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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should MMOs balance for PvP, PvE, or yes?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pve/" rel="tag">PvE</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/"><img alt="Guild Wars" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/gw056.jpg" /></a></div>
The original concept for <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Guild-Wars/">Guild Wars</a></em> is right there in the name: <em>guild wars</em>. There was no question that regardless of how much PvE content the game planned to feature, there'd be at least as much or more GvG content for the competitive folks.<br />
<br />
But as more and more skills were added to the game, the devs ran into serious balancing problems and began tweaking the skills so that the PvP meta was less affected by the powercreep slowly taking over PvE. Eventually, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/ArenaNet/">ArenaNet</a> split the skills, giving some skills different effects depending on whether they were being used against players or monsters; some newer skills were designed to be PvE-only from the start.<br />
<br />
Do you think <em>Guild Wars</em> offers a pragmatic solution to the PvE/PvP balance problems that plague so many MMOs? Or do you think games should strive to balance their gameplay without creating skills (or gear) that do different things in different situations?<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/09/coffee.jpg" style="padding-right: 10px;" vspace="0" /><em>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 <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/the-daily-grind/">Daily Grind</a>!</em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/">The Daily Grind: Should MMOs balance for PvP, PvE, or yes?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20186253/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>brianna-royce-tdg</category><category>daily-grind</category><category>fantasy</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>gvg</category><category>gw</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>opinion</category><category>power-creep</category><category>powercreep</category><category>pve</category><category>pve-skills</category><category>pvp</category><category>skills</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brianna Royce]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/roleplaying/" rel="tag">Roleplaying</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-the-old-republic/" rel="tag">Star Wars: The Old Republic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hyperspace-beacon/" rel="tag">Hyperspace Beacon</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/"><img alt="Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PVP anyway?" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/hb-rp-pvp.jpg" /></a></div>
At E3, Principal Lead Writer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/daniel-erickson/">Daniel Erickson</a> expressed that he wanted a roleplay player-vs.-player server for <a href="http://swtor.com"><em>Star Wars: The Old Republic</em></a>. Granted, <a href="http://bioware.com">BioWare</a>'s live team originally intended to not launch with any type of open-world PvP roleplay server. Community Coordinator <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/david-bass/">David Bass</a> confirmed this when he explained that the Guild HQ program will not support RP-PvP servers and that those guilds wishing to roll on those types of servers will have to do it the old fashioned way: in game. According to the <a href="http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001645.php?page=2">Daedalus Project</a>, a study on the habits of MMO players, only 7% of all players actually roll a character on an RP-PvP server. However, when you keep in mind that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-the-old-republic/"><em>SWTOR</em></a> has <a href="http://www.vgchartz.com/preorders.php">the largest preorder sales of any PC game</a> as of right now (about 802,000, not including digital and European sales), 7% ends up being a significant number. At least, there are enough people interested in RP-PvP to fill a server.<br />
<br />
I understand that many people are turned off by the idea of mixing roleplay with PvP. I completely understand that. When the term RP hits people, images of Goldshire and naked Night Elves come to mind immediately. In truth, however, roleplay is really just telling a story through an interactive medium, in this case an MMO. For instance, if in the course of playing <em>SWTOR</em> you find yourself asking, "What would my character do in this situation?", then you have just brushed up against roleplay. In RP-PvP, players enjoy a very similar experience.<br />
<br />
Today, let's talk about mixing story and PvP. Players have found diverse ways to integrate the two. Beyond the break, I have examples of how you may find ways to do it yourself, even if hardcore roleplay isn't your thing.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/">Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20105462/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/hyperspace-beacon-what-is-this-rp-pvp-anyway/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>BioWare</category><category>daniel-erickson</category><category>david-bass</category><category>EA</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>featured</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>Guild-war</category><category>LucasArts</category><category>open-world-pvp</category><category>player-versus-player</category><category>player-vs-player</category><category>PvP</category><category>role-play</category><category>roleplay</category><category>RolePlaying</category><category>RP</category><category>RP-PVP</category><category>server-types</category><category>Star-Wars</category><category>star-wars-the-old-republic</category><category>swtor</category><category>the-old-republic</category><category>tor</category><category>warzones</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Everett]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Massively Exclusive: Lucent Heart unleashes guild vs. guild]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/"><img alt="Lucent Heart GvG" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/lucin.jpg" /></a></div>
With <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Lucent-Heart/"><em>Lucent Heart's</em></a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Scaena/"><em>Scaena</em></a> expansion fast on the way, the developers have yet to run out of new and exciting features to share with the game's players. This week, it's all about pitting guild against guild in mortal conflict. Who will rise? Who will fall? And most importantly of all, who will be pwned and who will be leet?<br />
<br />
It seems as though <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Gamania/">Gamania</a> is angling this expansion toward as wide an array of player types as possible, with not only GvG combat satiating the PvP crowd, but <em>Scaena's</em> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/exclusive-lucent-hearts-shows-off-the-scaena-expansions-dance/">custom dancing tools </a>pleasing the fluff nuts and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/exclusive-lucent-hearts-scaena-zones-and-bosses/">new bosses and zones</a> appealing to the PvE questers.<br />
<br />
Today we have several exclusive pictures showing off <em>Lucent Heart's </em>guild vs. guild combat, as well as an in-depth look into this system from the developers after the jump!<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/lucent-heart-scaena/">Lucent Heart Core Gallery</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/lucent-heart-scaena/#4394472"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/2gvg_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/lucent-heart-scaena/#4394473"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/3gvg_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/lucent-heart-scaena/#4394474"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/4gvg_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/lucent-heart-scaena/#4394475"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/5gvg_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/lucent-heart-scaena/#4394476"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/extrashot1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Massively Exclusive: Lucent Heart unleashes guild vs. guild</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/">Massively Exclusive: Lucent Heart unleashes guild vs. guild</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20026633/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/massively-exclusive-lucent-heart-unleashes-guild-vs-guild/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>battle-level</category><category>battle-points</category><category>capture-the-flag</category><category>city-of-peace</category><category>exclusive</category><category>expansion</category><category>gallery</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>gvg</category><category>Late-Night-Thereall</category><category>lucent-heart</category><category>preview</category><category>pvp</category><category>scaena</category><category>screenshots</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-interviews/" rel="tag">Massively Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-game-archaeologist/" rel="tag">The Game Archaeologist</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/"><img alt="Josef Hall and Todd Coleman"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/jhall-and-jtcoleman-sms.jpg" /></a></div>
After <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-your-journeys/">a couple of weeks</a> of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/">talking with players</a> about their favorite experiences in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/shadowbane/"><em>Shadowbane</em></a>, I decided it was high time to flip the discussion from those who played it to those who made it.<br />
<br />
Today we're going to kick off a two-part interview with the makers of <em>Shadowbane</em>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/josef-hall/">Josef Hall</a> and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/todd-coleman/">Todd Coleman</a>. It's interesting to realize that while MMOs come and go, many developers remain in the industry, moving between projects in surprising ways. In this case, both Hall and Coleman went from the brutal lands of cutthroat PvP to a colorful kids title: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizard101/"><em>Wizard101</em></a>. It's hard to imagine two MMOs being more different, but that goes to show you that developers, like gamers, don't always like being pigeonholed into specific roles. The duo were extremely eager to talk about <em>Shadowbane</em>, as you'll see from this interview. Buckle up -- you're in for a treat!<br />
<br />
<strong>The Game Archaeologist: Can you introduce yourself to us and explain how you became involved with <em>Shadowbane</em>?</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Josef Hall:</strong> I'm Josef Hall, co-founder of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/wolfpack-studios/">Wolfpack Studios</a>, the creator of <em>Shadowbane</em>. Currently, I'm the Vice President of Development at <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/kingsisle-entertainment/">KingsIsle Entertainment</a>, creator of <em>Wizard101</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Todd Coleman:</strong> And I'm Todd Coleman, co-founder of Wolfpack. I'm currently the VP of Production and Creative for KingsIsle. Josef and I still work together; we were the two first people brought in start the dev studio for KingsIsle here in Austin.<br />
<br />
<strong>Hall: </strong> In fact, <em>Wizard101 </em>was our idea, which is a bit odd, given that we were also the first two people to come up with the core idea behind <em>Shadowbane</em>.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/">The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20021934/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/23/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-talking-with-josef-h/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alpha</category><category>assassin</category><category>beta</category><category>campaign</category><category>centaur</category><category>crunch</category><category>disciple-runes</category><category>featured</category><category>guild-politics</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>josef-hall</category><category>police-state</category><category>politics</category><category>sandbox</category><category>shadowbane</category><category>todd-coleman</category><category>ubisoft</category><category>wolfpack</category><category>wolfpack-studios</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/shadowbane/" rel="tag">Shadowbane</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-game-archaeologist/" rel="tag">The Game Archaeologist</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/"><img alt="Shadowbane" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/shadow1.jpg" /></a></div>
I've long since enjoyed doing this column because, to me, it feels like the next best thing to having been there back in the day, playing these games. No one MMO player can occupy all titles at once, so experiences are bound to pass us by. Fortunately, the gamers who were there have long memories and are often more than willing to share a story or two if given half the chance.<br />
<br />
After <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/02/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-highlights/">last week's initial foray</a> into our <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/shadowbane/"><em>Shadowbane</em></a> retrospective, I fished around for a hearty veteran of the minotaur wars who was willing to step up and answer a few questions without succumbing to post-traumatic stress disorder. Within a minute, my good friend <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/grimnir/">Grimnir</a> bit into the topic, and I reeled him in as he flopped and gasped for air. At some point, this metaphor got away from me, but no worries. Hit that jump and let's cast our nets down memory river and see what we can dredge up!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/">The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20011947/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/the-game-archaeologist-uncovers-shadowbane-the-battle-scarred-b/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blog</category><category>blogger</category><category>daoc</category><category>dark-age-of-camelot</category><category>darkfall</category><category>drama</category><category>eve</category><category>eve-online</category><category>f2p</category><category>faction</category><category>featured</category><category>fishing-metaphor</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>gank</category><category>ganker</category><category>ganking</category><category>grimnir</category><category>grimnirs-grudges</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>mud</category><category>muds</category><category>open-world-pvp</category><category>pk</category><category>pkers</category><category>player-cities</category><category>political-system</category><category>politics</category><category>pvp</category><category>racial-divide</category><category>racism</category><category>reboot</category><category>rift</category><category>sandbox</category><category>shadowbane</category><category>the-game-archaeologist</category><category>trash-talk</category><category>ubisoft</category><category>war</category><category>warhammer-online</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><category>wow-clone</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Is the guild lock-out good or bad?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/" rel="tag">Runes of Magic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/" rel="tag">Lost Pages of Taborea</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/06/massivelysiegewarguildlockoutheaderlarge350.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
I want to talk about <a href="http://us.runesofmagic.com/us/index.html"><em>Runes of Magic's</em></a> lock-out that prevents anyone from forming a guild or inviting players to a guild between set hours each night. The lock-out takes place between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m. EDT every night. That's a four-hour window each evening that is within the only hours some people can play. It prevents players from forming or getting into guilds, which are standard features expected of MMOs these days. Forming communities and playing with others is one of the biggest reasons to play an MMO. This week on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/">Lost Pages of Taborea</a>, I want to discuss the allure of this feature, why I think it's bad that players have to work around it, the pros and cons of why it's in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/"><em>RoM</em></a>, and why it's not being discussed.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Lost Pages of Taborea: Is the guild lock-out good or bad?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/">Lost Pages of Taborea: Is the guild lock-out good or bad?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19964734/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/lost-pages-of-taborea-is-the-guild-lock-out-good-or-bad/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cant-form-guild</category><category>featured</category><category>frogster</category><category>frogster-america</category><category>frogster-interactive</category><category>guild-invites</category><category>guild-lock</category><category>guild-lock-out</category><category>guild-lockout</category><category>guild-members</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>jeremy-stratton</category><category>lost-pages-of-taborea</category><category>merc</category><category>mercing</category><category>recruiting</category><category>rom</category><category>runes-of-magic</category><category>runewaker</category><category>runewaker-entertainment</category><category>siege-war</category><category>siege-wars</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Stratton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guild Wars ups the ante for PvP]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/guild-wars-ups-the-ante-for-pvp/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/guild-wars-ups-the-ante-for-pvp/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/guild-wars-ups-the-ante-for-pvp/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.guildwars.com/support/gameupdates/default.php"><img  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/06/gw006.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px;" /></a></div>
<em>"This has been a longstanding problem with our competitive formats,"</em> <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/developer_updates/june_2011_pvp_update.php">the June <em>Guild Wars</em> dev diary bemoans</a>. <em>"There are a great variety to try, but many people haven't found enough reasons to jump in."</em><br />
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Hence the impetus behind <a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars'</em></a> <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/support/gameupdates/default.php">June update</a>, which contains a number of new incentives to entice players into the PvP arenas. Some of the biggest changes include the ability to trade <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Zaishen_coins">Z-coins</a>, new PvP quests, and additional formats that award <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Zaishen_Strongbox">Zaishen Strongboxes</a>.<br />
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Another significant change to <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> is that Alliance PvP formats now award <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Imperial_faction">Imperial faction</a>. Imperial faction can be converted to one of three types, depending on the player's need: Luxon, Kurzick or Balthazar. This way a player can fight for one side but earn points toward the other, which should go a long way to increasing the frequency of matches. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/arenanet/">ArenaNet</a> hopes that these changes will encourage players to branch out into different types of PvP instead of sticking to one format that's tied to specific rewards.<br />
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There are plenty of other tweaks in this update, so be sure <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/developer_updates/june_2011_pvp_update.php">to read the full dev diary</a> to learn about changes to titles, the Codex Arena, GvG emotes and more!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/guild-wars-ups-the-ante-for-pvp/">Guild Wars ups the ante for PvP</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/guild-wars-ups-the-ante-for-pvp/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19957491/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/guild-wars-ups-the-ante-for-pvp/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>Balthazar</category><category>codex-arena</category><category>dev-diary</category><category>emotes</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>gvg</category><category>gvg-emotes</category><category>gw</category><category>imperial-faction</category><category>june-update</category><category>kurzick</category><category>luxon</category><category>patch</category><category>pvp</category><category>strongboxes</category><category>update</category><category>z-coins</category><category>Zaishen-coins</category><category>Zaishen-Strongboxes</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Guild activities]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/" rel="tag">Runes of Magic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/" rel="tag">Lost Pages of Taborea</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/03/massivelyguildcastleheader530.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
What does a guild mean to you? Guilds are the unified packs of like-minded players we gather around to create a little home for ourselves in our favorite MMOs. Guilds are a way to offer camaraderie, a band of tightly knit players who can help each other for mutual gain. Whether it's a family playing together online, close real-life friends who want to create a personal space to hang out, or single players who could use a helping hand to get through harder content, guilds can provide all of them<br />
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On one hand, having a function to create a guild isn't much more than a label, but that can go a long way. Players run with those kind of tools and create mini-societies and alliances, and they parcel out the playerbase into feudal territories. Even if a guild can be boiled down to just a special name tag, guilds can provide a powerful mechanism for players. Nowadays MMOs are giving guilds more to do, and <a href="http://us.runesofmagic.com/us/index.html"><em>Runes of Magic</em></a> has more than its share of guild activities. Let's take a look at what guilds have access to.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Lost Pages of Taborea: Guild activities</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/">Lost Pages of Taborea: Guild activities</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19893216/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/lost-pages-of-taborea-guild-activities/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>featured</category><category>frogster</category><category>frogster-america</category><category>frogster-interactive</category><category>guild</category><category>guild-buildings</category><category>guild-castle</category><category>guild-options</category><category>guild-quests</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>jeremy-stratton</category><category>lost-pages-of-taborea</category><category>rom</category><category>runes-of-magic</category><category>runewaker</category><category>runewaker-entertainment</category><category>siege-war</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Stratton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Volume 3: The Fury of War coming to Allods Online this December]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/volume-3-the-fury-of-war-coming-to-allods-online-this-december/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/volume-3-the-fury-of-war-coming-to-allods-online-this-december/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/volume-3-the-fury-of-war-coming-to-allods-online-this-december/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/allods-online/" rel="tag">Allods Online</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.allods.gpotato.eu/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/allods-vol-3-1291311629.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">The free-to-play developer <a href="http://en.gpotato.eu/">gPotato</a> has announced a third volume for its popular F2P fantasy title <a href="http://en.allods.gpotato.eu/"><em>Allods Online</em></a>. <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/the-fury-of-war">The Fury of War</a> follows in the footsteps of the second volume, <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/rise-of-gorluxor">Rise of Gorluxor</a>, by offering more free options, items, and content. However, this volume will focus more on guilds and high-level content. Two completely new zones will open up for players: the level 40 PvP areas (Melting Isle and the Junes Catacombs) and a level 40 allod called the Lost Isle.<br />
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The Melting Isle is a faction-forgotten free-for-all PvP arena with a greater chest guaranteed to spawn if there are more than 20 participants. The Junes Catacombs also ignores factional alignments in this PvP maze, but as an added challenge, there are three bosses, including an ultimate boss, that groups must defeat in order to claim the instance rewards. Each time you enter this maze, it changes.<br />
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After the launch of Volume 3, guilds in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/allods-online/"><em>Allods</em></a> can claim ownership of specific allods or entire astral sectors by a new guild-leveling mechanic. This new addition will pit guild against guild for control -- if you claim ownership, you must be able to defend it. Other guilds will want what you have.<br />
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The Fury of War will launch before Christmas. For more information, visit the <a href="http://en.allods.gpotato.eu/"><em>Allods</em> official website</a>, where you can download the game and try it out for yourself.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/allods-fury-of-war/">Allods: Fury of War</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/allods-fury-of-war/#3626847"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/allods-artworkmelting_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/allods-fury-of-war/#3626839"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/allods-screenshotmelting_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/allods-fury-of-war/#3626840"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/allods-screenshotcatacombsboss_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/allods-fury-of-war/#3626842"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/allods-screenshotcatacombsentrance_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/allods-fury-of-war/#3626844"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/allods-screenshotcatacombsminiboss_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/volume-3-the-fury-of-war-coming-to-allods-online-this-december/">Volume 3: The Fury of War coming to Allods Online this December</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/volume-3-the-fury-of-war-coming-to-allods-online-this-december/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19741981/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/volume-3-the-fury-of-war-coming-to-allods-online-this-december/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>allods</category><category>allods-online</category><category>fury-of-war</category><category>gallery</category><category>gpotato</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>gvg</category><category>new-zones</category><category>patch</category><category>screenshots</category><category>the-fury-of-war</category><category>update</category><category>volume-3</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Everett]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Siege war top 50]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/" rel="tag">Runes of Magic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/" rel="tag">Lost Pages of Taborea</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lost-pages-of-taborea/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/10/massivelysiegewartop50header.jpg" /></a></div>
One of the fascinating aspects of an MMO is its ability to spark creativity. With so much to do in these large virtual worlds, it's almost inevitable that players will create <a href="http://www.theromwiki.com/Main_Page">wikis</a>, fan sites, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/lost-pages-of-taborea-runes-of-magic-addons/">addons</a> and anything else they can dream up. <a href="http://us.runesofmagic.com/us/index.html"><em>Runes of Magic</em></a> is no different, and its siege war has given way to the creation of <a href="http://dawn-treaders.info/sw/index.php">Siege War Top 50</a>. The fan-made website aggregates siege war scores from all guilds on North American servers and spits it out in various lists. It has been consistently popular on the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/"><em>RoM</em></a> forums for many weeks now and is a testament to how popular siege war is.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look at this site and see what makes it tick. Along the way, I share commentary about the site and siege war in general, and you'll get to see which guilds are in the top bracket out of all the North American servers.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Lost Pages of Taborea: Siege war top 50</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/">Lost Pages of Taborea: Siege war top 50</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19677265/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/lost-pages-of-taborea-siege-war-top-50/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arena</category><category>battlefields</category><category>battlegrounds</category><category>featured</category><category>frogster</category><category>frogster-america</category><category>frogster-interactive</category><category>guild-rankings</category><category>guild-score</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>player-vs-player</category><category>pvp</category><category>ranking</category><category>rom</category><category>runes-of-magic</category><category>runewaker</category><category>runewaker-entertainment</category><category>score</category><category>siege-war</category><category>siege-war-rank</category><category>siege-war-top-50</category><category>siege-wars</category><category>top-50</category><category>top-guild</category><category>tournament</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Stratton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Earthrise lead game designer on core concepts and game mechanics]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/crafting/" rel="tag">Crafting</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/politics/" rel="tag">Politics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise/" rel="tag">Earthrise</a></p><a href="http://www.onlinewelten.com/games/articles/interviews/4408-earthrise-interview-game-designer/4/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/09/apostolapostolovimage225.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />One of the independent MMOs in the works that interests Massively is <a href="http://www.play-earthrise.com"><em>Earthrise</em></a>, being developed by <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/masthead-studios">Masthead Studios</a> in Bulgaria. We came across an <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><em>Earthrise</em></a> interview at <a href="http://www.onlinewelten.com">OnlineWelten</a> by Anja Gellesch, originally in German but translated into English. Masthead's Lead Game Designer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/apostol-apostolov">Apostol Apostolov</a> gives a well-worded introduction to the premise of the game and its "<em>post-post-apocalyptic</em>" setting, but there's plenty of details to be found in the interview as well. <br /><br />He discusses player choice in the game, how some will opt to join a faction while other players remain neutral in the struggle between the technocratic elite <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/continoma">Continoma</a>, and the shadowy resistance movement <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/noir">Noir</a>. Apostolov also mentions that there are 20 different zones spread across the game's island setting of Enterra.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Earthrise lead game designer on core concepts and game mechanics</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/">Earthrise lead game designer on core concepts and game mechanics</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.onlinewelten.com/games/articles/interviews/4408-earthrise-interview-game-designer/4/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19147479/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/earthrise-lead-game-designer-on-core-concepts-and-game-mechanics/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anja-gellesch</category><category>apostol-apostolov</category><category>concession-grounds</category><category>continoma</category><category>crafting</category><category>earthrise</category><category>economy</category><category>enterra</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>interviews</category><category>masthead-studios</category><category>noir</category><category>offline-advancement</category><category>onlinewelten</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>pvp</category><category>resources</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>social-experience</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Massively Interview: Masthead Studios' CEO on Earthrise and freedom of choice]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lore/" rel="tag">Lore</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-interviews/" rel="tag">Massively Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise/" rel="tag">Earthrise</a></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/06/earthrisenoirimageat580wall.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />There is a slow but steady shift in direction in the MMO industry from being dominated by fantasy titles to one where gamers have other options, namely in terms of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic games. The smaller game studios producing these titles have some big challenges ahead of them, not the least of which is whether or not MMO gamers will embrace settings and gameplay elements that depart from the fantasy MMO paradigm. One of those newcomers to the MMO scene is <a href="http://www.mastheadstudios.com">Masthead Studios</a> who are developing the post-apocalyptic <a href="http://www.play-earthrise.com"><em>Earthrise</em></a>.<br /><br />This first title from Masthead Studios will present gamers with a futuristic, dystopian setting where two major factions struggle for control over the island of Enterra, the last refuge of humanity after the burn. Continoma are the technocratic elite; they hold the keys to genetic immortality and enforce their ordered societal views on the population they've resurrected. The game's other major faction, Noir, is a shadow government -- the resistance.<em> </em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><em>Earthrise</em></a>'s setting and factional struggles aren't limited to simple right-and-wrong scenarios, though, and this carries over to the gameplay. Players or guilds may align with one faction or another for their own benefit, but the game's numerous sub-factions provide other options for allegiances, or even the possibility of shifting those allegiances. <br /><br />We had the opportunity to <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/29/gdc09-massively-previews-earthrise/">see <em>Earthrise</em> firsthand at GDC 2009</a> but we've always got more questions. Fortunately, Masthead Studios was willing to oblige. We've had another chance to speak with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov about some of the core concepts and lore behind <em>Earthrise</em>, and how their approach to the game and the genre should allow a great deal of freedom for players.<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/">Earthrise</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4547436"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/vehicle02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4547438"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/vehicle06.tints_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4547437"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/vehicle05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4072506"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/vehicle2frame_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4072505"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/vehicle1frame_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Massively Interview: Masthead Studios' CEO on Earthrise and freedom of choice</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/">Massively Interview: Masthead Studios' CEO on Earthrise and freedom of choice</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19056441/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>atanas-atanasov</category><category>backstory</category><category>choice</category><category>continoma</category><category>dystopia</category><category>earthise</category><category>factions</category><category>featured</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>interviews</category><category>lore</category><category>massively-interviews</category><category>masthead-studios</category><category>noir</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>setting</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Earthrise question of the week is a call to crafters]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/crafting/" rel="tag">Crafting</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise/" rel="tag">Earthrise</a></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/earthrisecraftinqotwimageat580.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.play-earthrise.com"><em>Earthrise</em></a> is the post-apocalyptic MMO being developed by <a href="http://www.mastheadstudios.com">Masthead Studios</a> that will have a game setting quite different from the crumbled, burned out world we'd typically associate with global armageddon. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><em>Earthrise</em></a> is set in a utopian future that's quickly turning dystopian, one that's still rather crumbly on the outskirts to keep that aftermath feel to the game. Beyond the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/guild-vs-guild">guild warfare</a> and sandbox elements of gameplay <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/29/gdc09-massively-previews-earthrise/">Massively has looked at in the past</a>, Masthead Studios is putting a great deal of emphasis on the game's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/crafting">crafting system</a>. <br /><br />In fact, this is the focus of the <em>Earthrise</em> Question of the Week on the game's forums, posted by the game's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/moll">community manager Moll</a>. However, instead of simply doing a brief Q&amp;A as in other weeks, Moll explains the concepts behind the crafting system before eliciting feedback from <em>Earthrise</em> fans.<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/">Earthrise</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4547436"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/vehicle02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4547438"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/vehicle06.tints_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4547437"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/vehicle05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4072506"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/vehicle2frame_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/earthrise-gallery/#4072505"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/vehicle1frame_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Earthrise question of the week is a call to crafters</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/">Earthrise question of the week is a call to crafters</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://forums.play-earthrise.com/index.php?topic=4471.0>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1549431/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>community-manager</category><category>competition</category><category>crafting</category><category>dystopia</category><category>earthrise</category><category>economy</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>masthead-studios</category><category>moll</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>qotw</category><category>question-of-the-week</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>specialization</category><category>utopia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Earthrise interview sheds light on title's sandbox gameplay]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise/" rel="tag">Earthrise</a></p><a href="http://www.play-earthrise.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/03/earthrisegrabat425bluehairgirl.jpg" /></a><br />Fans of 'sandbox' massively multiplayer online titles where gamers can largely play how they choose to might be interested in <a href="http://www.play-earthrise.com"><em>Earthrise</em></a>, a post-apocalyptic MMO in development at <a href="http://www.mastheadstudios.com">Masthead Studios</a>. Although there's no solid estimate on the game's release date, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/masthead-studios">Masthead Studios</a> is getting the word out about <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><em>Earthrise</em></a> in preparation for beta testing. The most recent interview they've done can be found over at <a href="http://gamesnafu.com">GameSNAFU</a>. <br /><br />Michael G. Koshgarian from GameSNAFU interviewed Masthead Studios CEO <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/atanas-atanasov">Atanas Atanasov</a>, who dished out some info on the storyline quests for the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/earthrise-lore-features-clash-between-utopian-idealism-and-anarc/">warring Continoma and Noir factions</a>. Of particular interest is the fact that players will be able to shift their allegiances and defect to a rival faction, but at the risk of being branded a traitor.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Earthrise interview sheds light on title's sandbox gameplay</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/">Earthrise interview sheds light on title's sandbox gameplay</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.gamesnafu.com/readarticle.php?ArticleID=153>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1482700/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/earthrise-interview-sheds-light-on-titles-sandbox-gameplay/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>atanas-atanasov</category><category>continoma</category><category>earthrise</category><category>factions</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>gamesnafu</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>interviews</category><category>masthead-studios</category><category>michael-g-koshgarian</category><category>noir</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Esteemed Guild Wars guild punished for cheating]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/esteemed-guild-wars-guild-punished-for-cheating/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/esteemed-guild-wars-guild-punished-for-cheating/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/esteemed-guild-wars-guild-punished-for-cheating/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Rawr_cup"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/02/rawrcupbeasts2-sms-0209.jpg" /></a>Guild tournaments are serious business in <a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars</em></a>. The arena-based PvP in <a href="http://www.arena.net">ArenaNet</a>'s successful MMO is widely popular as global guilds face up for a top spot on the <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/competitive/ladder/default.php">Tournament Ladder</a>. One of the most popular and powerful of these competitive guilds is <a href="http://www.rebelrising.net/">Rebel Rising [rawr]</a>, who has been in the spotlight many times for their own separate <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Rawr_cup">Rawr Cup Tournament</a>. Recently though, Rebel Rising was caught cheating in a Guild versus Guild tournament. <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Regina_Buenaobra/Journal#Tournament_Ruling_-_06_February_2009">According to ArenaNet</a>, both teams stopped fighting at the end of a match, allowing the timer to run down and guaranteeing both teams a spot in the Top 16. As punishment, Rebel Rising will have their gold cape trim removed for one month, while the other team, Survival Rate [zero] will not receive their silver cape trim, as would usually be awarded for a guild placing in the top 16.<br /><br />Since this was the first offense for both guilds, the punishment was light. ArenaNet has stated that any future offenses will be met with temporary or permanent bans for any players involved. So how do you feel about this decision? When guilds knowingly break the rules to manipulate the ladder, should the punishment be more harsh or more lenient?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/esteemed-guild-wars-guild-punished-for-cheating/">Esteemed Guild Wars guild punished for cheating</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Regina_Buenaobra/Journal#Tournament_Ruling_-_06_February_2009>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/esteemed-guild-wars-guild-punished-for-cheating/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1453922/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/esteemed-guild-wars-guild-punished-for-cheating/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>gvg</category><category>rawr</category><category>rebel-rising</category><category>regina-buenaobra</category><category>tournament</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Masthead Studios CEO discusses Earthrise's sandbox philosophy]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/masthead-studios-ceo-discusses-earthrises-sandbox-philosophy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/masthead-studios-ceo-discusses-earthrises-sandbox-philosophy/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/masthead-studios-ceo-discusses-earthrises-sandbox-philosophy/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise/" rel="tag">Earthrise</a></p><a href="massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/11/earthriselargeimageat425.jpg" /></a><br />It looks like the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi">sci-fi MMO genre</a> is going to experience quite an influx of new titles in the months and years to come. Beyond the more standard sci-fi MMOs we've reported on in the past, one that's caught our attention at Massively is the upcoming post-apocalyptic title, <a href="http://www.play-earthrise.com"><em>Earthrise</em></a>. It seems that beta testing is going to begin "in autumn", as confirmed by <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/masthead-studios"><em>Masthead Studios</em></a> CEO Atanas Atanasov in an interview with Polish MMO-centric gaming site The Art of MMO. <br /><br />While the interview brought to light some interesting revelations about <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/earthrise"><em>Earthrise</em></a> as a sandbox MMO, it also nailed down some details such as the system requirements to run the title: minimum requirements are 2 GHz CPU, 1024 MB RAM and 256 MB VRAM video card supporting shader model v3.0, according to <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/atanas-atanasov">Atanasov</a>. But the interview also gives confirmations about guild-based PvP (which Atanasov refers to as <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/guild-vs-guild">'Guild-vs-Guild'</a> or 'GvG'), character advancement, and the roleplaying opportunities he sees being available to players in the <em>Earthrise</em> sandbox. Check out the entire <a href="http://mmozin.pl/zin/numery/EZinNr1/earthriseinterview.html">English version of the interview</a> over at The Art of MMO for more on this title.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/masthead-studios-ceo-discusses-earthrises-sandbox-philosophy/">Masthead Studios CEO discusses Earthrise's sandbox philosophy</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://mmozin.pl/zin/numery/EZinNr1/earthriseinterview.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/masthead-studios-ceo-discusses-earthrises-sandbox-philosophy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1369083/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/masthead-studios-ceo-discusses-earthrises-sandbox-philosophy/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>atanas-atanasov</category><category>beta</category><category>betas</category><category>bulgaria</category><category>earthrise</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>gvg</category><category>interview</category><category>interviews</category><category>masthead-studios</category><category>mmo-industry</category><category>new-titles</category><category>play-earthrise</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>sofia</category><category>system-requirements</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Major Guild Wars update drastically changes GvG]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/major-guild-wars-update-drastically-changes-gvg/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/major-guild-wars-update-drastically-changes-gvg/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/major-guild-wars-update-drastically-changes-gvg/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/forums/" rel="tag">Forums</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pve/" rel="tag">PvE</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/449040/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/08/gw-factions-update-0808.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> players have been anxiously awaiting <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/support/gameupdates/default.php">this large skill balance</a> for a long time, but many weren't expecting this much of a change. Not only have many key skills been buffed, but the nerfing of Ursan Blessing has finally happened. Plus, Guild versus Guild battles have been drastically changed. As with any gameplay changes, there are <a href="http://www.teamquitter.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8523&amp;postdays=0&amp;postorder=asc&amp;start=0">those who love it, and those who hate it</a>.<br /><br />The key component to the <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/GvG">GvG</a> changes involves the complete removal of the <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/%22Victory_or_Death%21%22">Victory or Death</a> finale effect. This means the Guild Battle NPCs no longer walk to the flag stand and the <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guild_Lord">Guild Lord</a>'s health has been reduced to 1680, yet he gets a 300 max health boost for the rest of the game when a team obtains a morale boost. What does this all mean for GvG? Basically, previous strategies will need a complete revamp to be effective anymore. This should be interesting for those guilds who have dominated the ladder for so long.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/major-guild-wars-update-drastically-changes-gvg/">Major Guild Wars update drastically changes GvG</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10315048>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/major-guild-wars-update-drastically-changes-gvg/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1279046/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/major-guild-wars-update-drastically-changes-gvg/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>guild</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>gvg</category><category>pve</category><category>pvp</category><category>victory-or-death</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guild Wars Guru GvG Challenge 2008 starts this weekend]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/guild-wars-guru-gvg-challenge-2008-starts-this-weekend/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/guild-wars-guru-gvg-challenge-2008-starts-this-weekend/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/guild-wars-guru-gvg-challenge-2008-starts-this-weekend/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/contests/" rel="tag">Contests</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/forums/" rel="tag">Forums</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/07/guild_wars_screen_161.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
If you've thought about joining the <a href="http://www.guildwarsguru.com/gvg/index.html">Guild Wars Guru GvG Contest</a>, but just haven't gotten around to it yet, you still have time! Guild registration will close tomorrow at 12PM EDT and there are still a few spots left.<br /><br />If you're unfamiliar with this contest, it is a <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Gvg">guild vs guild</a> battle arranged into 5 separate divisions, much like <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Rawr_cup">tournaments of the past</a>. There is a division for premier guilds, gold guilds, silver guilds, bronze guilds and casual. The tournament will take place on Saturday, July 12th and the prizes are certainly nothing to scoff at. The grand prizes include a <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Miniature_Shiro%27ken_Assassin">Shiro'ken mini-pet</a>, 500 Tournament Reward Points and a Compaq Presario laptop. Well, at least the mini-pet and reward points are cool.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/guild-wars-guru-gvg-challenge-2008-starts-this-weekend/">Guild Wars Guru GvG Challenge 2008 starts this weekend</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.guildwarsguru.com/gvg/index.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/guild-wars-guru-gvg-challenge-2008-starts-this-weekend/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1250969/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/guild-wars-guru-gvg-challenge-2008-starts-this-weekend/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-guru</category><category>gvg</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>tournament</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Corum Online's leveling dungeons]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/corum-online/" rel="tag">Corum Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/casual/" rel="tag">Casual</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://corum.gpotato.com/index.php/?i=screenshot1"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/03/corum3_large.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br /></div>
MMOFury has <a href="http://mmofury.com/gamingnews/news.php?extend.24">a short interview up with Elliot Coward</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corum_Online"><em>Corum Online</em></a>, a free-to-play, microtransaction-funded MMO (from the same company that runs <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/flyff/"><em>Flyff</em></a> and a few more originally Korean games).  Corum has a nice little twist though -- in this game, not only do players level up, but so do dungeons.  During the week, dungeons that have more players going through them will "level up," and get harder monsters to join, and players can even take over dungeons and gain rewards for their control.  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corum_Online">The Wikipedia page on the game</a> says that things inside are pretty much taken over by high powered groups and guilds, but considering the size of the game, there's still quite a few dungeons that are uncontrolled.  Sounds interesting.<br /><br />To that end, Coward says that the devs are currently working on beefing up the guild system, including building up some systems for guild vs. guild play, and they're always trying to push out more dungeons -- Coward says that "MMOG players can burn through content like a hot knife through butter."  Sounds about right to us.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/">Corum Online's leveling dungeons</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://mmofury.com/gamingnews/news.php?extend.24>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1142320/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/18/corum-onlines-leveling-dungeons/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>corum-online</category><category>dungeons</category><category>guild-vs-guild</category><category>guilds</category><category>leveling</category><category>mmofury</category><category>players</category><category>pvp</category><category>tournament</category><category>wikipedia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
