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Hyperspace Beacon: Four reasons in-character reporting is good for SWTOR

Larry Everett — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Lore, Opinion, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

A few weeks back, I wrote an article about why I played Star Wars: The Old Republic. I drew on references from my childhood and how much Star Wars influenced my life. Although I did mention the impact of the roleplay community, I didn't talk about the roleplaying side of my MMO gameplay and how that influences my enjoyment of the game.

When the quests dry up and PvP becomes stale, RP and the RP community hold me to this game. Multiple readers of the Hyperspace Beacon and fans of The Republic have asked how they can get involved in the roleplay in SWTOR. I usually point them to one place: SWTOR-RP.com.

I could go on and on about this site and what it has done for the roleplay community, but nothing stands out more than the metagame that it's created with in-character articles. These news reports and editorials have been a launchpad for many in-character conversations. So let me draw you in and show you what I'm talking about.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Four reasons in-character reporting is good for SWTOR

Hyperspace Beacon: Four reasons in-character reporting is good for SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Previously on MV TV: The Week of February 18th

Beau Hindman — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Real life, Video, EVE Online, Guild Wars, Culture, Events, real-world, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Massively Meta, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, Previously on MV TV

It's time again to look back on the previous week of MassivelyTV and dig up the greatest moments that we could find! The best thing about this column is that if you have missed the earlier week's streams due to real life hassles, you can now sit back in the comforting arms of the weekend and watch hours and hours of livestreaming action -- only the choicest cuts picked by the staff.

And this week we have some goodies for sure. Starting off, Richie jumped back into Guild Wars, Mike acted like a newb in 0.0 space in EVE Online, and Adventure Mike stole a time machine and visited Nexus: Kingdom of the Winds once again. Plus we saw more Guild Wars action with Adventure Mike, RuneScape on my Thursday stream, and a bit of Zentia!

Make some popcorn, sit back, and click past the cut. Well, click past the cut and hit play first, then sit back. Unless you have a wireless mouse, then you can... well, you get me.

Continue reading Previously on MV TV: The Week of February 18th

Previously on MV TV: The Week of February 18th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Age of Camelot producer's letter looks toward the future

Matt Daniel — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, News items

Dark Age of Camelot's Valentine's Day event is still in full swing, but the devs over at Mythic Entertainment have plenty more in store for players. Stuart Zissu, DAoC's producer, stopped by the official site to give players a heads-up as to what they can expect in upcoming updates. For starters, the next phase of the ongoing live event will be coming sometime "in the next few months," and players are warned that the Pict encampments they've already encountered are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

On top of that, the devs will be adding a number of new titles throughout the year that center on the long-running title's 10th anniversary. Zissu adds that "there will also be new titles for the next phase of the live event" as well as a special trophy commemorating Dark Age of Camelot's 10 years of RvRvR action. For more information, including details on DAoC's first video contest, just click on through the link below and give the post a look.

Dark Age of Camelot producer's letter looks toward the future originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAR producer's letter talks bug fixing, patch schedules

Jef Reahard — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items

Hey kids, it's time for another Warhammer Online producer's letter (no, it's still not dead, doomsayers). The dev team is currently hard at work on the 1.4.5a patch, and in case you were wondering, that little "a" basically indicates additions to the previous 1.4.5 update. Said additions will take the form of "functionality, messaging, and tweaks to the fortresses and relics," all of which are still being discussed on the official WAR forums.

Next up is the 1.4.6 patch, and Mythic has switched gears to focus on bug fixing instead of the previously planned open RvR tweaks. There are also some additional items of interest on the horizon, including a new live event and some changes to crafting. Head to the WAR Herald to read up on all the details.

[Thanks to Benjamin for the tip!]

WAR producer's letter talks bug fixing, patch schedules originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 2

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Virtual worlds, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous

Last week on the exciting cosmic adventures of the Game Archaeologist, we uncovered the ancient civilization of Lucasfilm's Habitat, one of the early predecessors to graphical MMOs. While we talked about how it came to be and pondered just how much money we'd waste if game companies were still charging by the minute, we didn't have the time or space to cover the community and events that formed around this experimental project.

That day has come. Prepare your bladder for imminent release!

Giving a bunch of players tools to do every which thing in the game and turning them loose without strict regulation might seem like a recipe for an instant sewage pit of a game today, but our cultured, classy behaviors weren't quite trained into us in 1986. When players first set eyes on Habitat, they weren't thinking of min-maxing, kill-stealing, or raid progression; they were trying to make sense of a virtual world using the only frame of reference they had to date: their own lives. Out of a melting pot of ideas and objects came fascinating stories from one of the earliest MMO proto-ancestors of the modern era. Get your '80s on as we head back... to the future!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 2

The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Illyriad keeps players on edge with new live event

Beau Hindman — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, in-game, PvP, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS

Who says MMOs don't have live events anymore? Triple-A titles, listen up: Your F2P brethren are doing what you won't. On Thursday, the citizens of Illyriad awoke to find that a massive rift had opened in the Northern section of the in-game map. A forum post later detailed the events and told of a mage from the Circle of Five who had recently been tampering with magical uses for the body parts of animals. Soon after, a blast was "felt by all for hundreds of miles in every direction." Scouts, armies and caravans were dispatched from curious cities. The next night, skeleton armies poured from the rift and attacked the investigators.

Illyriad is a free-to-play MMORTS that features city-building, resource management, deep strategy, free-for-all PvP, and a player-driven market. Thanks to HTML5, it works on any device. If dynamic live world events sound interesting to you, check the game out at the official site.

Illyriad keeps players on edge with new live event originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest II previews new live event: A Goddess Risen

Matt Daniel — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, Events, in-game, Previews, News items, Free-to-play

EverQuest II only just released its latest expansion, Age of Discovery, but already it's gearing up for its latest in-game live event, A Goddess Risen. To help ring in the event, Sony Online Entertainment has decided to give players a behind-the-scenes look at what the event will entail.

Game designer Nathan "Kaitheel" McCall explains that the event will take place within the Shard of Love, but it's not the same Shard of Love that players may know from past visits. Things have changed within the Shard, but what does it have to do with A Goddess Risen? Kaitheel says we'll just have to head to the Shard of Love when the event goes live tomorrow to find out for ourselves. In the mean time, click on past the cut for the full video.

Continue reading EverQuest II previews new live event: A Goddess Risen

EverQuest II previews new live event: A Goddess Risen originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord

MJ Guthrie — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Events, in-game, Interviews, Opinion, Roleplaying, Some Assembly Required

Over the last few months, Some Assembly Required has covered features within games (such as quest-building tools, music, and housing) as well as overviews of full games themselves, not to mention some existential ranting on the life and times of the sandbox genre. This week, we focus on another aspect: player events.

Most player-created events range from RP tavern nights to full-blown tests of skill to races and scavenger hunts. These events are smaller affairs involving either a group of close friends, a guild, or perhaps even a mixture of a few guilds. However, there are occasions when events can grow larger... much larger. Such is the case with EverQuest II's Festival of Discord. Not only is this a server-wide festival designed and hosted by players, but it is fully supported by Sony Online Entertainment. And let me tell you, SOE has pulled out all the stops!

Want to see what this festival is all about or (better yet) make some of these events on EQII's Antonia Bayle server in person? Grab your cloak and join me past the break for a rundown of the festival, its history, and even events yet to come!

Gallery: EQII's Festival of Discord

Continue reading Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord

Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The former dev

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Expansions, MMO industry, The Game Archaeologist

I've been a long-time follower of Eric Heimburg on his blog, Elder Game, where he and a friend have spent years delivering insightful commentary about MMOs and supermodels (well, mostly MMOs). Because I'm not that observant a fellow and I assume that most fellow bloggers are mere players like I am, I didn't realize until a little while ago that he and his co-writer were former Turbine developers who had worked on Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2.

You can see where this is going.

Once I learned that, I knew I had to get him to contribute to this series. I began a multi-year wooing campaign that involved skywriting, cupcakes, celebrity kiss-o-grams, envelopes stuffed with unmarked bills, and all the tea in China. Of course, this was well after he'd already said "yes" to it, but I like to keep up appearances.

So hit the jump as I talk to a guy who was on the flipside of Asheron's Call 2 as a producer and generally swell fella!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The former dev

The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The former dev originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preparing for the apocalypse (again): GamersFirst on Fallen Earth's F2P shift

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, Interviews, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox

Today was my last day in Fallen Earth. My subscription ran out, so I was cut off from everything: glorious crafting, expansive exploration, black humor, and gas mask fashionware. Fortunately, my adventures will resume on October 12th, when Fallen Earth officially makes its transition to a hybrid free-to-play/subscription model.

Like many current players and potential clones, we are understandably curious about the implications and (pardon the pun) fallout from such a fundamental shift in the business model. Will F2P be the savior of this niche game? What's being done to prepare for the change? To answer these questions and more, we talked to Joseph Willmon, an associate game director for GamersFirst.

Massively: How are you preparing your servers for the added influx of free-to-play tourists?

Joseph Willmon: We're still wrapping up some of the final stages of settling the Fallen Earth servers into their new homes at GamersFirst, so soon they'll be as optimized as we want them to be. We're lucky in that Fallen Earth was designed from the ground up to support lots of people playing -- we'd have to blow all estimates out of the water really quickly in order for population to be an issue, which wouldn't be such a bad problem to have!

Continue reading Preparing for the apocalypse (again): GamersFirst on Fallen Earth's F2P shift

Preparing for the apocalypse (again): GamersFirst on Fallen Earth's F2P shift originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online Patch 1.4.4 goes live this afternoon

Jef Reahard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, Warhammer Online, News items

Warhammer Online's latest patch is here, and it's just in time for the fantasy title's third anniversary week. Well, technically the 1.4.4 patch isn't here yet, as the servers are still down and scheduled to rez at approximately 1:30 p.m. EDT today.

The new patch introduces the Wild Hunt live event, which allows players the chance to "test their skills tracking and slaying fierce animals, collecting sacred pelts, and sighting the elusive White Stag." There's also an opportunity to earn event influence and participate in the Curse of Kurnous public quest.

Mythic has also tweaked the RvR keep defense mechanics, introduced new vanity pet packs, and shifted the scenario lineup. Finally, you can vote for the next batch of scenarios via the Dev Discussions forum on the official WAR website.

Warhammer Online Patch 1.4.4 goes live this afternoon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE dev blog hints at upcoming live events

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

MMO live events are a tricky business due to the fickle nature of playerbases as well as the inherent technical and logistical challenges that often arise. That hasn't stopped CCP from putting together the occasional shindig in EVE Online, and in the company's latest dev blog, CCP Headfirst tells us how the Sansha Reborn events that dovetailed with the Incursion expansion were the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Headfirst writes that there are "entirely new live event plot lines in the works," and he goes on to state that CCP's near-future plans will please both lore hounds and combat fiends alike. Cruise over to the official EVE website to read the full dev blog.

EVE dev blog hints at upcoming live events originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, The Game Archaeologist

Let's begin with a little personal history. Back in 2008, I decided to get into the blogging scene by jumping on board the latest MMO hotness -- in this case, Warhammer Online. As I was growing increasingly tired of World of Warcraft, WAR seemed to offer a refreshing alternative: a darker world full of brutal PvP and awesome new ideas. So I joined the elite ranks of bloggers (hey, stop laughing so hard) and spent the better part of two years jawing about Mythic's latest fantasy project.

And while Warhammer Online was, in my opinion, a solid product, it certainly failed to live up to the extremely high expectations held by both the development team and the players. No matter how it turned out, I really enjoyed talking about WAR, especially in the days leading up to its launch.

One of the first articles I ever wrote for my blog WAAAGH! dealt with the first attempt to bring Warhammer Online into the MMO genre (as a fun aside, it was one of the first times I got my name on Massively!). It's a "what if?" tale that's tantalizing to consider -- an entirely different studio, Climax Online, creating a much darker version of Warhammer than we've ever seen online. The tale of the game's rise and fall (and subsequent rise and fall again) captivated me, and I wanted to expand my old article as part of our recent series into exploring MMOs canceled before their launch.

So what if Climax had brought Warhammer Online to bear? Would it have eclipsed Mythic's vision or been its own animal? Hit the jump and let's dive into the pages of ancient history!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online

The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: Jamming with Ben 'Rarebit' Chamberlain

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, The Matrix Online, The Game Archaeologist

When we started into The Matrix Online month last week on The Game Archaeologist, one of the comments caught my eye. Massively reader stealthrider wrote:

Please, please do a tribute to Rarebit. MxO was his baby, and no one took its death worse than he.

He did everything for that game, much of it single-handedly. Everything from playing the canon characters and co-writing the story to fixing hundreds of bugs and even creating a new zone from scratch. Not to mention developing and implementing the story missions, new items, the RP item vendors, and pretty much everything else in MxO's final couple of years. He even implemented and moderated a player-created minigame as part of the official story.

He retired from game development in the months before MxO's shutdown. He was that dedicated to this game that he couldn't work on anything else afterward.

He's a god among developers, and he is as sorely missed as the game itself.

I think this sums up how many Matrix Online vets feel about Ben "Rarebit" Chamberlain. So instead of a mere tribute, we drove the MassivelyMobile over to Chamberlain's house (read: send a polite email request), and he graciously said he'd be glad to reminisce with us. So hit that jump to find out the last word on MxO from the dev who held it together!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: Jamming with Ben 'Rarebit' Chamberlain

The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: Jamming with Ben 'Rarebit' Chamberlain originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Storyboard: All the way live

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 13 May 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, in-game, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous

Once again, I have managed to very effectively shoot my plans in the foot. Last week I promised that I'd be doing my year-in-review post this week, only to find on closer examination that I had missed a week in my column numbering over the past year, which means that I'm still one week shy to be doing a year in review, and while I could still write it up on the pretense of "close enough"... well, that's kind of a cop-out, right? Better to do that at the right time.

This is all well and good, but it does mean that my original plans for this week's column are pretty well blown to pieces. So instead, I'm going to spotlight two live events that have been going down in two of my games of choice -- the Praetorian Invasion in City of Heroes, and the heralds of doom popping up hither and yon in Final Fantasy XIV. They're interesting to look at from the perspective of roleplaying, since both of them support and stymie roleplaying in different ways, and they're useful case studies for live events in general.

Continue reading Storyboard: All the way live

Storyboard: All the way live originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Simon Ffinch on RIFT's game update

Karen Bryan — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Interviews, RIFT

Just one month after launch, Trion is set to unveil its first major game update for RIFT. One of the biggest parts of the update is the launch of the new 20-man raid zone, The River of Souls, and there is a week-long in-game event that highlights the storyline and kicks things off. Also included in the update are several adjustments to the souls and even some changes to the way rift loot is awarded.

To chat about these goodies and more, Massively sat down with Simon Ffinch, Design Director for RIFT. Read on to hear him discuss some details about the in-game event as well as the new raid zone, an update on security, and a hint at what's planned down the road.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Simon Ffinch on RIFT's game update

Massively Exclusive: Simon Ffinch on RIFT's game update originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: Your guide to a freemium Ryzom

Beau Hindman — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Video, Business models, Ryzom, Opinion, Free-to-play, Free for All

While some details are still a little foggy, we recently learned that the unusual sci-fantasy MMO Ryzom will be going freemium on March 9th, pretty much the time that this article will go live. To say that this was exciting news is quite the understatement, especially since I have been a fan of the game for several years. I even hosted a podcast dedicated to the game and have always tried to play it when I get the chance.

Of course, a $10.95-a-month subscription kept me from dedicating too much time to it, as did the fact that I keep myself busy with every other game under the sun, so getting the chance to take as much time as I want in the game is thrilling. Also, this means that new players can try the game out without fear of running into the end of a 21-day trial, although since free players are capped at a level limit of 125 out of 250, they'll eventually be asked to pony up for the rest of the game.

Let me tell you why this is exciting and give you some basic information to get you started on the wonderful world of Atys. Later in this article, I've even embedded a two-year-old video I made about live events in Ryzom. It's funny, I have my work clothes on, and I talk really fast. I felt it was still relevant because live events still happen in Ryzom, and I wanted to show off some of the games graphics while I was at it.

Click past the cut and let's discuss!

Continue reading Free for All: Your guide to a freemium Ryzom

Free for All: Your guide to a freemium Ryzom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online producer's letter mentions crafting additions

Jef Reahard — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items, Dev Diaries

While we here at Massively are swamped with GDC-related news tidbits, life outside the annual conference does indeed go on. BioWare-Mythic's Warhammer Online is one such title that keeps on keeping on, and the latest producer's letter is up on the game's official website for your perusal.

If you'd rather we peruse it for you, well, keep reading. Producer James Casey has a fair bit to say, and he starts things off with a mention of the new communication initiative that is ongoing in the Developer's Corner section of the WAR forums.

Casey also touches on the upcoming tweaks to Grovod Caverns, a new live event called Sigmar Tide (currently scheduled for this summer), and a few proposed additions to crafting that are intended to "introduce new mechanics and flesh out the offerings available" for artisans throughout the realm.

Warhammer Online producer's letter mentions crafting additions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: Shakespeare in Aion

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

OK, OK, maybe Shakespeare is a bit melodramatic, but the idea of taking on a role and playing it out on a stage is not a foreign idea -- even in Aion. It just so happens that this stage is not under your feet but in virtual space instead. Besides, I happen to love Shakespeare, so props to me for mentioning him in a gaming column!

Now, I am the first to admit that NCsoft doesn't make it easy for a gamer to roleplay in Aion; there are scant few tools to support this style of play. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Despite this dearth, there is in fact a whole community comprised of legions both large and small as well as individuals. These players use personal connections and a player-created chat channel in-game as well as external tools such as the Aion Roleplayers website to bind themselves together and support the community as a whole.

So what exactly is roleplay, and how viable is it in the world of Atreia? Exit stage left (past the cut) to define RP, debunk some RP myths, and explore RP in general Aion.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Shakespeare in Aion

Wings Over Atreia: Shakespeare in Aion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: All's fayre in vanity and war

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Events, in-game, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

This past week in Aion saw an event that I hope marks a new trend. It wasn't so much the actual event that got me excited as the fact that NCsoft jumped in and created a small, personal-type event that involved players on more than a "go kill X mob 20 times for a neat gift" level. It had personal GM interaction and invited participation from the community, showcasing creativity and even roleplay. So what exactly was this event that made me sit up and take notice?

The Vanity Fayre Season One.

Yes folks, it was a fashion show! OK, OK -- I see some of you rolling your eyes over there! It may be just a fashion show on the surface -- and I admit, I wouldn't normally be one to participate in said event (possibly because my toon would rather be skinning some furbacks than be caught in a dress) -- but that doesn't stop me from whole-heartedly cheering that an event transpired and giving my support to it. See, the real kicker is that this wasn't just a player-created event; it was a GM-hosted affair. A GM, as in... one was actually there and interacting with players! You have to admit, that's more rare than a Trioran greatsword drop!

A portent of things to come? Only time will tell, but sashay across the cut to get all the details of this event and explore the dream of more live GM interaction in Aion.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: All's fayre in vanity and war

Wings Over Atreia: All's fayre in vanity and war originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's incursions go live on Tuesday, Sansha events to follow

Brendan Drain — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, News items, PvE, Dev Diaries

The first two stages of EVE Online's new Incursion expansion were released in November and December, bringing us some much-needed UI fixes and removing learning skills from the game. Citing a commitment to polishing the expansion's main features before publishing them, CCP delayed most of the expansion until a third major patch. Scheduled for release on Tuesday, January 18th, the third phase of Incursion will include the extremely impressive new Incarna character builder and periodic Sansha invasions into constellations across EVE.

In a new devblog, CCP has revealed that the Sansha incursions will be starting with some well-deserved build-up events. In previous expansions, new content was simply present as soon as players logged in, with little more than a few lines in the patch notes and a devblog or two to describe the new additions. The fact that the incursions are being heralded in with live events is sure to be popular with players, and it may represent a change in the way CCP delivers new major features. When the final Incursion patch goes live on Tuesday, players may begin to see some odd occurrences that seem very out of place. Events will build up to Sansha's Nation inevitably beginning its crusade against all the systems of New Eden and the incursions going into full swing.

