Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Fitting battleships for PvP in Odyssey]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/16/eve-evolved-fitting-battleships-for-pvp-in-odyssey/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/16/eve-evolved-fitting-battleships-for-pvp-in-odyssey/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/16/eve-evolved-fitting-battleships-for-pvp-in-odyssey/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved Fitting battleships for PvP in Odyssey
Tech 1 ships in EVE Online used to be arranged in tiers that determined the cost and power of the ship and what level of the appropriate skill was required to fly it. This gave a sense of progression back in 2004 when all we had was frigates, cruisers, and battleships, but developers have since filled in the gaps between ship classes with destroyers, battlecruisers, strategic cruisers, and tech 2 ships of all shapes and sizes. In a recent game design initiative, CCP has been removing the tiers from within each tech 1 ship class by buffing the lower-tier ships up to the same rough power level as the largest ship in its class.

The recent Odyssey expansion saw the humble battleship buffed beyond all recognition. The Megathron, Raven, Tempest, and Apocalypse all became extreme damage-dealing powerhouses, but the Dominix, Scorpion, Typhoon, and Armageddon were buffed the most. Each of them can now fit several monster setups, dealing upward of 1,000 damage per second or completely disabling enemy ships with energy neutralisers and electronic warfare. The build costs of these tier one battleships were more than doubled in the expansion, but prices are only slowly rising due to the existing stock on the market. That makes the tier one battleships incredibly cost-effective PvP powerhouses at the moment, and players are beginning to take advantage of it.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I experiment with PvP setups for the newly revamped Typhoon, Armageddon, Scorpion, and Dominix battleships.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Fitting battleships for PvP in Odyssey

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Fitting battleships for PvP in Odyssey originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100kmarmageddonbattleshipbattleshipsbuffcapcapacitorcapacitor-warfareccpccp-gamesdominixdronedrone-damage-amplifierdronesecmelectronic-warfareeveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedgeddonguideinternet-spaceshipsjump-drivelowsecmicro-jump-driveneutneutraliserneutralizernullsecodysseyopinionpvpsandboxsci-fiscorpionshipship-fittingship-fittingsship-setupship-setupsshipssnipersnipingspreadsheets-onlinetiertier-1typhoonSun, 16 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Secret World creative director releases second End of Days video log]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/the-secret-world-creative-director-releases-second-end-of-days-v/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/the-secret-world-creative-director-releases-second-end-of-days-v/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/the-secret-world-creative-director-releases-second-end-of-days-v/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The Secret World's
Tomorrow is that fateful day -- the one that has whipped The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos into a frenzy. Will the apocalypse really be ushered in? Bylos certainly thinks so. And according to the video log, it's a good thing we caught up with Bylos yesterday to check up on him because he has now taken up residence in his bunker.

In this latest End of Days chronicle and director's letter, Bylos issues goodbyes and an open invitation to his refuge from Armageddon before heading out for some last-minute preparations. Does anyone join him? To find out, watch the video after the break. And be sure to join Massively in a special End of Days livestream broadcast of The Secret World on Friday, December 21st @ 6:00 p.m. EST (assuming the world doesn't end before that, of course!).

[Source: Funcom press release]

Continue reading The Secret World creative director releases second End of Days video log

MassivelyThe Secret World creative director releases second End of Days video log originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocalypseArmageddonbuy-to-playend-of-daysEnd-of-Days-chronicleEnd-of-Days-eventsfactionfantasyfuncomhorrormythologysci-fantasysecret-worldskill-basedsubscriptionlessthe-secret-worldtswvideoThu, 20 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Exclusive: The Secret World's Joel Bylos vs. Armageddon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/19/exclusive-the-secret-worlds-joel-bylos-vs-armageddon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/19/exclusive-the-secret-worlds-joel-bylos-vs-armageddon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/19/exclusive-the-secret-worlds-joel-bylos-vs-armageddon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Massively Exclusive Interview Bylos vs Armageddon
It's no secret that The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos has been deeply affected by the most recent end-of-the-world predictions. He even started a video log to share his new-found convictions. In that first log, he advocated for the removal of subscriptions so that everyone would have the chance to enjoy TSW before the end came. Shortly after, the game indeed adopted the buy-to-play model. Then Bylos took off to begin preparing his survival bunker.

But that video is over a week old. How has Bylos been coping with the impending Armageddon since then? I took a break from my Issue #5 adventures and caught up with the self-proclaimed end-of-days prophet to see how he's been faring, find out what he has learned about the apocalypse, and maybe get a hint on when the next video log will release!

Continue reading Exclusive: The Secret World's Joel Bylos vs. Armageddon

MassivelyExclusive: The Secret World's Joel Bylos vs. Armageddon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocalypsearmageddonbuy-to-playEnd-of-Daysend-of-the-worldfactionfantasyfuncomhorrorhumorinterviewinterviewsJoel-Bylosmassively-exclusivemassively-exclusive-interviewsmythologyopinionsci-fantasysecret-worldskill-basedsubscriptionlessthe-secret-worldtswWed, 19 Dec 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The end comes to Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/11/the-end-comes-to-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/11/the-end-comes-to-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/11/the-end-comes-to-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

In the same fleeting moment one must live, die, and know.
As of 1:00 a.m. EST today, the Final Fantasy XIV servers started the game's final event before the relaunch. At 3:00 a.m. EST, they shut down. Immediately following the shutdown, the last trailer for the game's current version was posted, showing the outcome of the final battle against the forces of the Garlean Empire by the unified Grand Companies of Eorzea. And if you've been following the game's story in any fashion, you'll probably want to see how it all ends.

It's worth noting that the cutscene is both fairly long and lacking in context -- if you don't know the most recent lore of the game, you're not going to catch everything that's going on. But if you've been watching the final defense of the Eorzean city-states from inside the game or on the sidelines, you deserve a front-row seat for the last clash of armies. And even though you know how it ends, it's still going to pack a punch.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading The end comes to Final Fantasy XIV

MassivelyThe end comes to Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-realm-rebornarmageddonbahamutconclusionconsoleconsolesdestructionend-of-the-worldfantasyffff14ffxivffxiv-version-2.0final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivrebootrelaunchsquaresquare-enixtrailertrailersvideovideosSun, 11 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle, page 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/eve-evolved-the-faction-warfare-mission-debacle-page-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/eve-evolved-the-faction-warfare-mission-debacle-page-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/eve-evolved-the-faction-warfare-mission-debacle-page-2/#commentsContinue reading EVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle, page 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle, page 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amarrarmageddoncaldariccpccp-gamesDominiondominixempyrean-ageeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionexploitexposeexposedfactionfactional-warfarefleetgallentegangminmatarnavypvpscorpionstrategytyphoonwarfareSun, 06 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/eve-evolved-the-faction-warfare-mission-debacle/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/eve-evolved-the-faction-warfare-mission-debacle/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/eve-evolved-the-faction-warfare-mission-debacle/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

When faction warfare went live with EVE Online's Empyrean Age expansion back in the summer of 2008, It was a magnificent success. It was intended as a way for newer players to get into PvP and as a stepping stone from the safe haven of empire to full-on sovereignty warfare. It wasn't long before large fleets were duking it out in low security space and for a time, it was great. Eventually, problems began to come to light that demanded developer attention. Capturing exploits and a lack of rewards were causing players to leave the war and after a year with no development, faction warfare was looking abandoned.

Rewards were eventually implemented in an attempt to revitalise the ageing faction warfare system and promote PvP. With the Dominion expansion came the most anticipated of those rewards - new tier 1 navy battleships available only from the faction warfare loyalty point store. Since the announcement that they were coming, mission-runners have been farming faction warfare missions like crazy for loyalty points. The promise of unique rewards from the missions was intended to revitalise the game and give pilots something to fight over. But did the rewards really improve faction warfare and promote PvP or was it a huge mistake?

In this three page exposé, I run down the history of faction warfare missions, from the development mistakes to the EVE corp that made almost enough ISK to build a titan. Did the mission buff revitalise faction warfare or did it put the final nail in its coffin? And just how did mission-runners make billions of ISK?

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MassivelyEVE Evolved: The faction warfare mission debacle, page 3 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amarrarmageddoncaldariccpccp-gamesDominiondominixempyrean-ageeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionexploitexposeexposedfactionfactional-warfarefleetgallentegangminmatarnavypvpscorpionstrategytyphoonwarfareSun, 06 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fallen Earth dev blog explains game's post-apocalyptic religious zealotry]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/fallen-earth-dev-blog-explains-games-post-apocalyptic-religious/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/fallen-earth-dev-blog-explains-games-post-apocalyptic-religious/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/fallen-earth-dev-blog-explains-games-post-apocalyptic-religious/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Fallen Earth is a massively multiplayer online game currently in development where, in the wake of nuclear and viral armageddon, humanity's survivors are left to fend for themselves in the wasteland. The scenario painted by Fallen Earth's lore is that the world's established religions have largely burned away or decayed along with most of the human race. What's left are sects whose experiences and hardships in watching the world die are reflected in their belief systems, extreme views that come in various flavors of post-apocalyptic zealotry. As Fallen Earth subscribers, the players will align themselves with certain belief systems when creating their characters, affecting their outlook on the aftermath.

In a WarCry exclusive, Fallen Earth writer Grace Hagood explains the game's religious and pseudo-religious elements, and some of the fanaticism embodied by these groups. She writes, "Let's face it: religion is a touchy subject. A lot of game designers would rather steer clear of including religion in their work. However, a game like Fallen Earth, set in a future based on extrapolations of current society, can't ignore the reality of religious extremism. What we can do, though, is use our particular (and sometimes peculiar) filters to present religious fanaticism in a post-apocalyptic framework."

Continue reading Fallen Earth dev blog explains game's post-apocalyptic religious zealotry

MassivelyFallen Earth dev blog explains game's post-apocalyptic religious zealotry originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aftermatharmageddondev-blogdeveloper-journalfactionsfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcgame-developergrace-hagoodjudgeslorepost-apocalypticsci-fisectsshivathe-judgeswriterzealotryzealotsTue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 EST