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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[LotRO launches its Fifth Anniversary Festival]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anniversary/" rel="tag">Anniversary</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/"><img alt="LotRO" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/04/lotro5.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>Lord of the Rings Online's</em></a> fifth anniversary is upon us, and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine">Turbine</a> is determined to make it a party to remember! Today the studio has released <em>LotRO's</em> <a href="http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Update_6.1_Official">Update 6.1</a>, the centerpiece of which is the completely <a href="http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/1895">revamped and upgraded Anniversary Festival</a>.<br />
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While the anniversary was perceived as a haphazard affair in previous years, <a href="http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/devdiaries/1899-anniversary-2012-developer-diary">Turbine's devs have fleshed it out</a> to rival the other four annual festivals. The focus of the Anniversary Festival is on fireworks and lots of them. There are several new quests to discover, a new fireworks-themed mount to obtain, and beer battles to win.<br />
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Because reaching five years is a big deal for any MMO, Turbine's also <a href="http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/1894">showering players with free gifts</a> if they log in during this period. The gifts range from fireworks to cloaks to a special mount that is reserved for five-year veterans of the game.<br />
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During the anniversary, monsters will drop special tokens that can be redeemed for a wide variety of prizes. There's also a double-XP weekend coming up, which will run from April 24th through the 30th.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/">LotRO launches its Fifth Anniversary Festival</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20216437/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/lotro-launches-its-fifth-anniversary-festival/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>5th-anniversary</category><category>5th-anniversary-festival</category><category>6.1</category><category>6.1-update</category><category>anniversary</category><category>anniversary-festival</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>festival</category><category>fifth-anniversary</category><category>fifth-anniversary-festival</category><category>fireworks</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>gifts</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>mount</category><category>patch</category><category>patch-6.1</category><category>patch-notes</category><category>prizes</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>update</category><category>update-6.1</category><category>update-notes</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wizard101 throws massive mount sale]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/kids/" rel="tag">Kids</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizard101/" rel="tag">Wizard101</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/"><img alt="Wizard101" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/04/wizard101.jpg" /></a></div>
It's a good time to be in the market for a new mode of transportation, especially if you're a cash-strapped wizard or witch in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizard101"><em>Wizard101</em></a>. The annual <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/mount-a-palooza">Mount-a-Palooza</a> is back, and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/kingsisle">KingsIsle Entertainment</a> is magically shrinking costs and teleporting in rare inventory to make as many customers as happy as possible.<br />
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From now through Sunday, April 22nd, players can snag any permanent mount in the in-game store at a whopping 60% off the list price. Some of the mounts in the store will be only available during this brief window, as KingsIsle is retiring four mounts at the end of the sale while bringing back three other previous retirees for impulse shoppers to peruse.<br />
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And if you like <em>Wizard101 </em>mounts, you might want to keep an eye on Massively tomorrow. Our crystal ball says that your future may look bright if you do!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/">Wizard101 throws massive mount sale</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20214488/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/wizard101-throws-massive-mount-sale/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>deal</category><category>discount</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>kingsisle</category><category>kingsisle-entertainment</category><category>mount</category><category>mount-a-polooza</category><category>mounts</category><category>sale</category><category>wizard101</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Amazon offers exclusive mount for TERA pre-orders]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/tera/" rel="tag">TERA</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/promotions/" rel="tag">Promotions</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/"><img alt="TERA" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/04/horse.jpg" /></a></div>
With <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/tera"><em>TERA's</em></a> May launch coming up in under a month, the window to pre-order the action MMO is shrinking daily. Those who are loyal members of the En Masse Army have a tough decision to make at this juncture: Where should you pre-order? Amazon hopes that you'll choose it, of course, and has a unique bonus to tip your favor in its direction.<br />
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Amazon has worked out a special deal with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/en-masse-entertainment">En Masse</a> to entice players to its store. Those who <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RIGE12">pre-order with Amazon.com</a> will be guaranteed an in-game horse mount that's decked out in all manner of wicked-looking armor (note that the armor appearance gives no armor bonuses.) It's called the Pinto, and it won't be found anywhere else. In addition to this special mount, pre-orders guarantee a three-day head start to the game, name reservations, and in-game gear.<br />
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There's added incentive to getting in on any of <em>TERA's</em> pre-orders if you haven't already, as they'll secure your spot in the next beta test, which is scheduled for April 20th. Also be sure to check out a new teaser trailer after the jump that was released exclusively for Amazon for those looking to learn a bit more about the game.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Amazon offers exclusive mount for TERA pre-orders</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/">Amazon offers exclusive mount for TERA pre-orders</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20210400/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/amazon-offers-exclusive-mount-for-tera-pre-orders/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>amazon</category><category>amazon.com</category><category>armored-pinto</category><category>beta</category><category>beta-test</category><category>beta-weekend</category><category>bluehole</category><category>bluehole-studios</category><category>en-masse</category><category>en-masse-entertainment</category><category>fantasy</category><category>mount</category><category>open-beta-test</category><category>pre-order</category><category>pre-order-bonuses</category><category>tera</category><category>trailer</category><category>unique-mount</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Ride to ruin and the world's ending!]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-road-to-mordor/" rel="tag">The Road to Mordor</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/"><img alt="LotRO" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/horse1.jpg" /></a></div>
Mounted combat's been on my mind a lot lately, particularly when I was galloping around Dunland and various clansmen knocked me off my horse. It was then that I wished I had a skill called "Trample to a Bloody Pulp -- For Rohan!" and that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine</a> would finally earn that AO rating it's always craved. Barring that skill, I would just love a massive war horse that would send enemies fleeing from me instead of making a beeline for my knees (which are a prime target for arrows).<br />
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I'm both excited and nervous about the mounted combat system coming in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/riders-of-rohan/"><em>Riders of Rohan</em></a>. I'm excited that it will open up a new style of gameplay in this five-year-old game and nervous that it'll drag <a href="http://www.lotro.com"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> down if it's not done right. Whatever type of horseback combat we might envision will surely be different than the final product, and that uncertainty leaves me feeling in limbo.<br />
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More than anything else, <em>Riders of Rohan</em> is about mounted combat. Turbine's centering the expansion around it, dedicating an entire zone to it, and developing loads of assets and skills for it, and the company will undoubtedly be hyping it strongly over the course of the summer. It's a bold step to take but a necessary one as well, as the IP and nation of Rohan are steeped in mounted combat, and it's been a little weird that we've had to dismount to swing a sword ever since leaving the shire.<br />
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So will mounted combat prevail, fail, or muddle in the middle?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Road to Mordor: Ride to ruin and the world's ending!</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/">The Road to Mordor: Ride to ruin and the world's ending!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20199044/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/24/the-road-to-mordor-ride-to-ruin-and-the-worlds-ending/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Age-of-Conan</category><category>argent-tournament</category><category>east-plains</category><category>f2p</category><category>Fallen-Earth</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>Forsaken-World</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>jousting</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>mount</category><category>mounted-combat</category><category>mounts</category><category>opinion</category><category>riders-of-rohan</category><category>rise-of-isengard</category><category>road-to-mordor</category><category>rohan</category><category>Tales-of-Fantasy</category><category>the-road-to-mordor</category><category>trample</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>war-horses</category><category>war-steed</category><category>war-steeds</category><category>warbands</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Did someone say 3.0?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion/" rel="tag">Aion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wings-over-atreia/" rel="tag">Wings Over Atreia</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/"><img alt="Wings Over Atreia header" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/woaheader-1332049413.jpg" /></a></div>
You might be a bit weary of hearing about the launch of <em><a href="http://na.aiononline.com/">Aion's</a></em> next big thing. Then again, maybe you just can't get enough. Everyone in the former group can conclude his reading here because this week's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Ascension/">Ascension</a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/aion-ascension-and-f2p-launch-date-set/">launch date announcement</a> and subsequent information deluge offered plenty of new tidbits to share. And share I must. It is my civic duty.<br />
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<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0/">Previously</a>, we explored the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/">different</a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/05/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-verse-three-crafting/">aspects</a> of 3.0 using the translated Korean patch notes. Those are all well and good for giving us a good basis for what to expect, but there are always little changes in the western release of the game (see instance names), not to mention exact details of some of the systems (like mounts) are lacking. Luckily <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion">Aion's</a></em> newly released official <a href="http://gameguide.na.aiononline.com/aion/3.0+Feature+Guide+-+Ascension">game guide</a>, though incomplete, has new information to pass along to interested Daevas. And let's not forget the unexpected goodness of the impending free-to-play model. Yup, I can definitely find a few more things to chat about there.<br />
<br />
If you are still reading, then either you had your interest rekindled or you are patiently waiting for me to get to the goods. So let's get on with it!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Wings Over Atreia: Did someone say 3.0?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/">Wings Over Atreia: Did someone say 3.0?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20195382/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/wings-over-atreia-did-someone-say-3-0/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>3.0</category><category>3.0-patch</category><category>aion</category><category>aion-3.0</category><category>Aion-Ascension</category><category>Arden-Manor</category><category>ascension</category><category>Dorgal-Manor</category><category>Elementis-Forest</category><category>f2p</category><category>fabled</category><category>fabled-gear</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>Landis-Forest</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>opinion</category><category>patch-3.0</category><category>Rentus-Base</category><category>truly-free</category><category>wings-over-atreia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[MJ Guthrie]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Ode to 3.0, second verse]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion/" rel="tag">Aion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wings-over-atreia/" rel="tag">Wings Over Atreia</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/"><img alt="Wings Over Atreia header" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/woaheaderasmo-1330203301.jpg" /></a></div>
Encore!<br />
<br />
<em>You are my expansion,<br />
My favorite expansion,<br />
You'll make me happy<br />
With a house and more.<br />
You have to know, dear,<br />
How much I want you!<br />
Please hurry the expansion to my door!</em><br />
<br />
Just when I thought I was getting a handle on waiting for <em><a href="http://na.aiononline.com/">Aion's</a></em> sorta-soon-to-be-released 3.0 patch, <a href="http://us.ncsoft.com/en/">NCsoft</a> went and announced a slightly less nebulous launch date of "<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/21/the-wait-is-over-aions-3-0-and-f2p-conversion-announced/">this spring</a>." Our patch-to-be even has the auspicious privilege of having a name: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Ascension/">Ascension</a>. And you know a name means extra special! WOOO! I, of course, started a requisite wing-flapping celebratory dance, but my tune soon changed: As exciting as this news was, I quickly realized that the more concrete the knowledge, the more I wanted it to release already. GAH -- this wait is truly taxing my patience! There is just so much to look forward to.<br />
<br />
Last week I regaled you with a <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0/">stirring, soulful rendition</a> of anticipation for 3.0. Together we explored just a few of the goodies in store for patient and -- luckily for me -- not-so-patient Daevas alike. This week the recital continues, and as promised, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wings-over-atreia">Wings Over Atreia</a> takes another peek at more of the features coming our way and highlights some of the more tantalizing additions and changes, including new fortresses with their own unique siege system, XP changes, mounts, and more.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Wings Over Atreia: Ode to 3.0, second verse</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/">Wings Over Atreia: Ode to 3.0, second verse</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20164314/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/27/wings-over-atreia-ode-to-3-0-second-verse/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>3.0</category><category>3.0-patch</category><category>aion</category><category>aion-3.0</category><category>aion-ascension</category><category>aion-crucible</category><category>aion-game</category><category>expansion</category><category>featured</category><category>grind-reduction</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>nc-soft</category><category>nc-soft-aion</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>ncsoft-aion</category><category>patch-3.0</category><category>reducing-grind</category><category>reducing-xp-grind</category><category>siege</category><category>sieges</category><category>sieging</category><category>vehicle</category><category>vehicles</category><category>xp-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[MJ Guthrie]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/"><img alt="LotRO" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/treasure.jpg" /></a></div>
Deep under the soil of Middle-earth are riches galore, and only the Dwarves know where to dig. Fortunately for players, the Dwarves are totally fine with interlopers coming along to try their luck at finding a bit of buried treasure -- and they've even made an event out of it.<br />
<br />
While <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/the-road-to-mordor-treasure-hunting/">we previously saw a test run of the Buried Treasure event</a> in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Turbine/">Turbine's</a> put forth <a href="http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/devdiaries/1762-developer-diary-buried-treasure">a dev diary</a> that indicates we should be seeing more of it fairly soon. The event challenges players to flock to a treasure field, grab some picks, and get diggin' for booty. There's a strategy behind it that utilizes trained animals and dowsing sticks to find the best goods, although treasure hunters can just start digging randomly as well.<br />
<br />
The treasure will vary in size and quality, ranging from special mounts and cosmetic gear to more picks and barter tokens. While players can earn picks in-game through a repeatable quest, Turbine will also be selling them through the <em>LotRO </em>store for those who want to speed up their winnings.<br />
<br />
The dev diary posted several pictures of the nifty rewards that can be mined and states that the event is "seasonally agnostic," coming and going at various times during the year.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/">LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20169372/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>buried-treasure</category><category>buried-treasure-event</category><category>cosmetic</category><category>cosmetic-outfit</category><category>dev-diary</category><category>event</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>in-game-event</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>lotro-store</category><category>mount</category><category>outfit</category><category>outfits</category><category>picks</category><category>treasure-hunter-pick</category><category>treasure-hunting</category><category>treasure-hunting-pick</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Battle.net Balance boots up]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/"><img alt="Battle.net" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/battlenet.jpg" /></a></div>
<em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/diablo-III/">Diablo III</a></em> may not be out yet, but that's no good reason not to be filling up your virtual coffers for the day that it hits the streets! <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/blizzard/">Blizzard</a> has thrown the switch on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/battle.net-balance/">Battle.net Balance</a>, activating its online payment service that allows players to charge up their Battle.net funds to purchase various Blizzard game services.<br />
<br />
The new Balance system can be used to buy <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft"><em>World of Warcraft</em></a> game time (although you can't set up a recurring subscription with it), in-game pets and mounts, paid account services in <em>WoW</em> such as character transfers, digital copies of Blizzard titles, and the opportunity to buy and sell items on <em>Diablo III's</em> auction house. It's important to note that not all regions will be able to participate in <em>Diablo III's</em> real-money transactions, however.<br />
<br />
Once real money has been funneled into Battle.net Balance, it cannot be converted back into cash. Blizzard does state that in some regions, players will have an option to get cash back on <em>Diablo III</em> auction sales via PayPal. The company also mentioned that there is a cap on how much any player can have in his or her Balance account and that there are potentially region-specific expiration dates for Balance funds.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/">Battle.net Balance boots up</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20165974/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/battle-net-balance-boots-up/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>battle.net</category><category>battle.net-balance</category><category>battlenet</category><category>d3</category><category>diablo-3</category><category>diablo-iii</category><category>diii</category><category>game-time</category><category>microtransactions</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>paypal</category><category>pet</category><category>pets</category><category>real-money-trading</category><category>real-money-transactions</category><category>rmt</category><category>subscriptions</category><category>virtual-wallet</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Earn prizes in Allods Online's 14-day giveaway event]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/allods-online/" rel="tag">Allods Online</a></p><div style="text-align: center">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/"><img alt="Allods Online title image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/allods.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0px solid; border-left: 0px solid; margin: 4px; border-top: 0px solid; border-right: 0px solid" /></a></div>
To celebrate the upcoming release of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/allods-online"><em>Allods Online</em></a>'s patch 3.0, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/gpotato">gPotato</a> is giving away prizes to players who log in on the days leading up to and following the patch. The event starts on February 7th and will run until February 21st, with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/allods-online-game-of-gods-coming-february-15th/">the patch arriving in the middle</a> on February 14th. Players who log in for a full hour each day during the event will receive progressively valuable rewards, with the best reward saved for those who log in for an hour during all 14 days.<br />
<br />
Prizes start with special coins for the first day and rapidly ramp up to consumables and costumes, with a Sinister Lion mount for players who log in during all 14 days. To qualify each day, one hour must be spent playing the game before midnight by your server's clock; the time can be split across multiple characters on your account and the prizes are limited to one set per account. gPotato requests that all players entering the contest log out before midnight each day as staying logged in may make you ineligible for that day. As this is a tiered event, players who miss even a single day will never be able to get the top prize of a Sinister Lion mount. For a full list of prizes and contest terms, head over to <a href="http://allods-forum.gpotato.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&amp;t=51640&amp;sid=vrn21mg803ii09md06bpm6c8c1">the official contest announcement</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/">Earn prizes in Allods Online's 14-day giveaway event</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20164775/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/earn-prizes-in-allods-onlines-14-day-giveaway-event/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>allods</category><category>allods-online</category><category>astrum-nival</category><category>competition</category><category>contest</category><category>costumes</category><category>event</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>gala-net</category><category>gpotato</category><category>mount</category><category>news</category><category>play-for-rewards</category><category>prizes</category><category>sinister-lion</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brendan Drain]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Leaderboard: Mechanized vs. monster mounts]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/humor/" rel="tag">Humor</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/leaderboard/" rel="tag">Leaderboard</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/"><img alt="Leaderboard" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/01/leaderboard.jpg" /></a></div>
Unless you're stuck in the invisible wall, no jumping, running-with-your-hands-flopping-about hell of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars"><em>Guild Wars</em></a>, chances are you've gotten the opportunity to pick up a mount or two in an MMO. It's one of the ways that MMOs are so superior to the real world: There are no driver tests, no insurance policies, no (usually) gas. You just plop down some money and the vendor looks the other way while you go off-roading in a major metropolitan area.<br />
<br />
But it wouldn't be a Leaderboard if we didn't force you to choose between your '67 Mustang and your pet Tauntaun, and so it shall be. In the world of mounts, there are two categories: the mechanized and the monsters. Vehicle mounts may be more rare due to fantasy's dominance over the genre, but they're still there and quite popular for the set that doesn't appreciate staring at horse doody all the live-long day. Then again, the fantastic creatures that have served as animal mounts are unceasing in variety as they are in style.<br />
<br />
So what shall it be? Will you plug Old Yeller and go with your motorcycle, or will you mothball your favorite dune buggy in favor of Seabiscuit? Vote after the jump!<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Leaderboard: Mechanized vs. monster mounts</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/">Leaderboard: Mechanized vs. monster mounts</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20159744/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>animal</category><category>car</category><category>featured</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>gw</category><category>horse</category><category>leaderboard</category><category>mechanized</category><category>monster</category><category>motorcycle</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>old-yeller</category><category>opinion</category><category>poll</category><category>seabiscuit</category><category>vehicle</category><category>vehicles</category><category>vote</category><category>voters</category><category>votes</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do MMOs coddle us too much in the early game?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/07/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/07/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/07/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/"><img alt="Aika" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/12/aika-1323182938.jpg" /></a></div>
As much as I loved playing <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/rift"><em>RIFT</em></a> this year -- and I truly did -- one of my biggest critiques happened to be something beloved by many. This was the fact that the early game was so skewed toward giving you everything all at once: access to mounts and all of your class souls (and several builds). As nice as it was for the moment, I soon realized that it robbed me of that strong desire I usually have to want to level and reach significant milestones in my journey, as marked by finally getting said mount or finally gaining access to new classes.<br />
<br />
The devs said that these changes were a result of player feedback, of which I have no doubt -- if you're going to ask players if they want everything as soon as they start a game, they're going to say "yes" whether it's a good idea or not. In practice, it felt like the game was coddling our new characters so much that we weren't put in much danger or had to struggle hard to gain these shiny toys.<br />
<br />
What say you? In your MMO of choice, does the game coddle newbies so much that it picks them up every time they stub their toes, is it a perfect balance of challenge and ease, or is it even too difficult? Is coddling a good thing to retain new players or is it bad for the game over the long haul?<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/09/coffee.jpg" style="padding-right: 10px;" vspace="0" /><em>Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/the-daily-grind/">Daily Grind</a>!</em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/07/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/">The Daily Grind: Do MMOs coddle us too much in the early game?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/07/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20121664/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/07/the-daily-grind-do-mmos-coddle-us-too-much-in-the-early-game/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>builds</category><category>class</category><category>classes</category><category>coddle</category><category>devs</category><category>early-game</category><category>featured</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>newbies</category><category>opinion</category><category>rift</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lord of the Rings Online adding mount emotes]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/giveaways/" rel="tag">Giveaways</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/"><img alt="Lord of the Rings Online" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mounts.jpg" /></a></div>
Emotes: They're not just for Elves, Hobbits, Dwarves, and Men any longer. Naaay, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine</a> is preparing to give emote love in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> to player mounts as well. Players' horses and goats will soon be able to rear up, kick, and bow with the best of them.<br />
<br />
While the emotes are not yet available in the game, CM <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Sapience/">Sapience</a> <a href="http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?&amp;postid=5779207#post5779207">announced on the forums</a> that players have a chance to win one for free through the <em>LotRO </em>lottos:
<blockquote class="bq-standard">
	All weekend long we'll be running lotteries for the brand new, unreleased, Mounted Rear Up emote. That's right, Mount Emotes are coming to the <em>LotRO</em> Store! Enter the lotteries this weekend and you could win it for free, before your friends can buy it. You'll have a few weeks to show it off and brag before it hits the <em>LotRO </em>Store.<br />
	<br />
	Check back often as new lotteries will be starting randomly throughout the weekend and on Halloween!</blockquote>
The <em>LotRO </em>lottery system is available on the <a href="http://my.lotro.com">my.lotro website</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/">Lord of the Rings Online adding mount emotes</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20092239/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/lord-of-the-rings-online-adding-mount-emotes/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>a-casual-stroll-to-mordor</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>giveaway</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>lotro-lottery</category><category>lotro-lotto</category><category>lotro-store</category><category>mount</category><category>mount-emote</category><category>mount-emotes</category><category>mounts</category><category>my.lotro</category><category>promotion</category><category>sapience</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[EverQuest introduces pegasuses (pegasi?) to the Marketplace]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest/" rel="tag">EverQuest</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/"><img alt="Screenshot -- EverQuest pegasus" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/pegasus.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
	Citizens of Norrath, have you ever wanted to soar about the land on the back of a horse that, inexplicably, has wings? If you answered yes, then you think about some awfully specific things. Also, you're in luck.<br />
	<br />
	<a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/sony-online-entertainment">Sony Online Entertainment</a> has announced that your dreams can now come true, as a number of pegasus mounts have been added to <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/everquest"><em>EverQuest</em></a>'s Marketplace. Yeah, that's right, it's going to cost you a bit of cash, but isn't it worth it to fly around on a frilly little equine-avian hybrid? Of course it is, now hush and go look at the pictures in the gallery below.<br />
	<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/everquest-pegasus-mount/">EverQuest Pegasus mount</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/everquest-pegasus-mount/#4522014"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/1-1318448489_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/everquest-pegasus-mount/#4522015"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/2-1318448490_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/everquest-pegasus-mount/#4522016"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/3-1318448491_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/everquest-pegasus-mount/#4522017"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/4-1318448492_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/everquest-pegasus-mount/#4522018"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/5-1318448493_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/">EverQuest introduces pegasuses (pegasi?) to the Marketplace</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20080103/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/everquest-introduces-pegasuses-pegasi-to-the-marketplace/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>eq</category><category>everquest</category><category>marketplace</category><category>microtransaction</category><category>microtransactions</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>pegasi</category><category>pegasus</category><category>soe</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>what-is-the-plural</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Daniel]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: A 'Top Gear' look at mounts]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-tattered-notebook/" rel="tag">The Tattered Notebook</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/"><img alt="EQII fire spirit mount" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/eqii-fire-spirit-mount.jpg" /></a></div>
Previously, I've been writing about the weighty topic of free-to-play vs. live subscription servers in <a href="http://everquest2.com/"><em>EverQuest II</em></a>. This week, I'd like to switch gears, both figuratively and literally, to talk about speed. I've recently become a fan of the show Top Gear, a British program(me) that is completely devoted to the love of cars. I don't know why -- I'm not really into cars, and my Volkswagon Passat Wagon hardly qualifies as a car with a soul. But I was watching a recent episode, the one in which Jeremy was driving an Aston Martin across country, and I thought about how far <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/"><em>EQII's</em></a> mount selection has grown. Gone are the days when your choices ranged from a horse with brown spots to a horse with white spots to the really impressive horse with brown and white spots. The only unique mounts back then were the Paladin and Shadow Knight "fun" mounts.<br />
<br />
Today, there are dozens of different types of mounts that run, leap, glide, and fly. And they're not all just marketplace quick hits; several are easily attained from simple quests or live events. In this week's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-tattered-notebook/">Tattered Notebook</a>, I'll look at a few of my favorite mounts with an ode to Top Gear.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Tattered Notebook: A 'Top Gear' look at mounts</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/">The Tattered Notebook: A 'Top Gear' look at mounts</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20076322/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/08/the-tattered-notebook-a-top-gear-look-at-mounts/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>eq-2</category><category>eq-ii</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>EverQuest-2</category><category>everquest-2-extended</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>everquest-ii-extended</category><category>everquest2</category><category>favorites</category><category>featured</category><category>fire-spirit-steed</category><category>flying-carpet-mount</category><category>flying-mounts</category><category>gliders</category><category>horse</category><category>horse-of-a-different-color</category><category>horses</category><category>karen-bryan</category><category>moonlight-enchantments</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>opinion</category><category>tattered-notebook</category><category>top-gear</category><category>treeglider</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Karen Bryan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Ghosts]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/galleries/" rel="tag">Galleries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/polls/" rel="tag">Polls</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lore/" rel="tag">Lore</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/choose-my-adventure/" rel="tag">Choose My Adventure</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/rift/" rel="tag">RIFT</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/livestream/" rel="tag">Livestream</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/"><img alt="Choose My Adventure: Ghosts" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/cma-108.jpg" /></a></div>
If any of you have been following <a href="http://twitter.com/shaddoe">me on Twitter</a>, then you know that I have been extremely active in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/rift/"><em>RIFT</em></a> this week. However, I did not gain the levels I had hoped. I am currently level 17, which is nice, but I had hoped to be level 19 or 20 by now. I will definitely get there this week.<br />
<br />
I cannot say this enough: Visually, <em>RIFT</em> is stunning. Below you'll find the gallery of my adventures; I included 19 new screenshots this week. They complement Seriia's story throughout Freemarch and especially the Scarred Mire. The gallery includes some excellent screenshots of Jakub the Tyrant, Alsbeth the Discordant, and March Warden Eliam. My new mount and the Abyssal visions from the daily half-birthday quests also make an appearance.<br />
<br />
After the break, Seriia dreams of ghosts and tyrants. Eliam Fields seems to be a home for her; she loves the place. Also, I need your help with invasions -- I am not exactly performing the way I would like to in large group activities. Maybe a new soul will help. Let me know what you think after the break.<br />
<br />
Let the Telaran adventure begin!<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/cma-rift/">CMA: RIFT</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/cma-rift/#4464468"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/cma-110-01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/cma-rift/#4464469"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/cma-110-02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/cma-rift/#4464470"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/cma-110-03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/cma-rift/#4464471"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/cma-110-04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/cma-rift/#4464472"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/cma-110-05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Choose My Adventure: Ghosts</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/">Choose My Adventure: Ghosts</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20035284/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/choose-my-adventure-ghosts/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alsbeth</category><category>alsbeth-the-discordant</category><category>choose-my-adventure</category><category>cma</category><category>eliam</category><category>featured</category><category>gallery</category><category>ghosts</category><category>haunted</category><category>Jakub</category><category>kitter</category><category>livestream</category><category>lore</category><category>mount</category><category>Patrek</category><category>planes-of-telara</category><category>poll</category><category>polls</category><category>rift</category><category>rift-planes-of-telara</category><category>roleplay-event</category><category>scarred-mire</category><category>screenshots</category><category>seriia</category><category>tombs</category><category>trion</category><category>trion-worlds</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Everett]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[PvP, slivers and crocodiles: RIFT outlines patch 1.4]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/rift/" rel="tag">RIFT</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/07/legacy.jpg" /></a></div>
While <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/rift/"><em>RIFT's</em></a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/patch-1.4/">patch 1.4</a> has been on the test servers <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/rift-patch-1-4-arriving-on-test-servers-tomorrow/">for a couple weeks now</a>, we've finally received concrete details about <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/trion-worlds/">Trion Worlds'</a> latest update to this dynamic MMO. Titled "Legacy of the Fallen," 1.4 follows up the recent world event with a new epic quest line and a 10-man instance revolving around the continued threat of the Abyssal.<br />
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The epic chain, called the Water Saga, not only reveals the truth about the origins of the Abyssal cult, but gives players an opportunity to score high-end loot and a special crocnard mount. Those looking for more group-oriented activities may want to check out the Drowned Halls, a 10-person sliver that presents an alternate view of history where the Abyssal have conquered Telara.<br />
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Patch 1.4 has plenty of PvP action as well, including PvP rifts and alternative forms of warfronts. There are plenty of other goodies in store from the <em>RIFT </em>team, including quest item storage, the LFG tool expanding cross-server, and several new crafting options. Currently, there is no date for the patch.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/">PvP, slivers and crocodiles: RIFT outlines patch 1.4</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20004967/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/pvp-slivers-and-crocodiles-rift-outlines-patch-1-4/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>1.4</category><category>abyssal</category><category>alternate-history</category><category>crafting</category><category>crocnard</category><category>crocnard-mount</category><category>crocodile</category><category>drowned-halls</category><category>epic-quest-line</category><category>epic-storyline</category><category>legacy-of-the-fallen</category><category>mount</category><category>patch-1.4</category><category>pvp</category><category>pvp-rifts</category><category>rift</category><category>rifts</category><category>sliver</category><category>the-drowned-halls</category><category>the-water-saga</category><category>trion</category><category>trion-worlds</category><category>water-saga</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ankama releases new Vulkania zone for DOFUS]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/07/ankama-releases-new-vulkania-zone-for-dofus/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/07/ankama-releases-new-vulkania-zone-for-dofus/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/07/ankama-releases-new-vulkania-zone-for-dofus/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dofus/" rel="tag">Dofus</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dofus"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/07/vulkaniaisland.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
<a href="http://dofus.com/"><em>DOFUS</em></a>, the free-to-play fantasy MMO from <a href="http://www.ankama-games.com/en">Ankama</a>, is embarking on a somewhat novel approach to new zone content. The game's newest map area is an archipelago called Vulkania, and it's only available to players during the months of July and August.<br />
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The isle features varying terrain including white sand beaches, tropical jungles, craters, and various caverns, not to mention strange wildlife. Among the new monster species are the sauroshell family and a pet/mount called a madreggon. According to an <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/ankama">Ankama</a> press release, "<em>Vulkania is also home to Grozilla and Grasmera, two terrors who are back to shake the World of Twelve once more</em>!"<br />
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The release also provides a concise summary of what we can expect from Vulkania aside from its monsters, and amenities include 40 new quests, 13 new equipment items, and 3 new titles. Check out the official <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dofus"><em>DOFUS</em></a> website <a href="http://dofus.com">for more</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/07/ankama-releases-new-vulkania-zone-for-dofus/">Ankama releases new Vulkania zone for DOFUS</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/07/ankama-releases-new-vulkania-zone-for-dofus/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19985372/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/07/ankama-releases-new-vulkania-zone-for-dofus/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ankama</category><category>dofus</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>grasmera</category><category>grozilla</category><category>madreggon</category><category>mount</category><category>pet</category><category>press-release</category><category>sauroshell</category><category>vulkania</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Leapers and gliders swoop into EverQuest II]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/leapers-and-gliders-swoop-into-everquest-ii/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/leapers-and-gliders-swoop-into-everquest-ii/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/leapers-and-gliders-swoop-into-everquest-ii/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://everquest2.com/news/read/current/3983"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/06/leaper-1308946825.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px;" /></a></div>
Slipping in under the cloud cover -- or soaring above it -- of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/exclusive-smedley-on-the-sunsetting-of-star-wars-galaxies/">a busy day</a> for <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe/">SOE</a> is the news that <a href="http://everquest2.com/news/read/current/3983">leapers and gliders have landed</a> in <a href="http://everquest2.com"><em>EverQuest II</em></a>. These are special mounts for lower-level characters that allow them to get a taste of flight without the full thing, by giving them either the ability to "super-jump" or glide for a good distance.<br />
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<a href="http://cms.aol.com/319/content/posts/edit/19976168/">We first heard about these mounts at E3</a>, where <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/david-georgeson/">David Georgeson</a> revealed how players as young as level 30 could start earning their wings (so to speak). As part of this update, ground mounts have had their speeds significantly increased, going from 65% to as high as 130%. Ground mounts are still faster than leapers and gliders on land, and players will have to stick to the same category of mount for alternate appearances (no flying rhinos, alas).<br />
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<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/"><em>EverQuest II</em></a> has the details about where to get your spiffy new mounts, and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/13/the-tattered-notebook-leapers-gliders-and-beastlords-oh-my/">don't miss our own thoughts</a> about how these jumpers and soarers will change the landscape of the game!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/leapers-and-gliders-swoop-into-everquest-ii/">Leapers and gliders swoop into EverQuest II</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/leapers-and-gliders-swoop-into-everquest-ii/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19976168/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/leapers-and-gliders-swoop-into-everquest-ii/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alternate-appearances</category><category>dave-georgeson</category><category>david-georgeson</category><category>e3</category><category>e3-2011</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>flyers</category><category>flying-rhino</category><category>leapers</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>soe</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Do the shopping cart: Prius Online opens item shop]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/do-the-shopping-cart-prius-online-opens-item-shop/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/do-the-shopping-cart-prius-online-opens-item-shop/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/do-the-shopping-cart-prius-online-opens-item-shop/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://prius.gpotato.com/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/06/prius.jpg" style="height: 312px; width: 530px; " /></a></div>
<a href="http://prius.gpotato.com/"><em>Prius Online</em></a> has taken another step toward full-fledged release, as <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/gpotato/">gPotato</a> opened the doors to an in-game item shop today. As with many free-to-play titles, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/prius-online/"><em>Prius Online</em></a> will chug along under the power of microtransactions from shop purchases.<br />
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The item shop will hold an attractive array of fun and useful goods, ranging from costumes to mounts to all manner of helpful trinkets. To celebrate the shop's opening, <em>Prius Online</em> is handing out a free Leaf of Oblivion to players who log in between June 15th and 19th. The Leaf is capable of resetting your skill points, including your initial job choice, so that you can respec into a better build.<br />
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<em>Prius Online</em> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/prius-online-open-beta-starts-today/">went into open beta earlier this month</a>, and any interested parties can check the game out by <a href="http://prius.gpotato.com/">visiting the website</a> and signing up!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/do-the-shopping-cart-prius-online-opens-item-shop/">Do the shopping cart: Prius Online opens item shop</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/do-the-shopping-cart-prius-online-opens-item-shop/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19967610/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/do-the-shopping-cart-prius-online-opens-item-shop/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cash-shop</category><category>costume</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>gala-net</category><category>gpotato</category><category>item-shop</category><category>item-store</category><category>leaf-of-oblivion</category><category>microtransaction</category><category>mount</category><category>prius</category><category>prius-online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Shots: Press 1 to charge, press 2 to breathe fire]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/30/one-shots-press-1-to-charge-press-2-to-breathe-fire/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/30/one-shots-press-1-to-charge-press-2-to-breathe-fire/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/30/one-shots-press-1-to-charge-press-2-to-breathe-fire/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/galleries/" rel="tag">Galleries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/" rel="tag">One Shots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/rift/" rel="tag">RIFT</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/05/2011-04-29220831.jpg"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/05/rift-rb-530.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
We're kicking off Mount Week on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/">One Shots</a> with the perfect blend of traditional and futuristic mounts: a robot horse. Today's image comes to us from Massively reader Clinton:<br />
<blockquote class="bq-standard">
	<em>In </em><a href="http://www.riftgame.com/en/">RIFT</a><em>, players have an option of playing one of two separate factions -- the Guardians and the Defiant. It's been noted that Defiant have a heavy majority of the population on lots of servers, and people have been trying to figure out why for a while. It's been in front of everyone's noses all this time -- the mounts! Who wouldn't want to ride a silver robotic horse with a dragon's head for the hindquarters?</em></blockquote>
While we have to agree that a robot horse with a dragon's head on its hindquarters is the very embodiment of awesome, we also know that there are more mounts out there that are just as awesome and/or unusual. Prove us right and grab a screenshot of your finest ride, be it hooved, feathered, wheeled, or otherwise. Send it to <a href="mailto:oneshots@massively.com">oneshots@massively.com</a> along with your name and the name of the game, and tell us a little about what we're seeing and how you came by that particular mount.<br />
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If you'd like a head-start on the following week, we'll be focusing on weird foes. Do you have a great shot of a dancing Abaddon in <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> or a nose-picking foe from <a href="http://www.gatesofandaron.com/"><em>Gates of Andaron</em></a>? Send those in too and we'll feature them on One Shots!<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots-2011/">One Shots: 2011</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots-2011/#4490431"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/yule-festival-2010-in-the-shire_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots-2011/#4485712"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/aldorrisebytimarius_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots-2011/#4482843"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/raid2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots-2011/#4480166"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/gmcowthrowing_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots-2011/#4477539"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/axolpicture151-1316969233_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/30/one-shots-press-1-to-charge-press-2-to-breathe-fire/">One Shots: Press 1 to charge, press 2 to breathe fire</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 30 May 2011 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/30/one-shots-press-1-to-charge-press-2-to-breathe-fire/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19952758/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/30/one-shots-press-1-to-charge-press-2-to-breathe-fire/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>galleries</category><category>gallery</category><category>mount</category><category>mount-week</category><category>mounts</category><category>one-shots</category><category>rift</category><category>rift-planes-of-telara</category><category>screenshot</category><category>screenshots</category><category>trion</category><category>trion-worlds</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2011 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Shopping at the LotRO Depot]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-road-to-mordor/" rel="tag">The Road to Mordor</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/05/store1.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px;" /></a></div>
About 99% of the time I'm in <a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> I never think about the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>LotRO</em></a> Store. Ever since the store came online last year, it's been adventure as usual in the Olivetti household. Sure, I mock the "You got 5 <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/turbine/">Turbine</a> Points! Now you can retire in the Caymans!" popups like everyone else, but I've always felt that Turbine does a good job balancing the store presence between the polar extremes of obnoxious and invisible.<br />
<br />
That isn't to say I haven't used the store at all; on the contrary, I've been a sporadic if loyal customer of sorts, trundling my shopping cart through the aisles of Shire-Mart looking for a good deal. Thus far I haven't dropped any additional cash into the game, choosing to subsist on my monthly allotment of TP with whatever I earn through deeds. Every once in a while I'll boot up the store and see what niceties I can give to my character as a reward for slaughtering his 5,000th Neeker-beeker.<br />
<br />
The <em>LotRO </em>Store has two categories of customers: the free-to-players and the upper class. Does that sound snooty? It's not intentional -- all I mean is that some folks use the store to provide basic necessities for gameplay (like quest packs, riding skills, class unlocks) while others are already well-off in the game and shop for luxury items. I'm in awe of the F2P gamers who can get a good chunk of their content by methodically knocking deeds out so they can purchase the next zone, but I'm fortunate enough not to have to do that.<br />
<br />
So today I wanted to give myself an audit of what I've spent in the store so far and analyze whether they were wise purchases, wasteful frivolities, or overpriced insanity.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Road to Mordor: Shopping at the LotRO Depot</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/">The Road to Mordor: Shopping at the LotRO Depot</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 20 May 2011 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19944840/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/the-road-to-mordor-shopping-at-the-lotro-depot/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>audit</category><category>cash-shop</category><category>deed</category><category>deed-accelerator</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>in-game-store</category><category>item-shop</category><category>item-store</category><category>kill-accelerator</category><category>legendary-items</category><category>li</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lore-master</category><category>lotro</category><category>lotro-depot</category><category>lotro-store</category><category>milestone</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>neeker-beeker</category><category>outfit</category><category>shop-smart-shop-shire-mart</category><category>shopping</category><category>stat-tomes</category><category>storage</category><category>tp</category><category>travel</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>turbine-lemon-wedge</category><category>turbine-points</category><category>twenty-first-hall</category><category>upper-class</category><category>vault</category><category>virtues</category><category>wardrobe</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 May 2011 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Explore Realms Online on a new mount from Massively and GameSamba]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/explore-realms-online-on-a-new-mount-from-massively-and-gamesamb/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/explore-realms-online-on-a-new-mount-from-massively-and-gamesamb/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/explore-realms-online-on-a-new-mount-from-massively-and-gamesamb/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/contests/" rel="tag">Contests</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/giveaways/" rel="tag">Giveaways</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.enjin.com/realmsonline"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/05/ro-rb-53.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.gamesamba.com/">GameSamba</a>, one of the newest names in the free-to-play MMO world, has <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/gdc-2011-gamesamba-talks-about-its-upcoming-plans/">big plans for new titles this year</a>. The company's third title, <a href="http://realmsonline.gamesamba.com/"><em>Realms Online</em></a>, began <a href="http://realmsonline.gamesamba.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=24&amp;Itemid=24&amp;aid=9">open beta today</a>, and we've got a gift for you to celebrate!<br />
<br />
We've got an Alsius White Wolf mount so you can enter the game in style. "<em>Brought to these lands by the Nordos, their predatory instinct made them some of the most feared beasts of the Icy Mountains. Since ancient times, the Nordos learned to tame them, making them one of the most attractive mounts available in the world.</em>"<br />
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Ready to saddle up and get into the game? Simply pick up your Alsius White Wolf code on our <a href="http://massively.enjin.com/realmsonline">giveaway page</a> and <a href="http://realmsonline.gamesamba.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=23&amp;Itemid=23">download <em>Realms Online</em></a>. Once you're in-game, press ESC and choose "Redeem Code" from the popup window.<br />
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Enjoy your new mount, and enjoy <a href="http://www.massively.joystiq.com/tag/realms-online"><em>Realms Online</em></a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://massively.enjin.com/realmsonline"><img alt="TO THE GIVEAWAY" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/03/giveaway.png" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/explore-realms-online-on-a-new-mount-from-massively-and-gamesamb/">Explore Realms Online on a new mount from Massively and GameSamba</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 03 May 2011 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/explore-realms-online-on-a-new-mount-from-massively-and-gamesamb/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19930275/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/explore-realms-online-on-a-new-mount-from-massively-and-gamesamb/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alsius-white-wolf</category><category>contest</category><category>contests</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-mount</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>ftp</category><category>gamesamba</category><category>giveaway</category><category>giveaways</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>realms-online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Creating your roadmap]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-road-to-mordor/" rel="tag">The Road to Mordor</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guides/" rel="tag">Guides</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/02/rtm1.jpg" /></a></div>
I wish to preface this week's column by saying that I'm not advocating just one way to play a game. I think it's equally valid to explore at your own pace, team up as a duo, maximize TP revenue, or set whatever goals you like and pursue them. But after leveling one character to the cap and playing several others, I've begun to develop a roadmap, if you will, that helps guide my progress somewhat efficiently. It's this roadmap that I want to share with you today.<br />
<br />
The thing is, for all I love about <a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a>, the game is definitely littered with timesinks of epic proportions. It already takes a long, long time to get your character up to 65 and through the two expansions, and that's only going to increase as the game grows. There are a lot of distractions and unnecessary grinds (such as virtues you will never use) that can bog you down too long and perhaps dishearten you.<br />
<br />
So when I created a Minstrel in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>LotRO</em></a> a little while back, I decided to map out his progress from level 1 through 65 by creating a broad framework -- an outline, really -- that serves to keep me on track so I don't have to backtrack as much later on to get these goals done. I have a very "two birds with one stone" mentality, so if I'm doing one task in a zone, I'd rather be accomplishing two or three at the same time. So for example, if I'm grinding out a deed, I'd rather do it at level at which I'm getting XP than 20 levels later when I'm not (although the latter has its merits for rapid deed completion).<br />
<br />
Hit the jump and I'll give you the rundown of how to eliminate some of the confusion and speed bumps of leveling.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Road to Mordor: Creating your roadmap</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/">The Road to Mordor: Creating your roadmap</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19826993/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/04/the-road-to-mordor-creating-your-roadmap/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>codemasters</category><category>deeds</category><category>epic-storyline</category><category>featured</category><category>guide</category><category>legendary-items</category><category>legendary-traits</category><category>leveling</category><category>leveling-guide</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>minstrel</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>riding-skill</category><category>roadmap</category><category>sara-oakheart</category><category>skirmishes</category><category>traits</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><category>turbine-points</category><category>virtues</category><category>volume-1</category><category>volume-2</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Celebrate Zentia's upcoming patch with our mount giveaway!]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/celebrate-zentias-upcoming-patch-with-our-mount-giveaway/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/celebrate-zentias-upcoming-patch-with-our-mount-giveaway/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/celebrate-zentias-upcoming-patch-with-our-mount-giveaway/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/historical/" rel="tag">Historical</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/contests/" rel="tag">Contests</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/giveaways/" rel="tag">Giveaways</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.massively.joystiq.com/tag/zentia"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/01/cu-rb-131.jpg" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://z.us.changyou.com/"><em>Zentia</em></a> devs are gearing up to bring a lot of new content to their game. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/zentia-offers-lots-of-goodies-in-upcoming-patch-1-2/#">Patch 1.2</a> promises to bring even more fun to a game that already boasts a quirky and popular approach to free-to-play MMO gaming.<br />
<br />
While you're waiting for the patch, enjoy some <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/zentia/"><em>Zentia</em></a> goodies courtesy of Massively. We've got three unusual mounts to help you zip around the game in style, and each one is built for two so you can bring a friend along for the ride. Check out our giveaway pages: the <a href="http://www.omgponies.info/massivelyCodes/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.getCode&amp;codeInfoKey=84">Thunder Drum</a> is sure to garner a few glances as you pass by, or you could choose to recline in the comfy seats of a <a href="http://www.omgponies.info/massivelyCodes/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.getCode&amp;codeInfoKey=85">Colorful Umbrella</a>. Want something a little more classic? We've got you covered with a good old <a href="http://www.omgponies.info/massivelyCodes/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.getCode&amp;codeInfoKey=83">Flying Carpet mount</a>.<br />
<br />
We've got 100 of each to give away, so choose your favorite and get ready to take to the skies in <em>Zentia</em>!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/celebrate-zentias-upcoming-patch-with-our-mount-giveaway/">Celebrate Zentia's upcoming patch with our mount giveaway!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/celebrate-zentias-upcoming-patch-with-our-mount-giveaway/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19821787/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/celebrate-zentias-upcoming-patch-with-our-mount-giveaway/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>chang-you</category><category>colorful-umbrella</category><category>f2p</category><category>flying-carpet</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>ftp</category><category>giveaway</category><category>giveaways</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>thunder-drum</category><category>zentia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: Free ride]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fallen-earth/" rel="tag">Fallen Earth</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmofps/" rel="tag">MMOFPS</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wasteland-diaries/" rel="tag">Wasteland Diaries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/post-apocalyptic/" rel="tag">Post-Apocalyptic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guides/" rel="tag">Guides</a></p><div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.fallenearth.com/"><img border="1" hspace="4" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/01/fetrans1.jpg" /></a></div>
The Grand Canyon Province is where <em><a href="http://www.fallenearth.com/">Fallen Earth</a></em> is set. It is a vast place, and the public transit system is completely obliterated. Most of the towns are separated by kilometers, so walking (or running) from place to place would be sheer folly. Luckily there are alternatives to walking. If you've played <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fallen-earth">Fallen Earth</a></em> for any length of time, you probably know what I'm getting at. Transportation in the Grand Canyon can cost next to nothing once you get it figured out.<br />
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The goal of this post will be to get a new player up and running in the wasteland. Actually, up and driving and/or riding, rather. Once you know what to do, getting around is practically free. There are a number of ways to get yourself a better ride. Some of them involve a bit of work in-game and a good deal of time (mostly while you are offline). But there are shortcuts if your goal is to be tearing up the highways of <em>Fallen Earth</em> on a motorcycle as soon as possible. After the cut, I'll give you a step-by-step method of providing yourself with better transportation right up until you have a bike.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Wasteland Diaries: Free ride</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/">Wasteland Diaries: Free ride</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19817291/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/wasteland-diaries-free-ride/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>atv</category><category>crafting</category><category>crafting-vehicles</category><category>fallen-earth</category><category>fallen-earth-llc</category><category>featured</category><category>horses</category><category>icarus</category><category>icarus-studios</category><category>motorcycle</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>research</category><category>scavenge</category><category>tradeskills</category><category>vehicles</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Marshall]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[EverQuest II's Destiny of Velious offers a trio of pre-orders]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/everquest-iis-destiny-of-velious-offers-a-trio-of-pre-orders/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/everquest-iis-destiny-of-velious-offers-a-trio-of-pre-orders/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/everquest-iis-destiny-of-velious-offers-a-trio-of-pre-orders/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/promotions/" rel="tag">Promotions</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://everquest2.com/get_the_game/dov"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/01/destiny-1295447551.jpg" /></a></div>
Which way would you like your <a href="http://everquest2.com"><em>EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious</em></a> expansion pack? Sunny-side up? With fries? Medium-rare? If you like options, then <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe/">SOE's</a> assortment of pre-orders will have you pouring over the menu quite carefully.<br />
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<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/destiny-of-velious/"><em>Destiny of Velious</em></a> became available for pre-orders yesterday, and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii"><em>EverQuest II's</em></a> website <a href="http://everquest2.com/get_the_game/dov">lists three versions of the game available for purchase</a>. The standard digital version is $39.99 and offers a loyal snow hound pet and four in-game paintings for your house as special rewards. If you want to kick it up a notch and shell out for the digital collector's edition, you'll get the snow hound, paintings, Tserrina's Wedding Present housing item, cosmetic ice armor, a prestige house and the ability to transform your griffon into a Stormfeather Brood Guardian. The collector's edition is temporarily priced at $59.99 for the next few weeks, and will go up to $89.99 on February 22nd.<br />
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There's also a retail version through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003O6EG8E/ref=s9_simh_gw_p63_d4_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=center-2&amp;pf_rd_r=01GN2MJZGQ2TD5ES8N2M&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=470938631&amp;pf_rd_i=507846">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=89809">GameStop</a> for those who prefer a physical copy of the game. The retail version contains the four paintings and an animated cloak as fun rewards. All versions of <em>Destiny of Velious</em> come with the core game and all of the expansions to date, and will include a full month of free gametime for new accounts. You can read all of the nitty-gritty details <a href="http://everquest2.com/get_the_game/dov">over at <em>EverQuest II</em></a>.<br />
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<strong>Update: Fixed the date of the CE price increase.</strong><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/everquest-iis-destiny-of-velious-offers-a-trio-of-pre-orders/">EverQuest II's Destiny of Velious offers a trio of pre-orders</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/everquest-iis-destiny-of-velious-offers-a-trio-of-pre-orders/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19806624/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/everquest-iis-destiny-of-velious-offers-a-trio-of-pre-orders/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>amazon</category><category>collectors-edition</category><category>destiny-of-velious</category><category>digital-pre-order</category><category>digital-version</category><category>eq2</category><category>eqii</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>gamestop</category><category>mount</category><category>pet</category><category>pre-order</category><category>pre-orders</category><category>snow-hound</category><category>soe</category><category>Sony-Online-Entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Double-plus good: Luna Online expansion heading to test servers December 24th]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/23/double-plus-good-luna-online-expansion-heading-to-test-servers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/23/double-plus-good-luna-online-expansion-heading-to-test-servers/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/23/double-plus-good-luna-online-expansion-heading-to-test-servers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://luna.gpotato.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/home-office.jpg" /></a></div>
And now for a public service announcement from your friends at Massively. Are you suffering from a severe cute deficiency in your MMO diet? Then you may want to consider <a href="http://luna.gpotato.com/"><em>Luna Online</em></a>, which has 400% of the recommended daily allowance of big eyes, oversized heads and giggly animals.<br />
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To make your <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/luna-online/"><em>Luna Online</em></a> life even better, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/gpotato/">gPotato</a> has announced that the new expansion for the game, <em>Luna Plus</em>, is hitting the public test servers from December 24th through January 7th. Testers will be able to preview all of the new content and zones, including a 30-level increase (to the new level 150 cap), an additional race, a castle siege and seven previously unexplored areas. If that's not enough, <em>Luna Plus</em> will feature eight-person mounts, such as a giant snail. We just hope you and your party don't want to get anywhere in a pressing hurry.<br />
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<em>Luna Online</em> players have a lot to look forward to with this first expansion, especially with the ability to get their hands on it even earlier. For more information, ask your local librarian or <a href="http://luna.gpotato.com/">head over to <em>Luna Online</em></a>. The more you know -- and knowing is half the battle.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/23/double-plus-good-luna-online-expansion-heading-to-test-servers/">Double-plus good: Luna Online expansion heading to test servers December 24th</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/23/double-plus-good-luna-online-expansion-heading-to-test-servers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19775113/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/23/double-plus-good-luna-online-expansion-heading-to-test-servers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>castle-siege</category><category>class</category><category>expansion</category><category>giggly-animals</category><category>gpotato</category><category>knowing-is-half-the-battle</category><category>level-cap</category><category>luna-online</category><category>luna-plus</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>psa</category><category>snail</category><category>test-server</category><category>the-more-you-know</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fly with the bears in Moonlight Online]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/fly-with-the-bears-in-moonlight-online/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/fly-with-the-bears-in-moonlight-online/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/fly-with-the-bears-in-moonlight-online/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/moonlight-online/" rel="tag">Moonlight Online</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/moonlight-online/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/mount-4.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Have you ever dreamed of a truly special mount in your MMO, perhaps a half-lion, half-tiger that you name a Liger? While Ligers may be a dream of the future, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/moonlight-online/"><em>Moonlight Online</em></a> has plenty of fanciful mounts now that don't easily fit in typical MMO stereotypes.<br />
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Coming soon to the game are a plethora of bizarrely beautiful mounts that run the spectrum from dinosaur (Megalosaurus), Harry Potter pal (Phoenix), combustible lupine (Flaming Wolf), round (Crystal Ball), blind (Bat), and two of the most unstoppable forces of nature combined into one (Angel Bear).<br />
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Players will be able to "evolve" these special mounts over time as well. Every time a mount levels up, it increases its attributes, gains faster speed, and even has the chance to gain a cool new skill, such an an AOE attack. Mounts also change in appearance as they evolve, which means that Angel Bear just got 100% more awesome.<br />
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Check out the new mounts as well as the game over at <a href="http://forum.igg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=33&amp;page=1">IGG's <em>Moonlight Online</em> forums</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/fly-with-the-bears-in-moonlight-online/">Fly with the bears in Moonlight Online</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/fly-with-the-bears-in-moonlight-online/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19769885/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/fly-with-the-bears-in-moonlight-online/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>angel-bear</category><category>crystal-ball</category><category>dinosaur</category><category>evolution</category><category>flaming-wolf</category><category>godless-soulless-killing-machines</category><category>harry-potter</category><category>igg</category><category>liger</category><category>moonlight</category><category>moonlight-online</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>phoenix</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Bits 'n' pieces]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-road-to-mordor/" rel="tag">The Road to Mordor</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/rtm1.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Three wolves. A full moon. <a href="http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/lotro-rocks-the-three-wolf-moon/">One incredible cloak</a> in the <a href="http://www.lotro.com/"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> store. As a forum poster asked, is the Cloak of the Mountain Wolves <a href="http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?370087-Cloak-of-the-Mountain-Wolves-too-powerful-too-intrinsically-sweet">too powerful and too intrinsically sweet</a>?<br />
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I think it is a distinct possibility. I already own six and have Sauron on farm status because of them. Forget piddly rings -- this is the one cloak to rule them all, and in the darkness, blind them.<br />
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I'm a bit all over the place in today's column, so bear with me as I spew forth a 427-line stream-of-consciousness poem devoted to Aragorn's stubble. You totally know you want to hit the jump to read it. I triple-dog-dare ya.<br />
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<em>[Editor -- No, Justin, you have to write a normal column. Don't make me get the fire hose.]</em><br />
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Darn.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Road to Mordor: Bits 'n' pieces</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/">The Road to Mordor: Bits 'n' pieces</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19738589/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/the-road-to-mordor-bits-n-pieces/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aragorns-stubble</category><category>barter-wallet</category><category>cloak-of-the-mountain-wolves</category><category>cosmetic-outfit</category><category>dwarf</category><category>elf</category><category>enedwaith</category><category>f2p</category><category>featured</category><category>festival</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>guardian</category><category>housing-decorations</category><category>lone-lands</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lore-master</category><category>lotro</category><category>lotro-store</category><category>marketing</category><category>mirkwood</category><category>moria</category><category>mount</category><category>november-update</category><category>patch</category><category>pie</category><category>rep-horse</category><category>reputation</category><category>rune-keeper</category><category>santa</category><category>sauron</category><category>shire</category><category>steed-of-night</category><category>task-system</category><category>three-wolf-moon</category><category>turbine</category><category>Turbine-Entertainment</category><category>update</category><category>vault</category><category>vault-3.0</category><category>winter-home</category><category>yule-festival</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Angels Online takes flight on the wings of Gryphons]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/angels-online-takes-flight-on-the-wings-of-gryphons/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/angels-online-takes-flight-on-the-wings-of-gryphons/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/angels-online-takes-flight-on-the-wings-of-gryphons/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ao.igg.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/11/angels.jpg" /></a></div>
The Sorting Hat has spoken, and <a href="http://ao.igg.com/"><em>Angels Online</em></a> has joined Gryffindor House (sorry, we watched Harry Potter this past weekend)! The dev team is happy to announce the addition of Gryphon pets to the game -- pets that appear to do double duty as mounts.<br />
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The Gryphon is the guardian and main symbol of the Aurora Faction in the game, and represents speed and power. However, over time, the Gryphon has become a myth to the people, unseen and unbelieved. This changed as the Gryphon appeared during the pirate siege of Aurora City to save the day. A few "nom noms" later, and the pirate threat was history.<br />
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Characters will now have access to this powerful beast, who will offer them a huge boost to movement speed and player attributes when used. To check out <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/angels-online/"><em>Angels Online's</em></a> new Gryphon, <a href="http://ao.igg.com/">head on over to the site</a> and explore the game for free.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/angels-online-takes-flight-on-the-wings-of-gryphons/">Angels Online takes flight on the wings of Gryphons</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/angels-online-takes-flight-on-the-wings-of-gryphons/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19730338/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/angels-online-takes-flight-on-the-wings-of-gryphons/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>angels-online</category><category>aurora-city</category><category>aurora-faction</category><category>gryffindor</category><category>gryphon</category><category>harry-potter</category><category>igg</category><category>igg.com</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>nom-nom</category><category>pet</category><category>pets</category><category>pirates</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What's the coolest mount you've ever owned?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/the-daily-grind-whats-the-coolest-mount-youve-ever-owned/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/the-daily-grind-whats-the-coolest-mount-youve-ever-owned/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/the-daily-grind-whats-the-coolest-mount-youve-ever-owned/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/11/mount-1290444163.jpg" /><br />
</a></div>
It's a special day when a boy or girl dings 16 and the trainers take him or her out for ice cream and a beginner mount. With a license to ride tucked inside a cloak pocket, the rider hesitantly takes the reins, yells "GIDDYUP!" and proceeds to fly across the landscape faster than a really lazy eye can follow.<br />
<br />
However, the novelty of merely owning a mount isn't enough after a while. Instead, envious eyes glance at the latest showroom models, admiring the sleek curves and fancy new features (like front and side saddle airbags). Some of these higher-end units may be faster, while others sport a rare coat of fur. Envy morphs into slavering lust and unquenchable need for the best mount on the block, and before you know it, everyone's caught the fever.<br />
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So what's the coolest mount you've ever owned? What horse or tiger or woolly mammoth made you drool in anticipation for the next time you'd need to whip it out of your backpack for a jaunt across a zone? What made it so special: the features, the speed, the look or the rarity?<br />
<hr />
<img hspace="4" border="1" align="left" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/09/coffee.jpg" style="margin-right: 5px;" alt="" /><em>Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/">Daily Grind</a>!</em><hr /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/the-daily-grind-whats-the-coolest-mount-youve-ever-owned/">The Daily Grind: What's the coolest mount you've ever owned?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/the-daily-grind-whats-the-coolest-mount-youve-ever-owned/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19727628/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/the-daily-grind-whats-the-coolest-mount-youve-ever-owned/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>envy</category><category>horse</category><category>license-to-ride</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>opinion</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><category>tiger</category><category>woolly-mammoth</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fallen Earth offers $9.99 box copy, prairie chicken mount]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/fallen-earth-offers-9-99-box-copy-prairie-chicken-mount/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/fallen-earth-offers-9-99-box-copy-prairie-chicken-mount/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/fallen-earth-offers-9-99-box-copy-prairie-chicken-mount/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fallen-earth/" rel="tag">Fallen Earth</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/post-apocalyptic/" rel="tag">Post-Apocalyptic</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fallenearth.com/node/686"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/10/chicken.jpg" /></a></div>
Still thinking about checking out <a href="http://www.fallenearth.com"><em>Fallen Earth's</em></a> wasteland charms, but looking for a little prodding to send you over the edge? If so, <a href="http://www.icarusstudios.com">Icarus Studios</a>' latest promotion -- announced today on its <a href="http://www.fallenearth.com/node/686">official website</a> and via press release -- is for you. For a limited time (through October 22nd to be exact), customers who purchase <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fallen-earth"><em>Fallen Earth</em></a> through GameStop retailers -- either online or at traditional brick and mortar outlets -- will receive a boxed copy of the game for a paltry $9.99.<br />
<br />
In addition to the $20 instant savings, players will get an in-game prairie chicken mount for their trouble. You can learn more at the official <em>Fallen Earth</em> <a href="http://www.fallenearth.com/node/686">website</a>, or <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/storelocator.aspx">locate the nearest GameStop</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/fallen-earth-offers-9-99-box-copy-prairie-chicken-mount/">Fallen Earth offers $9.99 box copy, prairie chicken mount</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.fallenearth.com/node/686>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/fallen-earth-offers-9-99-box-copy-prairie-chicken-mount/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19666592/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/08/fallen-earth-offers-9-99-box-copy-prairie-chicken-mount/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>client-discount</category><category>fallen-earth</category><category>fallen-earth-llc</category><category>gamestop</category><category>icarus</category><category>icarus-studios</category><category>mount</category><category>post-apocalyptic</category><category>prairie-chicken</category><category>prairie-chicken-mount</category><category>promotion</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>special-offer</category><category>wasteland</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: My expedition]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-my-expediti/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-my-expediti/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-my-expediti/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies/" rel="tag">Star Wars Galaxies</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hands-on/" rel="tag">Hands-on</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-game-archaeologist/" rel="tag">The Game Archaeologist</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/players/index.vm"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/06/swg.jpg" /></a></div>
After <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/01/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-the-history/">cracking open the history textbooks</a> on one of the most famous (and infamous) MMOs of the past decade and talking to <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-the-players/">two</a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-the-players/">groups</a> of crack veterans, it was finally time for the Game Archaeologist to strap on his <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightwhip">lightwhip</a>, kick over the nearest Astromech droid, and dive headfirst into <a href="http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/players/index.vm"><em>Star Wars Galaxies</em></a>. <br />
<br />
Although I've been interested in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies/"><em>Star Wars Galaxies</em></a> since 2003, its apparent complexity scared me off back in the beginning (when I made the choice to scoot over to the equally complex <a href="http://www.anarchy-online.com/"><em>Anarchy Online</em></a> during that time). Later on, I felt as if it was too late to jump on the <em>SWG </em>bandwagon, feeling as if the entire <em>Galaxies </em>playerbase was finishing up their Master's degrees and I'd be entering the equivalent of preschool. Fortunately, this article series gave me an excellent excuse to stop coming up with excuses and simply go for it -- and with the counsel of several friends and Massively writers who know the <em>SWG </em>ropes, I found my footing just fine.<br />
<br />
Click on the first picture of the gallery to join me on my journey to the stars -- and don't forget to read my impressions under each screenshot!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-game-archaeologist-journeys-into-star-wars-galaxies/">The Game Archaeologist journeys into Star Wars Galaxies</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-game-archaeologist-journeys-into-star-wars-galaxies/#3101433"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/06/screenshot0000_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-game-archaeologist-journeys-into-star-wars-galaxies/#3101476"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/06/screenshot0003_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-game-archaeologist-journeys-into-star-wars-galaxies/#3101515"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/06/screenshot0001_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-game-archaeologist-journeys-into-star-wars-galaxies/#3101519"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/06/screenshot0005_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-game-archaeologist-journeys-into-star-wars-galaxies/#3101559"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/06/screenshot0006_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-my-expediti/">The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: My expedition</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-my-expediti/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19524755/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-star-of-the-galaxies-my-expediti/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anarchy-online</category><category>astromech</category><category>boba-fett</category><category>featured</category><category>han-solo</category><category>i-bounty-hunt-for-jabba-hutt-to-finance-my-vette</category><category>jump-to-lightspeed</category><category>landos-co-pilot</category><category>lightwhip</category><category>mount</category><category>preschool</category><category>soe</category><category>Sony-Online-Entertainment</category><category>star-wars-galaxies</category><category>swg</category><category>tatooine</category><category>the-game-archaeologist</category><category>trial</category><category>wookiee</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ride around Norrath in style with a free prowler mount from Massively and SOE!]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii/" rel="tag">EverQuest II</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/contests/" rel="tag">Contests</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/giveaways/" rel="tag">Giveaways</a></p><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/everquest-ii"><img  border="1" hspace="4" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/05/eq2mountfinished580.jpg" /></a></div>
Foolish reading mortals! It is I, Seccia Ravenloft, here to publicly lament <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/21/anti-aliased-shut-up-woman-come-buy-my-cat/">the decision made by Seraphina Brennan</a>. She has denied me a stylish cat mount, all because she made some <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/21/anti-aliased-shut-up-woman-come-buy-my-cat/">statements regarding ponies that sparkle</a> and poor marketing decisions. Rubbish, I say, rubbish! Her foolishness has disgraced the Tier'dal, and I shun her! <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/05/18/funny-pictures-shun-the-non-believer/">Shuuuunnnnnnn</a>!<br />
<br />
But you! You dear, beautiful readers! You still have a chance to avoid Tier'dal disgracement! How would you like to cross Norrath in style on the back of a powerful prowler mount? Tempting, is it not? Well, we here at Massively (namely me) have 10 prowler mounts to give away to lucky, Tier'dal-supporting readers, thanks to our friends at <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/soe">SOE</a>!<br />
<br />
How can you claim one of these $25 mounts for yourself for the low cost of absolutely free? Follow after the break and I'll hit you with details.<br type="_moz" /><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ride around Norrath in style with a free prowler mount from Massively and SOE!</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/">Ride around Norrath in style with a free prowler mount from Massively and SOE!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19489189/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/24/ride-around-norrath-in-style-with-a-free-prowler-mount-from-mass/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>contest</category><category>eq-2</category><category>eq-ii</category><category>ever-quest-2</category><category>ever-quest-ii</category><category>everquest-2</category><category>everquest-ii</category><category>giveaway</category><category>mount</category><category>prowler</category><category>prowler-mount</category><category>soe</category><category>soe-eq-2</category><category>soe-eq-ii</category><category>sony-eq-2</category><category>sony-eq-ii</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>station-marketplace</category><category>tierdal-disgracement</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Whack a GM for profit in Runes of Magic]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/whack-a-gm-for-profit-in-runes-of-magic/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/whack-a-gm-for-profit-in-runes-of-magic/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/whack-a-gm-for-profit-in-runes-of-magic/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic/" rel="tag">Runes of Magic</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://us.runesofmagic.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/05/gamer.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_N:_The_Game_Master">The Game Master</a> is a sacred position, only attained after decades of painful training under the practiced eye of an ancient guru. Well, that, or an application to a studio and a subsequent interview. Either way, to be in the hallowed presence of a GM means that you either messed up badly, or you need help.<br />
<a href="http://us.runesofmagic.com/"><em><br />
Runes of Magic</em></a> throws out a third scenario by placing a bounty on all of their GMs during a special event held tomorrow, May 7. As part of their <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/17/runes-of-magic-touts-chapter-3-training-program-bonus-xp/">"Expedition 60"</a> program, they're inviting players to hunt down and terminate -- with extreme prejudice -- GMs any and everywhere they are spotted. Why would anyone be so suicidal to take on a full-fledged GM? For rewards, of course! If a GM is found and downed, they will drop a permanent Purgatory Nightmare Mount.<br />
<br />
If that sounds good, log into <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/runes-of-magic"><em>Runes of Magic</em></a> on May 7 and pay attention to the chat channels for clues as to the nearest GM's location. <a href="http://us.runesofmagic.com/news,id1103,whack_gm_expedition_60_ingame_event.html">Read the full announcement for more info!</a><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/whack-a-gm-for-profit-in-runes-of-magic/">Whack a GM for profit in Runes of Magic</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 06 May 2010 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://us.runesofmagic.com/news,id1103,whack_gm_expedition_60_ingame_event.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/whack-a-gm-for-profit-in-runes-of-magic/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19466468/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/whack-a-gm-for-profit-in-runes-of-magic/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>captain-n-the-game-master</category><category>expedition-60</category><category>frogster</category><category>game-master</category><category>gm</category><category>mount</category><category>purgatory-nightmare-mount</category><category>rom</category><category>runes-of-magic</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 06 May 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival horse vendor removed from Lord of the Rings Online]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/festival-horse-vendor-removed-from-lord-of-the-rings-online/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/festival-horse-vendor-removed-from-lord-of-the-rings-online/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/festival-horse-vendor-removed-from-lord-of-the-rings-online/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/03/lotro-horse-epl-330.jpg"  alt="" /><br />
Did your goals for <a href="http://www.lotro.com"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a>'s <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/the-road-to-mordor-a-day-at-the-festival/">Spring Festival</a> include getting yourself a spiffy horse?  Well, you're <a href="http://www.casualstrolltomordor.com/2010/03/horse-problems-explained">going to have to wait just a little while</a> in order to get your hands on one.  How long?  We don't know yet.  What we <em>do</em> know is that the vendor has been removed entirely, thus preventing players from even gazing longingly at the listing in the menu.  As Sapience explained on the forums, <a href="http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?&amp;postid=4528820#post4528820">the issue wasn't really the vendor so much as the horse itself</a>.<br />
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To wit: the way the game is handling mounts is being changed.  As a result, they need to change the item, remove the item from the vendor's list, or remove the vendor entirely until the issue is resolved.  However, the former two changes require a patch, and the issue is kind of small for an entire patch -- not to mention that it's the sort of fix more easily rolled into a larger patch.  While it's bad news for <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Lord-of-the-Rings-Online/">Lord of the Rings Online</a></em> players, it's at least nice to get <a href="http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?&amp;postid=4528820#post4528820">a quick and clear explanation</a> on why the vendor got yanked.<br />
<br />
[ via <a href="http://www.casualstrolltomordor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/logo1.png">A Casual Stroll to Mordor</a> ]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/festival-horse-vendor-removed-from-lord-of-the-rings-online/">Festival horse vendor removed from Lord of the Rings Online</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.casualstrolltomordor.com/2010/03/horse-problems-explained>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/festival-horse-vendor-removed-from-lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19420330/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/festival-horse-vendor-removed-from-lord-of-the-rings-online/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>horse</category><category>hotfix</category><category>in-game-event</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>lotro-spring-festival</category><category>mount</category><category>removed-from-game</category><category>sapience</category><category>spring-festival</category><category>spring-festival-2010</category><category>turbine</category><category>turbine-entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Battle of the Immortals explains mounts and pets]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/battle-of-the-immortals-explains-mounts-and-pets/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/battle-of-the-immortals-explains-mounts-and-pets/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/battle-of-the-immortals-explains-mounts-and-pets/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/battle-of-the-immortals/" rel="tag">Battle of the Immortals</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.perfectworld.com/blog/?p=7901"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/02/boi-mountpet-epl-204.jpg" /></a></div>
The pace of information released about the upcoming <a href="http://boi.perfectworld.com/"><em>Battle of the Immortals</em></a> is increasing, no doubt to raise anticipation for the game's swift-approaching beta. The <a href="http://www.perfectworld.com/blog/?p=7901">most recent post</a> on the official <a href="http://www.perfectworld.com">Perfect World Entertainment</a> blog offers more details on the game's mounts and pets, which look to be an integral part of the game's structure and offer a few interesting twists on the features. Mounts, for instance, can be upgraded for increased speed... but each upgrade also allows the mount to learn new skills. The example given was of a mount that learned to teleport short distances as well as running, a helpful trick to be sure.<br />
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Pets, on the other hand, can be almost any monster encountered in <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Battle-of-the-Immortals/">Battle of the Immortals</a></em>. Players will have the opportunity to turn a defeated enemy into a pet "every now and then," which is a bit light on details but suggests either a long cooldown or a limited-supply item. Each pet can apparently have their skills slotted for a variety of roles, allowing them to be viable in both PvP and PvE combat. There's a week left before the closed beta begins, so if you're interested, take a look at our <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/battle-of-the-immortals-beta-key-giveaway/">closed beta key giveaway</a> to start out early.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/battle-of-the-immortals-explains-mounts-and-pets/">Battle of the Immortals explains mounts and pets</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.perfectworld.com/blog/?p=7901>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/battle-of-the-immortals-explains-mounts-and-pets/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19345706/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/battle-of-the-immortals-explains-mounts-and-pets/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>battle-of-the-immortals</category><category>boi</category><category>closed-beta</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>perfect-world</category><category>perfect-world-entertainment</category><category>pet</category><category>pets</category><category>pwe</category><category>upcoming-betas</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wizard101 raises over $100,000 for charity]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/wizard101-raises-over-100-000-for-charity/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/wizard101-raises-over-100-000-for-charity/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/wizard101-raises-over-100-000-for-charity/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/kids/" rel="tag">Kids</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizard101/" rel="tag">Wizard101</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wizard101.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/01/w101-meowmodon-epl-111.jpg" /></a></div>
The holidays are over -- everyone can breathe a collective sigh of relief now -- but there are some gifts that keep on giving. Charitable donations always go up during the holidays, and with the rise of microtransaction stores, games are better able to get in on the generosity. <a href="http://www.wizard101.com"><em>Wizard101</em></a> was one of the many offering an in-game carrot for donating to charity, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/">the tiger-striped Meowmodon mount</a>. Aside from having an adorable name, it inspired enough players to purchase <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/announcements/2010january11">it that raised $126,000 for charity</a>.<br />
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The total amount received will be split evenly between <a href="http://www.childsplaycharity.org/">Child's Play</a> and the <a href="http://www.austinchildrenshelter.org/site/PageServer?pagename=acs_home">Austin Children's Shelter</a>, to suppport both the worldwide community and the area surrounding the <a href="http://www.kingsisle.com/">KingsIsle</a> headquarters. The company seems quite pleased with the results, and it's a testament to both the community and the game that a free-to-play game could raise such a substantial sum for two excellent causes. The <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/announcements/2010january11">offiicial announcement</a> can be found on the official <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Wizard101/">Wizard101</a></em> site, to no great surprise. Congratulations to the players who took part, and we can only hope this effort will be repeated in the coming months -- free-to-play item malls donating to charity have certainly made an impact this holiday season, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/31/childs-play-pulls-out-of-atlantica-online-charity-drive-because/">certain hiccups</a> notwithstanding.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/wizard101-raises-over-100-000-for-charity/">Wizard101 raises over $100,000 for charity</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=https://www.wizard101.com/game/announcements/2010january11>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/wizard101-raises-over-100-000-for-charity/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19312090/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/wizard101-raises-over-100-000-for-charity/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>austin-childrens-center</category><category>charity</category><category>childs-play</category><category>childs-play-2009</category><category>kingsisle</category><category>kingsisle-entertainment</category><category>kitten</category><category>meowmodon</category><category>meowmodon-mount</category><category>mount</category><category>w101</category><category>wizard101</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Buy a mount in Wizard101 for charity]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/kids/" rel="tag">Kids</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizard101/" rel="tag">Wizard101</a></p><a href="http://www.wizard101.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/w101-meowmodon-epl-1214.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br />
Remember when you would try and convince your mother to get you something with the rallying cry that it would be educational?  It didn't always work, but it was usually worth a try.  Kids playing <a href="http://www.wizard101.com"><em>Wizard101</em></a> -- or adults looking to justify their latest impulse purchase to their spouse -- will be able to unleash a variant on that: "But it's for charity!"  The Meowmodon mount, pictured above, has <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/promotions/charity">just been unveiled</a> as the newest addition to the mount options in the game, but there's a twist: buying it sends no money to <a href="http://www.kingsisle.com/">KingsIsle</a>.  It moves straight on to charity.<br />
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Each time the mount is purchased, KingsIsle will donate the full cost of the mount, roughly $15 US, to two charities, the <a href="http://www.austinchildrenshelter.org/">Austin Children's Shelter</a> and the ever-popular <a href="http://www.childsplaycharity.org/">Child's Play</a>.  Moreover, the mount will only be available between December 14th and January 5th of next year.  The fact that it's a limited-time item makes it even more attractive to many parts of the gaming community, and it marks a <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Wizard101/">Wizard101</a></em> player as having donated to worthy causes at one of the most important times of the year.  So if you have any interest in owning it, by all means, head to <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/promotions/charity">the page with all the details</a>, and remember that you don't have to feel even remotely bad about this impulse purchase.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/">Buy a mount in Wizard101 for charity</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.warcry.com/news/view/96848-Wizard101-Unveils-New-Mount-to-Raise-Money-for-Childrens-Charities>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19281048/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/buy-a-mount-in-wizard101-for-charity/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>austin-childrens-shelter</category><category>charity</category><category>childs-play</category><category>donation</category><category>kingsisle</category><category>kingsisle-entertainment</category><category>limited-time</category><category>meowmodon</category><category>mount</category><category>mounts</category><category>wizard-101</category><category>wizard101</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ride a turkey in Fiesta and help feed the homeless in America]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/ride-a-turkey-in-fiesta-and-help-feed-the-homeless-in-america/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/ride-a-turkey-in-fiesta-and-help-feed-the-homeless-in-america/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/ride-a-turkey-in-fiesta-and-help-feed-the-homeless-in-america/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fiesta/" rel="tag">Fiesta</a></p><a href="http://fiesta.outspark.com/news/view/?id=zbn.9355"><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/turkeyhomeless.jpg" /></a>We here at Massively always appreciate it when games give back to the community, and the folks over at <em><a href="http://fiesta.outspark.com">Fiesta</a></em> seem to follow our line of thought. <a href="http://fiesta.outspark.com/news/view/?id=zbn.9355">In celebration of Thanksgiving</a>, they've released the new <a href="http://store.outspark.com/fiesta/item/10560">Thomas the Turkey</a> mount for players to grab from the item shop.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4364Ds_nFA">Thomas is a special beast</a>, however, as 100% of his proceeds until November 30th will go towards <a href="http://feedingamerica.org/">Feeding America</a>, a charity that works with local food banks to provide food to the homeless and needy. After the 30th, Thomas will stick around in the Fiesta store as a standard mount.<br /><br />Thomas is currently priced at around $6.80, but it's good to know that the money will be going to a good cause. So don't dilly dally, go out and <a href="http://store.outspark.com/fiesta/item/10560">purchase your turkey</a> before the 30th to make sure you help the homeless and get a sweet ride while doing it.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/ride-a-turkey-in-fiesta-and-help-feed-the-homeless-in-america/">Ride a turkey in Fiesta and help feed the homeless in America</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://fiesta.outspark.com/news/view/?id=zbn.9355>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/ride-a-turkey-in-fiesta-and-help-feed-the-homeless-in-america/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19241924/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/ride-a-turkey-in-fiesta-and-help-feed-the-homeless-in-america/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>charity</category><category>feeding-america</category><category>feedingamerica.org</category><category>fiesta</category><category>mount</category><category>outspark</category><category>thanksgiving</category><category>turkey</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Seraphina Brennan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
