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: What mob type is too cute to kill?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/04/the-daily-grind-what-mob-type-is-too-cute-to-kill/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/04/the-daily-grind-what-mob-type-is-too-cute-to-kill/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/04/the-daily-grind-what-mob-type-is-too-cute-to-kill/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

SWTOR
In Star Wars Galaxies, it was the Gubbur. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, it's the Bantha. In World of Warcraft, it's those weird flower-monsters called Lashers. Every game has a super cute mob that I just feel horrible killing. Sometimes I suspect that the devs are purposely adding adorable things to MMOs and asking us to kill them just to mess with our heads in the service of some sort of Milgram experiment. Or maybe it's just meant to put us in our place out of pure revenge: "Flame my game on the forums, will you? Here's a zone full of fluffy Vorpal Bunnies that can one-shot you. Eat it, suckers!"

So what say you? What MMO creature is simply too cute to kill?

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: What mob type is too cute to kill? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banthabiowareBlizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentbrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindeaElectronic-Artsgubburlashermilgram-experimentmobmob-typeopinionrevengesoeSony-Online-Entertainmentstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-the-old-republicswgswtortdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republictorvorpal-bunnyWorld-of-WarcraftwowSat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dominus reveals its bounty hunting mechanics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/dominus-reveals-its-bounty-hunting-mechanics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/dominus-reveals-its-bounty-hunting-mechanics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/dominus-reveals-its-bounty-hunting-mechanics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Dominus - this dude may or may not be a bounty hunter
We're not sure what it is about bounty hunters that makes them cooler than cool, but there's no denying the appeal of a profession that characters like Boba Fett, John Marston, and Rick Deckard call their own.

Dominus is hoping to capture some of that badassery in a bottle via its bounty hunting system, and a new update on the game's official website has all the details. In a nutshell, players are able to place bounties on four of their enemies at a time, and the only other consideration is the amount of money you're willing to put toward your revenge.

Hunting a bounty involves accepting a contract via an NPC, and you'll be alerted as to your target's zone location if he's online. After you make the kill, you'll be paid on the spot, and any other players who accepted the same bounty contract will find it removed from their mission log. There's more, but you'll need to head to the Dominus website to read it.

MassivelyDominus reveals its bounty hunting mechanics originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bountiesbounty-hunterbounty-huntingdominusgame-mechanicspitchblackpitchblack-gamesprime-battle-for-dominuspvprevengesci-fiThu, 05 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack? ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Major EVE Online roleplaying alliance Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA) disbanded today, possibly the result of a traitor within their ranks, leaving a power vacuum in the Providence region they once held. It's possible for high-level directors of an alliance to disband the organization, and this is exactly what happened today to Curatores Veritatis Alliance. CVA was an alliance loyal to the game's NPC faction the Amarr Empire and had a long history of enforcing rule in lawless space and resisting rival player organizations of Minmatar freedom fighters -- notably Ushra'Khan -- who they branded as terrorists. In short, CVA has played a significant role in the player-driven setting of EVE Online.

At this point, speculation as to how CVA was disbanded is rampant. The concept of a mole using high-level access to destroy an alliance from within is not unprecedented in the game, although some players are asserting an account hack took place. EVE pilot "BULLETPROOF 50CENT" of the corporation Traceless Representatives of Anonymous Players (TRAP) has claimed credit for the disintegration of CVA. He stated: "I am known as bullet, just a small, relatively unknown member of a covert organization, created by and dedicated to the taking down of what we saw as the single largest evil in EVE -- CVA."

Continue reading Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?

MassivelyMajor EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesamarrbreakingccpccp-gamescontroversycuratores-veritatis-alliancecvaespionageeveeve-onlineguildshackhardinnew-edenprovidencerevengesabotagespiesspytrapWed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Vendettas]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/03/the-daily-grind-vendettas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/03/the-daily-grind-vendettas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/03/the-daily-grind-vendettas/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've all had them. That one dungeon where your groups always wound up dying long before you got to the final boss, either because you couldn't get past the enemies or there was some trick you always screwed up. That one area that you couldn't quest in because you would get mobbed by adds. The quest you never could finish because the target was too hard to kill or too difficult to find. The elusive weapon a monster should have dropped a third of the time but never did when you got the kill.

Even though we all know that there's nothing on the AI side of an MMO but computer chips and electrical currents, we still find ourselves forming our own little plots of revenge. Since many of these points of endless frustration occur early in the game, to boot, we often have the opportunity to head back once we're more powerful and take out our frustration on the dungeons or enemies that always frustrated us before. And it might be a bit silly, but there's always a sense of glee to crushing your former roadblocks.

What sort of digital enemies have you made? Do you find yourself hunting down your lower-level targets of hatred, or do you tend to let go of the frustrations more easily?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Vendettas originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dungeonsenemiesquestsrevengethe-daily-grindSat, 03 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Just another week in the Sleeper's den]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/26/eve-evolved-just-another-week-in-the-sleepers-den/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/26/eve-evolved-just-another-week-in-the-sleepers-den/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/26/eve-evolved-just-another-week-in-the-sleepers-den/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


Following last week's reassuringly popular article "Untangling the mystery of the Sleepers", our little expeditionary alliance has had an extremely action-packed week. In addition to several PvP encounters with roaming gangs, there's been a POS siege, a system invasion and a lot of drama. At the end of it all, I'm left with a renewed sense of awe for the unique experiences EVE Online can deliver if you're just willing to seek them out and actively involve yourself. At times I can truly immerse myself in EVE and feel like I'm taking an actor's part in a kind of intergalactic play scene, an experience I've never come close to in any other MMO. Taking part in these events is almost like being painted into an illustrative chapter of some historic record. In this article, I hope to solidify that record and share a glimpse of what it's like to immerse yourself in this part of EVE.

What follows is a storytold account of Total Comfort alliance's deadly week in the Sleeper's den.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Just another week in the Sleeper's den

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Just another week in the Sleeper's den originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carrierccpccp-gamescollapseeveeve-onlinefeaturedfourth circleGreater Avaricejoystiqfeaturesnyphuroperation bastardpillowsoftpospvprevengesiegesleeperstorytotal comfortwormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 26 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest EVE Online Chronicle a moral tale of sabotage and retribution]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/latest-eve-online-chronicle-a-moral-tale-of-sabotage-and-retribu/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/latest-eve-online-chronicle-a-moral-tale-of-sabotage-and-retribu/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/latest-eve-online-chronicle-a-moral-tale-of-sabotage-and-retribu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


EVE Online differs from other massively multiplayer online games out there in that it's as much a setting as it is a game; its galactic setting of New Eden isn't divided across shards. This helps the game's lore creators conjure up a sense that the stories of New Eden echo throughout and define a single expansive galaxy, at least for those who choose to get into the game's backstory.

EVE's lore has been building up for years as short Chronicles and even in novel form, creating a substantial yet growing body of work that fleshes out the gritty setting. We don't cover all of the Chronicle releases at Massively but we do tend to highlight those that have a direct bearing on the game's lore, rather than those that add flavor. Still, now and again a story comes along that really stands out. That was the case with this week's Chronicle titled "All These Lives are Fit to Ruin" by CCP Abraxas, the description of which was one simple word: "Sabotage". This caught our interest and, in this writer's opinion after having read the Chronicle twice, "All These Lives are Fit to Ruin" may be one of the best stories Abraxas has written thus far.

Continue reading Latest EVE Online Chronicle a moral tale of sabotage and retribution

MassivelyLatest EVE Online Chronicle a moral tale of sabotage and retribution originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backstorycapsuleersccp-abraxasccp-gameseveeve-chronicleeve-chronicleseve-onlinefactionsguristasloremoralitynew-edennpcnpcspiracypiratepiratespveretributionrevengesabotagesci-fisettingWed, 22 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE PvP Tournament assassination: Machiavellian or bad form?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/01/eve-pvp-tournament-assassination-machiavellian-or-bad-form/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/01/eve-pvp-tournament-assassination-machiavellian-or-bad-form/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/01/eve-pvp-tournament-assassination-machiavellian-or-bad-form/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Struggle between player alliances in EVE Online is very much at the heart of the game. While most conflicts play out in sweeping alliance warfare, with its requisite fleet battles involving hundreds of players, some alliances also choose to face one another in arena combat with the rapt attention of many thousands of their fellow pilots: the Alliance PvP Tournament.

The Alliance Tournament in EVE Online provides a way for players to demonstrate what they're capable of under controlled conditions, and offers a shot at fame or notoriety among the playerbase. In some cases, alliances may face off in the PvP tournament to settle a score in a very public way. The rules of engagement in place ensure that all alliance teams are on equal ground with one another. EVE players can be devious though, if nothing else... as one match this past weekend proved: one alliance competitor assassinated his team's captain once the match had begun, and then self-destructed his own ship. The would-be saboteur, ironically named "Happy Joymaker", later announced he had infiltrated the alliance for the express purpose of a public execution of his target.

Continue reading EVE PvP Tournament assassination: Machiavellian or bad form?

MassivelyEVE PvP Tournament assassination: Machiavellian or bad form? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliance-pvp-tournamentalliancesassassinationbreakingbruceccpccp-gamescontroversyeveeve-alliance-tournamenteve-onlineguildshappy-joymakerissler-dainzepvppvp-tournamentrevengesabotagesci-fispiesspythe-dead-parrot-shoppe-incthe-honda-accordyoutubeSun, 01 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[When carebears attack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/when-carebears-attack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/when-carebears-attack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/when-carebears-attack/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


CrazyKinux from The Drone Bay podcast, and of course one of Massively's EVE Online columnists, had an interesting find which he recently shared on his site. "When Carebears Attack" isn't the newest video out there, but given the absolute hammering that miners have been taking in Empire space over the past few months, it's quite timely. Here we see an exhumer pilot named 'JNB' who's fed up with ore thieves and being griefed in general, simply for being a miner.

While not technically griefing as it's considered a fair use of game mechanics, 'can flipping' is the time-honored tradition of a thief sneaking up on a mining vessel and replacing the floating cargo container (being mined into for greater efficiency) with his own, bearing the same name. When the miner or his hauler unknowingly removes ore from the thief's can, the innocent party becomes criminally flagged -- ironically, for being a thief himself -- and then is predictably blown apart by his antagonist. Concord, i.e. 'the police' in EVE, takes no action against the can flipper. Tired of this use of game mechanics, the carebear in this video snaps and starts hunting down griefers in a repurposed Hulk, which is little more than a fancy mining vessel; it's completely unfit for PvP... or is it? The footage shows the miner racking up a respectable kill count by using his normally defensive drones as vicious little attackers. It turns out some carebears have teeth after all.

MassivelyWhen carebears attack originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesdronedroneseveeve-onlineexhumergame-mechanicsgriefinghulkhumorminerminingpvprevengesci-fivideoMon, 16 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST