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[The world of World of Warcraft recreated in Minecraft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/the-world-of-world-of-warcraft-recreated-in-minecraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/the-world-of-world-of-warcraft-recreated-in-minecraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/the-world-of-world-of-warcraft-recreated-in-minecraft/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Minecraft
Minecraft players are well-known for their insane, over-the-top LEGO building projects, but one may have all the rest beat. A player named Rumsey is in the process of recreating the entire world of Azeroth from World of Warcraft inside the game, and while it's not completed quite yet, it's already incredibly impressive.

Rumsey says that he had to cheat a little: Instead of placing every single block by hand, he wrote a piece of software that helps to automate the process of making full-scale version of the world. He's recently completed one continent -- Kalimdor -- and has plans to do the others as well as all of WoW's dungeons. He says that the only problem he's run into is Minecraft's height limit of 128 blocks, so he's had to employ mods to get around that.

When the project is complete, Rumsey has hopes that it will be hosted online for tourists to visit this much blockier version of their favorite WoW stomping grounds.

MassivelyThe world of World of Warcraft recreated in Minecraft originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>azerothcustom-softwarefunnyhumorinsane-projectskalimdorlegolego-bricksminecraftminecraft-blocksmodelmodsrecreationrumseyworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Reddit author offers custom SWTOR load screen mod [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/reddit-author-offers-custom-swtor-load-screen-mod/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/reddit-author-offers-custom-swtor-load-screen-mod/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/reddit-author-offers-custom-swtor-load-screen-mod/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Is your Star Wars: The Old Republic loading screen getting a bit stale? Have you always wanted to see your character's mug emblazoned with corporate branding from BioWare, Electronic Arts, and that killer old-school Star Wars font?

Look no further than a cackle-worthy mod recently developed by a Reddit user named ranier511. It's basically a layered Photoshop file, ready and waiting for your avatar's closeup. All you have to do is rename it LoadingScreen.jpg and use it to overwrite the image in your Program files/Electronic Arts/Bioware/Star Wars - The Old Republic/swtor/retailclient/LoadingScreensfolder. PC Gamer has a few examples to get your creative juices flowing, and you'll find the original thread on Reddit.

[Update: Goldnames on the official forums have warned that mods like these can corrupt your game installation, so install them at your own risk!]

MassivelyReddit author offers custom SWTOR load screen mod [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareea-biowareelectronic-artsloading-screenmodssci-fistar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 10 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Starcraft Universe MMO mod testable through October 30th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/starcraft-universe-mmo-mod-testable-through-october-30th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/starcraft-universe-mmo-mod-testable-through-october-30th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/starcraft-universe-mmo-mod-testable-through-october-30th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

StarCraft Universe - PvP screenshot
You may remember StarCraft Universe, the fan-made MMO mod that received an official Blizzard blessing earlier this year. Development on the project is moving right along, and the mod team has left fans with a nifty present as it gets ready to head to BlizzCon.

StarCraft Universe PvP is playable as of today via Battle.net, but you'd better hurry because the fun only lasts through October 30th. At that point, the game will be taken down "for further polishing since technically it isn't even ready for an open beta."

The playable portion features an arena called the Encephalon Grid, and testers will start at level 30 (fully geared). Every class is available, and players may also be able to unlock additional abilities by winning enough matches. Check out the full press blurb on the mod's official website, and get a load of the PvP video after the cut.

Continue reading Starcraft Universe MMO mod testable through October 30th

MassivelyStarcraft Universe MMO mod testable through October 30th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle.netbetablizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentencephalon-gridmodspvpryan-winzensci-fiscifistarcraftstarcraft-universevideoworld-of-starcraftWed, 19 Oct 2011 10:00:00 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[Ask Massively: Recidivism edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/ask-massively-recidivism-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/ask-massively-recidivism-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/ask-massively-recidivism-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It was a point of some pride for me that I had apparently kicked my Magic habit. Many years ago, I was almost insatiable, but with counseling and a severe dearth of people to play with, I'd finally kicked it for years. Well, up until last Friday, when I dropped money on a brand-new box set so Ms. Lady and I could start building decks together. I'd probably feel better about it if I hadn't lost the past several times.

Today's edition of Ask Massively is not exactly a cure for us poor recidivists, being instead an exploration of RIFT's upcoming addons and why some people are less than happy about this fact. It may also serve as a history lesson for some members of the audience. As always, you can leave your questions for a future edition of the column in the comments, or you can just wing them along to ask@massively.com.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Recidivism edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: Recidivism edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsapiask-massivelycolumncolumnsdesigndevelopmentfeaturedmodsopinionriftrift-planes-of-telaraworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 09 Jun 2011 15:00:00 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[Blizzard plays nice with World of StarCraft modder]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/blizzard-plays-nice-with-world-of-starcraft-modder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/blizzard-plays-nice-with-world-of-starcraft-modder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/blizzard-plays-nice-with-world-of-starcraft-modder/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment has officially weighed in on the World of StarCraft controversy, and the verdict is something of a happy ending for fans of the MMO-flavored mod and its mastermind Ryan Winzen. Gamasutra reports that Winzen has been invited to meet the StarCraft II development team, and his hard work won't be for naught despite the removal of his YouTube preview videos.

"It was never our intention to stop development on the mod or discourage the community from expressing their creativity through the StarCraft II editor. As always, we actively encourage development of custom maps and mods for StarCraft II, as we've done with our strategy games in the past," Blizzard said in a prepared statement.

The company went on to explain that issuing a take-down order for the offending videos is part of its standard procedure when dealing with fan mods and possible copyright infringement and that it is "looking forward to seeing development of the mod continue," according to Gamasutra.

MassivelyBlizzard plays nice with World of StarCraft modder originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BlizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentgamasutralegalmmo-industrymoddingmodsryan-winzenstarcraftstarcraft-2starcraft-iiworld-of-starcraftFri, 21 Jan 2011 10:00:00 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: A year in Middle-earth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-a-year-in-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-a-year-in-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-a-year-in-middle-earth/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What a difference a year makes, eh? One year ago, and you didn't have to put up with me yammering at you every Friday like a hyperactive badger with a personality disorder. One year ago, and we weren't free-to-play-anything, Turbine was its own company, the festivals were nowhere near as cool as they are today, and shrews freely roamed the land without fear of reprisal.

So in my last Road to Mordor (of the year, stop rejoicing over there!), I thought it'd be great to look back at the wild rollercoaster that was 2010 in Lord of the Rings Online. I also thought I'd get an easy column out of all this, but that was before I had to read through 1,337 posts and my eyeballs began to lose pressure.

January

Stuff happened. Let's move on.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: A year in Middle-earth

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: A year in Middle-earth originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarybilboclosed-betacodemasterscontestcraftingddodungeons-and-dragons-onlinee3end-of-the-year-2010enedwaithexpansioneyeball-pressuref2pfall-festivalfree-to-playfrostbluff-theatrehaunted-burrowisengardisengard-private-preview-programjeff-jungejeffrey-steefelkate-paizlord-of-the-rings-onlinelore-masterlotrolotterieslotterylua-scriptingmoddingmodsoath-of-the-rangerspaxpax-2010pax-primeqareputation-mountsrise-of-isengardrune-keepersapienceshrew-stompingshrewssiege-of-mirkwoodspring-festivalsteed-of-nightsummer-festivalsyp-is-so-dreamytalk-like-a-pirate-daythe-road-to-mordorthird-anniversaryturbineturbine-entertainmentvaultvolume-iii-book-1wardrobewarner-broswbwinter-homeyule-festivalFri, 31 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Waging WAR: Guide to addons]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/04/waging-war-guide-to-addons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/04/waging-war-guide-to-addons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/04/waging-war-guide-to-addons/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This week in WagingWAR Greg takes a look at the basic interface offered in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Well, he said he would take a look, but then he mumbled something about needing a blindfold first. Instead, he writes about all the great ways it can be changed via third-party add-ons and shows us why WAR's modding community really is just the bee's knees.

Let's be honest with ourselves right off the bat and agree that the WAR default interface, although functional, is lackluster in some respects. That's not to say that the developers of WAR made a disastrous UI for us to play with; in fact, the truth is quite the opposite. The standard UI is functional, genre-standard, and provides all the necessary information at a glance. It gets the job done. It also offers a layout editor that allows for simple, easy customization. But sometimes, someone else's idea for a UI element is simply better. Thankfully, WAR supports the Lua programming language and enjoys a strong and talented modding community.

Continue reading for the lowdown on what I consider to be the best of the best of what WAR's mod community has to offer as of patch 1.4.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Guide to addons

MassivelyWaging WAR: Guide to addons originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsbioware-eabioware-mythiccurseEAea-mythicElectronic-Artsfeaturedinterfacemodificationmodificationsmodsmythicmythic-eaMythic-Entertainmentpatch-1.4UIui-configurationui-guideuser-interfaceuser-interface-guidewaging-warwarWarhammerWarhammer-OnlineSat, 04 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: I am happy when I get to talk about Transformers edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/18/ask-massively-i-am-happy-when-i-get-to-talk-about-transformers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/18/ask-massively-i-am-happy-when-i-get-to-talk-about-transformers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/18/ask-massively-i-am-happy-when-i-get-to-talk-about-transformers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If people haven't noticed by now, I have fandoms that don't generally intersect with MMOs. So I'm happy to see that the Transformers MMO will be wide-ranging, while at the same time I understand that many of the things I want out of the game will not be happening. Then again, almost none of the things I want dovetails with more casual fans. Considering how strongly Hasbro is pushing the newly unified Transformers: Prime continuity, my vague hopes of seeing something set on Cybertron post-Reformatting are unlikely to come to fruition. (I will still be happier than those people who assume the series peaked 26 years ago.)

Leaving aside my personal pet causes, we've got the usual cocktail of questions for this week's Ask Massively, complete with a discussion of the dark art of modding and the far lighter art of inventory storage. If you've got a question for us, you can leave it in the comment field or mail us at ask@massively.com.

Continue reading Ask Massively: I am happy when I get to talk about Transformers edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: I am happy when I get to talk about Transformers edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-massivelyfeaturedgame-designinventoryinventory-spacemoddingmodsopinionq-and-aquestions-and-answersterms-of-servicetosThu, 18 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: Sandbox or themepark]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/15/lost-pages-of-taborea-sandbox-or-themepark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/15/lost-pages-of-taborea-sandbox-or-themepark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/15/lost-pages-of-taborea-sandbox-or-themepark/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Lately I've had some great conversations over on the Runes of Magic forum that have me thinking about what type of MMO Runewaker has created. Every MMO eventually gets stamped as either sandbox or themepark, depending on whether it has an open-ended environment or is filled with directed activities. RoM is packed with minigames, quests, dungeons, housing, pets and guild content. RoM's minigame, Malatina's Course of Terror, can be taken at any level and yields the same possible rewards to all players. Yet the devs are constantly adding quests, dungeons, and other high-level content, all of which requires a player to level in order to take part. What kind of MMO is RoM? Do these terms shape your opinions of what you want to see added in the game? And does any of this matter?

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Sandbox or themepark

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: Sandbox or themepark originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directedfeaturedfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivegeargear-heavygear-modsgive-you-a-shovelguidedhold-your-handmodsno-goalsopen-endedopen-worldplayer-made-contentplayer-toolsquest-drivenromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentsandboxstatsthemeparkupgradeMon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:00 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[Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/massivelys-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telaras-dynamic-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/massivelys-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telaras-dynamic-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/massivelys-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telaras-dynamic-conte/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus.

In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action.

Now we have.

Continue reading Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

MassivelyMassively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementAchievementsaddonsalphaalpha-testbattlegroundsbuildscallingCapture-the-flagcharacter-creationcharge-barclericclunkcollectionCollectionscraftingdefiantDemodynamic-contentEarth-Elementalelementalistepic-mountfeaturedfootholdfootholdsgallerygloamwoodgraphicsgroupgroupinggroupsguardianhealershealinghell-levelsheroes-of-telaraholy-city-of-sanctuminstanceinstancesinterfaceinvasionjumpingjust-say-no-to-hell-levelslootmapmapsminimapmodsp2ppay-to-playpetsphilosophyplaneplanesplanes-of-telarapublic-questspvpquestingrealm-of-the-faerespecresurrectionriftrift-planes-of-telarariftsscott-hartsmanscreenshotsshadowlandssoul-walkSteamPunkstrategerystrategysubscriptionswimmingtalent-treestalentstavril-plazatelaratrailertriontrion-worldsUIvideowarfrontwarfrontsWed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 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[Turbine expands on LotRO's Lua scripting]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/turbine-expands-on-lotros-lua-scripting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/turbine-expands-on-lotros-lua-scripting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/turbine-expands-on-lotros-lua-scripting/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ever since hearing the news that Turbine will allow players to create mods for Lord of the Rings Online using the Lua programming language, the community's been abuzz about what this means for LotRO -- good and bad. Would this allow for the creation of game unbalancing add-ons, or perhaps the rise of a LotRO edition of WoW's controversial GearScore? Or does Turbine have a specific vision in mind for the scope of mods?

Yesterday on the LotRO forums, Narrel, Turbine's Games Systems Engineer, posted a clarifying note about why the company chose to implement this and where it plans to go with it. The devs' main priority with Lua scripting was to empower players to tweak and modify the user interface more to their liking, as the default UI cannot be all things for all folks.

While it is going to prohibit mods from botting or macros, Turbine will open the field for players to work with the inventory layout, information that the HUD displays, quickslot bars, target info, fellowship info and raid vitals. "We are very excited about this feature," Narrel said, "and look forward to the day when it goes live allowing players to have a much more customizable experience with our graphical interface."

MassivelyTurbine expands on LotRO's Lua scripting originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsaddonsbottinggames-systems-engineergearscorehudinventorylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolualua-programming-languagelua-scriptmacrosmodsnarrelquickslotturbineuiuser-interfaceworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 20 Jul 2010 15:00:00 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[Players hath spoken, Allods hath listened: Revelations of Gipat includes several player suggestions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/players-hath-spoken-allods-hath-listened-revelations-of-gipat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/players-hath-spoken-allods-hath-listened-revelations-of-gipat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/players-hath-spoken-allods-hath-listened-revelations-of-gipat/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Some might say that Allods Online is rapidly outgrowing its pair of britches, which is probably why gPotato piled into a car for a shopping trip to the britch store. With the new Revelations of Gipat 1.1 patch, Allods is expanding in ways that should bring happiness, love and warfare to all. We've already heard about the new mounts galloping into the game, but gPotato isn't stopping there: Players will be able to level to 42, enjoy over 200 new quests, challenge three new endgame bosses (including Strina the Fierce, who makes her Massively debut up top there) and romp through the newest zone, Gipat.

In addition to all of this, the developers have been hard at work coming up with new features based on player suggestions. While some of these are small, these quality-of-life features should nevertheless make players very happy. These new features include official add-on support, chat bubbles (which can be toggled on and off), a target-of-target system, additional animations, better audio, more hotkey capabilities and being able to invert your mouse.

It'll truly be interesting to see how the players react to this patch, and how the modding community will explore their new playground. Revelations of Gipat is scheduled for later this summer.

MassivelyPlayers hath spoken, Allods hath listened: Revelations of Gipat includes several player suggestions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsallodsallods-onlinechat-bubblesgipatgpotatolevel-cap-increasemoddingmodspatch-1.1revelations-of-gipatstrina-the-fiercewarning-kids-skulls-chafeThu, 17 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/a-look-at-the-big-changes-in-global-agendas-1-3-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/a-look-at-the-big-changes-in-global-agendas-1-3-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/a-look-at-the-big-changes-in-global-agendas-1-3-patch/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The team over at Hi-Rez Studios may have bitten off just a touch more than they could chew with the 1.3 patch for Global Agenda. It's not that the patch is bad, just that they turned out to not quite be able to push some of the originally promised features through at the same time as the main patch. Of course, considering all of the stuff that is in the newest patch, that almost seems less like a drawback and more like an act of mercy. The advertised open zones and 64-person PvP Warzone will be slightly delayed, which only leaves...

...well, it leaves a whole lot of changes, starting with the massive overhauls to weapons and armor that bring the game closer in line with common genre conventions. The previous system has entirely been discarded, and replaced with four grades of quality for weapons and armor: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic. All grades can be obtained from vendors in exchange for credits (for common weapons), Mercenary tokens (for rare and epic weapons), or Conquest tokens (for epic special weapons). The weapons also have a chance to drop during PvE missions, with the weapons getting correspondingly stronger as the mission gets more difficult.

Continue reading A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch

MassivelyA look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliance-vs-alliancearmoravachangesconquestcraftingdropsequipmentfeaturedgaga-patch-1.3global-agendaglobal-agenda-hi-rezglobal-agenda-patch-1.3hi-rezhi-rez-global-agendahi-rez-stdioes-global-agendahi-rez-studioslootmodspersistencestatsweaponweaponsFri, 07 May 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: A little more conversation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/the-mog-log-a-little-more-conversation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/the-mog-log-a-little-more-conversation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/the-mog-log-a-little-more-conversation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Well, gee, not much has happened since the last time we did a community spotlight in this column. Except maybe for that little VanaFest thing, and huge drops of new info on Final Fantasy XIV, and the beginning of the latter's beta testing. So, yeah, slow month all around. This should be a pretty short column, I might just start talking about my favorite beers toward the end.

All joking aside, a lot has been happening, and it has produced more than a few diverse opinions. The immediate response to the VanaFest announcements for Final Fantasy XI was covered a couple weeks ago, but there's still the specifics to be hammered out. After all, it's hard to take in server merges, level cap raises, massive content drops and new add-ons all in one go. Not to mention that we do still have another game coming in the not-so-distant future, one that's shaping up to have an interesting positional aspect to gameplay. So let's take a look at some of the noteworthy talk from Final Fantasy's webwide community.

Continue reading The Mog Log: A little more conversation

MassivelyThe Mog Log: A little more conversation originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsbalancebetacastersclass-abilitiescommunitydiscussionfeaturedff11ff14ffxiffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivmobile-appsmodificationsmodssquare-enixtestingxbox-360Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythic's Carrie Gouskos on Warhammer's ToK and hints of patch 1.3 ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/mythics-carrie-gouskos-on-warhammers-tok-and-hints-of-patch-1-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/mythics-carrie-gouskos-on-warhammers-tok-and-hints-of-patch-1-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/mythics-carrie-gouskos-on-warhammers-tok-and-hints-of-patch-1-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The 1.2 patch for Warhammer Online is barely a week old, but Chaos Moon managed to speak with Mythic's Carrie Gouskos about many a things -- including some hints for the 1.3 patch. There was also some general discussion of future updates to the Tome of Knowledge and much love from Carrie concerning the Book of Grudges mod. We're pretty excited to hear stat tracking for Scenarios and oRvR battles are on their way.

Of course the big news concerns clues of what to expect in the next big patch. Following some of Carrie's comments, it sounds as though the Tome of Knowledge could be getting a new feature or two in the 1.3. update. Additionally, some further UI information and visual improvements are on the was as well -- although Carrie mentions the visual boost will be minor.

What sorts of UI improvements could be on the way? The added layer of information to the open party and world map systems in 1.2 have been very well received, but going from Carrie's comments it seems as though something much more exciting is on the way. Given the size of the first two live events, something tells us Mythic will be showing off whatever it is they're working on next in a big way.
Warhammer Online Coverage Mythic has announced the first expansion to Warhammer Online! Check out the announcement itself, the two brand-new classes coming to the game, and the enormous new dungeon/zone slated for a few months away! Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyMythic's Carrie Gouskos on Warhammer's ToK and hints of patch 1.3 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carrie-gouskoseaelectronic-artsgames-workshopmodsmythicmythic-entertainmentopen-rvrorvrpvprealm-vs-realmrumorscenariostome-of-knowledgewarwar-patch-1.2war-patch-1.3warhammerwarhammer-onlineMon, 09 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Herald recommends Book of Grudges mod]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/16/warhammer-herald-recommends-book-of-grudges-mod/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/16/warhammer-herald-recommends-book-of-grudges-mod/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/16/warhammer-herald-recommends-book-of-grudges-mod/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you're hoping to add a little extra something to Warhammer Online's Realm vs. Realm gameplay, look no further than the "Dammaz Kron: The Great Book of Grudges" mod. Valkea, the creator of Dammaz Kron, describes the mod as a "PvP Black-Book" designed to look like a new section of the Tome of Knowledge. All transgressions against you are recorded in The Great Book of Grudges, as are your own acts of retaliation. Best served cold, and all that.

It's also gotten the nod from Mythic Entertainment. In their words, "The Book of Grudges transforms your fighting experience by adding a meta game and another objective to RvR. Just in case you need another reason to perpetuate the extermination of your enemy Dammaz Kron has your answer." Dammaz Kron can be downloaded from Curse and all the info about the mod is listed there as well.
Warhammer Online Coverage Mythic has announced the first expansion to Warhammer Online! Check out the announcement itself, the two brand-new classes coming to the game, and the enormous new dungeon/zone slated for a few months away! Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyWarhammer Herald recommends Book of Grudges mod originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsbook-of-grudgescursedammaz-kronfantasygame-mechanicsmodsmythic-entertainmentopen-rvrpvppvp-black-bookrealm-vs-realmrvrthe-great-book-of-grudgestome-of-knowledgewarwarhammer-heraldwarhammer-onlineMon, 16 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Making/Money: Auctioneer Wishlist]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/13/making-money-auctioneer-wishlist/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/13/making-money-auctioneer-wishlist/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/13/making-money-auctioneer-wishlist/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

WARNING - MATH AHEAD!

A few weeks ago, a reader e-mailed me with questions about some Auctioneer data that they have been collecting. Though the question was regarding trying to determine inflation patterns on their server, it got me to thinking about what Auctioneer actually captures. And what other data points would be most helpful in making evaluations of item pricing or looking into economic trending.

While I'm not about to go through all of Auctioneer's algorithm rules, I would recommend that anyone who uses this mod check them out on Norganna's Wiki. They explain where the recommended prices come from. Basically, it's a comparison of the historical data accumulated from all of your auction house scans and the most recent snapshot data. The market value ends up being either the median of historical or recent data, flavored with the user-set preferences for markup or markdown.

Continue reading Making/Money: Auctioneer Wishlist

MassivelyMaking/Money: Auctioneer Wishlist originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auctionauction-houseauctioneerdatafeaturedinflationjoystiqfeaturesmaking-moneymathmodspricepricesstatisticsworld-of-warcraftMon, 13 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[UC Irvine to compare WoW players from America, China]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/uc-irvine-to-compare-american-chinese-wow-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/uc-irvine-to-compare-american-chinese-wow-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/uc-irvine-to-compare-american-chinese-wow-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The University of California at Irvine has been granted $100,000 to study the differences between Chinese and American World of Warcraft players, according to the Orange County Register. The study will mostly focus on explaining why American players are much more likely to employ modifications such as Cosmos than Chinese players are, but project lead Bonnie Nardi made some interesting observations outside the scope of this particular endeavor.

For example, she noted that Chinese players are for some reason more likely to talk about the aesthetic appearance of the game than are Americans. Whereas American players often play with their children, parents, or siblings, Chinese players are unlikely to do that. "The older generation dislikes video games," she said, and playing with siblings is obviously rare since most Chinese of the gaming generation have none.

"The vast majority of Chinese players are not gold farmers," she said. "They're ordinary players like anyone. The media has blown that story out of all proportion. Many people think Chinese play for a job. They play for fun." Enlightening stuff. We're looking forward to seeing what else comes out of her research.

[Via Ten Ton Hammer]
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyUC Irvine to compare WoW players from America, China originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicasiablizzardbonnie-nardicosmosculturefamilymodificationsmodsone-child-policyorange-countyparentsresearchsiblingsstudyuc-irvineuciucirvineuiuniversity-of-californiaworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WoW to store UI settings server-side post-Lich King]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/wow-to-store-ui-settings-server-side-post-lich-king/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/wow-to-store-ui-settings-server-side-post-lich-king/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/wow-to-store-ui-settings-server-side-post-lich-king/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recent discussions in the official World of Warcraft UI forums might be of interest to folks that like to tweak their user interface. Which, we think, is pretty well everyone. There's a lengthy post from 'blue' poster Iriel there all about changes to the UI elements coming in Wrath of the Lich King. Tech-savvy UI tweakers will find a lot to love there, with new unit functions and plenty of tweaks to how old ones worked, Even better, it sounds like a ton of our user-created information will be stored on the Blizzard servers, from Macros key bindings to UI settings.

It's all 'Beta' information until the expansion launches, of course, so some of these listed items may change between now and the game's release date. Head on over to the official forums to check out the full details, and be sure to stop by WoW Insider for more on the game's changing UI.
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyWoW to store UI settings server-side post-Lich King originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardmodssettingsuiuser-interfaceworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingMon, 01 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom seeks volunteer forum moderators]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/funcom-seeks-volunteer-forum-moderators/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/funcom-seeks-volunteer-forum-moderators/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/funcom-seeks-volunteer-forum-moderators/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Funcom posted a bulletin seeking volunteers to moderate the official Age of Conan forums. The game will be launching in just over a week, so if you're a particularly passionate member of its community, this is probably a good time to jump on board.

All you need: strong English language skills, an infraction-free couple of months of history on the AoC forums, "organization skills," and a little bit of forum moderation experience. It's too bad it's not a paying gig, but there's no doubt that there are people out there who are committed enough to the game that they'll help out for free. So if you're one of those people, head on over; Funcom has provided a application for you to fill out.

Just don't be too shocked when you end up spending hours every day battling level 80 elite trolls.

MassivelyFuncom seeks volunteer forum moderators originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocconanforumforumsfuncommoderatormoderatorsmodstrollsvolunteerSat, 10 May 2008 15:00:00 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[GuildCafe calls out for DIY event planners [UPDATED]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/guildcafe-calls-out-for-diy-event-planners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/guildcafe-calls-out-for-diy-event-planners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/guildcafe-calls-out-for-diy-event-planners/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The true strength of any successful MMO is its player community -- they're the folks who create mods, organize events, cheer/protest loudly whenever something changes that they like/dislike. In that vein, GuildCafe has sent out a call for players who already are, or would like to create and run Guild Wars events events for any and all MMOs, like tournaments, contests, or even (most ambitiously) an ARG.

GuildCafe promises to support this endeavor by providing experienced staffers to help plan and effect events, as well as to publicize and sponsor said events. This is a great way to both maintain and strengthen the GW community, and at the same time promote GuildCafe's brand recognition. Everybody wins!

[UPDATED: changed 'Guild Wars events' to reflect that this offer is open to any and all MMOs -- Thanks, Sam!]

MassivelyGuildCafe calls out for DIY event planners [UPDATED] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternate-reality-gameargbrandcommunitycontestseventsguild-warsguildcafemodstournamentsWed, 09 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOGology: Build your own adventure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/mmogology-build-your-own-adventure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/mmogology-build-your-own-adventure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/mmogology-build-your-own-adventure/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

I hope all of you got to check out Elizabeth Harper's great preview of the upcoming LEGO Universe MMOG by NetDevil. I'm personally a huge fan of LEGO and proudly admit to playing with those little, plastic blocks well beyond the recommended age rating. There's just something great about a product that gives you the tools to create without limiting the possibilities of your imagination. When it comes down to it, LEGO is simply another medium like clay or paint. It's up to the artist/designer to manipulate the medium into something unique and meaningful. NetDevil's product will allow us to partake in that enjoyment in a digital fashion, although, unlike creation in Second Life, it appears as though artists and designers will not have free reign over content creation.

In the context of an all ages game, the choice to place limits on creativity seems like a valid one. Allowing users to create anything they wanted with LEGO obviously opens up a Pandora's Box of offensive possibilities. I'll take the high road for now and refrain from mentioning the many examples of naughty things you could create in LEGO. But beyond potentially offensive things, creating absolutely anything you wanted in a game could potentially destroy the game from a design and gameplay perspective. User-created content brings up a variety of questions. To what extent can users shape their worlds without breaking them? To what extent can they expand and add to the content without altering the original vision of the developers? What role can user-generated content play in the future?

Continue reading MMOGology: Build your own adventure

MassivelyMMOGology: Build your own adventure originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BiowareBlizzardCity-of-HeroesCity-of-Villianscreationcreativitydungeon-designfeaturedLEGOLego-Universemodifying-gamesmodsNCSoftNetDevilSecond-LifeSOESony-Online-EntertainmentStar-Wars-Galaxiesuser-created-content-in-gamesuser-generated-contentWorld-of-WarcraftMon, 25 Feb 2008 10:00:00 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<![CDATA[The Ace2 revolution in World of Warcraft mods]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/the-ace2-revolution-in-world-of-warcraft-mods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/the-ace2-revolution-in-world-of-warcraft-mods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/the-ace2-revolution-in-world-of-warcraft-mods/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The 'Heal Plz' blog over at TenTonHammer has up an interesting look at the realm of World of Warcraft UI mods. Author Xerin notes the sometimes slow update schedule for popular mods (TitanPanel has been AWOL for some time, for example) and the problems that can create. In contrast, the 'Ace2 revolution' continues apace.

Ace2 is, as the author explains, a backend element for WoW UI creation. It's specifically a set of libraries that mod authors can use to increase portability and compatibility between their creations and the work of others. The Ace Wiki has further explanations on the benefits of using Ace2 (if you're a mod author) as well as a comprehensive listing of Ace mods for us consumer/players.

Xerin further highlights a few mods well worth using (like FuBar and Cartographer), and offers a few more reasons why you should consider Ace mods the next time you restart your UI from default. I am a huge fan of both of those. I've also gotten quite a lot of use out of the Ace version of ScrollingCombatText, Decursive, and Ratingbuster.

What about you, Massively? Any mods (Ace or otherwise) you can't live without?

MassivelyThe Ace2 revolution in World of Warcraft mods originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ace2fubarmodstitanpaneluiworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 28 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[It's a mod, mod world, says WoW's Drysc]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/its-a-mod-mod-world-says-wows-drysc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/its-a-mod-mod-world-says-wows-drysc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/its-a-mod-mod-world-says-wows-drysc/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Let's face it - if you've played any MMO for any significant amount of time, chances are you've made use of one mod or another during the course of your experience. Whether you picked it up to help you heal your raid, maximize your DPS, or to optimize your crafting efficiency, mods have always fallen into a sort of gray area as far as the terms of service are concerned, and have the subject of heated moral debate amongst players. After all, is it really fair to modify a game in such a way that gives you a decided advantage over the competition? We've always assumed this was the stance taken by most developers -- if it's not part of the game code, it's not sanctioned by the developers. That is, until we caught this bit on the blue tracker last week.

Drysc, a "blue" mod over on the World of Warcraft forums, came out in support of mods -- citing how they help demonstrate features that the player base feels are lacking in the retail code. He said that many of the features that WoW employs today were inspired in whole or in part by fan-created mods. He even punctuated one post on the subject with, "I <3 mods." Now, we know that Blizzard has at least acknowledged the usefulness of mods in the past, but they've taken some more contrary measures, like patching games in such a way as to fundamentally break certain mods. To hear a dev step outside of this tenuous acquiescence and throw full-on support for mods still threw us for a loop.

MassivelyIt's a mod, mod world, says WoW's Drysc originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsblizzardbluecheatingdryscforumsmodsworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 24 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CoX Splasher]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-splasher/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-splasher/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/cox-splasher/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Poking around on the CoX forums this morning I came across an amazing little tool brought to us by the blossoming development community surfacing in the player base of the game. This fabulous bit of coding is called Splasher, and it's a program that allows you to customize the login and character selection screens for your client.

Beyond simply letting you put up a custom screenshot, the program includes a music function that will let you change the music played for you when the game loads. In this way you can create a custom anthem for your hero to serenade you while you select which character you would like to roam Paragon City with. In addition to the customizable music, there is also a randomizer function that will select a random custom login screen for you from a selection that you put into the program. I created a login screen that featured my favorite moments from Trick or Treating last month. You can download Splasher here, and soon you'll be on the road to a custom login of your very own.

MassivelyCoX Splasher originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Add-onsaddonsCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCohsplasherCoVCoXcustom-login-screenhow-toModsSplasherMon, 19 Nov 2007 17:01:00 EST