Massively

Final Fantasy XIV removing old penalties and adding a couple new ones

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST

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

The Fatigue system was one of the most hated features of Final Fantasy XIV before the game had even hit release. Even though it was almost impossible to hit the mythical point where you started getting less experience, nobody liked the idea of having your gains cut when you were having fun. So there will be few tears shed when the entire system is removed in patch 1.18, which has already promised a number of sweeping changes to the game's functionality.

Of course, it's not all about making life easier for players, as both the death penalty and Return option are seeing their functionality tweaked. Previously, players would sometimes die and use Return to avoid an anima cost while still making a fast trip somewhere. As of the newest patch, using Return to revive will incur a small durability penalty, offset slightly by the improvement of the Raise spell. Final Fantasy XIV players can check the official release for details on the slight rearrangement of penalties, aimed at keeping gameplay more dynamic and active.

Final Fantasy XIV removing old penalties and adding a couple new ones originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: How long are most of your play sessions?

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

How long we play changes as times change. When you first start playing RIFT, for instance, odds are good that you'll be playing for several hours at a stretch. It's possible, however, that by the time you've reached endgame you'll be logging on briefly, seeing if anything is going on, and then logging right back off. That's not even discussing the difference between games where you can log in, do something quickly, and then log right back off (City of Heroes) versus games where you need to take the time to assemble a group before doing anything (Final Fantasy XI).

Despite all of that, most of us generally has a certain amount of time we expect to spend in an MMO when we log on. So on average, once you click the button to enter the game, how long do you expect to be playing? Are you generally just clocking an hour or two a night, or is it the whole of your evening from the time you get home until the moment you go to sleep? And does it vary by game -- do you spend more time quietly mining in EVE Online than actively smashing villains in DC Universe Online?

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: How long are most of your play sessions? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Atlantica Online removes Stamina, allows unlimited play

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Nobody likes to be told how to play. Even if you have a good reason to try to limit player activities, players want to have the freedom to play an MMO however they want and whenever they want. It's a lesson that Atlantica Online has taken to heart with its latest mechanical change overhauling the Stamina system. Specifically, the overhaul consists of removing the system in its entirety as of today, allowing players unfettered access to the game's content.

Previously, the system was in place to prevent players from taking too many actions during a given period of time, which fatigued characters and locked down further progress. The removal allows players to continue playing for as long as they wish. Atlantica Online's players will no doubt be happy to hear that there's no clock in the background any longer, which is undeniably good unless you needed to be reminded to get up from the computer once in a while.

Atlantica Online removes Stamina, allows unlimited play originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: The natives are restless

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

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

Allow me a little bit of woolgathering. When I started working for Massively, it was October of last year, and Final Fantasy XIV had just been announced as the official title for the game code-named "Rapture" and unofficially codenamed "the sequel to Final Fantasy XI" by everyone else who had seen a single screenshot. About four days after you read this, the game is going to be officially live for players around the world willing to shell out an extra bit of cash for various doodads and a headstart.

This is kind of baffling. Objectively, you know that the game is getting close to release, but it's not made real until the release is right at your doorstep. So before I go too far off the deep end and start thinking about things like the franchise having started when I was four, let's move on to the discussions coming out of the impending launch. And really, do come back next week when Final Fantasy XIV comes out, as I'm sure we'll have plenty of things on launch day. (Very sure, in fact.)

Continue reading The Mog Log: The natives are restless

The Mog Log: The natives are restless originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV did not ruin your birthday party

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

If you were one of the many, many people trying desperately to get Square-Enix's account management page to work on Wednesday evening, you're probably not one of the people this week's article is aimed at. It's pretty clear that even amidst all of the recent controversy surrounding Final Fantasy XIV, there is no shortage of players who couldn't wait to get into the game at the first opportunity. So if you were also up until way too darn late hitting "Refresh" and getting sick of hearing that the connection was reset, you don't need to worry.

But there are a lot of things that have prompted players to call the premature death of Final Fantasy XIV. The fatigue system in particular did a wonderful job of making roughly nobody happy, spawning rage-filled comments that are still showing up in my inbox. Guildleve cooldowns are another big complaint, the one that originally prompted me to start planning this article. (Yes, well before Komoto tried to calm people down and accidentally did precisely the opposite.) But the sky isn't actually falling, and these systems do have their positive points... and there are very good reasons that we shouldn't be worried.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV did not ruin your birthday party

The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV did not ruin your birthday party originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: Each answer is the end of a question

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

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

Welcome to this week's edition of The Mog Log, in which we answer reader questions about Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV while staying as far away from the drama of this past week as possible. Seriously, the sky is not falling here, folks. It seemed like such a nice week overall, too, with lots of great news coming out the whole week long. And for the record, there's also a special announcement at the end of the article, so by all means read through to the end in the unlikely event you normally don't.

Roughly ten million people asked or said: "What the heck is the deal with the fatigue system?"

I'm really hoping that by the time you're reading this, the full translation has mollified people somewhat regarding the system. But I'm going to write on the assumption that it hasn't, and believe me, it's at the top of the list for things to talk about next week. And it certainly does put a strict limit on what players can do in the game, much like guildleves and their infamous two-day turnaround.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Each answer is the end of a question

The Mog Log: Each answer is the end of a question originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: No grind?? No pre-order!!

Jef Reahard — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Final Fantasy XIV

This week's internet furor over Final Fantasy XIV's fatigue mechanic has been fascinating to watch. First off, as I'm a relative outsider to the franchise, it's given me an excuse to read up on the title as well as its predecessor, Final Fantasy XI (one of the few MMORPGs that couldn't hold my attention for the full free month).

More importantly though, the walls of flame incoming from fans all over the internet about what amounts to a grind-limiting mechanic has been, shall we say, perplexing. Regardless of whether the actual mechanics and their effects have been lost in the language translation (which I'm still unclear on, to be perfectly honest), the fact remains that many, many players clearly want to grind when they play MMORPGs.

A quick perusal of the comments on Eliot's article confirms that for many folks, nothing in these games aside from the ability to continually advance your character matters. The question of the day, Massively readers, is this: do you have to grind to enjoy your MMORPGs? Is there nothing aside from character advancement that compels you to play an MMO?

The Daily Grind: No grind?? No pre-order!! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Devil in the details for Final Fantasy XIV's fatigue

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

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

When the news broke yesterday regarding the fatigue system in Final Fantasy XIV, it made virtually no one happy. Even the system's defenders generally had an attitude of "it's not all that bad," and most players were up in arms over the very idea. But a day can make a lot of difference, and as it turns out, we didn't quite have the clear picture of the fatigue system that we thought we did. The official translation from Square-Enix covers most of the same ground, but adds several important facts.

The two most salient points are the fact that the limiting factors are not time-based but value-based, and the fact that the "cooldown" on fatigue sets in as soon as a player starts doing something that won't grant skill or experience points. There's no word on whether or not this will be the case during time spent logged off, but it means that the much-loathed figures about how much time would be productive are not altogether correct. Take a look at the official translation, which should provide a much-needed balm for several angry Final Fantasy XIV fans.

[Thanks to John for the tip!]

Devil in the details for Final Fantasy XIV's fatigue originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV fatigue format fully put forward

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

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

Ever since the beginning of the third beta phase, "fatigue" has been a hot topic among Final Fantasy XIV fans. In a move familiar to longtime Square-Enix players, the system was put into place without a great deal of description, with players left to speculate as to how the system worked. But a very uncharacteristic move comes from director Nobuaki Komoto with an open statement on what the system is, how it works, and what it's meant to do. Many answers are given, albeit not the answers that all players would want.

The short version is that for each class and character, you will get normal experience for eight hours, followed by a slow drop-off over the next seven hours that ends at no experience gain. This goes for both class levels and physical levels, which means that after 16 hours of play your character's physical level cannot advance further until a week has passed from the start of leveling. Komoto mentions the reasoning behind the system in the full letter, as well as the several ways that the team is working to adjust it. Although it's nice to have the system spelled out in full, "you can only level so much" won't sit well with a large part of Final Fantasy XIV's expected playerbase.

Final Fantasy XIV fatigue format fully put forward originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fallen Earth adds dueling, fatigue, New Gallows

Jef Reahard — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Patches, News items

Everyone's favorite apocalyptic wasteland got a little bit livelier with today's patch. Version 1.3.11 of Icarus' Fallen Earth brings several noteworthy additions to the residents of the Grand Canyon province, including a new dueling system, the first stage of the New Gallows conflict town revamp, and a new fatigue system. The update also brings a laundry list of tweaks and bug fixes, as well as the curious decision to reduce vehicle crafting XP by 50% and research book crafting XP by 80%.

Massively also managed to snag the non-combat pet pictured above, but sadly the doggies have since been removed from the in-game vendors. We'll unravel the mystery of when and where you can expect to get your own post-apocalyptic pooch as soon as we confirm the details with Icarus. In the meantime, check out the update announcement and the patch notes, and don't forget about our previous coverage of the additions from the test server.

Fallen Earth adds dueling, fatigue, New Gallows originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Statistics point to China's growing significance in MMO industry

James Egan — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Legal

We've been mentioning a bit about some of the regulatory issues in China affecting massively multiplayer online games, particularly as they concern some Western game companies. However, a number of gamers in the West have wondered something along the lines of, "What does this have to do with me?" Well, in terms of Western markets directly, not much. But China is significant for the MMO industry seen as a whole.

China will be the world's largest MMO market moving forward and as broadband speeds and penetration increase, the numbers of online gamers will keep rising. The current regulatory changes put forth by China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) stands to have a major impact on how online games are operated in this market, ranging from implementation of a "fatigue system" (where play time is limited each day) to censorship of game content. The country has over 55.5 million online gamers, with a total market for virtual transactions between USD 1.4 billion and 1.9 billion (RMB 10-13 billion), according to 2008 statistics released by the China Internet Network Information Center (as reported in English by JLM Pacific Epoch).

Statistics point to China's growing significance in MMO industry originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments