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I did get some great screenshots out of Ryzom, I have to say.
Last week, the unthinkable happened. Or at least the unprecedented. Yes, after a dozen or so columns under my belt for Choose My Adventure, one of the "joke" choices finally won a poll. Either everyone thought that the paradise city was actually a thing in Ryzom or the impassioned pleas in the comments the week before had done the trick.

For those of you under the misapprehension that this was, in fact, an actual thing, I apologize for the not particularly elaborate act of deception.

My question to myself, at this point, was what I actually had to do at this point. Did this mean that I had to search through every city in the game to find a paradise, only to discover at the end that paradise had metaphorically been at home the whole time? Was I already in the paradise city, judging by the fact that some people would call the jungle a virtual paradise? The girls were pretty, the grass was green, and by almost any metric you cared to use, Corlede was as close to home as she was getting.

But no, I knew what I had to do. Something I had known since I started playing. I went home.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Ballad of a teenage Zorai

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Ballad of a teenage Zorai originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choose-my-adventurecmacolumncolumnscriticismculturedesigndesign-decisionsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgame-mechanicsgame-systemsmechanicsopinionparallelspollpollsryzomsystemsthe-saga-of-ryzomwinch-gatewinch-gate-property-limitedWed, 29 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise interview explains Masthead Studios approach to sandbox design]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/earthrise-interview-explains-masthead-studios-approach-to-sandbo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/earthrise-interview-explains-masthead-studios-approach-to-sandbo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/earthrise-interview-explains-masthead-studios-approach-to-sandbo/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Bulgarian game developer Masthead Studios has been putting a lot of effort into spreading the word about their upcoming post-apocalytic MMO Earthrise. Massively had a chance to sit down with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov at GDC 2009 for a preview of Earthrise which gave us a taste of what to expect from the title, but we're always on the lookout for more info about the game.

We've come across a short interview at QJ.NET with Atanasov that might be worth a read if you're excited about the dystopian MMO. He discusses some of the major game design decisions Masthead Studios made with Earthrise in respect to character progression (both online and offline) as well as departing from a few of the tried-and-true systems found in other MMOs on the market. Have a look at the Earthrise interview over at QJ.NET for more on the sandbox elements of this first release from Masthead Studios.

MassivelyEarthrise interview explains Masthead Studios approach to sandbox design originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atanas-atanasovbulgariadesign-decisionsearthrisegame-designinterviewsmasthead-studiospost-apocalypticqj.netsandboxsci-fisofiaTue, 19 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Trek Online producer blog explains early choices made in development]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/star-trek-online-producer-blog-explains-early-choices-made-in-de/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/star-trek-online-producer-blog-explains-early-choices-made-in-de/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/star-trek-online-producer-blog-explains-early-choices-made-in-de/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


One of the massively multiplayer online titles eagerly awaited by sci-fi fans is Star Trek Online, currently in development at Cryptic Studios. Star Trek Online's executive producer Craig Zinkievich has written a dev blog for MMORPG.com titled "Focusing the Experience." Zinkievich discusses that initial excitement the Cryptic Studios team had when they obtained the license to create Star Trek Online, and the process of deciding what the IP's MMO universe should encompass.

This was no small task. The Star Trek universe spans decades across multiple television incarnations and film, so the challenge wasn't so much about what to include, but what not to include while making sure that the setting is fleshed out. The developers asked themselves how they could make the MMO universe of Star Trek Online a place where there's more to being part of the setting than energizing transporters all day. And how to incorporate the roles of characters seen in Star Trek television and film into the MMO?

Continue reading Star Trek Online producer blog explains early choices made in development

MassivelyStar Trek Online producer blog explains early choices made in development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>craig-zinkievichcryptic-studiosculturedesign-decisionsdev-blogexecutive-producergame-mechanicsiploremmo-industrymmorpg.comprofessionssci-fisettingstar-trek-onlinestoTue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST