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Storyboard: Playing the role and playing the game
October 12, 2012

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So, of course, I write more than usual when I'm overloaded with stuff to write for an evening.
Roleplayers are usually keenly aware of the split between roleplaying in the game and actually playing the game. Roleplaying does not tend to play nicely with the actual game, see. The game expects you to perform a variety of tasks to accomplish things, and none of those tasks is accomplished when you're sitting in town and talking about metaplot elements with RPers. At the same time, you want to roleplay, and roleplaying is not really accomplished by just playing through the game's content and reaching the level cap. You have to strike a balance between the two, something that's often very difficult when you compare the nature of the game to the nature of the characters you play within the game.

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MassivelyStoryboard: Playing the role and playing the game originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Betawatch: October 6 - 12, 2012
    October 12, 2012

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    I am a leaf on the wind. Watch me soar. And probably break my legs when I land.
    When it rains, it pours, but when it doesn't rain, there's a distinct lack of... rain-like substance. After last week's beta onslaught, this week has been far more quiet, with only the semi-MMO-related shooter District 187 entering into open beta.

    Of course, that doesn't mean that this week was devoid of betas altogether, with several still running nicely and the upcoming RaiderZ hosting an open stress test for the weekend. Not to mention that this past week saw the annual GDC Online conference, which meant several opportunities to check out titles currently in beta in slightly more detail. So there's still some fine testing afoot if you need it. There's just not a lot of changes.

    Of course, if you missed last week, you're probably still unsure of what's in testing and what falls under the dreaded "soft launch" category. (It's assumed that category is dreaded.) So take a look past the jump for our full list, and if we've missed anything, let us know down in the comments!

    Continue reading Betawatch: October 6 - 12, 2012

    MassivelyBetawatch: October 6 - 12, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      DAoC celebrates 11th birthday with new race and class pairings
      October 12, 2012

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      DAoC celebrates 11th birthday with new raceclass pairings
      It may not be as perfectly round and special as a 10th anniversary, but 11 years for any MMO is a great achievement even so. Dark Age of Camelot crosses that line this year, and to celebrate its 11th birthday, the devs announced that each of the three realms can now roll two new race/class pairings.

      With the changes, Albion residents can roll Inconnu Minstrels and Half Ogre Maulers, Midgardians can make Kobold Berserkers and Troll Maulers, and Hibernians can unleash Lurikeen Blademasters and Firbolg Maulers.

      Massively is getting ready to celebrate DAoC's 11th anniversary with Rise and Shiny this coming Sunday, so don't miss it!

      MassivelyDAoC celebrates 11th birthday with new race and class pairings originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Final Fantasy XIV shows off A Realm Reborn on the PlayStation 3
      October 11, 2012

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      Yeah, some of the impact is lost in header-image-sized shots.
      When Final Fantasy XIV first launched, it was with the promise of a PlayStation 3 version in the near future. That was before the game underwent numerous staff changes, and after two years, it may have seemed to fans as if the game would never come to consoles. But the PlayStation 3 version is a reality, and the team at Square-Enix has released new screenshots of the game's UI and in-game graphics on the console version to prove it.

      The overall look is a bit cleaner than the PC version of the UI that players have seen previously, although the graphics are a bit softer around the edges. But it's still recognizably the same game. This batch also includes some concept art for new role-focused chocobo barding, something that's sure to excite fans of the yellow birds. Take a look at the gallery for all of the screenshots and concept art.

      [Source: Square-Enix press release]

      MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV shows off A Realm Reborn on the PlayStation 3 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Allods Online overhauls female model and animations
        October 11, 2012

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        Allods Online model overhauls, video
        Female Xadaganians in Allods Online are in for a treat come patch 3.05. The devs recognized that the characters didn't look up to snuff compared to the other races and genders and thus have devoted some time to giving them (yes) a makeover.

        Are we in an '80s romcom montage or what?

        The makeover for the women includes a more detailed character model, improved animations, an additional face, and more hairstyles. The team is also tweaking hair models so that locks of hair will now be seen falling from inside of whatever helm that character is wearing.

        To promote the Xadaganian makeover, gPotato released a video diary starring actress Nataliya Zemtsova. Zemtsova was used for the motion capture and voiceovers of the new models and is apparently amazed that you can assign a character a name. Check it out after the jump!

        Continue reading Allods Online overhauls female model and animations

        MassivelyAllods Online overhauls female model and animations originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: What old game would you play as an MMO?
        October 11, 2012

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        The Sundog
        Making old games into MMOs is a tricky business. It may sound good on paper, but execution is another matter.

        In an ideal world, I'd love to see Sundog: Frozen Legacy repurposed as an MMO. For one thing, it was the first computer game I ever played. For another, it had a nifty Firefly feel to it a couple of decades prior to Firefly. Finally, there simply aren't many hard sci-fi MMOs out there that blend space combat with trading and planetary action. What about you, morning crew? What old game would you play as an MMO?

        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 old game would you play as an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Planetside 2 Command Center brings a beta update and spotlight on Heavy Assaulters
          October 11, 2012

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          Planetside 2 Command Center brings a beta update and spotlight on Heavy Assaulters
          Creative Director Matthew Higby and Senior Art Director Tramell Isaac are back with the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2 Command Center, everyone's favorite show about the adventures of a wacky MMO. On tap for this episode is an update on the beta, the reveal of Esamir, a video featuring the Heavy Assault class, some fan movies, an interview with a concept artist, news about SOE Live, and... fan spam.

          Higby says that the team just did a full wipe in the beta due to the sheer amount of changes and improvements that SOE made. He also said that the population cap has been increased for this next step.

          Isaac invites SOE Live attendees to participate in the $10,000 PlanetSide 2 tournament. While online registrations for it are closed, players can sign up in person at the event.

          Check out episode six after the break!

          Continue reading Planetside 2 Command Center brings a beta update and spotlight on Heavy Assaulters

          MassivelyPlanetside 2 Command Center brings a beta update and spotlight on Heavy Assaulters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Ask Massively: Forums, edit buttons, and staff change-ups
          October 11, 2012

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          Ask Massively
          Last week, we announced that we are closing down Massively's forums. What forums, you ask? Yeah, unfortunately, that was exactly the point. The forums were always a bit too adjacent to the site, and in the wake of the success of our newfangled comment system, we'd prefer to focus on publishing articles and engaging readers right here in the comments on the site, rather than on a neglected off-site portal. I'm genuinely sorry, but I hope the few remaining, stalwart forumgoers will migrate over and help make our comments an even more interesting place to be. In return, we'll try to crack down harder on the comment trolls who are hell-bent on killing the buzz. Believe me, they annoy us as much as they annoy you, especially when we're babysitting them on a Friday night.

          But this is Ask Massively, the meta column where you ask us weird questions and we give you weird answers. So what else did you wonder about this week?

          Continue reading Ask Massively: Forums, edit buttons, and staff change-ups

          MassivelyAsk Massively: Forums, edit buttons, and staff change-ups originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            GDC Online 2012: CCP on keeping players cheaply
            October 11, 2012

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            GDC Online 2012 - CCP on keeping players cheaply
            Sandboxes get a lot of flak in today's themepark-dominated MMO industry. That said, sandbox developers who do it right will be laughing all the way to bank according to CCP senior designer Matthew Woodward.

            Woodward recently gave a talk at GDC Online entitled "The Other White Meat: Design Architecture for Sandbox Games." The presentation focused on the three pillars used by the firm to power its long-running EVE Online MMORPG. Woodward stressed social aspects, goals and goal-driven players, and most importantly, emergent gameplay.

            "The big win is that emergence is cheap. A lot of emergent gameplay discussion is about the One Big Moment. In EVE, the big heist that happened six years ago, in Ultima Online, the assassination of Lord British," Woodward explained. "If you do this well, people will play your game forever. People will pay for it forever."

            Massively sent two plucky game journalists -- Beau Hindman and Karen Bryan -- to Austin, Texas, for this year's GDC Online, where they'll be reporting back on MMO trends, community theory, old favorites, and new classics. Stay tuned for even more highlights from the show!

            MassivelyGDC Online 2012: CCP on keeping players cheaply originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            GDC Online 2012: Age of Wushu gets a new trailer
            October 11, 2012

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            GDC Online 2012 - Age of Wushu gets a new trailer
            Age of Wushu's sporting a new trailer at this week's GDC Online convention, and the clip features nearly three minutes' worth of wall-scaling, roof-running, kung-fu-fighting fun. If you can take your eyes off the aerial hijinks for a moment or two, you'll also get a glimpse of AoW's gorgeous environments, which run the gamut from snowy mountainscapes to sunlit gorges and idyllic ancient Chinese villages.

            Age of Wushu is a free-to-play sandbox title currently scheduled for a North American release in May of 2013. See the trailer in its entirety after the cut.

            Massively sent two plucky game journalists -- Beau Hindman and Karen Bryan -- to Austin, Texas, for this year's GDC Online, where they'll be reporting back on MMO trends, community theory, old favorites, and new classics. Stay tuned for even more highlights from the show!

            Continue reading GDC Online 2012: Age of Wushu gets a new trailer

            MassivelyGDC Online 2012: Age of Wushu gets a new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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