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[The Soapbox: Time is money, friend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/the-soapbox-time-is-money-friend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/the-soapbox-time-is-money-friend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/the-soapbox-time-is-money-friend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

MMOs are plagued by nasty -isms. Racism. Sexism. Nationalism. Ageism. Orientalism. Homophobia. Misogyny. OK, so those last two aren't really -isms, but you get my point. No matter how much we want our fantasy games to be zones of escapism, these prejudices chase us there. Sometimes we bring them with us as unwanted baggage that spills out in chat channels and character choices. And sometimes they're inherent in the game design itself.

Classism is one such problem you'd think the internet would reduce or conceal, but the divide between the haves and have-nots is stronger in MMOs than ever. To illustrate that point and how it affects us as gamers, I'd like to talk about another set of games ruled not by skill or talent but by money.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Time is money, friend

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Time is money, friend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityaristocracybarrier-to-entrycasual-gamercasualsclassclassismelitismf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreemiumhardcoreismsluxuriesmoneyolympicsopinionpoorbiesrabblesnobberysnobssoapboxsubscriptionsubscriptionsthe-soapboxTue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Making the cut]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/wings-over-atreia-making-the-cut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/wings-over-atreia-making-the-cut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/wings-over-atreia-making-the-cut/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


"What position are you applying for?" The interviewer listens and nods.

"Mmhmm. Thank you. Now, what special skills can you bring to the team?"

"Please list all previous experience and describe your major accomplishments." A pause.

"Have you the required equipment to adequately perform your duties?"

The interviewer is quiet while sizing up the applicant.

"I'm sorry, but you just don't quite have what we are looking for. Next!"

Sound familiar? No, this isn't a job interview -- this is the rigmarole many players experience simply to get into a group in NCsoft's Aion. You might think that time of day or availability of people in the right level range would have the most affect on forming up a group, whether in a legion or a PUG. Instead, players often must contend with an entirely different beast before even stepping foot into an instance: group elitism.

Unless you have a regular group of friends with identical play times or a very supportive legion, you are apt to occasionally find yourself in the situation of seeking a group while traipsing about Atreia. Even with a regular group, there are going to be times you are left more-or-less on your own and just want to get something done. Thus begins the (oft times unpleasant) task of creating or finding a group. Like a microcosm of drama played out in short spurts, group formation showcases a variety of less-than-desirable attributes: greed; envy; lust; selfishness; and inflated egos. Just how exclusive can this process become? Your inclusion could ride solely on your class, equipment, or skill set, and have nothing to do with your ability and skill as a player. Heck, even your name may keep you out of groups.

Join me past the cut to explore elitism in group dynamics in Aion.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Making the cut

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Making the cut originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gamearchetypeArchetypesatreiaclassesclericdramaelitismfeaturedgearedgroupinggroupshealersinstanceslegionnamesnamingnc-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionpugpugsreputationskillskill-setskillst-labstanktankingtemplartheobomosWings-Over-AtreiaMon, 25 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Gated communities]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/the-road-to-mordor-gated-communities/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/the-road-to-mordor-gated-communities/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/30/the-road-to-mordor-gated-communities/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

This past week, many of us were shaken out of our self-absorption with LotRO's F2P switch as we were suddenly joined by -- of all things -- the good folks at EverQuest II. I don't think anyone could've predicted two such high-profile MMORPGs moving to a subscription/free-to-play hybrid model this year, which makes LotRO and EQII comrades-in-arms for the time being. Both titles are currently in testing, with their F2P release coming this fall.

Other than the mutual surprise of two game communities that were taken off guard (except for that one guy who, y'know, totally called it and won't stop crowing about it), there are a number of similarities as both SOE and Turbine look to replicate DDO's F2P success and bolster both the number of players and number of dollars coming in to both games. However, there's certainly a major difference in how the freebie players will be handled: LotRO is integrating them with subscribers on normal servers, whereas EverQuest II Expanded will segregate the free players on their own unique servers.

So I thought that this would be an excellent time to talk about one of the crucial factors of F2P switches, which is the potential growth and/or fracturing of the game's community. Which MMO has the better idea, LotRO or EQII? Hit the jump for my thoughts.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Gated communities

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Gated communities originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communityddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineelitismeq2eq2-expandedeqiieverquest-2everquest-iieverquest-ii-expandedexpandedf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreebiesfreemiumftpgated-communityhospitalitylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromicrotransactionsmoocherserverssoeSony-Online-Entertainmentsubbiesthe-road-to-mordorturbineuncouth-savagesFri, 30 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Waging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/29/waging-war-elitist-alliances-and-rvr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/29/waging-war-elitist-alliances-and-rvr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/29/waging-war-elitist-alliances-and-rvr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

No matter where you go in the MMO-verse, rivalries are bound to happen, and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is no different. In most cases, these rifts are the exception and not the norm; whether they manifest as a heated argument in scenarios, or a realm-wide feud between established guilds or alliances, there's always going to be some sort of drama. This week, Waging WAR takes a look at how the exception to the rule can affect the game as a whole.

A few days ago I was playing on one of my Tier 2 alts running around with an open warband in the Shadowlands. We were taking some keeps and battlefield objectives for renown and influence, since the Tier 2 High Elf elite influence item is well worth the effort. As it turns out, a few of my guildmates were also leveling in the same warband. We ran into a keep defense at Spite's Reach that we weren't really prepared for, but we managed to muster a decent siege in short order. The hot oil started pouring and some area-of-effect magic started to blanket the warband on the ground as we pounded on the door. One of the players in my guild, a dedicated veteran (though not an officer), refused to heal someone else in the warband. I asked him why and he told me that it was because the person was in another specific guild, with no real reason beyond that simple fact.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR

MassivelyWaging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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