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Guild Wars 2 gem store goes (partially) online

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business models, Economy, Guild Wars 2

One of the more controversial aspects of the upcoming Guild Wars 2 is its microtransaction system, the details of which were tightly under wraps until the recent NDA-free public beta weekend. Now that the public's had a look-see, ArenaNet brought its gem store out into the open for all to see.

The browser version of the store, which is also available in the game itself, is only partially functional at the moment. While it does list the categories, items, and icons for its wares, it's lacking any prices, descriptions, or ability to purchase.

It's worth a look if you want a first-hand view of the goods that ArenaNet hopes will power Guild Wars 2's profitability, of course. The categories include style, consumable, support, account, boosts, and minis.

[Update: The gemstore has since been taken down.]

Guild Wars 2 gem store goes (partially) online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

Brianna Royce — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Guild Wars, Business models, Classes, Economy, Game mechanics, Guilds, Lore, Previews, PvP, Endgame, Guild Wars 2, Hands-on, Guides, Dungeons, Crafting

The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness?

The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...

Continue reading Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: The hidden perils of Guild Wars 2's microtransactions

Jeremy Stratton — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, The Soapbox

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.

The ArenaNet post about microtransactions in Guild Wars 2 reveals that the "gems" currency will be bought with real money and be available for purchase with in-game gold in GW2. But people seem to have forgetten that Runes of Magic's cash shop operated this way three years ago. I've been playing RoM since closed beta, and the cash shop is one of the reasons RoM is so different from other F2P MMOs of its era.

Frogster eventually removed the ability to buy diamonds with gold because of fraud, so I'm curious to see how ArenaNet handles that issue. My time in RoM has shown me that there are other issues involved here, issues of security, players gaming the system, botting, and pay-to-win debates. In other words, there's more at stake here than whether cash shops sell gear or items toward gaining power.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The hidden perils of Guild Wars 2's microtransactions

The Soapbox: The hidden perils of Guild Wars 2's microtransactions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet expands on microtransactions in Guild Wars 2

Elisabeth Cardy — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Economy, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries

ArenaNet has put up a new blog post with information about Guild Wars 2's cash shop system as well as some of the philosophy behind the game's microtransaction design. Mike O'Brien, ArenaNet president and Guild Wars 2 executive producer, started off the post by saying that the microtransaction system will be part of this month's closed beta event, then went on to talk about the hows and whys of the system.

ArenaNet's approach is this: Microtransactions are run on a currency of gems, which are purchased with physical-world money and traded in various quantities for the goods and account services available. Players also have the option of trading their purchased gems for in-game gold -- and purchase gems with in-game gold.

"If you want something, whether it's an in-game item or a microtransaction, you ultimately have two ways to get it: you can play to earn gold or you can use money to buy gems. We think that's important, because it lets more players participate on a level playing field, whether they use their free time or their disposable income to do it."

As to the micro-transaction items themselves, O'Brien steered away from specifics. He mentioned things like visual distinction and expression as well as account services (which we saw plenty of in the original Guild Wars) and "time-saving convenience items" while adding that ArenaNet is opposed to the idea of requiring players to spend cash in order to maintain an even playing field.

ArenaNet expands on microtransactions in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview the Pellucid Grotto zone from EverQuest Underfoot

William Dobson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, EverQuest, Expansions, Lore, Previews

Just recently, the EverQuest Players community site featured a preview of the zone Brell's Rest from EverQuest's next expansion Underfoot. Another preview is now up on the site, showing off the Pellucid Grotto zone. The Grotto is home to a race called the Crystalkin, and these hard workers spend all their time harvesting, refining and polishing gems. They aren't in it for personal gain though -- far from it. After the gems are ready, they go and scatter them throughout Norrath, where adventurers end up finding them and either selling them, using them as spell reagents, or combining them with things using tradeskills.

However, if the players want this gravy-train to keep running, they might want to look into a new disturbance that the Pellucid Grotto is experiencing. We're pretty sure there are far worse consequences to the world at stake than just missing out on gems, but ... well, the gems are a pretty good reason anyway. We like gems.

Below you'll find our gallery of screenshots from Underfoot, newly updated with Pellucid Grotto pictures, and two of them are exclusive to Massively! For more on the lore of this area, check out the EQ Players feature article.

Gallery: EverQuest: Underfoot

Preview the Pellucid Grotto zone from EverQuest Underfoot originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Checking in with Age of Conan's Game Director

Krystalle Voecks — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Patches, News items

The changes coming to Funcom's Age of Conan have really been picking up steam. While this update is more of a teaser for things to come, the breakdown of the new RPG system does give players a first look at how new stat breakdowns will change things down the road. From what they're saying, you'll want to be sure you stay on top of getting the best armor and gear! Also, they've added a new character sheet to better display all the new armor attributes and how they will impact each character as they progress through the wild lands of Hyborea.

While it's only a bite-sized look at some of the changes coming to Age of Conan, it's definitely welcome. Among the other things players have to look forward to is further changes to feat trees, skills and spells, as well as a new gem system that will be implemented as time goes on. For the full breakdown of how all of these new attributes will affect your characters, be sure to head over to the AoC forums and check this month's Game Director's letter out!

Checking in with Age of Conan's Game Director originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan gems and more addressed on Testlive

Adrian Bott — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Patches, PvP

After our explanation of why gems are an issue in Age of Conan, the next thing to look for was a nerf, and probably quite a big one. It was with very little surprise, then, that we took a look at the notes for the latest patch to go to Testlive this morning and saw this lurking among them: 'Reduced the bonuses granted by all Invulnerability, Evade, Fatality, Offhand Chance, and Damage gems by a significant amount.'

Just how significant is 'significant'? Poster Threeze from the AoC forums has kindly put together a reference chart. As you can see, that is some epic nerfing. +8.9% one-handed damage down to +0.5% one-handed damage? The coders at Funcom are not messing about here. While bearing in mind that this is only a Testlive patch and isn't guaranteed to go live, it would solve the issue of extreme gem-powered damage in PvP. And judging by the rest of the patch notes, addressing PvP is a major priority.

Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

Continue reading Age of Conan gems and more addressed on Testlive

Age of Conan gems and more addressed on Testlive originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So what's all the fuss about Gems in Age of Conan?

Adrian Bott — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Crafting, PvP

If you've not yet reached level 40 in Age of Conan, you could be forgiven for not knowing a single thing about gems or gemcutting. There's no reason why you should; gems don't even drop before level 40. But gems are, right now, one of the most controversial subjects in AoC to date. There are even mutterings that the PvP patch shouldn't go live until gems are properly dealt with somehow. So what's the fuss about?

Here's the short version. Gems are a way to add extra magical effects to crafted items. They drop from foes in a raw state, and can be crafted (cut into a usable form) by characters who have the appropriate skill and equipment. They can then be socketed into player-crafted items, giving bonuses and other effects. On the face of it, this is a pretty swish crafting system, allowing for customizability and a personal touch. There are serious issues with it, however.

Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

Continue reading So what's all the fuss about Gems in Age of Conan?

So what's all the fuss about Gems in Age of Conan? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Many updates but no new PvP system in today's Age of Conan patch

Adrian Bott — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Patches

This morning sees the arrival of one of the larger patches for Age of Conan. To get the bad news out of the way first: the new PvP changes, including the fugitive system, PvP XP and PvP gear, aren't in yet. They are still in testing over on the Testlive Server, so interested players can experience the system first-hand and give feedback.

Changes that have gone live include revamps to several dungeons including the Pyramid of the Ancients, revised resource collecting areas, and an almost complete fix to the female versus male attack speed issue. The patch also includes changes to looting, with all green and blue drops now being either Bind on Pickup or Bind on Equip. This particular change has caused mixed reactions among the players.

A fairly severe rebalancing of gems is also causing some grief, with invulnerability gems revealed to have been overpowered all along by accident. Another extremely significant change is the adjustment to drops from epic bosses, notably those in the Field of the Dead and Cannibal Caves, which reportedly now drop around 5 silver instead of 30, making them nigh-on worthless for gold farmers.

There's no suggestion of when the PvP patch will go live, but further testing is obviously necessary. Unless it somehow goes live later today, which is frankly unlikely, this will place the PvP patch outside Funcom's revised estimate of July.

Many updates but no new PvP system in today's Age of Conan patch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AoC Testlive patch addresses dungeons, drops and more

Adrian Bott — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Patches

Details have now emerged of the Age of Conan changes announced yesterday, and a new patch is currently in testing over on Testlive. As promised, two of the popular AoC dungeons - Pyramid of the Ancients and Toirdealbach's Tomb - have been revamped. The latter has had its level shifted to 46-48, though no other changes are mentioned apart from a concomitant shift to loot levels.

Meanwhile, the changes to the Pyramid look much more interesting: 'New Quests have been added to enhance your questing experience. Bosses have been upgraded to present a challenge to solo (or small groups) of players. Pay careful attention to the items they drop - they could be the key to defeating more challenging enemies.' The Pyramid is a very popular questing area already, so more quests to do are always welcome.

The biggest uproar on Testlive comes from a major change to gems, which has drawn so much comment that the lead item designer has come forth to explain it in detail. Funcom also may be coming down on the gold farmers. We're seeing reports from Testlive that drops from grey bosses have been severely nerfed, with bosses that used to drop 18-30 silver now dropping 3-5.

AoC Testlive patch addresses dungeons, drops and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Short AoC downtime today will fix socketed item bug

William Dobson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Patches, Server downtime

At least a few people will be confused when opening their Age of Conan patcher to see that there is some downtime scheduled for today, after having the now-weekly patch take place yesterday. Today's downtime could be considered an "emergency patch" of sorts, as it is intended to correct an issue that arose from yesterday's update.

The offending bug causes certain socketed items to lose their sockets -- we are assured, however, that any socketed gems are still intact, and will reappear when the problem is fixed. The blanket figure of "5 hours" has been given for the downtime, which will commence at 7AM EDT on US servers, but community manager Famine has stated that it will likely be closer to 1 or 2 hours. The patch has already been deployed to the European servers, and their downtime was roughly 3 and a half hours going by this thread.

Short AoC downtime today will fix socketed item bug originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Character planning in World of Warcraft

Eric Vice — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Endgame, Tips and tricks

The building of a character in World of Warcraft can be just as painful as balancing a budget by hand without a spreadsheet. The number-crunching side of the game where you have to figure out hit ratings and mana regeneration rates and dodge percentages is something that few people can say they really enjoy. This is especially true when you are nearing the end-game in WoW and you can't just count on your fingers anymore. What if there was a tool that let you play "what if" games with your character (or your planned character) to see how different combinations of gear, talent points, gems, enchants, and even buffs would affect your character? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that day is here.

Chardev.org is not only a fantastic web application, it also has a gorgeous user interface that is simple to use. You can either build a character from scratch or import your existing character from the Armory. Once you've made it that far, it's as simple as pointing-and-clicking to swap out gear, switch gems, redistribute talent points and add or remove buff effects. The display of thirty-five essential statistics remains fixed on the left side of your screen during most phases of editing process. At the present time, it only supports gear from level thirty and up but that's no real drawback. There are way too many customization options on this site to describe every one. You really need to experience it for yourself.

The Chardev site is a dream-come-true for people who enjoy playing with numbers, but hate doing the math. Check it out!

Character planning in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rift loot guide part three lists Minstrel, Lore-master goodies

Samuel Axon — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Expansions, Raiding, Endgame, PvE

Ten Ton Hammer has been giving us the lowdown on all the shiny new gear LotRO players can acquire in The Rift of Nûrz Ghâshu, the new raid instance Turbine added to the game in the Book 11 update. First they listed the coin rewards. Second, it was the gem rewards for Guardians and Champions. They've just launched part three and this time they're covering all the sweetness Minstrels and Lore-masters can acquire with the elusive gems that drop in the instance.

Lore-masters can get a new armor set awesomely and appropriately called "The Elder Days," which gives mad stat boosts as well as some shadow damage mitigation. Minstrels can gather up the pieces of a suit of armor called the "Armour of the Wandering Bard," which provides similarly sweet stat bonuses and tactical critical modifiers. There are new weapons for both classes as well.

It's excellent gear, and all this on top of all the other lovin' Minstrels and Lore-masters got in Book 11. We'll let you know when part four of the guide hits the streets.

The Rift loot guide part three lists Minstrel, Lore-master goodies originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Part 2 of LotRO 'The Rift' loot guide

William Dobson — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Guides, Raiding, PvE

The second part of TenTonHammer's Lord of the Rings Online loot guide has been posted. Part one had a look at rift-coins and the rewards associated with them, but now we're getting to the really good stuff -- gems. Gems can be handed in for class-specific items, both armor and weapons. However, as each gem will be required by every class, expect to be raiding a while before you've finished your set.

This chapter of the guide details the loot that Guardians and Champions can look forward to. The guide shows the stats on each piece, and lists the set bonuses gained by wearing more of the pieces at once. There is also a table that shows which bosses drop which gems, and noted here is the fact that one of the bosses (as of the writing of the guide) is not giving up his gem.

The bugged encounter should yield a Dazzling Emerald, and the fact that he isn't translates into the shoulder pieces from each set currently being unavailable. No doubt, as reports are being sent in about the issue, it will be fixed soon enough. Click the related story to get a list of the item sets for Guardians and Champions, and we will keep an eye out for the next installment, which will cover another handful of classes.

Part 2 of LotRO 'The Rift' loot guide originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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