Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Developer keynote at the CoX Meet n' Greet]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/developer-keynote-at-the-cox-meet-n-greet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/developer-keynote-at-the-cox-meet-n-greet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/developer-keynote-at-the-cox-meet-n-greet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The culminating event of the City of Heroes/City of Villains Meet n' Greet Friday night was a keynote presentation by the developers where they gave attendees a sneak peak into future content. We were hoping for a huge announcement of sorts, but instead received a couple small announcements.

Initially the Executive Producer for CoX, Brian Clayton, began by giving players their first look at the City Vault. These are the customizable web pages that will soon be available for every player and supergroup. There is a huge amount of information on these pages, and some in the audience seemed unhappy that all their enhancements and abilities would be viewable by their PvP opponents. Players were invited to come up to the stage and have their characters plugged into the database to see what their pages will look like.

Continue reading Developer keynote at the CoX Meet n' Greet

MassivelyDeveloper keynote at the CoX Meet n' Greet originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    ]]>    CoHCoVCoXCoX-Meet-and-GreetCoX-Meet-n-Greeteventsfeaturedgamer-eventsNCsoftMon, 03 Dec 2007 11:30:00 EST    <![CDATA[Impressions of the CoX Meet n' Greet]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/impressions-of-the-cox-meet-n-greet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/impressions-of-the-cox-meet-n-greet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/impressions-of-the-cox-meet-n-greet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


    Friday night as promised Jonathan Northwood and I traveled over to the Milpitas Dave and Busters for the first City of Heroes/City of Villains Bay Area Player Meet n' Greet. Winter has finally come to the bay area, and so the first stop after the ID check at the door was the coat check. From there we were able to see a long line of gamer types snaking down the hallway and knew that we were among friends.

    The evening was even better than I expected to be. Normally I feel very uncomfortable at functions such as these, but last night, surrounded as I was by lovers of NCsoft games and an incredibly accessible dev team, I felt right at home. Each player that arrived got three raffle tickets along with their badge. The white one was good for a t-shirt at the end of the night, the blue for a chance at raffled off goodies. And then there was the red ticket: Every player that brought a picture of their character entered a raffle for the chance to have their character sketched by comic book savant David Nakayama. What I didn't realize when I heard about this prize, was that he would be drawing about 20 throughout the night. Indeed, David was still sketching when I stopped by to say hello at the end of the evening.

    Continue reading Impressions of the CoX Meet n' Greet

    MassivelyImpressions of the CoX Meet n' Greet originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      ]]>      City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoXCoX-Meet-and-GreetCoX-Meet-n-Greeteventsfeaturedgamer-eventsNCsoftMon, 03 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST      <![CDATA[Personalizing your profile on Massively]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/personalizing-your-profile-on-massively/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/personalizing-your-profile-on-massively/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/personalizing-your-profile-on-massively/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

      Have you been itching to add your own personal icon to your Massively comments but haven't had the time to create your own? Don't know even where to begin personalizing your icon? Well, you're in luck, because we here at Massively are all about making life easier for you, the reader. To that end we've put together a couple icons from today's top MMOs to get you started. To select a pre-made icon from the gallery below, simply download it to your desktop (right-click then save) and upload it to your profile.

      For those of you interested in making your own icons, it's a fairly simple process. Open up your favorite graphic editor (Photoshop et. al.) and create an image that is 64 pixels wide and 64 pixels tall. I recommend working with a larger image and scaling it down, since the format is a little small to work with. Be sure to save it somewhere easy to find -- those buggers are little, and blend in easily with the wildlife ensconced on your hard drive -- and voila, you've got a personalized piece of iconography of your very own.


      Gallery: Massively Icon Gallery

      City of Heroes IconCity of Villains IconCity of Villains Icon

      MassivelyPersonalizing your profile on Massively originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        ]]>        avatarscomment-systemhow-toiconsMassivelyMassively-iconspersonal-profilepersonalizing-iconsFri, 30 Nov 2007 15:36:00 EST        <![CDATA[Massively at the CoX Meet n' Greet]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/massively-at-the-cox-meet-and-greet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/massively-at-the-cox-meet-and-greet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/massively-at-the-cox-meet-and-greet/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


        It's a busy day here at Massively. Not only are we bringing you the latest from the Independent Game Conference, we will also be your eyes and ears at tonight's City of Heroes/City of Villains Bay Area Player Meet n' Greet in Milpitas, CA. The evening proves to be an intimate affair where 200 lucky players will get the chance to talk with the NCsoft developers about all our favorite cape-related topics. But just because you can't be there physically doesn't mean you won't be able to experience the event. Massively's own Johnathan Northwood and I will make sure you don't miss a thing.

        On that note, are there any burning questions you have about Issue 11 or anything else about the game for that matter? We're representing you the readers tonight, so if you would like us to ask the developers anything, drop a question in the comments section. I myself have been dying for tidbits about their next expansion. What would you like to know as we meet and greet the CoX developers?

        MassivelyMassively at the CoX Meet n' Greet originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          ]]>          City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXCoX-Meet-and-GreetCoX-Meet-n-GreeteventsfeaturedNCsoftFri, 30 Nov 2007 11:15:00 EST          <![CDATA[Vanguard may be against the death penalty]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/22/vanguard-may-be-against-the-death-penalty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/22/vanguard-may-be-against-the-death-penalty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/22/vanguard-may-be-against-the-death-penalty/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

          Ten Ton Hammer is reporting on a recent uproar on the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes forums surrounding many MMO players' least favorite subject: death. Few like to contemplate their own demise, and even those who do would agree that penalties for dying in an online game are annoying. The current controversy surrounds a certain Producer's Letter written by game producer Thom Terrazas wherein he mentioned the possibility of reducing the severity of the death penalties in Vanguard.

          Now Dalmarus makes a valid point about all of this. Removing the loss of experience mechanic from death means removing the excitement. Essentially, the developers would be eliminating that extra thrill you get from tackling dangers and taking on challenges that might be a bit much for you; the thrill you get knowing you survived and saved your precious experience points. I would agree that a death penalty gives players a consequence, albeit a small one, for reckless actions in-game, and removing that penalty means changing the game experience for better or worse. My feeling is that the Vanguard team might be looking at their competition, titles like WoW, and noticing that the loss of experience might deter the casual player from sticking with the game. But then again, it doesn't deter Dalmarus, so should they really be worried?

          MassivelyVanguard may be against the death penalty originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            ]]>            death-penaltyexperiencegame-mechanicsloss-of-experienceSigilSOEVanguardVanguard-Saga-of-HeroesWorld-of-WarcraftThu, 22 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST            <![CDATA[Building a LEGO Universe logo]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/building-a-lego-universe-logo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/building-a-lego-universe-logo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/building-a-lego-universe-logo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


            If you are like me, then you have fond memories of building tall towers made of brightly colored plastic blocks to protect your knight in shining armor as he battles a vividly green, if slightly angular, dragon. Now that NetDevil's LEGO Universe is starting its development cycle, those of us who built worlds with our hands will get a chance to build an entire universe online. Like much about this project, the development team is opening up the design of the game's logo for fan input. They are asking the question what would make a good LEGO Universe logo, and even accepting concepts from young and old alike. A logo is a tough project to undertake, especially for an MMO, because it must convey the spirit of the project at first glance.

            When asked about the type of logo they are looking to create, Phillip Atencio of NetDevil mentioned that it must be something that conveys the creativity and energy of LEGO Universe, Fiorella Lee of LEGO.com brought up the phrase "global identity," and Matthew, and 10-year-old focus group participant talked about "lots of colors that shows what is going to happen in the game." So color, energy, and global identity. Well, that should be simple enough. Just draw a LEGO planet orbited by a LEGO cheetah, and throw in my LEGO dragon for good measure. I expect my check in the mail.

            MassivelyBuilding a LEGO Universe logo originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              ]]>              LEGO-MMOLEGO-UniverseLEGO-Universe-logologologo-creationNetDevilWed, 21 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST              <![CDATA[How WoW works]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/how-wow-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/how-wow-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/how-wow-works/#commentsFiled under: , ,

              Are you looking to pick up a new MMO but not sure which one to try? Or perhaps you're one of those people that simply doesn't get all the hullabaloo surrounding World of Warcraft. If you happen to be just this type of person, then Howstuffworks has the article for you. "How World of Warcraft Works" looks into the game from an outsider's perspective, and gives a brilliant overview of nearly every aspect of the game.

              From player base to the guts behind the game, the article goes over the parts of the WoW phenomenon, including several references to our beloved NickYee of the Daedalus Project and his demographic research on WoW players. Granted a lot of the information may be basic, but I found that even as an avid WoW fan I learned some things I didn't know, or had at least temporarily forgotten. And really, it's great to see so much information about the game condensed into its simplest form.


              MassivelyHow WoW works originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                ]]>                BlizzardDaedalus-Projecthow-wow-worksHowstuffworksWorld-of-WarcraftWoWTue, 20 Nov 2007 17:02:00 EST                <![CDATA[The leet CoV trailer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/the-leet-cov-trailer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/the-leet-cov-trailer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/the-leet-cov-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                Have you ever wondered what our super heroes would sound like if they spoke more like we do in game? Well, Kill Ten Rats has reminded us about an oldy-but-goody remix of the City of Villains trailer, leet-speak style. I'm not sure how I missed this one, but I am sure those of you who play CoX will get a kick out of this. Heck, those of you who have ever grouped in an instance in an MMO will get a kick out of this. Enjoy.

                [via Kill Ten Rats]

                MassivelyThe leet CoV trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  ]]>                  City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXhumorKill-Ten-RatsNCsofttrailersTue, 20 Nov 2007 09:32:00 EST                  <![CDATA[Darkmoon Faire dazzles London]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/darkmoon-faire-dazzles-london/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/darkmoon-faire-dazzles-london/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/darkmoon-faire-dazzles-london/#commentsFiled under: ,


                  The World of Warcraft TCG Darkmoon Faire has been touring Europe, and most recently stopped in London, England for a small tournament filled with fierce competition. Blizzard in partnership with Upper Deck Entertainment sponsored previous competitions in Frankfurt, Germany and Milan, Italy, and the two winners from those tournaments were on hand to battle it out in London. Victory smiled on the home favorites this time out, and both Frankfurt's champion Pierre Malherbaud and Erik van der Laan winner of the tournament in Milan lost to their UK challengers. In the end Paul Stuart, who had previously swept the UK tournaments, won the day, becoming the DMF London champion.

                  Players got the chance during the event to raid against Blizzard CMs using the Molten Core deck. The CMs are a tough group to beat, seeing as how in their 19 1v1 matches, they only lost 5. Despite valiant efforts, the raids were defeated by Baron Geddon in all his fiery glory. As a TCG fan myself I find it an inspiration to see lovers of the game gather together. Pardon me as I break out my deck to slaughter the next unsuspecting challenger. Any takers?


                  MassivelyDarkmoon Faire dazzles London originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    ]]>                    Darkmoon-FaireDarkmoon-Faire-LondonUpper-DeckWoW-TCGMon, 19 Nov 2007 21:30:00 EST                    <![CDATA[Zu Online showcases the Holy City]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/zu-online-showcases-the-holy-city/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/zu-online-showcases-the-holy-city/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/zu-online-showcases-the-holy-city/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                    With the alpha closed and lips zipped on IGG's Zu Online, the developers have released some info on one of the major focal points in the game, the Holy City. I think it's important that game makers give the public information like this, teasers if you will, about what they can expect in the game. Without these tantalizing morsels, how can we build anticipation for their product?

                    The Holy City is comprised of two main sections that seem to be divided geographically. Because the city is so massive, there are several Ride Guardians stationed throughout the city that will let you travel from place to place with speed and style. Judging from how pretty the map is, I can imagine this city will be breathtaking.

                    MassivelyZu Online showcases the Holy City originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      ]]>                      Holy-CityIGGZu-OnlineMon, 19 Nov 2007 19:00:00 EST                      <![CDATA[Exclusive EQ 2 item for MOG readers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/exclusive-eq-2-item-for-mog-readers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/exclusive-eq-2-item-for-mog-readers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/exclusive-eq-2-item-for-mog-readers/#commentsFiled under: ,

                      Massive Online Gamer is looking to reward (or bribe, depending on how you look at it) their subscribers who are also fans of EQ2. The first one thousand people to purchase a subscription will have access to an exclusive in game item. Now there isn't much info on what the item actually is, although it looks like a combination between a shield and wall art, so either might be a possibility. Either way, who doesn't like free stuff?

                      A year subscription costs $16.99. It's really not that bad a price considering you get 6 issues of the magazine. Those interested can subscribe online.

                      MassivelyExclusive EQ 2 item for MOG readers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        ]]>                        EQ-2Everquest-2exclusive-itemsMassive-Online-GamerMOGMon, 19 Nov 2007 18:29:00 EST                        <![CDATA[What if EVE was a fantasy MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/what-if-eve-was-a-fantasy-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/what-if-eve-was-a-fantasy-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/what-if-eve-was-a-fantasy-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                        West Karana recently posted an article that speculates on how you might translate EVE Online to the fantasy genre. As Tipa says, all the elements are already there in the game, you just have to find them. I particularly liked the analogy of a ship being akin to a hero's group of cohorts. While the hero's companions may die around him, he can still survive to fight other battles. In the same way, a ship in EVE is separate from its pilot and while the ship may be destroyed, the character itself may live on.

                        When you consider the basic elements that go into any good story, I think this analogy holds up pretty well. There is so much in a fantasy MMO that protects the hero from actual battle, in the same way that in EVE you are protected by your ship. A knight never goes into battle without his steed, his weapons, his armor, and more likely than not, his army. What do you think? How well would EVE work in a fantasy setting?



                        MassivelyWhat if EVE was a fantasy MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          ]]>                          EvE-onlinesci-fi-versus-fantasyWest-KaranaMon, 19 Nov 2007 18:01:00 EST                          <![CDATA[Zu Online end of alpha]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/zu-online-end-of-alpha/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/zu-online-end-of-alpha/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/zu-online-end-of-alpha/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                          Development is chugging along for Onwind Digital's newest MMO offering, Zu Online. They recently closed their alpha testing to make way for bigger and better things. The players, it seems, are having a ball playing the game, and let the developers know that they particularly enjoy the game's unique storylines and responsive controls. Now that they have concluded their end of alpha event, "A Happy Ending to Alpha," we will eagerly await news about what is next to come from this beautiful MMO.


                          MassivelyZu Online end of alpha originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                            ]]>                            alphaend-of-alpha-eventIGGOnwind-DigitalZu-OnlineMon, 19 Nov 2007 17:33:00 EST                            <![CDATA[CoX Splasher]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-splasher/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-splasher/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-splasher/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                            Poking around on the CoX forums this morning I came across an amazing little tool brought to us by the blossoming development community surfacing in the player base of the game. This fabulous bit of coding is called Splasher, and it's a program that allows you to customize the login and character selection screens for your client.

                            Beyond simply letting you put up a custom screenshot, the program includes a music function that will let you change the music played for you when the game loads. In this way you can create a custom anthem for your hero to serenade you while you select which character you would like to roam Paragon City with. In addition to the customizable music, there is also a randomizer function that will select a random custom login screen for you from a selection that you put into the program. I created a login screen that featured my favorite moments from Trick or Treating last month. You can download Splasher here, and soon you'll be on the road to a custom login of your very own.

                            MassivelyCoX Splasher originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                              ]]>                              Add-onsaddonsCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCohsplasherCoVCoXcustom-login-screenhow-toModsSplasherMon, 19 Nov 2007 17:01:00 EST                              <![CDATA[Cryptic talks PvP in Marvel Universe Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/cryptic-talks-pvp-in-marvel-universe-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/cryptic-talks-pvp-in-marvel-universe-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/cryptic-talks-pvp-in-marvel-universe-online/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

                              It's awfully odd to be reporting about developers talking about game mechanics in Marvel Universe Online after we just let you know that there are rumors the game might never actually see the light of day. Personally, I take it as a sign of good faith that Geoff Tuffli of Cryptic Studios is discussing the challenges that arise when trying to create a PvP system in an MMO in his third article in a series of blogs about PvP considerations. Of course, at its core this is more of a philosophical discussion about MMOs in general than about the specific choices they are making with this particular project, but a girl can hope, right?

                              The first section of the article deals with the debate between persistent PvP environments versus instanced ones. With instances, such as in World of Warcraft battlegrounds, preselected teams can form up to battle in a controlled environment that includes quests, faction rewards, and tokens. On the other hand, a PvP system more like Dark Age of Camelot or Anarchy Online where the combat takes place in a more persistent environment allows players to build the ever-so-enjoyable guild grudge and fight over territory within the game. From reading through his article it looks like the Marvel Universe Online PvP system will lean more toward the persistent than the instanced, which is fine by me. As long as they actually let me play the game.

                              [via Warcry]

                              MassivelyCryptic talks PvP in Marvel Universe Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                ]]>                                Cryptic-StudiosinstancesMarvel-Universe-Onlinepersistent-environmentsPvPWed, 14 Nov 2007 22:45:00 EST                                <![CDATA[Aion G-Star 07 trailer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/aion-g-star-07-trailer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/aion-g-star-07-trailer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/aion-g-star-07-trailer/#commentsFiled under: ,

                                Lovers of Lineage 2 rejoice. A new MMO has appeared on the horizon, swooping out of nowhere to amaze us with lovely graphics and angelic combat. They call it Aion, yet another offering from the MMO giant NCsoft. Just feast your eyes on the trailer released at this year's G-Star games conference in South Korea. This is the first real glimpse we've had of the game, and it's damn purdy. Not only does it seem to have some pretty slick aerial combat -- angels with bows and arrows, huzzah! -- the art style is superb. Check it out and see if you're as impressed as I am.

                                MassivelyAion G-Star 07 trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                  ]]>                                  AionG-Star GamesG-starGamesNCsofttrailerWed, 14 Nov 2007 18:15:00 EST                                  <![CDATA[Slashing up CoX]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/slashing-up-cox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/slashing-up-cox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/slashing-up-cox/#commentsFiled under: ,

                                  AmazingMOO (not our amazing Moo, but another one) put up a very cool post on the CoX forums a while back. He listed off a slew of lesser known slash commands he found in the game. I spend at least some of my play time every time I log in reading the newspaper to catch up on the latest infoz. But did you know that these were also in the game? Yeah, I didn't either:

                                  /cmdlist: A list of all the /slash commands in the game
                                  /whereami: Let's you know what server and map you're currently logged into
                                  /copychat [tabname]: Copies the contents of a chat tab to the Windows keyboard
                                  /showfps: Lets you see your frame rate
                                  /whoall: Displays every player in the zone
                                  /cc #: Insert the number of the costume slot you want to switch to, and bam! Costume switched.
                                  /unloadgfx: Having performance issues in Grandville? Try this command to clear things up.

                                  Have you encountered any slash commands you find useful in the game?

                                  MassivelySlashing up CoX originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                    ]]>                                    City-of-VillainsCity-ofHeroesCoHCoVCoXNCsoftslash-commandsWed, 14 Nov 2007 16:55:00 EST                                    <![CDATA[Issue 11 adventures in beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/11/issue-11-adventures-in-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/11/issue-11-adventures-in-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/11/issue-11-adventures-in-beta/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                    Omnitron of the Central Nexus spent some time the other day to give us his thoughts and experiences in the Issue 11 beta for CoX. He gives us some great insights into what we can expect when the update hits. First of all, he lets us know that Willpower is awesome. Every brawler and scrapper out there is going to want to pick up that power set. A note of interest I haven't seen mentioned anywhere is the 42-month veteran reward he found on the test server. Rather than simply getting the Fervent badge, players now receive the Assemble the Team power, which summons your entire team to you once every 30-minutes. If that isn't an incentive to keep your account active, I don't know what is.

                                    He lets us know that there's some potential weirdness down the line with the time travel Ouroboros missions. It seems that since you are deleveling down to say level 9 and are running around Paragon City weak as can be, turning in the mission could be challenging, since you have to get to a special island to do so. You might need to be sidekicked or something in order to complete your task. It sounds a little weird, and hopefully it will get ironed out before the Issue pushes through to the live servers. As Issue 11 nears, we'll keep an eye out on any further information and let you know.

                                    MassivelyIssue 11 adventures in beta originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                      ]]>                                      betaCentral-NexusCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXIssue-11NCsoftSun, 11 Nov 2007 21:01:00 EST                                      <![CDATA[The making of an AoC pinup]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/the-making-of-an-aoc-pinup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/the-making-of-an-aoc-pinup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/the-making-of-an-aoc-pinup/#commentsFiled under: ,

                                      Any gamer of discerning tastes will know that the December 2007 issue of Playboy magazine will feature video game heroines shucking their skivvies, and that includes the deadly Keaira, close ally to King Conan. This week's Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Friday update talks all about creating a compelling character. Finally I get to learn why there's a girl on the cover of a game about Conan. First and foremost, Keaira is beautiful, and so the initial concepts of the character design are built on that premise. She went through many iterations until she finally became the lady you see before you. Click on through and read about all the work that went into the character that has become the face of AoC.

                                      MassivelyThe making of an AoC pinup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                        ]]>                                        Age-of-ConanAoCFuncomKeairamodelsPlayboyFri, 09 Nov 2007 22:45:00 EST                                        <![CDATA[Flagship addresses the subscription issue, finally]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/flagship-addresses-the-subscription-issue-finally/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/flagship-addresses-the-subscription-issue-finally/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/flagship-addresses-the-subscription-issue-finally/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

                                        Yesterday all hell broke loose in the billing department at Flagship Studios. Now they are responding to the subscription debacle with Hellgate: London and trying their best to calm everyone down. According to the Flagship, the issue arose with 3% of subscribers, and they are working around the clock to fix the problem. What exactly was said problem? Only the fact that those canceling their subscriptions to the game were losing all the content they paid for immediately, instead of at the end of the month.

                                        Yes, it's a top priority, getting this ironed out, but I am more concerned about the supposed response to the forum posts created about the problems yesterday. As some players were reporting the issue, their posts were being deleted without so much as an explanation. Now, it's hard for us to verify this, since the Hellgate: London forums are private, which is in and of itself sort of odd. But if the poop hits the fan again, will they start deleting before they start dealing? It all sounds a little suspicious to me.

                                        MassivelyFlagship addresses the subscription issue, finally originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                          ]]>                                          breakingbugsFlagship-StudiosHellgate-Londonsubscription-problemsFri, 09 Nov 2007 20:50:00 EST                                          <![CDATA[City of Civilians and City of Aliens?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/city-of-civilians-and-city-of-aliens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/city-of-civilians-and-city-of-aliens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/city-of-civilians-and-city-of-aliens/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


                                          Ten Ton Hammer is reporting today on the rumor that NCsoft is adding a new "City of" title to the IP of their newly acquired CoX franchise. Well of course they are, they've been listening in on my conversations. I literally had this discussion with a friend of mine just a couple of days ago. The way I see it, you have heroes and villains duking it out in the city, but the citizens go along their humdrum lives without personality or purpose. So I am thinking, why not a Sims in Paragon City?

                                          The other idea I had as I was slicing up Rikti the other day was playing as the alien invading race. Sure they're trying to destroy mankind, but that's what makes good entertainment, no? I really think I have something here. With the civilians concept you could bring in a whole crowd of MMO lovers that want get a chance to build a virtual life within Paragon, and with the aliens you could start out on an invading vessel and port in to do damage and cause chaos. You heard it here first people. I so should be working for these guys.

                                          MassivelyCity of Civilians and City of Aliens? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                            ]]>                                            City-of-AliensCity-of-CiviliansCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXNCsofttitlesThu, 08 Nov 2007 15:44:00 EST                                            <![CDATA[Using games for rehabilitation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/using-games-for-rehabilitation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/using-games-for-rehabilitation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/using-games-for-rehabilitation/#commentsFiled under:

                                            One of the few things I recall from my Psych 101 class back in college was the tale of Pavlov and his dogs. As it turns out you can teach yourself to associate sounds with actions. A new virtual reality therapy is doing just that, helping those with addictions connect things they hear in game with the will to resist temptation.

                                            The game, created at Duke University by Professor Zach Rosenthal, works with rehabilitation patients to try to control their cravings when they are not in therapy. Because the patient is immersed in an environment similar to that they would find in the outside world, the temptations are fairly convincing. Rosenthal explains that cravings are a learned mental behavior, and if you can associate something, say a particular tone (like Pavlov's bell) with resisting that craving, you create a new learned behavior, this time a positive one. I love it when I see positive uses for video games. It proves that we as a society can learn so much from the games we play.

                                            MassivelyUsing games for rehabilitation originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                              ]]>                                              Duke-UniversityrehabilitationVirtual-RealityWed, 07 Nov 2007 11:38:00 EST                                              <![CDATA[Looking back at a CoX Halloween]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/looking-back-at-a-cox-halloween/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/looking-back-at-a-cox-halloween/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/looking-back-at-a-cox-halloween/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                              Halloween has come to an end in CoX, and many of us are looking back at the event with fond memories. Van Hemlock this week talked about the run in he had with Echoias, the massively tall pumpkin-headed monster that was terrorizing Paragon City. I didn't get a chance to track him down myself, but Van Hemlock got the Hallowed Spirit badge for his troubles, a nice memento of the holiday.

                                              My personal triumph this holiday was collecting some 30 odd costumes, so now I'm "Fashionable," or so says the badge. Yeah, I went a little crazy with the trick-or-treating thing, but it was an excellent way to level, and I got myself a system during the last days of the holiday. I figured out the doors were timed, so I would find one that had a group of baddies near it, and would cycle between slaughtering the Clockwork and knocking on doors. In the end, I got two sets of costume pieces, which allowed me to not only get an extra costume slot for my main, but also to give one to my friend. Not bad for what at its core was level grinding. And the costumes have stuck with me even after the holiday, so if I feel the need to hit the streets as a ninja or a PPD cop, I can. What was your favorite part of the holiday?

                                              MassivelyLooking back at a CoX Halloween originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                ]]>                                                City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoXHalloweenNCsoftWed, 07 Nov 2007 10:01:00 EST                                                <![CDATA[Where all the MMOs at?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/where-all-the-mmos-at/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/where-all-the-mmos-at/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/where-all-the-mmos-at/#commentsFiled under: ,

                                                Potshot (and yes, I realize he spells his name with weird symbols, but I'm just not leet enough to find them on my keyboard) is talking about the MMO industry. He's worried that the definition of success in the MMO market is based solely off the "WoW-killer" goal, and according to him this is the reason why virtually every MMO out there has been pushed back or even canceled.

                                                We've only had two (maybe three if you count Tabula Rasa, which he doesn't) actual MMO releases this year, Vanguard and LotRO. Sure there are the popcorn games as he calls them, Mythos and Dungeon Runners being prime examples. But are developers shying away from creating a solid MMO world even if it doesn't knock the king from the mountain? Surely there's enough room in the player's hearts for more than one game. If there wasn't, why would we have this website?

                                                MassivelyWhere all the MMOs at? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                  ]]>                                                  MMOMMO-industryPotshotWoW-killerTue, 06 Nov 2007 20:08:00 EST                                                  <![CDATA[Weapons scaling in CoX Issue 11]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/weapons-scaling-in-cox-issue-11/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/weapons-scaling-in-cox-issue-11/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/weapons-scaling-in-cox-issue-11/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                  Amongst all the other cool things we're seeing in Ish 11, Cryptic is adding weapons scaling to the customizable weapons toolkit. Weapons when you choose them will now scale according to how big and beefy or slim and tiny your character happens to be. Dave on Blog of Heroes says this will help a lot of characters, but says females still have the trouble of tiny, tiny hands.

                                                  Scaling the weapons is great, and something that players have been clamoring for. But the female model's hands are so small that any amount of weapons scaling won't help. What we need, Dave suggests, is a slider for female hands, since male hands are already oversized for the scale of the models. I know I have a female tanker, and her hands look too dainty to do the amount of punching and bashing she is capable of. It ruins the feel of the character. So on this one I'll have to agree with Dave, but what do you think? Will the weapons scaling solve the problem of the infamously slender hands?


                                                  Related Story

                                                  MassivelyWeapons scaling in CoX Issue 11 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                    ]]>                                                    City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoXfemale-modelIssue-11NCsoftweapons-scalingTue, 06 Nov 2007 19:40:00 EST                                                    <![CDATA[First semi-final event for the CoX costume contest tonight]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/first-semi-final-event-for-the-cox-costume-contest-tonight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/first-semi-final-event-for-the-cox-costume-contest-tonight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/first-semi-final-event-for-the-cox-costume-contest-tonight/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                    Guardian's Best Dressed Costume Contest has been running for a couple days now, and today is the last day to enter. If you consider yourself the master of character creation, then you'll want to hop on over to the Pocket D dance floor Tonight at 7pm EST for the judging. You know, I might do it myself just to see all the awesome costumes that will be out there.

                                                    A few specifics about the contest. There are seven categories, and the prizes range from 1 to 10 million influence and a title for your winning character. The final event will be held on November 27th at 8pm EST in Pocket D. In order to qualify for the finals you have to win a semi finals round, which will be held on the 6th, the 11th, the 13th, the 20th and the 25th. Even the semi-finalists will receive influential gifts, or infamous gifts, depending on what side of the game you play on. Personally, I would love to get third prize, since that's an Invention Origin Costume Piece of Choice, and my controller really needs her a pair of fairy wings.

                                                    MassivelyFirst semi-final event for the CoX costume contest tonight originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                      ]]>                                                      City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCostume-contestCoXNCsoftTue, 06 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST                                                      <![CDATA[A stitch in beta time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/a-stitch-in-beta-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/a-stitch-in-beta-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/a-stitch-in-beta-time/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                      If any of you are as excited about Issue 11 as I am, then I have good news my friend. The beta for Issue 11: A Stitch in Time has opened up on the Training Room server, letting players have a whack at Oroboros missions and customizing their weapons.

                                                      The current beta patch notes are available, and it looks like things are running fairly smoothly. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see my Stalker waiving around twin katanas. I feel some new character creation coming on! Grab yourself a spot in the Issue 11 beta today.

                                                      MassivelyA stitch in beta time originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                        ]]>                                                        A-Stitch-in-TimebetaCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoXCryptic-StudiosIssue-11NCsoftWed, 31 Oct 2007 20:46:00 EST                                                        <![CDATA[Heads of Cerberus and strike force number 1]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/heads-of-cerberus-and-strike-force-number-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/heads-of-cerberus-and-strike-force-number-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/heads-of-cerberus-and-strike-force-number-1/#commentsFiled under: ,


                                                        I love in-character tales. There is just something about reading the exploits of a CoX group from the perspective of the characters that just makes my day all shiny and happy, REM style. For that reason, I dove right in when I stumbled on Van Hemlock's recounting of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of The Heads of Cerberus, his CoV supergroup. His most recent story has to do with the first Strike Force mission the little level 15 supergroup encountered, taking them deep into Cap Au Diable. I don't want to spoil the read for you, but suffice it to say, they had some tough times, and kicked much do-gooder butt.

                                                        MassivelyHeads of Cerberus and strike force number 1 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                          ]]>                                                          Cap-au-DiablecovcoxCryptic-Studiosheads-of-cerberusNCsoftStrike-Force-MissionsWed, 31 Oct 2007 17:26:00 EST                                                          <![CDATA[Remembering a Norrath gone by]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/remembering-a-norrath-gone-by/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/remembering-a-norrath-gone-by/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/remembering-a-norrath-gone-by/#commentsFiled under: ,


                                                          Adele Caelia of MMORPG.com recently began a new feature, focusing on the reminiscing done about the older content in EQII. She listed off some of her favorite memories from playing the game, and then went around the game to interview players and what they remembered best about their early days in Norrath.

                                                          A lot of players remembered game elements and how they first wowed them, the first ride on a flying carpet, their first time conquering The Icy Dig. Others connected with the social aspects of the game, the first time they joined a guild, and in many cases, that is the guild they are in down to this day. Most of my fond memories of EQII are of a crafting basement and the injuries I sustained creating suits of armor. Ah, those were good times.

                                                          MassivelyRemembering a Norrath gone by originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                            ]]>                                                            EQ-IIeverquestmemoriesMMORPG.comNorrathsoeThe-Icy-DigMon, 29 Oct 2007 12:33:00 EST                                                            <![CDATA[Charting the history of MMO subscriptions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/charting-the-history-of-mmo-subscriptions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/charting-the-history-of-mmo-subscriptions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/charting-the-history-of-mmo-subscriptions/#commentsFiled under:

                                                            The world of MMOs has been around a lot longer than even I realized, and thanks to Tobold's pointing out MMOData, I was able to look at the history of MMOs, at least as far as their subscriptions were concerned. The data on the site is not exactly up-to-date, but what it gives us is a general idea of the flow of popularity of each of the MMOs.

                                                            But as a commenter pointed out on Tobold's article on the subject, counting accounts is not really the most accurate determinate of how popular a game is, particularly when you toss free MMOs into the mix. Rather, the data that would better tell us how popular a game is would be the active players information. If you know exactly how many people are playing each of the games during, say, a given week, you would then have a better understanding of how to compare their popularity. Hop on over to MMOData and play with the charts yourself. If nothing else, it's fun to mess with interactive data analysis, even if it's not entirely accurate.

                                                            MassivelyCharting the history of MMO subscriptions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                              ]]>                                                              chartshistory-of-MMO-subscriptionsMMOMMODatasubscriptionsToboldMon, 29 Oct 2007 11:10:00 EST                                                              <![CDATA[30 free MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/30-free-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/30-free-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/30-free-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , ,

                                                              Do you love you the MMOs but don't have the cash for the subscriptions? Can't even afford to purchase the games themselves? Well, you're in luck, because Mashable just posted about 30 MMOs that won't cost you a dime, unless of course you count the electricity it costs to run your computer in order to play the games. Oh, is nothing free anymore?

                                                              Most of these games I've heard of, a handful of them I even have accounts to, and one in particular is demanding more and more of my time. But there are a couple on this list I haven't encountered as of yet, so I might take some time over the next few weeks and see if I can introduce myself to them. Hello, how are you, will you be the next game to take over my life?

                                                              Massively30 free MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                ]]>                                                                browsercasualfree-to-playlistsMon, 29 Oct 2007 08:16:00 EST                                                                <![CDATA[Trick or treating in CoX]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/trick-or-treating-in-cox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/trick-or-treating-in-cox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/trick-or-treating-in-cox/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                                I have been having an unhealthy amount of fun Trick-or-Treating in CoX these days. Admittedly, this might be because it's the first time I actually have every participated in this Halloween ritual. In any case I spent several hours the other day knocking on doors and awaiting my fate.

                                                                I got a treat about one fifth of the time, so the ratio is pretty high. I currently have seven different temporary costumes, ranging from the Goldbricker to my favorite the Freak Zapper. These last a few minutes, and enable me to get a taste of what it must be like to play a hoodlum. I also got two costume salvage rewards, but when I went to Croatoa to turn them in, not only was I not able to find Annah, the place was infested with armies of Streng so I thought better of my attempt and figured I might just keep them in my inventory as mementos of all the fun I had.

                                                                MassivelyTrick or treating in CoX originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                  ]]>                                                                  CoHCoVCoXHalloweenholiday-eventsncsofttemporary-costumesTrick-or-TreatwerewolfMon, 29 Oct 2007 07:45:00 EST                                                                  <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa goes on the patch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/tabula-rasa-goes-on-the-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/tabula-rasa-goes-on-the-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/tabula-rasa-goes-on-the-patch/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                                  Noisyparker on LJ recently posted the latest patch notes for Tabula Rasa. Amongst the bug fixes and tweaks we find that the friends list has now been boosted to 200 slots and the ignore list to 50. Seeing as how this is the last set of patch notes before the close of beta, I don't see any major changes happening after this for a while at least. But hey, I've been wrong before, at least once, I think.

                                                                  Personally, my favorite of the notes is "mires should be less lagtastic." Someone on the dev team is enjoying themselves, at least. Read the whole list of patch notes after the jump.

                                                                  Continue reading Tabula Rasa goes on the patch

                                                                  MassivelyTabula Rasa goes on the patch originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                    ]]>                                                                    LJPatch-notesTabula-RasaSat, 27 Oct 2007 07:15:00 EST                                                                    <![CDATA[TR testers get emotional]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/tr-testers-get-emotional/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/tr-testers-get-emotional/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/tr-testers-get-emotional/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                                    For those of you that participated in the Tabula Rasa beta testing, the game developers want to give you more than the memories of your experiences. Beta testers will be receiving an excluslve emote within the game when it goes live. There's a catch, though (isn't there always?): you had to play the beta between October 25th and October 26th, the last two days of the beta. Of course, if you were in the beta at all, chances are you at least logged on yesterday to enjoy the end-of-beta event. If you did, then you will receive the coveted /throat emote. Taunt your friends! Amuse your enemies! Does this sound a little off to anyone else out there?

                                                                    MassivelyTR testers get emotional originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                      ]]>                                                                      /throatbetabeta-exclusiveemotetabula-rasaSat, 27 Oct 2007 06:45:00 EST                                                                      <![CDATA[Gods & Heroes slain, refunds announced]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/gods-and-heroes-slain-refunds-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/gods-and-heroes-slain-refunds-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/gods-and-heroes-slain-refunds-announced/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


                                                                      As we say goodbye to our dreams of being inducted into the Greek pantheon, the developers of Gods & Heroes are kind enough to let us know where we can get our money back on our pre-orders. As it turns out, simply return with your receipt to the retailer where you bought the pre-order, and you will get a full refund. Well duh, actually.

                                                                      In their final announcement to the gaming community, the devs let us know it was a tough decision to kill the immortal game once and for all:

                                                                      The Perpetual team is faced with a unique challenge of simultaneously developing both Gods & Heroes and Star Trek Online in addition to growing our Online Game Platform business. After assessing all of Perpetual's opportunities, we have made the decision to put the development of Gods & Heroes on indefinite hold.

                                                                      Well, I for one am sad to see the project go, but it's also nice to see a company that knows when they bit off more than they can chew.

                                                                      MassivelyGods & Heroes slain, refunds announced originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                        ]]>                                                                        CancelledGods-and-HeroesMMORPGPerpetualPreordersstar-trek-onlineSTOSat, 27 Oct 2007 06:07:00 EST                                                                        <![CDATA[Let's talk about Goa'Uld baby]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/lets-talk-about-goauld-baby/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/lets-talk-about-goauld-baby/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/lets-talk-about-goauld-baby/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                                        When MMORPG.com sat down with Kevin Ballentine, Marketing Manager for Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, to discuss the making of Stargate Worlds, they were determined to string us along a little before they gave us the real skinny on the game. Luckily we only had to wait a week before the bulk of information began to pour through. And by bulk of information, I mean Kevin shed some serious light on the race we know as the Goa'Uld.

                                                                        In SGW we can expect a reformed Goa'Uld, a people who had dropped the goody-two-shoes act and have tipped their hand, as it were. It doesn't mean that they aren't up to the same old tricks, it simply means that these baddies are just plain behaving badly. Refreshing, isn't it? Where they used to sit on high issuing orders from overly ornate Egyptian thrones, in the MMO you will see that they are not above getting their hands dirty, so the Goa'Uld will definitely be more participatory in their own maniacal schemes. Sounds like good times will be had by none, unless some heroes step up to defend what's right in the universe.

                                                                        MassivelyLet's talk about Goa'Uld baby originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                          ]]>                                                                          Cheyenne-Mountain-EntertainmentGoa-UldinterviewsMMORPG.comStargate-WorldsSat, 27 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EST                                                                          <![CDATA[It's alive!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/its-alive/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/its-alive/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/its-alive/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


                                                                          Fury has gone live, both in the US and as of today Europe as well, and players are eating up their free month of Immortal status like candy. Recently Ten Ton Hammer posted their first impressions of the game, which includes a rather innovative pay structure. It seems that everyone gets their free Immortal month -- yes, the first taste is free -- and after that in order to keep all the benefits of such ungodly rank you have to subscribe at $9.99 a month. Those that don't can still play the game, it's just with a few key features missing, like in-game VoIP. But that's not all players pay for.

                                                                          You can also buy abilities for your characters, starting a $5 bucks a pop. They call it the "Unlock All Abilities" feature, and it basically allows those people with money to burn and only a few hours to play to get access to all the abilities others would earn through gameplay. It's a risky move, in my opinion, but on the other hand, there is so much sale of virtual currency going on today, why not start out by selling your own stuff?

                                                                          MassivelyIt's alive! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                            ]]>                                                                            furyimmortalsubscriptionunlock-all-abilitiesFri, 26 Oct 2007 21:13:00 EST                                                                            <![CDATA[Conan and postcards from the edge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/conan-sends-postcards-from-the-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/conan-sends-postcards-from-the-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/conan-sends-postcards-from-the-beta/#commentsFiled under: , ,


                                                                            We all love to receive a postcard from a distant, exotic land. Well, at least I do, and what's twisted your soul so badly that you can't enjoy a cardboard piece of love from a friend? Huh? Anyway, this week's Friday Update from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is all about showing off screenshots to those not lucky enough to be living within the beta.

                                                                            One thing intrigues me about what he says regarding the game. Players are immediately immersed head-first in the game, being shipwrecked on an island, and the scavenging for survival element can be truly visible in the haphazard way the players dress. They grab armor not from a prim little shop in a village somewhere, but from the corpses of their dead enemies. Well, for a game like AoC this makes sense I suppose. Again, the more I read about this game, the more I itch to play it. Can my next postcard from the beta include a beta key? Please?

                                                                            MassivelyConan and postcards from the edge originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                              ]]>                                                                              Age-of-ConanbetabetasfuncomscreenshotsFri, 26 Oct 2007 20:46:00 EST                                                                              <![CDATA[An in-depth look at Issue 11 power sets in CoX]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/and-in-depth-look-at-issue-11-power-sets-in-coh-cov/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/and-in-depth-look-at-issue-11-power-sets-in-coh-cov/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/and-in-depth-look-at-issue-11-power-sets-in-coh-cov/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


                                                                              Floyd "Castle" Grubb sat down recently and recorded a video explanation of the upcoming power sets available in Issue 11: A Stitch in Time for City of Heroes/City of Villains. Since the video is only available as a download, we'll give you the complete rundown here on Massively of what we can expect from the two new power sets being added into the game. The first thing Castle mentioned was the fact that these power sets were added to the game because they were what the players asked for most. When asked, the players most requested Willpower for a defensive power set, and dual blades for an offensive set.

                                                                              Continue reading An in-depth look at Issue 11 power sets in CoX

                                                                              MassivelyAn in-depth look at Issue 11 power sets in CoX originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                                ]]>                                                                                A-Stitch-in-TimeabilitiesCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVDual-Bladeshow-toIssue-11New-Power-Setspower-setsskillsWillpowerFri, 26 Oct 2007 19:15:00 EST                                                                                <![CDATA[Do you enjoy the game?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/do-you-enjoy-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/do-you-enjoy-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/do-you-enjoy-the-game/#commentsFiled under: ,


                                                                                It's a tough thing to say, but a lot of times people simply don't enjoy playing their particular MMO of choice. How this starts is anyone's guess, but Fate at Apathy Inc. has some thoughts on the subject. He begins by asking a few pointed questions: is there any aspect of your MMO that you enjoy completely, without reservation? If the answer is no, why are you still playing?

                                                                                That is the question that really intrigues me. If you don't enjoy a game, if you are frustrated with the players, angry at the developers for nerfing the kills of your particular class, then why play the game at all? We as an MMO community love to retain players. Much like a corporation, we get a sick sense of pride at pronouncing we have 9 million people playing the game. When our friends say they aren't enjoying the game, many times we talk them into continuing to play. But why? Over and over we have to remind ourselves that this isn't a job, this isn't even a club, it's a game. If you don't enjoy it, move on to something else.

                                                                                Continue reading Do you enjoy the game?

                                                                                MassivelyDo you enjoy the game? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                                                                  ]]>                                                                                  enjoying-the-gameMMOMMO-communityMMO-prideMMORPGwhen-to-stop-playingWorld-of-WarcraftFri, 26 Oct 2007 18:49:00 EST