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[The Road to Mordor: Power to the levelers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/12/the-road-to-mordor-power-to-the-levelers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/12/the-road-to-mordor-power-to-the-levelers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/12/the-road-to-mordor-power-to-the-levelers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

LOTRO: Lothlorien
With Rise of Isengard creeping up on us, I've seen an increasing number of people begin to freak out about it, not because they're upset it's coming but because they're not prepared to partake in the expansion on day one. Now, this might not be important to you, but I assure you it's quite important to many -- lots of people like to be in on the excitement from the very beginning, and it's a special kind of torture to contemplate having to sit there and listen to your friends oohing and ahhing over the new zones and content while you're still poking your way through Moria.

So because of this, some players really, really want to get a character up to level 65, prepared to do a dive roll right into Dunland when September 27th hits. It's understandable. Even I, a normally laid-back type of guy, am pushing hard to finish up Enedwaith with my Lore-master so that I'll have one character good to go on I-Day (that's Isengard Day).

But what about those who don't have a level 65 in their pockets? Is it too late to get your act in gear and get up there before it's too late? Of course it isn't. I'm pretty convinced that you could even roll a fresh toon today and get him or her up to the endgame by I-Day, depending on how much time you can dedicate to it.

Today we're going to look at a few leveling tips I've picked up over the years to aid those of you who want to kick in the afterburners of the leveling process so that you can make sure you're where you want to be. It's not even that hard!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Power to the levelers

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Power to the levelers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dunlandenedwaithenhanced-xpeulafeaturedguidei-dayisengard-daylegendary-traitslevelingleveling-guidelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-reporterlotro-storemoriapower-levelingrested-xprise-of-isengardroisarumantptraitsturbineturbine-pointsvirtuesvolume-1volume-2xpxp-bonusFri, 12 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Creating your roadmap]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I wish to preface this week's column by saying that I'm not advocating just one way to play a game. I think it's equally valid to explore at your own pace, team up as a duo, maximize TP revenue, or set whatever goals you like and pursue them. But after leveling one character to the cap and playing several others, I've begun to develop a roadmap, if you will, that helps guide my progress somewhat efficiently. It's this roadmap that I want to share with you today.

The thing is, for all I love about Lord of the Rings Online, the game is definitely littered with timesinks of epic proportions. It already takes a long, long time to get your character up to 65 and through the two expansions, and that's only going to increase as the game grows. There are a lot of distractions and unnecessary grinds (such as virtues you will never use) that can bog you down too long and perhaps dishearten you.

So when I created a Minstrel in LotRO a little while back, I decided to map out his progress from level 1 through 65 by creating a broad framework -- an outline, really -- that serves to keep me on track so I don't have to backtrack as much later on to get these goals done. I have a very "two birds with one stone" mentality, so if I'm doing one task in a zone, I'd rather be accomplishing two or three at the same time. So for example, if I'm grinding out a deed, I'd rather do it at level at which I'm getting XP than 20 levels later when I'm not (although the latter has its merits for rapid deed completion).

Hit the jump and I'll give you the rundown of how to eliminate some of the confusion and speed bumps of leveling.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Creating your roadmap

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Creating your roadmap originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemastersdeedsepic-storylinefeaturedguidelegendary-itemslegendary-traitslevelingleveling-guidelord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrominstrelmountmountsriding-skillroadmapsara-oakheartskirmishestraitsturbineturbine-entertainmentturbine-pointsvirtuesvolume-1volume-2Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/ten-levels-of-rift-a-guide-to-your-first-day-in-telara/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/ten-levels-of-rift-a-guide-to-your-first-day-in-telara/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/ten-levels-of-rift-a-guide-to-your-first-day-in-telara/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

With two RIFT beta events under my belt, I was given the supreme honor of creating a guide to the first 10 levels of the game. Naturally, I fell apart under the stress, assumed the fetal position for a couple days while whimpering about "frame rates," and then was prodded into action by our editors. That's quite literally "prodded," mind you -- Massively purchased a pair of cattle prods last year at a police auction. It's going to be years until the scorch marks fade from my spine.

The purpose of this guide is two-fold. First, we want to give anyone who's interested in RIFT but couldn't get into the beta a chance to vicariously experience RIFT's newbie path. Second, while RIFT is careful to hold your hand during your first steps into Telara, there are always a lot of things that can be easily missed while one is partaking in the wonders of a new virtual world. So this guide is here to share a few tips and pointers that beta testers may have missed.

What are you waiting for? Roll up a new character by hitting the jump!

Continue reading Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara

MassivelyTen levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievement-systemachievementsarchetypeArchetypesbeginner-zonebeginner-zonesbeginners-guidebetabeta-eventcattle-prodcautiouscharacter-creationcharacter-creatorclassclericclosed-betacritter-tearsdeathdeath-penaltydefianteq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iifirst-ten-levelsguardianguideleveling-guidemagenewbie-experiencenewbie-guidenewbie-zonesporticulum-masterracial-abilitiesracial-bonusesracial-traitsriftrift-planes-of-telararoguesoulsoul-attunementsoul-systemsoul-travelsoul-vitalitysoulstelaratriontrion-worldsuiwarriorWed, 22 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Anvil of Crom: Filling the leveling gaps]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/the-anvil-of-crom-filling-the-leveling-gaps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/the-anvil-of-crom-filling-the-leveling-gaps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/the-anvil-of-crom-filling-the-leveling-gaps/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Never let it be said that The Anvil of Crom doesn't exist to serve the readers, as this week, we're taking a step back from our usual industry rantings and ravings to indulge in the creation of a proper leveling guide. There aren't really a lot of such Age of Conan resources on yonder intarwebs (and if you've written any I missed, my apologies but Google doesn't like you).

Anyhow, my guildmates began to flounder about after exhausting their 30-ish level quests, and (after I pointed and laughed for a few minutes) I figured a formal guide was in order. So, join me after the cut as I perform my Hyborian civic duty and clue some of our newer players in to the best places to get their level on. Also, keep in mind this is how I've progressed on several characters across three of the four racial choices and their associated zones, so if you have a more efficient way, feel free to share it in the comments.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Filling the leveling gaps

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Filling the leveling gaps originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-leveling-guideanvil-of-cromanvil-of-crom-guidesaocaoc-level-guideaoc-leveling-guidefeaturedfuncomguideslevelingleveling-guidepvethe-anvil-of-cromSun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A comprehensive leveling guide for EverQuest II]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/a-comprehensive-leveling-guide-for-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/a-comprehensive-leveling-guide-for-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/a-comprehensive-leveling-guide-for-everquest-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Perhaps you're looking to get back into the game now that the expansion season hoopla is winding down, or maybe this week's announcement of new microtransactions has you curious. Either way, you're looking for some help working your way through EverQuest II's leveling content. Who can blame you? While World of Warcraft players have plenty of options to choose from for guides and a fairly linear leveling path, EQII players face a wealth of zone options that can be downright confusing at times. Thankfully the podcaster behind Virgin Worlds' EQ-IQ show has you covered.

A while back Dave put forward an entire episode of his podcast all about leveling in the game. It's full of helpful tips about appropriate gear, the mentoring system, and making the most of your time on the way up. If you have some time to listen to it, it's well worth a listen if only to hear Dave's broadcast presence. If you don't have some time, he's still on your side. The EQ2-Guides site offers up a massive PDF guide to leveling in the game, making note of every zone option you have from 1-80. Check it out to see yourself through the EQII leveling experience in record time.

MassivelyA comprehensive leveling guide for EverQuest II originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eq2everquest-2everquest-iilevelingleveling-guidesoesony-online-entertainmentFri, 12 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Elves of WAR: White Lion levels 6-10]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/the-elves-of-war-meet-the-white-lion-levels-6-10/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/the-elves-of-war-meet-the-white-lion-levels-6-10/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/the-elves-of-war-meet-the-white-lion-levels-6-10/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

In the first five levels of this High Elf melee dps career, we got a lion, an axe and an attitude. Time to take it on the road for five more levels and all the new abilities that come with it.

Level 6 - Sundering Chop
40 AP, Instant cast, 5ft range
A powerful axe chop which deals 28 damage. If you are behind the enemy, then this attack will ignore 50% of their armor.

With you lion set in tank mode with Trained to Threaten, this axe attack replaces Hack as your spam attack. It costs a little more in AP, but does about 50% more damage if you are behind the mob.

Continue reading The Elves of WAR: White Lion levels 6-10

MassivelyThe Elves of WAR: White Lion levels 6-10 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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