Ask Massively: These are not the Massively offices edition

It's somewhat astonishing how many people think Massively consists of a small cubicle farm in a large office building. I mean, we talk about how we work from home all the time, but somehow this image persists. So for the record, that picture does not represent where the Massively staff works. I'd show you a picture of where I actually work, but it's kind of a mess at the moment, not helped by the fact that I still need to figure out where I'm putting some of my new Transformers. (I think Drift and Terradive should be fighting.)

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for this week's decidedly less holiday-flavored installment of Ask Massively. But we've still got our questions, this time concerning Final Fantasy XIV, Lord of the Rings Online, and our own pseudo-alcoholic tendencies. (We might not have a single place for everyone to be drinking, no, but we do share certain customs.) As always, send a question along to ask@massively.com or leave one in the comment field!

Bramen asked: Can Square-Enix regain a good reputation with North American gamers after the Final Fantasy XIV catastrophe?

As I'm looking at my personal collection of games, The Bouncer and Unlimited Saga both sit there like sore thumbs. If you've never played either of those games... well, Unlimited Saga is essentially your punishment for buying RPGs on the PS2, to put it charitably. Part of me is a little sad that I don't own other colossal wrecks that Square has put together, like Driving Emotion Type-S or Ehrgeiz. (I do have a copy of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within thanks to a bit of thrift-store luck, though.)

The short version is that it's hardly the first project in which Square hasn't come out smelling like a rose. Can the game regain its standing in the eyes of players and potential players? It's going to take a lot of work, but it looks as if the new team is putting a lot of effort into shoring things up. (I like it anyway, but I'm admittedly biased.) For most gamers, though, it's essentially a blip, and it's not going to hurt Square's long-term standing in the eyes of many gamers.

Greo asked: What's going to happen to Lord of the Rings Online after the existing lore runs out?

There's been a longstanding tradition that puts the end of the trilogy as the end of the official material. So it's quite possible that once the players reach the end, that's all she wrote. Fortunately, that looks to be quite a ways off, certainly far after the 2014 date when Turbine's license is set to expire.

Could the game continue after the epic story runs to a conclusion? Definitely. Will it happen? We'll just have to see.

ultimateq asked: When did you guys get a picture of my desk?

When we were sneaking into your house and taking your stuff. It's a bonding experience.

Looking for some advice on which class is best for soloing in Aion? Not sure who this Raph Koster fellow is? Curious about the release date of NCsoft's newest MMO? You've come to the right place! No one knows MMOs like we do. If there's anything you'd like to know about the MMO genre or the site itself, Ask Massively is here to help every Thursday afternoon. Just ask!