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[Enter at Your Own Rift: Tackling the question of which is better]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/enter-at-your-own-rift-tackling-the-question-of-which-is-better/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/enter-at-your-own-rift-tackling-the-question-of-which-is-better/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/enter-at-your-own-rift-tackling-the-question-of-which-is-better/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Rift starter area
From the first day that RIFT launched, an endless debate has erupted around one central issue. Players have chosen their sides and dug in deep defending them. It's led to countless arguments and a six-month battle that gets worse with each passing day.

For this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I've decided to tackle this debate head on and really look at what divides the two sides. That's right -- the time has come to finally decide which is better: Guardian or Defiant.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Tackling the question of which is better

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Tackling the question of which is better originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ashacyrildefiantsenter-at-your-own-riftfactionfactionsfeaturedfreemarchguardianskaren-bryanmeridianriftrift-planes-of-telarasanctumsilverwoodtelaratriontrion-worldsWed, 28 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/enter-at-your-own-rift-sightseeing-in-sanctum/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/enter-at-your-own-rift-sightseeing-in-sanctum/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/enter-at-your-own-rift-sightseeing-in-sanctum/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

One of the things I love about RIFT is its smaller, more intimate feel. Don't get me wrong -- there's still plenty of space to explore and get lost in, but the space that is present is used to great effect and isn't just there to make it seem bigger for bigger's sake. This is echoed in the two capital cities of the game, Sanctum (Guardian) and Meridian (Defiant). Both are gorgeously detailed and impressive in their own way, yet they're comfortable and accessible instead of sprawling and vast.

If one thinks of the quest hubs, camps and villages dotting the world as mom and pop stores, then the capital cities are the Walmarts of RIFT: one-stop shops for all your character's needs. They're both fairly compact, although I found myself preferring Sanctum's beachfront atmosphere and circular layout over Meridian's underground labyrinth.

Because all players will be traveling to and extensively using capital cities during the course of their in-game careers, I figured we might as well take a look at what capital cities -- Sanctum specifically -- have to offer. Jump on our people-mover as we wind our way through the sights and sounds of civilization!

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artifact-masterartifactsauction-houseauctioneerbankcapital-citiescapital-cityclass-trainerscollectionscraftingcrafting-trainersdefiantdyedyesfactionfaction-vendorsfactionsfeaturedguardianmeridianmitchmountsmr-mailboxporticulumporticulum-masterprofessionspvpriftrift-planes-of-telarariftpertssanctumsoul-trainerssoulstelaratriontrion-worldswal-martWed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Make your travel plans to visit Rift's majestic Meridian city!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/07/make-your-travel-plans-to-visit-rifts-majestic-meridian-city/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/07/make-your-travel-plans-to-visit-rifts-majestic-meridian-city/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/07/make-your-travel-plans-to-visit-rifts-majestic-meridian-city/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If your tastes run more to the technological terrors of Rift: Planes of Telera's Defiant, then prepare to get to know Meridian, the faction's capital, quite well. Spitting in the eye of the old gods, Meridian is a cutting-edge metropolis full of harnessed magics, steampunk wonders and rogue water elementals.

Although it is on the front lines of the great world war, Meridian still prides itself on its beauty and elegance, as evidenced by soaring towers and technomagic constructs. The city will offer players a quick travel system via portals, which allows a character to instantly zip to any portal he or she has already discovered. There are secret places to uncover, colorful characters such as Sparky the potion-mixing automaton to meet, and plenty of places to drop your coin in exchange for goods and services.

You can read a guided tour of the city and watch the quick one-minute flyby of Meridian after the jump.

Continue reading Make your travel plans to visit Rift's majestic Meridian city!

MassivelyMake your travel plans to visit Rift's majestic Meridian city! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capitalcitydefiantmeridianmeridian-59riftrift-planes-of-telarasparky-the-potion-mixing-automatontrion-worldsvideoThu, 07 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Near Death Studios closes down]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/01/near-death-studios-closes-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/01/near-death-studios-closes-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/01/near-death-studios-closes-down/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If 2009 hadn't claimed quite enough lives for your tastes quite yet -- in terms of companies, jobs, and games -- you might have a bit of a morbid approach to things. We're just over the border into the new year, but it looks like there was one last item on the chopping block. Near Death Studios, the team behind Meridian 59, is no longer simply "near" death, but over the line into pining for the fjords. Brian 'Psychochild' Green broke the news on his blog yesterday, announcing that while the game wouldn't be going anywhere, it would no longer be a commercial venture run by the now-defunct company.

So what went wrong? As Green puts it, while Near Death Studios was able to raise the money and the operational talent to get the game running and keep it in maintenance mode, the game never really grew -- the one shot it might have had at attracting new players was unfortunately timed right around the launch of World of Warcraft. He's not bitter about the experience, however, and he's glad that he had the chance to keep Meridian 59 running for such a long time and help shape something people really enjoyed. It's a sad announcement for a venerable game, though, and we can only hope that this is the last of the fallout we see from the closing-filled year.

MassivelyNear Death Studios closes down originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian-greenbrian-psychochild-greenclosingcompany-closingm59meridianmeridian-59near-death-studiosnews-itemspsychochildFri, 01 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are the stakes too low in modern PvP?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/07/the-daily-grind-are-the-stakes-too-low-in-modern-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/07/the-daily-grind-are-the-stakes-too-low-in-modern-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/07/the-daily-grind-are-the-stakes-too-low-in-modern-pvp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Player vs. Player gameplay has undergone a drastic change in recent years. Games like Meridian 59 and Ultima Online didn't pull any punches. Anyone could kill anyone anywhere, and the penalties could be quite severe. When you died In Meridian or UO, you dropped all of your gear. The person who killed you could steal whatever he or she pleased.

Of course, in games like that, gear wasn't quite such a big deal. In Meridian a sword would wear out after a few of hours of use anyway. But combined with stat and skill losses, death in the games of the 90s was comparatively harsh. Now, in World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online, the stakes are lower. You have absolutely nothing to lose by dying in PvP in WoW, and AoC and WAR's designs aren't much more aggressive.

But here's a question from a veteran of the oldschool: with stakes this low, does PvP really matter? Will it really get you sweating? Will you really care that much about winning or losing? Some oldschool folks will argue that PvP is boring and meaningless now that death has been de-clawed. Maybe we should go back to the barbarism of the old days. What do you think?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are the stakes too low in modern PvP? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>90sage-of-conanblizzarddeathdiscussionfuncomm59meridianmeridian-59murdermythicndsnear-death-studiosoldschoolopinionoriginplayer-vs-playerpvptdgthe-daily-grindultima-onlineuowarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftSun, 07 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Vigilante Meridian 59 players wage war against pirate servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/vigilante-meridian-59-players-wage-war-against-pirate-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/vigilante-meridian-59-players-wage-war-against-pirate-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/vigilante-meridian-59-players-wage-war-against-pirate-servers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Meridian 59 is a game with a pirate problem. A while back, the server source code leaked onto the internet and seedy players began hosting their own servers without subscription fees. Pirate servers are a problem for many MMOs, but because of M59's comparatively small scale, it has a lot more to lose to the trend.

Amidst these troubles, some M59 players can be quite loyal. Case in point: the blog of game developer Patrick Rogers tells the story of two former M59 players hacking into a pirate server and mass-killing all its residents with powerful admin commands. The vigilantes hoped to make life (and death) on the pirate servers as unpleasant as possible so as to encourage the residents to migrate to the legitimate servers hosted by Near Death Studios. That's not the most amazing bit, though.

Continue reading Vigilante Meridian 59 players wage war against pirate servers

MassivelyVigilante Meridian 59 players wage war against pirate servers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dobanbannedbrian-greencheatingdupingexploitimaekgaemzloyaltym59meridianmeridian-59near-death-studiospatrick-rogerspiracypiratepiratesserversvigilantesSat, 24 May 2008 20:00:00 EST