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[CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Vampire the Masquerade
Details about CCP's World of Darkness are popping out of White Wolf's The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans this weekend, and they're definitely worth draining for every last sweet drop of... information. While the game is still in pre-production -- and as such, nothing is set in stone -- the devs weren't hesitant to dish out a lot of the ideas and features that they hope will make this the best vampire MMO to date.

It's CCP's desire to emulate LARPing (live-action roleplaying) as much as possible with World of Darkness, with plenty of metaplots running inside the game and without. Players will begin as a mortal human who can make the choice to become a kindred (vampire) or stay mortal for the duration of their characters' lives. There's a very real danger that characters might experience "final death" -- permadeath -- if they take too many risks. If you get in over your head, you can retreat to your character's Haven for safety.

The entire game will take place at night and on one server, and CCP is definitely aiming it toward the hardcore set. Nudity, gore, and insanity effects are all par for the course.

If players push outside of the acceptable boundaries too often, they'll lose "humanity" points and could become flagged for constant attack by other players and NPCs. Play your cards right and you may become the prince of the city. The game will change over time with dynamic events, and CCP promises that there will be real consequences for player decisions.

Look for our World of Darkness interview with CCP coming later this week.

[Thanks Pilgrim for the tip!]

MassivelyCCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesfinal-deathgorehardcorehaveninsanitykindredlarplarpingnew-orleansnuditypermadeathprincepvpthe-grand-masqueradevampirevampire-the-masqueradevampireswhite-wolfworld-of-darknessSun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What challenges have you added to your game?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/the-daily-grind-what-challenges-have-you-added-to-your-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/the-daily-grind-what-challenges-have-you-added-to-your-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/the-daily-grind-what-challenges-have-you-added-to-your-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I'm always fascinated with stories of players who deliberately add challenges to their MMO gameplay. Sometimes you hear about folks who try to get to the level cap without killing a single creature, or people who play with naked (unarmored) toons, or those who make it their mission to complete every single achievement and quest there is.

I see self-created challenges as an attempt to add spice and flavor into games, usually after you've long since gotten bored of the most efficient leveling path. Some players think up these challenges to add a slice of sandbox-style goals into an otherwise theme park-oriented title.

Right now, one of my characters in Lord of the Rings Online is attempting to do every single solo quest in each zone before going elsewhere. It's challenging to slow myself down and get over that desire to progress and go for the big XP rewards, but it's a ton of fun so far as well.

So, big or small, what challenges have you added to your game?

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 challenges have you added to your game? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>challengechallengescompletionismcompletionistlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotronakednudenudityopinionsandboxself-created-challengesself-made-challengestdgthe-daily-grindtheme-parkMon, 11 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Best of Massively: Our top 5 weirdest news stories]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/the-best-of-massively-our-top-5-weirdest-news-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/the-best-of-massively-our-top-5-weirdest-news-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/the-best-of-massively-our-top-5-weirdest-news-stories/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We're still counting down to Massively's first birthday by compiling the best and most entertaining coverage we've done. So far we've listed our most important interviews and our most helpful guides. This time around, we're looking back at the top five strangest, weirdest and sometimes-raciest news stories we've covered since we launched last November.

Whether you missed these stories or you're just ready for a refresher, we hope they'll make you smile and laugh -- or at least make you raise an eyebrow or two!


Gallery: The Best of Massively: Our top 5 weirdest news stories

5 - Richard Garriott's crazy-awesome house4 - Sword of the Nude World3 - The answer to EVE Online's Ultimate Question is 422 - Age of Conan's accidental breast reductions1 - Elf ear plastic surgery

MassivelyThe Best of Massively: Our top 5 weirdest news stories originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>42age-of-conanbest-of-massivelybizarreboobsbreastsbritannia-manorccpdouglas-adamseaearself-earseve-onlinefeaturedfuncomgrenada-espadajoystiqfeaturesncsoftnewsnudityoriginplastic-surgeryrichard-garriottstrangesword-of-the-new-worldtabula-rasathe-best-of-massivelythe-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxytop-5ultima-onlineweirdMon, 06 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Feared censorship once more fails to appear in Age of Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/feared-censorship-once-more-fails-to-appear-in-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/feared-censorship-once-more-fails-to-appear-in-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/feared-censorship-once-more-fails-to-appear-in-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Just what does it take to kill a rumor, anyway? Not so long ago, we investigated rumors that the mature content in Age of Conan was being 'scaled back', and came away unconvinced that any such thing was happening. More recently, the anatomical changes to the succubus model suggested that rather than taking mature content out, the developers might in fact be adding more.

Even then, however, there was still one point of concern: the impending changes to the Pyramid of the Ancients. Many AoC players who believed censorship was happening were convinced the harem girls in the Pyramid, who had previously been notably lacking in garments (and occasionally hair), would be covered up in order to placate a hypothetical lobby of 'prudes'.

Continue reading Feared censorship once more fails to appear in Age of Conan

MassivelyFeared censorship once more fails to appear in Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccensorshipfuncomnuditypyramid-of-the-ancientsWed, 23 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Age of Con-troversy-an]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/27/anti-aliased-age-of-con-troversy-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/27/anti-aliased-age-of-con-troversy-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/27/anti-aliased-age-of-con-troversy-an/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


I'm going to hijack my own column this week to cover a topic that I believe is worth spending some space on - Age of Conan and the buzz of negative media attention it has been getting. Age of Conan's controversy spans almost all aspects of the game, from fatalities, to nudity, to even such odd things like race selection.

Now, I've written a few of these articles. I enjoy controversy as the next person and I'm always interested in seeing the opposite viewpoint. It wasn't until I started getting some very, very nice hate mail in my inbox that I began to wonder if anyone understood my own viewpoint on the matter. So, this column is dedicated to other people's opinions, my opinions, controversies and, of course, Age of Conan.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Age of Con-troversy-an

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Age of Con-troversy-an originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 May 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancontroversyESRBfantasyfeaturedfuncommaturemature-contentnudityparentingparentsviolenceTue, 27 May 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Controversy never ends with Age of Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/controversy-never-ends-with-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/controversy-never-ends-with-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/controversy-never-ends-with-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

First it was the gore. Then it was the fatalities. Then it was the promise of nudity. Then it was the nipple toggle. Now there's more controversy in the Age of Conan - the Stygians.

Richard Cobbett brought up a new area where AoC might offend some of the more religious people in the population in his online journal. The Stygians, the infamous followers of Set, love demonic magic. And when we say love demonic magic, we really mean that they can turn into demons if you're a Herald of Xotli or summon demons if you're a Demonologist. The word Stygian can even be translated as "dark" or "infernal".

While this is pretty tame for those of us who are into fantasy settings, it's just another part of where AoC can be offensive to those around it. Funcom has no doubt pushed the envelope with this game, but as any good Conan fan will say, "It's just another normal day in Hyboria."

MassivelyControversy never ends with Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccontroversydemonsfatalitiesfuncomgorenipplenipple-togglenudityrichard-cobbettstygiaSun, 25 May 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Petition for the black bar of censorship in Age of Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/petition-for-the-black-bar-of-censorship-in-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/petition-for-the-black-bar-of-censorship-in-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/petition-for-the-black-bar-of-censorship-in-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Apparently people already want the black bars slapped on the chests of the fine ladies of Hyboria, as 1UP got wind of a petition being crafted to add a nudity toggle to Age of Conan.

Now, obviously everyone anticipated that the nudity would be a hot button issue - the developers already added an option to turn off nipples in the game. The source post in the forums though does add a decent option - simply a switch to give ladies bras for players who would like to play the game without the nudity.

1UP, however, went a step further and created some pretty funny ways of blocking out nudity in AoC. If you haven't dropped by yet, you should check it out. They have a considerable amount of fun with a simple black bar.

[Via 1UP]

MassivelyPetition for the black bar of censorship in Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 May 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1upage-of-conanaocfuncommmo-industrynewsnuditynudity-toggleFri, 09 May 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan ratings for all territories revealed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/age-of-conan-ratings-revealed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/age-of-conan-ratings-revealed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/age-of-conan-ratings-revealed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Today FunCom received word on the ratings for Age of Conan in each territory and what to expect in each version. Of course, we already know about the US version. The rating subject has been heavily speculated about over on the official forums for a while now. So finally getting to let the Barbarian out of the barracks must have felt good for community manager Pharamond. According to Pharamond these are not design issues, but legal requirements for the ability to sell their game in each territory.

[UPDATE] It looks like nipples will be optional in the US version, according to this post.

Continue reading Age of Conan ratings for all territories revealed

MassivelyAge of Conan ratings for all territories revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocaoc-matureesrbesrb-ratingeuropefuncomnipplesnudityratingsunited-statesTue, 05 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sword of the Nude World]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/sword-of-the-nude-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/sword-of-the-nude-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/02/sword-of-the-nude-world/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


You type in your username and password on the logon screen, the game loads, and you see your character... in the buff. No, you haven't been hit by a keylogger-- if you're playing Granado Espada (a Korean MMO known as Sword of the New World in North America), then odds are you got hit by some kind of weird hack or hoax. Apparently, players logged out of the server on October 20th, and then logged back in to find their characters naked (NSFW, even though pics are blurred), complete with.. umm.. anatomically correct graphics.

How incredibly strange. Random Battle suspects that it's a hoax of some kind, but changes like that have to come server side, so either a player was able to dial into the server and change models somehow, or a wayward mod messed with something as a joke. IMC Games, the game's maker, is reportedly looking into the incident. In other news, Sword of the New World's subscription rate among males has skyrocketed. Go figure.

MassivelySword of the Nude World originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingbugcensoredexploitgranado-espadagraphicskoreamodelsnudityserver-sideFri, 02 Nov 2007 10:44:00 EST