48 hours, here's a miraculous last chance to sign up for that beta.
To add to the fun, the company has quite nearly crippled Ducksboard, a stat-tracking website, by tweeting a link to a live ticker that Ducksboard is hosting. We know you, dear savvy reader, have probably already done your bit to try for a spot in future tests, but on the off-chance you've been under a rock for the last 48 hours, here's a miraculous last chance to sign up for that beta.
Guild Wars 2 beta signups pressing on for the millionth signup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Jump to page:
129