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[TERA producer's letter discusses new launcher, development progress]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/tera-producers-letter-discusses-new-launcher-development-progr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Screenshot -- TERA
A new holiday edition producer's letter has been published on the official TERA site, and in it Chris Hager 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 En Masse." He goes on to tell how, over the past year, the team has worked "directly and intimately with the Bluehole development team to... add features that appeal to western gamers."

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 TERA'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 TERA site.

MassivelyTERA producer's letter discusses new launcher, development progress originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphaalpha-testingblueholebluehole-studiochagerchris-hagerdevelopmenten-masseen-masse-entertainmentproducer-letterproducers-letterprogressterathe-exiled-realm-of-arboreaMon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/15/wasteland-diaries-exploring-the-citadel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/15/wasteland-diaries-exploring-the-citadel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/15/wasteland-diaries-exploring-the-citadel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Normally, I prefer to PvP in Fallen Earth. It gives me the biggest sense of accomplishment and it's a handy way to gain tons of faction rep. But, while I'm leveling up my PvP clones and getting used to the new combat system, I've been doing mostly PvE. I went to Alpha County and ran some missions, but I'll go into more detail on that later in this post. I also got a chance to check out the progress towns. I have to admit, they are fun, and rewarding too!

I actually had more fun messing around in the progress towns back in Deadfall than I did roaming around in Sector 4. Sure, I didn't do every mission in Alpha -- I probably didn't even do half of them. After a while, I decided to put my time to use in the progress towns. After the cut, I'll tell you why I left Sector 4 and came back to Deadfall.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alpha-countyblockadecitadelcombat-systemdeadfalldefense-tokensfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcgamersfirstjuniperpre-fall-techprogressprogress-townssector-4strongholdvolatile-chemicalsFri, 15 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A sneak peek at Fallen Earth's Progress Towns]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/a-sneak-peek-at-fallen-earths-progress-towns/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/a-sneak-peek-at-fallen-earths-progress-towns/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/a-sneak-peek-at-fallen-earths-progress-towns/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Coming soon to a public test server near Fallen Earth is one of the more exciting pieces of content the game has seen: Progress Towns! Icarus Studios wanted to take the concept of a player-built town and make it something truly special.

Progress Towns are the next iteration of Fallen Earth's attempt to include player housing, which started with patch 1.2's camps. With the this new system, players will be able to build up their own towns from the ruins of old ones. Three such towns will be in place for testing: Progress in Sector 2, Stronghold in Sector 3, and Citadel in Deadfall.

Before players can move in and start performing stunning makeovers, they'll have to fight enemy mobs who've declared squatter's rights. Once the battle is won, the area becomes player-controlled and can be improved upon by using the construction skillset. Progress Towns can be built up to house many useful features, such as merchants, mailboxes, and defensive structures. Once enough construction takes place, special merchants will appear and offer unique crafting components in exchange for a new form of currency.

Don't get too comfortable, however. These towns will always be under the threat of enemy raiders looking to take back what once was theirs! This slice of player-generated content will appear on the test servers next week, but you can get a sneak peek at Progress Towns in the gallery below right now!

Gallery: Fallen Earth

MassivelyA sneak peek at Fallen Earth's Progress Towns originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>campscitadelconstructiondeadfallfallen-earthfegalleryicarusicarus-studiospatch-1.2player-campsplayer-generated-contentplayer-housingpreviewprogressprogress-townspveraiderssneak-peekstrongholdThu, 28 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/12/the-mog-log-the-trial-of-chains-of-promathia-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/12/the-mog-log-the-trial-of-chains-of-promathia-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/12/the-mog-log-the-trial-of-chains-of-promathia-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's just as well that there haven't been any huge revelations of late regarding Final Fantasy XIV (aside from the lovely new character creation video), because we're knee-deep in the trial of the second Final Fantasy XI expansion and we've got no room for anything else. After last week's examination, which included excellent discussion and some really interesting viewpoints from the community (seriously, guys, pat yourselves on the back), we're going to dive back into the meat of the trial and try to determine the worth of Chains of Promathia via examining everything there is to examine. And that's a lot, I tell you.

Last time, we examined the use of level caps and the lack of new jobs in the expansion. The former looked awful at a glance, but upon closer examination had some notable positives. The latter was... well, it was just plain a keenly-felt omission. This week we're going to dive into what's considered by many to be the biggest part of the expansion -- something so overwhelming that its repercussions are felt to this day. No serious discussion of the expansion would be complete without this most celebrated element.

Continue reading The Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part 2

MassivelyThe Mog Log: The trial of Chains of Promathia, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Grind" is on the verge of becoming what "nerf" already is -- a word thrown around so frequently and with such broad possible meaning that it's essentially meaningless. After all, the word now gets used for any part of a game the player finds boring and repetitive, rather than the process of repeating something over and over. It's the latter meaning that Kill Ten Rats discusses with an intersting thesis -- we don't mind a grind so much as we mind one we can't advance without breaks.

Using the Guild Wars Wintersday redux as an example, the point is made that the holiday events are a straight-up grind -- but they're a constant one that you can pick up and start with no downtime, then stop whenever you want. Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft have both taken the same approach with Skirmishes and the Dungeon Finder, taking the slow march to being ready for an instance out of the equation.

It's an interesting idea, that what we really dislike aren't the grinds but being stuck unable to make much progress in them. If you tend to think that grinds are the worst thing in MMOs today, it might be an opportunity to re-examine that stance.

MassivelyHow consistency softens the grind originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>downtimedungeon-findergrindguild-warsgwkill-ten-ratslord-of-the-rings-onlnelotronerfprogressskirmishwintersdaywintersday-reduxworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player rewards versus character rewards]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/player-rewards-versus-character-rewards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/player-rewards-versus-character-rewards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/player-rewards-versus-character-rewards/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Rewards have, more often than not, been things that make your character better. You complete a quest and you get a new piece of equipment, or access to a new area, or even just a nice handful of experience toward the next level. But we've recently talked a bit about how leveling, and progression by extension, can get rather tedious. Spinksville also talked about this, discussing the differences between player rewards and character rewards, with the former being general rewards that stick with the player and aren't contingent upon or related to power level.

An excellent example is that of Klingons in Star Trek Online. The race has been a staple of the series ever since it began, and the Klingon Empire is one of the major political factions in the game... but it's not initially accessible to players. You have to complete a mission or reach Level 6 in order to unlock the option of playing a Klingon. Similarly, World of Warcraft gates its first hero class, the Death Knight, by requiring a level 55 character before one can be created.

Player rewards contribue less to a sense of avatar progress, but they also help keep the power level slightly lower, as well as providing benefits that you can take with you, so to speak. On the other hand, they're vulnerable to feeling less like rewards because they're unrelated to the character who obtained them. We've all been well-versed in the endgame grind for gear acquisition, however, so the post's call for more player rewards might be a welcome change for many of us.

MassivelyPlayer rewards versus character rewards originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementscharactercharacter-rewardsdeath-knightgrindklingonslevelingplayerplayer-rewardsprogressprogressionrewardsspinksvillestar-trek-onlinestounlockingworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 13 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The tyranny of skill training]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-tyranny-of-skill-training/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-tyranny-of-skill-training/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-tyranny-of-skill-training/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

One of the nicest features of EVE Online is the fact that skill progression doesn't go hand-in-hand with a monotonous grind. Rather, the game uses a time-based system of advancement. But this seemingly casual aspect of the game is a double-edged sword; in the earlier stages of skill training, a newer player needs to log in very frequently to switch up low level skills. Some EVE players set their alarms and drag themselves out of bed in the early morning hours to switch their skill training, so as not to lose hours of time where progression halts. PC gaming blog 'Life is a Mind Bending Puzzle' has a post about how EVE's system "creates significant pressure to log on and pop a new skill on every time one finishes." Logically, a new player would assume that it's possible to queue skill training in advance. That assumption, however, would be wrong.

Thus the early career of an EVE pilot is one of setting alarms, calendar reminders, and sticky notes... all to avoid that guilt over losing hours of advancement because of something trivial like sleep or a job. But as time goes on, skill training intervals lengthen at higher levels and thus require far less maintenance. Implementing a skill queue was one of the issues brought to CCP Games by the player-elected Council of Stellar Management (CSM), as it's one of the complaints most players have when getting to know the game. How do you feel about skill queues? Is it a necessary feature that CCP should implement, or should the developers be focusing on more pressing matters?

[Via]

MassivelyThe tyranny of skill training originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advancementcasualccpccp-gamesdevdevelopereveeve-onlinegame-mechanicsopinionprogressprogressionsci-fiskillskill-queueskill-trainingskillstoboldThu, 17 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST