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[Leaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/30/leaderboard-two-factions-vs-three-factions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/30/leaderboard-two-factions-vs-three-factions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/30/leaderboard-two-factions-vs-three-factions/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Leaderboard
Two vs. three: It should be a cut-and-dry affair. After all, three is always better than two? Maybe... but maybe not. When it comes to factions in MMOs, the line seems to be split between two and three, and I think a good case can be made for both.

Two factions is the majority approach for MMOs that have them, and it's easy to understand why. We can comprehend an "us vs. them" mentality in almost every walk of life. If you're not with us, you're against us -- that sort of thing. Two factions draws a line in the sand and requires little explanation for people to understand that one side is naturally better than the other.

Three factions, on the other hand, is a godsend for PvP in particular. By having a third faction, it's much less likely that one side can dominate the battlefield eternally, as the other two sides can team up to put an end to that nonsense. Three factions also offers more variety and arguably stronger factional identities.

So what say you? Two or three? Cast your vote after the jump!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions

MassivelyLeaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-royalfactionfactionsleaderboardone-on-oneone-vs-oneopinionpollpollspvprealmrealmsrvrsidesidesthree-factionsthree-sidestwo-factionstwo-sidesus-vs-themversusvotevotesvotingvsMon, 30 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GameSamba adding an offer wall]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/gamesamba-adding-an-offer-wall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/gamesamba-adding-an-offer-wall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/gamesamba-adding-an-offer-wall/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The last time we heard the term offer wall around these parts, it was in reference to a Turbine initiative that sparked an outpouring of fan anger centered on Dungeons and Dragons Online. The company ultimately did away with the plan due to concerns over Turbine's third-party partner (Super Rewards) as well as the general shadiness associated with trading a player's personal information.

Today, Realms Online publisher GameSamba has announced its own offer wall, this time in concert with Guppy Media and Peanut Labs. GameSamba's press release says that the new deal "complements [its] existing partnership with Super Rewards, which not only provides free offers but also allows access to over 100 global payment methods."

Super Rewards, Guppy Media, and Peanut Labs are advertising firms that pay GameSamba for leads, in effect exposing GameSamba customers to various third-party products that they might not otherwise be aware of via surveys, special offers, and the like. GameSamba, in turn, gives Sambas (the company's virtual currency) to those gamers who meet certain requirements relating to the third-party advertisers. You can learn more about the arrangement on the GameSamba forums.

MassivelyGameSamba adding an offer wall originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adsadvertisingf2pfree-to-playgame-sambagamesambaoffer-wallpersonal-informationplease-take-my-personal-informationrealmsrealms-onlinethird-party-advertisingthird-party-offersMon, 27 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/enter-at-your-own-rift-getting-a-head-start/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/enter-at-your-own-rift-getting-a-head-start/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/enter-at-your-own-rift-getting-a-head-start/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Dateline: Thursday, February 24th, 12:55 p.m. EST. After having rushed home from work (huzzah for a half-day), I was frantically putting the kids to bed for an afternoon nap and patching up my RIFT client. Twitter was abuzz with gamers sitting at the starting gate and revving their mice. It was here. After seven betas, it was here, and we would be the first in the door.

12:59 p.m. EST. Began checking the server status list, trying to will the dull grey names to light up as they signified activity.

1:00 p.m. EST. Scott Hartsman posts a short message on Twitter: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to RIFT."

Right on cue, the servers came up, and what felt like the entire population of Oregon tried to cram into the game all at once. By 1:01 p.m., when I logged in, my chosen server of Faeblight was already full and had 461 people in the queue. I was 462. It would be another 45 minutes until I was able to play the game proper.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Getting a head start originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abigalebasketballfeaturedfootballhead-startholy-graillars-buttlerlaunchpick-up-gamesrealmsriftrift-planes-of-telarascott-hartsmanserversshardssoccersocialsocial-experiencesocial-gamesocial-gamingtriontrion-worldsturtleturtle-mountturtle-powertwitterworld-of-warcraftWed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WAR's new Zone Domination system in development]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/18/wars-new-zone-domination-system-in-development/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/18/wars-new-zone-domination-system-in-development/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/18/wars-new-zone-domination-system-in-development/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Without a doubt one of the liveliest people we know of in the MMO industry, Paul Barnett, put out a YouTube video this week in celebration of his birthday, and brought Warhammer Online devs Jeff Hickman and Colin Shannon in for some updates on the game. Perhaps the most interesting thing revealed is WAR's new Zone Domination system which is currently in the works. It's intended to supplement Warhammer Online's realm-vs.-realm system by providing more compelling ways to capture zones. Hickman says, "If you can capture everything in a zone and hold it, claiming the Keeps and dominate that zone, then you have a very good chance of capturing the zone." Or, as Barnett summarizes, Zone Domination will give players more reasons for defending and holding objectives.

Colin Shannon also provides an update on the reduction of crashes in WAR, and there's (perhaps) a ray of hope mentioned at the end for having multiple items in the mail system. Check out the video embed below the cut for more on the state of the game, and what new features WAR players should be getting in a forthcoming patch.

Continue reading WAR's new Zone Domination system in development

MassivelyWAR's new Zone Domination system in development originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colin-shannonfantasygame-mechanicsjeff-hickmanmailmail-systempatchespaul-barnettrealmrealm-vs-realmrealmsrvrterritorial-controlvideovideoswarwarhammer-onlineyoutubezone-controlzone-dominationSun, 18 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WAR's latest Grab Bag explores Zone Control]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/08/wars-latest-grab-bag-explores-zone-control/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/08/wars-latest-grab-bag-explores-zone-control/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/08/wars-latest-grab-bag-explores-zone-control/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Aside from answering a variety of user questions and reporting on the latest tidbits of Warhammer Online news in the usual Grab Bag style, this week's regular feature focuses on the basics of Zone Control.

If you've ever made the mistake of assuming that your realm has captured a zone by controlling all Battlefield objectives and Keeps, you'd be wrong. That's exactly what this Grab Bag feature aims to do: help the players understand what exactly is involved in controlling your Zone. Check out the entire article for more on Zone control and the answers to a few important player questions.

MassivelyWAR's latest Grab Bag explores Zone Control originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>faqgrab-bagmythicrealmswarwarhammer-onlinezone-controlSat, 08 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Free character transfers announced for Warhammer Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/free-character-transfers-announced-for-warhammer-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/free-character-transfers-announced-for-warhammer-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/free-character-transfers-announced-for-warhammer-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Free character transfers were just announced for Warhammer Online, for characters on low population servers who'd like to move to high population servers. The service will be put into place in the coming days. The character transfers will be done in the Mythic Account Center, which will have a Character Transfer button, just below "Activate a Key" and "Validate your Email Address." In addition to Free Character Transfers, Mythic also announced Guild Transfers. This comes with its own set of caveats as the transfer cannot be reversed, with details to be listed on the Character Transfer page.

There's an added bonus for characters moved to higher pop servers -- a Realm Population Bonus of 20% experience and renown. The Warhammer Online Herald will update the playerbase once the Free Character Transfer service goes into effect. Until then, see the WAR Herald announcement, which lists further details on the transfers and lists the source and destination servers eligible for Character Transfers for North American and Oceanic regions.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyFree character transfers announced for Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcharacter-transfercharacter-transfersea-mythicfantasyfree-character-transferfree-character-transfersgame-mechanicshigh-populationlow-populationmmo-industrymythicmythic-entertainmentracesrealm-populationrealm-population-bonusrealmsserverswarwarhammer-onlineThu, 30 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Death Knight character creation FAQ preps players for Wrath]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/death-knight-character-creation-faq-preps-players-for-wrath-of-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/death-knight-character-creation-faq-preps-players-for-wrath-of-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/death-knight-character-creation-faq-preps-players-for-wrath-of-t/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Planning on creating a Death Knight when Wrath of the Lich King comes out next month? Blizzard posted a Death Knight creation FAQ at the EU World of Warcraft forums in an effort to reduce the number of question and answer threads popping up. It's short but sweet.

It's so short, in fact, that we can give you most of the info right here. You'll be able to create a Death Knight on any realm on which you already have an level 55 or higher character. Eventually, you'll be able to create one on a different server, but for now the only way to get a Death Knight to a totally new realm is to create it on your current realm and then do a paid transfer.

Don't worry -- there's good news too! If your level 55 is Horde, you'll be able to start up an Alliance Death Knight and vice versa, so long as you're not playing on a PvP realm. You're only allowed one Death Knight per realm though.

[Via WoW Insider]

MassivelyDeath Knight character creation FAQ preps players for Wrath originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-creationdeath-knightexpansionfaqfrequently-asked-questionsrealmrealmsserverserversworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingTue, 07 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST