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[MMO MMOnkey: Comparing active attack and auto attack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/mmo-mmonkey-comparing-active-attack-and-auto-attack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/mmo-mmonkey-comparing-active-attack-and-auto-attack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/mmo-mmonkey-comparing-active-attack-and-auto-attack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In the opening sentence of a previous column I compared Age of Conan's active style of combat in which the player must instigate every attack with a keypress to the auto-attack combat common to most MMOs. I characterized auto attack as a go-make-a-cup-of-coffee type of combat which, as one commenter pointed out, was a bit of hyperbole designed to accentuate the difference between active and auto attack but which offended several other people who thought their combat skills were being denigrated.

The earlier column had nothing to do with styles of combat but all the combat-related comments got me thinking about some of the differences between active and auto attack. The two types of combat appear to have few, if any, important differences for the experienced player at the operational level (deployment of unit or squads in raids) or the strategic level (player-controlled access to important game resources as in EVE Online, Dark Age of Camelot and possibly Warhammer Online). When we look at game mechanics and individual unit tactics, however, important and potentially interesting differences begin to emerge.

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MassivelyMMO MMOnkey: Comparing active attack and auto attack originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>active-attackauto-attackcombatcombo-attackfeaturedgame-mechanicsjoystiqfeaturesmanameleeshieldsstaminatacticsThu, 10 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CoX Issue 11: First Impressions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-issue-11-first-impressions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-issue-11-first-impressions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-issue-11-first-impressions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The newest expansion for City of Heroes and City of Villains, Issue 11 has been in open beta for a couple of weeks, and -- so far, at least -- it's proven to be a hit. As with all other releases, there have been the inevitable tweaks and adjustments to make sure that levels are being balanced and that powers are neither too strong nor too weak. Still, all things considered, it's been a phenomenal step forward in the elegance of the game.

It's hard not to squeal with delight when I think of the changes that have been made since I first created my account in June of 2004. Whether we were peering Through the Looking Glass or fending off an Invasion, NCsoft was always pushing to give us new features, and to make sure that the play was as balanced as possible. As far as I can tell, they've done a phenomenal job of continuing that trend.

Gallery: CoX Issue 11: test server gallery

Dual BladesWillpowerRare RecipesTaking in a movieConstruction in Steel Canyon

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MassivelyCoX Issue 11: First Impressions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>A-Stitch-in-TimeCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCombo-AttackCostumeCoVCoXDual-BladesFirst-ImpressionsGalleryIconInvasionIssue-11NCsoftPatch-NotesWillpowerMon, 19 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST