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Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay

Alex Ziebart — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Launches, Guides, Diablo III

Massively's sister site WoW Insider brings us this special bonus article tonight on the basics of Diablo III for folks who normally play MMOs like World of Warcraft. Enjoy the rest of Joystiq's WoW team's Diablo coverage over on WoW Insider, and stay tuned for our own Diablo III launch roundups tomorrow morning!

Since Diablo II was released 12 years ago, it's safe to say that Diablo III will be the first Diablo title many people will have ever played. It's one of the most anticipated titles of the season and is attracting countless new players to the genre. We've received a number of questions asking how this game is even played -- and if it has anything in common with your favorite MMOs.

We have you covered.

The core of Diablo gameplay is the mouse click. You do everything from combat to looting to movement with your mouse, and your interactions with your keyboard are extremely minimal overall. On Twitter recently, many Diablo diehards have mentioned they were buying a new mouse specifically to use with Diablo III -- and that's not a bad idea. No, we're not talking a brand-new $80 Razer Naga; we're talking some $10 to $15 thing you can pick up off of a department store shelf. You want a mouse that you're not going to mourn when your buttons inevitably give out from the mountain of abuse you're about to unleash upon them. Grab something cheap and disposable so that when it dies, you will consider it a victory -- just another technological corpse for the bone pile.

Continue reading Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay

Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: The importance of those first moments in a game

Beau Hindman — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bugs, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Free for All, Miscellaneous

This week, I decided to download and install Aion. I haven't played it since beta. Although I was not impressed with it at the time, my favorite Aion columnist has been covering the game in such a way that I knew some good things had happened to the game. And after all, it's free now. Right?

I was nervous from the moment I installed the game. NCsoft hosts a notoriously odd account management system. Sure, once you break the code and understand how to make an account for your master account that signs into your game account (or something like that), it might seem elementary. Until that moment, though, the system makes you feel like an idiot. It makes you feel as though the publisher literally doesn't want you to play the game.

I had a week filled with such moments. The frustration I felt led me to today's topic.

Continue reading Free for All: The importance of those first moments in a game

Free for All: The importance of those first moments in a game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How would you improve tutorials?

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Yesterday on Massively Speaking we had a lively discussion about what we dislike in MMO tutorials (the popups, oh the popups!) and how we'd improve them. But we are just a few humble souls slaving over old-fashioned typewriters, while you are a legion of computer-savvy geeks who have timed the wild, wild web. So how would you improve tutorials?

Keep in mind that MMO tutorials can and should be aimed at two different demographics: those who have never played online RPGs before and those who are experienced genre vets who are giving this game a go. Introducing a newcomer to the genre in such a way that he or she is not scared off is trickier than you might suspect, especially in the era of Angry Birds accessibility. What could be done to ease new players into the games? How could tutorials better transmit the information that you truly need and skip the stuff that you don't?

Let's brainstorm today! No idea is too silly, except for the sixth, 20th, and 41st comments. Those are just wack.

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!

The Daily Grind: How would you improve tutorials? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

As I reported last week, I've recently rerolled as a Hobbit Minstrel in an effort to refresh my attitude toward the game, to get a different perspective, and to continue my series in which I go through all of the single-player quests in the game.

It's been, in a word, smashing.

Having been away from the tamer lands of Eriador for so long, I had forgotten the charm and serenity that these lowbie areas exude. Plus, it's always fun leveling up a brand-new character, since there are plenty of goals and ways to develop your character that your level-capped toons have long since surpassed.

As I've been plugging away at Bree-land quests, I began to make a mental list of exactly what's so special about the low-level game in Lord of the Rings Online. The mental list became an actual one, and after a period of milling and refining, I've baked it into a nice loaf of observations to share with you.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world

The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: Happy Newb Year!

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Roleplaying, Humor, Wings Over Atreia

Oh, that feeling when a game is new and everything is an adventure! Say what you will, but I cherish those moments of still being a newb and getting to experience things for the first time while exploring a new world (mind you, that is newb as in "new person," not n00b meaning "hopelessly moronic"). The problem is, once you have been in a game for a while, that whole aura dissipates and you lose that feeling of wonder. I envy those just now coming to Aion, as those of us who have been here for the past two plus years have lost that initial excitement. And when you've lost that newbie feeling, then it's gone, gone, gone, whoa whoa whoa...

Or is it?

When you have played the game for a long period of time, you tend to settle into a rut that is hard to break out of. Log in, do dailies, do arenas, do dredge. Toss in a siege. Rinse and repeat. In the past, Wings Over Atreia has delved into some of the reasons to stay in game when things become a bit monotonous and we sludge through some of the more difficult times. But why should we sludge? Why not find ways to make Aion more interesting when you hit that plateau?

Some players have done just that. A little creativity (and sometimes some really insane friends) can really make a difference and bring back that newbie feeling -- or at least make things interesting while adding some variety to gaming.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Happy Newb Year!

Wings Over Atreia: Happy Newb Year! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Should more MMOs implement sidekicking?

Brianna Royce — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Back when Ultima Online was young, gamers didn't have to think about things like levels or content walls. Regardless of our skills or how long we'd been playing, we just joined up with our guildmates and went dungeoning. Throw enough people at a lich lord or a demon and that sucker's going down! But with the rise of level-based themepark games, the gap between time-rich and time-poor players has widened -- you aren't going to accomplish much if you're level 15 and your friends are all 50 and knee-deep in the endgame.

To help alleviate that problem, games like City of Heroes and EverQuest II pioneered "sidekicking" and "mentoring" systems, which allow highbies to partner up with lowbies, effectively boosting the noobies' levels and enabling their access to high-end content. Other games shun such systems, perhaps because they're difficult to balance and allow players to (at least temporarily) skip grindy level-based content that's meant to slow them down and keep them paying. What do you think -- should more MMOs implement sidekicking systems?

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!

The Daily Grind: Should more MMOs implement sidekicking? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Brendan Drain — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, PvP, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

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

EVE 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.

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The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, Humor, The Road to Mordor, Guides

A couple of weeks ago I decided to embark on a long-planned project to play through the entirety of Lord of the Rings Online -- or at least a whole heck of a lot more than I ever have previously. My thought was that in the rush to level and progress, I had been skipping much of the content that makes LotRO so unique, and I wanted to force myself to slow down, take it all in, and get over the desire to hit endgame as quickly as possible.

Thus, I created Slyppi, a brand-new level 1 Hobbit Burglar with the intention of experiencing the game in full. My rules with Slyppi are thus: She will clear out every solo quest in a zone (including the epic storyline but excluding tasks) before moving elsewhere. She will go through all three newbie zones and ignore the fact that the quests aren't giving her much XP. She will take detailed notes, package them up, and send them back to me for the purposes of turning them into a guide to the interesting out-of-the-way quests and places in Middle-earth.

If you're anything like me, you probably die a lot, usually in very embarrassing ways (hey, that cliff wasn't there a minute ago...). Since we all have a death warrant on our heads, we might as well get the most out of our journeys, which is why I've come up with 10 things that you should do in the Shire before the inevitable occurs. Why 10? Because it's two in computer-speak!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die

The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players

Brendan Drain — Sun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Endgame, Opinion, EVE Evolved

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

EVE 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.

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One Shots: Joining the fray

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, New titles, One Shots

While we often hear about partners of MMO gamers who don't like MMO gaming, it's nice to hear every so often from someone who has tried a game out and decided it's actually tons of fun. Today's One Shots comes to us from a new MMO player who has found her game of choice in Trion's upcoming fantasy world, RIFT. Heidi has even decided to share her experience here on Massively with the rest of us! She writes in: "This is a picture of Zataliya, a Defiant Eth Cleric Sentinel. I heal people mostly. I've never played an MMO before, but I decided to try it when my husband got an extra invite key for RIFT, and now I have to buy the game. I mean, look how badass she is!

"This is outside of the main city, Meridian. We were just running around killing wolves and stuff, and then this group of purple skeleton guys charged us, and we started fighting them. All of a sudden there were hundreds of people everywhere, shooting spells and swinging swords, and we were right in the middle of it! We finally killed this huge zombie king, which took a while. Anyway, I took this picture after the smoke cleared. It was intense. It was 3:30 a.m." Welcome to MMOs, Heidi!

Whether you're a veteran MMOer or someone new to the pastime, we're always glad to hear about players' gaming experiences. If you'd like to share, snap a great screenshot of your favorite game and email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com. Be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing in the image. You never know -- your screenshot could be the next one we feature here!

Gallery: One Shots: 2011

One Shots: Joining the fray originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What are the unwritten rules of MMO etiquette?

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

When my wife first started playing MMOs, I realized that she had absolutely zero comprehension of how to interact in a multiplayer environment. After all, she had only experienced single-player games up to this point in her life, so all of her habits from those games were simply carried over into the new one. She'd attack mobs that other players were fighting, she thought players were stalking her if they sent her tells, and no mining node was safe if she was in the vicinity.

As her quote-unquote teacher, I knew that it was my responsibility to teach her basic MMO etiquette -- the unwritten rules of how most players behave and interact in these worlds. Most of my instruction was helping her to see that these other computer characters were actually piloted by people (something we take for granted, but trust me, it's a weird concept to outsiders) and they should be treated as such.

So if you were teaching a complete newbie in the ways of MMOs, what unwritten rules of etiquette would you stress? I'll get you started with one: CAPS LOCK HURTS OUR MINDS. DON'T DO IT UNLESS YOU ARE LITERALLY ON FIRE AND NEED ASSISTANCE.

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!

The Daily Grind: What are the unwritten rules of MMO etiquette? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exploring Eberron: Six things to do on your first day in game

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Free-to-play, Exploring Eberron, Guides

So you've given into temptation, downloaded DDO onto your hard drive, and decided to see what all the hubbub was about with Turbine's quirky MMO-that-could. Good for you -- personally, I think you're in for a terrific time. Of course, there's a small but steep learning curve at the start of the game, which I envision claims the lives of many gamers who run all willy-nilly into said wall screaming, "Where is the auto-attack keyyyyy?" You want to avoid that. You want your DDO experience to be face-smashing-wall free.

Therefore, I have pulled myself out of a Fun Dip coma (soooo much sugar) to cobble together six vitally important tasks to perform on your first day in game in order to save the princess. Or make your life easier, I don't know. I'm assuming that you've already made your first character and are itching to test drive that bad boy or girl and see how quickly you can die.

Man, I bet you really wish Rubi were back already, huh? Wish harder, dude!

Continue reading Exploring Eberron: Six things to do on your first day in game

Exploring Eberron: Six things to do on your first day in game originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips

Brendan Drain — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Professions, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

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

EVE 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.

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Exploring Eberron: The great dice notation debate

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Free-to-play, Exploring Eberron

Recently there was a community kerfuffle over the way the dice notation is phrased in Dungeons and Dragons Online. Instead of the traditional 1d6, 2d4, etc., the game was stating "does 6-16 damage," for example. The change was made because players new to the game and unfamiliar with traditional DnD were having trouble understanding what the phrasing meant.

On the surface, this just does not seem like a big deal, and many players were left wondering "So what? Why get so bent out of shape over a little thing like that?" Well, there's a very good reason, because it's more than just a simple matter of phrasing. The dice notation change is a handy illustration of something that many DDO players are very concerned about: Dungeons and Dragons Online becoming just another standard-issue fantasy MMO that just happens to have some familiar names scattered about.

Follow along after the jump as I look at the underlying issue of the dice notation debate and what it means for DDO.

Continue reading Exploring Eberron: The great dice notation debate

Exploring Eberron: The great dice notation debate originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Exploration -- The basics

Brendan Drain — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Professions, PvE, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

When we talk about EVE Online, it's often about PvP or the latest political intrigue in the sandbox. Less talked about is the game's core PvE gameplay, which for many players is the entire scope of their interests. I've covered a number of great ways to make ISK in previous guides, from my three-part series on trading and extensive four-part guide to research to the similarly thorough three-part guide to mission-running. Most recently I tackled the age-old art of asteroid-belt ratting in nullsec. Another of EVE's most popular PvE pastimes is exploration, where players scan out hidden mission-like sites hoping to strike it rich.

Exploration is one of those things that spans players of all skill levels, with new players able to make a useful contribution and group up with older veterans. Within a week of starting the game, new players can be locating hidden complexes, doing battle with the local NPCs and hopefully finding some valuable loot. Although exploration sites use the same deadspace dungeon and combat mechanics as missions, there are a few key differences. While missions can be created at will by going to an agent NPC, exploration sites spawn randomly in space and have to be manually scanned down using probes.

In this week's first part of the EVE Evolved guide to exploration, I look at the ships and equipment you'll need, and the scanning techniques typically used to find hidden exploration sites.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Exploration -- The basics

EVE Evolved: Exploration -- The basics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: What not to expect from EVE Online

Brendan Drain — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

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

EVE 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.

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Is Linden Lab wasting its time on the existing Second Life population?

Tateru Nino — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Economy, Opinion, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Going over the Second Life metrics that are available to us, it seems clear that this virtual environment has reached one of its most significant growth plateaus, and one that it doesn't seem to be able to push past. User-to-user transactions, active users, weekly/monthly logins, all remain very flat.

All the while, more than 9,000 new user accounts are created on the service every day, though the retention rates appear to be extraordinarily low, making up only for what appears to be an almost negligible attrition in the medium- and long-term user-base.

Continue reading Is Linden Lab wasting its time on the existing Second Life population?

Is Linden Lab wasting its time on the existing Second Life population? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten great tips for new Second Life users

Tateru Nino — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Guides, Tips and tricks, Second Life, Education, Virtual worlds

Over the last couple of weeks, a larger number of our readers than usual have decided to give Second Life a try (in some cases, a second try after some years). It seems appropriate therefore to lay out some essential tidbits to help you get to grips with your first few hours in Second Life.

From quick graphical tune-ups to how to get help, we've got the stuff you need to know first.

Continue reading Ten great tips for new Second Life users

Ten great tips for new Second Life users originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: The Daze of Darkfall

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Culture, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Hands-on, Anti-Aliased

I'm still not exactly sure what I've done. I remember pressing a few buttons on the Darkfall website, a really long download, and then a very large splash screen appearing on my desktop with the Darkfall logo emblazoned across it.

I think I downloaded and installed Darkfall. The North American version, in fact. I thought it was just going to be a one night stand between the two of us, but I guess I was wrong. Looks like I'm back in with the game and I'm going in-depth. This time around though, I'm going to do some things differently. There's going to be no reviewing and less critiquing. It's just going to be a straight up re-telling of my experience in the "PvP experience of a lifetime" with a little snark added in, of course. You guys be the judges of Darkfall this time.

This week's events include jumping in with a brand new clan, getting the newbie experience all over again, and the capturing of a city. Exciting stuff, right? Come with me, I'll tell ya all about it.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: The Daze of Darkfall

Anti-Aliased: The Daze of Darkfall originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Tips and tricks, Opinion, Second Life, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds, Anti-Aliased

Tip #1 -- Take the time to learn the UI

The tutorial, while not the best thing in the world, isn't a bad introduction to learning how to navigate the user interface. It shows you the ropes (dryly) and lets you get in some practice before you're dumped onto the main grid. Take your time through it, listen to what it has to say, and then jump on into the world.

For gamers, here's a couple of protips. Right click opens a radial menu, and holding it down does nothing. If you're looking to spin the camera, remember to use alt + click and hold. However, also remember that alt + click centers your camera on whatever you clicked on. If you want to orbit your avatar, alt + click and hold on your avatar, then move the mouse left and right to orbit and forward and back to zoom.

Resetting your camera is the escape key. That's very handy.

Clicking activates many, many things. Try clicking on objects, as you never know what might occur.

If moving is too slow for you, try flying. Hold down E to start flying, then use E to go up and C to go down. Beware that you can't fly everywhere though... look at the top bar to see if flying is amongst the "banned symbols." It looks like a little man flying.

Tip #2 -- Search is your friend

If Second Life is the internet, then the search button is your Google. This little fellow is super handy for finding stuff that you want. Interested in finding a Star Wars group? Just type Star Wars into the group search box after you press the search button, and you're on your way to finding Star Wars fans like yourself. Do you want to buy a lightsaber? Open the "places" tab and type in lightsaber -- you're sure to find a few hits.

You always know where to go when you master the search tool.

Tip #3 -- Be social!

You see the people over there? Talk to them! You like someone's avatar? Tell them! You looking for a specific sim? Ask questions!

One of the most important assets you can have is to speak with the others around you. Find out new things, make new friends, and actually experience SL rather than just watching it on your monitor. If you want a good place to check out that's reliably filled with people, I recommend the city of Nova Albion. If you're new and you want more help with Second Life, then I recommend checking out all of the help options at New Citizens Incorporated.

Tip #4 -- Know what you want

Lastly, set a goal for yourself in Second Life. Don't just go in to wander, go in and search for something you like. Does roleplaying interest you? Search for some roleplaying sims. Games? You'll find a wide variety of independently created games in Second Life. There's even an MMORPG inside of SL! Clubs? Yeah... there's way too many clubs to really count in SL.

If you follow these few tips, your time in Second Life will probably benefit greatly. Of course, if the system isn't your thing, then it isn't your thing. You can't enjoy what you don't enjoy. But if you were always on the fence with Second Life, perhaps now you can give it a "second look" (see what I did there?) with confidence.

Colin Seraphina Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who thinks all games should be given a fighting chance. When she's not writing here for Massively, she's rambling on her personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message her, send her an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow her on Twitter through Massively, or through her personal feed, @sera_brennan.

Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Mission-running - the basics

Brendan Drain — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, Making money, PvE, EVE Evolved

Agent missions are one of EVE Online's most popular pastimes. While EVE is most often lauded for its open-ended gameplay, player-determined markets and PvP action, a significant portion of the game's players use missions as their primary income source. There is something comforting about missions that seems to draw players in. For many, running missions and upgrading their ship with the ISK becomes the focus of their achievements and their primary measure of progress. The ability of mission-running to provide a direct translation of effort into a stable ISK income offers us a reassuringly linear work-to-reward scheme in a relatively risk-free environment. Missions and exploration are EVE's primary PvE experiences and new missions are released with each major expansion to help keep the game fresh for casual players. There are even several epic mission arcs planned for the future, long sequences of storyboarded missions much like the quest chains you might find in other MMOs.

In this multi-part guide, I will thoroughly examine the profession of mission-running, from the basics to ship fittings and finally some tips and tricks for maximising your performance. In this first part of the guide, I look at the basics of mission-running from mission types and rewards to agent standings and how to find the best agent for you.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Mission-running - the basics

EVE Evolved: Mission-running - the basics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall details their plans for the future and North American servers

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Darkfall, Business models, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE

Developer Tasos Flambouras of the Darkfall team stopped by the official Darkfall forums again with a lengthy update concerning pretty much everything under the sun for Darkfall -- from cheating to future updates -- all in one large swoop.

One of the big notes of the post is the acknowledgement of a North American server coming down the pipes, but coming with restrictions to character transfers. Original plans detailed that characters from the European server could transfer off onto the American server (as North American players are certainly playing the European version right now) but this transfer will now be delayed by several months. So, if you're itching to get off of EU-1, looks like you might be waiting for a while unless you wish to create a new character on NA-1.

Past the new server, Tasos has outlined some of the priorities for the Darkfall team, including an enhanced newbie experience, improvements to the economy, upcoming improvements to the solo and group experience, and improvements to the game's PvE system to name a few. While exact details haven't been given, it's nice to know that things like this are on the developer's "to do" list for future updates.

The full post containing all of the juicy details can be read over at the official Darkfall forums.

[Via Hardcore Casual]

Darkfall details their plans for the future and North American servers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Future Final Fantasy XI update to expand Fields of Valor, Moblin Maze Mongers

Seraphina Brennan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, PvE, Consoles

Square-Enix has informed Final Fantasy XI players that the next big content patch will be delivered in April, and players have much to look forward to. The Fields of Valor and Moblin Maze Mongers systems will be expanding, due to their warm reception at the hands of FFXI players.

Fields of Valor is the new questing system placed in the game that allows players to be rewarded with handsome amounts of experience and gil for taking down monsters in certain areas of the world in addition to the standard exp and rewards that the monster already gives, much like a World of Warcraft "kill quest." The difference is in completing these quests the player will receive a new type of currency, tabs, that give access to temporary buffs and home nation teleports at any Field Manual placed in the game.

Moblin Maze Mongers is FFXI's "create a dungeon" system, allowing players to form their own dungeons and run through them for experience, money, and special items that can only be obtained from these "do-it-yourself" dungeons.

The full details will be announced soon, but we'll keep our ear to the ground for you to bring you all of the juicy details.

Future Final Fantasy XI update to expand Fields of Valor, Moblin Maze Mongers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's EVE Online new player guide

Brendan Drain — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, MMO industry, PvP, Tips and tricks, PvE, Hands-on, Massively highlights, Education, EVE Evolved

Since I began writing the EVE Evolved column, I've always prided myself on making the articles I write as accessible as possible to new EVE Online players and even people who don't play the game. From my first guide on EVE's skill system to my most recent guide series on the art of tanking, I like to think people of all levels of familiarity with EVE can get something out of them.

In the past few months, the column has been aimed at informing new and prospective players about the varied world of New Eden and giving them the helping hand they deserve in getting started. In this handy wrap-up (or should I say warp-up?) article, I've collected all of the articles aimed at new and prospective players into a set of handy clickable image links.

Gallery: Exploring New Eden

Massively's EVE Online new player guide originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lab publishes NUE test results. Greeters vs mentors: Greeters win

Tateru Nino — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Linden Lab recently attempted to evaluate the efficacy of its user-volunteer corps as a part of the new user experience (NUE) in Second Life. Two NUE areas were selected (Hanja and Korea), and baseline results established. Then testing was conducted in two phases using one area as a testing ground and the other as a control. The first incorporated themed tours by volunteer greeters, and the second involved general mentoring in conjunction with the original style of Orientation Island tutorials.

Phase one seemed to draw some very successful results, while phase two only showed a slight improvement. The phase two results look to be well within the margins of error, and essentially statistically insignificant. The sort of mentoring you might find at Help Island Public would, based on these results, seem to be broadly ineffective.

Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.

Continue reading Lab publishes NUE test results. Greeters vs mentors: Greeters win

Lab publishes NUE test results. Greeters vs mentors: Greeters win originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard Game Update 6 goes live, adds free trial/newbie area

Samuel Axon — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Vanguard

One thousand. That's how many bug fixes are in Vanguard's sixth game update, which has now gone live. In addition to the fixes, there's a new newbie area for levels one through ten called the Isle of Dawn. Word is that it will eventually serve as a free trial setting. For now, though, it's just an easy place to get a new character started.

SOE also redid character models, offering new customization options and making some changes that lower the models' system performance hit. You can keep your old look if you want, though.

The most controversial changes are a whole slew of class damage adjustments. SOE looked at every single class in the game and adjusted its damage output to ensure "that each lands in their correct place in the spectrum of classes." The details of all those changes are buried in the patch notes. Did you get nerfed or buffed? Read up to find out.

Vanguard Game Update 6 goes live, adds free trial/newbie area originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrazyKinux answers EVE Online questions for WoW players

Samuel Axon — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Sci-fi, EVE Online

If you're a World of Warcraft player looking for something completely different, head over to CrazyKinux's blog and read what he has to say to WoW players looking to make the move to the alien beast that is EVE Online. It reads a bit like one of those articles designed to ease PC users into a transition to Apple's Mac computers.

EVE blogger, Drone Bay podcast co-host, and former Massively contributor CrazyKinux covers many of the bases, noting many of the strongest differences (skill-based instead of level-based character advancement, everyone is on one server instead of scattered between hundreds of small servers, etcetera). He also links to several articles written by him and others that are helpful to newbies.

It's a fantastic post -- a perfect starting point for anyone considering the switch, or even for folks just curious about what EVE is all about. CrazyKinux ends on a pretty funny quote, too: "EVE is like a sandbox with land mines. Deal with it." But don't let that scare you. Really. We named it our #1 Sci-Fi MMO a while back; admittedly that's not saying much, but it ought to count for something, right?

CrazyKinux answers EVE Online questions for WoW players originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PAX08: Joystiq sets its sights on MMO newbies

Kyle Horner — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aion, New titles, Warhammer Online, News items

Our sister site Joystiq sent an MMO newbie to wade through the crowds surrounding the PAX08 booths of two upcoming MMOs. One of those titles was Warhammer Online and the other was Aion. The goal was to spend some time with each game, talk to the developers and see which title appealed more to an uninitiated MMO player. The results? Well, take a look for yourself.

It's hard to spend a short amount of time with any game and draw a conclusion of some sort, especially an MMO. Even still, Initial impressions are just as important as long-term ones. Each of the two games chosen definitely give off an immediately different vibe. Most eastern MMOs from NCsoft tend to focus on the established crowd more than new players and Aion isn't an exception. Wheras Warhammer Online is doing more to appeal to a group of players who's first MMO was, well, World of Warcraft. So, as a newbie to the genre it's not hard to see where one might go.

PAX08: Joystiq sets its sights on MMO newbies originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: Massively's Guide to MMO Etiquette

Kevin Stallard — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Ask Massively

You ask me why Im weary, why I cant speak to you
You blame me for my silence
Say its time I changed and grew
But the wars still going on dear
And theres no end that I know
And I cant say if were ever...
I cant say if were ever gonna to be free

- Veteran of the Psychic Wars, Blue Öyster Cult

Here at Ask Massively, we've sought to inform and educate the masses on the esoterica of MMORPGs, but today we are going to go back to basics. We're going to give you some advice, or, if you consider yourself a Veteran of the Psychic Wars on the Internet, some reminders about how to act like something other than a complete and total... well, I'm not sure I can use that word without incurring the wrath of my editors.

Our question, this week, is from someone who has had enough.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Massively's Guide to MMO Etiquette

Ask Massively: Massively's Guide to MMO Etiquette originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Linden Lab puts out new newbie avatars

Tateru Nino — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Second Life

If you check the Library folder of your inventory, and look in Clothing, you'll see that Linden Lab appears to have selected the new Second Life newbie avatars from the set that Torley Linden was running the survey for earlier this week. We are not totally sure that these avatars are on offer to newbies today, but if they aren't, then it is probably only a matter of days before they become available to new signups at the selection screen.

The new avatars are from Nylon Pinkney, Adam n Eve, Renegade Clothing, Wraith Unsung and Grendel's Children. We recall that there were a number of fantasy/role-play themed avatars in the mix, but apparently none of those made the final cut. You can be a dragon, but not a dragon-slayer.

Pictured above are five of the new avatars. From left to right, they are: Gamer Female, Professional Female, Clubgoer Female (although at only five-feet two, she's easily mistaken for a minor. The underside of the prim-skirt on this avatar is messed up as well), Boy Next Door (as long as the boy next door to you is six foot, five inches -- he could be!), and Cardboard Boxbot. Older residents can access these avatars by dragging the folder onto themselves from the library which will generate a copy in your personal inventory.

[Thanks to sharp-eyed Sean Heying]

Linden Lab puts out new newbie avatars originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player vs. Everything: Starting over

Cameron Sorden — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, Player vs. Everything

Most of us have spent a lot of time playing our favorite games. Chances are good that unless you're totally new to the MMOG world, you've got at least one character at some ridiculously high level, armed to the teeth, sitting on a big pile of gold amongst the trophies of your slaughtered foes. You might even be part of a guild and still play that character with your guildmates on a regular basis to go topple foes of ever-increasing power. It's good to be a dragon-slaying, world-destroying, gold-hoarding demigod of awesomeness.

That's why it's so tough to start over, sometimes. Whether it's rolling up an alt on your current game or picking up an entirely new game, it can be really frustrating to go from a bloodthirsty, battle-hardened warrior who wades into combat swinging an enormous, glowing two-handed sword to some level 1 nobody with a leather jerkin and a knife. All of your accomplishments on your old character seem pretty far away when level 3 wolves are having you for a light afternoon snack, and a brand new grind stretches out interminably before you. Is it any wonder why plenty of players don't even bother with having alts and stick to the game they like?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Starting over

Player vs. Everything: Starting over originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player vs. Everything: Age of Conan's newbie blues

Cameron Sorden — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Game mechanics, Leveling, Hands-on, Player vs. Everything

I've been playing Age of Conan a fair amount over the last week, trying to figure out if I like it well enough to continue paying for it on a monthly basis after my free month expires. The problem is that it's going to be my second MMOG -- the one I play when I'm not busy farming or raiding with my guild on World of Warcraft. Even for someone who writes about videogames professionally, when you start stacking up multiple subscriptions, things get pricey pretty fast. Usually, I keep two subs active at a time and write about what I'm playing.

Anyway, I've been trying to make this decision and I have a problem: I hop classes a lot. When you're talking about a 250 hour investment, you want to make sure that you pick a class you enjoy playing. To figure out what you enjoy playing, you really just have to try the classes out -- especially when the classes are as unique as the ones in Age of Conan. I've leveled two characters to the high teens in Tortage, and several more to the 10ish range. What I've decided, after doing all of this poking around with the classes, is that AoC's first 20 levels are about as frustrating as they can be once the initial sheen of "new game wonder" wears off. If you didn't notice it your first time through, just wait until you make your first alt.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Age of Conan's newbie blues

Player vs. Everything: Age of Conan's newbie blues originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player vs. Everything: Learning by doing

Cameron Sorden — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Player vs. Everything

In most MMORPGs, it's practically considered a right of passage to learn advanced concepts by the sweat of your brow and with a big helping of independent research. We're MMO players, after all! We don't need tutorials guiding us through the advanced aspects of the game. Right? They're for the weak and lowly fans of single player and casual games. We rely almost solely on forum information, lessons from more advanced players, and learning by doing (and we're darn proud of it). And as Tobold discussed a few weeks ago, you really have to do that stuff if you want to be a successful player.

While raiding Karazhan last weekend, my guild brought a relatively newbish hunter along for the ride. Her spec wasn't terrible, and she brought a number of epics (albeit PvP epics) to the table, so we figured, "What the heck?" We didn't even get too worried when her DPS wasn't up to par. Things were going just fine until we got to the second boss fight and needed her to do a little chain trapping. A few wipes later, we realized that she had absolutely no idea how to use her frost traps effectively-- a core mechanic of her class. What was the problem there?

Well, there's no game tutorial that comes in, holds your hand, and says, "Hey, pal. You're going to need to use frost trap effectively in the end game. Let's practice it a little until you get the hang of it." Most MMOGs just teach you the bare-bones basics of the game (like running, moving, and auto-attack) before they abandon you to the wild. You're expected to figure out the rest on your own, and eventually to hit up sites like Elitist Jerks or the World of Warcraft class forums to make sure that you're being all that you can be. Is this necessarily the best way to do things, though?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Learning by doing

Player vs. Everything: Learning by doing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nominate your favorite Second Life newbie to receive 10,000L

Akela Talamasca — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Contests, Economy, Events, in-game, Making money, News items, Second Life, Free-to-play

Do you know someone completely new to Second Life? One of the very first questions the newbie asks is 'How do I make money?' Well, your favorite newbie can receive 10,000L from Ecstacy Realty in a new contest, who appear to be quite into paying it forward. Cynical types will call it mere marketing, but 10,000L is nothing to sneeze at, especially if you're a new resident.

What can you do with ten grand? You can shop for a new outfit and skin, which is one of the things that keeps the new player from blending in with established residents. You can sell your prize money for $34.97, at current market prices. Or, you could play Santa Claus and just wander the world dropping loot on random people, which will assuredly establish some kind of reputation for yourself.

If you know someone deserving, you can go to this thread to nominate them. There's no one nominated there yet, but there's also no displayed deadline, so I suppose that evens out.

[Thanks, Steve!]

Nominate your favorite Second Life newbie to receive 10,000L originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twelve handy links for EVE Online newbies

William Dobson — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Guides, Leveling, Tips and tricks

CrazyKinux has decided to help all those struggling to get a foothold in the complex EVE Online, by providing a list of links which will get you on your way. Originally there were 10 websites linked to, but the list has grown to 12.

The featured sites range from the official player guide at EVE's homepage, to help with character creation, to various information-packed wikis, and even an EVE Online humor site. It can be extremely daunting to start up in EVE Online, as it is quite far removed from the standard MMO fare and also unforgiving of mistakes, so if you are thinking of trying the game then follow the link below and get bookmarking.

Twelve handy links for EVE Online newbies originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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