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[LEGO Universe update adds progression system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/lego-universe-update-adds-progression-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/lego-universe-update-adds-progression-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/lego-universe-update-adds-progression-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

LEGO Universe has the creative aspects of MMOs and online gaming down pat. After all, we're talking LEGOs (edit: LEGO BRICKS OMG, LEGO BRICKS) here, and if there's one word that's synonymous with the long-running Danish toy line, that word is build.

What's there to do in LEGO Universe when your creativity runs dry, though? Thanks to the game's latest content update, traditional MMO character-building is now a viable option. Player minifigures may progress through 40 levels of content, unlocking points, achievements, and equipment along the way.

That's not all, as the latest LEGO Universe patch also features four new faction kits (Specialized Adventurer, Shinobi, Inventor, and Space Ranger), each of them aligned with one of the game's four Nexus Force factions and each offering players the opportunity to rank up and explore "new gear, powers, and abilities." Last but not least, the new LEGO Universe update brings a new instance challenge in the form of the Avant Gardens, and a big nasty known as the Spider Queen awaits players who are creative enough to make it through to the final battle.

MassivelyLEGO Universe update adds progression system originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avant-gardensbuildingcreativityequipmentf2pfamilyfree-to-playgame-updategeargrindinventorkidslegolego-universelegoslevel-upleveling-systemlevelsminifigure-levelspatchpress-releaseprogressionshinobispace-rangerspecialized-adventurerspider-queenMon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Level the playing field]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/the-soapbox-level-the-playing-field/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/the-soapbox-level-the-playing-field/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/26/the-soapbox-level-the-playing-field/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Levels exist in every single MMORPG on the market today. There are games that eschew the class-level format popularized from EverQuest onward, but even those games still feature levels of one variety or another -- your character in EVE Online might not be a Level Seven Warship Pilot, but she still has certain skill levels at the right levels to make her effective. Levels are a great way of marking character progress, of showing a character growing in power and competence over time.

They're also a great way to cause all sorts of problems, from PvP to PvE, from disparities in high-end play to the infinite frustration of having to gain twenty levels just so you can play with your friends. And unfortunately, the obvious solution of just removing the blasted numbers doesn't actually fix things. Levels are a great advantage to MMOs, even as they're also a big hindrance.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Level the playing field

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Level the playing field originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternative-advancementcharacter-advancementcharacter-growthcolumnequivalentfeaturedlevel-balancinglevel-matchinglevel-playing-fieldlevel-uplevelingleveling-mechanicsleveling-rateopinionsoapboxthe-soapboxTue, 26 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Get experienced with Massively's new WonderKing giveaway [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/get-experienced-with-massivelys-new-wonderking-giveaway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/get-experienced-with-massivelys-new-wonderking-giveaway/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/get-experienced-with-massivelys-new-wonderking-giveaway/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Those generous people at NDOORS are at it once again with a brand new giveaway in their 2D MMO WonderKing. This time, the Level-Up Set Giveaway presents new players with the opportunity to grab one of 1,000 keys we've been given for our readers. These keys grant seven days of in-game EXP Tickets (+20% EXP) and Drop Tickets (+30% drop rate). Limit one key code per person.

How can you grab one for yourself? Simply head over to our giveaway page, claim a code at the bottom of the page and follow the directions there. You'll need to be a new WonderKing player with an active account, which can easily be remedied by visiting their main site and signing up.

[Update: We contacted NDOORS after comments left on this post and they've now informed us that these codes are only for new players.]

MassivelyGet experienced with Massively's new WonderKing giveaway [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2dgiveawaylevel-upndoorsndoors-interactivewonderkingxpFri, 09 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you aim for the level cap?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/the-daily-grind-do-you-aim-for-the-level-cap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/the-daily-grind-do-you-aim-for-the-level-cap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/the-daily-grind-do-you-aim-for-the-level-cap/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There are two ways to look at the level cap in any game -- and there is a cap, whether it's a clearly-stated number or a skill system you can never truly overcome. The first option is to see it as a target, the point where you get out of the training areas and the real game can start. The other option is that it's just a number past which you can't progress. Hitting it is no different than, say, finding every last fish for a drawn-out questline -- a completion and an achievement, but not hugely noteworthy.

In games with an older design aesthetic, such as EverQuest and Final Fantasy XI, the game's community progressed much more slowly to max level if they ever reached it at all. More modern games such as World of Warcraft or Champions Online, on the other hand, essentially have the leveling game as a road designed to lead you up to the level cap, with most of the game's options becoming available then. What about you? Do you prefer to stay in the lower levels of a game, or do you head right for the endgame with abandon?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you aim for the level cap? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinecoeqeverquestffxifinal-fantasy-xilevel-caplevel-uplevelingopiniontdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 27 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Leveling, the playing field]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/the-daily-grind-leveling-the-playing-field/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/the-daily-grind-leveling-the-playing-field/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/the-daily-grind-leveling-the-playing-field/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

They might be called security levels, they might be split between ranks and levels, they might disguise themslves as skill grinds. But in pretty much any MMO you care to name, there will be levels of some kind. (The only exception that springs to mind is Second Life, and even that can be argued.) Generally, it's accepted that the most meat to the game will come after you've made it to the apex of the leveling curve, whether it's a low cap or a high one. But that's not when you started liking the game -- no, even though most players see it as an impediment to getting to the good part, the leveling game is what first hooks you on the game as a whole.

So today, we ask a simple question -- what game have you played where you most enjoyed the leveling process? Forget all of the endgame nonsense, whether you had a broad endgame or a fairly narrow one. When did you just enjoy the path toward the endgame, perhaps even enough to be a bit saddened when it was over? Or have you always wanted to just get to the end without bothering with the whole "journey" element?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Leveling, the playing field originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disguised-levelsendgamejourneylevel-grindinglevel-uplevelingleveling-uplevelsprocesssecond-lifesltdgthe-daily-grindTue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[RF Online server rollback combats cheaters and 500% inflation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rf-online-server-rollback-combats-cheaters-and-500-inflation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rf-online-server-rollback-combats-cheaters-and-500-inflation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rf-online-server-rollback-combats-cheaters-and-500-inflation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

RF Online in the Philippines recently had serious issues with dupe hacks, prompting an unannounced rollback of the servers. PlayNoEvil writes that the operator of RF Online for the Philippines, Level Up Games, discovered a dupe exploit and tried to purge it from the servers as well as those who used it. However due to time constraints with unraveling the intricacies of the exploit, the company decided to roll back the game to a point before the exploit was used.

Level Up Games issued a statement on the problem: Based on DB evidence, numbers as well as feedback from the community, the GMs, the Vanguards and also from our field agents, there was an oversupply of in-game currency and gold - as high as 500 %. GMTristan of RF Online Philippines clarified the situation further on his blog:

Continue reading RF Online server rollback combats cheaters and 500% inflation

MassivelyRF Online server rollback combats cheaters and 500% inflation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiacheatcheatercurrencydupedupe-exploitdupe-hackeconomyexploitfree-to-playgoldhackhackerinflationjadelevel-uplevel-up-gamesplay-no-evilplaynoevilrf-onlinerollbackservervirtual-currencySun, 08 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST