Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[CCP expands EVE's asset search functionality]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/ccp-expands-eves-asset-search-functionality/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/ccp-expands-eves-asset-search-functionality/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/ccp-expands-eves-asset-search-functionality/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Online - asset search update
If EVE Online is truly spreadsheets in space as some of its detractors (and even fans) have surmised, thus far it's been a spreadsheet with fairly limited search capabilities. Now thanks to the efforts of CCP developers, finding your random crap spread across the cosmos in various New Eden station storage facilities just got a lot easier.

The latest EVE Online dev blog has the details on the asset search functionality updates, and they include new keyword searches and a complete listing of keyword values. "There [is] definitely more we can do with this in the future but we started this rather late and [we] didn't want to add lots of broken functionality, but rather a few simple options that work and cover the basics and a bit more," the dev blog explains.

MassivelyCCP expands EVE's asset search functionality originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asset-searchccpccp-gamescrucibledev-blogseveeve-crucibleeve-onlinekeywordsnew-edensandboxsci-fisearchsearch-functionThu, 01 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars 2 devblog highlights cinematic conversations]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/guild-wars-2-devblog-highlights-cinematic-conversations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/guild-wars-2-devblog-highlights-cinematic-conversations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/guild-wars-2-devblog-highlights-cinematic-conversations/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- Guild Wars 2 cinematic conversation
"One of the things we game developers always have to struggle with is reconciling our ambition with the reality of a production environment," begins today's Guild Wars 2 dev blog. That principle of balance comes into play in the case of the game's cinematic conversations, as the blog notes. James Boer goes on to detail many of the unique strategies used in Guild Wars 2's dialogue scenes in order to ensure that precious balance between ambition and pragmatism.

For instance, characters are designed in such a way that they don't look terribly good during close-ups, and there is no easy way to integrate facial animation. As a result, the team settled on a compromise, pushing the characters farther into the background. This, combined with the painted backgrounds utilized during conversations, lends a unique style to GW2's cinematic dialogues. For the full details, just head on over to the ArenaNet dev blog.

MassivelyGuild Wars 2 devblog highlights cinematic conversations originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcinematic-conversationscinematicsconversationsdev-blogdev-blogsdev-diariesdev-diarydialogueguild-wars-2gw2james-boerncsoftTue, 22 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Fallen Earth developer blog talks territory control and world events]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/31/fallen-earth-developer-blog-talks-territory-control-and-world-ev/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/31/fallen-earth-developer-blog-talks-territory-control-and-world-ev/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/31/fallen-earth-developer-blog-talks-territory-control-and-world-ev/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Honey, the door blew shut. And locked itself.
The conversion to free-to-play has gone live, but there are more changes in store for Fallen Earth. A new developer blog entry has just been unveiled, discussing two of the bigger features in store for the game -- world events and territory control. The former will be dynamic content that appears at random, with multiple events able to feed upon one another and create some changing landscapes for players to explore.

Territory control, by contrast, will start off in a single region north of Blaine. The region will have a total of 13 different control points for factions to hold, with six of them out in the open and seven in more fortified locations. There will be notable rewards for players holding these objectives, including resource nodes, increased experience gain, and improved death toll. It should certainly lead to some interesting battles in the wasteland as players fight over the region's spoils.

MassivelyFallen Earth developer blog talks territory control and world events originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogsdev-blogsdeveloper-blogdynamic-contentdynamic-eventsfactionsfallen-earthfegamersfirstpatchespreviewspvpterritory-controlworld-eventsMon, 31 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Carbine Studios dev blog details usability testing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/carbine-studios-dev-blog-details-usability-testing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/carbine-studios-dev-blog-details-usability-testing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/carbine-studios-dev-blog-details-usability-testing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Carbine Studios concept art
Though we still have absolutely no idea what exactly Carbine Studios' next project is, that's not going to stop the studio from talking to us about it. Carbine's Senior Producer, Eric DeMilt, has released a dev diary regarding the ongoing development of the studio's super-secret project.

In particular, the diary details usability testing. Players are able to test the game in a testing lab on-site, where the devs are able to watch players as they play in order to gauge their reactions to certain content. Players also are asked to complete a short survey afterward, which provides Carbine with a wealth of valuable information regarding difficulty, user-friendliness, and the overall quality of the game. Mr. DeMilt's full blog post can be read over at Carbine Studios' official site.

MassivelyCarbine Studios dev blog details usability testing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbinecarbine-studiosdev-blogdev-blogsdev-diariesdev-diaryeric-demiltmiscmiscellaneousncsofttestingusability-testingMon, 08 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Avatar Creations lays out plans for Perpetuum's future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/avatar-creations-lay-out-plans-for-perpetuums-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/avatar-creations-lay-out-plans-for-perpetuums-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/avatar-creations-lay-out-plans-for-perpetuums-future/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

While there are some still players steaming about the recent insurance fraud situation in Perpetuum, many others are excited about the plans that Avatar Creations has revealed in its most recent dev blog. After receiving player feedback indicating that the company wasn't doing as good a job of communicating its plans for the game as many players would like, the team decided to lay out its development goals well into the latter half of this year in a new dev blog -- and those goals look pretty awesome!

Starting off, players will be glad to hear that the upcoming PvE content that the devs were hinting at isn't just more missions and mob grinding. Instead, players are going to be treated to a new system: artifact scanning and discovery. By scanning down hidden spots, players can net basic goodies like salvage containers all the way up to special alien intel revealing special missions or new Mk2 robots. What's better, the devs intend to add more things into the artifacting system as things develop, offering a plethora of possibilities for everyone from the solo carebears to the largest groups.

Among the other plans are a new energy-credit system (which will give players the chance to pick up even more new modules and components), changes to the Assignments currently offered in-game, help for corporations seeking to recruit new players, area-of-effect explosions for your PvP fiends, new lands, terraforming, and much more. So if you've been curious about the plans for this fascinating indie sci-fi sandbox, then head over to the Perpetuum site and check out all the details in this wide-ranging devblog.

MassivelyAvatar Creations lays out plans for Perpetuum's future originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artifact-scanningassignmentsavatar-creationscorporation-recruitmentdev-blogdev-blogsdevblogdevelopmentdevelopment-plansdiscoveryenergy-creditshybridsmk2-robotsperpetuumperpetuum-onlinepvepvproadmapWed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Creating the planets of EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/creating-the-planets-of-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/creating-the-planets-of-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/creating-the-planets-of-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , ,


One of the most visually striking changes that came to EVE Online with the Dominion expansion is how the devs improved the look of the planets. This was no minor facelift either, it's been a dramatic change. The graphics update breathed new life into New Eden's setting -- solar systems now have vibrant gas giants as well as planets dominated by storms, ice, oceans, or lava. Most players are probably just content to see and appreciate the eye candy, but those interested in how CCP Games created these planets will want to read the "Awesome Looking Planets" dev blog from CCP Mannapi. (And just look at that angry expression!)

Although the subject of Mannapi's dev blog is somewhat technical, it's actually rather easy to follow. He walks the reader through the tools and processes CCP Games put to use in revamping planets in Dominion. If reading about height maps, preprocessing, rendering, and textures is your cup of tea, you'll probably enjoy his illustrated explanation of these facets of planetary design in EVE.

MassivelyCreating the planets of EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesccp-mannapidev-blogdev-blogsdominioneveeve-onlineexpansionsgraphicsnew-edenplanetssci-fiThu, 21 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online giving players free holiday gift: the Zephyr]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/eve-online-giving-players-free-holiday-gift-the-zephyr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/eve-online-giving-players-free-holiday-gift-the-zephyr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/eve-online-giving-players-free-holiday-gift-the-zephyr/#commentsFiled under: , ,


EVE Online players received some good news today, when CCP Games announced a free holiday gift for all active subscribers: the Zephyr, a pure exploration vessel that's unique among all ships of New Eden in both form and function. Beyond the pimp factor of this Intaki Syndicate ship, the Zephyr's primary use will be in the uncharted expanses of wormhole space. It's the only ship in EVE Online that has a probe launcher built in. This "Prototype Iris Probe Launcher"-equipped ship pairs minimal mass (and less likelihood of collapsing a wormhole) with a small sensor footprint, which makes it hard to scan down by hostiles. While the integrated exploration gear is nice, even better is that Sleeper NPCs -- the awakened and powerful guardians of wormhole space -- will not fire upon a Zephyr (EVE filmmakers take note!). What's even cooler is that it actually has sails; it's designed to soar through space on solar winds when not in warp.

The Zephyr exploration ship will be free to all players and available to be claimed between December 18th and January 6th, 2009. Redeeming the ship is easy, simply log in to the EVE client on or after December 18th and click "Redeem Items!" on the lower right of the client window. Remember it's one ship per active (non-trial) account, not per character, and this may very well be a one time offer. Have a look at CCP Wrangler's full description of the Zephyr for more on this rather unique addition to New Eden's array of ships.

MassivelyEVE Online giving players free holiday gift: the Zephyr originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While it's the major features coming in EVE Online's next expansion, Dominion, that have caught people's attention -- namely the sov changes -- there are a number of smaller things CCP is baking into the release. The developers are also addressing some long-standing issues that have been in need of a solution. The existing in-game mail system is, quite frankly, painful to use if you need to sift through and manage a decent volume of messages in a given session.

Fortunately this is about to change. Dominion will roll out with a new EVEMail system, and here are a few highlights of what will arrive this Tuesday:

Continue reading EVEMail system reworked for Dominion expansion

MassivelyEVEMail system reworked for Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-caedmonccp-gamesdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneveeve-onlineevemailexpansionsnew-edennew-featuressci-fiSat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Masthead Studios delves into Earthrise crafting process]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/02/masthead-studios-delves-into-earthrise-crafting-process/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/02/masthead-studios-delves-into-earthrise-crafting-process/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/02/masthead-studios-delves-into-earthrise-crafting-process/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Earthrise creators Masthead Studios have already made clear that their forthcoming title will be a far future sandbox MMO, a post-apocalyptic setting where PvP will be a major aspect of gameplay. What hasn't been as clear is exactly how the extensive crafting process they've discussed in the past will actually work out in normal gameplay. Certainly we've heard a great deal about customization of crafted goods and the potential to become well-known for your own variations on items, but we never had a real overview of those game mechanics. That is, until now.

Masthead aims to dispel any confusion surrounding Earthrise's crafting system in a two-part series of blog posts that kicked off today as part of their Question of the Week offering to the community. "The Crafting Process", part one of two, poses the theoretical example of a player -- let's call him "Tim" -- who clearly hates Burzun mutants. Enough so that Tim wishes to craft an assault rifle specifically tailored for killing this particular type of mutant. Masthead Studios walks the reader through the skills required to create such a weapon, the components that must be gathered, and how Tim will be able to extract needed resources from those materials.

Continue reading Masthead Studios delves into Earthrise crafting process

MassivelyMasthead Studios delves into Earthrise crafting process originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>burzuncraftingcustomizationdev-blogdev-blogsearthrisegame-mechanicsmastheadmasthead-studiosnew-titlespost-apocalypticqotwsci-fiMon, 02 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/eve-online-technical-director-explains-new-feature-fleet-finder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/eve-online-technical-director-explains-new-feature-fleet-finder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/eve-online-technical-director-explains-new-feature-fleet-finder/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The next EVE Online expansion will be Dominion, slated for a December release, which will introduce some major changes to the game and new features as well. The "Fleet Finder" is one such feature, explained in today's dev blog by EVE Online Technical Director Jon Bjarnason (aka CCP Atlas).

The Fleet Finder will give players much greater control over forming a fleet and, as CCP Atlas says, there will be "No more 'x up in corp channel' messages." The feature will also streamline how information is conveyed to other pilots.

Continue reading EVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder

MassivelyEVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesccpccp-atlasccp-gamescorporationsdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneveeve-onlineexpansionsfleet-advertfleet-advertsfleet-findergame-mechanicsgroupingguildsjon-bjarnasonloot-loggingnew-edennew-featuresninja-lootingsci-fiTue, 27 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online's faction ships due for a boost in Dominion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/eve-onlines-faction-ships-due-for-a-boost-in-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/eve-onlines-faction-ships-due-for-a-boost-in-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/eve-onlines-faction-ships-due-for-a-boost-in-dominion-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , ,


When EVE Online's faction ships were introduced to the game they were, by design, a cut above the rest in addition to lending a certain amount of bling to being a pilot in New Eden. Faction ships had stats that made them worthy of the high amount of Loyalty Points required to obtain such a ship, the risks entailed with mission running in lowsec or 0.0 space, or alternately the high ISK costs to obtain them. But as Tech II ships, Marauders, and other advanced or specialized ship classes entered the game, it became apparent that faction ships in EVE Online were becoming antiquated.

CCP Games would like to get more players to actually fly those ships again instead of relegating (a few of) them to shiny hangar ornaments. EVE game designer CCP Ytterbium looks at the changes CCP Games is making to navy and pirate faction ships with the Dominion expansion and explains the reasons for these changes in his dev blog "Adding Flavor to Your Faction Meal". Have a look at the dev blog for Ytterbium's discussion of the various ship bonuses, new slot layouts, aesthetic changes, and how CCP envisions these faction ships rising to greater prominence in New Eden in Dominion and beyond.

MassivelyEVE Online's faction ships due for a boost in Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesccp-ytterbiumdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneveeve-onlineexpansionsfaction-shipsfactionsnavy-shipspirate-factionspirate-shipssci-fiMon, 19 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE players to tap new resources with Dominion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/eve-players-to-tap-new-resources-with-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/eve-players-to-tap-new-resources-with-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/eve-players-to-tap-new-resources-with-dominion-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Big changes are on the horizon for EVE Online in the Dominion expansion and beyond. Alliance sprawl in 0.0 security (lawless) space is going to be curbed, in favor of a new paradigm where alliances claim less territory but can derive much greater value from what they hold sovereignty over. This is the focus of a dev blog from EVE Game Designer CCP Chronotis -- "The Streams Must Flow".

Streams in this case refers to EVE's various revenue streams which are going to be altered in the coming months, and how this will affect players in 0.0 alliances. In the past, supporting a large number of players required an alliance to draw upon the resources of many different solar systems, specifically high-bounty pirate NPCs and valuable ores in addition to a very high passive income from rare moon minerals. CCP is adjusting how those rare minerals are used in Tech II production, meaning more common materials will be used, so Dominion will allow alliances to upgrade their controlled space as a means of generating more income.

Continue reading EVE players to tap new resources with Dominion expansion

MassivelyEVE players to tap new resources with Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>0.0alliancesccp-chronotisccp-gamescomet-miningcometsdark-matterdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneveeve-onlineexpansionsgame-mechanicsguildsnullsecresourcessci-fisovereigntyTue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE social network COSMOS roadmap revealed, some features delayed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/eve-social-network-cosmos-roadmap-revealed-some-features-delaye/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/eve-social-network-cosmos-roadmap-revealed-some-features-delaye/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/28/eve-social-network-cosmos-roadmap-revealed-some-features-delaye/#commentsFiled under: , ,


COSMOS is the social network for EVE Online slated to arrive with this winter's Dominion expansion, which CCP Games describes as "EVE away from EVE". Ultimately, it's a way to extend the game experience into new platforms such as web and mobile, along with voice integration -- but this is the long-term plan. In the short term, they've announced a delay with rolling out some of the previously mentioned features when Dominion launches. The initial release will focus on the new in-game mail system being tied into COSMOS and laying the groundwork for other features to come in early 2010.

EVE Online developer CCP Caedmon explained the reasons behind this delay: "We think that this delay for the web application is the right move because we have always had our sights set on the long game for COSMOS. The first release, while crammed with good stuff, was always intended to lay the basis for the ground-breaking innovations to come. Rushing COSMOS out with less polish didn't make sense in this context, we want to impress from day one."

Continue reading EVE social network COSMOS roadmap revealed, some features delayed

MassivelyEVE social network COSMOS roadmap revealed, some features delayed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarccp-caedmoncontactscosmosdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneve-onlineexpansionsfacebookfeaturesmailsci-fisocial-networksocial-networkingMon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE minimum system requirements raised for Dominion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/eve-minimum-system-requirements-raised-for-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/eve-minimum-system-requirements-raised-for-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/eve-minimum-system-requirements-raised-for-dominion-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , ,


CCP Games periodically raises system requirements for EVE Online when they feel those minimum requirements are holding the game back. This is going to happen with this winter's Dominion expansion when players will need Windows XP Service Pack 2 to run the EVE client. The game will be getting a graphics update that includes a new look for some of EVE's planets and the Chromium powered in-game browser will require that XP users step up to at least Service Pack 2.

No hardware system requirement increases have been announced, just the need for players to update to Service Pack 2. This will only affect 0.4% of the game's Windows XP users, according to EVE dev CCP Explorer in his latest dev blog. CCP Games will also officially begin supporting Windows 7 with Dominion.

MassivelyEVE minimum system requirements raised for Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccp-explorerdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneve-onlineexpansionssci-fisystem-requirementswindows-xpThu, 24 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online: The taxman cometh]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/eve-online-the-taxman-cometh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/eve-online-the-taxman-cometh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/22/eve-online-the-taxman-cometh/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


When EVE Online developer CCP Soundwave isn't entertaining fans of internet spaceships with his wit during the EVE Alliance Tournament, he's apparently finding new ways to ... impose taxes on players? His dev blog today explains that CCP Games will tax the earnings of players in NPC corps and their reasons for introducing this taxes. This won't apply to those in EVE's player corporations or those enlisted with a militia for factional warfare. "Service guarantees citizenship and all that, so keep on trucking," he writes. (Note: For those less familiar with EVE Online, this deals entirely with in-game currency of course, InterStellar Kredits or ISK. No real world taxation is involved.)

After all these years, why impose taxes on players in NPC corps? CCP Soundwave explains it all in "I Bring Gifts! (By Gifts I Mean Taxes, Sorry)". NPC corps have a few advantages over player corps in that they cannot have wars declared against them by player corporations; immunity to wardecs is perhaps a key reason some players don't move on to player corps. In addition, members of NPC corporations don't have taxes subtracted from their NPC bounties and mission rewards, which most player corporations impose.

Continue reading EVE Online: The taxman cometh

MassivelyEVE Online: The taxman cometh originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccp-gamesccp-soundwavedev-blogdev-blogseconomyeve-onlinegame-mechanicsguildsinterstellar-kreditisknpc-corporationsci-fitaxtaxesvirtual-economyTue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Creating the sound and music of Jumpgate Evolution]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/creating-the-sound-and-music-of-jumpgate-evolution/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/creating-the-sound-and-music-of-jumpgate-evolution/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/creating-the-sound-and-music-of-jumpgate-evolution/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've been wondering what's happening over at NetDevil with Jumpgate Evolution of late. It's been a bit quiet on the news front, but we've come across a recent dev blog from Jumpgate Evolution Producer Hermann Peterscheck that explains the importance of audio in this sci-fi MMO.

Peterscheck explains NetDevil's approach to audio in a space game and the various steps taken to ensure the game sounds as good as it looks. He writes, "Try imagining Star Wars without John Williams' sound track or James Earl Jones' booming Darth Vader voice. Poor audio on top of great video can really deteriorate production value. The trouble with audio is that it generally comes late in the development cycle and all too often as an afterthought."

Continue reading Creating the sound and music of Jumpgate Evolution

MassivelyCreating the sound and music of Jumpgate Evolution originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiodev-blogdev-blogshermann-peterscheckjgejumpgate-evolutionmusicnew-titlessci-fisoundSat, 12 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online gets rework of 'Destiny' simulation engine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/eve-online-gets-rework-of-destiny-simulation-engine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/eve-online-gets-rework-of-destiny-simulation-engine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/eve-online-gets-rework-of-destiny-simulation-engine/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


EVE Online is notable among the MMO titles on the market for having a game with a single shard setting. Whether you're an industrialist mass producing exhumers or fighting in fleet battles for a large 0.0 PvP alliance, you're active in the same setting rather than shards. Keeping as many as 50,000 concurrent users active in one vast galaxy has been a challenge for CCP Games, and of course there have been numerous growing pains along the way. Namely, something called "desync".

Desync has been a catch-all term to describe the various things that can go wrong during gameplay, but in short it's been something that has plagued a number of EVE's subscribers. In the words of EVE Software Engineer CCP GingerDude, desync is "the situation where the server and client disagree on the position of an object in space at a given time." Although it's been an issue for years, the problem has just recently been solved, according to CCP GingerDude's dev blog "Facing Destiny".

Continue reading EVE Online gets rework of 'Destiny' simulation engine

MassivelyEVE Online gets rework of 'Destiny' simulation engine originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We recently mentioned that the next expansion for EVE Online is called Dominion, and will focus on revamping the sovereignty game mechanics -- arguably one of the most crucial aspects of the game for the most hardcore players. So why, then, is sovereignty so important to the game's players?

EVE Online is a game where everything takes place in a single setting, the New Eden galaxy comprised of thousands of solar systems. While a large percentage of the game's playerbase remains in high security space controlled by NPC factions, for others it's 0.0 space (aka nullsec) where the real action is. In a nutshell, 0.0 is a lawless frontier where the rarest ores and minerals, the highest bounty NPCs, the most lucrative exploration content (in known space) is found. Of course, these regions are the most hotly contested territories in EVE Online and those resources found within are a driver for the continual conflict that engulfs New Eden.

Continue reading Breaking the chains of Sovereignty in EVE Online's Dominion expansion

MassivelyBreaking the chains of Sovereignty in EVE Online's Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are so many reasons we love to play MMOs, but for most of us, repetition isn't one of them. Although EVE Online differs from most other MMOs on the market in a number of ways, it still has some of those PvE pitfalls that have long been part of massively multiplayer online games -- specifically, repetitive missions (quests). As with any game where there are only so many quests that NPCs can give out, a mission runner in EVE will play through the same stories multiple times.

Granted, many players who run Level 4s all week are doing so for the ISK, not to enjoy the story. There are only so many times you can rescue The Damsel or blow up another Zor before you've stopped paying attention to the story that's presumably taking place around you. Although this issue of quest repetition in MMOs certainly isn't limited to EVE Online, the developers at CCP Games want to address this problem in their game, and their solution to creating more engaging PvE content is the Epic Mission Arc.

Continue reading Epic Mission Arcs in EVE Online add new dimensions to game's PvE

MassivelyEpic Mission Arcs in EVE Online add new dimensions to game's PvE originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorycapsuleerccp-jasonitisdev-blogdev-blogsepic-mission-arcepic-mission-arcseve-onlineloremission-runnersmission-runningmissionsnew-edenpvequestsstorylineTue, 25 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online balancing effort aims to return ships to proper roles]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/eve-online-balancing-effort-aims-to-return-ships-to-proper-roles/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/eve-online-balancing-effort-aims-to-return-ships-to-proper-roles/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/eve-online-balancing-effort-aims-to-return-ships-to-proper-roles/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Has it ever seemed ridiculous that in the setting of EVE Online, where technology has opened up the vast potential of the galaxy, there are still aspects of being a capsuleer that are completely ghetto? The ship and capsule technologies in EVE enable you to traverse solar systems in mere seconds, unleash hails of destruction that vaporize space stations, and provides immortality through cloning... but you have to stow prostitutes, slaves, marines, and livestock in a single cargo hold? Sloshing around in there with your fuel, no less.

While the commingling of your livestock with the military forces you've rescued is hardly ranked as a critical issue in the game, not having enough room in your cargo bay for jump drive fuel is. Today's Apocrypha 1.5 release made significant changes to ships capable of using jump drives. We knew this was in the works but CCP Games didn't reveal any of the details until yesterday's dev blog from CCP Abathur titled "Regular or Unleaded?".

Continue reading EVE Online balancing effort aims to return ships to proper roles

MassivelyEVE Online balancing effort aims to return ships to proper roles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last week, Massively explained a bit about the war on real money trading (RMT) in EVE Online. The game's developer, CCP Games, has approached the problem from a few different angles. Central to their strategy of combating sellers of the game's currency called ISK (Interstellar Kredits) is to offer another way for players to exchange real world currency for the virtual in EVE Online -- "PLEX", or the 30 Day Pilot License Extension. PLEX is an in-game item that represents gameplay time and can be bought, sold, or traded on the open market in-game. PLEX has been integral in combating the numerous shady ISK selling websites in operation and CCP's dev blog last week showed how the playerbase is starting to embrace this system.

After all, if this practice of outright buying in-game assets with real world cash is going to happen in EVE, as with most MMOs (and regardless of what the developers try to do to curb this) it might as well be via a system the devs can regulate. It's a slippery slope, and CCP's approach to the problem does have some critics, but thus far it's been successful. PLEX has only been one facet of their battle against the ISK spammers, sellers, and the virtual armies of macro-using operations, though. CCP's operation "Unholy Rage" is a major offensive against the RMT operations exploiting the game, and is the subject of a dev blog from EVE Online's GM Grimmi.

Continue reading EVE Online's anti RMT operation Unholy Rage bans over 6200 accounts

MassivelyEVE Online's anti RMT operation Unholy Rage bans over 6200 accounts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The developers at CCP Games just dropped some good news about the new in-game web browser (IGB) for EVE Online they've been working on, codenamed "Moondoggie", one that will deliver a "tenfold performance boost" over what exists today. We've checked CNN and BBC, and even Fox News, but hell is not freezing over... pigs are not in flight. The long-awaited new browser is on the way.

EVE Online players have been screaming about wanting a revamped in-game browser since well before Massively was even born, particularly as so many useful third-party sites function as in-game utilities for players to use without the need to alt-tab out. Of course, despite the frustrations players have felt with the IGB, delivering a better one is no simple matter. CCP Games has periodically stated that it's something they're looking into or working on, but today's dev blog written by CCP Pleognost, "The Second Coming of Moondoggie", confirms the details of the project. And that it's close to being ready.

Continue reading Can it be? New in game web browser arriving for EVE Online

MassivelyCan it be? New in game web browser arriving for EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's an unfortunate reality that most any massively multiplayer online game running has to cope with outside influences on an in-game economy because of real money trading (RMT). Game developers tackle the problem in different ways. For instance, Final Fantasy XI has an anti-RMT task force and Warhammer Online has a zero-tolerance name-and-shame approach to RMT. Other companies grab the bull by its horns and base their game around a virtual item trade they can regulate.

The problem of RMT has affected EVE Online just as it has other MMO titles, if not moreso given how its player-driven economy and the Interstellar Kredit (ISK) currency is central to the game. Beyond the potential revenue lost to the black market when players pay real cash for their ships and modules or buy huge sums of ISK outright, there are also issues with players getting their accounts cleaned out by the shady companies (ostensibly) selling the ISK. When that cleverly-named player "ajakdsk" links you to his ISK selling site in a chat channel, following that link could infect your computer with a keylogger, resulting in a fire sale on whatever they find in your account.

EVE Online's creators CCP Games have taken a two-prong approach to handling these issues.

Continue reading The fight against RMT in EVE Online

MassivelyThe fight against RMT in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Earthrise developers at Masthead Studios are turning out a series of blogs which explains the various zones of the post-apocalyptic setting of Enterra island. These developer journals hosted on MMORPG.com introduce us to the varied terrain and its inhabitants, while framing it all in context of Earthrise's lore. So far they've walked us through the burnt out factories of the Industrial Area, the dangers of the Cascade Mountains, and what happens when mutant ecosystems collide in The Hatchery.

Their latest dev blog focuses on "The Arboretum" which is the refuge of the Nathura Society, largely comprised of scientists who maintain neutrality in the civil war between Enterra's main factions -- Continoma and Noir. The Nathura simply want to be left alone so they can pursue their ideal of engineering a truly symbiotic relationship between humans and the natural world.

Continue reading Earthrise shows off The Arboretum in developer journal

MassivelyEarthrise shows off The Arboretum in developer journal originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For many players, EVE Online is a game where the developers provide the galactic setting of New Eden but it's them, the playerbase, who makes their own stories. They join together or band against their rivals in alliance warfare, drug cartels, pirate organizations, and industrial powerhouses. The complex interplay of involvements that allow the game's players to establish and destroy invariably triggers cascades of drama. This is the point of the sandbox design of the game, what you do in New Eden affects other players on some level.

For some players, EVE is just about their interactions with one another and the fiction underpinning of the game is of marginal concern. While not all players choose to immerse themselves in the game's backstory, the setting is actually quite rich -- built on roughly six years' worth of lore fleshed out in the Chronicles, short stories that provide snapshots of the various levels of activity in New Eden.

Continue reading EVE Online novel The Burning Life to focus on pirate factions

MassivelyEVE Online novel The Burning Life to focus on pirate factions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstoryccp-abraxasdev-blogdev-blogsempyrean-ageeve-onlinefictionhjalti-danielssonlorenew-edennovelizationnovelspirate-factionssandboxsci-fisettingstorylinethe-burning-lifethe-empyrean-agetony-gonzalesTue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise dev blog shows off the beauty and horror of the Cascade Mountains]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/25/earthrise-dev-blog-shows-off-the-beauty-and-horror-of-the-cascad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/25/earthrise-dev-blog-shows-off-the-beauty-and-horror-of-the-cascad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/25/earthrise-dev-blog-shows-off-the-beauty-and-horror-of-the-cascad/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The first MMO we're going to see from independent game developer Masthead Studios is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic title that's bringing some new things to the table in the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic genre. If you've played games like Fallout 3, the setting of Earthrise will be quite different from what you might be expecting. The game will take place on a sprawling island called Enterra, with regions and environments ranging from lush jungles to futuristic urban centers. Of course Earthrise will have the requisite shattered city environments we'd expect of a post-apocalyptic backdrop, as well.

Masthead Studios recently explained how terrain will impact gameplay, having written about some of the game's man-made environments like the Industrial Area. Now they're ready to discuss more about Enterra's natural environment with the Cascade Mountains, the focus of the latest Masthead Studios dev blog they've written for MMORPG.com.

Continue reading Earthrise dev blog shows off the beauty and horror of the Cascade Mountains

MassivelyEarthrise dev blog shows off the beauty and horror of the Cascade Mountains originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Agenda fans... it's almost here. The game's closed beta kicks off tomorrow, but a few lucky gamers in Hi-Rez's neighborhood actually got a head start today. Hi-Rez Studios Associate Producer Michal Adam just put up a dev blog over on MMORPG.com about the beta, and how some lucky gamers got first crack at the 'spy-fi' title.

She explains the Hi-Rez Studios tradition of N00b day "New Tester Day", where some players are invited out to the game studio to test out Global Agenda. It's part of the company's outreach to high schools and universities in the area. Michal writes, "Today's 'noob' group comprises individuals who live nearby and register through the Global Agenda website for today's testing session. I'm not sure when they signed up they knew they'd be the first to get onto Global Agenda's beta, and I guess I should stop calling them 'noobs' because they are the highest ranked players on our beta server!"

Continue reading Global Agenda closed beta kicks off tomorrow, July 24

MassivelyGlobal Agenda closed beta kicks off tomorrow, July 24 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The EVE Online developers have released the first solid bit of info regarding the game's Winter expansion, which will include a social network called COSMOS. Unfortunately, the as-yet-unnamed Winter expansion won't bring Walking in Stations (3D avatars), to the best of our knowledge. Any announcement of the next expansion's features is still a long way off, but a dev blog from EVE developer CCP Caedmon focuses on COSMOS and what it will bring to the game.

COSMOS will debut with a limited feature set, with more added to the platform over time. However, if CCP Games can deliver on what Caedmon mentions, it should go down well with the playerbase since these features will be tied in with the game.

Continue reading EVE Online social network 'COSMOS' coming with Winter expansion

MassivelyEVE Online social network 'COSMOS' coming with Winter expansion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online can be a daunting game to get a handle on. Still, the New Player Experience (NPE) that greets rookies today is far better than the early tutorials that some of us at Massively, and no doubt a number of our readers, experienced 'back in the day'. There are many careers and mini-professions a player can choose to pursue in EVE, but conveying this in the NPE -- and guiding these new players towards these playstyles -- remains a challenge for CCP Games. This is the focus of the latest dev blog by EVE Online developer CCP Soundwave.

He explains how player feedback has made those first weeks of gameplay a much smoother learning experience for the game's rookies. However, he notes that they're continuing to improve the NPE for the next expansion. To that end, CCP is seeking input from the players on these questions:

Continue reading EVE Online devs seek your input on improving the New Player Experience

MassivelyEVE Online devs seek your input on improving the New Player Experience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pilots in EVE Online can do a lot to optimize their ship loadouts for specific purposes. Many ship hulls in the game can be quite versatile depending upon which modules you choose, allowing a pilot to excel in a particular pursuit or task in EVE. Another layer of ship customization is the use of rigs, essentially devices that impart specific bonuses to a ship. These add-ons allow you to do anything from perma-running your Level 4 mission tank to pinpointing hidden exploration content. But the high costs and fact that rigs can't be removed without destroying them have ensured they're used almost exclusively on large ship classes, namely battleships, given their substantial tanks and survivability.

Pilots who prefer to fly smaller ships like frigates and cruisers will soon have more cost-effective options for tricking out their ships using small and medium rigs, to be introduced with Apocrypha 1.5 in August. Small rigs will be used on frigates, destroyers, interceptors, and interdictors, priced between 100k - 1 million ISK. Medium rigs will be installed on cruisers, industrials, and battlecruisers, at a cost between 600k ISK and 5 million ISK. These are substantially reduced prices from the game's current offerings, but these smaller rigs won't have watered down bonuses. They will provide the same benefits (and drawbacks) as the larger rigs in terms of percentages.

Continue reading EVE dev blog explains tricking out your ships with new rigs

MassivelyEVE dev blog explains tricking out your ships with new rigs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the past few weeks, the developers at Cryptic Studios have been walking readers through the various powers that will be available to Champions Online players, from Energy Projectors to Martial Arts, as well as Power Replacers. Now they're giving us a look at the game's Mystic power sets -- Sorcery and Supernatural -- for those players who want to dabble in the dark arts.

Do you know your Circles of Power from your Circles of Summoning? When should you use a Sigil instead of an Invocation? The Champions Online devs explain all matters arcane in this latest, and final, "All About Powers", and discuss their intent to create subsets of Mystic powers that better fit a given character's concept. Whether you're looking to create a Primal Shaman, a Necromancer, or a pure Arcane-type, you might enjoy this latest dev blog on the official Champions Online site.

MassivelyChampions Online devs reveal Mystic power sets: Sorcery and Supernatural originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online senior producer CCP t0rfifrans just published a dev blog about the next major update to the game, Apocrypha 1.5. This is not a completely new expansion, just a significant update they will release in August before EVE's (as-yet-unnamed) winter expansion. While CCP hasn't released the complete rundown of Apocrypha 1.5's features and changes, they have announced a few highlights:

  • Perhaps the biggest changes in 1.5 will be factional warfare improvements. Beyond responding to the lag issues many players have been reporting with factional warfare, CCP is going to introduce Loyalty Points (LP) for kills and captures, and each militia will have its own LP store where militia players can cash in for items unique to that faction.
  • Several Level 4 epic mission arcs will be introduced, tied to specific races in New Eden. CCP t0rfifrans writes: "These captivating stories deal with moral ambiguity, intrigue, honor, and some people's lack of it. This should come as no surprise to those who know EVE and what we are about. As before with the epic arc that was released with Apocrypha, they provide a deep, interesting story, where your choices influence the outcome."
  • One of the long awaited buffs for Black Ops battleships will arrive: specialized cargo holds. The first use of this system will be to give Black Ops ships fuel bays, but this feature paves the way for similar additions to other ship classes in the future. For instance, some ships may one day be given ammo bays, freeing up valuable cargo space.
  • Rigs will be offered in different sizes, with frigate and cruiser sized rigs introduced to the game. These new small and medium rigs will be cheaper to buy or manufacture, and thus provide a lower cost way for players to trick out their ships.
CCP t0rfifrans also dropped a few hints about the forthcoming winter expansion, which will *not* be Walking in Stations. He writes: "All I can say, is that it is focused on sovereignty and you will not be able to walk in it."

We'll keep our eyes open for more about Apocrypha 1.5 as information becomes available.

MassivelyCCP Games reveals next major Apocrypha update for EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaapocrypha-1.5black-opsbreakingccp-gamesccp-t0rfifransdev-blogdev-blogsempyrean-ageepic-mission-arcseveeve-onlinefactional-warfarefuel-bayfuel-baysgame-mechanicsloyalty-pointslpmissionspatchespvprigssci-fisenior-producersovereigntyspecialized-cargo-holdstorfi-frans-olafssonwalking-in-stationsTue, 30 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE mission runners and their tormentors rejoice! New Level 4 agents added]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/31/eve-mission-runners-and-their-tormentors-rejoice-new-level-4-ag/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/31/eve-mission-runners-and-their-tormentors-rejoice-new-level-4-ag/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/31/eve-mission-runners-and-their-tormentors-rejoice-new-level-4-ag/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Mission running in EVE Online is one of the more lucrative activities players can spend their time doing, at least while in the safety of high security space. The cumulative rewards from NPC bounties, loyalty points, salvage, and loot -- in addition to the mission rewards from NPC agents -- make Level 4 missions a decent ISK/hour income for many of EVE Online's pilots. Level 4 missions are the most popular, due to their relative ease and multiple battleship (high bounty) NPC spawns which yield better loot drops and more salvage components, as well as optimal loyalty point gain. However, the grouping of agents that give the best missions leads to 'mission hubs' where hundreds of players operate in the same solar systems.

The latest dev blog by EVE's lead content creator CCP Molock is simply titled "New Level 4 Agents", and deals with dispersing the crowds (and clutter) from some of the high sec mission hubs in New Eden. CCP Games has added twenty-three new level 4 agents to the game in locations a bit removed from the heavily populated mission hubs, hopefully encourage more mission runners to fill quieter solar systems in the galaxy. Molock lists the new agents, along with their corporation and quality, as well as system security ratings for each location.

Continue reading EVE mission runners and their tormentors rejoice! New Level 4 agents added

MassivelyEVE mission runners and their tormentors rejoice! New Level 4 agents added originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bountiesbountyccp-gamesccp-molockconcorddev-blogdev-blogseveeve-onlinegame-mechanicslevel-4-missionslootloyalty-pointslpmissionmission-hubsmission-runningmissionsnew-edennpcnpcspvesalvagesci-fiSun, 31 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's letter from the game director for May explains Update 1.05]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/age-of-conans-letter-from-the-game-director-for-may-explains-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/age-of-conans-letter-from-the-game-director-for-may-explains-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/age-of-conans-letter-from-the-game-director-for-may-explains-up/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Craig "Silirrion" Morrison, game director for Age of Conan, has posted a May letter (on the European forums) to the playerbase that reflects on the year since the game's launch, a year full of ups and downs. Beyond explaining a bit about how he came to work on Age of Conan and his enthusiasm for the game moving forward, the Letter from the Game Director drops info about Update 1.05.

Morrison briefly touches on some of the highlights of the update, namely the large outdoor playfield and its quests and storyline, a new RPG system, and updates for all classes in terms of abilities, spells, and feats. Morrison opts to steer away from these big changes in his letter, which are likely to get more attention in the long run, and looks at some of the smaller changes to Age of Conan that are on the way.

Continue reading Age of Conan's letter from the game director for May explains Update 1.05

MassivelyAge of Conan's letter from the game director for May explains Update 1.05 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 May 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccharacter-slotscraig-morrisondev-blogdev-blogsfuncomgame-directorguild-citiesguild-cityletter-from-the-game-directorrpg-systemsilirrionstate-of-the-gameupdate-1.05Mon, 18 May 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cities XL dev blog explains integration of gameplay with social networking]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/cities-xl-dev-blog-explains-integration-of-gameplay-with-social/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/cities-xl-dev-blog-explains-integration-of-gameplay-with-social/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/cities-xl-dev-blog-explains-integration-of-gameplay-with-social/#commentsFiled under: ,


Cities XL is a game in development at Monte Cristo Multimedia that's ... well, it's a little hard to explain, as it's quite different from the titles we typically cover at Massively. Essentially, Cities XL is an MMO variant of popular 'builder' games where players can create urban landscapes with all that entails, plus businesses and industries, even determining the makeup of city populations (age, education, wealth). The cities designed and established by players can become part of a global, interconnected system, giving rise to all sorts of interactions in this persistent world. (It should be noted that Cities XL can be played in single-player mode as well.)

There's a Cities XL dev blog at IGN that's taken a look at some of the features that will be in place with the Planet Offer (fully interactive), namely how a user's profile page will integrate social networking into Cities XL play. The blog entry states: "You will be informed in real time of everything that is happening around your game."

Continue reading Cities XL dev blog explains integration of gameplay with social networking

MassivelyCities XL dev blog explains integration of gameplay with social networking originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cities-xlcity-buildercity-buildingdev-blogdev-blogsignmonte-cristomonte-cristo-multimediaplanet-offersocial-networkingSun, 17 May 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NetDevil producer Hermann Peterscheck on Jumpgate Evolution's ship design]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/netdevil-producer-hermann-peterscheck-on-jumpgate-evolutions-sh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/netdevil-producer-hermann-peterscheck-on-jumpgate-evolutions-sh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/netdevil-producer-hermann-peterscheck-on-jumpgate-evolutions-sh/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Fast, dynamic, joystick-style space combat is coming to MMOs soon with Jumpgate Evolution from NetDevil. Jumpgate Evolution producer Hermann Peterscheck has written a dev blog for MMORPG.com titled "Iteration on Ship Design", which focuses on a crucial aspect of creating the game -- defining the roles that ships should fill and how they should handle in performing these tasks.

He explains how NetDevil went from having 'a multitude' of ships with different capabilities but with minor differences between them, to a more complete system where ships have clearly defined roles, but don't lock a player into that role, as a class-based system would. However, this clearer separation between ships entailed scrapping some of the designs they'd created.

Continue reading NetDevil producer Hermann Peterscheck on Jumpgate Evolution's ship design

MassivelyNetDevil producer Hermann Peterscheck on Jumpgate Evolution's ship design originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the new breed of sci-fi MMOs that crosses a first person shooter with an MMO is Global Agenda from Hi-Rez Studios. For those fans of class-based FPS games like Team Fortress 2, Hi-Rez Studios has emphasized that TF2 has been a major influence on Global Agenda's development. While the game's release date hasn't been announced yet, Hi-Rez has been fairly active in terms of promoting Global Agenda. Hi-Rez Studios executive producer Todd Harris has written a dev blog for MMORPG.com titled "A Minute To Learn, A Lifetime To Master", a motto which is very much the spirit behind Global Agenda's game design.

Harris breaks down the major tiers of Global Agenda's gameplay as: Action/shooter mechanics and reflexes; RPG/build; Team tactics and cooperation - per mission instance; and Domination strategy and coordination - per alliance vs. alliance campaign. Harris goes into detail in each of these facets of the game, and explains how these tiers have played out with the roughly 1000 Global Agenda alpha testers. For more on the game design decisions Hi-Rez Studios has made with Global Agenda, see "A Minute To Learn, A Lifetime to Master" at MMORPG.com.

MassivelyHi-Rez Studios executive producer Todd Harris on Global Agenda's gameplay tiers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The sci-fi MMO EVE Online has a rich backstory that now spans 6 years. That backstory is coupled with the many contributions of (volunteer) in-game journalists who report both on the actions and machinations of EVE's players and alliances, and who also write news-style fiction that helps drive the game's storylines forward.

EVE Online's Lead Writer CCP t0nyG (aka Tony Gonzales, author of Empyrean Age) has made some major announcements this week regarding changes to EVE's storyline and lore, in a dev blog titled "The Rediscovered Scrolls". The dev blog focuses on how CCP plans to address some of the issues players have noted in terms of the backstory and how it relates to them as 'capsuleers' in the setting of New Eden, given that official fiction and lore are now being released quite frequently. Gonzales says, "Unfortunately, we haven't been perfect in the execution of this effort. A balance had to be maintained between keeping the storyline fresh and dynamic while also holding fast to the core attributes of foundation material. That led to mistakes, contradictions, and general inconsistencies in the canon. We took that personally, and decided to do something about it."

Continue reading CCP Games to revamp the lore of EVE Online

MassivelyCCP Games to revamp the lore of EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstoryccp-gamesconcordcorpsdev-blogdev-blogseveeve-onlineevelopediafictionisdisd-auroralorenew-edenracesroleplayingsci-fistorylinetony-gonzalesSat, 09 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Telling more engaging stories in EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/19/telling-more-engaging-stories-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/19/telling-more-engaging-stories-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/19/telling-more-engaging-stories-in-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


One of the greatest strengths of EVE Online is its lore, which chronicles generations of struggle between New Eden's races and their continual political and ideological upheavals. Not everyone will agree with that opinion, of course, just as not all players seek out immersion in New Eden. For those who do, EVE has been building up short stories to flesh out the lore over the past six years -- all nicely collected on their site -- gritty tales of New Eden's technological heights and moral depths. It's already led to a novel titled Empyrean Age authored by Tony Gonzales, which will hopefully lead to a follow-up work.

Given all the attention CCP Games has given to adding these dimensions and layers to the game's backstory, the truth is that EVE is as much a virtual setting as it is a game; as such, there's always a need to expand and refine that setting. A solid backstory is important but it's equally important to EVE's players to be able to interact with it, feel like they're really a part of New Eden in some way. Live events and storyline missions (quests) have been used in the past to this end. However, in the case of missions, a player's role in New Eden's story hasn't quite matched up with what many feel it could be. CCP's efforts to make EVE Online's storylines more engaging is the focus of their latest dev blog, titled "Telling Stories: Evolution of the Atlanta Content Team".

Continue reading Telling more engaging stories in EVE Online

MassivelyTelling more engaging stories in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaatlantabackstoryccp-technobabbledev-blogdev-blogsempyrean-ageepic-mission-arcseveeve-onlineexpansionsfictiongame-mechanicsimmersionloremission-runningmissionsnew-edenquestssci-fitony-gonzalesSun, 19 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wakfu in closed beta, sports new screenshots]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/wakfu-in-closed-beta-sports-new-screenshots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/wakfu-in-closed-beta-sports-new-screenshots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/wakfu-in-closed-beta-sports-new-screenshots/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


We've said it before, and we're saying it again: Wakfu looks fantastic. The art style, while maintaining the look of its progenitor, Dofus, ramps up to new levels with Wakfu. To prove this, simply check out the screenshots page on their site, newly updated with pictures of new areas and characters to gawk at.

In other news, as of the 6th, Wakfu is now in closed beta! Those of you lucky enough to have received your beta keys in e-mail will already know if this title lives up to its hype; the rest of us will just have to wait. Until it opens up, peruse the screens, read the Dev Blogs, and dream of Xelor time powers.

[Via GamersHell]

MassivelyWakfu in closed beta, sports new screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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