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Runes of Magic shows off the new Champion and Warlock

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

New classes are always exciting. In a game with an established set of abilities and character options, the chance to take a different option helps keep the game engaging and surprising. That's no doubt part of the rationale behind Runes of Magic's two new classes, the Champion and the Warlock. But they're also meant to show off the ingenuity and cleverness of the Dwarves, and in a new preview of these two classes, it becomes clear just how much both will bring to the table.

The Warlock is an arcane caster who has delved into the knowledge of the Shadowforge Dwarves, allowing him to act as either a damage dealer or a support character as the situation warrants. Champions are masters of pseudo-mystical forge techniques, with the Champion ultimately being capable of transforming into a special Runic Robot form for increased damage and durability. There are only a few more weeks until the game's next major update, and then players will get to try out the new hybrid classes for themselves.

Runes of Magic shows off the new Champion and Warlock originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Fitting the Gallente Talos

Brendan Drain — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides, Sandbox

Among the hundreds of changes brought by EVE Online's recent Crucible expansion, the new tier 3 battlecruisers certainly rank as player favourites. Rather than giving each race a bigger, tougher battlecruiser, CCP gave the new ships the ability to fit battleship-class weapons but heavily limited their defensive capabilities. All four tier 3 battlecruisers are turret-based, letting them output massive damage with close-range guns or hit for solid damage at battleship sniping distances.

As with all new ships, it can be difficult to figure out how to fit the new tier 3 battlecruisers to make full use of their unique combination of high damage output and high mobility. Last week I looked at three viable setups for the Caldari Naga, which proved to be an absolute monster with 1,000-1500 DPS when using close-range blaster setups and a terrifying 650 DPS when sniping at 100km-130km. This week I take a similar look at the Gallente Talos, a ship designed specifically for close-range combat. I explore a traditional armour-tanked blaster fitting with dual webs, a shield-based variant that packs a huge 1,500 DPS punch, and two long-range blaster fits that give the Naga a run for its money.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I explore four solid PvP fittings for the Talos, with both shield and armour setups.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Fitting the Gallente Talos

EVE Evolved: Fitting the Gallente Talos originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaderboard: Hybrid vs. specialist

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard

When it comes to that all-too-important decision at the character creation screen, you must decide off the bat whether or not you're going to mold your new hero into a finely tune specialized machine or to pick a class that sports as much flexibility and gas-saving technology as a hybrid allows. This decision has long-reaching consequences on your future journeys with the character, so choosing wisely means knowing yourself and your playstyle intimately.

But which is better, overall? Is it better to gun for a specialized class? After all, this allows you to be the absolute best you can be at a singular role, to get those high numbers and fulfill your purpose well. Specialists are prized in endgame activities, since being at the top of one's form is vital to helping your group succeed.

However, are hybrids ultimately better due to their jack-of-all-trades flexibility? Is having the option to switch between roles on the fly more crucial to individual and group success than being locked into one thing only? Hybrids also allow for more choice down the road, especially when you might be getting bored of a particular role and want to experiment with something else.

So which will top today's Leaderboard: hybrids or specialists? Hit the jump to cast your vote!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Hybrid vs. specialist

Leaderboard: Hybrid vs. specialist originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Everything there is to know about Crucible

Brendan Drain — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

This summer's lackluster Incarna expansion and the ensuing microtransaction drama took a massive toll on EVE Online's player community and development staff. Players were quitting in droves, and CCP eventually had to lay off 20% of its staff worldwide. Two years of half-implemented expansions, broken features, and "first steps" that were never iterated on left players begging for a content-heavy expansion like Apocrypha or those released in EVE's early years. EVE is known for being practically a new game every six months, but since the blockbuster Apocrypha expansion, daily life in New Eden hasn't changed much at all.

To pull things back from the brink, CCP refocused development on EVE Online and gave developers a free pass to work on hundreds of small features and improvements. The company began flooding us with details on new ships, graphical updates, new gameplay mechanics, and desperately needed balance tweaks, and we loved every bit of it. Although it's mostly small features and gameplay tweaks, the Crucible expansion feels like a genuine rebirth for EVE Online. The types of changes made show that CCP knows exactly what players want from EVE and that the company is now willing to deliver it. With CCP's renewed focus on internet spaceships, the Crucible expansion feels like the start of a new era in the sandbox.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I pull together everything there is to know about the Crucible expansion that went live this week, from its turbulent origins to the awesome features and PvP updates it contains.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Everything there is to know about Crucible

EVE Evolved: Everything there is to know about Crucible originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goblinworks announces Pathfinder Online

Matt Daniel — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items

For pen-and-paper RPG players, Pathfinder remains a perennial favorite game setting. Those players may find themselves excited to know, then, that Goblinworks has announced Pathfinder Online. This MMORPG adaptation of the extremely popular system will be a "hybrid sandbox/theme park-style MMO roleplaying game." The title will feature a "robust trading system [that] puts players in control of the world's economy," which should be wonderful for players who like to work the market. Characters can also establish settlements and expand them into full kingdoms while raising an army to help defend their turf.

The announcement boasts randomly generated events, as well, stating that "as settlements develop, the surrounding wilderness develops more complex and challenging features." The goal appears to be not just to create a game, but in fact to bring to life a real, evolving world. Pathfinder fans should keep their eyes on Goblinworks' official site, where further development updates will be posted.

Goblinworks announces Pathfinder Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Gallente and hybrid balance

Brendan Drain — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, PvE, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

It's been another week filled with announcements and positive news for EVE Online, with CCP showing off EVE's new nebulae and revealing the Amarr and Caldari tier 3 battlecruisers. For Gallente pilots, no news was celebrated more than the rebalancing of hybrid weapons and ships that specialise in their use. Short-range blasters can technically deliver the highest damage output of any turret, but their extremely short optimal range means they deal a smaller fraction of their maximum damage in most fights than other ships. Blaster ships have to spend valuable travel time closing into weapons range, and once up close, targets are hard to track.

Although railguns were designed by the Caldari, they're hybrid weapons just like blasters, and so they are the long-range weapon of choice for Gallente sniping and mission-running ships. They have good range and tracking speed but have always suffered from slightly worse damage output and alpha strike than beam lasers and artillery cannons of the same size. Countless suggestions for fixes to blasters and railguns have appeared on the forum over the years, but until now they've remained unchanged. As a Gallente pilot and avid Thorax and Dominix fan, I'm very excited by the hybrid balance changes coming this winter.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I take a break from the new player experience experiment to take a look at the impact of the upcoming hybrid balance patch and why the announced changes are needed.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Gallente and hybrid balance

EVE Evolved: Gallente and hybrid balance originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Details of EVE's long-awaited hybrid balance patch revealed

Brendan Drain — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

Balancing combat in a PvP-centric game like EVE Online is a tricky business. In a sandbox universe that pits fleets of hundreds of ships against each other in a struggle for territorial dominance, balance changes can alter the PvP landscape. Unfortunately, hybrid weapons have always received the short end of the stick in balancing efforts, leaving Gallente turret ships like the Deimos and Megathron behind their Amarr and Minmatar counterparts.

In a new devblog, CCP Tallest adds a major Hybrid weapon rework to the growing list of long-awaited features finally making an appearance in EVE's coming winter expansion. Blasters will be receiving some much-needed CPU and powergrid reductions, a 30% reduction on capacitor usage and a huge 20% bonus to tracking speed. Railguns receive the same CPU, powergrid and capacitor reduction as blasters, in addition to a straight 10% damage increase. All ships typically fit with blasters will also be getting speed bonuses to help them get into blaster range, and tech II ammo for all turrets is due for an update.

Details of EVE's long-awaited hybrid balance patch revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lineage II adopting a hybrid business model

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Lineage II is in the minority among NCsoft's US offerings in that it requires a subscription fee -- but now even that is going away. According to an announcement from the company, the game will be adopting a hybrid business model in the near future to allow players to enjoy the game for free, in a similar vein to the recent City of Heroes conversion. This comes hand-in-hand with the announcement that the game will be receiving a Russian launch in the near future.

While specific details regarding the new model have yet to be announced, the press release promises that it will allow players of all varieties to enjoy the game's several years of content. Considering the game's latest expansion, Goddess of Destruction, is promised for later this year, this seems like good news for anyone looking for a new title to try out in the near future.

[Source: NCsoft press release]

Lineage II adopting a hybrid business model originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefall dev says new MMO shooter will transcend the 'circle of suck'

Jef Reahard — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Sandbox

Red 5 Studios CEO Mark Kern has been around the game development block a time or two. With a resume that includes StarCraft, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and World of Warcraft, he's no stranger to successful multiplayer titles.

So why is he heading up the development of Firefall, a free-to-play MMO/shooter hybrid that aims to stand genre convention on its head? Well, precisely because it aims to stand genre convention on its head. "If I see another action MMO combat game with exclamation points over quest givers, I'm going to commit seppuku! We're pouring so much money [into] a very stale formula," he recently told PC Gamer.

Previous attempts at blending MMO and shooter gameplay have resulted in what Kern colorfully terms the "circle of suck," but Firefall will break that mold due to its unique mind meld of both genres. "Let's get the shooting right, and selectively add in the MMO elements. Let's take the idea of open world sandbox play and feature hundreds of players instead of four- or eight-player co-op. Let's take towns, crafting, and resources and combine it all together. And that group would be a much more fun game when we started playing it than anything we'd tried before," Kern says.

Firefall dev says new MMO shooter will transcend the 'circle of suck' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft announces new MMO: WildStar [Updated]

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, WildStar

In addition to the Guild Wars 2 PvP news we heard this morning, NCsoft dropped another news bomb regarding the announcement of its newest MMO venture, titled WildStar.

Developed by Carbine studios, WildStar is a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid MMO of "high adventure" in which players "lay claim to a mysterious planet on the edge of known space" by playing as Explorers, Soldiers, Scientists, or Settlers. Through a feature known as Momentum Mechanics, players can immerse themselves in a world that actually responds to choices made throughout the game. "Depending on a combination of faction, race, class and path," a press release states, "WildStar will present gamers with unending surprises, mini-quests and challenges, ensuring that their experiences are fun and fresh."

We'll keep our eyes on any further developments with Wildstar, including news of the playable demo at Gamescom.

[Update: We now have a complete gallery of screenshots and concept art below and the cinematic trailer after the jump.]

Gallery: WildStar

Continue reading NCsoft announces new MMO: WildStar [Updated]

NCsoft announces new MMO: WildStar [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Nine misconceptions about Freedom

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Business models, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

So one of the interesting elements of having written up the initial column and post on the newest City of Heroes change is that I didn't have time to really see what the community reaction would be. I knew that I was excited about City of Heroes Freedom, and I knew that there was a lot to hope for, but the only guess I could make was that people would crow about the game's impending demise rather than focusing on the many positives coming from the switch to a hybrid model.

It's been two weeks now, and while I won't claim to have my finger on the pulse of the community (who the heck is Leonardo Leonardo?), I do think I've gotten a general idea of the biggest complaints about the upcoming change. Some of them are entirely accurate -- yes, you will have free players on your server, and yes, that will include the already-burgeoning Virtue. But other complaints are a bit inaccurate or stem from misunderstandings, so today I want to talk about the nine points that seem most frequently misunderstood about Freedom.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Nine misconceptions about Freedom

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Nine misconceptions about Freedom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: The hybrid

Larry Everett — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Hyperspace Beacon

As many of you know, BioWare revealed the Trooper progression video for last week's Friday update. This surprised me because I was expecting a light update -- after all, E3 is next week, and Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to have a major presence at the expo. During the video, we witnessed many of the different Trooper abilities. The AoE of the gatling-like blaster, the heals from remote droids, the root from the carbonite grenade, and all the other abilities attest to the range of roles the Trooper can play in a group.

The Trooper is not the only class that can possibly fill every role of the group dynamic. In fact, we know four of the eight classes have the choice of being full DPS, healer, or tank: Trooper, Consular, Bounty Hunter, and Inquisitor. There is much debate on what this means for group dynamics and boss fights as well. Although most of the community would agree that having these hybrid classes isn't going to stop anyone from buying or playing the game, they might have an impact on the staying power of the MMO.

For me, it boils down to a couple of different schools of thought. On the Galactic Underground, an internet radio show, the hosts and the IRC audience spoke about the differences between a hard and soft trinity gameplay and which they preferred. For me, how the hybrid works depends on whether the game is set up with a hard or soft trinity. The definition of hard and soft trinity is a bit subjective. After the break, I will outline what I mean by hard and soft trinity and detail how I think the hybrid classes fit in Star Wars: The Old Republic...

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The hybrid

Hyperspace Beacon: The hybrid originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Tinkering with standard classes and my Priest/Rogue

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

Aside from some ancillary problems, one of the things I love so much about Runes of Magic is that it gives me ability to augment weapons and equipment via the arcane transmutor. When that is coupled with a dual-class system, players are given a lot of room to bend traditional classes to their wills.

I've been running a Priest/Rogue for a while now and loving it. The selection of offensive spells, the Rogue's skills, and the weapons I can wield have me wanting to push the boundaries of typical class specifications. I'm building a hammer-wielding Priest that's specced much like I'd spec a Mage, but the class can also pump out adequate melee damage. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I want to give you a run-down of the gear, weapons, and stats I'm choosing. It should serve as a good guide to some unique possibilities for classes in RoM.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Tinkering with standard classes and my Priest/Rogue

Lost Pages of Taborea: Tinkering with standard classes and my Priest/Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom planning Age of Conan: Unrated F2P launch this summer

Jef Reahard — Wed, 25 May 2011 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Yep, it's official: Funcom has just announced this morning that Age of Conan is switching to a free-to-play/hybrid business model. While no date has been set, a posting on the game's European forums confirms that the title will be relaunched this summer as Age of Conan: Unrated.

Highlights of the new service include free access to all of the outdoor playfields in the original game (Aquilonia, Cimmeria, and Stygia), two free character slots, and access to non-premium dungeons as well as four character classes (Barbarian, Demonologist, Guardian, and Priest of Mitra). Alternate advancement points, veteran points, and offline levels are reserved for premium subscribers, as is the majority of the Rise of the Godslayer expansion content (the exception being the level 20 to 40 Gateway to Khitai content).

You can check out the full list of free and premium services, as well as a F2P FAQ, on the European Age of Conan forums. Also be sure to read Massively's exclusive F2P interview with Craig Morrison to learn about plans for server merges and other details.

Funcom planning Age of Conan: Unrated F2P launch this summer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 May 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Anvil of Crom Extra: Craig Morrison on pioneering the hybrid business model

Jef Reahard — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Anvil of Crom

Conventional wisdom holds that Turbine is responsible for bringing the free-to-play/subscription hybrid to the west. It might surprise you to learn, then, that Funcom's Anarchy Online F2P implementation pre-dates the much-hyped Dungeons and Dragons Online experiment by a good four years.

Yes, Funcom is no stranger to free-to-play, and the MMORPG maker is looking to expand Age of Conan's playerbase -- much as it did Anarchy Online's -- by trotting it out again. It's no accident that this is happening alongside the latest salvo in a substantial content rollout that started earlier this spring and will continue well into late summer. Funcom is timing the buildup to take advantage of an expected upsurge in Conan interest as Robert E. Howard's barbarian reaver re-enters the public consciousness with the August release of a film franchise reboot.

I recently chatted with Funcom's Craig "Silirrion" Morrison for my second exclusive interview in as many weeks, this time picking the game director's brain about business models, content updates, and why we won't see additional servers to handle the new player load.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom Extra: Craig Morrison on pioneering the hybrid business model

The Anvil of Crom Extra: Craig Morrison on pioneering the hybrid business model originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 May 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: May the beard be with you edition

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, News items, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

With great facial hair comes great responsibility, as Casey Schreiner knows. This week on The MMO Report, we're given not only a healthy serving of news and views on all things MMO but also a glimpse into past-Casey. We also learn of time-traveling-Casey, who apparently shares beard-care tips with the early Jedi.

First up, it's a look into the news about Defiance, the upcoming sci-fi MMO from Trion Worlds and the Syfy Channel. That, in turn, leads us to ask: Does anyone else look at the channel name and want to pronounce it "siffy?" After that, we get a look at a shockingly Schreineresque Jedi in the Star Wars: The Old Republic newsbyte. Charging onwards, it's a note on the EVE Online/DUST 514 cinematic from Fanfest that CCP released to the drunken capsuleer masses -- and then the rest of us. Next up, it's time to look at the toad-ally awesome Guild Wars 2 Hylek, and finally we finish off with the standard sack silliness, including a bit of internet archaeology.

Check out this week's episode behind the break -- and don't forget you can see it every Thursday on G4TV!

Continue reading The MMO Report: May the beard be with you edition

The MMO Report: May the beard be with you edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Not so baggy edition

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, New titles, News items, Consoles, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

It's a short week this week on The MMO Report as Casey has some traveling to do and G4TV's writing cast of usual suspects is off doing something... perhaps hunting for Keyser Soze. Nonetheless, even with a shorter video than normal, this week's episode is jam-packed full of the interesting news, speculation, and snarkiness we've come to expect from The MMO Report.

First up, Casey takes a look at 5th Cell's upcoming Xbox Live Arcade game, Hybrid, and wonders if this console game actually might qualify as an MMO. Since nobody outside of the studio has gotten his mitts on Hybrid as yet, we'll have to wait and see. (If it is what he thinks it is, we totally agree with his ending comment.) From there, it's all eyes on Star Wars: The Old Republic as Casey talks about BioWare's flashpoint instance plans and how that will work with the different story choices available. Next up, it's a nod to our story about the recently announced zombie MMO by JetStream Studios, UnDead Online. Finally, it's the news that brings all the Guild Wars 2 fans to the yard: Guardians!

So, for all the news, all the snark, and 100% less Uncle Casey's mailbag than regular shows, pop behind the break and check out this week's edition of the MMO Report. You can also catch it every Thursday on G4TV.

Continue reading The MMO Report: Not so baggy edition

The MMO Report: Not so baggy edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Class actions

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log, Guides

The biggest news about Final Fantasy XIV this week, other than the somewhat mollifying UI update preview, was the addition of another 30 days of free playtime for everyone. This is the sort of thing that I don't think you can really see as anything other than a classy move on the part of Square-Enix. It's also very unexpected, but in the best possible way -- I can't help but be surprised that the company which has long been seen as completely dispassionate by Final Fantasy XI players has essentially responded to the "I don't want to pay for beta" complaints with "that's fair, we'll let you play for free."

So as long as we're talking about class, let's talk about Final Fantasy XIV's classes. I'm a big fan of games that give you a broad toolbox and let you decide what you want to do with everything, and building a field class is one of my biggest joys in the game. It's not that you can't mix-and-match abilities from Disciples of the Land or Disciples of the Hand, but there's less variance than the combat-oriented classes. Let's start dipping our toes into character building, yes?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Class actions

The Mog Log: Class actions originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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En Masse's Brian Knox details the Slayer's evolution

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Interviews, TERA

Is he a Rogue? Is he a Warrior? Is he an '80s thrash metal band? Whatever TERA's Slayer may be, En Masse hopes that you will find him bad to the bone.

En Masse's Brian Knox sat down for an interview with ZAM about how the class was evolving and changing during development. Originally, this Rogue/Warrior hybrid had heavy armor, but due to his extreme DPS output, the devs decided to concentrate more on movement and dexterity instead of damage absorption, and they downgraded his armor to reflect this.

When asked about the class' defining traits, Knox listed a combination of two skills -- Knockdown and Leaping Strike -- which, when used together, would both throw a foe off his balance and deal him significant damage. Knox spent time also talking up the Slayer's roguish abilities, such as being able to speedily dash up behind an enemy and backstab for big numbers.

Unlike most MMO rogues, TERA's Slayer is limited to using one (1) big honking sword, but En Masse doesn't think this will hurt the class' appeal in the slightest. You can read the full interview at ZAM, and don't miss our exclusive Slayer lore piece!

En Masse's Brian Knox details the Slayer's evolution originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: Global Agenda

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMORTS, Global Agenda, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

Global Agenda. This game has been successful in causing quite a stir on our website. It seems almost every single story we do on the game anymore turns into the inevitable "this isn't an MMO" debate. We've even tried to give the MMORTS part of it more of a perspective in past articles, but that's neither here nor there. This article isn't about the game or if it's an MMO -- it's about how this game plays.

So, is Global Agenda a worthy investment for the MMOer? Is it a worthy investiment for the FPS nut? Can a game that's a hybrid of so many genres work as well as its creators say it works? Those are all excellent questions and they're also questions that we're going to answer today.

Gallery: Global Agenda Gameplay Gallery

Continue reading First Impressions: Global Agenda

First Impressions: Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Final Fantasy XIV translations with developer commentary

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, Previews, Final Fantasy XIV

In some games, adventurers are just regular people, albeit very well-trained and highly-armed people who are a bit dangerous to have hanging around too long. In others, however, there's something special setting them apart, even beyond the fact that they spend all of their waking lives running through muck-infested ruins. Add Final Fantasy XIV to the latter list, as fansite FFXIVCore has translated the most recent issue of Dengeki Playstation, which includes some information straight to the magazine from the developers. They make note of the fact that adventurers have a specific power to change the world, albeit one distinct from the time-travel mechanics used in Final Fantasy XI.

The translation covers a lot of ground, and reveals such tidbits as the lack of any hybrid magic-and-melee classes in Final Fantasy XIV -- such abilities will come from a character's growth in multiple areas rather than a specific class such as the Red Mage or Paladin. More details on character creation are included, with the creators talking about both a more flexible creator than Final Fantasy XI and the possibility of changing elements of a character's starting armor. There are also some tidbits on the political state of the land and the three-way conflict between the adventurers of Eorzea, the Garleann Empire, and the beast tribes. Unfortunately, there's no answer to the question many of us want answered -- namely, when we can start the beta.

More Final Fantasy XIV translations with developer commentary originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DDO adds free-to-play with Eberron Unlimited [Updated]

Kyle Horner — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:53:00 EST

Filed under: Dungeons and Dragons Online, Business models, News items

Gigantic news coming out of Turbine today with the announcement of Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited and its beta launch. This new version of the game will offer players the ability to download the game and play for free. In addition, players can purchase items, adventure packs, and account services at their discretion from the brand new DDO Store. Alternatively, traditional-minded players can subscribe to get unlimited access to all of the game's content.

Turbine is pioneering something very interesting and exciting here, as the hybrid model isn't widely used at this point, with Free Realms being the closest comparison we can think of off the top of our collective heads. Allowing players the choice of free-to-play or subscription seems like a perfect fit for Dungeons and Dragons Online. Plus, the announcement comes with new content, including a brand new class! There appears to be no confirmation on what class it is, but our guess would be the Druid.

Check out the details after the break!

Continue reading DDO adds free-to-play with Eberron Unlimited [Updated]

DDO adds free-to-play with Eberron Unlimited [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: Massively previews Huxley, a hybrid sci-fi MMO and FPS

James Egan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Huxley, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, Races, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage

Huxley: The Dystopia is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS) in development at NHN USA. We haven't heard much about the title since mid-2008, so we were happy that NHN USA was willing to sit down with us at GDC 2009. We spoke with Andy Hong, Huxley's Project Manager, who showed us some of the basic concepts behind the game.

Huxley is a persistent world built upon Unreal Engine 3 foundations and is a game that differs from many of the MMOs we cover at Massively. Like other titles entering the market such as Global Agenda, Huxley is a marriage of the twitch combat of a first person shooter with classes, skills, trading, banking, and player housing we associate with MMOs. "At the core of the gameplay in Huxley, at its heart, it's an FPS," says Hong. But the depth of the rest of Huxley's gameplay, not limited to its quest and crafting systems, makes it a title quite unlike any pure FPS.

Gallery: Huxley: The Dystopia

Continue reading GDC09: Massively previews Huxley, a hybrid sci-fi MMO and FPS

GDC09: Massively previews Huxley, a hybrid sci-fi MMO and FPS originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can an MMO/TV hybrid succeed?

Michael Zenke — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture

This past weekend Massively's big-sister site Joystiq took an editorial look at the SCI FI channel MMO/TV hybrid recently announced by Trion. Here at the site we discussed the initial announcement, and even did an interview with Trion's Jon Van Caneghem all about the ambitious project. Though they've now announced the game will be an alternate reality science fiction setting, a number of questions remain. Joystiq's Counting Rupees column isn't so much interested in what the game/show might be as it is the very question: can such a thing work?

Columnists Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks take a look at the history of game/television crossovers, going all the way back to the days of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Captain N. They posit what the nitty-gritty of this venture might entail, and eventually come the conclusion many gamers likely have: this is probably not going to work. Says Engel, "More likely, the in-game situations will only alter slight things within the TV universe, but this would probably drastically undercut a major reason why people would want to play and watch the show in the first place ... the remaining attraction of the game and show would be to simply see if you can get your avatar on to TV, and it's questionable whether that could actually sustain interest."

Can an MMO/TV hybrid succeed? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sci Fi Channel creating hybrid TV series and MMO

James Egan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, News items, Virtual worlds

The Sci Fi Channel plans to air a TV series that simultaneously plays out as a massively multiplayer online game, the Los Angeles Times reports. This pairing of television writers with game designers will allow fans of the series to influence its story arc through their own actions in the virtual space. David Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, said, "This is the Holy Grail for us, without a doubt... this is groundbreaking, and I don't say that lightly."

The large and dedicated player communities attached to various titles in the MMO space are appealing to the Sci Fi Channel. "Bundling a World of Warcraft player community with a series and an on-line social community is something the Sci Fi Channel has tried to puzzle out for several years," according to the Los Angeles Times. The Sci Fi Channel's desire to tap into the MMO market led them to work with Trion World Network, a California-based game company with some major investors standing behind it. The hope is that together, they will achieve a first in interactive entertainment: create a hybrid television series and online game, where players affect or even determine the direction of the show. If successful, this will stand as a milestone in the history of both television and games.

Continue reading Sci Fi Channel creating hybrid TV series and MMO

Sci Fi Channel creating hybrid TV series and MMO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An in-depth look at class design in favor of the hybrid

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, Academic, Education

When it comes to choosing your class, we don't usually think much past the basics of the class's design, and of course how awesome you'll look in your favorite armor. But there's so much more to designing a balanced character class in an MMO than you might expect.

Recently, in a wonderful article at Gamasutra, John Hopson takes a look at the importance of designing a class from the most effective standpoint needed in an MMO. It doesn't have to do with the most efficient design, or the most powerfully specialized, but it's more about the situation you're in at that time. This is why his argument in favor of a hybrid class design is so compelling. Approached as a comparison to economics, it all makes perfect sense, and it will certainly open your eyes to what class designers are focusing on in current MMOs, and more importantly, future MMOs.

An in-depth look at class design in favor of the hybrid originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April Fool's in Tabula Rasa: New hybrid class!

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Tabula Rasa, Races, Humor

Have you ever wanted to be a Skitterin? Just lie around all day, eating, sleeping and gracefully avoiding the footfalls of soldiers running to and fro? That sure would be the life, wouldn't it? Well now you can with Tabula Rasa's newly-announced Skitterin Hybrid class! We're especially impressed with the artist's rendition, complete with acorn flail. I wonder if that does more damage than the Spy's blade?

NCSoft has unveiled a dandy of an April Fool's joke today on their official site. Apparently, there has been overwhelming feedback from the players in favor of creating a Skitterin hybrid class, so the devs thought it would be fun to play along. Be sure to head on over and check out the complete story behind the Skitterin Hybrid and how it came into existence. No, it's ok, it all happened in a lab.

April Fool's in Tabula Rasa: New hybrid class! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How can Tabula Rasa be improved?

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Guilds, Endgame, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, The Daily Grind

Honestly, I haven't had any desire to try Tabula Rasa. Well, that's not entirely true; when I first heard that Lord British was developing a science fiction MMO, I was terribly excited. And if all I knew of the game was what I saw in screenshots and gameplay video, I might still be tempted to give it a try. However, being a part of Massively means that I'm privy to every bit of news and stories that come down the pike, and some of them aren't so complimentary to ol' TR.

In fact, posts that talk about 'giving it another try' and 'there's no endgame' and 'the hybrid classes are lame' make me less inclined than ever to even give it a chance. Listen, I know it's got fans so it's not entirely broken, but nothing exists in a vacuum, and there's always room for improvement. So tell me, fans, how would you fix Tabula Rasa?

The Daily Grind: How can Tabula Rasa be improved? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday: Patch 1.4

Kyle Horner — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Patches, News items, Tabula Rasa

The Tabula Rasa team has given us a nice little preview of what to expect in the upcoming 1.4 patch for the start of 2008. Some of the new features include Hybrid aliens (!!!), a hide helmet option, an Ability and Attribute respec and some bug fixes. We're especially interested in the Hybrid stuff, as it sounds very interesting.

Another big fix will be focused on the issues Mires is having with performance, even with with the recent changes that were made to address this. The changes will be focused on creature count being a bit too high as well as many locations where enemy and friendly drop-ships have been appearing literally next to each other. Aside from the mires changes, the TR team is looking into the crackdown on RMT or "credit/gold" sellers. The large issue is the chat channel and their persistent adverts that keep popping up in the game. For now all we're told to do is use the /ignore command, but hopefully in the near future there will be better ways to deal with them.

The patch will be coming to the public test server soon, so hopefully we can report back on how those changes are coming along in the near future.

Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday: Patch 1.4 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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