Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[BlizzCon 2011 brings in Foo Fighters for concert -- and to fight the foo]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/blizzcon-2011-brings-in-foo-fighters-for-concert-and-to-fight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/blizzcon-2011-brings-in-foo-fighters-for-concert-and-to-fight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/blizzcon-2011-brings-in-foo-fighters-for-concert-and-to-fight/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Foo Fighters
Are you ready to rock? I SAID, ARE YOU READY TO ROCK? Oh, you are? Well then, you had better hope you already have a ticket to this year's BlizzCon, as the Foo Fighters are planning to take the center stage for a concert to end all concerts.

The Foo Fighters join Ozzy Osbourne and Tenacious D as the latest headlining act for Blizzard's annual convention. It's become tradition to end the weekend with a huge concert, and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl is prepared to give the crowd an experience like no other: "We're pretty sure that in the future, music historians will look back at BlizzCon 2011 as the unquestionable pinnacle of Foo Fighters' long and illustrious career. We look forward to living up to that prediction by bringing the Horde and Alliance together to rock the hell out of Anaheim next month."

While BlizzCon is already sold out, there are virtual tickets and DirecTV options still available for die-hard fans. The convention will take place in California's Anaheim Convention Center on October 21st and 22nd.

MassivelyBlizzCon 2011 brings in Foo Fighters for concert -- and to fight the foo originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allianceanaheimanaheim-convention-centerblizzardblizzconblizzcon-2011concertconventionDave-Grohldirectvfoo-fightershordeozzy-osbournetenacious-dvirtual-ticketsWed, 28 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard gives preview of the Isle of Conquest battleground]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/13/blizzard-gives-preview-of-the-isle-of-conquest-battleground/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/13/blizzard-gives-preview-of-the-isle-of-conquest-battleground/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/13/blizzard-gives-preview-of-the-isle-of-conquest-battleground/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Blizzard community manager Nethaera has announced some more details of the new battleground coming to World of Warcraft with Patch 3.2, Call of the Crusade.The "Isle of Conquest" will be a new place for Horde and Alliance to face off in forty-vs.-forty PvP across different locations offering their own unique challenges and rewards.

Blizzard has put together a preview site for the Isle of Conquest explaining about the battleground and its objectives and resources that the Horde and Alliance will struggle over. Each location will have a certain advantage, ranging from Glaive Throwers and Catapults to an airship that allows players to parachute into the enemy keep. Have a look at the Isle of Conquest preview site for more on what to expect from Call of the Crusade's battleground.
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyBlizzard gives preview of the Isle of Conquest battleground originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airshipalliancebattlegroundscall-of-the-crusadecatapultcommunity-managerfantasyglaive-throwerhordeisle-of-conquestkeepsnethaerapatchespreviewpreviewspvpresourcesworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingSat, 13 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: There's no place like home]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/one-shots-theres-no-place-like-home/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/one-shots-theres-no-place-like-home/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/one-shots-theres-no-place-like-home/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


For some World of Warcraft players, the weekend is a great time to run up an alt, or just to pop back to the old world and work on your achivements. While we don't know what takes Khaldun from Maelstrom's Horde back to Undercity, he grabbed this nifty screenshot to show off this area near the auction houses. Perhaps he's out to get some PvP in on a lower-leveled alt? Or just grabbing something from the AH to send to another character.

One Shots is in need of more screenshots, so if you've got some time while out adventuring, why not gather some up for us and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com? Add your name, the game it's from - guild, server and description welcome too - and you're set!

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: There's no place like home originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auction-houseblizzardhordekhaldunundercityworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 21 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TNT's Leverage is 'For the Horde']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/tnts-leverage-is-for-the-horde/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/tnts-leverage-is-for-the-horde/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/tnts-leverage-is-for-the-horde/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


I love Leverage. The newish modern-day thinking man's action show from TNT offers a weekly look at a gang of crooks doing a little bit of bad for a lot of good. It's actually a lot like the tabletop RPG Shadowrun, if you've ever heard of that game. The show is appealing on a number of levels, but the producers obviously know the demographic one of its characters attracts. The man in the snazzy suit above is Aldis Hodge, playing the part of Alec Hardison - resident geek and computer/technology expert. And, apparently, a member of World of Warcraft's Horde.

In this week's episode of the show Hardison bonds with an officer worker in a corporate megaplex he's infiltrating. We actually got a preview of this clever schtick in an interview done by the folks at WoW Insider. They spoke with episode writer John Rogers about the episode last month. You can catch full episodes of the show over on TNT's website, but if you just want to check out the full clip of their exchange you can do so below the cut. Now I want to know what class he rolls.

Continue reading TNT's Leverage is 'For the Horde'

MassivelyTNT's Leverage is 'For the Horde' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturehordeleveragemmotelevisiontntworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 22 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Get your Warhammer Online statistical analysis on]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/get-your-warhammer-online-statistical-analysis-on/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/get-your-warhammer-online-statistical-analysis-on/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/get-your-warhammer-online-statistical-analysis-on/#commentsFiled under: , ,


If you're the type of person that just loves to eat up statistics like they were infused with more sugar than chocolate-covered chocolate chip pancakes covered in sugar, then boy have we got a site for you. The Warhammer Online blog Waaagh! has taken notice of a website called Waralytics, which as its name suggests is an analytical site dedicated to Mythic's newest MMO. It's interesting to note that it would appear that the balance between Order and Destruction players is pretty much even now, with a ratio of 1.3:1 in favor of Destruction. That's hardly as bad as it was back in the early days of World of Warcraft, when some servers were nearly 3:1 in favor of Alliance.

There are a couple caveats to this statistical site, however. The stats are being pulled from guilded characters only, which leaves out quite a few solo-preferenced players. We've gone ahead and made a handy quick list of the stats for anyone that wants to take a glance. You can find them after the cut.

Continue reading Get your Warhammer Online statistical analysis on

MassivelyGet your Warhammer Online statistical analysis on originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardallianceblizzarddestructioneaelectronic-artsfactionhordemythicmythic-entertainmentorderstatisticswaaaghwarwaralyticswarhammerwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 29 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A story of in-game animosity crossing from World of Warcraft to real life]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/28/a-story-of-in-game-animosity-crossing-from-world-of-warcraft-to/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/28/a-story-of-in-game-animosity-crossing-from-world-of-warcraft-to/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/28/a-story-of-in-game-animosity-crossing-from-world-of-warcraft-to/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


A new feature over at The Escapist takes a look at the phenomenon of World of Warcraft faction hostilities crossing over from the game into real life. Anyone who's played Blizzard's MMO and has more than a couple of friends that do the same has probably experienced it: getting the evil eye for playing on the other side. The story itself is a strange travel through various experiences of social rejection and acceptance that are based primarily on whether or not people roll Alliance or Horde. It's things like this that make massively multiplayer online games so interesting to many fans of the genre. It wasn't until something as successful as World of Warcraft came along that we've been able to see the pop-culture effects of the genre on the general populace.

We're just wondering how long it takes MTV to catch on and make a reality show where five Horde players have to share one house with five other Alliance players. What happens when people stop being nice and start being nerdy?

MassivelyA story of in-game animosity crossing from World of Warcraft to real life originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardallianceblizzardhordemtvthe-escapistwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 28 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft's Horde and Alliance fight it out in data sets]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/world-of-warcrafts-horde-and-alliance-fight-it-out-in-data-sets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/world-of-warcrafts-horde-and-alliance-fight-it-out-in-data-sets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/world-of-warcrafts-horde-and-alliance-fight-it-out-in-data-sets/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Sanya Weathers (who you may recognize from Massively Speaking Episode #25), continues the march to data-fueled enlightenment with her Market Trends column over at GamerDNA. She's been using the site's great player database to draw some conclusions about the overall World of Warcraft gaming populace. You may recall last week's discussion of WoW avatars based on their Bartle Type? Or perhaps (prior to that) how your Bartle choice influences your pick of a Warhammer class? Or their data-driven examination of the Warhammer Online launch?

This lastest article tackles World of Warcraft players with gusto, specifically looking at Horde vs. Alliance choices based on classes and real-world gender differentiation. The results are interesting if not earth-shattering. Fun facts:
  • There are still slightly more Shamans on the Horde-side than Alliance.
  • Warlocks are significantly more popular on the Horde side than the Alliance side.
  • Women are preferentially drawn to Druids and Hunters.
  • Women prefer Alliance characters to Horde, even over the general statisical preference for Alliance over Horde.
And of most import to the single male player out there, straight from Sanya Weathers: "The moral of this story, gentlemen, is that if you want to talk to a woman in game, find yourself an Alliance Druid. Half of them are actual females." Well worth a look.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft's Horde and Alliance fight it out in data sets originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancedatagamerdnahordesanyaworld-of-warcraftSat, 25 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft miniatures game hits shelves November 11th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/world-of-warcraft-miniatures-game-hits-shelves-november-11th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/world-of-warcraft-miniatures-game-hits-shelves-november-11th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/world-of-warcraft-miniatures-game-hits-shelves-november-11th/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A World of Warcraft miniatures game will be released on November 11th. It has been designed and will be published by Upper Deck, the company behind the WoW TCG. For those curious how the game works, there are a number of gameplay previews at the News section of the game's website.

According to the FAQ, you can play with between one and five characters (each represented by a 40mm miniature) on each side of a battle (there are three sides -- Alliance, Horde, and Monster). Each character has an "action bar" which can be customized with abilities from WoW. Starter sets (priced at $24.99) will include basics like dice, rules, etc. as well as two Alliance and two Horde miniatures. Booster packs ($14.99) will include three random miniatures from one faction. The company plans to release expansions based on famous WoW raids in the future.

This is perhaps most interesting in that Warcraft has taken the opposite approach of its initial inspiration, Warhammer, by starting with video games and later moving on to miniature-based board games!

[Via MMORPG]
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft miniatures game hits shelves November 11th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allianceblizzardboard-gamebooster-packsccghordeminiaturesmonstersraidsstarter-settcgupper-deckwarcraftwarhammerworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-miniatures-gamewowwow-miniatures-gameTue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Orgrimmar by moonlight]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/one-shots-orgrimmar-by-moonlight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/one-shots-orgrimmar-by-moonlight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/one-shots-orgrimmar-by-moonlight/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Having just come back from Dragon*Con, we can say we met a huge number of World of Warcraft players, and we had a blast getting to know the overall MMO community out there. While there are several posts coming (and yes, even the D*C Blizzard "serenade" video) we thought we'd kick it off with this gorgeous World of Warcraft screenshot that was sent in to us here by Khaldun from Maelstrom. He added that he hoped his shot would... finish on the front page of [our] amazing blog, which [he] reads daily! As you wish, Khaldun! Thanks for sending in such a great night shot of the Horde's capital city.

Do you play WoW and love to show it off? Do you hate WoW and would like to show us just why the game you play rules? Are you largely indifferent to WoW, but have lots of cool screenshots? Whatever your reason, we want your screens! Just send those in to us here at oneshots AT massively.com along with a quick description and your name. Easy, no?

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Orgrimmar by moonlight originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddc-2008hordekhaldunone-shotsorgrimmarscreenshotscreenshotsworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 05 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Facing off against the firing squad]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/one-shots-facing-off-against-the-firing-squad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/one-shots-facing-off-against-the-firing-squad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/one-shots-facing-off-against-the-firing-squad/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Today's One Shots actually comes to us from our generous (and seriously envied) Senior Network Editor, Elizabeth Harper. For those of you trying to peg what area in World of Warcraft this is, we'll save you the trouble -- it's from Wrath of the Lich King. Liz let us know that this area is: Howling Fjord -- located near Vengeance Landing, the Horde camp you get to via Zeppelin from UC. The Undead are trying to finish off a group of Alliance whose ship crashed in the area. Of course, she then had to dash off and catch another plane as she generally does, but we thank her for sending this cool looking Wrath teaser along to share!

Did you also make it into the Wrath of the Lich King beta? With the NDA off, why not send some awesome screenshots of the new areas our way too. You know you want to share with all the rest of the poor folk (like this blogger) who didn't happen to make it in. Just send any and all screenshots of MMOs to us here at oneshots AT massively.com, and be sure to include a quick blurb about what we're looking at.

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Facing off against the firing squad originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betablizzardexpansionhordehowling-fjordone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotsworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingSun, 03 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Peace in the Crossroads]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/one-shots-peace-in-the-crossroads/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/one-shots-peace-in-the-crossroads/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/one-shots-peace-in-the-crossroads/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

For anyone who has ever played World of Warcraft (especially as a Horde player leveling through this area) you'll understand just how unusual this screenshot is. It was taken in the Barrens area in World of Warcraft. The unique thing is that this doesn't involve Alliance rolling into the area, guards attacking, players PvPing, or any Chuck Norris jokes. Not one! It's just a pure, unspoiled landscape -- a rare find. Nate D. figured he'd send this in, since he caught a quiet moment at dawn. Quiet moments in the Barrens are certainly hard enough to find on many servers! (Of course, it helps if you turn the UI off or /leave general too.)

Do you have a screenshot you've taken from your daily journeys? If so, we'd love to see them. Just send them to us here at oneshots AT massively.com. We'll get them all set up and ready to go, and you get the credit for snapping a cool picture and telling us a bit about it. Can't beat that!

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Peace in the Crossroads originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancebarrensblizzardchuck-norrishordeone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotsworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 29 Jul 2008 14:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Keep crying, sportsmanship is dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/anti-aliased-keep-crying-sportsmanship-is-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/anti-aliased-keep-crying-sportsmanship-is-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/anti-aliased-keep-crying-sportsmanship-is-dead/#commentsFiled under: , ,


One harsh world PvP battle later, your corpse lies on the ground as your opponent stands triumphant over you. Both of you put up one good battle, as even your opponent is down to barely any hit points -- the kind of battle where a few randomly generated misses turned the tide of the engagement. Yet, what do you get for your efforts against this opponent? Do you get a /salute, or a /kneel? Maybe even the honor of a /bow? No, of course not, you get the /spit and an orcish teabag in your face just so the 12-year-old on the other side of the keyboard can get his daily jollies.

Of course, that's not counting the 7 more times he's going to camp your corpse just so you can't progress for the next 3 hours. And it's also not counting the ninja looters, the belligerent kids in battlegrounds who take orders from no one, and the lying little brats who spew language fit for a factory worker but cry to their parents the second you try to enforce some authority.

We have many ways of quantifying these behaviors; things like "If you can't stand PvP then go to a carebear (normal) server," "If you don't like it being done to you then do it to someone else," or "Get better gear, n00b." We all know what's going on here, and it's none of the above. Let's just say it aloud and come clean about it: Sportsmanship is dead, and it's been dead for a long time.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Keep crying, sportsmanship is dead

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Keep crying, sportsmanship is dead originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanallianceaocblizzardccpcity-of-heroescohcultureeveeve-onlineeverquestfeaturedffxifinal-fantasy-xifuncomhordejapanesejoystiqfeaturesncsoftopinionpvepvpsoesony-online-entertainmentsportsmanshipsquare-enixworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 29 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online's realm imbalance fears]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/warhammer-onlines-realm-imbalance-fears/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/warhammer-onlines-realm-imbalance-fears/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/warhammer-onlines-realm-imbalance-fears/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When Warhammer Online releases later this year do you think there will be a skewed realm population? The GREENSkin blog seems to think so, but history would disagree with them. Whenever a game has been faction-based the "evil" races tend to be popular during the beta period. This fear of imbalance was a issue in Dark Age of Camelot and in World of Warcraft. During both of those instances beta testers expressed worry that the more evil of the realms would be entirely overpopulated post launch. However, the exact opposite happened to the complete befuddlement of beta testers everywhere.

Continue reading Warhammer Online's realm imbalance fears

MassivelyWarhammer Online's realm imbalance fears originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardallianceblizzardchaosdark-age-of-camelotdark-elvesdestructionea-mythicelectronic-artsgobboshordemythicorcsorderthe-greenskinwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 07 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TV shows that could be MMOs: Battlestar Galactica]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/tv-shows-that-could-be-mmos-battlestar-galactica/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/tv-shows-that-could-be-mmos-battlestar-galactica/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/tv-shows-that-could-be-mmos-battlestar-galactica/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Watching the final season of the new Battlestar Galactica the other night, and getting only a taste of the amazing, chaotic, shaky-cam ship-to-ship action left us wanting more. But even better than a full episode devoted to space combat would be an MMO based in that world. How would that work, you ask? We're glad you did! Keep in mind that this article assumes basic knowledge of the show universe and its characters. If you haven't seen it, get thee to a torrent, or a rental store immediately!

First, consider some of the great two-sided rivalries in MMOs: Horde vs. Alliance; AFS vs. the Bane; Humanity vs. Hell -- Mankind vs. the Cylons fits right in. In fact, since the show itself manages to portray both sides as sympathetic, there isn't too much storyline massaging to be done; the universe of Galactica is nicely morally ambiguous. All that really matters is survival.

Continue reading TV shows that could be MMOs: Battlestar Galactica

MassivelyTV shows that could be MMOs: Battlestar Galactica originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AFSalliancebanebattlestar-galacticabsgcallsigncenturionscylonsfeaturedhellhellgate-londonhordejoystiqfeaturesmilitarynoobnuggetponderosaraidersrobot-dogssci-fispace-combattabula-rasathe-simsworld-of-warcraftWed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WoW laser etching impresses and inspires]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/wow-laser-etching-impresses-and-inspires/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/wow-laser-etching-impresses-and-inspires/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/wow-laser-etching-impresses-and-inspires/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Here's an example on how to take a really cool concept and make a bad choice. Not that we think the etching itself looks bad, but there are all sorts of other cool WoW designs the owner could have put on this Macbook. We certainly understand the meaning of putting the very image players see when entering World of Warcraft's uh, world, onto your machine. To be honest we were half-expecting to see a Horde or Alliance symbol when we first heard of this homebrewed homage. That being said, the skills of whoever etched this are quite impressive; can we resist saying level 325 etching skill? Nope, we can't.

If it were up to us, there would probably be something ridiculous on there like a bunch of Murlocs playing Poker or maybe some kind of breakdancing Troll.

MassivelyWoW laser etching impresses and inspires originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardallianceblizzardbreakdancinghordemacbookmurlocspokertrollworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 15 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World War WoW]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/world-war-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/world-war-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/world-war-wow/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

World of Warcraft has received its fair share of criticism concerning the necessity of having the best gear. Casual players often find it impossible to acquire. Raiders spend hours getting their sets built. PvPers can't live. Often times, your ability to fight and win is not dictated by your cleverness or strategy. It is determined by just how much your Frost Bolt can crit for.

As a few articles on PvP in World of Warcraft note, PvP is a meaningless struggle that simply makes that poor little level thirty gnome wish he never walked through STV. This form of PvP, commonly known as the gank, occurs mainly in the open world, in between the great cities and towns, where quests are painstakingly completed. Players will leave a neutral city only to be bombarded by hostiles ambushing unlucky travelers right outside the gates. Though Horde and Alliance die in droves in this manner, no one tends to care. The sun still shines upon Stormwind, the plague remains untouched, and the banners of war seem to have been furled up and forgotten. Yet the one defining moment after a kill, be it hard or easy, Arena or BG, is the receipt of the honor point.

By turning in honor points, players can work their way up the ranks to acquire Tier 6 gear. The more honor points, the bigger the sword. With this system in place, Blizzard has managed to make another aspect of the game quite gear dependent. Players with more time wielding the blade have a definite advantage over those who are just starting out in the realm of combat. Fighting in the WoW Arena quite often resembles reaching for a carrot on a stick. You may read Patton when you wake up, you may watch old war movies and study game footage, but you may not own that elite sword of gnome crushing and without that, you're toast.

MassivelyWorld War WoW originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancearenabattle-groundsblizzardhordepvpworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 01 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Night-time in Nagrand]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/one-shots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/one-shots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/one-shots/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


One of the things that struck us upon stepping through the Dark Portal back in January last year was how lovely the night sky is out in Outland. Sure, WoW's Burning Crusade expansion had a lot of cool things going for it, but we've never stopped enjoying just how lovely the sky is out there. Today, one of our readers Mimi (who sadly didn't send us a character name/server) sent in this lovely screenshot of the Horde village Garadar in Nagrand by moonlight. (Planet-light? We don't quite know what you'd call that.)

Do you know of any locations that look even more lovely by the ambient light of whatever large light-reflective planetary mass happens to be lurking about in the sky nearby? Heck, do you know of any worlds that actually have a definable moon in the game? (Or are we just getting ahead of ourselves before the NASA MMO comes out?) Whatever the case, if you have some cool screenshots, send them in to us at oneshots@massively.com for us all to enjoy.

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Night-time in Nagrand originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardhordenagrandnighttimeoutlandoutlandsworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 01 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Orgrimmar in the evening]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/one-shots-orgrimmar-in-the-evening/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/one-shots-orgrimmar-in-the-evening/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/one-shots-orgrimmar-in-the-evening/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Reader Nathan offers this shot of World of Warcraft's Orgrimmar (though some may argue, we'd say it's the main city of the Horde faction). Nathan tells us that he'd always though of Orgrimmar as one of the ugliest cities in the game, Horde or Alliance. "But when you need a lockbox opened at 2 in the morning," he tells us, "the bank roof is the only place to go. It was on the way to do that when I suddenly stopped, looked up, and thought, 'Wow, I guess I was wrong.'" We don't know why people congregate on the roof of Orgrimmar's bank to do business (except, perhaps, that it's easy to get there), but those of us that play Horde are glad that the grandeur of our fine city is finally being recognized! (For those of you who agree with our point of view, this shot is also available in wallpaper size. For those of you who don't, expect a contingent of Orcs and Trolls at your door soon.)

One Shots lives on a steady diet of your screenshots! Snapped a good screenshot lately? Tired of seeing the same old games featured? Send us shots from your favorite game! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com.

Gallery: One Shots


MassivelyOne Shots: Orgrimmar in the evening originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardhordeone-shotsorgrimmarworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 16 Jan 2008 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Darkfall developer talks specifics about game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/darkfall-developer-talks-specifics-about-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/darkfall-developer-talks-specifics-about-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/darkfall-developer-talks-specifics-about-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Darkfall is an up-and-coming MMO that we haven't given much time to on Massively, but reading over this recently-released 'Dev Journal' on the WarCry Network, it sounds like there's a lot there to sustain interest.

Just from this latest Journal entry by Tasos Flambouras, I'm picking out intriguing details:
  • No radar: meaning that it's possible to engage in guerilla tactics and not have retaliation easily track you out of line of sight
  • Alignment matters: it sounds like the only thing a player should concern himself over is his alignment, even more than guild alliance. Your moral posture will determine the method of play
  • Multirace guilds, or clans: this sounds similar to Horde vs. Alliance interplay, but with a little more complexity
  • Real-time combat: body strike location, weapon range, friendly fire, multiple opponent strikes with a single swing ... sounds like the Age of Conan take on combat, but with just ... more
Now, I'm not saying there aren't other games out there that offer these things and more, but these guys have the advantage of being in development and learning from other MMO mistakes. Read all about Darkfall on its website.

MassivelyDarkfall developer talks specifics about game originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanalignmentalliancedarkfallguerillahorderadartasos-flambouraswarcryworld-of-warcraftSat, 22 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hello Kitty FOR THE HORDE!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/hello-kitty-for-the-horde/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/hello-kitty-for-the-horde/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/hello-kitty-for-the-horde/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Actually, the Hello Kitty UI interface is faction-agnostic. And I'm not sure how HK would voice her allegiance anyway -- she has no mouth and she must scream. Regardless, Alice over at Wonderland links to two separate instances of a Hello Kitty-themed interface for WoW, one of them from famed virtual worlder Joi Ito. As she says, "Bloody hell ... it's horrible :o)"

If Blizzard released an epic set of Hello Kitty armor tomorrow, how many of you would jump at it?

MassivelyHello Kitty FOR THE HORDE! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcthulhufaction-agnostichello-kittyhordejoi-itomassivelyuser-interfacewonderlandworld-of-warcraftMon, 05 Nov 2007 16:24:00 EST