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Global Chat: Being the bad guy

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Guild Wars 2, Global Chat, Miscellaneous, Destiny

As an MMO enthusiast blog, Massively has always had a special appreciation of the dedicated (and unpaid!) writing that gamers put out on their own blogs every day. Every week there are dozens if not hundreds of terrific posts on MMOs out there, and since I'm the resident loon here who reads pretty much all of them, I decided to start up a biweekly column to point you in the direction of some of the best discussions going on in the blogosphere. We'll see posts on specific games and general topics, geeky gushings and zany rantings.

For our inagural edition of Global Chat (yes, I'm recycling the name from a long-dormant feature on this site), we'll take a look at how outfits tie into identity, surviving MMOs as a chicken, a requiem for a gold farmer, and so much more!

Continue reading Global Chat: Being the bad guy

Global Chat: Being the bad guy originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: We will control Guild Wars 2's horizontal and the vertical

Anatoli Ingram — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play

While we're all exchanging our ugly knit goods for better presents, the official Guild Wars 2 forums are hard at work on the final collaborative development initiative thread of 2013. The topic revolves around horizontal and vertical progression in GW2, one of the more divisive issues frequently discussed by the playerbase. We're forever debating the merits of both styles of progression and trying to determine which of them has a place in the game.

According to ArenaNet's Studio Design Director Chris Whiteside, there's room for both, and he'd like to get us brainstorming about how they can work for us. My brain is pretty stormy at the best of times, so grab an umbrella and let's talk progression.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: We will control Guild Wars 2's horizontal and the vertical

Flameseeker Chronicles: We will control Guild Wars 2's horizontal and the vertical originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Dec 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three more EverQuest Next classes confirmed

MJ Guthrie — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next

If all you want for Christmas is more EverQuest Next news, PC Gamer UK has an early present for you: three more confirmed classes! Cleric, Necromancer, and Beast Lord are joining the five other revealed classes of Wizard, Tempest, Warrior, Rogue, and Blademaster. Didn't get the one class you were hoping for? Don't despair -- with over 40 classes, there's a good chance that many fan favorites will still make it into the game along with interesting new ones.

The reveal also offered a little insight into each of the new classes as well as the Tempest. The Cleric utilizes one- or two-handed hammers to buff and protect, but also gets fire to unleash damage. Using a tome or dagger and spells, Necromancers also command a Monstrosity companion that grows in power alongside its master. The Beast Lord uses pets, flails and shields, and spears to inflict massive damage on enemies. And the Tempest wields either a two-handed blade or two blades and calls upon winds and lightning to blast enemies.

Three more EverQuest Next classes confirmed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Nov 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect Ten: My favorite classes

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Opinion, Humor, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

Forget raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; a few of my favorite classes have nothing to do with such musical nonsense. Of course, now that I've started thinking about that song, my brain has to finish it before I can do anything else. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, yup. Brown paper packages tied up with strings, uh huh. These are a few of my favorite things. OK, can I move on now?

Seriously, how boring was life in the 1940s that tied-up brown packages were worth singing about?

I've played a lot of MMOs over the past decade or so, and in each of them I've agonized about which class I would make my main. Sometimes this resulted in me creating a wide selection of possible candidates, each vying for my affection while I cruelly sentenced the losers to permanent deletion. But in the end, here are 10 classes from 10 separate MMOs that tickled my fancy and totally kicked woolen mittens in the interest department.

Continue reading Perfect Ten: My favorite classes

Perfect Ten: My favorite classes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you avoid 'evil' classes?

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Having started to play a Necromancer in Guild Wars 2 lately, I've been thinking about how odd it is that some MMO classes are kind of, well, evil. Or at least really, really gross, unless you think that playing with corpses is something a normal, well-adjusted citizen does. Summoning zombies, consorting with demons, even stealing from others -- sometimes our classes do unsavory activities. One could even call them... evil.

Perhaps this depends on the morality of the beholder, but I know that I've spoken to players from time to time who just don't pick classes that can be construed as evil even if they're using their corpse-exploding habits for the greater good. Usually it just doesn't fit in with their perception of what a hero is, and that is that.

What about you? Do you avoid "evil" classes, are you attracted to them, or do you not think about it one way or the other?

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 Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Do you avoid 'evil' classes? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: DK Online shows off the Shadowmage

MJ Guthrie — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, New Titles, News Items, Interviews (Massively's), Dev Diaries

Last time, we gazed upon the Paladin and we saw the light. Now, we delve into the darkness and shadows with an exclusive look at DK Online's Shadowmage. The final class highlighted in Aeria Games' spotlight videos, the Shadowmage proves that not all heroes are pure and innocent. By embracing shadow magic, this class is able to support comrades by debuffing opponents while simultaneously buffing allies. Like any good dark mage, some of the available skills are poison, paralyze, and bleed. However, while Shadowmages use a more sinister and subversive method of magical combat, they aren't above smashing heads with their staffs as well.

If this class sounds more your style than the Warrior, Paladin, or Sorceress, jump past the cut for a more in-depth look, including a dev blog, exclusive interview, and video.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: DK Online shows off the Shadowmage

Massively Exclusive: DK Online shows off the Shadowmage originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet releases a sneak peek of The Making of Guild Wars 2

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, Guild Wars 2

Whether you've reserved one of the coveted Guild Wars 2 collector's edition or are too poor or uninterested to have done so, ArenaNet has a special treat for each and every one of you today. Continuing its blog series highlighting the collector's editions insides, ArenaNet posted three spreads (that's six pages) of the book The Making of Guild Wars 2.

The revealed pages discuss the creation of the Mesmer class (which was apparently never in doubt), the difficulty of mastering the Necromancer and Thief professions, how the game was designed, the differences between Guild Wars' and Guild Wars 2's hex mechanics, and the effort that went into producing the game's many and varied creatures.

This hardcover book is 112 pages and comes with full-color concept art, screenshots, and developer insights into the construction of the game. Earlier today we reported on ArenaNet's glimpse into the creation of the collector's edition statue.

ArenaNet releases a sneak peek of The Making of Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO pet class?

Brianna Royce — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

If you started playing MMOs at the beginning of the genre, you may be saddled with a prejudice against pet classes. In early Ultima Online, an Animal Tamer's pets, usually dragons, had a way of getting their master into notoriety trouble. In EverQuest, if ever a pull went awry, blame was placed on the Necromancers and Magicians, deserved or not -- obviously, those classes just had poor pet control. Even City of Heroes' Masterminds, implemented only in 2005, have a bad reputation for reckless behavior (not to mention for blocking party members' movement).

Pet AI has come a very long way over the last decade and a half, though, and pet classes continue to be popular, perhaps because they allow players to micromanage a group without actually having to be in one. And some games, like Star Wars: The Old Republic, have made all classes pet classes by virtue of companions. Are you a fan of pet classes, and if so, what's your favorite implementation across the genre?

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 Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO pet class? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: Baggins of Bag End

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor

It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years to the month since The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring came out in movie theaters. It's even harder to process that Peter Jackson will be bringing us back to Middle-earth with the two Hobbit films starting a year from now. The Jackson trilogy, while beloved by many (including, I assume, gamers), hasn't gotten a lot of space in this column to date. The general consensus from the community is that the films and the MMO are separate interpretations of the same source material, and never the twain shall meet -- nevermind all the other LotR games, like War in the North.

While that may be true, they do meet in the hearts of those who simply love this franchise. I adore the movies, am a huge fan of the game, and like (yes, just "like") the books. But I think that it's worthwhile to go to the films for LotRO players because they do give a different perspective and perhaps clarify a few plot points that shoot over our heads in-game. If nothing else, if the movies can revitalize our excitement about exploring the lands of Lord of the Rings Online, then they've done well by us.

I mention all this because this past week saw the release of the first Hobbit trailer, which I must have watched a good dozen times, and it got me pumped up once more for this game world. In today's column, I want to use this trailer to springboard a discussion of how LotRO and the films share a common bond and how the Hobbit movies use many elements that Turbine's been working on for years now. Plus, a bonus Hobbit Tribute Tour!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Baggins of Bag End

The Road to Mordor: Baggins of Bag End originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Now that all Guild Wars 2 professions are revealed, which will you play?

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, The Daily Grind

Earlier this week, the internet exploded with a leaked reveal of Guild Wars 2's eighth profession: the Mesmer. The official reveal soon followed, with some of the most amazing skill videos and game mechanics to ever hit an MMO class. OK, so I'm a Mesmer fanboi. Sue me.

But now that we can flip through the entire array of Guild Wars 2 professions, we're left with the question about what class to play... or play first.

Will you be burning stuff with the Elementalist, bashing stuff with the Warrior, or shooting stuff with the Ranger? Perhaps you'd like to pander to your inner kleptomaniac by playing a Thief or dance with the dead as a Necromancer. Throw in the Guardian, Engineer, and Mesmer, and it's fairly impossible to pick just one.

So which will you play first? Let us know your profession plans for Guild Wars 2 in the comments below.

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 Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Now that all Guild Wars 2 professions are revealed, which will you play? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 Necromancer, Thief gameplay videos captured at Eurogamer Expo

Jef Reahard — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Guild Wars 2

If you're a Guild Wars 2 fan who couldn't make the trip to London for this weekend's Eurogamer Expo, Cynical Brit's Total Biscuit has the next best thing.

The site sent a gaggle of its community members to the event, and their impressions are collected in an ever-expanding threadnaught sure to put a smile on ArenaNet fan faces. The news post also features a series of gameplay videos shot live at the event, and all told the three clips clock in at just under an hour of footage. The videos feature both Norn Thief PvP and high-level Sylvari Necromancer shenanigans.

Check them out after the break and head to Cynical Brit for more info.

Continue reading Guild Wars 2 Necromancer, Thief gameplay videos captured at Eurogamer Expo

Guild Wars 2 Necromancer, Thief gameplay videos captured at Eurogamer Expo originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Shapeshifters

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Anarchy Online, City of Heroes, EverQuest II, Guild Wars, Classes, Ultima Online, Chronicles of Spellborn, Humor, Champions Online, RIFT, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

Because we are true geeks, last weekend my wife and I went to see X-Men: First Class. Afterward, we got into a discussion about what mutant power we'd pick for ourselves if we had the choice. I was torn between teleportation and quick healing, while my wife wanted to be able to turn into cash to pay off our mortgage. I think one of us is more grounded in the real world than the other.

But the more I think about it, the more I was intrigued with the idea of a shapeshifter. To be anyone would give you unparalleled freedom -- and plenty of chances to get into mischief, too. Come to think of it, it's probably best I'm not granted that particular superpower.

However, plenty of MMOs do give players the chance to shift between their normal forms and something else entirely. While there are far more than 10 examples that the brain trust over here came up with, I'm going to pick out my favorites to highlight.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Shapeshifters

The Perfect Ten: Shapeshifters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Ever since I started following RIFT, I've been entranced by the wide-open -- but not limitless -- class system. After all, the virtual world and everything populating it is only half the game; the other half resides in the avatar that sticks with you while you explore it all. Many MMOs have interesting ways of letting you build and grow your character, but sooner or later they come to a point where there's little more to be done other than incrementally increasing your stats by gaining better gear.

Not so with RIFT, as even a level 50 can drop a few coins to shape a completely new build from scratch. No longer are we bound to a rigidly defined creation; we are free to experiment, tinker, and try out these roles to our hearts' content.

With RIFT's soul system, there are a few ground rules that everyone learns early in the game. You can have up to three souls in your archetype active at any one time; you can only spend as many points in a build as you have in levels (such as 10 points at level 10); and you'll end up with 66 points at level 50, which means that you'll at least dabble in a second soul tree with every build. And while you can certainly spread soul points across all three trees, today I wanted to look at the benefits of a zero-point soul, the "third wheel," if you will, of builds.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game

Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: Your journeys

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Culture, The Game Archaeologist

I have to say, this month's been everything I'd hoped it would be for EverQuest. As with many of these older MMOs, my working knowledge of EQ was spotty and anecdotal at best, and I'm personally glad to rectify that. EverQuest's always felt like a "You had to have been there" club to me, one that stopped accepting members a long, long time ago. It's great, therefore, to see that there's a thriving community, a rich history and an uplifting future in store for the game.

Above everything else, I've come to realize just how crucial EverQuest was -- for better or worse, depending on your perspective -- to the development of the MMO genre for the past decade or so. If SOE never created EQ, just how different would our games be today? It's incredibly hard to imagine.

As we continue our EQ month here at The Game Archaeologist, we have two things on the immediate agenda. The first is to share a few of your personal journeys that you emailed my way, and the second is a look at how you can plug in with EverQuest if you've never done so in the past. It turns out, quite fortuitously, that this is looking to be one of the best times to do so. Read on, courageous gamer!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: Your journeys

The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: Your journeys originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 necromancer revealed

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Classes, Wallpapers, Guild Wars 2

This is not your ancestor's necromancer. Much like the ranger, the necromancer in Guild Wars 2 is bigger, badder, and deadlier than her Guild Wars counterpart.

The Guild Wars 2 necro was officially revealed today, and though we've pretty much known it was coming since Killeen made fallen soldiers dance in the sewers of Ebonhawke, it's still nice to see descriptions, videos, and screenshots straight from ArenaNet.

Follow along after the jump as we take a look at the necro and all of her glowy green skills and abilities.

Continue reading Guild Wars 2 necromancer revealed

Guild Wars 2 necromancer revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: The view from the cheap seats is pretty darn great

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Classes, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Guild Wars 2

I did not go to Gamescom. I was kind of not anticipating last week at all, because I envisioned it as a week of me looking at all the wonderful things I couldn't have, much like a starving orphan outside a bakery (or maybe a homeless orphan in some player's home instance). I figured it would be very un-fun.

In fact, the opposite was true. Sure, I couldn't play hands-on, but I enjoyed all the Guild Wars 2 news flooding out of Gamescom just the same. I imagine being there would have made it impossible to take in all of these details from every direction -- it just would have been too overwhelming.

Don't get me wrong, it's not sour grapes. I would have loved to be there! But since I couldn't, I'm really enjoying my bird's-eye view, so to speak. Even from this point of view, the amount of new information we have is nearly impossible to keep track of, so for Flameseeker Chronicles this week, I thought I'd take all that we've heard this week and try to distill it into a guide on where you can find information.

It's felt a bit like trying to take an octopus and 15 of his closest friends and convince them all to fit comfortably in one small sandwich baggie, but I've done my best. Follow along after the jump to see where you can find the latest and greatest from Guild Wars 2 at Gamescom.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The view from the cheap seats is pretty darn great

Flameseeker Chronicles: The view from the cheap seats is pretty darn great originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamescom 2010: Guild Wars 2 demo video available, dev confirms necro class

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events (Real-World), Guild Wars 2

Yesterday's footage of Guild Wars 2 being shown at Gamescom caused a huge stir in the GW2 community, but it was a little different than the one-on-one demos we've been waiting on. The first video was attendee footage of a developer player in godmode, who was invisible to the enemies for the sake of showing off some details of the game.

Today, we get the real thing. 1UP has footage of their demo available, and it's a human vs. earth elemental battle on a pretty grand scale.

That's not the only news coming out of Cologne this morning, though. Spong.com is reporting in a brief blurb that Colin Johanson told them that the necromancer is indeed the next class to be revealed. While ArenaNet has not announced this anywhere, in the demo video you are able to hear the necro class and a few of its abilities mentioned.

Follow along after the jump to see the demo firsthand, and don't forget to keep an eye on NCsoft's live feed from Gamescom!

Continue reading Gamescom 2010: Guild Wars 2 demo video available, dev confirms necro class

Gamescom 2010: Guild Wars 2 demo video available, dev confirms necro class originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Excerpt for first Guild Wars 2 novel now available, mentions necromancer class

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, News Items, Guild Wars 2

Ghosts of Ascalon is the first of three planned Guild Wars 2 novels, and fans have been waiting anxiously to get a look at it.

Today we got a little bit of our wish granted with an excerpt from the novel on Simon & Schuster's website, along with a shipping date of "On or around July 27th, 2010." Our peek at Ghosts of Ascalon serves as an introduction to the characters, but even more importantly, it might just serve as confirmation of the necromancer class in Guild Wars 2.

Killeen the sylvari is defined as a necromancer in the excerpt: "The sylvari necromancer was probably the most pleasant individual of their motley krewe." Does this mean we'll definitely see necros in Guild Wars 2? It seems like a safe assumption, but as always, we'll have to wait for confirmation from ArenaNet.

Excerpt for first Guild Wars 2 novel now available, mentions necromancer class originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's the best pet class?

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

When a fierce and unrelenting enemy stares you down from across the battlefield, sometimes having a faithful companion at your side makes all the difference. While some people deride pet class users as playing "easy mode" or relying too much on what they see as a gimmick, we pet class players know better. We know that there is power in the assistance of a friend, there is comfort in a creature loyally plodding by your side through thick and thin, and there is a singular joy in sending them to their doom -- over and over again -- as you laugh maniacally at the awesome power from it all.

So for those of us who always drift over to the pet classes on the character selection screen, which ones do you think are the best? Perhaps it's the tried-and-true World of Warcraft Hunter, or the old-school Anarchy Online Bureaucrat, or the quirky Lord of the Rings Online Lore-master that gets you all peppy in the morning? Maybe City of Villains' Mastermind is all the pet class you'll ever need, or you delight in anything that begins with the letters "Necro-" for your gaming fix. Which pet class is the best, and why?

The Daily Grind: What's the best pet class? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yahtzee's novel Mogworld available for pre-order

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Academic, Humor

Although the Massively staff often has difficulty reading books, what with their "walls of text" and poor graphics engine, we'd be remiss to ignore this terrific news. Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, better known as "That Zero Punctuation Guy," is looking to increase his considerable fame and fortune by heading into the literary world with his debut novel Mogworld. The profanely amusing game critic has become well-known for his verbal barrages against titles like EVE Online and Age of Conan, as well as being an amateur game designer in his spare time.

As a comedic fantasy, Yahtzee claims to draw from his MMO experience for Mogworld: In a world full to bursting with would-be heroes, Jim couldn't be less interested in saving the day. His fireballs fizzle. He's awfully grumpy. Plus, he's been dead for about sixty years. When a renegade necromancer wrenches him from eternal slumber and into a world gone terribly, bizarrely wrong, all Jim wants is to find a way to die properly, once and for all. On his side, he's got a few shambling corpses, an inept thief, and a powerful death wish. But he's up against tough odds: angry mobs of adventurers, a body falling apart at the seams and a team of programmers racing a deadline to hammer out the last few bugs in their AI.

You can pre-order Mogworld on Amazon.com or by staking out a nice, comfy spot at your local book retailer.

Yahtzee's novel Mogworld available for pre-order originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robotic necromancer chest beams in new Champions Online screens

Kyle Horner — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, New Titles, News Items, Champions Online

More robots are always a good thing, as everyone knows you can never have too many robots. Well, maybe a man named John Conner would disagree -- but we digress. Evil or no, there have been a lot of robotic things in the latest slew of Champions Online screens and we highly approve.

Thankfully, if you were hoping for more than robot (but who would!?) then you'll be happy to see some evil sorcerer goings on as well. Plus, we're pretty sure we saw some sweet, sweet chest beam action in this other screen. Robot, necromancers and chest beams? This week is a good week to be a Champions Online fan, surely.

Gallery: Champions Online Main Gallery

Robotic necromancer chest beams in new Champions Online screens originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patch notes available for AoC's 10th of July update

William Dobson — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Classes, Patches, Quests

The next major patch hits Age of Conan's live servers today. The patch notes are lengthy, chocked full of details on all of the quest, item, UI and NPC fixes that made it in. Necromancers, Dark Templars and Heralds of Xotli took the lion's share of class tweaks, although Priests of Mitra, Rangers, Assassins and Barbarians also had some smaller changes.

Female characters received some fixes to the way they swing their weapons, and had their other combat animations corrected. Among the quest amendments, the "Obtaining the Noble Arena Key" fix stands out, hopefully allowing the poor people who could not enter the Arena in the Arsman's Tavern to finally complete their quests.

As good as all of this progress is, we're going to sound like a broken record by mentioning the big PvP update again -- can we pretty please have it next patch? You can take a look at what we do have for now in the full patch notes.

Patch notes available for AoC's 10th of July update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AoC's 2nd of July patch completes planned Necro changes

William Dobson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Classes, Patches, PvP

The first patch for Age of Conan under the new scheduling has hit the live servers. Along with a healthy portion of quest and NPC bug fixes, the second half of the discussed Necromancer changes have made it in, granting them more splash damage for a couple of their pets, some feat related changes, and the ironing out of a few bugs relating to their spells.

Massive PvP also received some updates. Players attacking battlekeeps will now respawn at the front gate of the city, a bug that disabled siege weapons has been corrected, and most notably, a lot of dodgy keep walls that could be walked through have been fixed. This patch does not introduce the major PvP overhaul that everyone has been waiting for unfortunately, and under the new schedule, we'll need to wait another week for the next opportunity. Check out the forums to get a full list of this patch's updates.

AoC's 2nd of July patch completes planned Necro changes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Undocumented changes for AoC 26th of June patch

William Dobson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Classes, Game Mechanics, Patches

In keeping with tradition, Age of Conan players have found some changes that did not make it on to the official patch notes for today's update. The community's findings have been compiled into one handy forum thread, and here are some of the more significant items on the list (although the thread will likely have more added to it later on):

Barbarian talent "Cyclone of Razors" has had its damage lowered from 28% to 10% at 5 points.
Necromancers can no longer send pets to attack while hidden.
Assassin ability "From the Darkness" animation changed and damage after charge reduced by up to 70%.
Rangers mez shot seems to not be working properly.
Dark Templar's magic damage coefficient is bugged.
A bug with casting from your mount, a feature reintroduced today on the official notes. Casters can begin casting a spell while standing still on their mount, and are then free to run around while casting it without interruption, leading to easy kiting.
Still to be verified: Variety of loot from epic Kheshatta bosses increased, and new blues dropping.

Undocumented changes for AoC 26th of June patch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan patch notes for June 26th

William Dobson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Classes, Patches, Crafting

The patch notes for today's Age of Conan update are now available, and a few of the fixes that we've seen talked about in recent times have made it in. There's nothing significantly game changing unless you're a Necromancer, or are waiting to get into Alchemy (and it's not the big PvP patch unfortunately) but Funcom's to-do list is now a little shorter. There's also an interesting tidbit about level 70+ solo mobs being "more of a challenge" -- something we'll need to investigate. Here's a rundown of some of the bigger updates:

Some of the Necromancer buffs we looked at earlier have been implemented.
Changes to Active Blocking: it now has an initial stamina cost, will give a shielding bonus instead of evade chance, and causes a buff icon to be displayed when used.
Melee pets will do splash damage.
The Black Castle zone in Khopshef Province has been completely redone, and groups around level 30-35 are encouraged to check it out.
Solo monsters, minibosses and bosses have been made more challenging for level 70 and up. This does not affect group and raid monsters.
You can cast certain spells while mounted again.
Alchemists will no longer crash when opening their books, and the previously discussed solutions for this tradeskill's component issues have been implemented.

Age of Conan patch notes for June 26th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AoC dev discusses Necro patch changes and future updates

William Dobson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Classes, Game Mechanics, Patches

Monday's Age of Conan patch saw some hefty nerfs to area effect spells for both the Tempest of Set and the Necromancer. System designer "Jayde" decided to elaborate on the Necro changes in the forums, and also to discuss the future updates to the class, which may give some hope to those that were thinking of ditching their mains.

Half of the upcoming changes that Jayde lists nearly made it into Monday's patch, but seeing as they missed that one, they should almost certainly be included this Thursday. It all looks like extremely good stuff for Necros, with many spells getting large damage boosts, as well as increases to the effect of the +magic damage stat to damage-over-times spells, among other things. The second update will give some of the Necro pets splash damage on their attacks. As a general statement, Jayde said that Funcom intends for Necromancers to be "a competitive damage class at the top levels of DPS", and will make adjustments until this proves to be true; in other words, hang in there guys!

AoC dev discusses Necro patch changes and future updates originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AoC 23/06 patch notes: ToS and Necro AoE nerfs steal the headlines

William Dobson — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Classes, Game Mechanics, Patches

The delayed notes for today's Age of Conan patch have now hit, and there are some significant changes in store for a couple of classes. The headline of this post pretty much spoils the suspense as to which two classes they are, but we'll discuss them in detail after the break. Other big changes include a doubling in size of all bags, performance fixes (including the option to limit/disable particles) and some tweaks to NPC aggro. Hit the jump to get into the meat and potatoes of this patch -- the Necromancer and Tempest of Set changes!

Continue reading AoC 23/06 patch notes: ToS and Necro AoE nerfs steal the headlines

AoC 23/06 patch notes: ToS and Necro AoE nerfs steal the headlines originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More undocumented changes found in yesterday's AoC patch

William Dobson — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Classes, Patches

Over the last couple of patches to Age of Conan, there has been a disturbingly lengthy list of changes implemented that were not even hinted at on the official update notes. This trend has continued with Monday's patch, and the game's community has once again pulled together to confirm some of the things that they have found to be different without explanation.

It's not as if these are all terrible, unmentionable nerfs or anything. There are certainly some bugs, but the undocumented changes list also includes good things, such as a quest finally being available for Villa Camillus, and boosted exp for all of the repeatable Villa quests; a number of updates to the graphics of items; and chain kills occurring more frequently (these have seemed fairly random in the past, with the exact same action sometimes giving a bonus and other times not.)

Continue reading More undocumented changes found in yesterday's AoC patch

More undocumented changes found in yesterday's AoC patch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AoC: Necromancers in line for radical changes

Adrian Bott — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Classes, Patches

FunCom system designer Jayde has announced the next step in the retooling of some of Age of Conan's more gimped classes. After Demonologists got a survivability and damage boost, many players thought Assassins would be the next in line. They still might be - there's no clue to the content of this Thursday's patch - but it's the Necromancers whose future looks intriguing right now.

The focus is squarely on pets: the Necromancer looks set to become a true pet class, reminiscent of the Mastermind from City of Villains. 'The balance and progression of the class is being altered to introduce 2 pet points every 5 levels after level 5, resulting in all 8 base pet points being available at level 20 instead of at level 70.' Access to ad hoc bonus pet points is also being improved, with a rework to the Nightfall feat tree. For those unacquainted with the Necromancer, this means they will have a lot more undead at their command throughout their careers than they used to. Age of Conan deals with Necromancer pets on a point-based system, allowing players to choose whether they want a lot of weaker pets, a few strong ones, or a mix.

Continue reading AoC: Necromancers in line for radical changes

AoC: Necromancers in line for radical changes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan beta guide: The mages

Kyle Horner — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, New Titles, Hands-On (Massively's)

We've given you some hands-on impressions from our time with Age of Conan's mages from the Gamespot PvP weekend, but over the past few days we've had a chance to play these classes in the beta proper. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen (and very trying) performance issues that were out of our control, our finely crafted plans of digging deep into these classes were viciously assassinated like a Necromancer in Age of Conan's PvP.

That didn't stop us from prying further information on the Herald of Xotli, Demonologist and Necromancer classes. So if you'd like the expanded low-down on these magic-manipulating mages, read on!

Continue reading Age of Conan beta guide: The mages

Age of Conan beta guide: The mages originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spellweaving in Age of Conan detailed

Kyle Horner — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, New Titles, News Items

Everyone knows Age of Conan is all about the martial combat -- or at least that's what everyone seems to think. While it's true that the up-close and personal fights in Age of Conan are pretty intense, magic isn't getting the cold shoulder from Funcom.

Magic users in AoC will be able to use Spellweaving, a trance state that will allow the combination of different spells in order to create more powerful magical effects, spells, etc. The trade-off is that the longer a magic user ( in the case of Spellweaving: Demonologist, Necromancer, Tempest of Set and Priest of Mitra) stays in this trance, the more stamina they lose. Once the stamina bar is emptied, health begins to drain instead -- lose that and a digital dirt nap is your final destination. While it's possible to gain positive buffs during a spell weave, there is just as likely a chance that a negative buff will manifest itself. Positive buffs will last for the duration of the weave, while negative ones can last beyond your trance state.

Continue reading Spellweaving in Age of Conan detailed

Spellweaving in Age of Conan detailed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on in PvP with Age of Conan's mages

Kyle Horner — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, New Titles, Hands-On (Massively's)

Players interested in running around Age of Conan casting magic left and right will be happy to know that in the world of Hyboria mages are quite impressive.

Some players will be slightly unhappy to hear that there is no straight-up archetypical magic user in AoC. There is no class that basically shoots fireballs while standing around like a glass window just waiting to be shattered into a million little pieces.

That doesn't mean certain classes couldn't be tweaked to play similarly to a more traditional MMO magic caster, but for better or worse you're going to have to use pets when you play a magic class in AoC. Well, unless you're planning on being a Herald of Xolti -- in that scenario you'll be using lots of demonic strength and magic.

Gallery: Age of Conan Mages

Continue reading Hands-on in PvP with Age of Conan's mages

Hands-on in PvP with Age of Conan's mages originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SAGA's undead faction coming with expansion

Chris Chester — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Fan art, Expansions, Previews, Races, Saga, MMORTS

Silverlode Interactive has announced that a new Undead faction will be shambling along with its first "Expansion Set" for SAGA, their relatively new MMORTS/CCG hybrid, when it comes out some time later this year. SAGA works much the same way that tradition collectible card games work, with new units and abilities coming with the purchase of boosters. It's not exactly clear at this point how this Expansion Set concept is going to work; whether players will have to invest a small amount in a new deck or whether Undead units will simply be part of the boosters, but we imagine we'll start hearing more details as the expansion moves further into development.

What is clear is that the concept art for the new faction is pretty freakin' cool, by our estimation. It looks like they're trying to take their Undead in a direction we're not accustomed to seeing in MMOs. The Necromancer concept drawing gives off a tribal, maybe even Egyptian vibe, where the Reaper seems to be going for a sort of medieval zombie look. It's pretty neat stuff, we're looking forward to seeing more.

SAGA's undead faction coming with expansion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twelve trails of blood in Age of Conan

Kyle Horner — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Classes

Over the years of its development cycle Age of Conan has seen a lot of class changes and mergers. After all this time Funcom has settled on providing players with four archetypes that each have three classes to pick from, resulting in a total of 12 classes. Each class in AoC has a specific set of skills, but none are fully pigeonholed into any singular role. We've gone ahead and created an easy-to-navigate list of the archetypes and classes offered. Funcom has released more information for some classes than others, but at this point each one is pretty clear in the role they'll play in Age of Conan come May 20th.

Twelve trails of blood in Age of Conan >>>>>

Gallery: Twelve trails of blood in Age of Conan

Twelve trails of blood in Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRUP: St. Patty's Day edition

Mike Schramm — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Opinion, Browser, Casual

Erin go braugh, laddie! Aye, it's St. Patrick's day weekend, which means that there'll be lots o' wearing o' the green and probably a little bit of celebrating and drinkin' (for those of age, of course). But being that this is a site about MMOs, there'll probably be a little game playin' as well. So What aRe yoU Playing in the world of MMOs this weekend?

I've been taking the games easy lately -- been trying to make my way into Guild Wars (as a level 5 Necromancer-slash-Monk, but I'm a total newb, so that may not quite work), and while browsing around, I've been playing quite a bit of PMOG lately. With all the invites into the beta, I'm well on my way to level 4, though as a Bedouin, so I'll have to do some mining this weekend to get back to Destroyer status. And while I'm currently waiting for the site to die down, I can't wait to jump in on Warlords Online -- Massively's own Kyle Horner tells me it's just as addictived as Puzzle Quest, and boy did I love me some XBLA Puzzle Quest (can't wait for Galactrix, either).

So what are you playing this weekend, in among all of the Irish celebrations? Leave a comment below and tell us what you're up to!

Previously on WRUP...

WRUP: St. Patty's Day edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard Game Update 4 preview shows new flying mounts

William Dobson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, Patches, Raiding, PvE, Vanguard

The next Vanguard content patch, Game Update 4, has now had it's features listed. Headlining the preview over at VGPlayers is the addition of flying mounts, and we get to see what they look like (that spiffy griffon pictured above, if you didn't guess). Also mention in the preview is the introduction of visible helmets -- while it's nice to see them in the game at last, it's hard to be too thrilled with visible helmets being a big feature in a patch for a game that's been out this long. GU4 will bring Veteran Rewards for older accounts to Vanguard as well, similar to what we have already in EverQuest II.

Over at the forums, there is an extensive list of the other things that GU4 will bring. Notable among these is a new overland raid target, Fengrot Foulbreath (designed for 18 well-geared high level players) and updates to the Druid, Necromancer, Shaman and Dread Knight classes. If you want to try out all the updates, the whole lot is already in place on the Test Server, so you can take to the skies with your fancy new helmet right now. We have the full list of changes for the patch posted after the break for your perusing.

Continue reading Vanguard Game Update 4 preview shows new flying mounts

Vanguard Game Update 4 preview shows new flying mounts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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