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Massively Exclusive: Eligium's world history, chapter 1

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Previews, Free-to-play

Maybe you've been following Eligium since it was first announced. Maybe you've been interested after reading our impressions of the title from GDC. Maybe you're only just now hearing about it. Whatever camp you fall into, the game is continuing along with its testing and nearing an official release. And while some players might be interested only in leveling particularly involved mounts and enjoying some wide-open exploration, others want to know a little more about the world the game inhabits.

We've seen snippets of the game's lore from the various racial reveals, but the team at Frogster is putting together a series on the game world's history in more detail. The first installment gives a quick and broad overview of the pre-history of the game's setting; it's just after the cut. If you're interested in the game, enjoy, and keep your eyes peeled for future installments in the history updates.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Eligium's world history, chapter 1

Massively Exclusive: Eligium's world history, chapter 1 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brad McQuaid reminisces about the birth of EverQuest

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Interviews, MMO industry, News items

Maybe you're a big fan of EverQuest. Maybe you were at one point, but your ardor has cooled. Maybe you never liked it. Whatever your opinion on the game, you can't deny that it had a massive impact on the face of MMOs as a whole. In a new interview, Brad McQuaid talks about the genesis of EverQuest through development and what the game looked like from the other side, before it was a known fact that the game would be a success or even functional.

And yes, according to McQuaid, there were several points at which the team was worried that the game wouldn't work at all. Between the issues of 3-D performance and network issues, it was far from a certainty that the game could be played and enjoyed by a large enough number of people. The difficulty level of the game wasn't on the list of worries -- from the design team's perspective, that was half of the enjoyment of the game. Read the full interview for more anecdotes and opinions about the early development of one of the first big MMO successes.

Brad McQuaid reminisces about the birth of EverQuest originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Meridian 59, MMO industry, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

A colony founded through a magical nexus, Meridian 59 had it all going on -- until, that is, the portal to the colony collapsed and it was left to fend for itself. Monsters swarmed over the land, politics split the community into factions, and adventurers were called to rise up and become the heroes that were desperately needed. And all it took was $10.95 a month and an internet connection.

Welcome to 1996 and one of the very first -- if not the first (more on that later) -- graphical MMOs to hit the scene. Meridian 59 may not have been one of the biggest games in the genre, but it was arguably one of the most important, the John Adams to World of Warcraft's Abraham Lincoln. If you were wondering, Darkfall was Chester A. Arthur.

It seems fitting to end 2011 by touching upon this significant title that, against all odds, continues to operate today. Meridian 59 weathered studio shutdowns, newbie developers in every sense of the word, and a world that wasn't quite sure what to make of these fancy-schmancy massively interactive roleplaying games. MIRGs! Oh, that would've been such a better acronym, but I digress. Let's set the wayback machine to 1978 to see how one amateur game led to another that led to the birth of an industry.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist crosses Meridian 59: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs

Jef Reahard — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

If you're looking for a reasonably short video primer on the history of MMOs, look no further than a series of clips recently uploaded to YouTube. According to some genre heavyweights, though, you shouldn't take all the info presented at face value. Former sandbox (and current social games) developer Raph Koster weighs in on the clips at his personal blog, and he offers up a laundry list of "oddities, errors, and omissions."

MUD pioneer Richard Bartle shows up in Koster's comment thread, and he's even more direct. "I wonder why so few of those who make this kind of documentary actually ask the people they're talking about whether what they're saying about them is factually correct? It's not like we're dead or anything," Bartle muses.

Why watch the vids, then? Mainly for the exposure to pre-2004 MMORPGs, according to Koster. The clips are "worth a look, even if only to get a rare glimpse of actual video footage from some of the older games that many folks today don't even know existed," he says. Check out all three installments after the break.

Continue reading Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs

Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios opens a website portal to Project Copernicus' world

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Previews

While 38 Studios' top-secret Project Copernicus MMO lacks a proper title or most of its details, at least we can now visit the world that it and its single-player RPG brother, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, inhabits.

The studio launched a pair of websites devoted to the game world and its first game today. Over on Amalur, 38 Studios has unleashed its loremasters to share with you the stories, features, histories, and settings of this fantasy landscape. And while Reckoning is just a prequel to the eventual MMO, its website contains quite a few lore snippets as well as a world map to pour over while you're planning your future conquests.

As part of the twin projects, R.A. Salvatore has created over 10,000 years of fictional history for the world of Amalur, stretching from The Deep Gloam to the Age of Heroes. Reckoning takes place during the Age of Arcana, with Copernicus happening some time thereafter.

38 Studios opens a website portal to Project Copernicus' world originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you prefer historical settings?

Brianna Royce — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Real life, Culture, Events, real-world, Lore, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

This week, Massively's Karen Bryan attended a GDC talk by Charles Cecil, the creator of Broken Sword, on the topic of writing games that employ history and historical themes. Cecil wisely noted that historical themes tap in to the audience's shared mythology to generate a compelling game and to serve as the foundation for accessible puzzles relevant to the storyline. And yet strict historical themes in MMOs, even when not diluted with more fantastic elements, can also betray immersion -- would it really make sense for a game about the American Revolution to allow female characters to become military generals?

Dark Age of Camelot certainly saw its share of success pairing real-world European legend and modern 20th-century fantasy, while its cousin Imperator, set in a futuristic Roman Empire, was canceled in favor of another Mythic game. World of Tanks thrives off historical realism, whereas the upcoming The Secret World is making an art-form of layering myth over mundane. Still, history-flavored games are very much in the minority, perhaps because they allow studios much less freedom of lore design. What do you think -- do historical (or pseudo-historical) MMOs work for you? Do you prefer pure escapism, or would you rather play in a "home-turf" setting whose real-world backstory is your own?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Do you prefer historical settings? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten things to do in Star Wars Galaxies before it's gone

Brianna Royce — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Roleplaying, Humor, Sandbox

When SOE announced that Star Wars Galaxies would be sunsetted by the end of the year, many players despaired. They gave up. They saw their long years (eight years!) of play turn to dust. But others looked on the impending closure as incentive to do all those things they'd been putting off, all the activities they just hadn't gotten around to. There hadn't been time. The game is too big for anyone to do it all.

And that's precisely why Star Wars Galaxies is a legend among sandbox fans despite the NGE disaster. It's a living museum of great MMO ideas from the past, of player-driven economies, of open-world housing, of high-end, game-supported roleplay, of roaming in a game that lets you dictate the terms of your play. It's a rare relic you should see in the flesh, today, right now, before it's gone. You can pick up a weapon and fight in any MMO (excepting A Tale in the Desert, that is), but there are so many things you can do in Star Wars Galaxies that you can't do anywhere else with the same level of immersion. And I'm going to tell you which 10 you should do first... before it's too late.

Continue reading Ten things to do in Star Wars Galaxies before it's gone

Ten things to do in Star Wars Galaxies before it's gone originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Timeline

Larry Everett — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

When I started the Holocron Files last week, it slipped my mind that I have been doing this column for a year and a half and that not everyone has been following every issue. When I wrote about the Pureblood Sith, it was really meant to be a refresher course, not a comprehensive chronicle. It's extremely difficult to capture the full history of a species in about a thousand words. That being said, I understand that not everyone has a perspective on the Star Wars timeline, especially the time leading up to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

I don't think it's any secret that BioWare stories are extremely deep, and Lead Writer Daniel Erickson has a nerdgasm every time someone interviews him about Star Wars history. The established history leading up to TOR will play a major role in the story that unfolds in the game, otherwise the development team would not have had the wherewithal to create the timeline videos for the website.

Following the break, I would like to set you up for future, more comprehensive articles about the Star Wars lore. Although this column is certainly not exclusively about lore, when I bring up another Holocron File, I want reader to have a decent understanding of when these events fall in Star Wars history. So rev up your time machine to 88 miles per hour! This Hyperspace Beacon is about to go back in time -- way back!

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Timeline

Hyperspace Beacon: Timeline originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Holocron Files - Pureblood Sith

Larry Everett — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Races, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

Moreso than any other MMO intellectual property, the Star Wars IP carries a rich, deep history, shaped not only by its creator, George Lucas, but also by the many artists, writers, and directors of the many television series, games, books, and comics. When you step into Star Wars: The Old Republic, you are weaving yourself into a story with over 30 years of constant growth and development. Unlike other fictional histories, this one was guided by many hands, and much of the lore has been muddled over years of retcons and rewrites.

Every so often until the release of the game, I will explore the important bits that lead to the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Unlike other MMOs, this game is developed specifically to draw the player into the story. To help ease you into this rich lore, I am creating a series I call the Holocron Files. And first, I begin with the mysterious TOR species know as the Pureblood Sith. Where do these beings come from? Why are they important to SWTOR lore? And what can we expect to see from them in game? Leap past the break to find out.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Holocron Files - Pureblood Sith

Hyperspace Beacon: Holocron Files - Pureblood Sith originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Building a better empire

Brendan Drain — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, EVE Evolved

It's often said that EVE Online is 99% endgame, with only the tutorials and epic mission arcs really providing directed gameplay. Once you get out into the open world, the game is dominated by sandbox laws and social interaction. This is most clear in the lawless nullsec regions where alliances war over territory and build their own empires in the void.

Last week I looked back at the early days of nullsec industry and examined the problems industry has developed over the years. With a massive nullsec revamp scheduled to begin this winter, I went on to speculate on how the game could be changed to bring back the glory days of nullsec industry. Although adequately incentivised local mining and production could transform player-created empires, those aren't the only areas of gameplay being revisited. Sovereignty mechanics, fleet warfare, small gang warfare, exploration and small-scale territorial control will all eventually be redesigned as part of the massive iterative overhaul.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the history of EVE's empire-building and territorial warfare mechanics, some of the problems faced by the sovereignty system, and how those aspects of EVE could possibly be changed for the better.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Building a better empire

EVE Evolved: Building a better empire originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Tanks mirrors history with Battle for the Dnieper special event

Matt Daniel — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, World of Tanks

Wargaming.net has long touted World of Tanks' historical accuracy when it comes to its tanks' designs and specs. The studio very clearly knows its history, as evidenced by the forthcoming Battle for the Dnieper event.

The event, which commemorates a massive World War II battle involving nearly four million people, brings players a couple of opportunities. For starters, from August 25th to 26th, all profit gained by players using the Hummel, SU-8, and M41 SPGs will be doubled. Players will also be able to rename tanks and purchase new ones at highly discounted prices. Topping off the event is the Call of Heroes contest, which challenges players to see who can acquire the highest number of achievements before the end of the contest on August 29th. So what are you waiting for, soldier? Get out there and show everyone else who the real hero is.

World of Tanks mirrors history with Battle for the Dnieper special event originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Namaste Entertainment charts the history of MMOs [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Galleries, Culture, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous

It's one thing to have a vague sense of what MMOs came out when, but it's another thing entirely to see a huge chunk of history plotted out in one comprehensive chart. It's also dang cool to see.

During her research into user-generated content in MMOs for Storybricks, Namaste Entertainment's Kelly Heckman built a giant graphic to get a handle on how games developed over the years. She not only plotted them by year released, but also lumped them in with their respective genres and showed which games inspired others. The end result gives the viewer a bird's eye view of the industry as it's grown in the past decade and a half.

"It turned out so well we made the movie with it and plan to release the source so anyone can make a movie with it," Heckman said. You can walk through this giant infographic in the gallery below, and make sure to hit the jump to watch the accompanying video that makes use of the chart.

[Update: Here's a direct link to a much bigger version of the infographic.]

Gallery: Namaste Entertainment

Continue reading Namaste Entertainment charts the history of MMOs [Updated]

Namaste Entertainment charts the history of MMOs [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Out of all your characters, who's the favorite?

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

Play MMOs long enough and you'll amass your own little army of characters. Some details might be the same from game to game, even if you're not much of a roleplayer, but there's no doubt a vast difference in capability and what abilities are even available to a given player. Sure, you can have a similar-looking elf in both World of Warcraft and RIFT, but odds are good that the two will play completely differently.

Maybe you only have a couple of games in your history and you're immune to the urge of making dozens of alts, or perhaps you've got a hundred characters spread over dozens of games. Whatever the case, there are no doubt one or two names that stand out in the list. So who's your favorite character out of the ones you've played? Is it a character that stands out due to class abilities, roleplaying, or some other sentimental connection?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Out of all your characters, who's the favorite? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, PvP, Shadowbane, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

Way back when I used to haunt the corridors of Gamestop and not shun the place due to its stinky evil, I remember being enticed with these fancy-pantsy "MMORPG" boxes when I'd see them on the shelf. I must have picked up Shadowbane a dozen or so times to check out the blurbs on the back, mentally weighing whether or not this would be the one to introduce me to online gaming, but ultimately it was not to be.

It's probably for the best, considering that Shadowbane was primarily PvP and I'm a PvE guy at heart. Plus, the title never really took off the way that publisher Ubisoft had hoped, spending most of its six years of operation lurking in the background of the MMO industry instead of sharing the spotlight.

But still, six years! That's far longer than any of the titles we've been talking about these past couple months, and considering that Shadowbane won last week's poll to become this month's topic, there are obviously strong feelings lurking among you. What did Shadowbane try to do differently, how did it stay alive as long as it did, and what was its downfall? Hit the jump to find out!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Free-to-play, Races, Roleplaying, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

The lore in Runes of Magic can sometimes be frustrating. There's an incomplete -- and vague -- history that sparks questions of who did what and when. Sometimes, there are references to reoccurring incidents without anyone knowing anything of who was involved or when it happened. As new chapters are released, some of those questions are answered and story-holes are filled, but new questions get added as well. We are veering off the beaten track in this week's Lost Pages of Taborea to dive into some lore.