EVE's incursions go live on Tuesday, Sansha events to follow originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Age of Camelot keeps its eyes firmly fixed on RvR for 2011

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Previews, PvP

"Realm vs. Realm combat is what keeps you here year after year," Stuart Zissu concludes in the Dark Age of Camelot's January newsletter. Because of this fact, Zissu reassures players that Mythic is firmly committed to strengthening and focusing on DAoC's RvR in 2011.

Zissu first addresses a number of important issues that the team is tackling, such as lag ghosting. Realm abilities are also being adjusted to include several additional levels. While these new levels won't add to the overall strength of the abilities, they do allow players to fine-tune just how much (or little) of these abilities they want to have. A few of the realm abilities will be improved on a case-by-case basis, however.

He also highlights the next upcoming live event, which will revolve around the return of demonic invasions. Those wacky demons -- like frat boys out of control, they are!

You can read the full newsletter over on the Camelot Herald.

Dark Age of Camelot keeps its eyes firmly fixed on RvR for 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up

Brendan Drain — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, MMO industry, Opinion, Hands-on

We regularly spend money on our favourite MMOs, be it in the form of a monthly subscription fee or a microtransaction purchase. We often spend more time and money on our favourite online retreats than we spend on other hobbies, and yet few MMOs have their own dedicated magazine the way other hobbies do. EVE Online players are fortunate enough to have the quarterly EVE magazine E-ON to spread out across their coffee tables. Produced by MMM Publishing, E-ON is guaranteed to be 100% EVE from cover to cover. Even the advertisements in it are for EVE corporations and services rather than paid ads for other games.

I've been slowly reading my way through Issue 21 since it popped through my letterbox and have definitely enjoyed it. This issue focuses on live events and the upcoming Incursion expansion, with a special feature on EVE's annual fanfest event in Iceland. The issue also contains guides to faction warfare militia fleets, EVE's various communication tools and the first of a series on Drones. Interviews this time around include CCP's video producer Stevie Ward and Technical Director in the fight against lag, Derek Wise. As usual, the magazine contains the latest war reports from nullsec, an awesome new piece of EVE fiction and the impressive layouts and graphics that readers have come to expect.

Skip past the cut for a breakdown of what you can expect from E-ON issue 21 and my impressions of the issue.

Continue reading E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up

E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rikti return to City of Heroes

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, Previews, News items

If you've played City of Heroes, you know who the Rikti are -- the dangerous race from beyond our dimension who invaded and nearly destroyed Paragon City. Over time they've slowly become less of a threat, but they've never truly left, and amidst all the talk of Praetorian invasion they've decided to remind heroes and villains alike who they're dealing with. That's right, it's time to get ready for another brawl for the fate of humanity as the full-scale Rikti Invasion returns to the live servers.

Paragon Studios has announced that the invasion will commence at 9:00 a.m. PDT on November 4th and last until midnight PDT on November 7th, giving players ample time to take part in the battle against the invaders. While lesser invasions have happened from time to time, the full-scale invasion has been on hiatus for a while, but it remains one of the more popular server events. And if you're a new player to City of Heroes, it's your chance to see one of the biggest enemy groups in the game face-to-face. Fair warning, however -- despite what the header might suggest, most of the Rikti do not simply wish to dance at the tailor.

The Rikti return to City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: Heat wave

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

Just when summer gave way to autumn in the northern hemisphere, spring slipped away from Atreia and has been replaced by a sizzling summer. Commemorating the release of Aion's most recent expansion this month, NCsoft has launched a live player event called Scorching Heat, which heralds the onset of summer on the lands of Atreia and offers Daeva a plethora of goodies throughout the month-long event simply for being logged into the game.

From Wednesday, September 15th until Wednesday, October 13th, Daevas can acquire summer-themed rewards such as bathing suits, diving gear, candy that transforms them into a giant Inquin, sunglasses, and beach hats, as well as items that are useful within the game such as platinum, gold, and silver coins. Even more significantly, unlike past events in which rewards were one-per-account or soulbound, this event awards items that can be openly traded. Whether you are a fluff-lover or not, this fact alone is money in (or out of) the bank; fortunes are being made or lost on swimwear in the open market, as those who don't care so much about the fluff charge obscene amounts of kinah to sell it to those who do.

However, just as some features to this new event have Deavas smiling into their ice-cold mela juice, others have them cursing. For instance, excessive server lag can be attributed directly to this event, as players remain logged in whether they are playing the game or not.

So overall, are Daevas enjoying the scorching heat? Or just getting burned? Swim past the cut and check out the ins and outs of Aion's latest live event.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Heat wave

Wings Over Atreia: Heat wave originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard celebrates with the Telon Faire

Beau Hindman — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events, in-game, PvE, Vanguard

Are you new to Vanguard: Saga of Heroes? Are you a veteran of the game who just wants to get out of the cave for a while? Why not join your fellow players for an evening of jousting, dueling, parleying (diplomacy), hall-decorating contests, boat races, or a crafting bazaar? Thanks to the members of the Impact guild -- who are taking over where the Shadowfire guild left off -- you can meet fellow members of the community while possibly earning some cool prizes!

The event is better every time they host it, this being the seventh. It's also a good sign that, despite server mergers, tiny development teams, and three years of forum drama, there are always community members willing to step up to do the work required for such an event. The Impact guild also hosts Newbie Nights every other week.

As for the Telon Faire, it starts this Saturday, September 18th, at 4 p.m. EDT and runs until the griffins come home. Head to Aghram to join in the activities! Support them -- stop by, say hello, or give a donation. After all, prizes will be handed out mostly in cold, hard cash that players can really use. So, if you're new, or want to help out some new players, watch for the announcement and head for Aghram!

Vanguard celebrates with the Telon Faire originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: Interview with Mythic

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist

After last week's expedition into the dark Dark Age of Camelot, the Game Archaeologist uncovered the mightiest weapon of them all: the Hammer of Nostalgia. The hammer may be battle-worn, but it has never seen better days. Everywhere it strikes, fond memories of epic keep battles surface, and former players feel compelled to sign up for another tour of duty.

The Game Archaeologist proceeded to take the hammer back to its makers, the sweat-stained smithies at Mythic Entertainment (now BioWare Mythic), to see whether they thought there was any magic left in the game. Two burly men put down their steel tools and stepped forward to testify, and their names were Colin of the Hicks and Jeff "Soulstriker" Hickman. The air became thick with memories as the duo recalled the early days of the hammer's history, when players were initially adding to its strength with each victory and each crushing defeat.

Pull up a stool to hear their tale, and when you are done, send in your own favorite DAoC memories (100 words max, please) to justin@massively.com for next week's column!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: Interview with Mythic

The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: Interview with Mythic originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultima Online's Call to Arms bringing back live events

Jef Reahard — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Ultima Online

Ready to take a trip down MMO memory lane? BioWare Mythic has your ticket to adventure in the form of Ultima Online's new Call to Arms event. Players signing up for new (non-trial) accounts will be rewarded with new-player tokens that grant 20,000 gold, skill gain boosts, and premium armor and weapons.

Veteran players aren't left out in the cold either, as advanced character token templates have been updated, and there's also the prospect of increased skill advancement when partying with new players. Veterans and newbies alike can also pick up the latest Ultima Online expansion, Stygian Abyss, for a new lower price. PvP arena gameplay also makes its first appearance in the long-running MMORPG, as players can now engage in one-on-one duels in two new arenas.

Finally, one of the staples of classic Ultima Online gameplay is making a comeback in the form of live events. Gamemasters will be leading in-game events and story arcs as well as re-introducing characters from the game's past, all centering around the town of Magincia.

Ultima Online's Call to Arms bringing back live events originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's Vanguard group smushes spiders, moves on to bigger things

Beau Hindman — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Vanguard

Recently, we started a static group for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and since then we have made our way off of the Isle of the Dawn, the newbie zone. We started out killing hobgoblins and facing down fire demons, made our way through the misty waters of a swamp, and moved on to flying a group of pegasi into the firey Hell of the Temple of the Ancients. (OK, more like "laggy Hell," but they have fixed that issue since then.) I ran through most of the Isle's content alone before, so revisiting it in a full group was such a pleasure.

Well, we fight on! We met on Monday to conquer the Jade Depths: essentially a giant spider-infested system of caves, going through such tribulations as becoming impregnated with arachnid larvae, digging through piles of bones, and using magical portals. All was spooky -- very spooky. We are going to meet up next Monday, the 2nd of August, to take a swipe at the Vault of Heroes. While it might be old, take a look at this entry from Jaye over at Journeys with Jaye to give you an idea of what lies in store! Here is a list of quests in the zone, as well. Be between the levels of 11-14, grab your best armor, and meet us at 9 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. CDT) in Veskal's Exchange. Contact Rikoo Rakoo, Burtimus or Massively Lee for a guild invite!

Hopefully this time the larval-impregnation will be kept to a minimum.

Massively's Vanguard group smushes spiders, moves on to bigger things originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: The end

Edward Marshall — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Roleplaying, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

When I first heard about Fallen Earth, the first thing that piqued my interest was the post-apocalyptic setting. The second thing was the FPS-style gameplay and the third thing was the factional PvP. I was delivered the setting in spades; I got a good, healthy dose of FPS action. I will admit, I got a good deal of PvP as well, but not much of it was factionally driven. The understanding I had of what to expect when I hit max level was enforcers and CHOTA squaring off for control of a town, slugging it out for hours on end. But in reality I got sporadic random battles or clan warfare. PvP was supposed to be the endgame material. At least that was the impression that I got.

In this post I will look at the current state of Fallen Earth's endgame, and what we might expect to change from the information garnered from the recent State of the Game. Many people aren't sure what to do in the game once they hit the level cap. After the cut I will take a look at the state of Fallen Earth's endgame and where I expect it to go given the recent announcements.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: The end

Wasteland Diaries: The end originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's Sansha live event takes an interesting turn

Brendan Drain — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Lore, Roleplaying

On the 11th of May, CCP announced that they'd be bringing live events back to EVE Online. Later that day, the first event was set in motion with the apparent leak of private CONCORD police documents into the hands of players. The documents hinted at a Sansha NPC military build-up, and suggested that Sansha's Nation was behind the reported abduction of a Ducia Foundry expedition team. Events rapidly escalated, with players breaking the news that Sansha fleets had begun attacking the populated worlds of the four empires and abducting citizens in the tens of thousands. The most worrying part was that the navies of the four empires were unable to respond in time as the Sansha fleets were using wormholes to enter their target systems.

During the first few days of the event, locator agent traces on key Sansha slave actors between attacks revealed their presence in a system named 3-CE1R. This was quickly written off by many EVE players as a roleplaying inconsistency as that system is within the Jove Empire. Jove space is currently unreachable as the mysterious and technologically advanced race decided long ago to cut the stargate connections between their empire and the rest of New Eden. When random wormholes through space began spawning after the Seylinn disaster, none appeared to connect to Jove space. This led players to believe that the Jove Directorate possessed some form of control over wormhole formation, able to at least block it from occurring in their systems.

Skip past the cut to read the startling revelations recently made in this epic storyline arc.

Continue reading EVE's Sansha live event takes an interesting turn

EVE's Sansha live event takes an interesting turn originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Sansha abduction live event

Brendan Drain — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Opinion, Hands-on, Roleplaying, EVE Evolved

On Tuesday, CCP announced that the Tyrannis expansion heralded the rebirth of live events in EVE Online. No sooner had the post gone live than the planned events began to seriously kick off in-game. It all began when classified CONCORD documents were inadvertently leaked to the capsuleer community. Code-named "ISHAEKA", the documents revealed that a CONCORD task-force had been monitoring recent Sansha military build-up in their home region of Stain. Since then, Sansha fleets have been spotted emerging from wormholes and abducting citizens from the colonised planets of New Eden, leading to some huge clashes with players.

In this lore-packed article, I look at the story behind EVE's Sansha abduction event, how you can get involved in some of the epic battles and what could be improved in future events.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Sansha abduction live event

EVE Evolved: Sansha abduction live event originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online brings back live events with Tyrannis

Brendan Drain — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Expansions, Lore, News items

Read that title for a second. No, you're not dreaming and you haven't stepped into a time machine and emerged on April 1st. EVE Online is finally bringing back live in-game events that players can participate in. Any player old enough to have participated in EVE's live events should be as giddy in their seats as I am right about now. In years gone by, CCP ran short sequences of events that pushed an important storyline arc in the game's fiction. Developers would take on the roles of key figures in the story, acting their part according to a guideline script.

The idea that if you were in the right place at the right time you could become embroiled in a terrorist plot or find yourself in the midst of an epic battle between NPC factions was as intoxicating back in 2005 as it is today. This is sure to be a huge boost not just for EVE's role-playing community but for the everyday player that wants to get involved in the great stories of New Eden.

Skip past the cut for more details.

Continue reading EVE Online brings back live events with Tyrannis

EVE Online brings back live events with Tyrannis originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tales of Pirates II sets sail for closed beta tonight

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Events, in-game, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

If ye be lookin' for a brightly-colored adventure to set sail on, then listen up! IGG's new title Tales of Pirates II is set to launch into closed beta tonight, and they're looking for more players to jump in and get to adventurin'! While it is technically a closed beta, they've opened it up so that anyone curious will be able to get a code and start tonight at 10pm Eastern when they start the game up. They've also stated that characters from the closed beta won't be wiped when the game officially goes live.

As an incentive for jumping in and helping them test the game early, everyone who plays between 10PM Eastern tonight and 10PM Eastern tomorrow will be granted a 3x experience multiplier for every monster killed. There will also be a GM event at 11PM Eastern tonight where players can win prizes, a "naked" run scheduled for the 13th, and even more live-event craziness in the days to come.

We've embedded a shiny new Tales of Pirates II trailer for you behind the break if you'd like to find out more before you jump in. But with all the landlubbin' events planned over the next few days, it sounds like a good time to start playin' if ye be plannin' to!

Continue reading Tales of Pirates II sets sail for closed beta tonight

Tales of Pirates II sets sail for closed beta tonight originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

So, besides the Mel Brooks reference in the title, what do I have in store for you this time? Well, in short, I have an idea. Nay, I have an inspiration. Plus, I have a story to boot, so it's really a two for one deal this week in my column. You better read fast, for this deal won't last long!

The one thing that many MMORPGs completely miss is making the player character feel triumphant and heroic. When making the conversion from roleplaying game to online roleplaying game, we frequently miss out on the one thing that makes pen and paper RPGs so unique: a history.

This week in Anti-Aliased, I really want to cover the concept of history as it pertains to MMORPGs, and make the appeal that more MMOs need to invest in a persistent storyline in addition to the standard canned quests that we already utilize in every game under the sun.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one

Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daemon Moon rises over WAR

Brooke Pilley — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items

"Another lovely day begins for ghosts and ghouls with greenish skin, so close your eyes and you will find that you've arrived in Frightenstein!" With Halloween a few short weeks away, Mythic just treated us to a sneak peek of their upcoming Chaos-themed Live Event called Daemon Moon Rising. If you thought they were going to simply dust off last year's Halloween event, Witching Night, the trick's on you! Okay; no more lame puns, we promise.

Warhammer Online's monthly events are something to behold because they're usually done very well and bring some diversity to the otherwise singular purpose of stomping your enemy on the battlefield. We think Live Events are the epitome of horizontal expansion.

From October 23 to November 2, players will put on a number of spooky masks that grant special abilities and complete their event checklists. Of special note is the Daemonball Rally RvR public quest. Think of it as rugby... with decapitation. They're also opening up the Highpass Cemetary scenario to all tiers. You can check out the official video podcast here with all the (pumpkin) spicy details. Oops, we couldn't resist!

The Daemon Moon rises over WAR originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer shows off its birthday suit (including Wild Hunt video walkthrough)

Brooke Pilley — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, News items

Let the celebrations begin! Warhammer Online is about to reach its first anniversary and Mythic is throwing a huge party. You remember those great birthday parties when you were a kid; the ones with all the fun games and phat loot (bags)? They seem to be aiming for something like that with all kinds of games and fun loot being liberally doled out.

First, you have the Wild Hunt (see a video walkthrough after the cut) starting today. This weeklong Live Event introduces RvR PQs, a list of themed tasks, and a special limited time dungeon available in each tier. This will be followed up by a few special scenario weekends, including Mourkain Temple, Gates of Ekrund, and Temple of Isha. All players will receive celebratory items in their mailbox and veteran players (those who have held an active subscription since launch) will receive an extra special treat. Finally, all players will drop goodies like fireworks, exploding stout, and other limited time items.

One year really is a hallmark, and while WAR may have had its ups and downs over the past twelve months like any MMO experiencing growing pains, we'd really like to wish them all the best. Even if you don't have an account, you can probably join in the festivities with a free 10-day trial.

Continue reading Warhammer shows off its birthday suit (including Wild Hunt video walkthrough)

Warhammer shows off its birthday suit (including Wild Hunt video walkthrough) originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Wild Hunt leads to Warhammer's one year anniversary

Brooke Pilley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Warlords Online

What happens when you don't appease a god in the Warhammer Online universe? They get angry -- very, very angry. And then they smash things. Unfortunately, it appears as though the High Elves have been too focused on the RvR campaign to properly honour Kurnous with their annual sacred hunt and it has greatly displeased the God of the Hunt and Lord of the Beasts. His retaliation sets the stage for a new Live Event called Wild Hunt, which releases August 31, 2009 and leads into the game's first anniversary.

Mythic just released Grab Bag no. 21, which is full of Hunty goodness. Players will be granted special access to a new dungeon called Hunter's Vale for one week. This dungeon is accessed from RvR areas and is not warded, which puts the tier 4 version on par with Bastion Stair. Each tier will get its own version and lower level players will even be bolstered once inside so they can contribute.

A lot of effort goes into the game's monthly Live Events and they seem to be quite a hit with players. Some of the events will be annual, like the Wild Hunt and Night of Murder and some of them will be unique and introduce game-changing content to the world (e.g., Rise of the Tomb Kings and Bitter Rivals). It doesn't appear as though Mythic will be letting up any time soon.

A Wild Hunt leads to Warhammer's one year anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Emergent behavior to be produced in Trion's Heroes of Telara

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, Interviews, Massively Meta, RIFT

Trion World Network is trying a very different approach with their fantasy based MMO, Heroes of Telara, by pushing into an area currently untouched by most MMOs -- emergence.

Emergence is one of the aspects that many MMOs aspired to, only to drop in favor of static storytelling. The problem with emergence is that simple decisions would have a compounding impact on the world. Heroes would solve problems, only to perhaps create further problems with their implemented solutions. Most game architecture can't handle decision making of that nature, as it would need developers to constantly code in the new events that would occur.

However, Heroes of Telara seems to be aspiring to that using server-side gaming. Their proposed method, as it appears in an interview between Trion's CEO, Lars Buttler, and GamesIndustry.biz, is to run the game entirely server side, letting developers change and alter the game on the fly. As Buttler puts it, "There are small events, there are big events, there is even emergent behaviour in the game that changes the game world. A lot of it is not even known to us, it's like the ghost in the machine. The game is almost alive, and that allows you to create heroes."

Emergent behavior to be produced in Trion's Heroes of Telara originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Land of the Dead is open for business

Brooke Pilley — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Warhammer Online, News items

Hot sun. Sandy beaches. Exotic creatures. It almost sounds like a great vacation spot until you realize the heat is unbearable, the beaches run alongside a poisonous river, and the creatures are determined to kill you and then mutilate your corpse. The Land of the Dead may not be for your average snowbird but courageous adventurers will find treasures and excitement in great abundance - and it all starts today.

Game Update 1.3 launched exactly one week ago and introduced a special Live Event called Rise of the Tomb Kings. The event pitted the realms of Order and Destruction against each other in a massive resource-race to determine who would gain first access to the Nehekharan desert via airship. That race ended this morning and Mythic just released a patch that grants the winners 24-hours of uninterrupted dungeon access.

The Land of the Dead was a massive undertaking by Mythic that began shortly after launch in September 2008 and it will change the way Warhammer Online fans play the game from now on. How will it affect open field RvR, city siege, scenarios and other raid instances? Only time will tell (and we'll keep our eyes on it for you).

The Land of the Dead is open for business originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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