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EVE Online streamlines the process of figuring out who's crippling your ship

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Sandbox

If you're playing EVE Online, you are going to lose a ship sooner or later. It's as inevitable as the tides. Sometimes you'll be outnumbered and outgunned, and while that can be frustrating, there's no real shame in it. But when you're having your ship locked in place by an attacker you can't see and you don't actually know what's happening, that is a different matter. It's particularly infuriating, and it's something that the game's next update is aiming to fix.

Starting with the next patch, the new Effects Bar will show a quick overview of all the effects currently in place on your ship as well as the source of same. So if there are two people attacking you, an icon will pop up, and you'll be able to target and counterattack appropriately rather than fumble through more clumsy interface methods. If the blog entry explaining the system isn't clear enough for you, check out the short preview video just past the break.

Continue reading EVE Online streamlines the process of figuring out who's crippling your ship

EVE Online streamlines the process of figuring out who's crippling your ship originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

Brianna Royce — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Guild Wars, Business models, Classes, Economy, Game mechanics, Guilds, Lore, Previews, PvP, Endgame, Guild Wars 2, Hands-on, Guides, Dungeons, Crafting

The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness?

The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...

Continue reading Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP shows off EVE neocom updates

Jef Reahard — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

Remember that dev blog about a year ago that mentioned updates in store for EVE Online's neocom interface? Well, it hasn't been forgotten, but the New Eden poo-storm of 2011 kind of bumped it to the back of the line.

Today, the EVE website has been updated with a look at the new neocom's design, and CCP Optimal has plenty of pics as well as some insights into what's changing below the pretty exterior. Chief among the tweaks is the ability for pod pilots to pick and choose the features they use most and remove extraneous buttons from the interface.

The new neocom is slated to go live in the Crucible 1.1 patch coming later this month.

CCP shows off EVE neocom updates originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Functional improvements coming to the store for Lord of the Rings Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Previews, News items, Free-to-play

The store for Lord of the Rings Online is probably not the sort of epic adventure you think of when you consider Middle-earth. But it's an integral part of the game's setup now that it's moved over to free-to-play, and so it's in the best interests of Turbine Entertainment to make the store as easy to navigate and productive as possible. To that end, the team has announced a set of coming updates that should help players navigate the store, make purchases, and manage those purchases with the greatest of ease.

The two biggest additions at a glance are the inclusion of a Quick Buy button and an Add to Cart button, with the former saving the need for a shopping cart trick and the latter allowing you to stay on the page after adding the item. Also added are a Recent Buy tab and some improvements to the visual elements of the store, making it easier for players to see which categories have additional items. No, it's not quite as exciting as slaying dragons and Uruk-Hai, but it should make it a little easier to buy the gear to do so.

Functional improvements coming to the store for Lord of the Rings Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Proof of concept

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST

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

Final Fantasy XIV's last major patch was back in March, when 1.16 brought out the first iteration of the game's quests. Sure, we've had updates since then, but even 1.17 didn't really have the appeal and the energy that you'd expect from a major patch. And 1.16 was something of a disappointment at the time -- not bad, but not nearly what the game needed. There was an awful lot missing there, stuff that seemed basic. I wasn't happy, in other words.

Well, here we are now, at 1.18. Any better?

In a word, yes. A lot of the stuff that needed to be fixed has been, and a lot of the improvements the game has needed have come through. I've unfortunately only had a little time to play around with the update, but what I've played has been pretty uniformly positive. Positive except for the notable issues that the game was having with the login server right after the patch, but who actually expects patch day to go smoothly? (Other than me, I mean.)

Continue reading The Mog Log: Proof of concept

The Mog Log: Proof of concept originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prime: Battle for Dominus shows off new gameplay videos

Matt Daniel — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Previews, PvP, News items, Dev Diaries

Fresh from yesterday's Pitchblack Games dev chat, we have some new gameplay videos from the studio's upcoming sci-fi MMO Prime: Battle for Dominus. The two five-minute-long videos feature pure, delicious gameplay to tease fans as they await the release of the PvP-oriented title.

The first video walks players through Prime's character creation and gives a sneak peek at what can be expected from character customization. The second of the two videos focuses on actual gameplay as the devs take a new character out into the world of Prime. Any Prime fan should definitely take a look at the full videos past the cut, though we can't say it'll make the wait any easier -- we just ended up wanting even more.

Continue reading Prime: Battle for Dominus shows off new gameplay videos

Prime: Battle for Dominus shows off new gameplay videos originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blade & Soul closed beta UI profiled

Jef Reahard — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Blade & Soul

More news made its way out of the Blade & Soul Korean beta this weekend. Blade & Soul Dojo has a breakdown of the game's user interface complete with a large annotated screenshot and plenty of commentary.

While nothing about the UI looks markedly different from long-running MMORPG conventions, there is an interesting hint at a mechanic that is unique to NCsoft's upcoming fantasy martial arts epic. The Qinggong meter (the green bar below the health and fuel meters) ties in to the game's travel system and looks to put a novel spin on both exploration and fast travel. If you're wondering, Qinggong is a Chinese martial art that has been heavily stylized in Wuxia fiction (see the wire-fu action sequences in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, and The Matrix).

Blade & Soul Dojo also confirms that the game will have an auction house as well as social features including mail, a news page, and a calendar (though these features were disabled in the beta). Check out the original article for more details.

Blade & Soul closed beta UI profiled originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Minmatar captain's quarters coming to EVE Online test server this week

Jef Reahard — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Dev Diaries

Get ready, capsuleers. Captain's quarters are coming, and sooner than you might expect. CCP Tanis breaks the news that a rough version of the Minmatar captain's quarters will be making an appearance on the Duality test server this Thursday, April 21st.

That's right: Two days hence, all you Brutors, Sebiestors, and Vherokiors will finally be able to walk around on your own two legs inside of the EVE Online client. CCP's newest dev blog cautions that the test environment is a true work-in-progress, and Tanis states that "we're still at the chisel-in-hand-in-front-of-a-marble-form stage."

Why make the environment available to the public at this point? CCP is mainly looking to gather feedback and general impressions on usability, since the captain's quarters interface is eventually slated to replace the current in-game hangar view. The test run will also feature new in-station and crash course tutorials as well as interfaces for planetary interaction, corporation management, avatar re-customization, and ship fitting.

In other EVE Online news, the new Council of Stellar Management held its first fireside chat a few days ago, and an audio recording of the broadcast is now available for download on the official EVE forums.

Minmatar captain's quarters coming to EVE Online test server this week originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Would you play a motion sensor-controlled MMO?

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

As great as MMOs can be, they are still limited to a mere two senses -- sight and sound -- and have their interfaces strapped to either controllers or a mouse-and-keyboard setup. It doesn't take much to spark the imagination for possibilities to expand beyond these limitations, such as using your entire body to control an avatar instead of just your hands and fingers.

Lately we've been seeing a few studios and enterprising hobbyists experimenting with Kinect-like controls as a way to interact in a whole-new way with MMOs. It's not hard to see the potential for increased immersion (and increased silliness, perhaps) as you wave your hands to cast spells or chop the head off an innocent villager. Er, I mean "rampaging Orc." Yeah.

So if this technology advanced to the point that your favorite MMO was using it, would you play a motion sensor-controlled game? Does it seem as if it would suck you more into the game or just frustrate you? Would this be an excellent way to both exercise and level up?

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: Would you play a motion sensor-controlled MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How many hotbars do you have?

Jef Reahard — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Super-hero, Aion, Opinion, The Daily Grind, DC Universe Online, RIFT, TERA

It's been argued that MMORPGs are being "dumbed down," and while there may be some truth to that in broad terms, one thing that is most certainly not being dumbed down is MMO combat. On the contrary, combat is getting more involved with each new release, whether it's a result of action titles like DC Universe Online or TERA (which require the player to have a certain amount of twitch skill and situational awareness), or more traditional fare like World of Warcraft, Aion, and RIFT, all of which are special-ability spamfests with a huge number of said abilities for each class.

With such a plethora of attacks, defenses, buffs, and crowd-controlling maneuvers at the player's disposal, it's a wonder that the entire screen isn't covered with hotbars. Keybindings play a big role here, of course, but today's Daily Grind is all about your UI. How many hotbars do you have? How are they set up? Do you use a lot of keybindings and macro-enabling peripherals or are you a mouse-clicker?

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: How many hotbars do you have? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV's December update goes live

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV players can take heart, as the first of two promised updates in December has just gone live. The game's last major update a month ago was centered on quality-of-life improvements, but this update is focused toward content as well, with the addition of several new guildleves and the promised notorious monsters. That doesn't mean that there's a shortage of improvements to the game's interface, however, with several persistent issues having been addressed or expanded, even beyond the previously known changes.

Among the more welcome interface changes are the addition of visible timers to all status effects, an increase in the chat character limit, and improved display of an item's durability. As for content, players not looking to kill monsters can enjoy the first part of the promised recipe book and lessened spawns around gathering points, not to mention the option to abandon unwanted local levequests. Final Fantasy XIV players can look forward to a second update later in the month, that promises to build upon this update and offer further improvements to the game.

Final Fantasy XIV's December update goes live originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online prepping big December patch

Jef Reahard — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

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

Ndoors Interactive is getting ready to unleash a substantial December update for its turn-based Atlantica Online MMO. In a press release Friday, Ndoors let us know that we can expect a brand-new dungeon, new journeys and storylines, and a significant makeover for the game's Tactical Battle System before the end of the year.

The facelift includes a larger UI and tweaks to camera angles, message alerts, and indicators, all of which should enable players to more efficiently manage their gameplay. After you've gotten acclimated to the UI changes, the new Ancient Lava Valley dungeon will allow you to join with two buddies in order to take on the fearsome Flame Guardians. The dungeon is timed, so make sure you clear all the monsters quickly to claim your share of the new loot items.

Finally, Atlantica will be adding a solo mode to the Trojan War missions as well as new mount stable functionality to its player mansions. Check out all the details at the official website.

Atlantica Online prepping big December patch originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Guide to addons

Greg Waller — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Guides, Waging WAR

This week in WagingWAR Greg takes a look at the basic interface offered in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Well, he said he would take a look, but then he mumbled something about needing a blindfold first. Instead, he writes about all the great ways it can be changed via third-party add-ons and shows us why WAR's modding community really is just the bee's knees.

Let's be honest with ourselves right off the bat and agree that the WAR default interface, although functional, is lackluster in some respects. That's not to say that the developers of WAR made a disastrous UI for us to play with; in fact, the truth is quite the opposite. The standard UI is functional, genre-standard, and provides all the necessary information at a glance. It gets the job done. It also offers a layout editor that allows for simple, easy customization. But sometimes, someone else's idea for a UI element is simply better. Thankfully, WAR supports the Lua programming language and enjoys a strong and talented modding community.

Continue reading for the lowdown on what I consider to be the best of the best of what WAR's mod community has to offer as of patch 1.4.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Guide to addons

Waging WAR: Guide to addons originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A look at the updated UI for Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

The first major update for Final Fantasy XIV is tentatively dated for a little more than a week from now, and Square-Enix is beginning to discuss the specifics about what the new update will contain. With the most recent reveal centering around the user interface, players can get a look at the improvements coming to one of the game's least-loved features, and the updates range from smoothing off the rough edges of targeting and mouse interaction to the substantial improvement of more inventory space. The latter will be welcomed even by those not put out by the interface, as another 20 slots will be added to both the character's inventory and the retainer's inventory.

Other updates include improvements to the chat client, ranging from keyboard shortcuts to the ability to create custom tabs for players. There's also a redesign of the current Attributes & Gear panel into two separate interfaces, with the Gear window having much improved functionality and the Attributes window providing a better rundown of information. Players can take a look at the preview for a full picture of how the UI will be altered to improve Final Fantasy XIV as well as a quick look at what some of the new windows will look like and how they can be customized.

A look at the updated UI for Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: The negativity song

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

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

As you read this, I am in New York at the New York Comic Con, where I am very angry. It's not because I dislike the city or because I'm going to be spending all day running around trying to put together interviews and information, although those are both true statements. It's because all of this means I'm going to have to skip out on an entire day of Final Fantasy XIV. This should give you some idea of how much I like this game -- that I'm more annoyed about not playing it than about spending fifteen hours working.

But this is not to say that all is well and good within the land of Eorzea. Things are pretty darn good, yeah, but to the surprise of absolutely no one there are some things I really don't like about Final Fantasy XIV. They aren't game-breaking, and some would argue that they're not even really drawbacks, but if I had to pick a list of what to dislike about the game? Here's the list. (And while I'm still not pleased with the column, I'd like to look back on this particular installment and note that I freaking called it. Except for the communication -- the development team has stepped up on that count.)

Continue reading The Mog Log: The negativity song

The Mog Log: The negativity song originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Community watch

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

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

The summer slump is just about over, and those who have enjoyed an entire summer away from school are going to have to get back into the swing of it in the very near future. The rest of us will simply have to acclimate ourselves to the decrease in the temperature, the decrease in big-budget movies, and the increase in game release schedules. But there's one last gasp of summer to be had, and let's spend it watching our favorite ongoing entertainment: community forum discussions.

There's no shortage of topics for discussion lately, what with Final Fantasy XIV stampeding ever closer to launch, Final Fantasy XI's September version update stampeding ever closer, and various other stampedes taking place somewhere. (I kind of started that sentence without a conclusion prepared.) September is going to be a busy month in general, and even with a couple weeks to go there's a lot of talk being flung around. So let's get right into the meat of the community, shall we?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Community watch

The Mog Log: Community watch originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

Brianna Royce — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Classes, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, RIFT

Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus.

In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action.

Now we have.

Continue reading Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Age of Camelot 1.105 goes live, updates training window

Jef Reahard — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Patches, News items

BioWare Mythic has given us a heads-up regarding the latest update to its venerable Dark Age of Camelot MMORPG. The PvP-centric fantasy title has gone live with version 1.105, and the patch brings with it quite a number of changes, including the long-awaited training-window UI enhancements.

The training-window tweaks feature the ability to train multiple specialization levels and Realm abilities simultaneously, as Stuart Zissu details in this producer's letter. The new patch also boasts buff display adjustments, numerous class-balancing changes focusing on the bainshee, and itemization revamps of world dungeons including the Catacombs of Cardova, Varulvhamn, and Treibh Caillte.

Finally, Albion, Midgard, and Hibernian epic armors have had their attributes bumped upwards and also feature additional skills. Check out the patch notes at the the Camelot Herald.

Dark Age of Camelot 1.105 goes live, updates training window originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Modding your way out of a paper bag

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Culture, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

If there's been a theme to this week, it's been interfaces and modding. Both EverQuest II and Lord of the Rings Online have had announcements related to their interfaces, be it re-skinning or new Lua functionality being installed. However, it was these two articles that set off the Rube Goldberg device in my head. They reminded me just what I thought about mods.

My relationship with mods has always been iffy. While I certainly appreciate what they do for us in our many MMOs, they also irk me to no end. While I understand (and totally support) some mods, there are others that I'd rather offer to Zuul.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate the mods because they're not useful. It's quite the opposite, in fact. Sometimes, I think mods are too useful. When you start skipping social interactions in favor of an e-peen number, that's the point where mods are going over the line.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Modding your way out of a paper bag

Anti-Aliased: Modding your way out of a paper bag originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest II due for a major UI overhaul

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches, News items

The UI is simultaneously one of the most transparent and important parts of a game. EverQuest II doesn't have a bad one by any means, but the designers apparently aren't content with the current setup. They're already promising major changes to hit the test server in just over a week -- to coincide with game update 57 -- and among the many mechanical changes going along with the update will be a major UI overhaul.

A post earlier today by lead programmer Greg "Rothgar" Spence confirmed that the team is re-skinning the default interface, as well as modifying several windows alongside it. While he's scant on providing exact details, he promises that players will get a chance to experience everything on the test servers very shortly. Although there are some concerns in the the thread regarding what the changes might mean for existing custom UIs, most seem cautiously optimistic. EverQuest II players should be ready for the test server in just over a week, with the patch likely not too far in the future past that.

[via Zam]

EverQuest II due for a major UI overhaul originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA gets a website overhaul and new lore updates

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Previews, TERA

With a unique control scheme and a great deal of industry talent moving behind it -- not to mention impressive and surreal graphics -- TERA has begun capturing people's attention. And when people first got peeks at the lore behind the game, that interest only increased. While the updates have been slow in coming, the official site has recently undergone a major overhaul, and aside from making the site as a whole far less Flash-reliant one of the major updates has been the addition of new lore on the world and each of the individual races.

As we'd heard before, the world is the product of two sleeping titans that dreamed the entire world into existence. Each facet of the world came about as part of that dream, including the long-standing wars between dreamed-up gods and then the mortal races beneath them. But the mortal races have banded together in response to the Argons, a race from outside of the dream that has the potential to annihilate the very structure of the world. It's an interesting attempt at world-building, and between that and the addition of new music to listen to on the official site, TERA fans will get a much better sense with this update of how the world will feel.

TERA gets a website overhaul and new lore updates originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2, part 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2, part 2

EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, Crafting, Professions, Making money, PvE, EVE Evolved

In last week's first part to this multi-part guide to research in EVE Online, I covered the basics of Tech 1 blueprint research. Tech 2 blueprints are an entirely different animal and the way players get their hands on them has changed vastly over the years. The first system put in place was an agent-based lottery system. Players would set up research contracts with the various NPC R&D agents in EVE, who would then generate a certain number of research points per day. Whenever new Tech 2 items were released into the game, original blueprints were passed out via these agents.

Each research point you had became a ticket in an on-going lottery and the prize was essentially a license to print money. After many player-run cartels, rampant price gouging and one incident of developer misconduct, CCP replaced the blueprint lottery with the "Invention" system. Although the invention system contains no way to get an original Tech 2 blueprint, it does allow players to upgrade Tech 1 blueprint copies into limited-run Tech 2 versions.

In this second part of my guide to research in EVE, I look into Tech 2 blueprints. I delve into the invention system, explain how to make your own Tech 2 blueprints and look at all the variables that could help you get an edge in a competitive marketplace.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2

EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Anatomy of WoW: Seven games that inspired Blizzard

Samuel Axon — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Game mechanics

Blizzard is one of the most prestigious and succesful developers in the world for good reason -- it takes the best ideas from all over the industry (even ones that don't quite work right... yet) and refines them, forcing them to succeed in ways they never did before.

Millions of people are playing World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King today, so we decided this would be the perfect time to dive into WoW's mechanics and see what other games inspired Blizzard when it was creating this monumental phenomenon. We'll look at seven critical predecessors to which Blizzard paid homage with its own design decisions. Join us and learn a bit more about why WoW is the enthralling experience it is today.

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Gallery: The Anatomy of WoW: Seven games that inspired Blizzard

The Anatomy of WoW: Seven games that inspired Blizzard originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anarchy Online update adds raid interface, turns zones into instances

Samuel Axon — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Anarchy Online, Patches, News items

Anarchy Online's version 17.1 update went live last week. It added a complete raid interface to the game, allowing players to combine up to six teams into a raid group with its own chat channel and loot rules. The interface will allow raid leaders to move players between teams, and every player in the raid group will be able to monitor the vitals of other raid group members.

Additionally, a handful of AO's existing playfields -- Sectors 13, 28 and 35 to start with -- have become raid instances. That means that raid groups can take these encounters on at their own pace and without competition. Funcom plans to do this to more playfields in the future.

The update also features your standard assortment of bug fixes and gameplay and balance tweaks. Read the patch notes at the AO website for details.

Anarchy Online update adds raid interface, turns zones into instances originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stargate Worlds video interview shows off interface customizations

James Egan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Previews, Stargate Worlds

MMORPG.com's Managing Editor Jon Wood is definitely on a roll with providing Stargate Worlds fans with new video content. We already mentioned that he put together a hands-on Stargate Worlds combat video, but he's also done a video interview with Stargate Worlds Art Director Howard Lyons about the game's user interface.

The UI is built to be completely customizable, both in terms of graphics and the layout, Lyons says. Players will be able to swap out button types and adjust the visual priorities of the various interface elements. Multiple UI profiles can be saved and then exported and shared with other players. Have a look at the video for a closer look at the Stargate Worlds user interface, but MMORPG.com does has one caveat -- what you see is pre-alpha footage.

Stargate Worlds video interview shows off interface customizations originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Life rated one of 3 worst HUDs by GamePro

Akela Talamasca — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, Second Life, Free-to-play

GamePro just listed their '10 Best HUDs in Gaming' feature, with a final section entitled 'The 3 Worst HUDs', and Second Life is 3rd on that list, just behind Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and X-Men: Legends. While they say "Looking at the gameplay involves a lot of guess work to figure out what's going on in the world", they could have, and should have been a lot more critical.

Residents of SL know just how difficult it is to get around the interface as a newbie, and while I understand that's one of the major pieces Linden Lab is working on (I know someone who was recently hired to work on UI changes specifically), it's still an intimidating thing to look at, much less try to sort through when you're looking for just one simple command. I mean, look at that screenshot. Technically, those are just menus that have been torn out of the bar, and not the entire interface, but it still applies -- they're ugly, they're complicated, the choices are somewhat obtuse. So now that it's been officially noticed, what will LL have in store for us? How would you fix this?

[Thanks, Mitch!]

Second Life rated one of 3 worst HUDs by GamePro originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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