Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Aion gives Pando Media Booster the boot [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/aion-gives-pando-media-booster-the-boot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/aion-gives-pando-media-booster-the-boot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/aion-gives-pando-media-booster-the-boot/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Pando Dragon Booster still works with the game, but it's not recommended.
If you've never heard of Pando Media Booster before, then you probably haven't downloaded one of several free-to-play games. It's meant to improve download speeds and speed in streaming clients, but in practical terms it's frequently cited as a resource hog that cripples performance on many computers. Aion was one of the many games that used the program following its transition to free-to-play, complete with the usual complaints, but as of now, the game can be played without the booster.

As of this afternoon, the game can be downloaded directly from the master NCsoft launcher without using any third-party workarounds. If you had already downloaded and installed the game, you can feel free to safely shut down and uninstall Pando Media Booster without any impact on your gameplay. Considering the horror stories that have periodically circled around the program, Aion players will likely be happy to learn it's no longer associated with the game.

[Update: NCsoft has contact us to clarify that the removal of Pando Media Booster from Aion is only temporary: "We temporarily removed Pando Media Booster so that we can test a variety of server-side adjustments regarding download completion rates and further refine the service we provide our players. We will bring Pando Media Booster back once we've optimized our service to provide the best download rates possible." Sorry for the confusion!]

MassivelyAion gives Pando Media Booster the boot [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionascensionf2pfantasyfree-to-playncsoftpando-media-boosterperformanceprogramstruly-freeTue, 17 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wayfaring through New Eden with EveMap]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/#commentsFiled under: ,

EVE Online has an active community of 3rd party developers who release free tools for the benefit of other players. While tools like EVEmon, used to plan skill training, and EVE Fitting Tool, used to experiment with ship fittings, are widely used by players, there are a number of other great programs out there that have gotten less attention. One of those out-of-game tools is EveMap, created by Paul van Santen -- otherwise known as "AcriQuo."

The galaxy of New Eden has over 5000 solar systems, and plotting safe routes or simply some optimal wayfaring can be a bit involved. When in-game, you can pull up an interactive map to help navigate, but it takes up the entire client window while active. Some players prefer to view their maps off-screen, and there are some 2D options available to help in this regard, but until recently, going 2D was the only option players had. That's all changed with EveMap, which is a fully-functional 3D map of the EVE universe, with myriad display options and filters. The beauty of the program is that it literally displays all of EVE's systems without being confined to the client. The system requirements to run it are minimal: Java Runtime Environment version 1.5 or higher, and an OpenGL-capable graphics card. EveMap has been well-received on the official EVE Online forums. If having another way to navigate in EVE sounds good to you, why not fire up EveMap and see how useful it can be?

MassivelyWayfaring through New Eden with EveMap originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesefteft-warrioreveeve-fitting-tooleve-onlineevemapevemonmapnew-edenprogramprogramstooltoolsSun, 03 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EST