Massively

EON Magazine issue 24 looks back at EVE Online's Apocrypha expansion

Brendan Drain — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Lore, MMO industry, Opinion, Hands-on

Issue 24 of EVE Online's quarterly official magazine EON hit the shelves this month, bringing a fresh dose of internet spaceships to coffee tables and bathrooms everywhere. Produced by MMM Publishing and written by a growing cast of writers from within the EVE community, EON provides something solid for fans of EVE to hold on to and acts as a snapshot in time or record of the game as it evolves. Recent big news stories and nullsec wars are detailed in each issue, along with editorial pieces, fiction, interviews and guides.

The latest issue is a wormhole special, with a huge focus on 2009's incredibly successful Apocrypha expansion and the hidden wormhole systems it brought to EVE. In addition to the second part of Pottsey's background on the ancient Sleeper race locked away in wormhole systems, the magazine contains testflights of the four strategic cruisers produced from materials discovered in wormhole space. A fantastically insightful article on the making of Apocrypha also delves into the gritty details of how CCP put its entire weight behind one incredible expansion during a time of real world economic turmoil.

Skip past the cut for a breakdown of everything in EON Issue 24 and my impressions from reading through it.

Continue reading EON Magazine issue 24 looks back at EVE Online's Apocrypha expansion

EON Magazine issue 24 looks back at EVE Online's Apocrypha expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: How long does it take to review an MMORPG?

Jef Reahard — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

Evaluating an MMORPG is a tricky business. Massively has a long-standing editorial policy that frowns on "reviewing" massively multiplayer titles. I say "reviewing" with quotes because it's difficult to write about games in a completely review-free manner, and everything from opinion pieces to straight-up news stories often contains observations that might feel at home in a standard review.

One of the most difficult factors to reconcile with an MMORPG is the time allotted to the review process. How long does it take to experience enough of a particular title to both form an opinion about it and talk intelligently about multiple aspects of it? The answer can vary from game to game and from person to person, and herein lies this morning's Daily Grind topic. How long does it take you to decide about an MMORPG? Minutes? Hours? Months? Inquiring Massively minds want to know where you stand on evaluating our favorite genre.

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: How long does it take to review an MMORPG? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ask Massively: Can't talk, slaying darkspawn edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous

If it wasn't obvious through previous posts, I'm rather keen on the whole Dragon Age franchise. Which means that yes, I've been playing the stupid Facebook game that has just gone into open beta. The next revolution in gaming it is not, but it's got just enough of the setting to tide me over for the moment. Plus, it has player housing, which is conspicuously absent from most of the more modern MMOs out there.

Seriously, guys -- if it's able to fit into a Flash game on Facebook, you can fit it into your umpteen-millionth triple-A title. Get on that.

But I'll put aside the slaying of darkspawn and associated questions about how they're this far north, because it's time for another edition of Ask Massively. This round, we're talking about reviewing new MMOs, the conceptual space of games, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. As always, you can feel free to leave your questions in the comment field or send them along to ask@massively.com.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Can't talk, slaying darkspawn edition

Ask Massively: Can't talk, slaying darkspawn edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: We all live in a community submarine

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

This week, like the week before, has seen an explosion of controversy about Final Fantasy XIV. I have not really taken part, as I have been far too busy playing Final Fantasy XIV to care one way or the other. But after a month of people's impressions, it seems like the perfect time to dive back into the meat of the community topics -- much like we did last month around the same time, as a matter of fact.

Sadly, Final Fantasy XI has been fairly quiet, both due to the anger generation systems its successor features and due to a general sense of community burnout. After all, we're about two months away from another version update, and thus far we've heard nothing about what's due for December. Still, jump on past the cut for discussions about Final Fantasy XI as well as FFXIV, with the usual dosage of commentary to accompany each.

Continue reading The Mog Log: We all live in a community submarine

The Mog Log: We all live in a community submarine originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ask Massively: It's all the fault of this ocelot edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively

I think it's time that we got a new scapegoat. We have things that we're angry about, and since we are no longer allowed to be angry at World of Warcraft due to reasons, our new target shall be... this ocelot. The one pictured above, just sitting on some rocks like he or she owns the place. (I cannot differentiate from faces whether an ocelot is male or female.) So to heck with you, ocelot! Yeah, you know what you did. Don't think we're fooled by your looking cute.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we can make it through the rest of Ask Massively in peace. We will be free to contemplate this week's questions, which cover the upcoming World of Darkness along with reviews and a terrible personal secret. Or just a funny one. Either way, click on past the cut, and send in your questions for next week to ask@massively.com, or just leave them in the comment field. If your question is not answered next week, well, ocelot again.

Continue reading Ask Massively: It's all the fault of this ocelot edition

Ask Massively: It's all the fault of this ocelot edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you wait for reviews?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Launches, Opinion, The Daily Grind

There's always a bit of apprehension when it comes to picking up a new game -- it might be great, or it might be terrible and mean that you're out time and money. Picking up a new MMO on launch day is even more of a gamble, since it could result in your being in on the ground floor of the next big thing... or it could mean wasting a month of playtime on a game you don't like. So it can be tempting to wait for a review of some kind to come in from sources you can trust.

On the one hand, having a review means that you have some idea of what you're getting into before you buy. On the other hand, reviews of MMOs are difficult at the best of times and outright incomplete at the worst -- after all, it can take a long time to reach the endgame and see all the game has to offer, at which point you're no longer in on the ground floor. So do you wait for reviews? How many external opinions do you need or want before you'll commit to a new game?

The Daily Grind: Do you wait for reviews? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rise and Shiny recap: Istaria

Beau Hindman — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Reviews, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Family, Rise and Shiny

Each week Rise and Shiny asks you to download and try a different free-to-play, indie or unusual game, chosen by me, Beau Hindman. Some of the games will be far out of your gaming comfort zone, and some will pleasantly surprise you. We will meet each Tuesday and Friday night at 9 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. CDT), followed by this column the Sunday after. I welcome any suggestions for games, either in the comments or at beau@massively.com.

Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted is not a new game, by any means. You probably remember it being called Horizons. I have tried this game probably several times over the last few years. Despite having a decent enough time with each attempt, I never had as much fun as I have during this last week of playing. Let this advice stick: give a game several chances, if you can. Don't let a developer's financial woes dissuade you from giving it a go again. Most of the time you can try it again without spending a dime.

I'm glad I returned to Istaria. Everything seemed to click for me, more than it did before. It could be that I never took the time to really get to know the quests or the abilities my character gained, and it could be that I played mostly solo during that time. Over this last week I adventured with an elf and a few dragons, and found a world, game, and community that was pretty darn inviting.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Istaria

Rise and Shiny recap: Istaria originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

APB's Dave Jones expected mediocre reviews

Jef Reahard — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, All Points Bulletin, Crime

Realtime Worlds' Dave Jones may have created something of a self-fulfilling prophecy when he predicted that game reviewers would be less than kind to All Points Bulletin. The recently released MMOFPS hasn't exactly torn up the scoring charts on the major review sites since its debut last month.

"It's always hard when you create something new as it requires a natural learning curve. Also because APB is online multiplayer focused, it's best played as intended, with 60 to 100 people in the city with you. For these same reasons I expect the reviews to be mixed," Jones told CVG.

While Massively has a long-standing policy against reviewing MMORPGs, you can read our first impressions to get a general feel for the game's open beta as well as its long-term potential.

APB's Dave Jones expected mediocre reviews originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Anti-Aliased: When playing a bad game is just so good

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Anti-Aliased

This week's Anti-Aliased is great for two reasons. One, it's the antithesis to last week's topic, and two, it's completely relevant to this week's events. In short, it's about All Points Bulletin.

Did I just call APB a bad game after spamming screenshots from it, hosting an event in it, and offering people what basically amounts to free DLC for their game? Yes, yes I did. Does that make me a complete hypocrite? Well, yes and no. You see, I'm having conflicting beliefs over this game. The reviewer in me wants to punt it over the Seattle Space Needle, but the gamer in me wants to sit down and play the hell out of it some more.

Look, this all makes sense, ok? Just come with me after the break (yes, I'm luring you with my double-sided, purposefully vague statements) and we'll get this all settled out.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: When playing a bad game is just so good

Anti-Aliased: When playing a bad game is just so good originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

MAG review highlights strengths and flaws of the console MMOFPS

James Egan — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Reviews, War, Consoles, MMOFPS, MAG

MAG is a PlayStation 3-exclusive MMOFPS title we've been keeping our eyes on at Massively. The inevitable debate aside about whether Zipper Interactive's title is an MMO or not -- yes, tanks and guns replace dragons and magic spells -- the game accommodates up to 256 players in a zone at a time. The idea of FPS gameplay with that many people at such a high degree of graphical detail is pretty mind-boggling, and it's something we've explored a bit in the MAG beta. Our parent site Joystiq recently sat down with the game now that it's officially launched and wrote a short MAG review.

Joystiq's Griffin McElroy gives a brief overview of MAG's gameplay and his assessment of the title's merits and flaws. That idea of 128 players per side doesn't mean you'll all be charging towards your opponents in one awesome wave, he notes. Rather, you'll typically be interacting with your fellow soldiers on a squad level (4-8 people) to achieve objectives, with multiple squads comprising platoons, and four such platoons forming an army.

Continue reading MAG review highlights strengths and flaws of the console MMOFPS

MAG review highlights strengths and flaws of the console MMOFPS originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What game has generated the strongest feelings for you?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Reviews, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying, Academic

There are some games that you just sort of play. You pick them up, you enjoy them, and then you walk away without any real feelings about them one way or the other. And then there are the games that you launch into a screaming two-hour argument with one of your closest friends about on your birthday, because they happened to say that they didn't like it. Or maybe you finished an intense, epic play session on the game, working your way through an emotional questline and roleplaying all the way, and you find out afterwards that you need to lie down for a little while. Or maybe they're just the games that inspire you to post long forum diatribes wherever you can about why this is the greatest game in history.

Whether it be in the game or out of it, what games have generated the strongest feelings in you? Whether it's an intense emotional reaction to a character's death that you would nominate as an exhibit in the ongoing "are games art" debate, or just some impassioned soapboxing off-the-cuff, we're sure you have some moments and games that just resonate with you. Tell us about them. We're all ears.

The Daily Grind: What game has generated the strongest feelings for you? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

First steps into the RuneScape experience

James Egan — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Reviews, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

The MMO section of Eurogamer covers most of the big titles on the market, but one that's less-focused upon by their writers is Runescape which, despite its long history, is still running strong today. Eurogamer's Jon Blyth was tasked with jumping into RuneScape and writing about his experience as a new player.

Blyth walks the reader through Tutorial Island, the early quests, but laments how difficult it was to make friends. He writes: "I've never had a problem with this before. I'm a charming sod, my amiable winking could win over the most fundamentalist terrorist. But RuneScape is beyond my skills. Every 'hi' was ignored. When I did get a response, it was quick and efficient. From my limited experience, it's a brutal and lonely world for the low-level adventurer." Ultimately, Blyth was left with a conflicted view of the game. In his own words, it got under his skin and left him wanting just a bit more despite its flaws, but the game's graphical limitations and controls proved to be a limiting factor in how much he enjoyed the RuneScape experience.

Do we have many RuneScape players among our readers here at Massively? If so, what is it about the game that has kept you playing over the years?

First steps into the RuneScape experience originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vanguard re-review finds game much improved

James Egan — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Reviews, Opinion, Vanguard

We cover a lot of fantasy titles here at Massively, but admittedly one game we haven't been watching as closely of late is Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. The game had its fair share of issues (and some drama) surrounding its launch, but it's been quite a while since Vanguard opened up its servers to MMO gamers. How much has the game improved since that time? That's a question that Stephanie Morrow from MMORPG.com hopes to answer with her Vanguard Re-Review. She writes,"A lot can change in two years, especially when you have a team of dedicated developers working on it and a community that is willing to stand by no matter what happens."

Morrow looks at the current state of the game in terms of its technical merits, game play, and customer service. She also judges Vanguard in the light of the game's community that could either make or break the game. "The game would be nothing without its community. Players are passionate about the game, you can find them everywhere," she writes. Ultimately, Morrow's views on Vanguard: Saga of Heroes are positive, but she's quick to point out the title's flaws as well. If you're curious about how this title has shaped up, check out Stephanie Morrow's "Vanguard Re-Review" over at MMORPG.com.

Are you currently playing Vanguard: Saga of Heroes? If so, do you feel the game has improved measurably since you began?

Vanguard re-review finds game much improved originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jaye remembers the multiplayer

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Reviews, Opinion

Raiders, PvPers, explorers, achievers, item market players, roleplayers, power levelers. What do all of these people have in common? Well, they can all be found in our MMORPGs. Jaye at Journeys with Jaye has written a great article that centers around the fact that many of us tend to focus on our MMOs as single player games. We tend to dismiss others in the community when they don't play the same way we may play (which is referred to as "the best way to play a game").

We also tend to dismiss a game's community in favor for the game's mechanics. Reviewers tend to focus on how the game plays and functions in a solo environment, regardless of how friendly, active, or welcoming the community may be. For all the reviewer knows, the community might be the saving grace of the game. If you have the time, jump over to Journeys with Jaye and check our her article. It's well written, and worth the read for any MMORPG player.

Jaye remembers the multiplayer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Exodus to the Virtual World review from the other virtual world

Louis McLaughlin — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Reviews, Academic

As we've previously covered on Massively.com before, virtual worlds researcher Edward Castronova's new book is entitled Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun is Changing Reality -- but if you want to know if it's actually worth reading, there's a review over at Rik Santos's personal blog.

I'm almost tempted to pick up a copy, but to me, serious real world influence from virtual worlds feels a long way off. When governments can't even accept gaming, the idea of them trying to learn from MMOs doesn't seem likely any time soon.

And yes, the author is the same man who recently demanded a female dwarf. Comments from that post show he isn't the only one!

Exodus to the Virtual World review from the other virtual world originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fury drops in price, still sucks

Mike Schramm — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fury, Economy, New titles, PvP, Reviews, Opinion

As a final humiliation to what might be, according to the reviews, the worst MMO of the year, WarCry reports that EB Games is now selling Fury for only $29.99. Yes, for only $30, you too can play the game that reviewers said "fails on literally every front."

Poor Fury. They tried so hard, and failed so, so badly. The devs over there are still holding on as hard as they can-- they promise that things will get better and that things will get fixed soon. But when retailers drop your game's price by $20 in the first month of release, the writing is on the wall. Better luck next time, Auran.

Fury drops in price, still sucks originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments