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 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Happy Newb Year!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/wing-over-atreia-happy-newb-year/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/wing-over-atreia-happy-newb-year/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/wing-over-atreia-happy-newb-year/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Wings Over Atreia header
Oh, that feeling when a game is new and everything is an adventure! Say what you will, but I cherish those moments of still being a newb and getting to experience things for the first time while exploring a new world (mind you, that is newb as in "new person," not n00b meaning "hopelessly moronic"). The problem is, once you have been in a game for a while, that whole aura dissipates and you lose that feeling of wonder. I envy those just now coming to Aion, as those of us who have been here for the past two plus years have lost that initial excitement. And when you've lost that newbie feeling, then it's gone, gone, gone, whoa whoa whoa...

Or is it?

When you have played the game for a long period of time, you tend to settle into a rut that is hard to break out of. Log in, do dailies, do arenas, do dredge. Toss in a siege. Rinse and repeat. In the past, Wings Over Atreia has delved into some of the reasons to stay in game when things become a bit monotonous and we sludge through some of the more difficult times. But why should we sludge? Why not find ways to make Aion more interesting when you hit that plateau?

Some players have done just that. A little creativity (and sometimes some really insane friends) can really make a difference and bring back that newbie feeling -- or at least make things interesting while adding some variety to gaming.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Happy Newb Year!

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Happy Newb Year! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gamealternate-rule-setaltsbeating-boredomboredomcomfort-zonefeaturedmonotonync-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionnewbienewbie-experiencepermadeathroleplayroleplayersroleplayingMon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you do during downtime in the game?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-do-during-downtime-in-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-do-during-downtime-in-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-do-during-downtime-in-the-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

MMOs, especially older ones, often suffered or benefited (depending on whom you asked) from having a somewhat more sedate pace of activities. Even in the most action-oriented games, there are periods of downtime, whether they come from travel times or waiting for the other two players in your party to come back from the bathroom. It's not enough time for you to think that you should just log off and do something else, but it is enough time that you start to find your attention wandering at least a little bit.

So what do you do during the brief downtime in an MMO? Do you read books while you wait for your World of Warcraft raid to get underway? Do you have the television on in the background while you play World of Tanks (preferably tuned to the History Channel)? Is it a simple matter of tabbing over to read another site while you warp around in Star Trek Online? Or do you just entertain yourself with emote spam, jumping, and various inventory toys?

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: What do you do during downtime in the game? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boredombrowsingdowntimehumorhurry-up-and-waitopinionreadingtdgtelevisionthe-daily-grindwaitingwatchingFri, 06 May 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain's Log: Bridging the gap]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/captain-s-log-bridging-the-gap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/captain-s-log-bridging-the-gap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/captain-s-log-bridging-the-gap/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Captain's Log, Stardate 64711.7...

Hello, computer (and players)! Wouldn't you agree that all MMO players have felt, or will feel, some sort of boredom with their games of choice at some point in their lives? Whether it be because they have leveled up four toons, maxed out their gear, completed all of their dailies for months, or can run raids in their sleep, a little bit of boredom is no reason to launch the escape pods between content pushes. This is especially true in the Star Trek Online universe.

I recently felt the boredom mentioned above and started playing RIFT as a way to "take a break" from STO; as I started my journey through the lands of Telara, I could not help but think that I was "cheating" on STO. I say "cheating" because I can honestly say I love STO and am so proud to be a lifetime member. So why did I start to play RIFT? Well, I leveled up four toons, maxed out my gear, ran my dailies for months, and can now run the raids in my sleep. But the thing is, I know that MMOs are evolving, living creatures, and I know that STO's future is quite bright. But while you wait for that blinding future, let me outline some ways to bridge the gap.

Ensign, warp 10! Let's talk about some things to do...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Bridging the gap

MassivelyCaptain's Log: Bridging the gap originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boredombridging-the-gapcaptains-logcrypticcryptic-studiosfeaturedriftsci-fist-onlinestar-trekstar-trek-onlinestotriontrion-worldsThu, 17 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Exploring Eberron: Playtime over the holidays]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/exploring-eberron-playtime-over-the-holidays/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/exploring-eberron-playtime-over-the-holidays/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/exploring-eberron-playtime-over-the-holidays/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's Christmas Eve, and most everyone is on some sort of holiday break. The interesting thing about holiday "break" is that it's often not so much a break as it is a different kind of hustle and bustle than the usual one.

Still, it's supposed to involve at least a little bit of downtime, and we MMO fans look forward to indulging with some extra time in our favorite games. While it's hard to find time to spend hours raiding, the design of Dungeons and Dragons Online allows players to take a half-hour here and there to relax and play. The downside of this is that there's a lot of content, and it's easy to wind up staring at the game thinking "I have no idea what I want to do." A few suggestions can usually get the ball rolllng, so follow along after the jump for some ideas on how to make the most of your DDO downtime!

Continue reading Exploring Eberron: Playtime over the holidays

MassivelyExploring Eberron: Playtime over the holidays originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boredboredomddoDungeons-and-Dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlineexploring-eberronf2pfeaturedfestivultfree-to-playftpholidaysturbineTurbine-EntertainmentFri, 24 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Don't worry, it gets better in time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/24/anti-aliased-dont-worry-it-gets-better-in-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/24/anti-aliased-dont-worry-it-gets-better-in-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/24/anti-aliased-dont-worry-it-gets-better-in-time/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You know, I had no clue what to write about this week until I realized it was a topic that had been haunting me forever. It's a topic that everyone can relate to, and one that I'm sure we've all experienced at least once. Personally, it's a topic that I never hear the end of. Any review, any game impressions that I write up almost inevitably will be shot with this line:

"What, you didn't play until [insert level X or time requirement here]?!?! Then you didn't experience the game!"

You know what, let me say it straight. I'm sick and tired of hearing that line. Completely sick of it. I played your game, it was bad. And you want to know why it was bad? Let me tell you, in full detail, why it was bad, and let me go on to tell all of you why "it gets better in time" is a really, really lame line.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Don't worry, it gets better in time

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Don't worry, it gets better in time originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedasian-grinderboredomexperience-grindfeaturedgrindgrindermmo-reviewopinionreviewThu, 24 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Pick up and play]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/the-daily-grind-pick-up-and-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/the-daily-grind-pick-up-and-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/the-daily-grind-pick-up-and-play/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


As soon as you log on to City of Heroes, you can look up a randomly-generated mission via the newspaper or police scanner, dart off to the location, and most likely have it cleared out in fifteen minutes. A tank in World of Warcraft can log on, set themselves up via the dungeon finder, and often be done with a dungeon run before they finish their favorite episode of The Office. It's a far cry from a Dragoon in the heyday of Final Fantasy XI sitting in Jeuno for three hours without a party invitation. Say what you will about grinds, but the barrier to accessing content has never been lower.

The ability to pick up and immediately get moving in many MMOs has become quite a selling point, but there are players who feel that it rewards quantity and almost hyperactive runs through content rather than depth of play. What do you feel about systems to let players jump in as quickly as possible? Is it a major selling point you'd like to see more of, or a growing weakness that's turning persistent worlds into glorified lobbies?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Pick up and play originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessaccess-speedboredomcity-of-heroescohcontentdowntimeffxifinal-fantasy-xigrouping-speedlobbiesopinionpersistent-worldsspeedtdgthe-daily-grindwaitingworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 02 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Digital Continuum: The trouble with sticking to MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/the-digital-continuum-the-trouble-with-sticking-to-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/the-digital-continuum-the-trouble-with-sticking-to-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/the-digital-continuum-the-trouble-with-sticking-to-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I get to these points where not a single MMO will stick with me any longer than roughly one month -- sometimes less. That wasn't always the case, though. There was a time when I could play a single MMO nearly every day for three or four months before getting tired of it. And a lot of my friends are in the same boat, trying to regularly play an MMO but mostly faltering.

This isn't new to me. In fact, I've been here before and I know how to get out of the viciously boring cycle. This week's The Digital Continuum is all about renewing the luster to your MMO experience, and maybe a little more.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: The trouble with sticking to MMOs

MassivelyThe Digital Continuum: The trouble with sticking to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardboredomcity-of-heroescryptic-studiosfeaturedgroupncsoftopinionparagon-studiossolothe-digital-continuumworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 30 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When is it time to give up?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/01/the-daily-grind-when-is-it-time-to-give-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/01/the-daily-grind-when-is-it-time-to-give-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/01/the-daily-grind-when-is-it-time-to-give-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


It's almost the end of the year, time for us to evaluate what we're doing and consider dropping our bad habits. And... well, sometimes your favorite game becomes one of those. Sometimes your most-played class gets hit with the nerf bat so hard you can barely walk any longer, or the game's updates are constantly dropping more and more content you find boring or don't even get to play. You might have loved the game for a long time or even just a little while, but time isn't aging it well and you're increasingly dreading logging on.

Today, we ask a sad question: when is it time to shake your head and decide that enough is enough? Does one major power-down on your character of preference tell you that you're not really wanted, or do you stick around until everything has been drained dry? Are you the sort who gives the game time and chances to win you back, or do you leave and never even glance back at where you came from? Or do you never say goodbye and just keep playing in the hopes that things will turn around and you'll be glad you waited?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: When is it time to give up? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicboredomcontentcultureopinionpatchestdgthe-daily-grindunpleasantnessunsubscribingTue, 01 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Aion server queue survival guide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/the-aion-server-queue-survival-guide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/the-aion-server-queue-survival-guide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/the-aion-server-queue-survival-guide/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


So you pre-ordered Aion and you're super excited to jump into the game during the headstart release that's going on right now. You've set aside a whole block of time for your game play, you have your snacks at your side and your DVR ready to play some great entertainment while you grind your night away. You type in your username and password, accept the EULA, select the server that you made your character on during the pre-selection annnndd.....

...you get slapped in the face with a 2 hour wait time.

Don't worry, we've been there. Trust us on that. But here at Massively, we're not going to let you down in your moment of need. We've compiled a great list of fun things to do while you wait for that server queue to drop. Follow along after the break, and we'll be happy to show you the golden road to boredom elimination.

Continue reading The Aion server queue survival guide

MassivelyThe Aion server queue survival guide originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aion-onlineaion-the-tower-of-eternityangelblog-archivesboredomdaevafacebookforumsinstant-messengerinvisible-petmovienapsncsoftpaper-hatpizzapizza-deliveryserver-queuesock-puppetssurvival-guidetwitterMon, 21 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When is a grind not a grind?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/the-daily-grind-when-is-a-grind-not-a-grind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/the-daily-grind-when-is-a-grind-not-a-grind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/the-daily-grind-when-is-a-grind-not-a-grind/#commentsFiled under:

According to a history documentary this blogger remembers watching some time back, 'the daily grind' was originally a literal grind; the processing of cultivated grain to make flour for bread, which people would do on small stone wheels. In their thatch roof cottages. Before the Trogdor came in the niiiiight.

But in the context of MMOs, such as Scott Jennings' recent criticism of Warhammer Online for being grindy, what exactly makes a grind? It's easy to come up with a rough definition: doing the same thing over and over with little variation and modest but predictable reward, a bit like grinding little stone wheels to make enough flour for one family sized loaf.

However, given that pretty much everything you do in an MMO is a task carried out for some sort of reward or other, what stops it all from feeling like one big grind - variations in quest type, changes of scenery, or changes of mob type? What features work best - and worst - to break up the monotony? What makes the difference between feeling like you're playing and feeling like you're grinding?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: When is a grind not a grind? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boredomburnoutgrindingthe-daily-grindxpSat, 18 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Burnout: This MMOG isn't what it used to be]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/burnout-this-mmog-isn-t-what-it-used-to-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/burnout-this-mmog-isn-t-what-it-used-to-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/burnout-this-mmog-isn-t-what-it-used-to-be/#commentsFiled under: ,


The loading screen in your brain is stuck. What is this madness? Is it the same tireless errands disguised as quests, social ties torn asunder leaving your guild in disarray, maybe it's the same old rigmarole and you need a new routine in-game. You don't want to give up, you turn to leveling endless alts, doing unorthodox things in the game you'd never do before, even playing less to help stave off the ennui to help reclaim the magic isn't working. You're burned out. Maybe it's time for a break, probably not your first time around either if you've been playing any MMOG for years it's something many of us struggle with.

Over on Hardcore Casual, Syncaine addresses the topic and brings up some interesting points like when the MMOG genre was in its infancy players were a lot more tolerable to game debilitating bugs and hardcore server rulesets. It was an amazing time, most players describe an awestruck wondrous feeling of enjoyment with their first MMOG, but at the beginning of the graphical online genre it really was a revolution in gaming with a much different atmosphere. Today, MMOG players are less patient; newer MMOGs have spoiled the masses, and sometimes we really don't know what will make playing our dream MMOG an exhilarating experience even when thinking we do. Are you in a burnout now? If so, let us know how you are dealing with it.

MassivelyBurnout: This MMOG isn't what it used to be originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boredomburned-outburnouthardcore-casualmadnessopinionsyncaineFri, 27 Jun 2008 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: Age of Conan's newbie blues]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/player-vs-everything-age-of-conans-newbie-blues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/player-vs-everything-age-of-conans-newbie-blues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/player-vs-everything-age-of-conans-newbie-blues/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I've been playing Age of Conan a fair amount over the last week, trying to figure out if I like it well enough to continue paying for it on a monthly basis after my free month expires. The problem is that it's going to be my second MMOG -- the one I play when I'm not busy farming or raiding with my guild on World of Warcraft. Even for someone who writes about videogames professionally, when you start stacking up multiple subscriptions, things get pricey pretty fast. Usually, I keep two subs active at a time and write about what I'm playing.

Anyway, I've been trying to make this decision and I have a problem: I hop classes a lot. When you're talking about a 250 hour investment, you want to make sure that you pick a class you enjoy playing. To figure out what you enjoy playing, you really just have to try the classes out -- especially when the classes are as unique as the ones in Age of Conan. I've leveled two characters to the high teens in Tortage, and several more to the 10ish range. What I've decided, after doing all of this poking around with the classes, is that AoC's first 20 levels are about as frustrating as they can be once the initial sheen of "new game wonder" wears off. If you didn't notice it your first time through, just wait until you make your first alt.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Age of Conan's newbie blues

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: Age of Conan's newbie blues originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanboredboredomclassesdestiny-questsfeaturedlevelingnewbieskillstortageMon, 26 May 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: When will the players leave WoW?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/player-vs-everything-when-will-the-players-leave-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/player-vs-everything-when-will-the-players-leave-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/player-vs-everything-when-will-the-players-leave-wow/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


I always think it's interesting when I hear developers talk about how World of Warcraft opened up the MMOG market for new entrants. We have all these new and exciting games coming out: Age of Conan, Warhammer Online, The Chronicles of Spellborn, and plenty more. However, the overwhelming response that I get from WoW players when I talk about these games is a blank stare and something along the lines of, "Okay, that sounds all right... but why would I ever want to leave WoW?" I think that developers tend to underestimate how attached people get to their MMOG of choice. There are now over 10 million World of Warcraft players. The question is, do they even want something different?

I've read a number of bloggers in the past few months and talked to a number of players who claim that they're only playing WoW right now because "it's the best thing out there." They're yearning for something else. Not something totally different, mind you, since they obviously have a blast in Azeroth. But something fresh enough to be new and exciting without bastardizing the game style they know and love. However, I've noticed something interesting. This breed of player tends to overwhelmingly be comprised of people for whom World of Warcraft was not their first MMOG. Otherwise, people just want WoW to put more content in and are willing to make do with what they have until then. I think there's an intriguing bit of psychology there that's worth examining.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: When will the players leave WoW?

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: When will the players leave WoW? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentboredboredomburnoutcompetitiondikumudeverquesteverquest-2everquest-iifeaturedfree-trialgame-developmentjoystiqfeaturesmmo-burnoutplayer-vs-everythingsoesony-online-entertai...vanguardworld-of-warcraftThu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST