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 Daily Grind: How far would you go for cosmetic gear?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/the-daily-grind-how-far-would-you-go-for-cosmetic-gear/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/the-daily-grind-how-far-would-you-go-for-cosmetic-gear/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/the-daily-grind-how-far-would-you-go-for-cosmetic-gear/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

WoW
Massively's got so many cosmetic-gear gurus and sandbox aficionados on staff that sometimes I suspect no amount of character customization and housing and achievements and titles would ever be enough for us. We'd do just about anything for more ways to distinguish our characters in an MMO.

But what about raiding for cosmetic gear? Enter OpenRaid, a World of Warcraft website that helps players organize cross-server PvE dungeon raids and premade PvP teams for the express purpose of acquiring achievements and gear to transmogrify (i.e., map the skin of something cool onto something with good stats). While I'd hope that needing to run large-scale endgame content for gorgeous weapon skins isn't going to become commonplace in future MMOs, it's still fascinating to see roleplay-oriented players playing content they wouldn't normally touch, just to collect a dress.

So how far would you go -- or have you gone -- to get your hands on a sweet piece of cosmetic gear, title, or achievement?

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: How far would you go for cosmetic gear? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbrianna-royce-tdgcosmetic-gearcosmetic-itemsdaily-grindfantasyopenraidopinionraidraidingroleplayroleplayingtdgthe-daily-grindwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 07 May 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion adds Lineage II armor microtransaction items]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/aion-adds-lineage-ii-armor-microtransaction-items/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/aion-adds-lineage-ii-armor-microtransaction-items/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/aion-adds-lineage-ii-armor-microtransaction-items/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Long-time fans of NCsoft MMOs are no doubt aware of the visual similarities between Aion and Lineage II. Sure, Aion is quite a bit newer and shinier, but it's easy to see influences from the earlier title if you know where to look. Take the level 30 Elyos Daeva armor for example. The set looks suspiciously like an updated version of L2's Blue Wolf armor, right down to the skin-tight leggings and the white boots.

Today, NCsoft has announced a cash shop promotion designed to capitalize on the seven-year anniversary of L2 and intermingle the two titles even further. Players are now able to purchase skins inspired by Lineage II's dynasty armor for use on their Aion avatars. The dynasty skins also mark the first set of armor appearance items that aren't restricted by a player's armor proficiency (i.e., if you want to put the dynasty plate set on your cloth-wearing Sorceror, you can). The skins are available via NCsoft's microtransaction store and will only be available for a limited time according to the official website.

MassivelyAion adds Lineage II armor microtransaction items originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionarmorarmor-restrictionsarmor-skinscash-shopclothcosmetic-armorcosmetic-itemsdynasty-armorfantasyleatherlineage-2lineage-iimicrotransactionsncsoftncsoft-storeplateMon, 18 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: The value of vanity]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-tattered-notebook-the-value-of-vanity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-tattered-notebook-the-value-of-vanity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-tattered-notebook-the-value-of-vanity/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I always knew Gnomes were evil, but a Gnomish pirate?! This was too much. As much as I wanted that new horse of a different color mount from Bristlebane Day, I could barely stand the thought of having to go toe-to-toe with the cabbage-scented Captain Gnoggin.

In a lopsided battle, I emerged victorious, and as I did my turn-in for the new Bristlebane Day quest, I was reminded that EverQuest II offers an enormous variety of unique house items and appearance clothing.

Cosmetic items might not offer any real advantage in progression, but they speak to the depth of content in the game and the quality of life that players enjoy. Being able to create an amazing home or make yourself stand out with a unique look is a real luxury for players. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look back at the evolution of vanity items in game and take a look at a few easy ways that players of all levels can add a little bling to their lives.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: The value of vanity

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: The value of vanity originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bristlebanes-daycity-festivalcosmetic-itemscosmeticscraftingdestiny-of-veliouseq2eq2xEQIIeventsEverQuest-2everquest-iieverquest-ii-extendedfeaturedfurnituregnomish-air-racesmoonlight-enchantmentstattered-notebookvanity-itemsveliousMon, 04 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Anvil of Crom: All I want for Christmas]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/28/the-anvil-of-crom-all-i-want-for-christmas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/28/the-anvil-of-crom-all-i-want-for-christmas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/28/the-anvil-of-crom-all-i-want-for-christmas/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Buuurrrp. Ah. Begging your pardon, but you know how it goes this time of year, leftovers and all that. Seeing as how this is a Thanksgiving holiday weekend here in the States -- and the annual Christmas shopping orgy has begun -- it seems an appropriate time to indulge in a bit of list-making with regard to Age of Conan.

I don't normally do lists here at The Anvil of Crom, as many seem to be the game journalist's equivalent of the oh-crap-I've-got-a-deadline-but-no-topic safety net. Occasionally, though, they serve a real purpose. In my case that purpose is bitching politely talking about what I'd like to see Funcom add to its AoC recipe. So, in honor of the pilgrims and their pilfering of North America (or the cold turkey sandwich you're no doubt stealing from your fridge at this very moment), I present to you three things Age of Conan should pillage from other MMORPGs. Join me after the cut for the rundown.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: All I want for Christmas

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: All I want for Christmas originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananvil-of-cromaocappearance-slotappearance-tabchristmas-listcosmetic-itemscraftingcrafting-revampEQ2EQIIEverQuest-2everquest-iifeaturedFuncomguild-interfaceguild-managementguild-uiguildshousingopinionplayer-housingstar-wars-galaxiesstorytellerstoryteller-propsswgthanksgivingthe-anvil-of-cromvanguardVanguard-Saga-of-HeroesSun, 28 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Exploring Eberron: A first glance at Update 8]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/exploring-eberron-a-first-glance-at-update-8/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/exploring-eberron-a-first-glance-at-update-8/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/exploring-eberron-a-first-glance-at-update-8/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Dungeons and Dragons Online development team has been hard at work lately. The Endless Night event and aftermath kept the developers hopping in between updates, but now we've got the next update to look forward to!

Update 8 is coming in December, and it's exciting to see all of the tweaks and refinements -- especially to one of the new races -- as well as little treats like the cookie jar, cosmetic fixes all over the game, and brand-new content! Join me behind the cut for what I'm excited to see in Update 8!

Continue reading Exploring Eberron: A first glance at Update 8

MassivelyExploring Eberron: A first glance at Update 8 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-packadventure-packscosmetic-itemsddoddo-update-8Dungeons-and-Dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlineexploring-eberronfeaturedpatchesstorageturbineupdatesFri, 26 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars Galaxies ramps up for the Galactic Moon Festival]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/star-wars-galaxies-ramps-up-for-the-galactic-moon-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/star-wars-galaxies-ramps-up-for-the-galactic-moon-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/star-wars-galaxies-ramps-up-for-the-galactic-moon-festival/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Even if you're in a galaxy far, far away, that's no reason to get away from the festivities that Halloween brings. It's time for Star Wars Galaxies to host the Galactic Moon Festival once again, an event wherein mystical Jedi warriors and proud Wookiee soldiers can pretend to be fantastical, made-up creatures like ghouls and vampires. And while there's a touch of thematic disconnect there, if there's one thing we MMO players seem to love, it's a good holiday event.

Starting on the 21st of October, the Galactic Moon Festival features everything you could want in a holiday celebration -- cosmetic costumes, minigames, and plenty of little treats for players to acquire over the course of the event. Aside from a variety of rewards to be earned via a particularly terrifying costume, there are new pieces of cosmetic clothing to be purchased, from the elegant Z'zopheratu's jacket to the adorable Rotta the Huttlet backpack. Take a look at the full preview to see what's coming for Star Wars Galaxies with the festival.

MassivelyStar Wars Galaxies ramps up for the Galactic Moon Festival originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cosmetic-equipmentcosmetic-itemscosmetic-rewardscostumesgalactic-moon-festivalhalloweenhalloween-2010holidayholiday-celebrationholiday-eventsin-game-eventplayer-costumessoesony-online-entertainmentstar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-mmoswswgMon, 18 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ArenaNet designer gives new details on armor and loot in Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/arenanet-designer-gives-new-details-on-armor-and-loot-in-guild-w/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/arenanet-designer-gives-new-details-on-armor-and-loot-in-guild-w/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/arenanet-designer-gives-new-details-on-armor-and-loot-in-guild-w/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Last night was an interesting one for Guild Wars 2 fans. A new ArenaNet blog post popped up, this one courtesy of designer John Hargrove, who had a lot to say about two of our favorite things in the game: loot and armor.

Players have been wondering how loot is going to work in Guild Wars 2 in conjunction with the karma and dynamic event systems, so it was nice to have that cleared up. Unfortunately, much of the news got lost when players almost immediately focused on a single sentence: "With the transmutation system, you'll be able to acquire new items known as Transmutation Stones through our in-game store that allow you to customize your appearance."

The player base as a whole is pretty vocal about this single sentence, but there was so much more that John had to tell us. Follow along after the jump to see what it is.

Continue reading ArenaNet designer gives new details on armor and loot in Guild Wars 2

MassivelyArenaNet designer gives new details on armor and loot in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetarenanet-blogarmorcosmetic-itemsfeaturedguildwars-2gw2in-game-storejohn-hargrovelootncsofttransmutation-stonesFri, 01 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part two)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/the-road-to-mordor-touring-the-falls-new-content-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/the-road-to-mordor-touring-the-falls-new-content-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/the-road-to-mordor-touring-the-falls-new-content-with-turbine/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Last week we began a tour through the upcoming content Turbine have planned for Lord of the Rings Online, including the new-player experience, instance scaling and the region of Enedwaith. By themselves, those features represent so much exciting content that we could've ended there and been satisfied, but that wasn't the half of it.

Well, it was the half of it, actually. Here's the other half.

Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride on the Buckleberry Ferry!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part two)

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part two) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bilbo-bagginsbuckleberry-ferrycosmetic-itemsddoddo-unlimiteddungeons-and-dragons-onlineenedwaithf2pfall-festivalfeaturedflufffree-to-playhaunted-cellarhaunted-househelp-im-a-prisoner-to-the-ap-style-guideisengarditemizationlevel-cap-increaselfflord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-storemarketingmountsshireturbineturbine-pointsvirtuesFri, 09 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Breakdown of skirmish rewards for Lord of the Rings Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/breakdown-of-skirmish-rewards-for-lord-of-the-rings-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/breakdown-of-skirmish-rewards-for-lord-of-the-rings-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/breakdown-of-skirmish-rewards-for-lord-of-the-rings-online/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Lord of the Rings Online expansion Siege of Mirkwood has been out for almost a month now, and players are beginning to get a good feel for how things work in the new areas. However, some of the most enjoyable areas can also be the most complicated, and there's a lot to figure out.

Merric from A Casual Stroll to Mordor is helping with this, and has started a great guide to the skirmish rewards system. The first two parts are all about cosmetic clothing and items, and we have to say it's a very thorough job. The first guide includes a quick explanation of skirmish marks and how they drop, and follow up with a chart including each type of mark, a screenshot of the tooltip, and where it can be found. Scroll down a bit more and you'll find a similar chart featuring each type of cosmetic clothing available and the requirements to acquire it. Part two, released this morning, carries the same format and covers items such as cloaks and backpacks.

The guides are a must-read for any Siege of Mirkwood fan, and our thanks to Merric for the time and effort put into them. We look forward to more!

MassivelyBreakdown of skirmish rewards for Lord of the Rings Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-casual-stroll-to-mordorcosmetic-clothingcosmetic-itemslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrosiege-of-mirkwoodskirmish-rewardsskirmishesturbineTue, 29 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST