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Derek Smart's Line of Defense shows off battle environments

Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, MMO industry, Free-to-play, MMOFPS

Line of Defense
Last year we got our first look at Line of Defense, a new MMOFPS from Derek Smart and his team at 3000AD. The title is looking good so far and the devs are certainly eager to show off their progress. As such, 3000AD delivered five brand-new screenshots showcasing the environments and outfits that players will experience, including desert and snowy terrains.

Line of Defense takes place in the same game universe as Smart's Battlecruiser 3000AD series, and promises to deliver "open-world FPS mayhem" from the depths of the ocean to the heights of space and everything in-between. You can check out the new screenies in the gallery below, and make sure to catch up on our Derek Smart interview about Line of Defense if you haven't already!

[Source: Evolve PR press release]

Turbine shows off new locations from DDO's Web of Chaos

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons

Dungeons and Dragons Online - Web of Chaos mobs
In case you missed it, Dungeons and Dragons Online is trading Eberron for Faerun. Yes, Turbine is introducing a Forgotten Realms-themed expansion to its six-year old fantasy MMO, but first the company is gifting players with a prequel content push called Web of Chaos.

Update 13 is scheduled to go live later this month, and today we have the first screenshots which focus on a cult called the Lords of Dust. Check out the gallery below for a look at their dungeon base as well as a glimpse of their Rakshasa cult masters.

The content features new quests, new items, and the ability for veterans to start a character at level seven.

[Source: Turbine press release]

Eden Eternal adds Samurai class, PvP arenas, and dungeons

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons

Eden Eternal - monster battle arena
Eden Eternal's latest patch lands today, and Aeria Games is adding quite a bit of content to the free-to-play fantasy romp. There's a new Samurai class, a revamped territory wars mode, and a new monster battle arena designed for PvP encounters.

The Samurai is a DPS class that uses a katana to slice and dice foes at close range. The class also features a number of buff abilities as well as a heavy-hitting Asura slash airborne attack.

In addition to the territory wars tweaks and monster arena, Aeria is also adding two new dungeons to Eden Eternal. The instances are designed for level 60 heroes, and each features new bosses and gear. More info is available at the game's official website.

[Source: Aeria Games press release]

Gallery: Eden Eternal

Xsyon architecture gallery shows off unique player-made structures

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Xsyon, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox, Crafting

Xsyon - player town
Xsyon's PR machine is shifting into high gear of late, and the post-apocalyptic sandbox title from Notorious Games has released another batch of screenshots. This isn't your typical 10-screenshot blast, either, but rather an entirely new gallery section on the official website devoted exclusively to user creations.

Notorious is intent on showing off what it calls player architecture, as Xsyon is one of the few games on the current MMO market that actually allows for unique creations in terms of buildings, structures, and even town layouts. You can see a few of the choice shots in our Xsyon gallery below, but you'll need to head to the game's official website to see them all.

[Source: Notorious Games press release]

Gallery: Xsyon

City of Heroes Issue 22 update features heaps of new content

Super-hero, Galleries, Screenshots, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

CoH
Paragon and NCsoft have officially announced the latest update for the long-running City of Heroes superhero MMORPG. Issue 22: Death Incarnate is the title's first major content drop since the free-to-play conversion, and new endgame trials, costumes, powers, and VIP items are on the way.

Chief among the updates are tweaks to the Dark Astoria zone (it becomes a Co-op Incarnate Zone tailored for level 50-plus heroes). Also noteworthy is the new darkness power set for Controllers and Dominators, which should cause a cackle of glee for those of you who relish summoning spectral minions and commanding shadows.

There's also a new trial called Dilemma Diabolique in which heroes and villains must join forces to take down the evil sorceress Diabolique before she makes good on her nefarious plan to rule the world. And that's just the tip of the new content iceberg. More info on Issue 22 is available at the CoH website.

[Source: NCsoft press release]

Choose My Adventure: So long, Lineage II

Fantasy, Galleries, Video, Lineage 2, Events, in-game, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, Free-to-play, Choose My Adventure

Screenshot Lineage 2
I'm here at the end of the line. Six weeks and 48 levels brings me to the close of my time on Choose My Adventure with Lineage II. It became a little grindy toward the end, but that's due to my inability to find a group, something that's important in order to experience some of the content. When I began this little adventure, I knew nothing of Lineage II. I'm walking away a regular player who's looking forward to trying out the numerous PvP options. I wanted to finish this ride with a bang, and I was lucky enough to be ending after a siege weekend.

Lineage II has some rather involved sieges and other PvP content that should please many players at mid- to high-level. I was a litle confused at first, but I was able to use the broadcast crystal to watch some siege gameplay. This final farewell covers a lot of PvP in the game, so buckle up!

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League of Legends pops the cork for Lunar Revel

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, MOBA

League of Legends
Feeling the doldrums of winter settling into your bones? Missing the colorful lights and excessive sugar dosages of last month? The good news is that there's still a great holiday to celebrate this month -- the Chinese New Year -- and League of Legends is totally on board with any excuse to party.

Coming to the game is the brand-new Lunar Revel holiday, which is "a time to celebrate the possibilities of the future with the coming of the new moon." Not only will the game be decorated with cheery lanterns, but Riot Games is adding some new goodies to enjoy, including special consumables in the store and unique skins for Talon, Sona, Wukong, and Lee Sin.

The devs say that this marks the beginning of many cultural-themed holidays as they go on a "world tour" to highlight the many countries that play League of Legends. You can get an advance sneak peek at the new Lunar Revel costumes in the gallery below.

[Source: Riot Games press release]

French tanks rumble into World of Tanks looking for payback

Galleries, Classes, Patches, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks

World of Tanks
Wargaming.net is allowing players to participate in a little revisionist history by unleashing French designs into World of Tanks. Will the Germans finally get what's coming to them, or will the Panzers dominate as they did back in the 40s?

With today's Update 7.1, the French have arrived in the game with several new tanks available for players to drive. Light, medium, and heavy versions of French armor will present a new twist on the established gameplay, with choices like the AMX 13-90, AMX 40, AMX 50 B and Lorraine 40t that feature automatic loading systems and oscillating turrets. Later this year Wargaming.net will add French tank destroyers and SPGs as well.

Lead Game Designer Mike Zhivets believes this will present a unique challenge for players who think they have it all figured out: "Our players already know how to play with the 'big three' tank nations, but the French are all-different. You'll have to reconsider the way you think tanks behave before they let you tame them. And that's what we love them for!"

You can scope out these French beauties in the gallery below.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Choose My Adventure: How Lineage II feels to a Western newcomer

Fantasy, Galleries, Polls, Screenshots, Lineage 2, Opinion, Free-to-play, Choose My Adventure

Lineage 2 screenshot
We're down to the wire for Lineage II's Choose My Adventure, with one more week to go. My Abyss Walker quickly rushed to the 40s, at which point leveling has slowed down considerably. I've talked about pets, explored (only a fraction of) the countryside, and touched on crafting and other features. What else could we possibly talk about?

I haven't really shared a lot of my experiences with my character class or how the class-transfers and skills affect my overall enjoyment of Lineage II. My third class-transfer is set in stone thanks to your poll choices and the game mechanics; now that I'm an Abyss Walker, I'm locked-in to become a Ghost Hunter, which makes sense. Ghost Hunter is melee, like my Abyss Walker. I can't really jump ship at this point and go ranged. So let's look a little more at my character, what the future could hold for him in terms of more class-transfers, and my opinions on non-situational combat and how that makes the game feel to me.

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Choose My Adventure: Post-Christmas update

Fantasy, Galleries, Lineage 2, Opinion, Free-to-play, Choose My Adventure, Livestream

A turkey and ham coma, family soiree, and the biggest calendar holiday of the year have left my Lineage II escapades a wee bit smaller this week, but not without some fun happenings. Speaking of holidays, I hope everyone had a terrific one!

Random events, miraculously revived dead pets, more amazing scenery, and lots of killing are on deck in today's Choose My Adventure. It turns out that I am terrible at raising my pet wolf and even got into an accidental scuffle with another player that left her pet dead and me even deader. I returned to the Path to Awakening because that's what you voted for last week. I've also neared the end of the uber-fast leveling cycle via quests and am turning to grinding for the majority of my experience gain. The fun-level has yet to dip for me; there's higher level gameplay I'm really hoping to dip my dagger into, and I'm curious to see what level I can reach by the end of this trip. As always, check out the extensive gallery and livestreams, and tune in to MV Guide to see when my next livestream will be.

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Xsyon tweaks combat, releases new screenshots

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Xsyon, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox

Xsyon - that's a lot of logs
It's been quite a while since we checked in with Xsyon, and it's been nearly nine whole months since the game officially launched with its Prelude limited release event.

In that time, Notorious Games has been hard at work, and the company has just published a partial listing of all the improvements made to the post-apocalyptic sandbox (as well as a few new screenshots). Tweaks include new twitch-based combat, an enhanced creature system, an expanded construction system that allows for buildings and towns, and various UI improvements.

Xyson: Prelude is now available for a $39.99 client fee (which includes one month of free game time) and a $14.99 monthly sub. Have a look at some of the player-created content in our gallery below.

[Source: Notorious Games press release]

Gallery: Xsyon

Choose My Adventure: Exploration week

Fantasy, Galleries, Polls, Video, Lineage 2, Opinion, Free-to-play, Choose My Adventure, Livestream

Lineage 2 screenshot
From desert wastelands and salty shorelines to plateaus and ocean floors, I've been busy traveling in Aden, and I've seen but a glimpse of the entire continent. Last week, you voted for me to stray from the Path to Awakening and explore the world in Lineage II, and I've been having a blast doing just that.

I discovered a monster racetrack, ran into raid bosses in the middle of nowhere, discovered a vast undersea temple, and so much more. I've also added 47 more screenshots to the gallery, uploaded a walkabout video, and have another livestream this week. We still aren't done yet. There are more chances for you to decide my fate in this week's Choose My Adventure.

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Lord of the Rings Online releases new Armies of Isengard screenshots

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

Screenshot -- Lord of the Rings Online Update 5
Lord of the Rings Online's latest update, Update 5: Armies of Isengard went live last week, signaling the first major update since the Rise of Isengard expansion was released. The update brings five new Isengard-themed instances (as well as a group finder function) to the game and continues the epic story. Perhaps in order to draw in some unsuspecting souls, Turbine has released a new set of screenshots showing off the new content. To see the screenshots, click on through the gallery below. Then head on over LotRO's official site to get in on the action.

[Source: Turbine Entertainment press release]

Choose My Adventure: A male Dark Elf Fighter in Aden

Fantasy, Galleries, Polls, Screenshots, Video, Lineage 2, Opinion, Free-to-play, Choose My Adventure, Livestream

Lineage II screenshot
Last week in Choose My Adventure, you voted for what kind of character I should make. I dutifully rolled him up and set off for fantastical adventures in Lineage II. Today, I bring you a dungeon video, many screenshots, first impressions, and even a livestream. It's a multi-media extravaganza! And we're also on to the next round of voting for what direction my character takes.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. I had to start out at the bottom of the barrel. For the first 20 levels, I called Talking Island Village home, until I was transported to the mainland and a little town called Gludio. I discovered, among other things, that there are many tantalizing spots to see in the game -- if you are willing to travel off the beaten path. These spots are well worth the layover, especially if you have a powerful-enough machine. As old as Lineage II is, it's strikingly gorgeous. I didn't dawdle for too long, as I had some leveling to do, and I made a few discoveries along the way.

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Massively's guide to SWTOR's launch and beyond

Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Game mechanics, Launches, Lore, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Massively Meta, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides, Dungeons, Crafting

Massively's SWTOR Launch Guide (Original graphic by Larry Everett)
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, we first heard mention of a new Star Wars MMO set in the popular Knights of the Old Republic era. Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare named it, and we've waited patiently impatiently through months years of hope and hype, fanboys and haters, and at least eight million articles about the fourth pillar of story.

This week, The Old Republic is the new hotness, and the Massively staffers are right there with you, champing at the bit to get in the head start already! But what if you're not an expert on Star Wars lore or TOR's gameplay? What if you don't know the first thing about purple lightsabers, astromechs, and the Kessel Run? What if you can't decide which class to play? When do you get a starship? Can you really romance your companions? How do flashpoints work? And why are there no bathrooms on Coruscant?!

Relax, young Padawan. Put your blast-shield down and let Massively be your guide... literally. We've rounded up a massive collection of helpful introductory guides for each of the eight classes, along with overviews of gameplay mechanics like companions, starships, flashpoints, warzones, and crafting. We've also curated the most illuminating lore essays from our regular SWTOR column, Hyperspace Beacon, in addition to our extensive hands-on previews from the last few years.

Take your first step into a larger world...

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