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[New ArcheAge video shows improvements to Rainbow Fields]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/new-archeage-video-shows-improvements-to-rainbow-fields/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/new-archeage-video-shows-improvements-to-rainbow-fields/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/new-archeage-video-shows-improvements-to-rainbow-fields/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

ArcheAge image
ArcheAge's CBT4 ended a couple months ago and XLGAMES has been busy putting the information gathered to use. To showcase changes and improvements made during the break between CBT4 and CBT5, a series of videos is planned. The first video in this series highlights the transformation of one starting area, Rainbow Fields; once described as empty and flat, this region is now populated with more buildings, has a more diverse landscape, and sports improved weather effects.

Although there is still no official word on ArcheAge being released to the western market, sandbox hopefuls can check out the latest improvements after the break.

[Thanks to Sandboxer for the tip!]

Continue reading New ArcheAge video shows improvements to Rainbow Fields

MassivelyNew ArcheAge video shows improvements to Rainbow Fields originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaarche-agearcheagebetaCBT4CBT5fantasyimprovementslandscapepvpsandboxsandparkvideoxl-gamesxlgamesFri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wurm Online inviting players to Exodus]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/wurm-online-inviting-players-to-exodus/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/wurm-online-inviting-players-to-exodus/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/wurm-online-inviting-players-to-exodus/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Next update - the horses learn to fight one another.
In a game like Wurm Online, fresh lands are important. After all, the game places so much emphasis on setting up your own homestead in the untamed wilderness that you find yourself a bit out in the cold if the land is already developed. This was part of what led to the opening of the game's first new server, Deliverance, but the response of the playerbase has been so overwhelming that the development team is doing the time warp again.

According to the development team, a new land named Exodus is being added just south of Deliverance. It's intended to give players a new chance to get involved with building in fertile lands untouched by human expansion, and it's set to go live on Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT. For those of you recalling the issues with the earlier server opening, the team hopes that the new region will open without problem. So get ready to go... well, south, young man, because the lands there are ripe for the taking.

[Source: Wurm Online press release]

MassivelyWurm Online inviting players to Exodus originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>areasf2pfree-to-playlandslandscapenew-areasnew-zonesnewsopeningregionssandboxserversupcoming-launcheswurmwurm-onlineTue, 13 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The cities and world of Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/the-cities-and-world-of-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/the-cities-and-world-of-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/the-cities-and-world-of-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

If you're all about living the life of a pirate, then odds are good you don't mind being restricted to Limsa Lominsa in the Final Fantasy XIV beta. But if you've done the sea serpent tango more than once, Ul'dah and Gridania are no doubt sounding pretty good. So it's a good thing that MMOSite is reporting that the next phase of beta will start in September and will include the two heretofore unseen cities as playable areas. Considering the recent hands-on experience with the starter cities, we think it's well within the realm of possibility.

Of course, one of the major components to making each of the starting cities and subsequent areas stand out is the worldbuilding efforts of the development team. The most recent Making of Eorzea documentary covers precisely this, and not coincidentally, it can be viewed past the cut. With a discussion of the scenery and the visual culture of the game's landscape, the video is something every Final Fantasy XIV player can enjoy, and it shows that the vibrancy of the world has been a big priority during development.

Continue reading The cities and world of Final Fantasy XIV

MassivelyThe cities and world of Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-testingffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivgridanialandscapelimsa-lominsamaking-of-eorzeasquaresquare-enixstarter-areasuldahvirtual-worldsvisual-designThu, 19 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Building MMO landscape scenes, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes-part-2/#commentsContinue reading Building MMO landscape scenes, part 2

MassivelyBuilding MMO landscape scenes, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbillboardengineeverquest-2everquest-iigraphicsheightmaplakelandscapelightinglodlord-of-the-rings-onlineoceanplantsriversceneryscenictechnologyterrainterrain-renderingtexturestreeswaterworld-of-warcraftMon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Building MMO landscape scenes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Landscapes have been a staple component of almost every MMO in recent memory. With the exception of some sci-fi titles, most MMOs take place on the land of some imagined island or continent. Some use stylised fantasy landscapes that run smoothly on even low-end computers while others have managed almost photo-realistic visuals at the cost of performance. But have you ever thought about what's going on behind the scenes in your favourite MMO? Most of us don't think about how the computer is actually drawing the terrain we run around on. We don't give much thought to the different ways each MMO renders the water in lakes, rivers and oceans. And just how does your computer render so many trees and plants without grinding to a halt? As part of my masters degree in computer science, I got to grips with a number of these techniques and found it a fascinating thing to learn about. Now when I play a new game or see MMO screenshots, I can't help but think about what the computer is doing in the background and how particular visual effects could have been achieved.

In this technical article, I talk about some of the components of an MMO landscape scene and a few of the techniques used in creating the graphics behind them.

Continue reading Building MMO landscape scenes

MassivelyBuilding MMO landscape scenes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbillboardengineeverquest-2everquest-iigraphicsheightmaplakelandscapelightinglodlord-of-the-rings-onlineoceanplantsriversceneryscenictechnologyterrainterrain-renderingtexturestreeswaterworld-of-warcraftMon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Dark Elf Moonrise]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/06/one-shots-dark-elf-moonrise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/06/one-shots-dark-elf-moonrise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/06/one-shots-dark-elf-moonrise/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


A darkening sky, a distant castle, and twisted greenery; Warhammer Online's art direction conveys a twisted world. You can almost feel the chill in the wind, as the clouds scuttle across the sky, retreating from the darkness to come. Today's picturesque Warhammer Online One Shots comes to us courtesy of Gitwit, Rank 8 Goblin Squig Herder from the Casualties of WAR guild on Thorgrim US. He ran across this great view in his recent travels, and decided to share it with the rest of us here on Massively. Gitwit noted: Taking a moment from the hunt to admire the moonrise in the Dark Elf area. Now ... back to the regularly schedule slaughter of beasts and High Elfs.

While you're traveling this weekend, why not take a moment to stop and show off the world around you? We love to see reader-submitted landscapes that show off game design. (Or, sometimes just how awesome your computer is to be able to render it all.) We can always use more landscapes! Just send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a quick description. (Guild and server welcome too!) We'll post them out here for people to snag and make into their desktop backgrounds, and give you the credit for the great eye.

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Dark Elf Moonrise originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eagitwitlandscapemoonrisemythicone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotswarwarhammer-onlineThu, 06 Nov 2008 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: Loading...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/player-vs-everything-loading/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/player-vs-everything-loading/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/player-vs-everything-loading/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


A few weeks ago, I was reading an Age of Conan interview with Shannon Drake where he was discussing several of the features that would be present in the game. One of the questions he was asked was why Funcom made the choice to use world zones for AoC instead of a seamless world. If you haven't heard the terminology before, games with world zones are games like EverQuest, EverQuest 2, and Guild Wars, where you have a loading screen when you pass from area to area. Seamless worlds include games like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, where you can pass between different game areas without a loading screen. Seamless worlds still have loading screens, of course-- just not for most major zones that you'll be traveling through.

Shannon's answer was interesting. He admitted that their choice was partially due to the trade-offs required when designing a next-gen game (graphics are a major resource hog), but then he also talked about immersion and world design. Although Hyboria was supposed to be an enormous landmass, they didn't want to make a game that took forever to walk across. On the other hand, they didn't want to reduce the epic scale of the world by reducing a cross-continent journey to five minutes. Now, maybe that's just their canned answer to keep the fans happy with loading screens, and maybe it really was part of their game design-- probably a nice helping of both. Either way, it's worth considering. Do loading screens really help your game immersion?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Loading...

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: Loading... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conaneverquestfeaturedimmersionlandscapeloadinglord-of-the-rings-on...lotroplayer-vs-everythingtraveltravel-timevanguardworldworld-of-warcraftworld-sizezoneszoningMon, 21 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST