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Dark Age of Camelot updates Relic mechanics and classes

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

Some people no doubt see the venerable Dark Age of Camelot as a relic. But you know what's even more of a relic? The game's Relics. These powerful items have received an overhaul in the latest patch; the items have been moved to central locations in each Realm that cannot be captured or claimed. Players carrying Relics have also become more visible and slightly less mobile, and special Envoys have been added to help defend Relics from capture.

The patch also updates several class abilities. Bonedancers get a new spell to target a region on the ground, while Friars and Valewalkers both gain a rear snare. On the flip side, toxic direct damage poisons have all seen a slight downgrade in effectiveness for balance reasons. Dark Age of Camelot players can see the full list of changes in the patch notes, and while it's not a major content patch, the changes should spice up the game's ongoing realm warfare.

Dark Age of Camelot updates Relic mechanics and classes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's James Ohlen shares the formula behind PvP nerfs

Larry Everett — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, Patches, PvP, Massively Interviews, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

When Update 1.2 launched for Star Wars: The Old Republic, most players witnessed some major changes to their classes. In my opinion, these changes weren't game-breaking, but they did require that some players re-evaluate how they played. Some classes were changed so drastically in this patch players claimed they felt as if they were truly playing a completely different class.

Major changes like this do not happen without reason, and from my time spent with SWTOR developers, I know that they are passionately interested in making their game the best it can be. So I asked Game Director James Ohlen some questions about these mechanical changes. In true James Ohlen fashion, he was more than happy to answer in intricate detail, and I'm excited to bring you those answers here in the Hyperspace Beacon.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's James Ohlen shares the formula behind PvP nerfs

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's James Ohlen shares the formula behind PvP nerfs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: The illusion of balance

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Somewhere, on a lone computer in a lonely room, sits the archetype for a balanced MMO, one in which every set of abilities in a skill-based MMO is just as useful as every other set of abilities and every class in a class-based game is just as potent as every other class. There are no disparities in terms of power level, no massive gaps in gearing, and no issues with the specific fights. It is an entirely balanced machine.

And as long as we're creating a myth with no place in reality, let's assume that it's being guarded by unicorns. That's the problem with balance -- it's an idea that doesn't actually work in a real environment. We talk a lot about wanting games to have balanced systems, and there are players devoted to declaring with great fervor that classes aren't balanced against one another, but balance is such a hazy concept that no matter how much you want a balanced game, it doesn't really exist.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The illusion of balance

The Soapbox: The illusion of balance originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic community Q&A addresses mobile apps, ops, and more

Matt Daniel — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Bugs, Classes, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It's time once again for another riveting episode of Star Wars: The Old Republic's community Q&A. This time around, the BioWare team covers a variety of concerns from SWTOR players ranging from the addition of a /roll command to the possibility of a mobile app. SWTOR's lead combat designer Damion Schubert had a bit to say regarding the latter, teasing that "it's almost as if this [crew skills] design was created specifically with [a mobile app] in mind, doesn't it?" Unfortunately the studio isn't prepared to give an ETA on the feature, "as [it] is a significant technical endeavour."

Non-Force-using healers also have plenty to look forward to as well, as the Q&A reveals that they'll be getting some love in patch 1.2, while Consulars and Inquisitors will have their heals brought back into line so that all healing classes and specs are (theoretically) viable. To get the full details on these subjects and more, just click on through the link below to the community Q&A at SWTOR's official site. Oh, and while we're at it, the game is on sale for $49.99 US on Origin, so if you want to get in the game and see what all the hubbub's about, now's your opportunity to do so while keeping a cool Hamilton to yourself. The sale is only happening for a limited time, though, so be sure to act quickly.

Star Wars: The Old Republic community Q&A addresses mobile apps, ops, and more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word

Jef Reahard — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS

Mmm, Firefall.

Red 5 Studios is starting the Thanksgiving week off right with a delicious helping of video. The entree consists of David Williams talking a bit about class design and the balance challenges inherent in the title's battleframes (for the uninitiated, battleframes are the suits of power armor worn by Firefall's soldiers, and in gameplay terms they determine your class and combat role).

When it comes to the dreaded "B" word, Williams uses the game's Medic class as an example, and he says that Red 5 wants combat docs to be able to deal damage and fulfill the primary support role. This poses a problem, of course, because other classes (like the Assault) aren't able to do both. The Medic "needed to be fun, it needed to be threatening, but it also needed to be just below the offensive capabilities of an Assault," Williams explains.

See what else he has to say, and get a good look at Firefall in action, via the video after the break.

Continue reading Firefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word

Firefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Patch 4.0.3 changes

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Patches, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

Last week, Runes of Magic's latest patch brought Knight skill balancing, saw the return of the Juice Festival, and tried to remove some macro functions. All in all, it wasn't a huge patch, but it was enough to light up the RoM forum with a lot of chatter.

As it turns out, many vocal players were saddened to see the removal of macro functions that gave them an incredible amount of flexibility. The abilities given to players to make scripts, macros and addons with amazing freedom have been among RoM's strong points, but they also allowed so much freedom that they skirted the boundary between "helpful addon" and "botting."

The proposed macro change may be one of the fastest retractions Frogster has ever had to make, but there's also the balancing that Knights received and the Juice Festival to talk about in this week's Lost Pages of Taborea. Grab your favorite juice and meet me after the break.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Patch 4.0.3 changes

Lost Pages of Taborea: Patch 4.0.3 changes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Players of the world vs. Malephar: Fiesta Online creates the ultimate showdown

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-play

The colorful Fiesta Online -- the party MMO that is always prepared to breakdance if someone turns on a beat -- has conga'd forward with its latest update: Malephar's Lair. Named for a nasty centaur who doesn't play well with others, the update has plenty of new challenges for high-level players.

Geared-up level 105 players can attempt to take Malephar down in his fortress, but before they do so they'll have to beat a pair of mini-bosses that serve as gatekeepers to the encounter. Take him down, and new legendary weapons will be yours for the taking!

The update also includes 10 additional sets of armor, class balances, repeatable quests for those levels 89 and higher, and a special unicorn mount that lasts for just a week and can only be obtained by excelling in the guild tournaments.

[Source: gamigo press release]

Gallery: Fiesta Online

Players of the world vs. Malephar: Fiesta Online creates the ultimate showdown originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: 'Twas the night before Isengard...

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Expansions, Launches, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

I feel it. It's those excited butterflies that appear somewhere in my navel region when I realize that I'm on the verge of something new, fun, and possibly involving an alien xenomorph bursting out of my insides. It's the thrill of anticipation almost realized. For this time next week, we'll be well on our way to Isengard.

I've never been around for a Lord of the Rings Online expansion release, which makes this a first for me. Sure, I have my concerns about Rise of Isengard, but on the whole I'm ready to jump into an untamed region and explore the living deeds out of it. I'm not in a rush to get through it all and start raiding or anything, so my Lore-master will be taking his sweet time milking each quest for the calcium-rich story within. Oddly enough, I'm most excited about the prospect of cool new cosmetics because I have a sick obsession with them that's going to require a full-scale intervention.

I'm not quite sure how LotRO's third expansion will be taken by the larger community, and I probably won't know until the launch fever dies down and we evaluate how useful, entertaining, and engaging it is over the long term. I'm just glad we're moving forward.

In this week's Road to Mordor, I want to look back at the build-up to Isengard's release, what we know so far, and what changes are in store for our characters. Might as well tidy up the place since it's going to get hecka messy soon enough.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: 'Twas the night before Isengard...

The Road to Mordor: 'Twas the night before Isengard... originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV's newest producer letter addresses balance and changes

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV underwent some major changes last week with the release of the 1.18 patch, ranging from mechanical changes to combat to the introduction of new mechanics with the Grand Companies. It's enough for players to feel just a little overwhelmed by everything, and so executive producer Naoki Yoshida has taken his most recent producer's letter to talk a little bit about the overhauls from the patch. He's proud of what it accomplished, but in his own words, it might have been a bit much to drop at once.

The biggest topic of discussion of late has been class balance, as 1.18 also ushered in some minor drops to the power of spellcasters and Archers. Despite this, however, Yoshida is happy to see how people have received the upgrades to combat and the introduction to the game's instanced raids, both of which require a higher portion of strategy from the playerbase. He also finishes off by noting that the game's summer event will be rolling out in August, giving everyone a chance to earn the swimsuits previewed in the previous letter.

Final Fantasy XIV's newest producer letter addresses balance and changes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XI outlines the road ahead for classes

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Consoles

Final Fantasy XI has a pretty expansive list of classes, and while that gives players plenty of freedom, it can pose a headache for design trying to keep each job distinct. But the development team has managed thus far, and the latest update previewing the future philosophy for job adjustments shows that there are still more elements to be brought into play. Each of the game's 20 jobs has a unique vision and role, with several potential new abilities discussed.

While none of the directions design is taking jobs will be of huge surprise to veteran players, there are some interesting promises of future abilities and goals. For example, the team wants to give Beastmasters the tools to be useful and desirable in a party, while Dragoons are potentially getting more enmity management and more synergy with the wyvern. Final Fantasy XI players should look at the full rundown to see where their favorite class sits in terms of design -- as well as hints of what might be coming down the line.

Final Fantasy XI outlines the road ahead for classes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Gamasutra feature looks to define fairness in MMOs

Matt Daniel — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Miscellaneous

Buying power! Class Balance! Easy mode! We'd be willing to bet that those pharses invoke some pretty strong feelings in many of you. When it comes to MMORPGs -- especially those of the free-to-play variety -- fairness is often a huge concern. Whether it's in the form of class balance, content tuning, or buying to win, equality is a delicate subject.

Mr. Simon Ludgate over at Gamasutra realizes this, and has put together an incredibly in-depth feature discussing the philosophy of fairness in MMORPGs. The feature is packed with star-power, with commentary from En Masse's Brian Knox, Trion Worlds' Scott Hartsman, Richard Garriott, and more. For the full, in-depth, and interesting feature, head on over to Gamasutra.

New Gamasutra feature looks to define fairness in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Age of Camelot releases version 1.109

Jef Reahard — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, MMO industry, Patches, News items

It's pretty fashionable to declare the MMO subscription model dead nowadays. Given the meteoric rise of F2P and the swarms of new titles that are blotting out the sun, it's easy to overlook the fact that some of the genre's oldest titles are still soldiering on with no end to their success in sight.

One such title is Dark Age of Camelot. Mythic's fantasy stalwart -- released way back in October of 2001 -- continues to crank out updates nearly a decade later, with today's version 1.109 being the latest example. The patch features a few class balance tweaks, including the addition of a reactive snare proc to the Bard's dreamweaver ability, as well as the usual bug fixes and client optimization tweaks.

Also noteworthy is the removal of housing rent, which Mythic's patch notes indicate is a concession to the recent disasters in Japan (and the inability of some players to log into the game and maintain their property). Check out the patch announcement and the full notes on the official Dark Age of Camelot website.

Dark Age of Camelot releases version 1.109 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Anvil of Crom: New AoC devs bringing optimism for the future

Jef Reahard — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Anvil of Crom

Wait a minute. Stop the presses. W. T. F?!

Do I detect some optimism here? From the Age of Conan community (and while we're getting all incredulous, from me)? What's next, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, and mass hysteria? As strange as it sounds, I do believe the tide is turning ever so slightly when it comes to Funcom's fantasy MMORPG. Things are, as they say, looking up, in no small part due to some fresh content and the promise of more to come.

Join me after the cut for a stroll down why-it's-a-good-time-to-be-an-AoC-fan lane.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: New AoC devs bringing optimism for the future

The Anvil of Crom: New AoC devs bringing optimism for the future originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArcheAge's Jake Song says balance doesn't mean equality

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, News items, ArcheAge

ArcheAge lead developer Jake Song has answered a round of fan-generated questions at OutpostGamez. The interview starts out with some interesting nuggets on world size and fast travel before moving on to a variety of topics including player content, crafting and the economy, and class balance.

"Those balance issues concern us as well. We will test and balance classes constantly. However, we don't think that all the combinations should be equivalent. There will be a class that is far more difficult than others," Song says.

ArcheAge is also setting the hearts of sandbox fans aflame courtesy of its deep non-combat gameplay, which purportedly includes an extensive crafting and economic system. Song cautions that while XL Games intends for the player economy to take precedence, the devs are not omitting loot drops and their associated mechanics altogether. Instead, XL is limiting the usefulness of mob drops in relation to their player-made counterparts. "Crafted items will be allowed continuous enhancements and improvements whereas such obtainable items wouldn't," Song explains.

ArcheAge's Jake Song says balance doesn't mean equality originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What class would you cut from your game of choice?

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

There's a budget shortage at your favorite class-based game. It doesn't matter whether your favorite game is Final Fantasy XI or RIFT, the fact is that one of the classes has to go. Assume that said class is asking for unreasonable benefits, deferred signing bonuses, shares of the gross profits per expansion, whatever you want. What's important is that one of the classes is getting cut, and it's up to you to decide which one gets banished to the land of wind and ghosts.

So in said favorite game, which class gets the axe? Is it a class that you feel gets over-represented anyway that your specific game can live without (Final Fantasy XI's Ranger)? Is it a unique class without enough solid mechanics or interesting elements to keep itself afloat (Guild Wars' Ritualist)? Or is it a solid class that just feels like an unnecessary addition to an already-crowded landscape of different playstyles (Dungeon and Dragons Online's Favored Soul)? Which class seems like it would be missed the least if it were removed?

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!

The Daily Grind: What class would you cut from your game of choice? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lord of the Rings Online releases Update 2

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Endgame, News items, Free-to-play

If you've been waiting for the next installment of the epic story behind Lord of the Rings Online, today is your day. Update 2 is now live, containing among other things the beginning of Book 3 for the current story. Along with the revisions to make the preceding Volume II much easier to solo, players who love delving into the game's story and lore will have plenty to be happy about in this update. But there are improvements for the endgame as well.

Aside from the previously mentioned removal of radiance, the update features two three-player instances, two six-player instances, a new 12-person raid, and three new scaling skirmishes from the depths of Mirkwood. Add to that the revisions made for monster players, class revisions for Hunters, Burglars, and Minstrels, and a variety of improvements to quality of life, and the most recent Lord of the Rings Online update should bring plenty for everyone.

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Core Gallery

Lord of the Rings Online releases Update 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Auto-Refresh

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

I mentioned at the end of last week's column that there were plenty of things to like about patch 1.16, but the marquee feature (quests) was the topic of discussion and therefore was the relevant part. Having gotten more time in Final Fantasy XIV since then, I've been enjoying some of the other improvements brought about with the patch, most of which come down to quality-of-life improvements that are still welcome. (I will say that I'm still getting accustomed to switching targeting modes, but that's mostly a result of my having a too-heavy trigger finger on my Naga's buttons when my action bar isn't up.)

There was another fairly major gameplay change that crept in with the patch, however, and while it wasn't exactly kept a secret, it was almost too easy to overlook it in light of other additions. Heck, I did overlook it except for a brief mention -- your MP recovers naturally out of combat right now. It seems like a small change, but its overall impact on fighting in Final Fantasy XIV is anything but negligible. MP has gone from being a limited resource to being eternally renewable, and that has a big impact on almost every class.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Auto-Refresh

The Mog Log: Auto-Refresh originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Triple the class coming for Runes of Magic

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

If you're a Runes of Magic player, you've got something big to look forward to in about a month and a half. The latest official podcast not only dates Chapter IV for an April 6th release (barring unforeseen technical issues) but discusses in more detail what can be found within the update. A new starting area for the game is certainly a nice piece of news, but it's not the centerpiece of the announcement -- that would be the fact that the update will be moving the game from its current dual-class system to a triple-class system.

The change might sound a bit subtle, but it's actually a rather large shift. Unlike the current system, which allows players to have a primary class active and a second class "in reserve," this system will give you two classes with full access to all abilities, with a third class in reserve. That means access to a much wider range of abilities -- rather than only having access to the general skills of a secondary class, players will have all the skills of two classes, with a third class of general skills on top. Runes of Magic players will want to listen to the announcement, starting at about 10 minutes into the podcast.

Triple the class coming for Runes of Magic originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Five years of scum and villainy

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Classes, Expansions, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

Let's face it, being a supervillain is fun. Sure, you root for the hero, because blowing up the entirety of California would probably be a bad thing, but in your heart you think that having come up with a plan to wipe out an entire state is pretty darn cool. City of Heroes might have launched letting players just take the role of a heroic sort, but five years ago tomorrow, they launched the game's first expansion, the appropriately named City of Villains.

Of course, these days few players think of CoV as an expansion. Since the two games were merged two years ago, the very concept seems almost ridiculous, and the two have long felt like halves of a whole. City of Heroes is generally accepted as the name of the game, despite a better fashion sense and leveling experience over in the Rogue Isles. But let's take a step back through to 2005 and honor this hive of scum and... well, you know the rest.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Five years of scum and villainy

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Five years of scum and villainy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dream a little dream of Allods Online's patch 1.1.02

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, Free-to-play, Allods Online

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.

Dream 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.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: A talk with Mark Jacobs

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist

Life is full of serendipitous moments. For example, the other day I found the Holy Grail at a garage sale while looking through a box of half-broken Transformers. Who would have thought? If only the Knights Templar took a few Saturdays off from their epic quest to do a bit of bargain shopping.

Consider also that this month we've been reminiscing about Dark Age of Camelot in this column -- looking at the history, the devs, and the players -- and then, out of nowhere (well, technically Virginia) one of the key figures of this title returned from a year-long sabbatical. Mark Jacobs, who was let go from EA last June, recently popped back up on his personal blog to talk about everything under the sun.

Hey -- isn't DAoC under the sun? Why yes, yes it is. So I threw on my hiking boots, strapped a machete to my thigh, hired a Sherpa, and then composed a quick message to see if Mr. Jacobs would be willing to be interviewed by the eccentric media. He agreed, as long as we stuck to the topic at hand and didn't veer into his plans for world domination. Whoops... I've said too much. Hit the jump before I get into hot water. My Sherpa hates hot water.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: A talk with Mark Jacobs

The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: A talk with Mark Jacobs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Mana strike

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

When In the Depths of the Forest went live in Runes of Magic there were cheers heard across Taborea, but players soon protested. Along with all of the new content, Runkewaker also added a nerf in the form of increased mana costs for many of the skills in RoM. On top of the existing base mana costs for skills, a percentage modifier was added that significantly increased the cost to use skills as you leveled up.

Many players were unhappy with the skills being balanced in this way and went as far as staging cross-server in-game strikes in Varanas' Central Plaza until something was done. Only a few days after the patch went live, a new hotfix was applied to RoM which removed the balancing act completely. Tony Tang, the Vice President of Business Development at Runewaker, issued a statement to announce the removal of the balance, but he also clarified that the company was confident a change would need to be made to address the issue of the game becoming less challenging.

In this week's article I want to take a closer look at why many players were upset and point out why I think the balance may be for the better.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Mana strike

Lost Pages of Taborea: Mana strike originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EQII devs brave class mechanics panel

Jef Reahard — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, Events, real-world, News items

Interesting tidbits continue to flood the web regarding last week's SOE Fan Faire in Las Vegas, with the latest coming courtesy of EQ2Wire. The Norrathian newshounds have posted a series of video captures from the EQII Mechanics panel, featuring (from left, above) developers Rich Waters, Greg "Rothgar" Spence, Paul "Frizznik" Carrico, and Mike "Xelgad" Ganz.

The panel is divided into a series of six 10-minute clips, all of them informative if you're an EQII regular and concerned with any aspect of class and balance mechanics. The dev team fields a number of questions from the audience, including queries on ranger and other assorted class fixes, as well as a clarification of a Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson forum post that some players incorrectly interpreted as foreshadowing major changes. "We're just trying to be more transparent in our design for the classes, not trying to redesign the classes at all," Spence explains.

Most questions are answered with a necessarily vague "we'll look into it" and/or "soon," but the videos are nonetheless worth watching to get a glimpse at what your average developer deals with when subjected to a room full of min/max players. It's not quite an inquisition, but there is a palpable combative energy (and a few hecklers) present.

EQII devs brave class mechanics panel originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EQII's Xelgad reads forums, talks class balance

Jef Reahard — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Interviews, News items

If you've wondered whether the developers on your favorite game ever read their own forums, you're not alone. Often it seems as if MMORPG tweaks happen in a vacuum, with little to no player input taken into consideration. Happily, EQ2Wire has released an interview with EverQuest II class lead Mike "Xelgad" Ganz that debunks this particular theory (at least for one game). Ganz uses the interview session to talk about his typical day, changes to the Fury, Warden, and Enchanter classes, and the importance of forum feedback.

"I read and consider all feedback that gets posted on the forums. The forums are a good place for players to express their feelings about their classes and I can evaluate changes based on that feedback along with the data we collect from other sources," Ganz says.

Head over to EQ2Wire for the full interview.

EQII's Xelgad reads forums, talks class balance originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cosmetic armor and more promised in Warhammer Online's May producer letter

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items

The recent release of patch 1.3.5 has brought with it the complete death of Warhammer Online, if you equate a more active city siege environment with "complete death." Even though it came late in the month, it's certainly a major point of discussion for executive producer Carrie Gouskos, and it's addressed in the most recent producer letter for May. But that's the least of what needs to be discussed, and the talk starts with a reversal of the prior announcement that 1.3.6 would allow players to create characters of both realms on the same server. Fan reaction was negative enough to change the decision.

Moving along, the producer letter promises the introduction of armor appearance separate from armor stats, similar to how Lord of the Rings Online allows players to wear a purely cosmetic set. There's also the promise of major updates to the Runepriest and Zealot careers, to make both of them more active and engaging to play in either healing or damage. Fans of Warhammer Online should take a look at the full producer's letter to see more discussion about what's coming around the bend for the game.

Cosmetic armor and more promised in Warhammer Online's May producer letter originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Classes, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, News items

After a month of heavy anticipation from the fans, VanaFest 2010 finally has come and given us all the information that we could want about where the game is heading from here. And the show did stay focused upon Final Fantasy XI -- the only mention of Final Fantasy XIV was the announcement that its first wave of beta testing will start on March 11th with a limited number of participants. That left quite a bit of show left to detail all of the changes coming to the game.

And there was certainly a lot of news to be shared. An increase in level cap, new add-on zones, job reviews, conclusions to existing content, server merges, new seasonal gear -- there was no shortage of surprising announcements. Continue on past the cut for the short version of what came out during the show and what players can expect.

Continue reading The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements

The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alganon gives preview of class updates with first expansion

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Expansions, Previews, Alganon

The first free expansion for Alganon, titled "The Dawning," has been getting a fair bit of talk from Quest Online. They've been a bit longer on talk than on details, however, leaving us largely to guess what it might contain aside from promises of new dungeons and large changes to the game world. Some of the silence has been broken now, however, with Systems Designer Josef Shindler breaking word on several upcoming class balance changes in the game. The most recent small patch contained a number of small class tweaks, but there are more extensive changes for everyone in the future.

Mages are currently in the best place, from the design team's perspective, but there are plans to allow characters specializing in one type of damage to branch out to other elements without sacrificing damage. Healers are also going to see some changes to damage, as their focus on one element makes them susceptible to enemies who are strong against it. Meanwhile, Rangers will see an extensive overhaul in terms of damage buffs and their operation in groups, and Soldiers will see several tweaks to their Anger generation to make its buildup and release more strategic. While it's not a great deal of information, it's good to see the design team keeping themselves hard at work on improving Alganon's overall class balance.

Alganon gives preview of class updates with first expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The balance of force in Star Wars: the Old Republic

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It might be a slight exaggeration to say that everyone in the world is looking forward to Star Wars: the Old Republic... but only slight. With the latest class reveal, the Imperial Agent is poised to give an excellent sneak-and-snipe playstyle to the Sith side of the game. All well and good... but as Kill Ten Rats notes, how is this game going to get any PvP balance? To the best of everyone's knowledge there's no equivalent ability in the Smuggler's arsenal, the Republic's counterpoint to the Agent, and it's not much of a matchup when one side is invisible and the other side isn't.

Overly Positive recently made a few observations regarding the class balance, noting that BioWare seems to be taking an approach a la Warhammer Online -- each class has a loose equivalent on the other side, but they don't result in being direct copies of one another. However, the downside to this approach is that you can easily wind up with one side's class being overpowered in relation to the other. Direct equivalencies leech some of the flavor, but they ensure that the game remains perfectly balanced for both factions. It's a question worth considering and keeping an eye on as the game moves through development -- after all, if a Jedi and a Sith Warrior can't face off in fair combat, it'll be a sad day for many players.

The balance of force in Star Wars: the Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jumpgate Evolution dev blog looks at balancing combat

William Dobson — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Jumpgate Evolution, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles

As player-versus-player pew-pewing is one of the biggest draws for those interested in the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution, there's no wonder that a lot of attention has been given to balancing the game's combat. The most recent Jumpgate Evolution dev blog entry from lead producer Hermann Peterscheck, titled "Combating Combat", shed some light on how class balance came to be where it's at now.

The post goes on to say that from the very beginning, balance was approached with PvP in mind, as NetDevil realized that it would be easier to tweak PvE accordingly at a later stage. Starting with just one class of ship, additional classes were introduced over time and put through their paces in daily play tests. Petersheck noted that the goal was to have each class feel truly unique and not simply have a bit less of this stat, or a bit more of that one:

"It's very tempting to just throw a bunch of classes of ships together in order to say things like 'our game has 15 classes of ships!' but this, we believe, is the wrong direction. People want meaningful and strong choices and not lots of meaningless, empty choices. Currently we plan to have 4-6 classes, but they will each have nearly endless possible configurations within those groups."

It's a promising design philosophy, to be sure. Check out the rest of Peterscheck's article at the JGE dev blog.

Jumpgate Evolution dev blog looks at balancing combat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are MMOs truly as persistent as they claim?

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion

The two biggest differences between single player RPGs and massively multiplayer online RPGs are the MMO and persistent components found in the latter. Player vs. Developer has a thought-provoking blog post up claiming that MMOs are not as persistent as they claim to be.

"Persistent" can be defined as "continuing without change in function or structure," which when you really think about it doesn't quite fit with how it is employed in most MMORPGs. Many MMOs claim to have a "persistent struggle," or "persistent world," which is only half true. Developers are constantly changing their MMOs and it impacts how we play.

What happens at the end of an expansion cycle? Often, players stop trying to progress and wait for the new content that makes old content obsolete. What happens when classes undergo constant balance shifts? Players are forced to compete on uneven playing fields. What happens when some gamers benefit from bugs or exploits before they are fixed? It can hurt player morale.

Many of these changes are for the best, but it does illustrate that MMOs are not truly as persistent as they claim.

Are MMOs truly as persistent as they claim? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Class balance in a post-WotLK World of Warcraft

Kyle Horner — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Classes, News items

Class balance is always a touchy subject, depending on the class a person plays. But WoWRIOT has put together an impressive look a class balance in a post-WotLK World of Warcraft. After looking through much of the post, we're pretty impressed with its accuracy and overall take on current class balance, especially as it pertains to arena and PvP.

Normally, those who actually play the game are much more interested in these kinds of balance overviews. However, the article contains an extensive look at Death Knights and everything about where their place in the game is right now. So for anybody who's been curious as to what's going on with the first new class in World of Warcraft, we'd say the article is definitely worth a look. For everyone who does play the game, it's probably a good idea to at least check out your class (or classes) if only to see why you should or shouldn't be upset with Blizzard.

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Class balance in a post-WotLK World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Balance not what it's cracked up to be

Chris Chester — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion

One of the truly sacrosanct beliefs in the greater MMO community (which includes both developers and players) is that achieving balance between classes is a necessary ingredient for a successful game. Even though the relative power of classes is liable to swing wildly depending on the latest patches and play styles, the goal is always to achieve that perfect (and largely fleeting) point at which classes are more or less equal. According to Eric over at Elder Game, achieving balance shouldn't be more important than making a game fun to play.

While Eric's post was directed primarily at system designers currently in the employ of game developers, we think the lesson should be well-learned by players as well. Few things turn otherwise nice and friendly people into sniveling, pedantic jerks quite like the knowledge that the way they choose to play the game isn't perfectly balanced with whatever the flavor of the month happens to be. Isn't it enough just to have fun playing? Or is fun inextricably bound to one's relative power? We'd like to think that's not the case.

Balance not what it's cracked up to be originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New 'Ask Cryptic' talks class balance

Kyle Horner — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, News items, Champions Online

Behold, a new 'Ask Cryptic' is here to appease all who have been awaiting it! It is again time for Cryptic to answer community questions about Champions Online -- this week is especially interesting as we've gotten some fairly insightful answers. Everything from how Cryptic is adapting the Chapions paper and pencil IP to whether or not players can expect custom power animations and the reason why is discussed.

Of course, the most interesting question ends up being about the biggest problem facing a game like Champions Online -- class balance. With an open system where players can grab any type of powers they like, a lot of thought has been and is being put into making the game as balanced as possible.

Continue reading New 'Ask Cryptic' talks class balance

New 'Ask Cryptic' talks class balance originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer devs explain balancing RvR

Michael Zenke — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, New titles, PvP, Warhammer Online

Over at the Ten Ton Hammer site they have up a discussion with members of the Warhammer Online development team, talking all about the fine process of balancing classes for Realm vs. Realm combat. RvR team members Yvonne Bridges and Brian Wheeler hooked up with Careers Lead Adam Gershowitz to answer the TTH staffer's questions. The line of inquiry primarily centers around the way classes in opposing factions interact with each other.

According to the WAR team members, it's not so much that they're tuned to fight their specific opposing faction (Greenskins have no special advantage over Dwarves, for example). Instead, classes are designed to be good at defending against specific types of damage. Players can decide to specialize (via abilities) in fighting a group of enemy players, but that's a choice left to them.

They also briefly touch on RvR questing and the role of gear in that part of the game: Both skill and gear will obviously play a role in a player's success in RvR. That is the nature of this type of game. Some players will naturally excel in combat and we don't want to penalize them for this. However, we don't want them to dominate all the time either, thus gear comes into play. Spend time in the game and you will be rewarded with gear, and you should be able to put that gear to use.

Warhammer devs explain balancing RvR originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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