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[Make your own MMO with Atavism, now on Steam]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/make-your-own-mmo-with-atavism-now-on-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/make-your-own-mmo-with-atavism-now-on-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/make-your-own-mmo-with-atavism-now-on-steam/#commentsFiled under: ,

Think you can do better than all the MMO devs currently making games for a living? Have at it with Atavism, a new make-your-own MMO development environment based on Unity and now available via Steam.

"Atavism allows game designers to focus on making their game and to not worry about programming," says Neojac CEO Jacques Rossouw in a new press release. "In fact many of our clients have been able to have a prototype within a matter of weeks. You don't need to have a million dollar budget any more to develop an MMO game. Our team, along with Unity, has already done most of the heavy lifting with pre-designed plugins for every system. All you need to do is setup what stats you want to use with them."

Neojac is building its own MMORPG called Neo's Land using the Atavism toolset.

MassivelyMake your own MMO with Atavism, now on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atavismAtavism-Onlinemake-your-own-mmoneojacneos-landsteamtoolsTue, 20 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Path of Exile unholsters the banhammer for cheaters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/path-of-exile-unholsters-the-banhammer-for-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/path-of-exile-unholsters-the-banhammer-for-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/path-of-exile-unholsters-the-banhammer-for-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's not a resort.
The team behind Path of Exile has been pretty forgiving up to this point. Players have been a bit more commonly warned that there will be penalties if they're cheating. But that's over now. The latest race season has finished, and players who were found to have cheated have been given a grand total of no rewards even if they were technically eligible. Nearly 4,000 players will log in to find a warning to disable any cheats they have running before they get banned.

From this point forward, any incidents with cheating software will result in a ban, end of discussion. This is true even if the player in question argues that the cheat was being used for quality-of-life purposes; those issues will be addressed in the future and don't justify cheating. Players are reminded that they are allowed to run tools that don't require the client to be running and single-action hotkeys without a problem, so don't worry about being punished just for having Fraps in the background. Just... don't cheat.

MassivelyPath of Exile unholsters the banhammer for cheaters originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmobanbanscheatcheaterscheatingculturediabloexploitexploitsf2pfairnessfantasyfree-to-playgrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesnewsnews-itemsoutside-toolspath-of-exilepoerogueliketoolsTue, 20 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Vegas 2014: Region Commander turns EVE into a huge spreadsheet]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/18/eve-vegas-2014-region-commander-turns-eve-into-a-huge-spreadshe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/18/eve-vegas-2014-region-commander-turns-eve-into-a-huge-spreadshe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/18/eve-vegas-2014-region-commander-turns-eve-into-a-huge-spreadshe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It's often said that sci-fi MMO EVE Online isn't so much a game as a giant online spreadsheet and that people pay a subscription fee in order to have a second job they don't get paid for. While that's little more than a joke to the majority of EVE players, there are those for whom EVE is genuinely played on a massive spreadsheet. In a guest talk at EVE Vegas 2014 earlier today, players Javajunky and Gossamer DT from the logistics division of one of the game's largest coalitions discussed the monumental amount of work that goes into the industrial and organisation side of running a nullsec alliance or coalition.

During the talk, Gossamer DT discussed an interesting piece of custom software he develops called Region Commander that was designed specifically for organising player empires. The tool keeps track of starbase tower fuel, maintains a blacklist of players who have been kicked out of the coalition, and allows organisers to create and assign tasks to players in their command. Players who want to contribute to their alliance's industrial backbone can log into the system to take on work tasks due for completion, and the tool updates in realtime. The only thing missing is a punch card and a paycheck.

Using this tool, players have managed to combat the logistical and organisational challenges that would naturally make coalitions of thousands of players infeasible. Many third party tools have been criticised in the past for providing gameplay advantages to those who use them and increasing the gulf between new and experienced players. Players already have tools to help with mining and trading, and even ones that parse data from your ship scanner into useful information for your Fleet Commander. It's clear that whether CCP or the playerbase approves of these tools, this djinn won't be going back into its bottle.

Continue reading EVE Vegas 2014: Region Commander turns EVE into a huge spreadsheet

MassivelyEVE Vegas 2014: Region Commander turns EVE into a huge spreadsheet originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Oct 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appccpccp-gamesconconventionempire-managementeveeve-onlineeve-vegaseve-vegas-2014eventevent-coverageinternet-spaceshipslas-vegasmassively-event-coverageregion-commandersandboxsci-fithird-partythird-party-toolstooltoolsSat, 18 Oct 2014 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Norrathian Notebook: Upgrading your tools in Landmark]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/01/norrathian-notebook-upgrading-your-tools-in-landmark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/01/norrathian-notebook-upgrading-your-tools-in-landmark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/01/norrathian-notebook-upgrading-your-tools-in-landmark/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

True confessions time! I have been looking forward to showing off my newly minted super pick and sharing with you all how you, too, could get a shiny new upgraded tool in Landmark. Unfortunately, due to the empty chest bug that came with the update, all my resources were lost; ergo, I wasn't able to craft -- let alone upgrade -- any high-level tools. Thankfully, since the new tool upgrade system is not relegated to only the highest of tiers and I can use iron, I can still show you how you can get the spiffy new pick or shiny new ax of your harvesting dreams!

As a bonus, on top of guiding you through the upgrading process, I'll delve into why this is such a important step on the way toward the more robust Landmark game that folks are eager awaiting.

Continue reading Norrathian Notebook: Upgrading your tools in Landmark

MassivelyNorrathian Notebook: Upgrading your tools in Landmark originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>craftingcrafting-guideeqeq-2eq-iieq-nexteq-next-landmarkeq2eqiieqneqn-landmarkeqnexteqnleverquesteverquest-2everquest-iieverquest-nexteverquest-next-landmarkf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playguideinterdependencylandmarknorrathnorrathian-notebookopinionpgcplayer-generated-contentsandboxsoesonysony-online-entertainmenttattered-notebookthe-tattered-notebooktoolsupgrading-guideThu, 01 May 2014 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Landmark roundtable video on giving the toolset love]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/05/landmark-roundtable-video-on-giving-the-toolset-love/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/05/landmark-roundtable-video-on-giving-the-toolset-love/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/05/landmark-roundtable-video-on-giving-the-toolset-love/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Landmark
In this week's Landmark roundtable video, SOE Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani is joined by Lead Building and UI Designer Jake Sones to discuss the results of a player poll about which Landmark tool needs the most work and love. Sones tells viewers that the results of the poll were even; apparently there's no one tool that needs serious work, just plenty of player sentiment that many of them need something. He specifically addresses changes being made to how tweak mode handles pasting large objects; ideally, the game will detach the preview from the mouse cursor and provide menus similar to those used by the prop tool.

The pair also explain the studio's hesitation in implementing specialized and redundant tools like the cylinder tool, citing microvoxels -- a feature the developers didn't even know the game could do -- as something players came up with that might never have been discovered had every imaginable tool already existed to stifle their creativity.

Enjoy the full video!

Continue reading Landmark roundtable video on giving the toolset love

MassivelyLandmark roundtable video on giving the toolset love originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dev-blogdev-blogsdev-diariesdev-diarydev-postdev-postsdeveloper-blogdeveloper-blogsdeveloper-diariesdeveloper-diarydeveloper-postdeveloper-postseq-next-landmarkeqn-landmarkeqnleverquest-next-landmarkfantasyjake-soneslandmarkmicrovoxelsOmeed-Darianisandboxsoesony-online-entertainmenttooltoolstoolsettrailertrailersvideovideosSat, 05 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/12/the-tattered-notebook-extra-eq-next-landmark-livestream-talks-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/12/the-tattered-notebook-extra-eq-next-landmark-livestream-talks-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/12/the-tattered-notebook-extra-eq-next-landmark-livestream-talks-t/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Any time you mention EverQuest Next Landmark, you get a score of people saying that they just don't quite get it. To help alleviate that, devs hosted another EQN Landmark livestream and dished up more details about the upcoming sandbox and treated viewers to their first look at actual mining gameplay footage.

While a large part of the stream focused on harvesting and mining, that was not the only topic touched upon. Senior Producer Terry Michaels teamed up with Producer Emily "Domino" Taylor and Community Manager Colette "Dexella" Murphy to answer various questions and share information about naming, beta news for SOE Live 2013 attendees, and more. If you missed the stream, we've compiled some of the key points right here for you. And since seeing is believing, we've got the entire livestream as well!

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Colette-Murphyemily-tayloreqeq-nexteq-next-landmarkeqneqn-landmarkeverquesteverquest-nexteverquest-next-landmarkfantasyfeaturedgameplay-footageharvestinglandmarklivestreamminingnamesnamingsandboxsoesony-online-entertainmentterry-michaelstoolsvideoThu, 12 Dec 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Think Tank: Are non-combat sandbox tools a necessity in your MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/14/the-think-tank-are-non-combat-sandbox-tools-a-necessity-in-your/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/14/the-think-tank-are-non-combat-sandbox-tools-a-necessity-in-your/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/14/the-think-tank-are-non-combat-sandbox-tools-a-necessity-in-your/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Think Tank Are sandbox tools a necessity in your MMO
The RPG ingredient in our MMORPG sandwich has seemed to be dwindling away, but a few upcoming games -- and additions to existing ones -- are letting us know that RPG is back.

One major element of the RPG is open control over how our story plays out. In true tabletop RPG style, sandbox tools let us play these games as we want to play them, but not all of us want that much freedom in our MMOs.

So I asked the Massively team members for their thoughts on sandbox tools in their favorite MMOs. Are they welcome, or should we focus more on leaderboards and combat-based achievements? And how much exactly do they hate this question?

Continue reading The Think Tank: Are non-combat sandbox tools a necessity in your MMO?

MassivelyThe Think Tank: Are non-combat sandbox tools a necessity in your MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>editorialfeaturedgroup-editorialmassively-staffmassively-teamopinionopinionsroundtableroundupsandboxthe-think-tankthink-tanktoolsThu, 14 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are group finding tools a necessity?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/29/the-daily-grind-are-group-finding-tools-a-necessity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/29/the-daily-grind-are-group-finding-tools-a-necessity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/29/the-daily-grind-are-group-finding-tools-a-necessity/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

We've been looking for four hours, but I'm confident someone will be along soon.
In Guild Wars 2, there's no interface for you to queue up and immediately flash over to a group from anywhere in the world. On the one hand, this means that you have to actually go to dungeons and interact with people willing to take on the challenges. On the other hand, this also means that you need to hurry up and wait in order to gather your fellow adventurers, a problem that's only exacerbated when something goes wrong and you all have to die and respawn.

World of Warcraft's dungeon finder tool is sometimes seen as the greatest way to jump in and experience dungeon content, while at other times it's seen as an effort to tear apart server communities and trivialize the experience of working together to clear something. So today we turn the question over to you, our readers. Are group finding tools a necessity in this day and age, or would you prefer to play games without them?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are group finding tools a necessity? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grinddungeonsgame-mechanicsgroup-findergroup-forminggroupinggroupsinstancesinterfacesopiniontdgthe-daily-grindtoolsSat, 29 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-tools-of-the-raid/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-tools-of-the-raid/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-tools-of-the-raid/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon SWTOR's tools of the raid
I've mentioned that I don't like the idea of judging other players by arbitrary numbers. It annoys me when a person is included or excluded from an event or guild simply based on something like gearscore or pure DPS numbers. However, the importance of these numbers shouldn't be undervalued in a game like Star Wars: The Old Republic.

A couple of weeks back, I wrote an article about how the gear grind is "unfun." I don't like the grind, but I do like building good gear. I hate to admit it, but there is a little bit of min-maxer in me (just a little!).

With SWTOR turning nine months old, many news and guide sites have settled into a routine. Surprisingly, the sites that I visited pre-launch are not the sites that I visit now. Now I am interested in the more granular sites that help me with very specific tasks of the game. Granted, I still visit Darth Hater and TORWars when I'm looking for news, but I have a completely different set of sites and tools for character building. These are the three sites I use almost daily.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armor-databasearmoryask-mr-robotBioWarecombat-logEAElectronic-Artsfeaturedhyperspace-beaconlogsLucasArtsMOX-desktop-parseroperationsopinionparsing-logsraidraid-toolsraidingStar-Warsstar-wars-mmostar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictoolstorTue, 09 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enjin offers guild recruitment system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/enjin-offers-guild-recruitment-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/enjin-offers-guild-recruitment-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/enjin-offers-guild-recruitment-system/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Enjin Unveils Global Game Recruitment System
Guild hosting service Enjin has added a new tool to its ever-increasing arsenal: guild recruitment. The site's new global game recruitment system allows organized groups to post their "players wanted" ads for searching souls to discover.

The recruitment list is sortable by category and includes an MMO-dedicated section. Using the system, guilds can post a lengthy introduction letter to convey its purpose and history, where it's located, how many games it's a part of, and what voice communication (if any) it uses.

At the time of this writing, Guild Wars 2 has the most recruitment ads, followed by World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

[Source: Enjin press release]

MassivelyEnjin offers guild recruitment system originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cabalclanclan-recruitmentcorpcorporationenjinguildguild-hostingguild-recruitmentguild-recruitment-systemguild-wars-2guildskinshiprecruitmentrecruitment-toolstar-wars-the-old-republictooltoolsWorld-of-WarcraftWed, 12 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: New tools for the community]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/eve-evolved-new-tools-for-the-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/eve-evolved-new-tools-for-the-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/eve-evolved-new-tools-for-the-community/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Earlier this week, CCP Games released a much-needed complete overhaul of the official EVE Online website. Having been in operation for nine long years, the old website had become a mismatch of marketing information aimed at new players and tools for the existing player community. The overhaul split the page into two awesome websites, with a new community site to cater to existing players and an impressive new main page to attract future players.

The main page uses HTML 5 to deliver incredible interactive views of the EVE Online galaxy and dozens of in-game ships right there on the website. The community website houses all of the news, devblogs, knowledgebase articles, fictional chronicles, and support tools that existing players use, but with a much neater layout than the old website. In web developer CCP Alice's recent In Development video, she revealed that the team would be working on new community tools following the launch of the new websites. With the community site completely de-cluttered, there's now room to incorporate a lot of the tools players want or currently use, opening up some interesting possibilities.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I discuss the new EVE Online website and community portal and speculate on awesome new community tools we might possibly see in the future.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: New tools for the community

MassivelyEVE Evolved: New tools for the community originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamescorpcorporationdotlanefteveeve-evolvedeve-fitting-tooleve-onlineevemonfeaturedforumforumsgame-designguildguild-forumshtml5icscincarnamapmarketmarketingopinionsandboxsci-fitoolswebsiteSun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online player creativity -- Ship fitting edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/eve-online-player-creativity-ship-fitting-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/eve-online-player-creativity-ship-fitting-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/eve-online-player-creativity-ship-fitting-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Two months ago, CCP started a new series of monthly EVE Online devblogs showcasing the game community's creative efforts. The EVE community is known for its artwork and incredible fan-made videos, but through CCP Fallout's monthly blog series, we've come to see some of the community's other creative endeavours. In previous editions, Fallout looked at in-game news and politics website EVE News 24, question and answer site Skill Training Complete, an impressive minecraft video of a scale Gallente shuttle, and a collection of EVE podcasts.

In the latest issue, CCP looks at some of the latest developments that have drawn attention during December. There's an impressive video showing off the new EVE character creator that will be going live with Incursion 1.1 later this month. The video shows off both male and female avatars. Also covered is the Python Fitting Assistant, a cross-platform offline ship fitting tool similar to the very popular EVE Fitting Tool. The highlight of this month's blog has to be LOLFITS, a website where players can post some of the monumentally bad ship setups they've seen players use. If you think your ship setups are poor, I guarantee they're spectacular compared to some of the hilarious setups on LOLFITS.

MassivelyEVE Online player creativity -- Ship fitting edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamescharactercharacter-creationcreativecreativitycultureeveeve-ccpeve-fitting-tooleve-mmorpgeve-onlineincursionlolfitspython-fitting-assistantship-fittingtooltoolsvideoFri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Demands]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/storyboard-demands/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/storyboard-demands/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/storyboard-demands/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hello, fellow roleplayers! I'm here to yell at all of you, myself included, as well as pretty much every single company producing MMOs at the moment. If possible, I'd also like the opportunity to yell at Gary Gygax for perpetuating certain modes of play far past the point that they were healthy for roleplaying games as a genre, but these days that just seems disrespectful. (Yelling at him about Lejendary Adventure should still be fair game.)

What am I so whiny about? The fact that we're now more than a decade into the existence of MMOs as a genre, and yet the most successful games out there don't give the tiniest crap about roleplayers. And yes, you might say, that's their fault for being bad hosts -- but it's also our own fault. Because while the idea of trying to roleplay has been marginalized, we've been sitting by and nodding our heads and agreeing that yes, we're not doing anything important. So it's time for a rant.

Continue reading Storyboard: Demands

MassivelyStoryboard: Demands originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardentertainmentfeaturedopinionplayer-toolsrole-playrole-playingroleplayingrprp-communityrp-toolsryzomstoryboardtoolsworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 03 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Waging WAR: Community guide to Warhammer Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/waging-war-community-guide-to-warhammer-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/waging-war-community-guide-to-warhammer-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/waging-war-community-guide-to-warhammer-online/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So here it is: the first installment of Waging WAR, a weekly column about Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Every Saturday, the column will deliver the latest in information, press news, stories, debates, and more about WAR. What happened in Praag this week? Are they serious about such-and-such going live with the next patch? Are Shadow Warriors fixed yet?

As it is with all new Massively game-specific columns, Waging WAR is launching with a community guide for fans of the game -- old-schoolers, re-enlistees, and new-comers alike -- to use as a collective resource of links and information about WAR. Join us after the break to check it out!

Continue reading Waging WAR: Community guide to Warhammer Online

MassivelyWaging WAR: Community guide to Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-guidecommunity-linksEAfansitesknowledgeknowledge-basemythicMythic-Entertainmentpodcaststoolswarwarhammer-onlineSat, 22 May 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: A community guide to EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/02/eve-evolved-a-community-guide-to-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/02/eve-evolved-a-community-guide-to-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/02/eve-evolved-a-community-guide-to-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Some time ago, Massively started up a whole slew of new weekly columns, each covering a specific MMO. Each week, they bring guides, editorials, interviews and community news in a similar way to what I've been doing with EVE Evolved over the past two years. Each of the new columns started with a definitive community guide showcasing handy links to useful websites, blogs and tools. This week it's my turn to give EVE Online the community guide treatment. This article will be updated periodically with new links as they make themselves known. If you have a useful EVE link you think would belong in the community guide, leave a comment with it.

Skip past the cut for a breakdown of some of EVE's most important community links.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: A community guide to EVE Online

MassivelyEVE Evolved: A community guide to EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storeApplicationappsccpccp-eveccp-gamescommunity-guideeveeve-ccpeve-community-guideeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineEVElopediafacebookfeaturedforumsguideguideskillboardpodcaststoolstwitterwikipediayoutubeSun, 02 May 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Mask: A community guide to Champions Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/25/behind-the-mask-a-community-guide-to-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/25/behind-the-mask-a-community-guide-to-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/25/behind-the-mask-a-community-guide-to-champions-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Behind the Mask is the new Massively column devoted to everything you might want to know about Champions Online. Fortunately for Massively readers, the guys at UNITY have given me the go-ahead to declassify my stories as a super-powered operative. As a result, we'll be giving you the down and dirty facts that you'll need to make it in the superhero world, as well as bits of news you won't hear anywhere else. Behind the Mask will cover issues related to life in Millennium City as well as detailed info about criminal hotspots around the globe.

Our first column will be a community resource for Champions Online. While there were a fair number of community sites at launch, most of them have suffered from a lack of new content in recent months. The ones that continue to be updated are the best of the best -- ranging from community hubs for roleplayers to detailed info on the game's many missions. If there's one thing to be said about the fans of Champions, it's that they are devoted to their game and eager to put out new content for it.

Continue reading Behind the Mask: A community guide to Champions Online

MassivelyBehind the Mask: A community guide to Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alivetarkayneBehind-the-Maskbill-roperchampions-onlinecocommunity-guidecommunity-linkscrypticcryptic-champions-onlinecryptic-cocryptic-studiosfeaturedgm-destraknowledgeKnowledgeBasemillenium-citystormshadeToolsThu, 25 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community guide to City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/27/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-guide-to-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/27/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-guide-to-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/27/a-mild-mannered-reporter-community-guide-to-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Welcome to A Mild-Mannered Reporter, Massively's new weekly column all about City of Heroes! We were originally going to spin you a dynamic yarn about how I had watched my parents die, then spent years training in secret to strike fear into the hearts of criminals by writing about video games, but that was eliminated during the concept stage due to copyright infringement. Instead, we're just going with a column.

For our first installment, we're highlighting a number of sites that are useful in one way or another to the City of Heroes playerbase. While the game has enjoyed quite a lifespan, the web presence on it has been a bit more limited than some other games, probably due in no small part to the fact that it's much easier to simply pick up and play. That doesn't mean there's nothing here, though -- the community has developed a number of excellent tools and community gathering points to improve everyone's experience in Paragon City or the Rogue Isles. Take a look at what we've looked at and see as the highlights.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community guide to City of Heroes

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community guide to City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>back-alley-brawlercity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcommunity-guidecommunity-linkscovcoxknowledgeknowledge-basenivieneparagon-cityparagon-studiospodcaststoolsWed, 27 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Community guide to Final Fantasy XI and XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/24/the-mog-log-community-guide-to-final-fantasy-xi-and-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/24/the-mog-log-community-guide-to-final-fantasy-xi-and-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/24/the-mog-log-community-guide-to-final-fantasy-xi-and-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The great thing about being a fan of Final Fantasy XI is that you're not lacking in any sort of resources online. After such a long lifespan, pages have been created to suit almost any need the community might have. And for a game whose mechanics can be obtuse at times, that's a good thing.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? The Mog Log is Massively's new weekly column focusing on all things both Final Fantasy and online, meaning both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. For our first installment, we're taking a look at the multitude of fan pages, guides, and other resources for players. Needless to say there are a few more options for the former game than the latter (due to only one of them actually being released yet), but there's already a community building in anticipation of Eorzea's adventures.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Community guide to Final Fantasy XI and XIV

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Community guide to Final Fantasy XI and XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogscalendarcampingcampscampsitesdatabasefansitesfeaturedffffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivpodcastsroleplayingschedulesskillchainssquaresquare-enixtoolswikiSun, 24 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Code something for Ryzom's new API, win cash!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/21/code-something-for-ryzoms-new-api-win-cash/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/21/code-something-for-ryzoms-new-api-win-cash/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/21/code-something-for-ryzoms-new-api-win-cash/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


If you're bored, have some free time, and enjoy coding programs then do we have the contest for you! The team over at Ryzom have put together a brand new API for their game, and they're celebrating its launch with a contest for budding developers! Even better, the prizes are all monetary!

What the Ryzom team is looking for is people who can utilize their new API for whatever gadgets, tools, or websites they can dream up. The winning use of the API will be the one that displays innovation, usefulness, ease-of-use, multilingual support, validity and completeness, and optimized coding. Popularity, stability, and availability will be taken into consideration as well with all coding entries.

The winning entry will receive 3,000 euros (approximately 4,200 US dollars), second place will receive 1,000 euros (1,400 US dollars), and third place will be netting 500 euros (700 US dollars.)

So what are you waiting for? Get coding!

[Thanks, J3kyll!]

MassivelyCode something for Ryzom's new API, win cash! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apicodingcontestgadgetmoneyryzomryzom-onlineryzom-ringtoolswebsitesTue, 21 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wayfaring through New Eden with EveMap]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/#commentsFiled under: ,

EVE Online has an active community of 3rd party developers who release free tools for the benefit of other players. While tools like EVEmon, used to plan skill training, and EVE Fitting Tool, used to experiment with ship fittings, are widely used by players, there are a number of other great programs out there that have gotten less attention. One of those out-of-game tools is EveMap, created by Paul van Santen -- otherwise known as "AcriQuo."

The galaxy of New Eden has over 5000 solar systems, and plotting safe routes or simply some optimal wayfaring can be a bit involved. When in-game, you can pull up an interactive map to help navigate, but it takes up the entire client window while active. Some players prefer to view their maps off-screen, and there are some 2D options available to help in this regard, but until recently, going 2D was the only option players had. That's all changed with EveMap, which is a fully-functional 3D map of the EVE universe, with myriad display options and filters. The beauty of the program is that it literally displays all of EVE's systems without being confined to the client. The system requirements to run it are minimal: Java Runtime Environment version 1.5 or higher, and an OpenGL-capable graphics card. EveMap has been well-received on the official EVE Online forums. If having another way to navigate in EVE sounds good to you, why not fire up EveMap and see how useful it can be?

MassivelyWayfaring through New Eden with EveMap originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesefteft-warrioreveeve-fitting-tooleve-onlineevemapevemonmapnew-edenprogramprogramstooltoolsSun, 03 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOS X: WoWPlot]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/mmos-x-wowplot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/mmos-x-wowplot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/mmos-x-wowplot/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


I was trolling through the forums at Arstechnica not too long ago, and saw someone chatting up his latest project: WowPlot. Immediately, that thread went into the well for future column ideas.

WoWPlot is a graphical combat log analyzer for World of Warcraft, in a similar vein to WoW Web Stats. According to the developer, "Its main focus lies in evaluating time-dependant combat performance in a very free-form fashion, which is in contrast to the mainly statistical approach of other tools such as Wow Web Stats." From a technical standpoint, you'll need OS X 10.5.x and, obviously, a Macintosh. As I stupidly found out the hard way, you'll also need combat logs from 2.4 or later. I know it sounds obvious, but early testing and subsequent error messages led to a face-palming, "no duh!" moment on my behalf -- it's been a while since I've raided, so I ended up having to beg some logs from a guildie.

Now, before I get too heavy into my discussion on this, this is early beta software. Rather than just e-mail the developer with my thoughts, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone: I can make my deadline and maybe get him some more exposure and feedback if some of you try it out.

Continue reading MMOS X: WoWPlot

MassivelyMMOS X: WoWPlot originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macos-xraid-analysistoolsMon, 30 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jacek Antonelli's special blend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/jacek-antonellis-special-blend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/jacek-antonellis-special-blend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/jacek-antonellis-special-blend/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jacek Antonelli, whom you already likely know as the creator of the Blender BVH animation exporter for Second Life, has released an excellent tutorial on getting to grips with Blender and the exporter, so that you can get into this excellent free tool for creating animations.

Her tutorial is simple, straightforward, witty and well-illustrated. If you create Second Life animations, but don't use Blender -- or you want to get into creating animations for Linden Lab's virtual world, you owe it to yourself to take a look at this.

MassivelyJacek Antonelli's special blend originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationblenderbvhguideshow-tojacek-antonellisecond-lifesl-blender-animation-exportertoolsSat, 07 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New release: Blender animation exporter]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/new-release-blender-animation-exporter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/new-release-blender-animation-exporter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/new-release-blender-animation-exporter/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jacek Antonelli has released a new version of her Blender animation exporter that allows use of Blender's sophisticated (and free) animation suite to create animations for Second Life.

This release focuses primarily on the user-interface, improving the layout to make things a whole lot easier for those who are not already Jedi-masters of the Blender package; and a mighty good change it is, too, as you can see above.

Continue reading New release: Blender animation exporter

MassivelyNew release: Blender animation exporter originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationblenderbvhjacek-antonelliopen-sourcesecond-lifesl-blender-animation-exportersource-codetoolsMon, 02 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[From Blender to BVH via Antonelli]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/from-blender-to-bvh-via-antonelli/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/from-blender-to-bvh-via-antonelli/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/from-blender-to-bvh-via-antonelli/#commentsFiled under: ,

One of the more sophisticated animation tools out there is Blender, a cross-platform, free suite of 3D creation tools. Blender allows a lot of animation tricks that are normally only found in packages costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The eclectic, artistic, and highly-animated Jacek Antonelli has released a script, scene and animation skeleton that allows users to create and export high-quality animations from Blender into the BVH format used by Second Life.

Continue reading From Blender to BVH via Antonelli

MassivelyFrom Blender to BVH via Antonelli originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationblenderbvhjacek-antonelliopen-sourceqavimatorsecond-lifesl-blender-animation-exportersource-codetoolsTue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joshua Slack demonstrates NCSoft worldbuilding tool]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/joshua-slack-demonstrates-ncsoft-worldbuilding-tool/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/joshua-slack-demonstrates-ncsoft-worldbuilding-tool/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/joshua-slack-demonstrates-ncsoft-worldbuilding-tool/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In the course of a technical session at JavaOne, Joshua Slack and Rikard Herlitz showed off the kind of tools you can build using the jMonkeyEngine, and used the NCSoft world-building tool as an example. This video shows Rikard putting together a hasty landscape that comes out quite nicely, given that he is 'just a programmer' rather than a professional level designer. (Self-deprecatory humor for the proverbial win.)

Although the video is intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the jMonkeyEngine, it's an interesting look at one of the tools used by a major player in the MMO market. NCSoft has been using jMonkeyEngine for the last two years. Joshua doesn't mention any specific games that have used the tool, though he does hint rather strongly that NCsoft's most recent output might have employed it.

The worldbuilding tool presentation follows behind the break.

Continue reading Joshua Slack demonstrates NCSoft worldbuilding tool

MassivelyJoshua Slack demonstrates NCSoft worldbuilding tool originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>game-designjmonkeyenginelevel-designncsofttoolsworld-buildingworldbuildingMon, 19 May 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hexagon 2.5 sculpts your prims]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/hexagon-2-5-sculpts-your-prims/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/hexagon-2-5-sculpts-your-prims/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/hexagon-2-5-sculpts-your-prims/#commentsFiled under: ,

You may already be aware of DAZ 3D, in fact few people who work with 3D modeling and texturing haven't heard of or tried their lines of tools, models and resources. Today, DAZ 3D have released a new update to their Hexagon 2 3D modeling and texturing package (which is, quite possibly, our second-favorite subdivision modeler).

Hexagon 2.5 now supports sculpted prims for Second Life, among its already impressive array of features, and without much of the fiddling about and constraints that you might have to contend with some of the other software for which plugins are available.

Additionally, Hexagon 2.5 supports far more model export options, and a bridge that allows DAZ Studio models to be pulled into Hexagon, tinkered with and then sent back to DAZ Studio. Yummy!

MassivelyHexagon 2.5 sculpts your prims originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2008 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daz-3dhexagonsculptiessecond-lifetoolsThu, 01 May 2008 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Vastpark to publically release its tools on April 10th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/vastpark-to-publically-release-its-tools-on-april-10th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/vastpark-to-publically-release-its-tools-on-april-10th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/vastpark-to-publically-release-its-tools-on-april-10th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

For those of you who have been hankering after more toys to play with, Vastpark has announced the date for release of its tools as April 10th. What's included in the release? From the press notice:
  • Browser: Similar to what we used during the stress test, but with a little more polish.
  • Asset Publisher: Publish your content online to use in the creator.
  • VastServer: Add real-time multiuser interaction, includes the source code.
  • Creator: Improved function and shiny new interface
In addition, the 22nd of April will see the next stress test: 'In the StressTest #1 we gave you Dark Park and Shed42. This time we're reworking Shed42 into multiple chat-zones and we've got plans on adding a bit of interactivity and individuality. This will be the first test of our new MetaWSS index. What does the MetaWSS index do? Find out more at the test. Also, during the test we will be making a public announcement concerning some exciting ways you will be able to interact with the index.'

Sounds technical and sexy! We can't wait to see what the world will do with Vastpark!

MassivelyVastpark to publically release its tools on April 10th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-parkpublic-releasestress-testtoolsvastparkFri, 04 Apr 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sierra making "mass-market" online game with BigWorld suite]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/sierra-making-mass-market-online-game-with-bigworld-suite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/sierra-making-mass-market-online-game-with-bigworld-suite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/sierra-making-mass-market-online-game-with-bigworld-suite/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It seems like every time we hear about a new title, the first thing we hear is an announcement about what engine or dev tools its developers will use. This time, Sierra has licensed the BigWorld Suite, parts of which are also used in Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's Stargate Worlds and John Romero's forthcoming MMO project.

The announcement was made by BigWorld Technologies, not Sierra, and it didn't reveal much about the nature of the game, except that it it will be (according to Gamasutra) "targeting a mass-market audience." King's Quest Online? Probably not, but if only! If you want to know more about BigWorld, Ten Ton Hammer did a great interview with one of the guys behind it earlier this year.

Oh, and just so you know; Sierra is/was owned by Vivendi Games, and so is (like Blizzard) now part of the epic corporate monstrosity known as Activision Blizzard. All your studio are belong to us.

MassivelySierra making "mass-market" online game with BigWorld suite originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bigworldbigworld-suitebigworld-technologiescheyenne-mountain-entertainmentdevelopmentenginegamasutrajohn-romerokings-questlicensesierrasierra-onlinestargate-worldstoolsThu, 06 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: A look at skills]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/behind-the-curtain-a-look-at-skills/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/behind-the-curtain-a-look-at-skills/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/behind-the-curtain-a-look-at-skills/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

He has Mad Skillz, apparentlyIn their current state, skills in MMOs could be improved. Tell me exactly what kind of 'skill' is involved in clicking a button a few times until the game decides that you're able to make something better? What if your character's skills were a direct result of how good you were at actually performing the task in question? What if an action's level of success was dependent on how well you actually carried out the action and not on how often you had clicked a button?

The effects of a system like this would be most apparent in crafting; imagine a game where, in the crafting interface, you had direct control over the creative process, a system where the quality of the item varied according to the level of skill employed by the player during the creative process, and not on how many times you had clicked a button to make the item in the past.

The beauty of a system like this is that players who naturally excel in a certain skill would be rewarded for it, regardless of the amount of time spent grinding their skill level up, but at the same time, players who simply created the same item again and again would get better anyway, because after all, practice makes perfect.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: A look at skills

MassivelyBehind the Curtain: A look at skills originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>behind-the-curtainblacksmithingcrafterscraftingeveeve-onlinefeaturedmaster-craftersecond-lifeskillstoolsworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 08 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST