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Enter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

One of the things I love about RIFT is its smaller, more intimate feel. Don't get me wrong -- there's still plenty of space to explore and get lost in, but the space that is present is used to great effect and isn't just there to make it seem bigger for bigger's sake. This is echoed in the two capital cities of the game, Sanctum (Guardian) and Meridian (Defiant). Both are gorgeously detailed and impressive in their own way, yet they're comfortable and accessible instead of sprawling and vast.

If one thinks of the quest hubs, camps and villages dotting the world as mom and pop stores, then the capital cities are the Walmarts of RIFT: one-stop shops for all your character's needs. They're both fairly compact, although I found myself preferring Sanctum's beachfront atmosphere and circular layout over Meridian's underground labyrinth.

Because all players will be traveling to and extensively using capital cities during the course of their in-game careers, I figured we might as well take a look at what capital cities -- Sanctum specifically -- have to offer. Jump on our people-mover as we wind our way through the sights and sounds of civilization!

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting around in Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles, Virtual worlds, Final Fantasy XIV

In addition to the blogging and character database functionality of the Final Fantasy XIV Lodestone site, Square-Enix has been using the player site to post a series of guides for players of all skill levels, with more advanced questions on Friday and more new-player-friendly ones on Mondays. This time around, the topic of discussion is something central to every MMO -- the question of how to get from place to place. While players do not yet have access to the more traditional series methods of transit (airships and chocobos), there are still transport methods available to players, and a lot of ground to cover at that.

The guide covers the basics of aetheryte and aetherial gates, with the former linked to the latter and allowing fast transit through a given area. It also runs players through the procedure of visiting all three capital cities -- a useful method to gain access to more levequests and a greater variety of guild benefits. Players who know their way around seamlessly might not need to know how to get to Ul'dah, but anyone new to the game can benefit from the latest dispatch. And even veteran players might be enticed by the maps of Final Fantasy XIV's less-traveled regions, like the forbidding Mor Dhona.

Getting around in Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Masthead Studios CEO explains reputation system in Earthrise

James Egan — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Earthrise

One of the upcoming sci-fi and post-apocalyptic MMOs that Massively is keeping an eye on is Earthrise, the first title from Masthead Studios.They've been very good with communicating with the media about the directions they're taking the game, with interviews each month painting a clearer picture of the upcoming title. The latest such interview we've come across is a brief one at German fan site Earthrise HQ, which spoke with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov about a few aspects of the game. If you've been reading up on Earthrise, the interview hits some of the topics you'd expect -- the basic concepts of the game, for instance -- but also but heads into some new areas. Atanasov mentions faction capital cities that are expanded upon over time, "using meaningful events that progress not only their visual representation but their story and functionality as well."

The interview also hits on the fact that Earthrise will have two reputation systems: Contribution and Reputation. Contribution, Atanasov says, is "the policy of Continoma to discern friend from foe by measuring each citizen's contribution to their system. The second system is Reputation. Numerous smaller organizations exist in Earthrise, each with its own agenda and plans. Players can do tasks for these organizations and grow in Reputation towards them. Organizations provide players with rare resources, monopolized designs that create new, different item combinations, as well as other rewards."

For more from the Masthead Studios CEO on Earthrise, head on over to his interview with Earthrise HQ.

Gallery: Earthrise

Masthead Studios CEO explains reputation system in Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bringing WAR to the web

James Egan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Guilds, PvP, Endgame, Warhammer Online, News items, Maps, Races

Any massively multiplayer online game built around the twin pillars of PvP and territorial control can't go wrong by providing realtime status updates of the struggle via the web. Warhammer Online has endeavored to do just that with the Realm War site, as addressed in a dev diary by the title's Web Development Lead, Scott Stricklin. The dev blog touches on what Mythic has accomplished thus far with bringing WAR to the web, and what they hope to accomplish in the future -- namely, podcasts, community news, and character and guild profiles. While they have no shortage of ideas about how to expand WAR outside of the client, their first objective has been to bring Realm vs. Realm data to the web. That goal has now been realized, and Stricklin walks the reader through the features of the newly revamped Realm War site.

Players now have access to updated information about the overall campaign and the status of each capital city, Stricklin writes. This information is also presented visually, with each capital city's look changing based on its status, ranging from peaceful to besieged. This can all be kept in a pop up box in your browser to provide continual updates for when the tide of battle turns. Further information is provided through selectors which represent a server's racial pairings, giving a snapshot of what's happening with each tier's zone control. An added bonus to this are influence maps for each zone, similar to the in-game maps, which show the status of the various RvR objectives and allow a player to mouse over keeps, seeing when it was last captured and by which guild. Have a look at Scott Stricklin's dev diary for more on the Realm War site, or better yet, just head over there and try it out for yourself.

Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Bringing WAR to the web originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively goes to WAR: How to conquer a capital city

Michael Zenke — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guides, New titles, Warhammer Online, Massively Hands-on

The keep and siege gameplay of Warhammer Online all leads up to just one thing: sacking the opposing race's capital. Weeks, perhaps months of gameplay all leads up to one final confrontation between the forces of Order and the forces of Destruction. But what happens once the final Fortress falls? How to players bring the capital to its knees, the better to chop off its head? Join us as we explore the final, ultimate state of Warhammer Online's RvR combat.

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Massively goes to WAR: How to conquer a capital city originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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