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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Don't you want me, FFXI?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/06/the-mog-log-dont-you-want-me-ffxi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/06/the-mog-log-dont-you-want-me-ffxi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/06/the-mog-log-dont-you-want-me-ffxi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

DON'T YOU WANT ME, OHHH-WHOAAOH!
Final Fantasy XI has launched its fifth expansion, and yet I can't bring myself to be as excited as I should be. Longtime readers will recall that the account I've been playing on is younger and lacking in many of the higher-level conveniences such as airship passes and a white mage leveled enough to handle Sneak and Invisible. Put simply, I'm not in a place to just jump right into all of the content that Seekers of Adoulin has to offer right out of the gate.

On the plus side, I do have several conveniences that completely new players wouldn't have, not the least of which is an extensive knowledge of the game as a whole. A new player coming in straight would look at the game and just wind up baffled, and I can't blame him in the least. If you're starting fresh, the game is not welcoming you.

Longtime readers will also know that I've long been a proponent of making the game easier to get into. But is this even worth bothering with? Is the game for players starting at lower levels any more? Is there even a point to easing up the lower-level restrictions any longer?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Don't you want me, FFXI?

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Don't you want me, FFXI? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consoleconsolesexpansionfantasyfeaturedffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-ximog-lognew-playersopinionSeekers-of-Adoulinsoaspeculationsquaresquare-enixsquenixstarting-experiencestarting-outthe-mog-logSat, 06 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Forge developer diary discusses the state of the game and what comes next]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/forge-developer-diary-discusses-the-state-of-the-game-and-what-c/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/forge-developer-diary-discusses-the-state-of-the-game-and-what-c/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/forge-developer-diary-discusses-the-state-of-the-game-and-what-c/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

You'd think a game with a title like Forge would be all about competitive smelting, but no.
Forge isn't your typical MMO, set up as a straightforward PvP arena without niggling little issues like outside quests to get in the way. The development team behind the game has been looking at its current state, and in the newest address to the players they state what the game is doing wrong and how to fix it.

The diary makes it clear that while the number of people playing Forge is down, they believe a lot of that has to do with the steep learning curve new players experience. To fix this, there are plans for a new starter area in which players can practice against bots to get accustomed to the combat and the game mechanics. The team also plans to improve the tutorial and the UI so that what an ability does is more transparent.

For players already at the higher end, this is still good news -- the matchmaking system will be updated, visual customization will be improved, and you'll be able to respec at any time to ensure that you aren't stuck with poor choices forever. Check out all the details in the latest development diary.

MassivelyForge developer diary discusses the state of the game and what comes next originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>changesdark-valedark-vale-forgedark-vale-gamesdeveloper-diaryforgenew-playerspatchesplayer-retentionpreviewpvppvp-gamestutorialupdatesTue, 05 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How long do you need to play a game before you get a fair impression?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/the-daily-grind-how-long-do-you-need-to-play-a-game-before-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/the-daily-grind-how-long-do-you-need-to-play-a-game-before-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/the-daily-grind-how-long-do-you-need-to-play-a-game-before-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I didn't play Champions Online long enough for a fair impression the first time. In my defense, it was before I worked here.
First impressions are tricky things. Play a game for a little while and you'll get an idea of what the game is like, but you might miss some important parts that give it context. The combat doesn't change once you finish the tutorial in DC Universe Online, but you have a lot more powers and abilities afterward. Having your full skillbar in Guild Wars 2 changes a huge chunk of the gameplay, and you don't unlock your final slot until level 30.

But some gamers would argue that you can tell whether you'll like a game earlier than that. Speaking as a journalist, I know I need to evaluate the game as a whole to make sure it's not just a good game that isn't to my tastes, but a casual player doesn't have that restriction. So how long do you feel you personally need to play a game to get a fair impression of the game as a whole?

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: How long do you need to play a game before you get a fair impression? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindevaluationfirst-impressionsimpressionsnew-gamesnew-playernew-playersopinionplaytimereviewreviewingreviewsstarting-experiencetdgthe-daily-grindTue, 08 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Tips for City of Heroes refugees in Champions Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/a-mild-mannered-reporter-tips-for-city-of-heroes-refugees-in-ch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/a-mild-mannered-reporter-tips-for-city-of-heroes-refugees-in-ch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/a-mild-mannered-reporter-tips-for-city-of-heroes-refugees-in-ch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I'm not sure if Voltaic will remain a main, but she's been a useful learning tool.
Champions Online has been a breath of fresh air for the past couple of weeks. It's not a perfect game, nor is it a perfect substitute for City of Heroes, but it's a remarkably good approximation. I would imagine that most players familiar with the latter will feel fairly comfortable in the former, once they get over the obvious differences between the two.

Not that the hurdles are exactly minor. For all that I've grown fond of Champions Online, it still has a lot of strange fiddly bits, doing with six different systems what most games do with two or three. Just jumping in cold, as I did, can leave you looking around aimlessly and quite possibly result in your making some choices regarding character builds that you swiftly regret. As I also did.

So here are a few tips for players new to the game, tilted in no small part to anyone coming over from our dearly departed CoH. I can't keep you from making every mistake, but I can at least help you get a feel for the game's systems in some small part.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Tips for City of Heroes refugees in Champions Online

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Tips for City of Heroes refugees in Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-mild-mannered-reporteradvicechampionschampions-onlinechampscity-of-heroescocohcoh-refugeescomparisoncrypticcryptic-studiosf2pfeaturedfree-to-playmild-mannered-reporternew-player-advicenew-playersopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpwesuperherosuperhero-genresuperheroestipsWed, 26 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What things should MMOs explain to new players?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/08/the-daily-grind-what-things-should-mmos-explain-to-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/08/the-daily-grind-what-things-should-mmos-explain-to-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/08/the-daily-grind-what-things-should-mmos-explain-to-new-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hi there! I'm the Dungeon Mechanics Robot! No, keep leveling, I'll wait.
Games do not like to explain the concept of roles to players. This is not to say that they don't expect players to take those roles, most frequently the standard trinity setup; rather, those roles are never explained in depth. There's no tutorial in Star Wars: The Old Republic explaining what a tank is or how you will want to play one. In a game like Guild Wars 2, which has a radically different role structure from every other game, you'd expect more explanation, but it offers even less.

This is a smaller part of a larger problem: Many MMOs are built with the assumption that the players are familiar with certain core conventions. So you get tutorials on movement but not on roles or character builds or group behavior or anything that you might need if you've never played an MMO before in your life. What do you think MMOs in general should explain to new players? What areas are lacking in resources for anyone getting into a game cold?

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: What things should MMOs explain to new players? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conceptsdaily-grindexplanationsfresh-playerslearning-to-playnew-playersopiniontdgthe-daily-grindtutorialsSat, 08 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: RP 101 - What is roleplaying?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/storyboard-rp-101-what-is-roleplaying/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/storyboard-rp-101-what-is-roleplaying/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/storyboard-rp-101-what-is-roleplaying/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I hate starting at the beginning, so I started in the middle. Now I'm getting around to the beginning. I'll probably reach the end next year and then keep going for a while.
Two weeks back, I received a comment asking, in all seriousness, what was the deal with roleplaying. The author of said comment opined that as near as he or she could tell, it was mostly just talking like your character and developing a bunch of strange romances.

If that comment had only listed vampires in there, really, I could have stopped writing this column altogether.

All right, there's more to it than that. While I've spent the past 120 installments of the column dealing with creating characters, playing respectfully, and producing stories, I've never actually put down a definition of what roleplaying is. I've never liked opening off by defining roleplaying because it's an awkward beast, and the explanation is always shoehorned elsewhere. So today I'm going to kick off at least one and possibly more columns answering the very basics, starting with the obvious -- what the heck is roleplaying?

Continue reading Storyboard: RP 101 - What is roleplaying?

MassivelyStoryboard: RP 101 - What is roleplaying? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicefeaturednew-playersnew-roleplayersopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrprp-101storystoryboardsuggestionstutorialFri, 21 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: EVE Online's new tutorial]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/19/eve-evolved-eve-onlines-new-tutorial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/19/eve-evolved-eve-onlines-new-tutorial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/19/eve-evolved-eve-onlines-new-tutorial/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
If you've ever tried EVE Online and couldn't make it through the cumbersome tutorial, you might want to revisit it. The new player experience received a huge update with the recent Inferno 1.2 patch, which visually updated the starter tutorial and revamped the rookie ships and free frigates players are given. The new tutorial is fully up to date, even introducing recent gameplay updates like the "loot all" button on cargo containers and the new interface for accessing agent missions while in space. A lot of effort has been put into the updated tutorial, but has it really made a difference? This week I gave it a try to find out.

Last night at around 6 p.m. EVE time (GMT), there were over 38,000 players online, and only 1,200 were marked as trial accounts. I logged in to find 2,800 players in Rookie Help, a mandatory help channel exclusively for characters under 30 days old. That means just over 7% of characters logged in at the time were either rookies or veterans starting new alternate characters. With only 1,200 of those characters being on trial accounts, a healthy number of the remaining 1,600 must have been recent signups on fully subscribed accounts. Even the most cynical player has to admit that these are encouraging numbers of new players.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I give the new EVE tutorial a spin to find out whether now is a good time for new players to sign up.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE Online's new tutorial

MassivelyEVE Evolved: EVE Online's new tutorial originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>career-agentsccpccp-gameseveeve-career-agentseve-evolvedeve-onlineeve-tutorialfeaturedfree-trialfrigatefrigatesincarnainfernno-1.2infernokajattamissionnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersquestsandboxsci-fitooltipstrialtutorialSun, 19 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Breaking into roleplaying for the first time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/17/storyboard-breaking-into-roleplaying-for-the-first-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/17/storyboard-breaking-into-roleplaying-for-the-first-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/17/storyboard-breaking-into-roleplaying-for-the-first-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

You also have absolutely zero chance of obtaining worldwide success for being a really great roleplayer. Unless someone employs roleplayers now. I mean, other than as opinion columnists.
Roleplaying is probably harder to do than any other game activity. The first time you run a dungeon or take part in PvP, you might fail horribly, but that's a matter of practice and statistics. But the first time you get up in front of a group of other people to roleplay, you're essentially acting on a virtual stage on which anyone can see you, with no lines, no stage direction, and no indication whether you're doing it right or not.

And if you screw up, your indication that something went wrong will just be a wall of stony silence.

So it's intimidating. It's all the anxiety of jumping into a new social group with added anxiety over whether your character is interesting enough for anyone to care. I'm not going to pretend it's not, but I can offer some advice to make your first attempt as smooth as possible. And hopefully provide some useful tips to recover even if everything goes horribly wrong.

Continue reading Storyboard: Breaking into roleplaying for the first time

MassivelyStoryboard: Breaking into roleplaying for the first time originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicefeaturedgetting-startednew-playersopinionroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpstarting-outstorystoryboardsuggestionsFri, 17 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV, pre-2.0]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/23/the-mog-log-starting-fresh-in-final-fantasy-xiv-pre-2-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/23/the-mog-log-starting-fresh-in-final-fantasy-xiv-pre-2-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/23/the-mog-log-starting-fresh-in-final-fantasy-xiv-pre-2-0/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
So you're interested in Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0. You're not alone; really, a lot of people are. But you don't want to be the guy struggling to catch up when the change happens. No, you're buying your copy now and heading into the game, figuring that anything good you accomplish now will be well worth the effort after the end of the world. And truth be told, you're probably right, since you'll be free to bask in all of the newfound glory of the updated game with plenty of money and resources to start.

Of course, none of that helps with the fact that you're jumping in to a game that doesn't make the road easy for a new player. It's not like other MMOs. It's a game that seems to have followed a wholly divergent evolutionary path, one that I've previously compared to a species of carnivorous dinosaur lumbering alongside modern tigers. So what would I suggest to someone starting Final Fantasy XIV right now? A lot of things. Let's cover some basic advice for new players who'd like to see the game as it is while they wait for the game that it will be.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV, pre-2.0

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV, pre-2.0 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consoleconsolesfantasyfeaturedffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivguideguidesmog-lognew-playersopinionsquaresquare-enixsquenixstarting-outsuggestionsuggestionsthe-mog-logSat, 23 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fallen Earth trimming up the game experience for new players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/fallen-earth-trimming-up-the-game-experience-for-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/fallen-earth-trimming-up-the-game-experience-for-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/fallen-earth-trimming-up-the-game-experience-for-new-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Bit of a fixer-upper.
Fallen Earth isn't a cumbersome game, but it can be hard to approach at first. The game has a lot of complicated systems playing off one another, and as a result, trying to jump in can leave a new player confused about what to do next. Luckily, the development team is well aware of the problem, and a recent development blog outlines the steps being taken in the next patch to help streamline and improve the experience for new players.

The change that will have the biggest impact on everyone in the game will be the consolidation of several gear slots, meaning that players will no longer have to scrounge for corresponding pieces when starting out. The addition of sector chat and a beacon leading toward the nearest garage will help players find others and receive aid as needed. And the team is looking ahead to future improvements as well, all in the hopes that your first moments in Fallen Earth are fun enough to convince you to stay.

MassivelyFallen Earth trimming up the game experience for new players originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfallen-earthfefree-to-playg1gamersfirstnew-playersplayer-aidplayer-assistanceplayer-experiencepost-apocpost-apocalypticsandboxsci-fiwastelandsThu, 10 May 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Anarchy Online's new game director details early 2012 plans]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/anarchy-onlines-new-game-director-details-early-2012-plans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/anarchy-onlines-new-game-director-details-early-2012-plans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/anarchy-onlines-new-game-director-details-early-2012-plans/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- Anarchy Online
We haven't heard a whole lot from Funcom's old-school sci-fi MMO Anarchy Online since mid-December when the game's producer bowed out. Today, however, the new game director, Fia "Lindelu" Tjernberg, stopped by the game's official forums to give players a bit of an update on what they can expect from the first months of the new year.

For starters, Tjernberg gives players a progress report on the game's upcoming shiny new graphics engine. She goes on to explain that "[Funcom's] artists have been preparing a couple of playfields to a standard that is very close to what we're aiming for," and adds that the first video of the new engine should hit sometime in February. Another large priority for the team for early 2012 is the new player experience, but perhaps most importantly of all is the "balancing act," as Tjernberg puts it, which (predictably) aims to bring the game's professions into balance "a little bit at a time."

For the full details on Anarchy Online's plans for the next couple of months, just click on through the link below.

MassivelyAnarchy Online's new game director details early 2012 plans originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchyanarchy-onlineaobalancebalancingbalancing-actenginef2pfia-tjernbergfree-to-playfuncomgraphic-enginegraphics-enginelindelunew-player-experiencenew-playersupdateupdatesTue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Two weeks ago, I began an experiment to look into EVE Online's new player experience from the perspective of someone who has never played the game before. I convinced my friend Kajatta to try the game for the first time, with his only prior knowledge being the same stories, videos and screenshots that anyone will have seen before signing up to give the game a shot. In the first part of this investigation into the new player experience, Kajatta delivered a harsh first impression of the user interface and character creation.

A common story I've heard when I'm talking to current EVE players is that many didn't really get into the game the first time they played. As happened to Kajatta, some found adapting to the UI and control scheme a jarring experience and were put off as a result. It was usually the second time they played EVE that seemed to make the game stick, whether that was restarting a new character immediately or giving the game a second try up to a year later.

Could it be that EVE is most likely to appeal to new players the second time they play it? To put this theory to the test, this week Kajatta took a fresh second stab at EVE Online and played through all the career agent content. But has his first attempt provide the equipment necessary to scale EVE's famous learning cliff, or did the UI and control scheme prove as impenetrable a barrier as ever?

In this week's EVE Evolved, Kajatta delivers his verdict on whether EVE is better the second time around and delves into the Cash Flow For Capsuleers combat missions.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auracash-flow-for-capsuleersccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfrigategallerykajattamissionmission-runningmissionsnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersscreenshotscreenshotstutorialtutorialsSun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The new player experience]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/30/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/30/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/30/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Ever since a graph showing a downward trend in daily peak concurrent logins started to make the rounds on blogs, players have insisted that EVE Online's recent Incarna expansion has been a complete failure. I mentioned in an earlier article that we should really have expected this as the captain's quarters were primarily designed with new players in mind. Starting the game as an avatar, even one who's been grounded in his space-room by his space-dad, helps people identify with their characters in a way that bridges the gap between EVE and traditional avatar-based MMOs. By introducing a player to his character as a person rather than a ship, the new player experience may also help make the loss of a ship not such a big deal.

It's all fine and well to theorise about Incarna's success or failure, but ultimately it's only new players who can make that determination. If the captain's quarters do their job of flattening that initially jarring part of EVE's learning curve, the expansion's effect on subscriptions would be to convert more free trials into paid accounts -- an effect that wouldn't be immediately noticeable until another exciting and heavily advertised gameplay expansion brings in large numbers of new players. To help figure out if the captain's quarters have been successful in that regard, we have to turn to people who have never played EVE before.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I finally convince my friend Kajatta to try EVE for the first time. I delve into his first experiences with the game to find out what EVE does right and wrong in the new player experience.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The new player experience

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamescommunitycorpcorporationseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedincarnainterveiwinterviewkajattanewnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playerstutorialuser-interfaceSun, 30 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Throwing out the barriers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/the-mog-log-throwing-out-the-barriers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/the-mog-log-throwing-out-the-barriers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/the-mog-log-throwing-out-the-barriers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The Mog Log header image by A. Fienemann
If you're starting Final Fantasy XI fresh right now, you'll have the most fun if you have absolutely no idea how much stuff you have to do -- not just because it's intimidating, although that's certainly an element, but because it's a huge pile of things that you can't do by yourself in any meaningful fashion. You have to rely on charity or making friendships based solely on your charming personality because you've got pretty much nothing else to offer when you start off, and no one at level 85 really wants to go farming for subjob items yet again (to say nothing of gysahl greens).

These sentiments are not new. This is not something that I have never said before or a thought that had remained unexpressed for ages until just this moment. I've long talked about the fact that there's a huge barrier to entry for the game, one that essentially locks the game in for the people who are playing right now and no one else. But for all that talk, I can also see some very good reasons to keep those barriers in place because they're providing some useful functions -- or at the very least, they're not actively harmful.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Throwing out the barriers

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Throwing out the barriers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barriersbarriers-to-entrycolumnfeaturedffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xilevelingnew-player-experiencenew-playersopinionsquaresquare-enixthe-mog-logSat, 17 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Veteran EVE Online pilots share wisdom with new players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/veteran-eve-online-players-share-wisdom-with-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/veteran-eve-online-players-share-wisdom-with-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/veteran-eve-online-players-share-wisdom-with-new-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

EVE Online - rookie frigate
If you're looking for an excuse to visit the recently revamped EVE Online official forums, you could do a lot worse than a newbie help thread started by CCP Fallout. Whether you're an actual New Eden rookie or a veteran looking to dispense advice (note we didn't say good advice, since it's EVE), it's worth checking out.

The thread is also good for a bit o' the ol' nostalgia, as Fallout specifically mentions silly mistakes she made back in the day, and she invites other players to share similar stories. The thread is fairly modest to this point (i.e., it's definitely not approaching threadnaught territory), but we suspect it will swell a bit as more vets weigh in with stories, pointers, and trolling attempts.

MassivelyVeteran EVE Online pilots share wisdom with new players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceccpccp-falloutccp-gameseveeve-onilneforumsnew-edennew-forumsnew-playersnewb-not-nubnewbiesnewbssandboxsci-fistoriesFri, 16 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan: Unchained conquers 300,000 new players, doubles revenue in a month]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-unchained-conquers-300-000-new-players-doubles-re/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-unchained-conquers-300-000-new-players-doubles-re/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-unchained-conquers-300-000-new-players-doubles-re/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Age of Conan
The secret is out and the jig is up: MMO studios have solid evidence that adding a free-to-play option on top of a subscription model is the way to bring in hordes of new players. Age of Conan: Unchained proved this today as Funcom announced the addition of over 300,000 players to its bloody family in the first month of service.

Apparently the servers are packed full and Funcom is raking in the moolah, too. The studio announced that servers have quadrupled activity during this time period, and revenues have more then doubled. This is certainly good news for the 2008 title, which is now being supported by a mix of subscription and cash shop options.

Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas is pleased as (a) punch: "The launch of the hybrid business model has been very successful so far. The activity levels on the servers are booming with a fourfold increase in players during July, we more than doubled the revenue generated from the game, and we have experienced a positive development in subscriber numbers. This definitely gives us great hope for the game's future."

Age of Conan is set to release a movie tie-in update later this month called Savage Coast of Turan to take advantage of the Conan the Barbarian movie coming to theaters on the 18th.

MassivelyAge of Conan: Unchained conquers 300,000 new players, doubles revenue in a month originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-package-of-conanage-of-conan-unchainedaocconanconan-the-barbariancraig-morrisonf2pfree-to-playfuncommovie-tie-innew-playersrevenuesavage-coast-of-turansubscriber-numberssubscriberstrond-arne-aasunchainedThu, 11 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/07/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-minmatar-and-caldari/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/07/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-minmatar-and-caldari/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/07/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-minmatar-and-caldari/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Over the years, I've introduced several friends to EVE Online and tried to give them the best start possible. Offering a financial safety net for ship losses definitely helped a little, as did providing funding to back market experiments and manufacturing or research ventures. What I found helped most of all was to bring new players on quick PvP fleets and discourage them from gravitating toward mining or mission-running as their primary form of gameplay. The adrenaline rush of EVE PvP is something I've yet to find in another MMO, and it's the reason so many of us are hooked to the game. It only makes sense then to introduce new players to it as soon as possible.

Last month, I encouraged new players who might be starting out on their own to grab a few friends and similarly charge into PvP from day one. To follow up, the last two weeks' columns have been dedicated to getting new players into their first PvP frigate and upgrading to a cruiser, with emphasis on staying financially ahead of the inevitable ship losses. Last week we tackled Gallente and Amarr ships, with some cheap battle-tested setups for the Thorax, Vexor, Arbitrator and Omen that new players will be able to fly with only a few weeks of skill training.

In this week's EVE Evolved, we look at Minmatar and Caldari cruisers, with setups for the Stabber, Rupture, Blackbird and Moa and tips on saving your escape pod to minimise the cost of death.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blackbirdblastersccpccp-eveccp-gamesecmelectronic-warfareeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfittingmissilesmoanew-playernew-playersnewbiepiracypiratepvpruptureshieldship-fittingspeedstabbertankSun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Gallente and Amarr]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/31/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-gallente-and-amarr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/31/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-gallente-and-amarr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/31/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-gallente-and-amarr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

People come to EVE Online from many different gaming backgrounds, and for one reason or another, the game doesn't click with most people the first time they try it. Two weeks ago, I encouraged people who have tried EVE but never got it to click with them to approach the game from a new angle -- to grab a few friends and charge head-first into PvP with guns blazing from day one. In last week's EVE Evolved, I advised new players on getting into their first PvP frigate, preparing for PvP, and staying financially ahead of the inevitable ship losses. I also put together two frigate setups for each race that will fit and function well with only a few days worth of skills trained.

While frigates are fantastically cheap ships in which to learn the basics of PvP, their effectiveness on the battlefield is limited. Most tech 1 frigates struggle to deal anywhere near 100 damage per second, and if caught by enemy tacklers they die quickly. While the next step up is the destroyer class, I strongly advise PvP-oriented players to skip it and move straight on to cruisers. Although cruisers have less mobility than frigates and are easier for large ships to hit, they pack a big punch for a relatively low cost and can take a bit of a beating.

In this week's extra large EVE Evolved, I share effective and battle-tested setups for the Thorax, Vexor, Arbitrator, and Omen that new players can use with less than two weeks of skills trained. I also suggest skills to train and give a few tips for keeping costs down. If you're a fan of Minmatar or Caldari ships, tune in to next week's EVE Evolved for the continuation of this article.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Gallente and Amarr

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Gallente and Amarr originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arbitratorccpccp-eveccp-gamescruiserdeath-penaltyeveeve-ccpEVE-Evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefaction-warfarefactional-warfarefeaturedguidenew-player-experiencenew-playersnyphuromenpvpship-fittingsthoraxvexorSun, 31 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/eve-evolved-corporate-benefits-and-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/eve-evolved-corporate-benefits-and-new-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/eve-evolved-corporate-benefits-and-new-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

In a recent article, I explored the effect that power players have on EVE Online's subscription retention. In particular, I suggested that CCP has stopped developing features with EVE's power players in mind and that this could be the cause of a worrying downward trend in new player retention. It's the responsibility of corp leaders and organisers to give players a place in EVE, to provide them with something to do and to instill them with the ambition to continue playing in the long term. I believe that CCP has let those organisers and leaders down by failing to provide the updated tools necessary to give players a purposeful place in the universe or give them a good start to the game.

A similar issue I've touched on before is the importance of corporate goals in EVE. I've always been amazed at the willingness of EVE players to donate their time and effort to achieve a collective goal rather than a personal one. People are far more likely to join a corporate mining op, for example, if the proceeds will be donated to the corp funds or the minerals will be used in a corp production scheme. Similarly, I've found players to be much more enthusiastic about a mission night or wormhole op if the intent is to fund the production of a corp capital ship or the purchase of starbase fuel.

With CCP's summer focus aimed at helping new players get into good corporations, this week's opinion-filled EVE Evolved examines some of the developments necessary to make that goal possible.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benefitsblueprintblueprintsccpccp-eveccp-gamescorpcorporationeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-universityfeaturedfree-shipsgoalsguild-perksmanufacturingmotivationnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersnewbienewbiesopinionresearchSun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player help system added to City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/player-help-system-added-to-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/player-help-system-added-to-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/player-help-system-added-to-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If you're looking for a game that's friendly to new players, you could do far worse than City of Heroes. After all, it's friendly to groups or solo players, has a plethora of powers and archetypes available for every playstyle, and offers a broad range of content for everyone. But it can also be intimidating, what with seven years of backlog. That's why among its many other features, Issue 20 included a brand-new player mentoring system to help new players find the help they need.

Players who log on for the first time since the patch launch will see a dialog box with three options -- "Helper," "Help Me!" or "Neither." The last category is an opt out, but choosing to be a helper gives you the temporary Helper title as well as a golden name. The brand-new Help Channel has also been added to the global chat channels, allowing players to ask for help and guidance from the City of Heroes community as needed. So go forth, enjoy the update, and know that help is just a "Help Me!" away!

MassivelyPlayer help system added to City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcoh-issue-20communitycovcoxhelp-servicesi20issue-20mentorncsoftnew-player-servicesnew-playersparagonparagon-studiospatchesplayer-helpplayer-mentorupdatesThu, 07 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When does friendly turn frustrating?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-daily-grind-when-does-friendly-turn-frustrating/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-daily-grind-when-does-friendly-turn-frustrating/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/the-daily-grind-when-does-friendly-turn-frustrating/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We all know, from years of experience, that there's a certain community duty to help newer players get acclimated to the game. Or younger players, or... really, anyone. It's in the community's best interests to be friendly and open. But there's always the threat of the player who seems friendly and enjoyable... until you log on again and he whispers you almost instantly. And then the next time. And again. He's always there, latched onto you as if you're the only beacon of kindness in the world, and while you want him to keep playing, you want to play City of Heroes, not City of Helping the Socially Maladjusted.

The worst part of these situations, naturally, is that it spoils you on helping former players. It makes the community as a whole more hostile, and even though you still know helping new players is a good thing, it's hard not to be colder. So when have you run into a player whom you wished you hadn't helped out? When has being friendly and open wound up frustrating you to no end?

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: When does friendly turn frustrating? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communitycommunity-concernsfriendlinessfrustrationhelpingnew-playersnewbiesnewbsnoobopinionplayer-cultureplayerstdgthe-daily-grindMon, 04 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Incarna and the captain's quarters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/27/eve-evolved-incarna-and-the-captains-quarters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/27/eve-evolved-incarna-and-the-captains-quarters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/27/eve-evolved-incarna-and-the-captains-quarters/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

When we first heard about Incarna, it was as "Walking in Stations" back in 2006. At the 2006 EVE Online Fanfest, details of the ambitious project were released to excited fans, which was followed by a lengthy devblog from CCP t0rfifrans on what would be involved. The sheer scope of Walking in Stations seemed immense, but in-engine screenshots of what came to be known as "Ambulation Man" created a sense that a lot of work had already been done on it. Over the years following that announcement, we saw snippets of information and work-in-progress screenshots from various prototypes. Players saw those prototypes as the current state of the feature in development, and it became reasonable to expect a release in the near future.

Miscommunication

In reality, CCP's insistence on doing the feature right has caused several prototypes to be completely scrapped. Walking in Stations became Ambulation, and we were shown a full work-in-progress demo of a character walking around in a bar and playing a minigame. That prototype was similarly scrapped, being reborn as Incarna at the 2009 Fanfest. In developing each of these prototypes, CCP quickly discovered that the underlying technology to do it the way the team wanted to simply didn't exist.

In this opinion piece, I look at the summer expansion's planned captain's quarters event and what it could mean for EVE Online.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Incarna and the captain's quarters

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Incarna and the captain's quarters originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeons and Dragons Online is an old game. I'm not saying that in a negative context -- if a game has been around for a long time, that means it's had time to work through the bumps in the road that come with launch and the first six months or so, as well as to build a strong community of players. DDO recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, so it's one of those MMOs that's had time to settle, grow, and become established as a reliable game.

This is a great thing with one downside: A long-running game has a tendency to run short on content for new players, both in and out of game. This isn't due to any deliberate oversight or desire to exclude on behalf of the development team or the community; it's just that over time, the majority of the community naturally shifts to high-level and endgame content. It makes sense to focus largely on content and news directed at the largest part of the community in order to keep them interested -- and spending.

However, that new community still exists. Due in large part to the organic nature of MMOs, the new community continues to exist even as new players advance, learn, and become veteran players. New players (hopefully) are constantly arriving, and game mechanics and content are constantly shifting and updating. Ideally, there is always a part of the paying customer base that is new and confused. Follow along after the jump to see why this is on my mind this week and what Turbine is doing about it.

Continue reading Exploring Eberron: DDO 101 and why it's still needed

MassivelyExploring Eberron: DDO 101 and why it's still needed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communityddoDungeons-and-Dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlineexploring-eberronf2pfeaturedfree-to-playftpkyle-hornernew-playersonedawesometurbineTurbine-EntertainmentFri, 25 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- The basics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/09/eve-evolved-mining-101-the-basics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/09/eve-evolved-mining-101-the-basics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/09/eve-evolved-mining-101-the-basics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Although it's not everyone's cup of tea, mining is one of EVE Online's oldest and most easily accessible professions. Sitting down to clear out a few asteroid belts or put a dent in a massive ice asteroid can be a very relaxing way to make ISK. Mining is a very low-activity process that can be done at the same time as other tasks, much in the same way that hauling items for trade or running courier missions can be done in the background. In all the time that the EVE Evolved column has been running, it struck me that I had never really written a guide for mining.

Mining can be a good way to make some extra ISK during a lull in corp activity or while you're busy doing other things. Busy EVE players will often set themselves up to mine solo while reading a good book or watching TV. On the other end of the scale, corporations and alliances will sometimes run large co-operative mining operations for war funds or personal profit. Mining as a group is usually a more efficient use of the time of each player in the group and can make a great bonding experience for a corporation.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I give a run-down of the basics of mining for new players. I look at the entry-level ship requirements for efficient mining and popular strategies for both solo and group mining.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- The basics

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- The basics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpEVE-Evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedguideguidesice-miningjetcanjettisonminermineralsminersminingmining-opsnew-playernew-player-guidenew-playersninja-miningretrievertipsSun, 09 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Starting fresh and clearing conceptions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/a-mild-mannered-reporter-starting-fresh-and-clearing-conception/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/a-mild-mannered-reporter-starting-fresh-and-clearing-conception/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/a-mild-mannered-reporter-starting-fresh-and-clearing-conception/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

So last week I had announced that I'd be going through some Mission Architect content for this week's column. There were two things that derailed that event, however. The first was dealing with the aftermath of a Thanksgiving holiday and an immense patch for another game which I cover, which meant that my playtime wasn't sufficient to give the submitted arcs the full attention each deserved. But the other one was a bit more interesting from a City of Heroes point of view, coming from a friend who decided to take advantage of the pricing on Monday and purchase the heck out of the game.

On the one hand, it's great that buying the game and getting into it are now so cheap that it can really be bought on a whim -- players can look forward to a pretty steady influx of new blood as a result. But City of Heroes, for all its casual-friendly nature, is a six-year-old game with all the complexity those years would imply. It's very easy for a new player to start in without the slightest idea of how the different archetypes play, or with ideas about the game that are built by other games. And life as a superhero is a pretty different experience than leveling yet another character in your fantasy game of choice.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Starting fresh and clearing conceptions

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Starting fresh and clearing conceptions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The toothy fellow heading the page might seem rather unfriendly, or he might just seem in need of a good joke or two. But rest assured that if you see him in Final Fantasy XIV, any jokes you tell will feature him consuming your flesh as a punchline. The newest dispatch covering game basics has just gone live on the official player site, this time discussing combat, engaging targets, and the difference between active and passive modes.

Along with a discussion of just what advantages active mode offers when you're not in combat (slower TP decay), the dispatch also includes a small visual guide to some of the game's aggressive inhabitants. Some of them wouldn't be immediately recognizable as aggressive at first glance, making it useful to any players who haven't ventured too far from their starting city of choice. If you're still unclear about some of the basics of Final Fantasy XIV, take a look at the guide... and if you're quite clear on all of them, you can simply cross your fingers that tonight's maintenance might include a patch going live.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV covers the basics of healing and fighting originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aggressiveaggressive-monstersaggrocombatcombat-basicsffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivguidesnew-playerspotential-patchsquaresquare-enixwalkthroughMon, 15 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV updates official site with a guide to interactions and guildleves]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/01/final-fantasy-xiv-updates-official-site-with-a-guide-to-interact/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/01/final-fantasy-xiv-updates-official-site-with-a-guide-to-interact/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/01/final-fantasy-xiv-updates-official-site-with-a-guide-to-interact/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Despite the in-game tutorial, players in Final Fantasy XIV aren't given a straightforward idea of where to go after the first few steps in the game. Early adopters have been gamely figuring out what comes next as they go, but Square-Enix has put together a small primer for new players covering two of the essentials -- interacting with objects (including the all-important aetheryte) and the specifics of acquiring guildleves and carrying out local leves.

Some of the facts within the most recent dispatch will be familiar to players who have been in the game since the beginning, but the guide still includes interesting facts for all players, such as a map of the NPCs required for materials for some local leves. Veteran players can also appreciate the newly implemented History feature for individual characters, allowing one to track the progress of a character across Eorzea. Final Fantasy XIV newbies still won't have a straight line to walk through the game, but the addition of another guide should certainly help.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV updates official site with a guide to interactions and guildleves originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivguidesguildleveslevequestslevesnew-playersnewbie-guidenewbiesofficial-site-featuresprimerssquaresquare-enixMon, 01 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Everything you wanted to know about LotRO but were too busy fending off an invasion of Uruk-hai to find out]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-lotro-but-were-too-busy-fend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-lotro-but-were-too-busy-fend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-lotro-but-were-too-busy-fend/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It can be scary and intimidating to enter an MMO for the first time, especially if that game's been out for a number of years. So many possibilities, so many unknown factors, so much to learn -- we wouldn't blame you if liquid started pouring from your ocular sockets. With so many new players giving Lord of the Rings Online a test drive these past few weeks, it stands to reason that there are a few who feel utterly, completely lost.

Who will ever save us from this lack of knowledge? Look! Up in the sky! It's a new LotRO dev diary!

In the eloquently titled "New Player Tips and Hints," Turbine provides four pages of need-to-know info about how to survive and succeed in Middle-earth. While some of the tips are common knowledge to any MMO player, there's still enough here to recommend to an experienced MMO vet who might be new to LotRO. The article covers how to gather information, basic tips and hints, integrated system tips and combat tips. You can read the whole shebang over at LotRO's site.

MassivelyEverything you wanted to know about LotRO but were too busy fending off an invasion of Uruk-hai to find out originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dev-diaryf2pfree-to-playlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromanly-men-still-crynew-playernew-player-experiencenew-player-guidenew-player-tipsnew-playersturbineThu, 23 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A World of Warcraft player's guide to Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/20/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/20/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/20/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

So you're a veteran player of World of Warcraft, and you're ready to take a step away from the game that you've been playing for however many years and start in on something new. And you even know where you want to forge your new home: Eorzea, the continent on which Final Fantasy XIV's adventures take place. It should be a fairly easy transition, yes?

While Square-Enix has taken a distinctly different approach with its newest game compared to the decidedly old-school Final Fantasy XI, that doesn't mean that Final Fantasy XIV is World of Warcraft with moogles and chocobos. There are a lot of similairities, a lot of differences, and some subtle points that can be all too easy to miss when you're just starting out. So if you're moving from the current 100-pound-gorilla of the MMO scene into the newest title, you might be well-served to take a good look at this guide first.

Continue reading A World of Warcraft player's guide to Final Fantasy XIV

MassivelyA World of Warcraft player's guide to Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcataclysmcombatcraftingfeaturedffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivgame-mechanicsgameplayguidelevelingmechanicsnew-playersnew-titlesquestingsquaresquare-enixworld-of-warcraftwowwow-player-guideMon, 20 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX 2010: Your questions answered by SWTOR's Blaine Christine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/pax-2010-your-questions-answered-by-swtors-blaine-christine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/pax-2010-your-questions-answered-by-swtors-blaine-christine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/pax-2010-your-questions-answered-by-swtors-blaine-christine/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A little over a week ago, I asked you all what questions I should ask SWTOR developers at PAX. Well, wait no longer -- the answers are here! Blaine Christine, the Senior Producer for BioWare, took some time specifically to answer some of Massively's readers' questions. There were five main categories I wanted to hit on when approaching BioWare about the content of Star Wars: The Old Republic: playable species, classes, space combat, starting zones, and endgame. I did focus heavily on endgame in the interview -- including crafting -- but I did not neglect the other portions.

Player species are not that complicated at this point. BioWare hasn't really announced anything new regarding species for a couple of weeks. However, if Zabrak is not a playable species for the trooper, then the devs will have to build the species out of the game I played this weekend, because the trooper I played was definitely a Zabrak! I will dig into starting zones a bit more in depth when I do my version of a hands-on for SWTOR. That will probably end up being next week's Hyperspace Beacon.

Lastly, before I begin the interview, I did not ask Blaine Christine anything about space combat because the night before the interview, Daniel Erickson, the Lead Writer for BioWare, brought it up in the official presentation, saying: "You remember that part where Han Solo and Chewbacca are in the Millennium Falcon? Han's like, 'Hey, Chewie, let's go into space, and let's just dick around. Let's go off in that direction and see if there is anything interesting'? Remember how they went off and there was this asteroid, and they mined the asteroid? Yeah, we couldn't find that either. Two things happened when you went to space. One: You took off to space when you wanted to go somewhere. You took off into hyperspace -- BAM! -- and got there. Two: You wanted to go to a battle or you were trying to go somewhere and someone stopped you. Uh oh! Giant exciting combat! ... That is why we did space combat the way we did."

After the break, your other questions are answered by Blaine Christine. What's in there? Only what you take with you.

Continue reading PAX 2010: Your questions answered by SWTOR's Blaine Christine

MassivelyPAX 2010: Your questions answered by SWTOR's Blaine Christine originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorblaine-christineclassescommunitycraftingcrafting-systemdaniel-ericksoneaea-biowareendgamefeaturedgearinterviewLucasArtsnew-player-experiencenew-playerspaxpax-2010pax-primepax-prime-2010player-speciesPvPracesspeciesStar-Warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorunique-snowflakeFri, 10 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: If the road goes ever on, I'm gonna need a GPS]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/the-road-to-mordor-if-the-road-goes-ever-on-im-gonna-need-a-g/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/the-road-to-mordor-if-the-road-goes-ever-on-im-gonna-need-a-g/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/the-road-to-mordor-if-the-road-goes-ever-on-im-gonna-need-a-g/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recently in our kinship chat, I asked my mates what they were most looking forward to in next week's patch. Scaled instances and the wardrobe were popular, but probably the most-cited change was simply the influx of new players. It's not that we were worried Lord of the Rings Online was dying, but that we love this game so much that we genuinely want others to experience it as well.

Plus, new players bring a rush of excitement for everyone involved. It's always a treat to look at an old game through a fresh set of eyes, and I hope that everyone logging in to LotRO for the first time will enjoy the sights of the Eriador, the quirkiness of the world, and the rich lore behind it.

In the spirit of welcoming these fledgling adventurers to Middle-earth, I wanted to hand out a few pieces of advice today that I would give to myself if I were just starting out (and I guess there'd be some sort of weird time travel paradox event going on there, but hopefully you catch my gist). What should you do in your first week in LotRO? Speak "friend" and enter.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: If the road goes ever on, I'm gonna need a GPS

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: If the road goes ever on, I'm gonna need a GPS originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceah-monkeyauction-housebree-landcommunityered-luineriadorexplorerf2pfeaturedfree-to-playftpkinshipslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromiddle-earthmordornew-playernew-playerssay-friend-and-entershireskillssmell-the-buckleberry-ferrytraitsturbinevirtuesvocationFri, 03 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What's the cruelest prank you've played on a new player?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/the-daily-grind-whats-the-cruelest-prank-youve-played-on-a-ne/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/the-daily-grind-whats-the-cruelest-prank-youve-played-on-a-ne/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/the-daily-grind-whats-the-cruelest-prank-youve-played-on-a-ne/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We all intend to be nice to the newer players, really we do. It's not as if anyone forgets that we were new at one point, not knowing our aft launcher from our elbow in Star Trek Online. And yet for some reason, after the right barrage of questions about how you loot things in Final Fantasy XI, where you can get travel powers in City of Heroes, or how to train pistols in Fallen Earth... well, eventually you just snap. You give someone advice that isn't just bad -- it's malicious.

Almost every veteran has done it at least once, ranging from assuring a player that the dragon is totally soloable to explaining that black dye is cheap and unwanted. So what's the worst thing you've ever pulled over on a new player? Was it something that got the character killed, or even worse, something that forced the player to throw away what could have been a long-term benefit? And in the unlikely event that you don't have a cruel sense of humor, have you ever been on the receiving end?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's the cruelest prank you've played on a new player? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicebad-advicemalicious-pranksnew-playersnewbsnoobsnovice-playersplaying-prankspractical-jokesprankstdgthe-daily-grindMon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/first-impressions-city-of-heroes-going-rogue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/first-impressions-city-of-heroes-going-rogue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/first-impressions-city-of-heroes-going-rogue/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

To hear the team talk about it, Going Rogue isn't simply an expansion for City of Heroes but a full-on reboot of the game in general. It's hard to see how, on some level; outside of the new powersets and a new starting area, not much is visibly being added with the expansion. But sitting down and playing through the starting area and the game's opening suddenly feels like an entirely different experience. It's not a new game -- but it feels like a leap forward from where the game had been just a few days before.

I didn't get nearly as much time with the Going Rogue beta as I would have liked, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased when it comes to City of Heroes. But even with those standards set, I was impressed right away with how the game has been revamped from the start -- and what these revamps mean for the game as a whole and moving forward. Click on past the cut for the first impressions of the latest expansion, which launches today. (Coincidental, yes?)

Gallery: First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue gallery

Continue reading First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue

MassivelyFirst Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-creationcinematicscity-of-heroescity-of-heroes-going-roguecity-of-villainscohcovcoxexpansionfeaturedfirst-impressionsgame-mechanicsgoing-roguegrhands-onncsoftnew-charactersnew-expansionnew-playersopinionparagonparagon-studiospraetoriastarting-outsystemsTue, 17 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ultima Online's Call to Arms bringing back live events]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/ultima-onlines-call-to-arms-bringing-back-live-events/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/ultima-onlines-call-to-arms-bringing-back-live-events/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/ultima-onlines-call-to-arms-bringing-back-live-events/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ready to take a trip down MMO memory lane? BioWare Mythic has your ticket to adventure in the form of Ultima Online's new Call to Arms event. Players signing up for new (non-trial) accounts will be rewarded with new-player tokens that grant 20,000 gold, skill gain boosts, and premium armor and weapons.

Veteran players aren't left out in the cold either, as advanced character token templates have been updated, and there's also the prospect of increased skill advancement when partying with new players. Veterans and newbies alike can also pick up the latest Ultima Online expansion, Stygian Abyss, for a new lower price. PvP arena gameplay also makes its first appearance in the long-running MMORPG, as players can now engage in one-on-one duels in two new arenas.

Finally, one of the staples of classic Ultima Online gameplay is making a comeback in the form of live events. Gamemasters will be leading in-game events and story arcs as well as re-introducing characters from the game's past, all centering around the town of Magincia.

MassivelyUltima Online's Call to Arms bringing back live events originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWarebioware-mythiccall-to-armseaElectronic-Artslive-eventsmaginciamythicnew-playerspremium-armorskill-gainstygian-abyssultimaUltima-OnlineFri, 06 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV's Hiromichi Tanaka on the goals of the game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/final-fantasy-xivs-hiromichi-tanaka-on-the-goals-of-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/final-fantasy-xivs-hiromichi-tanaka-on-the-goals-of-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/final-fantasy-xivs-hiromichi-tanaka-on-the-goals-of-the-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Hiromichi Tanaka has been making the rounds of late -- while we had our own chance to interview him during E3, he's been giving several different interviews on a multitude of topics as Final Fantasy XIV nears its launch date. The most recent translated interview from JeuxVideo has Tanaka talking in brief about the upcoming game, but also about his own play experiences. Among the more quotable parts of the interview is a simple statement: Square-Enix isn't trying to compete with World of Warcraft, but to draw in players who might not have looked at the genre before.

As Tanaka puts it, the game is designed to be accessible to fans of the long-running franchise who may never have considered playing something multiplayer. He also stresses the emphasis on allowing players to use their time in the game as effectively as possible, citing the Guildleves and the Armory system as two examples wherein players can maximize the useful time spent in-game. Lastly, when asked about other games he's enjoyed, he somewhat happily admits that he's been too focused on developing Final Fantasy XIV to enjoy much since Final Fantasy XI. The full translation is transcribed here, with the embedded video in French (if you happen to be fluent).

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV's Hiromichi Tanaka on the goals of the game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessarmory-systemcompetitionffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivguildleveshiromichi-tanakainterviewsmmosnew-playerssquaresquare-enixtranslationsWed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/18/eve-evolved-exploration-top-tips/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/18/eve-evolved-exploration-top-tips/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/18/eve-evolved-exploration-top-tips/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Over the past two weeks, I've been giving an in-depth look at EVE Online's exploration profession. Exploration is one of the many PvE elements that players can get involved in right from their first week in EVE. By concentrating on astrometrics skills, a new player can be a more-than-competent prober within a week. Although some sites may require the help of an older player for the first few months, it's still one of the most fun PvE elements a new player can get into. In the first part of this three-part guide, I went over the basic equipment and techniques you'll need to scan down hidden complexes. In last week's second part, I went on to look at the different types of hidden site you can discover, what loot you can expect to find in each of them and what kind of challenge you'll face.

Since the exploration system was launched many years ago, I've picked up a few tricks and tips that can help any explorer. In this final part of the EVE Evolved guide to exploration, I run down my four top tips for budding explorers.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdotlaneveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexplorationexplorerfeaturednew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersnewbieprobesprofessionspvescan-probesscanningtipstips-and-trickswormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Planet Calypso aims to attract new players with starting area]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/planet-calypso-aims-to-attract-new-players-with-starting-area/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/planet-calypso-aims-to-attract-new-players-with-starting-area/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/planet-calypso-aims-to-attract-new-players-with-starting-area/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Planet Calypso, the long-running real-cash economy MMORPG from First Planet Company and MindArk, will soon offer a new and dedicated starting area for new players. Previously, player colonists were at the mercy of the title's veteran residents and were thrown right into Planet Calypso's considerable learning curve with little in the way of an introduction.

Now, newbies can partake of the safe starting area (restricted to new players), learn the game's basics, and grab missions in the new Calypso Gateway. Players will hunt, mine, and craft using starter equipment on the secluded arrival island, and they will not be able to return once they've completed the tutorials and traveled to mainland Calypso.

Check out the official site for all the details.

MassivelyPlanet Calypso aims to attract new players with starting area originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calypso-gatewayentropia-universefirst-planet-companymindarknew-playersplanet-calypsoproject-entropiastarter-areastarting-areaWed, 07 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shirtless gnome action in Gnoob video from Everquest II]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/14/shirtless-gnome-action-in-gnoob-video-from-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/14/shirtless-gnome-action-in-gnoob-video-from-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/14/shirtless-gnome-action-in-gnoob-video-from-everquest-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

More often than not, advertising MMOs is a fairly serious business, insofar as you're appealing to the dramatic side of players. After all, if most of us knew we were signing up for one quest to slay a dragon and ninety-nine to slay several rats, we might have opted out. But EverQuest II's recent video gives us a taste of something less in the realm of "serious" and more in the realm of "bizarre."

We'd give a full disclosure, but the video is just 30 seconds long and safe for work (unless your employer looks at you oddly about shirtless gnomes). Though the video is meant to highlight the game's 14-day trial, it also reminds any gamer of a very important lesson when it comes to an MMO -- namely, bad things happen when you stop paying attention. You'll be able to get at least a chuckle out of the video whether or not you play EverQuest II.

MassivelyShirtless gnome action in Gnoob video from Everquest II originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comedydadaeq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iifarminggnomegnoobhumornew-playerssoesony-online-entertainmenttrialvideoMon, 14 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/06/eve-evolved-what-not-to-expect-from-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/06/eve-evolved-what-not-to-expect-from-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/06/eve-evolved-what-not-to-expect-from-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Of all the MMOs on the market today, few are as polarising as EVE Online. While the game has over 330,000 active subscriptions and I've absolutely loved it for over six years, I still find myself introducing new people to it with the words "It's not for everyone." It does seem to be the case that EVE just doesn't mesh with some gamers. The user interface can look overwhelming, the combat can seem detached and the gameplay is often written off as boring.

Players coming from other MMOs are at risk of bringing some fundamental preconceptions about MMO design with them that don't really apply to EVE. These basic misunderstandings in how the game works can be a source of frustration or confusion for people who genuinely want to get into EVE. I find myself answering the same barrage of questions each time I introduce someone to the game, ranging in complexity from "What's the best race?" or "What's the best ship?" to the inevitable "How can I catch up to older players?" or "What should I do now?"

In this article, I look at three key ways EVE differs from the MMO norm and what new players can do to overcome these potential stumbling blocks.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online

MassivelyEVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Achievementsccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinegoalslearning-cliffLearning-Curvelevelingnew-player-experiencenew-playersnewbieopinionpvpsandboxskillskillsSun, 06 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE University turns six years old today]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/eve-university-turns-six-years-old-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/eve-university-turns-six-years-old-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/eve-university-turns-six-years-old-today/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

EVE Online has made a name for itself as an MMO with a steep learning curve. Getting into the game can be a daunting experience for new players, particularly if they want to get involved in PvP. Six years ago today, EVE player "Morning Maniac" founded the EVE University corporation in an effort to combat exactly that problem. Since then, they've been EVE's best-known new player training corp, providing free training and supplies to players getting to grips with the game. The program has seen over 10,000 new players pass through and graduate on to bigger and better things. Their success has spawned many other training corps over the years, including those focused on piracy.

In his six year birthday announcement, Kelduum Revaan of EVE University talked about how the game had changed over the years, adding that "one thing has remained constant - there are always new players, and there is always more to learn." At last year's five year anniversary, a brief history of the corp graced the EVE news. Since then, EVE University has gone from strength to strength, with some impressive achievements over the last twelve months. Over 3,000 new players entered the program this year, for a time making EVE University possibly the biggest single corp in the game. They were even recommended by PC Gamer magazine as the best place for new players to start their EVE journey. This year also saw the opening of their wormhole operations division and the opening of access to NPC nullsec regions for members. The corp looks forward to expanding operations and we at Massively wish them every success over the coming year.

MassivelyEVE University turns six years old today originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarybirthdayccpccp-eveccp-gamescorpcorporationeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-unieve-universityguildhelpinstructionnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playerstrainingtraining-corpMon, 15 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST