Much ado has certainly been made lately about doing something "new and different" in games. Just take a look at all the options coming through Kickstarter lately; even more contenders have thrown their hats into the ring since our roundup last February. But in a large number of these cases, the new ideas are coming from developers within the gaming industry. So what would happen if a game were developed from outside the industry?

Enter TUG. Formally known as The Untitled Game, the game is the brainchild of Nerd Kingdom, a group hailing from the world of academia that happens to have intersected with gaming. Self-described as "a collaboration of video game developers, academic scientists, modders, and gamers," this group wants to move beyond just improving the way games are made "to show[ing] that such games can make us better as individuals and as a society."

I was able to catch up with one of the founders of Nerd Kingdom, Scientist and Researcher of Stuffs Peter Salinas, to talk about the game. We touched on everything from player design input to features (like player books and companions) to making an engine available for others to use. Oh, and of course, Soylent Green.

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While still technically beta, Neverwinter joined the rank and file of MMOverse three weeks ago with a soft launch. Since then, the game has experienced its share of issues, bugs, and exploits. To address those, as well as give players a heads-up on what's incoming, Lead Producer Andy Velasquez shared the fantasy game's first State of the Game address.

Velasquez jumped right into discussing the bugs and exploits that have affected the game since open beta started and outlined the fixes that were implemented to squash them. He went on to talk about the top issues that the team was working on currently and then reveal what players can expect to see in the next few weeks. A Public Test Shard is coming to Neverwinter (to hopefully catch bugs and exploits before going live), as is new endgame raid PvE/PvP content called Gauntlgrym. Other new content includes updates in the Foundry and new companions, zones, mounts, mechanics, Paragon Paths, and a new "ranged" class.

Playing a stupid character is oddly frustrating because it's incredibly difficult to do.

This should not be the case. This should, in fact, be the opposite of the case. Playing someone with the mental alacrity of a ball of twine should be much easier than your brilliant wizard. But when you try to play a dumb character, it's easy for that character to wind up slipping into periods of pointless stupidity without acting like any of the nitwits you've actually dealt with over the course of your life.

Intelligence is a hard thing to quantify at the best of times, but some of our characters are meant to be just plain slow. I've played a few, and it's always a challenge to make the character feel like a person instead of a caricature. So here are some tips for making your big dummy feel appropriately oafish and endearing instead of just being a strawman.

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There's a problem in the Guild Wars 2 World vs. World matching system, and it's a subtle one that's almost invisible until you look closer. Because of the way ratings are calculated and how the matchups happen, the net result for each server is always being matched up against the same servers. No matter how well you perform, you wind up locked into a certain tier without any hope of changes. It's a problem that the development team is both aware of and is moving to address.

The short version of how things will work is that servers will be matched up semi-randomly, with ratings taken into account to assure that the spread between opponents isn't too severe. More math beneath the surface takes into account both the current rating of a given world and its overall deviation, producing a "real" rating that will facilitate fair matches. Take a look at the official blog for all the hard details.

So Final Fantasy XIV has announced its relaunch date, along with another collector's edition for people to buy. I'd like to point out here that I still have the original collector's edition sitting on a shelf in my office, and it has been stated clearly that all of the digital gewgaws for the collector's edition will be awarded to people with the old version. Yet I still have to fight the urge to buy another CE anyway, because there's an art book and other physical trinkets.

MMOs especially are games that you should never need to re-purchase. But sometimes you can find a game packaging something nice in with another purchase, and it almost becomes worth it to have another copy despite not needing a second account. So would you re-buy a game for new bonuses, either in-game or just bonus trinkets? Or does the very idea seem ridiculous to you?

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!

Once upon a time (OK, a few weeks ago), I was playing an ARAM as Diana. I had a fairly bad score (I'm passive and don't chase kills), and we lost. One of my teammates blamed me, claiming my item build was awful. It was largely because I didn't build Rabadon's Deathcap.

Deathcap is one of the perennial caster items in League of Legends. Not only does it give an enormous amount of ability power, but it also increases all of your ability power (including what it grants) by a whopping 30%. This seems so ridiculously powerful! Even though it's expensive, 30% increase in AP is such a huge boost to damage that it can't be beaten.

Is this really the case, though? In Summoner's Rift, I completely agree that Deathcap is a great item. In Twisted Treeline, Wooglet's Witchcap (the replacement item for Deathcap) is also incredible. However, in Dominion and ARAM, the fast-paced action and frequent conflicts change the nature of the wizard hats considerably.

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Have you ever wanted to battle for galactic glory on the moon? Now you can thanks to Champions Online's Forum Malvanum alert. The new content just went live, and Cryptic says that player heroes will need to "defeat some of the the most dangerous monsters and gladiators from around the universe" in order to become champions of the Lunar Games.

"The Lunar Games include ten rounds of enemies, with some variation in each run," according to Cryptic's announcement post. "Heroes who complete the first five rounds are guaranteed a prize as worthy competitors. More rewards will be granted by Tateklys for defeating the time-limited sixth through tenth rounds, including a climactic final fight with Firewing himself, reigning champion of the Games. Rewards include costume pieces, resources and more."

[Thanks Matixzun!]

BioWare has followed up on the recent Legacy system/crystal banning brouhaha that resulted in the temporary banning of some players from Star Wars: The Old Republic. Community manager Eric Musco says that less than 150 people were incorrectly flagged, and if you're one of those folks you should have already received a message from customer service.

"If you have not had your suspension reversed and you feel this was in error, please contact accountdisputes@swtor.com and they will be able to look into the issue further," Musco writes.

[Thanks Olorunsegun Adewumi!]

Looking forward to having some nostalgic adventures with Ultima Forever when it releases this summer? Then you might enjoy a trip behind the scenes of development with Ken Hartsook, a software engineer working on the title at Mythic. Hartsook is the subject of a new video detailing some of the programming challenges associated with bringing Ultima Forever to the iOS family of devices as well as his favorite parts of the game as it approaches launch.

According to Hartsook, one of the biggest challenges was finding a control scheme that worked for tablets and smartphones, which meant deviating substantially from classic control models. He also discusses the tilesets in the game and his experience playing a Fighter in the test version of the game. So if your iPad is ready and waiting for a chance to take the jump into Britannia, check out the full interview just past the break.

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If you found yourself impressed when you watched the four-minute cinematic opening for Neverwinter, then address all kudos and praise to Plastic Wax Studios. The company has previously focused on console titles, although it recently stated that it is branching out to provide cinematics for MMOs and mobile titles as well.

Executive Vice President Dane Maddams touts the studio's high fidelity and skill when it comes to these trailers: "We aimed to really push technology and art to compelling and cutting edge realism with our recent release of the Director's Cut cinematic for Perfect World's Neverwinter. The cinematics were carefully designed to enhance the story in a never seen before narrative and build anticipation for the title to new heights."

If you haven't watched the Neverwinter cinematic yet, you can do so after the jump.

[Source: Plastic Wax Studios press release]

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Neowiz is probably best known to western MMO fans as the publisher behind BLESS, one of those gorgeous big-budget Korean imports that seems to land on our shores once or twice per year. The firm is working on another title called Black Sheep Online, though, and if the gameplay vids and screenshots on display at Steparu.com are any indication, the new title might be worth watching.

The game allows for different limb-focused hit boxes (so targeting arms and legs is a viable strategy), and it also features destructible environments including breakable dungeon walls. Steparu reports that Black Sheep boasts action-style combat and some sort of grappling system. You can check out a gameplay video after the cut, then head to Steparu.com for the full report.

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I'm a Red Sox fan, and if there's ever a team that can exemplify the ups and downs of running a guild, it's the Red Sox. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the team, and yet they're near the top of the standings, only a game and a half behind the Team that Shall Not be Named. Managing a guild is also very often about handling the peaks and valleys of day to day life. It's as if the whole guild were manic depressive: You need to downplay the peaks and minimize the valleys.

We've looked at the valleys quite a bit in this column because valleys represent a more urgent problem, but in this week's Guild Counsel, let's look at how to handle the peaks.

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Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second has been given the keys to Europe, as Gravity Europe announced that the free-to-play title is now available to play across the continent. The game comes with a new English translation, and promises to be "easier to dive into" than the original Ragnarok Online.

Gravity Managing Director Yves Bléhaut said of the launch, "For us, Ragnarok Online 2 represents a major step in the life of a brand with as high a profile as Ragnarok. First and foremost, hosting so many players on two continents simultaneously represents a technical challenge for both us and our American partner, and it's also a major editorial step as two versions of Ragnarok will coexist: RO1 for purists, and one more accessible to the general public, RO2."

Ragnarok Online 2 has been rolling out worldwide over the past few months. Gravity Europe is offering two different goodie packs through "specialized media" to promote the launch.

[Source: Gravity Europe press release]

We hope you like metaphors because Bungie is bringing a whopper of one to you through the magic of a Destiny official trailer. The trailer is framed by a father reading to his son The Law of the Jungle at bedtime, mentioning wolves and packs in such a way that we totally aren't thinking of The Hangover whatsoever.

Of course, there's a bit of the game setting in there too, with masked, cloaked soldiers pulling out big guns and showing the enemy the business. The trailer concludes by stating that there will be a worldwide gameplay reveal for Destiny at E3 on June 10th.

Check out the savage trailer after the jump and let us know what jungle animal guides you in space!

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In spite of its recent layoffs (or maybe because of them), Trion Worlds is plunging ahead with its Defiance promotions. Not only will Syfy be showing a six-episode Defiance-the-show marathon and recap special on Monday (that's May 27th from 4 to 11 p.m.), but Defiance-the-game will be on sale on Steam and available freely from today through Sunday to brand-new players. Players will also nab a second crack at the game's early episodic content, which starred the series' lead characters. Quoth the press release,

Gamers who have yet to explore the open world shooter can try it on PC for free on Steam from May 23rd at 10:00 a.m. PDT [1:00 p.m. EDT] to May 26th at 1:00 p.m. PDT [4:00 p.m. EDT]. [See below for update on times.] Steam is also offering a weekend long sale on Defiance for those whose thirst for alien technology and open world action isn't satisfied by the trial. Both the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition will be 30% off. In addition, Steam will also be running a sale on "Bits," the in-game currency for Defiance, during which customers will get more "Bits" for their money.

The studio notes that other retailers will feature independent sales but did not specifically say which ones.

[Source: Trion press release]

[Update #1: Readers are reporting that the free weekend on Steam is still not active. The times quoted here are exactly what the press release said, and they have come and gone. We've contacted Trion for clarification and will keep you posted when we actually know more.]
[Update #2: Trion's PR says it's aware of the problem on Steam and is trying to get to the bottom of it now.]
[Update #3: Trion says the new go-live time is now 4 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. EDT) today!]

It's a running joke on Massively that some readers believe our lives are glamorous and that we sleep in beds made out of free video game swag. The truth is that video game bloggers are working in this field because they love the job. At least that's how it is around here. Or maybe writing in our pajamas is too posh to pass up. But people still believe we are loaded with perks just because we get to wear fancy hats that say "PRESS." Just kidding. There are no hats.

Here's a recent example from a reader named Will6:

Lucky you, getting to test drive the game. Everyone knows the press get instant invites because they are a free way [for studios] to advertise their game and get the word out.

It's time for "everyone" to be disabused of that notion.

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Even as a mere mortal, Billy Batson stood up to injustice. And now, thanks to the powers granted him by the ancient wizard Shazam, Billy can turn into a mighty lightning-infused warrior to fight against injustice, evil... and whatever opponents happen to queue against him! Joining the pool of available champions in Turbine's upcoming MOBA Infinite Crisis, the superhero formerly known as Captain Marvel (name officially changed to Shazam in 2010) hails from the Prime Universe and brings the power of lightning front-and-center as a melee enforcer.

Want to catch of glimpse of Shazam's powers and abilities like Speed of Mercury, Power of Zeus, Lightning Field, and Mystic Power/Defense? Then watch the champion reveal video after the break.

[Source: Turbine press release]

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So funny story: In planning out in advance what I wanted to talk about in this biweekly Neverwinter column, I had selected something that recently caught my eye about the game and made me happy. That something was the Neverwinter Gateway, a web portal that allows out-of-game players the ability to fiddle with their character sheets, auctions, professions, guilds, and mail. I thought -- and I still do -- that this was a nifty service that deserved a day in the sun.

As I was getting set to write that column, Neverwinter's economy exploded and then imploded over the course of a weekend, thanks to a nasty exploit that involved, yup, the Gateway. Suddenly my topic had to shift from "isn't this a neat tool?" to "check out what the tools are doing with this tool." Seeing the economy effectively destroyed in a matter of hours and how Cryptic Studios dealt with this PR nightmare might be old news at this point, but it's definitely worthy of reflection, analysis, and speculation as to how trust can be rebuilt in this fledgling title.

Let's get cracking -- we have a lot of ground to cover!

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Square Enix has announced today that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is set for release on August 27, 2013 on both PC and PS3.

According to previous reports, the third phase of the relaunched game's beta will begin some time next month. This phase will be the first time A Realm Reborn will be open to PS3 players during this beta.

Click past the jump for complete details on pre-order bonuses and the Collector's Edition box contents as well as the new video.

[Source: Square Enix press release]

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If you follow Star Wars: The Old Republic at all (and judging by the response to our tip line, you do!), you've heard the hullabaloo involving crystals and account bans going on right now. It appears some players have found they can bypass the fee necessary to unlock crystals account-wide in the Collection UI by spawning multiple crystals and using the Legacy system to trade those crystals to alts. As a result, a number of accounts have received temporary bans for exploiting. However, a number of players also claim they were caught in the cross-fire just for having a large number of legitimate crystals in their inventory, not realizing that was considered an exploit.

BioWare has issued a statement that it is aware of the situation and is actively investigating and that more information will be posted when it is available. In regard to the deleted and locked threads involving the issue, BioWare also reminded players that posts discussing exploits or action taken against accounts is not permitted on the forums.

[Thanks to all who sent in tips!]