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[Storyboard: Talk this way]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/storyboard-talk-this-way/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/storyboard-talk-this-way/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/storyboard-talk-this-way/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Nobody is talking in this picture. Ironic?
One of the great problems presented to roleplayers is the challenge of presenting audio via text.

We don't think about it all the time because most of the time it's easy to construct the sound of something from context. Sure, simply saying that your character sighs could mean any number of things, but contextually it's usually obvious whether it's meant as a gesture of exasperation or a sign of relaxed contentment. "Yes, I'm sure your new weapon will make a huge difference in the war" could be sarcastic or serious, but there are generally enough clues in the situation to make the difference obvious.

But there's one obvious case in which that breaks down, and that's in the matter of accents. After all, people from two different regions shouldn't quite sound the same... but there's also no effective way to communicate how one voice or another sounds different. And the most common solution is essentially a matter of making your character's words borderline unreadable in the hopes that you convey a sliver of your intention.

Continue reading Storyboard: Talk this way

MassivelyStoryboard: Talk this way originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accentsdialoguediscussionfeaturedopinionrantsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsoundsstorystoryboardvoicewhat-is-this-I-cant-evenFri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you think there's too much group mentality in MMO discussion?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-theres-too-much-group-mentality-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-theres-too-much-group-mentality-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-theres-too-much-group-mentality-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN, IMMERSION IS DEAD, TRAMMEL WAS AN ABOMINATION, TALLY-HO AND ALL THAT!
When it comes to MMO design, people tend toward certain viewpoints. Some players think that immersion requires an open world, open PvP, and open targets; others think it just requires an interesting story and a player willing to invest. There are people who think that cash shops are a short step toward buying your way through content, and there are those who think cash shops are a great way to get some more gumballs for a game you like. In the broadest terms, there's a sense of an old guard and a new guard, but there's a lot of overlap and a lot that depends on personal viewpoints.

In some ways, this can be helpful for discussion -- knowing that someone really prefers old sandbox games like Ultima Online means that you know right off said person won't enjoy DC Universe Online, for instance. But it also means that we're far more likely to ignore the opinions of others because they dislike certain mechanics, even if they raise valid points. So do you think there's too much of a focus on "old guard" vs. "new guard" when talking about design?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you think there's too much group mentality in MMO discussion? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturedesigndesign-pointsdiscussiondiscussion-topicsmeta-discussionnew-guardold-guardopiniontdgthe-daily-grindSun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Teasing an interview with Guild Wars 2 on PvP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/teasing-an-interview-with-guild-wars-2-on-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/teasing-an-interview-with-guild-wars-2-on-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/teasing-an-interview-with-guild-wars-2-on-pvp/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Yes, I know, those are catapaults and not trebuchets.
As the promise of an open beta dances in the minds of the hopeful and the systems continue a slow unveiling, Guild Wars 2 continues to fascinate potential players with even the barest hint of what might be around the corner. The team at Guild Wars Insider had a chance to sit in on a roundtable discussion with the game's developers regarding PvP systems, but unfortunately the full interview isn't ready for public digestion just yet.

That having been said, the team did unveil a small audio clip of the interview to serve as a teaser trailer. While the bulk of the discussion focuses on trebuchets -- a known feature that is apparently coming along quite well -- there's a fascinating mention of a new addition, siegesuits, at the very conclusion. While there are no further details yet, it seems that this is a feature that will be discussed in more depth in the full interview, which apparently contains more items that may not yet be ready for public consumption.

MassivelyTeasing an interview with Guild Wars 2 on PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetdiscussionguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2ncsoftpvppvp-featurespvp-systemsroundtablesiegesuitstrebuchetsupcoming-titlesTue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How frugal are you in F2P games?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/28/the-daily-grind-how-frugal-are-you-in-f2p-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/28/the-daily-grind-how-frugal-are-you-in-f2p-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/28/the-daily-grind-how-frugal-are-you-in-f2p-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Daily Grind
Those of you who shun free-to-play titles or are determined to never spend a single red cent in them are dismissed from today's discussion. But for those of you who do spend money in F2P MMOs -- and by all accounts, that's quite a few of you out there -- I'm curious just how frugal you are with the money you spend.

I know that SOE players often hold back from registering Station Cash cards until the studio does a double- or triple-point day, and Turbine's frequently put its in-game stock on sale for both Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online. Around the holidays or during special anniversaries, players can also snag some good deals.

So do you wait for certain items and unlocks to go on sale, or are you wealthy and/or impatient enough to simply go for it when you want them? Do you look for specials with an eagle eye? Jump on top of bonus in-game currency days? Clip coupons? Just how far do you stretch your gaming dollar?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How frugal are you in F2P games? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clip-couponscouponcouponsddodealdealsdiscussiondungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfree-to-playfrugalfrugaliciousfrugalitylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroopinionpromotionssalesalessoesony-online-entertainmentspecialspecialsstation-cashtdgthe-daily-grindturbineturbine-entertainmentWed, 28 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XI and XIV open official forums]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/08/final-fantasy-xi-and-xiv-open-official-forums/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/08/final-fantasy-xi-and-xiv-open-official-forums/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/08/final-fantasy-xi-and-xiv-open-official-forums/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

When Final Fantasy XI first launched in North America, official forums were not ubiquitous. Some games had them, and some didn't, but their absence from the launch wasn't odd. Final Fantasy XIV's launch late last year, however, came well after an official board became standard practice. Square-Enix has moved with the times, resulting in an event that many players had likely expected to never see happen -- the official forums for both games are now open, with a welcome letter available for each.

While each forum is still considered to be in a beta state, players can log in using their Square-Enix IDs and begin posting immediately (any player of Final Fantasy XI still using a Playonline ID alone will need to get a Square-Enix ID and link the two). The shift is being accompanied by a change from game announcements being posted on the main page to postings on the forums, which should help fans of FFXI and Final Fantasy XIV more easily discuss updates and pending changes in a community atmosphere.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XI and XIV open official forums originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communityconsole-gamesconsolesdiscussiondiscussion-spaceffff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivforumsnew-forumsplayonline-idsquaresquare-enixsquare-enix-idTue, 08 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Community watch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/the-mog-log-community-watch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/the-mog-log-community-watch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/the-mog-log-community-watch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

The summer slump is just about over, and those who have enjoyed an entire summer away from school are going to have to get back into the swing of it in the very near future. The rest of us will simply have to acclimate ourselves to the decrease in the temperature, the decrease in big-budget movies, and the increase in game release schedules. But there's one last gasp of summer to be had, and let's spend it watching our favorite ongoing entertainment: community forum discussions.

There's no shortage of topics for discussion lately, what with Final Fantasy XIV stampeding ever closer to launch, Final Fantasy XI's September version update stampeding ever closer, and various other stampedes taking place somewhere. (I kind of started that sentence without a conclusion prepared.) September is going to be a busy month in general, and even with a couple weeks to go there's a lot of talk being flung around. So let's get right into the meat of the community, shall we?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Community watch

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Community watch originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abysseacommunitycomplaintsdiscussionfeaturedffff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivguildlevesinterfaceissuesopinionseptember-version-updatesquaresquare-enixSat, 21 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fan Faire 2010: John Smedley and the SOE crew talk EverQuest Next]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/07/fan-faire-2010-john-smedley-and-the-soe-crew-talk-everquest-nex/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/07/fan-faire-2010-john-smedley-and-the-soe-crew-talk-everquest-nex/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/07/fan-faire-2010-john-smedley-and-the-soe-crew-talk-everquest-nex/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


EverQuest Next, the surprise news out of this year's Fan Faire, has certainly gathered a lot of attention from the general MMOGsphere since word broke about the game last night. Across Twitter, Facebook, and myriad blogs, many people are wondering just precisely what the plans are, and what this new incarnation of the world of Norrath might be like.

Well, the developers behind the game sat down with attendees at Fan Faire not only to show off screenshots and concept art from EverQuest Next, but also to solicit questions and ideas from the SOE-devoted -- and they've captured it all on video for those of us who couldn't make it! While they stress that this is all in the very early stages, there are some great insights on the thinking behind this reboot of their beloved franchise. There's also some information on what players can expect with regard to support for subscribers of EverQuest and EverQuest II once EverQuest Next comes out. If you're hungry for more details straight from the people behind this surprising new title, then check out the videos behind the break!

Continue reading Fan Faire 2010: John Smedley and the SOE crew talk EverQuest Next

MassivelyFan Faire 2010: John Smedley and the SOE crew talk EverQuest Next originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discussioneqeq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2everquest-iieverquest-nextfacebookfan-fairefan-faire-2010john-smedleypanelsoesony-online-entertainmentvideoSat, 07 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[It's the end of EverQuest's 51/50 server, but players feel fine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/its-the-end-of-everquests-51-50-server-but-players-feel-fine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/its-the-end-of-everquests-51-50-server-but-players-feel-fine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/its-the-end-of-everquests-51-50-server-but-players-feel-fine/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Generally, MMO players don't like giving up even the smallest advantage -- but sometimes having a special server isn't as important as having people to play with. That's certainly the case for EverQuest, and it's resulted in a scenario where the game's special Mayong server is being merged with the Tunare server on September 6th. Mayong is generally known as the 51/50 server, as a character starts at level 51 with 50 AA points already earned. The intent when the server was created was to allow players who wanted to skip the level grind a chance at getting straight into the meat of the game.

As it stands now, however, the server is dramatically underpopulated. After several community discussions, the development team made the decision to merge the server, preemptively shutting down the special creation rules on Mayong. Player response has been almost universally positive -- few players are upset by the potential slowdown this implies. While the server merge itself isn't due for another month, the days of creating 51/50 characters have already ended, and players are able to get slightly discounted transfers off of Mayong if they want to move early.

[ Thanks to Jason Davenport for the tip! ]

MassivelyIt's the end of EverQuest's 51/50 server, but players feel fine originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>51-5051-50-serveradvantagescommunitydiscussioneq-1eq-iever-quest-1ever-quest-ieverquest-1everquest-imayongmayong-servermergesplayer-populationpopulationserver-mergesserver-rulessoe-eq-1soe-eq-isony-eq-1sony-eq-ispecial-serverFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: We interrupt this broadcast for a conversation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/the-mog-log-we-interrupt-this-broadcast-for-a-conversation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/the-mog-log-we-interrupt-this-broadcast-for-a-conversation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/the-mog-log-we-interrupt-this-broadcast-for-a-conversation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The verdict on our Chains of Promathia trial is... postponed for a little bit. (I did warn everyone.) With the revelations of E3 and the new Final Fantasy XIV benchmark, not to mention the upcoming June version update, we've had plenty to talk about in the community of late. There's news about how the game will play, new areas to explore, new cinematics and previews, and the chance to annoy everyone in the months leading up to Final Fantasy XIV's release by posting your computer's score whenever possible.

I'll admit to finding the benchmark a bit surprising, actually. The benchmark for Final Fantasy XI didn't come out until it was fairly close to release... which implies to me that the game is more finished than Square-Enix is letting on. That, in my mind, ties into the most interesting part of our interview with Tanaka, where he mentioned that this entire phase of testing was created for player feedback. I'm not saying anything, just speculating. But it's not my place to speculate this week, is it?

Continue reading The Mog Log: We interrupt this broadcast for a conversation

MassivelyThe Mog Log: We interrupt this broadcast for a conversation originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benchmarkcommunitydiscussionfeaturedffff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivimportinginstancingjune-version-updatesquaresquare-enixstat-penaltiesstatsweaknessSat, 19 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part one]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/the-mog-log-the-trial-of-chains-of-promathia-part-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/the-mog-log-the-trial-of-chains-of-promathia-part-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/05/the-mog-log-the-trial-of-chains-of-promathia-part-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

When the news first came out about the removal of the level cap in several Chains of Promathia areas, Sera and I had a bit of a disagreement on the news. Or, more accurately, we had a bit of a disagreement regarding the expansion as a whole. Sera was of the opinion that it was quite possibly the best expansion in the game's history. I, as has been stated before, feel somewhat less positive about it -- which is to say that I've usually regarded it as one of the worst.

The comment thread to that news showed that this divide was not unique to the two of us. Comments were sharply divided between those who would happily blacklist Chains of Promathia and forget it existed, and those who were heartbroken at something so wonderful being toned down. So I decided to go ahead and take another look at the expansion as an aggregate, both the good and the bad. Out of all the Final Fantasy XI expansions, this one was the most unique. Was it a good experiment, or was it a failure?

Continue reading The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part one

MassivelyThe Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part one originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chains-of-promathiachallengecopdifficultydiscussionexpansionsfeaturedffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xilevel-caplevel-capped-areaslevel-syncnew-jobsopinionsquaresquare-enixtrialSat, 05 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: A little more conversation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/the-mog-log-a-little-more-conversation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/the-mog-log-a-little-more-conversation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/the-mog-log-a-little-more-conversation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Well, gee, not much has happened since the last time we did a community spotlight in this column. Except maybe for that little VanaFest thing, and huge drops of new info on Final Fantasy XIV, and the beginning of the latter's beta testing. So, yeah, slow month all around. This should be a pretty short column, I might just start talking about my favorite beers toward the end.

All joking aside, a lot has been happening, and it has produced more than a few diverse opinions. The immediate response to the VanaFest announcements for Final Fantasy XI was covered a couple weeks ago, but there's still the specifics to be hammered out. After all, it's hard to take in server merges, level cap raises, massive content drops and new add-ons all in one go. Not to mention that we do still have another game coming in the not-so-distant future, one that's shaping up to have an interesting positional aspect to gameplay. So let's take a look at some of the noteworthy talk from Final Fantasy's webwide community.

Continue reading The Mog Log: A little more conversation

MassivelyThe Mog Log: A little more conversation originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsbalancebetacastersclass-abilitiescommunitydiscussionfeaturedff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivmobile-appsmodificationsmodssquare-enixtestingxbox-360Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How do you learn the game?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/20/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-learn-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/20/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-learn-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/20/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-learn-the-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


MMOs are complicated beasts. In most games you have at least a detailed set of game mechanics and combat systems to learn. That's not even getting into things like Fallen Earth with its maddeningly expansive crafting, or EVE Online and the detailed economy, or Champions Online and a costume creator that some find more engaging than the actual gameplay. There's a reason why most popular games spawn countless websites, forums, chat channels, and so forth -- because there's a great deal to learn, a large number of mysteries, and often a limit to how much useful information the game itself gives you.

So how do you learn your game? Do you browse forums and ask questions, building up advice from a community? Do you read the numerous sites devoted to the games, such as databases and wikis? Do you buy print strategy guides and try and adapt to the changes as they come, piece-by-piece? Or do you eschew all of the above, preferring to just let yourself amble along and learn things by example and inference? There are a lot of resources out there, and we all have our preferred ones, but today we want to know about yours.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How do you learn the game? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinecharacter-creationcocraftingdiscussioneconomyeducationeveeve-onlinefallen-earthfan-pagesfansitesfeforumslearningself-educationtdgthe-daily-grindwikisSun, 20 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Developer communication as it affects games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/15/developer-communication-as-it-affects-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/15/developer-communication-as-it-affects-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/15/developer-communication-as-it-affects-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Developer chats aren't only important when it comes to what players know about the game -- they're also important in how the players approach the game. That's one of the more interesting conclusions to be taken away from Elder Game's latest discussion regarding the interactions between developers and community. As Eric Heimburg points out, developers and community teams have two main approaches to dealing with their players, both of which affect the attitude of players and their perception of the game as a whole.

Aion is his choice of examples for the first type of communication, in which the development team is essentially totally silent. The attitude is either complete silence, or denying that a bug is actually a bug. On the flip side, Champions Online embraces an open style of communication in which the developers loudly talk about bugs, system problems, and so on. Heimburg goes on to point out the positives and negatives of both sides -- Aion, for instance, creates an impression that things are working as intended even when they aren't. That works well until it becomes absolutely transparent that something is wrong, at which point the credibility is lost. Champions Online has a much more prevalent sense that the players should work with the developers and give them slack, but that only extends so far. It's an interesting look at a complicated issue, and worthy of an in-depth reading.

MassivelyDeveloper communication as it affects games originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionchampions-onlinecocommunitycommunity-relationsdeveloperdevelopersdiscussionelder-gameeric-heimburgforumsopinionSun, 15 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA and GLAAD to host a panel against homophobia in online games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/ea-and-glaad-to-host-a-panel-against-homophobia-in-online-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/ea-and-glaad-to-host-a-panel-against-homophobia-in-online-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/ea-and-glaad-to-host-a-panel-against-homophobia-in-online-games/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Tomorrow marks an interesting event in Redwood City, CA as Electronic Arts teams up with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD) to host a panel regarding homophobia in online games.

The panel will be featuring some major industry players, including GayGamer founder Flynn DeMarco (AKA Fruit Brute), senior director of communications and industry affairs for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Dan Hewitt, senior producer Caryl Shaw from Maxis Studio, Linden Lab's vice president of customer relations Cyn Skyberg, and Xbox Live's program manager Stephen Toulouse (Gamertag: Stepto.)

Stephen Toulouse's presence at the panel is especially interesting, as Microsoft has come under fire for some rather inflammatory anti-gay policies.

The panel will be moderated by GLAAD's Justin Cole, their director of digital and online media. The panel will take place tomorrow, July 18th, from 11 AM to 1 PM Pacific time.

MassivelyEA and GLAAD to host a panel against homophobia in online games originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discussionelectronic-artsflynn-demarcogaygaygamerglaadhomophobialesbianlinden-labmaxisonline-gamespanelstephen-toulousexbox-360xbox-liveFri, 17 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC 09: Eskil Steenberg on bringing the Love]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-eskil-steenberg-on-bringing-the-love/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-eskil-steenberg-on-bringing-the-love/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-eskil-steenberg-on-bringing-the-love/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We're always on the lookout for innovation in the MMO genre, so that's why Love has caught our eye. Developed by one man, Eskil Steenberg, Love is a procedurally-generated game, which essentially means that the entire world - including almost watercolor-looking graphics, different locations, etc. - are created randomly as you adventure through the world. Currently set to support 200 people per shard, Love is an interesting take on the massive genre.

Within the world of Love, users will be treated to a completely free-form adventure that will involve complex chains of missions. According to Steenberg, "You want to have cool adventures with cool things, but part of the fun is just to adventure; to just explore it. [Love] is the ultimate in player-versus-environment. The idea is that there are ways to control and manipulate things in the world - cities are like networks of interesting stuff rather than just static cities - which makes it more of a puzzle than a regular MMO. You can figure out your own ways to hack your environment, if you will; find your own way of doing different things to make it your own story."

Steenberg's talk at GDC about creating a game like Love, and the tools involved will be held later today at 4:45 Pacific, which promises to be a very interesting discussion. Of course, if you're not able to make it to the Game Developer's Conference, but are curious about Love and just how the project has proceeded with just one person working on it, Steenberg has been so kind as to post the long version of his presentation on his blog for us to enjoy. So if Love seems like an interesting game to you, be sure to check out the main site for more information and procedurally-generated graphics from the current alpha. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one as it progresses.

MassivelyGDC 09: Eskil Steenberg on bringing the Love originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discussionEskil-Steenberggdc-09gdc09panelplayer-versus-environmentprocedurally-generatedpuzzlepvereplayabilityTue, 24 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XI's development team sits down for a round table discussion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/26/final-fantasy-xis-development-team-sits-down-for-a-round-table/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/26/final-fantasy-xis-development-team-sits-down-for-a-round-table/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/26/final-fantasy-xis-development-team-sits-down-for-a-round-table/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The development team of Final Fantasy XI, everyone's favorite notoriously hard MMO, recently sat down with Carolyn Koh of MMORPG.com during their annual fan festival for an in-depth look at why the team made some of their decisions in the game's design and what we can look forward to in the future.

The roundtable is being introduced in a three part discussion, which covers topics like the campaign system of the latest expansion, questions about the items and jobs, and questions regarding PvP and the future of Final Fantasy XI. With the game recently making headlines with a controversial server transfer policy, it's good to see a bit of positive coverage paired with some insight into the 6 year old game -- especially with new features like Moblin Maze Mongers just appearing. Plus, our favorite addition to the game with the December update: No more sales tax in Jeuno! Can't forget about that. We think it's about time for us to clean our equipment chests.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XI's development team sits down for a round table discussion originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dev-discussiondevelopment-roundtablediscussionfan-festival-2008ffximmorpg.comsquare-enixtaxFri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Have you played a Flash MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/02/the-daily-grind-have-you-played-a-flash-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/02/the-daily-grind-have-you-played-a-flash-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/02/the-daily-grind-have-you-played-a-flash-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At GDC way back at the beginning of this year, an MMO was all the rage that a lot of hardcore players probably haven't even heard of. The game was called Sherwood, and it was a hugely successful 3D game made only by two people. This was possible because it was built on the Flash platform.

Cheap and quick development means that underdogs like Maid Marian (the company behind Sherwood) can produce something profitable, and in theory it would mean they could try something new -- although they rarely do. Millions of people have played browser-based games, many of them Flash-based, but have you? If so, do they provide the basic gameplay you demand from an massively multiplayer virtual world, or were you left wondering why you even bothered?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Have you played a Flash MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobebrowserbrowser-basedcasualdiscussionflashmaid-marianopinionsherwoodtdgthe-daily-grindTue, 02 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Tank, DPS, Healer, or other?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/30/the-daily-grind-tank-dps-healer-or-other/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/30/the-daily-grind-tank-dps-healer-or-other/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/30/the-daily-grind-tank-dps-healer-or-other/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The small group gameplay in many of today's MMORPGs is about the interplay of several archetypes that each offer something different to the dynamic -- tanks absorb damage so weaker classes don't have to, DPS classes dish out massive damage in short amounts of time, healers reverse or prevent damage done to party members altogether, and then there are a myriad of other classes that fill various other roles like crowd control.

Seems a lot of folks fall comfortably into one role or another -- some even stick to just one through multiple games, always playing healers, for example. Do you have a strong preference for one particular group role, or do you try to vary your play experience? In either case, which role is most comfortable for you, and why? We're always interested to learn more about the psychology behind these games, so we're eager to see what you've got!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Tank, DPS, Healer, or other? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archetypesclassescrowd-controldiscussiondpsgroupgroupinggroupshealerrolestanktdgthe-daily-grindSun, 30 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Penny for your Tabula Rasa thoughts?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/22/the-daily-grind-penny-for-your-tabula-rasa-thoughts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/22/the-daily-grind-penny-for-your-tabula-rasa-thoughts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/22/the-daily-grind-penny-for-your-tabula-rasa-thoughts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The announcement that Tabula Rasa will close in February came suddenly, what with NCsoft employees saying there were "no current plans" to close the game only a couple of months ago. We're sad to see the game go, though we're not surprised in the wake of Richard Garriott's departure.

Are you a current or former Tabula Rasa player, and if so, what's your take on all this? Did you see it coming? Is it a tragic early death, or an appropriate end to an era? And where do you plan to go next? NCsoft is offering a fair deal to refugees -- months of free playtime in City of Heroes, Lineage II, or the forthcoming Aion. Does that tempt you, or are you going to take your business elsewhere -- to Turbine, Blizzard, SOE, CCP, or Funcom, perhaps?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Penny for your Tabula Rasa thoughts? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aioncity-of-heroesclosingcohdiscussionlineage-2lineage-iincsoftopinionrgtrrichard-garriotttabula-rasatdgthe-daily-grindtrSat, 22 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How much content should an expansion have?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/the-daily-grind-how-much-content-should-an-expansion-have/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/the-daily-grind-how-much-content-should-an-expansion-have/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/the-daily-grind-how-much-content-should-an-expansion-have/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Everyone's got an expansion out right now -- EverQuest II has The Shadow Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings Online has Mines of Moria, World of Warcraft has Wrath of the Lich King, EVE Online has Quantum Rise -- there's no end to it, but then that's the point, isn't it?

Well, you'd think that, anyway. Word on the street is that there are already Death Knights at level 80, and all the raid content in Wrath has been completed. One player reached level 80 in only 27 hours. Over a year of development for one week of content? Are MMO players just too damned hardcore, or did Blizzard aim too low? How much content should you be getting for $30 or $40 and your continued subscription, anyway?

There are some folks out there who (to continue using WoW as an example) are still hacking through The Burning Crusade's content, or even the classic stuff. How do you think a balance can be struck between those folks, and the crews who have already bested all the Wrath content?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How much content should an expansion have? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardccpdiscussioneq2eveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionexpansionslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamomopinionquantum-risesoetdgthe-daily-grindthe-shadow-odysseyturbineworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingThu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How you likin' that Death Knight?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/14/the-daily-grind-how-you-likin-that-death-knight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/14/the-daily-grind-how-you-likin-that-death-knight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/14/the-daily-grind-how-you-likin-that-death-knight/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Alright, boys and girls, you've had a day to play around with your Death Knights. Sure, it's a bit early to make any definitive judgments, but what are your first impressions? We've been hearing glowing (wink) reviews of the Death Knight starting experience from our colleagues, and we'd tell you what we think, but eh, we're too busy playing right now.

For those of you who actually have to, y'know, work this morning -- that is to say, for whom work doesn't include include playing World of Warcraft (you poor souls) -- go ahead and sneak in your impressions when your boss isn't looking. Unless you took a few personal days for the launch, in which case you're surely lost to the ice wastes for now, and we'll see you in a few days when you return for pizza and other supplies.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How you likin' that Death Knight? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddeath-knightdiscussionexpansionopiniontdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingFri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Taking a personal day due to frostbite?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/12/the-daily-grind-taking-a-personal-day-due-to-frostbite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/12/the-daily-grind-taking-a-personal-day-due-to-frostbite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/12/the-daily-grind-taking-a-personal-day-due-to-frostbite/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Massively readers, you may lie to your bosses, but we here at the blog know that you're really not going to be sick tomorrow. You're going to have your hands glued to your keyboards, because you'll be up all night playing World of Warcraft: The Wrath of the Lich King for a span of time that is probably considered unhealthy.

The question is though, how many of you faithful readers are going to be taking this "MMO personal day?" Plus, we want the details if you're going to go for the gold. How are you going to do it? Are you going to go for the fabrication of sickness? Are you just going to call in one of your personal days and be totally honest? Or are you going to dodge school using some Ferris Bueller tricks? Comment away, dear readers. Comment away.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Taking a personal day due to frostbite? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardday-offdiscussionferris-buellermidnight-launchsicksick-daythe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwotlkwrath-of-the-lich-kingWed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do expansions cheapen all that hard work?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/the-daily-grind-do-expansions-cheapen-all-that-hard-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/the-daily-grind-do-expansions-cheapen-all-that-hard-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/the-daily-grind-do-expansions-cheapen-all-that-hard-work/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It happened with The Burning Crusade -- players had spent months raiding at level 60 to get the very best gear, and when TBC came out, people were getting green drops with better stats than the best raid drops after only a couple of levels. A lot of hardcore players were annoyed, while some just accepted it as the natural motion of things.

We've got at least three big expansions coming up in the next few weeks -- Wrath of the Lich King for World of Warcraft, Mines of Moria for The Lord of the Rings Online, and The Shadow Odyssey for EverQuest II. With the level caps going up in WoW and LotRO, we're expecting a similar situation to what we saw with TBC. How do you feel about this? Can it be avoided, should it? Maybe it's good to level the playing field now and then. Let us know!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do expansions cheapen all that hard work? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddiscussioneverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamommoriaopinionsoetbctdgthe-burning-crusadethe-daily-grindthe-shadow-odysseytsoturbineworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingTue, 11 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE 'Blog Banter' discusses Walking in Stations expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/02/eve-blog-banter-discusses-walking-in-stations-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/02/eve-blog-banter-discusses-walking-in-stations-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/02/eve-blog-banter-discusses-walking-in-stations-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


While the official EVE Online forums have always been very active, there are other options out there. For those who like how busy the official forums are, but not the rules that govern it, there's Scrapheap Challenge. SH-C is a forum which is chiefly dedicated to discussing EVE Online, but not moderated by CCP Games themselves. Recent months, however, have seen a large number of EVE players striking out on their own, with their own blogs that focus on a particular aspect of the game linked to that blogger's playstyle. Industry, finance, piracy, 0.0 alliance warfare, and now even boosters (drugs) are being written about on a daily basis.

While over 100 of these blogs are out there, the more prolific among them have joined under the banner of CrazyKinux's Blog Pack. By all accounts, it's been a successful community effort by EVE players, and now CrazyKinux is adding another dimension to the Blog Pack: conversation topics that are collectively tackled by the various bloggers, called "Blog Banter." The first Blog Banter got underway this past week, and the first issue up for discussion has been a timely one: EVE's Walking in Stations expansion, formerly known as Ambulation, which Fanfest attendees will get to try out firsthand in just a few more days. The question itself was proposed by PsycheDiver, who asked, "Ambulation: What are your hopes for your avatar and new functionality of stations?"

Continue reading EVE 'Blog Banter' discusses Walking in Stations expansion

MassivelyEVE 'Blog Banter' discusses Walking in Stations expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesambulationblog-banterboostersccpccp-gamescommunitycrazykinuxdiscussiondiscussion-topicseveeve-blog-packeve-onlineexpansionsfinanceforumsindustrypiracypsychediversci-fiscrapheap-challengewalking-in-stationsSun, 02 Nov 2008 16:10:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you buy Collector's Editions?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/31/the-daily-grind-do-you-buy-collectors-editions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/31/the-daily-grind-do-you-buy-collectors-editions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/31/the-daily-grind-do-you-buy-collectors-editions/#commentsFiled under: ,

They're expensive and they're usually mostly useless, but they sure are popular anyway! Collector's Editions are a given for any major game release these days, and MMOs are no exception -- Age of Conan and Warhammer Online both had 'em, and even expansion packs get 'em in Wrath of the Lich King's case.

Sometimes they just come with fancy boxes and art work or soundtrack CDs, while other times they come with in-game bonuses like free mounts. Sometimes they even let you play the game earlier. But they're awfully pricey -- what do you think, are they worth it? Have you bought Collector's Editions before, or do you plan to? Or are you perfectly happy forgoing the frills and just getting the basic box?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you buy Collector's Editions? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccecollectors-editiondiscussionopinionretailspecial-editiontdgthe-daily-grindwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingFri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Will The Old Republic beat World of Warcraft?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/the-daily-grind-will-the-old-republic-beat-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/the-daily-grind-will-the-old-republic-beat-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/the-daily-grind-will-the-old-republic-beat-world-of-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

There have been many arguments in the Massively offices -- some bordering on heated (hey, we're passionate people, alright?) -- about today's question. We don't all agree. Some think it's definite, some think it's definitely not, and some folks are on the fence, but here goes: will Star Wars: The Old Republic surpass World of Warcraft by any measure of success -- particularly in subscriber numbers?

Sure, reps from LucasArts and EA said so, but they kind of have to, right? We'd love to hear your opinions, but here are a couple points that have been brought up: WoW opened the door for new MMOs -- people are comfortable with them now. Doesn't that mean the chances are ripe for a huge, established franchise like Star Wars to sweep in and take it to the next level? On the other hand, since Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect sold substantially fewer copies than WoW, does the BioWare / KotOR pedigree really matter for this question?

Star Wars is neither a star nor a war -- discuss!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Will The Old Republic beat World of Warcraft? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareblizzarddiscussioneaelectronic-artsfranchiseipknights-of-the-old-republiclucasartsopinionspeculationstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubscriptionsswtortdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republictorworld-of-warcraftThu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Warden or Rune-keeper?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/21/the-daily-grind-warden-or-rune-keeper/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/21/the-daily-grind-warden-or-rune-keeper/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/21/the-daily-grind-warden-or-rune-keeper/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The Lord of the Rings Online's Mines of Moria expansion is right around the corner, and we've been having a blast in the beta. Yesterday we shared some of our experiences in two hands-on guides to the new classes -- the Warden and the Rune-keeper.

The Warden uses a unique melee combos called Gambits, while the Rune-keeper moves up and down a scale between two roles -- healer and nuker. Both look to be welcome additions to a game that previously lacked variety in its class choices compared to some competing titles. If you're a LotRO player, which one of these do you plan to roll on November 18th?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Warden or Rune-keeper? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classesdiscussionexpansionlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-morianew-classesopinionrune-keepertdgthe-daily-grindturbinewardenTue, 21 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you ever just think about quitting?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/the-daily-grind-do-you-ever-just-think-about-quitting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/the-daily-grind-do-you-ever-just-think-about-quitting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/the-daily-grind-do-you-ever-just-think-about-quitting/#commentsFiled under: ,

There's been a bit of talk about quitting MMOs these past days, including an interview discussing the fact that when many Age of Conan players quit, they didn't return to World of Warcraft or any other game -- that was it. They were done. No more MMOs.

If you're satisfied with MMOs as they are, of course feel free to chime in as always, but today's Daily Grind is a special one -- we want to give a shout out to the folks who just don't think this genre is living up to its potential. Maybe you played older games and don't like current, post-EverQuest trends. Maybe you didn't play older games, but you have some idea in your head about how things could be done differently in the future. In either case, you're disenchanted -- so do you ever think about just quitting? Have you already quit? And what would it take to prevent you from leaving, or to get you back if you've already gone?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you ever just think about quitting? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conandiscussioneverquestleavingopinionquitquittingtdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftFri, 17 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What could (and should) Blizzard's next-gen MMO be?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/15/the-daily-grind-what-could-and-should-blizzards-next-gen-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/15/the-daily-grind-what-could-and-should-blizzards-next-gen-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/15/the-daily-grind-what-could-and-should-blizzards-next-gen-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Blizzard's been talking about new MMOs as of late. Mike Morhaime told gamesindustry.biz about the challenges of launching a new game, and Jeff Kaplan dropped a few hints about the next-gen MMO that the company's been developing for a while now.

Kaplan hinted that the new game will hit consoles, and answered "all of the above" when asked if the genre would be sci-fi, fantasy, or historical. What impression does that give you, readers? Is it a totally new IP? If so, what do you think Blizz will try to do? And just as importantly -- what do you want them to do? What are you looking for in the next Blizzard MMO? World of Starcraft, or something completely different?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What could (and should) Blizzard's next-gen MMO be? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardconsolesdiscussionjeff-kaplanjeffrey-kaplanmike-morhaimenext-gen-mmoopinionspeculationtdgthe-daily-grindWed, 15 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars PAX Panel video released]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/guild-wars-pax-panel-video-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/guild-wars-pax-panel-video-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/guild-wars-pax-panel-video-released/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


If you missed this year's Penny Arcade Expo, or you simply didn't get a chance to attend the packed ArenaNet panel entitled "Three Years of Guild Wars", now you can watch the video of the entire discussion from the comfort of your own computer chair.

You can download the full high quality, 51-minute video from the Guild Wars website, or watch it in six parts on the official ArenaNet Youtube channel. Either way, you'll get to see a fantastic Q&A session with ArenaNet's James Phinney (Lead Game Designer), Ree Soesbee (Game Designer), Jeff Grubb (Game Designer), Chris Lye (Director of Marketing), Katy Hargrove (Artist), and Katy Perry (Artist). This discussion panel includes the information on the series of Guild Wars books to be released before Guild Wars 2, as first reported by Massively during PAX08. Check out the entire video for some incredible information on the history of the game from the developers themselves.

MassivelyGuild Wars PAX Panel video released originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetdiscussionguild-warsguild-wars-2panelpaxpax-08pax-2008penny-arcade-expovideoSat, 11 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How low do system requirements need to be?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/the-daily-grind-how-low-do-system-requirements-need-to-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/the-daily-grind-how-low-do-system-requirements-need-to-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/the-daily-grind-how-low-do-system-requirements-need-to-be/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King system requirements were announced earlier this week, and they weren't really much higher than those of The Burning Crusade. WoW's impossibly low system requirements have always been part of its recipe for success -- a recipe past and present competitors would do well to learn. But on the other hand, part of the PC gaming culture is the constant race to new graphical frontiers. Many hardcore gamers upgrade their PCs every year or so to keep up with the latest advancements. Sure, they're the minority -- but they're the base for almost any 3D PC game.

How would you describe the optimal balance? Should MMO developers err on the side of accessibility, or graphical showmanship? How high is too high when it comes to system requirements, and how low do games need to reach to make sure they're accessible enough to the masses?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How low do system requirements need to be? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityage-of-conandiscussiongraphicshardwareminimum-requirementsminimum-specsopinionrecommended-specssystem-reqssystem-requirementssystem-specstdgtechnologythe-daily-grindvanguardworld-of-warcraftSat, 11 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you think of table-top games?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/the-daily-grind-mmos-and-the-tabletop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/the-daily-grind-mmos-and-the-tabletop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/the-daily-grind-mmos-and-the-tabletop/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

There exists a very close relationship between MMOs and table-top games.

Yesterday saw the launch of Ethernauts, the fifth expansion to EverQuest-related collectible trading card game Legends of Norrath. LoN is digital, but gameplay-wise, it's totally a table-top game. World of Warcraft has an entirely material trading card game. Warhammer Online is of course based on the Warhammer miniatures game, and WoW is getting a miniatures game of its own. And of course, the RPG genre originated on the table-top with Dungeons & Dragons.

We're wondering: how much crossover is there between digital and table-top games? How many of our readers play them? Tell us! What do you think of table-top games?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What do you think of table-top games? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccgcollectible-card-gamediscussiondungeons-and-dragonsethernautseverquestlegends-of-norrathlonminiaturesopinionpen-and-paperrole-playing-gamerpgtable-toptcgtdgthe-daily-grindtrading-card-gamewarhammerwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftFri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What will the server merge mean for Age of Conan?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/the-daily-grind-what-will-the-server-merge-mean-for-age-of-cona/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/the-daily-grind-what-will-the-server-merge-mean-for-age-of-cona/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/the-daily-grind-what-will-the-server-merge-mean-for-age-of-cona/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

You may have heard that some Age of Conan servers will soon be merged in both the North American and European regions. New game director Craig Morrison made the announcement in a letter to the community just over a week ago. That revelation was a tacit admission that the game is not performing as expected, but Morrison has made it clear that he wants Funcom to brush the dirt off its shoulders and move on.

Will the mergers encourage you to jump ship, or do you take them as a sign that Funcom is aware of the situation and ready to take decisive action to improve the game? Morrison claimed that the decision was made in response to player demand; were you demanding it? And regardless of whether you plan to stick with AoC (or return, if you've already left), do you believe the game has recovery and a positive future ahead of it?
Warhammer Online Coverage Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What will the server merge mean for Age of Conan? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccraig-morrisondiscussionfuncomletter-from-the-game-directormergeopinionpopulationserverserver-mergeserverstdgthe-daily-grindWed, 08 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you think of the subscription model?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-think-of-the-subscription-model/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-think-of-the-subscription-model/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-think-of-the-subscription-model/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We don't always give free-to-play MMOs as much attention as we give to subscription-based games, but we are quite aware that the F2P model is hugely popular. Yesterday, we linked to a blog post on The Forge comparing the two business models. But we thought it would be interesting to ask what our readers think.

Some hardcore types believe most F2P games are of poor quality. But the reality is that more people play microtransaction-based games than do subscription-based ones. A lot of times the downsides of the subscription model are overlooked in the gaming enthusiast community. For example: subscription MMOs incentivize developers to stretch out gameplay over more hours than might be ideal for fun, in order to keep subscribers hooked as long as possible.

We know most of our readers are more likely to play subscription-based games, but do you have any complaints about what that model does to your experience? Do you ever wonder if F2P is the way to go?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What do you think of the subscription model? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsdiscussionf2pfree-to-playmicrotransactionsopinionsubscriptionstdgthe-daily-grindTue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How should we fight addiction?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/the-daily-grind-how-should-we-fight-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/the-daily-grind-how-should-we-fight-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/the-daily-grind-how-should-we-fight-addiction/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We talk about addiction with some regularity here. The genre we cover is designed to be addictive; MMOs that make money are MMOs that keep people subscribed or buying new items for several consecutive months. Latest in a long history of addiction-issue coverage at Massively: a link to the blog of Exgamer, a recovering MMO addict.

Exgamer suggested that some of these games should come with a warning label: "this software can and has been shown to cause addictive behavior." Such a warning might be helpful to consumers who know they're prone to addiction. On the other hand, some folks argue that the software does not on its own cause unhealthy addiction, so the label is unfair.

To deny the basic reality of the MMO addiction problem is ridiculous. But given that agreed-upon premise: how do we curb this? Are warning labels a good idea? Would they even be effective? What measures would you suggest to fight this illness?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How should we fight addiction? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionaddictive-behaviordiscussionexgameropiniontdgthe-daily-grindwarning-labelFri, 03 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you want in the KotOR MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-want-in-the-kotor-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-want-in-the-kotor-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-want-in-the-kotor-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

LucasArts' Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has sold like, a bajazillion copies since it launched a couple weeks ago. The Star Wars franchise definitely sells video games, even when they get lukewarm reviews. But we're not going to talk about sales today. We're going to talk about quality.

Since this site is about MMOs, and since we're going on about Star Wars, you've probably guessed that today's Daily Grind is about the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMO in development at BioWare's Austin studio. We want to know: what do you think the KotOR MMO needs in order to achieve greatness? It can't just be World of Warcraft with lightsabers and sociopathic droids. It needs to be radical.

So what's it gonna take? What are you expecting -- nay, demanding -- from BioWare in perhaps the most hotly anticipated MMO since WoW or possibly of all time?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What do you want in the KotOR MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>austinbiowarediscussionknights-of-the-old-republickotorkotor-mmokotor-onlinekotorolucasartsopinionstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-daily-grindthe-force-unleashedthe-old-republicTue, 30 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: "Are we there yet?"]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/the-daily-grind-are-we-there-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/the-daily-grind-are-we-there-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/the-daily-grind-are-we-there-yet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Some of you surely played EverQuest back in the day. Whether it was your first MMO or not, one thing's for sure: it was the first huge MMO. When we say huge, we're not referring to subscription numbers; we're talking about the size of the world. It was much grander than that of Ultima Online, Everyone who played EQ remembers his or her first trip from Freeport to Qeynos or vice versa.

That trip was a very dire one, especially for a level 10 character. If memory serves, you had to go through Kithicor, the goblin dungeon of Runnyeye, the Beholder's maze (that was the most dangerous part, since it was all narrow canyons), the orc-sieged Highpass Hold, and of course all of the Karanas, griffins and giants be damned. It was not safe. It also took a really, really long time. If you were coming originally from Faydwer, before any of this you also had to take a fairly long boat ride -- certainly much longer than the almost-instant inter-continental rides in World of Warcraft.

But the journey was exciting. It actually felt like it was an epic adventure. In most recent MMOs, fast travel is prevalent and everything is streamlined to take as little time as possible. As the genre has become more casual with regards to travel time and danger, have we lost something? Are there no more epic cross-continental treks full of thrilling close calls?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: "Are we there yet?" originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>antonicabeholders-mazeboatsdiscussioneverquestfast-travelfaydwerfreeporthighpass-holdkaranaskithicor-forestoldschoolopinionqeynosrunnyeyetdgthe-daily-grindtravelultima-onlineworld-of-warcraftSat, 27 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Sick of high fantasy yet?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/the-daily-grind-sick-of-high-fantasy-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/the-daily-grind-sick-of-high-fantasy-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/the-daily-grind-sick-of-high-fantasy-yet/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Alright, we get it. The high fantasy genre is popular. It became massively popular with J.R.R. Tolkien's massively popular The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books, which then became massively popular, massively expensive movies, and now all that has turned into a slightly less massively popular but still impressive massively multiplayer game called The Lord of the Rings Online.

Of course, before LotRO there were already lots of high fantasy MMOs. Like, almost all of them, including Ultima Online, EverQuest, Final Fantasy XI, and World of Warcraft. Now there's Warhammer Online. If we're gonna be technical, Warhammer precedes all of these except for The Lord of the Rings and Ultima, but let's at least try to stay grounded here. Point is, developers and publishers keep doing high fantasy MMOs, and players keep buying them.

There are a few samples from other genres on the way -- Star Trek Online and The Agency, for example. But non-fantasy MMOs have had a difficult history. The only very succesful ones have been City of Heroes and EVE Online. Maybe Star Wars Galaxies or Anarchy Online, but that's being awfully generous. So really, ya'll; are you sick of this fantasy thing yet? Are you ready to give Sci-Fi another chance, or even something based on (prepare to gasp) the real world?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Sick of high fantasy yet? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcryptic-studiosdiscussionea-mythiceverquestfantasygenreshigh-fantasyjrr-tolkienlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromythicopinionreal-worldsci-fisoestar-trek-onlinetdgthe-agencythe-daily-grindthe-lord-of-the-ringstolkienturbinewarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftFri, 26 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are consoles the future?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/the-daily-grind-are-consoles-the-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/the-daily-grind-are-consoles-the-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/the-daily-grind-are-consoles-the-future/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The MMO genre was born and raised in the PC culture. The reasons are obvious, of course -- personal computers have been connected to networks for a long time, the keyboard was more effective for communication before the advent of Voice-over-IP. That said, a lot has been done to make platforms like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 more attractive for MMO developers and players.

Funcom plans to release Age of Conan for the 360. DC Universe Online, The Agency, and Free Realms will all be available on the PS3. In fact, noted MMO developer SOE was not long ago moved into what is basically Sony's PlayStation division with the explicit intent to focus on console MMOs. Blizzard has hired workers with console experience to work on its unannounced "Next-Gen MMO." Clearly, this generation is going to greatly expand on the pioneering efforts of past console MMOs like Final Fantasy XI. Surely if the genre doesn't explode on today's consoles it will in the next batch, right?

Are you looking forward to leaving behind the mouse and keyboard so you can lounge on the sofa with a wireless controller, or are you concerned that too much will be lost in translation? Maybe you think that attempts like The Agency will fail, and the bubble will burst before anyone even really notices it. There are a lot of problems, such as the expense and hassle of the process of authenticating patches in a tightly-controlled service like Xbox Live. Are problems like that deal breakers?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are consoles the future? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>360age-of-conanconsolesdc-universe-onlinediscussionfree-realmsopinionplaystation-3playstation-networkps3psntdgthe-agencythe-daily-grindxbox-360xbox-liveThu, 25 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How's EQ2 treatin' ya?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/the-daily-grind-hows-eq2-treatin-ya/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/the-daily-grind-hows-eq2-treatin-ya/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/the-daily-grind-hows-eq2-treatin-ya/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A while back we checked in with players of The Lord of the Rings Online to see how their experiences were going. Most responses were positive, with a few folks saying they had quit due to boredom. Now we'd like to check in another game -- this one a little older. EverQuest II went head to head with World of Warcraft. It's clear that if we're just counting subscribers, WoW is the winner. But maybe quality trumps quantity.

So how is the quality of one of the world's only surviving MMO sequels these days? SOE has certainly had time to refine the game. There have been four expansions to date, with another one coming up very soon. Do you go to the Fan Faires? Do you already have four level 80s? Will the mid-level experience boost bring you back for more?

Tell us: how's EQ2 treatin' ya?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How's EQ2 treatin' ya? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discussioneq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionexperiencefan-faire-2008opinionsoe-fan-fairetdgthe-daily-grindthe-shadow-odysseyworld-of-warcraftFri, 19 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST