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[Guild Wars 2's Eric Flannum on promises, pets and purpose [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/guild-wars-2s-eric-flannum-on-promises-pets-and-purpose/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/guild-wars-2s-eric-flannum-on-promises-pets-and-purpose/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/guild-wars-2s-eric-flannum-on-promises-pets-and-purpose/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

"Think of the personal story in Guild Wars 2 as you would the 'main' storyline of a great single player RPG," ArenaNet's Eric Flannum said in an interview with GamerZine. Instead of rote MMO quests, this storyline will be full of significant, one-time choices that will have a huge impact on your character.

This is just one of the many promises that ArenaNet has made in regard to Guild Wars 2 as the studio strives to differentiate it from the rest of the fantasy pack. The interview covers the main features list of the game: the event system, the personal storyline, and the emphasis on exploration.

When pressed about in-game events and holidays, Flannum said that many Guild Wars holidays will be returning: "We haven't planned out exactly what we're doing yet, but we certainly plan to support all of our usual holiday events in Guild Wars 2. Since our event system is very robust I imagine we'll be able to do a lot more things than we were able to do in the first game."

He also said that the team is striving to "push the fun and collectability" of the mini-pets system over Guild Wars 2's predecessor. You can read the full interview at GamerZine.

[Update: Tap Repeatedly also has a whopper of a GW2 interview up today, this one with Jon Peters and Jonathan Sharp!]

MassivelyGuild Wars 2's Eric Flannum on promises, pets and purpose [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcollectioneric-flannumeventevent-systemeventsexplorationgamerzineguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2holidayholidaysin-game-eventsinterviewmini-petspersonal-storylinepetsvanity-petsFri, 10 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you collect in-game?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-collect-in-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-collect-in-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-collect-in-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recently I was lamenting to my wife that I don't really have a good collection of anything. I think that really interesting people usually have some oddball collection that they work on over the years. For example, my friend Howard is a Pez fanatic, who has not only thousands of Pez dispensers but Pez t-shirts, belt buckles and a huge Pez tattoo down his arm. Howard knows the joy of a good collection.

But then I realized that perhaps my urge to collect is being sated in MMOs. I usually always love to collect non-combat pets (if the game I'm playing has them), or goofy titles, or awesome outfits. There's something deeply satisfying about sitting on a well-stocked treasure-trove after a long period of working on it.

So do you collect anything in MMOs? Do you store away statistically useless yet cosmetically perfect weapons just to have them? Is there a huge menagerie of animals parked in your garage, ready to transport you in style? If an MMO has a collection system, do you take full advantage of it?

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 collect in-game? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collectioncollectionsmountsnon-combat-petsopinionoutfitoutfitspezpez-dispensersrubi-waz-heretdgthe-daily-grindtitletitlesvanity-petsSun, 08 May 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Alter-Ego: A quick and dirty guide to Area 51]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/12/alter-ego-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-area-51/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/12/alter-ego-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-area-51/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/12/alter-ego-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-area-51/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When it comes to taking your first steps in DC Universe Online, the sheer amount of different types of missions and objectives can be a bit daunting. "What is this Alert thing sitting in my quest log?" you might say. "What does it do? It is PvP? PvE? What's the point of doing an Alert?" Well, to help demystify some of DC Universe Online's content for you, I wanted to offer up a basic overview to the very first in-game Alert: Area 51. However, knowing that some of you have already run this instance, I also wanted to make it useful for those who may have popped in but not spent a great deal of time in the zone. That's why this post not only contains a first-timer's overview of this Alert but also gives more advanced players a handy guide to all the Investigations, Player Briefings and Collections -- as well as a couple of other things I found in the Area 51 zone that might have been missed otherwise.

Ready to dig in and help beat Brainiac back from trying to take over? Curious about what kind of extra goodies can be gained? Join me after the break as I take some of the mystery out of the notorious Area 51!

Continue reading Alter-Ego: A quick and dirty guide to Area 51

MassivelyAlter-Ego: A quick and dirty guide to Area 51 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alertarea-51bluebrainiaccadmuscadmus-research-findingscollectioncollectionsdc-universe-onlinedcuoglobal-briefingglobal-investigationsgreengroup-contentguideinstanceinvestigationinvestigationsinvestivationlevel-10normalplayer-briefingplayer-briefssoesony-online-entertainmentwalkthroughwelcome-to-groom-lakeyellowSat, 12 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/massivelys-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telaras-dynamic-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/massivelys-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telaras-dynamic-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/massivelys-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telaras-dynamic-conte/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus.

In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action.

Now we have.

Continue reading Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

MassivelyMassively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementAchievementsaddonsalphaalpha-testbattlegroundsbuildscallingCapture-the-flagcharacter-creationcharge-barclericclunkcollectionCollectionscraftingdefiantDemodynamic-contentEarth-Elementalelementalistepic-mountfeaturedfootholdfootholdsgallerygloamwoodgraphicsgroupgroupinggroupsguardianhealershealinghell-levelsheroes-of-telaraholy-city-of-sanctuminstanceinstancesinterfaceinvasionjumpingjust-say-no-to-hell-levelslootmapmapsminimapmodsp2ppay-to-playpetsphilosophyplaneplanesplanes-of-telarapublic-questspvpquestingrealm-of-the-faerespecresurrectionriftrift-planes-of-telarariftsscott-hartsmanscreenshotsshadowlandssoul-walkSteamPunkstrategerystrategysubscriptionswimmingtalent-treestalentstavril-plazatelaratrailertriontrion-worldsUIvideowarfrontwarfrontsWed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What bonuses do you want from a collector's edition?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/the-daily-grind-what-bonuses-do-you-want-from-a-collectors-edi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/the-daily-grind-what-bonuses-do-you-want-from-a-collectors-edi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/the-daily-grind-what-bonuses-do-you-want-from-a-collectors-edi/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I did something with Final Fantasy XIV that I've never done before -- I purchased the collector's edition. Normally, my love of in-game pets and art books is counterbalanced by my love of saving $25, but an extra eight days of playtime is fairly non-negotiable for me. Everything else that comes with the collector's edition is a nice side perk, but nothing worthy of the extra expense in and of itself.

Of course, there's no shortage of players who consider the additional cost of a collector's edition well worth some in-game vanity pets and an art book. For some, simply having something labeled as a collector's edition is justification enough, as it signals some sort of elite status as a player. What sort of things make you interested in a collector's edition of a game? Do you prefer in-game benefits to display to other players, or trinkets for fond reminiscence? Or are you mostly motivated by games that give you an early start or something similar?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What bonuses do you want from a collector's edition? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessoriesart-bookcollectioncollectors-editioncultureexclusiveffxivfinal-fantasy-xivmini-petnew-titlesopinionrewardsspecial-editiontdgthe-daily-grindtrinketsvanity-petThu, 15 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Everquest II aims upcoming Complete Collection at new players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/everquest-ii-aims-upcoming-complete-collection-at-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/everquest-ii-aims-upcoming-complete-collection-at-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/24/everquest-ii-aims-upcoming-complete-collection-at-new-players/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The problem with getting players into a new game after a couple years is that, well, the game has moved on. It has a couple expansions under its belt, it has a whole lot of new concepts, and new players aren't going to be on board for it. A new player is hard enough to rope into an MMO as it is, much less when you tell them they have to buy three expansions and hit level 30 in a month to see some of the cool stuff. Everquest II knows how much of a struggle it can be, which is why they're releasing the Everquest II Complete Collection just in time for both the holiday season and before the upcoming expansion pack The Sentinel's Fate (due out in February).

What does it contain? The initial Everquest II, obviously, along with all five of the game's extant expansion packs. If that's not enough, it also offers sixty free days of play (up from the usual thirty) and 500 Station Cash to help buy things from the game's microtransaction system. At the risk of sounding like a marketing press release, it's an ideal way to get a friend into the game over the holiday season, and presumably get them ready in time for the new expansion to hit.

MassivelyEverquest II aims upcoming Complete Collection at new players originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collectioneq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionsnew-playernews-itemssoesony-online-entertainmentthe-sentinels-fateSat, 24 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST