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[The Daily Grind: How important is uniqueness to you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/the-daily-grind-how-important-is-uniqueness-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/the-daily-grind-how-important-is-uniqueness-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/the-daily-grind-how-important-is-uniqueness-to-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When it comes to clinging to one's uniqueness, I'm reminded of that classic line from Monty Python's Life of Brian in which huge crowd shouts in unison "We are all different!" and a tiny voice follows that up with "I'm not... ."

The truth is that while we as people are unique, there are more similarities between us than we'd often like to admit. This is even more true when you get into MMOs, where character creation options are usually limited to a handful of races, classes and faces, and where everyone is a hero just like you doing all the same quests and activities and world-saving.

Because of this, there's a tendency to rebel and forge a unique voice in the crowd, even if it's just a different look, a bizarre name, an odd personality or a piece of loot that's so extraordinarily rare that you're most likely the only one possessing it. We want to be known and remembered for something other than "being the same as everyone else," a feeling that manifests itself in a variety of ways.

So how important is in-game uniqueness to you -- and how do you go about demonstrating it?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How important is uniqueness to you? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-sheepcharacter-customizationclasseslife-of-brianmonty-pythonracesrareraritysheeptdgthe-daily-grinduniqueuniquenessTue, 18 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[All you ever wanted to know about Rift's gear and were not afraid to ask]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/10/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-rifts-gear-and-were-not-afrai/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/10/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-rifts-gear-and-were-not-afrai/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/10/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-rifts-gear-and-were-not-afrai/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

While some players may possess the tact not to come right out and say it to a dev's face, when an upcoming MMO is being discussed there's always the inner voice shouting, "What about my loots? Is the gear pimpin' or what?"

Forget zones and races and dynamic events -- today at Ten Ton Hammer, the crowd finally got the Rift: Planes of Telara dev team to open up about the outfits that constitute a bulk of the rewards of the game. In this reader Q&A, Game System Designer Drew Clowery tackled numerous questions about Rift's gear. Rift will launch with 48 armor set models -- each boasting a number of variants and texture options -- but will not initially offer armor set bonuses.

Veteran MMO gamers will feel at home with Rift's armor system, which is restricted by class (warriors will be able to wear heavier armor than rogues, for example) and can be bound on pickup or equip. Loot comes in one of four levels of rarity -- common, uncommon, rare and epic -- based on its utility and difficulty to attain. Crafted gear will be competitive (and apparently customizable) to dropped gear. And finally, Rift will not launch with an appearance system that replaces the look of worn gear with cosmetic items.

Clowery feels that the team has struck a good balance between loot being useful and being a barrier: "Loot is an important part of our game, and so it has to have an important impact upon the characters. That said, it's not completely overwhelming... We don't design encounters to be gear checks. We design them to see if you can get together and do this."

MassivelyAll you ever wanted to know about Rift's gear and were not afraid to ask originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appearancearmorarmor-setarmor-set-bonusescosmeticcrafted-geardrew-cloweryepicgeargear-gear-never-changeslootoutfitq-and-ararerarityriftrift-planes-of-telaraTen-Ton-Hammertriontrion-worldstthWed, 10 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Masthead Studios explains crafting and mass production in Earthrise]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/masthead-studios-explains-crafting-and-mass-production-in-earthr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/masthead-studios-explains-crafting-and-mass-production-in-earthr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/masthead-studios-explains-crafting-and-mass-production-in-earthr/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Earthrise is an upcoming sandbox MMO that will have strong emphasis on guild-vs.-guild conflicts and PvP. The game will also have a deep crafting system, something that may interest players looking for more than PvP in a sci-fi MMO. Earthrise developer Masthead Studios has stated in the past that it'll be possible for players to craft unique, customized items and perhaps even establish a reputation for producing certain wares. The latest Question of the Week answered by the Earthrise developers sheds a little more light on how crafting and mass production will work in the game. Specifically, Masthead Studios explains how mass production will apply to some of the game's rarest craftable items.

Moll, Earthrise's Community Manager, explains how a blueprinting process creates Designs which are used by crafters; these are essentially templates combined with ingredients/materials to create items. Each Design will have a finite property called Edge which gets burned off over time through the manufacturing process. The limited use of Design Edges mean that the game's rarest or most elite items can't be created in large production runs, in other words keeping them rare and elite in a game where mass production is possible.

Continue reading Masthead Studios explains crafting and mass production in Earthrise

MassivelyMasthead Studios explains crafting and mass production in Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blueprintingblueprintscommunity-managercraftingdesignsearthriseedgeelitegame-mechanicsmanufacturingmass-productionmasthead-studiosmollnew-titlesqotwraresandboxsci-fiWed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Future Xbox 360 games may award clothing for avatars as achievements]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/03/future-xbox-360-games-may-award-clothing-for-avatars-as-achievem/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/03/future-xbox-360-games-may-award-clothing-for-avatars-as-achievem/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/03/future-xbox-360-games-may-award-clothing-for-avatars-as-achievem/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Rare let it slip earlier today to news site VG247 that they were interested in making avatar clothing and accessories into part of the rewards scheme with achievements in their Xbox 360 games.

Up until this point, the 360 avatars have been dressed in their launch clothing, plus a few additions such as the winter fun pack of avatar coats and gloves. So the idea of being able to play a game on your console, unlock an achievement, and then get a wearable piece of avatar clothing to show off to your friends (especially if it's related to the game at hand) is a really nice touch.

Rare hasn't released any more details on who they're working with or what games this function would be available on, but it's a nice look into the future for what achievements may hold in online settings.

MassivelyFuture Xbox 360 games may award clothing for avatars as achievements originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>360-avatarsaccessoriesachievementsavatarsclothingdownloadable-contentrarexbox-livexbox360Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online alters loot drops in city dungeons]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/warhammer-online-alters-loot-drops-in-city-dungeons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/warhammer-online-alters-loot-drops-in-city-dungeons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/warhammer-online-alters-loot-drops-in-city-dungeons/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Bearers of some coveted armor and items found in Warhammer Online's dungeons may have found they lost a few bragging rights this week. WAR's Community Coordinator, James Nichols, recently let players know about some changes to city dungeons that increase the frequency of rare item drops. The dungeons impacted are: Bilerot Burrow, Bloodwought Enclave, Sigmar's Crypts, and Warpblade Tunnels.

New "Rare" and "Very Rare" items have been introduced into all of the city dungeons, but even general loot is now better distributed amongst lower-level monsters found throughout the dungeons. These increased amounts of (lower level) item drops that are less tied to main bosses provide greater rewards to those players unable to complete a given dungeon.

Continue reading Warhammer Online alters loot drops in city dungeons

MassivelyWarhammer Online alters loot drops in city dungeons originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-coordinatordungeonsitem-dropsitemizationjames-nicholslootrarevery-rarewarwarhammer-heraldwarhammer-onlineTue, 09 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/world-of-warcraft-meets-guitar-hero/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/world-of-warcraft-meets-guitar-hero/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/world-of-warcraft-meets-guitar-hero/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Our sister site WoW Insider has video footage of a new World of Warcraft drop that's an 'axe' in every sense of the word -- the Arcanite Ripper is a guitar as well as a weapon. In fact, WoW Insider's dubbed it "The WoW Guitar Hero."

The drop comes from the boss Tenris Mirkblood in Karazhan. Once equipped, the Arcanite Ripper can transform you into a skeletal rockstar. Check out the video of the Arcanite Ripper in action below the cut, as WoW-player Telanis rocks out with it in Ironforge.
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Continue reading World of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcanite-ripperaxeblizzarddropequipmentfantasygearguitar-herohumorironforgekarazhanlootraretenris-mirkbloodvideovideosvirtual-itemworld-of-warcraftwowwow-insideryoutubeMon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Read the patch notes for AC's November update]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/read-the-patch-notes-for-acs-november-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/read-the-patch-notes-for-acs-november-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/read-the-patch-notes-for-acs-november-update/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The patch notes for Asheron's Call's November update were recently published by Turbine. Most of the changes are bug fixes and tweaks, but a couple of things are worthy of note.

Rare item drops have been increased world-wide, new items have been added to "the various special vendors across Dereth," and some more masks have been put into the game. The patch notes also cryptically say that "there appears to be some sort of plague affecting the Carenzi of Marae Lassel." Presumably Turbine wants us to figure out what's going on there for ourselves.

It's good to know that Asheron's Call is still getting some patch love on a regular basis; some older games aren't so lucky.

MassivelyRead the patch notes for AC's November update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acasherons-callcarenzidark-majestymarae-lasselnovemberpatchpatch-notesrareraresturbineupdateThu, 29 Nov 2007 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EQ2 Rise of Kunark tradeskilling: armor]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/eq2-rise-of-kunark-tradeskilling-armor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/eq2-rise-of-kunark-tradeskilling-armor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/eq2-rise-of-kunark-tradeskilling-armor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


We have one last link to share with you from EQ2 Traders Corner tonight. Previously, in their blitz on EQ2 Rise of Kunark tradeskill coverage, we featured their new harvested resources and furniture showcase pages. This final page has to do with pimping out your character's appearance (and undoubtedly stats, though we don't see that just yet) in the expansion, with a large gallery of the different kinds of crafted armor.

This gallery has front and back shots of males and females wearing what looks like every kind of new armor. As with the furniture catalogue, it contains items of both the common and rare variety. There is one set of chain armor that has been updated in-game and not yet on their page, but apart from that, you should be able to determine what your avatar will look like once you've been kitted out by your local crafter after RoK hits.

Have a browse of the armor shots, and stay tuned to Massively for more Rise of Kunark coverage both leading up to and after the anticipated release.

MassivelyEQ2 Rise of Kunark tradeskilling: armor originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorcommoncraftingeq2eqiieverquest-2rarerise-of-kunarkrokrok-betat8tier-8tradeskillMon, 12 Nov 2007 20:50:00 EST<![CDATA[EQ2 Rise of Kunark tradeskilling: furniture]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/eq2-rise-of-kunark-tradeskilling-furniture/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/eq2-rise-of-kunark-tradeskilling-furniture/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/eq2-rise-of-kunark-tradeskilling-furniture/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Earlier today we linked to EQ2 Traders Corner's article on harvested resources found in EverQuest II's upcoming Rise of Kunark expansion. This wasn't the only hard work that they did to document their creative journeys in Kunark, as we now bring you their tier 8 furniture showcase.

There are nearly 60 screenshots in this gallery of brand new crafted furniture, from the expected lighting, bed, table and bookshelf items, to other more unique things such as weighing scales and hourglasses. Some of the paintings that can be made look particularly nice, and will surely be a popular choice for those wanting to shake up the aesthetics of their housing.

If you're less concerned with what these items look like, and more with what they can actually do for you, the page also tells us that the common items will reduce rent status by 125, and the rare items by 1100. Have a window shop for things you'd like to buy in the expansion via the related story link, and there is more still to come from EQ2 Traders Corner later on.

MassivelyEQ2 Rise of Kunark tradeskilling: furniture originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commoncraftingeq2eqiieverquest-2furniturerarerent-status-reductionrokrok-betat8tier-8tradeskillMon, 12 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST