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[EVE Evolved: Mining returns with Inferno]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/eve-evolved-mining-returns-with-inferno/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/eve-evolved-mining-returns-with-inferno/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/eve-evolved-mining-returns-with-inferno/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Inferno is right around the corner, with the Escalation to Inferno patch due to hit in two days on Tuesday, April 24th. The patch prepares EVE Online for the coming PvP apocalypse with titan balance tweaks, a new interactive status effect bar, and two very important changes to the NPC drop tables: Manufacturable tech 1 modules will be removed from NPC drop tables, and Rogue Drone NPCs will have their mineral drops replaced with ISK bounties. These are changes players have been suggesting for years, and together they have the potential to bring back mining as one of the most profitable professions in EVE.

If someone asked you where all the minerals come from to build the thousands of ships destroyed in EVE on a daily basis, you might say that you assume most of it comes from mined ore. Mining was originally the biggest source of minerals in the game and one of the most profitable professions, but over the years, that's changed. When level 4 missions added an infinite source of battleship-sized NPCs to high-security space, mission-running quickly overtook mining as the most profitable profession, and bizarrely, as a very good source of minerals. When the drone regions were later released, ratting there also became a huge mineral faucet far in excess of that produced through mining.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the problems faced by mining as a source of minerals and speculate on what will happen to mining as a profession when the Inferno expansion hits.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Mining returns with Inferno

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Mining returns with Inferno originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesescalationescalation-to-infernoeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionfeaturedhulkindustrialindustryinfernologisticsmineralsminersminingnullsecopinionorerorqualsandboxsci-fizydrineSun, 22 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Newest F2P blog for Star Trek Online talks about dilithium]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/newest-f2p-blog-for-star-trek-online-talks-about-dilithium/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/newest-f2p-blog-for-star-trek-online-talks-about-dilithium/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/newest-f2p-blog-for-star-trek-online-talks-about-dilithium/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Looks like the Corvette of starships. And priced like one.
Star Trek Online has always had a variety of currencies for players, each allowing access to different stocks of items. But another form of money is coming into the game, and much like gold-pressed latinum, it's something that has a long history in lore. The rare and valuable dilithium is being introduced as a new form of reward, and the latest entry in the Path to F2P series discusses just how the new form of money will work.

The most important role that the ore will play will be in replacing the existing free ship tokens that had previously come when players achieved a new rank. Earning a new ship will now be a more difficult and involved task, with a discount coupon and a free offering of refined dilithium to make it easier to earn a ship on a rank increase, but it won't be automatic. The entry goes on to state that the current implementation on the test server is not quite right, and it includes more discussion about how much effort is meant to be involved in getting a brand-new ship.

MassivelyNewest F2P blog for Star Trek Online talks about dilithium originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studioscurrenciescurrencydilithiumf2pfree-to-playgame-mechanicsin-game-currencymoneyorepath-to-f2prewardsshipsst-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestotrek-onlineFri, 07 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Bringing back the glory days]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/eve-evolved-bringing-back-the-glory-days/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/eve-evolved-bringing-back-the-glory-days/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/eve-evolved-bringing-back-the-glory-days/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
In years gone by, exploring the unknown far reaches of the EVE Online universe meant setting a course for nullsec. With no way to install a permanent residence in the most lucrative far-off systems, players would launch dangerous expeditions into the deep with the hope of striking it rich. Nullsec was the only place to mine rare ores containing megacyte and zydrine, and piracy wasn't as common as it is today. For putting themselves at the risk of pirates, miners were rewarded with an income stream greater than that of any other profession in the game. It was a golden age in exploration that wasn't to repeat itself until March 2009's Apocrypha expansion opened 2500 hidden wormhole systems for exploitation.

Things have changed considerably since those early days of EVE. Player-built starbases and outposts have transformed the face of nullsec, allowing alliances to build themselves an empire in the void. December 2009's Dominion expansion brought a complete revamp of the nullsec sovereignty mechanics, allowing alliances to upgrade their space but dramatically increasing the cost of system ownership. Despite all of these updates and improvements, over the past several years we have somehow lost a lot of what made nullsec great in its glory days. Local industry has been replaced by risk-free logistics, and nullsec's risky but rewarding mining profession is now greatly overshadowed by safe highsec mission-running.

With a new iterative nullsec revamp scheduled to begin this winter, I use this week's EVE Evolved to speculate on what can be done to bring back the glory days of nullsec industry.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Bringing back the glory days

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Bringing back the glory days originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arkonorbistotccpccp-eveccp-gamescrokitedysprosiumeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexpansionfeaturedglory-daysindustrymanufacturingminingmoonmoonsoreoutpostplayer-generated-contentplayer-housingplayer-owned-stationpvestarbasetech-1tech-2tech-3territorial-warfareSun, 21 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Mining efficiency]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/16/eve-evolved-mining-101-mining-efficiency/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/16/eve-evolved-mining-101-mining-efficiency/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/16/eve-evolved-mining-101-mining-efficiency/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Mining is one of EVE Online's oldest and most iconic activities, with a significant in-game community and several helpful guides. Although many players would rather pick up railguns and blow each other to bits than pick up mining lasers to hoover up some rocks, mining can be a very relaxing way to make ISK. In last week's first part of the EVE Evolved guide to mining, I examined at some of the most basic mining topics. I looked at the Retriever as an entry-level mining ship for new players, strategies for mining on your own, and the basic structure of a group mining operation.

Although it's a relatively quick and easy profession to get into, there's a lot more to mining than meets the eye. Both miners and haulers have several skills, ships and modules available to upgrade their effectiveness and make the most of their play time. Finding out the best ore to mine or the best location to mine it also isn't quite as straightforward as it seems, which often makes it difficult to find a good mining spot. Once you've mined your ore, it's also not obvious how to get the most ISK out of it. Do you refine it yourself and sell the minerals, or will the raw ore be worth more on the open market?

In this week's second part of the EVE Evolved guide to mining in EVE, I look at mining efficiency and how to make the most ISK for your invested time.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Mining efficiency

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Mining efficiency originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamescovetoreveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfluidorbithulkmackinawminingorcaorerefinerefiningSun, 16 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Runic Games partners with MMO portal Perfect World for their upcoming game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/runic-games-partners-with-mmo-portal-perfect-world-for-their-upc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/runic-games-partners-with-mmo-portal-perfect-world-for-their-upc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/runic-games-partners-with-mmo-portal-perfect-world-for-their-upc/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Perfect World Entertainment, the MMO portal of the self-titled Perfect World International and Ether Saga Online, has announced a partnership between themselves and the phoenix game studio Runic Games for the publishing rights of the upcoming MMO, Torchlight.

This is a large step forward for Runic Games, the previous Mythos game team of the now defunct Flagship Studios. Their agreement with Perfect World is for global publishing rights, meaning Torchlight could be seeing an international release.

Little is currently known about Torchlight, other than the game will be focusing on a single city and centered around the acquisition of a magical ore that imbues equipment with power, but also has a downside to it as well. The game has a bit of a cartoony, playful character to it, as seen in some early concept art shown on the main Runic Games website.

MassivelyRunic Games partners with MMO portal Perfect World for their upcoming game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcityether-saga-onlineflagship-studiosflagshippedmagic-oremythosoreperfect-worldperfect-world-internationalpublishpublishing-rightsrunic-gamestorchlightWed, 22 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Morality and legality in EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/09/morality-and-legality-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/09/morality-and-legality-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/09/morality-and-legality-in-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


One of the strengths of EVE Online is that the game's professions can be freeform. Many players take the standard route of being a miner or a mission runner. However, new and deviant professions have arisen in a kind of symbiosis with the more established trades in the game. This is the focus of an article called 'Morality and Legality', written by ISD Magnus Balteus of CCP Games. 'Morality and Legality' looks at two of the sketchier professions that sprang from EVE's more standard career paths.

Mining has given rise to ore theft, which boils down to theft that has the side benefit of potentially baiting the victim into combat, even in high security space. If the ore thief or 'can flipper' is successful, he or she can make off with the ore that someone else mined plus the modules looted from the miner's ship wreck. The morality of this type of career doesn't even enter into the equation... this is EVE. CCP's unwillingness to change the game mechanics involved in can flipping means that this is not an exploit, it's a valid profession, albeit not in the mind of the miner victim.

Continue reading Morality and legality in EVE Online

MassivelyMorality and legality in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>can-flipcan-flipperccpccp-gameseveeve-onlinegame-mechanicsgriefgrieferhighsecisdmineminermissionmission-runnermissionsninjaninja-lootninja-lootingninja-salvageninja-salvageroreore-thiefprofessionsvictimSat, 09 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[TTH features in-depth LotRO resource gathering guide for The Shire]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/tth-features-in-depth-lotro-resource-gathering-guide-for-the-shi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/tth-features-in-depth-lotro-resource-gathering-guide-for-the-shi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/tth-features-in-depth-lotro-resource-gathering-guide-for-the-shi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There's an odd feeling of satisfaction that comes from a really productive resource-gathering run -- knowing that you've spent your time at maximum efficiency and have picked up what you need to break into a new tradeskill tier, and can retire to the crafting area for the simple combines. Well, TenTonHammer can help streamline this process, with a series of resource gathering tutorials for Lord of the Rings Online that joins their other guides, and we'll first have a look at The Shire.

The guide is more than just fluff, with a resource chart that rates each area of The Shire's usefulness for any particular material that you wish to harvest. You will find both tier 1 and 2 resources in this zone, and the guide has a breakdown of various areas with some specific tips as well -- for example, Rushock Bog is supposedly the best place in The Shire to harvest ore, whereas the southern Shire areas are just very poor for resources in general, so steer clear.

The full guide contains other tips that will fill your bags to the brim with useful materials in no time, so have a look before your next resource run.

MassivelyTTH features in-depth LotRO resource gathering guide for The Shire originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I have to say that I'm a relative noob still at EVE Online-- lots of people have been playing for a lot longer than I have, and so I don't purport to know any more about the game than they do. But it's a tough game to get into, and considering that there are probably a few newer people than myself out there in space (mostly on OS X and Linux), I thought it might be useful to tell you something I do know about: jetcanning. Here's a short guide to how you can pull in as much ore as possible, even if you're by yourself and only have a short time to play.

Continue reading EVE Online: Jetcanning for beginners

MassivelyEVE Online: Jetcanning for beginners originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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