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Some Assembly Required: There's no crafting in Star Wars!
March 15, 2013

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Some Assembly Required blueprint header
The other week I posted a Leaderboard inviting people to vote for their favorite Star Wars MMO. The comments featured a number of both predictable and surprising insights, but one line of thought in particular stood out to me. There are apparently some folks out there who think that Star Wars is nothing more than laser pistols and lightsabers, just as there are some folks who think that MMOs are nothing more than combat lobbies.

While I'll stop short of labeling these people because of a difference in opinion, it's clear that they haven't really thought this through.

Continue reading Some Assembly Required: There's no crafting in Star Wars!

MassivelySome Assembly Required: There's no crafting in Star Wars! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Storyboard: Profession discussion - The Merchant
    March 15, 2013

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    Everything must go!
    People want stuff. It's a given. Part of this is because in the earliest days of human history having a sharpened stick was the difference between eating and starving, but part of it is just the way that we've structured our societies. And a lot of the things that people want are things that they can't make themselves, which means those people need someone to come to the rescue. That's where this profession comes in; the Merchant is all about getting people the stuff that they want.

    This is easily the strangest profession discussion I've done yet because it's easy to understand how you could have a lot of different people in the role of a spy or an aristocrat, but it's less obvious how you could have a character with certain archetypes be a merchant. The thing is that the merchant isn't just about selling things and making money. Being a merchant is what a character does on the road, and that ranges from selling mushrooms to selling your sword in the name of a good cause.

    Continue reading Storyboard: Profession discussion - The Merchant

    MassivelyStoryboard: Profession discussion - The Merchant originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      New Neverwinter trailer introduces the Jewel of the North
      March 15, 2013

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      jewel of the north trailer
      The Forgotten Realms campaign setting has plenty of memorable locales, but few of them rival the city of Neverwinter in terms of iconography and fictional history. Neverwinter is the kind of city that you name a game after, in fact. Possibly even two games if you want to get technical about it.

      Perfect World's latest website update pays tribute to the town known as the Jewel of the North with a bit of expository text to bring you up to speed on Neverwinter's place in the D&D timeline. The firm has also released an accompanying video that you watch after the break.

      Continue reading New Neverwinter trailer introduces the Jewel of the North

      MassivelyNew Neverwinter trailer introduces the Jewel of the North originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      A door to the Marvel world: David Brevik talks Marvel Heroes
      March 15, 2013

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      Massively Interview David Brevik talks Marvel Heroes
      Marvel Heroes is an upcoming action RPG that allows players to sling web justice as Spider-Man or just throw a stress-relieving tantrum as the Hulk. Whatever your favorite alter-ego, the upcoming free-to-play game hopes to be a refreshing addition to the isometric genre.

      At a recent press event in San Francisco, I sat down with David Brevik, President and CEO of Gazillion Entertainment, to scope out the influence of Diablo vs. the Marvel Universe and whether we'll see the PvP fans are hoping for.

      Gallery: Marvel Heroes

      Continue reading A door to the Marvel world: David Brevik talks Marvel Heroes

      MassivelyA door to the Marvel world: David Brevik talks Marvel Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        EverQuest's 14th anniversary celebration begins early
        March 15, 2013

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        EverQuest anniversary celebration begins early
        Hey there, EverQuest! You're looking mighty fine for a 14-year-old game. What's that, you say? You want us to come party with you? And you're willing to start a little early?

        Indeed, tomorrow is EverQuest's 14th anniversary, and SOE is kicking off the celebrations a day early. New anniversary missions that were designed at 2012's SOE Live are now active, as is all of the previous anniversary content. Double XP is also in effect to give your characters a boost.

        The developers released a few fun facts about EverQuest for its anniversary, including that the number of NPCs (344,935) is more than how many people live in Tampa Florida. Also, if you created a character on launch day in 1999, then according to Norrath time, that character would be 280 years old.

        MassivelyEverQuest's 14th anniversary celebration begins early originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        MMO Burnout: Do yourself a favor and play Sleeping Dogs
        March 15, 2013

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        MMO Burnout - Sleeping Dogs' Wei Shen
        This week I thought I'd travel to Hong Kong as an undercover cop, infiltrate the Triads, enter a few street races, sing some karaoke, and generally kung fu fight my way through another jewel of an open-world sandbox actioner.

        You're welcome to come with me, but you'll need a copy of Sleeping Dogs to make it happen. Square's 2012 gangster opus got a new DLC injection this week, but it'll be a while before I can report on it since the rest of game is so large and involving.

        Continue reading MMO Burnout: Do yourself a favor and play Sleeping Dogs

        MassivelyMMO Burnout: Do yourself a favor and play Sleeping Dogs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Tracy Hickman tapped for writing duties on Shroud of the Avatar
          March 15, 2013

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          I'm not saying there are going to be dragons, but there will be dragons.
          If you were a fan of fantasy games in the 1980s, you know Richard Garriott from the Ultima series. (Our younger readers are more familiar with him as someone who went to space.) Odds are good that you were also familiar with Tracy Hickman, co-author of the popular Dragonlance novels during the '80s. And if that sounds like two great tastes that taste great together, you'll be happy to know that Tracy Hickman has been announced as the lead story designer for Garriott's upcoming Shroud of the Avatar.

          Hickman's writing credits aside from the Dragonlance series include the Death Gate Cycle, the ongoing Dragonships series, and the online serial novel Dragon's Bard. There's no word on whether his frequent co-authors will be joining in on the writing duties as well, but even Hickman alone should make some old-school fantasy fans very happy about the direction of the upcoming game.

          MassivelyTracy Hickman tapped for writing duties on Shroud of the Avatar originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Second Wind Roundtable: Torchlight II
          March 15, 2013

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          Screenshot -- Torchlight II
          Welcome to the first ever installment of this "roundtable" edition of Second Wind, where the best and brightest (or barring that, whoever's available) here at Massively get together for an evening to act stupid in video games and then talk about it. For our first trip down the rabbit hole, Bree, Eliot, Lis, and I decided to give our mouse-clickin'-fingers a workout by way of Runic Games' Torchlight II.

          Our intrepid party of fearless adventurers was made up of Viase the Engineer (played by Eliot), ZERKIN the Berserker (played by Bree, and yes the caps are necessary), and a pair of Embermages played by Lis and me because it was the only class neither of us had played yet. We spent a few hours hacking and slashing our way through the first couple of zones of TL2's campaign, and much hilarity ensued. Click on past the cut for our full, insanity-fueled conversation on the ups and downs of our joint Torchlight II experience.

          Continue reading Second Wind Roundtable: Torchlight II

          MassivelySecond Wind Roundtable: Torchlight II originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Vindictus introduces PvP changes, new clothing, and the deadly Cross Gun
            March 15, 2013

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            Vindictus introduces PvP changes, new clothing, and the deadly Cross Gun
            You know what sucks about crossbows? They're so slow. Sure, they make a nice thrum as you fire off a bolt at whoever is about to die a pointy death, but then there's the whole reloading process and it's really just not quite action-combaty enough, is it? Vindictus is sorting this appalling deficiency by introducing the Cross Gun, a rapid fire ranged weapon available to folks playing as Kai.

            While that is impressive in its own right, the Cross Gun is not all that's coming to the game this month. Nexon America has plans for new open PvP death matches, custom clothing options, and a number of in-game events throughout March. The new PvP mode will be open to players regardless of their guild membership. One of the inbound clothing options is a St. Patrick's Day outfit, for those of you who want to look a little luckier whilst slaughterfying your opponents.

            Skip below the cut for a video teasing the March updates.

            [Source: Nexon America press release.]

            Continue reading Vindictus introduces PvP changes, new clothing, and the deadly Cross Gun

            MassivelyVindictus introduces PvP changes, new clothing, and the deadly Cross Gun originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Priston Tale 2 shutting down on March 25th
              March 15, 2013

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              This poor gentleman will never find a shirt. Or build up those arm muscles.
              It's never easy to say goodbye to a game you enjoy. Priston Tale 2 has enjoyed a decent lifespan for a small free-to-play title, but after three years of operation, the game is shutting down on March 25th. According to the official shutdown announcement, the game simply hasn't attracted enough of an audience, due in no small part to a lack of support from the game's original developer.

              Players looking for a new home are being directed toward the upcoming title The Aurora World, which is currently in closed beta testing. All unspent cash shop currency from Priston Tale 2 will be transferred over to the new game, and players will be able to receive special benefits for having a high-level character if the same account is used for both games. It's not going to stymie the sense of loss, but hopefully it'll take some of the edge off.

              [Thanks to Joshua for the tip!]

              MassivelyPriston Tale 2 shutting down on March 25th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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