There's a growing amount of story for lore-hungry players to discuss and I wanted to revisit some Chapter 3 lore that helps us to understand a little more about the history and present-day in the world of Taborea. The following article is written for those players who may already know about the game's lore, but want to know even more. Given the overall amount of story and the way it's spread out through levels, zones and time-frames, I almost didn't feel the need to put any spoiler warnings on this post. Instead, I left out details learned from going inside the various dungeons.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins

Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima Worlds Online: Origin

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Ultima Online, Humor, The Game Archaeologist

Two months ago, we heard a rumor (which has since gone quiet) that a new Ultima Online sequel might be in the oven in Electronic Art's kitchen. As with any rumor, it was important to take it with a grain of disbelief, although a pinch of hope seems appropriate in this case as well. After all, Ultima Online's been begging for a sequel ever since the hit MMO started facing stiff competition in the form of 3-D worlds like EverQuest and Asheron's Call.

For some of us gamers, word of a UO sequel feels like deja vu, and rightly so. This wouldn't be the first time that EA embarked on a project to make a more modern Ultima Online, nor would it be the second time. Indeed, the saga of Ultima Online's canceled sequels is as torrid as it is steamy and lusty. Ignore the words in the previous sentence, as those are just to up the hits on search engines.

In our continuing series on the "what ifs?" of axed MMOs, we're going to head into a two-parter full of savage truth, dangerous decisions, and full-frontal nerdery. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the saga of Ultima Online 2.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima Worlds Online: Origin

The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima Worlds Online: Origin originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online entering the realm of the Three Kingdoms

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST

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

If you've never read Romance of the Three Kingdoms or studied a bit of Chinese history, you're missing out on a drama full of intrigue, cleverness, and sweeping battles. Fortunately for players of Atlantica Online, you don't need to know the history to enjoy the upcoming Three Kingdoms update. Slated for release on the 26th of April, the update will contain a variety of new quests and systems along with a new mercenary hero, Guan Yu.

The quests will center around the Battle of Red Cliffs, with players getting the chance to rub shoulders with well-known figures such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Players can also enjoy the new Expedition Team feature, which allows mercenaries to be dispatched for side objectives while the player focuses on the more pressing battles of the day. Check out some of the concept art in the gallery below, and if you're fond of Atlantica Online, make sure to check out the new update on the 26th.

Gallery: Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online entering the realm of the Three Kingdoms originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest giving away 12 one-year subscriptions for its 12th anniversary

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Contests, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, News items, Giveaways

Twelve years ago, several brave adventurers took their first steps into the world of EverQuest and helped to shape the MMO genre. Now, Sony Online Entertainment is gearing up to celebrate all the myriad achievements between that first day and now -- and the company is kicking everything off with a huge giveaway just perfect for dedicated Norrathians! Earlier today SOE announced a Facebook contest that will hook a dozen lucky winners up with a full year of EverQuest game time. However, much like the game it honors, this giveaway quest is only for those adventurers who savor a challenge.

Starting today, the SOE community team will post a daily image on Facebook that has a trivia question on it. All you have to do is drop by the EverQuest Facebook page, look at the image, and mail your answer in to the company's contest email address. From there, one winner will be picked from all the correct answers received each day until all 12 days' worth of giveaways are done. So, if you're up on your Norrathian trivia and would like to land some free game time, then point your browser at the SOE Facebook page and check out all the details!

EverQuest giving away 12 one-year subscriptions for its 12th anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: For over a thousand generations...

Larry Everett — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Opinion, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

I know this column has covered a lot of lore in its nine months -- wow, nine months! I can't believe it's been that long. We have discussed the Empires of the past and future, the Jedi's rise and fall, and the lore behind each of the eight classes. Cultures have been examined and specific characters have been spotlighted in this column. But how important is all this backstory to Star Wars: The Old Republic? Is my bad-ass bounty hunter even going to care what a gray Jedi is? He sure isn't going to give a bantha's butt about the color of the Jedi's lightsaber.

I know you're going to tell me, "But Larry, you're a roleplayer. You know how important lore is!" I do; it is important. But how much lore is too much? Even as a roleplayer, I have found that sometimes knowing too much can be detrimental to the roleplay experience. On top of that, how horrible is it, especially as a new roleplayer, to have someone tell you that you can't wear black as an Imperial officer unless you're a member of the Stormtrooper Corps. Crap! Now I have redo everything!

What I'd like to discuss today are some essential pieces of lore the average person living in The Old Republic should know, so that I can give existing roleplayers a different perspective on how to handle their characters' knowledge. If you're floating in the middle saying to yourself, "I'm not really a roleplayer, but I do like a game with a good story," keep reading. You and the vast majority of future SWTOR players will definitely get something out of this.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: For over a thousand generations...

Hyperspace Beacon: For over a thousand generations... originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PotBS devs share some cake with Massively

Beau Hindman — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Real life, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Business models, Culture, Interviews, PvP, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews

How did you celebrate your third birthday party? We imagine that the Pirates of the Burning Sea developers celebrated it a lot like you might have: with pirates, talking birds and the occasional PvP fight. Of course, you probably didn't choose to participate in an interview with the best MMO website in existence, mainly because it more than likely didn't exist back then.

Our trusty eyepatches in place, we waylaid Russell "Rusty" Williams (Flying Lab's CEO) and Jason "Mr Nutty" Gettel (Lead Designer), who answered some of our "burning" questions. So sit back, put your bib on, blow out your candles, and click past the cut to see what they had to say on this special anniversary!

Continue reading PotBS devs share some cake with Massively

PotBS devs share some cake with Massively originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: A brief history

Edward Marshall — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Guilds, PvP, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

Fallen Earth has a relatively short history, as far as the power struggles on the server. Yes, in case you didn't know it, Fallen Earth is a single-server game. Everything I'll discuss in this post occurred on that single shard. The power struggles in the wastelands, be they between factions or clans, have been ever-changing. It seems that no one group retains power for very long. They say that history is written by the victors. And they could be right, but since we lack clear winners, I'll write it.

There isn't really a way to assert dominance in Fallen Earth in any kind of overt way. But there are subtleties that player groups can control. In some cases, they can even hold a resource with which to extort the playerbase. In the future we may see a true struggle for resources in an apocalyptic wasteland, but for now we will have to be content with simply crushing our enemies. After the break I'll chronicle the past year or so and outline how the power struggle evolved through that time period. Not everyone will agree with my perception of the events, but I'll do the best I can to remain unbiased.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: A brief history

Wasteland Diaries: A brief history originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Forbidden RuneScape: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, The Game Archaeologist

The Game Archaeologist is a lazy adventurer-slash-professor who dons his trademark cap for a weekly expedition through some of the most famous MMOs of the past few decades. Each month he chooses a different title to examine its highlights, talk with its developers, and invite its fans to share their experiences.

I don't know about you, but when I first heard of RuneScape a few years back, it was sold to me as "the poor person's World of Warcraft." In fact, I knew several teens who couldn't afford a monthly WoW subscription and had to "make do" with RuneScape as an alternative, and so I mentally filtered the title as being outside of my sphere of interest and moved on with my life.

That was when I started to crochet. All adventurers should know how to crochet as a survival trait.

In retrospect, I should've ignored the stigma and checked it out for myself, because while the above may be true for some, RuneScape deserved a lot better than to be blown off by a dismissive comment. No matter how some have pigeon-holed it as being less than worthy of proper MMO status, RuneScape is a behemoth of a game in both size, features and playerbase. In fact, as of right now, RuneScape holds the #2 spot for players, boasting a population well into the eight digits.

So as of this month, we shall endeavor to put away any ignorant stances as we explore one of the most popular and longest-running MMOs of our time. Join me after the jump as I share RuneScape's greatest highlights -- and exactly why none of us should underestimate this game again.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Forbidden RuneScape: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist and the Forbidden RuneScape: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you want elaborate lore?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST

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

Most games have lore. Sometimes the lore is exceptionally simple, but then you have games such as Lord of the Rings Online, in which the lore is thick enough to fill several books with artificial languages. Sometimes the lore is that thick even when you don't have a series of books to base the game on, such as Final Fantasy XI's expecting you to read up on the history of the Crystal War and the three nations and the conflict against the beastmen long before you start getting into more obscure pieces of information like Altana and the Hydra Corps and so forth. The question is, is it actually a benefit?

Certainly, it's nice to have a sense of why you're doing something in a game world, but in the immediate sense, you usually just need to know that you kill that guy with ice magic because he's immune to fire. Giving you a huge amount of lore for every part of the game does wonders for immersion, but it also can shackle you with either required reading to follow what's going on or huge blocks of quest text just to go kill 10 rats. How detailed do you really want your game's lore to be? Do you prefer something detailed and robust, or just something that gives you the vaguest necessary reasons for why you should kill a guy immune to fire?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Do you want elaborate lore? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist's chat with Andy Cataldo

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist

There are only a handful of people in the world who can boast that they're working on an MMO that dates back to the '90s. As community lead for Asheron's Call, Turbine's Andy Cataldo is a member of that exclusive club, going from an avid player of the game to part of the AC crew. Don't tell him that his game is old in the joints and unstable going down stairs; to Andy, Asheron's Call is still one of the most exciting MMOs on the market, and he is not shy in sharing his passion for it.

In our third week of looking back at the esteemed history of Asheron's Call, the Game Archaeologist got in touch with Mr. Cataldo to ask him why AC has yet to go the free-to-play route, what the team is planning for AC's 11th anniversary, how the graphics update is coming along, and whether it's still possible to party like it's 1999. Let us clasp our hands together attentively and read!

The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself, your role on the team, and how long you've been working on Asheron's Call.

Andy Cataldo: My name is Andy Cataldo. I am currently the Community Lead for the Asheron's Call franchise. My focus is helping communicate between the players and various teams here in Turbine, and vice versa. I also do most of the website and launcher updates, as well as any community events. I have been working on Asheron's Call now for over six years.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist's chat with Andy Cataldo

The Game Archaeologist's chat with Andy Cataldo originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Gil rules everything around me

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

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

My original plan for this week was to step back into the experiment with soloing that I started in Final Fantasy XI what feels like an eternity ago, but the recent updates about Final Fantasy XIV's market system prompted a comment that interested me. A reader noted that the auction block in Final Fantasy XI was partly responsible for the enormous gilselling issue that's plagued the game more or less since its release stateside, with the theory going that the market wards and so forth in Final Fantasy XIV were a specific response to this.

It seems fitting, in light of all of the gilselling issues that we've gone through in Vana'diel, to take a look at the sordid history of the currency in the game and at how likely it is to translate to the new kid on the block. I don't think the problem lies so much with the sellers as with the environment that Square-Enix unintentionally created, as well as with the perfect storm of circumstances that devalued the currency of the game to near-worthlessness with no alternatives. That's right -- it's time to look back six years or so to the launch of the game in the U.S.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Gil rules everything around me

The Mog Log: Gil rules everything around me originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively exclusive: The lore of TERA's Castanics, Part II

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, New titles, Previews, TERA

While TERA is being developed overseas by Bluehole Studio, the western localization and lore is in the hands of the excellent team at En Masse Entertainment, whose members are busy crafting a deep and interesting backstory for the world. At this time, we know that there will be six different races players can choose from in the upcoming game. En Masse is making sure that each of the races is getting its own unique history, such as the lore developer blog we've been given for the fiercely independent Castanics!

In this second installment of the story Fates Be Damned by R. K. MacPherson, we catch up with Havelock, Calastra, Zufikar, and other Castanics as they try to make sense of what happened in the last tale. Why did this moment of malicious betrayal change the future of an entire race and cause them to leave their homeland? Read on past the break to find out as we dive into part II of our exclusive TERA developer blog!

Gallery: TERA: Castanica

Continue reading Massively exclusive: The lore of TERA's Castanics, Part II

Massively exclusive: The lore of TERA's Castanics, Part II originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Tale in the Desert launches Tale 5 today

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, A Tale in the Desert, Launches, MMO industry, News items

For all that the MMO industry is occasionally decried as being a large gathering of copycats, there are some interesting outliers amidst a field of fantasy kill-fests. A Tale in the Desert is a prime example -- set in ancient Egypt, with a focus on character interaction and nonviolent problem resolution, it's really in a class of its own. And with the new installment of the game launching today, it's the perfect time for players who aren't familiar with the game to start mingling with newcomers. The fourth installment wrapped up in July, which makes for a quick turnaround into the newest iteration.

Unlike many other games in the genre, A Tale in the Desert runs for a while, then rests and starts over with new systems in place. This installment is featuring new Foraging and Aquaculture mechanics, allowing new ways to harvest plants and the ability to grow papyrus. The game is free for the first 24 hours of play, and each iteration tends to last for around six months. If the idea of a combat-free, crafting-focused game appeals to you, now would be the perfect time to head out into the lands of the Pharaoh.

A Tale in the Desert launches Tale 5 today originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, 2008-2010 and beyond

Tateru Nino — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Economy, Opinion, Second Life, Legal, Virtual worlds, The Virtual Whirl

This week, we cover the final installment of our summarized history of Second Life and Linden Lab (check out the first installment or the second, if you missed them). It's only possible to cover a tiny fraction of the events that took place in the space we have here, but the highlights paint an interesting picture.

We'll be working our way from 2008 to June 2010, and looking at what future directions we expect from there.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, 2008-2010 and beyond

The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, 2008-2010 and beyond originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, the middle years

Tateru Nino — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bugs, Business models, Culture, Economy, Opinion, Second Life, Legal, Virtual worlds, The Virtual Whirl

This week, we cover the second installment of our summarized history of Second Life and Linden Lab (or check out part one, if you missed it). From 2005, there's an impossible amount of material to cover, but there are some interesting stories lurking among it all.

Join us as we work our way through some of the interesting highlights from 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, the middle years

The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, the middle years originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking back at six years of Lineage II

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Events, in-game

Released in South Korea in 2003 and North America a year later, Lineage II came out as an old-school hardcore grind just as MMOs like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft and Guild Wars arrived on the scene and signaled a decisive shift toward more user-friendly, casual-accessible gameplay. Even so, Lineage II charged ahead to capture an impressive amount of players -- a reported 610,000 gamers were playing the title three years after launch -- and the game both endured and grew as time progressed.

A six-year anniversary doesn't have quite the gravitas as a five- or ten-year one, yet it's still an accomplishment that many of Lineage II's contemporaries failed to achieve before closing their doors. Travel with us then as we step back in time to an era when MMOs were the equivalent of a dangerous playground, with players leaping about despite rusty swings, harsh death penalties and a never-ending monkey bar grind. Join us as we examine Lineage II's history and seek to understand the secrets of this game's popularity, and what it still has to offer for the contemporary gamer.

Continue reading Looking back at six years of Lineage II

Looking back at six years of Lineage II originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life

Tateru Nino — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Economy, Second Life, Virtual worlds, The Virtual Whirl

Second Life has just seen its seventh anniversary (called its seventh birthday, only it technically isn't -- the original birthday is in March, but the anniversary is in June. There's history there). It's also traditionally a time when Linden Lab and Second Life users most often treat each other as enemies and obstacles; and it is a time for retrospectives and for considering the future.

With the departure of Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon (the press release release says "stepping down," but the day prior to the release many Linden staffers were saying that Kingdon was fired) Linden Lab has hit a turning point -- or the end of another era.

Accordingly, over the next couple of weeks, we're going to look at the history of Second Life, starting back in 1999 and continuing to the present day. Or at least as much as we can cover the ten-year history of something so rich and diverse in the available space.

Second Life is quite legitimately a phenomenon (and even won an Emmy award). It was also something of an accident, since it wasn't what Linden Lab started out to make.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life

The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE blogger unveils Project Athena, a collection of fictional ship manuals

Brendan Drain — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Lore

Few things impress me about EVE Online's community more than the incredible videos, artwork and fiction created by players. For the role-playing and fiction-writing communities, the game's continually-updated prime fiction acts as a canvas onto which new stories can be blended. Long-time EVE blogger Kirith Kodachi over at Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah has been an avid fiction-writer and contributor to EVE Tribune, producing several articles based on in-character technical overviews of EVE ships.

Over the past two years, Kirith has been teaming up with artists and volunteer writers to collaborate on creating a more comprehensive collection of these articles. Written in the style of fictional ship manuals and presented as technical briefings interspersed with historical information, the completed project (dubbed "Project Athena") features full articles on 23 ships and their Tech 2 counterparts. Although the historical information and technical specifications have been invented by Kirith and his contributors, he's done his best to stick as closely as possible to the official EVE prime fiction. At 64 MB, the huge PDF file isn't a small download, but for role-players or fans of EVE fiction it's definitely worth a look.

EVE blogger unveils Project Athena, a collection of fictional ship manuals originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

So, besides the Mel Brooks reference in the title, what do I have in store for you this time? Well, in short, I have an idea. Nay, I have an inspiration. Plus, I have a story to boot, so it's really a two for one deal this week in my column. You better read fast, for this deal won't last long!

The one thing that many MMORPGs completely miss is making the player character feel triumphant and heroic. When making the conversion from roleplaying game to online roleplaying game, we frequently miss out on the one thing that makes pen and paper RPGs so unique: a history.

This week in Anti-Aliased, I really want to cover the concept of history as it pertains to MMORPGs, and make the appeal that more MMOs need to invest in a persistent storyline in addition to the standard canned quests that we already utilize in every game under the sun.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one

Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GoonSwarm alliance disbanded in EVE Online political drama

Brendan Drain — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Interviews, Lore, PvP, Endgame, Hands-on, Politics

In the sandbox of New Eden, rival alliances vie for control of vast swathes of star systems. The lawless nullsec regions of the EVE Online universe are home to violent alliances of all sizes and fleets with hundreds of ships clash on a daily basis. The political machinations of nullsec have produced many stories of wars fought over territory, stations conquered and fleets dismantled by force. Over the years, each story has become part of the game's living history. Recently, a new chapter in that history began as the nullsec sovereignty system governing territorial warfare received a complete overhaul in the Dominion expansion. The transition period has been rough on some alliances as a new sovereignty system requires new ways of thinking. Some alliances are falling, new ones are being forged to fill the power vacuum and the race is on for people to adapt to the new sovereignty system.

As we've been watching the EVE galaxy performing its Darwinian reshuffle, it came to our surprise that GoonSwarm, the game's biggest territorial alliance, had been disbanded. In the early hours of Wednesday 3rd February 2010, GoonSwarm CEO "karttoon" kicked almost every corp from the alliance, effectively disbanding it. There's more to this story than meets the eye and in this investigative piece, I delve into the thick of it to discover just what's going on with this troubled alliance.

Continue reading GoonSwarm alliance disbanded in EVE Online political drama

GoonSwarm alliance disbanded in EVE Online political drama originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More about MUDs for the MMO curious

Krystalle Voecks — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion

When it comes to the evolution of the MMO, you can't really deny the earliest roots of MMOs -- the MUD or Multi-User Dungeon. But as there are many who just started in with MMOs with more recent titles like World of Warcraft, the initial roots from whence the games we love rose remain shrouded in mystery for many people. Thankfully, recently Edge Online decided to not only take a very close look at the earliest creation of MUDs, but they also got a chance to sit down with Richard Bartle.

Their illuminating article, simply titled "The making of: MUD" talks not only of what started the system we know, but also how the thinking behind it progressed into the MMOs we know now. Additionally, sprinkled throughout the second half of the article are some really interesting quotes from Bartle. One such example is Bartle's explanation of his current levels of involvement and why he'd rather "...focus on the health of the forest than on individual trees" in terms of the massively multi-player game market. If you're a veteran or a newcomer, the article is well worth a read if only to give a perspective on our favorite genre that you may not have had before.

[Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

More about MUDs for the MMO curious originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The gaming renaissance, part 2

Brendan Drain — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Continue reading The gaming renaissance, part 2

The gaming renaissance, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The gaming renaissance

Brendan Drain — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Academic, Virtual worlds

In the early 70's, some clever chap programmed a pile of circuits to create a primitive game we all know as Pong. Fast-forward some forty years down the line and we're now battling Orcs in Azeroth and flying spaceships in the far-reaches of another galaxy. An entire games industry has erupted from those first simple arcade systems, with people designing and programming games for kids and adults alike. In the 90's, the first generation of kids that grew up with those early game systems became the ones making them and a virtual renaissance in game design ensued. Those kids that grew up wishing they could make their own games started to realise their dreams and the games industry as we know it came forth. More recently, the people that grew up with early MMOs have begun to hit the games industry and we're seeing a rebirth of the genre.

In this article, I look at the games industry explosion and how it relates to the generations growing up with games. I ask whether the MMO genre is headed for its own great gaming renaissance and take a speculative look ahead at the future for MMOs and the games industry as a whole.

Continue reading The gaming renaissance

The gaming renaissance originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: The veil lifts on The Secret World

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, The Secret World, Consoles, Massively Event Coverage

If you've been waiting for a chance to see what lies beyond the curtain and fall into the elegantly dark setting of The Secret World, then get ready for your first glimpse of what lurks beyond. At the GDC we got the chance to sit down and discuss The Secret World with Funcom and lay our eyes on a few cinematics of the game.

While we were unable to get our hands around a playable version of the title, we were treated to many of the game's basics and concepts. This may not be the tidal wave of information, but it is a start to the flow of The Secret World's river of fresh ideas.

What lies after the break is an explanation of what the game is all about, followed by the first cinematic of The Secret World that we've been allowed to release. Later in the hour, we'll be posting our interview with Ragnar Tørnquist, the game's creator. So stick with us as we lead you through our peek of TSW.

Continue reading GDC09: The veil lifts on The Secret World

GDC09: The veil lifts on The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vin Diesel's Tigon Studios developing ancient world MMO: Barca B.C.

James Egan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles

Have you ever hoped to play a massively multiplayer online game set in the ancient world? What about playing a Carthaginian soldier fighting the Romans in the Punic Wars, circa 200 B.C.? Action film star Vin Diesel certainly has, it's his dream game. In fact, he's so taken with the idea that his game company Tigon Studios is developing the Punic Wars MMO, titled Barca B.C., which he announced in an interview with Destructoid's Brad Nicholson.

Diesel didn't give many details about the upcoming title, and it's still in an early stage of development. Destructoid reports that Tigon Studios has been working on Barca B.C. for roughly three years, and it could take up to another four years before release, according to Diesel.

[Via Kotaku]

Vin Diesel's Tigon Studios developing ancient world MMO: Barca B.C. originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MUD history gets a wiki for itself

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, News items, Massively Meta, MUDs

When we last talked about multi-user dungeon (MUD) history here on Massively, it wasn't for good reasons. Wikipedia had been slowly removing some of the more memorable games from its archives, causing a response from a few of the resident experts here in the multiplayer genre. Since that story was published, many readers here offered a suggestion, "Why not go put the history on your own wiki?"

Well, that suggestion has recently become a reality with the creation of MUD Wiki. MUD Wiki, a Wikia gaming wiki, will be holding all of the MUD history and information that Wikipedia has been slowly losing/removing. The wiki launched on January 11th, and is slowly filling up with all kinds of information relating to MUDs, including a growing entry for the recently Wikipedia-deleted Threshold RPG MUD. If you have anything to contribute, stop by and add what you have to the new home of MUD history.

MUD history gets a wiki for itself originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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