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The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

Hobbits love making lists, don't they? In The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo had a lengthy list of friends and relatives to invite to his eleventy-first birthday party, and he didn't have the luxury of Facebook to help him out. I love lists as well, although I try to save most of that for my Perfect Ten column.

At the beginning of the year, I sat down and drafted up a "wish list" for Lord of the Rings Online's 2011 year, populating it with 11 changes and additions I was hoping to see by now. To my surprise, Turbine actually pulled off quite a few items on the list, and I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and examine which of my goals the team met and which remain elusive.

Also, since 2012 kicks off tomorrow, I'll look forward as well and draft up a dozen -- yes, one more over the year before -- wish list items that I'd love to see come true in the new year. It's my column; I can cry if I want to, after all. Let's get this party started!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future

The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jagex announces RuneFest 2011

Jef Reahard — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

If you'll be in the UK on the weekend of October 29th -- and you're a fan of RuneScape -- you might want to drop by Old Billingsgate in central London for the annual RuneFest fan celebration.

Jagex is pulling out all the stops for the browser title's 10th anniversary bash, and attendees can look forward to event favorites like the Insider Sessions as well as the Golden Gnome Video Awards.

A Halloween after-party is also on the docket, as are plenty of opportunities to score swag and hob-knob with senior developers. Tickets aren't yet on sale, but you can keep up with RuneFest happenings and announcements via the official website and the dedicated forums.

Jagex announces RuneFest 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Joel Bylos talks The Secret World's endgame (and a bunch of other stuff)

Jef Reahard — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World

Funcom is ramping up the publicity for The Secret World this week, and Massively's getting in on the action via an exclusive interview with lead content designer Joel Bylos.

Earlier we told you how TSW's devs are hard at work putting a supernatural (and conspiratorial) twist on some of the world's most well-known cities, and we recently sat down with Bylos to talk about everything from using Google Maps to navigate Funcom's version of New York, to the nature of the term "open world," to the use of random game objects by the player.

Bylos also has some interesting things to say about The Secret World's sandbox elements and its endgame, and you'll find all that and more after the cut.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Joel Bylos talks The Secret World's endgame (and a bunch of other stuff)

Massively Exclusive: Joel Bylos talks The Secret World's endgame (and a bunch of other stuff) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR tours London! OK, maybe not tours -- more like shows up [Updated]

Larry Everett — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, Hands-on, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Stephen Reid, the Community Manager for Star Wars: The Old Republic, tweeted last night and today, teasing the citizens of the United Kingdom that something special was coming their way. Rumours abound on the official forums as to what would be revealed. Then today, at 1:08 p.m. EDT (5:08 GMT), the secret was unveiled: Fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic will be able to play the yet-to-be-released MMO for one day only on April 5th.

Now, you're wondering how you can take part in this amazing event. Send your name as it appears on a photo ID, your name on the official forums, your age (you must be over 18 to attend), and which session you would like to attend (7 p.m. or 9 p.m. GMT) to bwacommunitysupport@bioware.com. The event is invite-only; if you get in, you will receive an invite by March 31st. Be sure to include every piece of information BioWare asked for or you will not be eligible for an invite.

All the origin worlds and classes will be open for play at this event, and spots are first come, first serve. Hyperdrive over to the official forums now for more information!

[Update: According to Senior CM Stephen Reid, "tickets were gone about 40 minutes before you posted that story."]

SWTOR tours London! OK, maybe not tours -- more like shows up [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This ain't like dusting crops, boy: The Old Republic expounds on crafting and PvP

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Previews, PvP, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Earlier this week, BioWare promised a couple of Star Wars: The Old Republic "juicy reveals" at this year's Winter Showcase in London, and it looks as though it might have delivered. The studio went into detail about two key systems in the game: crafting and PvP Warzones.

Darth Hater reports that Warzones will be just one of the types of PvP arenas in the TOR. Warzones feature set teams with specific objectives. In the case of Alderaan's Warzone, it involves taking over turrets and blasting the enemy's drop ship to pieces -- once this happens, the match is over and tokens and XP is awarded. This Warzone was shown to be 8v8, although BioWare did not mention if the Warzones scaled in group size. BioWare also hinted about another Warzone that takes place on a derelict spaceship.

Turning to crafting, BioWare is implementing something called the Crew Skill system. Players will send their crew on assignments to accomplish various objectives, including gathering (Bio Analysis, Slicing), crafting (Artifice, Biochem) and missions (Diplomacy, Treasure Hunter). Companions are typically suited to do one of these tasks better than the others. These tasks can be queued up in advance, and will have different benefits -- for example, Diplomacy can spread a player's influence and impact morality points, while Treasure Hunting will turn up treasures (and, presumably, junk) based on a random number generator.

This ain't like dusting crops, boy: The Old Republic expounds on crafting and PvP originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Secret World video sends you back... to the future! [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Video, Previews, The Secret World

If you've been wondering why we haven't heard much about The Secret World lately, it's because the Illuminati control every word that the media says. Well, that, and Funcom's been working on a groovy video to show off their newly-revealed London hub.

London is the headquarters of the Templars, and new players associated with that faction will be sent there straight away. Executive Producer Ragnar Tørnquist explains that London is a bit unique of the three starter hubs in that it's the oldest, most steeped in legend, and where members of all three factions come to fight and frolic.

Funcom also discussed a special aspect of the new player experience. A mysterious figure known as The Fallen King sends them into a vision of their future, where players can get a taste of advanced combat right off the bat. Combat and grouping mechanics are a key part of The Secret World, which is why Funcom wants players to start learning earlier rather than later.

You can watch the full seven-and-a-half minute trailer after the jump!

[Editor's Note: Reader Agent Brutal tipped us off to a glorious batch of TSW screenshots posted to AgentLethal.com -- we've included them here as well!]

Gallery: The Secret World Gamescom Gallery

Continue reading New Secret World video sends you back... to the future! [Updated]

New Secret World video sends you back... to the future! [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Secret World reveals London: "Biggest hub in the game"

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, News items, The Secret World

The team behind The Secret World has revealed more information on one of the game's key areas, and Lead Developer Ragnar Tornquist says it's the "biggest hub in the game."

London is home base for the Templar faction, and while members will have access to more areas than others, it looks to be a fascinating area for all players to explore. On the surface there are some entertaining -- albeit dangerous -- events to participate in, such as dance competitions and fight clubs, but as you explore you'll find something a bit darker.

In keeping with the basic story, the barrier between this world and the next is thin in London, and inter-faction bickering can become the least of your worries pretty quickly.

Check out the full story on IGN.

[via IGN]

The Secret World reveals London: "Biggest hub in the game" originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travel to Europe in Wonderland Online's new expansion

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Patches, Free-to-play

Would you love to plan a trip to Paris or London this summer but your budget is too tight and you're on the no-fly list? Wonderland Online has the next best thing: a new expansion featuring scenic European locales and historic characters. The upcoming Clash of Champions expansion-slash-content update is unveiling new maps for Paris and London, where players can team up with Joan of Arc, King Arthur and Lancelot for mind-bending new adventures. If that doesn't have you humming "Knights of the Round Table" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I don't know what will.

Clash of Champions' namesake comes from the expansion's PvP focus across all the servers. They're even launching a new PvP-specific server for those who want to focus on player killing above all else. The update will also introduce two new characters to play for those bored of the current options.

The isometric free-to-play title recently celebrated its second anniversary, and is home to a surprisingly large population. If you want to get in on the action in preparation for Wonderland Online's next expansion, head over to the official site and try out the game for free!

Travel to Europe in Wonderland Online's new expansion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Players to get hands-on time with Star Trek Online at Eurogamer Expo

James Egan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

Some people have already gotten into the closed beta for Star Trek Online, but for the rest of us it's going to be a waiting game. There may be good news for some of our UK-based readers, though. Those in attendance at this week's Eurogamer Expo will get to experience both ship-based action and ground combat firsthand in a Star Trek Online demo Cryptic Studios has set up. According to Eurogamer, Cryptic will allow Expo attendees to fight a fleet of Klingons and follow that up with an away mission on a planet's surface, where they will encounter the "Guardian of Forever."

Eurogamer Expo will run October 27-28 in Leeds, and October 30-31 in London. You can check out the full details of this public hands-on of Star Trek Online in the Eurogamer announcement.

Gallery: Star Trek Online Gallery

Players to get hands-on time with Star Trek Online at Eurogamer Expo originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PAX 2009: Dark mysteries of The Secret World

Kyle Horner — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, The Secret World, Massively Event Coverage

So, you may have heard: Funcom is taking famous myths, urban legends, pop culture, history and even things like the Rota Fortunae and blending it all into a game called The Secret World. We sat down with lead designer Martin Brusgaar and creative director Ragnar Tornquist at PAX 2009 to discuss the game and a few of its many secrets.

The Secret World has a vibe unlike any other MMO or really game currently out there. Its premise is simple -- all the legends, myths and more are true. Atlantis is rising, vampires roam the night, 2012 is the beginning of a new fourth age and so on. The world is a dark, scary and magical place. Although, it's more of the first two than anything else.

Gallery: The Secret World

Continue reading PAX 2009: Dark mysteries of The Secret World

PAX 2009: Dark mysteries of The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: Interview with The Secret World's creator, Ragnar Tørnquist pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, The Secret World, Consoles, Massively Interviews

So, with expansions, you said that you'll be starting out with New York, London, and Seoul, right?

Yes. Those will be the first cities, the hub cities, available at the start of the game.

Now, the gameplay takes you beyond that, yes?

Oh yeah, absolutely. We're not doing all New York, or all of London, or all of Seoul. We are actually doing very tight and very constrained neighborhoods there. That's where you'll start your gameplay, but they won't be the large, huge open zones where you have tons of gameplay or tons of monsters. That will be left to areas like Egypt and New England, which will be more expansive and include more open-world mechanics and other things that we're not revealing quite yet. We will also be including more instanced and team-based areas as well.

Regarding expansion packs, yeah, we're going to expand beyond what we already will include. It's not like we're going to run out of content, the world is a big place.

Yes, I was going to ask if it will expand into more locations and cities throughout the world.

Yes, it certainly will, but it won't be limited to just that. We have more interesting locations but they won't be limited to just our world. We will be including locations throughout time and space itself.

I want to emphasize that this won't be something like Grand Theft Auto with magic, with a focus on huge, huge open cities. They are reasonably small places where you will start out and take the adventure from there. But one very important thing to note is that this sounds like a very fragmented world. London, New York, Seoul, those cities are a long way away from each other. But we are creating, or at least trying to create, a pretty seamless world. This means there are ways of getting from London to New York very quickly, and we are focusing on that. You won't be just walking up to a plane, clicking on it, and getting a red line that quickly points to where you're going and boom, you're there. You will be moving in real-time from London to New York, just a lot quicker.

There's alot of traditional MMO components that are around now. We're kinda in a new generation of MMO, and people are tired of World of Warcraft model and they're looking for something new. This is certainly in that realm. Are you guys trying to get away from traditional models, like crafting, and moving to something new?

Ah, I can't really talk about crafting right now. What I can say is that while combat is a core focus, we really want other non-combat stuff in the game. We're just not going to be talking about them as of yet. But there will be gameplay that isn't all about fighting monsters or exploring. There will be other things that you will be able to do.

Like you said earlier, like mysteries?

That, yes, that also and there will be other ways for people to play in the game, to participate in the game, that isn't about traveling around the world. Exactly what that is, I can't say as of yet.

Now, will there be a player driven economy?

Well, I can't speak much about that now, but there will be ways for players to take part in the economy. Sorry for being so cryptic, but trying to keep this very focused and very narrow for now.

And player guilds?

Ah, we are going to have cabals, yes. There will be a point to making cabals, and it will play a very large role in the game, but exactly what that is I'm not going to say as of now.

We are a game and we are focusing on the social aspects of the game. We are, in some aspects, a story driven game and alot of it you can play solo, but we really want to emphasize that it is an MMO. There will be stuff that will require you to team up with people in small groups and also in larger teams, without me going into deeper detail.

I hate having to keep saying I can't talk about this stuff.

Oh, so what about in-game factions?

...and I can't talk about that. *laughs*

Ok, so what about the range between hardcore and casual?

Yeah, well, we always say we're going to cover all of it, but the fact is that you can't the game for everybody. So I think we're leaning towards... *sighs* I wouldn't say the casual, because when you talk about MMOs and casual you usually end up at Club Penguin or something like that, and we're really not there. We're somewhere between halfway, I think. There's tons of stuff for the hardcore MMO players, like the whole skill based system and the tweaking that you do to those types of systems with numbers and all the items we'll have, and that will be a hardcore player's dream. But I think in terms of time investment and what's required of you, we're leaning towards the middle ground. It will be fun for MMO players, but it will be equally fun for someone who just likes the idea of a world that has a bunch of other people in it, is completely open, you can play it online, and you can chat, but doesn't feel so unfriendly and unwelcoming as other MMOs.

So, would your target audience be someone who has played MMOs?

I think a large part of our target audience is who are playing or have played MMOs. We want it to be different enough for them to come back or a game that is different enough to have them come to play it with their friends. In addition to action/adventure gamers who play games like Fable 2 for the Xbox 360 and just want to try their hand at something that's online and not feel completely eliminated and have something that's recognizable to them.

We'd like to thank Ragnar for meeting with us at the GDC, and we're looking forward to more information on The Secret World!

GDC09: Interview with The Secret World's creator, Ragnar Tørnquist pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero

James Egan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, Opinion, Massively Interviews

EVE Online is a deep and complex game, and even those who've played EVE for years find there are still facets of gameplay they've never mastered. This is compounded by the game's unique nature as a massive galaxy primed for exploration and domination by its players, whose actions and machinations affect one another in a single setting that's never quite the same from one day to the next.

EVE is always evolving, both in terms of the dynamics between players and the game itself, seen as a whole. But unlike most MMOs, EVE Online has an official magazine, called E-ON, which has kept pace with how the game and its player efforts have changed over the years. To flip through the E-ON back issues is to see the documented evolution of EVE Online. In fact, E-ON manages to stay ahead of the curve due in part to its access to CCP Games, but mostly through the efforts of the players themselves whose writing talents make up the entirety of E-ON. The man behind E-ON is Richie Shoemaker, aka "Zapatero." He's the one who's been guiding the publication along since day one, and ensuring its content digs beneath the surface of the game. He's interviewed EVE's players and developers alike, but it occurred to us... Zapatero has an excellent perspective on the game yet is rarely interviewed, himself.

Massively recently caught up with Zapatero in between his continent hopping, and got him to tell us a bit about his approach to covering EVE and what the player community is capable of creating.

Continue reading Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero

Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan contest calls for kingly tribute

Kyle Horner — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Contests, News items

If you live in, around or anywhere within reasonable traveling distance of central London and have an extreme craving for a certain massively title by the name of Age of Conan, then read on. Product Manager Erling 'Lord Orion' Ellingsen (whew, mouthful!) and Community Manager Oliver 'Tarib' Kunz are going to be in a cinema in central London on Thursday, March 13th to showcase the game via GM tour.

Continue reading Age of Conan contest calls for kingly tribute

Age of Conan contest calls for kingly tribute originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TurpsterVision: London is HELL!

Mark Turpin — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Reviews, Hellgate: London, Hands-on, Humor, TurpsterVision

Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalize it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)

Welcome back to TurpsterVision! I'm lovin' it that you could join me for my second show; not a lot of people realize this but the video below is a live stream to my camera and I have to act out the episode multiple times a day for you, the lucky viewers. This week I have decided that it is finally time to find out which is truly the best MMO out on the market. If you want to find out, join us after the break to see what you should be playing!

Continue reading TurpsterVision: London is HELL!

TurpsterVision: London is HELL! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LotRO and Burning Crusade victorious at Golden Joysticks

Chris Chester — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry

The 25th annual Golden Joysticks (not to be confused with Joystiq) awards in London are officially over, and the MMOs were out in force. While Gears of War snagged the "Ultimate Game of the Year 2007" award, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar took "PC Game of the Year", and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade was the victor in the "Gametribe Online Game of the Year" category.

The full results can be viewed on the Golden Joystick website. While the majority of the winners were serious "no duh" picks, it's a little surprising to see LotRO honored as the overall PC game of the year. Not that we don't think it's not a terrific game, mind you, but an MMO (that doesn't have the word Warcraft in the title, anyway) taking the award over the glut of historically more popular shooters and strategy games is a bit shocking, though not unwelcome!

LotRO and Burning Crusade victorious at Golden Joysticks originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hellgate: London demo impressions

Tateru Nino — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, New titles, Reviews

I spent a little time today to download and look at the Hellgate: London demo. Now, bearing in mind that I don't have what anyone might reasonably describe as 'reflexes' and my hardware can only aspire to being as good as lousy compared to the rigs around these days (that Radeon 9200SE has got to go).

If you don't want to flip below the fold, and just want the short form, it rocked. Download the demo, run through it, get your credit-card out and preorder. Longer impressions after the jump.

Gallery: Hellgate: London demo impressions

Continue reading Hellgate: London demo impressions

Hellgate: London demo impressions originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hellgate: London demo available now

Mike Schramm — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:09:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Launches

There's a Hellgate London demo out, for those of you who've been waiting for this maybe-MMO from the makers of the original Diablo (and lots of team members from the old Blizzard North). I say maybe-MMO because it'll be a lot like Guild Wars, in that it'll be free to play out of the box, and there will be a lot of single player fun available. But it's also got that MMO bent to it, in that you'll be able to pay for more exclusive content, and there will also be guilds and player housing. Oh, and did I mention it's an FPS with heavy RPG elements?

So yeah, it's a game of many contradictions. But worry not-- you can try the game out yourself right now by downloading the hefty 1.4gb demo over at Worthplaying, GameDaily (disclaimer: AOL owns GameDaily, and they also own Weblogs, Inc, which owns Massively) or FileShack (shudder-- FileShack and I do not have a good history). KillTenRats says the demo lets you play as a Blademaster or Marksman, and that it'll take you through part of Act 1. He also hears that the demo is singleplayer only, so any big MMO elements will probably have to wait until the game is released.

And the good news is that that's not too long a wait-- we should see Hellgate: London in North America on October 31st. Let us know what you think of the demo.

Hellgate: London demo available now originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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