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Storyboard: To say nothing of cute shoes

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous

Just as in real life, player characters in MMOs have more than one set of clothing for different situations. Sure, I don't divide my actual clothes up in usual MMO categories ("well, those are my PvP pants"), but I have things I wear around the house that I wouldn't wear out in public or when attending a funeral, for instance. But even that doesn't compare to a high-level roleplaying character, who has not only PvP gear and PvE gear and solo gear tand the like but also funeral gear and casual gear and so forth. It's all the joy of assembling a real wardrobe alongside the joy of stat comparisons.

Roleplaying outfits are universally important. Even if your character is in a game without visible gear (such as City of Heroes), you probably have different outfits for different circumstances (civilian clothes, for instance). But there's an art to putting together a good roleplaying ensemble, and it's not just as simple as equipping the same equipment you wore 10 levels ago and calling it a day. You want to create a distinct impression, and that takes a little more doing. So how do you assemble a good roleplaying outfit?

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Storyboard: To say nothing of cute shoes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on impressions of The Secret World

François Blondin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Horror, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Dungeons, Crafting

Last month, Funcom held a special hands-on event for The Secret World at its Montreal, Canada offices, where we sent freelancer François Blondin to cover all the exciting details. François also got to play the game for several hours, giving us a fresh perspective on what TSW has to offer MMO gamers.

In Funcom's upcoming The Secret World, the game's three factions -- Templars, Illuminati and Dragons -- face off, compete, and collaborate (all at the same time!) amidst the nightmarish creatures being revealed throughout the world. But choose your allegiance carefully: Your faction determines your path and special bonuses for the whole game, and faction-switching won't be an option. Join me for a hands-on look at the game's current incarnation!

Gallery: The Secret World

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Hands-on impressions of The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Materia system detailed for Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Characters always wind up acquiring old and beloved pieces of equipment, ranging from a valuable dropped weapon to just a particularly nicely itemized ring. But with time, equipment grows obsolete or just no longer serves your needs. Normally, that means a trip to the nearest vendor, but Final Fantasy XIV is introducing a new system that turns your old gear into boosts for your new gear. The Materia system is coming with patch 1.19, and a detailed preview has been added to the official site.

When the patch goes live, all equipment will have a "Spiritbond" value that rises from zero to 100% as you make use of the item. Once the value is at 100%, the item can be converted to materia that is subsequently attached to a new item, giving enhanced values to the new item. The system makes full use of combat, gathering, and crafting professions, and from the looks of the overview it will enable all three to make some significant gains in power.

Materia system detailed for Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What are your thoughts on headgear?

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor, Miscellaneous

In the real world, helms and hats are important bits of clothing, especially if you're talking about armor that includes a hefty chunk of metal complete with terrifying plume. So it makes perfect sense that pretty much every MMO set in a vaguely fantasy setting (i.e., nearly all of them) would feature a variety of important hats for characters to equip. But we also live in a society in which most men and women do not wear hats on a regular basis, and that's not even getting into the fact that most lower-level hats in MMOs look kind of dorky at best.

Some people like having hats on their characters; hats are part of those characters' appearance. But for many other players, the hat detracts from a character's distinct look, unless it's a purely cosmetic addition without any kind of stats. So what are your thoughts on headgear? Do you like the way it looks? Do you think it should be more freely customizable? Or do you just walk around with the display of said headgear permanently off and never give it a spare thought beyond the stat boosts it provides?

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!

The Daily Grind: What are your thoughts on headgear? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play

Gear in MMOs isn't just about making a fashion statement; it's often the difference between life and death, success and failure, envy and pity. So it is with Luvinia Online, as gear will be a primary focus of any adventurer who doesn't want his lifespan to be measured in minutes.

Outspark has been gracious enough to treat us to a comprehensive introduction to how gear works in Luvinia. On top of the expected stats and rarity values, Luvinia has a few interesting ideas about how to modify gear and trade it between characters.

Luvinia Online finished closed beta last month, but is heading for open beta fairly soon. Hit the jump to start your edumacation in the fine art of equipment, courtesy of the development team at Outspark.

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Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEGO Universe update adds progression system

Jef Reahard — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, LEGO Universe, Kids, Family

LEGO Universe has the creative aspects of MMOs and online gaming down pat. After all, we're talking ~~LEGOs~~ (edit: LEGO BRICKS OMG, LEGO BRICKS) here, and if there's one word that's synonymous with the long-running Danish toy line, that word is build.

What's there to do in LEGO Universe when your creativity runs dry, though? Thanks to the game's latest content update, traditional MMO character-building is now a viable option. Player minifigures may progress through 40 levels of content, unlocking points, achievements, and equipment along the way.

That's not all, as the latest LEGO Universe patch also features four new faction kits (Specialized Adventurer, Shinobi, Inventor, and Space Ranger), each of them aligned with one of the game's four Nexus Force factions and each offering players the opportunity to rank up and explore "new gear, powers, and abilities." Last but not least, the new LEGO Universe update brings a new instance challenge in the form of the Avant Gardens, and a big nasty known as the Spider Queen awaits players who are creative enough to make it through to the final battle.

LEGO Universe update adds progression system originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Patching holes

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

Due to a general case of it's-the-blasted-holiday-season, I didn't get nearly as much playtime with Final Fantasy XIV following the November patch as I would have liked. I had to wait a couple days to really sit down and engage in a nice play session to really get a feel for all of the changes that had been wrought on the game by the update. And in a way, I'm glad I knew that I would need some time and thus focused on the community piece last Saturday, because it's meant more time to really appreciate the improvements.

The short version, if you're allergic to page breaks, is that this patch solves a huge number of issues, to the point that I imagine many players who couldn't see past those issues to the core game will be better able to see what's at the root. But there's a lot of unpacking to do, so I'd still recommend hopping past the cut for a breakdown of the patch as a whole as well as a brief look for what the December update still has to do for Final Fantasy XIV.

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The Mog Log: Patching holes originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Famitsu previews upcoming additions to Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Discussion about Final Fantasy XIV of late has centered around the coming November version update, currently slated for today. But there's more coming beyond simply a host of UI fixes and system improvements, some of which have been previewed by Famitsu recently. The translation crew at FFXIVCore has put together a gallery of images as well as small descriptions of what's coming for the game, albeit without much contextual information about when these additions can be expected.

The new retainer outfits are a cosmetic addition that's welcome without being overwhelming, but the previews of monsters show off familiar foes from the series as a whole, familiar faces from Final Fantasy XI, and new enemies to fight. And the weapon preview seems to hint at some of the equipment players can look forward to from the notorious monsters slated for implementation before the end of the year. Final Fantasy XIV players are encouraged to take a look at the preview -- and possibly put some time aside for play today.

Famitsu previews upcoming additions to Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tattered Notebook: Never leave home without it

Karen Bryan — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest II, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Trading card games, Legends of Norrath, The Tattered Notebook

This week, I decided it's time to dump the bag. My characters often accumulate items at such a rapid rate that my bags quickly resemble those of a typical teenager at the mall. Any time I resign myself to plunking down at the bank to sort my inventory, I end up shocked at some of the stuff I bring home. However, there are some items in EverQuest II that are lifesavers, and others that can really be handy in a pinch. Let's take a look at a few items that you should never leave home without.

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The Tattered Notebook: Never leave home without it originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: When have reused graphics bothered you?

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor

Reusing art assets in MMOs isn't done for style but for the continued sanity of the art team. Asking for 50 different variants on a sword design alone is pushing the boundaries of what can be done; asking for 500 different variants will have modeling artists throw their keyboards through a wall. I don't complain about that, but I'm really sad to see that the next latest and greatest armor for Final Fantasy XI's Dragoons is another reskin of the artifact armor, which looks blander and less interesting every time the artists slightly change which parts are purple and which parts are brown.

Of course, for the most part we really do accept the slight reskinning and retexturing of game models as a matter of necessity. But there's always a point at which something makes you narrow your eyes in disappointment, one set of armor or another that you wish the art team had put together as an original graphic instead of yet another reuse of an old texture. So when have re-used art assets bothered you? Was it with a certain type of enemy appearing far too often? Armor or weapons that you seemed to be using for eternity? Or just a popular piece of equipment that everyone wanted reskinned ad infinitum?

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!

The Daily Grind: When have reused graphics bothered you? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G-Star 2010: TERA G-Star reveals outlined

Jef Reahard — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA

Curious about the TERA-centric G-Star revelations the week has in store? We are too, and even though we've got Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster as our man in Korea, we're still combing the intarwebs for the very latest about the fantasy title from Bluehole Studio and En Masse Entertainment.

En Masse has provided a helpful scorecard for the G-Star event in the form of a forum post that outlines what fans can expect to learn over the course of the convention. Bluehole representatives will be revealing information about the game's skill system, equipment system, PvP mechanics, guild systems, and the mysterious political system. Check out all the details at the official TERA website, and also have a look at the various translations available via TERAfans.

G-Star 2010: TERA G-Star reveals outlined originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft releases Aion Exchange app for iOS

Jef Reahard — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, MMO industry, News items

NCsoft has taken the wraps off another portion of its mobile platform offensive as today marked the unveiling of the new Aion Exchange app for Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iOS devices. The app provides live access to the fantasy MMO's broker system, as well as options for viewing your character info, statistics, and equipment.

The broker feature includes an item search as well as price lists, a wish list, and push notifications that will alert you to sales without the need to log into the game or open the app. Finally, Aion Exchange features a comprehensive item listing that boasts info about each piece of equipment available in game. Chris Hager, NCsoft West producer, sees the app as the first step in extending the world of Atreia beyond the desktop. "We see this application as an extension of the game and we will continually support and update the service offering with future feature updates," he said.

NCsoft releases Aion Exchange app for iOS originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: The negativity song

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Humor, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

As you read this, I am in New York at the New York Comic Con, where I am very angry. It's not because I dislike the city or because I'm going to be spending all day running around trying to put together interviews and information, although those are both true statements. It's because all of this means I'm going to have to skip out on an entire day of Final Fantasy XIV. This should give you some idea of how much I like this game -- that I'm more annoyed about not playing it than about spending fifteen hours working.

But this is not to say that all is well and good within the land of Eorzea. Things are pretty darn good, yeah, but to the surprise of absolutely no one there are some things I really don't like about Final Fantasy XIV. They aren't game-breaking, and some would argue that they're not even really drawbacks, but if I had to pick a list of what to dislike about the game? Here's the list. (And while I'm still not pleased with the column, I'd like to look back on this particular installment and note that I freaking called it. Except for the communication -- the development team has stepped up on that count.)

Continue reading The Mog Log: The negativity song

The Mog Log: The negativity song originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Storyboard: Finding what I'm looking for

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard

Two weeks ago, I made something of an impassioned plea because, while I like to roleplay quite a bit and have had wonderful experiences doing so (even in World of Warcraft, which kind of got turned into the villain of the piece), roleplaying is essentially seen as a non-entity. It's unsupported and generally ignored by development teams, and part of that is our fault for not demanding that it be made more important. So this week I'm going to talk about some minimum and fairly reasonable baselines of roleplaying features, things that already exist in many games but aren't even close to being universal.

In response to one of the frequent comments from both sides, it's worth noting that yes, roleplayers are a minority. But then, so are extremely hardcore PvP players, and the people who will rush through all available endgame content in less than a week, and players who can multi-box with five different characters, and so on. The difference is that those minorities stay and grow, because they're given the tools they need. Roleplayers aren't. Sometimes by not creating the market, you're denying an audience you don't know is there, an argument so simple that articles could be (and have been) written just on that principle.

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Storyboard: Finding what I'm looking for originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trial of the Magians expands in Final Fantasy XI

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles

It was a good plan for Final Fantasy XI to allow players to keep their relic and mythic weapons relevant even after the recent level cap increase. Trial of the Magians as a system has allowed players with the intensely rare weapons to continue upgrading them, or players without to acquire new weapons of impressive power levels. With the coming September version update, there will be a concurrent update to the quest system, allowing players to predictably improve weapons even further. But that's not the least of what will be added with the next version update -- armor is next on the block.

While there are no armor sets that require the time investment as top-end weapons, there will be new Abyssean armor introduced with the update that can be upgraded via trials. Although it's not explicitly referred to as Artifact Armor 3, it's mentioned as unique to each class, which makes it the most likely incarnation of the marquee sets. And, of course, weapons will also be getting a big boost for players who can brave further trials -- including unlocking new weapon skills. The high-end game of Final Fantasy XI is getting to be a very interesting place, so players should be happy to see they'll get the upgrades they need.

Trial of the Magians expands in Final Fantasy XI originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Completing the look in Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

It's only been a day since Final Fantasy XIV's newest round of beta started up, but the first day included the announcement that screenshots and experiences from beta could be shared freely. So, as one can imagine, there's plenty of information being shared all over the internet. Today has seen the intrepid staff at FFXIVCore delving into the depths of the character creator, testing the limits of just how powerful it really is. It's not just a significant upgrade from Final Fantasy XI, but quite a potent tool in its own right.

Of course, the one thing that can't be shared from the beta is video... but that doesn't mean you have to go without moving pictures. Dovetailing nicely with an article on illustrating your character is the newest installment of Square-Enix's Making of Eorzea videos, this one focusing on equipment variations to keep every character looking distinct. The video is embedded past the cut, and should provide both familiar and new looks for Final Fantasy XIV's eager audience.

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Completing the look in Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part 2

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, The Mog Log

It's just as well that there haven't been any huge revelations of late regarding Final Fantasy XIV (aside from the lovely new character creation video), because we're knee-deep in the trial of the second Final Fantasy XI expansion and we've got no room for anything else. After last week's examination, which included excellent discussion and some really interesting viewpoints from the community (seriously, guys, pat yourselves on the back), we're going to dive back into the meat of the trial and try to determine the worth of Chains of Promathia via examining everything there is to examine. And that's a lot, I tell you.

Last time, we examined the use of level caps and the lack of new jobs in the expansion. The former looked awful at a glance, but upon closer examination had some notable positives. The latter was... well, it was just plain a keenly-felt omission. This week we're going to dive into what's considered by many to be the biggest part of the expansion -- something so overwhelming that its repercussions are felt to this day. No serious discussion of the expansion would be complete without this most celebrated element.

Continue reading The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part 2

The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Global Agenda

The team over at Hi-Rez Studios may have bitten off just a touch more than they could chew with the 1.3 patch for Global Agenda. It's not that the patch is bad, just that they turned out to not quite be able to push some of the originally promised features through at the same time as the main patch. Of course, considering all of the stuff that is in the newest patch, that almost seems less like a drawback and more like an act of mercy. The advertised open zones and 64-person PvP Warzone will be slightly delayed, which only leaves...

...well, it leaves a whole lot of changes, starting with the massive overhauls to weapons and armor that bring the game closer in line with common genre conventions. The previous system has entirely been discarded, and replaced with four grades of quality for weapons and armor: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic. All grades can be obtained from vendors in exchange for credits (for common weapons), Mercenary tokens (for rare and epic weapons), or Conquest tokens (for epic special weapons). The weapons also have a chance to drop during PvE missions, with the weapons getting correspondingly stronger as the mission gets more difficult.

Continue reading A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch

A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gameplay on parade in newest Battle of the Immortals video diary

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Game mechanics, Previews, Free-to-play, Battle of the Immortals

It's a big day for Battle of the Immortals, as the open beta has finally started on the most recent Perfect World Entertainment game. Closed beta was quite successful, with the development team rolling out requested features like improved access to the high-end Soul Gear and improved keybinding (complete with standard WASD movement schemes). To celebrate the occasion, and to give players who haven't been following the game too closely an idea of why they might want to start, the game has released its fourth video developer diary today, this time focusing on the content found within the game.

Jon Belliss, Product Manager for the game, focuses on the game's dungeons, starting off with one dubbed Knight's Jail. Everything from gameplay to rewards gets covered, complete with a semi-snarky reference that "you can complete it in ten to fifteen minutes, as long as you have a group that isn't full of idiots." He goes on to discuss the later Dragon Emperor Catacombs, which can switch between a low-level "easy mode" and a more rewarding "normal mode," and Spectre Island even beyond that. Take a look past the cut for the full diary, and keep your eyes open for more news on the open beta for Battle of the Immortals.

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Gameplay on parade in newest Battle of the Immortals video diary originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 May 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Assembling the gestalt of Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 01 May 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Classes, Previews, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

We've been treated to a veritable onslaught of new information about Final Fantasy XIV of late, and when I say "treated" I mean precisely that. After all, Square-Enix's information comes at a glacial pace, to the point where they're still releasing information about Final Fantasy VII to this day. (Or squeezing blood out of that stone for all it's worth, reader's choice. I think my way is funnier.)

Of course, the problem is that the information is released without a great deal of context. My hat goes off to the brave folks in the testing, scurrying about and trying to reveal as much as possible, but I know from experience what happens when your goal is "find things out" rather than "assemble a coherent picture." We know a lot of facts about Final Fantasy XIV, but we don't have a real idea of the scope of the game.

For some people, that's second nature. For others, it's a challenge. And for some people, they haven't seen the piece or two that would make everything fall into place. So today, The Mog Log is taking a tour back through what we've learned and trying to put it all into some sort of overarching framework.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Assembling the gestalt of Final Fantasy XIV

The Mog Log: Assembling the gestalt of Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Everybody's got something to ask except for me and my monkey

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Leveling, Opinion, Massively Meta, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

Sometimes, people don't want answers to the questions that you expect. Sometimes people come up with solutions for problems you didn't know existed. And sometimes a question still gets asked even when you thought everyone knew the answer. It's a little bit of an unorthodox time here on The Mog Log, and it's going to be a bit of an unorthodox installment of our usual question-and-answer column. So let's dive right into the Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV questions, yes? Including those that are surprisingly meta.

Baalur asked:
"I don't think [customizable underwear is] half as ridiculous as the author. Why should the underwear be any less stupid than, say, a pet following you around?"

Well, the latter is a slavering beast that's yoked to your will, and the former allows you to take great pains to make sure that your mito'qe is wearing her Lumberjack Boxers of +5 Vitality before she goes off to tank something. I think we can agree that one is just a bit more intimidating and cool, while the other is... well, still cool, but in an entirely different fashion.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Everybody's got something to ask except for me and my monkey

The Mog Log: Everybody's got something to ask except for me and my monkey originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intimate apparel among Final Fantasy XIV equipment

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

When character creation previews started emerging for Final Fantasy XIV, one of the oft-heard bits of speculation was that there would be some way to customize your character's undergarments. Of course, the idea is on its face rather ridiculous, except for one thing: according to the most recent test article released by Famitsu, you can do precisely that. One of the points discussed from this latest bout with the game are the equipment slots available, twelve in total and including one's underclothes. While we shudder at the thought of farming a boss for underwear, it's most likely a cosmetic option.

The remainder of the article, helpfully translated by FFXIVCore, goes into more details on the game's menus and emotes. The emotes are apparently quite detailed, even including shifting facial expressions. Most of the menu discussion will likely be familiar to Final Fantasy XI players, but even veterans are encouraged to take a look at the full translation. After all, lately it's rarer to not have new Final Fantasy XIV info to digest, and even little things like being able to move windows around the UI are welcome changes.

Intimate apparel among Final Fantasy XIV equipment originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tales of Fantasy introduces the Fusion system

Kyle Horner — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Tales of Fantasy

Equipment has been a central part of the MMO experience for years now, so it's no surprise that Tales of Fantasy has a system built around the idea of saving equipment on your character. It's called the Fusion system and works in a fairly straightforward manner that almost sounds like a combination of crafting and character advancement.

Basically, if you've got a piece of equipment it can be fused onto your character, permanently adding its stats to your character and opening up that equip slot for a new equipment item. It's a simple idea, but one that effectively doubles the amount of gear you can wear. Higher level fusions require more Soul Containers, which are the sole item used for a fusion and can be acquired through story quests or instances. We're curious to hear what other design ideas are floating around in Tales of Fantasy, because if they're all this interesting it's going to be a game we spend some time with.

Tales of Fantasy introduces the Fusion system originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: I can kill dragons, but I can't dress myself pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Roleplaying, Virtual worlds, Anti-Aliased

Take egg, insert onto face

One of the biggest blunders of the "I can't dress myself" type had to have been The Matrix Online. Take The Matrix franchise -- a world that is washed in a deep cyberpunk atmosphere and slick, luxurious styles. Morpheus's purple vest and yellow tie, Trinity's catsuits, Neo's coat -- all of these defined the culture that was, undoubtedly, The Matrix. How you dressed was as much of the game as the game itself.

Then, the game rolled out, people jumped in, and everyone was excited over all of the options. They had trenchcoats, dresses, boots, vests, shirts, jumpsuits, hats, gloves, corsets, you name it. Clothing vendors had a very serious appeal upon launch as everyone ran around, getting dressed exactly how they wanted to look. Finally, the world looked right.

"The combinations of clothing that worked diminished until everyone looked like they had fallen into a display of paint cans at the local hardware store."

Then, just a few days in, people found upgraded equipment. Clothing that carried stat buffs instead of just sitting on your body. Soon that slick style began to quickly degrade as people were combining green shoes with dull yellow shirts and red pants. The combinations of clothing that worked diminished until everyone looked like they had fallen into a display of paint cans at the local hardware store. An aspect of the culture that was so undoubtedly The Matrix had been swiftly crushed by the player's instinct to maximize benefits and minimize losses.

Let the creativity fall to the player

It's easy to say something like, "Well, just take the stats off of the clothing," but the fact is that our culture is now attuned to having equipment that boosts stats. When they don't have that, they get a little antsy because they may not "feel" the progression of the game.

Take City of Heroes, for example. A game where you could wear basically anything from level 1, and look exactly the way you wanted to. What happened down the road? They added items that had stats because players wanted them. On a creative level, I disagree with that decision, but on a design level I can fully support it. You want to give the players the comfort they want.

But, I don't think the idea of separating stats from appearance is dead. If more developers would find ways to embrace that system, more people are going to find it an easy system to navigate. This way people get to wear what they want without having the game force them into outfits they may not like to see. If you want a few games for examples, City of Heroes and Phantasy Star Online are two that come to mind.

And if you're worried about still having players armor look better and better as the game progresses, then that's still very doable. Clothing items can still be rare drops -- perhaps as a token that everyone can loot and turn in for a piece of the outfit. Clothing items could still be level restricted as well, so a level 1 can't be dressed up in the max level look. Progression is left intact while still giving players enough freedom to not look like rodeo clowns.

Just, simply, let the stats come from somewhere else.

Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who wants his fashion to look cohesive for once. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's rambling on his personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow him on Twitter through Massively, or through his personal feed.

Anti-Aliased: I can kill dragons, but I can't dress myself pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting out in Vana'diel: Questing and you

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Guides, Leveling, Tips and tricks, Quests, PvE, Player Housing, Consoles

Hello again adventurers! Today's topic is once again back on hard gaming ground instead of community theory as I introduce quests and their purpose.

Questing in Final Fantasy XI is not like questing in other games. Quests exist, but they don't jump out at you with bright yellow exclamation points. NPCs don't scream, "I have things for you to do for me!" Quests don't hold your hand as you pursue their goals. Also, most importantly, quests don't reward experience.

So why bother, right? If you're only going to get come cruddy gold and maybe an item, why should you spend your time doing the quest? Beautiful question, and a very accurate one. Let's take a look at the quest system, what it has to offer you, and how to find some quests at your level with ease.

Continue reading Starting out in Vana'diel: Questing and you

Starting out in Vana'diel: Questing and you originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero

James Egan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, Events, in-game, News items, Humor

Our sister site WoW Insider has video footage of a new World of Warcraft drop that's an 'axe' in every sense of the word -- the Arcanite Ripper is a guitar as well as a weapon. In fact, WoW Insider's dubbed it "The WoW Guitar Hero."

The drop comes from the boss Tenris Mirkblood in Karazhan. Once equipped, the Arcanite Ripper can transform you into a skeletal rockstar. Check out the video of the Arcanite Ripper in action below the cut, as WoW-player Telanis rocks out with it in Ironforge.

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Continue reading World of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero

World of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High level content adjustments in latest WAR hotfix

Kyle Horner — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Patches, Warhammer Online, News items

Mythic is tweaking and adding to the endgame content in Warhammer Online. Experience gain in tiers 3 and 4 are being increased and brand new quests are being added. This is only the beginning of experience changes, according to Mythic. These aren't the only alterations to the endgame experience, however. Fortress Lords and contested city guards have been made more challenging and because of this, armor sets have been modified to help players deal with their newly acquired combat tenacity.

This looks like the opening salvo of streamlining updates from Mythic. Whatever they're feeding the development team seems to be working, because it seems like every few days we've got another relevant hot-fix to report. Chances are that the first major content update for Warhammer Online will blow a dwarf-sized hole in our collective minds when it's announced. Check beyond the cut for the detail info you may be seeking.

Continue reading High level content adjustments in latest WAR hotfix

High level content adjustments in latest WAR hotfix originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's WAR Camp: How to get the Tracker set gear

William Dobson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Guides, PvP, Quests, Warhammer Online, PvE

Equipment does play a role in how well your character performs in Warhammer Online, so it's only natural that you'll be wanting to keep your toon outfitted in the best gear that is available to you. This week we're taking a look at the Tracker armor, which is a 3-piece set for Tier 2 players, and offers bonuses if you wear more than one piece. The set is obtained through quests that get you to kill other players, as well as Hero mobs, mixing a bit of PvE and RvR together.

The first stage of each quest involves killing a certain number of players, often of a particular class. There is then a second step to kill a Hero mob that usually requires a group. If you take the trouble to get all three pieces, you'll complete an entry in the Armory section of your Tome of Knowledge and earn yourself a new title as a nice little extra. We've gone through all of the quests needed to get the Tracker set, so click through to our gallery guide to get yourself equipped!

The Tracker Set Guide

Gallery: Warhammer Online: WAR Camp Series

Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Massively's WAR Camp: How to get the Tracker set gear originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Updates fall onto a Fallen Earth

Eli Shayotovich — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, Screenshots, Fallen Earth, Forums, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, Crafting

The gang at Fallen Earth released four new images and some new nuggets o' knowledge about their upcoming end-of-the-world MMO. The images show off the updated graphics engine. While the landscapes look great we're a bit concerned about the rigidity of the humans. Granted, this game is a long ways off from being released so it's too early to lose sleep over.

They're working on a new tutorial level as well as finishing out the starter towns of Zanesville and Needle Eye. They're also revising a bunch of items and balancing out creature abilities. A question was raised by the community asking if 64 equipment slots was enough space given that crafting will be a big emphasis. Crafting = lots of raw materials, which takes up a lot of space. There are three options to offset the limited space. First are clan banks, which are accessible just like a bank vault. Next, players can store gear either in their vehicles or on their horses. Each will have different storage capabilities. Lastly, each player will have their own personal vaults set up by sector. Granted, this means there will be some back and forth running, but it does provide a large amount of storage space, which should offset any headaches.

Three more questions were answered about the state of Fallen Earth, so if you're interested in this post apocalyptic MMO, head over to the forums for all the lowdown.

Updates fall onto a Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LotRO Book 13 gets beautiful new screens

Kyle Horner — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, News items

We've long since known the new area being introduced in the newest Lord of the Rings Online's Book 13 patch was Forochel. The fact that Forochel has an enormous water mass (that players can't swim across) makes it perfect for the new fishing mechanic being introduced to the game. If players aren't in the mood for fishing, it's not as though they can't level up on their own instead. Forochel is very solo-friendly.

There's also been the recent revelation that Book 13 will have a pretty cool name, "Doom of the Last-King" and will be the first zone in LotRO to have it's own faction reputation to earn. So expect to be at an 'unfriendly' status with the Lossoth in the region, at least upon first entering. Improving your faction level with said survivors of the Forodwaith will be rewarded with treasures such as new armor sets, a new mount, weapons, housing decorations, and some class-specific items as well. All very cool stuff, but there's still some more to be seen.

Today Turbine has released some rather enticing new screens for the upcoming Book 13 patch and we've got them right here for your visual enjoyment.

Continue reading LotRO Book 13 gets beautiful new screens

LotRO Book 13 gets beautiful new screens originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Associate producer with EA Mythic Josh Drescher talks Warhammer Online

William Dobson — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Interviews, New titles, PvP, Warhammer Online

The tantalizing drip-feed of information on Warhammer Online continues. One of EA Mythic's associate producers, Josh Drescher, recently gave his time for an interview and answered some good questions for the fans. There are a couple of things that he had to decline commenting on due to marketing plans, but for the most part, he provided very interesting answers to the questions posed.

Among other things he mentioned, he confirmed that there will be NPCs involved with RvR, to prevent situations where there is a completely unguarded territory up for capturing when there are no players about to help defend. He comments on WAR's answer to a "charge" type ability for melee classes (designed to assist these classes in closing the distance on a target) and says that instead of a charge akin to World of Warcraft's for example, which basically teleports you right up to the target with zero player control, theirs will be like a secondary sprint that makes you move a bit faster than your prey while you retain complete control over movement.

Another pertinent portion of the interview is Drescher's commentary on equipment and balancing. He is asked whether players will be required to raid end-game bosses over and over to obtain the best gear and keep up in RvR. His reply is two-fold; firstly, the very best gear will be obtained from city siege and capture (with other good gear being rewarded upon completing specific tasks and quests), and secondly, gear will not be the most important factor in RvR success. The link below will take you through to the full interview and the rest of Drescher's answers.

[Via MMOsite]

Associate producer with EA Mythic Josh Drescher talks Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arr! Here be yer pre-order bonus item's stats

Kyle Horner — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Pirates of the Burning Sea, New titles, News items

Flying Lab Software's Aether has taken a moment to pull himself away from all the pre-launch craziness surrounding any MMO only a couple weeks away from retail. Why, you ask? To give us some information on pre-order bonuses, I say! All silliness aside, these items are pretty hot.

What you'll be getting for pre-ordering is three swords -- one for each style of combat -- that all share the same stats. The Musketeer's Matching Blades (Florentine style), Old World Cutlass (Dirty Fighting style) and Swedish Rapier (Fencing style) are all level 1 swords that are equivalent to the power of a level 20 weapon. We're pretty sure that we haven't heard of a pre-order item this powerful in quite some time, if ever. Pirates of the Burning Sea is set to launch on January 22nd, so if you want this pre-order bonus it may be a good idea to do it now rather than later.

Arr! Here be yer pre-order bonus item's stats originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom: cool stuff coming for AO in 17.8

Samuel Axon — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Anarchy Online, Patches, PvP, News items

Craig Morrison, the director of Funcom's Anarchy Online, wrote up a letter to the game's player community describing what's to come in the 17.8 update.

17.8 will bring a new team-based instance encounter that continues the Dust Brigade storyline, a complete overhaul of PvP titles, and a separate "social" tab in the inventory system so players can equip items specifically for their appearances without completely replacing the stat bonuses of existing gear. Also, Funcom's focus is shifting back to the pre-Shadlowlands world in terms of new content development.

Morrison said information about upcoming holiday events and the graphics engine upgrades is forthcoming. The updated engine is still in alpha testing but should be ready "mid to late next year." Fans of the game can expect to see some footage of the changes "very shortly."

We don't think a graphics update is likely to incite a surge of new players for this industry dinosaur, but hey, if you're already an AO player, it's still exciting.

[Via WarCry]

Funcom: cool stuff coming for AO in 17.8 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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