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[WildStar to support and encourage addons]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/03/wildstar-to-support-and-encourage-addons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/03/wildstar-to-support-and-encourage-addons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/03/wildstar-to-support-and-encourage-addons/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

WildStar
While some fledgling MMOs may act coy or hesitant about including user-created addons for their game, WildStar is going the opposite route and embracing them full-on. Lead Client Engineer Jon Wiesman penned a dev blog explaining why Carbine is enthusiastically supporting addons for the game from launch.

Wiesman previously worked at EverQuest's Verant and is currently the driving force behind WildStar's UI engine. He reports that not only will players be able to change the look and layout of the UI from the get-go, but WildStar will support Lua to allow for addons and mods.

He assures potential players that creating such addons won't be a frustrating experience devoid of proper instruction and support: "If you can program at all, I promise you'll be able to make an addon for our game. Our commitment is to make sure the process is documented, clear, and accessible. Promise."

[Thanks to Bill for the tip!]

MassivelyWildStar to support and encourage addons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 May 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onaddonapollo-enginecarbinecarbine-studioseqeq1everquestf2pfantasyfree-to-playjon-wiesmanmodncsoftsandparksci-fantasysci-fisoesonysony-online-entertainmentuiui-engineverantverant-interactivewildstarwsThu, 03 May 2012 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[DUST 514 driver's ed includes stealthing, siege mode, and power draining]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/dust-514-drivers-ed-includes-stealthing-siege-mode-and-power/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/dust-514-drivers-ed-includes-stealthing-siege-mode-and-power/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/dust-514-drivers-ed-includes-stealthing-siege-mode-and-power/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

DUST 514
While the idea of piloting your own tank or drop ship in a virtual world may seem like a carefree joyride of devastation and destruction, think again: Turning on the engine in a DUST 514 vehicle may be the last thing you ever do if you're ignorant of the basics.

In a new dev post, CCP opens up the manual of vehicle operation in its upcoming title and tells it like it is. For starters, players will need to train up specific skills in order to even be allowed behind the wheel of any of these beasts, and even then, a clueless operator could find him or herself a sitting duck if attention isn't paid to power consumption (in DUST 514's terminology, capacitors). Equipped modules all draw power from capacitors during combat, and while capacitors do regenerate over time, they can be drained, both from a player's actions or an enemy's attack. As such, it's important to keep power demands in mind when modding a vehicle.

Two DUST 514 war machines are used as examples in the article. There's the Marauder HAV, a tank-busting tank that comes with an alternate siege mode, and there's the Force Recon dropship, which can clock, jam enemy sensors, and drain enemy vehicles' power. The post ends with a hypothetical battle scenario involving both of these, showing how they could be used out in the field.

MassivelyDUST 514 driver's ed includes stealthing, siege mode, and power draining originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capacitorsccpccp-gamesconsoledustdust-514eveeve-onlineforce-recon-dropshipfpsmaraudermmofpsmodmoddingplaystationplaystation-3powerpower-drainpower-drainingps3shootervehicleFri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Newest version of GTA mod brings us one step closer to a GTA MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/newest-version-of-gta-mod-bring-us-one-step-closer-to-a-gta-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/newest-version-of-gta-mod-bring-us-one-step-closer-to-a-gta-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/newest-version-of-gta-mod-bring-us-one-step-closer-to-a-gta-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

3563456765 car pile-up
If you're a fan of the classic Grand Theft Auto games (the popular ones, not the older ones that nobody played), then we may have some good news for you as an MMO player. A new update has been released for the Multi Theft Auto mod (v1.3) that introduces voice chat, bringing us that much closer to a true GTA MMO.

The wildly popular mod for GTA: San Andreas adds multiplayer functionality to the original Rockstar game, which was released just over seven years ago. It also includes a full map editor, dedicated Windows server package, and everything else you need to rat-a-tat-tat your friends in a simulated Dr. Dre album setting.

Sound like a good time? Check out a video sample after the jump, and head over to the official website for more info.

Continue reading Newest version of GTA mod brings us one step closer to a GTA MMO

MassivelyNewest version of GTA mod brings us one step closer to a GTA MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grand-theft-autogtamodmulti-theft-autonot-quite-an-mmo-but-almostrealer-than-real-deal-holyfieldsan-andreasWed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Starcraft Universe alpha gameplay video released]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/starcraft-universe-alpha-gameplay-video-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/starcraft-universe-alpha-gameplay-video-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/starcraft-universe-alpha-gameplay-video-released/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What if the year's most noteworthy MMO release wasn't a mega-budget corporate themepark but a crazy-detailed mod produced by a tiny team of fans? A lot of gamers out there would love to see a StarCraft-flavored MMORPG, and modder Ryan Winzen is in the process of making that dream a reality with StarCraft Universe, a total conversion for Blizzard's StarCraft II that turns the strategy title into a full-blown massively multiplayer experience.

Eurogamer has published a four-minute video of the mod in action, and viewers will get a good look at the alpha-state UI, combat, and a glimpse of character creation before the clip is done. As to the legalities involved, we reported earlier this year on Winzen's amicable accord with Blizzard, and though the gaming giant invoked its right to block the distribution of videos promoting the mod, it allowed development on the project to continue.

MassivelyStarcraft Universe alpha gameplay video released originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphaalpha-videoblizzardfan-projectsgameplaymodmodsryan-winzensci-fistarcraftstarcraft-iistarcraft-universetotal-conversiontrailerworld-of-starcraftMon, 18 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Building a better UI]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/eve-evolved-building-a-better-ui/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/eve-evolved-building-a-better-ui/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/eve-evolved-building-a-better-ui/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's no secret that EVE Online has a poor user interface. With its drop-down menus for interacting with objects and text lists to show information like market orders and nearby objects in space, EVE has thoroughly earned the nickname "spreadsheets in space." The UI has changed drastically since I started playing in 2004, but in recent years, it's fallen behind the development curve. In a new devblog this week, CCP Snowlax suggested that the UI developers at CCP have lacked the framework necessary to do what they wanted with it. The existing framework had become bloated with eight years of development, and the underlying rendering engine wasn't even capable of using custom shaders.

With Incursion 1.6, CCP pushed live a completely new UI framework that makes cool features like holographic UI elements possible. With the new Carbon UI framework in place, developers are taking another look at redesigning the EVE user interface. Screenshots of the new features being used in the upcoming Incarna expansion are impressive, but that's all taking place inside stations. I can't help but wonder how these new technologies could be applied to the space-faring portion of EVE and whether there are more fundamental challenges to overcome in UI design than adding flashy graphics.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I give some thoughts on the development of EVE's UI, from the necessary evil of the overview to some things I'd like to see change.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Building a better UI

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Building a better UI originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsbutterfly-effectccpccp-eveccp-gamesefteveeve-ccpEVE-Evolvedeve-fitting-tooleve-mmorpgeve-onlineevemonfeaturedgraphicsguihologramholographicmission-runningmodmoddingopinionoverviewplayer-developersplayer-developmentthe-butterfly-effectuiuser-interfaceSun, 05 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Let's get personal, personal...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/wings-over-atreia-lets-get-personal-personal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/wings-over-atreia-lets-get-personal-personal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/wings-over-atreia-lets-get-personal-personal/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Come on let's get personaaaaaaaal. Let me hear your...

OK, maybe that song is a bit beyond some of you folks, but for others, you simply won't be able to get it out of your head all day! I cannot help it if 98% of my thoughts are all in music: old, new, classical, show tunes, or Disney ballads. Even MMO theme music and scores. It doesn't matter -- they all swirl around my head. So you will just have to suffer along with me once in a while.

But I digress -- let's get back to the topic at hand. What? I haven't shared the topic yet? Sure I have! This week, Wings Over Atreia is all about getting personal. Or rather, making it personal. Even though our favorite MMOs host a multitude of players and have to lay out a general canvas for all, who doesn't long for a more personalized experience? We express it through names, character customization, fashion, and even roleplay. We buy cash shop items to achieve it. Another way is by customizing our UI. After all, even moreso than your characters, the UI is the one piece of Aion that you have to look at constantly (unless you play with the UI off, which must be an interesting feat!). Mods pepper the net for many games, giving a more unique touch to the games we love to play. So why not for Atreia?

Load on past the cut to explore this aspect of personalizing your Aion experience. Or more accurately, the way you can't.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Let's get personal, personal...

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Let's get personal, personal... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gameCustomerServicefeaturedHUDmodmodsnc-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionpersonalizationUIui-configurationuser-interfaceWings-Over-AtreiaMon, 25 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone app developer says MMOs will be abandoned]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/iphone-app-developer-says-mmos-will-be-abandoned/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/iphone-app-developer-says-mmos-will-be-abandoned/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/iphone-app-developer-says-mmos-will-be-abandoned/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Although Kepa Auwae and his team are working on Rocketcat Games' first RPG for the iPhone, the developer doesn't see much of a future for MMORPGs.

In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, the creator of hit iPhone smashes like Super QuickHook prognosticated a vastly different gaming future than what we see today: "I think developers will completely abandon MMOs and social games, for the most part. Both genres were dead-ends, and they always allowed only one developer at a time to have any real success. Instead, most developers will make games with deep mechanics, designed for heavy replay value mixed with community content. These games will also strongly feature hat customization... top hats, bowlers, straw boaters. SO badass."

Ironically, Auwae voiced his dislike for the disposable nature of current games, which seems to describe the polar opposite of MMOs: "I think many games are too disposable. They're designed with no mod content tools in mind, no community involvement, no real replay value, no updates."

You can read the full interview over at MTV Multiplayer.

MassivelyiPhone app developer says MMOs will be abandoned originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bowlershatsinterviewiphoneKepa-Auwaemodmtv-multiplayerquoterocketcat-gamesrpgsocial-gamesstraw-boaterstop-hatsFri, 21 Jan 2011 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[[Updated] Starcraft MMO modder wins the internet with a job offer from Riot Games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/starcraft-mmo-modder-wins-the-internet-with-a-job-offer-from-rio/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/starcraft-mmo-modder-wins-the-internet-with-a-job-offer-from-rio/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/20/starcraft-mmo-modder-wins-the-internet-with-a-job-offer-from-rio/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Modifying video games is nothing new. Most mods are overlooked by game developers because a good chunk of them are not malicious and the modders themselves aren't looking to break the game; they just want to improve it in some way. However, yesterday, we reported that a talented modder named Ryan created an MMO mod using the Starcraft II engine calling it World of Starcraft. Blizzard had the trailer for the mod pulled from YouTube citing copyright infringement, but no other contact was made. Ryan attempted to make contact with Blizzard regarding the issue, but was directed to another department leaving the issue unresolved for the moment.

There is, however, a silver lining in all of this. The popularity and quality of the mod caught the attention of Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends. A developer from Riot contacted Ryan via Pixelated Geek offering him a job. This was later confirmed as an actual offer on the League of Legends official forums. Lead Designer Tod "Zileas" Cadwell said this: "When I see a modder with a lot of drive that has done something cool, I tend to contact them. I shot him an email recently asking if he was interested in exploring an opportunity here. As to what comes of that, who knows -- that depends on the mutual fit and his own goals."

Cadwell believes the legal issues do not extend beyond the name of the mod, so it is very possible Ryan will be living out his dream as a game designer. Sometimes dreams do come true.

[Update: We want to clarify that Riot Games is only talking with Ryan at this point, and no actual job offer is pending (despite previous reports).]

Massively[Updated] Starcraft MMO modder wins the internet with a job offer from Riot Games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionBlizzardleague-of-legendsmodmoddingmodsriot-gamesstarcraft-2starcraft-iiTod-cadwellworld-of-starcraftThu, 20 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Pippin's top five plugins]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/17/the-road-to-mordor-pippins-top-five-plugins/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/17/the-road-to-mordor-pippins-top-five-plugins/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/17/the-road-to-mordor-pippins-top-five-plugins/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This past week in LotRO's been a bit like riding river rapids: There's been a lot of rapid ups-and-downs, violent lurches to avoid dangerous objects, and a whole lot of noise that's drowning out the calmer waters ahead. For every piece of good news and positive word-of-mouth, there's been a lot of unfortunate bumps, such as server queues, dynamic layers, mouthy trolls and Codemaster's launch delay. However, I believe it's all going to settle down in a couple more weeks, and LotRO will emerge the better for it.

So if this is your first week in Lord of the Rings Online, welcome! Find a great kinship, take time to smell the flowers, and hunt some orc for me.

Today I'd like to take a look at one of the unsung heroes of the recent content patch -- the ability to create and use plugins (also called mods and addons) to enhance your user interface. While the system is still in beta and has a rough-around-the-edges feel to it, it's already shown great potential, particularly though the creativity that mod designers are pouring into it. While there are only a small number of plugins available as of right now and Turbine has yet to expand the scope of these Lua scripts beyond constrained limits, it's not too early to beef up your UI with these spiffy additions. Read on, free peoples of Middle-internet!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Pippin's top five plugins

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Pippin's top five plugins originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonaddonsbevy-o-barsbuffbuff-barscodemastersdebuffdebuffalo-billdynamic-layersemoemotesf2pfeaturedforumsfree-to-playhotbarhudlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-uilotrointerfacelotroplugins.comlualua-scriptmiddle-internetmodmodspalantirpluginplugin-managerpluginsquickbarquickslotserver-queuestonicbarstrollsturbineTurbine-Entertainmentuiworld-of-warcraftFri, 17 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Modding your way out of a paper bag]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/22/anti-aliased-modding-your-way-out-of-a-paper-bag/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/22/anti-aliased-modding-your-way-out-of-a-paper-bag/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/22/anti-aliased-modding-your-way-out-of-a-paper-bag/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If there's been a theme to this week, it's been interfaces and modding. Both EverQuest II and Lord of the Rings Online have had announcements related to their interfaces, be it re-skinning or new Lua functionality being installed. However, it was these two articles that set off the Rube Goldberg device in my head. They reminded me just what I thought about mods.

My relationship with mods has always been iffy. While I certainly appreciate what they do for us in our many MMOs, they also irk me to no end. While I understand (and totally support) some mods, there are others that I'd rather offer to Zuul.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate the mods because they're not useful. It's quite the opposite, in fact. Sometimes, I think mods are too useful. When you start skipping social interactions in favor of an e-peen number, that's the point where mods are going over the line.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Modding your way out of a paper bag

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Modding your way out of a paper bag originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsanti-aliasedbecause-reading-the-quest-text-is-hardburning-crusadedeadly-boss-modsdo-as-the-program-saysfeaturedgearscoreinterfaceluamodmoddingmodding-communitymodsquest-auto-complete-9000raidingthe-burning-crusadeuiuser-interfaceworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 22 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO and Lua: Turbine gives the mod community a thumbs-up]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/lotro-and-lua-turbine-gives-the-mod-community-a-thumbs-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/lotro-and-lua-turbine-gives-the-mod-community-a-thumbs-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/lotro-and-lua-turbine-gives-the-mod-community-a-thumbs-up/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The winds of change are blowing swiftly across the lands of Middle-earth, as we've just gotten word that Turbine is going to allow the use of Lua scripting for Lord of the Rings Online. A Casual Stroll to Mordor reports that Meghan Rodberg announced the change on a recent episode of The StunCast!.

On the podcast, Rodberg confirmed the upcoming implementation of Lua scripts: "We historically have not allowed any modding of the UI other than skinning it. Hope I'm not blowing anything here, but there is a Lua scripting project going on. I don't know if we've talked about it that much, but people will be able to do some mods. I'm not sure to what extent they'll be able to do it. It seemed like enough of our players were looking for this that we decided to do it."

Lua is a programming language that allows for the creation of add-ons and mods for MMOs, which has seen extensive use in titles like World of Warcraft. It allows for players to design useful (or not-so-useful) UI features, such as auction house enhancements, timing bars and even mini-games. While player response to this announcement is mixed, it hopefully will make many budding modders happy to hear.

[Update: Meghan clarifies: "It's not guaranteed for a launch with F2P - it may be in the testing stage for a while!"]

MassivelyLotRO and Lua: Turbine gives the mod community a thumbs-up originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-casual-stroll-to-mordoradd-onsauction-houseblizzardbreakingdont-spit-into-the-winds-of-changelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolualua-programming-languagelua-scriptmeghan-rodbergmini-gamesmodmoddingmodding-communitymodspodcastskinningthe-stuncasttiming-barturbineuiuser-interfaceworld-of-warcraftWed, 14 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Profiting from mods?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/the-daily-grind-profiting-from-mods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/the-daily-grind-profiting-from-mods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/the-daily-grind-profiting-from-mods/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


In case you missed the news the other day, Blizzard has essentially told everyone who has developed a mod for World of Warcraft - no matter how much time, effort and care they've put into it - that they can no longer ask for any money for their mods via the mod (in-game advertising). This includes soliciting for donations people optionally offer the mod maker for making such a great and useful item, if it's 'nagware'. Many mod developers put in a great deal of time creating their mods, and some of the mods have been good enough to actually wind up getting incorporated into Blizzard's in-game UI due to almost universal adoption by the player base.

This morning we thought we'd ask you what you thought about this? On the one hand, Blizzard has the right to completely block all mods from World of Warcraft altogether if they feel that the mod developers are making too much money by 'selling' their mods, or their advertising is too intrusive. It's their game. Like it or not, they get to dictate the rules. On the other hand, the base UI at launch was, in my opinion, horrid. It lacked a great many things that have since been added to WoW's base UI due to things modders dreamed up. Should all requests for funding stop? Should it only stop when it is a "pay" mod - or mod with a pay service attached like wowecon? Or should mod authors be allowed to solicit donations on their own web site (as they are essentially allowed now) for those who love the mod and want to donate something to keep it going, but not in game?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Profiting from mods? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>base-uiblizzarddonationsmodmod-authorsmoneyui-modsworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 25 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOs get an in-game web browser: GotGame's Rogue]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/mmos-get-an-in-game-web-browser-gotgames-rogue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/mmos-get-an-in-game-web-browser-gotgames-rogue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/mmos-get-an-in-game-web-browser-gotgames-rogue/#commentsFiled under:


Let's say that, like most folks, you only have one monitor. Let's also assume that you either prefer to enjoy games in all their full-screen glory, or your one monitor doesn't run at a resolution high enough to make multitasking while running a game in a window practical -- also probably true of most folks. But you're playing World of Warcraft and you want to check Thottbot, or your e-mail. Well, very-specific-user, GotGame has a solution for you: Rogue, a browser that runs as a transparent overlay while you're playing games.

Rogue's visibility can be toggled on and off by pressing the F12 key, and it has customizable transparency settings. It doesn't work with all games, but World of Warcraft and Age of Conan are the two MMOs that have been tested by the folks at GotGame and confirmed to be Rogue-friendly. No word on, say, Warhammer Online or The Lord of the Rings Online (EVE Online already has a built-in browser, so no need there), but feel free to try and let us know how it goes.

Note that for the moment, Rogue only runs in Windows. Mac users are out of luck, though to be honest, we're a bit surprised that neither Vista nor Leopard supports this kind of thing natively. Maybe next time, eh?

[Via WoW Insider]

MassivelyMMOs get an in-game web browser: GotGame's Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardbrowsergotgamein-game-browsermodrogueuiui-modui-modsweb-browserworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 24 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer mod automatically reports tell spammers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/warhammer-mod-automatically-reports-tell-spammers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/warhammer-mod-automatically-reports-tell-spammers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/27/warhammer-mod-automatically-reports-tell-spammers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

According to a ticker at the Warhammer Online Herald, Mythic has banned over 4,000 WAR users for gold farming and selling. Now to further the battle, its representatives at the Herald have suggested that players download a third party UI mod called "Spam Me Not" which not only automatically blocks incoming gold seller spam tells, but reports the sender of the tell.

We haven't used the app, so we don't know how well it works. It might block legitimate tells from friends. If you try it out, tell us how that works for you.

The post at the Herald says that the mod is not endorsed by Mythic, although one would think that mentioning it on the official site is at least a tacit endorsement. Mythic did go on to say that players should continue using the game's built-in spam reporting features as well.

MassivelyWarhammer mod automatically reports tell spammers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ea-mythicgold-farmersgold-sellersheraldmodmythicmythic-entertainmentspamspam-me-notthird-partyuiwarwarhammer-onlineSat, 27 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Win an Anarchy Online-themed desktop from Funcom and GameRigs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/win-an-anarchy-online-themed-desktop-from-funcom-and-gamerigs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/win-an-anarchy-online-themed-desktop-from-funcom-and-gamerigs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/win-an-anarchy-online-themed-desktop-from-funcom-and-gamerigs/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It seems to be the year of the Science Fiction MMO-themed desktop PC. A couple months back, CCP and Commodore joined forces to sell us EVE Online enthusiast desktops. This time, GameRigs and Funcom put together the above-pictured Anarchy Online computer, and are giving it away in a sweepstakes.

It looks sexy and all, but we were disappointed to see that the provided system specs are rather vague. It has an "Intel Core 2 processor" and an "NVIDIA GeForce graphics card." Well, that could be anything, but hey, it's free, ain't it? And do you really need a GeForce GTX 280 to run 2001's Anarchy Online? Not so much!

It looks like you don't have to do anything but fill out a form to enter the sweepstakes. You don't even have to be an Anarchy Online subscriber. You do have to be a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec; now that's not fair!), though.

MassivelyWin an Anarchy Online-themed desktop from Funcom and GameRigs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineaocasecomputercontestcustomdesktopfuncomgamerigsmodsweepstakeswinSat, 28 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: Should MMOGs allow modding?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/player-vs-everything-should-mmogs-allow-modding/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/player-vs-everything-should-mmogs-allow-modding/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/player-vs-everything-should-mmogs-allow-modding/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When Diablo first came out, I was a huge fan of it. It was pretty much all I played for months. Then, after a while, I got bored. Even with randomly generated dungeons and enemies, there are only so many loot runs you can do. When Hellfire was released I got back into it again. But with time, the newness of that wore off too. I put Diablo on the shelf, satisfied that I had done everything interesting there was to do with the game. A few months later, I was bored and looking for something to play. That was when I stumbled onto a random website and discovered my first Diablo mod.

Someone had taken the game I knew and loved, and changed it -- it was like playing a whole new game while keeping everything I loved about my favorite game intact. This experience spurred a long-standing fascination with the modding scene for me, and I've since downloaded and enjoyed mods for most of my favorite single-player games. It's amazing what people can do when developers hand them the keys! In fact, I would argue that it dramatically improves both the value and shelf life of your computer game if you make it easy for the modding community to get their hands on your game. Case in point: Morrowind is still an amazing game that looks great and has tons of content, despite being almost six years old at this point. That wouldn't have happened without the support of modders. Given all of the cool things that you can do with modding, shouldn't developers let us tweak their MMOGs, too?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Should MMOGs allow modding?

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: Should MMOGs allow modding? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescontentdiabloelder-scrollsfeaturedmodmoddingmodsmorrowindoblivionpirates-of-the-burning-seaplayer-createdplayer-vs-everythingryzomryzom-ringWed, 07 May 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do item databases make raiding more fun?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/the-daily-grind-do-item-databases-make-raiding-more-fun/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/the-daily-grind-do-item-databases-make-raiding-more-fun/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/the-daily-grind-do-item-databases-make-raiding-more-fun/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Today we're featuring a topic that was actually sent into us by one of our readers. Scott wrote us a few days ago and wanted to know about a practice that's been in place for a while now -- that of item databases. He wondered if people thought it would be half as fun to raid if we didn't know what the loot was. Would we still be interested in putting in the time and the effort if there were no accurate listings of loot somewhere, or mods that showed us what items were available at a click of a button? So as he put it to us, we ask you -- do "spoiler" sites make the game more fun for you? Or would you prefer to have absolutely no idea about loot? Do you even really care, or is it about the thrill of utterly destroying a mob that used to stomp you into jelly, faster and faster until you're through a raid instance before dinner?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do item databases make raiding more fun? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boss-dropsboss-lootitem-databasesitems-databaselootloot-listingmodmodsreader-submitted-questionthe-daily-grindSun, 10 Feb 2008 08:05:00 EST