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MIT developing educational MMO funded by Gates Foundation

Jef Reahard — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Kids, Miscellaneous

Is gaming the answer to the math- and science-related apathy plaguing American school kids? Some folks at MIT think so, and a new press blurb outlines how the institute is developing an MMO designed to further science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

"In contrast to the way that (STEM) is currently taught in secondary schools -- which often results in students becoming disengaged and disinterested in the subjects at an early age -- educational games like the one to be developed give students the chance to explore STEM topics in a way that deepens their knowledge while also developing 21st-century skills," the release says.

The title is being developed in collaboration with Filament Games, and MIT's Eric Klopfer says that it will be a powerful educational tool. "This genre of games is uniquely suited to teaching the nature of science inquiry," he explains, "because they provide collaborative, self-directed learning situations. Players take on the roles of scientists, engineers and mathematicians to explore and explain a robust virtual world." The project is being financed by a $3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

MIT developing educational MMO funded by Gates Foundation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eden Eternal announces new race, crafting system

Jef Reahard — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Crafting

If you're looking for something new to do in Eden Eternal aside from killing monsters and stockpiling phat lewt, look no further than the mid-September content update. Aeria Games has just put out a press release detailing the patch, and the highlights include the new Anuran race along with a brand-new crafting system.

Racial special abilities will also be making an appearance in the new patch, and they're tied into the new tradeskill mechanics. Characters at level 30 and above can participate in Gemcrafting (for Humans), Engineering (for Zumi), and Alchemy (for Anurans) to create a multitude of useful items including gear, potions, and dyes.

The tradeskill goodness doesn't stop there, though, as players at level 20 and above are free to set up their own personal shops in the town of Aven. Finally, two new NPCs are being added to Eden Eternal, and Professor Koss gives timed XP boosts while Assistant Teren gifts players with different fortune bags throughout the day. Learn more about Eden Eternal, and grab the client, at the game's official website.

[Source: Aeria Games press release]

Eden Eternal announces new race, crafting system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond developer talks educational mission

Jef Reahard — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Kids, Family, Miscellaneous

Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond has been in the news a lot lately, but just who are the folks behind the educational MMO from NASA and Project Whitecard? A new piece at Gamasutra sheds a bit of light on that as well as a few more details about the project as a whole.

"I'm originally a developer," says Project Whitecard CEO Khal Shariff. "I thought, 'oh, I could be a developer for the rest of my life, or I could start my own company.'" That company has some pretty lofty goals for its first MMO, including reaching out to millions of kids worldwide and getting them interested in STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

"We are dedicated to using game technology to do things that, when somebody interacts with the game, it maybe leaves the world better or leaves somebody smarter," Shariff says.

Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond developer talks educational mission originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: The lower decks

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Expansions, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 64977.3...

Spock, Riker, Kira, Worf, Chakotay, and T'Pol. What do they all have in common? They are the notable men and women who served under their Captains as First Officer. Joret, Sito, Alyssa, Taurik, Sam and Geniveve. What do they all have in common? No one knows who the heck they are. In the world of Star Trek, these "unknowns" are the members of the lower decks, people whose work goes unnoticed, whose accomplishments are unacknowledged, and who are often killed off at the end of the episode when you finally do get to know them.

While the ships in Star Trek Online currently seem to be manned only by the Captain, his or her Bridge Officers (BOff), and some random crewmen walking around the ship, this is about to change. In the next couple months, get ready to welcome new members to your ship's lower decks. The Duty Officer (DOff) system will be adding a new form of gameplay to STO and give players even more ways to level characters and become immersed in the universe surrounding them. While there are a ton of random pieces of information about it floating out there, I think that Captain's Log is the perfect place to put it all together and give you a more concise picture of how it will work.

Ensign, warp 10! It's time to attend your new favorite class, DOffs 101...

Continue reading Captain's Log: The lower decks

Captain's Log: The lower decks originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earthrise reveals complex crafting screenshot

Jef Reahard — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, Earthrise

While the information flow from the Earthrise beta is a bit slower than we'd like, the team at Masthead is occasionally letting tidbits slip out into the wilds of the internet. In addition to last month's interview with studio head Atanas Atanasov and lead writer Momchil Dilov, Masthead has posted a beta screenshot showing off the sci-fi MMORPG's robust crafting interface.

As ever, details are sketchy, but a thorough look at the shot reveals what seems to be a fairly complicated crafting system, with information on three separate processes (disassembling, recycling, and manufacturing) and a fourth, engineering, barely viewable at the bottom left of the main window. The screenshot also shows four variants of the item being crafted, in this case a Fasetech Rifle Chassis.

While we don't yet have many details as to how the system works, we can say that the shot whets our appetite for the kind of in-depth crafting system that seems to have deserted the MMO scene in recent years, and we'll be keeping a close eye on the Earthrise beta.

Gallery: Earthrise

Earthrise reveals complex crafting screenshot originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: Starship interiors and hints of the future

Ryan Greene — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log, Guides

Oh, hi there, readers! You'll have to excuse me; I was just enjoying a little quiet time in my quarters. My starship quarters. Inside my starship. Because I have those now.

Yes, among many other features, Season 2: Ancient Enemies introduced starship interiors to Star Trek Online. Continuing from last week's discussion of diplomacy, one of Season 2's other big additions, I thought we'd spend this edition of Captain's Log examining ship interiors. Plus, we'll take a special side trip into the future to consider what else STO fans can look forward to -- in the future!

Continue reading Captain's Log: Starship interiors and hints of the future

Captain's Log: Starship interiors and hints of the future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3, part 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3, part 2

EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3

Brendan Drain — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Game mechanics, Guides, Crafting, Professions, Making money, Tips and tricks, PvE, EVE Evolved

In the first two parts of this guide to Research in EVE Online, I covered the basics of Tech 1 blueprint research and the "Invention" system that allows players to make their own Tech 2 blueprint copies. The reverse engineering process used to make Tech 3 blueprints is a lot like invention except with a new set of materials, equipment and skills. Though the process used to create it will be familiar to inventors, the end product is a strange beast. Unlike Tech 2, Tech 3 isn't just a straight improvement over lower tech levels and doesn't use Tech 1 or 2 as a base. Instead, it's an entirely new technology used to make custom, modular ships. At the moment, the only Tech 3 products we have are the modular "Strategic Cruiser" class but more is planned for future patches. Tech 3 frigates are rumoured to be next on the development table and it's entirely possible that we'll see strange new Tech 3 modules thrown into the mix too at some point.

In today's part of this bumper guide to research, I look into EVE's newest addition to the researcher's repertoire as I examine Tech 3 and "Reverse Engineering". I'll look at how it all fits together to make a finished product, what's required to get involved and best practices for staying profitable in what has become a very competitive marketplace.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3

EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online developer explains major new feature: Tech III

James Egan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics

The dev blog many EVE Online players have been waiting for was published today. Tech III ships have been the subject of a great deal of excitement and no small amount of trepidation from the game's players. EVE developer CCP Nozh introduces the playerbase to "the dark delights of Tech 3 ships" in his dev blog "Strategic Cruisers: A New Breed." This moniker "Strategic Cruisers" is a fitting one, as they certainly are a new breed of ship, and one that requires some explanation.

Nozh writes, "The elation of happening upon a unique fit, some fresh and clever setup, has always been a very appealing aspect of EVE. One of our primary goals for the Tech 3 ships was to bring this customization to a whole new level. The new ships are a fundamental departure from the tried and tested, offering such unparalleled customization that discussing them on the same terms as previous ships belies their true extent -- we're talking full-fledged, independent systems within the system. A little bit scary, really."

Continue reading EVE Online developer explains major new feature: Tech III

EVE Online developer explains major new feature: Tech III originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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