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[Lost Pages of Taborea: Content needs to meet the versatility of gear-upgrading]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/lost-pages-of-taborea-content-needs-to-meet-the-versatility-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/lost-pages-of-taborea-content-needs-to-meet-the-versatility-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/lost-pages-of-taborea-content-needs-to-meet-the-versatility-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Last week I compared looting and class-bending in Runes of Magic with similar features found in RIFT. RoM's system of gear customization was a part of that article. This week, I want to talk business. Don't worry, I'm not a business major about to sling pie charts at you or talk about quarterly earnings. I want to talk a bit about business, specifically about how it might relate to decisions developers make concerning what kind of balance to put into an MMO.

RoM's gear system is extremely flexible on the outside, but inside there are some restrictions. Some of these restrictions are imposed by the game, but some are imposed by players. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, let's take a look at how the flexibility and choice of RoM's gear system -- and other systems -- are in opposition to the game's content and some desires players have.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Content needs to meet the versatility of gear-upgrading

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: Content needs to meet the versatility of gear-upgrading originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancedbalancingbalancing-classesbalancing-contentchoiceclass-combinationsclass-combosdiversitydynamic-contentequalequalityfairfairnessfeaturedfreedomfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivejeremy-strattonlost-pages-of-taboreaoptionsriftromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentstereotypesversatilityMon, 27 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Can't talk, slaying darkspawn edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/ask-massively-cant-talk-slaying-darkspawn-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/ask-massively-cant-talk-slaying-darkspawn-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/ask-massively-cant-talk-slaying-darkspawn-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If it wasn't obvious through previous posts, I'm rather keen on the whole Dragon Age franchise. Which means that yes, I've been playing the stupid Facebook game that has just gone into open beta. The next revolution in gaming it is not, but it's got just enough of the setting to tide me over for the moment. Plus, it has player housing, which is conspicuously absent from most of the more modern MMOs out there.

Seriously, guys -- if it's able to fit into a Flash game on Facebook, you can fit it into your umpteen-millionth triple-A title. Get on that.

But I'll put aside the slaying of darkspawn and associated questions about how they're this far north, because it's time for another edition of Ask Massively. This round, we're talking about reviewing new MMOs, the conceptual space of games, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. As always, you can feel free to leave your questions in the comment field or send them along to ask@massively.com.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Can't talk, slaying darkspawn edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: Can't talk, slaying darkspawn edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-massivelychoicescolumndialoguediversityfeaturedgameplay-choicesmarksopinionoptionsreviewsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorThu, 24 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: F2P bombs and views from the fallout shelter]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/02/the-tattered-notebook-f2p-bombs-and-views-from-the-fallout-shel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/02/the-tattered-notebook-f2p-bombs-and-views-from-the-fallout-shel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/02/the-tattered-notebook-f2p-bombs-and-views-from-the-fallout-shel/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Well, this week takes the proverbial cake when it comes to the least amount of time spent head-scratching over a column topic. Thanks to Dave Georgeson and the executives at Sony Online Entertainment, I pretty much had this little opus sketched out by dinner-time last Tuesday.

Anywho... a week ago tomorrow the bomb dropped. It wasn't a stink bomb, a 50-yard bomb, or even an F-bomb (though there were no doubt plenty of those uttered in some circles), but rather a Hiroshima/Nagasaki type of bomb that changed the world and effectively ended the war between P2P and F2P, at least as far as Norrath is concerned.

Or did it?

Turn the page to find out.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: F2P bombs and views from the fallout shelter

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: F2P bombs and views from the fallout shelter originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choicedave-georgesondiversityEQ2eq2xEQIIEverQuest-2everquest-2-extendedeverquest-iiextendedf2pf2p-do-not-wantfeaturedopinionp2ppay-to-playsoeSony-Online-Entertainmentthe-tattered-notebookthe-tattered-notebook-jef-reahardMon, 02 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How important are options?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/17/the-daily-grind-how-important-are-options/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/17/the-daily-grind-how-important-are-options/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/17/the-daily-grind-how-important-are-options/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Saying that a game is linear is almost a dirty word in the field of games, at least when it comes to RPGs and their close genre relatives. The advent of games that allow you to decide whether to trek through the Desert of Certain Doom or the Forest of Inevitable Demise has spoiled us a bit -- we expect to have a choice.

MMOs are hardly exempt, and in some ways even worse off, with players who want to choose which quests they do, which abilities they learn, and what their character likes in a pie. Of course, by the same token, it's better to have one path that's fleshed-out and interesting than a half-dozen with hardly any expansion to them, whether it's a path to the level cap or just a chain of learning abilities.

So the question is, how important is the power of choice? When leveling, would you prefer variety of zones without as much quality to each area, or a full dint of quality in far fewer different places? Do you want your characters to learn anything even if there's not much to learn, or do you prefer a single path that has been expertly balanced?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How important are options? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choicediversityoptionoptionspolishpolymathspecialtiestdgthe-daily-grindWed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Virtual worlds as the great equalizer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/anti-aliased-virtual-worlds-as-the-great-equalizer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/anti-aliased-virtual-worlds-as-the-great-equalizer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/anti-aliased-virtual-worlds-as-the-great-equalizer/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


So apparently it's gay pride week. I, pretty literally, had absolutely no clue that gay pride week was this week, even though I was lucky enough to speak at Metaplace's Metapride diversity event. Yes, I'm just that oblivious to my surroundings, even when I'm directly participating in them.

I know I don't hide the fact that I'm transgender, but I'm certain that not many people click on my author link here at Massively or really ponder the significance of my @sera_brennan Twitter username. That last sentence is probably the first time many of you long term readers even heard that I was transgender. (Although I remember someone wrote the site once and told them to correct all of the times in my author profile that I was referred to as "she" because it was obviously a typo.)

I owe much to my online escapes, as they aid me in more ways than just providing a fun distraction. They give me the opportunity to appear as I truly feel inside, and let me interact with others without the stigma of being or appearing to be transgendered attached. Beyond just me, however, are hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions of individuals who have gained an advantage or some sort of insight thanks to virtual worlds.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Virtual worlds as the great equalizer

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Virtual worlds as the great equalizer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-barrieranti-aliasedcommunitycuppycakediversityfeaturedgay-pride-weekgbltgendergender-barrierjoystiqfeatureslgbtmetaplacemetaprideonlinetransgendertranssexualvirtual-worldsWed, 24 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Do WoW players make better citizens?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/do-wow-players-make-better-citizens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/do-wow-players-make-better-citizens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/do-wow-players-make-better-citizens/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


With all the negativity that mainstream media (sometimes) dishes out on video games, we always like to see when the positive stories get picked up. That's the case with today's article at The Capital Times that focuses on MMOs and their impact on society. Reporting for The Capital Times, Jeff Richgels asks, "Can massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft produce better citizens?" His article covers the work of Constance Steinkuehler, a University of Wisconsin-Madison education professor who's been studying the social dynamics inherent to MMOs, namely World of Warcraft.

Her work focuses on how massively multiplayer online games expose players to a wide range of diversity. Steinkuehler's recent presentation at the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences was ultimately about how navigating that diversity makes players into better citizens, and more open to discussion with their peers.

Continue reading Do WoW players make better citizens?

MassivelyDo WoW players make better citizens? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academiccitizenshipconstance-steinkuehlerculturediversityfantasygamepoliticsjeff-richgelsmmo-industrythe-capital-timesworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 12 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST