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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><itunes:title>Massively Speaking</itunes:title><itunes:author>Joystiq</itunes:author><itunes:image href="%BlogURL%/media/feedlogo.gif" /><itunes:summary>Massively Speaking</itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Games &amp; Hobbies"><itunes:category text="Video Games" /></itunes:category><item><title><![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Character select music]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-heroes/" rel="tag">City of Heroes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xi/" rel="tag">Final Fantasy XI</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-chronicles-of-spellborn/" rel="tag">The Chronicles of Spellborn</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wildstar/" rel="tag">WildStar</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/jukebox-heroes/" rel="tag">Jukebox Heroes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/music/" rel="tag">Music</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/"><img alt="Jukebox Heroes Character select music" data-src-height="313" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/05/characterselect.jpg" /></a></div>
Character select and creation music has always fascinated me. OK, maybe not fascinated; it's interested me. I've always viewed such themes as the overture of the game, the interlude between the title theme and the game proper to come.<br />
<br />
These themes don't tend to be rip-roaring in their presentation because that's not their purpose. They have to be pleasant enough without being annoying when looped endlessly. After all, sometimes players spend a <em>loooong </em>time making their characters or sitting there at the select screen, and the last thing you want is for their ears to become fatigued by the experience.<br />
<br />
So here are six MMO character select and character creation themes that I've enjoyed over the years. And if you saw the title graphic up there and immediately started hearing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD0d-XC_Cho">this song</a> in your head, then you and I probably grew up in the same era.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Jukebox Heroes: Character select music</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/">Jukebox Heroes: Character select music</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20566526/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/jukebox-heroes-character-select-music/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>carbine</category><category>carbine-studios</category><category>city-of-heroes</category><category>city-of-villains</category><category>coh</category><category>composer</category><category>composers</category><category>cov</category><category>cox</category><category>eq-2</category><category>eq-ii</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>ff</category><category>ff11</category><category>ffxi</category><category>final-fantasy</category><category>final-fantasy-11</category><category>final-fantasy-xi</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>freedom</category><category>game-music</category><category>jasper-kyd</category><category>jesper-kyd</category><category>jukebox</category><category>jukebox-heroes</category><category>justin-olivetti</category><category>mmo-jukebox</category><category>mmo-music</category><category>music</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>opinion</category><category>paragon</category><category>paragon-studios</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sandpark</category><category>sci-fantasy</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>soundtrack</category><category>soundtracks</category><category>square</category><category>square-enix</category><category>superhero</category><category>superheroes</category><category>telon</category><category>the-chronicles-of-spellborn</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><category>wildstar</category><category>ws</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Player panel submissions open for SOE Live 2013]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest/" rel="tag">EverQuest</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/planetside/" rel="tag">PlanetSide</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events (Real-World)</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-realms/" rel="tag">Free Realms</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dc-universe-online/" rel="tag">DC Universe Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-next/" rel="tag">EverQuest Next</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/planetside-2/" rel="tag">PlanetSide 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dragons-prophet/" rel="tag">Dragon's Prophet</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/"><img alt="Player panel submissions open for SOE Live 2013" data-src-height="320" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/05/eq2upanelheader.jpg" /></a></div>
Last year, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe/">SOE</a> threw a new ingredient into its convention mix -- player panels. The result was such a hit that the studio is not only bringing them back this year, but extending their availability; Sunday has been added to the player panels schedule, and that means there are plenty of openings!<br />
<br />
Do you have a subject involving any SOE game that you think would be of interest and benefit others? Maybe you are a whiz at livesteaming or you have primo tips and tricks on cosplay to dispense. What about sharing your fan site or holding a raid clinic? Whatever your idea, <a href="https://www.soe.com/soelive/news-article.vm?id=006">submit your proposal</a> by 3:00 a.m EDT June 1st for consideration. If selected, you and up to three other panel members will receive All Access passes to <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/SOE-Live-2013/">SOE Live 2013</a> (no other expenses are covered, including food, travel, or add-ons). Panel selection -- which is not on a first-come, first-served basis -- will be completed mid-June.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/">Player panel submissions open for SOE Live 2013</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20566592/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/player-panel-submissions-open-for-soe-live-2013/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>action-mmo</category><category>browser</category><category>browser-based</category><category>classic-mmo</category><category>con</category><category>console</category><category>consoles</category><category>convention</category><category>dc-universe</category><category>dc-universe-online</category><category>dcuo</category><category>dragon</category><category>dragons</category><category>dragons-prophet</category><category>eq</category><category>eq-2</category><category>eq-ii</category><category>eq-next</category><category>eq1</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>eqn</category><category>event</category><category>everquest</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>everquest-next</category><category>f2p</category><category>fan-faire</category><category>fantasy</category><category>fps</category><category>fr</category><category>free-realms</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>housing</category><category>infernum</category><category>infernum-productions</category><category>kid-friendly</category><category>kids</category><category>kids-mmo</category><category>las-vegas</category><category>mmo-shooter</category><category>mmofps</category><category>planetside</category><category>planetside-2</category><category>playstation-3</category><category>playstation3</category><category>ps</category><category>ps1</category><category>ps2</category><category>ps3</category><category>runewaker</category><category>runewaker-entertainment</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>shooter</category><category>soe</category><category>soe-fan-faire</category><category>soe-live</category><category>soe-live-2013</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>superhero</category><category>superheroes</category><category>telon</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[MJ Guthrie]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Free for All: My favorite female armor sets]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest/" rel="tag">EverQuest</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lore/" rel="tag">Lore</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/ryzom/" rel="tag">Ryzom</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/browser/" rel="tag">Browser</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mobile/" rel="tag">Mobile</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/casual/" rel="tag">Casual</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/roleplaying/" rel="tag">Roleplaying</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/virtual-worlds/" rel="tag">Virtual Worlds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-for-all/" rel="tag">Free for All</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/post-apocalyptic/" rel="tag">Post-Apocalyptic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sandbox/" rel="tag">Sandbox</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/buy-to-play/" rel="tag">Buy-to-Play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/"><img alt="Brienne picture" data-src-height="350" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/04/20120222214909brienne.jpg" style="margin: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" /></a></div>
Of all of the crazy characters from HBO's <a href="http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html">Game of Thrones</a>, Brienne is easily my favorite. Why is she my favorite? It's not because she's just heroic or brave or any of the things that people often attribute to her; it's because she's <em>a survivor</em>. Much of that survival comes from her armor and the fact that she knows well enough to be able to protect herself! The actress <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3729225/">Gwendoline Christie</a> has talked about how uncomfortable the armor is to wear. I've heard the producers say that the metal skin is supposed to look sort of mismatched, and I love that. It only makes it stronger.<br />
<br />
I often wish MMOs represented armor in better ways, especially for female characters. Some MMOs do a better job than others, and some MMOs do a decent job <em>some</em> of the time. Here are some of my picks for my favorite armor sets for female humans, orcs, goblins or... well, you get the point.<br />
<br />
(Please don't post Game of Thrones spoilers in the comments section.)<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Free for All: My favorite female armor sets</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/">Free for All: My favorite female armor sets</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20546537/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/free-for-all-my-favorite-female-armor-sets/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beau-hindman</category><category>costumes</category><category>design</category><category>everquest</category><category>EverQuest-2</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>female-armor</category><category>ffa</category><category>free-for-all</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>freemium</category><category>gemstone-iv</category><category>Guild-Wars-2</category><category>illyriad</category><category>mud</category><category>opinion</category><category>RolePlaying</category><category>Ryzom</category><category>Vanguard-Saga-of-Heroes</category><category>velvet-rope</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beau Hindman]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Free for All: My five favorite MMOs for exploration]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/ryzom/" rel="tag">Ryzom</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wurm-online/" rel="tag">Wurm Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/second-life/" rel="tag">Second Life</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runescape/" rel="tag">RuneScape</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/browser/" rel="tag">Browser</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/casual/" rel="tag">Casual</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/virtual-worlds/" rel="tag">Virtual Worlds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-for-all/" rel="tag">Free for All</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sandbox/" rel="tag">Sandbox</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/"><img alt="Vanguard screenshot" data-src-height="331" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/04/vanart1.jpg" style="margin: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" /></a></div>
There's nothing more important to me than the ability to freely explore MMOs. Heck, exploration is the reason I got into MMOs. I remember grabbing that box of <a href="http://www.uo.com/"><em>Ultima Online</em></a> (man, I wish I still had that box!) from a shelf at the local game store and looking in wonder at just how vast this virtual world seemed to be. I'm still the same way, although after years of doing this, I am a bit more cynical about games. I've heard so many promises that never came true, but I know that even the worst of titles offers the chance to explore a brand-new world.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of exploration mechanics out there. <a href="http://www.freerealms.com"><em>Free Realms</em></a> has an adventurer "job," <a href="http://www.thesecretworld.com/"><em>The Secret World</em></a> needs players to explore to solve mysteries, <a href="http://www.guildwars2.com"><em>Guild Wars 2</em></a> offers experience based on discovering new areas, <a href="https://www.everquest2.com/"><em>EverQuest II</em></a> entices people to explore by offering collectible items embedded in the ground, and there are so many MMOs that allow players to gain experience just by approaching areas they haven't before.<br />
<br />
But I have my favorites. These are games that just make me feel like an explorer.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Free for All: My five favorite MMOs for exploration</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/">Free for All: My five favorite MMOs for exploration</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20524847/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/free-for-all-my-five-favorite-mmos-for-exploration/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Atys</category><category>beau-hindman</category><category>EverQuest-2</category><category>exploration</category><category>explore</category><category>explorer</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>ffa</category><category>free-for-all</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>freemium</category><category>linden-lab</category><category>opinion</category><category>rolf-jansson</category><category>Ryzom</category><category>second-life</category><category>SOE</category><category>vanguard</category><category>Vanguard-Saga-of-Heroes</category><category>velvet-rope</category><category>wurm-online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beau Hindman]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which MMO has that indefinable 'it'?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/"><img alt="Vanguard monastery" data-src-height="298" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/vanguardmonastery.jpg" /></a></div>
First off, no, this is not an April Fool's post. With that bit of nonsense out of the way, I must confess to reinstalling <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard"><em>Vanguard</em></a> over the weekend.<br />
<br />
I don't know why I reinstalled <em>Vanguard</em> over the weekend; I've been having a fair bit of fun with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-the-old-republic"><em>Star Wars: The Old Republic</em></a> and my extensive Steam backlog lately. I certainly didn't need another MMO to play, and even if I did, I'm not sure why I would choose a fantasy themepark that I've quit at least four times.<br />
<br />
<em>Vanguard</em> has that certain something, though, a mysterious "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl">it</a>" quality that's always whispering seductively in my ear. Which MMOs, if any, continually rope you in with their indefinable allure?<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/09/coffee.jpg" style="padding-right: 10px;" vspace="0" /><em>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 <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/the-daily-grind/">Daily Grind</a>!</em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/">The Daily Grind: Which MMO has that indefinable 'it'?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20523171/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-has-that-indefinable-it/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>daily-grind</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>it</category><category>it-girl</category><category>opinion</category><category>sandbox</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>tdg</category><category>telon</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vanguard producer's letter talks diplomacy, Pankor Zhi, and more]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game Mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News Items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/"><img alt="Vanguard - Dragonbone bow" data-src-height="306" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/dragonbonebow.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe">SOE</a> producer Harvey "<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/harvey-burgess">Rahtiz</a>" Burgess has penned a <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard"><em>Vanguard</em></a> update letter. In it, he says the dev team is still "cranking away" on both content updates and bug fixes despite the defection of a couple of team members to other projects.<br />
<br />
The most recent game update features new Diplomacy NPCs in the City of Brass, and Burgess also explains why the Pankor Zhi revamp is taking a bit longer than expected. You can read the full letter at SOE's <em>Vanguard</em> website.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/">Vanguard producer's letter talks diplomacy, Pankor Zhi, and more</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20523135/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/vanguard-producers-letter-talks-diplomacy-pankor-zhi-and-more/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>diplomacy</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>harvey-burgess</category><category>non-combat</category><category>non-combat-gameplay</category><category>rahtiz</category><category>sandbox</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>telon</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vanguard merging down to one server]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/"><img alt="Vanguard merging down to one server" data-src-height="281" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/vanguard1.jpg" style="margin:4px" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/SOE/">SOE</a> announced today that it will be merging <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Vanguard/">Vanguard</a></em>'s two remaining servers, Halgar and Telon, on April 4th, at approximately 10am PDT. This will mean an end to the European Halgar server for good on April 9, 2013.<br />
<br />
Any character over level 10 will be moved over automatically, while those characters under level 10 will only be moved if they've been active since October 3rd. Character names will be saved based on a naming priority that is dictated by when the character last logged in. So in other words, if you want to save your stuff, log in now!<br />
<br />
Head on over to the complete <a href="https://www.vanguardthegame.com/news/article.vm?month=032013&amp;id=1568">server merge FAQ</a> for more information.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/">Vanguard merging down to one server</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20519382/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/vanguard-merging-down-to-one-server/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>sandbox</category><category>server-merge</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>telon</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vanguard revamps its Lomshir region]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region"><img alt="Vanguard revamps Lomshir region" data-src-height="331" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/vabn.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/"><em>Vanguard's</em></a> post-F2P development continues to truck along. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe/">SOE</a> <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/vg/index.php?threads/game-update-summary-thursday-march-14-2013.1624/">recently released an update </a>that revamped one of its starting zones, Lomshir. Lomshir is a level 10 to 20 region that any player can zip to via the riftway.<br />
<br />
So what's included in the Lomshir revamp? It's basically a pass to tighten up the flow, bring the area up to date, and provide new quests and bosses for players to tackle.<br />
<br />
The Lomshir changes are part of the <em>Vanguard </em>team's commitment <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/25/soe-live-2012-to-city-of-brass-and-beyond-for-vanguard/">to fleshing out the world with more content</a> and providing additional leveling paths to new and veteran players.<br />
<br />
[Thanks to Zjeven for the tip!]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region/">Vanguard revamps its Lomshir region</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20507026/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/16/vanguard-revamps-its-lomshir-region/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>game-update</category><category>lomshir</category><category>patch</category><category>patch-notes</category><category>revamp</category><category>sandbox</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>telon</category><category>update</category><category>update-notes</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Creative MMO minigames]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest/" rel="tag">EverQuest</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fallen-earth/" rel="tag">Fallen Earth</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-trek-online/" rel="tag">Star Trek Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/humor/" rel="tag">Humor</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/" rel="tag">Runes of Magic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/perfect-ten/" rel="tag">Perfect Ten</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/"><img alt="The Perfect Ten Creative MMO minigames" data-src-height="335" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/02/kindle.jpg" /></a></div>
Few people are without opinions on minigames in MMOs. Some love 'em, some hate 'em, and some just ignore 'em. Some even despise that I won't type "th." Takes all types, really. Personally, I'm all for including new types of enjoyable systems that can be repeated, particularly if it benefits my character in some way.<br />
<br />
There's also this perception that minigames are just for kids. It's true that more kid-centric titles like <a href="http://www.freerealms.com/"><em>Free Realms</em></a> and <a href="http://www.clonewarsadventures.com/"><em>Clone Wars Adventures</em></a> thrive on minigames like you thrive on deep-fried butter balls, but these little diversions exist all over the place in "grownup" titles too. Holidays are a favorite time to trot them out, although there are plenty that exist year-round.<br />
<br />
Today we're going to look at 10 creative minigames that have tickled my fancy over the year. Yes, I used the word "fancy." Whatcha gonna do about it?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Perfect Ten: Creative MMO minigames</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/">The Perfect Ten: Creative MMO minigames</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20466394/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/the-perfect-ten-creative-mmo-minigames/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>activision</category><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzard-entertainment</category><category>buy-to-play</category><category>cryptic</category><category>cryptic-studios</category><category>eq</category><category>eq-2</category><category>eq-ii</category><category>eq1</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>everquest</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>f2p</category><category>fallen-earth</category><category>fantasy</category><category>fe</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>frogster</category><category>frogster-america</category><category>frogster-interactive</category><category>g1</category><category>gameforge</category><category>gameforge-berlin</category><category>gamersfirst</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>gw2</category><category>humor</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>minigames</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>opinion</category><category>p10</category><category>perfect-10</category><category>perfect-ten</category><category>perfect-world</category><category>perfect-world-entertainment</category><category>post-apoc</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>puzzle</category><category>puzzle-pirates</category><category>pwe</category><category>rom</category><category>roundup</category><category>runes-of-magic</category><category>runewaker</category><category>runewaker-entertainment</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>sega</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>star-trek</category><category>star-trek-mmo</category><category>star-trek-online</category><category>steam</category><category>sto</category><category>taborea</category><category>telon</category><category>the-perfect-10</category><category>the-perfect-ten</category><category>three-rings</category><category>three-rings-design</category><category>top-10</category><category>top-10-list</category><category>top-ten</category><category>top-ten-list</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><category>warcraft</category><category>wastelands</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Shots: Standing room only]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/" rel="tag">One Shots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-the-old-republic/" rel="tag">Star Wars: The Old Republic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/tera/" rel="tag">TERA</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/"><img alt="One Shots Standing room only" data-src-height="321" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/02/o1-1361197807.jpg" /></a></div>
I love Bards and Bard-type classes. Always have, always will. There's something wonderfully against-the-typical-fantasy-grain about them in how they prefer a good solo on a harp to cleaving things in two with axes.<br />
<br />
Reader Rebecca sent us in her Bard doing an impromptu woodland concert: "Here my Bard Rozily is strumming a tune in Northern Highlands as the snow begins to drift down. Sometimes in <a href="https://www.vanguardthegame.com/index.vm"><em>Vanguard</em></a> you have to stop and enjoy the scenery."<br />
<br />
Absolutely! Also, you may want to look into the fact that the lute seems to have severed your forearm. Check out the full picture and so much more after the jump!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>One Shots: Standing room only</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/">One Shots: Standing room only</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20465947/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/one-shots-standing-room-only/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>bioware</category><category>bluehole</category><category>bluehole-studios</category><category>bring-back-one-shots</category><category>buy-to-play</category><category>ea</category><category>electronic-arts</category><category>en-masse</category><category>en-masse-entertainment</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>galleries</category><category>gallery</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>gw2</category><category>lucasarts</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>one-shots</category><category>pics-or-it-didnt-happen</category><category>reader-screenshots</category><category>reader-submissions</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>screenshot</category><category>screenshots</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>star-wars</category><category>star-wars-the-old-republic</category><category>swtor</category><category>telon</category><category>tera</category><category>the-old-republic</category><category>tor</category><category>user-submissions</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: A few of my favorite MMO soundtracks]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pirates-of-the-burning-sea/" rel="tag">Pirates of the Burning Sea</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/jukebox-heroes/" rel="tag">Jukebox Heroes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/music/" rel="tag">Music</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-MMO-soundtracks/"><img alt="Jukebox Heroes A few of my favorite soundtracks" data-src-height="308" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/02/favorite.jpg" /></a></div>
I could hear some of you thinking in disbelief last week, "If <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/jukebox-heroes-age-of-conans-soundtrack/"><em>Age of Conan</em></a> isn't one of your top MMO scores, what is? And just how much am I not sending you a Christmas card this year, you loser?" You were kind enough to just think it and not say it, but I could hear it even so.<br />
<br />
As we've mentioned countless times in this column, musical tastes are subjective. What's appealing to you may not be for me and vice-versa. What more is that musical tastes -- and favorites -- are always shifting around. I listen back to the jams that I enjoyed in the '90s and absolutely pity my younger self for such a deficiency in his musical diet.<br />
<br />
So I thought that I'd take a week off our normal soundtrack reviews to bring to you my current top six favorite soundtracks. This list comes with the caveat that it's always subject to future changes as I continue to listen through more soundtracks for this column.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Jukebox Heroes: A few of my favorite MMO soundtracks</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/">Jukebox Heroes: A few of my favorite MMO soundtracks</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20458104/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/jukebox-heroes-a-few-of-my-favorite-mmo-soundtracks/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>activision</category><category>age-of-conan</category><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzard-entertainment</category><category>chance-thomas</category><category>composer</category><category>composers</category><category>eq2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>game-music</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>gw</category><category>harry-mack</category><category>historical</category><category>Jeff-Kurtenacker</category><category>jeremy-soule</category><category>jukebox</category><category>jukebox-heroes</category><category>justin-olivetti</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>mmo-jukebox</category><category>mmo-music</category><category>music</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>opinion</category><category>pirates</category><category>pirates-of-the-burning-sea</category><category>portalus</category><category>portalus-games</category><category>potbs</category><category>riders-of-rohan</category><category>runes-of-magic</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fantasy</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>sega</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>soundtrack</category><category>soundtracks</category><category>spiral-knights</category><category>star-wars-the-old-republic</category><category>steam</category><category>swtor</category><category>telon</category><category>three-rings</category><category>three-rings-design</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><category>warcraft</category><category>wildstar</category><category>wizardry101</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sony officially announces SOE Live 2013]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest/" rel="tag">EverQuest</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/planetside/" rel="tag">PlanetSide</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events (Real-World)</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-realms/" rel="tag">Free Realms</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dc-universe-online/" rel="tag">DC Universe Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-next/" rel="tag">EverQuest Next</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/planetside-2/" rel="tag">PlanetSide 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizardry-online/" rel="tag">Wizardry Online</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/"><img alt="Sony officially announces SOE Live 2013" data-src-height="330" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/02/soelive.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/02/soe-live-scheduled-for-august-planet-hollywood/">While we've known</a> that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe-live-2013/">SOE Live</a> was moving location and dates this year to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas from August 1st through the 4th, <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/station/posts/list.m?topic_id=11500055057">we now have official confirmation</a> from the studio itself.<br />
<br />
SOE Head of Global Relations <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Linda-Carlson/">Linda Carlson</a> drafted up <a href="https://www.soe.com/soelive/news-article.vm?id=002">an accompanying post</a> about the upcoming convention that includes several pictures from previous years. "We're all gamers too," she writes, "and can hardly wait to hang out with you again! Everyone at the company LOVES going to SOE Live, the one event each that focuses solely on our players. We have everything in common!"<br />
<br />
Carlson explained that the change in venue was made for several reasons, primarily to keep costs down, have more flexible meeting space, and experience better air quality. She confirmed that, as in previous years, kids will get in free to the event.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/">Sony officially announces SOE Live 2013</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20450869/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/sony-officially-announces-soe-live-2013/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>brasse</category><category>dc-universe-online</category><category>dcuo</category><category>eq</category><category>eq-next</category><category>eqn</category><category>everquest</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>everquest-next</category><category>fan-faire</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-realms</category><category>linda-carlson</category><category>planetside</category><category>planetside-2</category><category>soe</category><category>soe-live</category><category>soe-live-2013</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>vanguard</category><category>whiz-o</category><category>wizardry-online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/contests/" rel="tag">Contests</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/giveaways/" rel="tag">Giveaways</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anniversary/" rel="tag">Anniversaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/"><img alt="Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway" data-src-height="297" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/01/van.jpg" /></a></div>
It's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/"><em>Vanguard's</em></a> sixth birthday today, and if you haven't read <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/">our recent dev tour</a> of the game's progress since free-to-play, we're going to have a strong word with your mother. As for <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe">SOE's</a> part, <a href="http://soe.votigo.com/fbsweeps/sweeps/Vanguard-Anniversary-Schwag-Bag-Giveaway-1">the studio is giving away five 'schwag bags'</a> full of awesome <em>Vanguard </em>goodies -- but you'll have to sign up quick to get your chance at winning something.<br />
<br />
The prize package contains a signed copy of<em> Vanguard's</em> collector's edition, a backpack, a $15 Station Cash gift card, a mug, a mobile stylus, and a phone case. It's open to everyone 18 and older, but all entries must be in by tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EST. <a href="http://soe.votigo.com/fbsweeps/sweeps/Vanguard-Anniversary-Schwag-Bag-Giveaway-1">You can head over to the official contest page</a> for more details and your chance to win.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/">Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20443752/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/vanguard-throws-sixth-anniversary-giveaway/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>6th-anniversary</category><category>anniversary</category><category>contest</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>giveaway</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sixth-anniversary</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>swag</category><category>swag-bag</category><category>telon</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Touring Telon: Six years of Vanguard]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anniversary/" rel="tag">Anniversaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/"><img alt="Touring Telon Six years of Vanguard" data-src-height="298" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/01/v1-1359491533.jpg" /></a></div>
Few MMO gamers can forget the legendary bad launch of <a href="http://www.vanguardthegame.com/"><em>Vanguard</em></a> and the drama that surrounded its development. Even fewer MMO gamers can remember what the game was like, as the population started small and stayed small. For a half-decade, the title wallowed in relative obscurity compared to the rest of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe">SOE's</a> lineup, and in fact, many predicted that it would be canned.<br />
<br />
As we know now, SOE decided to go a different way. The studio threw its faith behind <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/"><em>Vanguard</em></a> last year by relaunching it as a free-to-play MMO and giving it an actual development team once more. While <em>Vanguard </em>isn't in the league of major sluggers in the industry, the title is now thriving and seeing a renaissance that players new and old are enjoying.<br />
<br />
To celebrate <em>Vanguard's </em>6th anniversary, we got on the phone with Producer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/harvey-burgess">Harvey Burgess</a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/harvey-burgess"> </a>and Game Designer <a href="http://www.everquest2.com/news/article?month=012013&amp;id=51525">Corey LeFever</a> to take a brief tour around the latest content in the game and to talk about the road from F2P to the future.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Touring Telon: Six years of Vanguard</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/">Touring Telon: Six years of Vanguard</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20442302/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/touring-telon-six-years-of-vanguard/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anniversary</category><category>anniversary-event</category><category>city-of-brass</category><category>corey-lefever</category><category>druids</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>harvey-burgess</category><category>in-game-event</category><category>interview</category><category>isle-of-dawn</category><category>revamp</category><category>sandbox</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>telon</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Shots: Interior decoration]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/" rel="tag">One Shots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-the-old-republic/" rel="tag">Star Wars: The Old Republic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/"><img alt="One Shots Interior decoration" data-src-height="298" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/01/o1-1358280087.jpg" /></a></div>
You can go after a game's mechanics, a game's sound, and even a game's grammar, but when you go after a game's looks, well, then you're treading on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/">One Shots</a> territory. And when that happens, you'd best tread lightly, my friends.<br />
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Reader John took umbrage with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/">Matt's take on <em>Vanguard</em></a>, especially in regard to its art design, and sent in proof to rebut it: "Having started a new character in <a href="http://www.vanguardthegame.com/"><em>Vanguard</em></a> over the weekend, I set out to prove that, just perhaps, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/"><em>Vanguard</em></a> isn't quite as ugly as Matt Daniel seems to think. It would be a shame if people got the wrong impression, after all."<br />
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Personally, I adore <em>Vanguard's</em> aesthetic, but not everyone shares that opinion, nor should he -- to each his own, right? Hit the jump to see John's screenshot in its full glory as well as many other terrific player-submitted pictures!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>One Shots: Interior decoration</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/">One Shots: Interior decoration</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20429852/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/one-shots-interior-decoration/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>bioware</category><category>bring-back-one-shots</category><category>buy-to-play</category><category>ea</category><category>electronic-arts</category><category>eq</category><category>eq-2</category><category>eq-ii</category><category>eq1</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>everquest</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>galleries</category><category>gallery</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>gw2</category><category>lucasarts</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>one-shots</category><category>pics-or-it-didnt-happen</category><category>reader-screenshots</category><category>reader-submissions</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>screenshot</category><category>screenshots</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>star-wars</category><category>star-wars-the-old-republic</category><category>swtor</category><category>telon</category><category>the-old-republic</category><category>tor</category><category>user-submissions</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vanguard removes class, race, coin, and housing restrictions for F2P today]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business Models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/races/" rel="tag">Races</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/housing/" rel="tag">Housing</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/"><img alt="Vanguard removing class, race, and housing restrictions for F2P" data-src-height="320" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/01/vangaurd-aannoun.jpg" /></a></div>
One thing that really dissuades players from trying out or returning to a game after a free-to-play conversion is a large set of restrictions. And unfortunately, that is exactly what <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard">Vanguard: Saga of Heroes</a></em> had -- restrictions on race, restrictions on class, even restrictions on owning a house. But now, all of that has changed.<br />
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In his most recent producer's letter, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/harvey-burgess">Harvey Burgess</a> outlined some pretty big improvements coming to the recently reinvigorated fantasy game; even better, the changes go live in today's update! All players can now roll any class and any race they desire, whether they are freemium or paid members. Everyone can also participate in <em>Vanguard's</em> expansive housing system, and anyone -- regardless of pay level -- can form guilds. Even the two plat coin limit has been removed.  As a bonus, previously earned veteran rewards have also returned!<br />
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With these changes (and more) hitting the F2P model, what will make subscribing worthwhile? How about discounts on various in-game fees, increased XP and faction gains, and even the ability to purchase an additional housing plot for starters! A <a href="http://www.vanguardthegame.com/free.vm">full listing of the new F2P model</a> can be viewed on the official site.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/">Vanguard removes class, race, coin, and housing restrictions for F2P today</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20432067/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/vanguard-removes-class-race-coin-and-housing-restrictions-for/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><dc:creator><![CDATA[MJ Guthrie]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Second Wind: Vanguard]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hands-on/" rel="tag">Hands-On</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/second-wind/" rel="tag">Second Wind</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/"><img alt="Second Wind Vanguard" data-src-height="300" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/01/header.jpg" style="margin: 4px;" /></a></div>
Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and small, furry creatures from Alpha Centauri to the premiere edition of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Second-Wind/">Second Wind</a>, where we'll be taking you through the annals of time to revisit some of the past's greatest (and not-so-greatest) MMOs to see how they hold up today. In this installment, we'll be checking in on <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/sony-online-entertainment">Sony Online Entertainment's</a> <em><a href="http://www.vanguardthegame.com/">Vanguard</a></em>.<br />
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Here's a quick backstory for you: <em><a href="http://www.massively.com/category/vanguard">Vanguard</a> </em>originally launched in January of 2007 when Massively was still months away from its inception, and it was a mess. Bugs as far as the eye could see! Believe me -- I know because I was there. I played <em>Vanguard</em> at launch and lasted about a month before I grew tired of the never-ending parade of bugs and glitches and left. In the six years since <em>Vanguard's</em> launch, it's been sort of the red-headed stepchild of SOE's stable of MMOs. Content updates have been few and far between, and most patches the game has received have been (sorely needed) bug fixes. And of course, the game ended up going free-to-play back in August of last year.<br />
<br />
Now, six years after my first foray into Telon, I decided to jump back into <em>Vanguard</em> to give the game a fresh look. Did I find a diamond in the rough or just a big lump of neglected coal? There's only one way to find out: Follow me past the cut!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Second Wind: Vanguard</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/">Second Wind: Vanguard</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20418421/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/11/second-wind-vanguard/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>post-launch</category><category>re-review</category><category>review</category><category>roundtable</category><category>sandbox</category><category>second-impressions</category><category>second-look</category><category>second-wind</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>Sony-online-entertainment</category><category>telon</category><category>transcript</category><category>updated-impressions</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Daniel]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Free for All: The second annual Frindie Awards]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/real-life/" rel="tag">Real-Life</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-Fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/asherons-call/" rel="tag">Asheron's Call</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/contests/" rel="tag">Contests</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/ryzom/" rel="tag">Ryzom</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-matrix-online/" rel="tag">The Matrix Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wurm-online/" rel="tag">Wurm Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pve/" rel="tag">PvE</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/second-life/" rel="tag">Second Life</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runescape/" rel="tag">RuneScape</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/browser/" rel="tag">Browser</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mobile/" rel="tag">Mobile</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/casual/" rel="tag">Casual</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/virtual-worlds/" rel="tag">Virtual Worlds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mabinogi/" rel="tag">Mabinogi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/kids/" rel="tag">Kids</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/alganon/" rel="tag">Alganon</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-for-all/" rel="tag">Free for All</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/family/" rel="tag">Family</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/enter-at-your-own-rift/" rel="tag">Enter at Your Own Rift</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sandbox/" rel="tag">Sandbox</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/"><img alt="Frindie Awards logo" data-src-height="247" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2013/01/friendies.jpg" style="margin: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" /></a></div>
It's time once again for the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Frindies/">Frindie Awards</a>, my attempt to shine some light on the best indie, browser-based, free-to-play, and unusual MMOs that are all-too-often ignored by press -- and players. This one is for the little guys! Well, mostly. It's also for those games that seem to have passed under the collective radar of Massively readers or that seem to be very misunderstood.<br />
<br />
Picking the winners this year is just as hard as it was last year, maybe even harder. 2012 was an <em>incredible</em> year for MMOs, so I would rather have just put together an article that highlights every single favorite. In the end, it's more helpful to make myself pick out a winner. It's a rare thing for some of these games to even receive a nod on a major website, something I still can't figure out. Either way, it's best to think of <em>all</em> of the MMOs on this list as my favorites from 2012.<br />
<br />
Anyway, let's get to the awards!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Free for All: The second annual Frindie Awards</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/">Free for All: The second annual Frindie Awards</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20413448/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/free-for-all-the-second-annual-frindie-awards/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>a-mystical-land</category><category>alganon</category><category>arcane-legends</category><category>asherons-call</category><category>beau-hindman</category><category>browser</category><category>castle-empire</category><category>club-penguin</category><category>deepworld</category><category>derek-smart</category><category>drakensang-online</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>ffa</category><category>forge-of-empires</category><category>free-for-all</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>freemium</category><category>frindie</category><category>frindie-awards</category><category>frindies</category><category>gameglobe</category><category>glitch</category><category>habbo-hotel</category><category>innogames</category><category>istaria</category><category>jagex</category><category>life-is-magic</category><category>linden-lab</category><category>milmo</category><category>nadirim</category><category>opinion</category><category>runescape</category><category>Ryzom</category><category>salem</category><category>Sandbox</category><category>second-life</category><category>SOE</category><category>Sony-Online-Entertainment</category><category>spacetime-studios</category><category>Square-Enix</category><category>Star-Stable</category><category>the-matrix-online</category><category>the-missing-ink</category><category>There</category><category>There Will Be Blood</category><category>tiny-speck</category><category>travian</category><category>turbine</category><category>Vanguard-Saga-of-Heroes</category><category>velvet-rope</category><category>wakfu</category><category>wurm-online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beau Hindman]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist's top MMO stories of 2012]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anarchy-online/" rel="tag">Anarchy Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/asherons-call/" rel="tag">Asheron's Call</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-heroes/" rel="tag">City of Heroes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest/" rel="tag">EverQuest</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xi/" rel="tag">Final Fantasy XI</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/meridian-59-evolution/" rel="tag">Meridian 59</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/ultima-online/" rel="tag">Ultima Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/shadowbane/" rel="tag">Shadowbane</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-online-adventures/" rel="tag">Everquest Online Adventures</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-game-archaeologist/" rel="tag">The Game Archaeologist</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012"><img alt="The Game Archaeologist seals up 2012" data-src-height="349" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/12/uo-1356117028.jpg" /></a></div>
As another gaming year spins to a close, we here at the Institute for Digital Interactive Entertainment have been holding our archaeological department hostage with a trained buffy-tufted marmoset until it delivered a final report. After hours of begging and infected monkey bites, the head of that department, Prof. Justin Olivetti, Ph.D., handed us a scrap of urine-soaked paper with the following article inscribed.<br />
<br />
While the Institute strongly suggests that you ignore this report and instead work on your button-mashing exercises, the board of directors stated that all such papers must be posted for the public to see.<br />
<br />
This report is presented in the Yetbari typeface and contains a sequential series of items that number between 11 and 13.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Game Archaeologist's top MMO stories of 2012</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/">The Game Archaeologist's top MMO stories of 2012</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 29 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20402505/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/the-game-archaeologists-top-mmo-stories-of-2012/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>activision</category><category>anarchy-online</category><category>ao</category><category>asherons-call</category><category>asherons-call-2</category><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzard-entertainment</category><category>city-of-heroes</category><category>city-of-villains</category><category>classic</category><category>classic-mmo</category><category>classic-mmos</category><category>classics</category><category>coh</category><category>cov</category><category>cox</category><category>ea</category><category>electronic-arts</category><category>eq</category><category>eq-mac</category><category>eq1</category><category>eqmac</category><category>eqoa</category><category>everquest</category><category>everquest-online-adventures</category><category>expansion</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>ff</category><category>ff11</category><category>ffxi</category><category>final-fantasy</category><category>final-fantasy-11</category><category>final-fantasy-xi</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>freedom</category><category>funcom</category><category>game-archaelogist</category><category>lord-british</category><category>meridian-59</category><category>mythic</category><category>mythic-entertainment</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>nostalgia</category><category>opinion</category><category>paragon</category><category>paragon-studios</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>Seekers-of-Adoulin</category><category>shadowbane</category><category>soa</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>square</category><category>square-enix</category><category>superhero</category><category>superheroes</category><category>telon</category><category>the-game-archaeologist</category><category>turbine</category><category>ultima</category><category>ultima online</category><category>uo</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><category>warcraft</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 29 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vanguard team shares initiatives for the new year]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/" rel="tag">Vanguard</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-Play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/"><img alt="Vanguard team shares initiatives for the new year" data-src-height="299" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/12/vanguard.jpg" /></a></div>
Creative Director <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Steve-Danuser/">Steve Danuser</a> shared the philosophy of the <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/vanguard/">Vanguard</a></em> dev team in his latest design update when he wrote, "We can't change the past. What we can do is make our best effort to improve things going forward." How? Danuser and his team are focused on several key initiatives, including putting in modern tech to improve performance, polishing the existing content, adding new challenges for experienced players, working on better character progression, designing introductions for crafting and diplomacy, and broadening the title's free-to-play plan.<br />
<br />
Danuser also teased the next big content addition for the game: "The next zone we will roll out for high-end players is Pankor Zhi, which begins a storyline that will carry forward into future content. The team is really enthused about revisiting this under-utilized area and adding a compelling new experience to the game. Pankor Zhi will feature content for soloers, groups, and raids. Obviously this is an ambitious undertaking, but we feel we have a realistic scope that can be achieved with our team."<br />
<br />
[Thanks to John for the tip!]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/">Vanguard team shares initiatives for the new year</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 22 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20410204/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/22/vanguard-team-shares-initiatives-for-the-new-year/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>design-update</category><category>dev-diary</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>Pankor-Zhi</category><category>preview</category><category>producers-letter</category><category>sandbox</category><category>soe</category><category>sony</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>steve-danuser</category><category>telon</category><category>vanguard</category><category>vanguard-saga-of-heroes</category><category>vg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>