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 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Display changes for graphics and levels in Star Trek Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/display-changes-for-graphics-and-levels-in-star-trek-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/display-changes-for-graphics-and-levels-in-star-trek-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/display-changes-for-graphics-and-levels-in-star-trek-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The bad news is our shields are about to give, but the good news is that we've gotten a graphical upgrade and those lasers blowing us to bits look great.
As the free-to-play conversion for Star Trek Online continues to approach, the game's development team continues to make more last-minute polishes. As outlined in the most recent entry in the Path to F2P blog series, one improvement directly pertains to the game's graphics, putting in DirectX 11 support for players whose cards can support the display mode. While it won't offer a performance increase for every player, there are players who have reported big jumps in FPS with DirectX 11 on while testing on the Tribble server.

The other major improvement deployed to the test server is a change to the game's rank display. Previously, the game displayed levels by rank and grade -- a player would move from Commander 10 (level 29) to Captain 1 (level 30), which was evocative of the setting but a bit hard to process at a glance. So the display has been trimmed up and improved, with player level displaying as a rank followed by the level (the previous example would now display as Commander 29, then Captain 30). No actual levels have been lost -- it's just a change to ensure that new players have an easier time understanding the level differences.

MassivelyDisplay changes for graphics and levels in Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crypticcryptic-studiosdirectxdirectx-11displaynewspath-to-f2pperfect-world-entertainmentpwestar-trek-onlinestouiuser-interfaceThu, 22 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[RIFT beta powow with Scott Hartsman]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/rift-beta-powow-with-scott-hartsman/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/rift-beta-powow-with-scott-hartsman/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/rift-beta-powow-with-scott-hartsman/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This is, by any measure, a busy week for RIFT. Fresh off the second beta event, Trion Worlds has dropped the NDA for the game and announced a third beta to take place over the holidays. As the process speeds exponentially faster toward launch, Scott Hartsman and his team have a white-knuckled grip on RIFT for all the bumps, shimmies, dips and hills that such a high-profile title offers.

Even with a heaping amount of work on its plate, the team has been willing to share its passion for RIFT with the press and community. During this slight lull between betas two and three, Hartsman sat down with us over the phone to jaw about lessons learned from the beta, why Trion has dropped the NDA, how RIFT's already made history, and when we might be seeing this game on the shelves.

Hit the jump and let's do this thing. As Hartsman is fond of saying about the game, "S**t just got real."

Continue reading RIFT beta powow with Scott Hartsman

MassivelyRIFT beta powow with Scott Hartsman originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artifactsbetabeta-eventbeta-onebeta-threebeta-twocharacter-wipecollectionsdirectxdungeonsexpert-dungeonsfeaturedin-game-eventinstancesinterviewinvasioninvasionsiron-tomblfglfg-toolndanon-disclosure-agreementoptimizationprince-hylas-aelfwarquicksilver-collegerealm-of-the-faeriftrift-planes-of-telarariftssanctumscott-hartsmansilverwood-foresttriontrion-worldswysiwygzone-wide-invasionsWed, 22 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV launches benchmark application]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/final-fantasy-xiv-launches-benchmark-application/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/final-fantasy-xiv-launches-benchmark-application/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/final-fantasy-xiv-launches-benchmark-application/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Curious as to whether or not your computer will be able to handle Final Fantasy XIV? We're due for an exclusive interview with Square-Enix in the very near future at E3, but that's focusing on game mechanics and story details. Luckily, much like Final Fantasy XI before, Square has made an official benchmark program available for prospective players. But it's more involved than its predecessor, allowing you to select from any of the game's races as well as supporting a test for high-definition displays.

The download itself is being hosted on NVIDIA's site, at a fairly reasonable 172 megabyte download. Once you have the program downloaded (and DirectX 9.0c installed, but that's more or less a given in this day and age), it runs without any complications and produces a numerical score after it runs through tests. Anything above a score of 1500 will be able to run the game just fine, but a look at the official rundown is well worth the time -- to see how much upgrading you'll have to do before Final Fantasy XIV's launch if nothing else.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV launches benchmark application originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benchmarkbenchmark-programdirectxe3e3-2010ffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivnvidiasquaresquare-enixsystemsystem-requirementssystem-testtestingTue, 15 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Darkfall offers up community Q&A session]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/15/darkfall-offers-up-community-qanda-session/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/15/darkfall-offers-up-community-qanda-session/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/15/darkfall-offers-up-community-qanda-session/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Darkfall has pegged itself from the beginning as a niche title, focusing on a brand of open PvP that doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. And it's certainly handled that title with aplomb, earning our staff pick for best PvP in a 2009 MMO. But one of the most important aspects of its existence as a niche game is a strong sense of community among the players, a goal that Aventurine has been meeting more than adequately. Tasos Flambouras, Claus Grovdal and Kjetil Helland recently took part in a question-and-answer session, with the results just posted for all of the game's players to see and enjoy.

Summarizing the breadth of the questions and details released is difficult at best. The game's third large content update, preliminarily named "Darkfall 2010," is discussed in depth, and it promises a variety of changes and improvements. Aside from graphical improvements such as DirectX 11 support, it promises to add a variety of new crafting items and an armor dye system. The developers are also keeping a close watch on PvP hotspots and balance, as well as promising to expand the game's specializations and diversify player skills. Read through the full Q&A for a great deal of information about what's promised and coming soon.

[ Thanks to Paragus for the tip! ]

MassivelyDarkfall offers up community Q&A session originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aventurineclaus-grovdaldarkfalldarkfall-2010darkfall-onlinedfdirectXdirectx11kjetil-hellandopen-pvppvpqaquestion-and-answerstaff-picktasos-flambourasFri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's DX10 put to the test]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/age-of-conans-dx10-put-to-the-test/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/age-of-conans-dx10-put-to-the-test/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/age-of-conans-dx10-put-to-the-test/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It's been a long time coming, but Age of Conan's Testlive server is now running a version of the game that can output DirectX 10 graphics, a feature that many people missed at launch. The current implementation probably isn't indicative of what will end up on the Live servers, but if you just can't wait and want to see the work-in-progress, Age of Conan Vault has a number of DX9 to DX10 comparison screenshots on show right now. The test client as-is doesn't have some of the cooler features like volumetric fog or windy trees just yet, but these would be better seen in video form anyway.

The most stand-out difference between the screenshot pairings that we can pick is the upped brightness and visibility in dark areas on the DX10 side. In some (but not all) of the shots, the textures look noticeably better too. The AoC Vault reviewer experienced a significant FPS drop, from roughly 50FPS down to 20FPS, when switching from DX9 to DX10, but this is apparently not that common among other testers -- most do get their share of graphical glitches and crashing though. Hopefully it's all ironed out when Funcom decides to push DX10 to the live servers at a later date.

MassivelyAge of Conan's DX10 put to the test originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdirectxdirectx-10directx-9dx10dx9fogfuncomtest-servertestlivevolumetric-fogTue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Before and after images of Age of Conan's DirectX 10 support]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/before-and-after-images-of-age-of-conans-directx-10-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/before-and-after-images-of-age-of-conans-directx-10-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/before-and-after-images-of-age-of-conans-directx-10-support/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Let's say you play Age of Conan, your computer runs on Windows Vista, and you have a fairly new video card (GeForce 8-series and better or the ATI equivalent). Honestly, we're not sure there are really that many of you that touch all those bases, but for those who are: congratulations! You can play games in DirectX 10 mode! Too bad there aren't really that many games that support DirectX 10!

Thankfully, Age of Conan will soon be one of the elite few. It looks like the difference in visual quality will be significant. We make that observation based on a handful of before-and-after screenshots hosted at Ten Ton Hammer. Give them a look to find out what you're in for if you're one of the folks who have the hardware and software to experience it, or what you're missing out on if you're not.

MassivelyBefore and after images of Age of Conan's DirectX 10 support originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdirectxdirectx-10funcomgc-2008graphicsleipzigscreenshotsvistawindows-vistaSat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New DirectX 11 details emerge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/new-directx-11-details-emerge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/new-directx-11-details-emerge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/new-directx-11-details-emerge/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Not many MMOs take advantage of the DirectX 10 API and its instruction sets but that's not stopping progress on DirectX 11. The new DirectX version will work on Vista and future versions of the Windows operating system dubbed Windows 7. Yesterday, at Gamefest -- Microsft's XNA conference, the conglomerate disclosed some upcoming key components that the new technology will possess.

There's full support, and compatibility with DirectX 10 and 10.1 hardware, and this support extends too new DirectX 11 hardware. A new compute shader technology will open a GPU's capabilities to coincide as a parallel processor. More optimized power as multi-threaded resource handling will increase performance on multi-core machines. That's great since 8-core processors are not far-off from market sale. The last technical DirectX 11 feat announced is support for tessellation, a big fancy term that more or less makes your graphics smoother and prettier when viewed close-up. It could be a year or more before a MMOG takes full advantage of DirectX 11's capabilities. For example early DX10 adopters that play MMOGs are still waiting for Age of Conan's DX10 client.

MassivelyNew DirectX 11 details emerge originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directxdirectx-10directx-11directx10directx11dx10dx11gamesfest-2008graphic-shadersgraphicsmicrosofttechnologyvideovideo-technologywindowswindows-operating-systemWed, 23 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Is your DirectX up to date?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/is-your-directx-up-to-date/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/is-your-directx-up-to-date/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/is-your-directx-up-to-date/#commentsFiled under:

Did you wake up this morning, anxious about something you could not describe? Some nagging worry you couldn't shake? A little paranoia? Have you looked at your computer and felt it was wanting something from you? And you just didn't know what?

It's the new update to DirectX 9.0c. That's what your computer has been wanting, assuming it runs Windows versions later than Windows 98 and earlier than Windows Vista. This latest version contains all the bug fixes and performance enhancements they've ever published, so if you want to make sure your graphics engine is at its best, fire up Internet Explorer and head on over to the DirectX download page. You'll have to validate your copy of Windows is genuine, and if you're lucky, you may be invited into an exclusive beta just for visiting the page. Microsoft is revamping their website to use their new Silverlight technology (an alternative to Flash for Windows and OS/X computers), and you may be invited to give Silverlight a test drive.

[Via Pumping Irony]

MassivelyIs your DirectX up to date? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directxdirectx-9silverlightWed, 11 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Winners picked for final week of Turbine's DX10 screenshot contest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/winners-picked-for-final-week-of-turbines-dx10-screenshot-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/winners-picked-for-final-week-of-turbines-dx10-screenshot-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/winners-picked-for-final-week-of-turbines-dx10-screenshot-conte/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Turbine's DirectX 10 screenshot contest for the LotRO community has finally come to an end. Three winners and one runner-up have been selected for the final week.

Airak and Eoheryn of Landroval, and forum member Fatty_Lumpkin were the three winners. The honorably mentioned screenshot (included above) was taken by Rendo Gnollen. Why did Turbine pick three winners and one honorable mention instead of just saying there are four winners, since there are no prizes anyway? Who knows.

Turbine also assured everyone that there will be another screenshot contest next year, and that DirectX 9 users will also be eligible.

MassivelyWinners picked for final week of Turbine's DX10 screenshot contest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestsdirectxdirectx-10dx10lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotropicturesscreenshotsturbinevistaweek-5winnersThu, 20 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine announces fourth pair of DX10 screenshot contest winners]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/turbine-announces-fourth-pair-of-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/turbine-announces-fourth-pair-of-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/turbine-announces-fourth-pair-of-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Week four of Turbine's screenshot contest for The Lord of the Rings Online has come and gone, and the fourth pair of winners has been selected.

This time the winners are players Morreion and Brisbanoch. Their entries have been posted on the official LotRO forums. Morreion's screenshot is pictured here. It shows off the dynamic tree shadow effects you can enable if you're playing with a DirectX 10-ready video card in Windows Vista.

Turbine's been hosting this contest to celebrate LotRO's place as the first MMO to fully support DX10 features. It's not too late to send in an entry yourself if you've got the high-end hardware needed to support DX10 -- and if you run Windows Vista. That's a big if at this point.

MassivelyTurbine announces fourth pair of DX10 screenshot contest winners originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directxdirectx-10dx10graphicslord-of-the-rings-onlinescreenshot-contestscreenshotsshadowsturbinevistaweek-4windows-vistaThu, 13 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO DirectX 10 screenshot contest crowns week 3 winners]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/lotro-directx-10-screenshot-contest-crowns-week-3-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/lotro-directx-10-screenshot-contest-crowns-week-3-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/lotro-directx-10-screenshot-contest-crowns-week-3-winners/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Week 3 of the Lord of the Rings Online DirectX 10 screenshot contest has rolled around, and there are two more winning snaps to share (full-sized versions available from the forum post). Both of the winners this week have shots that show off some nice tree shadows, and the reflection of the castle in the above shot is good too. Incidentally, an upcoming patch to the game will improve performance of DX10 with shadows in particular.

If you missed the other winners so far, here is our coverage of Week 1 and Week 2. There should be two more weeks of entries still ahead, and we'll be sure to report them when they come through. It's also not too late to enter, if you have a ridiculous machine to back you up, so check out the contest rules if you want to get a chance at having a featured screenshot.

MassivelyLotRO DirectX 10 screenshot contest crowns week 3 winners originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directxdirectx-10dx10lotroshadowstree-shadowsturbineweek-3winnersWed, 05 Dec 2007 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Trinity: New graphics engine calls for a video card checkup]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/eve-trinity-new-graphics-engine-calls-for-a-video-card-checkup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/eve-trinity-new-graphics-engine-calls-for-a-video-card-checkup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/eve-trinity-new-graphics-engine-calls-for-a-video-card-checkup/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Traders, Smugglers, Pirates, Miners, Capusuleers from every walk of life! Today marks a momentous occasion in the EVE Online universe. At approximately 6PM PST the EVE servers will be brought down and fitted for the new EVE: Trinity expansion. The downtime is estimated to last 24 hours, which means this is probably our last heads up beforehand to train a time appropriate skill in advance. The amount of new content is intense as Trinity is EVE's biggest expansion ever: New ships, tweaks, tutorials, new everything, and of course, the grand-daddy of Trinity's enhancements: The long-awaited graphical overhaul featuring EVE's new graphic engine dubbed Trinity 2. Confused yet? All that matters is that every ship, stargate, and station remodeled to sweet perfection.

There is a downside, and that is not everyone will be able to enjoy the new radical graphics. Players who do not have a Shader Model 3.0 or DirectX9c compliant video card will be left in the space dust with the classic client. EVE players with DirectX9c and video cards that support Shader Model 3.0 will be able to use the shiny new doodad client. The important thing is everyone can still play EVE Online regardless or not your rig meets the requirements to run the new graphics. What is SM 3.0 and how the hell do you know your video card supports it? To answer that, with the help of the EVE forums, I have compiled the necessary information to help you find out.

Continue reading EVE Trinity: New graphics engine calls for a video card checkup

MassivelyEVE Trinity: New graphics engine calls for a video card checkup originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aticcpccp-gamesdirectxeveeve-onlineeve-trinityexpansiongraphicsnvidiashader-modelsm3sm4technologytrinityvideo-cardsTue, 04 Dec 2007 18:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine picks DX10 Screenshot Contest winners for Week 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/turbine-picks-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners-for-week-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/turbine-picks-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners-for-week-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/turbine-picks-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners-for-week-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


As if people with GeForce 8800 GT video cards weren't lucky enough, Turbine has been hosting a screenshot contest just for them on the official The Lord of the Rings Online website. Players submit screenshots of the game running in DirectX 10 and Turbine posts the best screenshots each week.

The water effects in LotRO are jaw-droppingly gorgeous; last week's winners both focused on those. Now this week's winners have been selected, and water still plays a part in one of the screenshots (pictured above), but it's not the sole focus. It's too bad none of the winning screenshots are presented in a variety of wallpaper resolutions. They would make excellent desktop backgrounds.

Still, they're nice to look at. Enter the contest yourself if you think you have l33t virtual photography skillz!

MassivelyTurbine picks DX10 Screenshot Contest winners for Week 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestcontestsdirectxdirectx-10dx10lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroscreenshotsturbinevistaWed, 28 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine selects the first DirectX 10 screenshot contest winners]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/turbine-selects-the-first-directx-10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/turbine-selects-the-first-directx-10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/turbine-selects-the-first-directx-10-screenshot-contest-winners/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Last week we reported that the LotRO crew at Turbine would be having a screenshot contest to promote how awesome they are for making LotRO the first MMO to support DirectX 10. Each Monday, the best shots from the previous week's submissions would be featured at the official website.

Well, the first Monday (plus two days) has arrived, and two winners have been selected, which is a surprise since the original announcement said there would be three winners each week. They're both very good screenshots that feature very pretty water effects; one of them -- which we think is a view of the lake in Evendim -- appears above.

You can look at the other one in the official forum post. The contest will continue until December 17th, so if you have a GPU that supports DX10 and if you're running Windows Vista, send in a submission!

MassivelyTurbine selects the first DirectX 10 screenshot contest winners originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestsdirectxdirectx-10dx10lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroscreenshotsturbinevistawindows-vistaWed, 21 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST