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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Darkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/darkfall/" rel="tag">Darkfall</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/"><img alt="Darkfall" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/darkfall.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/aventurine">Aventurine</a> continues its trek toward <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/darkfall"><em>Darkfall's</em></a> game revamp, aka <em>Darkfall 2.0</em>, and in a new producer letter, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/tasos-flambouras">Tasos Flambouras</a> drops <a href="http://www.darkfallonline.com/blog/update-february-10th/">a few interesting info nuggets</a> to tide loyal players over until the job is done.<br />
<br />
He states that the team is retuning each of the game's eight schools of magic so that each one feels more unique and focused. For example, air magic will be specialized to do more damage in close quarters against fewer targets, while fire magic will excel at long-distance AoE attacks.<br />
<br />
The team also thinks it has figured out this pesky "death" problem by coming up with a more interesting limbo system. The way it works is that when players are taken down, they have a choice between either respawning back at a bind stone or waiting for a timer to count down to zero and initiate a respawn on the spot. If players opt to endure the limbo period, they can re-equip their characters from their bank boxes.<br />
<br />
Aventurine continues to hire on new team members for the project, including a designer who will facilitate communication between devs and the community.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/">Darkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20169391/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aventurine</category><category>bank</category><category>bank-boxes</category><category>darkfall</category><category>darkfall-2.0</category><category>death-penalty</category><category>death-system</category><category>dev-diary</category><category>limbo</category><category>limbo-system</category><category>magic</category><category>magic-schools</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>producers-letter</category><category>respawn</category><category>schools-of-magic</category><category>Tasos-Flambouras</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[TERA producer's letter discusses new launcher, development progress]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/tera/" rel="tag">TERA</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/"><img alt="Screenshot -- TERA" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/12/tera.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
	A new holiday edition producer's letter has been published on the official <em><a href="http://www.massively.com/category/tera">TERA</a></em> site, and in it <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/chris-hager">Chris Hager</a> announces that he is currently using the studio's new launcher to log in to the game. Why is this such a big deal? Hager explains that it "represents a huge leap for us here at <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/en-masse-entertainment">En Masse</a>." He goes on to tell how, over the past year, the team has worked "directly and intimately with the <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/bluehole-studio">Bluehole</a> development team to... add features that appeal to western gamers."<br />
	<br />
	But why is the new launcher so important? Because it's one of the features that the studio built from the ground up. Hager also notes that the game has been in alpha for "about 4 months" and that this week is the last week of alpha testing. He says the team is also looking forward to "the next step in <em>TERA</em>'s journey toward launch next spring." Here's to hoping that next step is a beta test. For the full letter, just click on over to the official <em>TERA</em> site.</div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/">TERA producer's letter discusses new launcher, development progress</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20131264/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alpha</category><category>alpha-testing</category><category>bluehole</category><category>bluehole-studio</category><category>chager</category><category>chris-hager</category><category>development</category><category>en-masse</category><category>en-masse-entertainment</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>producers-letter</category><category>progress</category><category>tera</category><category>the-exiled-realm-of-arborea</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Daniel]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Age of Conan dev update talks House of Crom, upcoming content patches]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan/" rel="tag">Age of Conan</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dungeons/" rel="tag">Dungeons</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/"><img alt="Age of Conan - Turanian coast" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/aocturan-1322677485.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/craig-morrison">Craig Morrison</a> has posted his latest monthly <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan"><em>Age of Conan</em></a> dev update. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/funcom">Funcom's</a> game director is known for his interaction with fans and for his verbosity when it comes to all things <em>AoC</em>, and this month's letter is no exception.<br />
<br />
The lengthy read lays out current and future <em>AoC</em> updates in a linear fashion, beginning with yesterday's 3.1 patch (which Morrison says was slightly delayed and also slightly problematic due to the slew of behind-the-scenes tweaks that were performed on the game's Dreamworld engine). The extra time apparently benefited the upcoming 3.2 patch, though, because it gave Funcom artists even more time to add both beauty and detail to a patch that will add both Khitai raids and the huge House of Crom dungeon instances.<br />
<br />
Head to the official <em>AoC</em> website for a look into Morrison's Hyborian crystal ball.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/">Age of Conan dev update talks House of Crom, upcoming content patches</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20117753/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/age-of-conan-dev-update-talks-house-of-crom-upcoming-content-pa/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>age-of-conan</category><category>aoc</category><category>craig-morrison</category><category>dev-update</category><category>dreamworld</category><category>dreamworld-engine</category><category>dungeons</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>funcom</category><category>house-of-crom</category><category>monthly-development-update</category><category>patches</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>raids</category><category>silirrion</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[En Masse releases October TERA producer's letter]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/tera/" rel="tag">TERA</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/"><img alt="Screenshot -- TERA KICK!" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/teraheader.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
	It's been a while since we last heard from <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/en-masse-entertainment">En Masse Entertainment</a>, but the wait is now over. <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/chris-hager">Chris Hager</a> is back on the scene with the newest <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/tera"><em>TERA</em></a> producer's letter, and there are a few details that may make fans a bit more excited about the upcoming title.<br />
	<br />
	The studio recently met with a few members of the <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/bluehole-studios">Bluehole Studio</a> overseas team. The result of this meeting? "A firm alpha/beta/launch schedule" for the upcoming action MMORPG. What is that schedule? Well, we don't know yet. Sorry! The next phase of alpha testing will be taking place soon, though it's important to note that the studio is selecting testers internally. With any luck, this means that beta is just on the horizon. Keep in touch for further updates, which Mr. Hager assures us are coming soon.</div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/">En Masse releases October TERA producer's letter</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20078215/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/en-masse-releases-october-tera-producers-letter/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alpha</category><category>beta</category><category>bluehole</category><category>bluehole-studio</category><category>en-masse</category><category>en-masse-entertainment</category><category>launch</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>producers-letter</category><category>tera</category><category>the-exiled-realm-of-arborea</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Daniel]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[FFXIV's Yoshida answers fan questions in live producer letter video]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xiv/" rel="tag">Final Fantasy XIV</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/"><img alt="Final Fantasy XIV - campfire" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/ff14campfire.jpg" /></a></div>
If you're a <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xiv"><em>Final Fantasy XIV</em></a> fan -- and you're looking for a way to kill 90 minutes -- you might want to take a gander at the new <a href="http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/26096">producer letter video</a> that's just been posted on the game's official website. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/naoki-yoshida/">Naoki Yoshida</a> recently answered fan questions during a lengthy livestream session, and we've embedded the complete clip after the cut.<br />
<br />
If wading through an hour and a half of rapid-fire Japanese (sans subtitles) isn't your thing, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/square-enix/">Square-Enix</a> has provided a few text highlights to help you make sense of the Q&amp;A session. Among the interesting tidbits are potential new races (to include demi-humans and dragons) as well as a mention of the dev team's priority focus on improving <em>FFXIV's</em> linkshell system and its party formation features.<br />
<br />
Yoshida also offers a quick progress report on the process of transforming <em>FFXIV</em> from its launch state into a proper <em>Final Fantasy</em> game. "To be honest, I consider that we're about half-way to the point where we can confidently call it <em>Final Fantasy</em>," he says.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>FFXIV's Yoshida answers fan questions in live producer letter video</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/">FFXIV's Yoshida answers fan questions in live producer letter video</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20076333/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/07/ffxivs-yoshida-answers-fan-questions-in-live-producer-letter-vi/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>eorzea</category><category>fantasy</category><category>ffxiv</category><category>final-fantasy</category><category>final-fantasy-xiv</category><category>lfg-tools</category><category>linkshell-revamp</category><category>naoki-yoshida</category><category>new-races</category><category>party-formation-tools</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>producer-letter-video</category><category>question-and-answer-video</category><category>square</category><category>square-enix</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[City of Heroes producer's letter talks story and solo-friendliness]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/super-hero/" rel="tag">Super-hero</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-heroes/" rel="tag">City of Heroes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-villains/" rel="tag">City of Villains</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/news_archive/april_producers_letter.html"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/heroes800x600.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
<a href="http://cityofheroes.com"><em>City of Heroes</em></a> is the latest MMORPG to feature story in its marketing materials, as producer Nate "<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/nate-birkholz">Second Measure</a>" Birkholz outlines a number of narrative-based initiatives in store for the seven-year old superhero title. "<em>We view </em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-heroes">City of Heroes</a><em> as a storytelling medium. We have a lot of long-term plans for the main story, and all of these plans are intended to provide a backdrop for the stories you tell with your characters every day</em>," Birkholz explains.<br />
<br />
He also spends a bit of time reflecting on the massive changes that <em>CoX</em> has experienced during its live cycle, noting that the game is much more casual-friendly than it once was. More changes are coming too, among them a new zone in Issue 21 and "<em>alternative ways to experience the Incarnate System, especially options that are more accessible to solo players and small groups</em>."<br />
<br />
You can read the <a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/news_archive/april_producers_letter.html">full text</a> at the official <em>CoX</em> website.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/">City of Heroes producer's letter talks story and solo-friendliness</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19927078/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/city-of-heroes-producers-letter-talks-story-and-solo-friendline/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>city-of-heroes</category><category>City-of-Villains</category><category>coh</category><category>cov</category><category>cox</category><category>incarnate</category><category>incarnate-system</category><category>issue-21</category><category>nate-birkholz</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>paragon</category><category>paragon-studios</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>producers-letter</category><category>second-measure</category><category>solo-friendly</category><category>story</category><category>superhero</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New producer's letter for Ultima Online hints at future updates and an end to sobriety]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/16/new-producers-letter-for-ultima-online-hints-at-future-updates/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/16/new-producers-letter-for-ultima-online-hints-at-future-updates/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/16/new-producers-letter-for-ultima-online-hints-at-future-updates/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/ultima-online/" rel="tag">Ultima Online</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://uoherald.com"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/uo-magincia-epl-415.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px;" /></a></div>
For all that <a href="http://uoherald.com"><em>Ultima Online</em></a> allows player freedoms, it's always had certain lacking features. As far back as the game's launch, you could run up and rob someone blind, but you've always been unable to do so while inebriated. But fear not -- as part of the project to revitalize Magincia, the distillery is being introduced, allowing players the freedom to brew and distribute all the joys that liquor can bring. It's only a small note as part of the overall <a href="http://uoherald.com/node/369">producer's letter for the game</a>, but it's still noteworthy.<br />
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There's a lot else in the letter, however, including planned upgrades to the Enhanced Client and a number of story arcs set to begin in June. The restoration of Magincia is also ongoing, and while the distillery is one of the new additions, there are also new gardening additions and enhancements set to make unused land more vibrant. <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Ultima-Online/">Ultima Online</a></em> players can check out <a href="http://uoherald.com/node/369">the full letter</a> for a rundown of features in the pipe and on the horizon.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/16/new-producers-letter-for-ultima-online-hints-at-future-updates/">New producer's letter for Ultima Online hints at future updates and an end to sobriety</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/16/new-producers-letter-for-ultima-online-hints-at-future-updates/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19914873/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/16/new-producers-letter-for-ultima-online-hints-at-future-updates/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alcohol</category><category>bioware-mythic</category><category>coming-updates</category><category>crafting</category><category>ea</category><category>electronic-arts</category><category>moonshine</category><category>mythic</category><category>mythic-entertainment</category><category>new-crafting</category><category>news</category><category>pending-patches</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>ultima-online</category><category>uo</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Naoki Yoshida hints at future developments in latest Final Fantasy XIV letter]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/naoki-yoshida-hints-at-future-developments-in-latest-final-fanta/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/naoki-yoshida-hints-at-future-developments-in-latest-final-fanta/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/naoki-yoshida-hints-at-future-developments-in-latest-final-fanta/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/consoles/" rel="tag">Consoles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xiv/" rel="tag">Final Fantasy XIV</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/ffxiv-prodletter-epl-413.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px;" /></a></div>
One of the promises that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Naoki-Yoshida/">Naoki Yoshida</a> made to <a href="http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com"><em>Final Fantasy XIV</em></a> players upon taking over the job of producer was regular, open communication. It's an easy promise to make, but the producer has also followed through in the delivery with his regular letters to the community as a whole. The newest letter <a href="http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/6927-Letter-from-the-Producer-VIII-%2804-14-2011%29?s=21a824221d16d1d60b982a5733385b29&amp;p=85828#post85828">has just been released</a>, promising a variety of changes and updates in tomorrow's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/ffxiv-patch-1.17/">patch 1.17</a> and beyond -- including hints of an additional job system supplementing the existing Armoury system.<br />
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The main thrust of this particular letter is explaining the division of labor in the game's development, with teams working on battle system revamps and improvements alongside quest teams and art teams, allowing for the game's current pace of small, rapid patches. There's also a promise that the Grand Companies will soon be unveiled on the official site, organizations which Yoshida states will be extremely important in the game's upcoming content. <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Final-Fantasy-XIV/">Final Fantasy XIV</a></em> fans can read <a href="http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/6927-Letter-from-the-Producer-VIII-%2804-14-2011%29?s=21a824221d16d1d60b982a5733385b29&amp;p=85828#post85828">the full letter on the official forums</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/naoki-yoshida-hints-at-future-developments-in-latest-final-fanta/">Naoki Yoshida hints at future developments in latest Final Fantasy XIV letter</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/naoki-yoshida-hints-at-future-developments-in-latest-final-fanta/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19912304/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/naoki-yoshida-hints-at-future-developments-in-latest-final-fanta/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>dev-team</category><category>development</category><category>development-team</category><category>ff</category><category>ff14</category><category>ffxiv</category><category>ffxiv-patch-1.17</category><category>final-fantasy</category><category>final-fantasy-14</category><category>final-fantasy-xiv</category><category>holiday-events</category><category>naoki-yoshida</category><category>news</category><category>pending-updates</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>square</category><category>square-enix</category><category>updates</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[PlanetSide Next producer's letter hints at dev team expansion]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/planetside-next-producers-letter-hints-at-dev-team-expansion/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/planetside-next-producers-letter-hints-at-dev-team-expansion/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/planetside-next-producers-letter-hints-at-dev-team-expansion/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/planetside/" rel="tag">PlanetSide</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmofps/" rel="tag">MMOFPS</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.planetside-universe.com/news-planetside-next-producer-letter-sneak-peek-2467.htm"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/planetsidelogo.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
News of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/planetside-next"><em>PlanetSide Next</em></a> has been scarcer than we'd like of late, so it was with marked interest that we devoured the preview of a new producer letter from <a href="http://soe.com">Sony Online Entertainment's</a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/andrew-sites">Andrew Sites</a>. <a href="http://www.planetside-universe.com/news-planetside-next-producer-letter-sneak-peek-2467.htm">PlanetSide Universe</a> has the early scoop on the document, which alludes to an expansion of the <a href="http://planetside.station.sony.com/"><em>PlanetSide</em></a> sequel's development roster to include "<em>several team members from the original </em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/planetside">PlanetSide</a><em> art, design, and code team</em>."<br />
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While Sites doesn't name names or offer much in the way of additional details, he does tease the fact that future producer letters will introduce both team members and game features, beginning with the next update.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/planetside-next-producers-letter-hints-at-dev-team-expansion/">PlanetSide Next producer's letter hints at dev team expansion</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/planetside-next-producers-letter-hints-at-dev-team-expansion/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19912160/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/planetside-next-producers-letter-hints-at-dev-team-expansion/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>andrew-sites</category><category>dev-team</category><category>fps</category><category>mmofps</category><category>planetside</category><category>planetside-next</category><category>planetside-universe</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>sci-fi</category><category>shooter</category><category>soe</category><category>Sony-Online-Entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Warhammer Online producer's letter mentions crafting additions]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/warhammer-online-producers-letter-mentions-crafting-additions/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/warhammer-online-producers-letter-mentions-crafting-additions/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/warhammer-online-producers-letter-mentions-crafting-additions/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online/" rel="tag">Warhammer Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/dev-diaries/" rel="tag">Dev Diaries</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsOverview.war"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/03/preview.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
While we here at Massively are swamped with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/gdc-2011">GDC</a>-related news tidbits, life outside the annual conference does indeed go on. <a href="http://www.mythicentertainment.com/">BioWare-Mythic's</a> <a href="http://warhammeronline.com"><em>Warhammer Online</em></a> is one such title that keeps on keeping on, and the latest <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsOverview.war">producer's letter</a> is up on the game's official website for your perusal.<br />
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If you'd rather we peruse it for you, well, keep reading. Producer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/james-casey">James Casey</a> has a fair bit to say, and he starts things off with a mention of the new communication initiative that is ongoing in the Developer's Corner section of the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online"><em>WAR</em></a> forums.<br />
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Casey also touches on the upcoming tweaks to Grovod Caverns, a new live event called Sigmar Tide (currently scheduled for this summer), and a few proposed additions to crafting that are intended to "<em>introduce new mechanics and flesh out the offerings available</em>" for artisans throughout the realm.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/warhammer-online-producers-letter-mentions-crafting-additions/">Warhammer Online producer's letter mentions crafting additions</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/warhammer-online-producers-letter-mentions-crafting-additions/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19865688/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/warhammer-online-producers-letter-mentions-crafting-additions/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bioware-mythic</category><category>crafting</category><category>crafting-updates</category><category>ea</category><category>ea-mythic</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>fantasy</category><category>grovod-caverns</category><category>james-casey</category><category>live-events</category><category>mythic</category><category>Mythic-Entertainment</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>sigmar-tide</category><category>war</category><category>warhammer</category><category>Warhammer-Online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New producer's letter and battle mechanic changes for Final Fantasy XIV]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/new-producers-letter-and-battle-mechanic-changes-for-final-fant/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/new-producers-letter-and-battle-mechanic-changes-for-final-fant/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/new-producers-letter-and-battle-mechanic-changes-for-final-fant/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/consoles/" rel="tag">Consoles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xiv/" rel="tag">Final Fantasy XIV</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/02/ffxiv-prodletter-epl-201.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Naoki-Yoshida/"> Naoki Yoshida</a> has been bringing change to <a href="http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com"><em>Final Fantasy XIV</em></a>, and while the previous changes have been largely based around communication, there are more substantial alterations just around the corner. With the announcement that tomorrow will bring patch 1.15a (coinciding with the abandonment of the "version update" naming schematic), the development team has explained <a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=369fbb768945a47fa91aa860835db16e69fe1af4">some of the changes coming to the battle system</a>, including better damage and healing displays without overlap, better gains for parties, and larger gains for taking on enemies that outlevel the player. Solo players aren't left out, either, as the experience curve has been adjusted to help ease some of the more onerous level bands.<br />
<br />
Yoshida has also penned <a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=a2387769397519f9817e3aff3415f82184c907bc">his second producer's letter</a>, this one clarifying the coming changes in more detail for both 1.15a and the further future. As he notes, there are many things that both he and players in general want to change, which means there's a lot to discuss in a limited amount of space. Players who were upset by the somewhat flippant tone of the last letter will hopefully be mollified by his apology for same -- as Yoshida himself puts it, sometimes his personality gets the best of him. The full list of planned changes is available <a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=a2387769397519f9817e3aff3415f82184c907bc">within the letter</a>, with more due in the near future, a clear sign that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Final-Fantasy-XIV/"><em>Final Fantasy XIV</em></a> is being worked on with vigor by its new team.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/new-producers-letter-and-battle-mechanic-changes-for-final-fant/">New producer's letter and battle mechanic changes for Final Fantasy XIV</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/new-producers-letter-and-battle-mechanic-changes-for-final-fant/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19824521/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/new-producers-letter-and-battle-mechanic-changes-for-final-fant/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>battle-mechanics</category><category>ff</category><category>ff14</category><category>ffxiv</category><category>final-fantasy</category><category>final-fantasy-14</category><category>final-fantasy-xiv</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>naoki-yoshida</category><category>news</category><category>patch</category><category>patches</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>square</category><category>square-enix</category><category>updates</category><category>yoshida</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Player poll results and future plans for Final Fantasy XIV]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/player-poll-results-and-future-plans-for-final-fantasy-xiv/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/player-poll-results-and-future-plans-for-final-fantasy-xiv/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/player-poll-results-and-future-plans-for-final-fantasy-xiv/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/consoles/" rel="tag">Consoles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/final-fantasy-xiv/" rel="tag">Final Fantasy XIV</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/01/ffxiv-prodletter-epl-121.jpg" /></a></div>
After a week of silence, it seems the new development team has finished putting together data from <a href="http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com"><em>Final Fantasy XIV</em></a>'s <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/01/final-fantasy-xiv-rings-in-the-new-year-with-a-producers-letter/">start-of-year player poll</a>. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Naoki-Yoshida/">Naoki Yoshida</a> makes as much clear in <a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=46e03f76722239ffa01960aba398e4034b898102">the first few lines of his incredibly dense producer's letter</a>, which contains a broad outline of what the team is targeting first in the game's development, as well as the results of the first poll. The results alone merit a great deal of discussion, with the responses charted out for ease of viewing and Yoshida devoting much of his letter to his interpretation of the results.<br />
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Among the more interesting takeaways are the plans to implement official forums starting in early March, with Yoshida stating he will be posting regular updates on the front page until the forums launch. Several items are under close examination, including jumping, increased stack sizes for several items, and the addition of an auction house -- all of which are very real possibilities for the near future. There's also plans to add in more story-based quests and mini-quests, the addition of public companies (no word on how this will interact with the previously promised company system or if it replaces it), and so many changes that it's hard to summarize. <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Final-Fantasy-XIV/">Final Fantasy XIV</a></em> players should take a look at <a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=46e03f76722239ffa01960aba398e4034b898102">the full letter</a>, which boasts a lot to get excited about.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/player-poll-results-and-future-plans-for-final-fantasy-xiv/">Player poll results and future plans for Final Fantasy XIV</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/player-poll-results-and-future-plans-for-final-fantasy-xiv/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19809932/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/player-poll-results-and-future-plans-for-final-fantasy-xiv/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>development</category><category>development-team</category><category>ff</category><category>ff14</category><category>ffxiv</category><category>final-fantasy</category><category>final-fantasy-14</category><category>final-fantasy-xiv</category><category>future-updates</category><category>game-overhaul</category><category>game-revisions</category><category>game-updates</category><category>naoki-yoshida</category><category>planned-updates</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>square</category><category>square-enix</category><category>update</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Producer's letter for City of Heroes hints at the future and promises big improvements]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/producers-letter-for-city-of-heroes-hints-at-the-future-and-pro/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/producers-letter-for-city-of-heroes-hints-at-the-future-and-pro/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/producers-letter-for-city-of-heroes-hints-at-the-future-and-pro/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/super-hero/" rel="tag">Super-hero</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-heroes/" rel="tag">City of Heroes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/city-of-villains/" rel="tag">City of Villains</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/01/coh-prodletter-epl-109.jpg" /></a></div>
It's the start of a new year, one that already promises to be an exciting one for fans of superheroic MMOs. <a href="http://www.dcuniverseonline.com"><em>DC Universe Online</em></a> is launching tomorrow, <a href="http://www.champions-online.com"><em>Champions Online</em></a> will be going free-to-play early this year, and <a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com"><em>City of Heroes</em></a> is not sitting down either. In what we hope might be a new monthly tradition, <a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/news_archive/get_in_the_know_with_monthly_p.html">fans have been treated to a brand-new producer's letter</a> that looks back at the year before and begins peering ahead to the next 12 months while also hinting at some of the more interesting new additions to the game.<br />
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Among the more interesting revelations are the promise of a double XP weekend this month, as well as more information regarding Praetoria's Hamidon when <a href="http://www.paxsite.com">PAX East</a> rolls around. The development team is also hoping to step up its communication this year, both from well-known members of the team and from some of the newer talent with less public exposure. While another expansion might not be in the works for <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/City-of-Heroes/">City of Heroes</a></em> in the near future, fans can take a look at the full letter on the site and rest easy -- it promises to be a very interesting year.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/producers-letter-for-city-of-heroes-hints-at-the-future-and-pro/">Producer's letter for City of Heroes hints at the future and promises big improvements</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/producers-letter-for-city-of-heroes-hints-at-the-future-and-pro/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19793653/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/producers-letter-for-city-of-heroes-hints-at-the-future-and-pro/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>city-of-heroes</category><category>city-of-villains</category><category>coh</category><category>cov</category><category>cox</category><category>double-xp</category><category>double-xp-weekend</category><category>in-game-event</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>news</category><category>paragon</category><category>paragon-studios</category><category>pax</category><category>pax-east</category><category>pax-east-2011</category><category>praetoria</category><category>producer</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>upcoming-events</category><category>upcoming-patches</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Age of Conan producer's letter talks new content, possible movie tie-in]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/age-of-conan-producers-letter-talks-new-content-possible-movie/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/age-of-conan-producers-letter-talks-new-content-possible-movie/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/age-of-conan-producers-letter-talks-new-content-possible-movie/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan/" rel="tag">Age of Conan</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?p=2899761"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/aoctigergallop.jpg" /></a></div>
It's the end of the month, and if you're following <a href="http://ageofconan.com"><em>Age of Conan</em></a>, you know it's time for the traditional letter from the game director. <a href="http://funcom.com">Funcom's</a> Craig "<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/silirrion">Silirrion</a>" Morrison obliges us with a lengthy look back at 2010's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/age-of-conan"><em>AoC</em></a> milestones as well as a <a href="http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?p=2899761">glimpse</a> of what's coming in 2011.<br />
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In addition to continual content rollouts and tweaks of the current 2.1 build (which is set to include two new Pai-Kang 6-man instances, new tier four Jade Citadel raids, a solo daily instance, and two new auto content generation dungeons), Morrison hints at a possible tie-in with the forthcoming <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian_%282011_film%29">Conan motion picture</a>. "<em>Some of the things [on tap for 2011] might just relate to the return of the great barbarian to the silver screen later this year in the form of the new Conan movie. That is something we are very excited about, and means there is great potential over the coming year, with a lot of renewed interest in everything Hyborian</em>," he writes.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/age-of-conan-producers-letter-talks-new-content-possible-movie/">Age of Conan producer's letter talks new content, possible movie tie-in</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/age-of-conan-producers-letter-talks-new-content-possible-movie/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19779071/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/age-of-conan-producers-letter-talks-new-content-possible-movie/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2.1</category><category>6-man-dungeons</category><category>age-of-conan</category><category>aoc</category><category>conan</category><category>conan-film</category><category>conan-movie</category><category>craig-morrison</category><category>funcom</category><category>game-director</category><category>game-director-letter</category><category>instances</category><category>new-content</category><category>patch</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>raids</category><category>silirrion</category><category>update</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aion producer letter talks account security, transfers]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/aion-producer-letter-talks-account-security-transfers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/aion-producer-letter-talks-account-security-transfers/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/aion-producer-letter-talks-account-security-transfers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion/" rel="tag">Aion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://na.aiononline.com/board/notices/view?articleID=439&amp;page="><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/11/aionpets.jpg" /><br />
</a></div>
<a href="http://www.aiononline.com">Aion's</a> been getting a decent amount of press this fall, first for September's <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/assault-on-balaurea">Assault on Balaurea</a> expansion and lately due to the uproar surrounding the 2.1 patch. Among other things, 2.1 substantially increased the game's loot drop rates, leading to huzzahs on one side of the aisle and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/wings-over-atreia-easy-button/">raised eyebrows</a> on the other.<br />
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Not to be outdone, <a href="http://www.ncsoft.com">NCsoft</a> producer <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/chris-hager">Chris Hager</a> recently posted an open letter on the official <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/aion"><em>Aion</em></a> website, summarizing both the aforementioned changes and hinting at a few things to come for the world of Atreia. Hager gives a heads up regarding the final day for the free character transfers that have been ongoing since the summer. January 5th is last call, so make sure you've got your Elyos or Asmo where you want him. <br />
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Hager also mentions the fact that <a href="http://www.massively.com/tag/ncsoft">NCsoft</a> is taking steps to increase account security, an issue that has plagued <em>Aion</em> since its launch in 2009. "<em>We are stepping up our efforts and introducing a new secondary PIN system to </em>Aion<em> that will provide an additional layer of security to our players. This service will go live on December 1, 2010, and we will post a full FAQ in the coming days explaining exactly how it will work</em>," he writes.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/aion-producer-letter-talks-account-security-transfers/">Aion producer letter talks account security, transfers</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/aion-producer-letter-talks-account-security-transfers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19731152/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/aion-producer-letter-talks-account-security-transfers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2.1</category><category>account-security</category><category>aion</category><category>aion-the-tower-of-eternity</category><category>aion-tower-of-eternity</category><category>assault-on-balaurea</category><category>character-transfers</category><category>chris-hager</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>ncsoft-west</category><category>open-letter</category><category>producer-letter</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[More RvR pack details in the newest Warhammer Online producer's letter]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/more-rvr-pack-details-in-the-newest-warhammer-online-producers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/more-rvr-pack-details-in-the-newest-warhammer-online-producers/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/more-rvr-pack-details-in-the-newest-warhammer-online-producers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online/" rel="tag">Warhammer Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/races/" rel="tag">Races</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/09/war-producerletter-epl-901.jpg" /></a></div>
The beginning of a new month is upon us, and that means we're due for <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1260">another producer's letter</a> for <a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><em>Warhammer Online</em></a>. This letter is coming on the heels of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/warhammer-onlines-rvr-pack-announced/">the major announcement of the RvR pack</a>, so it was inevitable that the letter would have a veritable buffet of information for players, and it doesn't disappoint. As the letter explains, the addition of the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/RvR/">RvR</a> packs is the capstone on the design work that's been done over the past several months, focusing on the battles of RvR and trimming away the extraneous elements. <br />
<br />
Naturally, there's more information on the role of the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Skaven/">Skaven</a>, who will be playable by either realm rather than simply being an NPC faction. There's also more talk about the increase in the RR cap, with the goal being a closer approximation of <a href="http://www.darkageofcamelot.com/"><em>Dark Age of Camelot</em></a>'s similar system. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Carrie-Gouskos/">Carrie Gouskos</a> also re-emphasizes that the game isn't going free-to-play at the moment and the team has no plans to change that. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Warhammer-Online/"><em>Warhammer Online</em></a> fans should be very happy about <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1260">the newest letter</a> -- it promises many good things for the game in the near future.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/more-rvr-pack-details-in-the-newest-warhammer-online-producers/">More RvR pack details in the newest Warhammer Online producer's letter</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1260>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/more-rvr-pack-details-in-the-newest-warhammer-online-producers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19617278/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/more-rvr-pack-details-in-the-newest-warhammer-online-producers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bioware-mythic</category><category>carrie-gouskos</category><category>daoc</category><category>dark-age-of-camelot</category><category>ea-games</category><category>ea-mythic</category><category>ea-warhammer</category><category>ea-warhammer-online</category><category>electronic-arts</category><category>expansion</category><category>expansions</category><category>mythic</category><category>mythic-ea</category><category>mythic-entertainment</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>rvr</category><category>rvr-pack</category><category>skaven</category><category>war</category><category>war-ea</category><category>warhammer</category><category>warhammer-ea</category><category>warhammer-online</category><category>warhammer-online-ea</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wizard101 offers sharks - and a letter from the producer, too]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/wizard101-offers-sharks-and-a-letter-from-the-producer-too/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/wizard101-offers-sharks-and-a-letter-from-the-producer-too/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/wizard101-offers-sharks-and-a-letter-from-the-producer-too/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/kids/" rel="tag">Kids</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/wizard101/" rel="tag">Wizard101</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/08/w101-landshark-epl-805.jpg" /></div>
If you've somehow missed the flurry of shark-love that's been taking place on Massively <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/you-can-have-a-shark-as-a-pet-arenanet-unveils-the-guild-wars-2/">over the past few weeks</a>, let's reiterate: <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/shark/">sharks</a></em>. Even <a href="https://www.wizard101.com"><em>Wizard101</em></a> seems to be knee-deep in sharks, judging by the picture accompanying the newest producer's letter, which hints at a possible shark mount in the upcoming Celestia. Oh, wait, that's right -- there was <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/producerletter/2010August">a producer's letter</a>. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Leah-Ruben/">Leah Ruben</a>, who has recently taken the title of full producer for the game, penned a letter to let fans know how the game is progressing, what to expect in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Celestia/">Celestia</a>, and of course, to include art of sharks.<br />
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Although Ruben doesn't explicitly state that the shark mounts will be available, the prominent artwork certainly suggests that the underwater area will be well-served via aquatic mounts, as well as a wide variety of new tricks and spells for players in Celestia's added ten levels. She does discuss some of the new features, promising that the areas in Celestia will be larger than prior doses of content for the game, as well as talking about some of her roles within the game's development structure. <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Wizard101/">Wizard101</a></em> fans will want to <a href="https://www.wizard101.com/game/producerletter/2010August">take a look at the letter</a>, as it bodes well for the game's future. Also, we must reiterate: sharks.  (We'll make sure to ask about sharks during our upcoming interview with the team at GenCon.)<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/wizard101-offers-sharks-and-a-letter-from-the-producer-too/">Wizard101 offers sharks - and a letter from the producer, too</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=https://www.wizard101.com/game/producerletter/2010August>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/wizard101-offers-sharks-and-a-letter-from-the-producer-too/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19582213/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/wizard101-offers-sharks-and-a-letter-from-the-producer-too/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>celestia</category><category>kingsisle</category><category>kingsisle-entertainment</category><category>landshark</category><category>leah-ruben</category><category>level-cap</category><category>level-cap-increase</category><category>mounts</category><category>producer</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>shark</category><category>shark-mount</category><category>shark-pet</category><category>upcoming-patches</category><category>w101</category><category>wizard101</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cosmetic armor and more promised in Warhammer Online's May producer letter]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/cosmetic-armor-and-more-promised-in-warhammer-onlines-may-produ/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/cosmetic-armor-and-more-promised-in-warhammer-onlines-may-produ/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/cosmetic-armor-and-more-promised-in-warhammer-onlines-may-produ/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online/" rel="tag">Warhammer Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/06/war-mayproducer-epl-601.jpg" /></a></div>
The recent release of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/war-patch-1.3.5/">patch 1.3.5</a> has brought with it the complete death of <a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><em>Warhammer Online</em></a>, if you equate a more active city siege environment with "complete death." Even though it came late in the month, it's certainly a major point of discussion for executive producer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Carrie-Gouskos/">Carrie Gouskos</a>, and it's addressed in the <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1109">most recent producer letter for May</a>. But that's the least of what needs to be discussed, and the talk starts with a reversal of the prior announcement that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/war-patch-1.3.6/">1.3.6</a> would allow players to create characters of both realms on the same server. Fan reaction was negative enough to change the decision.<br />
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Moving along, the producer letter promises the introduction of armor appearance separate from armor stats, similar to how <a href="http://www.lotro.com"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> allows players to wear a purely cosmetic set. There's also the promise of major updates to the Runepriest and Zealot careers, to make both of them more active and engaging to play in either healing or damage. Fans of <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Warhammer-Online/">Warhammer Online</a></em> should take a look at <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1109">the full producer's letter</a> to see more discussion about what's coming around the bend for the game.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/cosmetic-armor-and-more-promised-in-warhammer-onlines-may-produ/">Cosmetic armor and more promised in Warhammer Online's May producer letter</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1109>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/cosmetic-armor-and-more-promised-in-warhammer-onlines-may-produ/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19499501/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/cosmetic-armor-and-more-promised-in-warhammer-onlines-may-produ/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>carrie-gouskos</category><category>class-balance</category><category>classes</category><category>ea-games</category><category>ea-mythic</category><category>ea-warhammer</category><category>ea-warhammer-online</category><category>electronic-arts</category><category>future-updates</category><category>letter</category><category>mythic</category><category>mythic-ea</category><category>mythic-entertainment</category><category>patches</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>war</category><category>war-ea</category><category>war-patch-1.3.5</category><category>war-patch-1.3.6</category><category>warhammer</category><category>warhammer-ea</category><category>warhammer-online</category><category>warhammer-online-ea</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Alganon producer letter looks forward and asks for patience]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/new-alganon-producer-letter-looks-forward-and-asks-for-patience/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/new-alganon-producer-letter-looks-forward-and-asks-for-patience/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/new-alganon-producer-letter-looks-forward-and-asks-for-patience/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/alganon/" rel="tag">Alganon</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alganon.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2010/01/alganon-producerletter-epl-102.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alganon.com"><em>Alganon</em></a> may have launched a little early to implement all of its promised features, which is never a good thing for a game in a competitive market.  A month out from launch, it's still working on playing the catch-up game and getting itself to where the developers want it to be.  However, that doesn't mean the game is already dying -- truth be told, as the <a href="http://www.alganon.com/news-detail/id/324">latest producer letter</a> from <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/David-Allen/">David Allen</a> states, they're looking to the future.  There are many things planned for the game, starting with plans for the game's first large content update, "The Dawning."<br />
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While details on exactly what content will be added with the update are sparse, it promises to add new instances as well as expanded lore options for players to gain a deeper understanding of the world.  The team also plans to expand the tutorial and introductory areas, as well as details on the upcoming Library Scrying feature that allows players to cooperatively develop knowledge of the game world and receive credit for their accomplishments.  While the game can be a bit rough around the edges at the present, <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Alganon/">Alganon</a></em> has a dedicated team working hard to make it the best it can be, and <a href="http://www.alganon.com/news-detail/id/324">the letter's promises</a> for the future certainly sound appealing.</div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/new-alganon-producer-letter-looks-forward-and-asks-for-patience/">New Alganon producer letter looks forward and asks for patience</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.alganon.com/news-detail/id/324>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/new-alganon-producer-letter-looks-forward-and-asks-for-patience/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19300473/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/new-alganon-producer-letter-looks-forward-and-asks-for-patience/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alganon</category><category>david-allen</category><category>launch</category><category>library-scrying</category><category>open-letter</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>the-dawning</category><category>updates</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New producer's letter for Warhammer Online]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/19/new-producers-letter-for-warhammer-online/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/19/new-producers-letter-for-warhammer-online/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/19/new-producers-letter-for-warhammer-online/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/warhammer-online/" rel="tag">Warhammer Online</a></p><a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/war-producerletter-epl-1218.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br />
As we approach the end of the year, which has been <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/rumor-80-more-layoffs-hit-mythic/">a pretty tumultuous one</a> for <a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com"><em>Warhammer Online</em></a>, it's not surprising to see a <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1006">new letter from the producer</a>. But this letter is also a letter from a new producer -- <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Bruce-Maclean/">Bruce Maclean</a>, who is apparently now taking on the duties as producer.  There's no word on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Jeff-Skalski/">Jeff Skalski</a> except that he is still "working hard" on the game.  But we may as well focus on the positives, as the letter itself doesn't speak about the problems the game has had, instead focusing on the improvements that have come into <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Warhammer-Online/">Warhammer Online</a></em> over the past year.<br />
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The <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/09/warhammer-online-drops-1-3-3-patch-to-live-servers/">patch 1.3.3</a> graphical improvements are cited as a notable improvement, as are the many updates the game has seen over the course of the year and the launch of the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/warhammer-online-now-with-100-more-mac-support/">Macintosh client</a> for the game.  There's also a brief discussion of what might be expected in the near future, which include useful weapons earned via RvR gameplay and a new scenario structure.  How far in the future isn't mentioned, but they're hinted to be close, which could be excellent news for a game that's seen its fair share of ups and downs.  As <a href="http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1006">the letter</a> says, however, now is the time to drink and relax and enjoy the game so far.  Good advice, that.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/19/new-producers-letter-for-warhammer-online/">New producer's letter for Warhammer Online</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=1006>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/19/new-producers-letter-for-warhammer-online/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19286784/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/19/new-producers-letter-for-warhammer-online/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bruce-maclean</category><category>coming-soon</category><category>jeff-skalski</category><category>macintosh</category><category>mythic</category><category>mythic-entertainment</category><category>patches</category><category>previews</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>state-of-the-game</category><category>updates</category><category>war</category><category>war-patch-1.3.3</category><category>warhammer-online</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Star Wars Galaxies producer says Hoth is coming next month!]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/star-wars-galaxies-producer-says-hoth-is-coming/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/star-wars-galaxies-producer-says-hoth-is-coming/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/star-wars-galaxies-producer-says-hoth-is-coming/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies/" rel="tag">Star Wars Galaxies</a></p><center><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/09/swgserverpopheader.jpg" alt="" /></a></center>In an open letter to the players of <em><a href="http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/players/">Star Wars Galaxies</a></em>, producer for the title Christopher "Dotanuki" Field gave fans a heads up on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?&amp;topic_id=740282">what's coming down the pipe in the next six months or so</a>. He lays out a timeline for upcoming patches, revealing that the Halloween event called "The Galactic Moon Festival" as well as <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/search/?q=The%20Battle%20of%20Echo%20Base">The Battle of Echo Base</a> will be released sometime next month! There will be a new Life Day event, along with the first expansion to the <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/champions-of-the-force">Champions of the Force</a></em> game, sometime during the winter months. Beyond that, the next professions to see updates and patches will be Politicians and Spies, followed by Domestics/Structural Traders.<br /><br />He also notes that they are moving ahead full-force on a plan to deal with the game's many servers with relatively low populations. <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/star-wars-galaxies">SWG</a></em> players have been long asking for a solution in the form of server merges; <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/an-interview-with-star-wars-galaxies-producer-the-recent-past/">as we've discussed before</a>, the unique topography of the game's cities and planets makes that difficult. Field states in his letter that <em>"We met with Marketing yesterday to discuss the timeframe of the program as well as the announcement timeframe. All the details are being finalized now. DevH is still hard at work on his tasks."</em> He has no further specifics to offer, but notes that their interactions with marketing mean an announcement will be coming sooner rather than later.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/star-wars-galaxies-producer-says-hoth-is-coming/">Star Wars Galaxies producer says Hoth is coming next month!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?&amp;topic_id=740282>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/star-wars-galaxies-producer-says-hoth-is-coming/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1305523/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/star-wars-galaxies-producer-says-hoth-is-coming/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>hoth</category><category>lucasarts</category><category>producer-letter</category><category>server-populations</category><category>soe</category><category>sony-online-entertainment</category><category>star-wars-galaxies</category><category>swg</category><category>swg-chapter-11</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Zenke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
