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The Firing Line: The pleasures and pitfalls of PlanetSide 2

Jef Reahard — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, PlanetSide, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, The Firing Line

My time in PlanetSide was a blur. It's also a ways back in the rear view mirror, and I've played so many MMOs in the interim that I can't even remember exactly when it was. The game originally shipped in May of 2003, and I was entrenched in Star Wars Galaxies from its June 2003 launch going forward. That would put my six week (de)tour with the Terran Republic somewhere circa 2004, maybe? I forget.

The point I'm getting around to, though, is that regardless of hazy dates, PlanetSide stands out as one of those seminal MMO experiences that showcased the possibility inherent in this particular genre. The upcoming reboot, then, should be pretty spectacular and deserving of some fanboi adulation, right?

Well, yes and no.

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The Firing Line: The pleasures and pitfalls of PlanetSide 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrimeCraft expansion to feature persistent territory control, quickplay options

Jef Reahard — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Trailers, Video, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Crime, MMOFPS, CrimeCraft, Miscellaneous

Remember CrimeCraft? We do, and the tragically titled actioner is still alive and kicking (or shooting, perhaps).

We bring this up because Vogster is readying its second major expansion, GangWars, which is scheduled to launch on December 5th. The update adds more of a traditional MMO feel to what is otherwise a lobby-based game. New territory wars mechanics are the culprit, and they allow gangs to own and control sections of the game's persistent Sunrise City environment.

Curiously, Vogster is also implementing a new quickplay system which offers access to CrimeCraft's "core gameplay features through a simplified interface that lets you shortcut RPG gameplay and get right to the action." CrimeCraft boasts 20 unique maps and 11 gameplay modes. Learn more about the game, and sign up for free, at the official website. Before you go, though, check out the territory wars trailer after the break.

[Source: Vogster press release]

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CrimeCraft expansion to feature persistent territory control, quickplay options originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MechWarrior Online developers answer forum questions

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, News items, Free-to-play

If you're looking forward to the future of warfare today, you're probably keeping a close eye on the development of MechWarrior Online. And the developers are no doubt aware of this, as they've just posted a lengthy set of answers on the game's official forums, covering a broad range of topics from update speed to character development. While the answers confirm that at this point the software is still yet to see an alpha test, there's still a great deal of information therein.

Aside from a few answers that are likely to prove discordant come launch (such as plans for biweekly update patches), the team is aiming at starting off with a strong PvP environment with persistent world elements in a similar fashion to MAG. PvE will not be in at launch, but it is on the table for later release. That's only the barest summary of the information in the full set of answers, which should keep any intent pilot eagerly anticipating his or her personal 'Mech.

[Thanks to nimzy for the tip!]

MechWarrior Online developers answer forum questions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter

Jef Reahard — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, DUST 514, PlanetSide 2, The Firing Line

Hello shooter fans, and welcome back to Massively's Firing Line. Last week's inaugural column hit the ground running with a visit to Hi-Rez Studios and a preview of the company's new Tribes: Ascend title. This week I'd like to pull back a little bit and lay the groundwork for some of the things we'll be talking about over time.

When I talk about MMO shooters with friends and colleagues, one of the first things mentioned is the definition of the term. Everyone knows what a shooter is (or at least what he thinks it is), and everyone knows what an MMO is (although thanks to MOBAs and the social networking explosion, the definition of the latter grows murkier by the day).

Can we all agree on the definition of an MMO shooter, though? Probably not, and to be honest, that's perfectly OK.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter

The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land of Chaos Online rebranding as LOCO: Evolution

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play

Land of Chaos Online is one of a large number of games that's close to being a full MMORPG but isn't quite there. The team behind the game at alaplaya has had its sights on a more full-featured experience for a while. Later this year, the game will be launching a huge update dubbed LOCO: Evolution, which is adding new elements of persistence together with several new character types and a new faction for players to explore.

The update promises to add a persistent town in the form of Arhonnas, complete with the usual staff of NPCs. The addition of a third faction to the game pushes conflicts into a struggle between Heaven, Hell, and Nature, with players caught in the middle. And aside from that, there will be new gameplay types to explore, new areas to look through, and several other quality-of-life improvements. The update should be release later this year, but until then you can take a gander at the teaser trailer after the break.

[Source: alaplaya press release]

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Land of Chaos Online rebranding as LOCO: Evolution originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planetside 2 to feature persistent territory control, huge battles, and player-generated content

Jef Reahard — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2

Sony Online Entertainment's big Planetside 2 announcement came and went last night, and while we don't have a release date as of yet, we do have a trailer, plenty of screenshots, and a fairly detailed fact sheet and official press release thanks to the folks at Fan Faire.

For you rookies, Planetside 2 is a re-imagining of the popular MMOFPS, and SOE is deploying its new Forgelight MMO engine in order to make thousand-player online battles a reality. Planetside 2 will feature three factions that will seem familiar to long-time fans, and players will be able to choose between the Terran Republic, the New Conglomerate, or the Vanu Sovereignty before heading off to the kill zones. Choice also plays into Planetside 2's character advancement, as the game boasts what SOE is calling a "free-form class-based system" complete with skill trees and unique combat roles.

Weapons, vehicles, and outfits are all customizable, and SOE's fact sheet also drops a curious player-generated content hint relating to the game's mission system. "Both SOE and players will be able to drive content, easing new players into the game and allowing veterans to feed content to players," says the press release.

Finally, Planetside 2 will feature that rarest of MMO prizes: a reason for all the fighting. The core gameplay revolves around holding territories and controlling resources (as opposed to just a match timer). "Battles will last for days or weeks, and finally taking control of the base means it's yours until someone can take it back," SOE says.

Planetside 2 to feature persistent territory control, huge battles, and player-generated content originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: Something approaching a tribute to Safety Dance edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Expansions, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous

Safety Dance was a song released by Men Without Hats in 1982. It is astonishing for me to realize this, but there is now a substantial portion of our audience that post-dates not only this song but the entire decade. So allow me to say right now that yes, the 1980s were a real time, they did in fact happen, and if that video doesn't tell you a good portion of what you need to know about that time period, any further elaboration won't make it clearer.

OK, maybe one further piece.

This week's questions have absolutely nothing to do with dancing, safety, or looking at one's hands. Instead, it's about pricing models for games and the never-ending discussion about where one draws the line between an MMO and something that is not an MMO. As always, you can leave questions in the comment field for next week, or you can mail them along to ask@massively.com.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Something approaching a tribute to Safety Dance edition

Ask Massively: Something approaching a tribute to Safety Dance edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Undead Labs talks about surviving the zombie social scene

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, Previews, Post-Apocalyptic

James Phinney believes in the power of a persistent virtual world, and he's not shy in sharing his excitement when it comes to the landscape that Undead Labs is building for its new zombie-themed MMO:

"We believe a persistent world should be living, dynamic, and evolving. We believe your decisions should affect the state of the world and the state of the world should matter to you. We believe you should get to be the hero; not because you were able grind your way to some artificial achievement that everyone else will eventually grind for too, but instead because you achieved something unique and heroic -- something that people actually care about because it has an impact on the world."

In this post on Undead Labs' site, Phinney talks about how the company isn't trying to build a shell of an MMO around a mere action game, but is actually working hard to build a connected, persistent place where players have meaningful choices that could lead them to being heroes. His vision for this post-apocalyptic world is one that is "living, dynamic, and evolving" instead of remaining static.

And while the MMO will contain zombies, Phinney stresses that the core is about survival, not just a headcount. He sketches out some of the choices that will need to be made, including finding power, scrounging for food and developing safe zones. You can read more about this vision over at Undead Labs.

Undead Labs talks about surviving the zombie social scene originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Global Agenda

The team over at Hi-Rez Studios may have bitten off just a touch more than they could chew with the 1.3 patch for Global Agenda. It's not that the patch is bad, just that they turned out to not quite be able to push some of the originally promised features through at the same time as the main patch. Of course, considering all of the stuff that is in the newest patch, that almost seems less like a drawback and more like an act of mercy. The advertised open zones and 64-person PvP Warzone will be slightly delayed, which only leaves...

...well, it leaves a whole lot of changes, starting with the massive overhauls to weapons and armor that bring the game closer in line with common genre conventions. The previous system has entirely been discarded, and replaced with four grades of quality for weapons and armor: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic. All grades can be obtained from vendors in exchange for credits (for common weapons), Mercenary tokens (for rare and epic weapons), or Conquest tokens (for epic special weapons). The weapons also have a chance to drop during PvE missions, with the weapons getting correspondingly stronger as the mission gets more difficult.

Continue reading A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch

A look at the big changes in Global Agenda's 1.3 patch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MAG interview talks about gameplay and development

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, MMOFPS, MAG

You can argue the specifics about whether or not MAG qualifies as an MMO, but the game certainly fits the "massive" portion of the bill -- 128 characters to a side in battle, customized and developed characters, persistent world based on the performance in the skirmishes. The game's release is only a couple months away, and there's still a great deal more to learn about it if you haven't yet opted in to the preorder beta. Luckily for all of us, Giant Bomb has an interview with Seth Luisi which sheds more light on how the game will play and progress.

The interview is quite substantial, covering everything from MAG's skill progression to leadership roles in the game. Among the more interesting tidbits is the system for squad leaders and further command posts. In order to give some incentive to follow a commander's orders, the objectives they set give a bonus to experience when fulfilled, and as the objectives are fulfilled the leader gets points to help improve their character. It's an interesting dual-reward system that should help lead to people being a bit more inclined to give and take orders in a setting notorious for just the opposite.

But that's hardly the entirety of the interview -- it's only a tiny slice of a talk that ranges to the state of the world affecting map play, character specialization, and some of the problems that the team is facing and working on improving. Take a look at the full interview, which clocks in at around eight minutes long, and you might be inspired to place a pre-order and get your hands on the beta early.

MAG interview talks about gameplay and development originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's the threshold for an MMO?

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Academic

This question is an old one, but it's always one that brings out some interesting opinions. As technology becomes more and more connected, people continue to move their games into connectivity further and further, we have to ask -- what's an MMO, precisely? The recent release of Borderlands has brought the question into the forefront for many people, as it features a rather steady and all but required online mode... but it's not absolutely required, and there's no world persistence. Does that qualify, or is it just an offline game with some MMO elements?

You can certainly argue that they're only distantly related, or you can argue that they're both part of the same genre. By the same token, you can make the case for or against the now-ubiquitous Facebook games -- which are persistent and spread across several players, after all. Today, we ask our readers where they draw the line between MMO and a game that just happens to have an online component. Where do you draw the line, and if you're so inclined, what's your reasoning? Persistence of world? Depth of play? Or is it a knee-jerk reaction where you might not be able to define an MMO, but you know it when you see it?

The Daily Grind: What's the threshold for an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redefining MMOs: Pesky Persistence

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Exteel, Massively Meta, Consoles, Casual, Virtual worlds, Redefining MMOs

Here in Redefining MMOs we've been over terminology, working with lore, the place of soloing in our online games, players acting as developers, and attempting to get away from the carbon copy feel of the genre. With all of that in mind, where could we possibly head to next? Well, how about dealing with persistence?

One persistent world holding thousands of players simultaneously, a world that continues even when you log off. That was the dream, wasn't it? Having an insane number of players all occupying the same game space? Having you and 100 of your closest friends (or perhaps enemies) battling it out over loot, bosses, pvp, and anything else the game had to offer? Persistence has long been one of the central aspects of the MMO genre, where "one continuous world" rules over all. So is persistence what defines an MMO or is it not that clear cut? Perhaps persistence is nothing more than a pesky piece of unpleasant pie and maybe we shouldn't define our genre by it as we do now.

In this issue of Redefining MMOs, I'm going to tackle the thorny issue of persistence, from its definition down to what we perceive the word to mean. I'm also going to include a discussion on two very different games -- 1 vs. 100 and Chromehounds -- and put both to the MMO persistence test. Then, as the article all comes together, I'm going to tackle the biggest question of them all: "Does persistence matter?" If you have an opinion on this week's subject, feel free to leave a comment on page 3 or even write your own "Redefining MMOs" blog post and leave a comment with the URL.

Continue reading Redefining MMOs: Pesky Persistence

Redefining MMOs: Pesky Persistence originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are MMOs truly as persistent as they claim?

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion

The two biggest differences between single player RPGs and massively multiplayer online RPGs are the MMO and persistent components found in the latter. Player vs. Developer has a thought-provoking blog post up claiming that MMOs are not as persistent as they claim to be.

"Persistent" can be defined as "continuing without change in function or structure," which when you really think about it doesn't quite fit with how it is employed in most MMORPGs. Many MMOs claim to have a "persistent struggle," or "persistent world," which is only half true. Developers are constantly changing their MMOs and it impacts how we play.

What happens at the end of an expansion cycle? Often, players stop trying to progress and wait for the new content that makes old content obsolete. What happens when classes undergo constant balance shifts? Players are forced to compete on uneven playing fields. What happens when some gamers benefit from bugs or exploits before they are fixed? It can hurt player morale.

Many of these changes are for the best, but it does illustrate that MMOs are not truly as persistent as they claim.

Are MMOs truly as persistent as they claim? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamerzines blog series on crafting the perfect MMO

Brooke Pilley — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion

Gamerzines doesn't want to sound arrogant, but they're pretty sure they can design the perfect WoW-killer and because they're such nice folks, they're going to spill the beans in a series of blog posts. There are five parts so far that include their must-have elements for the next best MMO since [insert your favorite MMO title here].

Part 1 - User generated content that passes through a quality filter
Part 2 - Persistent world and good story
Part 3 - Crafting and economy 2.0 (see EVE Online's industry)
Part 4 - Old school RPG customization system (stats, appearance, gear, etc.)
Part 5 - Real world simulation

This is obviously a pretty bold series if it aims to change the MMO landscape, but the ideas do seem interesting even though none of them are exactly novel so far. That said, they are starting to fit together nicely as newer parts of the series come out.

For instance, allowing players to have a visible and lasting impact on the game and then mixing it with the concept of a more real world simulation could produce interesting outcomes; e.g., too much hunting of one particular species could throw the ecosystem and biodiversity of the surrounding area out of balance.

[Via: Warcry]

Gamerzines blog series on crafting the perfect MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tabletop veterans to lead the MMO persistence revolution

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry

What do you get when you combine $20 million in venture capital, two giants in the tabletop gaming industry and a World of Warcraft veteran-founded MMO development company? A pretty good chance at a successful MMO, that's what. However, in addition to that you need an innovative idea, and you need a successful execution of that idea. Red 5 Studios' Ed Stark and Dave Williams might just have that idea with their recent yet-to-be-named MMO project. They recognize that the two major ingredients in any MMO are community and persistence, so they're banking on improving those concepts.

"Right now for most of these games, when the player saves the princess and he starts walking away from the tower - if he looks back he's going to see the princess at the top of the tower again," says Dave Williams. Their ideas revolve around expanding upon the sandbox concept and allowing players to affect and change the world around them, not just play in it. We'll certainly be keeping our eyes on Red 5 Studios for more on this exciting project.

Tabletop veterans to lead the MMO persistence revolution originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Agency under the scope, RMT not a part

Chris Chester — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, The Agency, Spy

Genres are a sticky thing when it comes to gaming. On the one hand, they help us categorize and succinctly describe a hitherto unknown game. Simply referring to a game as an MMO, for instance, instantly conjures up a number of elements like a persistent world, large sharded player base, and character progression. While that sort of pigeon-holing is effective for most games out there, occasionally a game comes along that really defies our best efforts at categorization. In this blogger's mind, The Agency is a perfect example of that.

In a recent preview of the game, we're treated to details of the ways in which The Agency is both more than and less than a traditional MMO. A lot of the usual elements like persistence and character progression are there, but they're twisted in interesting new ways. None of this is especially new information per say (we spoke with the lead designer ourselves not long ago), but it's another new perspective on the game, and we can't help but gobble it up. Also out of the Eurogamer camp is a reiteration of the point made last month at ION that The Agency will not be using an RMT system for weapons, operatives, or anything else that would give one player an edge on another, which we're happy to see as well.

The Agency under the scope, RMT not a part originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: It will all be fine in ten minutes

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Endgame, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

Back in the day when a 500 Mhz processor was fast, we were lulled into these weird online universes with multitudes of golden tongued promises. "Play online with thousands of others!", "Make a hero and save detailed and vast worlds!", and, my favorite, "Live in an persistent universe where your actions will have long lasting effects!"

Certainly, two of those promises have come true. Our worlds are traveled by thousands upon thousands of users daily, and the characters we have created are truly the stuff of legends who have saved these vast worlds countless times. But the one thing that has still eluded us all this time... persistence.

The funny thing is, it's not because we can't program or realize persistence in our games. We have the technology and expertise to do that just fine. We don't have persistence because persistence isn't profitable.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: It will all be fine in ten minutes

Anti-Aliased: It will all be fine in ten minutes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Online shooters have discovered MMOs' secret formula

Kyle Horner — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, News items, Opinion

A recent article asked the question, "Are online shooters turning into MMOs?" That's a good question. Lets go over the basics and see if they fit into the mold. Ever since Call of Duty 4 came out, it's become an addictive online experience for many people. Is it because of the tight controls, excellent visual/audio design and enormous variety of online modes? Perhaps, but we're fairly certain that many players are finding themselves addicted to what we here at Massively refer to as, "The Desire to Ding"

Continue reading Online shooters have discovered MMOs' secret formula

Online shooters have discovered MMOs' secret formula originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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