Massively http://www.massively.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.massively.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://www.massively.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) support@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Fallen Earth's developers talk patch 1.3]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/fallen-earths-developers-talk-patch-1-3/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/fallen-earths-developers-talk-patch-1-3/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/fallen-earths-developers-talk-patch-1-3/#comments Patch day is an exciting time to be playing an MMO, assuming you can look past the various instabilities, server crashes, and inevitable bugs that come with a major update. Even then, there's still the sense of doing something new and different in a familiar game, however touch-and-go the new content might be. Fallen Earth is not too far from their next major patch day, but if you can't wait for the patch to go live, there's a new developer diary and Q&A from Dev Team Lead Marie Croall and Live Team Lead Ian Lemke.

The patch's major focus was a thorough revamp of the area around the starter towns, and between those towns and the central cities. It might seem odd to add such a large patch to improve the first few levels of the game, but from the developer's point of view, it's those levels that really first get a player hooked on the game, so they wanted to make it as memorable as possible. There's also some information on Deadfall Point, a new encounter area in Sector Three, offering the higher-level players something new to experience. Be sure to take a look at both features to get a picture of what's coming in the near future for your clone in Fallen Earth.

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Fallen Earth's developers talk patch 1.3 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> developer-diaryfallen-earnfallen-earth-llcfallen-earth-patch-1.3fefe-patch-1.3ian-lemkemarie-croallpatch-daypatchesqastarter-townstarter-zones Eliot Lefebvre Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Winners of fan-run EVE Online blogging contest announced]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/winners-of-fan-run-eve-online-blogging-contest-announced/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/winners-of-fan-run-eve-online-blogging-contest-announced/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/winners-of-fan-run-eve-online-blogging-contest-announced/#comments If ever there was a person that could be called the cornerstone of EVE Online's blogging community, it would be CrazyKinux. His gargantuan efforts to get the EVE community blogging have been met with continual success. In his monthly "EVE Blog Banter" segment, CrazyKinux presents readers with a topic to blog on and starts off in-depth discussions. On occasion, the EVE Blog Banter becomes a competition with a few prizes provided by CCP. CrazyKinux and other judges peruse submissions to bring us the best of the month's blogging efforts and reward their writers deservedly. Our own contributing editor James Egan and EON Magazine Editor Richie "Zapattero" Shoemaker have been judges in previous contests.

The latest edition of the EVE Blog Banter was a bumper contest with prizes for the top ten writers supplied by the EVE merchandise store. A record 56 participants wrote their take on why they love EVE Online and what makes it special for them. Amongst some of the more impressive entries, CrazyKinux whittled his choices down to his top 10 favourite entries. The first prize of $100 to spend in the EVE merchandise store went to "Wench with a Wrench", second place went to "Don't Fear the Mutant", third to "Into the unknown with gun and camera" and fourth to "Sered's Lives". If you're interested in seeing what makes EVE special to a variety of players, the six remaining finalists and the other entries in the contest are certainly worth a read. For a full list of winners and participants, swing by the winner's announcement at CrazyKinux's Musing.

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Winners of fan-run EVE Online blogging contest announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bloggersbloggingccpccp-eveccp-gamescontestcrazykinuxeveeve-blog-bantereve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineprizeswinners Brendan Drain Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What made it click?]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/the-daily-grind-what-made-it-click/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/the-daily-grind-what-made-it-click/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/09/the-daily-grind-what-made-it-click/#comments There's almost always a moment. If you're interested in MMOs beyond just enjoying the game while you play it -- and truth be told, if you're reading Massively you pretty well qualify -- then there was most likely a single experience you had somewhere along the line that convinced you these games were special and interesting. Something beyond just a diversion you could take or leave. There was something the game that made you sit up and say that you were experiencing something unique, something that may or may not be commonplace these days but seemed new and fresh at the time.

Perhaps it was the first time you took part in a major PvP battle. Perhaps it was your first struggle against a difficult monster in PvE, realizing that you actually had other real people at your side fighting the monster. It could have been the first time you crafted something you were proud of, or even just a close friend you made in the game that you wouldn't have met otherwise. Today, we're asking you what moment in an MMO first made the whole idea click for you. And for bonus points, looking back on it now, does it seem like you were excited over something silly, or does it still feel unique?

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The Daily Grind: What made it click? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> epiphanymoment-of-truthpvepvpsocialtdgthe-daily-grindunique-experience Eliot Lefebvre Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Diagram shows real-world cost of losing ships in EVE Online]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/#comments Whether you play EVE Online or not, the chances are you've read a lot about the harsh, cut-throat universe of New Eden. Alliances routinely clash over territorial disputes, spies work to destroy organisations from the inside and death is an inevitability. While dying in most MMOs means respawning at some far-away camp and having to repair your gear, death in EVE is a somewhat more vicious affair. When your ship is destroyed, whether it's by NPCs in a particularly tough mission or pirates hunting in a low security system, it's gone for good. While insurance will provide a sum of ISK to help with the loss, you'll need to re-buy a new ship and all the equipment that went on it. This would be like having to buy a new set of armour every time you die in World of Warcraft; a scary notion.

For the denizens of New Eden, losing a ship is a strictly in-game financial loss but for those that don't play EVE the scale of those losses can be hard to grasp. Jump On Contact tackled this issue head-on recently with a handy chart showing the rough value of EVE ships in both ISK (the in-game currency) and US Dollars. The prices show the sheer scale of the losses incurred in large battles and are based on a player buying game time codes for cash to be sold in-game for ISK. A fully geared battleship, one of the most common types of ship for players to own in the game, comes out as being worth approximately $10 US Dollars. Most ships fall somewhere between $1 and $13 but perhaps most shocking is the price of a fleet-ready titan, which is estimated at $7600. The next time you hear about a titan being killed or a fleet of capital ships being wiped out, perhaps this chart can help show the sheer scale of that loss.

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Diagram shows real-world cost of losing ships in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeathdeath-penaltydiagrameconomyeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinejump-on-contactshipstitan Brendan Drain Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[World of Warcraft in China remains hopelessly mired]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/world-of-warcraft-in-china-remains-hopelessly-mired/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/world-of-warcraft-in-china-remains-hopelessly-mired/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/world-of-warcraft-in-china-remains-hopelessly-mired/#comments In much of the world, current complaints about World of Warcraft center around the resolution of the storyline of the latest expansion and whether or not it's had a negative effect on MMOs as a whole. In China, current complaints about World of Warcraft are more focused on the fact that the game is still mired knee-deep in government infighting to try and make it playable again. After the last salvo, it seemed as if an end was close in sight... but as it turns out, NetEase has been forced to suspend any new player registrations for a week.

The studio is re-applying for a license to host World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, with no mention being made of Wrath of the Lich King, which doesn't bode very well for the hopes of that expansion ever seeing release in China. Having been stuck in the middle of two squabbling agencies for quite some time, and with no clear resolution in sight, it seems like a stretch to assume that the expansion will be released in China before the next one is due to arrive stateside. Our condolences to Chinese players affected by the latest round of bickering, and we can only hope that this long struggle will soon come to a conclusion.

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World of Warcraft in China remains hopelessly mired originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chinagapplegal-issuesneteaserelease-issuestbcthe-burning-crusadeworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-chinawotlkwowwow-chinawrath-of-the-lich-king Eliot Lefebvre Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Planet Calypso player pays nearly $70,000 for virtual egg]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/planet-calypso-player-pays-nearly-70-000-for-virtual-egg/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/planet-calypso-player-pays-nearly-70-000-for-virtual-egg/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/planet-calypso-player-pays-nearly-70-000-for-virtual-egg/#comments Planet Calypso continues to bring in the big spenders. At the end of December, word got around that a Planet Calypso player had won an auction for the Crystal Palace Space Station, paying $330,000 real world cash for the item. A few years ago, another player mortgaged his home to pay around $100,000 for a virtual nightclub in Planet Calypso. Hold off on the laughter, though: the nightclub wound up turning quite a profit, and the space station looks to be well on its way to the same.

Now another player is following in the footsteps of those two, taking a chance on the mysterious Atrox Queen Egg. David "Deathifier" Storey purchased the egg in a public auction, paying the equivalent of $69,696 for the item. The egg has been around since 2006, and players don't know when it will hatch, or even what exactly is inside. Deathifier is taking a bit of a chance with his purchase, perhaps hoping it will turn the same sort of profit as previous newsmaking purchases in the game.

You can take a look at the full story here.

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Planet Calypso player pays nearly $70,000 for virtual egg originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> altrox-queen-eggcrystal-palace-space-stationdeathifierplanet-calypso Rubi Bayer Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Myst Online is alive... again... for the, um, we lost count how many times it died]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/myst-online-is-alive-again-for-the-um-we-lost-count-how/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/myst-online-is-alive-again-for-the-um-we-lost-count-how/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/myst-online-is-alive-again-for-the-um-we-lost-count-how/#comments Myst fans, rejoice one more time.

The game that gives Lazarus a run for his money, Myst Online: URU Live, is kicking once more. Cyan Worlds has gotten enough money together again to start up a brand new Myst server as the first phase of making Myst Online an open source project. The cavern that's online now is mostly the same cavern that GameTap had right as the game went offline.

Best news of all? Myst Online is free. Yes, you heard us right -- free. Free as in no subscription, no paying for the client, no nothing. They're welcoming all cavern dwellers, new and old, back to the depths of D'ni. Their account creation page is getting hammered right now, as everyone wants to get back in ASAP, so if you can't create an account just give it some time.

While the game is free, servers and running a business are not. Cyan has opened up a donation page on PayPal for anyone who wants to donate towards the game's bills, so if you're feeling generous then by all means show Uru some support. The game has been through hell and back, and some help would be much appreciated around the Cyan offices. They've even said they're working on a little present for those who donate...

So, readers of Massively, can I get a shorah?

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Myst Online is alive... again... for the, um, we lost count how many times it died originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingcyancyan-worldsgametapits-alive-again-holy-crapmyst-onlinemyst-online-uru-liveopen-sourceshorah Seraphina Brennan Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Free trials ahoy for Lineage II]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/free-trials-ahoy-for-lineage-ii/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/free-trials-ahoy-for-lineage-ii/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/free-trials-ahoy-for-lineage-ii/#comments
Has it been a while since you stepped into Aden? Or perhaps you were never formally introduced to the world of Lineage II but always wanted to give it a shot? Well thanks to NCsoft's newest trial program, you now have a chance.

Lineage II's new 14-day free trial program is welcoming both new users and returning players back to experience the newest free expansion to the game, Gracia Epilogue. While returning players won't be able to use their old accounts, they can use the trial keys to create a brand new account that will let them play up to level 40 with three characters for the 14 days.

So if you've been looking for a game to fill your need to spill blood and siege castles, this might be a good time to try out Lineage II to see if it's for you.

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Free trials ahoy for Lineage II originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 14-day-trialfree-trialgracia-epiloguel2lineage-2ncsoftpvptrial Seraphina Brennan Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Five tips on being a better agent in Global Agenda]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/five-tips-on-being-a-better-agent-in-global-agenda/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/five-tips-on-being-a-better-agent-in-global-agenda/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/five-tips-on-being-a-better-agent-in-global-agenda/#comments When it comes to action-based shooters like Global Agenda, gear is good but skill is better. Way better. Even the most technologically endowed enemies can come crashing down with a little teamwork and creative ingenuity.

But if you're new to the game, new to action-based shooters, or just not doing so hot in your PvP matches, then you might need some help. That's where we come in.

After playing a huge amount of PvP, PvE, and a decent amount of AvA in Global Agenda, I've found that many players make a few common mistakes. So, while I know this article will result in more deaths for me, I want to help all of you avoid these common mistakes and play a better game.

Continue reading Five tips on being a better agent in Global Agenda

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Five tips on being a better agent in Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> assaultglobal-agendaguidehealth-bubblesmedicreconroboticsshoot-the-medicteamworktips-and-tricksturrets Seraphina Brennan Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind?]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/the-digital-continuum-can-story-supplant-grind/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/the-digital-continuum-can-story-supplant-grind/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/the-digital-continuum-can-story-supplant-grind/#comments
Star Wars offers a setting with incredible chances at strong storytelling and it's for this reason I've been watching closely for any hints at the story elements in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This recent developer blog on the driving forces behind the Sith Inquisitor's tale really dug its claws into my mind.

Before now, I'd always assumed most choice elements within the story of any given class would be mostly binary. That was the easiest solution for BioWare, who has created quite the challenge for themselves with the premise of a full singleplayer storyline experience for each class within the game.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind?

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The Digital Continuum: Can story supplant grind? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> biowarebioware-mmobioware-mmorpgbioware-star-warsbioware-swtoreaelectronic-artsfeaturedlucas-artslucas-arts-mmolucas-arts-mmorpgopinionrebecca-harwicksith-inquisitorstar-wars-gamestar-wars-mmostar-wars-mmorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicstar-wars-torstarwarsstarwars-the-old-republicsw-torswtorthe-digital-continuumthe-old-republic Kyle Horner Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[One Shots: Hanging with the boss]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/one-shots-hanging-with-the-boss/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/one-shots-hanging-with-the-boss/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/one-shots-hanging-with-the-boss/#comments
While our sister site, WoW.com, gets the lion's share of World of Warcraft screenshots for their daily Around Azeroth column, we do still get the occasional screenshot from a player -- albeit few and far between! Today's overlook screenshot comes to us from occasional contributor Deadend from the Exodar server, who writes in: Here is Mimiron's joint. Mimiron is, from a game play standpoint, probably one of my all time favorite bosses in WoW.

If you're one of the millions of players who have played World of Warcraft and would like to send in a screenshot, we'd welcome your contribution. All you need to do is email a screenshot to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, and a quick description of what's WoWing you in the screenshot. Please make sure your image is at least 1024 pixels wide and has as little visible UI as possible. Yours may be next!

Gallery: One Shots

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One Shots: Hanging with the boss originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardblizzard-entertainmentdeadendone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotsworld-of-warcraftwow Krystalle Voecks Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Keeping an old game new]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/flameseeker-chronicles-keeping-an-old-game-new/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/flameseeker-chronicles-keeping-an-old-game-new/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/flameseeker-chronicles-keeping-an-old-game-new/#comments "Guild Wars is an old game." As the game approaches its fifth birthday and Guild Wars 2 continues production, that's a phrase you'll hear more and more. While it's true that the game has been around for a while now, age doesn't necessarily equal stale or boring. On the contrary, it means you've got an established game with an experienced development team behind it, and they've had time to work out all those bugs, kinks, and emergency patches that are so common in new games. Even better, you've got a strong player base that knows their way around.

The largest factor in what makes a game fun for you is your attitude and outlook, so let's take a look at some ways to keep from falling into the trap of assuming there's nothing left for you to do in Guild Wars.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Keeping an old game new

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Keeping an old game new originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenanetarenanet-guild-warsfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsGuild-Wars-2guildwarsgw Rubi Bayer Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Only two days left for SOE's ConnectDING event!]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/only-two-days-left-for-soes-connectding-event/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/only-two-days-left-for-soes-connectding-event/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/only-two-days-left-for-soes-connectding-event/#comments Two words for you: cushy pillows. Yes, that's right, you heard me.

There are two days left for the Sony Online Entertainment ConnectDING event -- a marketing event designed to get you and your friends looking at the Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts of EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Free Realms. Each one of the games has its own special reward once it hits so many fans, so why turn down free rewards for doing nothing more than clicking a button?

And that, my friends, is where we get to cushy pillows. EverQuest II is close to their goal -- only 2,000 fans shy! However, the event ends on February 10th! Oh teh noes, right? If EQII can get 2,000 more fans, everyone in the game will get 500 station cash for the in-game marketplace and awesome "Community Pillows" to add to their homes. The pillows not only look stylish and reduce the rent status of your property, but they also let avatars have pillow fights when activated!

So please, reach out and become a fan of EverQuest II today. Follow them on Facebook, on Twitter, or on both! Give these poor, orphaned pillows a home. (Plus the cash isn't too bad either.)

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Only two days left for SOE's ConnectDING event! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> community-pillowconnectdingeqeqiieverquesteverquest-iifacebookfan-pagefree-realmsmarketingpillowpillow-fightsoesony-online-entertainment Seraphina Brennan Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Free Realms reaches 8 million registered accounts, nominated in Game Developer's Choice Awards]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/free-realms-reaches-8-million-registered-accounts-nominated-in/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/free-realms-reaches-8-million-registered-accounts-nominated-in/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/free-realms-reaches-8-million-registered-accounts-nominated-in/#comments No matter which way you spin it, 8 million accounts is a ton of accounts. Free Realms has recently hit that magical milestone, celebrating a huge amount of fan interest in the game and a recent nomination for Best New Social/Online game in the Game Developer's Choice Awards. In fact, it's the only traditional MMO to be nominated for an award this year (outside of Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online.)

As usual with our "account milestone" announcements, 8 million players is not the number of active players in the game. It's just the number of accounts that have been signed up on the Free Realms website. However, even if only 1% of those accounts were active, that's still 80,000 accounts playing the game -- a number you still should not scoff at.

So congratulations to SOE on your recent account milestone, and good luck in the Game Developer's Choice awards! Beat out Farmville for us!

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Free Realms reaches 8 million registered accounts, nominated in Game Developer's Choice Awards originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 8-million-accountsaccount-milestoneawardfree-realmsgame-developers-choice-awardssoesony-online-entertainment Seraphina Brennan Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Darkfall to offer new player protection]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/darkfall-to-offer-new-player-protection/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/darkfall-to-offer-new-player-protection/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/darkfall-to-offer-new-player-protection/#comments Don't you love it when you began a brand new game and emerge fresh from character creation, only to get one-shotted by a high level player? No? The creators of Darkfall agree that it might not be the best introduction and have plans to help out with that very soon.

Darkfall will introduce New Player Protection very soon, an optional process that allows players to get their bearings in the game without fear of being used for target practice by any random Joe that happens by. It will be a short period of protection, lasting only a few hours, and is completely optional. (It's on by default when you begin the game, and can be turned off.) During that time, you can't harm or be harmed by other players -- you can only attack monsters.

This feature could be introduced as early as the next patch. Until then, you can read up on it here.

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Darkfall to offer new player protection originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aventurinedarkfalldarkfall-onlinenew-player-protectionnewbie-protectionpvp Rubi Bayer Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Cryptic clarifies what one million accounts actually means]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/cryptic-clarifies-what-one-million-accounts-actually-means/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/cryptic-clarifies-what-one-million-accounts-actually-means/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/cryptic-clarifies-what-one-million-accounts-actually-means/#comments As Eliot pointed out yesterday, when Cryptic announced that they had reached one million registered accounts, it paid to look at the announcement a bit more closely. What exactly is a registered account? Does a registered account mean that someone purchased Star Trek Online? Is it a beta tester? Maybe just a forum account?

We weren't the only ones wondering about this. More than one reader was curious about the phrasing the press release: "Already, over 1 million Star Trek fans have created accounts at the official websites." IncGamers was able to get a response from Cryptic regarding the specifics of the release, minus the lingo.

While the phrase "Star Trek fans" led many people to assume that the press release referred to Star Trek Online accounts only. The press release actually referred to Cryptic accounts -- which are required to play not only Star Trek Online, but Champions Online as well.

One million registered accounts is a milestone worth mentioning in any situation, but it's always helpful to know for certain what we're congratulating.

[Thanks Bill!]

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Cryptic clarifies what one million accounts actually means originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Atarichampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosIGN.comstar-trek-online Rubi Bayer Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you play a single-player version?]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/08/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-single-player-version/#comments Whether we mean to or not, we get pretty invested in the online worlds we inhabit. It's a natural step to go from a single-player setting that's already gotten our emotional investment to a larger one (as proven by, oh, some game or another), but oddly the reverse happens far less often. We only occasionally see a game that takes the setting of an MMO and uses it as the basis for one person's adventure. This despite the fact that we're usually more attached to our characters than we are in a single-player game, since our avatars in an MMO are defined entirely by us.

Of course, part of this is the narrowing of scope, and part of it is the difficulty of marketing to people that they can take a break from their characters online to play the exact same character offline. But for the times when you don't want to log in and deal with assembling a group or competition for farming or any of the slings and arrows of playing online, it could be a nice diversion. What do you think? Would you like to have a single-player game based off of your MMO of choice, or would you rather that the online games you enjoy not creep into your single-player time?

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The Daily Grind: Would you play a single-player version? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> champions-of-norrathmultiplayeroffline-gamessingle-playersingle-player-gamestdgthe-daily-grind Eliot Lefebvre Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Second Life official forums to be replaced Tuesday]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/second-life-official-forums-to-be-replaced-tuesday/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/second-life-official-forums-to-be-replaced-tuesday/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/second-life-official-forums-to-be-replaced-tuesday/#comments Linden Lab is in the throes of closing the official Second Life forums and is creating alternative discussion spaces in its Clearspace blog/forum hybrid.

According to previous figures from Linden Lab staff, fewer than 700 of 18.1 million registered Second Life accounts ever participated in the official forums provided by the Lab. The partial closure of many of the most heavily trafficked areas of those forums when Lab announcements were migrated back out to the blog in 2006 did little to boost participation in the official forums.

The official vbulletin-based forums "did not scale" according to Linden Lab and were difficult to maintain, even for such modest usage levels as they experienced.

Continue reading Second Life official forums to be replaced Tuesday

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Second Life official forums to be replaced Tuesday originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> clearspacecultureforumsopinionsecond-lifesecond-life-forumvbulletin-boardvirtual-worlds Tateru Nino Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Aion releases first Eye on Community for February]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/aion-releases-first-eye-on-community-for-february/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/aion-releases-first-eye-on-community-for-february/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/aion-releases-first-eye-on-community-for-february/#comments
Aion team member Tamat is back with the first Eye on Community for February, in which he answers player questions and talks a bit about what the developers have in store.

This week's player question was regarding the fort timer surveys from a while back, and Tamat revealed that they've finished looking over the surveys and will be changing the capture timer to an hour next week.

Eye on Community lived up to its name by providing a pretty extensive community roundup this time, directing players to a handy application to monitor server status, a guide to a couple of bosses (Kratia and Harpback -- if you're having trouble with them this is the place to go),a look a one players first month in Aion, and a new reason to keep one eye on the skies in PvP.

Head over to the official Aion site to read the full Eye on Community.

Continue reading Aion releases first Eye on Community for February

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Aion releases first Eye on Community for February originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aioneye-on-communityncsofttamat Rubi Bayer Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The development of Incarna]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/eve-evolved-the-development-of-incarna/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/eve-evolved-the-development-of-incarna/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/eve-evolved-the-development-of-incarna/#comments One of the biggest differences between EVE Online and most other MMOs is the lack of a humanoid avatar. Even when you're docked up in a station, you can't leave your ship and walk around. The detailed avatars we create on starting the game are not so much avatars as passport photos; seen only as little square mug shots in chat channels and the official forums. In their never-ending quest to make EVE the definitive Sci-Fi simulation, this is something the game's developers CCP have always endeavoured to change. The introduction of a full body avatar feature, code-named "Walking in Stations", "Ambulation" and now known as "Incarna", has been undeniably the most anticipated feature since EVE went live. It's been in development since 2006 but has proven a much larger task than CCP originally anticipated. With the expansion tentatively slated for winter this year, new information on it is still harder to find than a sober Icelandic game developer.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I take a look at Incarna's development so far and why it hasn't been released yet.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The development of Incarna

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EVE Evolved: The development of Incarna originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2010ambulationavatarsccpccp-eveccp-gamesdevblogdeveloperseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexpansionfeaturedincarnainterviewoveurwalking-in-stations Brendan Drain Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Zodiac Online enters open beta February 10th]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/zodiac-online-enters-open-beta-february-10th/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/zodiac-online-enters-open-beta-february-10th/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/zodiac-online-enters-open-beta-february-10th/#comments
Zodiac Online, the free-to-play offering from Ingle Games, entered closed beta early last November. Since then the folks at Ingle Games have been hard at work refining things, fixing bugs, and just generally preparing to move to the next phase.

That next phase will arrive in just a few short days: open beta begins February tenth. The game predictably revolves around the Chinese zodiac, challenging you to assist the twelve creatures of the zodiac to defeat the forces of evil.

If you fall in the "make love, not war" camp, never fear. There is another side to Zodiac Online that says "give fate a chance and let it turn into a romance." This game has a fate system based on astrology that will give you a heads up when a player is nearby that you are particularly compatible with -- or particularly incompatible with -- so you can follow up if you're so inclined.

Check out the Zodiac Online site for more information and to register for open beta!

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Zodiac Online enters open beta February 10th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betachinese-zodiacf2pfree-to-playingle-gamesopen-betazodiaczodiac-online Rubi Bayer Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Aika launches PvP Domination tournament in closed beta]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/aika-launches-pvp-domination-tournament-in-closed-beta/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/aika-launches-pvp-domination-tournament-in-closed-beta/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/aika-launches-pvp-domination-tournament-in-closed-beta/#comments
If you were one of the people lucky enough to get into one of our two Aika beta key giveaways, you've probably been enjoying the chance to see what the most recently announced title from gPotato has to offer. The promise of large-scale PvP always gets people excited, after all, and it doesn't hurt that the game has a very polished and stylish look to it. But the real question is how the PvP will play out... which is why it should come as no surprise that the developers are taking the opportunity during the closed beta to host a domination tournament for the players. Four guilds from each nation will be set against their fellows in a winner-take all elimination match.

The process is simple -- players should send a private message to the GM Lingo with their guild name and the number of members. The four largest guilds will be notified and set to begin the tournament on Monday, February 8th at 5:00 PM PST (8:00 PM EST). Each guild will pick out six of its finest members to be sent out as champions, and the tournament will last through both Monday and Tuesday evening. If you're in Aika's closed beta, there's still time to enter, so get your guild together and get ready for the event!

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Aika launches PvP Domination tournament in closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aikaaika-onlineclosed-betadominationdomination-tournamentgpotatolarge-scale-pvppvptournament Eliot Lefebvre Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[One Shots: Rings]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/one-shots-rings/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/one-shots-rings/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/one-shots-rings/#comments Not everything in Star Trek Online is fighting when it comes to space. Sometimes, you turn and a lovely sight such as the one captured above will greet you. While this image was captured during the open beta, these types of stunning views are still there, waiting to be discovered by Star Trek Online's players.

Today's One Shots comes to us from Sjohn, who writes in to give us some context: I was doing a mission in the Pico System where I was patrolling the mines located in the rings around one of the planets. Saw this view and couldn't help but save it for later!

Are you exploring the final frontier? If so, why not send along a screenshot of your recent travels. Email it in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a quick description. We'll post it out here for everyone to look at and give you the nod.

Gallery: One Shots

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One Shots: Rings originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> crypticcryptic-studiosone-shotsopen-betascreenshotscreenshotssjohnstar-trek-onlinesto Krystalle Voecks Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Love is in the air in your favorite MMOs]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/love-is-in-the-air/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/love-is-in-the-air/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/love-is-in-the-air/#comments Love is in the air in World of Warcraft and the event has completely changed this year over previous years. WoW.com has the latest on this Valentine's Day-themed event.

But WoW is not the only MMO that has an event going on now or soon:

Which MMO do you think does this romantic holiday best?

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Love is in the air in your favorite MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardblizzard-entertainmentlove-is-in-the-airvalentinesvalentines-dayvalentines-day-2010world-of-warcraftwow Robin Torres Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Star Trek Online reaches one million accounts]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/star-trek-online-reaches-one-million-accounts/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/star-trek-online-reaches-one-million-accounts/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/star-trek-online-reaches-one-million-accounts/#comments If it's not too dated, you can feel free to do the Dr. Evil voice as you read the announcement in your head. Star Trek Online has reached one million registered accounts, an impressive milestone for any game. The announcement follows in the vein of Cryptic's announcement that players had created over one million characters in Champions Online, which was also an impressive milestone... well, until you started to do the math and ask why they were counting the number of characters created rather than players.

There are similar questions to be asked about the latest Star Trek Online announcement, if you're the suspicious type. In short, we don't know the criteria that is being used to get the figure being thrown around. One million accounts could refer to open beta and head start accounts, or it could refer to everyone registered on the forums, even if they've long since stopped posting. It's an odd metric to use.

Still, it's a sign of how strong the IP of Star Trek still is after all these years, and as one of the few major launches planned for the year it's bound to attract quite a bit of attention. Congratulations to Cryptic, and here's hoping that those million accounts stick with the game after a few months.

Enter the Star Trek universe with Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. From hands on reviews of the early levels and space combat, through noob questions and developer interviews, we've got everything you need to know about the game trekkies are dying for. Check out Massively's Star Trek Online page for the latest!

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Star Trek Online reaches one million accounts originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> champions-onlinecocrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosmillionst-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestosubscriber-numberstrek-online Eliot Lefebvre Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Does viewpoint matter to you?]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/the-daily-grind-does-viewpoint-matter-to-you/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/the-daily-grind-does-viewpoint-matter-to-you/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/07/the-daily-grind-does-viewpoint-matter-to-you/#comments While the ancestry of MMOs were played via text-only clients and thus didn't have to worry about it one way or the other, the modern generation of games has either a first-person view or a third-person view. (Experiments with a second-person view were briefly carried out via webcams, but it proved distracting.) And it can produce some passionate opinions on both sides, much like, well, every other issue about MMOs under the sun.

Proponents of first-person views are quick to point out that it's more immersive and forces a player to be more aware of the field beyond what they can see. It lends depth to the game, frees you from concern over needless aesthetics of gear, and it was how things were done back in the day of EverQuest. Proponents of third-person views, on the other hand, point out that it gives a better view of the world as a whole and is more responsive to controls. It lets you see the character you've sculpted, gives you a better sense of what's going on, and it was how things were done even further back in the day with Ultima Online.

So today, we ask you -- which do you prefer? Is a good first-person or third-person mode a must for you to consider the game, or do you simply prefer to play one way or the other?

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The Daily Grind: Does viewpoint matter to you? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> eqeverquestfirst-personfirst-person-viewsecond-person-viewtdgthe-daily-grindthird-personthird-person-viewultima-onlineuo Eliot Lefebvre Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Guild Wars fans to raise money for Haiti]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/guild-wars-fans-to-raise-money-for-haiti/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/guild-wars-fans-to-raise-money-for-haiti/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/guild-wars-fans-to-raise-money-for-haiti/#comments
Gaming World Events, a fan-created organization, will be holding their first ever Guild Wars in-game event tomorrow: Gamers Giving Back to Haiti.

The fans behind Gaming Gamers Giving Back to Haiti will happen in Lion's Arch International District 1, from 10AM - 4PM PST. The six hour event will offer quite a few in-game prizes of items and gold for participants.

The group has set a fundraising goal of (of course) $1,337.00, but a look at their Red Cross donation page shows that they are already approaching the $700.00 mark. Gamers are known to be a generous bunch, so maybe Gaming World Events can reach their goal twice: once before the event and once after. You can donate via the donation page, and read more about the event on their Facebook page or the forum announcement.

We at Massively join the community in thanking Gaming World Events for organizing the event, and all of the players for their support.

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Guild Wars fans to raise money for Haiti originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenanetgamers-giving-back-to-haitigaming-world-eventsguild-warsgw Rubi Bayer Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Back to the drawing board for Warhammer Online's scenarios]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/back-to-the-drawing-board-for-warhammer-onlines-scenarios/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/back-to-the-drawing-board-for-warhammer-onlines-scenarios/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/back-to-the-drawing-board-for-warhammer-onlines-scenarios/#comments
When Warhammer Online promised to greatly streamline its scenario structure and remove several of its less popular ones with the upcoming patch 1.3.4, the response wasn't altogether positive. There was a definite concern that the game was trying to mitigate its difficult times by removing one of the most fun aspects it had, which sounds like a bad idea all around. However, the developers have clearly been paying attention -- after collecting additional feedback from players and receiving plenty of input from the test server, Andy Belford announced that the team was going "back to the whiteboard" for their plans on streamlining and removing scenarios.

While Belford makes it clear that the ultimate goal is the same -- to remove the unused and disliked scenarios and move the lower-tier ones that are well-loved to greater accessibility -- he also says that the team was getting clear input that they'd gone too far in the wrong direction. No dates are set, but a revised scenario setup and mass stability test is planned to go live sometime next week, hopefully with a better lineup. Whether or not you're currently playing Warhammer Online, it's always good to see developers paying close attention to what the players want.

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Back to the drawing board for Warhammer Online's scenarios originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> andy-belfordea-gamesea-mythicea-warhammerea-warhammer-onlineelectronic-artsmythicmythic-eamythic-entertainmentrevisionsscenario-revisionscenarioswarwar-eawar-patch-1.3.4warhammerwarhammer-eawarhammer-onlinewarhammer-online-eawarhammer-online-patch-1.3.4 Eliot Lefebvre Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Virtual Whirl: Questions from the virtual mailbag]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-virtual-whirl-questions-from-the-virtual-mailbag/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-virtual-whirl-questions-from-the-virtual-mailbag/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-virtual-whirl-questions-from-the-virtual-mailbag/#comments

This week, in The Virtual Whirl, we're going to take a selection of reader questions that we've received in comments and in the virtual mailbag and do our best to offer up some useful answers. Join us as we whirl through the mail.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: Questions from the virtual mailbag

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The Virtual Whirl: Questions from the virtual mailbag originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alpha-zaiuseconomyfeaturedgene-yoonginsu-lindenginsu-yoonlinden-dollarslindexopinionsculptiessecond-lifesecond-life-2.0second-life-viewersl-mesh-objectsteen-second-lifethe-virtual-whirlvirtual-worldsxstreetxstreet-sl Tateru Nino Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[One Shots: Look out for the feet]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/one-shots-look-out-for-the-feet/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/one-shots-look-out-for-the-feet/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/one-shots-look-out-for-the-feet/#comments
With GU15 hitting the servers recently, and the Ewok Love Festival coming on the 9th, those fiercely loyal to Star Wars Galaxies are enjoying the choices of different things to do. Add to it the fact that Sony Online Entertainment has reactivated the accounts of previous Star Wars Galaxies players until March 1st, and we can see why some would be heading back in to check out all the new stuff since the last time they played.

Today's One Shots shows off a screenshot taken by a very nervous (and thankfully non-squished) Jonathan C. who writes in: [Here's] my character Smarty Jones outside of cnet. [I was] coming back from some missions when I ran into [an] ATAT.

Are you back in a game you haven't played in a while? Taking advantage of some free time? If so, we'd love to see what you've found in going back. Just send in a screenshot along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description to oneshots AT massively DOT com. We'll post it out here and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

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One Shots: Look out for the feet originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> jonathan-cone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotssoesony-online-entertainmentstar-wars-galaxiesswgswg-gu15 Krystalle Voecks Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Mog Log: Starting new in Vana'diel]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-mog-log-starting-new-in-vanadiel/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-mog-log-starting-new-in-vanadiel/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-mog-log-starting-new-in-vanadiel/#comments Getting started with Final Fantasy XI can be rather daunting the first time. You might be lucky to have a friend right there holding your hand through the starting areas... or you might accidentally wind up vendoring several thousand gil worth of items because you didn't properly grasp how the auction house works. Or you might throw away a bunch of zinc ore because it's taking up too much space. Or you might put yourself on everyone's blacklist by accidentally locking your chat mode in /yell.

You can draw whatever conclusions you want about my early memories of the game. They're not pretty.

Assuming you've mastered moving, the basics of looking around in your inventory and interacting with NPCs, and so forth, it's not always immediately evident what you're supposed to do, what the best job for a starter character is supposed to be, and so on. Thus, for those of you newly interested in the game, we have a small guide on some of the less immediately transparent elements of the game. (For those of you who already know Sky and Sea inside and out, you can skip ahead to the end. I can promise there's something there.)

Continue reading The Mog Log: Starting new in Vana'diel

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The Mog Log: Starting new in Vana'diel originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adventuer-couponfeaturedffxifields-of-valorfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xigetting-startedguideslevelingnew-playersplaystation-2seaskysquare-enixthe-mog-logxbox-360 Eliot Lefebvre Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Massively's mystery beta key giveaway]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/massivelys-mystery-beta-key-giveaway/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/massivelys-mystery-beta-key-giveaway/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/massivelys-mystery-beta-key-giveaway/#comments A mystery beta? How does that work?

We've been given 100 keys for the early closed beta on an upcoming game that hasn't even been officially announced yet. As excited as we are about this, we still have to tiptoe around any hints that might give it away. So let's just call this the first in a projected series of games that includes both single-player and online aspects. It's described as both cooperative and competitive, covering a new genre for games.

Sound like something you might want to help test? Simply leave a comment to this post before Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 7pm EST and 100 random winners will be chosen from the entries. You'll then be contacted with further instructions on how to download and access the game. Best of luck!

[Comment are now closed, winners to be contacted by Monday]

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Massively's mystery beta key giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> beta-key-giveawayclosed-betaclosed-beta-keymystery-beta Shawn Schuster Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What IP do you want to see as an MMO?]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-daily-grind-what-ip-do-you-want-to-see-as-an-mmo/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-daily-grind-what-ip-do-you-want-to-see-as-an-mmo/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/06/the-daily-grind-what-ip-do-you-want-to-see-as-an-mmo/#comments There are certainly a lot of intellectual properties out there that would make for an excellent MMO. Running down the list of major games currently running shows no shortage of games based on popular franchises -- Star Trek Online, Warhammer Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Age of Conan, Champions Online -- and the trend shows no sign of slowing. But there are other franchises that could conceivably make a number of people happy -- Transformers, The Dark Tower, Doctor Who, Mass Effect, Babylon 5, and so on ad infinitum.

Of course, there are licenses that are unlikely to ever be adapted for MMOs, either because their heyday of popularity has passed or because they're just not in quite the right market. Still, we can dream, and in our heads we might have an idea for the world's best MMO based off of Macross. What intellectual property would you love to have a chance to play as an MMO? Do you think there's a chance it might happen, or are you fairly certain that it's just going to remain an idle fantasy?

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The Daily Grind: What IP do you want to see as an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> age-of-conanaocbabylon-5champions-onlinecodoctor-whointellectual-propertylicensed-gameslicensed-propertiesmass-effectstar-trek-onlinestar-wars-galaxiesstoswgthe-dark-towertransformerswarwarhammer-online Eliot Lefebvre Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The development of the Sith Inquisitor in Star Wars: The Old Republic]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/the-development-of-the-sith-inquisitor-in-star-wars-the-old-rep/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/the-development-of-the-sith-inquisitor-in-star-wars-the-old-rep/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/the-development-of-the-sith-inquisitor-in-star-wars-the-old-rep/#comments
The Sith Inquisitor is not meant as just another Force-using class. That's one of the central themes behind the most recent developer blog from Star Wars: The Old Republic. Saying even that the Inquisitor is meant as a Palpatine to the Sith Warrior's Darth Vader is only a fraction of the whole story. No, the Inquisitor exists as someone whose diet of dark secrets and forbidden knowledge is as much a survival mechanism as anything, the manipulator and scholar, the calm and reason to balance against the Warrior's bravado and power.

Where the Warrior begins as a member of high society, the Inquisitor begins life as a slave, sent to either become a part of the Empire's almost monastic order of Sith or die unknown and unmourned. Inquisitors face the difficulties of choice, not only of morality but of their personal desires weighed against the needs and demands of the Empire. And through it all, they are the keepers of secrets and mystical knowledge of the Force, learning and studying into the otherworldly aspects it posseses. While we're still more than a year out from the expected launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, fans should still enjoy this look at one of the game's most devious classes.

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The development of the Sith Inquisitor in Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> biowarebioware-mmobioware-mmorpgbioware-star-warsbioware-swtordeveloper-blogeaelectronic-artsforcelucas-artslucas-arts-mmolucas-arts-mmorpgsithsith-inquisitorstar-wars-gamestar-wars-mmostar-wars-mmorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicstar-wars-torstarwarsstarwars-the-old-republicsw-torswtorthe-old-republic Eliot Lefebvre Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Dungeons and Dragons Online: a guide to the Risia Ice Games]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/dungeons-and-dragons-online-a-guide-to-the-risia-ice-games/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/dungeons-and-dragons-online-a-guide-to-the-risia-ice-games/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/dungeons-and-dragons-online-a-guide-to-the-risia-ice-games/#comments
Dungeons and Dragons Online released Update 3 Tuesday, sending players in all directions to check out the new content once the servers went back up.

One of those directions was up, in the form of a ski jump in the suddenly frostbitten area of Stormreach Market. Welcome to the Risia Ice Games, a winter festival handily timed to coordinate with the 2010 Winter Games. While Update 3 hit some snags (which, for the most part, were quickly taken care of by Turbine) the Ice Games went off without a hitch.

Well, mostly. For the first few hours, cries of "What are these ice tokens?", "How do I get ice skates?", and "Why am I falling directly into the water at the end of the ski jump?" echoed across General Chat as players struggled to figure out what was going on. As with anything new, time and patience were the keywords in working it all out.

If you're still stumped and can't figure out where this half-pipe is that you keep hearing about, Dungeons and Dragons Online has provided a handy rundown to all of the events here. You'll find a list of where events and NPCs are, as well as different ways to acquire ice tokens, and what you can do with them once you have them.

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Dungeons and Dragons Online: a guide to the Risia Ice Games originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ddoddo-update-3dungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfree-to-playrisia-ice-gamesturbine Rubi Bayer Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Betawatch: January 29 - February 5, 2010]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/betawatch-january-29-february-5-2010/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/betawatch-january-29-february-5-2010/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/betawatch-january-29-february-5-2010/#comments
Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.

It was a quieter week on Betawatch, with only a few games making changes on our list. Mortal Online entered open beta February first, while Allods Online kicked off their fourth round of closed beta, which will last until the tenth. Aika's first closed beta test began as well, and will run until the ninth.

Click below for the complete list, updated weekly.

Continue reading Betawatch: January 29 - February 5, 2010

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Betawatch: January 29 - February 5, 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betabetasbetawatchclosed-betafeaturedmassively-metaopen-beta Rubi Bayer Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[First Impressions: Global Agenda]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/first-impressions-global-agenda/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/first-impressions-global-agenda/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/first-impressions-global-agenda/#comments Global Agenda. This game has been successful in causing quite a stir on our website. It seems almost every single story we do on the game anymore turns into the inevitable "this isn't an MMO" debate. We've even tried to give the MMORTS part of it more of a perspective in past articles, but that's neither here nor there. This article isn't about the game or if it's an MMO -- it's about how this game plays.

So, is Global Agenda a worthy investment for the MMOer? Is it a worthy investiment for the FPS nut? Can a game that's a hybrid of so many genres work as well as its creators say it works? Those are all excellent questions and they're also questions that we're going to answer today.

Gallery: Global Agenda Gameplay Gallery


Continue reading First Impressions: Global Agenda

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First Impressions: Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> actionassaultcombatfeaturedfirst-impressionsgame-mechanicsglobal-agendaglobal-agenda-conquesthi-rez-studioshybridmedicmmortsreconroboticsstrategytps Seraphina Brennan Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Making it as an MMO blogger: The community manager interviews part 2]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/making-it-as-an-mmo-blogger-the-community-manager-interviews-pa/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/making-it-as-an-mmo-blogger-the-community-manager-interviews-pa/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/making-it-as-an-mmo-blogger-the-community-manager-interviews-pa/#comments If you enjoyed our community management feature from yesterday, we present you with part 2!

What level of honesty should bloggers have regarding the benefits and flaws of your game in balancing the interests of the readers and the interests of your company?


David Bass: Bloggers should always be honest. But they should also be fair. Yes, game X might have some issues, but is the company consistently working to improve the game? Are you seeing excellent communication from the team? No MMO is perfect, that's for certain, but in addition to learning where our flaws are, we're also interested to learn what we're doing right. Bloggers aren't there to cater to us as a company, and if your blog is heading in that direction, most readers will notice that and may choose to shy away from it. If you stick to being honest on your blog, that's what will get the company to notice you.

Continue reading Making it as an MMO blogger: The community manager interviews part 2

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Making it as an MMO blogger: The community manager interviews part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bloggersbloggingcommunitycommunity-managementcommunity-managerfeatured Shawn Schuster Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Vol III, Book 1 test realm notes analyzed]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/the-road-to-mordor-vol-iii-book-1-test-realm-notes-analyzed/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/the-road-to-mordor-vol-iii-book-1-test-realm-notes-analyzed/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/the-road-to-mordor-vol-iii-book-1-test-realm-notes-analyzed/#comments Every Friday, the Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis.

Turbine's Lord of the Ring's Online has just announced the Volume III, Book 1: Oath of the Rangers free content expansion and the patch is already up on their test server, Bullroarer. And with a test patch, comes patch notes. I have to give the normal disclaimers about test notes changing before going live, but given that, let's dig in.

Two highlights are listed in the notes right off the bat with little explanation other than a promise of a dev diary to come at a future date. Those two new changes are:
  • Duo mode now available in Skirmishes
  • Extensive changes to the original Shadows of Angmar Volume I epic quest line
Players have been gimping the Small Fellowship (3-man) system by significantly dropping the level of the mobs when creating their Skirmish. That costs them Skirmish marks. Hopefully the new system will fix that.

The changes to the original epic quest line are probably to make it more solo friendly. It's very hard to complete it now that most players have leveled past it. If you are new to the game, you are probably begging higher level guild members to help you or skipping it altogether. Skipping it, though, is cheating yourself out of some of the best lore-based content in the game. I hope Turbine is changing it to make it more accessible for newer players who don't have access to groups at their level.

New level 64 player skills, Skirmish changes and new crafting after the jump!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Vol III, Book 1 test realm notes analyzed

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The Road to Mordor: Vol III, Book 1 test realm notes analyzed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredfourth-markslotrolotro-3.1lotro-skirmish-markslotro-trail-foodlotro-volume-3-book-1oath-of-the-rangersskirmishestest-serverturbine Dan O'Halloran Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST Massively <![CDATA[Massively's Aika closed beta key giveaway: Round two]]> http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/massivelys-aika-closed-beta-key-giveaway-round-two/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/massivelys-aika-closed-beta-key-giveaway-round-two/ http://www.massively.com/2010/02/05/massivelys-aika-closed-beta-key-giveaway-round-two/#comments With the speed at which our beta keys vanished in last week's giveaway, the good people at Aika Online were happy to give us 5,000 more keys for the Massively readers to get their hands on. As we mentioned last week, Aika is a large-scale PvP-centric MMO where nations fight against each other with castle sieges and customized battlegrounds. All of this while supporting 2,000 players in the same battle.

If you didn't get your chance to grab a key last week, head on over to our giveaway page for a shiny new code. From there, you can register at aika.gpotato.com and download the client straight from the website. At the rate this game is gaining popularity, you can bet we'll be checking this one out ourselves, with our first impressions coming soon.

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Massively's Aika closed beta key giveaway: Round two originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aikaaika-onlineclosed-beta-keygala-netgiveawaygpotatopvp Shawn Schuster Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST Massively