Virtual World News
Storyboard: Balancing the failing act
September 02, 2011
Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous
Unfortunately, noting that a balance is important is very different from actually providing some guidelines on how to achieve that balance. And while there's always some room for fuzziness, having some idea of what to aim for is a good place to start off. So this week, I'm going to take a closer look at bringing your character's failures right into that sweet spot between hopeless misery and mild inconvenience. You want to fail, sure -- but you don't want your character to be a bummer to interact with.
Continue reading Storyboard: Balancing the failing act
Storyboard: Balancing the failing act originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
RIFT releases more patch 1.5 details, new features hit the PTS
September 02, 2011
Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, RIFT
RIFT's patch 1.5 is set to hit the live servers later this month, and boy is it a doozy. RIFT's Community Manager Elrar hit the forums today to drop an information bomb on the players. This bomb exploded into a number of bullet points outlining the latest features that players can expect from patch 1.5 on the public test server.
For starters, we've got the Planar Attunement system. This system is being introduced to allow progression for level 50 players, and it awards attunement experience for any activity that would normally grant you experience points. With each level of attunement experience accrued, players are awarded attunement points that can be spent in attunement trees (each associated with one of the six planes) to grant further bonuses for their characters.
Also coming to the game are the Chronicles of Telara instances, which are one- to two-player instances designed for players just getting started on progression after reaching level 50. For players looking for a bigger challenge, the team is introducing Master mode dungeons, which are much more difficult than the current tier 2 Expert dungeons. Of course, with the greater challenge comes greater rewards, such as Marks of Ascension, which allow players to purchase tier 1 raid gear.
For the PvP-minded, Accolades have been introduced into the game's Warfronts. These Accolades reward exceptional gameplay, such as getting the first kill of a match, killing a number of enemies without dying, or wiping out the entire opposing team.
The full details can be found on the official forum posts, and all of this is up and available for testing on the public test server. So what are you waiting for? Go do your duty to Telara, Ascended!
Thanks to ren54 for the tip!
For starters, we've got the Planar Attunement system. This system is being introduced to allow progression for level 50 players, and it awards attunement experience for any activity that would normally grant you experience points. With each level of attunement experience accrued, players are awarded attunement points that can be spent in attunement trees (each associated with one of the six planes) to grant further bonuses for their characters.
Also coming to the game are the Chronicles of Telara instances, which are one- to two-player instances designed for players just getting started on progression after reaching level 50. For players looking for a bigger challenge, the team is introducing Master mode dungeons, which are much more difficult than the current tier 2 Expert dungeons. Of course, with the greater challenge comes greater rewards, such as Marks of Ascension, which allow players to purchase tier 1 raid gear.
For the PvP-minded, Accolades have been introduced into the game's Warfronts. These Accolades reward exceptional gameplay, such as getting the first kill of a match, killing a number of enemies without dying, or wiping out the entire opposing team.
The full details can be found on the official forum posts, and all of this is up and available for testing on the public test server. So what are you waiting for? Go do your duty to Telara, Ascended!
Thanks to ren54 for the tip!
RIFT releases more patch 1.5 details, new features hit the PTS originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Dragon Nest patch brings players to the Edge of Darkness
September 02, 2011
Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Dragon Nest
Nexon's latest free-to-play dungeon-crawling beat-'em-up (look at all those hyphens!) Dragon Nest received a lovely new patch today. The update brings players a load of new content, including the Edge of Darkness dungeon, the Daredevil Faire (and its associated dungeons), and the 1v1 PvP ladder. In addition, the patch brings a number of new items to the Dragon Vault, including Item Protection Jelly to protect your gear from failed upgrades, a Marketplace Pass for the auction house fiends, and six new costumes for each class.
The Edge of Darkness is a level 15 dungeon and is divided into the Rozin Sanctuary and the Jealous Atrium. The Jealous Atrium is unique in that players must contend with wave after wave of monsters rather than progressing through the dungeon traditionally. The players must protect the Goddess' statue from the enemies while simultaneously eliminating them all. Any player who dies in the dungeon cannot be resurrected, and the dungeon ends only after players have eradicated the 24th wave of enemies, or all players have died.
The Daredevil Faire, meanwhile, offers dungeons for a wide range of character levels, and these dungeons reward players with tickets that can be redeemed for a variety of prizes.
And finally, the 1v1 PvP ladder is now open, allowing players to prove their PvP superiority by rising in the ranks of the PvP ladder. The fights aren't just for bragging rights, though. Players will be rewarded with Ladder Points for winning matches. These points can be exchanged for a variety of items to help assist the player in future endeavors.
For the full details, check out the patch notes on Dragon Nest's official site.
The Edge of Darkness is a level 15 dungeon and is divided into the Rozin Sanctuary and the Jealous Atrium. The Jealous Atrium is unique in that players must contend with wave after wave of monsters rather than progressing through the dungeon traditionally. The players must protect the Goddess' statue from the enemies while simultaneously eliminating them all. Any player who dies in the dungeon cannot be resurrected, and the dungeon ends only after players have eradicated the 24th wave of enemies, or all players have died.
The Daredevil Faire, meanwhile, offers dungeons for a wide range of character levels, and these dungeons reward players with tickets that can be redeemed for a variety of prizes.
And finally, the 1v1 PvP ladder is now open, allowing players to prove their PvP superiority by rising in the ranks of the PvP ladder. The fights aren't just for bragging rights, though. Players will be rewarded with Ladder Points for winning matches. These points can be exchanged for a variety of items to help assist the player in future endeavors.
For the full details, check out the patch notes on Dragon Nest's official site.
Dragon Nest patch brings players to the Edge of Darkness originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Fallen Earth set to go free-to-play on October 12th
September 02, 2011
Filed under: Fallen Earth, News items, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic
Tonight we finally get our answer: GamersFirst has released a new dev blog announcing an October 12th free-to-play conversion date, details of a "mostly-finalized structure of free accounts and Premium Subscriptions," and appreciation gifts for veterans.
While the date and details are exciting, the Fallen Earth team is bringing more to the table for players. There is a new world event system coming as well as some celebratory events for Fallen Earth's second birthday. You can check out all the details on the Fallen Earth dev blog.
Fallen Earth set to go free-to-play on October 12th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Betawatch: September 2-8, 2011
September 02, 2011
Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous
It's another quiet week on Betawatch as the gaming industry recovers from PAX. We've got a few changes, however.
Luvinia Online announced an open beta date of September 7th this week, so if you missed the closed beta test of the game, get ready because the doors will open to all next week! Starjack Online is making room on our open beta list ahead of time -- Limbo Studios announced last week that the game is officially live.
Continue reading Betawatch: September 2-8, 2011
Betawatch: September 2-8, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Labor Day weekend brings bonus XP weekends to all
September 02, 2011
Filed under: EverQuest II, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, News items, Vanguard, Champions Online, Miscellaneous
Labor Day weekend is upon us, and EverQuest II, Champions Online, Warhammer Online, and Vanguard are all getting in on the festivities. In addition to celebrating Labor Day, Champions will be celebrating its two year anniversary by giving players gift boxes, party favors, and new costume pieces.
Meanwhile, Warhammer Online is keeping it simple with a 50% XP and RP bonus for all players. Vanguard players get bonus experience as well, whether it's of the crafting, adventuring, or diplomacy variety. EverQuest II is also providing bonus experience -- double experience, to be exact -- for AA, tradeskill, and adventuring experience. If you're a regular of any one of these games, or if you just want to pop in to see what the fuss is about, it sounds like this weekend is the right time to do it.
See something we missed on our list of Labor Day weekend events? Tell us in the comments!
Meanwhile, Warhammer Online is keeping it simple with a 50% XP and RP bonus for all players. Vanguard players get bonus experience as well, whether it's of the crafting, adventuring, or diplomacy variety. EverQuest II is also providing bonus experience -- double experience, to be exact -- for AA, tradeskill, and adventuring experience. If you're a regular of any one of these games, or if you just want to pop in to see what the fuss is about, it sounds like this weekend is the right time to do it.
See something we missed on our list of Labor Day weekend events? Tell us in the comments!
Labor Day weekend brings bonus XP weekends to all originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Daily Grind: Have you ever hooked your parents on an MMO?
September 01, 2011
Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous
So what about you, Massively readers? You seem to be an age-diverse group. Have you had any success getting your parents -- or any older relatives -- into your MMOs of choice? And how did you pull it off?
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: Have you ever hooked your parents on an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
City of Heroes pledges to pump out more frequent updates
September 01, 2011
Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries
Along those lines, the letter discusses several exciting developments in store for the game's future, including the upcoming Haunted Mansion for the Halloween season, new Incarnate Trials, and more content for the Winter Event. The team is also focusing on delivering "more regular updates" than has been seen previously, so expect to see CoH upping the frequency of in-game goodies from here on out.
As part of the "content is king" philosophy, Paragon will be releasing a monthly Signature Story that will be free for VIP (subscribing) players. These will not only tell intriguing stories, but will reward superheroes with increased rewards. The team is also going to put new items into the in-game Paragon Market store on a weekly basis, including costume pieces and power sets.
City of Heroes is preparing to launch Freedom, its free-to-play version of the game, at an unspecified point in the future. Subscribers will be able to get a head start when Freedom arrives, and will enjoy spending the 400 points that their VIP status entitles them to each month.
City of Heroes pledges to pump out more frequent updates originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
World of Tanks rumbles into retail stores
September 01, 2011
Filed under: Historical, Real life, Business models, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks, Miscellaneous
Players will receive a T2 light tank, one week's worth of premium account access, 1,050,000 credits, and 1,800 gold -- all for $19.99. If you can't make it out to your local games dealer, you'll find the World of Tanks retail box for sale at many online stores as well, including Best Buy.com, New Egg, and Amazon.
World of Tanks rumbles into retail stores originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Dan Stahl addresses Star Trek Online F2P concerns
September 01, 2011
Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play
"There has been a method to all the madness, but first and foremost on my mind has been ensuring that Star Trek Online has a big future ahead of it," Stahl writes. "That has led to some tough decisions and deep analysis of what was critically wrong in STO. The next several months are going to be exciting for STO as you begin to see everything that we've been working on (finally)."
The good news is that the F2P switch will not impact current subscribers (if anything, Stahl says they'll see more benefits), nor will it restrict content access. Cryptic may be lowering prices on some items in the C-store, and Star Trek Online will be playable to the level cap without requiring money spent on it. Stahl also confirmed that more hardware is on the way for the game's foundation.
At least from his perspective, Stahl sees STO's new owners as a boon to the game's future: "Perfect World has made it very clear that they want to invest in STO because they believe it has great POTENTIAL and they see an investment that can yield an even better game. That to me, is the golden path that this game deserves. It is Star Trek we are talking about!"
Dan Stahl addresses Star Trek Online F2P concerns originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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