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[Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/enter-at-your-own-rift-are-rifts-in-danger-of-collapsing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/enter-at-your-own-rift-are-rifts-in-danger-of-collapsing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/enter-at-your-own-rift-are-rifts-in-danger-of-collapsing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Like many of you, I've been exploring RIFT's Waves of Madness event over the past couple of weeks -- and enjoying it, too. You can really see how Trion Worlds has taken some of the lessons learned from River of Souls and improved its second world event. There just seems like more to do, much more in terms of atmosphere (I love the dripping ceilings in Sanctum), I'm not feeling as rushed, and the event story is coming through loud and clear.

One of the interesting things I've noticed is that the event's daily quests have subtly shifted our focus from single-player activities to group ones. In phase one, it was all about boring solo quests: find hidden invaders, collect eggs, defeat a few underwater baddies. But just when we started to get used to (and bored from) the routine, the successive phases have moved us toward the game's dynamic content. Namely, rifts, rifts and more rifts.

I think this is brilliant, because we're now given a solid reason why we should participate in rifts above the mere rewards. I've been worried that Trion's letting its focus on dynamic content slip as it's been rushing to get other game features and endgame raids out the door, and RIFT without people playing rifts would be sadly ironic.

Today we're going to look at just how much RIFT depends on its titular feature, and what Trion should be doing to ensure that it doesn't become another nice yet abandoned idea.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dynamic-contentsdynamic-eventdynamic-eventseventfeaturedguild-wars-2gw2invasioninvasionspublic-questpublic-questingpublic-questing-2.0public-questspublic-quests-2.0riftrift-planes-of-telarariftsriver-of-soulssanctumtelaratriontrion-worldsultima-onlineuowaves-of-madnessworld-eventWed, 13 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: What I hate about public quests]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/the-tattered-notebook-what-i-hate-about-public-quests/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/the-tattered-notebook-what-i-hate-about-public-quests/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/the-tattered-notebook-what-i-hate-about-public-quests/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As I was working on getting back into the swing of things in EverQuest II after the prolonged downtime, I had a moment of anger as I was waiting to start a public quest. For those not familiar, EQII's public quests are similar to those in other games, but there are only two, and they run at rather lengthy, and predictable, timers. So I flew over to Storm Gorge first, only to arrive seconds too late and miss out on the chest. I flew back to the Ring War, only to find that I had 40 more minutes before kick off and the only other person there was an Ogre Shadow Knight standing AFK with the angry mood emote. (Why on earth anyone finds that animation cool is beyond me.)

"No problem," I thought, "I'll just use the time to peruse my bags and find my Frost Giant illusion that goes so well with the event." I tapped on my "B" key, and then something horrible happened...

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: What I hate about public quests

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: What I hate about public quests originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eq-2eq-iieq2eq2xeqiieverquest-2everquest-2-extendedeverquest-iifeaturedinventoryinventory-managementkael-drakkelpublic-queststorm-gorgetattered-notebookMon, 23 May 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XI walks the Walk of Echoes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/final-fantasy-xi-walks-the-walk-of-echoes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/final-fantasy-xi-walks-the-walk-of-echoes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/final-fantasy-xi-walks-the-walk-of-echoes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Amidst all the changes coming with the June version update for Final Fantasy XI, players will finally be able to explore some of the Walk of Echoes. One of the most iconic and surreal parts of the Wings of the Goddess expansion, this region has only been visited in cutscenes up until now. This would be welcome in and of itself, but the implementation of the area is unique, a mixture of special battlefields and the Campaign battles. To start, players must be at least level 70 and have progressed to the "Cait Sith" mission in Wings of the Goddess. A moogle takes on the role of your transport to the timeless region, wherein adventurers will find several portals to battlefields.

Once within a battlefield, players will be subject to a time limit to face off against several enemies, with no limitations on new players entering the battlefield and engaging the monsters. The loot system is poised to work similarly to Warhammer Online's Public Quests, with all participants having a shot at rewards and the highest contributors getting bonuses. Final Fantasy XI players only have a couple days left before they can take part in the new content, but there's still time to familiarize yourself with this strange new region.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XI walks the Walk of Echoes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefieldsexpansionsffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xijune-version-updatenew-areanew-systemspatchespublic-questpublic-questssquaresquare-enixwings-of-the-goddesswotgTue, 15 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


You've heard us talk about it, you've heard us discuss it, and it's now time for us to tell you exactly what it's all about. Land of the Dead is not your father's MMO dungeon -- it's a dungeon that is something more than just a dungeon. It's an entire zone filled with activities and sub-dungeons, all culminating in an epic instanced dungeon that features a face off with the first leader of the Tomb Kings himself, King Amenemhetum. (Try saying that five times fast. Heck, try saying that one time fast. Not even Gabe Amatangelo, one of the chief designers, can say that name properly. He got close to it though during his Games Day presentation.)

So how do you get down to test wits with the Tomb Kings? What public quests and objectives are scattered throughout the zone? What changes and improvements are coming with this addition to the game? Read on warriors, and find out!

Continue reading Games Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead

MassivelyGames Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgfeaturedgames-daygames-day-2009glyphsjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentnecropolispublic-questpurgerealm-vs-realmrvrsigilstomb-of-the-vulture-lordwardswarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What are you going to do in Land of the Dead?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/the-daily-grind-what-are-you-going-to-do-in-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/the-daily-grind-what-are-you-going-to-do-in-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/the-daily-grind-what-are-you-going-to-do-in-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We have a bunch of Warhammer Online coverage lined up for you this week, with everything from exclusive interviews with some of the staff of Mythic Entertainment to a complete overview of the new Land of the Dead zone that will be heading to WAR subscribers everywhere thanks to a free game update. With all of this new information comes more hype, so we want to know exactly what you're feeling about the new dungeon coming out.

Are you excited about the release of the spiritual successor dungeon to Dark Age of Camelot's Darkness Falls? Are you going to be jumping in to the new RvR zone with glee? Are you interested in the slew of new PQs that will be in the Necropolis, or are you looking forward to that new instanced dungeon? Or, maybe it's the tweaks to tier 4 that's getting you all excited?

Whatever it is, we want to know about it. Throw your comments in here and let us know!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What are you going to do in Land of the Dead? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armscommentdaocdark-age-of-camelotland-of-the-deadlive-eventmythicmythic-entertainmentopinionpublic-questrvrthe-daily-grindwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Runes of Magic takes up the warhammer with their version of public quests]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/30/runes-of-magic-takes-up-the-warhammer-with-their-version-of-publ/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/30/runes-of-magic-takes-up-the-warhammer-with-their-version-of-publ/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/30/runes-of-magic-takes-up-the-warhammer-with-their-version-of-publ/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


When dealing with a game that's already known for incorporating the best features of many different MMOs into its core design, it was only a matter of time until some aspect of Warhammer Online showed up inside of Runes of Magic. And now, that piece of design has revealed itself -- public quests in the form of new "public encounters."

Runes of Magic has announced their first encounter, "Attack on Segarth Outpost," as a battle between the defenders of Segarth Outpost and the wolves of the forest. The setup for the encounter is a classic public quest setup featuring 3 waves of wolf attackers that concludes with the appearance of Axis, the wolf king. If players should be successful in destroying Axis, he will leave behind a treasure box filled with all sorts of goodies for players to collect.

This is only the first of the public encounters, and Runewaker Entertainment's Tony Tang has hinted at more coming in the future, possibly even involving the Demon Lord himself!

MassivelyRunes of Magic takes up the warhammer with their version of public quests originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attack-on-segarth-outpostaxisdemon-lordfrogster-americafrogster-interactivepublic-encounterpublic-questromrunes-of-magicwarhammer-onlinewolvesThu, 30 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IGN and Gamespy preview WAR's Elven starting areas]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/ign-and-gamespy-preview-wars-elven-starting-areas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/ign-and-gamespy-preview-wars-elven-starting-areas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/ign-and-gamespy-preview-wars-elven-starting-areas/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Partners-in-crime IGN and Gamespy recently visited Mythic to get some hands-on time with a couple of the starting areas in Warhammer Online. IGN ended up with the High Elves, taking Swordmaster as their class, and Gamespy chose the Dark Elves and picked Sorceress.

One of the things that Gamespy commented on was the close proximity of the High Elf and Dark Elf starting areas to each other. They also noted that some of the newbie quests deliberately brought the two races together, within striking distance, giving players the choice to either scowl menacingly, or jump straight into PvP. There was unfortunately no mention of a meet-up and subsequent rumble with their noble High Elven counterparts though. Both teams ended their playtime by participating in a public quest, and you can read all about it from either IGN's or Gamespy's perspective.

MassivelyIGN and Gamespy preview WAR's Elven starting areas originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-reckoningdark-elfgamespyhigh-elfignmythicpqpublic-questpublic-questssorceressswordmasterwarWed, 19 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How PvE and Warhammer Online get along]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/26/how-pve-and-warhammer-online-get-along/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/26/how-pve-and-warhammer-online-get-along/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/26/how-pve-and-warhammer-online-get-along/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There's a preview/interview over at CVG concerning Warhammer Online. Now, the preview itself is a bit gushing, but then again we can't blame anyone for feeling excited about what EA Mythic is trying to do with WAR. Specifically, what the preview covers is how EA Mythic plans to coerce players who are typically PvE-only into giving PvP and even RvR (or Realm vs Realm, Mythic's own brand of PvP) a chance.

It all really comes down to quests, but Public Quests (PQs) specifically and how they function. While leveling along in any given zone, there are several public quests that are related to regular quests in the surrounding area. The concept is to create plenty of social ties over the course of a player's 40 levels which will end up with players forming more groups and even more guilds. Those groups and guilds will be able to affect the RvR landscape more than anything else and thus you have your endgame experience. It's a pretty simple sounding concept, but we're fairly certain that it's a lot more complicated than it looks -- or hopefully than it feels when we all get to finally play Warhammer Online.

[via MMOWatch]

MassivelyHow PvE and Warhammer Online get along originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaea-mythicelectronic-artspublic-questrealm-vs-realmrvrwarwarhammer-onlineSat, 26 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST