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[The Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/02/the-nexus-telegraph-no-wildstar-reveals-at-pax-prime-panel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/02/the-nexus-telegraph-no-wildstar-reveals-at-pax-prime-panel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/02/the-nexus-telegraph-no-wildstar-reveals-at-pax-prime-panel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Some neat pictures to see, thought, that was cool.
The title up there is kind of glib, I admit it. We certainly heard more about WildStar during the game's presentation at PAX Prime. But most of what we heard was filling in blanks and elaborating slightly upon what we hard already learned, sort of an extended postscript to the presentation offered at PAX East. I sat down and watched through the whole panel as it streamed, and after it was over I was left with a distinct sense of confusion about how little new information was actually included.

Out of the entire panel, the biggest reveal was the fact that the game does have a dye system, plus the roundabout mention of experience earned at the level cap converting into a form of currency. (Along with more use of the term "elder game," which I increasingly dislike.) Both of these are interesting tidbits, but the former isn't all that surprising and the latter is of interest only to those invested in the game as it stands. This was not a panel stuffed with information.

Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel

MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbinecarbine-studioscolumnconconventioneventevent-coverageeventsexpofeaturedmassively-event-coveragencsoftnewsnexusnexus-telegraphopinionpaxpax-2013pax-primepax-prime-2013penny-arcade-exporevealsrevelationssandparksci-fantasysci-fisurprisesthe-nexus-telegraphwildstarMon, 02 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's dirty little secret races]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/22/the-nexus-telegraph-wildstars-dirty-little-secret-races/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/22/the-nexus-telegraph-wildstars-dirty-little-secret-races/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/22/the-nexus-telegraph-wildstars-dirty-little-secret-races/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

And since we are dead, we can take off our heads to recite Shakespearian quotations!
I'm of two minds about the last two races in WildStar. And I'll be honest, the first mind is kind of bored because those of us with sharp eyes had already figured most of this out.

Most of us might not have been sure of the names, to be fair. But the core concepts are fairly close to what most of us expected, with both races playing against type -- cute and fuzzy for the Dominion, creepy and leering for the Exiles. I even speculated that the last race of the Exiles would be a race that focused upon getting dirty work done when it needed to be done, and sure enough, what did we get?

That being said, both of these races are pulled off with a style and panache that I should have expected but didn't. So even if I could have guessed that these were the practical upshots of the race grid, I hadn't counted on them being this nifty.

Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's dirty little secret races

MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's dirty little secret races originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorycarbinecarbine-studioschuacolumnfeaturedloremordeshncsoftnew-racesnexusnexus-telegraphopinionraceracesrevealsrevelationssandparksci-fantasysci-fithe-nexus-telegraphwildstarMon, 22 Jul 2013 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Nexus Telegraph: Respecting the NDA on WildStar's beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/the-nexus-telegraph-respecting-the-nda-on-wildstars-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/the-nexus-telegraph-respecting-the-nda-on-wildstars-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/the-nexus-telegraph-respecting-the-nda-on-wildstars-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

There are probably some dark secrets in there, and you know what? I don't need to know them! I'm all right with those staying secret.
Carbine Studios is holding all of the cards for WildStar and those of us not in the beta just have to wait. Which is beyond frustrating. We have to sit back and let things slowly come out of the official PR machine, and no matter how fast we get new revelations, they're never fast enough. The temptation to look for someone willing to peel back the veil is immense because it beats pressing against the glass and waiting to find out more.

But the NDA is there for a reason.

Speaking as someone who isn't in the beta but is still talking about the game on a weekly basis, I will be the first to point out that waiting for official information is often like waiting for a solar eclipse before doing even the most basic tasks. It's frustrating, slow, and irritating. The problem is that the alternative -- wherein we just jump on every new piece of leaked information -- isn't good, and it comes out worse in the end.

Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Respecting the NDA on WildStar's beta

MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: Respecting the NDA on WildStar's beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamersFirst dropping Sword 2, title picked up by T3Fun
GamersFirst is out of the Sword 2 business, it seems. The publisher announced that it will be dropping its contract to publish and host the title at the end of the year. Fans of the game have no reason to fret that they're about to lose their world, however; HanbitSoft's subsidiary T3Fun will take up the slack come January 1st.

Due to the transfer between companies, players will need to expressly consent to allow their game data to be transferred over. The announcement post contains instructions how to do just that. Also, Sword 2 players won't be able to transfer their GamersFirst store currency, so spending it now is highly recommended.

There are a lot of details to go over, so if this affects you, be sure to read the whole post very carefully.

[Thanks to William for the tip!]

MassivelyGamersFirst dropping Sword 2, title picked up by T3Fun originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contractf2pfree-to-playgamersfirstgranado-espadahanbitsoftpetravenrevelationssword-2sword-2-revelationssword-of-the-new-worldt3funtransferThu, 06 Dec 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Has EVE Online boxed itself in?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/09/eve-evolved-has-eve-online-boxed-itself-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/09/eve-evolved-has-eve-online-boxed-itself-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/09/eve-evolved-has-eve-online-boxed-itself-in/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
When I was first introduced to EVE Online in 2004, it was an empty shell of a game. There were only three classes of ship, no alliances or starbases, and neither exploration complexes nor level 4 missions existed yet. EVE consisted of 5,000 systems of almost completely empty space populated by less than 50,000 players. The user interface was an order of magnitude worse than it is today (if you can imagine that), and the tutorial just dropped you in the middle of space with the ship equivalent of a pea shooter and a less-than-enthusiastic "good luck!"

Though much of the game was empty, it sat before players like a blank galactic canvas. Not only could players paint their own stories into the game world, but EVE's highly active development team was updating the game at lightning speed. Players instinctively filled the voids in the game with their hopes and dreams, projecting all the things that EVE could be into the gaps. People shared ideas on the forum directly with the developers, and practically anything was possible. Things aren't quite the same today, as new ideas have to be compatible with over nine years' worth of updates, and developer CCP Games really can't afford to rock the boat and potentially lose subscriptions.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I consider whether the past nine years of development has boxed EVE in, forcing the gameplay down an ever-narrowing branch of choices.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Has EVE Online boxed itself in?

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Has EVE Online boxed itself in? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaboxed-incastorccpccp-gamesconsolecrucibledominiondustdust-514emptyempty-spaceeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionexpansionsfantasyfeaturedfpsgame-designgame-developmentgothichorrorincarnaincursioninfernoinnovationlife-cyclemmo-life-cyclemmofpsnyphuropinionpatchpatchesplaystationplaystation-3potentialps3revelationssandboxsci-fishootersupernaturaltyrannisvampireswhite-wolfwodworld-of-darknessSun, 09 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamersFirst launches Sword 2: Revelations]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/gamersfirst-launches-sword-2-revelations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/gamersfirst-launches-sword-2-revelations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/gamersfirst-launches-sword-2-revelations/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

GamersFirst announced today that it has launched Sword 2: Revelations (formerly known as Granado Espada: Sword of the New World). But this isn't just a simple re-name and re-release; The team is introducing "three brand new expanded skill systems, a new area for questing and exploration, [and] a new unique playing character and pet to both drive the continually evolving story of Sword 2."

The new skill systems are all crafting-related, introducing new Alchemy, Cooking, and Wing Crafting systems. Viron Island is the aforementioned new area, complete with new quests and three distinct forests, each with its own distinct challenges. And lastly, the game introduces Raven, a former spy that offers "complex gameplay options and the new pet Capybara which provides players with increased experience gains and item drop rates. For more information, head on over to Sword 2's official site.

MassivelyGamersFirst launches Sword 2: Revelations originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last week on Behind the Mask, we covered the puzzles and trash mob fights of Therakiel's Temple. TT is the toughest lair in Champions Online, and it's not over yet. You've still got to handle the boss fights!

This week, we'll be covering the deadly boss battles of the temple, from the alluring Valerian Scarlet to the big bad Therakiel himself. Caliburn will provide commentary for your fights, but don't expect him to help out; your team is going to need to bring out the big guns.

Just as it did last week, this guide contains some spoilers!

Continue reading Behind the Mask: A complete guide to angel-slaying, volume two

MassivelyBehind the Mask: A complete guide to angel-slaying, volume two originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>behind-the-maskboss-fightsbosseschampions-onlinecocrypticcryptic-champions-onlinecryptic-cocryptic-studiosendgameendgame-lairf2pfeaturedfree-to-playguideguideslairrevelationstherakieltherakiels-templewelcome-to-therakiels-rave-partyThu, 16 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/05/eve-evolved-the-making-of-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/05/eve-evolved-the-making-of-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/05/eve-evolved-the-making-of-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Online's development path from concept to release has followed a very different path to the MMO norm. Starting from its humble beginnings as one man's dream to build an online space game, EVE has developed into the massively popular game it is today. Rather than designing and developing the game all in one go, the CCP crew opted for a staged delivery approach. The game was re-made 11 times, each stage being progressively closer to the final goal. By launch, EVE had been through 5 total recodes where almost the entire game was scrapped and rebuilt from scratch and at least 6 partial recodes.

Join me as I take a look at the course EVE's development has taken from concept all the way to the current Empyrean Age expansion.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castorccpcold warColdWarempyrean-ageeveeve-onlineexodusexpansionfactional-warfarefeaturedhilmarjoystiqfeatureslaunchpatchred moon risingRedMoonRisingrevelationsrmrsecond genesisSecondGenesisservertrinitySun, 05 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/05/eve-evolved-the-making-of-eve-online-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/05/eve-evolved-the-making-of-eve-online-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/05/eve-evolved-the-making-of-eve-online-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online, part 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got an official release date for EVE Online's next expansion, Trinity, at the FanFest over the weekend. If you're an EVE player, make sure to leave the first week of December open, because that's when you'll be playing with all the cool new ships and updates in Trinity. Of course, the fun starts tomorrow, when Revelations.2.3 arrives, but in just a month from now, we'll have access to Trinity (the new name of what used to be Revelations 3).

GamesIndustry also has an interview up with CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson, who tells them that the old graphic engine isn't actually going anywhere-- players will be able to switch from old to new via the configuration screen ingame. There's also a new ingame concurrency record-- it's a whopping 37,200 players all in one game (I think all of them were in Jita yesterday afternoon, because it was horrible there). Petursson also gives feedback on CCP's decision to hire a real-life economist to help them with the player-driven economy-- apparently "he's validated some of our assumptions, but he's also shattered a lot too." Man, I'd love to sit in on a few of those meetings.

Mark your calendars: Trinity is coming the first week of December. And unless you change that setting, EVE will never look the same.

MassivelyTrinity to be released first week of December originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpconcurrencyeconomisteve-onlineeve-trinityhilmar-peturssoninterviewrevelationstrinityMon, 05 Nov 2007 19:40:00 EST