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One Shots: Lone wolf

Galleries, Screenshots, Massively Meta, One Shots, Miscellaneous

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One Shots
Long-time Massively follower but first-time One Shots contributor Ilix sent along today's highlighted screenshot of Fallen Earth, which we think is quite timely, given the PvP revamp soon headed to everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic sandbox. He writes in,
Fallen Earth is my top hard-RP MMO. Ilix, after three decades of isolation, attempted to fit in with a player-run town. But he was too rough-edged, too guarded, and still isolated in his mind, and he could not find joy among others. After several days trying to force himself back into what remains of humanity in the blasted terrain of the apocalypse, he admitted to himself that he could never return because he was too quick to anger, and he wandered off back into the desert. Irradiated scorpions haunt the land he wandered into, so he finds rest on the blade of a ruined helicopter's rotor, just out of reach of stingers. This shot defines the dual beauty and harshness of the life he resigns himself to.
Ilix's gorgeous sunset is tucked behind the break along with two other One Shots shots!

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Perpetuum expansion coming May 30th, bringing terraforming, new land masses

Sci-fi, Video, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Perpetuum, Sandbox

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Perpetuum robot duel
A couple of weeks ago, we told you about Perpetuum's new player-build settlements functionality and its new test server. Now, the devs at Avatar Creations have even more exciting news: an expansion!

It's called Gamma Frontier, and Avatar calls it the biggest expansion since the game went live over 18 months ago. Player corporations will be able to build home bases, launch industrial projects, and colonize the new Gamma islands (not to mention defend them from invasion-minded players).

The expansion also features extensive new terrain-shaping abilities. Avatar has given players full control over the land, including the ability to form hills, dig holes, and level the surrounding terrain as they see fit. Due to complications with pre-existing systems and landmasses, the terraforming capabilities are available only on the new Gamma islands (24 in total). Click past the cut to see a brief video of terraforming in action, then head to the Perpetuum website to read all the expansion details.

[Source: Perpetuum newsletter]

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Rise and Shiny: BatMUD

Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Bugs, Culture, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Roleplaying, First Impressions, Rise and Shiny, Miscellaneous

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BatMUD UI screenshot
Here I am making myself crazy once again. Why? Why do I insist on visiting games that I know will provoke issues both physical and mental? I guess it's because lately I have been fascinated with MUDs, or multi-user-dungeons. They are better described as text-based MMOs or choose-your-own-adventure books written with thousands of other players. It's a fascinating concept, especially when you consider how dissimilar it is to today's modern, easy-to-play offerings. The ancient design of the MUD now feels fresh, so much so that I have decided to dedicate a future article about the possibility of MUDs' viability in today's three-dimensional world.

I have found some good and some very bad over the last several weeks. I've also stumbled across brand-new versions of the migraines that often bother me when I concentrate way, way too hard on PC text. I have to admit that my issues do not seem that common, but it is important to look at a game from all angles, even from the angle of someone who has specific issues. BatMUD has tested my patience over the last few weeks and several hours. It's also shown me some wonderful adventure and sparked my imagination.

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Previously on MV TV: The week of May 12th

Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Massively Meta, Humor, Massively Hands-on, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Previously on MV TV

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Previously On banner
What a week of livestreaming! We've got quite the variety and tons of hours of video to watch. What's that? You had to work and missed half of the cool streams we showed? Don't worry! I gather all of the best streams from the week's collection and list them for you right here. Still, you need to bookmark our livestream page so you can see which videos are going to be shown during the week, but if you miss any, you can check out the recap here. That's why we do it.

This week we had a lot to offer. First we had good old Mike jumping into EVE Online for some space action, then into TERA for some scantily clad combat! He then explores some of the great browser-based game Drakensang Online. MJ brought a ton of goodies to the streaming table, goodies like a run-through in EverQuest II, some base-jumping in City of Heroes, a bit of hardcore survival in Xsyon, and a flight around the beautiful lands of Aion. I rounded out the end by streaming some BatMUD, a cool MUD that has been around since many of you have been in diapers!

Click past the cut and grab some popcorn. Keep the butter light but add some salt. Thanks.

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The Daily Grind: How important is surprise to you?

Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

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Of course, the fifth time you see the sea serpent it doesn't really shock you.
For some players, MMOs are all about discovery. The game is at its most fun when you're just exploring the world, figuring out what you need to do as best you can. But to other players, wandering around without a clue isn't as fun as knowing what to do and enjoying that actual accomplishment.

Of course, surprises come in both big and small varieties. No matter how well you might know Star Wars: The Old Republic's quests, for example, you might avoid looking up all of the datacrons and thus get a pleasant surprise when you find one. Or maybe you don't like knowing about the bosses you'll fight in a dungeon until you get into the fight.

We all like discovering things, but what we like to discover varies. So what about you? How important is having surprises in a game for you? Do you like to walk in with as little foreknowledge as possible, or do you like to have a pretty good map in your head before you start playing?

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!

Order and Chaos Online developer discusses server-linking and more

Fantasy, Interviews, News items, Mobile, Community Q&A

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Order and Chaos
In honor of the game's paper anniversary, Order & Chaos: Online producer Arnaud Bonnard took the time to do some Q&A with user-submitted questions about what is one of the biggest mobile MMOs available.

Arnaud shared some of the toughest parts of development, which were the pressure of creating a world vast enough to entertain players for months (and now years) and ensuring that everything was as stable and functional as possible from a technical point. He followed up by reliving the joy of a successful launch and the success that the game met with over time. He talked a bit about updates and DLC, which come out every one or two months and are generally still drawn from the original design document for Order & Chaos: Online, given that the world design was much bigger than could possibly fit into the game originally.

Bonnard also addressed the server separation between Android, iOS, and Mac devices: Not only would it be time-consuming to link all the operating systems, but such a system would mean that patches could only be deployed once every device was supported, which would be tricky and cause too many extra delays. As far as Order and Chaos' future is concerned, he's optimistic. There are new graphic features coming down the pipe as well as "lots of ideas for the game" as the company looks forward to another fantastic year thanks to fan support.

Catch all the intricacies of Bonnard's answers for yourself over at Gameloft.

The Mog Log: A decade of Final Fantasy XI

Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Opinion, Consoles, The Mog Log, Anniversary

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The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
Generally speaking, when I celebrate anniversaries, I celebrate the point when the game actually came out in a language that I could play it. This is relevant in the case of Final Fantasy XI, since the game took a year and a half to reach the shores of America (also known as "the place I live"). I learned my lesson about trying to learn a language just to muddle through a game back with Final Fantasy III.

However, when one of our eagle-eyed readers pointed out to me the milestone that the game had hit, that made an impact because even if I couldn't understand any of the game's text back when it launched, a decade is a long time for continuous operation of anything. So rather than talking about the Legacy campaign as I'd planned, I think I'd rather talk about the legacy of Final Fantasy XI this week, including where the game has gone from its state at launch. You know, when a Black Mage could make the entire world bow and you still got attacked when riding a chocobo.

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The Tattered Notebook: Peeling back the layers of time

Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook

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EQII flying
I was watching Shrek with my kids the other day, and one of my favorite scenes is Shrek's stroll with Donkey when they first meet. Shrek tries to explain how Ogres are like onions and how both have layers. When you think about it, EverQuest II is also like an onion because it has layer after layer of content and features that have stacked up over the years. In fact, some players have argued that there's almost too much to do, particularly at the lower levels.

I have always loved the fact that EverQuest II has been willing to try out new ideas over the years, and some of them have been remarkably successful. But there are a few that have gotten lost in the shuffle, while others have ended up directly conflicting with later additions of content. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll peel back the onion and look at the lost and conflicting layers of EQII.

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The Road to Mordor: Five ways LotRO should be streamlined

Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

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LotRO
You would think that growth and expansion is nothing but a good thing for MMOs -- after all, those are the hallmarks of the genre. But as these games get bigger, issues emerge as the developers add new zones, features, and systems. In short, maturing MMOs gravitate toward complexity, and this can have an adverse effect on the game as a whole.

The problem is that there is eventually too much a brand-new player has to absorb and master, not to mention the hassle of rolling alts and having to navigate all of that content once more. If developers don't stay on top of the situation, then the game starts to lose overall cohesion and becomes a befuddling mess.

With three expansions and numerous updates under its belt, Lord of the Rings Online is venturing deep into this territory. I have friends who are leveling up for the first time and finding themselves overwhelmed with everything that needs doing as well as all the systems that are not clearly explained. So today I want to play backseat developer and talk about five ways that LotRO should be streamlined for the good of all players, old and new.

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Guy steals friend's goods in APB, GM offers vigilante justice in return

Culture, Free-to-play, All Points Bulletin, Crime, MMOFPS, Humor

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APB
Account theft and compromise are tragic facts of life in all MMOs, as player BlackJackieChan discovered the other day when he logged into APB: Reloaded and realized that he was wiped out.

After posting a tirade on the forums, BlackJackieChan got the attention of a GM, who subsequently investigated the crime. His findings were stunning: BlackJackieChan's in-game friend beef43302 was the culprit. Beef43302 had crept into his friend's account, swiped a number of goods, and then deleted the temporary characters used for the theft. Beef43302 then tried to cover up his wrongdoing by consoling BlackJackieChan with a new car and encouraging him to stick with the game.

Even though BlackJackieChan was accused of not protecting his account (apparently he had shown his password to his friend), GamersFirst restored the stolen items and then offered BlackJackieChan the chance to decide his friend's punishment. "Seeing as this is a relatively unique case," the GM wrote, "we shall let you decide the fate of beef43302."

BlackJackieChan has yet to respond on the thread, but the GM did tell the offender that the company suspended his account "unless BlackJackieChan says otherwise."

TERA goes on special sale on Amazon, comes with shiny mask

Fantasy, News items, TERA

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So I just learned what TERA actually stands for. I'd always assumed it was 'tiny elim, RAHHHH ACTION'
We've told you previously about Amazon's special limited-time MAYhem sales, but the news just keeps getting better. Today TERA is on sale at 50% off (and it will be again on May 26th), bringing it down to a delectable $24.99 for the standard edition and $29.99 for the collector's. What's more, folks who purchase between now and May 28th will get treated to an "Olive Bandit Mask," an exclusive new facial customization feature.
The olive bandit mask is a subtle bit of headwear for essential outlaw occasions. This mask disguises your identity while enhancing your reputation as a figure of mystery. Don't get caught without your exclusive olive bandit mask while out adventuring in the world of TERA. Better yet, don't get caught at all.
If you're kicking yourself for missing out on a free goodie because you purchased the game already, fear not! Any Amazon customers who've previously bought the Digital Download of TERA will have the item code automagically placed into their Games and Software Library. Amazon's aiming to reward its loyal users by making sure that all such unique content is offered to all customers. That means that anyone who purchases now will also be eligible to receive any future unique promotional items.

If you've been waiting for a price-drop to take a running jump into the world of TERA, it just may be that now's your time, especially since there's nothing cuter than a Popori in a bandit mask.

[Source: Amazon press release]

WRUP: How is this not fully funded edition

Massively Meta, Miscellaneous

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I need this game to exist.  My past self would never forgive me otherwise.
For various terrible reasons, I only just found out about Panzer Pets (and yes, we did cover the announcement on Massively, but I still occasionally miss news we cover). Like many ambitious projects, it's on Kickstarter, but as of right now it's not even 10% funded, which raises the question of why we live in a world where a game that offers to let you build your own little robots and send them into battle was not funded about eight minutes after the page went live.

I think this should be rectified. My only regret is not having the full sum to just fill up the funding by my lonesome.

What's that? Oh, right, WRUP, in which the Massively staff members discuss what they'll be playing over the next two days. We also discuss our thoughts on open vs. instanced housing. Jump on past the break to see our weekend plans, and let us know what you're going to be doing in the comments!

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The Daily Grind: How much character customization is too much?

Fantasy, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

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Spirit Tales
Forty million. That's how many fashion combinations Spirit Tales is boasting. Forget, for a moment, whether you are a fan of Anime-inspired MMOs and cutesy fare and consider that staggering number on its merits.

I don't think players are really confused by a mind-numbing array of options. Heck, some of us live for cosmetic gear and could never get enough. But each one of these character tidbits was designed and modeled and textured and coded in by someone, and while we know that game development resources aren't wholly fungible, it's still true that money spent on pigtails and lollipop weapons and hats that look like snakes is money not spent on other features like housing and combat -- features more likely to be used by far more players than bunny ears.

How much character customization is too much?

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!

Betawatch: May 12 - 18, 2012

Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous

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Betawatch - D3
This week on Betawatch, we say farewell to Diablo III, which (at least nominally) moved on from beta to official launch on Tuesday. Bizarrely enchanting new MOBA SmashMuck Champions takes its place, joining our list with a closed beta planned within the month. We've also added MechWarrior Online to the alpha list, as reader mblakeman2001 rightly pointed out the game is in a friends-and-family beta!

CCP has begun sending out DUST 514 beta keys and opened registration, and we've also learned that Blade & Soul will leave beta and launch in July... but only in Korea. Sadface.

Finally, The Secret World's second beta weekend kicked off earlier today, but if you're not in it, you can content yourself with our hands-on with the game's combat and mission system.

Enjoy the entirety of our Betawatch roundup post-cut!

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MMObility: An exclusive look at the Runespan in RuneScape

Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Patches, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Hands-on, Casual, Miscellaneous, MMObility, Crafting

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RuneScape screenshot
Jagex, developer of the ever-popular browser-based game RuneScape, is known for its rapid development schedule. Heck, I fully expect that this article will be outdated by the time I finish its rough draft. Players of the Jagex flagship MMO can log in to find new items, places to explore, and quests to do almost weekly. I tend to poke my nose into the game several times a week, so I know that a more casual player has endless amounts of content to run through. I might level up my construction skill and then switch to something completely different. I just recently spent an afternoon playing with just the new bonfire skill.

Of course, those pesky developers are at it again: giving me more content to go through even though my highest skills hover around only the level 40 mark. This time it's the Runespan, a brand-new area that helps players level runecrafting by offering them a one-stop shop that is more casual and non-competitive than the normal runecraft experience.

I got the chance to call up some of the lead developers on the phone and ask not only about the Runespan but about the new FPS improvements, so be sure to check that out!

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The Elder Scrolls Online Ebonheart Pact faction profiled

Fantasy, Lore, News items, Races, The Elder Scrolls Online

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The Elder Scrolls Online: the Ebonheart Pact
The flashlight of knowledge has already been directed at two of The Elder Scroll Online's three main political factions, and now the third is getting a little time in the light. We've already told you about the Daggerfall Covenant and the Aldmeri Dominion, and today Game Informer is closing out ouroboros with the third faction, the Ebonheart Pact.

The alliance that makes up the Ebonheart Pact was first forged after an Akaviri invasion, when the Nords and Dunmer banded together and then cut the Argonians in on the friendliness in order to find safety in numbers. While the Aldmeri Dominion is bent on conquering and ruling, the Ebonheart Pact is really just an attempt to stay alive in a world of invasions and power struggles.

The Dunmer, also called Dark Elves, call the familiar lands of Morrowind home. Skyrim, which a few folks may have heard of thanks to a rather underground game that came out last year, is home to the militant and cold-resistant Nords. The reptilian Argonians, or Saxhleel as they like to call themselves, come from the Black Marsh, also known (by way of total coincidence, I'm sure) as Argonia. They share the area with the Hist, a race of sentient trees, and all matter of poisonous and malicious critters and plants.

If you need help keeping all the names straight (the Nords are also referred to as children of the sky, by the way, although apparently that's an informal title), be sure to read the full profile.

Age of Empires developers talk about free-to-try and free-to-play

Historical, Business models, Interviews, News items, MMORTS, Age of Empires Online

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Age of Empires Online
Gas Powered Games is aiming to take Age of Empires Online out of DLC-supported free-to-play and into a truly free model. That means moving away from what Systems Design Lead Eric Williamson described as "more of a free to try" model and implementing a system through which players can earn points to unlock anything that could be more quickly bought with money. In anticipation of this change, PC Gamer sat down with Williamson and Design Lead Steve Bauman for a chat about some of the philosophy behind the change.

Williams said that their hope is that people who were previously turned off by the imperative that they spend money for full in-game advantage will be willing to give it another go. Players will now be able to earn enough points to unlock a premium civilization in "as short as two or three weeks of daily play," so those who spend the most time in-game will reap the greatest reward. Empire points, the purchase resource that will be gained by either money or in-game achievement, will be earned by players as they complete specific campaign quests, level up, and participate in Alliance Contests.

New flythrough video previews Project Copernicus

Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Previews, News items

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A pair of scales might be more apropos.  Or dice.
In the wake of the Rhode Island governor's release announcement, all eyes are on 38 Studios and Project Copernicus. Up until now the title has been talked about only in hushed tones, but today we've gotten a little something more: a flythrough of some areas of the game, showing off what we can expect from the environments. And suddenly that announced release date seems just a touch more plausible because the environments certainly look gorgeous.

Players of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will no doubt recognize some of the environmental looks if not the exact locations, but everyone can appreciate the design that's gone into each region. Of course, it's a long road between showing a pretty place and making a playable game, and 38 Studios is still struggling to keep its head above water. But the MMO the studio has promised seems a bit more plausible now, and hopefully there's a light at the end of this particular tunnel.

[Thanks to all the tipsters who sent this in!]

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EVE Insider gets into the nitty gritty of the new ally system

Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

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Evil Pair of Ducks v. Pair of Ducks: FIGHT
In a never-ending effort to facilitate the spread of war and destruction, the good folks at CCP have cooked up an Ally System for EVE Online's upcoming Inferno expansion -- a system that will enable players to put their services on hire or find a buddy to join them in a war. In a dev diary update today, the system was brought out into the light and displayed in detail.

Wars you're engaged in will show up in the Our Wars tab (under the Wars tab, under the Corporation tab in your Neocom), as will any wars that you're an ally in. If you're a CEO or Director, you can list yourself as Open For Allies and decide whether or not to accept offers for help -- which you should expect, naturally, to come at a price. Negotiation of prices can be carried out through normal communication channels, as the current UI allows you only to accept or decline the offer.

If trouble hasn't found you and you want to spice things up, the All Wars tab is the place for you: It's a list of, well, all active wars, with information like who's asking for an ally and wars with one or more allies. By default, the list shows the 50 most recent wars, but it's also searchable by corporation/alliance. There's an "Assitance requests only" box that you can check to speed up the sword-selling process. Once you've made an offer, possibly done some negotiating, and been accepted, you'll be counted as an ally, although you'll have to wait 24 hours to start fighting.

The purpose of this system is to give more options to defenders, introduce some risk for attackers, and provide ways for mercenaries to support themselves. There's a whole list of extra rules and explanation over on the blog proper, so be sure to check it out.

Turbine is recruiting next week in (where else?) Rhode Island

Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

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Turbine logo
If you're going to be anywhere near New England next week, and you're interested in breaking into the games business, you might want to stop by Turbine's latest recruiting event. The developer of Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online is hosting a meet-and-greet in Providence, Rhode Island, on Tuesday, May 22nd.

The shindig runs from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hotel Providence, and Turbine is looking to fill 50 job openings at its Needham studio location (and hey, they're probably even paid positions!). Check out a listing of current opportunities at the official Time Warner career website.

[Source: Turbine press release]

Release Dates

Name Date
The Secret World Launch
June 19
DDO Menace of the Underdark Launch
June 25
MechWarrior Online Launch
Summer
DUST 514 Launch
2012
Guild Wars 2 Launch
2012
PlanetSide 2 Launch
2012
Transformers Universe Launch
2012
Neverwinter Launch
Q4 2012


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