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 joys of scripting the apocalypse: A behind-the-scenes look at Fallen Earth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/06/the-joys-of-scripting-the-apocalypse-a-behind-the-scenes-look-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/06/the-joys-of-scripting-the-apocalypse-a-behind-the-scenes-look-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/06/the-joys-of-scripting-the-apocalypse-a-behind-the-scenes-look-a/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Fallen Earth
What's it like to have a post-apocalyptic landscape as your writing canvas? According to Marie Croall, it's pure heaven. Fallen Earth's lead designer opened up to Rock, Paper, Shotgun about the joys of writing and designing the myriad of quests for the game, as well as the free-to-play transition, plans for PvP, and the dynamic world events.

Croall is part of a slimmed-down team of 12 developers who currently develop Fallen Earth's content. Saying that the team is always trying to "push the envelope" when it comes to the stories told, she notes that each area contains the imbued spirit of each writer: "I worked on a lot of the conflict towns early on and we knew that this was a place for people to kill each other, so a lot of the missions ended up being really thinly veiled insults."

One of the aspects of Fallen Earth that Croall loves is how crazy the team can get. In one instance, the team decided to redo the starter town of Boneclaw by dropping a missile right into it. "We killed off all the players that were there, all the NPCs, and left it as a radiation zone for a good two months, while we made the new town. We flat out nuked it because it wasn't doing what we wanted it to do. Boom!"

While Fallen Earth skirts the line between sandbox and theme park, Croall says the team is devoting a great deal of resources to beefing up the former. "The more features we add, the more ways for players to drive themselves, it makes the world better, it makes it feel like what we saw it as," she said.

MassivelyThe joys of scripting the apocalypse: A behind-the-scenes look at Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boneclawf2pfallen-earthfree-to-playgamers-firstinterviewloremarie-croallnukepvprock-paper-shotgunsandboxstoriesstorystorytellingworld-eventswriterwriterswritingSun, 06 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Hide-Behinds and Squonks and Gumberoos': Bjorn Johannessen talks Salem]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/hide-behinds-and-squonks-and-gumberoos-bjorn-johannessen-talk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/hide-behinds-and-squonks-and-gumberoos-bjorn-johannessen-talk/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/hide-behinds-and-squonks-and-gumberoos-bjorn-johannessen-talk/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Salem concept art
Salem, the upcoming MMO from Paradox Interactive, has gained more and more attention in recent weeks. Perhaps because a fair amount of this attention has been of the "Wait, what is this game about?" variety, Creative Director Bjorn Johannessen sat down with Rock, Paper, Shotgun to talk Salem.

Bjorn describes the game as "a similar premise" to Wurm Online, in that everything in the world is player-made with the exception of natural objects. It's not just a bland Wurm-clone, however. The world of Salem is a little darker, with a harsh justice system, witchcraft, and otherworldly creatures like Hide-Behinds -- creepy predators that hide behind things as they stalk you.

Bjorn explains part of the justice system, discussing what happens when a player kills another (or commits any crime, for that matter): "He leaves a little scent behind, called the Stench of Crime, a kind of clue. Those clues can be used to track the crime; I get up this little window here, where I can choose to track the perpetrator, the claim of the perpetrator, or the item that was stolen. [...] And if the crime is serious enough [...] I can also use this clue to summon the character into the game, if he is offline."

There's much more, so head to Rock, Paper, Shotgun for the full interview!

Massively'Hide-Behinds and Squonks and Gumberoos': Bjorn Johannessen talks Salem originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bjorn-Johannessencraftingparadox-interactivepermadeathrock-paper-shotgunrpssalemWed, 12 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ragnar Tørnquist discusses The Secret World's history, factions, puzzles, and more]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/06/ragnar-tornquist-discusses-the-secret-worlds-history-factions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/06/ragnar-tornquist-discusses-the-secret-worlds-history-factions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/06/ragnar-tornquist-discusses-the-secret-worlds-history-factions/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Funcom's Ragnar Tørnquist, project lead of the upcoming The Secret World, sat down with John Walker over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun to chat about everything TSW. The interview is delightfully in-depth, and is actually only the first part of the entire interview, so TSW fans have something to look forward to as well.

In part one, Mr. Walker talks with Tørnquist about the history of The Secret World and how it arrived at the point it's at today. They also spend a bit of time discussing the game's three factions -- particularly the enigmatic Dragons -- and their potential motivations and interactions. And lastly, of course, they talk about the game's ARG-esque puzzles, which blur the line between game and reality for a more immersive experience. For the whole first part of the interview (which is really a must-read for fans of TSW), head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

MassivelyRagnar Tørnquist discusses The Secret World's history, factions, puzzles, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternate-reality-gameargdragonsfactionsfuncomilluminatiinterviewjohn-walkerpuzzlesragnar-tornquistrock-paper-shotgunrpstemplarthe-secret-worldtswWed, 06 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock, Paper, Shotgun gets an inside look at The Secret World]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/rock-paper-shotgun-gets-an-inside-look-at-the-secret-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/rock-paper-shotgun-gets-an-inside-look-at-the-secret-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/rock-paper-shotgun-gets-an-inside-look-at-the-secret-world/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Illuminati, Templars, and Dragons alike, sit down and listen up. The ever-so-entertaining and informative John Walker over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun has an exclusive inside look at Funcom's upcoming MMORPG The Secret World. The title, which is being headed up by adventure game visionary Ragnar Tørnquist, is set in the real world, though with a few dark and dangerous twists.

Mr. Walker spends a good deal of time talking about the much-talked-about ARG-esque connection between The Secret World and our reality. He goes into detail about a particular puzzle offered by the game which requires players to do a good deal of real-world research in order to reach their in-game goal, which sounds absolutely fascinating. Combat is also touched on, with Mr. Walker noting that "while its delivery is relatively traditional... there's enough that's different here to be interesting." For the full, fascinating read, head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun!

MassivelyRock, Paper, Shotgun gets an inside look at The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternate-reality-gameargcombatdragonilluminatijohn-walkerpuzzlepuzzlesrock-paper-shotgunrpssecret-worldtemplarthe-secret-worldtwsTue, 05 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/age-of-empires-online-dev-diary-is-all-about-the-goods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/age-of-empires-online-dev-diary-is-all-about-the-goods/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/age-of-empires-online-dev-diary-is-all-about-the-goods/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Using tongue-in-cheek stick puppets, the folks at Age of Empires Online have emerged to give us a quick overview of the gear system in a new dev diary. Yes, even empire-building titles rely on good ol' fashioned MMO gear to equip armies.

Once attached to an army, gear changes the appearance and stats of your troops. The more rare the gear, the tougher they become. Gear can be found, purchased, and crafted as you may expect. You have to purchase the civilization with real-world money in order to be able to equip the very best items, however.

And if you're curious about Age of Empires Online's pricing structure, ShackNews has the full skinny. Some of the purchases are merely cosmetic, although it looks like there's bad news for those looking to avoid a "pay to win" scenario: "Unfortunately, Microsoft's approach to monetising Age of Empires Online seems to be one of placing non-paying players at a significant disadvantage."

Age of Empires Online is slated for an August 16th launch. You can watch the dev diary on gear for a chuckle or two after the jump!

Continue reading Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods

MassivelyAge of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've heard the promises: No more grind. No more quests. A truly dynamic world. But can Guild Wars 2 truly live up to these lofty ideals, or will it come crashing down on us like so many other MMO promises in the past?

Speaking with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, ArenaNet's Martin Kerstein says that no, this is the real deal -- Guild Wars 2 will feature a "living, breathing world" unlike anything we've seen to date: "What we try to do with Guild Wars 2 anyway is to break a lot of the existing conventions, like by getting rid of quests and basically totally focusing on dynamic events. So you just run through the world and happen on stuff, and that stuff has an impact on the world... The good thing is those events run even if there are no players involved -- if there are no players, the enemy will take over and you'll have to get it back before you can actually do anything. That's why it feels more organic and breathing."

Shattering conventions is a favorite pastime at ArenaNet, as the company has made a public declaration that it is not afraid to go against the MMO flow. In the interview, Kerstein also addresses the cycle of dynamic events, World of Warcraft's subscriber decline ("It's an older game as well -- some people are maybe just tired," he said), and Warhammer Online's flawed Public Quest system.

Massively'Living, breathing world': Martin Kerstein expounds on Guild Wars 2's dynamic events originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetdynamic-eventdynamic-eventseventsgrindguild-wars-2gw2in-game-eventsliving-breathing-worldMartin-Kersteinncsoftpublic-questsquestsrock-paper-shotgunwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 18 May 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life's Rod Humble on accessibility, new tech, and the future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/second-lifes-rod-humble-on-accessibility-new-tech-and-the-fut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/second-lifes-rod-humble-on-accessibility-new-tech-and-the-fut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/second-lifes-rod-humble-on-accessibility-new-tech-and-the-fut/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Second Life doesn't get a ton of press anymore, partly because of its age and party because -- even after nearly eight years -- people still don't know what to make of it. Is it a game? Is it a virtual world? Is it a melting pot for anyone who has ever thought to themselves: "I know! Let's code, model, and distribute some giant free-standing genitalia!"

Luckily, Rock, Paper Shotgun has stepped up to interview new Linden Lab boss Rod Humble and shed some light on the matter. Humble recently left EA after six years overseeing the second and third entries in the long running Sims franchise, and speaks about trading the relatively insulated world of virtual suburbia for the wild and incredibly untamed frontiers of Second Life.

"What makes Second Life so intriguing to me is its hard to define nature. I have heard people call it a virtual world, a game, the 3D internet, a social media platform, the list goes on. I like that kind of unresolved ambiguity, I think it shows something that is not yet fully evolved and has exciting new roads to discover," Humble says. He goes on to outline plans to revamp Second Life's performance, ease-of-use, and service aspects in order to counter the recent decline in user hours.

MassivelySecond Life's Rod Humble on accessibility, new tech, and the future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eainterviewlindenlinden-labmmo-industryrock-paper-shotgunrod-humblerpssecond-lifethe-simsuser-contentvirtual-worldsThu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ex-APB devs take shots at Realtime Worlds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/25/ex-apb-devs-take-shots-at-realtime-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/25/ex-apb-devs-take-shots-at-realtime-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/25/ex-apb-devs-take-shots-at-realtime-worlds/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The sordid saga of All Points Bulletin continues, this time via the comments of ex-Realtime Worlds developers who have decided to air their grievances in public. Luke Halliwell, a six-year veteran of the company who worked on both APB and the seminal Xbox 360 open-world actioner Crackdown, minced few words on his personal blog. "There had been mounting discontent internally about the competence of our top management -- and what better proof could you need than this. How they could keep operating the company when they couldn't even pay this month's wages, I don't know. Presumably they continued to think we had a chance somehow; the behaviour of a deluded, greedy, addicted gambler," he writes.

Not to be outdone, an anonymous poster claiming to be a former APB dev posted in the comments of a Rock, Paper, Shotgun article about the studio's implosion, pinning the blame on Realtime Worlds' business model as well as "fairly directionless creative leadership."

Halliwell also mentions APB's troubles as they relate to the onslaught of free-to-play titles flooding the marketplace. "Then a few things happened. Facebook. Farmville. The iPhone. Nintendo's resurgence. Casual gaming. Free-to-play. It started to feel like Realtime Worlds was a massive dinosaur, building these massive things that nobody wanted," he said.

MassivelyEx-APB devs take shots at Realtime Worlds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"X game sounds a lot like Planetside. I wish they'd make a sequel to that game." is something we've heard over the years as similar-yet-different titles have been announced and released. Well who says wishes don't come true? As it turns out, SOE is planning to "expand the Planetside universe with another game" and is asking players of the original for their input via survey. Rock Paper Shotgun picked up the scent of impending sequelosity, which is a word we've just made up that describes a sequel revelation of such ferocity that it slaps your jaw to the ground.

There are a lot of games, such as MAG, that are attempting a Planetside-ish experience. However, nothing new has really attempted the scope of the game, so hearing that another is on the way infuses us with a intoxicating blend of hope and curiosity.

MassivelyWishes do come true, Planetside 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingfirst-person-shooterfpsfpsmmomagmassive-action-gameplanetsideplanetside-2rock-paper-shotgunshootersoesonysony-online-entertainmentsurveyzipper-interactiveSun, 27 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jagex lets out a small bit of information on their upcoming title, Mechscape]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/07/jagex-lets-out-a-small-bit-of-information-on-their-upcoming-titl/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/07/jagex-lets-out-a-small-bit-of-information-on-their-upcoming-titl/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/07/jagex-lets-out-a-small-bit-of-information-on-their-upcoming-titl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Getting Jagex to even speak the name Mechscape is hard enough in itself, but Kieron Gillen was able to glean some facts from the Jagex staff at the recent DEVELOP conference in Brighton.

While Gillen's Rock, Paper, Shotgun piece centered mostly on Jagex's newest website, FunOrb, and their dedication to retro gaming, he was able to sneak in a few questions and learn a few key facts about Jagex's next browser-based MMO. Mechscape is not Runescape in space, but more of an evolution of "How can we avoid past mistakes?" One of the mistakes that many developers make is putting fantasy MMO mechanics into a sci-fi setting according to Henrique Olifiers, the head of Mechscape.

"The reason why many Sci-fi MMOs haven't worked is because they're fantasy games dressed up to look like Sci-fi games," said Olifiers to Gillen.

To this end, Mechscape has turned to sci-fi titles such as Ascendancy and Masters of Orion for inspiration in regards to their game mechanics. In addition, Mechscape will not be featuring experience points or levels, much like another game we just talked about.

Olifiers has stated that Mechscape is in the final polishing phases of development, but he will not put a date down on the game just yet, citing the age-old, "It will be done when it's done."

MassivelyJagex lets out a small bit of information on their upcoming title, Mechscape originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browser-basedbrowser-mmofantasyhenrique-olifiersjagexkieron-gillenmechscaperock-paper-shotgunrunescapesci-fiFri, 07 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Global Agenda gameplay vids show off customization and PvP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/new-global-agenda-gameplay-vids-show-off-customization-and-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/new-global-agenda-gameplay-vids-show-off-customization-and-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/new-global-agenda-gameplay-vids-show-off-customization-and-pvp/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


As the shooter-MMO hybrid Global Agenda enters closed beta this month, the team at Hi-Rez Studios has begun to release more videos showing off gameplay footage. John Walker over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun hunted down and rounded up the new videos from Gametrailers, which give us a good look at how the game is shaping up. The first video shows off the character creation process, with a cut scene explaining your introduction to the world, trapped and floating in a cloning tank monitored by machines, then rescued by armored human allies. That's followed up by footage of other character creation options in Global Agenda, from the look of your agent's body to armor customization, as well as showing how large and open the game's social hubs will be.

Even better, there are two more videos that show off Global Agenda's combat, demonstrating both co-op gameplay and PvP. We've got video embeds of the combat footage after the jump:

Continue reading New Global Agenda gameplay vids show off customization and PvP

MassivelyNew Global Agenda gameplay vids show off customization and PvP originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorcharacter-creationco-opcustomizationgametrailersglobal-agendahi-rez-studiosnew-titlespvprock-paper-shotgunsci-fispy-fivideoThu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The game journalist war erupts in PlanetSide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/15/the-game-journalist-war-erupts-in-planetside/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/15/the-game-journalist-war-erupts-in-planetside/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/15/the-game-journalist-war-erupts-in-planetside/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Fond readers will remember the last time game journalists invaded PlanetSide. They were overpowered, weapon toting, vehicle stealing, base overriding Black Ops members, and they just so happened to be the Massively.com staff. Of course we ended up getting slaughtered, as we represented a mysterious fourth faction and ended up having the entire community gang up on us -- which was insanely fun.

But now a new breed of journalist will be entering the fray. Not one, but three other staffs will be jumping down this time around, and each group will be taking a different side of combat. The Escapist, BoingBoing Offworld, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun will be joining the game as part of the three different factions, each group looking to take some of their readership along for the ride. The Escapist has already opened their key giveaway, where they will be giving 70 PlanetSide keys to readers. Rock, Paper, Shotgun has stated that they will put up their own information soon, and Offworld looks to be getting ready as well.

Continue reading The game journalist war erupts in PlanetSide

MassivelyThe game journalist war erupts in PlanetSide originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boingboing-offworldinvasionjournalistoffworldplanetsiderock-paper-shotgunsoethe-escapistwarThu, 15 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bruce Harlick on City of Heroes story design: Cimerora]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/bruce-harlick-on-arc-design-cimerora/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/bruce-harlick-on-arc-design-cimerora/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/bruce-harlick-on-arc-design-cimerora/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Creating missions and particularly story arcs for City of Heroes/City of Villains is a much more involved process than you might imagine. Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Alec Meer talks to NCsoft's Bruce Harlick, Senior Game Designer about this involuted, and sometimes arcane process.

Harlick waxes at length about the Cimerora story arcs (for both heroes and villains). Lead Mission Writer, John Morrissey, provided the seed ideas and set Harlick to flesh it all out as a part of learning the tools and process to produce the missions with "the mandate of no new assets or code".

Harlick's account of the process gives a revealing look into the way it all works, the frustrations and obstacles, how he clothed his ideas in the MMO's digital flesh, and how he went about breaking Morrissey's mandate in the end. All in all, it is a fascinating look behind the scenes of this popular super-powered MMOG, and we recommend it for those who would like to be enlightened about the process that brings us some of our favorite story moments in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

MassivelyBruce Harlick on City of Heroes story design: Cimerora originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruce-harlickcimeroracity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxjohn-morrisseymission-designerncsoftrock-paper-shotgunTue, 04 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Eskil Steenberg interviewed about his one-man MMO project "Love"]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/eskil-steenberg-interviewed-about-his-one-man-mmo-project-love/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/eskil-steenberg-interviewed-about-his-one-man-mmo-project-love/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/eskil-steenberg-interviewed-about-his-one-man-mmo-project-love/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Have you ever wondered what it would take for a single person to create an MMO? Is a task this monumental even possible? Apparently it is, given what we've seen and read of Love, an MMO being developed by a single man -- Eskil Steenberg.

Love isn't being created by a team of devs, nor does it have a multi-million dollar development and marketing budget. It's just one man with a vision, building the best game he can and showing it off on his laptop. Rock, Paper, Shotgun recently got an exclusive first look at the Love trailer and Jim Rossignol from RPS followed that up with an interview with Eskil Steenberg. They discuss how Love's unique visual style evolved into what we see today and talk about the game's trinity of activities -- exploration, combat, and building -- namely the system of city building. It's a very interesting talk with Steenberg, and really is a must-read if you're enthusiastic about Love and the ambition of its creator.

MassivelyEskil Steenberg interviewed about his one-man MMO project "Love" originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every time a player in EVE Online loses a ship in a fiery explosion, along with its modules and cargo, they turn to the market or look through contracts to replace what they've lost and stock up for the next time. EVE Online's sandbox and the inevitable PvP conflict that results when players can do what they choose in that sandbox provides economic opportunities for some. Combat burns up ships, and players heavily into the manufacturing side of the game are happy to supply the endless demand for new equipment, be it an unassuming frigate or a massive dreadnaught.

In EVE, items aren't supplied by NPCs, they're created by other players (or bought in quantity and resold at a markup by traders). Aside from certain items like skillbooks and blueprint originals, most of the items a player can possess in the game have been produced by other players. Thus, EVE's setting of New Eden has a true economy, providing a great amount of depth for those who are willing to learn its complexities.

Continue reading A brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry

MassivelyA brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gameseurogamereveeve-onlinehighsecindustryjim-rossignolmarketnew-edenrock-paper-shotguntradetraderThu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO's Jeffrey Steefel looks beyond Mines of Moria]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/lotros-jeffrey-steefel-looks-beyond-mines-of-moria/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/lotros-jeffrey-steefel-looks-beyond-mines-of-moria/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/lotros-jeffrey-steefel-looks-beyond-mines-of-moria/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


By now, we all should know quite a bit about Lord of the Rings Online's newest expansion, Mines of Moria, slated for release later this year. We know about the two new classes and the new area to explore, but what about the future after Moria? This has only been touched-on previously, but in two recent interviews with Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel, we get word of Turbine's plans with the franchise.

First, Steefel mentions the fact that they're aiming to release another expansion this time next year, and that there will be several new books released between now and then. While this has been discussed before, he mentions the act that these books will all take place in and around Lothlorien. Does this mean we may see the next expansion focusing on Rohan? Oh, wouldn't that be amazing.

Continue reading LotRO's Jeffrey Steefel looks beyond Mines of Moria

MassivelyLotRO's Jeffrey Steefel looks beyond Mines of Moria originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-merskycodemastersjeffrey-steefellord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriarock-paper-shotgunstrategy-informerturbineFri, 26 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/11/eves-alliance-warfare-the-largest-virtual-conflict-ever-waged/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/11/eves-alliance-warfare-the-largest-virtual-conflict-ever-waged/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/11/eves-alliance-warfare-the-largest-virtual-conflict-ever-waged/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Alliance warfare is an aspect of EVE Online that sets it apart from virtually any other MMO on the market. It commands a devoted following of players who continually exert their collective strength to conquer new regions of space while subjugating their numerous opponents.

Although it's been said that only a minority of EVE Online's entire playerbase are entrenched in alliance warfare over 0.0 (lawless) space, this is where much of the action in the game takes place. 0.0 is where the most valuable resources in the game are found, and where the authorities do nothing to hinder player activities. The wealth, freedom and potential for power turn EVE's vast swaths of 0.0 space into hotly contested regions... the battlefield of "the largest virtual conflict ever waged," in the words of games journalist Jim Rossignol.

Continue reading EVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged

MassivelyEVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliance-warfarealliancesband-of-brothersbobccpccp-gamesconflicteveeve-onlineforumsgame-mechanicsgoonfleetgoonswarmguildsjim-rossignolnew-edenpvpred-alliancerock-paper-shotgunrockpapershotgunsci-fisomething-awfulterritorial-controlthis-gaming-lifeThu, 11 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlanetSide veteran remembers the Battle of Forseral]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/planetside-veteran-remembers-the-battle-of-forseral/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/planetside-veteran-remembers-the-battle-of-forseral/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/planetside-veteran-remembers-the-battle-of-forseral/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

PlanetSide doesn't get much attention these days. It didn't get much attention when it was fresh on the market either. It has always seemed like a clunky, not-quite-right prototype for what a massively-multiplayer-first-person-shooter could be. But some folks remember their time spent there quite fondly, including Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Quintin Smith.

A few days ago he wrote up an article about how veterans of the game fondly share war stories, and then provided his own epic tale. It's a great story that shows how players with good humor can turn a game-crushing bug into the gaming experience of a lifetime.

The story resembles the Battle of Thermopylae; one nation is forced (by a bug) to the brink of annihilation. It's interesting because it's presumably the one time any faction in PlanetSide was faced with the possibility of complete and final loss of a war that's rigged to be impossible to lose (or win). We recently brought up the question of stakes in PvP, so this new RPS article is topical! Amusingly, the article is also not entirely dissimilar to our own PlanetSide experience.

MassivelyPlanetSide veteran remembers the Battle of Forseral originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today we return to a debate that simply will not die. Gaming blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun -- a very smart blog that is a combination of progressive and traditionalist, if that makes any sense at all -- felt the need to defend itself after it previewed Warhammer Online and made numerous comparisons to World of Warcraft. It even inserted a WoW screenshot as a joke.

If you've been following this debate (which already reached a raging napalmic inferno of internet vitriol when Richard Bartle compared the games in an interview with us) then you know that RPS was just asking for trouble. And trouble it got, in the order of more than 200 comments.

The latest development: RPS blogger Alec Meer wrote a personal, diplomatic, and even impassioned post in which he attempted both to defend the comparison and to defend WAR in the face of said comparison. He also tried to explain why the connection infuriates WAR fans so much. The money quote: "Telling a WAR player that his game is similar to WoW is like telling a goth that he's emo." Needless to say, it's worth a read.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyRock, Paper, Shotgun discovers that WoW is a "dirty word" originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's a lot of Champions Online information swirling about the internet right now, if you hadn't noticed. So it can be easy to miss some of the better articles on the game, unless you look very carefully. Not only does Rock, Paper Shotgun have a great article about Champions Online up but they also plan to release more throughout the week. As if that weren't enough they managed to pull an interesting piece of information out of Cryptic CEO John Needham, too. According to Needham, Cryptic has a dynamic content system in the works that will allow the developer to spawn unique zones on the fly. While this is all very interesting, you're probably wondering how this factors into Champions Online. Well, it doesn't. At least not right now it doesn't.

This dynamic content system is actually for other upcoming MMOs being developed by Cryptic. Oh, how we wonder what sort of MMO would benefit from such a system. However, removing our tinfoil hats reveals that there's something else even cooler about all of this. These tools are being polished up so that they can be given to future players who will then be able to create their own content within Cryptic games. Unfortunately, Needham didn't go into exactly what kind of content players will be creating but the fact that such a thing is even being worked on is entirely cool beans.

MassivelyCryptic Studios developing user-generated content tools originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The interview between Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Kieron Gillen and EA Mythic's Paul Barnett is a bit of meta-ness that doesn't bear directly on MMO news, but it's an interesting look into the mind of one of the architects behind the upcoming Warhammer Online.

The take-away from the interview is that games journalism can be played many different ways, but in Barnett's mind it ought to stand for critical examination, the way movie critics write. Part of this means a no-bias account, and part of it means offering alternatives to gameplay that the writer feels doesn't work. We bloggers here at Massively do our best to provide our readers with the straight stuff, and we hope that comes through.

The interview is merely the first in a series, with much more content from that evening's get-together on its way. We'll keep our eyes out for interesting tidbits.

MassivelyWAR's Creative Director waxes nostalgic about games journalism originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's a clip over at GameVideos (embedded above) that depicts All Points Bulletin's character customization system. We say "customization" instead of "creation" because we doubt all the exhibited features will be available to new players. We learned at GDC (in the very same session this video originated from, actually) that visual customization options will be among players' rewards for successful play.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Kieron Gillen was nevertheless impressed with all the options. He commented on the exhibit, and posited that APB has that Grand Theft Auto je ne sais quoi. The culprit: the art style, which when combined with creativity will give the game a human quality that transcends the mechanics of the game. Because of that, Gillen is looking forward to APB more than he is to any other MMO.

He took a jab at World of Warcraft, saying that because each item of clothing in WoW has critical stats tied to it, no one expresses him or herself through clothing. Stats are more important than self-expression in WoW society, right? Gillen prefers the City of Heroes approach, which he believes APB shares. But does it? We don't really know yet, do we? Maybe your clothing style affects your skills. That's something to wonder about. We'll see.

MassivelyWhy APB's customization options might be a big deal (or not) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite the best efforts of various MMOFPS titles, MMORPGs continue to be the genre du jour within the massively multiplayer sphere. Whether it's because other variants are less viable or simply because the conventional designs make for an easier pitch when searching for seed funding or publishing deals remains to be seen.

One auspiciously under-explored genre so far has been the MMORTS, the fusion of old-school real-time strategy and the massively multiplayer. Part of the reason this genre hasn't seen more action, we think, is because the technical and design challenges inherent are somewhat daunting. In a recent post, Rock Paper Shotgun's Jim Rossignol takes a look at some upcoming MMORTS titles, including the ambitious Dreamlords releasing this week, and reports on what he finds. This blogger still doesn't totally buy the concept, but the proof will likely be in the pudding.

MassivelyReal-time strategy getting more massive originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get your decoder rings out kids. It's time for a super-special secret broadcast for this recent Champions Online Q&A, brought to you by Ovaltine! Well no that's not true. Actually, this particular decoding article is brought to you by the guys over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun and it isn't trying to sell you more Ovaltine. What the article is trying to do is explain some of the answers in the recently published community Q&A all about Champions Online.

Most of the commentary covers the powers customization answers and rightfully so, as they're a bit daunting for people that haven't experienced a point-based table top RPG before. So if you're not experienced with the pen and paper version of Champions or un-familiar with pen and paper RPGs completely, then we highly recommend reading it. As they saying goes: There's gold in them there hills, or possibly some kind of super gamma-exposed uranium that could give you laser nostrils able to cut through anything at the smallest of sneezes.

MassivelyA Champions Online QnA special broadcast originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you have a friend (or friends, if you're really lucky) in your MMO of choice that choose to play healer? If so, do you thank them every once in a while for their continued efforts in nothing more than keeping you and everyone else alive? Or are you the type of player that endlessly jabs those who would chose to do nothing but heal for not keeping you alive every single encounter?

If your answer was "yes" to any of those questions, then it would be worth your time to head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun and read through a wonderfully written article concerning healers and gratitude.

For as long as men and women have been shooting magical missiles or wielding swords and shields there have been other men and women behind them keeping them alive. Be it World of Warcraft or Everquest, the role of healer has always been one of mixed blessings. So we'd like to take this moment to thank our healers, because without you guys we'd all be dead, dying or at the very least un-buffed.

MassivelyA moment of thanks for our healers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rock, Paper, Shotgun interview recently posted with noted Massive designer Raph Koster starts off "Raph Koster knows a thing or two about MMOs". That's a bit of an understatement. Looking at Raph's CV is like stepping back through some of the most important moments in the online gaming genre. Most of them, as has been the norm in the USA, are subscription titles.

Raph thinks that's quickly going to be an artifact of the past, as already there are more free-to-play games than flat-fee-per-month titles. He believes that big budget games are going to start to get the hint and offer tiered services, free-to-play special clients, and other ways to get an 'in' on those particular worlds.

Ultimately I think that's one of the most important points he makes in this discussion. MMO developers (in the West at least) have always seemed to be resistant to the idea of 'just get everybody you can in there'. That seems counter-intuitive to me, because more than anything else butts in the seats are what makes a Massive environment seem truly alive.

The rest of the interview is equally thought-provoking with discussion of the concept behind Metaplace, the misuse of the web by game developers, and the conceptual skeleton used by designers to make these games in the first place.

MassivelyRaph Koster on why MMOs should be free originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beam me up- WAIT! YOU'RE NOT SCOTTY!Kieron Gillen of Rock, Paper, Shotgun has a great retrospective up about Tabula Rasa, its launch, and where Destination Games should go from here.

Kieron talks about how he actually likes TR, but how the game has been damaged -- maybe ruined -- by an ill-advised Beta test. Which is spot on, really. Loads of serious MMO fans played the Beta at one time or another, and it was missing so many features that made it into the final game it's not even funny -- in fact, it's still missing some even now, hence the rush for patches and new content. The solution? Kieron recommends TR gets a free trial. Not the refer a friend scheme going around at present -- a real free trial so Beta testers can reevaluate the game as it stands.

The quality of a Beta influences how successfully a game sells much more than publishers seem to believe, and similarly, free trials. It's always struck me as foolish that every MMOG doesn't have a free trial to begin with. Whilst retail sales is something publishers will always hate to lose, surely if subscriptions are increased in the long-term it's a wise investment?

MassivelyKieron Gillen on TR, betas, and free trials originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadestination-gamesfree-trialkieron-gillenncsoftrefer-a-friendrock-paper-shotguntabula-rasaSun, 25 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Founding an old MMO on new ideas]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/22/founding-an-old-mmo-on-new-ideas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/22/founding-an-old-mmo-on-new-ideas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/22/founding-an-old-mmo-on-new-ideas/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Rock Paper Shotgun has posted an interesting thought experiment: what if you took two of the world's biggest MMOs, EVE Online and World of Warcraft, and combined their best features into some kind of super, Frankenstein, monster MMO? I'm actually really interested in this, because I've been playing WoW for a long time, and have only recently come around to playing EVE. So what would World of EVECraft look like?

First of all, I completely agree with RPS-- the best new MMO feature in both games is EVE's skill system. Instead of killing X rats (rats both in the old standby MMO monsters, and in EVE's jargon for "Pirates") to level, you simply level. That's it. Choose a level, wait a certain amount of time (from a few minutes to a few days), and at the end of that time, even if you've logged out in between, you get that level. It is the perfect system for MMOs, because it really does make your character persistent-- they're leveling even when you're not.

And as RPS points out, it does away with the basic idea of "levels" anyway-- no longer must you wait until your friend reaches your level to join you, and no longer does a foe simply become insurmountable based on a number. The skilling idea also helps in PvP as well-- no matter what your skills are or how good you are, you'll get better over time.

So what can we take from World of Warcraft?

Continue reading Founding an old MMO on new ideas

MassivelyFounding an old MMO on new ideas originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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