Massively

Matt Miller reflects on eight years of City of Heroes, hands out free respecs

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Anniversary

Eight years is an eternity for an MMO, and Lead Designer Matt Miller is exceedingly proud that City of Heroes has flown the distance. "I love the community that City of Heroes has built, and watching it over eight years ebb and flow with new voices being added to replace departed ones, and those voices being welcomed with open arms instead of open hostility that they might find elsewhere," he writes in an anniversary address.

Miller reflects on a few of the highlights of the journey for him, from his getting hired on to the team in 2003 to the insanity of the head start to the beginning of a bug hunting tradition among the playerbase. He also uses this address to promote the near future of the game, including Issues 23 and 24.

As part of the anniversary celebration, Paragon Studios has handed out a free respec token to each character in the game (the tokens do not stack with other respec tokens, however). Don't miss out on our own Massively celebration of the milestone, as our own Eliot Lefebvre has shared his thoughts on what this anniversary means for the game.

Matt Miller reflects on eight years of City of Heroes, hands out free respecs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 beta questions: Answered!

Elisabeth Cardy — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Lore, Previews, Guild Wars 2, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Community Q&A

The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

Last week we asked for your Guild Wars 2 questions as we prepared to head into the beta weekend, and boy did you rise to the occasion! After sorting through all the questions, we made a list of the most interesting and frequently repeated ones to investigate. Have a question you don't see answered here? Tonight I'll be doing a live question-and-answer session on Massively's own livestream! Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EDT and ask away!

Continue reading Guild Wars 2 beta questions: Answered!

Guild Wars 2 beta questions: Answered! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Should MMOs offer respecs?

Brianna Royce — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

MMOs last for so long that you're almost guaranteed to get bored or make a mistake at some point during character development. Most games know this and allow you a do-over, be it through unlearning skills in sandboxes like Glitch and Ultima Online or respecing talent point choices in World of Warcraft. Lest your choices be trivialized, certain games insist on making respecs prohibitively expensive; City of Heroes and Champions Online even charge real money for respecs should you deplete your in-game allotment.

But other MMOs simply provide no outlet for a do-over at all, like Star Wars: The Old Republic, which currently locks you into your advanced class choice at level 10, long before you're really capable of making that kind of decision. While the devs are still debating respecs as a post-launch addition, a surprising number of players are vehemently opposed to the entire concept on the grounds that it makes character choices irrelevant.

What say you -- should all games have respecs, or are do-overs just another form of "easymode"?

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!

The Daily Grind: Should MMOs offer respecs? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: Coming soon

Edward Marshall — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Fallen Earth, Business models, Opinion, Free-to-play, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

Due to the new partnership between Fallen Earth and GamersFirst, there are some huge changes coming in the very near future and massive changes headed our way before the end of the year. Sector 4 is going to be released soon along with a major re-write of the skills and abilities system. There are still a great many questions that remain unanswered, but the developers on both sides have dropped some subtle and not-so-subtle hints here and there.

There are still many players asking questions in global chat and on the forums that have been answered already. A few of the answers given have left me scratching my head, but I'm still optimistic at this point. But there's still a lot of confusion within the community about what is coming and when. I've dug up many of the responses to the toughest questions by Marie Croall of Fallen Earth and Joe Willmon of GamersFirst, who are holding their cards close to their chests but have nevertheless given up some good info. After the cut, I'll try to clarify what's going on in the short and long term, but it may result in some speculation on both our parts.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Coming soon

Wasteland Diaries: Coming soon originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: Milking the cash cow

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

Although it is so far out on the scale of probability that it is tipping into impossibility, there is a remote chance that some player in Aion does not know about NCsoft's cash shop. After all, we are often assaulted with advertisements for new goodies offered at the NCsoft Store front-and-center on the launchpad; if you have logged into the game any time in the last couple of months, you have seen offerings of cosmetic clothing, exclusive pets, and weapon skins.

Now I can understand ponying-up for a character name-change since the user is asking for a smidgen of change in code. Changing gender -- sure, why not? Server transfers definitely involve a bit of work, so making this a paid service also makes sense. Cosmetic surgery, however, is harder for me to accept since I have played a game that offered it in-game as a service performed by a specific class. But what about all of the extra items? The little perks, the fluff, and limited-time deals?

Grab your wallet and join me past the break for a discussion on fleecing customers (I mean offering deals, really) and to see some items that I personally would like to implement.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Milking the cash cow

Wings Over Atreia: Milking the cash cow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the Mask: I request a do-over

Patrick Mackey — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Opinion, Champions Online, Behind the Mask, Guides

Respecs in most games are a way to change the focus of your character or a a tool to remove bad character choices. They generally cost a lump sum for a full reset of all of a character's skill or talent points. In Champions Online, respecs are a little different. They cost a small amount of resources to remove individual powers, and that amount scales up as your hero gains levels and gets new powers. The most recent powers are still fairly inexpensive to remove, but powers selected very early in your character's career cost an arm and a leg to replace.

We can use respecs in much the same way as we can in other games; a full reset of your character's abilities costs an absurd amount of money, but you do earn enough money during a character's lifetime to get a couple at key points. At level 40, you also earn a full respec, and full retcon tokens (which reset all powers, talents, and advantages) can always be picked up in the C-Store.

However, CO's respec system leaves a lot of room for exciting abuses if you're willing to explore them a little bit. Like most of anything nested deep within the gameplay of Champions, it's a little confusing. Hopefully we can clear up some of that.

Continue reading Behind the Mask: I request a do-over

Behind the Mask: I request a do-over originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R-E-S-P-E-C: Find out what it means to Star Wars: The Old Republic

Larry Everett — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, New titles, Professions, Star Wars: The Old Republic

We all know that it's a terrible pain to pick skills on the fly as you're leveling up your character. What if you choose a useless skill or maybe one that doesn't fit your playstyle? Or worse: What if you completely choose the wrong Advanced Class? This has been a major concern for many Star Wars: The Old Republic fans, especially given the vast differences in the Advanced Classes.

Yesterday, in a post on the official forums, SWTOR Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller answered this burning question. He confirmed that we will be able to respec our stats within an Advanced Class. However, he had this to say about switching to a different Advanced Class: "You may be able to spec to another Advanced Class, but that is something we haven't entirely made up our mind about as there are plenty of arguments that can be made - pro and con - and future class developments could influence this." It may be possible to change from a Jedi ~~Wizard~~ Sage to a Jedi Shadow, but you definitely will not be able to go from a Jedi Consular to a Jedi Knight because of story restrictions.

For more information, visit the official forums and stay tuned here for the latest from The Old Republic.

R-E-S-P-E-C: Find out what it means to Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: Patch day mayhem

Edward Marshall — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, PvP, PvE, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

In Fallen Earth, patch day is always a happy day (for me, at least). But this most recent patch (1.7.4) brings in some sweeping changes. The changes that came with this patch were far-reaching enough to get us another full respec. I don't forsee myself using one yet, but they are nice to have. I actually still have my injectors that we got with the 1.4 patch. In fact, this patch changes so much that I spent the past couple of days preparing (in-game) for it. I haven't had time to even grab all of the new skills that all of my clones will now have available to them. An Enforcer rifleman with Fitness? Yes, among other things.

Everyone in Fallen Earth now has more health, but it gets taken away much faster. Combat seems more intuitive with reliable damage from weapons. Without glances and extreme damage variance, combat feels crisper and less clunky. It's going to take some getting used to. The PvE combat has changed the most. There is actually an element of danger involved when fighting mobs, especially large groups. I find myself actually using contingencies and heals during combat with NPCs. I never really had to before, but now the mobs rarely miss (rather than rarely hit). While I didn't get to see everything we got with this patch, I did get some hands-on PvP action (and broke a tradition that had lasted some 292 days in-game) under the new system. I'll give up more about that after the cut.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Patch day mayhem

Wasteland Diaries: Patch day mayhem originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Issue 19 goes live in City of Heroes

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Patches, News items, Miscellaneous

While World of Warcraft goes through its own world-shattering events, City of Heroes is getting hit hard as well. Issue 19 has just gone live, allowing players to experience the first step of the Praetorian invasion. Luckily, the patch also brings with it the Alpha Slot, empowering players with the first tier of the Incarnate system and allowing characters to stand against the invasion at a heretofore unseen level of power. There's also a surfeit of assorted quality-of-life improvements, not the least of which is the movement of Fitness to a baseline set of powers.

Issue 19's features have been getting talked up for some time, so players will likely find many familiar entries among the official patch notes. Most noteworthy is the free respec token that's being given out to all characters, with a second free token being awarded on December 8th for characters who have used the first free token. It's the perfect time for City of Heroes players to log in, get playing, and start fighting back against the Praetorian invaders with all the might they can muster -- and with the new systems, that's quite a lot of might indeed.

Issue 19 goes live in City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Come back to Fallen Earth for $4.99, get a free respec

Jef Reahard — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, News items, Post-Apocalyptic

Former subscribers to Icarus Studios' Fallen Earth received a welcome surprise in their inboxes this past week, as the North Carolina-based developer sent out a special subscription offer to help celebrate the title's upcoming anniversary. Former denizens of the wasteland can return to a full month of gameplay for $4.99, with the regular subscription fee of $14.99 recurring after 30 days.

Returnees can also look forward to a free character respec courtesy of the Pristine Recombinant Injector that will appear in their in-game mailboxes upon account re-activation.

If you've been away from the game for awhile, Icarus says there's no better time to check things out, as it has several anniversary events planned for residents of the Grand Canyon province.

Come back to Fallen Earth for $4.99, get a free respec originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth's newest patch addresses animations

Jef Reahard — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Patches, News items, Post-Apocalyptic

One of the fan criticisms often leveled at Icarus Studios' post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMO Fallen Earth is the quality of some of the title's combat animations. With the launch of the game's newest update, Icarus has begun to address these concerns by polishing the animations for both dual-wielding and melee combat reactions.

The 1.6.2 patch, which hits the live server today, also brings particle and sound synchronization on melee combat as well as user interface tweaks and a small bug fix pertaining to the respec system. Finally, in case the wastelands weren't gritty enough already, the Fallen Earth team has re-enabled blood spatters and sounds for normal, glancing, and critical hits with regard to melee combat. Check out the press release and the full patch notes for all the details.

Fallen Earth's newest patch addresses animations originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

Brianna Royce — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Classes, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, RIFT

Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus.

In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action.

Now we have.

Continue reading Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: New paint job

Edward Marshall — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, Events, in-game, Patches, PvP, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

The Fallen Earth 1.6 patch is a couple days old now, and I've had a chance to check out some of its features. I've painted more vehicles than Earl Scheib this week. I was able to test the respec injectors on the Public Test Server (PTS). I haven't tried them on the live server yet, but I have a few misallocated points that aren't serving much of a purpose. I was able to run through the new, extended tutorial with a brand-new clone. And the Fallen Earth team has given us the ability to flag ourselves for PvP anywhere, anytime. This should prove interesting.

If you have been waiting on the sidelines for the next patch or are wondering what new things are in store for us, I will give you a breakdown of the new stuff I have been able to check out myself after the cut. The patch is only a few days old, but I have been trying to experience the new features to the fullest in that short time.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: New paint job

Wasteland Diaries: New paint job originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates of the Burning Sea exchange shops detailed

Jef Reahard — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Expansions, News items

We know what you're thinking, because it's the same thing we thought when we heard the words "exchange shop" uttered in concert with Pirates of the Burning Sea. Surprisingly, this isn't yet another free-to-play conversion announcement but rather a look at one of the new features sailing your way in the forthcoming Power and Prestige expansion.

The new content, scheduled to launch August 24th, will enable Collection Exchange Shops on every junk buyer in a particular game region. In a nutshell, the shops streamline the loot collection and turn-in process, and a new dev blog over at the official Pirates of the Burning Sea website has all the details. "We have done some number crunching and decided to increase the value of low level loot in order to give new players another way to generate capital while roaming the open sea," the post says.

Furthermore, Flying Lab has also added Career Reward Exchange Shops to the expansion. Due to the extensive ship changes coming with the patch, it's quite probable that many veteran players will want to respec their previously earned career rewards. Many career mission NPCs will now feature the ability to swap ship outfittings free of charge.

Pirates of the Burning Sea exchange shops detailed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth patch 1.6 arrives today

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, Patches, PvP, News items, Post-Apocalyptic

The Wasteland is temporarily closed for maintenance. The Fallen Earth servers are down, and when they come back up at 1 p.m. eastern, you can expect to see a lot of changes thanks to patch 1.6. The game's patch notes, posted last night, gave us an idea of what to look for.

You'll find quite a few minor fixes and changes with this patch. Cars will be pink, orange, and powder blue. Doors will be fixed, weapon sounds will be improved, and floating items will be brought down where they belong..

It's not all just cosmetic, though. If you've been putting off heading to Monkeytown to get that song stuck in your head and pick up a set of monkey wrenches, it's too late -- the town is gone, replaced by new missions and a repeatable town event. Check them out to find out what happened in Monkeytown.

Minor Respec -- a welcome addition that allows you to to reallocate 5 AP -- will arrive with this patch, as will an extended tutorial that will help new players a bit more. If PvP is more your thing, you'll be happy to know that once the servers are back up, you can type /pvp and flag for PvP anywhere in the world, not just designated PvP areas.

There is even more to be seen, and the patch notes make for a good read while you're waiting for the servers to come back up, so check them out on the Fallen Earth forums.

Fallen Earth patch 1.6 arrives today originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: The end

Edward Marshall — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Roleplaying, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

When I first heard about Fallen Earth, the first thing that piqued my interest was the post-apocalyptic setting. The second thing was the FPS-style gameplay and the third thing was the factional PvP. I was delivered the setting in spades; I got a good, healthy dose of FPS action. I will admit, I got a good deal of PvP as well, but not much of it was factionally driven. The understanding I had of what to expect when I hit max level was enforcers and CHOTA squaring off for control of a town, slugging it out for hours on end. But in reality I got sporadic random battles or clan warfare. PvP was supposed to be the endgame material. At least that was the impression that I got.

In this post I will look at the current state of Fallen Earth's endgame, and what we might expect to change from the information garnered from the recent State of the Game. Many people aren't sure what to do in the game once they hit the level cap. After the cut I will take a look at the state of Fallen Earth's endgame and where I expect it to go given the recent announcements.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: The end

Wasteland Diaries: The end originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth PTS patch features respecs, pretty colors

Jef Reahard — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Patches, PvP, News items, Post-Apocalyptic

If you haven't yet put in an appearance on Fallen Earth's public test server (PTS), there's no time like the present. The game's newest patch, 1.6, has just been pushed to the PTS shard, and it's ripe for all the poking, prodding, and pummeling that players can muster.

The update brings a boatload of new features to the wasteland, including arboreal graphic enhancements, a revamped newbie tutorial, minor respec points, custom vehicle paint colors, and PvP flagging. Grab your respec injectors from mutagenics merchants and type /pvp to prep your clone for all the ganking action you can handle (and type /pvp again when you've had enough).

Read all about it on the official site as well as the official forums.

Fallen Earth PTS patch features respecs, pretty colors originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth state of the game: silent does not mean distant

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, Patches, News items, Post-Apocalyptic

The Fallen Earth developers have released the latest state of the game, and they may have been quiet lately, but they've been hard at work behind the scenes.

Upcoming changes run the gamut from cosmetic items such as color customization on vehicles to gameplay-affecting additions like respec availability. Many of the additions and changes will start small and be upgraded and expanded over time. The respec injectors, for example, will begin as a merchant item, and eventually players will be able to craft their own.

They didn't stop with colors and respecs, though. We got an update on the long-awaited addition of Sector Four as well. Rather than a huge expansion, sector four will be introduced as a series of counties over the next year. PvP is going to get a bit scarier in the future -- rather than having designated PvP zones, a player can flag for PvP anywhere he or she chooses.

These few things are only the beginning. Housing, an improved auction house and a better leveling curve are just a few examples of the new content coming to Fallen Earth in the near future. Check out the full state of the game for all the details.

Fallen Earth state of the game: silent does not mean distant originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: One point four, baby!

Edward Marshall — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Events, in-game, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

Fallen Earth patch 1.4 hits today. This is a big deal. I can't overstate how insanely important this patch is. The combat system has been revamped, and we get the requisite respec. There's Blood Sports in which clones are pitted against one another for glory and Death Toll. You will no longer lose Death Toll for dying, and will receive some just for showing up. Death Toll is now a type of currency which can be spent on gas, ammo and gear. There are new mounts and pets. There is a new area called Deadfall which lies west of Deadfall Point and Warhall. Clan wars are now a reality. The battles will spill out of the conflict towns and into the more civilized areas. We will have an achievement system that chronicles our adventures in the wasteland. The level cap will be increased to 50 and we will get all the new stuff that comes with it. This will all be happening today.

Also, today May 7th, 2010, Massively and Fallen Earth will be holding the Blood Sports Brawl in Embry Crossroads. Come on out and say hello with bullets and knives. You must be at least level 5 to take part in the actual Blood Sports, but all levels are welcomed to the party in the bunker bar.

Want more information on today's patch? Click the "read more" button.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: One point four, baby!

Wasteland Diaries: One point four, baby! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: Blood Sports and PvP

Edward Marshall — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, PvP, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries

I took it upon myself this week to log into the Fallen Earth Public Test Server and check out some Blood Sports. I was not disappointed. It was reminiscent of Quake 2 Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. Regretfully, there is no BFG or rocket-jumping, yet. I didn't get a chance to play Survival. All in all, I think it will be a great success, as there is nothing to lose and rewards to be had for simply participating. I think it will re-invent the "casual PvPer", which has all but vanished from Fallen Earth because of the steep learning curve. But, there is room for improvement. It is very convenient to queue yourself up for a match anywhere in the world, and jump right into the action. But on the test server it can be tough to get enough people in the proper level range to trigger a match. It shouldn't be a problem when Blood Sports goes live on May 7th, given the population on the live server versus the population on the test server. The 1.4 patch will undoubtedly breathe life into Fallen Earth PvP. There are several reasons why I think this and after the break I will explain.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Blood Sports and PvP

Wasteland Diaries: Blood Sports and PvP originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek Online offering veteran rewards and free trials

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online players and former players got a little surprise in their inbox this morning -- the promise of rewards if you were still playing, and the chance to get back in if you stopped. Quite apart from the recent update to the game's first large content patch, Cryptic is rolling out three new features to players: Veteran Rewards, a demo, and an upcoming free trial weekend.

The demo, not quite available yet but promised in the very near future, will work along the lines of the Champions Online demo: unlimited time, but gameplay itself limited to the first few missions and areas. For lapsed players or new players who prefer limited time and unlimited content, there's a free weekend coming up starting on May 7th. Again much like its sister game, there are no limitations on gameplay, just time: May 7th at 10 AM PST until May 10th 10 AM PST.

Of course, if you're an extant player none of these options are terribly engaging to you -- but the newly-added veteran rewards most likely are. Rolling in each 100 days, the rewards allow another free respec each interval, special costume pieces, and a small skill point buff on low-level characters. Take a look at the full page for all the rewards, which are the latest in a large dose of good news for Star Trek Online fans.

Star Trek Online offering veteran rewards and free trials originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth dev journals detail respecs, effects and melee animation changes

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, Patches, News items

With so many rapid-fire changes coming to Fallen Earth lately, some players may feel like they'll miss something important if they so much as blink.

Updates such as Blood Sports and mounts are getting plenty of attention, but there are many other things that you may be excited about while at the same time wishing they were explained as thoroughly as some of the others. The respec option, for example, is a fantastic opportunity for those of us who spent points unwisely while we were still learning how it all worked. The effects revamp is certainly going to have a significant effect on gameplay as well, but these are both potentially complicated updates. The Fallen Earth team is working to make sure that everyone understands how the updates will work and how they affect the players, starting with a pair of brand new dev journals. There are separate entries for both the respec and for the effects revamp, each detailing how they will work and offering a few hints for making the most of them.

And finally, Fallen Earth's Lead Animator Gabriel Smith has given us a great advance look at the melee animation improvements that we'll see in patch 1.4. Follow along after the jump to see what Gabriel had to say, and don't forget to check out the respec and effects dev journals as well.

Continue reading Fallen Earth dev journals detail respecs, effects and melee animation changes

Fallen Earth dev journals detail respecs, effects and melee animation changes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: What's on the horizon?

Edward Marshall — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Patches, Previews, PvP, Reviews, Wasteland Diaries

Fallen Earth's Patch 1.4 was originally going to include the Deadfall area, item fatigue, pets and new mounts, item overcharging, dueling, New Gallows revision, and raising of the level cap to 50. That, in itself, is already worth the price of admission. But now we are getting even more! The 1.5 patch was originally slated to have the PvP enhancements, such as clan warfare and arena PvP. We will be getting it all in the upcoming 1.4 patch. The release date is Q2, but that's better than "when it's done" if you ask me. Luckily for us, with the Public Test Server, we can check some of this stuff out early. So if you simply can't wait, jump onto the server and take a gander at some of it, at least. The test server has copies of your characters as they existed on February 25, 2010. If you are a new subscriber, you may have to make new characters. There are also special development tools available to you, so that jumping in and testing this stuff is much easier.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: What's on the horizon?

Wasteland Diaries: What's on the horizon? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: Pros and cons of Season One

Ryan Greene — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Guides, Patches, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Hailing frequencies open. Testing. Is this thing on? Yes, Lieutenant, I'm pushing the-- ah! Greetings and salutations, fellow Starfleet officers! And a hearty nuqneH to all you Klingons out there. Welcome back to Captain's Log, the weekly Star Trek Online column here at Massively. After a few weeks of tuning down in Engineering, Captain's Log is back, shinier than ever, with a new captain at the helm. Now let's set sail before the admirals at Massively reassign me to replicator cleanup duty. You've never seen a mess until you've seen someone order haggis and Ferengi snail juice.

Federation and Klingon captains all over the galaxy have reason to rejoice. Thursday saw the release of Season One: Common Ground, one of the first really huge content patches for Star Trek Online. The patch introduces a bevy of features, including new fleet actions, a new task-force mission and more stuff for Klingons to do.

Continue reading Captain's Log: Pros and cons of Season One

Captain's Log: Pros and cons of Season One originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek Online locks phasers on Season One: Common Ground

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Star Trek Online

On March 18, it's do or die for the Federation, as Cryptic's first major content patch -- Season One: Common Ground -- promises to hit Star Trek Online's live servers. Love 'em or hate 'em, the STO dev team looks to live up to their word on "walking the talk" by pumping out more content that players crave.

We didn't think there could be any news more exciting than a brand-new faction coming to STO, but Season One might just top it with a heap of new goodies. In addition, Cryptic's Craig Zinkievich released a new State of the Game report to address player concerns and the course STO is heading for over the next few months. There's even a new video entitled "Expanding Universe, Part I" that gives players a sneak peek into this brave new patch.

Engage thrusters, mister, and we'll break it down for you after the jump.

Continue reading Star Trek Online locks phasers on Season One: Common Ground

Star Trek Online locks phasers on Season One: Common Ground originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek Online launches new forum section, hints at incoming respecs

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, Leveling, Star Trek Online

Ever since the implementation of a hard skill cap in the game, Star Trek Online's lack of respecs has been keenly felt by players. With the highly skill-oriented progression arc through the game, it's all too easy to have a few missed points early on translate into big problems further on down the line. Cryptic has hardly been deaf to the player cries for respecs, and it seems that they've (quite wisely) moved them on the priority list ahead of issues such as the game's lack of a death penalty.

The official forums for the game have just launched a new section, dubbed "Engineering Reports," summarizing the development team's focus areas. To no great surprise, the first such report features "respec options" right at the top of the list as a tested feature. According to the mission statement of the reports, features that high on the list are likely just a couple weeks from hitting the live servers... which means that Star Trek Online players likely won't have to wait much longer to fine-tune their character builds. It's a welcome piece of news for the game, and proof that the developers are working hard at shoring up their weaknesses.

Star Trek Online launches new forum section, hints at incoming respecs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MAG moves to patch 1.03

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Patches, Consoles, MMOFPS, MAG

For better or worse, most MMOs these days live and die by combat. That goes doubly so for the MMOFPS field, since it's difficult to have a game with "shooter" right in the genre descriptor without some form of lethal ordnance being unloaded. MAG, the massive squad-based shooter on the PS3, has made a major overhaul to its combat system with patch 1.03, designed to address several community concerns and elements that the designers felt were unfair and unfun. A large-scale weapon overhaul has taken place as the centerpiece of the patch, with the effectiveness of several weapons and strategies being re-tuned.

The short version: shorter-range weapons have been toned down in terms of their accuracy at range, sights have been toned down for a similar reason, and both battle rifles and rocket launchers have received notable buffs. There's also greater consistency in firing through thin materials such as tents. With changes to the warnings for charges, faster gear switching, and decreased respec costs, the patch also brings improvements not solely linked to weapon balance. MAG players have the patch available now, and we're hoping that the shifts are keeping players more entertained and less frustrated at someone sniping them from half a map away with a shotgun.

MAG moves to patch 1.03 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: The great respec debate

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Culture, Forums, Game mechanics, Opinion, Wasteland Diaries

To respec or not to respec, that is the question. Having the ability to refund your Advancement Points (AP) to rebuild your character is something that's available in many MMOs, so most players have come to expect it. When that option is not available, it tends to become a focus on game design theory and certain levels of "hardcore".

The truth is, the folks developing Fallen Earth have already decided what they're going to do about refunding AP, as they've always said the option would eventually become available. Right now, we're in a sit-and-wait period to see how well their implementation will be received by players and how it will balance with the current state of the game.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: The great respec debate

Wasteland Diaries: The great respec debate originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth's State of the Game: Upcoming additions and more

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Fallen Earth, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items

When it comes to transparency regarding patches, Fallen Earth might have just won that category in spades. The latest State of the Game article on their site is more than just an overview of the direction they want to take the game in, it's a patch by patch listing of the features that the development team will be bringing to the table.

Patch 1.3 will be expanding the game with the introduction of Kaibab Forest and Deadfall Point, as players will run a brand new plotline to push back the radiation zone and find more secrets hidden in the wasteland. The new areas come with a brand new level added to the cap, so all of that experience gained from the new area won't go to waste.

Continue reading Fallen Earth's State of the Game: Upcoming additions and more

Fallen Earth's State of the Game: Upcoming additions and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes opens Issue 16: Power Spectrum

Tateru Nino — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: City of Heroes, City of Villains, Patches, News items

NCsoft has deployed Issue 16 for City of Heroes/Villains, bringing in a bunch of delicious new options for Paragon City's finest (and the Rogue Islands' worst). Powerset proliferation is ongoing, bringing formerly barred powersets to archetypes that were previously denied them.

This issue brings a particularly pleasing improvement: Being able to jump from one part of the character creator to another, without having to complete it all in a fixed-order. That's a huge help for players looking to refine their look and character-concept during design.

Continue reading City of Heroes opens Issue 16: Power Spectrum

City of Heroes opens Issue 16: Power Spectrum originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get that free respec you've been dying for in Champions Online

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Champions Online

One of the things the Champions Online community has been requesting feverishly is the use of a free respec to change their powers. Many recent changes to the monsters and power abilities in the game have left some characters unable to cope with combat. Today's patch was supposed to add in that free respec option, however something has gone wrong with the patch and the free power retcon was left out.

...Or was it?

Cryptic Daeke has just revealed via twitter that it's not impossible to get your character a free respec today! Visit the powerhouse, open up your retcon screen and type in "/character_usefreerespec" into the chat window, without quotes. A system message should appear and your retcon list will be wiped clean, allowing you to completely revitalize your character from the ground up. Enjoy your new power selection!

Get that free respec you've been dying for in Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online deploys diverse patch, but free retcon delayed

Tateru Nino — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Patches, News items, Champions Online

New super-heroing MMOG, Champions Online, has deployed a sizeable patch early this-morning, though actual implementation of the patch took rather longer than anticipated.

The 185MB automatic patch covers everything from UI enhancements and graphics performance, to typos, missions and power-frameworks. Certainly a whole lot of nagging issues are addressed. As a result of the relatively extensive changes to powers, a full, free retcon was planned for characters created prior to 2009-09-10 08:30 UTC.

Rather less fortunately, the retcon apparently escaped this-morning's patch. Cryptic is hoping to get it in by tomorrow morning.

All in all, we count 158 other documented changes for your respective enjoyment or dismay. Read on for the full list ...

Continue reading Champions Online deploys diverse patch, but free retcon delayed

Champions Online deploys diverse patch, but free retcon delayed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retcon changes in today's Champions Online patch

Kyle Horner — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Patches, News items, Champions Online

Today brought a short emergency maintenance followed up by a small patch to Champions Online. It appears Cryptic held some discussion yesterday on what to do with the state of retcons for players affected by the much more significant launch day patch yesterday. Let's take a look at the results.

So here's the biggest improvement: Players can now Retcon as far back as they'd like regardless of level. There's been significant changes to the inner workings of the system, but for details on that we suggest you look for the official explanation.

Looking at the the cost of a full level 20 retcon, it still seems a little higher than it should be -- or is it? Unlike pretty much any other MMO, Champions Online doesn't restrict your ability selection based on a class. The problem Cryptic is facing is that if they allow for cheap 'n easy respecs, players may never want to roll a new character, which would kill the replay value of any MMO significantly coupled with the fact that you can also redesign your character as well. Retcon prices will probably still receive tweaks and changes, but when and to what extent is hard to say.

Retcon changes in today's Champions Online patch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wizard 101 announces new update

Jon Shute — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, PvE, Free-to-play, Wizard101

KingIsle Entertainment has announced its latest update to Wizard 101, its free to play MMO aimed at younger players that also has an option to subscribe or purchase access passes in order to unlock additional content. Wizard 101, which recently passed a million players, has been receiving frequent updates including a new PvP area and the addition of voice to many characters.

Highlights of this update include new high end spells available for players when they reach level 48. There is one spell for each of the seven schools of magic in the game, which are available through a quest.

Another welcome feature is the ability to buy back a character's training points using Crowns, the game's micro-transaction currency, to allow them to be reused on new spells, which allows players to correct any choices that they are not happy with and try out new ideas.

There are also new rewards for PvP, including a new pet to collect, and the friends list has been expanded to allow you to mark friends as "best friends."

Wizard 101 announces new update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Varying perspectives on EVE Online's new player experience

James Egan — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Reviews, Opinion

The sci-fi massively multiplayer online game EVE Online has long been known for its harsh setting but also for its (almost) equally unforgiving learning curve. That is, until the Apocrypha expansion launched, bringing EVE's New Player Experience (NPE) with it. CCP Games aims to slowly ease new players into what is a rather complex game, giving them a feel for what they can already do and what they want to do in New Eden over time.

So how well does the New Player Experience for EVE Online tackle the difficulties of learning how to play one of the most complex MMOs on the market? Writing for Eurogamer, both Jim Rossignol and Oli Welsh write about the New Player Experience. Rossignol, from the viewpoint of a veteran player, and Welsh from the fresh perspective of a rookie. The end result is an overview of how EVE has changed, including a revamped tutorial and Neural Remapping (attribute respecs), as well as Epic Mission Arcs that allow players to make choices in how EVE's mission storylines progress.

Continue reading Varying perspectives on EVE Online's new player experience

Varying perspectives on EVE Online's new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The lowdown on EVE Online's New Player Experience

James Egan — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Professions, News items, Races

Among all the massively multiplayer online games out there, with their respective learning curves, EVE Online perhaps has the deserved reputation for being the hardest MMO to get a grasp of. Much of that confusion is because the game itself is such a departure from your standard fantasy MMO, in almost every respect: open world/single server, PvP can happen everywhere, a harsh setting, and a UI that's a far cry from anything a player has seen in World of Warcraft.

The EVE in-game tutorial has been revamped a few times in order to make it easier for new players to get a handle on things. What is currently offered is a noticeable improvement over the tutorial of a few years ago, but CCP Games is in the process of completely reworking a player's first steps into the game's setting of New Eden. EVE Online developer CCP Fear's latest blog is, in his words, required reading for anyone interested in the game, new player or not. He says, "I want to get one misconception out of the way. This blog *will* concern you and everyone else. If you have played for a year, 6 years, 3 months or a week, you will want to read further than this. Chances are there will be changes that will affect you!"

Continue reading The lowdown on EVE Online's New Player Experience

The lowdown on EVE Online's New Player Experience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retcons, non-combat and superpowered travelling in Champions Online

Kyle Horner — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, News items, Champions Online

The first Ask Cryptic for Champions Online in February spends a lot of time clearing up questions concerning travel powers, non-combat features and, well, even more non-combat features. Yeah, this set of questions definitely run the gamut -- but that's how we like 'em!

What caught our attention in this one was the reveal of respecs in the game or as Cryptic is calling them, "Retcons" It sounds like we may actually be able to get Retcons on specific power choices in Champions Online. Our reason for thinking this comes from the line saying, "Up to a certain level, retcons are fairly cheap, but the higher the level of your character, the more thorough the retcon, the more expensive." While this could simply be some miscommunication, it does sound like less thorough Retcons will be available to those looking for only a little take-back.

Additionally, there's a good amount of discussion on how physics and the balancing of travel powers in combat works as well. Mostly it's concerning the functionary bits on how it'll all work in the game come launch, but if you're interested in that you should definitely check this one out.

Retcons, non-combat and superpowered travelling in Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Endless superhero retcons available on CoX Test server!

Adrian Bott — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, PvP

Hot on the heels of the announcement that City of Heroes will now be providing character respecs for a fee, the Test Server has been tweaked so that purchaseable respecs for characters there will be free of charge. Previously, the only way to test out a new build was to copy a character with a stored respec over, burn the respec, and repeat each time you wanted to test something.

But now, you can retcon your character on Test as often as you like! Comic book writers do it often enough, so why not City of Heroes players? This blogger never quite got over the wholesale resurrection of Jean Grey, and that was years ago, but after respeccing a beloved blaster several times over, we can see the appeal of flexibility.

The player base has welcomed the news. Previously, the only ways to get respecs were through veteran rewards, occasional unpredictable developer awards, trials, or crafting them through found Invention recipes. This is big news for those who like to test out alternative builds for a character before committing. It's also useful to those who use the Test Server primarily for PvP, as many CoX players do. Now that characters on Test can effectively be respecced as many times as the player wants, a CoX PvP toon can take full advantage of the regular tweaks and alterations to how powers work.

Endless superhero retcons available on CoX Test server! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes respecs now available for purchase with real cash

Samuel Axon — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Business models, News items

NCsoft announced yesterday that players of City of Heroes are now able to purchase respecs (opportunities to rollback character development decisions they've made in their characters' lifetimes) for $9.99 from a store in the character select screen. The company noted that this feature "does not allow the primary or secondary powerset to be reselected; it functions like existing respecs currently available in game."

Players are still able to find opportunities to respec through gameplay, but NCsoft claims that the community has been requesting a shortcut like this.

Some sites are characterizing this move as the introduction of microtransactions to a subscription-based game. That term conjures up images of players buying powerful items and stat bonuses with real-world currency. But Blizzard has been charging for character name changes in World of Warcraft for a long time. What's the distinction between charging for what's deemed an expected service, and the microtransaction business model?

City of Heroes respecs now available for purchase with real cash originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sweeping changes to Hellgate: London in Abyss Chronicles

James Egan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Expansions, Patches, Hellgate: London

Hell is about to get even hotter, as Flagship Studios prepares to unleash fresh content for Hellgate: London. Our sister blog Big Download has some posted new screenshots of the upcoming Abyss Chronicles for HG:L, as well as info on the 2.0 and 2.1 updates to the title. Patch 2.0 will be Hellgate: London's second major content update, and brings with it a host of new features and changes to the game. The build is likely to go live on the Test Server in the next week, but until then, here's Big Download's breakdown of the 2.0 changes:

A new quest line that covers the spread of the Abyss through Parliament Square and the survivors' efforts to fight back

A major rebalancing of the Blademaster class

A complete PvP overhaul, including achievements, rankings, rewards, and a new CTF team gametype

Changes to the Shared Stash, such as a separate pane for each difficulty

Addition of two new trinket slots for players to add rings and such to their characters

An attribute respec NPC that allows players to remove points from an attribute for a fee-per-point

Three new skills for each class

A consignment house (read: auction house) where players can sell stuff to other players without direct trading

Beyond rolling out The Abyss Chronicles with 2.0, the next area Flagship Studios is focusing on is PvP through Patch 2.1. The patch will 'open up an entirely new side to Hellgate: London' by introducing five cohesive elements of PvP in a single update: ranking, matchmaking, rewards, achievements, and Capture the Flag. The end result is what Flagship describes as 'a robust PvP experience.'

Sweeping changes to Hellgate: London in Abyss Chronicles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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