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[ArenaNet talks energy and group dynamics in Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/29/arenanet-talks-energy-and-group-dynamics-in-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/29/arenanet-talks-energy-and-group-dynamics-in-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/29/arenanet-talks-energy-and-group-dynamics-in-guild-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

After the recent Guild Wars 2 news drought, new information is certainly welcome. Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats provides just that today with a new interview with several members of the ArenaNet team.

Ravious chatted with community managers Martin Kerstein and Regina Buenaobra as well as developers Jon Peters and Isaiah Cartwright for some fascinating discussion on part of the development process. The group discussed energy use in Guild Wars 2, and gave us some interesting news on how your gameplay style will affect it.

They also covered some ground on group dynamics and how you can best work with your teammates in Guild Wars 2. The best part of this interview is that it ends with "to be continued." Head on over to Kill Ten Rats to see the interview for yourself, then join us in anxiously awaiting the next installment!

If you are looking forward to GW2 but aren't a current Guild Wars player, you might want to check out the great deal on the Guild Wars Trilogy at Best Buy. What better way to pass the time while you wait for more GW2 news?

MassivelyArenaNet talks energy and group dynamics in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetguild-warsGuild-Wars-2gwgw2interviewisaiah-cartwrightjon-peterskill-ten-ratsktrMartin-Kersteinncsoftraviousregina-buenaobraMon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Characters go around again?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/the-daily-grind-characters-go-around-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/the-daily-grind-characters-go-around-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/the-daily-grind-characters-go-around-again/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

One of the features that's become more and more de rigeur for single-player games is the concept of a "new game plus," a second go-through of the game with all of the abilities and equipment you picked up the first time around. In some cases, you can't even actually play the full game until you've managed to beat it once, at which point you earn a number of rewards that would have been useful to beat the game the first time around. (Insert your own jokes about boss loot here.)

Kill Ten Rats recently suggested the idea of allowing a similar mechanic in MMORPGs, borrowing from games such as Torchlight that allow you to retire a character and pass benefits on to a new one. Certainly it has advantages -- we've all had a character or two that's sat at a level too high to be deleted that we don't want to play any longer, and it'd be nice to pass along something useful for the playtime. On the other hand, a forced cycle of leveling followed by retirement followed by another level grind could get tedious quickly. What do you think? Would this sort of feature be an enjoyable way to expand your character stable, or a searingly obnoxious grinding treadmill?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Characters go around again? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grindkill-ten-ratsktrlevelingnew-game-plusrecyclerecycling-charactersretired-characterstdgthe-daily-grindtorchlighttreadmillTue, 12 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Chasing carrots, and why we do it]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/chasing-carrots-and-why-we-do-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/chasing-carrots-and-why-we-do-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/chasing-carrots-and-why-we-do-it/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A while ago, Kill Ten Rats advocated a rather interesting approach to solving the problem of any tedious grind: cheat. More viable in a single-player game (but still possible if you're willing to use methods of dubious legality), the reasoning was to cut away the reward portion and see if you were enjoying what you were doing on its own merits. Two follow-up posts have been made since then, further extrapolating the question and getting into the way our brains fire in response to anticipation of reward.

Grind, of course, is both a dirty word and a quintessential part of any current MMO, which means that we generally aim at games with the most enjoyable grind. But are we focusing on an enjoyable grind, or just one that's not too painful as we head toward the end goal? Is the problem with Aion (to pick a game routinely raked over the coals for its grind) the basic structure, or could the grind become irrelevant if it were just a hair more enjoyable? The very structure of MMOs encourages a certain amount of grinding, and it's interesting to take a look at whether we're doing it because the grind is fun, or just because we've tricked ourselves into thinking it's not all that bad.

MassivelyChasing carrots, and why we do it originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-the-tower-of-eternityavoiding-grindcharacter-advancementcheatingenjoyable-grindgrindgrindingkill-ten-ratsktrpainful-grindwhy-we-playFri, 08 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The balance of force in Star Wars: the Old Republic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/15/the-balance-of-force-in-star-wars-the-old-republic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/15/the-balance-of-force-in-star-wars-the-old-republic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/15/the-balance-of-force-in-star-wars-the-old-republic/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


It might be a slight exaggeration to say that everyone in the world is looking forward to Star Wars: the Old Republic... but only slight. With the latest class reveal, the Imperial Agent is poised to give an excellent sneak-and-snipe playstyle to the Sith side of the game. All well and good... but as Kill Ten Rats notes, how is this game going to get any PvP balance? To the best of everyone's knowledge there's no equivalent ability in the Smuggler's arsenal, the Republic's counterpoint to the Agent, and it's not much of a matchup when one side is invisible and the other side isn't.

Overly Positive recently made a few observations regarding the class balance, noting that BioWare seems to be taking an approach a la Warhammer Online -- each class has a loose equivalent on the other side, but they don't result in being direct copies of one another. However, the downside to this approach is that you can easily wind up with one side's class being overpowered in relation to the other. Direct equivalencies leech some of the flavor, but they ensure that the game remains perfectly balanced for both factions. It's a question worth considering and keeping an eye on as the game moves through development -- after all, if a Jedi and a Sith Warrior can't face off in fair combat, it'll be a sad day for many players.

MassivelyThe balance of force in Star Wars: the Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancebiowareclass-balanceclassesgame-mechanicsimperial-agentjedikill-ten-ratsktrlucasartsnew-titlesopinionpvpsith-warriorstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorwarwarhammer-onlineSun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST