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[The Daily Grind: Which MMO supports guilds the best?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-supports-guilds-the-best/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-supports-guilds-the-best/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-supports-guilds-the-best/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Guilds
In my opinion, guilds are the backbone of the social component of MMOs. Without them, games might as well be flopping on the ground, unable to move and in severe pain. Ever since MMOs first came on the scene -- and even before -- players have naturally gravitated to guilds as part of their gaming experience. At Massively, we love guilds so much we dedicate a weekly column to exploring their intricacies.

Unfortunately, not all MMOs treat guilds the same; some receive a huge amount of support from the dev team, while others are given a skeleton framework and told to buzz off. Not every game has guild housing, guild ranks, in-game calendars, shared storage, perks, and other means of structure and support.

If one were to consider all of the features that help guilds form, grow, and function, what MMO would top the list? Which game treats its guilds as members of royalty instead as sewer-digging peasants?

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: Which MMO supports guilds the best? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarguildguild-banksguild-calendarguild-housingguild-perksguild-ranksguild-supportguildsopinionshared-storagetdgthe-daily-grindSat, 27 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dream a little dream of Allods Online's patch 1.1.02]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/dream-a-little-dream-of-allods-onlines-patch-1-1-02/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/dream-a-little-dream-of-allods-onlines-patch-1-1-02/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/dream-a-little-dream-of-allods-onlines-patch-1-1-02/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Patch 1.1 was a contentious period in the life of Allods Online, but the dev team is hoping to get past the controversy with the impressive improvements of patch 1.1.02. Although those excessive decimal points may not instill your heart with awe, the patch is quite beefy indeed.

At the cornerstone of this update is a new zone, the Dream Factory. Meant for level 22 Imperial players, the Dream Factory will shed some light on Yasker's war against the League. Also included in the update is a bevy of new social options, including a calendar and a bulletin board system. The bulletin board offers three helpful features: guild announcements, general announcements and a looking-for-group tool.

Most of the classes were on the business end of a major tune-up, and as a result, affected classes have had their talents and rubies reset. The patch notes list extensive changes for classes such as the warrior, although scouts are left with this maddeningly vague statement: "Significantly changed all spells and abilities." It's a new minigame: figure out what "significant changes" have been made to your class! You can read the full patch notes over at Allods Online.

MassivelyDream a little dream of Allods Online's patch 1.1.02 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allodsallods-onlinebulletin-boardcalendarclassclass-balanceclass-changesdream-factorygpotatoleaguepatch-1.1patch-1.1.02patch-notestake-part-in-the-making-of-cinematography-whaaaayaskerFri, 24 Sep 2010 19:00:00 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[Begin 2010 with Turbine's wallpaper calendars and more]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/begin-2010-with-turbines-wallpaper-calendars-and-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/begin-2010-with-turbines-wallpaper-calendars-and-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/begin-2010-with-turbines-wallpaper-calendars-and-more/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Happy New Year from Massively, and from Turbine! Whichever of their two popular games -- Dungeons and Dragons Online or Lord of the Rings Online -- you prefer, Turbine has just the thing for your desktop to ring in the new year.

Both games are offering free quarterly wallpaper calendars featuring some of the gorgeous screenshots that Turbine is known for providing to its fans. Three different choices are offered for each game, depending on your preference: flashy new Siege of Mirkwood, or good old dependable Gollum? Close-up character shot or faraway landscape shot in Dungeons and Dragons Online?

If a calendar's not really your thing but you still love the artwork from Turbine, some nice alternatives are offered on each site. A full Siege of Mirkwood shot is available with no calendar, or you can try the three different pieces of concept art from DDO. An extensive archive of past wallpapers is available too, if this is new to you, or if you missed any. You can get the LotRO wallpapers here, and the DDO wallpapers here. Enjoy!

MassivelyBegin 2010 with Turbine's wallpaper calendars and more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarconcept-artddodungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfree-to-playlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroscreenshotsturbinewallpaperSat, 02 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fourth annual MMO calendar now on sale]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/fourth-annual-mmo-calendar-now-on-sale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/fourth-annual-mmo-calendar-now-on-sale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/fourth-annual-mmo-calendar-now-on-sale/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's that time of year again - the MMO Calendar for 2010 is on sale. MMO Calendar is a yearly project created as a non-profit fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The calendar features original art from 12 different current and upcoming MMOs, and 100% of the purchase price of every calendar is donated to St. Jude.

This year's calendar includes artwork from: It promises to be a gorgeous calendar, but just in case the art alone isn't enough to convince you, purchasing the calendar will get you entered in a drawing for one of ten prizes including closed beta access, subscriptions, and boxed game sets. Calendars will be shipped by December 5th and the prize drawing is December 7th, so visit MMO Calendar to order yours!

MassivelyFourth annual MMO calendar now on sale originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancalendarculturedungeons-and-dragons-onlineeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iifree-realmsGuild-Wars-2lord-of-the-rings-onlinemmo-calendarrunes-of-magicrunescapethe-secret-worldWarhammer-Onlineworld-of-warcraftSat, 24 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE social network COSMOS roadmap revealed, some features delayed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/eve-social-network-cosmos-roadmap-revealed-some-features-delaye/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/eve-social-network-cosmos-roadmap-revealed-some-features-delaye/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/eve-social-network-cosmos-roadmap-revealed-some-features-delaye/#commentsFiled under: , ,


COSMOS is the social network for EVE Online slated to arrive with this winter's Dominion expansion, which CCP Games describes as "EVE away from EVE". Ultimately, it's a way to extend the game experience into new platforms such as web and mobile, along with voice integration -- but this is the long-term plan. In the short term, they've announced a delay with rolling out some of the previously mentioned features when Dominion launches. The initial release will focus on the new in-game mail system being tied into COSMOS and laying the groundwork for other features to come in early 2010.

EVE Online developer CCP Caedmon explained the reasons behind this delay: "We think that this delay for the web application is the right move because we have always had our sights set on the long game for COSMOS. The first release, while crammed with good stuff, was always intended to lay the basis for the ground-breaking innovations to come. Rushing COSMOS out with less polish didn't make sense in this context, we want to impress from day one."

Continue reading EVE social network COSMOS roadmap revealed, some features delayed

MassivelyEVE social network COSMOS roadmap revealed, some features delayed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarccp-caedmoncontactscosmosdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneve-onlineexpansionsfacebookfeaturesmailsci-fisocial-networksocial-networkingMon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The annual MMO calendar now available for 2009]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/the-annual-mmo-calendar-now-available-for-2009/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/the-annual-mmo-calendar-now-available-for-2009/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/the-annual-mmo-calendar-now-available-for-2009/#commentsFiled under: ,


Every year the folks over at MMO Portal sponsor a fantastic charity drive based around a yearly calendar. It's a calendar entirely consisting of MMO art, featuring some of the most well-known AAA titles in the genre. With artists from across the industry chipping in art and inspiration, it's well worth putting up on your wall. 2009's model will feature art from titles like World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online, as well as in-development games like Free Realms, The Agency, and DC Universe Online. And, of course, it's all for a good cause. Every dime spent on the calendars goes to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis Tennessee!

If you need more of a reason to pitch in, there is. Every person who purchases an MMO Calendar is entered into a drawing for any one of ten prizes for game features in next year's offering! Everything from box copies and time cards to closed beta accounts are in the offing. Go check it out!

MassivelyThe annual MMO calendar now available for 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarculturemmo-industryMon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New batch of LotRO calendar wallpapers sneaks peak at Book 14]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/new-batch-of-lotro-calendar-wallpapers-sneaks-peak-at-book-14/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/new-batch-of-lotro-calendar-wallpapers-sneaks-peak-at-book-14/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/new-batch-of-lotro-calendar-wallpapers-sneaks-peak-at-book-14/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For some time now, Turbine has been releasing very pleasing wallpaper calendars based on The Lord of the Rings Online. The wallpapers feature well-framed screenshots from the game, accompanied by three small calendar pages -- one for each month in the quarter.

The last batch will soon expire, as its wallpapers only track up through the end of June. Fear not, though; the Q3 2008 calendars are here! There are three different versions -- one of which depicts the Ring-forge of Eriagon, an area that will go into the game in Book 14.

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Wallpapers

LotRO WallpaperLotRO WallpaperLotRO WallpaperLotRO WallpaperLotRO Wallpaper

MassivelyNew batch of LotRO calendar wallpapers sneaks peak at Book 14 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008augustbook-14calendarjulylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroq3screenshotsseptemberturbinewallpaperWed, 25 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO quarterly calendar wallpapers updated for Spring '08]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/lotro-quarterly-calendar-wallpapers-updated-for-spring-08/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/lotro-quarterly-calendar-wallpapers-updated-for-spring-08/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/lotro-quarterly-calendar-wallpapers-updated-for-spring-08/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Time to switch over your desktop wallpaper, just as your old Lord of the Rings Online calendar is starting to look decidedly past its prime. The Spring 2008 calendars are ready for downloading, covering the months of April through June. We have added the new calendars to our ongoing LotRO wallpaper gallery, and you can get them in ultra-high resolutions from the wallpapers page on the official site.

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Wallpapers

LotRO WallpaperLotRO WallpaperLotRO WallpaperLotRO WallpaperLotRO Wallpaper

MassivelyLotRO quarterly calendar wallpapers updated for Spring '08 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarlotroquarterly-calendarquarterly-wallpaperspring-08spring-2008turbinewallpaperThu, 10 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOportal selling art calendar for children's hospital]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/mmoportal-selling-art-calendar-for-childrens-hospital/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/mmoportal-selling-art-calendar-for-childrens-hospital/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/mmoportal-selling-art-calendar-for-childrens-hospital/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Just can't get enough MMOs? Here's a way to enjoy your hobby while helping out some kids in need. According to Keen and Graev, MMOportal.com is now selling their second annual MMO art calendar. All proceeds from the $12.95 calendar go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The calendars feature original artwork from thirteen popular MMOs, including WoW, LoTRO, DAoC, Guild Wars, and the highly anticipated Warhammer Online and Pirates of the Burning Sea.

As if owning a cool calendar wasn't enough, MMOportal will enter the names of all calendar buyers in drawings for tons of cool swag. Highlights include beta keys for Warhammer Online, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Stargate Worlds, and Age of Conan; free game time for DAoC, D&D Online, Eve Online, EQ, EQII, LoTRO, Star Wars: Galaxies, and WoW. The non-fee MMO Guild Wars is even donating a copy of their platinum edition! So if you're staring forlornly at a blank wall, hop on over to MMOportal and check out the calendars.

MassivelyMMOportal selling art calendar for children's hospital originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarcharitychild's playChild'sPlaycontestgiveawaymmoportalFri, 16 Nov 2007 10:00:00 EST