Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How would you balance a guild perk system?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/the-daily-grind-how-would-you-balance-a-guild-perk-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/the-daily-grind-how-would-you-balance-a-guild-perk-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/the-daily-grind-how-would-you-balance-a-guild-perk-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

GW2
If there's one frustration I have with gaming guilds in all the time I've led one, it's the expectation that they be huge. MMOs talk big about wanting a diverse playerbase and supporting a wide variety of players and guilds, but that's like saying you can wear any color as long as it's black. The reality is that small guilds are at a severe disadvantage in most MMO guild achievement systems because guilds are rewarded more for having warm bodies than for any particular skill or success

Guild Wars 2, for example, performs random attendance checks and doles out points based on guild activity. The more people you load into your guild, the more points you farm and perks and consumables you can buy. This creates a "rich get richer" scenario for guilds that are already "winning," and eventually, no one will join guilds that aren't maxed out and providing a steady stream of perks to help them "win" even more (as seen in World of Warcraft).

Why not go with Lord of the Rings Online's system, which bestows guild perks according to a guild's age rather than its recruiting binges? Should games keep rewarding guilds strictly for their size, or is there a better way? How would you design and balance an MMO guild achievement system?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How would you balance a guild perk system? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindguildguild-achievementsguild-perksguild-pointsguild-wars-2gw2lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroopinionrich-get-richertdgthe-daily-grindWorld-of-WarcraftwowMon, 17 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should games bother innovating guild systems?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/the-daily-grind-should-games-bother-innovating-guild-systems/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/the-daily-grind-should-games-bother-innovating-guild-systems/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/the-daily-grind-should-games-bother-innovating-guild-systems/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Asheron's Call
In-game support for MMO guilds has come a long way in the last 15 years. Ultima Online launched without guilds at all, let alone chat, so we tacked our guild abbreviations onto our character names. EverQuest's early months required guild leaders to petition GMs to form guilds. In fact, it wasn't until Asheron's Call that an MMO tried to break away from the "unofficial online shooter clan" mold and provide something different: a monarchy system that encouraged players to form official but dynamic allegiances, which provided an in-game benefit to patrons and vassals alike.

But the genre didn't iterate on Asheron's Call's invention, instead preferring to bolster in-game guilds with perks like guild vaults and achievements -- cool stuff, but layered over a static, military style of guild structure with generic ranks. Most MMOs don't allow you to join multiple groups, either (Guild Wars 2 being a notable exception).

So today I'm wondering whether you think there's room for innovation in MMO guild mechanics. Should studios design unique and flexible guild systems, or should they just get out of the way and let players decide how to organize themselves like we had to Back In The Day?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should games bother innovating guild systems? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acanetarenanetasherons-callbrianna-royce-tdgclassic-mmodaily-grindeaelectronic-artseqeq1everquestf2pfantasyfree-to-playguildguild-achievementsguild-bankguild-innovationguild-mechanicsguild-perksguild-wars-2guildsguildstonesgw2innovationlord-britishmonarchiesmonarchymythicmythic-entertainmentncsoftopinionpatronsandboxsoesonysony-online-entertainmenttdgthe-daily-grindturbineturbine-entertainmentultimaultima onlineuovassalMon, 11 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which MMO supports guilds the best?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-supports-guilds-the-best/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-supports-guilds-the-best/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-supports-guilds-the-best/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Guilds
In my opinion, guilds are the backbone of the social component of MMOs. Without them, games might as well be flopping on the ground, unable to move and in severe pain. Ever since MMOs first came on the scene -- and even before -- players have naturally gravitated to guilds as part of their gaming experience. At Massively, we love guilds so much we dedicate a weekly column to exploring their intricacies.

Unfortunately, not all MMOs treat guilds the same; some receive a huge amount of support from the dev team, while others are given a skeleton framework and told to buzz off. Not every game has guild housing, guild ranks, in-game calendars, shared storage, perks, and other means of structure and support.

If one were to consider all of the features that help guilds form, grow, and function, what MMO would top the list? Which game treats its guilds as members of royalty instead as sewer-digging peasants?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Which MMO supports guilds the best? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarguildguild-banksguild-calendarguild-housingguild-perksguild-ranksguild-supportguildsopinionshared-storagetdgthe-daily-grindSat, 27 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/eve-evolved-corporate-benefits-and-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/eve-evolved-corporate-benefits-and-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/eve-evolved-corporate-benefits-and-new-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

In a recent article, I explored the effect that power players have on EVE Online's subscription retention. In particular, I suggested that CCP has stopped developing features with EVE's power players in mind and that this could be the cause of a worrying downward trend in new player retention. It's the responsibility of corp leaders and organisers to give players a place in EVE, to provide them with something to do and to instill them with the ambition to continue playing in the long term. I believe that CCP has let those organisers and leaders down by failing to provide the updated tools necessary to give players a purposeful place in the universe or give them a good start to the game.

A similar issue I've touched on before is the importance of corporate goals in EVE. I've always been amazed at the willingness of EVE players to donate their time and effort to achieve a collective goal rather than a personal one. People are far more likely to join a corporate mining op, for example, if the proceeds will be donated to the corp funds or the minerals will be used in a corp production scheme. Similarly, I've found players to be much more enthusiastic about a mission night or wormhole op if the intent is to fund the production of a corp capital ship or the purchase of starbase fuel.

With CCP's summer focus aimed at helping new players get into good corporations, this week's opinion-filled EVE Evolved examines some of the developments necessary to make that goal possible.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benefitsblueprintblueprintsccpccp-eveccp-gamescorpcorporationeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-universityfeaturedfree-shipsgoalsguild-perksmanufacturingmotivationnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersnewbienewbiesopinionresearchSun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The home stretch: Trion posts RIFT's beta 7 patch notes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/the-home-stretch-trion-posts-rifts-beta-7-patch-notes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/the-home-stretch-trion-posts-rifts-beta-7-patch-notes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/the-home-stretch-trion-posts-rifts-beta-7-patch-notes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Today marks the beginning of the end: the final beta event for RIFT, which also happens to be the first open beta as well. To kick off this six-day event, Trion Worlds posted another set of lengthy patch notes as the team feverishly works to refine the product before its February 24th head start. From new emotes to UI improvements, there's a little something for everyone here.

Probably the largest change overall is with the souls; a good deal of the game's 32 PvE souls received tune-ups and adjustments. Guild features were given a few passes as the team added a few new perks and replaced a number of guild banners. Trion also implemented in-game Twitter functionality, allowing players to tweet their in-game statuses and screenshots to the world.

And for the always-vain Dwarves, well, it looks as though RIFT finally got that latest shipment of Botox: "Male Dwarves no longer look so... weathered. Current male Dwarf characters will probably appear to have lost a few years off their face somewhere."

You can read the full patch notes on the official forums.

MassivelyThe home stretch: Trion posts RIFT's beta 7 patch notes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-7beta-7-patch-notesbeta-eventbotoxdwarvesemotesguild-perksguildsopen-betapatchpatch-notesriftrift-planes-of-telarasoulstelaratwitteruiupdate-notesTue, 15 Feb 2011 11:45:00 EST