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Storyboard: To say nothing of Elim Garak

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous

As usual, my promise of what would be in this column has been foiled, this time largely because my previous plan will require a bit more refinement. It happens. Last week's column also provoked some interesting discussion, some of which will fit well in a future column. But today, I'm going to go in a completely different direction and talk about something we've encountered at least once or twice before: the guest star.

Guest stars are players who aren't as reliable as clockwork -- they show up every so often when real life, personal motivation, and various other circumstances align. Sometimes it's a case of the player not really wanting to show up on a regular basis, but more often it's a combination of external pressures and obligations. So when someone wants to be present more often but isn't, how do you make sure to get the most of the times when she is around? And if you're the guest star, what can you do to make your transitions in and out of presence as painless as possible?

Continue reading Storyboard: To say nothing of Elim Garak

Storyboard: To say nothing of Elim Garak originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What game rewards you best for limited playtime?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Sometimes, we have all the time in the world to sit down and play a game to our hearts' content. But that's not the most common situation -- more often than not we have to scramble to get some playtime in. In party-based games such as EverQuest and Final Fantasy XI, that can unfortunately make any serious play impossible, which is part of the reason more recent games have allowed players to do something with only a little time to spare.

But the specifics of what you can do with a limited play session can vary a great deal. There are games that will let you pick up and go from anywhere, and there are games that still expect you to commit a solid chunk of time to get anything accomplished. We've asked before how you manage your limited time, but today we want to know -- what game feels like it does the best job of rewarding you even if you only have a little while to play? Where does it seem that you get the maximum reward for your minimal play?

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!

The Daily Grind: What game rewards you best for limited playtime? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How long are most of your play sessions?

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

How long we play changes as times change. When you first start playing RIFT, for instance, odds are good that you'll be playing for several hours at a stretch. It's possible, however, that by the time you've reached endgame you'll be logging on briefly, seeing if anything is going on, and then logging right back off. That's not even discussing the difference between games where you can log in, do something quickly, and then log right back off (City of Heroes) versus games where you need to take the time to assemble a group before doing anything (Final Fantasy XI).

Despite all of that, most of us generally has a certain amount of time we expect to spend in an MMO when we log on. So on average, once you click the button to enter the game, how long do you expect to be playing? Are you generally just clocking an hour or two a night, or is it the whole of your evening from the time you get home until the moment you go to sleep? And does it vary by game -- do you spend more time quietly mining in EVE Online than actively smashing villains in DC Universe Online?

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!

The Daily Grind: How long are most of your play sessions? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How long do you really plan to play a new title?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment. While we like to talk about being a lifetime member of a new game, we generally are referring to the game's lifespan rather than our own. No matter how awesome a game is on release, it's going to show signs of age over time, and some of us just don't have the attention span or the will to stick with a game for years on end. It's unusual to even get the chance to be in a game from opening day to closing day, and there are few Ultima Online players who were there at launch and refuse to start a new game until they're completely finished with this one.

So we leave. And when we buy a new game, in the back of our minds we pretty much know that an online game is a long-term commitment, but not necessarily a lifetime one. So how long do you expect to be playing a new game once you buy it? Did you purchase RIFT expecting to get a solid six months out of it before you moved on, or did you pick up Aion just for the free trial month? Or did you go the other route, buying Star Trek Online at launch and sticking with it for at least two or three years before changing games?

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!

The Daily Grind: How long do you really plan to play a new title? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Class actions

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log, Guides

The biggest news about Final Fantasy XIV this week, other than the somewhat mollifying UI update preview, was the addition of another 30 days of free playtime for everyone. This is the sort of thing that I don't think you can really see as anything other than a classy move on the part of Square-Enix. It's also very unexpected, but in the best possible way -- I can't help but be surprised that the company which has long been seen as completely dispassionate by Final Fantasy XI players has essentially responded to the "I don't want to pay for beta" complaints with "that's fair, we'll let you play for free."

So as long as we're talking about class, let's talk about Final Fantasy XIV's classes. I'm a big fan of games that give you a broad toolbox and let you decide what you want to do with everything, and building a field class is one of my biggest joys in the game. It's not that you can't mix-and-match abilities from Disciples of the Land or Disciples of the Hand, but there's less variance than the combat-oriented classes. Let's start dipping our toes into character building, yes?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Class actions

The Mog Log: Class actions originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV grants players a month of freedom and revamped markets

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Events, real-world, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Promotions

Player opinions have been strongly mixed on Final Fantasy XIV, something that hardly needs to be reiterated. Even the game's supporters have occasionally been a touch leery about paying for their first month of the game with the current state of polish. Which means that it should be good news for players all around that Square-Enix is extending the normal "free month" to encompass an additional month, placing early adopters out of the realm of billing until November.

Aimed primarily at purchasers of the collector's edition with its headstart, the extension will be credited to any and all accounts created before October 19th. Billing will be credited for another 30 days, giving a total of 60 days free time within the game world. The official announcement assured the community that the development team is listening to all the feedback received, and wishes to thank Final Fantasy XIV's players for their devotion to the game. Considering that the game has just seen its first pass of reorganization for the market system and a director dispatch on the game's future, it's a morning of good news for the game's players.

[Thanks to Bartillo and FusionX for the tip!]

Final Fantasy XIV grants players a month of freedom and revamped markets originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Have you gotten spouse aggro?

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

The couple that plays together may very well stay together, but sometimes only half of the couple is interested in playing in the first place. There's nothing wrong with that, of course -- until the issues start up about how much time you spend on your favorite game. That's where the dreaded spouse aggro comes from, when the biggest threat you'll encounter in Guild Wars comes not from parties of healers and anti-caster NPCs, but from your significant other yanking the power cord mid-pull.

Sometimes the non-playing half of the couple has a legitimate point and you really are spending more time on the game than with your partner. Other times it's just a case of your partner not being interested and expecting you to give up the hobby obligingly. Have you ever gotten a bad case of spouse aggro? Was it from your spouse, or was it a girlfriend or boyfriend? Did you work matters out, or was that the signal for better or worse that it was time to move on?

The Daily Grind: Have you gotten spouse aggro? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Log into Aika, win fantastic prizes

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Aika, Promotions

If you're one of the lucky souls who doesn't need to work over the summer, or just a discerning player with an eye toward conserving your online time, there are a lot of games clamoring for your attention. Aika's newest event is hoping to entice players with a fairly routine but no less efficient approach: the team is offering players prizes. And all you have to do as a player to earn them is to show up for at least an hour a day.

From August 5th until September 8th, players will be automatically granted rewards after logging in for at least one hour. Tears of Aika are the most common reward, with special prizes coming at each five-day interval. Players who manage to log in for an hour a day over the full run of the event will also be entered into a drawing for several powerful in-game rewards. It's not a bad spread for just showing up, so take a look at the full list of rewards, check the FAQ, and start setting aside some time for your Aika characters.

Log into Aika, win fantastic prizes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your briefest MMO dalliance?

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

There are some games that we play for months on end and never even bat an eye at the timing. And then there are games that we are given for free and never pick up after two days of play, even if we have no particular reason for leaving them behind. Usually we talk about the games that suck us in and transport us to a new realm, but it's wrong to ignore the games that don't make it very far out of the shrink-wrapped bundle.

Maybe you always wanted to like City of Heroes, but after four trials that didn't grab you it just wasn't worth the effort. Maybe you had pre-ordered Star Trek Online and decided after the pre-order early launch that you didn't actually want to play it any longer. Or perhaps you'd played on World of Warcraft for one night, then heard about the endgame and walked right back out without looking back. What game has had the shortest lifespan for you as an active player? If it was a game that you did pay for, did you do anything to try and recoup the loss?

The Daily Grind: What's your briefest MMO dalliance? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your longest MMO relationship?

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor

If online games like Team Fortress 2 are just flirtations, MMOs are full-on relationships. You might look with vague interest at EVE Online even as you briefly date Star Trek Online. Perhaps you broke up with Final Fantasy XI to get together with Aion. Or maybe you and EverQuest are celebrating another anniversary and wondering why people feel the need to overextend a relationship metaphor.

Joking aside, MMOs require a larger time investment than any single-player romp. While claims of playing since a game's beta are almost a self-parody, there's a lot to be said for dedication to a single game, and it breeds far more resources for a player to make use of. On the flip side, of course, you can only spend time in so many different worlds, and having a breadth of different experiences is more to the tastes of some players.

So what MMO have you been playing the longest? Is it a game where your subscription has never lapsed, or one you've frequently left and come back to? Are you happy to keep playing it, or is it that crazy one that you keep almost breaking up with but never quite go the distance?

The Daily Grind: What's your longest MMO relationship? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A big thanks to all those that came to the Champions Online launch day partying

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Culture, Events, in-game, Launches, New titles, Massively Meta, Champions Online

Yesterday was the superheroic launch of Champions Online, and we were very happy to get to play alongside some of you! Throughout the day we were jumping around on our characters, breaking from our former plans of camping in the Crisis zones to tackle challenges all over the Champions globe! From Canada to the Desert to even the fouler reaches of Millenium City, Massively readers were taking down some serious threats to the safety of the NPC population.

Didn't get the chance to catch up with us? No worries! We're on your friends list (most likely) so it won't be that hard to catch up with us while we're in-game. Thanks to the wonders of sidekicking, we're here if you ever need backup or just want to go out and save the day.

We hope you're all enjoying your time in Champions Online and your time partying and defeating villains with us. We know we're enjoying it, and thanks again!

A big thanks to all those that came to the Champions Online launch day partying originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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