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Warhammer's 1.4.6 patch brings RvR and scenario changes

Jef Reahard — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online, News items

There's a new patch on Warhammer's public test server. The 1.4.6 update is designed to tweak both realm vs. realm and scenario PvP. In terms of RvR, one of the biggest changes is the shift from multiple city invasion instances to a single instance. The instance will support 60 players from each realm -- 120 total. "Once that number is reached, no further reinforcements will be allowed," according to the update notes on the WAR website.

Scenario brackets are also being altered. Whereas the old system grouped players into tiers based on character level, the new mechanic uses both levels and renown rank. Players from level one to 15 go into bracket one, while players of renown ranks zero to 69 and 70 to 100 go into brackets two and three, respectively.

[Edit: Clarified 120 total players in the instance]

Warhammer's 1.4.6 patch brings RvR and scenario changes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Free-to-play holdouts

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Asheron's Call, Dark Age of Camelot, EVE Online, Final Fantasy XI, PlanetSide, Warhammer Online, Ultima Online, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, Final Fantasy XIV, Perfect Ten

In the increasingly diminishing field of subscription-only MMOs, two distinct camps have formed. There is the Old Guard that has its established playerbase and is simply not interested in jumping on board the F2P train, and then there are the New Kids on the Block (which would make an excellent band name, by the way), who argue that their premium features and AAA content warrant a subscription in the F2P age.

A few years ago, doing a list of the final few F2P holdouts would have been a ridiculous proposition, but now it's actually difficult to get to 10 of these. Each company has a different reason that it hasn't given these games more flexible payment options (FPO should replace F2P; pass it on!), and while some have addressed this publicly, others say nothing and leave us to speculate on it.

For today's Perfect Ten, we're going to look at the 10 biggest current F2P holdouts in the industry and muse about what's going on behind the scenes. Will this list be impossible to do in a few years or will subscription-only titles come back in a big way? Hey, I don't predict things; I just make lists.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Free-to-play holdouts

The Perfect Ten: Free-to-play holdouts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online is cross-promoting with Wrath of Heroes

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions, MOBA

Are you the sort of player who just can't get enough of Warhammer Online, whether in classic form or the new Wrath of Heroes bite-sized version? Or are you a fan of the latter game and not sure if you want to keep up a subscription to the former? The latest cross-promotional deal for the games is aimed directly at players like that -- starting now, any players with active Warhammer Online subscriptions will receive a 50% bonus to gold and experience in Wrath of Heroes.

There's no complicated process to getting the bonus; if you have both accounts on the same EA/Origin account, your characters will reap the benefits, although it may take up to 24 hours for the system to line up if you've just started a subscription. The bonus also stacks with items from the Wrath of Heroes store, letting veterans of Warhammer Online get ahead in the new game.

Warhammer Online is cross-promoting with Wrath of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week five

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, PvP, Opinion, Massively Hands-on, Choose My Adventure

As I headed into my final week of playing Dark Age of Camelot, I found myself thinking about Warhammer Online more often than not. That shouldn't be surprising, really, as both games were made by Mythic and share a focus on RvR. I suppose it's because I finally hit a point in the game when DAoC started to emulate experiences I had in WAR, and thus a comparison between the two began to unfold.

While I'm sure plenty of folks who played DAoC went on to WAR, I'm curious whether there are many like me who went through the games in the reverse order. I may not be a veteran DAoC player after a few weeks in the game, but I certainly have a mountain of experience in WAR, and it intrigues me to be able to identify the connections between the two.

So as I plundered the battlefields of DAoC this week, I started to examine the game through the lens of a WAR vet to see whether I could spot the traits each game had in common and which traits each game handled better than the other.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week five

Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week five originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week three

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Dark Age of Camelot, Opinion, Hands-on, Humor, Choose My Adventure

Frustrating and boring: These are two words that don't bode well for any MMO, and yet that's exactly what my Dark Age of Camelot experience this past week was.

Now, granted there's always an adjustment period with new MMOs, and I like to think of myself as a fairly patient person. I know that sometimes it might be a matter of minutes or understanding to flip "frustration" into "joy" and "boring" into "addictive," which is why it's good to stick games out until you're sure that the issue isn't with you playing the game wrong or being ignorant of what makes it work.

That said, if I wasn't covering DAoC for this column but was just trying it out for myself, I certainly would not have subscribed after finishing the 14-day trial. New player journey or no, I found more aggravation than fun this past week and kept wondering to myself, "When does it start to get good? Where's all that great stuff players are telling me about? And as a Troll, how much lotion do I need to get my skin feeling silky soft?"

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week three

Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week three originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week two

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Dark Age of Camelot, Hands-on, Humor, First Impressions, Choose My Adventure

Some of you probably know that I first got into the blogging scene with my Warhammer Online blog Waaagh! Back then in early 2008, I was a veritable Mythic and PvP newbie, and I spent a good portion of the lead-up to the game's release reading up on Dark Age of Camelot. I figured that, after all, WAR would be built on the foundation of DAoC. In a way, it both was and wasn't.

The one thing I never did was actually play DAoC. Older MMOs can be quite intimidating; they have deep-rooted communities and tomes of updates and history, and they were more rough around the edges. Rough in their cores, too, if we're being honest. So the intimidation factor kept me away until this past week, when Massively readers sent me on a quest to Camelot for the first time in my life.

Last week readers voted on the character I was to roll. An impressive 82% of you said to check out the realm vs. realm ruleset and roll a a Midgard (43.2%) beastly (40.8%) hybrid (43.3%) character. After reading some of the recommendations in the comments, I ended up making a female Troll Skald on a traditional server. She may be lumpy and bulky, but I took a shine to her right away.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week two

Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week two originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another one bites the dust: Warhammer Online shuts down another server

Matt Daniel — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items, Free-to-play

Another round of server merges are coming to Warhammer Online, and this time it's Drakenwald's metaphorical head on the proverbial chopping block. As of tomorrow, March 20th, Drakenwald will be marked as a Legacy server, which will prevent players from creating new characters there. In the meantime, the players who currently populate the server will be able to move to either Karak Norn or Badlands. After three weeks in Legacy status, Drakenwald will be officially retired and any characters remaining on the server will have to be transferred before they can be played. WAR players should know the routine by now, but if you need a refresher, the details can be found on the game's official site.

Another one bites the dust: Warhammer Online shuts down another server originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'RIFT Lite' announced, makes first 20 levels free to all [Updated]

Brianna Royce — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Launches, MMO industry, Patches, News items, RIFT

Trion Worlds has just announced that its fantasy MMO RIFT, which released to wide acclaim just 11 months ago, will today launch an introductory version of the game known as RIFT Lite. Similar to Warhammer Online's Endless Trial and World of Warcraft's Starter Edition, RIFT Lite will allow "anyone with a Trion account to experience the game's first 20 levels at no cost and with no playtime restrictions." Players will be able to access the capital cities as well as Terminus, Mathosia, Freemarch, and Silverwood, all the way up to level 20 and on any server, for the low, low cost of zero dollars.

In the press release, RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman, who told fans last November that Trion had "absolutely no plans whatsoever" to turn RIFT F2P, stated that his company believes "a Lite edition with no time limit is the best way for players to see what an amazing experience RIFT continues to be."

Diet RIFT launches today in conjunction with the latest patch, Carnival of the Ascended, which brings player weddings, dungeon overhauls, and PvP tweaks to Telara.

[Update: The official RIFT Lite website has now gone live.]

'RIFT Lite' announced, makes first 20 levels free to all [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New interview talks Warhammer Online and Wrath of Heroes synergy

Jef Reahard — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Warhammer Online, News items, Free-to-play

Warhammer Online fans can be forgiven if they took to scratching their heads in puzzlement as BioWare-Mythic announced the Wrath of Heroes MOBA at last summer's Gamescom convention. After all, here was a new fantasy title that was brazen enough to borrow the IP and arguably the best gameplay mechanic (scenarios) from an existing MMO that's still alive and kicking.

The distinction between the two games is up for discussion in a new Warhammer Online interview at Stratics. "There is no direct link currently between your WAR and WOH characters. That being said, we plan on giving WAR subscribers benefits in WOH," explains producer James Casey. "We are also looking at other ways to connect them and have the benefits go both ways."

The interview also touches on the next WAR update (currently slated for the PTS next month), as well as the fact that the devs are considering a level-cap increase on the game's endless trial offering.

New interview talks Warhammer Online and Wrath of Heroes synergy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ryzom to go freemium on March 9th

Beau Hindman — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Ryzom, News items, Free-to-play, Roleplaying, Post-Apocalyptic

If you've played Ryzom before, it probably left a very unique taste in your mouth. Even after several years you would be hard-pressed to find an MMO that has such unique features as a weather system that actually affects gameplay, migrating mobs with predator/prey relationships, a skill-based system that allows players to explore many different activities, mounts and pack creatures that can actually be killed in the line of duty, and such a rich landscape, primed for roleplay! Ryzom is easily one of the favorite games of some of the staff at Massively.

For a while, the game featured a trial island on which players could achieve a fraction of the 250 max levels in the game, but that option was put to a time limit. After March 9th, however, it looks like new players will be able to not only leave the trial island but reach a max level of 125 -- after which all experience stops. Also, a player can continue to enjoy the game like this forever -- for free. It's essentially a unlimited free trial option, and it firmly places Ryzom in the freemium category. Don't forget, though, that the game continues to depend on subscriptions to make money, so feel free to use that option to unlock the entire game.

While there are still many questions, keep an eye on Massively or head to the official site to check it out. The discussion has already started on the official forums!

Ryzom to go freemium on March 9th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Inside patch 1.4

Greg Waller — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Expansions, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

The Verminous Horde game update aka patch 1.4 for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is pretty much old news by now. Despite that, Greg takes a look at some of the highlights from the patch as well as the RvR Packs in this week's Waging WAR.

Wow! What a patch! There are so many new little tidbits, toys and tweaks in this patch that it's really sort of hard to describe them all in the space of a single issue of Waging WAR. On top of all the free content in the patch itself, there are also the progression and personality packs available on the EAStore ($10ea/$15combo). In fact, there is so much new content in WAR right now, it's going to take quite a bit of time for us to exhaust it all and start complaining about stagnation again.

Follow along after the break as I talk about some of the highlights from the patch.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Inside patch 1.4

Waging WAR: Inside patch 1.4 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR

Greg Waller — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Guilds, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Humor, Waging WAR

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

Waging 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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Interview sheds more light on Warhammer Online's trial

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, Warhammer Online

Times have been somewhat erratic for Warhammer Online, but most everyone can agree that the switch to an endless free trial was a positive move for the game. It's almost transparent how the change came almost immediately following the changes made in patch 1.3.2 to streamline the starting experience, but it's a wise move all around and makes the game more accessible than ever before on both levels. Producer Josh Drescher recently sat down with the Zam network to talk a little more about the rationale behind the change, as well as the limitations on the experience.

As Drescher points out, one of the major limits toward any sort of time-limited trial is that many players feel pressured for form an opinion in a very constrained timeframe. For more casual players, it can be almost impossible. The new move makes it both easier for players to take their time, and easier for players to try it, hibernate, and then try some of the new features as they come out. For more of the specifics, as well as a rather oblique non-answer to the question of Warhammer Online's future in light of recent layoffs, take a look at the full interview.

Interview sheds more light on Warhammer Online's trial originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online's endless trial now available

Kyle Horner — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items

The endless trial has arrived in the land of Warhammer Online, and it's quite the offer. Of course, we've reported on the actual trial before but as of today (post-maintenance) it's officially enacted within the game. So if you've been waiting to go back and check things out but didn't feel like re-subbing or somehow missed out on all the excitement of the game's launch last year, then now is the perfect time to get in and take a look. If you're not sure what the heck this whole "endless trial" thing is all about, here's a handy official FAQ to peruse.

We think it's a good if not bold concept, especially considering players only have to download 1gig of data before the game will dynamically stream the rest as they play. Hopefully it works out for Mythic, who've been putting much blood, sweat and tears in trying to improve perception since its heady launch days.

Warhammer Online's endless trial now available originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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