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MMO Week in Review: TORtanic
April 15, 2012

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SWTOR
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

BioWare ought to be basking in the accomplishment of sending the much-touted Legacy update off on its maiden voyage, but instead, Star Wars: The Old Republic has been hindered by obstacles far worse than Titanic jokes. The studio cut ranked PvP from the patch at the last minute, and then a maintenance patch blooper took the servers offline for the better part of Friday. To its credit, BioWare is compensating players for the downtime, and if you're really lucky, you won't even need to be level 50 or grind Legacy points to receive said compensation.

Sail on for an overview of the week's most popular MMO stories.

Continue reading MMO Week in Review: TORtanic

MassivelyMMO Week in Review: TORtanic originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: Should MMOs bestow account rewards based on character power?
    April 14, 2012

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    Quit standing around and get back to work leveling. This is a race to the endgame. Don't forget it.
    A few months ago, we asked whether you prefer studios to assign vet rewards and similar bonuses to your accounts or your characters. But we've never asked whether you think games should grant out-of-game rewards to players whose accounts have characters of a certain level of power, and that's because it's so rare. In fact, I can't think of a game that's done so other than Star Wars: The Old Republic, which stunned just about everyone this week by announcing a free month of playtime to players who just so happened to have reached level 50, a plan amended yesterday to require instead a certain tier of legacy experience.

    Cynical readers suggest that such a move panders to those most likely to leave (thus affecting subscription tallies) and betrays the loyalty of day-one veterans who play several lowbie characters rather than focus their attention on a single toon. After all, why should it matter how far your characters have progressed when you're paying the same monthly sub as everyone else?

    What do you think -- do you want to see other studios dole out playtime and other rewards based on your character's level or gear or other arbitrary measurements of success and achievement?

    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: Should MMOs bestow account rewards based on character power? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      WRUP: In recollection of Yuri Gagarin edition
      April 14, 2012

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      Not exactly the Starship Enterprise.
      Thursday evening was Yuri's Night, an evening celebrating the flight of Yuri Gagarin, the first human being in space. Our younger readers may not realize this, but outer space is a dangerous place that people used to dream about, and human beings developed a great deal of technology to explore that dangerous frontier. Then someone realized that it was much easier to develop technology to show videos of cats jumping into boxes on portable phones. But as a big fan of the space program and humanity's efforts to expand beyond our planet, I like to honor Mr. Gagarin for his brave flight into the unknown.

      This week's WRUP, however, has nothing to do with the unknown. It does have a bit to do with space, depending on what games the Massively staffers are playing over the weekend. And it also talks about when a game is dying, which really doesn't have any ties to the header once again. Still, bravely venture past the break and let us know what you'll be up to in the comments.

      Continue reading WRUP: In recollection of Yuri Gagarin edition

      MassivelyWRUP: In recollection of Yuri Gagarin edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Road to Mordor: The truth behind weapon damage types
      April 14, 2012

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      LotRO
      Part of the allure of Lord of the Rings Online is its surprising depth and complexity, particularly for those who like to get the best performance out of their characters. Part of the frustration of LotRO is its obtuse or absent explanations behind the many systems in the game.

      One of these systems remained on the outer edges of my attention span until one day I gave it my full focus. This was the field of weapon damage types, a subject I was vaguely aware of yet assumed I didn't have to know much about it to get along in the game. After some examination, I realized that while you don't need to understand weapon damage types to have an enjoyable play experience, it does affect the game in a small but important way.

      So if you've ever wondered what "Beleriand" or "Westernesse" in your weapon tooltip was all about, today's column is here to help you navigate the somewhat confusing area of damage types.

      Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The truth behind weapon damage types

      MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: The truth behind weapon damage types originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Tattered Notebook: Skyshrine, mercs, Qeynos, and shields that roar
        April 14, 2012

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        Withered Lands Giant
        For those gamers who have been patiently waiting to hear about GU63, the past few weeks have been a treat. We've shown off a few trailers on Massively, the official site has hosted a couple of team interviews, and even the SOE Twitch TV channel has been focused on EverQuest II. In fact, the recent webcast was the second part of a featured series on the update, and this one took a closer look Skyshrine and also answered a few fan questions. EQII Producer Holly "Windstalker" Longdale, Lead Designer Akil "Lyndro" Hooper, and SOE Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson sat down to preview what's coming to a server near you. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at the highlights and analyze what it means to both new players and old. Read on for the skinny!

        Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Skyshrine, mercs, Qeynos, and shields that roar

        MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Skyshrine, mercs, Qeynos, and shields that roar originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Mog Log: Ain't what she used to be
          April 14, 2012

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          The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
          Final Fantasy XIV has changed a lot since launch. That's kind of the thing you say about every game, but usually you can see most of the telltale signs of where the game had been. That's not quite the case with the huge, sweeping changes that Eorzea has undergone. You can see some of the comparisons, but a lot of mechanics have been widely overhauled and altered so that it barely even feels like the same game.

          This, of course, is not stuff you catch as a casual observer. Heck, there are things I don't notice because I'm knee-deep in Final Fantasy XIV and have gotten more accustomed to the changed version over the new version. So I thought this would be a good week to try taking a step back and looking at all of the things that have changed in the game since launch... or at least the major points that you might not have caught.

          Continue reading The Mog Log: Ain't what she used to be

          MassivelyThe Mog Log: Ain't what she used to be originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            PlaneShift releases patch 0.5.9
            April 14, 2012

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            Still a better-looking game than the original EverQuest, and a better love story than Twilight.
            Ever played an MMORPG and thought that you could do a better job making it than the developers? PlaneShift is more or less completely built around that idea. It's an open-source, community-developed game that's still not at full "release" status but does allow players and developers alike plenty of participation in the process. While the development cycle is slow by necessity, the game has just recently released its 0.5.9 patch, bringing with it a large variety of improvements and refinements for the engine and the game itself.

            The game's art has received several sweeping overhauls; the biggest changes have been aimed at the game's engine in the form of fixing bugs and improving support for a variety of graphics cards. There are also updates to the game's AI scripting, allowing NPCs to act in a more organic and unified fashion. If you're an old hand at the game, the patch is no doubt worth checking out -- and if you've never heard of it, perhaps this is enough to pique your interest.

            MassivelyPlaneShift releases patch 0.5.9 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Daily Grind: What will be the next big thing for MMOs?
            April 13, 2012

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            Dog show!
            When MMOs began, they were all about the sword and sorcery. The fantasy genre was such a big part of RPGs that the transition to MMORPGs only made sense for the magic-wielders among us.

            When people got sick of fantasy, it was all about sci-fi. Several developers have branched out into other less popular genres from there, but it's no secret that the MMOFPS is settling in to make 2012 its year.

            But what happens after that? What do you think will be the next genre-of-choice for MMO developers and/or players?

            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 will be the next big thing for MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Aeria Games launches Crystal Saga and Rock n Roll in North America
              April 13, 2012

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              Image
              Aeria Games has been a busy little bee. The free-to-play company has just announced the release of not one, but two new browser-based MMOs to the North American market.

              Crystal Saga is an open-world game built for competitive PvP. There are five different PvP modes plus an array of traditional fantasy classes like the Rogue, Priest, and Mage. The game also allows players to tame a variety of pets, unlock special soul abilities, and "equip their character with elaborate wings."

              For an in-depth look at Crystal Saga, check out our impressions in Rise and Shiny.

              Rock n Roll is an altogether different experience. For one thing, the title features a huge number of clothing and customization options. In fact, Aeria says that no two characters will ever look alike. For another, "players will find a fully-realized world of weddings, malls, game halls, and more," according to a company press release. Rock n Roll also boasts multiplayer puzzles, quests, guilds, crafting, and combat. More info on both titles is available via the links below.

              [Source: Aeria Games press release]

              MassivelyAeria Games launches Crystal Saga and Rock n Roll in North America originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                TERA's High Elves strut their stuff in a high-octane video
                April 13, 2012

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                TERA
                "We believe. We remember." Those are the watchwords of the High Elves of TERA, and they're not just talking about rock 'n roll, mind you. As TERA's launch approaches, En Masse is making a strong bid for the legitimacy of this race by releasing its High Elf spotlight video just in time for the final closed beta weekend. It's two minutes of flips, ridiculously big weapons, and strong magic flaunted in the face of enemies everywhere.

                Once a conquering nation that operated under the name of the Children of Karas, the High Elves suffered a humiliating downfall and subsequently re-emerged as a force for good. While their aid to the good people of the world is welcome, they're not quite trusted as of yet.

                High Elves receive four unique racials: They can teleport to their home city, refill their mana, regenerate mana upon resurrection, and can gather alchemy resources quickly.

                Check out the video after the jump and let us know if you'll be rolling a High Elf upon launch!

                Continue reading TERA's High Elves strut their stuff in a high-octane video

                MassivelyTERA's High Elves strut their stuff in a high-octane video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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