Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Anvil of Crom: Age of Conan anniversary retrospective]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/16/age-of-conan-anniversary-retrospective/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/16/age-of-conan-anniversary-retrospective/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/16/age-of-conan-anniversary-retrospective/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Thinking of coming back to Age of Conan? You're not alone, as the recently released Rise of the Godslayer expansion, plus a wave of generally positive buzz, have conspired to reverse the fortunes that Funcom's ambitious Hyborian MMORPG experienced during its rocky launch. Two years is an eternity in the computer gaming world, and the game bears little more than a skin-deep resemblance to the title that launched way back in May 2008.

Age of Conan has undergone significant revision in its short lifespan, from a sweeping combat and itemization revamp to the addition of numerous dungeons and play fields, all of them pre-dating the new expansion. The laundry list of additions can be broken down into six major categories: combat and itemization, PvP, crafting, gameplay, new zones, and the expansion. We'll also touch on smaller details such as performance tweaks and offline leveling, so hack your way past the cut to see the gory details.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Age of Conan anniversary retrospective

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Age of Conan anniversary retrospective originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananniversaryanvil-of-cromaoc-anniversaryaoc-anniversary-retrospectivechanges-since-launchcraig-morrisonculture-armorfeaturedfuncomlaunchmurder-systemnotorietypvpretrospectiverise-of-the-godslayershrines-of-borithe-anvil-of-cromSun, 16 May 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Leading a life of crime in Earthrise]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/leading-a-life-of-crime-in-earthrise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/leading-a-life-of-crime-in-earthrise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/leading-a-life-of-crime-in-earthrise/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Today's post-holiday Question of the Week for Earthrise concerns the game mechanics of being (and killing) criminals in the post-apocalyptic MMO. Players who opt to become felons will build up "Criminal Karma", what seems to be a sort of quantified notoriety. From what the developers are saying, it seems that going outlaw won't be a trivial choice, given such characters will be kill-on-sight in the more secure regions of Enterra island. Also, it may be difficult to wipe the slate clean if a character has a shady past.

According to Moll, the Earthrise Community Manager: "Criminals cannot clear their records, nor do they generate additional Karma by killing other criminals in safe zones." She adds that criminals who hunt down other criminals won't do so to repair their faction standings, rather there may be a good chance of obtaining loot by taking out a fellow wrongdoer. However, beyond such scenarios where 'evil fights evil', Earthrise's law-abiding citizens will have incentives for killing the criminals of Enterra; successfully knocking off criminal players will garner them extra Contribution rewards (faction standing).

Continue reading Leading a life of crime in Earthrise

MassivelyLeading a life of crime in Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contributioncontribution-rewardscrimecriminal-karmacriminalsearthriseenterrafaction-standingsfactionsgame-mechanicskarmamasthead-studiosmollnew-titlesnotorietypost-apocalypticqotwsci-fiMon, 28 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise developers seeking player input]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/01/earthrise-developers-seeking-player-input/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/01/earthrise-developers-seeking-player-input/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/01/earthrise-developers-seeking-player-input/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Players having more input or control over the games they play is an interesting direction some MMO companies are taking. While not every company will establish something structured as EVE Online has with the Council of Stellar Management or (as Massively reader Se7en pointed out yesterday) Star Wars Galaxies has with its Galactic Senate, the simple fact that game developers are making efforts to allow more player input is encouraging. Masthead Studios is a newcomer to the MMO scene with Earthrise, a far future post-apocalyptic title, but already they're showing an interest in getting player feedback as they develop the game. The devs at Masthead will now have a "Community Consensus" on the Earthrise forums which brings up key issues with the game's design, to learn how players feel about these aspects of the title.

It's not clear yet exactly how much input the players will really have on Earthrise but if the devs are willing to listen to the playerbase, we'd say this is a step in the right direction. The first Community Consensus deals with an issue that will likely be hotly debated -- adding additional incentive for player killing, with greater benefits at higher levels of notoriety.

Continue reading Earthrise developers seeking player input

MassivelyEarthrise developers seeking player input originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communitycommunity-consensuscommunity-managercriminalcriminal-karmaearthrisegame-mechanicsinsurancemasthead-studiosmollnew-titlesnotorietyoutlawpkplayer-killerpost-apocalypticsci-fiThu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Today's Age of Conan patch should be last one before new PvP system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/todays-age-of-conan-patch-should-be-last-one-before-new-pvp-sys/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/todays-age-of-conan-patch-should-be-last-one-before-new-pvp-sys/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/todays-age-of-conan-patch-should-be-last-one-before-new-pvp-sys/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This morning, the Age of Conan servers received a small patch, tagged as patch 1.5. There's not much in it: a fix to the charging issues (that's charging into battle, not charging a credit card), a change to the price of basic riding skills (to 25 silver) and a few other bits and bobs. Small though it is, it's already caused the servers to be brought down for another 5 hours for technical reasons.

The more interesting news is that patch 2.0, which apparently brings with it the long awaited PvP consequence system, is set to go live on September 3rd. The usual disclaimers apply: we can't say for certain that this will happen, what appears on Testlive may not make it to Live, and so on and so forth.

There's a lot more to that patch than just the PvP system, of course. It's not the whole system, either, just the basics of it, namely PvP XP and the Notoriety system, which marks you as a criminal or murderer depending on who you slay. PvP gear is not yet included, so it's impossible to tell how worthwhile it is.
Warhammer Online Coverage Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

Continue reading Today's Age of Conan patch should be last one before new PvP system

MassivelyToday's Age of Conan patch should be last one before new PvP system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomnotorietypatchpvpThu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA['What If' Mechanics: Notoriety]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/what-if-mechanics-notoriety/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/what-if-mechanics-notoriety/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/what-if-mechanics-notoriety/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I got to thinking about the nature of quests in most MMOs, and how they're as generic as possible, to appeal to a specific class, or race, or faction. And then I was reading Kevin's Pirates of the Burning Sea post, and got to musing how cool it would be if there were a worldwide system in place to accumulate notoriety.

By that I mean, what if your in-game exploits actually affected the way you're perceived? What if you were such a notorious ganker, for example, that the game suddenly put a reward on your head? What if you logged in one day and found that you were on the Public Enemies list, and other players could receive substantial coin for taking you out? Or the opposite: what if you were widely known for your altruism, and that affected other players' perception of you, to the point where they would see actual physical changes in your avatar, such as a halo of light around your head?

MMOs are great for the shared social experience, but I'd like to see one's actions having a lasting effect in-game, where reputation affects more than your status among NPCs. Is this something that's already in place somewhere?

Massively'What If' Mechanics: Notoriety originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gankermassivelynotorietypirates-of-the-burning-seapublic-enemyquestsreputationSun, 09 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Can you game your way to (virtual) fame?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/can-you-game-your-way-to-virtual-fame/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/can-you-game-your-way-to-virtual-fame/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/can-you-game-your-way-to-virtual-fame/#commentsFiled under: ,

A guide to Second Life fame was blogged on Mean Girls Guide to SL yesterday. Kitty LaLonde posted quite a few tips on how to obtain a sizable level of notoriety, while including some decidedly Not Safe For Work (NSFW) pictures. It covers such topics as naming yourself, pretending to know designers, and creating an alt to spread rumors about yourself.

I have mixed feelings about this entry. While she offers some good points, such as starting a blog, attending premieres, and scouring the forums to find the hottest new releases, a lot of it reads like satire. However, I'm sure some girls will actually follow this advice to the letter.

The long answer to this guide is, you can't achieve fame quickly without being born in infamy. If you want to establish a good reputation, you need to work hard at being seen and heard. If being a bad girl doesn't bother you, then by all means, spread those rumors. Just remember that people will not forget about you and it will be even longer before they consider forgiving you for your mistakes. The choice is yours!

MassivelyCan you game your way to (virtual) fame? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>guide-to-second-life-famekitty-lalondemean-girls-guide-to-slnotorietynsfwreputationThu, 08 Nov 2007 19:34:00 EST