Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you like to be under the sea?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/the-daily-grind-would-you-like-to-be-under-the-sea/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/the-daily-grind-would-you-like-to-be-under-the-sea/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/the-daily-grind-would-you-like-to-be-under-the-sea/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The ocean is one of the only alien environments left on our slowly turning planet, and even though it's all around us, it remains a frontier. Which makes it odd that with the number of MMOs focused on creating new worlds, there's virtually nothing that takes a dive beneath the waters. Champions Online and World of Warcraft both have extended areas in which players explore beneath the waves, but as a setting the ocean remains largely underutilized. And it could very well be a ripe ground for ideas, settings ranging from steampunk to science fiction beneath unfamiliar waters.

Of course, the obvious reason is that human beings are generally not very good at exploring the ocean depths, due to our lack of gills and inability to withstand crushing water pressure. But it's still worth asking -- would you play an MMO set largely or completely underwater? Would you enjoy the change of atmosphere and environment that comes with such a radical shift in setting? Or do you think it's an idea that sounds neat but would ultimately be far more trouble than it's worth?

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: Would you like to be under the sea? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>designoceanoctopusopinionseatdgthe-daily-grindwaterzonesThu, 26 May 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ultima Online's high seas move into open beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/25/ultima-onlines-high-seas-move-into-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/25/ultima-onlines-high-seas-move-into-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/25/ultima-onlines-high-seas-move-into-open-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's difficult for an MMO to be any longer in the tooth than the venerable Ultima Online, a game whose presence and launch has defined much of the genre for years. But the game hasn't stopped updating or running through its long history -- in fact, the game is expanding yet again in the near future. The High Seas booster pack, a mini-expansion for the game, has just gone into open beta, complete with a new dedicated forum and FAQ for players looking forward to an array of nautical adventures.

When the booster goes live, every Ultima Online player will benefit from enhanced boat movement. Players who purchase the $15 expansion, however, will also receive a plethora of oceanic improvements, including improved ship combat, paintable boats, fish markets, and NPC ship combat allowing you to attack both pirates and merchant vessels. Add in new ship types, and players will be well-served on their nautical ventures by the expansion. You can take part in the open beta now, or just keep your eye on the main forums for discussion of the experience.

MassivelyUltima Online's high seas move into open beta originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-testbioware-mythicboatseaea-mythicelectronic-artsexpansionfaqhigh-seasim-on-a-boatmini-expansionmythicmythic-entertainmentoceanopen-betaseaship-combatshipsultima-onlineuowaterSat, 25 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOrigins: Life's funny like that, page 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/mmorigins-lifes-funny-like-that-page-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/mmorigins-lifes-funny-like-that-page-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/mmorigins-lifes-funny-like-that-page-2/#commentsContinue reading MMOrigins: Life's funny like that, page 2

MassivelyMMOrigins: Life's funny like that, page 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amigablizzardccpcomputer-sciencedungeons-and-dragonseaElectronic-Artseliteeve-evolvedeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iifrontiergame-designjagexmassivelynyphuroceanprogrammingrunescapesocialsocialisingteam17universityFri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOrigins: Life's funny like that]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/mmorigins-lifes-funny-like-that/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/mmorigins-lifes-funny-like-that/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/mmorigins-lifes-funny-like-that/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We all got started gaming somewhere. For a lot of people, it was the Sega Mega-drive, the Atari 2600 or the NES that signaled their first steps into gaming. For me, it was the Commodore Amiga, a machine that was more a complete home computer than a games console. It was on the Amiga that groups like Team 17, Ocean, Electronic Arts and Blizzard first really made their mark on gaming and it was a great time of innovation in the industry. I recall long nights spent playing Frontier: Elite II, scooping hydrogen fuel from the corona of a star or wormholing into deep space. Another favourite that I still play occasionally was K240, an early space 4x game and still one of the best I've ever played.

It was the public domain market on the Amiga that really caught my attention. It's one thing to play a game, but here was the opportunity to make one and sell it via a page in CU Amiga magazine or a PD order disk. I've always been more interested in making games than playing them but being young with no programming experience, I was limited in what I could do. I tooled endlessly with the "Shoot 'em up Construction Kit" and "Reality Game Creator" packages, making countless primitive prototype games that only I ever played.

Continue reading MMOrigins: Life's funny like that

MassivelyMMOrigins: Life's funny like that originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amigablizzardccpcomputer-sciencedungeons-and-dragonseaElectronic-Artseliteeve-evolvedeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iifeaturedfrontiergame-designjagexmassivelynyphuroceanprogrammingrunescapesocialsocialisingteam17universityFri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Building MMO landscape scenes, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes-part-2/#commentsContinue reading Building MMO landscape scenes, part 2

MassivelyBuilding MMO landscape scenes, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbillboardengineeverquest-2everquest-iigraphicsheightmaplakelandscapelightinglodlord-of-the-rings-onlineoceanplantsriversceneryscenictechnologyterrainterrain-renderingtexturestreeswaterworld-of-warcraftMon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Building MMO landscape scenes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/building-mmo-landscape-scenes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Landscapes have been a staple component of almost every MMO in recent memory. With the exception of some sci-fi titles, most MMOs take place on the land of some imagined island or continent. Some use stylised fantasy landscapes that run smoothly on even low-end computers while others have managed almost photo-realistic visuals at the cost of performance. But have you ever thought about what's going on behind the scenes in your favourite MMO? Most of us don't think about how the computer is actually drawing the terrain we run around on. We don't give much thought to the different ways each MMO renders the water in lakes, rivers and oceans. And just how does your computer render so many trees and plants without grinding to a halt? As part of my masters degree in computer science, I got to grips with a number of these techniques and found it a fascinating thing to learn about. Now when I play a new game or see MMO screenshots, I can't help but think about what the computer is doing in the background and how particular visual effects could have been achieved.

In this technical article, I talk about some of the components of an MMO landscape scene and a few of the techniques used in creating the graphics behind them.

Continue reading Building MMO landscape scenes

MassivelyBuilding MMO landscape scenes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbillboardengineeverquest-2everquest-iigraphicsheightmaplakelandscapelightinglodlord-of-the-rings-onlineoceanplantsriversceneryscenictechnologyterrainterrain-renderingtexturestreeswaterworld-of-warcraftMon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST