Massively

Wings Over Atreia: In defense of PvP -- a carebear's conversion

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, PvP, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

Squealing in delight, the gamer continues down the list, eyes feasting on line after line of the perfect features. Everything ever wanted, dreamed of, right here. Could it be? Could this be The One? Visions of gaming nirvana dance about the gamer's mind. Oh the fun that shall be had! Almost quivering, unable to contain the excitement, eyes finally chance upon the line... wait, what's this? PvP? Window closed/box tossed back on the shelf. What a piece of garbage.

Sound familiar? How many times have we heard the phrase "It would have been perfect without PvP" or see gamers just pass over a title that fit their wants and needs almost to a "T" just because of that one feature without even giving it a chance? How many people have been captivated by the beauty and promise of Aion but refrained from trying it because of two little words: "open PvP"? Plenty. Even among my own circle of friends I have heard that refrain many a time. To that I say: It's your loss.

In fact, I propose that PvP can be not only tolerated but actually enjoyed by almost everyone. And this week's Wings Over Atreia is dedicated to showing you how. Poppycock! you say? Now, before you dismiss me out of hand, please consider where this declaration is coming from. No one can (accurately) accuse me of being a PvPer. In fact, I more fully fall into the quintessential carebear category than anywhere else -- I am a casual-ish player and a roleplayer. Even so, I can now make the following (qualified) statement:

My name is MJ. And I like PvP.*

Don't believe that you, too, can make this statement? Take the leap past the break for a look at some tips on how to come to enjoy this integral feature more and not let fear keep you away from Aion.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: In defense of PvP -- a carebear's conversion

Wings Over Atreia: In defense of PvP -- a carebear's conversion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: Diagnosing and understanding Girlfriend Syndrome

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

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

You see them more often than you probably want to admit. They're remarkably easy to spot, most often lower-level characters dressed in the best possible equipment, limply following behind higher-level characters like some sort of ersatz satellite. When you talk to them, they give short answers before the higher-level characters answer everything. You see them trudging along, going through the motions, but not showing any signs of interest.

You've witnesses someone suffering from Girlfriend Syndrome.

Girlfriend Syndrome is a disease that affects any number of people worldwide, and it is thankfully wholly curable. But in order to cure this debilitating ailment, you have to understand why people suffer from it, what can be done for them, and whether or not in-game euthanasia is really the best option. Girlfriend Syndrome, you see, is not airborne; it's transmitted, willingly, by someone who already has the gaming bug.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Diagnosing and understanding Girlfriend Syndrome

The Soapbox: Diagnosing and understanding Girlfriend Syndrome originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Chat: Rose-colored glasses vs. realism edition

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Massively Meta, Global Chat, Miscellaneous

Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat!

There's a lot of hype and excitement floating around the gaming world these days. Exciting titles are in various stages of development, and speculation is the name of the game. Titles still in development aren't the only source of excitement, though. Players love to talk up their favorite games and sometimes the industry in general.

Some of our readers jumped in on various Massively stories this week with some slightly more down-to-earth thoughts -- not that this is bad! Follow along after the jump to see what some of our most astute readers of the week had to say.

Continue reading Global Chat: Rose-colored glasses vs. realism edition

Global Chat: Rose-colored glasses vs. realism edition originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the Mask: The incentives are backwards

Patrick Mackey — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Behind the Mask

This week in Behind the Mask, we will not be discussing Aftershock, the new Comic Series adventure that started several weeks ago. I intend to talk about Aftershock after it's finished -- if I talked about each new issue of Aftershock, I wouldn't be able to talk about other things, since there's a new issue every week.

Instead, I'm going to talk about the broad aspect of teaming in Champions Online, and more importantly, the rewards for teaming. Teaming in CO is as fun as in other MMORPGs because playing with other people is generally a fun activity. Unfortunately, there isn't much material incentive to team. It's faster to get experience and gear solo, making lairs the only real reason to team.

I team all the time, though -- entirely because it's more fun to play with friends.

Continue reading Behind the Mask: The incentives are backwards

Behind the Mask: The incentives are backwards originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What do you find the most fun in MMOs?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

"Fun" is one of those wonderful properties that every single game tries to capture, and whether or not a game succeed is completely subjective. Some people find the freedom and constant tension of free-for-all PvP to be fun; others find it limiting and an open invitation to grief. Some people like having a clearly delineated quest experience to enjoy; others find it restrictive, arbitrary, and ridiculously narrow. It's that gap between personal tastes that allows us to have so many different options in the MMO field, from Ultima Online to Vindictus and everything in between.

We ask a lot of broad and sometimes abstract questions here, but let's boil this one down to something very basic -- what experiences in MMOs do you find really fun? Large-scale raiding with friends? Acquiring new equipment? Making off-beat characters? Roleplaying? Do you like skill-based action systems like Global Agenda's to let you prove how good you are, or do you like slower group combat as found in Final Fantasy XI to let you flex your mental muscles? What do you find to be most captivating and enjoyable?

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 do you find the most fun in MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Would you try an MMO with "realistic" combat?

Jef Reahard — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Combat has become the bread and butter of MMORPGs. Whether we're talking about the latest AAA themepark implementation, a newfangled (and purportedly) skill-based approach, or the various flavors of indie sandbox, combat is generally all that the majority of MMO devs and players really care about.

It's strange, then, that even with such a laser focus on one particular aspect of gaming, the lion's share of the implementations are largely the same. Sure, there's variation in terms of skill naming and other superficial details, but at the end of the day, MMO combat boils down to long, drawn-out slug-fests to see whose numbers are the best. This bears no resemblance to real combat, which, due to various factors, often happens in the blink of an eye (and often results in victors with "inferior" skills or equipment). In MMO terms, one shots -- or even mildly quick victories -- are often labeled "overpowered," "unbalanced," and "unfair."

I've often wondered why that is, and why a genre that obsesses over efficiency and violence as much as ours does neglects to try a more realistic approach. Fast, one- or two-hit combat is not without precedent in gaming. Bushido Blade springs to mind as just one example, and every time I roll an MMO assassin that is unable to actually assassinate anyone, I'm reminded of the shortcomings of massively multiplayer combat. What about you, dear reader? Would you play an MMO with quasi-realistic combat, or are you married to the current paradigm?

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: Would you try an MMO with "realistic" combat? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's guide to Valentine's Day festivities

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Super-hero, Culture, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous

Ah spring! 'Tis the time when young men and women's thoughts turn to love -- or at least scoring some nifty holiday-themed loot! This year there's quite a bit going on. Some events are old familiar ones that have stood the test of time. Others offer new twists and things to do for those who have been there, done that. If you aren't feeling the love bug biting, there's even the odd anti-Valentine's-type event, perfect for those who would rather rain destruction down on the head of anyone foolish enough to approach him with anything heart-shaped or pink. Curious as to what's going on? Check out our listing below -- and feel free to chime in if you know of a fun event others should check out!

	Rip out your Fallen Earth character's heart for Valentine's Day (February 11th-13th) What's better than surviving a nuclear holocaust and wandering your way across a blasted brown landscape rife with societal collapse? Why, sharing said wanderings with someone you love, of course (or at least, someone you lust after in that we've-got-to-do-this-for-the-future-of-mankind sort of way). In a novel spin on the traditional mid-February holiday, Icarus Studios is presenting Fallen Earth's Valentine's Day Massacre event, and clones everywhere can literally offer their hearts as a sign of affection (and a +3 stamina buff).
	Vindictus spreads the love with new update and holiday (February 1st-15th) Quirky events have quickly become one of Vindictus' staples. Right now players can participate in V-Day events for special rewards. If fishing and chocolate hunting isn't your bag, you can simply purchase a Valentine's Package at the Supply Depot for "sexy Valentine's themed Inner Armor." Cute undies, in other words. Valentine's events will end after the 15th, so players are encouraged to partake sooner rather than regret it later.
	Time for love in Final Fantasy XI (February 1st-15th) Valentine's Day is almost here, that special time of year when you attempt to distill the essence of a romantic relationship into chocolate form. And if you were hoping to escape from the day within Vana'diel, your efforts are rather misdirected -- Valentione's Day coincides nicely with the holiday in the real world, with just as much saccharine summation of liaisons in Final Fantasy XI.

Continue reading Massively's guide to Valentine's Day festivities

Massively's guide to Valentine's Day festivities originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: End of line

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Anti-Aliased

Yeah, it's exactly what you think it is. It's one of those columns where the writer announces that she's packing up and moving out. It's a column where the writer talks about how she's been here for two years and 199 days, and has written over 1,018 posts that have included over 534,580 words. It's a column where the writer says goodbye, wishes that she wasn't moving on, but knows that she must.

Guys and gals, it's been an amazing two and a half years and it has been nothing but an honor to write for all of you. I know sometimes we all disagree, and I know I say some really insane stuff that leaves people going, "Wow, she really said that aloud?" But, I'm glad that all of you still come back to discuss gaming here on my column, despite some of our disagreements. Anti-Aliased has remained one of the most popular columns here on Massively throughout these two years and I am very grateful for your readership.

As I prepare to leave Massively and say goodbye, I'd like to take one final look at the MMO genre as a whole. Plus, I have a surprise announcement to make at the end! Yay surprises!

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: End of line

Anti-Aliased: End of line originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Out on the town

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST

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

There are an awful lot of things to do in most MMOs. Sometimes it's the diverse spread of activities available in a game like Final Fantasy XI; other times it's the tiered progression of dungeons in a game like World of Warcraft. Either way, it's all fun, but with a long-term goal in mind. Except that sometimes you wind up getting sidetracked, and the next thing you know you're rolling a new character just to participate in a massed player event, or dancing in the middle of nowhere and giving money to passersby.

Everyone needs a break from the serious from time to time, a chance to head out and just do something silly but fun. One could even argue that roleplaying is by and large something unnecessary for the game itself, but still a fun diversion. In a genre that's occasionally prone to feeling a lot like work, it's good to get the option of stepping back and just enjoying yourself. What's the last activity you took part in that wasn't even remotely progress-oriented but was just fun for the heck of it?

The Daily Grind: Out on the town originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: When playing a bad game is just so good

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Anti-Aliased

This week's Anti-Aliased is great for two reasons. One, it's the antithesis to last week's topic, and two, it's completely relevant to this week's events. In short, it's about All Points Bulletin.

Did I just call APB a bad game after spamming screenshots from it, hosting an event in it, and offering people what basically amounts to free DLC for their game? Yes, yes I did. Does that make me a complete hypocrite? Well, yes and no. You see, I'm having conflicting beliefs over this game. The reviewer in me wants to punt it over the Seattle Space Needle, but the gamer in me wants to sit down and play the hell out of it some more.

Look, this all makes sense, ok? Just come with me after the break (yes, I'm luring you with my double-sided, purposefully vague statements) and we'll get this all settled out.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: When playing a bad game is just so good

Anti-Aliased: When playing a bad game is just so good originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the Mask: Who cares about balance?

Patrick Mackey — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Opinion, Champions Online, Behind the Mask

Balance is one of those nebulous things in MMORPGs. It's as flighty a term as "good guild" or "fun content." When people talk about their game, it seems a foregone conclusion that they don't think their game is balanced. A balanced game seems almost mythical to me at times. People complain that Guild Wars and StarCraft aren't balanced games. If even the pinnacle of real-time strategy isn't universally considered to be balanced, what is?

All MMORPG designers face this problem, but it poses a unique issue for Champions Online. Each Champion can freely select powers from any available ability in the game, with only a handful of exceptions that are mostly circumvented by the game's middle levels. Any character can select cross-archetype synergistic powers, even if the function was not intended for their archetype. A tank can select Miniaturization Drive (considered to be a support power) to make his foes less threatening while a ranged damage dealer could pick Enrage (considered to be mainly a bonus for melee) to provide a consistent damage buff.

This is made even more chaotic by the inclusion of extreme in-combat mobility and in-the-moment gameplay. This isn't EVE Online, and a lot of the overarching planning and strategy that takes place in other games is replaced by blocking, active defenses, and spur-of-the-moment decision-making.

And yet, CO's designers try to balance.

Continue reading Behind the Mask: Who cares about balance?

Behind the Mask: Who cares about balance? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Why play a game when I can pay someone to play it for me

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

Great news, everyone! I'm launching my own line of Sera (TM) Branded Merchandise! I was so happy about this new line that I just had to talk about it in Anti-Aliased this week. I'm sorry if you were expecting some hard hitting piece of satire that would flummox even the staunchest defender of gold buying -- we're gonna have to save that one for next week's piece.

Anyway, I'm sorry about getting off topic. Let's get back to the situation at hand -- the new merchandise. I'm proud to announce that in a short period of time, you too will be able to participate in a revolutionary new way to interact with entertainment media. My brand new Sera Shoppe (TM), a fine retail establishment that already sells the patented Sera Anti-Whine Earmuffs, will be selling you ways to save time while still enjoying your favorite media.

By purchasing pre-made packs of SeraPhoints (starting at the low price of 500 Phoints for 10 bucks) you too can get in on the ground floor of this brand new medium inspired by power leveling services and real money trade operations.

Interested? You should be! Follow me after the break and let me introduce you to my brand new services!

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Why play a game when I can pay someone to play it for me

Anti-Aliased: Why play a game when I can pay someone to play it for me originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively Meta, Anti-Aliased

So I drove the Aion community up a wall again. I seem to do that a lot when I talk about the game. AionSource was a little miffed at the "disappointment" award the staff and readers gave them, and decided to rip into me. So, in an effort of good faith, I dropped by the flame thread and tried to lighten things up while explaining my position on the game and how it isn't all doom and gloom.

Well, after having 9 pages of people not reading what I was writing and electing to call me a nyerking nyerk, I bowed out with a new column topic on my mind: my job. If there was any common theme in all of the screaming, it was how I sucked at my job because I said Aion had a grind, I sucked at my job because I was only level 17 in Aion, everyone on that fansite could do a better job at my job than I could, and I was the reason mainstream reviews were going downhill. (Awesome.)

Amazingly enough, I too thought pretty much those exact same things before I got a job here. But writing here for two years has been one heck of an experience, and maybe today I can give you some insight to the things I see on the staff side of the fence.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair

Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your favorite toy?

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

We've all got our best abilities, the ones that do the most damage or heal the most or save us the largest number of headaches. We all have the armor or items or random hats or whatever that give us huge stat increases and make us almost invulnerable in most circumstances.

And then... we have the toys. The stuff that's not bad, but just... doesn't really do much of anything. The one that lets you hover when that's not actually relevant to anything except looking cool. Or the item you've been holding on to that lets you shoot non-damaging fireworks all over a room. Totally useless, of course, but always fun when you get to break it out.

What's your favorite in-game toy? Is it a piece of equipment without any useful stats but a really amazing look to it? An item that does something silly and unique? A spell that's been designed without many practical components, or one that has practical usage but generally just gets played with? When you have the downtime, what's your choice of fun little toys in your favorite game?

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite toy? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area

Mike Schramm — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Trading card games, Roleplaying, Free Realms, Champions Online, Legends of Norrath, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Massively was at Gen Con 2009 yesterday in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while most of the (gigantic) convention was involved with more traditional types of gaming, from dice and board games to collectible card games and RPGs, MMOs made their own splash in the "e-gaming" area. Sony Online Entertainment probably had the biggest presence -- in among huge posters of Free Realms and Star Wars Galaxies, they had demos running of all of their current games (though we didn't see any previews of DCUO or The Agency running). A costumed model posed for pictures in front of a large Legends of Norrath poster, while over in the CCG area, SOE held tournaments of the game for players.

Gallery: MMOs at Gen Con 2009

Continue reading Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area

Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What addicts you to MMOs?

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

PvPer? PvE lover? Are you all about the raids? Are you in it for the small group content? Achievement grabber? Battlegrounds dominator?

What drives your passion for MMOs? We usually put this type of stuff into more catch-all terms, such as "PvE player" or "PvP player" but we want to know exactly what pulls you into MMOs. No more of this beating around the bush and talking about large swaths of content.

So today's question is thus -- what is that one element that really keeps you coming back for more? It could be from any game or any genre, we just want to know what it is. Tell us a nice story about why it excites you so much as well, because we want to know what makes you tick.

When you feel the need for speech then head on down to our comment box and go to town. Let your keyboard free your feelings and shout them out for the whole internet to hear!

Ready, steady, go!

The Daily Grind: What addicts you to MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Tips and tricks, Opinion, Second Life, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds, Anti-Aliased

Tip #1 -- Take the time to learn the UI

The tutorial, while not the best thing in the world, isn't a bad introduction to learning how to navigate the user interface. It shows you the ropes (dryly) and lets you get in some practice before you're dumped onto the main grid. Take your time through it, listen to what it has to say, and then jump on into the world.

For gamers, here's a couple of protips. Right click opens a radial menu, and holding it down does nothing. If you're looking to spin the camera, remember to use alt + click and hold. However, also remember that alt + click centers your camera on whatever you clicked on. If you want to orbit your avatar, alt + click and hold on your avatar, then move the mouse left and right to orbit and forward and back to zoom.

Resetting your camera is the escape key. That's very handy.

Clicking activates many, many things. Try clicking on objects, as you never know what might occur.

If moving is too slow for you, try flying. Hold down E to start flying, then use E to go up and C to go down. Beware that you can't fly everywhere though... look at the top bar to see if flying is amongst the "banned symbols." It looks like a little man flying.

Tip #2 -- Search is your friend

If Second Life is the internet, then the search button is your Google. This little fellow is super handy for finding stuff that you want. Interested in finding a Star Wars group? Just type Star Wars into the group search box after you press the search button, and you're on your way to finding Star Wars fans like yourself. Do you want to buy a lightsaber? Open the "places" tab and type in lightsaber -- you're sure to find a few hits.

You always know where to go when you master the search tool.

Tip #3 -- Be social!

You see the people over there? Talk to them! You like someone's avatar? Tell them! You looking for a specific sim? Ask questions!

One of the most important assets you can have is to speak with the others around you. Find out new things, make new friends, and actually experience SL rather than just watching it on your monitor. If you want a good place to check out that's reliably filled with people, I recommend the city of Nova Albion. If you're new and you want more help with Second Life, then I recommend checking out all of the help options at New Citizens Incorporated.

Tip #4 -- Know what you want

Lastly, set a goal for yourself in Second Life. Don't just go in to wander, go in and search for something you like. Does roleplaying interest you? Search for some roleplaying sims. Games? You'll find a wide variety of independently created games in Second Life. There's even an MMORPG inside of SL! Clubs? Yeah... there's way too many clubs to really count in SL.

If you follow these few tips, your time in Second Life will probably benefit greatly. Of course, if the system isn't your thing, then it isn't your thing. You can't enjoy what you don't enjoy. But if you were always on the fence with Second Life, perhaps now you can give it a "second look" (see what I did there?) with confidence.

Colin Seraphina Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who thinks all games should be given a fighting chance. When she's not writing here for Massively, she's rambling on her personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message her, send her an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow her on Twitter through Massively, or through her personal feed, @sera_brennan.

Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Tips and tricks, Opinion, Second Life, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds, Anti-Aliased

Second Life gets a really bad rap from the MMO community that's largely undeserved. I get to hear all of these slams like it's a usless waste of data, there's nothing to do, it's a bunch of sex sims, and how I should work on my "first life" before my Second Life. Har, har, har.

But, like I said at the opening of this column, Second Life doesn't deserve those punches to the gut. The world of SL is pretty vast and has much to offer any gamer, regardless of what they like. It's important to remember that this system is not a game. It has no objectives and no overt goals, but it does have an unlimited supply of imagination and creative possibilities. It's not a place of "serious business," because something that's fun shouldn't be taken quite that harshly. Sure, you can make money, but you guys want to have fun, right?

So let's talk about Second Life, the reason the masses hate the system, and how you can find something enjoyable inside of "the grid" even if you've tried it before and got some negative first impressions.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that

Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Realms destroys the 1 million account speed record

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items, Casual, Free Realms

We've known it was going to be a strong contender since the first time we laid eyes on Free Realms. Once we stepped into the world last month and started playing the game, we knew it was going to be even bigger than we'd previously thought. Sure enough, we were right. News has come out this morning, courtesy of John Smedley on Twitter, that Free Realms crossed the 1 million account mark in just eighteen days since launch. Considering we got the news that Runes of Magic crossed the 1 million mark yesterday in just a little under two months, 18 days is an insanely fast time-frame for a recent free-to-play game release to break that mark! Of course, considering how fiendishly addictive and fun Free Realms is, we're not too surprised. We're sure the TV commercials probably didn't hurt, either.

We here at Massively would like to send out our congratulations to the Free Realms team on their exciting landmark achievement! We'll let you know more when we have some further details from SOE. In the meantime, if you'll pardon us, we're going to go play Demolition Derby to celebrate.

Want to know more about Free Realms? SOE's new whimsical free-to-play MMO is already being called a refreshing change of pace for kids and adults alike, and we have just the coverage you need!

Free Realms destroys the 1 million account speed record originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 May 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Five free to play MMOs that are ahead of the class

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, MMO industry, Reviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Anti-Aliased

Times are tough, the wallet is tight, and you still need a game to play. But what free games can you wrap your hands around that just don't suck, right? That seems to be the trouble with free to play games -- many selections all with very low quality.

But the market is not as bad as you might think. There are certainly some gems out there in the free to play market, just waiting for you to wrap your hands around them and play. Finding them however, hasn't always been easy, until now.

With the recommendations of my colleagues here at Massively, and my own personal experience, I've complied a list of 5 free to play games that are worthy of your play time. In advance, however, I wish to apologize to Chronicles of Spellborn, Wizard 101, and FusionFall. All three of these games made our favorites list, but I'm skipping them as their focus is more of a "freemium" experience, where massive areas of the games are locked out until a subscription is purchased. This column is only going to concentrate on the free to play, item mall driven games, just to clarify for all of you readers out there.

So which games made the best of the free to play list? Continue reading and you'll find out.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Five free to play MMOs that are ahead of the class

Anti-Aliased: Five free to play MMOs that are ahead of the class originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your preference of difficulty?

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Some people like it when the game challenges them for months on end, stopping them at the same battle over and over again until a group comes together and cooperates in a way that yields progression.

Other people like to be able to sit down at a game, play it for a few hours, and feel like they've made some progress and accomplishments. They enjoy feeling rewarded after a small play session, instead of dedicating hours of work and thinking to their games.

And still others would rather find extreme progress in less than an hour, being highly rewarded for very little challenge. It's not fun if it's hard, right?

So today's grind question is as follows: what is your preference of difficulty? Are you the person who likes to be stumped for weeks on end, or are you more of the type who wants to get the maximum reward for the smallest effort? Speak forth into thy comment box, and let thy voice be heard! And hopefully you won't use a silly accent like us, but you can if you'd like to.

The Daily Grind: What's your preference of difficulty? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Childhood memory MMOs

Krystalle Voecks — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

The sheer amount of "oh how COOL" and squeeing when we first heard about the LEGO MMO was pretty heavy around the virtual Massively offices. While it wasn't entirely universal, many of us fondly remember playing with Legos for hours in our youth. (Hell, some of us haven't stopped playing with them.) Then we heard that the people behind Pokemon won't consider doing an MMO, which made some of us sad - that was from our youth too. Since then we've dreamed up all manner of childhood MMOs behind the scenes; from ones based on Voltron and Gundam, to trying to recreate worlds from young-adult reading like Harry Potter. This morning we thought we'd toss this question out to you - what childhood memory would you like to see developed into an MMO? From young to old, there must have been something you thought was a fantastic toy to play with, or world to imagine - can you see it developed into an MMO? What childhood memory MMO would you make if you could?

The Daily Grind: Childhood memory MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Serious business guys, serious business pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, PvP, Raiding, Endgame, Grouping, PvE, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

You might see where this is going now...

This is a hard concept to explain, yet it's the concept that drives all social games, real-life based or online based. If you're taking the game so seriously that you're not having fun, then you've found the line where the problem begins.

"Serious business" sounds like a joke, but all games have some degree of seriousness in them. The only ones that are truly unbound by this rule are the ones that are entirely luck based, like The Game of Life, Chutes and Ladders, or Trouble, where the dice determine the progress of game play. Players have no true input into the game, thus no true focus is required.

"So are games getting too serious? Nope. They're doing the same things they've always been doing."

Once decision making is introduced, strategies begin. Once strategies are introduced, players will formulate efficient ways to win and those winning methods will always win unless luck determines otherwise or a more efficient strategy is found. Regarding our MMO games, which require player movement, button presses, and (to some degree) luck, you will need players who are focused. If players aren't standing in the right places or if the right skills aren't being used, then loss will almost constantly occur. Players don't gather in raids to lose, they gather in raids to win.

A football team and a raiding party are actually closer than one might think. Both get together to overcome a challenge presented to them, whether it be the Blue Mountain Eagles from the other side of the county or Patchwerk of Naxxramas. The fun comes from the work of overcoming the challenge; from "winning" the game. Sure, there might be rewards involved, like trophies or purple loot, but there is also going to be work involved. So are games getting too serious? Nope. They're doing the same things they've always been doing.

So next time you're in that raid group, or next time you're on that PvP team, or in that corporation war, or sieging that city, remember that focusing is not being overly serious. It's about working to get the task done, not screaming at one another. It also means that perhaps you might want to save your list of jokes and gossip for another time.

There's always more time to kid with friends. But right now is one of the few times you may be standing in front of Malygos.

Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who is still forced to make decisions he totally doesn't want to. 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: Serious business guys, serious business pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Your favorite MMO pop culture reference?

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor

It seems like no matter which way you turn in many MMOs, you'll eventually find a pop-culture reference nestled in there somewhere. While World of Warcraft may be perhaps the most blunt about using them with quests named after things as varied as a Peter Murphy song and a Kevin Smith movie, we know they're by no means the only designers who have added references. This morning, we thought we'd ask you what some of your favorite MMO pop culture references are? Have you ever run across one that just made you stop and laugh? Shake your head? Anything you think is a pop-culture reference but perhaps aren't quite sure?

The Daily Grind: Your favorite MMO pop culture reference? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Having fun just isn't rewarding enough on its own

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion

Regis over at the Wizards and Wenches blog brings up a good point when it comes to both having fun and getting your levels in -- sometimes you just can't have it both ways. Regis wants to spend more time in Warhammer Online's open Realm vs. Realm combat, enjoying the live PvP and the crazy times it produces, but feels that it just doesn't provide enough incentive past the fun aspect.

One could easily level faster via questing and PvE opporunities, or scenarios and questing simultaneously, but both can get extremely tedious after a while, especially when you're getting close to the maximum rank. On the other side of the fence you have RvR, which is a more varied activity when compared to questing and scenarios, but just doesn't pay out the experience points and feels more like a guilty pleasure that wastes time.

Check out the full story over at Wizards and Wenches to get the full gist of what's going on in Regis's mind when it comes to this sticky situation.

Having fun just isn't rewarding enough on its own originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

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

One of the comments last week complained that I was putting too much emphasis on the journey rather than the destination. Basically, the comment compared endgame to some sort of amazing weekend spa retreat in the Bahamas and leveling to the 30 minute long plane ride. Because, honestly, who cares about the journey, right? It's only one facet of the whole getaway. Let's take a look at that argument.

"So why can't we put that type of fun into the entire game, rather than just one section?"

Pretend, dear readers, that I've discovered a brand new land. A land filled with large breasted women, rivers of booze, and a zombie shooting range. I'll name this land Awesomesauce Island! Past that, I'll make sure that only one airport is built on the island and only one plane can reach that island. That plane, however, is a remake of the original Wright brother's aircraft except all the screws are loose, the pilot is blind, poisonous snakes are stuffed in your seat cushions, Samuel L. Jackson is banned from flying on the plane, and the in-flight movie is Paris Hilton's sex tape. Who cares about the destination again?

Now you can see I'm phasing into the player side of things and beginning my argument as to why we should enjoy a better emphasis on leveling content -- because it's fun!

There's something about endgame that people enjoy already. All of you have come to me with complaints the second I even put the word "endgame" in my articles. That means that you're having fun with it, and that's a good thing! So why can't we put that type of fun into the entire game, rather than just one section? It's akin to asking people to stab out their eyes with wooden spoons before they can ride the big roller coaster in the theme park. Painfully pointless.

"Games are games because we enjoy the experience they provide."

Games are games because we enjoy the experience they provide. The "endgame experience" should not be restricted to just the endgame, but the whole game. I'm not saying kill the lead up, or somehow make the entire game just like the endgame. What I'm saying is that I should be feeling the same levels of excitement and enjoyment as I progress towards the final destination. Every moment that I stay in your world, I should feel like I'm there to have a good time, not just kill 10 rats so you can pat me on the head and give me a sparkling new sword.

Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who knows people are going to half read this article and then complain about how he's an endgame hater. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's over running Epic Loot For All! with his insane friends. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com.

Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

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

Hey there 'Aliased readers! I've got a bunch to cover this week, and it's mostly derived from last week's Anti-Aliased. Point number three on my short list of what MMOs need to learn was that leveling content was more important than endgame content, and that seemed to put people into a state of panic. Now normally I don't like revisiting topics when they create massive anger because revisiting won't do them any good. You'll still be angry, sending rabid squirrels in boxes to my house, and I'll still be wearing my protective suit when I open my mail.

This, however, is a special case. I think one of the reasons we have such a divide is because we're not looking at it in the same way. I'm approaching this topic from more of a business angle rather than the angle of a player. So, this week, we're going to look at it from both the angle of the player and of the business-person, as well as take in your points and arguments from last week's comment discussion. It's like a Mythbusters Redux, except we're not going to be blowing anything up, sadly.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame

Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the Curtain: Are we having fun?

Craig Withers — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Professions, Endgame, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Casual

Well, it all kicked off over on WoW Insider the other day, didn't it? You couldn't move for all the handbags being thrown around in the comments! Who'd have thunk it? Don't worry, I kid because I care.

The thrust of the argument SLASH discussion was whether or not we should be tracking raid progression any more. It got me thinking. Not about raid progression exactly; about how different people approach MMOs and the content they offer; about how different people find 'fun' in different playstyles.

Here at Behind the Curtain, I've shared my opinions on the Hardcore vs. Casual issue previously. To recap, I'm of the opinion that the difference between the two states, if it even exists, is in the goals one sets for oneself.

Taking that line of thinking further, I began to think about fun. 'Fun' is a nebulous concept, difficult to pin down and pretty damned different for almost everyone in the world. Wikipedia currently defines fun as, "the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind" which seems like a bit of a mouthful, to be honest.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Are we having fun?

Behind the Curtain: Are we having fun? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Do you actually want to play the game anymore?

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

I was kicking around Silvermoon City of World of Warcraft a few nights ago, working on a new Blood Elf warlock as a way to relax and just forget about the long day, when I saw an extremely peculiar conversation in my chat window. What it boiled down to was a guy who was trying to get help with the warlock Voidwalker quest because he couldn't figure out where to go to find the void crystals specified in the quest log.

Now, instead of someone responding with a generalized location as to where you could find these crystals, the response, "Get QuestHelper and it will tell you where to go," was made. Needless to say, this guy was new to the game, and he was pretty baffled.

With the advent of custom interfaces, it seems that many people would rather have the game play itself than take the time to actually work things out. At the worst, people would rather pay to be able to "skip" through the game; thank you RMT. So, the key question around here remains: "Does anyone actually want to play anymore?"

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Do you actually want to play the game anymore?

Anti-Aliased: Do you actually want to play the game anymore? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan: Is it a fun mess or just a mess?

Matt Warner — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, New titles, Opinion

One patch after another they descend with a clear purpose: fix the holes, eradicate the bugs, and to modify and further improve. Since its launch, Age of Conan has been overwhelmed with significant game-changing patches, leaving many wondering whether or not Age of Conan launched several months earlier than it should have.

Two bloggers recently set the contrast displaying both their points well. Scott Jennings, AKA Lum the Mad, in a post titled "It's the Fun, Stupid," espouses that Age of Conan is a mess, albeit a very fun one. On the opposite side, a more dissenting opinion comes from Heartless Gamer. In his post titled, "Age of Conan Troubles Continue to Surface," he believes Funcom would have been much better off if they added more content and didn't launch for at least a few more months, and this negligence is one reason why he is not playing Age of Conan. Both sides understand that the game is far from perfect, and that every MMOG goes through their growing pains, but one is having fun and the other didn't. It all boils down to the fun factor which is of course completely subjective to each player.

It leaves us with one question for our readers: Is Age of Conan a fun mess, or just a mess?

Age of Conan: Is it a fun mess or just a mess? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: There's other people there too, ya know.

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

I'll be blunt -- I hate grouping. Nothing pains me more than grouping up with four of the "internet's finest" and going into a dungeon to kill some monsters. 95% of the time, it seems I'm doomed to find 4chan (NSFW) rejects or screaming 10-year-old kids (NSFW). Of course, these are the parties that take an hour and a half to assemble and only last two rooms into the dungeon. Someone inevitably screws up and gets six mobs on them, and then they instantly turn around and blame the priest for "not being able to heal properly". Of course they don't actually say "not being able to heal properly"; it comes out more like "u suck n00b priest".

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: There's other people there too, ya know.

Anti-Aliased: There's other people there too, ya know. originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet a Champions Online environment artist

Kyle Horner — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, News items, Champions Online

In this week's edition of Champions Online's "Meet The Team" we have an environment artist who goes by the name of Andrew Jansen. Now Andrew seems like a nice enough guy, but we're not at all opposed to taking down names and finding any party responsible for possible "layer cake tiles" in Champions Online. Oh wait, that's right we nearly forgot that we've already been promised a complete lack of them. So rest easy Andrew, the pitchforks are safely locked away in storage.

The work of a environment artist sounds both intriguing and challenging as they have to design for story, fun and gameplay in everything they create. In other words an environment has to fit within the story while being both fun to play in and functional -- oh and lets not forget that it has to look great. If you're curious what kind of mind is helping to create these canonical, entertaining and functional environments we urge you to check out the rest of the interview over at the official site.

Meet a Champions Online environment artist originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player vs. Everything: The importance of morale

Cameron Sorden — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Grouping, Opinion, Player vs. Everything

We've all been there. Any little thing can start it. Maybe the tank messes up and pulls two groups when he meant to pull one. Maybe the healer was distracted by his cat and some people die. Maybe the mage doesn't watch her aggro and the mobs take out the DPS. Something happens, and the group wipes. The seed of doubt is planted: Can this group really pull this dungeon off? Am I grouped with a bunch of idiots? How big is my repair bill going to be tonight?

It's like watching a chain of dominoes. Sometimes, the group can laugh off a wipe or two. But if a simple mistake turns into a pattern of someone screwing up, or if luck goes against you and you have a few simple mistakes in a row, people start losing their morale. Suddenly, people aren't using their consumables (why bother when you're just going to die again?). The tanks and healers get frustrated and start getting sloppy. The DPS gets angry and starts getting cocky. Everyone thinks everyone else is a moron, and each pull is a little less likely to succeed than the last. Each wipe spirals you further down. Finally, people start having mysterious "emergencies" and have to leave the group (do a /who check to see them farming somewhere in 30 minutes). You might not realize it, but your group's morale is hugely important to your success.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: The importance of morale

Player vs. Everything: The importance of morale originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Find out why WoW conquered the world

Samuel Axon — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, News items

Gamasutra has published an article titled "Why World of Warcraft Made It Big." The article was written by Michael Zenke, a member of the family here at Massively! Zenke argues that there's no one reason WoW was the game to explode into the mainstream in Western markets, instead of EverQuest II or City of Heroes. Accessibility, low system specs, polish, storytelling, fun factor, and yes, timing -- all of these had something to do with it. He also suggests that in the wake of The Burning Crusade, WoW is as strong today as it's ever been.

So, this begs the question -- and this is not one that's addressed in the post -- is there a game coming that will leave WoW in the dust just as WoW surpassed EverQuest? Or will Blizzard reign as kings throughout the foreseeable future? Maybe we'll see an industry like the one Corey Bridges of Multiverse described -- a place where democratization of the MMO development process creates hundreds or thousands of successful, user-generated experiences? As curious as we are, we're smart enough not to make blind predictions. So let's see what happens this year with the big releases like Age of Conan and Warhammer Online, as well as the democratizing experiments like MetaPlace.

Find out why WoW conquered the world originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMOGology: Playing around

Marc Nottke — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, MMOGology

Whether it's completing quests, running dungeons, or taking down super villains, any good game has decisive goals for player progression. Most of the time there is a clear and structured path that will get players quickly from one goal to the next. You level up, you unlock new abilities, you get better gear and you take on more challenging and entertaining tasks. It could be as simple as that; a straight and narrow path to completing a game. So why do many of us get in snowball fights outside of the bank in Ironforge? Why do we join others playing music outside of taverns in Lord of the Rings Online? Why do we jump off the highest structure we can find, only to fall to our deaths? Could it simply be because it's ... fun? MMOGs afford us interesting opportunities to goof off with others and "play" a game in ways that developers may never have intended.

Of course, many people don't like playing around, even when playing a video game. They love the challenge of being the first to complete every objective. They consider any diversion from the leveling process to be a waste of time and potential experience gained. While I fully understand and appreciate the desire to have the bragging rights as the first guy to hit the maximum level, or the first guild to take down the latest raid boss, I personally could never do it. I guess I'm somewhat of a slacker when I play MMOGs. Sometimes I like to fish, or climb the highest mountain and stare at a virtual moon. I don't mind that I'm not progressing toward the end of the game because I'm just enjoying having fun doing whatever it is I'm doing at the moment. Sometimes when our gaming experiences become overly competitive I think it's healthy to stop and smell the virtual roses. After all, we're playing a game. Shouldn't our main goal be to have fun, however it's defined?

Continue reading MMOGology: Playing around

MMOGology: Playing around originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metaplace sends Metachat live on Myspace

Mike Schramm — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Launches, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual

A few of the Metaplace folks have announced that their first virtual world has been released on MySpace in the form of an app called Metachat, which you can add to your Myspace account right now. In terms of virtual worlds, it's not much -- there's a chat room, obviously, and a little soccer ball kicking area, and some RSS integration in terms of stock quotes, some weather info, and even translation features.

But even better than what it is is the potential that something like this represents. Social networks are already dabbling in social games (and planning even more interaction between the two), so a virtual space like Metachat may be the first virtual world that most of its users enter. It's a far cry from some of the more mature virtual worlds like World of Warcraft and Second Life (not that those two are all that mature, actually), but spaces like Metachat are a big sign of the coming collision of social networking and virtual worlds.

Metaplace sends Metachat live on Myspace originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PMOG beta opens up for passively multiplayer fun

Mike Schramm — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business models, Launches, New titles, Tips and tricks

PMOG, the "passively multiplayer MMO," has been seeing some action around the virtual Massively office lately -- the game is basically a Firefox extension that sits in your browser, and lets you deploy mines, leave goodies, and create quests out of the actual webpages that you visit, and since we visit lots of pages around here, we're some pretty good players.

And now, after a showing at SXSW this week (which we should hear about soon), PMOG has opened its doors to the beta -- if you haven't started playing yet, you can sign up on their main page. In fact, here's an even better deal: I'm working on an achievement in game for inviting people, so you want an invite, leave a comment below, and I'll send you one myself.

It remains to be seen how the folks behind PMOG are going to fund this thing, but while it's in beta, things are ad-free and passively fun. The virtual landscape is still a little empty (most geek sites are pretty much plotted out, but some of the farther reaches of the net are completely quiet), but the more people that get in the beta, the more fun this game promises to be.

PMOG beta opens up for passively multiplayer fun originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: The daily grind

Mike Schramm — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Leveling, Quests, PvE, Opinion, The Daily Grind

At this point, it's still pretty much assured that if you're playing an MMO, you're going to be grinding a bit. Sure, it's possible that there are MMOs out there where you can get all the way to the highest level just by doing quests, or by running with groups, or even by doing PvP. But there are still times in every game where we've done all the quests for a certain level, there's no one around to group with, and we're just PvP'd out. For those times, there's the regular old grind.

So what's makes a good grind? For me, a great grind has to have three different things: 1) It can't tax my mind too much-- I'd like to have a movie or some music going on in the background, or be able to multitask in some way (in fact, I'm writing this post while mining in EVE). 2) It has to be worthwhile-- I need to be earning gold, or XP, or collecting something while I do it, or else there's no reason to grind at all. And 3) it has to be fun. Even in EVE, I have a good time browsing the market and dreaming of ship upgrades while mining, and it's broken up just at the right time by an NPC pirate arriving to become drone fodder. There's nothing wrong with a little mindless fun, but the fun has to be there all the same.

Did I miss anything? What makes a great grind? And what's the best game/place/situation to do some great MMO grinding in?

The Daily Grind: The daily grind originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie game designer calls MMOs "empty," craves something more

Samuel Axon — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items

If World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings Online didn't have levels or gear, would you still play? Would you still spend several hours fighting Murlocs or servants of the White Hand if the point was the battle itself, and not the XP and loot rewards?

At MIGS 2007, indie game developer Jonathan Blow talked about differentiating between gameplay that hooks players with fun or an emotionally affecting story, and gameplay that hooks players with an addictive rewards system.

"MMOs are notorious for having relatively empty gameplay, but keeping players hooked with constant fake rewards. This creates the treadmill," he said. "Rewards are a way of lying to the player so they feel good and continue to play the game ... but I am forced to put forth this question -- would they still play a game if it took out all the scheduled rewards?"

Gamasutra wrote up the highlights of Blow's presentation. It's a lengthy article that reaches far beyond MMOs, and is a must-read for people who are serious about gaming. But what's the answer to his MMO question? Does World of Warcraft (or any other game like it) feed a hunger for fun gameplay, or is it just a quick-but-empty fix? We have to tackle that question if the MMO is ever going to move past the grind and become something substantial.

Indie game designer calls MMOs "empty," craves something more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making fun be worth it

Mike Schramm — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Game mechanics, Making money, Quests, Opinion

Zen of Design has a great post up about how MMO game mechanics should "incentivize fun" in the gameplay. The main example Damion uses is the "daily quests" recently introduced to World of Warcraft-- Blizzard originally gave all players a goal of 5000g for their epic mounts, but then realized that they hadn't given players enough ways to earn that money-- most people were left grinding random spots to make the cash. So they then created "daily quests"-- daily timer quests that were repetitive and easy that gave lots of money. Play the game for x number of minutes every day, get all the cash you need.

But as Damion says, the daily quests serve a purpose, but they aren't actually fun. Lots of players see them as a job, and the fact that they are repetitive (in a bad way-- he says a game like Civilization actually makes repeating gameplay interesting) makes them a necessity rather than an incentive to play the game.

Now, the good news is that in the latest patch, Blizzard is working to fix this-- they've introduced daily quests that ask players to play fundamental parts of the game, and so there are now crafting daily quests, as well as battleground and instance quests. But these are fixes after the fact-- the way to really incentivize fun is to watch what players themselves want to do during development, and then reward that. Halo isn't an MMO, technically, but Bungie noticed that players were dying strange deaths in game, and then actually changed the game to reward players for their activities. Same deal with MMOs-- find out what players want to do in your game, and then give them rewards for doing just that.

Making fun be worth it originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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