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 Road to Mordor: Thoughts on Update 5]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/19/the-road-to-mordor-thoughts-on-update-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/19/the-road-to-mordor-thoughts-on-update-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/19/the-road-to-mordor-thoughts-on-update-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

LotRO
Update 5: Saruman's Obviously Not Compensating for Anything With That Tower will undoubtedly be the last hurrah of Lord of the Rings Online -- this year, that is. It's an interesting update that looks to patch in the rest of Rise of Isengard's content (namely, the instance cluster) and provide a little something-something for players who have already reached the end of the epic storyline and are looking for more.

Earlier this week I took a dev tour through some of the main parts of the update, and while I wasn't able to see all of it (such as the non-raid instances), what I did preview certainly filled my head with opinions, analysis and further questions. Generally I came away pleased with what we're going to experience next month, although the comments section of the tour showed split feelings on what's in store for the patch.

Is this a case of too little, too late for those dissatisfied with Rise of Isengard's release? Will it breathe new life into dungeon-running, especially for the many soloers out there? Is it what this game needs right here and now? Hit the jump and I'll give you my honest thoughts on it all, both the good and the bad.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Thoughts on Update 5

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Thoughts on Update 5 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clustercoffeecurrencydungeon-finderf2pfeaturedfree-to-playhaunted-burrowhobbithobbitsinstanceinstance-clusterinstance-finderinstance-joininstancesisengardisengard-clusterlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotropreviewriftrise-of-isengardsarumanthe-prince-of-rohanturbineturbine-entertainmentupdate-5winter-homeworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 19 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: EVE Online's server model]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/28/eve-evolved-eve-onlines-server-model/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/28/eve-evolved-eve-onlines-server-model/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/28/eve-evolved-eve-onlines-server-model/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Almost any time a discussion about EVE Online comes up, one way or another we end up talking about the server. EVE Online is unique among today's most popular MMOs for its single-server approach. While most MMOs deal with large number of users by starting up large numbers of separate servers with identical game universes, EVE maintains only a single copy of its game universe on a massive cluster of servers. CCP's decision to go with a server model that doesn't use any sharding or instancing whatsoever has had a major impact on in-game activities and how the game has developed.

Server woes:
Unfortunately for CCP, maintaining their vision of a single game universe has proven a lot more difficult and costly than anyone anticipated. Working with IBM, the EVE server cluster is maintained in London and is currently the largest supercomputer employed in the gaming industry. Even with this massive power behind the EVE universe, there are still problems as CCP tries to keep the server upgraded ahead of its ever-expanding playerbase.

In this article, I discuss the unique gameplay that is possible thanks to EVE's server model, the problems the server currently faces and what CCP is planning to do about it.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE Online's server model

MassivelyEVE Evolved: EVE Online's server model originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpclustercrashdevdev-blogdevblogeconomyeveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedinfinibandjoystiqfeatureslagmarketnodepvpserverterritorywarSun, 28 Sep 2008 17:30:00 EST