Massively Speaking http://massively.joystiq.com This is the Massively podcast http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Massively SpeakingJoystiqMassively Speaking<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Why you shouldn't always buy Deathcap on LoL casters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/the-summoners-guidebook-why-you-shouldnt-always-buy-deathcap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/the-summoners-guidebook-why-you-shouldnt-always-buy-deathcap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/the-summoners-guidebook-why-you-shouldnt-always-buy-deathcap/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Summoner's Guidebook Why you shouldn't always buy Deathcap on LoL casters
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.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Why you shouldn't always buy Deathcap on LoL casters

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Why you shouldn't always buy Deathcap on LoL casters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathcapdianaf2pfeaturedfree-to-playglass-cannonglass-cannon-mageleagueleague-of-legendsliandrys-tormentlolmobaopinionrabadons-deathcapriotriot-gamessummoners-guidebooktankmagetanky-magethe-summoners-guidebookThu, 23 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-birthday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-birthday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-birthday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website
Dota 2 celebrated the incredible sales of its world championship interactive compendium with free gifts for all players; the compendium has now sold over 266,000 units, raising the prize fund in The International to over $2,000,000 US. Third-person MOBA SMITE has recently entered the competitive tournament scene with two new weekly $1,000 tournaments. Rise of Immortals also announced its first competitive tournament since the Battle For Graxia update and revealed details of its hilariously-named ranged centaur character Murderhoof.

League of Legends revealed the new custom item set feature coming in Patch 3.7 and published a new champion spotlight video on classic ranged carry Ashe. Guardians of Middle-Earth also released its latest paid DLC character, The Mouth of Sauron, based on a character who was originally cut from the cinematic release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Diablo III celebrated the first anniversary of its release on May 15th with anniversary livestreams and a magic-find bonus for all players. The latest patch also raised the increments in which money can be sold on the Real Money Auction House to ten million in response to massive oversupply. Path of Exile revealed details of its upcoming Patch 0.1.1.0 that will add new party loot options and other features, and Star Citizen showed off its new website with a special e-commerce section in which players can buy ships for cash.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website

MassivelyNot So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LoL video previews 37 patch, introduces custom item sets
Instead of just rolling out a wall of text to discuss the changes and updates hitting League of Legends in the 3.7 patch, Riot Games offers players a video preview to get a glimpse of what's to come. And among the goodies is one of the most player-requested features -- Custom Item Sets.

Want to create a specific set of items, tailored to individual champions and/or maps before you get into a match and the fighting begins? Or how about just browse through the entire item shop on PVP.net just to see what's available? Both will be possible with the new Custom Item Sets feature. Initially, these custom builds will be stored on players' local machines only, but the devs plan on adding server-side storage in the future.

The video also discusses some balance changes to the champions Rumble, Twisted Fate, Caitlyn, and Nunu. Check out the specifics after the break.

Continue reading LoL video previews 3.7 patch, introduces Custom Item Sets

MassivelyLoL video previews 3.7 patch, introduces Custom Item Sets originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook Teaching ourselves LoL matchups
I'm always looking for things to teach players in the Summoner's Guidebook. We have, however, covered a lot of the low hanging fruit in one way or another. In League of Legends, and virtually every other asymmetric competitive game, matchup knowledge comprises the huge bulk of information that is truly useful to read about. This week was originally going to be a counter-Ryze guide, but then I decided to cover a broader topic to help reach more people.

I don't really like discussing specific character matchups largely because the character you're using matters almost as much as your opponent's. What does Ryze do against Kassadin in lane, for instance? The answer is not a whole lot if the Kassadin is decent. I could write a counter-Kassadin guide, but a lot of it wouldn't be usable by Ryze. Instead, this week we'll discuss how to think about the opponent's kit and develop a strategy to win on your own (or at least survive).

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MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Teaching ourselves LoL matchups originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook How do assassins work in League of Legends
In case you didn't notice, the title of this week's column is a question. It's not because I know the answer; it's because I've been thinking a lot about it lately and don't have a really good answer.

Assassins are in a strange state when it comes to teamfights. In League of Legends, there's a period when teams tend to group up to fight over objectives. This marks the midgame in Summoner's Rift, it happens after altars unlock in Twisted Treeline, and it occurs anytime both teams know where the other team is on the Crystal Scar. We've discussed teamfights a lot already, but what is troubling is the presence of assassins in these fights. Assassins are best when they're able to jump in and kill an unprepared target, ideally before a teamfight starts. Once that's done, their team can jump in with a numbers advantage and take the objective or wipe out the enemy.

When both teams are grouped up ahead of time, assassins lose a lot of their might. Assassins can't kill without exposing themselves to heavy risk, which makes them a liability to their team until they jump in. After they jump in, they're still likely to be the first ones to get focused down.

What do we do about this? What's the solution? I don't have a clear answer -- but I can still share my observations.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: How do assassins work in League of Legends?

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: How do assassins work in League of Legends? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively MOBA patch week, Star Citizen hits $9 million, and Diablo II ladder reset
This week is packed with MOBA news as almost every major title released a new patch. Infinite Crisis introduced new champions Poison Ivy and Gaslight Catwoman and announced that the game's closed beta will start in two days' time on May 8th. SMITE introduced new Norse god Fenrir the Unbound, and League of Legends released a champion spotlight on new Ice Witch champion Lissandra. Dota 2 also released new hero Elder Titan based on the original DotA hero Tauren Chieftain, and Heroes of Newerth released several months of balance changes at once in its colossal version 3.1 update.

Star Citizen celebrated hitting $9 million US in its ongoing crowdfunding campaign, and to celebrate, developers controversially gave all current backers free lifetime insurance on their ships. The title's success has also spurred EVE Online developer CCP Games to show off its own virtual reality dogfighter called EVR that uses the upcoming Oculus Rift headset.

Diablo III's first anniversary is just over a week away; details of any celebrations haven't yet been released. Developers confirmed that the PlayStation 4 version will not be getting mouse and keyboard support and that the PC version won't be getting support for analog controllers. For those of you up for some oldschool dungeon-crawling, Diablo II also announced that its ladder will be reset on May 14th this week and all players will start the game fresh again.

Continue reading Not So Massively: MOBA patch week, Star Citizen hits $9 million, and Diablo II ladder reset

MassivelyNot So Massively: MOBA patch week, Star Citizen hits $9 million, and Diablo II ladder reset originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 May 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook Playing LoL's new ARAM mode
Many of you already know what ARAM is -- it's a phenomenon that is hardly exclusive to League of Legends, and even in MOBAs where there isn't a map built for it, ARAM matches are played. Before the 3.6 patch, I tended to play ARAM matches either before or after my normal play sessions. I typically played a couple of games of Classic or Dominion, with a game or two of ARAM either before or after. As I've mentioned in the past, I enjoy ARAM as a way to unwind and practice without stress.

Patch 3.6 changed this by removing the Proving Grounds, replacing it with the Howling Abyss, and making ARAM a dedicated gametype with its own matchmaking. Now I play probably twice as many games as before, typically 8 to 10 ARAM games with no other matches. As it turns out, even I'm vulnerable to casual fun. The 3.6 patch also added in quite a few cool features that make ARAM much, much better than the pick-up custom games. I think that it's a great addition to League of Legends, especially for those who aren't particularly hardcore.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Playing LoL's new ARAM mode

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Playing LoL's new ARAM mode originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively title image
Details of this year's $1,600,000 US Dota 2 world championship have been released ahead of next month's qualifiers for the remaining three competitor spots. Heroes of Newerth began gearing up for its own tournament at DreamHack Summer 2013 with details of a qualifier tournament to determine which teams will face off at the event. Team Stay Green may be in with a chance if it enters, as the group just took home $32,000 US following a decisive win in the HoNTour grand finals.

A new Diablo III exploit that allowed Witch Doctors to farm XP by repeatedly killing their pets was discovered this week and promptly hotfixed. Riot Games released spotlight videos for newly revamped League of Legends champions Trundle and Sejuani, and CLG pro gamer Peter "Doublelift" Peng discussed his challenging road to success and heartbreaking family issues in a fantastic short documentary for Machinima.

Turbine released details of two new Infinite Crisis champions this week with video spotlights on hulking brute Doomsday and the gadget-wielding Gaslight Batman. Russian success Prime World let press into the English language beta for a first look at its castle-building and MOBA style gameplay. Rise of Immortals geared up for the official launch of its Battle For Graxia game overhaul with the addition of a new reputation system. And Star Citizen developer Chris Roberts revealed that he's been holding off on accepting investor deals because of the success of the game's crowdfunding campaigns.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's latest exploit, and city-building with Prime World

MassivelyNot So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's latest exploit, and city-building with Prime World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing
Out of all the roles in League of Legends, support is the most misunderstood. People expect supports to be similar to healing classes in other games, the kinds of characters who knit sweaters and cook dinner while the real warriors go out and fight on the front lines. When people first learn about the metagame, they often have the mistaken impression that because the support doesn't farm, there are fewer expectations of the playstyle.

However, supports are less like MMO healers and more like the shortstop in baseball. He's not a baseman, but that gives him flexibility to be where a baseman can't be. He's constantly in the thick of the action, and his team regularly relies on him to make plays. In League, the support's freedom from farming gives her the freedom to roam, to fish for aggressive opportunities and shut down the enemy. She can even wander into mid lane or the enemy jungle in search of these opportunities. Far from a shrinking violet, the support is one of the biggest playmakers on her team.

I got my start in LoL playing support, and it's a role I inherently understand well. I'm not really happy making aggressive lane plays and would prefer to relax and let my mechanics win my games for me (hence why I like ADC), but when thrust into the role of playmaker, I do reasonably well. For team leaders or just people who like to make others play by their rules, support is the role of choice.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yiliang
What would you do if you were kicked out of your house as a teenager with nothing but a bicycle, a computer, and a tiny bit of cash to your name? Most people would probably answer, "beg on a street corner" or "curl up and cry forever," but not League of Legends player Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng, who decided he was going to make ends meet by becoming a full-time pro gamer. Seems like a long shot, right? After all, pro gaming isn't what most people would call a reliable source of income.

But somehow, he pulled it off, becoming an integral part of pro-gaming team Counter Logic Gaming in the process. Peng's story is so remarkable that the folks over at Machinima.com have put together a short documentary video that highlights Doublelift's rise to power in the League of Legends pro scene. It's something of a rags-to-riches story for the gaming generation, and whether you're a fan of e-sports or just a fan of uplifting success stories, it's certainly worth a watch. And as it happens, you can find the video past the cut, so why don't you check it out for yourself?

Continue reading League of Legends player goes pro to pay rent

MassivelyLeague of Legends player goes pro to pay rent originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotae-sportesportf2pfantasyfree-to-playleagueleague-of-legendslolmobariotriot-gamestrailertrailersvideovideosTue, 23 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/not-so-massively-new-star-citizen-column-path-of-exile-season/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/not-so-massively-new-star-citizen-column-path-of-exile-season/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/not-so-massively-new-star-citizen-column-path-of-exile-season/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively title image
If you've been following the development of upcoming crowdfunded sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen with interest, Massively has a brand-new column you might enjoy. The Diablo III test realm hinted at upcoming boosts to life regeneration and the damage output of a few spells, but Blizzard also suggested that a nerf to the Wizard Archon Form might be on the way. Path of Exile started its second season of race events, with over 200 events to take part in and massive prizes to be won.

Third-person MOBA SMITE added the 34th god to its roster this week with acrobatic assassin Ne Zha entering the fray, and Guardians of Middle-Earth released new DLC character Kili the Dwarf. Rise of Immortals added support for game replays and introduced and interesting new White Knight feature that lets players take over from characters who have disconnected or quit in the middle of a game.

Heroes of Newerth announced a huge upcoming balance patch that may finally get rid of the paid-for early hero access and promises to rebalance much of the game's expansive roster of characters. Dota 2's streamlined abuse report update backfired when players discovered they could use the report feature itself to abuse other players. And Firefall may finally be edging toward release with the announcement of a date for the start of open beta.

Continue reading Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news

MassivelyNot So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook It takes skill to right click stuff in League of Legends
I've mentioned in passing that my favorite role on Summoner's Rift is ADC, otherwise known as "AD Carry" or "ranged DPS." This might be a bit of a surprise for some of you. Typically in League of Legends, the jungler is the playmaker, and if not, the support is. The playmaker roles seem like more suited to me, especially because I write guides on how to make plays. The ADC is the opposite of a playmaker. She's incredibly reactionary, relying on others to start things so she can finish them. Bruisers, tanks, junglers, mages, and supports all have tools to make things happen, but not the ADC.

I didn't learn to love carrying right away. It was sort of an evolutionary process, moving from support to mid to never-playing-SR-again to top to jungle to ADC. One of the things I love about ADC is that you can't be good at it starting out. You can be better than the people you're playing against, but you can't be good at it at all. The huge technical curve, more than anything else, is what attracts me to the role.

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MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: It takes skill to right-click stuff in League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patch 1.0.8 was released to the Diablo III public test realm this week, adding some big multiplayer upgrades and fixing quality of life issues with the Wizard class, crafting and the auction house. Path of Exile published its first series of articles in a new Development Manifesto forum looking into the thought process behind upcoming game changes and features. And sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen tackled the age-old problem of letting players have unique names without breaking immersion.

The European Dota 2 servers experienced heavy disruption this week as what appears to be a DDoS attack interfered with the DreamHack Invitationals and the G-1 qualifier tournament. A research firm also claimed that the game had recently passed giant of League of Legends in peak concurrent users despite publicly released statistics to the contrary.

Following on from its huge success in Russia, castle-building MOBA Prime World officially entered its English-language closed beta this week. Newly announced DC Comics MOBA Infinite Crisis released a champion profile video on new hero Green Lantern, and Heroes of Newerth published a classic hero spotlight on fan-favourite Devourer.

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MassivelyNot So Massively: D3's patch 1.0.8, Dota 2 DDoS, and Prime World's closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook Reworking three League of Legends champions
The Karma rework was probably one of the most-anticipated events to happen in recent League of Legends history. Karma was a character that was well-liked by the whole community but was almost universally seen as bad. With a surprising change to her model and lore as well as her ability set, Karma has risen from the ashes as an entirely different character. The changes to Karma are similar to the changes to Evelynn, in that Riot completely removed an old character and transplanted someone else that superficially resembled the old character in her place.

However, I was really surprised when Riot decided to rework two additional champions as well. The studio took Trundle out of the jungle and into the frozen mountains of Freljord, reworking his kit to reflect the changes in his lore. Sejuani, on the other hand, was much like Karma: a champion that didn't mechanically fit. Little changed about her lore, but she decided to put on some clothes and storm off to Summoner's Rift as a new woman. But are the changes to these three characters good for the League, or were the characters better off staying the same?

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Reworking three League of Legends champions

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Reworking three League of Legends champions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dota 2 surpasses League of Legends in the west
Look out League of Legends: You've just been knocked down to second place. DFC Intelligence has determined that Valve's Dota 2 is now the most-played online game in the North America and Europe, with LoL in the number two spot and World of Warcraft in a distant third.

DFC made this claim based on its PC Game Meter service, which draws data from multiple sources. The service does not include browser and casual games in its report.

Update: Riot Games contacted us to say that DFC has retracted the report press release. GamesIndustry also posted the following update: "According to a Riot Games spokesperson, League of Legends sees 'over 500,000 peak concurrent players every day on just the EU West shard,' which doesn't even touch on players in the United States. This is contrasted with the 325,879 players that Valve's Steamgraph shows as the all-time high for Dota 2 beta."

MassivelyResearch firm says Dota 2 tops League of Legends [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It seems as if everyone is jumping on the MOBA bandwagon lately and trying to cut a slice of the action for himself. Creative Assembly announced that the next game in the Total War series will be a MOBA with RTS elements named Total War: Arena. MMO developer Turbine has also thrown its hat in the ring, teaming up with Warner Bros. and DC comics to develop a MOBA based on the Infinite Crisis DC storyline.

League of Legends continued its plans to revamp old characters with overhauls to Sejuani and Trundle. Developers also revealed upcoming Ice Witch champion Lissandra, a crowd-controlling mage who can cast some of her spells mana-free. Guardians of Middle-Earth finally released Frodo Baggins as a DLC character, and Heroes of Newerth announced that the $60,000 grand final of HonTour Season One will take place later this month in Las Vegas.

In a new Diablo III developer journal, Blizzard discussed its efforts to get players into multiplayer and public games, including some gameplay improvements and a new matchmaking tag system. Path of Exile's Patch 0.10.5 went live today, adding three powerful new support gems, four new unique items, and several balance changes and bug-fixes. And Torchlight II gave modders a huge gift this week by releasing its in-house development tools to the public and officially adding Steam Workshop support to the game.

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MassivelyNot So Massively: Jumping on the MOBA bandwagon originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook Dealing with emotional stress in LoL
League of Legends is a frustrating game. As much as I portray myself as an unfeeling robot in the Summoner's Guidebook, I am not a paragon of precise execution and flawless decision-making. I've mentioned that I experience rage at my fellow players just as much as the next person. In fact, I probably get upset when I play more frequently than a typical player does.

As many of you have probably noticed, I take League of Legends pretty seriously. I don't screw around or play oddball characters. I don't like the idea of "playing for fun," even though I like to have fun as much as the next person. Saying "I play for fun" is just an excuse to dodge responsibility for my failures, and I don't like to play that way. I like to think that my contribution in a game matters, and two to four other people are counting on me to play my best. Even though that responsibility is hard to carry sometimes, it's better to shoulder it than to mindlessly mash my face on the keyboard and expect a win.

The problem is that sometimes it wears on me. I will frequently play only one game in a day if that one game ends up causing me a lot of frustration. It isn't about winning or losing; it's about dealing with the emotional frustration that comes from a game outside my control.

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MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Dealing with emotional stress in League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been a huge week for MOBAs, with several new characters being released and one game closing its doors for good. League of Legends finally revamped underused champion Karma and released new character Zac, a strange green blob who drops parts of himself all over the battlefield and can even revive after death. Dota 2 released classic hero Bristleback, a spined boar who slows enemies with a disgusting snot attack and slowly peppers them with spiked quills.

SMITE released god of music Apollo, who can deal damage by playing his lyre, sing enemies to sleep, and even power-slide like a rock star. Heroes of Newerth is in between hero releases, but its recent HoN 3.0 update has earned it the title of Best MOBA at PAX East 2013 by gaming website RTSGuru.

Warhammer-themed MOBA Wrath of Heroes officially closed its doors on March 29th, and its website has now been replaced with a message by producer James Casey. Finally, Diablo III's former Game Director Jay Wilson gave a talk at GDC 2013 in which he blamed many of the game's downfalls on both the gold and cash auction houses.

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MassivelyNot So Massively: Release all the MOBA heroes! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some weird stuff going on with her spine in this art, unfortunately.
A game like League of Legends relies heavily upon the ability to rebalance characters. Sometimes you'll wind up with a particular champion without the necessary abilities to really work in any role, obviating any serious use of that character. But the development team can always rework the character, which is exactly what's been done to the latest spotlighted champion, Karma. With a reworked set of abilities centered around her ultimate skill, Karma's got a new lease on life, or at least being a multi-role support character.

Karma's new playstyle heavily revolves around use of her Mantra ability -- her passive ability reduces its cooldown, and all three of her other abilities are modified when Mantra is activated first. The focus of her abilities is on slowing enemies and protecting allies, but with careful use of Mantra and her skills she can hold her own in a straight contest. Take a look at the full spotlight video past the break for build strategies, tricks for the early game, and more useful information.

Continue reading League of Legends turns the spotlight on Karma

MassivelyLeague of Legends turns the spotlight on Karma originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Summoner's Guidebook The best ways to ruin a gank in League of Legends
In League of Legends' Classic mode, jungling is my second-most preferred role. I prefer ADC first, since it is very taxing on attention and raw skill matters more than strategy. However, as a jungler, I can impact the game more meaningfully. While being ADC allows me to usually win the game in spite of awful teammates, jungling helps me prevent those awful teammates from throwing the game away.

When I'm going for a gank, there's nothing worse than someone mucking it up for me -- except when I screw it up myself. It's frustrating when I ping for a gank and my mid lane proceeds to engage and die to his opponent before I get there. It's even worse when I run through a place that I know is warded, attempt a gank anyway, and get jumped by three opponents. Sometimes a gank wasn't meant to be, but most of the time, we botched it all on our own.

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MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: The best ways to ruin a gank in League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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