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[Flameseeker Chronicles: I hope you like PvE stuff]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/28/flameseeker-chronicles-i-hope-you-like-pve-stuff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/28/flameseeker-chronicles-i-hope-you-like-pve-stuff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/28/flameseeker-chronicles-i-hope-you-like-pve-stuff/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 folks: What a week it's been, am I right? After the flood of impressions and videos after the select press embargo lifted, ArenaNet decided to whip fans into a veritable frenzy by accepting beta signups from Wednesday to Friday. Fan response was insane -- over 1,000,000 signups in under 50 hours. While a few cool kids on the internet have tried to scoff at that number, I really can't -- it's just staggering to me.

If you were on vacation, sick, or hiding under your pet rock between Wednesday and Friday, I'm sorry -- there was a lot going on. You might consider checking out ArenaNet's blog post to catch up, as there's now a link roundup for your convenience. It's like the team wants you to be able to find out stuff about this game it eventually wants you to buy. Next the devs will be making themselves available for question-pelting on Reddit in an effort to promote clear and rapid comm-- oh wait.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: I hope you like PvE stuff

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: I hope you like PvE stuff originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbooksfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-previewgw1gw2kristin-perrymapsncsoftopinionpersonalityTue, 28 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: You are what you play]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/04/wings-over-atreia-you-are-what-you-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/04/wings-over-atreia-you-are-what-you-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/04/wings-over-atreia-you-are-what-you-play/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Have you ever noticed how some people just gravitate toward certain archetypes when it comes to choosing a class to play in-game? That some players just seem to really fit their role? It doesn't matter if it is the first class they dive into the moment that character selection screen pops up or the one they always end up with no matter how many times they try something different. Not only have I seen this play out repeatedly in Aion, but I have experienced it firsthand.

It's quite fascinating, really -- certain personality traits are simply drawn to certain classes. More so than any other aspect of gaming, character class is a reflection of some of our core traits and beliefs; character creation is rarely just random but rather is guided by conscious and unconscious desires. Don't believe me? Take a look around Atreia -- it is demonstrated time and time again. Warriors, scouts, mages, priests... each has idiosyncrasies that are unique to the archetype and are fitting for the gamers who play them. And don't think others' opinions aren't colored by your class; each also subtly alludes to these specific traits.

So what does your class say about you (or your legionmates)? Step past the cut into my office and we can delve into these personality profiles within Aion.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: You are what you play

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: You are what you play originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gameclassclassesfeaturedmagenc-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionpersonalitypersonality-traitsPersonalityTraitspriestscoutwarriorWings-Over-AtreiaMon, 04 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Another chance]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/18/storyboard-another-chance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/18/storyboard-another-chance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/18/storyboard-another-chance/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Character regrets are a tricky thing. To be sure, they're a tricky thing that we've already discussed when it comes to making characters, but that's hardly the end. Then you have to bring your character out of the controlled environment of the character creator and into the madness of actual open play. And if you haven't created a regretful character... odds are you've still seen the problem.

Even when you've crafted a character with a dark past and a lot of regrets without falling into maudlin traps... none of that means anything if other players don't know about it. You fall into the trap of telling people you've met not half an hour before about your character's full life history and all her mistakes, and then people get bored and quite possibly wander off.

I focus a lot on character creation, but all of the best backstory in the world won't help you if you don't know how to weave it into actual play. So today I'm going to talk about how to take your character's backstory of mistakes and poor choices and bring it into actual play without sounding like you'll confess your innermost secrets to random passersby.

Continue reading Storyboard: Another chance

MassivelyStoryboard: Another chance originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorycharactercolumnculturefeaturefeaturedinteractionsopinionpersonalityplayroleplayingrpstoryboardtipsFri, 18 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Personality in Guild Wars 2: NPCs will give you pie]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/03/personality-in-guild-wars-2-npcs-will-give-you-pie/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/03/personality-in-guild-wars-2-npcs-will-give-you-pie/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/03/personality-in-guild-wars-2-npcs-will-give-you-pie/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Do you like pie? Do you want game NPCs to give you free pie? How about a free jar of bees? (Don't look so surprised, it's an excellent weapon.) It may sound funny, but free goodies from NPCs are all part of the personality system in Guild Wars 2.

Way back in May, ArenaNet's Ree Soesbee gave us an exciting overview of how your personal story will work in Guild Wars 2. The whole point of personal story, and dynamic events for that matter, is to make you feel that you're truly in the world and making an impact.

However, it's a bit immersion-breaking if you've been tearing around building a reputation as a centaur-slaying hero, and then you enter town to be greeted by blank stares and static dialogue from every NPC. ArenaNet thought of this too. Follow along after the jump to see how the developers have addressed this issue in the latest blog entry: Personality in Guild Wars 2.

Continue reading Personality in Guild Wars 2: NPCs will give you pie

MassivelyPersonality in Guild Wars 2: NPCs will give you pie originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetarenanet-blogcurtis-johnsonfeaturedguild-wars-2gw2ncsoftpersonal-storypersonalityree-soesbeeTue, 03 Aug 2010 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars 2 unveils the game's lighter side]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/guild-wars-2-unveils-the-games-lighter-side/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/guild-wars-2-unveils-the-games-lighter-side/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/guild-wars-2-unveils-the-games-lighter-side/#commentsFiled under: ,

We've learned a lot of core news about Guild Wars 2 lately -- everything from class reveals to character creation has been served up to eager fans.

The latest batch of new information about Guild Wars 2 takes a look at some of the lighter aspects of gameplay. IGN spent some time chatting with the developers and came away with a wealth of new information on events outside the central storyline.

Bar brawls, daily achievements, kill counts, and interaction with NPCs were all covered. We even got hints of some possible side games or minigames, such as a shooting gallery.

Check out the full interview at IGN.

MassivelyGuild Wars 2 unveils the game's lighter side originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Achievementsanetarenanetfeatsguild-wars-2GW2IGNminigamesncsoftpersonalityWed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Everybody starts somewhere]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/storyboard-everybody-starts-somewhere/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/storyboard-everybody-starts-somewhere/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/storyboard-everybody-starts-somewhere/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Welcome back to another edition of Storyboard! This week, and for the next couple of weeks, we're going to be talking about generating characters. It's a far cry from building characters in a pen-and-paper game, naturally -- MMOs don't tend to require you to make choices about things like specialization until you've been playing for some time, and the generation system isn't tremendously open. And we're not focused on working out the best possible stat combination in this column, anyway. We're concerned about the actual person behind the (eventual) Sword of Godslaying.

So where to start? Let's just assume you're staring at a basic character creation screen and trying to figure out who you're going to be adopting as your newest persona. There are three basic starting points for developing a character that work in nearly every game, and they let you start off with a character who might not be fully realized, but certainly can feel that way. We'll look at each of them in turn today and focus on the specifics in the coming weeks.

Continue reading Storyboard: Everybody starts somewhere

MassivelyStoryboard: Everybody starts somewhere originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesarchetypesbackstorycharactercharacter-creationclassescohfeaturedguild-warsgwlorepersonalityroleplayingrpstar-trek-onlinestostorystoryboardstorytellingFri, 04 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion: Picking your class by personality, not numbers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/29/aion-picking-your-class-by-personality-not-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/29/aion-picking-your-class-by-personality-not-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/29/aion-picking-your-class-by-personality-not-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


MMO players come in all shapes and sizes and boast a variety of personality traits. Picking a race, class, and faction combination in your favorite MMO can sometimes give an insightful look at the player behind the keyboard. At least, Paul Barnett thinks so: "Most of the people I've met who like Dwarfs basically look like Dwarfs."

That may be true because I'm a pretty tall and lean person and I hate playing Dwarves. Then again, my MMO history includes playing a number of Kobolds in Dark Age of Camelot and Goblins in Warhammer Online, so I could just be really strange.

While browsing the Aion community forums, we came across an interesting post. One of the board members has written up a quick and quirky guide for choosing one of the game's eight classes based on one's personality. Obviously, numbers and stats play a huge factor in making class decisions for many players, but this could be a more healthy approach.

At the very least, you will gain a better understanding of the kinds of people playing these classes, which could give you a strategic advantage when you run into them on the battlefield.

MassivelyAion: Picking your class by personality, not numbers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionclass-choiceclassesdark-age-of-camelotnc-westncsoftpaul-barnettpersonalitypersonality-traitswarhammer-onlineMon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How your Bartle Type influences your class choice: WoW style]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-class-choice-wow-style/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-class-choice-wow-style/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-class-choice-wow-style/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Last week we showed the Massively readers a research report done at gamerDNA regarding MMO players' Bartle Type and how it influences their Warhammer Online class choices. In the comments at their site, and at ours, many asked if this could be done for other games as well, namely World of Warcraft. Well this week they treat us to just that, and the results might surprise you.

While not as clearly-defined as the WAR/Bartle results, this report shows some interesting statistics relating to WoW players and their gender, personality, class type and more. Keep in mind though that these results are based on around 45k+ members at gamerDNA who play WoW, not every single player out there. Even so, it's always enlightening to see these things in solid numbers. I mean, who knew there were more Hunters than any other class? /cough
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyHow your Bartle Type influences your class choice: WoW style originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bartle-typesblizzardgamerdnagenderpersonalitysanya-weathersworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What's your Bartle quotient?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/the-daily-grind-whats-your-bartle-quotient/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/the-daily-grind-whats-your-bartle-quotient/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/the-daily-grind-whats-your-bartle-quotient/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology has long been a staple of the MUD and MMORPG community. We've ever mentioned it here a couple of times.

The Bartle Test (developed by -- you guessed it -- Richard Bartle) is a series of questions the answers to which result in the test-taker's Bartle Quotient. In your Bartle Quotient, you're told how closely you identify with each of four types of MMO gamer pychologies -- Achiever, Explorer, Killer, and Socializer. The final figure is a ranking -- from most dominant to least dominant -- of those types in your own gaming personality. For example, this blogger is an ESKA.

The test has been criticized over the years as an innacurate or insufficient measurement, but it's remained popular nonetheless. Take the test, and tell us where you stand. Do you feel it's accurate? If not, where did it go wrong?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's your Bartle quotient? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achieverbartle-quotientbartle-testbartle-test-of-gamer-psychologybartle-typesexplorerkillerpersonalityquizrichard-bartlesocializertdgtestthe-daily-grindThu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOGology: Identity crisis]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/mmogology-identity-crisis/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/mmogology-identity-crisis/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/mmogology-identity-crisis/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ed Norton is a mild mannered claims adjuster. He's a friendly fellow and a model employee. He's never late to work. He keeps his workspace nice and tidy. He always speaks in a pleasant and clear manner during staff meetings and never raises his voice. But underneath the freshly pressed shirt and polished shoes lies something sinister. Mr. Norton has a dark secret. As night falls on the quaint suburbs where Ed resides, a blue-white light flickers in the otherwise dark bedroom of his modest home. Ed hovers in front of his PC's monitor; the glare reflecting eerily off his horn rimmed glasses. He smiles wickedly as World of Warcraft finishes loading. Suddenly, Ed undergoes a hideous transformation. His perfectly shellacked hair becomes a wild jungle of frizz. His eyes sink back into his skull. A demonic, green light leaks from between his pointed teeth. Ed has become Durden, the blood thirsty, undead warlock. Using his epic staff of carnal destruction, Durden reaps the souls of his victims with reckless abandon, laughing at their pathetic pleas for mercy. He is guildmaster and raid leader and wields ultimate power. All shall obey his commands or be forever be exiled from his presence.

Does this sound like you? If so, please seek psychiatric help immediately.

While most of us don't undergo the dramatic personality change illustrated by Mr. Norton when playing our favorite MMOG, many of us do have an online persona quite different from the one we present to the real world. Akela Talamaska's recent post about the Daedalus Project lead me to a fascinating survey that examined player role reversals. The survey highlights several different scenarios in which the roles of the players are completely inverse from the roles they play in real life. What are some of these roles swaps and how do they tie into our personalities? Why do we chose to act they way we do in our virtual worlds? Find out after the break!

Continue reading MMOGology: Identity crisis

MassivelyMMOGology: Identity crisis originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatarDaedalus-Projectfeaturedidentityjoystiq-featuredpersonalitypsycherole-reversalroleplayingWorld-of-WarcraftWoWMon, 10 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Leaders and followers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/the-daily-grind-leaders-and-followers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/the-daily-grind-leaders-and-followers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/the-daily-grind-leaders-and-followers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Today, our discussion topic is: When it comes to MMO groups, are you a leader or a follower?

To tell the truth, I kind of prefer being a follower, especially when I'm first starting out in a new MMO. I want to let others lead the way, hang back, and reap the benefits of being part of a group without actually pouring all the work in to keep it going.

But eventually, my personality (yeah, I'm bossy) and my desire to actually do group things usually turns me into a leader, whether I like it or not. When I want to participate in a group activity, and no one else is around to lead it, I kind of fall into the de facto leader position (and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but that's a discussion for another day).

So when you're logging into your favorite MMO for the day, are you stepping into a leader role or a that of a follower? Are you up at the head of the pack or somewhere back near the middle? Are you leading your own guild or just kind of showing up when someone asks you to join a group?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Leaders and followers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bossydiscussionfeaturedfollowersgroupsguildsleaderspersonalitythe-daily-grindWed, 21 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST