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[Wings Over Atreia: 3.0 -- it's heeere!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/wings-over-atreia-3.0-its-heere/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/wings-over-atreia-3.0-its-heere/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/wings-over-atreia-3.0-its-heere/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Wings Over Atreia
Awwwww yeah! Update 3.0, baby! Come to me, features.

Like Christmas for a five-year-old, this day seemed like it would never arrive for those of us who have been waiting for Aion's patch for what feels like forever. And ever. And then some. Aion: Ascension certainly took its jolly sweet time getting here, but now it finally has. Even better, you don't have to dodge creepy clowns or be sucked into a television screen to enjoy it.

Now the question is, is the product really worth the hype? I know I have certainly dished out a fair portion of hype in Wings Over Atreia over the past couple of months while sharing my excitement. Too many delectable features were on the menu, things that would breathe more life into the game, for me not to indulge a bit. But as with any hype, there is always a chance for things to not live up to expectations.

So is the new patch as grand and glorious as hoped? After my first few days in game, my answer is a definite...

Gallery: Aion: Ascension

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: 3.0 -- it's heeere!

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: 3.0 -- it's heeere! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.03.0-patchaionaion-3.0Aion-AscensionAtreian-Atlasf2pfantasyfeaturedFirst-Impressionsfree-giftsfree-to-playhousingmaintenancemaintenance-feesncsoftnew-featuresopinionpatch-3.0restrictionswings-over-atreiaMon, 16 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars: The Old Republic's patch 1.2 goes live April 12th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/star-wars-the-old-republics-patch-1-2-going-live-april-12th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/star-wars-the-old-republics-patch-1-2-going-live-april-12th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/star-wars-the-old-republics-patch-1-2-going-live-april-12th/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- Star Wars: The Old Republic
It's almost time for Star Wars: The Old Republic players to begin forging their legacies. BioWare announced today that the game's patch 1.2: Legacy update will be hitting the live servers this Thursday, April 12th, which will certainly come as welcome news to fans of the title.

In addition to the next steps of the game's Legacy system, which our own Larry Everett has covered previously, the patch will also be bringing a wealth of new content for PvE and PvP players alike. For the former crowd, BioWare is adding a new Flashpoint known as The Lost Island and the new Explosive Conflict Operation. Players in the latter camp will be able to get their player-vs.-player jollies in the new Novare Coast Warzone, which pits Empire against Republic in a capture-and-control gametype. And of course, players of all playstyles will finally be able to tweak and customize their UIs as it suits their playstyles. For the full details on the upcoming patch and its corresponding maintenance, just head on over to the official site.

MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic's patch 1.2 goes live April 12th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeaelectronic-artsexplosive-conflictlegacylegacy-systemlucasartsmaintenancenovare-coastpatchpatch-1.2patchessci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubsubscription-feeswtorthe-old-republictorupdateupdatesTue, 10 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First major patch and maintenance delayed for Star Wars: The Old Republic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/first-major-patch-and-maintenance-delayed-for-star-wars-the-old/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/first-major-patch-and-maintenance-delayed-for-star-wars-the-old/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/first-major-patch-and-maintenance-delayed-for-star-wars-the-old/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

No word on whether or not rakghouls overran the programmers.
Cleared your schedule later today to try out the new content in Star Wars: The Old Republic's first major patch? Well, we hate to disappoint you, but it looks like your adventures against hordes of space zombies will be delayed a little longer. According to an official announcement this morning, the scheduled maintenance has been delayed and patch 1.1 along with it, with the most definitive new information simply being some time next week.

While the announcement doesn't go into details about the rationale, it notes that there were late-surfacing issues uncovered by players on the test realm that required additional maintenance to correct, forcing the team to bring the patch back and polish it a few more times. A definite time will be posted to the community as soon as it's available. It's disappointing, certainly, but the idea of putting out the game's first major patch before the game had even been out of retail release for a month may have been overly ambitious.

MassivelyFirst major patch and maintenance delayed for Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announcementsbiowarebioware-mythicdelayseaea-biowareelectronic-artsmaintenancerise-of-the-rakghoulsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorswtor-patch-1.1the-old-republictorupdateupdatesTue, 17 Jan 2012 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare announces SWTOR grace period, scheduled maintenance windows]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/bioware-announces-swtor-grace-period-scheduled-maintenance-wind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/bioware-announces-swtor-grace-period-scheduled-maintenance-wind/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/bioware-announces-swtor-grace-period-scheduled-maintenance-wind/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- Star Wars: The Old Republic
Put down your torches and pitchforks, Star Wars: The Old Republic early access players. Greg Zeschuk stopped by the official SWTOR forums today in order to announce that the team has listened to the cries for a grace period from those who may not have access to their boxed copies of the game come launch day. In response, BioWare has granted players a two-day grace period from launch. What this means is that players have from the beginning of launch on December 20th until 12:01 a.m. EST on December 22nd to enter their game registration codes.

It's also worth noting that the team has announced three scheduled maintenance windows spanning from tomorrow until December 22nd. The first maintenance period will take place on Friday, December 16th, beginning at 3:00 a.m. EST, and it is "expected to take no more than two hours." The second window will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST on December 19th and will mark the end of early access. The final scheduled maintenance window will take place on December 22nd at 3:00 a.m. EST. So keep that in mind, TOR players, as you plan your play times. For the full details, head on over to the SWTOR official site.

MassivelyBioWare announces SWTOR grace period, scheduled maintenance windows originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeaearly-accesselectronic-artsgrace-periodhead-startlaunchmaintenancescheduled-downtimescheduled-maintenancestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorThu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NCsoft scrambles to reduce server queues: Private store tweaks incoming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/ncsoft-scrambles-to-reduce-server-queues-private-store-tweaks-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/ncsoft-scrambles-to-reduce-server-queues-private-store-tweaks-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/ncsoft-scrambles-to-reduce-server-queues-private-store-tweaks-i/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If one thing has marred the otherwise polished launch of Aion it is the extremely long server queues players face when trying to log in and play what they paid for. NCsoft responded a couple days ago saying that they are aware of the problem and working on solutions such as increased server caps and even opening a new server in both North America and Europe. Today they just announced a maintenance patch that addresses a major cause of their queue problem: Private stores will now have 30-minute timer to prevent them from being abused.

Private stores are a great concept. Players can set up shop anywhere in the world to sell their spare goods and make a pretty penny. Unfortunately, a feature of these stores is that they prevent you from idling out of the game. This feature really compounds the current server queue problem.

To avoid going through the queue process again, many players simply set up a private store and go AFK for hours at a time. One store we came across had this description set: "AFK at work, making you queue." This is even more evidence that MMO players will often take the path of least resistance for personal gain. Devs really need this hammered into their heads.

MassivelyNCsoft scrambles to reduce server queues: Private store tweaks incoming originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abuseaionaion-patchexploitmaintenancencsoftprivate-storeserver-queuesFri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft patch 3.1.3 is imminent]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/02/world-of-warcraft-patch-3-1-3-is-imminent/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/02/world-of-warcraft-patch-3-1-3-is-imminent/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/02/world-of-warcraft-patch-3-1-3-is-imminent/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


As if we weren't all busy enough keeping up with E3 news, the biggest fish in the MMO sea has chosen this hectic time in the games industry to change things in their popular game world. Our newly renamed sister-site WoW.com has gotten word that World of Warcraft will be updated with Patch 3.1.3 during the scheduled maintenance for June 2nd, and their sources combined with MMO-Champion's reporting of the same thing mean that this is probably quite accurate. Keep in mind that this isn't the Call of the Crusade patch we learned about recently, and is more about class balancing than anything else. We've got the patch notes posted after the break.

Continue reading World of Warcraft patch 3.1.3 is imminent

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft patch 3.1.3 is imminent originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentbreakingclass-balancingmaintenancepatch-3.1.3ulduarworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-patch-3.1.3wowwow.comTue, 02 Jun 2009 00:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Your maintenance day doings]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/27/the-daily-grind-your-maintenance-day-doings/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/27/the-daily-grind-your-maintenance-day-doings/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/27/the-daily-grind-your-maintenance-day-doings/#commentsFiled under: ,

Many MMOs have maintenance during the regular week. EVE Online's server goes down each morning between 6 and 7 AM Eastern. As I type this the World of Warcraft servers are offline, and there are rather a lot of people deciding what to do with the remainder of their day. Some are headed to school or work and the servers should be back up before they're home, hopefully. Others are planning a long day of spending quality time with their chores.

This morning we thought we'd ask - when your game has maintenance during one of your playtime windows, what do you do? Are you fond of catching up on your console gaming? Perhaps you prefer to curl up with a good book, or head out to spend some time with friends? Take up a new craft? What's your favorite thing to do for maintenance?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Your maintenance day doings originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>downtimemaintenanceopinionthe-daily-grindthings-to-doTue, 27 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The lights are out in the City of...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/cox-down-and-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/cox-down-and-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/cox-down-and-out/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Time for a little nap. All of the US game servers for CoX have been brought down for extended maintenance. NCsoft is anticipating a full 6 hour downtime window, which started at 6 AM Pacific (9 AM Eastern) this morning. The lengthy downtime is required in order to upgrade the server hardware talked about in The 2008 State of the Game address.

Hopefully the lights come back on when they flip the switch later today.

MassivelyThe lights are out in the City of... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcity-of-heroescity-of-villainsdowntimemaintenanceNCsoftserversMon, 21 Jan 2008 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How much mini-management is too much?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/how-much-mini-management-is-too-much/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/how-much-mini-management-is-too-much/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/how-much-mini-management-is-too-much/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I've rolled a Hunter at least 4 times in World of Warcraft, only to lose interest after about level 12. Why? I couldn't handle the thought of all that pet maintenance. Seriously, who needs the hassle? Keep it fed, teach it new abilities, swap it in and out of stables, worry about loyalty ... and you don't even get the benefit of being able to play-wrestle with it in off hours!

Is it worth it to go through all that trouble just for a companion that's meant to address a class's deficiencies? I've never been a warlock; is it the same with those pets? At what point does the fun of having a pet get outweighed by the annoyance of upkeep? What do you think, is caring for your pet fun, or should it be streamlined?

MassivelyHow much mini-management is too much? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classhuntermaintenancemassivelypetupkeepwarlockworld-of-warcraftMon, 26 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine services/games to go down for maintenance]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/turbine-services-games-to-go-down-for-maintenance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/turbine-services-games-to-go-down-for-maintenance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/turbine-services-games-to-go-down-for-maintenance/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's that time again. Turbine pulls the plug on, well, everything - Web-services, games, the whole shebang for bi-weekly maintenance. The lights go out at 7AM US Eastern time on Monday, and everything comes back four hours later at 11AM.

Affected games include Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, Dungeons and Dragons: Stormreach, Asheron's Call: Throne of Destiny, and Trademarked Property: Revenge of the Colon. No, wait - that one's just a marketing game (though I don't think I'd care for the endgame on that one). Also affected are all the web and online support services for these games.

Wondering what to do with your free time while you're waiting for your favorite Turbine title to come back? Why not check out a free-to-play MMO?

MassivelyTurbine services/games to go down for maintenance originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asherons-calldungeons-and-dragons-onlinelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromaintenanceturbineSat, 03 Nov 2007 16:30:00 EST