<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
<channel>
<title>Massively</title>
<link>http://massively.joystiq.com</link>
<description>Massively</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url>
<title>Massively</title>
<link>http://massively.joystiq.com</link>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright>
<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/galleries/" rel="tag">Galleries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lore/" rel="tag">Lore</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons/" rel="tag">Dungeons</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/"><img alt="DDO" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/update13.jpg" /></a></div>
The vanguard of the free-to-play MMO movement is bearing down on the industry this spring, as <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> prepares for its sixth birthday, its 13th update, and its first expansion. We sat down with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine</a> Executive Producer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/fernando-paiz/">Fernando Paiz</a> and Senior Producer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/eric-boyer/">Eric Boyer</a> to talk about this coming Monday's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/update-13/">Update 13</a> and what players have to look forward to once it goes live.<br />
<br />
Update 13 comes at what could be seen as a renaissance in the game's history. Following <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><em>DDO's </em></a>transition to F2P, Turbine saw an upsurge in players and profits that continues to this day. Paiz said that "the game is doing very well," and while he did not disclose numbers, he feels that <em>DDO's </em>status as one of the first F2P adaptations gave it a lead that others have yet to overtake.<br />
<br />
Even so, with only five updates in 2011, it's hard to deny that <em>DDO </em>has faded into the background somewhat as newer titles and more recent F2P transitions hogged the spotlight. Turbine means to rectify this: "I think it's safe to say that this year we're making some noise again," Paiz said confidently. He went on to share just why this Monday's patch will be one of the most pivitol in <em>DDO's</em> history.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/">Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20178366/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/unraveling-ddos-web-of-chaos-turbine-talks-update-13/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>6th-anniversary</category><category>anniversary</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>eberron</category><category>eric-boyer</category><category>expansion</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>Fernando-Paiz</category><category>forgotten-realms</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>gallery</category><category>in-game-store</category><category>interview</category><category>lolth</category><category>menace-of-the-underdark</category><category>screenshots</category><category>sixth-anniversay</category><category>spinner-of-shadows</category><category>stormreach</category><category>tome</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>update-13</category><category>web-of-chaos</category><category>wizards-of-the-coast</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[DDO's Challenges tweaked, torqued, and tailored]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/"><img alt="DDO" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/ddodd.jpg" /></a></div>
It's been a few weeks since <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> came out with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/ddos-vaults-of-the-artificers-goes-live/">Update 12</a> and its newfangled Challenge system. No new system is perfect, of course, which is why <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine</a> has a slew of changes and fixes in testing as it prepares the first post-Update 12 patch for release.<br />
<br />
There's no one specific aspect of the Challenges that is receiving the most attention, but a variety of tweaks to make the feature more enjoyable (and functional) as a whole. The patch includes additional weapons at Challenge vendors, Challenge loot that can be used in crafting and upgraded, and the ability for players to repeat Star Challenges for XP. There's also the interesting inclusion of the ability to sell <em>DDO </em>Store-bought loot to in-game vendors for cash.<br />
<br />
Players are invited to check the changes out on the Lamannia test server or to <a href="http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=206066">peruse the patch notes</a> at their leisure.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/">DDO's Challenges tweaked, torqued, and tailored</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20115739/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/ddos-challenges-tweaked-torqued-and-tailored/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>challenge</category><category>challenge-missions</category><category>challenges</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddo-update-12</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>patch</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>update</category><category>update-12</category><category>update-12-patch-1</category><category>vault-of-the-artificers</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Turbine sweetens the deal for DDO subscribers]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/promotions/" rel="tag">Promotions</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.ddo.com/us/news/1041-a-summer-gift-for-ddo-vips"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/07/vip.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online's</em></a> free-to-play model has been the belle of the F2P ball since it was released in 2009, but that doesn't mean that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine's</a> given up on luring players into subscribing. Today, <a href="http://www.ddo.com/us/news/1041-a-summer-gift-for-ddo-vips">the studio announced a "summer gift"</a> to those who sign up for VIP status: double bonus points per month from July 11th through September 11th. This means that every month a player is subscribed, he or she will receive 1,000 Turbine Points to spend in the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><em>DDO</em></a> store instead of 500 TP.<br />
<br />
Turbine's also made sure that the price point for VIP subscriptions is attractive, as it's offered players the ability to sign up for three months at $29.97 (effectively $9.99 a month). By taking advantage of both deals, players can enjoy three months of VIP status and earn 3,000 Turbine Points for just $30.<br />
<br />
VIP status means that all of <em>DDO's</em> adventure modules are available to enjoy, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/dungeons-and-dragons-onlines-update-10-is-bringing-crazy-back/">including the new ones that came with Update 10</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/">Turbine sweetens the deal for DDO subscribers</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19988158/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>deal</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>in-game-store</category><category>promotion</category><category>reign-of-madness</category><category>store</category><category>subscribers</category><category>subscription</category><category>tp</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>turbine-points</category><category>update-10</category><category>vip</category><category>vip-status</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[C is for Neutral-Aligned Cookie: DDO Update 8 preview patch notes posted]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/c-is-for-neutral-aligned-cookie-ddo-update-8-preview-patch-note/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/c-is-for-neutral-aligned-cookie-ddo-update-8-preview-patch-note/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/c-is-for-neutral-aligned-cookie-ddo-update-8-preview-patch-note/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=206066"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/11/cookiejar.jpg" /></a></div>
December is right around the corner, and with it, <a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online's</em></a> Update 8. <a href="http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=206066">Advance release notes</a> are up for the Lamannia test server, and so far it's safe to say that this patch is the tastiest one yet. Why tasty? Because <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine</a> is incorporating <a href="http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?p=3420868#post3420868">cookie jars</a> into the game as a way for players to store edible goodies from Festivault without clogging up their inventory. Best of all? This is one treasure chest that nobody can stick his grubby fingers in but you!<br />
<br />
What else is the studio baking up for the crowd? First up is a new four-mission adventure pack, "Siege of Stormreach," which will give mid-level players an opportunity to defend and ultimately repulse an attack upon the city itself. For players envious of <a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><em>Lord of the Rings Online's</em></a> cosmetic outfit system, the upcoming armor appearance kits in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online"><em>DDO</em></a> are sure to earn a few smiles. Like cosmetic hats, cosmetic armor will visually replace your current outfit without stripping you of the outfit's stats. This special armor can be found in chests, traded, and purchased through the <em>DDO </em>store.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=206066">lengthy patch notes</a> also include the addition of Rogue hirelings, class racial enhancements for Half-Elves and the usual collection of tweaks and fixes. Hire a Rogue at your own risk, however, as Rogues have a notorious sweet tooth. Silly Rogue hirelings, cookies are for players!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/c-is-for-neutral-aligned-cookie-ddo-update-8-preview-patch-note/">C is for Neutral-Aligned Cookie: DDO Update 8 preview patch notes posted</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=206066>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/c-is-for-neutral-aligned-cookie-ddo-update-8-preview-patch-note/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19725954/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/c-is-for-neutral-aligned-cookie-ddo-update-8-preview-patch-note/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>adventure-pack</category><category>armor-appearance-kits</category><category>armor-appearance-system</category><category>c-is-for-cookie</category><category>cash-shop</category><category>class-racial-enhancements</category><category>cookies</category><category>cosmetic-armor</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>dnd</category><category>Dungeons-and-Dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>festivault</category><category>half-elves</category><category>hireling</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>patch</category><category>patch-notes</category><category>rogue</category><category>rogue-hireling</category><category>siege-of-stormreach</category><category>stormreach</category><category>turbine</category><category>Turbine-Entertainment</category><category>update</category><category>update-8</category><category>update-notes</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Turbine celebrates Talk Like a Pirate Day in DDO and LotRO]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/16/turbine-celebrates-talk-like-a-pirate-day-in-ddo-and-lotro/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/16/turbine-celebrates-talk-like-a-pirate-day-in-ddo-and-lotro/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/16/turbine-celebrates-talk-like-a-pirate-day-in-ddo-and-lotro/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.turbine.com"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/09/arrrrrr-rb-916.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Talk Like a Pirate Day is coming on the 19th, and <a href="http://www.turbine.com">Turbine</a> is getting into the spirit of things with pirate-themed sales in both <a href="http://www.ddo.com"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> and <a href="http://www.lotro.com"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>LotRO</em></a> fans can stock up on pirate eyepatches, hats, and outfits, all brand-new items in the store.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>DDO</em></a> players might find themselves on an unexpected shopping spree. Anything that could possibly be considered a pirate-themed item is 30% off beginning tomorrow. Two adventure packs, pirate grog, headgear, pirate weapons, and much more are all marked down, so you'll certainly want to browse through and see what you want to stock up on.<br />
<br />
<em>LotRO</em> players can find the item list <a href="http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php-Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr!-Introducing-Pirate-s-Day-Accessories-in-the-LOTRO-Store!&amp;p=4976077#post4976077">in the forum</a>, while <em>DDO</em> players can find their list on the <a href="http://www.ddo.com/ddostore/1163-pirates-day-weekend-2010"><em>DDO</em> Store page</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/16/turbine-celebrates-talk-like-a-pirate-day-in-ddo-and-lotro/">Turbine celebrates Talk Like a Pirate Day in DDO and LotRO</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/16/turbine-celebrates-talk-like-a-pirate-day-in-ddo-and-lotro/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19636543/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/16/turbine-celebrates-talk-like-a-pirate-day-in-ddo-and-lotro/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>Dungeons-and-Dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>ftp</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>lotro-store</category><category>sale</category><category>talk-like-a-pirate-day</category><category>turbine</category><category>YARRR</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Waging WAR: RvR packs, the "wait and see" edition]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online/" rel="tag">Warhammer Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/waging-war/" rel="tag">Waging WAR</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/08/veeo014.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
<em>This week <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/waging-war/">Waging WAR</a> rides the double rainbow of gameplay customization via downloadable content and takes a cursory glance at the RvR packs being teased by the folks behind the development of </em><a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com">Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning</a><em>. Let's follow along and see what Greg can unleash this time.</em><br />
<br />
It is difficult to talk about the future of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online/"><em>WAR</em></a> right now. Not because it doesn't have a future, but because the availability of information regarding it is not exactly easy to find. Actually, information on the future of <em>WAR</em> is all but non-existent, surrounded by controversy on all sides, and steeped in rumor, speculation, assumption and misinformation. The best I can put together is that we, as players, can look forward to some sort of set of three different "RvR Packs" allowing us to "customize" our gameplay experience moving forward. The packs have been called "Power," "Progression," and "Personality." What exactly each contains is a mystery, although the few talking points I was able to find regarding these RvR packs are speculatively disappointing at best. Although Carrie, Andy, and anyone else involved with the <a href="http://www.mythicentertainment.com">Mythic</a> development team have said time and time again that they are not discussing moving toward the free-to-play business model, what they're proposing with these customization packs looks suspiciously like the item shop established by <a href="http://www.turbine.com">Turbine</a>, implemented in <a href="http://www.ddo.com"><em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons Online</em></a> and soon in <a href="http://www.lotro.com"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> as well. V.I.P. membership, anyone? <br />
<br />
Although concrete information is scarce and difficult to find, let's take a look at the most commonly referenced points of interest after the break.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Waging WAR: RvR packs, the "wait and see" edition</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/">Waging WAR: RvR packs, the "wait and see" edition</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19610097/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/waging-war-rvr-packs-the-wait-and-see-edition/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aion</category><category>aion-the-tower-of-eternity</category><category>aion-tower-of-eternity</category><category>andy-belford</category><category>balaur</category><category>BioWare</category><category>bioware-ea</category><category>Bioware-MMO</category><category>bioware-mythic</category><category>bioware-points</category><category>carrie-gouskos</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddo-unlimited</category><category>DLC</category><category>downloadable content</category><category>downloadable-content</category><category>DownloadableContent</category><category>Dragon-Age</category><category>Dragon-Age-Origins</category><category>Dungeons-and-Dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>EA</category><category>ea-mythic</category><category>f2p</category><category>feature</category><category>featured</category><category>features</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>games-day</category><category>games-day-2010</category><category>games-workshop</category><category>gamesday-uk</category><category>Lord of the Rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>LordOfTheRings</category><category>mass-effect</category><category>mass-effect-2</category><category>MassEffect</category><category>micro-transaction</category><category>micro-transactions</category><category>monster-games</category><category>monster-play</category><category>mythic</category><category>mythic-ea</category><category>Mythic-Entertainment</category><category>renown</category><category>renown-armor</category><category>renown-bonus</category><category>renown-cap</category><category>renown-points</category><category>renown-rank</category><category>renown-ranking</category><category>rvr</category><category>rvr-pack</category><category>scenario</category><category>scenario-weapons</category><category>scenarios</category><category>skaven</category><category>turbine</category><category>Turbine-Entertainment</category><category>vip</category><category>waging-war</category><category>war</category><category>Warhammer-Online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Waller]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring Eberron: My shopping cart]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/exploring-eberron/" rel="tag">Exploring Eberron</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/08/ddo1.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Today I was hoping to open up my full purchase history at the <a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> store and do an analysis of everything I've bought since the store was put into the game. Unfortunately, I've since discovered that -- short of saving each and every confirmation email that Turbine sends me -- there's no accessible store history, either in the game or outside of it. Clicking "View Purchase History" in the store simply showed me a couple Turbine point buys, but that's it.<br />
<br />
That makes me a sad panda barbarian.<br />
<br />
So pushing aside the issue of why Turbine doesn't want me to see my order history (<em>"Perhaps so you don't question future purchases," </em>the quiet cynic inside me whispers), I'll have to do this via questionable memory. I've been a subscriber since the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><em>DDO</em></a> F2P switch, which nets me a portion of "free" TP per month, but I've also dropped additional money -- perhaps three times -- to beef up my TP reservoir so that I could get a couple big ticket items. So seeing as how I don't have to worry about purchasing adventure packs, on what have I been spending my allowance? Hit the jump to find out!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Exploring Eberron: My shopping cart</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/">Exploring Eberron: My shopping cart</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19600015/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/exploring-eberron-my-shopping-cart/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>32-point</category><category>adventure-pack</category><category>cash-shop</category><category>cosmetic</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>Dungeons-and-Dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>experience-boost</category><category>exploring-eberron</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>ftp</category><category>Hairdo</category><category>hirelings</category><category>item-shop</category><category>onedawesome</category><category>rubi-red-hair-dye</category><category>tomes</category><category>tp</category><category>tp-is-an-unfortuante-acronym</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-points</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[DDO Europe to go free-to-play on August 20th]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/ddo-europe-to-go-free-to-play-on-august-20th/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/ddo-europe-to-go-free-to-play-on-august-20th/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/ddo-europe-to-go-free-to-play-on-august-20th/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ddo-europe.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/07/ddo.jpg" /></a></div>
While fans of <a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons Online</em></a> in North America have had good reason to celebrate the game's transition to a free-to-play model and its subsequent revival, <a href="http://www.ddo-europe.com/">European players</a> have had to make do with the regular (i.e. subscription-based) version of the game under Codemaster's rule. Like angry twins facing each other across a crowded cafeteria, the two versions of this MMO created an uncomfortable tension in the air over the past year.<br />
<br />
This is about to change, however, as <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ddo-to-go-free-to-play-in-europe">Eurogamer reports</a> that Turbine is taking operational control of the game from Codemasters. With this move, Turbine is bringing <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online"><em>DDO</em></a> Europe in line with its North America sibling, transitioning the game to free-to-play on August 20th. This transition includes bringing European players together with NA players with global servers.<br />
<br />
Looking to calm any apprehensions by the players, Turbine plans to pave the way to their new global servers by giving current <em>DDO </em>Europe players 5000 Turbine Points to spend in the <em>DDO </em>store. While there will only be an English service initially, French and German account services are in the works.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/ddo-europe-to-go-free-to-play-on-august-20th/">DDO Europe to go free-to-play on August 20th</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ddo-to-go-free-to-play-in-europe>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/ddo-europe-to-go-free-to-play-on-august-20th/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19560964/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/ddo-europe-to-go-free-to-play-on-august-20th/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>angry-twins-are-no-good-for-anyone</category><category>breaking</category><category>codemasters</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-europe</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddo-unlimited</category><category>eberron-unlimited</category><category>europe</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>global-server</category><category>north-america</category><category>north-american</category><category>turbine</category><category>Turbine-Entertainment</category><category>turbine-points</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring Eberron: Rolling the right character for you]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/races/" rel="tag">Races</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/exploring-eberron/" rel="tag">Exploring Eberron</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/07/screenshot00029.jpg" alt="" /><br />
</a></div>
Who are you whippersnappers? Get off my lawn or I'll blast ye into kingdom come! Shoo!<br />
<br />
I mean, howdy! Sorry, I got a little startled there. We just found out this morning that Rubi, your faithful <a href="http://www.ddo.com/"><em>DDO</em></a> columnist, was captured by a beholder and locked away in a level 20 dungeon. While the Massively <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/">DDO</a> </em>guild, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/onedawesome/">OnedAwesome</a>, faithfully levels up in a rescue attempt (every Wednesday night, 9pm eastern/8pm central!), I've been drafted to keep the column going until victory is assured.<br />
<br />
Considering that a vast majority of my personal <em>DDO </em>resume is confined to levels 1 through 10, I have a soft spot for the newbie experience. And seeing how many fledgling dungeoneers are flocking to <em>DDO </em>these days, I figured I'd go back to the beginning to walk new players through the first week of the game. For you veterans out there, this would be a great time to (a) point out how much I say is completely wrong, and (b) offer up your own tips and advice in the comments section.<br />
<br />
Today, let's start with one of the most vital decisions you'll ever make in the game: rolling a character. Hit the jump and let's hope for all 20s!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Exploring Eberron: Rolling the right character for you</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/">Exploring Eberron: Rolling the right character for you</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19555487/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/exploring-eberron-rolling-the-right-character-for-you/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>28-point-build</category><category>32-point-build</category><category>battle-mage</category><category>builds</category><category>character</category><category>character-builds</category><category>character-creation</category><category>character-creator</category><category>character-planner</category><category>character-planning</category><category>classes</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>dnd</category><category>drow</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>exploring-eberron</category><category>favored-soul</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>ftpf2p</category><category>gimp</category><category>monk</category><category>races</category><category>shut-up-jeets</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-points</category><category>warforged</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Captain's Log: The C-Store and the perils of going freemium]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-trek-online/" rel="tag">Star Trek Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/captains-log/" rel="tag">Captain's Log</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-trek-online/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/07/0715header.jpg" /></a></div>
Welcome to another installment of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/captains-log/">Captain's Log</a>, in which we explore -- and sometimes complain about -- the uncharted depths of <a href="http://www.startrekonline.com/"><em>Star Trek Online</em></a>. This is your captain speaking from behind a rickety card table in a basement somewhere in the murky New Jersey Nebula. Isn't moving the worst?<br />
<br />
Last week, we <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/08/captains-log-pondering-star-trek-onlines-executive-shakeup/">learned a little bit</a> about <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Daniel-Stahl/">Daniel Stahl</a>, the brand new executive producer on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-trek-online/"><em>STO</em></a>. But not enough to prepare us for <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/12/rumor-is-star-trek-online-due-for-turbines-business-model/">the crazy truth bomb</a> with which he torpedoed <a href="http://forums.startrekonline.com/">the official forums</a>. On Sunday, Stahl suggested that he <a href="http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=2832102#post2832102">could see <em>STO</em> going free-to-play</a>. Seriously. I had planned to discuss <a href="http://www.startrekonline.com/store">the Cryptic Store</a> this week anyway, and this fits in nicely, given micro-transactions' importance to the free-to-play model.<br />
<br />
Would <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/cryptic/">Cryptic Studios'</a> switching <em>STO</em> from subscriptions to an <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/">F2P</a> model be a godsend or a hellish nightmare? (Hint: It would wind up somewhere in the middle.)<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Captain's Log: The C-Store and the perils of going freemium</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/">Captain's Log: The C-Store and the perils of going freemium</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19553200/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/captains-log-the-c-store-and-the-perils-of-going-freemium/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>allods-cash-shop</category><category>allods-online</category><category>ask-cryptic</category><category>captains-log</category><category>champions-online</category><category>cryptic-star-trek</category><category>cryptic-studios</category><category>daniel-stahl</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddo-unlimited</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>freemium</category><category>khaaaaan</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>obscure-manfred-mann-references</category><category>rmt</category><category>st-online</category><category>Star-Trek</category><category>Star-Trek-MMO</category><category>star-trek-online</category><category>sto</category><category>sto-c-store</category><category>sto-f2p</category><category>sto-freemium</category><category>sto-microtransactions</category><category>trek-online</category><category>unbridled-speculation</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Greene]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dungeons and Dragons Online discounts Turbine Points and DDO Store items]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/dungeons-and-dragons-online-discounts-turbine-points-and-ddo-sto/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/dungeons-and-dragons-online-discounts-turbine-points-and-ddo-sto/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/dungeons-and-dragons-online-discounts-turbine-points-and-ddo-sto/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ddo.com/ddostoresale"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/04/ddosale-rb-425.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.ddo.com"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> fans know that the DDO Store has items on sale almost constantly, but rarely does the crew at <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine">Turbine</a> mark items down with such enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
The normal DDO Store sales usually involve a handful of Adventure Packs and maybe a few other items. <a href="http://www.ddo.com/ddostoresale">This sale</a>, however, includes all Adventure Packs at a 30% discount, as well as an impressive array of other items large and small. Some of the more expensive premium items are discounted -- the Drow and Warforged races and the 32-point build -- as well as items all the way on the other end of the scale. Cleric Hirelings can be had for as little as 5 Turbine Points, for example. If you're planning to stock up, keep in mind that the DDO Store only allows you to purchase items appropriate to your character's current class and level, so you'll be a bit limited according to your current character roster.<br />
<br />
If you're a fan of the DDO Store or have been considering a purchase, this is a good time to take a look.  The sale ends on the 29th.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/dungeons-and-dragons-online-discounts-turbine-points-and-ddo-sto/">Dungeons and Dragons Online discounts Turbine Points and DDO Store items</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/dungeons-and-dragons-online-discounts-turbine-points-and-ddo-sto/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19452941/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/25/dungeons-and-dragons-online-discounts-turbine-points-and-ddo-sto/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>adventure-pack</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-points</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dungeons and Dragons Online launches Update 4]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/04/update4-rb-47.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/pax-east-2010-dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-and-beyond/">Update 4</a> for <a href="http://www.ddo.com"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> launched today, and most of the attention has been on Sentinels, the newest Adventure Pack. Everyone loves new content, especially the kind that comes with an extra shot of awesome in the form of zombie pirates.<br />
<br />
If you've taken a look at the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/05/ddo-releases-zombified-update-4-patch-notes/">patch notes</a>, you know that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine">Turbine</a> didn't stop with the Adventure Pack. We got the normal dose of bug fixes and small adjustments, as well as two significant additions. First is the new <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online"><em>DDO</em></a> Player Feed for Facebook, an addition that was almost to be expected given last month's addition of the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-facebook-player-feed/">LotRO Player Feed</a>. It will work in much the same way, and can be <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/ddoplayerfeed">installed here</a>. The DDO Store catalog is expanding as well, adding such items as +2 character bank slots, +3 Greater Reincarnation, and specials on Turbine Point bundles.<br />
<br />
We're still all about the zombie pirates here at Massively, though, and <a href="http://www.turbine.com">Turbine</a> has obliged us with some new screenshots of Update 4, and a video trailer full of...you guessed it. Zombies and pirates. Follow along after the jump, and enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-0/">Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 4</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-0/#2872331"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/04/01blackloch_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-0/#2872332"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/04/04blackloch_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-0/#2872333"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/04/05bargainbazaarsplashscreen_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-0/#2872334"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/04/07blackloch_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-update-4-0/#2872335"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/04/09bargainbazaarscreenshot_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Dungeons and Dragons Online launches Update 4</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/">Dungeons and Dragons Online launches Update 4</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19430251/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-4/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddo-update-4</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>facebook</category><category>Turbine-Entertainment</category><category>zombie-pirates</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dungeons and Dragons Online releases trailer for the Catacombs adventure pack]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/at-a-glance/" rel="tag">At a glance</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/trailers/" rel="tag">Trailers</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjlWBn-rcvs"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/ddocatacombs2.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Deep in the bowels of the marketplace lies a new dungeon. A dungeon teeming with evil. A dungeon in desperate need of heroes to save it from its corruption. A dungeon that's... well being added to <a href="http://www.ddo.com"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a>, of course!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine">Turbine</a> has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjlWBn-rcvs">released the trailer</a> for their newest adventure pack for <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> -- the Catacombs. The goal of this undead dungeon is to plunge into the depths and save the spirit of the Archbishop of the White Flame's daughter before she too is tainted by the evil in the old archives.<br />
<br />
If you're interested in the brief trailer (and braving the narration) then check it out embedded after the break. Otherwise, if you're an avid <em>DDO</em> player, you can pick up the new adventure pack from the <em>DDO</em> store and experience it for yourself!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Dungeons and Dragons Online releases trailer for the Catacombs adventure pack</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/">Dungeons and Dragons Online releases trailer for the Catacombs adventure pack</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjlWBn-rcvs>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19262432/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/dungeons-and-dragons-online-releases-trailer-for-the-catacombs-a/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>adventure-pack</category><category>catacombs</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>marketplace</category><category>trailer</category><category>turbine</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Choose my Adventure: Doing you a Favor]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-meta/" rel="tag">Massively Meta</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hands-on/" rel="tag">Hands-on</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/choose-my-adventure/" rel="tag">Choose My Adventure</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/cmaddofavorweek2-sms-1109.jpg" /></div>
In this week's <a href="http://www.ddo.com"><em>Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a> adventures, the <a href="http://my.ddo.com/guild-khyber-critical_mass/">Critical Mass guild</a> came across a bit of a challenge, and not in the game. With <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/choose-my-adventure-depths-of-house-ddeneith/">last week's vote</a> guiding our hero to spend his hard-earned Turbine Points on an adventure pack, not everyone in the group had those same points to spend. So we spent our playing time gaining favor, which can be turned into Turbine Points.<br />
<br />
In lieu of an in-character story this week, I'm going to spend some time explaining <a href="http://ddowiki.com/index.php?title=Favor&amp;">Favor</a> and the <a href="http://compendium.ddo.com/wiki/DDO_Store_Guide"><em>DDO</em> store</a> for anyone who is curious about how this all works. I'll also explain our next poll, as I'd like you to vote on the specific Adventure Pack in which our hard-earned points will be spent. Follow along after the jump for more!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Choose my Adventure: Doing you a Favor</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/">Choose my Adventure: Doing you a Favor</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19244409/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/choose-my-adventure-doing-you-a-favor/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>choose-my-adventure</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>favor</category><category>featured</category><category>polls</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-points</category><category>voting</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Massively's DDO Unlimited developer tour]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-hands-on/" rel="tag">Massively Hands-on</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/06/jumpthetrapddou821.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
Love can sometimes be a fickle thing, but I'm pretty sure that I love what <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Turbine/">Turbine</a> has done with the DDO Store in <em><a href="http://www.ddo.com">Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited</a></em>. I'll admit that initially I was a little concerned with the concept of an in-game store, but after playing with it at bit and asking some questions my fears have pretty much melted away.<br /><br />I was lucky enough to be given a developer tour of the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Dungeons-and-Dragons-Online">Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited</a> beta last Friday, and had a thoroughly good time. The DDO Store is a streamlined and snappy experience. The store doesn't simply attempt to shove its wares onto the unsuspecting player. Instead, it attempts -- and largely succeeds -- in being a helpful, generally friendly addition to the game.<strong><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/ddo-unlimited-tour/">DDO Unlimited Tour</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/ddo-unlimited-tour/#2112661"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/06/screenshot00142_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/ddo-unlimited-tour/#2112660"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/06/screenshot00141_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/ddo-unlimited-tour/#2112659"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/06/screenshot00133_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/ddo-unlimited-tour/#2112658"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/06/screenshot00129_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/ddo-unlimited-tour/#2112657"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/06/screenshot00128_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /></strong><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Massively's DDO Unlimited developer tour</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/">Massively's DDO Unlimited developer tour</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19080847/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/massivelys-ddo-unlimited-developer-tour/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>amrath</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddo-unlimited</category><category>dev-tour</category><category>developer-tour</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited</category><category>favored-soul</category><category>featured</category><category>hezrou</category><category>turbine</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kyle Horner]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[DDO Unlimited screens show off in-game store]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/18/ddo-unlimited-screens-show-off-in-game-store/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/18/ddo-unlimited-screens-show-off-in-game-store/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/18/ddo-unlimited-screens-show-off-in-game-store/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/06/ddo_header_store-chargenraceoptions.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Turbine/">Turbine</a> has released twelve new screens for their revamp of <em><a href="http://www.ddo.com">Dungeons &amp; Dragons Online</a></em>, which will add the "Unlimited" modifier sometime after its current beta run. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/gallery/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/2091838/full/">In our gallery</a>, you'll find several looks at the various windows and interfaces in which the non-subscribing players will have the opportunity to purchase additional content piecemeal, while they play.<br /><br />It's pretty interesting to see a previously pure subscription style game go this direction, and we're very curious to see how it plays out for Turbine and the <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Dungeons-and--Dragons-Online/">Dungeons &amp; Dragons Online</a></em> community. This business model shift could bring in a lot of new blood, and may in the long run bring about additional content that wouldn't have been possible to develop otherwise.<br /><br />If you really want to know more about the upcoming changes and exactly what they mean for <em>DDO</em> and its community, check out our <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/ddo-goes-f2p-an-interview-with-turbine/">interview with Turbine on the subject</a>, our <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/">write-up on the topic</a> by Massively's Colin Brennan or our recent <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/17/massively-speaking-episode-57-ddo-with-jerry-snook/">Massively Speaking podcast with DDOCast host Jerry Snook</a>. Can you tell we're interested in this one yet?<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/">Dungeons &amp; Dragons Online: Unlimited</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/#4597070"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/ddo1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/#4597071"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/ddo2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/#2240047"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/08/12_favored_soul_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/#2240048"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/08/15_favored_soul_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited/#2240049"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2009/08/18_favored_soul_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/18/ddo-unlimited-screens-show-off-in-game-store/">DDO Unlimited screens show off in-game store</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/18/ddo-unlimited-screens-show-off-in-game-store/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19071158/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/18/ddo-unlimited-screens-show-off-in-game-store/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beta</category><category>colin-brennan</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>ddocast</category><category>ddou</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online-unlimited</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>jerry-snook</category><category>subscription</category><category>turbine</category><category>unlimited</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kyle Horner]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online pt. 2]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online-pt/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online-pt/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online-pt/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://content.turbine.com/pages/www.ddo.com/beta_signup/"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/06/ddochoice2_580.jpg" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The cons of the whole switchover</span><br /> <br /> Item malls that offer players the ability to purchase items or item upgrades degrade the gaming experience. We've been over this before -- letting Mr. Moneybags deck out his character at level 1 so he's 10x more awesome than everybody else is a major downer to people who don't have the money.<br /> <br /> While I've pored over the text that Turbine is released, it doesn't appear that they will be offering items like weaponry or armor. They will be offering "items of convenience" to the players. My best guess is things like potions, perhaps portals, resurrection scrolls, things such as these. Even though these are low powered items, they can still annoy you when Moneybags can teleport all over the place and you're left walking and taking the slow route.<br /> <br /> This con is, however, offset by the fact that points can be earned by actually playing the game. It sounds like they are attempting to make the cash shop available for everyone, not just the Moneybags of the world. This will be interesting to watch, as no other developer as truly tried this in the American market.<br /> <br />
<table cellspacing="10" cellpadding="10" border="0" align="right" style="width: 225px; height: 149px;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>
            <h2><strong>"</strong>I could easily see some players offering up items in the auction house above the amount that a free player's wallet could hold.<strong>"</strong></h2>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
The big con to this is the limited play that free players get. Limited auctions and limited mail are two nasty inconveniences in their own right, but limited gold storage and limited chat seem to be the features that take the cake. How would you like it if you couldn't chat in all of the chat channels, or were restricted to how much you can say in game? Even worse, limited gold storage may mean that you might not be able to purchase the best items from the auction house simply because your wallet just doesn't hold enough.<br /> <br /> I could easily see some players offering up items in the auction house above the amount that a free player's wallet could hold. This is going to inconvenience the player further because it's going to restrict how the player can interact with the auction house and interact with the vendors in the world.<br /> <br /> Another two bites out of the pro pile are the fact that free players rank lower than <span style="font-style: italic;">DDO</span> VIP subscription players in the login queue and free players don't get access to customer support. This means that a constant influx of <span style="font-style: italic;">DDO</span> VIP players could easily keep bumping free players back in the login queue, should the server become overpopulated. While I don't exactly see this happening, it could become problem should the lines really get backed up. I know I wouldn't like to see that my place in line as number 27 get jacked backward to 30 or 35 just because a few subscribers chose to log in.<br /> <br /> Lastly is the fact that free players are stuck with the online knowledge base and the forums as their source of aid should they encounter problems. I can foresee some free players attempting to play the game, getting stuck on some odd technical problem, and then becoming unable to solve it simply because the knowledge base doesn't have their problem on file. You're going to inevitably lose some people over this, just because they don't want to deal with the frustration of attempting to make a free game work. It's a free game, so if it doesn't work, just move onto the next game.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The bottom line?</span><br /> <br /> The final thoughts for all of this is you should weigh it for yourself. If you want to save some cash and you like <span style="font-style: italic;">Dungeons and Dragons</span>, then this might just be the experience for you. If you're looking for a second quality MMO to have as a side-game, then this might also be what you want to pick up.<br /> <br /> If you're someone who's easily frustrated by limitations, however, then you might not enjoy this experience. Some of the stuff, like decreased auctions, gold storage, and chatting capabilities might hamper gameplay just enough to turn off some people.<br /> <br /> But, don't take my word for it. Judge the game for yourself when it hits free to play status later this summer.<br /><hr />
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="border: 0pt none ; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: -15px;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td align="right" valign="top" style="background: rgb(214, 214, 203) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/e3-2009"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/06/ss11-4-small-sms-0609.jpg"  alt="" /></a></td>
            <td style="background: rgb(214, 214, 203) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine">Turbine</a> has just announced that <a href="http://www.ddo.com">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a> will be moving to a free-to-play business model, and we have the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/ddo-goes-f2p-an-interview-with-turbine/">inside scoop</a>. Be sure to read <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online">our complete coverage</a> of the changeover, and look for more info as DDO Unlimited approaches launch.</em> </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online-pt/">The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online pt. 2</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://content.turbine.com/pages/www.ddo.com/beta_signup/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online-pt/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19062863/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online-pt/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cons</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>debate</category><category>decision</category><category>dnd</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>eberron-unlimited</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>item-mall</category><category>item-shop</category><category>level-20</category><category>module-9</category><category>pros</category><category>turbine</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="tag">Dungeons and Dragons Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://content.turbine.com/pages/www.ddo.com/beta_signup/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/06/ddochoice580.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://www.ddo.com"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dungeons and Dragons Online</span></a> going free to play is undoubtedly an awesome announcement. But exactly how <a href="http://content.turbine.com/pages/www.ddo.com/beta_signup/index.php?utm_source=ddo_com">awesome of an announcement</a> is it?<br /><br /><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/09/ddo-adds-free-to-play-with-eberron-unlimited/">Yesterday we were all over the announcement</a>, covering the basics of what can be expected with this changeover from subscription based to free to play. But now, I'd like to break that down even further, and really look at the changes in an in-depth manner.<br /><br />Certainly not everything about the new version of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online"><span style="font-style: italic;">DDO</span></a> has been defined by Turbine, but we're going to take a look at the basics of what this new version offers and compare the ups and downs of what's being offered. By the time we're done looking over the new system, you'll be able to answer that one burning question that's plaguing your mind.<br /><br />Is free to play <span style="font-style: italic;">DDO</span> worth it for you?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/">The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19062535/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-free-to-play-dungeons-and-dragons-online/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cons</category><category>ddo</category><category>ddo-store</category><category>debate</category><category>decision</category><category>dnd</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online</category><category>dungeons-and-dragons-online-eberron-unlimited</category><category>eberron-unlimited</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>item-mall</category><category>item-shop</category><category>level-20</category><category>module-9</category><category>pros</category><category>stormreach</category><category>turbine</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
