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The Art of Wushu: Learning the basics of combat

Historical, Game Mechanics, PvP, Free-to-Play, Guides, Age of Wushu, The Art of Wushu, MMORPG

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The Art of Wushu Learning the basics of combat
Many readers balked when I said Age of Wushu had the best combat in an MMO ever back when I did my first impressions piece. I admit, it was a bold claim. However, even after playing Guild Wars 2, TERA, and numerous other games with "deep MMO combat," I stand by what I said back then. Age of Wushu's PvP combat is the best in any MMO.

If you're coming from a mostly MMO background, combat in Age of Wushu is a bit daunting at first. It's really nothing like combat in any other MMO. It has a bit slower pace than a typical action-MMO, but it is the first to really employ tempo control. Attacking recklessly is a patch to a quick defeat, forcing players to make tough tactical decisions.

If you're like me and came to MMOs from a fighting game background, things readily click into place. Baiting common reactions and punishing them, punishing actions on reaction, and getting in the head of your opponent is better-rewarded than in any other MMO combat system. I don't want to badmouth games like GW2 that have great combat, so don't get me wrong; many other games have excellent combat. Age of Wushu's battle system is just even more fantastic. When I win a fight against an even-leveled opponent (or higher level, though that's rare) without taking an unblocked hit, I feel like a total beast.

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The Daily Grind: How do you handle a closed MMO still on the shelf?

Sci-Fi, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, The Daily Grind, Sunsets

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The Daily Grind How do you handle a closed MMO still on the shelf
No, that header picture wasn't taken in 2007; it was taken 4 days ago at a Walmart near me. What's even better is the fact that I took a similar picture about two years ago of the same product in the same store, but nothing's ever been done about it.

The question is, is it up to me to tell the store clerks about how wrong this is, or do I contact someone higher up at Walmart? Perhaps I should go straight to NCsoft with this one? I can't imagine the dismay in a child's eyes when he buys the game, rips it open and installs it, only to find out that no Bane will be dropping down in front of his leech gun any time soon. Think of the children!

So, wise Massively readers, how would you handle this situation? Or have you seen a closed game on a store shelf before? Did you report it? Let us know!

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!

Massively surveys WildStar's Scientist and Settler paths, the Esper class, and the crazy things Jeremy Gaffney says

Betas, Sci-Fi, Screenshots, Video, Classes, Economy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvP, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Events (Massively's Coverage), WildStar, Crafting, Housing, Player-Generated Content, MMORPG

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WildStar -- hells yeah
So who wants to hear some cool stuff about WildStar? Thought so!

Massively's Gavin Townsley recently attended a WildStar media event in San Francisco, at which he was treated to a hands-on look at the upcoming sci-fantasy MMORPG's Scientist path and Esper class. He also chatted with Carbine Studios executive producer Jeremy Gaffney, who pulls a Gaffney (I'm coining that) and can't resist leaking a bit of new info about tradeskills while filling Gavin in on how endgame will work, why we should play the Settler path, and whether talent trees are passé. If you think making 10 pairs of cotton space pants sounds boring, then yeah -- you're going to like what he's got to say.

Enjoy all three articles plus the brand-new path videos we've embedded past the cut!
Hands-on with WildStar's Scientist path and Esper class
There is something exciting about taking your first steps into the mysteries of a new planet. I was anxious to mingle with the locals, analyze artifacts, and even pick a few plants -- that is, until I saw a flower burst from the ground as a giant vine-like beast.
WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney on the Settler path
WildStar's Settlers don't just build bonfires for sappy Explorers to sing around; these titans of construction will save you time in dungeons, establish bigger outposts, and open up new realms of quests for everyone.
WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney on progression, tradeskills, and endgame
Jeremy Gaffney divulges the beautiful details on essential parts of the game: character progression, tradeskills that don't suck, and life in the elder game.

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Blizzard congratulates itself on Diablo III's anniversary

Fantasy, Culture, MMO Industry, Diablo III, Anniversaries

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Blizzard pats itself on the back for one year of Diablo III
Diablo III is a year old, and Blizzard's celebratory anniversary gesture is one of those mile-long infographic things featuring selected statistics designed to make you ooh and ahh.

Said statistics include 67.1 million characters created world-wide, 3.3 trillion monsters killed world-wide, and 22.4 million characters that have killed Diablo. Interestingly, Blizzard left off the number of hours lost to launch server login issues, nor is there any mention of D3's much-maligned real-money auction house. You can see the full graphic after the break.

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Massively's Dragon's Prophet first impressions

Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Previews, News Items, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, Dragon's Prophet

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Massively's Dragon's Prophet first impressions
I don't have many fond memories from Runes of Magic. I didn't play it long, and the thing I recall most vividly is being forced to hunt around Runewaker's cash shop for an item that would let me talk in global chat.

Fortunately, negative vibes like that didn't affect my recent hands-on with Dragon's Prophet's beta, which, in case you're wondering, is Runewaker's followup to Runes of Magic. Unfortunately, I don't think the new game in its present state is quite ready for prime time.

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Jukebox Heroes: Character select music

City of Heroes, EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XI, The Chronicles of Spellborn, Vanguard, Miscellaneous, WildStar, Jukebox Heroes, Music

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Jukebox Heroes Character select music
Character select and creation music has always fascinated me. OK, maybe not fascinated; it's interested me. I've always viewed such themes as the overture of the game, the interlude between the title theme and the game proper to come.

These themes don't tend to be rip-roaring in their presentation because that's not their purpose. They have to be pleasant enough without being annoying when looped endlessly. After all, sometimes players spend a loooong time making their characters or sitting there at the select screen, and the last thing you want is for their ears to become fatigued by the experience.

So here are six MMO character select and character creation themes that I've enjoyed over the years. And if you saw the title graphic up there and immediately started hearing this song in your head, then you and I probably grew up in the same era.

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MechWarrior Online introduces new map in which players can die painfully

Sci-Fi, Video, Patches, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, MechWarrior Online

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MechWarrior Online introduces new map with allnew ways to die
MechWarrior Online's newest map, the Canyon Network, is riddled with slot canyons, steep drops, and high plateaus. As part of MWO's latest update, the Canyon Network is meant to provide a playground for snipers and strategic thinkers.

The Blackjack has been named as the new Mech of the Month, with the Jenner donning the mantle of Champion Mech. As part of the content update, new cobra camo patterns and faction cockpit medallions have been added to the store.

Skip below the cut to check out videos of the new Canyon Network and the Blackjack in action.

[Source: MWO press release]

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Catching crabs in Guild Wars 2

Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

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Flameseeker Chronicles
My goodness, that lady's bikini is awfully close to body tone from this far away, isn't it?

If the sun and sandy beaches didn't give it away, I've spent most of the last week or so of Guild Wars 2 time in Southsun Cove. Karka Island! Sunny Orr! Whatever you call it, I hope we can all agree that Southsun Cove is a terrible place filled with awful monsters that nobody in their right mind, in-universe or otherwise, would ever want to visit without the lure of titles and shiny -- literally, one of them glows, and the other glistens -- backpieces.

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EVE Online redesigns radial menu for Odyssey

Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Subscription

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EVE Online redesigns radial menu for OdysseyIn looking to trim down some of the menu bloat for EVE Online's Odyssey expansion, CCP Games is resurrecting and redesigning the radial menu to be a "silver bullet" for this issue.

The updated radial menu will be connected to the underutilized left mouse button and is confined to eight segments that will change depending on what the user is clicking. The studio wrote up a blog post on the subject, promising that the redesign is intuitive and will result in faster access to relevant commands.

Initially, the radial menu upgrade will be for ship flight only, although CCP is willing to expand its domain if players find it useful. This feature is currently available on the test server.

Massively Speaking Episode 249: Captain Grumpypants

Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous

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Massively Speaking Episode 249
When a subscription MMO goes free-to-play, there's always a circus atmosphere surrounding it. The studios use it as an excuse to enjoy a "second launch," players pour out opinions on all sides, and new folks wander into the danger zone out of sheer curiosity.

It's not just about F2P on this week's Massively Speaking; we have game launches, layoffs, previews, and tons of reader mail to cover. Will we have the words to do it? Or will we just end the podcast humming informatively? Jef's on it today, so there definitely will be a song and dance number at some point!

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

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RIFT introduces loyalty rewards program for dedicated players

Fantasy, Business Models, Economy, Game Mechanics, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT

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RIFT introduces loyalty rewards program for dedicated players
RIFT is introducing an innovative new program that allows players to get items for free when they spend money or money-substitutes on other items! The new rewards program will give players Loyalty points as those players purchase or spend credits, subscribe as a Patron, or consume REX (RIFT's tradable currency that can be purchased for real-world money). Since REX is tradable between players, a particularly thrifty player could accrue loyalty points without ever spending a real-world dime in RIFT's store.

Current and former subscribers will be awarded some Loyalty points based on how long they have been subscribed. Players will be able to use Loyalty to unlock exclusive costumes, the ability to change target icons, and unique dimensions.

This is all part of RIFT's free-to-play initiative and will be going live on June 12th with RIFT 2.3: Empyreal Assault.

World of Warcraft patch 5.3 goes live today

World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Patches, Endgame, News Items

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World of Warcraft patch 53 is up and running
Another World of Warcraft patch day has come upon us. Patch 5.3, Escalation, is hitting the game today, bringing with it a whole host of changes from loot specialization to increased pet battle accuracy. The patch introduces a new Battleground, Deepwind Gorge, as well as a new Arena called The Tiger's Peak. Four new scenarios are being added, plus six new Heroic difficulties. The Escalation quest campaign adds new tasks for Alliance and Horde members as they prepare to remove Garrosh Hellscream from Orgrimmar.

You can read the exhaustive patch notes on the official site, and you can catch up on all the nitty gritty details on patch 5.3 on our sister site, WoW Insider.

Guild Wars 2 developers share APIs, hopes for the future

Betas, Fantasy, Business Models, Culture, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play

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Guild Wars 2 developers share APIs, hopes for the future
This morning, ArenaNet dropped the price point of Guild Wars 2 by $10 across all available editions. In a follow-up chat about some of the decisions behind that move, Game Director Colin Johanson talked a bit about community support, the game's regular update cadence, and the company's hopes for bringing Guild Wars 2 into new markets.

While a $10 price drop is not an extreme move, Johanson is confident that the change will bring Guild Wars 2 to new people. The company seems to be currently focused on building up community support. Just yesterday, some APIs were made available to the public for the first time. We've already seen them put to use in real-time WvW tracking and event monitors. Johanson also talked about recent efforts to shore up the support for sPvP and how the additions of custom arenas and spectator mode has led to viewers for sPvP streams "more than doubling" in the last few weeks. The game appears to be moving towards a twice-monthly update schedule. Johanson said that while ArenaNet has "not ruled out" the idea of future expansions, the company is committed to the idea of the living story.

Johanson mentioned that Guild Wars 2 is sitting solidly at "well over 3,000,000 copies sold" without tapping into the Chinese market. He added that the game just had its first closed beta test in China and that the team is optimistic. ArenaNet hopes to make the Chinese version of the game as similar as possible to the existing one.

[Source: ArenaNet conference call]

Hyperspace Beacon: Does SWTOR's F2P work?

Sci-Fi, Business Models, Economy, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Ask Massively, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

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Hyperspace Beacon Does SWTOR's F2P work
Those of us who have played through the middle planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic know that chapter two is rather blasé. And as far as the free-to-play experiment is concerned, I really don't have anything new to report this week, or at least, not enough to fill a whole column. I will certainly have an update for you next week.

This week, I'd like to talk about SWTOR's free-to-play model in general. Although the design team has received a lot of heat from fans and haters alike, the system does have merit along with legitimate flaws. I do like SWTOR, but I'm not ignorant enough to believe that everything the game designers have done is perfect. I am also not one to hate because the game wronged me a year and a half ago. No matter the game, I understand, given my three years reporting in the industry and many other years playing video games, that there will always be people who hate a game no matter what developers do to appease them. At the same time, there will always be those who love a game no matter what stupid thing the developers do and will see no wrong no matter what you say to try to convince them. I try to put myself somewhere in the middle.

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Patch 8.6 brings more balance to World of Tanks, ups SPGs to tier X

Historical, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks

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Patch 86 brings more balance to World of Tanks, ups SPGs to tier 10
It's time for another update for the WWII-era World of Tanks. Today, Wargaming announced details for 8.6, an update that Producer Mike Zhivets said is "a major step in game balance enhancement and is really going to make SPGs players happy." He continued, "Artillery gameplay is going to feel a lot more balanced with a normal ten tier structure, making advancing through that class of armor more comfortable for players."

Update 8.6 will push the SPG armor line to tier X by promoting current tier 8's up to the top and then adding new SPGs to the middle tiers. The American, Soviet, French, and German tech lines will all receive new artillery units and the British line gets a new premium tank, the A33 Excelsior. A new Korean-based map will also be introduced.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

WolfKnights Online debuts from Kim Hakkyu

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New Titles

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WolfKnight Online debuts from Kim Hakkyu
Kim Hakkyu, former developer of such MMOs as Ragnarok Online and Granado Espada, released several brand new screenshots for a project his team is working on called WolfKnights Online.

For fans of IMC Games following along at home, this looks to be what was previously known as Project G2, not to be confused with Project R1, which is an entirely different game being worked on by the same studio.

Check out the gallery below and let us know what you think in the comments. Like I even have to tell you that part!

Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus launch-day roundup

Sci-Fi, Expansions, Launches, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Races

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Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus launchday roundup
With today's launch of Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, players can boldly go where no one has gone before. (Not to mention it gives us a reason to use that iconic phrase!) From new species and ships to more Klingon content, this next chapter in the STO saga expands the universe for players to explore. Want to captain a new ship as a Romulan or a Reman? Can do. How about adventure in a new zone? Yup. Or maybe just revel in the bounty of new rewards? Go for it.

If, however, you're stuck in spacedock and unable to head out yet, you can check out the changes awaiting you in the guides, videos, news briefs, and galleries below.

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Neverwinter team offers token of peace for beta mess

Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter

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Neverwinter team offers token of gratitude for beta mess
So Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios figure that Neverwinter players may not exactly be happy about the list of game-breaking bugs and exploits found in the game's open beta over the last few weeks. To help alleviate that player frustration, the developers are offering up an olive branch of sorts in the form of the Caturday Survivor's Pack full of in-game goodies.

For all characters created before 8 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. PDT) on Sunday, May 19th, this pack is waiting in their in-game mailbox. In it, each character will find a Stone of Health, a Dwarven Facemask, five teleport scrolls to the Protector's Enclave, two Adventurer's XP boosters, and a Cape of Catastrophe. Hey, at least they have a sense of humor about it.

The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game

Fantasy, Culture, Economy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, The Soapbox, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play

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The Soapbox Diablo III's Auction House ruined the game
After his departure from the Diablo III development team, Game Director Jay Wilson released a statement that the introduction of an auction house "really hurt the game." While players predicted doom the moment the Real Money Auction House was announced, Jay argued that the gold auction house was equally to blame for the game's fall from grace following an absolutely stellar launch sales. I don't normally agree with what Jay has to say on Diablo III, but in this case he does have a very valid point.

Diablo II was consistently popular for over a decade thanks to its immense replayability. At its core, D2 was a game about building new characters and gearing them up by any means necessary. Every enemy in the game was a loot pinata just waiting to be popped, and players farmed endlessly for a few sought-after unique items. You almost never found an item that was ideal for your particular class and build, but you could usually trade for what you needed via trade channels and forums.

Blizzard claimed that the auction house was intended just to streamline this process, but when Diablo III launched, it was clear that the entire game had been designed to make the auction house almost necessary for progress. The fault here lies not just with the concept of an auction house but with the game designers.

That's right: I'm here to argue not only that Jay Wilson was right about the auction house ruining Diablo III but also that it was his own damn fault.

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ArenaNet permanently lowers Guild Wars 2's price point

Fantasy, Business Models, Economy, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play

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ArenaNet permanently lowers Guild Wars 2's price point
ArenaNet has made the call to permanently lower the price point for Guild Wars 2. The game previously sold for $59.99 for the Digital Edition and $79.99 for the Deluxe Edition. Both of those prices are being lowered by $10. This is not a sale, but the new regular price of the game. ArenaNet expects that this change will bring in new players and make the game more accessible.

Content releases in Guild Wars 2 continue apace. Since launch, we've seen a handful of special events alongside one-time content, persistent content, and added features. On the other hand, NCsoft recently reported lower sales for this quarter than the previous one, citing "the reduction in Guild Wars 2 package sales" as part of the cause.

We're scheduled for a chat with ArenaNet's Colin Johanson later today; we'll be sure to update you with more information as soon as we can.

The Stream Team

Schedule | Now Playing | Twitch | Times in EDT
 

Release Dates

Core Games List | Games in Testing
STO: Legacy of Romulus Launch May 21, 2013
Marvel Heroes Launch June 4, 2013
EVE Odyssey Launch June 4, 2013
RIFT F2P June 12, 2013
Aion: Dark Betrayal Launch June 2013
FFXIV: ARR Launch Summer 2013
SMITE Launch Summer 2013
Elder Scrolls Online Launch Fall 2013
Transformers Universe Launch 2013
WildStar Launch 2013

 

Massively Staff

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Massively Speaking Episode 249: Captain Grumpypants

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