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[Rise and Shiny recap: Minions of Mirth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/24/rise-and-shiny-recap-minions-of-mirth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/24/rise-and-shiny-recap-minions-of-mirth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/24/rise-and-shiny-recap-minions-of-mirth/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

You know, I am all for "old-school" MMO gaming. In fact, I will be writing up my very own Soapbox about old-school travel, mainly because I enjoy it very much but think that developers can do so much more to satisfy those of us who enjoy playing the slow, simple way. So when I first started playing Minions of Mirth again (I took a short look at it last year), I fully expected to be down with whatever old-school challenges it threw at me.

I was surprised in a few ways and annoyed in others. It's hard to describe the feeling of playing a game that reminds you of other games in so many ways yet does a good enough job in combining those reminders that you feel like you might be in some alien hybrid world.

Let me tell you all about it. Join me after the cut, will you?

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Minions of Mirth

MassivelyRise and Shiny recap: Minions of Mirth originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beau-hindmanf2pfeaturedfree-to-playftpindependentminions-of-mirthmomprairie-gamesrise-and-shinySun, 24 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MV Guide: April 17 - 24, 2011]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/mv-guide-april-17-24-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/mv-guide-april-17-24-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/mv-guide-april-17-24-2011/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers.

Ready to see what's on the schedule for the week? Follow along to see!

Continue reading MV Guide: April 17 - 24, 2011

MassivelyMV Guide: April 17 - 24, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfeaturedguild-warsgwlivestreamminions-of-mirthmommv-guideriftrift-planes-of-telarastar-trek-onlinestovanguardvgxsyonMon, 18 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How much content should an expansion have?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/the-daily-grind-how-much-content-should-an-expansion-have/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/the-daily-grind-how-much-content-should-an-expansion-have/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/20/the-daily-grind-how-much-content-should-an-expansion-have/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Everyone's got an expansion out right now -- EverQuest II has The Shadow Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings Online has Mines of Moria, World of Warcraft has Wrath of the Lich King, EVE Online has Quantum Rise -- there's no end to it, but then that's the point, isn't it?

Well, you'd think that, anyway. Word on the street is that there are already Death Knights at level 80, and all the raid content in Wrath has been completed. One player reached level 80 in only 27 hours. Over a year of development for one week of content? Are MMO players just too damned hardcore, or did Blizzard aim too low? How much content should you be getting for $30 or $40 and your continued subscription, anyway?

There are some folks out there who (to continue using WoW as an example) are still hacking through The Burning Crusade's content, or even the classic stuff. How do you think a balance can be struck between those folks, and the crews who have already bested all the Wrath content?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How much content should an expansion have? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardccpdiscussioneq2eveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionexpansionslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamomopinionquantum-risesoetdgthe-daily-grindthe-shadow-odysseyturbineworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingThu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do expansions cheapen all that hard work?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/the-daily-grind-do-expansions-cheapen-all-that-hard-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/the-daily-grind-do-expansions-cheapen-all-that-hard-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/the-daily-grind-do-expansions-cheapen-all-that-hard-work/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It happened with The Burning Crusade -- players had spent months raiding at level 60 to get the very best gear, and when TBC came out, people were getting green drops with better stats than the best raid drops after only a couple of levels. A lot of hardcore players were annoyed, while some just accepted it as the natural motion of things.

We've got at least three big expansions coming up in the next few weeks -- Wrath of the Lich King for World of Warcraft, Mines of Moria for The Lord of the Rings Online, and The Shadow Odyssey for EverQuest II. With the level caps going up in WoW and LotRO, we're expecting a similar situation to what we saw with TBC. How do you feel about this? Can it be avoided, should it? Maybe it's good to level the playing field now and then. Let us know!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do expansions cheapen all that hard work? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddiscussioneverquest-2everquest-iiexpansionslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamommoriaopinionsoetbctdgthe-burning-crusadethe-daily-grindthe-shadow-odysseytsoturbineworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingTue, 11 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Lord of the Rings Online's Welcome Back Weekend event starts tomorrow]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-welcome-back-weekend-event-starts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-welcome-back-weekend-event-starts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-welcome-back-weekend-event-starts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


With The Lord of the Rings Online's Mines of Moria expansion slated to hit store shelves on November 18th, Turbine is taking extra measures to entice old players to come back with another Welcome Back Weekend. This has been done a couple of times before, so you might know the drill, but in case you don't here goes!

From tomorrow through November 17th, all former subscribers in good standing can play for free, no commitment required. During that period, everyone -- former subscribers and current -- will receive 25% extra experience from monsters, which will stack with rested XP. These are pretty simple incentives, but if they're enough to bring you in, you can download either the standard or high-resolution client and get started tomorrow.

EDIT: We read wrong! While the XP gains push through the 17th, the free play period only lasts through the 10th. Thanks, Bissrok.

MassivelyThe Lord of the Rings Online's Welcome Back Weekend event starts tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-XPbonus-xp-weekendexpansionfree-playlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamompromotionturbinewelcome-back-weekendxpWed, 05 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How's LotRO treatin' ya?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/the-daily-grind-hows-lotro-treatin-ya/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/the-daily-grind-hows-lotro-treatin-ya/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/the-daily-grind-hows-lotro-treatin-ya/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With the Age of Conan launch not far behind us, and the release dates of Warhammer Online and Wrath of the Lich King coming up soon, The Lord of the Rings Online hasn't been getting much attention as of late. That's a pity, really, since it's just hitting its stride, with the Mines of Moria expansion coming out this fall as well.

Turbine has been shy about releasing subscription numbers, but an educated guess could place LotRO in the #2 spot as far as subscription-based, western MMOs go. So to give LotRO a little much-deserved attention, we decided to ask you: how's LotRO treating you these days? Turbine has had over a year to polish the game. How's it coming? And if you're a LotRO player now, will WAR or WotLK draw you away? Or do you expect Mines of Moria satisfy all your MMO cravings this year?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How's LotRO treatin' ya? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblizzardcodemastersdiscussioneafuncomlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamommythicopiniontdgthe-daily-grindtolkienturbinewarwarhammer-onlinewotlkwrath-of-the-lich-kingSat, 30 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[More on Moria: Massively interviews Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/more-on-moria-massively-interviews-turbines-jeffrey-steefel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/more-on-moria-massively-interviews-turbines-jeffrey-steefel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/more-on-moria-massively-interviews-turbines-jeffrey-steefel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,



After last Friday's exciting announcement from Turbine -- the Mines of Moria LotRO expansion -- we were hungry for more. Fortunately, we got it: we managed to sit down with executive producer Jeffrey Steefel, the man behind the news, to quiz him on MoM and all things LotRO. Read on for more on Volume II, nerfbats and an insight into Turbine's development process.

For more LotRO coverage don't miss our player Q&A report, teasers and rundown of the teaser site -- and keep your eyes glued to Massively, as we'll bring you all the MoM news we can over the coming months!

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Gallery

Continue reading More on Moria: Massively interviews Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel

MassivelyMore on Moria: Massively interviews Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>book-13book-14codemastersconnect08expansionfeaturedinterviewjeffrey steefeljeffrey-steefelJeffreySteefeljoystiqfeatureslord of the rings onlinelord-of-the-rings-onlineLordOfTheRingsOnlinelotromines of moriamines-of-moriaMinesOfMoriamompatchsteefelturbineMon, 17 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST