Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Have the post-NDA testimonials changed your mind about SWTOR?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/23/the-daily-grind-have-the-post-nda-testimonials-changed-your-min/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/23/the-daily-grind-have-the-post-nda-testimonials-changed-your-min/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/23/the-daily-grind-have-the-post-nda-testimonials-changed-your-min/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

SWTOR
It's been a half a week or so since BioWare hit Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA with a Death Star-sized superlaser, and boy have the spaceships hit the fan. Massively readers, fansite operators, forumites, Tweeters, podcasters, and the entire cantina at Mos Eisley have piped up with impressions, thoughts, analysis, and opinions as to whether this MMO has lived up to expectations or not.

While we cannot stress enough that a beta is a beta and not a launched product deserving of a full-range judgment, many curious players have taken this opportunity to soak up the information, particularly if they have not been in the beta as of yet. Others might have dipped their toes in the beta but are interested to hear what some of the long-time vets have to say at this juncture.

So what about you? Has anything you read or heard about SWTOR following the NDA drop changed your mind?

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 Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Have the post-NDA testimonials changed your mind about SWTOR? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredeath-starea-biowareelectronic-artsfansitesfeaturedimpressionsmos-eisleyndanda-dropopinionpodcasstpost-ndastar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindWed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: NDA drop]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/02/the-road-to-mordor-nda-drop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/02/the-road-to-mordor-nda-drop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/02/the-road-to-mordor-nda-drop/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

LotRO Draigoch
With last week's NDA drop, the last vestiges of secrecy surrounding this expansion were wiped away and the beta testers (including yours truly) were free to spill the Dwarven beans about Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion.

I know I was pretty critical of Rise of Isengard's scope in last week's Road to Mordor, but I want to make it clear that I'm pretty happy with the amount of pure PvE questing content that's on display here. LotRO's quests and epic storylines have always been the meat of this MMO, and even if Rise of Isengard is being served up with few garnishes, it's still looking to be a filling meal.

Today I want to check out what the community has to share about this expansion following the NDA drop, although apparently it's important to note that beta testers aren't allowed to share patch notes, videos, and excessive content. On Twitter, Sapience made it clear: "We have always held that an NDA drop is not 'open season.' It's fair game to share your experiences, opinions, and thoughts. Not endless screens, videos, copy and pasted posts/notes."

So let's focus on those "experiences, opinions, and thoughts" -- what do beta testers have to say about our upcoming journey into Dunland and beyond? Hit the jump and let's find out!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: NDA drop

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: NDA drop originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-casual-stroll-to-mordorbetabeta-testersdoc-holidaydocholidaydunlandexpansionfeaturedgap-of-rohanisengardisengard-depthslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromirkwoodmoriandanda-dropnon-disclosure-agreementrise-of-isengardthekhazadguards-blogturbineturbine-entertainmentwulfs-cleftFri, 02 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gods & Heroes dev blog talks class balance, lifts NDA]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/04/gods-and-heroes-dev-blog-talks-class-balance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/04/gods-and-heroes-dev-blog-talks-class-balance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/04/gods-and-heroes-dev-blog-talks-class-balance/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hot on the heels of its GDC updates, Heatwave Interactive has released a new dev blog detailing further aspects of Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising. The mythological MMORPG boasts four unique character classes (the Priest, the Soldier, the Gladiator, and the Mystic), and today's dev blog offers a look at a few class-specific issues through the eyes of senior content designer Todd Bailey.

Bailey discusses how the Soldier and Gladiator differ despite the fact that both focus on close-range melee combat. He also talks about why the Scout and Nomad classes won't be available at launch. "The honest answer is that the Nomad was completely overpowered as a class and just felt like it was the catch-all for abilities that didn't go anywhere else," Bailey explains. He also says that combat tuning and balancing is an ongoing process, noting that the overall combat feel is much improved even though a few new wrinkles have been introduced during the tweaking process. Head to the official Gods & Heroes website for the full dev diary.

In still other G&H news, Heatwave has officially dropped the game's NDA, so beta players can now freely talk about the title here and elsewhere!

MassivelyGods & Heroes dev blog talks class balance, lifts NDA originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classesdev-blogdev-diaryfantasygladiatorgods-and-heroesgods-and-heroes-rome-risingheatwaveheatwave-interactivemysticmythologyndanda-droppriestsoldiertodd-bailyFri, 04 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Awaiting the next invasion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/one-shots-awaiting-the-next-invasion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/one-shots-awaiting-the-next-invasion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/one-shots-awaiting-the-next-invasion/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

With the RIFT beta NDA down today, I couldn't resist sharing this panoramic shot from my own personal experience in the game. (As a bonus, it's also available full-size, since the gallery doesn't like panoramic images.) In this screenshot, my character had stopped to survey a collection of shacks and lean-tos huddling on the shore. The haze hinted that something wasn't quite right with the otherwise-peaceful scene. Sure enough, within a few minutes, a rift popped up between the fishing village and a nearby graveyard, at which point everyone headed toward the rift to defend the village from attack. Thinking we'd beaten them back, I was surprised to find another rift materializing just behind the shadowy castle and graveyard outlined atop the ridge in this screenshot. It certainly proved to be an exciting day in game!

If you were part of the RIFT beta and would like to share your own screenshot, pick an awesome one and email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name and a description of what we're seeing. Please make sure it's at least 1024px wide and has no visible UI elements. If it's picked, we'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II


MassivelyOne Shots: Awaiting the next invasion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-screenshotkrystalle-voecksnda-dropriftrift-planes-of-telaratriontrion-world-networktrion-worldsWed, 22 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Prophecy drops NDA, gears up for open beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/black-prophecy-drops-their-nda-gears-up-for-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/black-prophecy-drops-their-nda-gears-up-for-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/black-prophecy-drops-their-nda-gears-up-for-open-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Have you been dreaming of the day when you could fly through space and shoot folks down, dogfighter-style? Did you think that the best part of Star Wars Galaxies was the Jump To Lightspeed addition? Well, if that's the case, then you're in for a treat as the NDA has finally been lifted on Reakktor Media's space battletastic MMO, Black Prophecy. As of today, all players are allowed to post screenshots, videos, and talk about everything they've seen in the last several months of testing since Black Prophecy was picked up by gamigo and worked into its current incarnation as a free-to-play game.

Also of note is that all of the beta forums for the game are wide open as well, giving curious folks a chance to sift through all the threads there for an inkling of how the game has been progressing, and what players can expect. We here at Massively will be publishing our own first impressions and gallery in the coming days -- and there will undoubtedly be a livecast in the mix for those curious to see it in action. If you still haven't made it into the closed beta, never fear: Open beta is expected to begin sometime in the first part of 2011, which isn't too far away. If you did make it in to this stellar shooter beta, feel free to drop your thoughts about the game in the comments below!

MassivelyBlack Prophecy drops NDA, gears up for open beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betablack-prophecyclosed-betagamigogamigo-agndanda-dropnda-liftopen-betareakktorreakktor-mediaReakktor-Media-GmbHWed, 22 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Final Fantasy XIV beta will tell you everything]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/the-final-fantasy-xiv-beta-will-tell-you-everything/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/the-final-fantasy-xiv-beta-will-tell-you-everything/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/the-final-fantasy-xiv-beta-will-tell-you-everything/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The start of a new phase of Final Fantasy XIV testing is always good news for the game's fans, but this particular phase has brought with it even better news. Those of you not in the beta can now regale us non-beta testers with tales of your adventures, as Square-Enix has officially announced that most everything may be spoken about freely. This coincides nicely with a long list of changes that have come in the most recent build, including several system updates and balance tweaks to the engine.

The team at FFXIVCore immediately set to remedy one of the major omissions from Square's PR -- namely, the experience of crafting. This step-by-step diary of working as a crafter should answer many questions about how much depth the crafting and gathering classes possess... even though it raises several more. As always, it isn't the same as getting to play around in the Final Fantasy XIV beta yourself, but it's the next best thing to being there.

MassivelyThe Final Fantasy XIV beta will tell you everything originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balance-changesbetabeta-buildbeta-changescontrol-changescraftingcrafting-experienceffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivndanda-dropsquaresquare-enixtestingtesting-phaseWed, 11 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Top 5 helpful hints for your first days in Fallen Earth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/top-5-helpful-hints-for-your-first-days-in-fallen-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/top-5-helpful-hints-for-your-first-days-in-fallen-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/top-5-helpful-hints-for-your-first-days-in-fallen-earth/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The Fallen Earth NDA has lifted today and we can't even express how happy we are to talk about this game. To finally have a true post-apocalyptic title built on a skill-based, classless system is a dream for those of us who remember the old days before loot and levels were king. Sure, there are still loot and levels in Fallen Earth, but the gameplay allows for so much more than that as a main focus.

So we thought we'd write up this quick, handy guide that should help you have a better initial experience with the game, pointing out some of the more quirky tips that other beginner guides may not include. Follow along after the jump for the complete list, and be sure to keep your eye on Massively for more Fallen Earth guides and lists coming soon!

Continue reading Top 5 helpful hints for your first days in Fallen Earth

MassivelyTop 5 helpful hints for your first days in Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fallen-earthnda-dropnda-liftopen-betapost-apocalyptictop-5Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online NDA has dropped]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/champions-online-nda-has-dropped/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/champions-online-nda-has-dropped/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/champions-online-nda-has-dropped/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Champions Online closed beta testers, please observe a moment of silence for your now-deleted characters. They died yesterday as part of the server wipe to make the world a better place for open beta, which kicks off today. The biggest news here is that the NDA is now lifted, and we're expecting there will be a flood of impressions about Champions Online in the coming days from people who've spent time in the game.

The Cryptic Studios superhero MMO will enter open beta today at 10 a.m. PDT, and will last through August 24th at 10 a.m. PDT. Barring unforeseen technical issues, daily server downtime is scheduled from 1 a.m. PDT - 3 a.m. PDT. Aside from that, open beta testers have a solid week of gameplay ahead of them.

Continue reading Champions Online NDA has dropped

MassivelyChampions Online NDA has dropped originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabetasbreakingchampions-onlinecryptic-studiosmmo-industryndanda-dropnda-liftnew-titlesopen-betasuper-herosuperheroMon, 17 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST