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[Star Trek Online developers discuss Away Team game mechanics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/star-trek-online-developers-discuss-away-team-game-mechanics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/star-trek-online-developers-discuss-away-team-game-mechanics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/star-trek-online-developers-discuss-away-team-game-mechanics/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Cryptic's upcoming Star Trek Online is boldly going where numerous Star Trek PC games have failed before. Only now, for the first time, the Star Trek IP meets massively multiplayer online games, and we're hoping that Cryptic Studios will release a solid sci-fi title that balances Trekkie canon bliss with gameplay that keeps MMO fans happy. A number of Star Trek fans following along with STO's development clearly have high hopes for the game, and so do we at Massively. What's also unique about Star Trek Online is that it's one of the few sci-fi MMOs that has both starship combat and terrestrial gameplay.

Of course, there are many questions that remain about Star Trek Online, particularly when it comes to beaming down to the surface of planets. Have you ever wondered about when you beam down with your Away Team, if you'll visit the planets that are prominent in Star Trek canon, or will these be new worlds? For that matter, will your starship be left defenseless without you there on the bridge? And if you do Away Missions only with other player characters, will your Bridge Officers still level up with you?

Continue reading Star Trek Online developers discuss Away Team game mechanics

MassivelyStar Trek Online developers discuss Away Team game mechanics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>al-riveraaway-teamaway-teamscontinuumcryptic-studiosdev-chatgame-mechanicsgekointerviewsirclead-content-designerlead-designernew-titlessci-fistar-trekstar-trek-onlinestozeke-sparkesSun, 16 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Teal'c visits Stargate Worlds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/10/tealc-visits-stargate-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/10/tealc-visits-stargate-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/10/tealc-visits-stargate-worlds/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Stargate SG-1 actor Christopher Judge visited Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's game development studio to check out Stargate Worlds last week. Judge played the part of Teal'c -- the Jaffa warrior on the SG-1 team -- for the entire run of the TV series and in the movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum, and has appeared on Stargate Atlantis as well.

Members of the development teamed gushed about how awesome he was on the Stargate Worlds community site. "I wouldn't have thought I was the type to get embarrassed and feel like a blushing teenage girl (no offense to blushing teenage girls) when meeting a star like Christopher Judge but apparently I totally am," said one of the team members. The team got the impression that Judge was "SUPER excited" about the game.

CME/FireSky put up a gallery of pictures from the visit. The studio was also visited by Formula1 race car driver Jonathan Summerton, which seems kind of random. If you want pics of that event, there's a gallery for that too.

MassivelyTeal'c visits Stargate Worlds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheyennecheyenne-mountaincheyenne-mountain-entertainmentchristopher-judgecmecontinuumfireskygalleryjaffaphotossg-1stargatestargate-atlantisstargate-sg-1stargate-worldstealcthe-ark-of-truthvisitWed, 10 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Expansion release schedule versus quality]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/expansion-release-schedule-versus-quality/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/expansion-release-schedule-versus-quality/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/expansion-release-schedule-versus-quality/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Relmstein has posted a great analysis of how to do expansions right-- he looks at the history of major MMO expansion releases, and grades their qualities on three criteria: timing of release, cost at retail, and quality of content. In essence, he sets up a quick continuum that proves the old theory: "Good, fast, or cheap. Choose two."

A game like World of Warcraft has released one terriffic quality expansion, but as Relmstein says, it was a long time coming. And Star Wars Galaxies released huge updates one after another, but we all know how well that worked out. Relmstein lists Everquest 2 as the best of all worlds-- they've released expansions fairly often (every 12 months regualrly), at fairly cheap prices (the fact that the original game content comes with every expansion doesn't hurt), and the quality has been done fairly well.

It's an interesting balance. Of course expansion packs aren't an MMO-only phenomenon, but the idea of constantly pushing out new game content is something that lends itself very well to a persistent massively multiplayer world. You'd think that there has to be some rate out there at which players are getting their content too fast, but according to Relmstein, we haven't even reached the ideal rate yet-- it's still taking developers too long to cook up polished expansion content for hungry players.

MassivelyExpansion release schedule versus quality originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysiscontentcontinuumexpansionqualityreleaserelmsteinscheduleThu, 13 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST