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[CCP revisiting EVE's new player experience]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/ccp-revisiting-eves-new-player-experience/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/ccp-revisiting-eves-new-player-experience/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/ccp-revisiting-eves-new-player-experience/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Online is hard, or so goes the conventional wisdom. CCP's sci-fi sandbox has seen a lot of players roll up a spaceship avatar since 2003, and it's also seen quite a few of those players quit on account of the considerable learning curve.

A new dev blog by CCP Legion outlines a broad-stroke plan to mitigate these difficulties, and Legion says that "we want to give the players a chance to experience the coolness of EVE even in the beginning and make them understand all the potential within the game. In short, we want to make the first days, weeks and months in EVE enjoyable and not just something you have to plow through in order to get to the good stuff."

How is CCP going to do that without dumbing it down? That's still up in the air, but Legion says that the changes will focus more on teachable mechanics than step-by-step guides.

In other New Eden news, CCP has released a new video called The Awakening, and it presents the first moments of a new pod pilot as he is born into his new life. View it in full after the break.

Continue reading CCP revisiting EVE's new player experience

MassivelyCCP revisiting EVE's new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bombarded by the epic stories emerging from EVE Online's colossal social sandbox, thousands of MMO addicts per month give in to temptation and pick up a free trial. Most drop the trial for one reason or another, but those who continue on to a full game subscription often fall into a common trap. Some enjoy the concept of the game enough to subscribe for a month, and a portion of those get invested enough in skill plans and the mission grind to stick about for two or three months. It's rare for a new or trial player to actually get into PvP or start creating the same epic sandbox stories that drew them to the game in the first place, but this is exactly what they should be doing right from day one.

New players often spend their entire trial or first month of gameplay attempting to grapple with the enormity of EVE, absorbing as much information as they can in order to make informed decisions for themselves. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking months of training skills and learning the basics of the game through reading or PvE will be required before you can PvP competitively or begin crafting your own epic story. I firmly believe that the real learning curve of EVE is in learning to let go of these ideas and to accept the loss of ships or items as part of the game. I believe new players need to discard their pre-conceived notions of death penalty, what skill points represent, and the idea of preparing for endgame.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE is actually very forgiving for new players getting into PvP immediately, I challenge the learning curve myth, and I encourage new pilots to drop themselves into EVE at the deep end.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Learning to let go

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Learning to let go originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicealliancealliancesccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeathdeath-penaltyendgameeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistlearning-clifflearning-curvenyphuropinionpoliticspvpsandboxscamskillskill-trainingskillstheftveteranSun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Exclusive reveals, Diablo III, and HoNiversary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/14/not-so-massively-exclusive-reveals-diablo-iii-and-honiversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/14/not-so-massively-exclusive-reveals-diablo-iii-and-honiversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/14/not-so-massively-exclusive-reveals-diablo-iii-and-honiversary/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Saturday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Defense of the Ancients, Bloodline Champions, and more.

In recent years, the online space has been invaded by countless small-to-medium-sized development studios producing some awesome online games. Some of the games have included MMO elements, using an ongoing iterative development strategy and marrying a form of character or stat persistence to what would otherwise be just a match-based game. In last week's Not So Massively, we got a first look at Aida Arenas, introduced the first Rise of Immortals developer podcast, and announced the massive League of Legends Your DreamHack contest. We also got to grips with the new HoN's hero Flux.

In this week's absolutely colossal multi-part Not So Massively, we've got our hands on an exclusive reveal of Rise of Immortals' creepy necromancer The Netheurgist. We go on to look at the new LoL champion Vayne in patch 1.0.0.118 and the major Honiversary one-year update to Heroes of Newerth, which has decreased the learning curve significantly and turned the game free-to-play until Sunday, May 22nd. We also take a look at a few new games this week, including Prime World, Realm of the Titans, Karma Online, and Blizzard's highly anticipated Diablo III.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Exclusive reveals, Diablo III, and HoNiversary

MassivelyNot So Massively: Exclusive reveals, Diablo III, and HoNiversary originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activision-BlizzardBlizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentbloodline-championsdiablodiablo-iiiexclusivefeaturedgadgetmeisterheroes-of-newerthhonkarma-onlinekarma-online-prisoners-of-the-deadleague-of-legendslearning-curvelolmichael-morhaimenewsnivalpetroglyphprime-worldrealm-of-the-titansrise-of-immortalsrois2s2-gamesthe-netheurgistvaynevideoSat, 14 May 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aventurine tweaking Darkfall's newbie experience]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/aventurine-tweaking-darkfalls-newbie-experience/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/aventurine-tweaking-darkfalls-newbie-experience/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/aventurine-tweaking-darkfalls-newbie-experience/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Darkfall can be pretty intimidating for newbs, and that's before they're killed and stripped of all their meager belongings. The game's learning curve is considerable, whether it's the unconventional UI or the vast world of Agon and the lack of themepark-style direction from one area to the next.

Aventurine's latest activity report indicates that the dev team is hard at work on improving the new user experience. Over half of the game's quests (yes, it does have them, even though it's a sandbox) have been rewritten, and many new training quests are being added. Starting areas will also be seeing some changes in the upcoming relaunch campaign. New characters will no longer choose from three starting towns; instead, they'll begin in a single racial capital city. Additionally, NPC racial vendors will offer the same services regardless of whether they're located in the capital or the outlying faction towns.

The activity report also drops a few hints about new art assets (including the infernal image above) as well as the new armor specialization system that is currently under development. Check out the Darkfall Epic Blog for further details.

MassivelyAventurine tweaking Darkfall's newbie experience originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agonarmor-specializationaventurinedarkfalldev-blogdev-diaryepic-blogfantasylearning-curvenew-art-assetsnewbie-experiencenewbspvepvpquestssandboxstarter-townstarting-citiestraining-questsSat, 09 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively interviews CCP Greyscale on the EVE Christmas gift]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/massively-interviews-ccp-greyscale-on-the-eve-christmas-gift/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/massively-interviews-ccp-greyscale-on-the-eve-christmas-gift/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/massively-interviews-ccp-greyscale-on-the-eve-christmas-gift/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Early yesterday morning, a new devblog by EVE Online developer CCP Greyscale brought us an exciting first look at something awesome arriving in the upcoming Incursion expansion's December release. Speaking on behalf of development team Yggdrasill at CCP's top secret Iceland hideout, Greyscale explained CCP's plans to completely abolish learning skills in EVE. Learning skills increase a player's attributes, which decrease the time it takes to train skills. Since they take some time to train, however, dedicating time to them will only pay off after several months of subsequent skill training. As a result, new players are often advised to put off training for that ship they want or those useful industrial skills, as focusing on learning skills early on will pay off in the long run. This can stunt a player's progression in his early days, making for a very boring early play experience that can be distinctly off-putting.

As part of the company's Christmas gift to all EVE players, the skillpoints we have invested in learning skills will be reimbursed so that we can add them to any skill we want. To compensate for the decrease in attributes and give new players a bit of a boost, all players will have 12 points added to every attribute. This is exciting news, as the removal of learning skills has always been strongly supported by the EVE community. We caught up with CCP Greyscale to ask a few important questions about what this change means for players.

Skip past the cut for our interview with CCP Greyscale on the EVE Christmas gift and what the learning skill changes mean for players new and old.

Continue reading Massively interviews CCP Greyscale on the EVE Christmas gift

MassivelyMassively interviews CCP Greyscale on the EVE Christmas gift originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom executive producer Craig Morrison is drawing on his game journalist roots of late, via a series of in-depth postings on his personal blog. Morrison, a former IGN editor prior to his Funcom days, has a lot to say about gaming trends, which is great news for industry watchers and anyone interested in occasional glimpses into the thought process of an MMO developer. In his latest opus, the former Anarchy Online (and current Age of Conan) game director discusses the challenges in developing, well, challenge.

In a followup post to his earlier discussion on progression, Morrison talks at length about the decisions developers face when it comes to providing players with a steady diet of dings and digital pats on the back, while simultaneously making it seem like something worthwhile is being accomplished. The post contains a number of interesting observations, among them the notion that most modern MMORPGs parcel out their challenging content in sideshows that are entirely optional (raids, dungeons, etc.) and, in many cases, tangential to the main event (questing and hunting).

While it would seem to be a relatively simple matter to add occasional challenges to the leveling treadmill, Morrison cautions that care is needed to avoid alienating segments of your playerbase. "If you are going to be able to inject occasional challenge or difficulty spikes into the standard progression as well, you need to have thought about it to make sure that it won't become a bottleneck, and that it will survive a review," he says.

MassivelyAge of Conan's Morrison on designing for challenge and accessibility originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityage-of-conananarchy-onlineblogchallengecraig-morrisondev-blogdevelopersdifficultyfuncomgame-developmentlearning-curvesilirrionMon, 01 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/06/eve-evolved-what-not-to-expect-from-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/06/eve-evolved-what-not-to-expect-from-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/06/eve-evolved-what-not-to-expect-from-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Of all the MMOs on the market today, few are as polarising as EVE Online. While the game has over 330,000 active subscriptions and I've absolutely loved it for over six years, I still find myself introducing new people to it with the words "It's not for everyone." It does seem to be the case that EVE just doesn't mesh with some gamers. The user interface can look overwhelming, the combat can seem detached and the gameplay is often written off as boring.

Players coming from other MMOs are at risk of bringing some fundamental preconceptions about MMO design with them that don't really apply to EVE. These basic misunderstandings in how the game works can be a source of frustration or confusion for people who genuinely want to get into EVE. I find myself answering the same barrage of questions each time I introduce someone to the game, ranging in complexity from "What's the best race?" or "What's the best ship?" to the inevitable "How can I catch up to older players?" or "What should I do now?"

In this article, I look at three key ways EVE differs from the MMO norm and what new players can do to overcome these potential stumbling blocks.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online

MassivelyEVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The sci-fi massively multiplayer online game EVE Online has long been known for its harsh setting but also for its (almost) equally unforgiving learning curve. That is, until the Apocrypha expansion launched, bringing EVE's New Player Experience (NPE) with it. CCP Games aims to slowly ease new players into what is a rather complex game, giving them a feel for what they can already do and what they want to do in New Eden over time.

So how well does the New Player Experience for EVE Online tackle the difficulties of learning how to play one of the most complex MMOs on the market? Writing for Eurogamer, both Jim Rossignol and Oli Welsh write about the New Player Experience. Rossignol, from the viewpoint of a veteran player, and Welsh from the fresh perspective of a rookie. The end result is an overview of how EVE has changed, including a revamped tutorial and Neural Remapping (attribute respecs), as well as Epic Mission Arcs that allow players to make choices in how EVE's mission storylines progress.

Continue reading Varying perspectives on EVE Online's new player experience

MassivelyVarying perspectives on EVE Online's new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaattribute-respecsccp-gamescriticismepic-mission-arcseurogamereveeve-onlineexpansionsgame-mechanicsjim-rossignollearning-curveneural-remappingnew-player-experienceoli-welshopinionpraiserespecreviewsrookiesci-fitutorialuiuser-interfaceTue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Community Spotlight: LaVista Vista part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/eve-community-spotlight-lavista-vista-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/eve-community-spotlight-lavista-vista-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/eve-community-spotlight-lavista-vista-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The first CSM seemed to have a very difficult job, given that they had to structure their operating guidelines as they went, and of course deal with skepticism from the playerbase. Do you think the situation is different for the CSM now?

Vastly different. A lot of time during CSM1 was spent on administrative stuff which was often inefficient. We now have a structure which works fairly well, even if it leaves some things to be desired. We are yet to reach our max potential, which won't happen for another few CSMs I'm afraid. But CCP has certainly realized that the CSM is a useful concept and is useful for them. I think in the future we will see more tools for the CSM being implemented as Xhagen manages to tie up enough people at the office so that they will commit to doing these things which will benefit the CSM and community. Once we have streamlined ways of doing things, while leaving us room for being creative, there's immense potential for a CSM which will not only work great while people who have experience with being on it, but once an ENTIRELY new set of people take office and start working with this foundation that is built.

Continuity is EXTREMELY important. The idea that an entirely new set of people will take office and there's no real guidelines or continuity gives me nightmares. That's why I think it's important that CCP in the future is even more helpful towards the CSM and that there is more communication. We have build a solid foundation for now. However it's not hard to tear down if people aren't taking responsibility.

Continue reading EVE Community Spotlight: LaVista Vista part 2

MassivelyEVE Community Spotlight: LaVista Vista part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Among all the massively multiplayer online games out there, with their respective learning curves, EVE Online perhaps has the deserved reputation for being the hardest MMO to get a grasp of. Much of that confusion is because the game itself is such a departure from your standard fantasy MMO, in almost every respect: open world/single server, PvP can happen everywhere, a harsh setting, and a UI that's a far cry from anything a player has seen in World of Warcraft.

The EVE in-game tutorial has been revamped a few times in order to make it easier for new players to get a handle on things. What is currently offered is a noticeable improvement over the tutorial of a few years ago, but CCP Games is in the process of completely reworking a player's first steps into the game's setting of New Eden. EVE Online developer CCP Fear's latest blog is, in his words, required reading for anyone interested in the game, new player or not. He says, "I want to get one misconception out of the way. This blog *will* concern you and everyone else. If you have played for a year, 6 years, 3 months or a week, you will want to read further than this. Chances are there will be changes that will affect you!"

Continue reading The lowdown on EVE Online's New Player Experience

MassivelyThe lowdown on EVE Online's New Player Experience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaattributescareersccpccp-fearccp-gamescharacter-creationclassesdev-blogeveeve-onlineexpansionsforumslearning-curvenew-edennew-player-experiencenpeprofessionsracesre-specrespecsci-fiskill-trainingskillstutorialuiuser-interfaceWed, 18 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Beating the learning curve of EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/16/eve-evolved-beating-the-learning-curve-of-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/16/eve-evolved-beating-the-learning-curve-of-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/16/eve-evolved-beating-the-learning-curve-of-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


It's no secret that EVE Online has one of the steepest learning curves in the MMO industry. The open sandbox-style world and unfamiliar sci-fi context leave most new players feeling overwhelmed and unsure what to do. Additionally, while the real-time skill training system is appreciated by player with little free time, it doesn't encourage players to log in and play the game. The result is that a lot of new players don't do a lot and quickly get bored of the game. These are some of the big hurdles that new players face in their free trial and are responsible for turning many players away from a game that they would otherwise like.

In this article, I give my top five tips for beating the learning curve in EVE Online and link to some invaluable resources for new players.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Beating the learning curve of EVE Online

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Beating the learning curve of EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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