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Arcane Legends officially announced

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, Free-to-play, Mobile

While we knew it was coming, it is still nice to get official confirmation: Spacetime Studios has announced Arcane Legends, its latest MMO for iOS, Android, and Chrome.

With Arcane Legends, Spacetime Studios is going back to its fantasy roots. Instead of Pocket Legends' more traditional MMO combat, however, Arcane Legends will feature action combat full of combos and button-mashing. During the combat, a rage meter will allow players to activate powerful abilities when it's completely full.

The three classes announced for the game are the Warrior, Rogue, and Sorcerer. Arcane Legends will support both co-op and PvP gameplay.

CEO Gary Gattis thinks that Arcane Legends is different enough from previous Spacetime endeavors to justify its development: "With every Legends title we are focused on bringing something distinct to cross-platform gaming. With Arcane Legends we set out to create an action RPG with a clever and funny story, meaningful multiplayer gameplay and above all furious fast-paced tactical combat."

Massively will be getting its first look at Arcane Legends at E3 next month.

Arcane Legends officially announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard update brings new loyalty rewards for subscribers

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, Vanguard, Free-to-play, Promotions

As Vanguard straddles the line between its old subscriber-only business model and this summer's free-to-play transition, the team is still plugging away at minor updates to the game. Today's patch brings a smattering of updates and fixes as well as the May loyalty rewards for current subscribers.

Active players will get to haul away five goodies from SOE, including a brown sloop ship, unique tack and barding, and a "Kamelott Overland Onslaught Life-Sustaining Exo-Skeleton" mount. Players can also pick up free supply crates and veteran's caches (the latter are available only for level 50+ characters) every 44 hours.

The update also fixed a few small issues with quests, retweaked some skills for Rogues and Bards, and changed a couple of items to make them work properly.

SOE will continue to dish out loyalty rewards until Vanguard goes F2P.

Vanguard update brings new loyalty rewards for subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist discovers the Island of Kesmai

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, The Game Archaeologist

It was the mid-'80s, and I was just a kid in love with his family's IBM PC. Not having a wealth of capital at the time, I relied on hand-me-down copies of software that rolled in from friends and family and probably the Cyber-Mafia. Practically none of the disks came with instructions (or even labels, sometimes), and as such I felt like an explorer uncovering hidden gems as I shoved in 5 1/4" floppy after 5 1/4" floppy. Some titles were great fun, some were so obtuse I couldn't get into them, and some were obviously meant for those older and wiser than I.

One game that fell into the latter category was a brutally difficult RPG that smelt of Dungeons & Dragons -- a forbidden experience for me at the time. It was just a field of ASCII characters, jumbled statistics, and instant death awaiting me around every corner. I gave it a few tries but could never progress past the first level, especially when I'd keep running out of arrows, so I gave up.

Unbeknownst to me, I had my first brush with Rogue, an enormously popular dungeon crawler that straddled the line between the description-heavy RPGs and arcade titles like Gauntlet. Rogue defined the genre when it came out in 1980, spawning dozens of "Roguelikes" that sought to cash in on the craze. Not five years after its release, Rogue got a worthy successor that decided it could bring this addicting style of gameplay to the larva form of the Internet. It was called Island of Kesmai, but you may call it "Sir, yes sir!"

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist discovers the Island of Kesmai

The Game Archaeologist discovers the Island of Kesmai originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist dials up Phantasy Star Online: The players

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Culture, Interviews, Consoles, The Game Archaeologist

After last week's foray into the colorful world of Phantasy Star Online, I knew I had to step it up for a great follow-through. That's why I got in touch with three excellent MMO bloggers who have long histories with PSO and were more than eager to share their perspective on this unique game world!

The Game Archaeologist: Who the heck are you and how did you first get into Phantasy Star Online? What class and race did you play?

David: I'm David Lambert, but many people know me better as Branick, host and producer of the LOTRO Academy podcast. I first got into Phantasy Star Online with the original Dreamcast release, which I picked up only about two weeks after it came out. I actually had eight different characters (I bought six VMUs in addition to the two I already had specifically for this purpose), but I definitely favored the HUcast. I wasn't big on using techniques, and the HUcast had the highest attack power in the game.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist dials up Phantasy Star Online: The players

The Game Archaeologist dials up Phantasy Star Online: The players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Hero Squad Online wishes you a merry X-Men Month

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Casual, Family, Super Hero Squad Online

If you're gearing up for Xmas, then why not invite the X-Men over for some casual MMO gaming? Gazillion has declared that December is "X-Men Month" in Super Hero Squad Online, as the title turns its attention to Professor X's extraordinary students and their action-packed outings.

Enrollment is open for the School for Gifted Youngsters, and signing up for superhero mayhem are several brand-new heroes for the game. The MMO is also unleashing four new quests -- two for Wolverine and two for Rogue -- to go with its signature card battles.

Vice President Jay Minn is (sorry) super-psyched for the theme month: "X-Men month has been a long time coming since the launch of our game. Nightcrawler, Phoenix, Angel, Iceman and Shadowcat have always topped our list of most-requested Marvel heroes. We are very excited that our fans will finally be able to show off and fight evil as the X-Men! Happy holidays everyone and Hero Up!"

[Source: Gazillion press release]

Super Hero Squad Online wishes you a merry X-Men Month originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 dev diary looks at melee classes

Matt Daniel — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, News items, Dev Diaries

Last week, Ignited Games announced the upcoming 2-D side-scroller WindSlayer 2. This week, the title is back for more with a new developer diary that looks at the game's melee classes. Those who prefer to go wading into battle on the front lines will have three choices: the valiant Warrior, the dexterous Rogue, or the enlightened Monk.

For the full details on each of these classes, head on past the cut for the full dev diary. And once you're done, don't forget to head on over to the game's official site (linked below) to register for a shot at a spot in the closed beta test.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 dev diary looks at melee classes

Massively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 dev diary looks at melee classes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, The Game Archaeologist

Let's begin with a little personal history. Back in 2008, I decided to get into the blogging scene by jumping on board the latest MMO hotness -- in this case, Warhammer Online. As I was growing increasingly tired of World of Warcraft, WAR seemed to offer a refreshing alternative: a darker world full of brutal PvP and awesome new ideas. So I joined the elite ranks of bloggers (hey, stop laughing so hard) and spent the better part of two years jawing about Mythic's latest fantasy project.

And while Warhammer Online was, in my opinion, a solid product, it certainly failed to live up to the extremely high expectations held by both the development team and the players. No matter how it turned out, I really enjoyed talking about WAR, especially in the days leading up to its launch.

One of the first articles I ever wrote for my blog WAAAGH! dealt with the first attempt to bring Warhammer Online into the MMO genre (as a fun aside, it was one of the first times I got my name on Massively!). It's a "what if?" tale that's tantalizing to consider -- an entirely different studio, Climax Online, creating a much darker version of Warhammer than we've ever seen online. The tale of the game's rise and fall (and subsequent rise and fall again) captivated me, and I wanted to expand my old article as part of our recent series into exploring MMOs canceled before their launch.

So what if Climax had brought Warhammer Online to bear? Would it have eclipsed Mythic's vision or been its own animal? Hit the jump and let's dive into the pages of ancient history!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online

The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Find the Force

Larry Everett — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

With E3 last week, I really considered devoting this article to opinions regarding the latest news for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Then I realized that Massively already published a ton of SWTOR related articles about E3 this week. During the show itself, Dan gave his impressions of playing the game, and all four of our attendees delivered impressions yesterday. It's good to read impressions from people who love MMOs but aren't necessarily die-hard fans of BioWare or Star Wars -- you'll get a different perspective than you would reading this column.

So instead, this week I'll examine the announced abilities for the Jedi Consular class. The majority of this information stems from the advanced class page, but there is a little bit that comes from MMORPG's interview with Georg Zoeller. Hop past the break as we explore the abilities of this powerful Force-user.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Find the Force

Hyperspace Beacon: Find the Force originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage, The Game Archaeologist

If we judged MMOs by their numbers alone -- and I'm not suggesting we do so -- then Lineage would be the crowing rooster strutting about the hen house. It's also been one of those games that I've always intellectually acknowledged was a huge hit for some reason, but I never gave it much attention. I think it's because, contrary to many of the "big name" games we cover here, Lineage was and always will be an Asian phenomenon. That doesn't mean it should be shunned, of course, but just that it may be difficult to understand when you're on the outside of it.

So let's back up the memory truck to September 1998, when a then-fledgling NCsoft rolled out a Diablo-esque isometric MMO and struck virtual gold in South Korea. At the time, gaming rooms were becoming a huge thing in the country; a recession had hit (giving people a lot of time with nothing to do), and the government was rapidly expanding the broadband network. In the face of this perfect storm, titles like StarCraft and Lineage became overnight household fixtures -- and the country hasn't looked back.

Even if you haven't played Lineage and you don't know anyone who does, trust me: There are a lot of people playing this 13-year-old title, to the tune of millions and millions. As former Senior Producer Chris Mahnken said, "Lineage keeps going because it's just plain fun."

This month we'll be looking back at the incredible legacy that Lineage has given the industry, starting with an overview of the highlights of these past 13 years. Hit the jump and mind the gap!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamersFirst revamps Knight Online's capital city

Jef Reahard — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

GamersFirst is getting a lot of press lately due to its resurrection project on APB: Reloaded, but it bears mentioning that San Paro isn't the only city receiving some love from the free-to-play company.

Knight Online's capital city of Moradon "has risen from the ashes to be completely redesigned," according to a new GamersFirst press blurb. Moradon's architecture has been permanently redone, and the questing hub boasts a graphical revamp that reflects the city's rebuilding efforts following the destructive machinations of the god Pathos in Knight Online's chapter eight update.

Knight Online is a PvP- and story-centric MMO that allows players to fight for lands and castles in the kingdom of Carnac. Four character classes are available, and you can learn more about the Warrior, Rogue, Priest, and Mage at the game's official web destination.

GamersFirst revamps Knight Online's capital city originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Unusual MMO weapons

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Aion, City of Heroes, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer Online, Humor, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

Swords. Staffs. Maces. Spears. Wands. Bows. Crossbows. Double-crossbows. Hammers. Wolverine claws. Daggers. Axes.

Deadly? Yes. Fashionable? Not so much. I mean, really. A two-handed sword is so 1299. Now, a deep dish Chicago-style pizza with the works flung into an enemy's gullet -- that's progressive thinking!

Because I'm deeply bored with the usual suspects in most MMO armories, I wanted to spend a day praising devs who said, "Screw it. We're going weird, and we're not going to regret it, even when our bosses call us into their offices demanding why such lunacy ended up in a professional game."

So forget everything you think you know about weapons because your pitiful armament has yet to scratch the surface of the wild, wild universe of things that can be used to kill you in game. This Perfect Ten column is sponsored by Grizzly Bear Rocket Launchers, Ltd. after the jump.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Unusual MMO weapons

The Perfect Ten: Unusual MMO weapons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Tinkering with standard classes and my Priest/Rogue

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

Aside from some ancillary problems, one of the things I love so much about Runes of Magic is that it gives me ability to augment weapons and equipment via the arcane transmutor. When that is coupled with a dual-class system, players are given a lot of room to bend traditional classes to their wills.

I've been running a Priest/Rogue for a while now and loving it. The selection of offensive spells, the Rogue's skills, and the weapons I can wield have me wanting to push the boundaries of typical class specifications. I'm building a hammer-wielding Priest that's specced much like I'd spec a Mage, but the class can also pump out adequate melee damage. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I want to give you a run-down of the gear, weapons, and stats I'm choosing. It should serve as a good guide to some unique possibilities for classes in RoM.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Tinkering with standard classes and my Priest/Rogue

Lost Pages of Taborea: Tinkering with standard classes and my Priest/Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What do you think about stealth?

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

I remember back when Warhammer Online was in development and the issue arose of stealth in the game. At first, the devs were adamant that stealth was a cheesy PvP tactic that had no place in WAR. This stance lasted for some time until they abruptly did an about-face and introduced a couple of stealth classes, much to the dismay of players looking forward to a PvP title free of the feature.

So we learned that stealth comes to most all MMOs, whether we like it or not. For some, stealth is an empowering ability that allows players to bend the rules of mob engagement and attack them on their own terms. For others, stealth is an infuriating tactic in PvP battles that is usually followed up by stuns, massive damage and death.

So what do you think about stealth? Is it a great feature or a horrible one? Is it so standard that all MMOs must include it from here on out? Do you enjoy playing stealth classes or secretly loathe them?

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: What do you think about stealth? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer

Jef Reahard — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, MMO industry, News items, RIFT

It's been a while since we've seen a class video from Trion, but today the drought is over thanks to the spiffy new RIFT Rogue trailer. The two-minute clip mixes in-game footage with title screens showing the various permutations of the Rogue's soul system, giving would-be rascals a cursory glance at RIFT's take on one of the fantasy genre's most beloved archetypes.

Because of RIFT's build-your-own-class mechanics, Rogues in the world of Telara stand out from their contemporaries due to a good bit of versatility. The trailer shows us three incarnations of the class: a death-dealer, a sniper, and a support specialist. In addition to those roles, you may even see a RIFT Rogue playing a lute, teleporting, or possibly tanking a mob. Check out the clip after the cut for more details.

Continue reading Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer

Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Your eyes can deceive you

Larry Everett — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, New titles, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

I don't know about you, but this Friday's update surprised me. After the freighter-full of information we have been receiving, I was kind of expecting a meager morsel of facts from Star Wars: The Old Republic in this most recent update. However, just knowing that the update was written by Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller, I was excited about it. Zoeller is surely the most active developer on the SWTOR forums, and he always has some incredible nuggets of information to share with the community.

This week, I want to talk about combat roles. Although BioWare mentioned that it supports the standard trinity, it was refreshing to read that the team is mixing things up a bit based on advanced classes. For instance, your Bounty Hunter easily slips into the DPS or the tank role, but developers have thrown healing into the equation, too. This week, I want to talk about another role I did not expect to see: the Stealth Tank.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Your eyes can deceive you

Hyperspace Beacon: Your eyes can deceive you originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: A talk with Richard Bartle

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous

From talking with Richard Bartle, reading his blog, and looking over several interviews that he's done, I've concluded that the co-creator of the first multi-user dungeon is, in many ways, a card. A smart one, a perceptive one, and an outspoken one, but a card nonetheless. I say this in a good way, of course, because for all of the verbal pussyfooting that often goes on in this industry, it's refreshing to hear the voice of someone who knows what he thinks and isn't afraid to say it, even if it goes against the grain.

Dr. Bartle's name often comes up in discussions of both MUDs and MMORPGs. His designs, work and scholarship have influenced MMOs in substantial ways, and it's possible that if our children end up learning about massively multiplayer RPGs in school some day, Bartle's name will be mentioned once or twice.

While he's sometimes polarizing, it's hard to deny the incredible work he's done, which is why I was excited to get to talk to him about this month's subject on the Game Archaeologist. So hit that pesky jump and let's pick the mind of a guy who really earned the right to post "FIRST!!1!"

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: A talk with Richard Bartle

The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: A talk with Richard Bartle originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOFUS introduces Rogue and Masqueraider classes

Jef Reahard — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dofus, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

Class-based fantasy games aren't unusual these days; in fact, they're the standard. It's rare that such a title has more than a handful of classes, though. Then there's DOFUS. The six-year-old free-to-play title recently added Masqueraiders and Rogues, bringing the game's class total to a whopping 14.

Rogues function a bit differently than the rascally backstabbers you may be used to from other games. Rogues effectively dictate actions on the battlefield through the use of bombs and walls, which direct enemy movements and function as a form of crowd control.

Masqueraiders take their power from a variety of wearable masks, which allow the player to adopt several fighting styles. Three masks types are available: the cowardly mask (ranged damage), the psychopath mask (close combat damage), and the classic mask (crowd control). Finally, Masqueraiders can also avail themselves of several buff-type spells including plastron, tororuga, and trance. Head to the official DOFUS website for all the details.

DOFUS introduces Rogue and Masqueraider classes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: When has an MMO driven you to madness?

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

Theoretically, MMOs -- like all games -- should be relaxing. They're entertainment, right? Where we go to unwind, to get away from the stress of life by mindlessly slaughtering thousands of virtual beings?

For the most part I like to believe that this is true, but I know that there are exceptions. Dark exceptions. There are moments when MMOs show a cackling face from the void as they work to drive you to near-madness. Sometimes it's when you've run a dungeon 500 times for a piece of loot that never, ever drops. Maybe you're oh-so-close to completing an epic quest and you get ganked at the last second by a Rogue on PCP. Perhaps it's losing a battle to the almighty random number generator.

So when has an MMO driven you to madness? When did a game tip you over into that swirly void of lunacy and give you a big ol' shove? Join us in the psych ward today by sharing your tale!

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: When has an MMO driven you to madness? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frogster gives us piles of Runes of Magic stats

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Culture, Professions, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

While not everyone is a math or statistics geek, there's a certain intriguing quality to MMO stats. Whenever we post statistics for games, there are inevitably discussions on concurrent users, paid subscribers, and overall registered accounts. Unfortunately, free-to-play games like Frogster's Runes of Magic don't really lend themselves to discussions of subscriptions vs. registered accounts since it has no monthly fee. Nevertheless, the game still provides some interesting statistics.

According to a release sent earlier today, Frogster has posted a handful of curious stats that are sure to pique the interest of those who love to dissect MMO minutiae. Over the last two years, 6,657,370 characters have stepped into Runes of Magic. Mages are an incredibly popular class, with 2.2 million characters, and there's a tie at 650,000 characters created for both Rogues and Warriors. Apparently, the Priest/Mage dual class is a highly popular combo for players; and Priest takes secondary class of choice at 350,000, followed by Warriors with 150,000. Over three million characters serve as Herbalists, with 1.1 million players dabbling in Alchemy.

English-speaking servers have seen 3,505,269 quests turned in and 4,622 guilds created. Groups in the game have taken the Demon Lord down 4,521 times and have wiped the floor with Erekat III almost three times more. Raksha is still the one to beat, according to Frogster's metrics, which suggest that boss has only been downed 182 times on the highest difficulty. Finally, no raid would be complete without silly pets along for a screenshot -- we're told that there are over 100,000 rune pets tagging along with players. In all, it's certainly an interesting set of statistics, if a bit random. After all, Frogster was very careful not to say which class was the overall most popular one!

Frogster gives us piles of Runes of Magic stats originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Ever since I started following RIFT, I've been entranced by the wide-open -- but not limitless -- class system. After all, the virtual world and everything populating it is only half the game; the other half resides in the avatar that sticks with you while you explore it all. Many MMOs have interesting ways of letting you build and grow your character, but sooner or later they come to a point where there's little more to be done other than incrementally increasing your stats by gaining better gear.

Not so with RIFT, as even a level 50 can drop a few coins to shape a completely new build from scratch. No longer are we bound to a rigidly defined creation; we are free to experiment, tinker, and try out these roles to our hearts' content.

With RIFT's soul system, there are a few ground rules that everyone learns early in the game. You can have up to three souls in your archetype active at any one time; you can only spend as many points in a build as you have in levels (such as 10 points at level 10); and you'll end up with 66 points at level 50, which means that you'll at least dabble in a second soul tree with every build. And while you can certainly spread soul points across all three trees, today I wanted to look at the benefits of a zero-point soul, the "third wheel," if you will, of builds.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game

Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wakfu's beta delayed in North America, potentially for Rogue activity

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, News items, Free-to-play

Wakfu has captured more than a few eyes of late, and for understandable reason. The game features distinctive and detailed sprite graphics, a tactical battle system, and a world that reacts to your actions. Details have just been released on the game's explosive and underhanded Rogue class, specializing in disrupting enemies with a variety of elemental bomb spells while avoiding damage with quick movement.

Unfortunately for players looking forward to the game's beta, it might be a bit further away than it seemed, at least in North America. The international open beta was previously announced to be starting on April 27th, but word has been released that details on open beta in North America will be announced on a later date. While the game is set for a worldwide simultaneous release, if you're here in the US, you might have to wait just a little longer to get your Wakfu on. Fortunately, some brand-new screenshots -- including a couple of roguish ones -- should help ease the pain a little.

Gallery: Wakfu beta screens

Wakfu's beta delayed in North America, potentially for Rogue activity originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What class would you add to your MMO?

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

I have to say that last week's revelation that the latest Guild Wars 2 class to be unveiled was the Thief was a mite bit underwhelming to me personally (although I'm sure quite a few Guild Wars fans immediately had to change their pants). It was underwhelming because to announce a Rogue-type class in an MMO is akin to saying that you're including NPC vendors: "Yeah, and...?"

Sometimes it feels like it's the same classes in different games, just cut 'n' paste for our usual expectations. Once in a blue moon, however, a dev team creates a fairly unique class that is not just a cleverly renamed "Warrior" or "Medic" or "Gandalf" copycat but adds something new to the game that wasn't there before.

So if you had your druthers -- and we all know how fond you are of your druthers -- what class would you invent for your MMO? How would this class be different than what's already out there, and what role would it perform?

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: What class would you add to your MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: He's got the funk

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots

Quiz time! If you saw a glowing, smoky, green goblin (not the Spider-Man one) on a motorcycle, what would you think? Radiation poisoning? Seriously in need of a bath? Well, today's funky screenshot from World of Warcraft features one such bizarrely colored fellow sent in to us by Cacknoob from the Stormrage EU server. His thought? Well, neither of the above. Instead, he suspects it could be something a bit slimier: "Hello! Just thought I'd send in a pic in of my new Gobbo Rogue, who had just arrived in Hellfire penninsula when this was taken. Unfortunately, I think he's allergic to the Fel Reavers there, as he turned all green and was smoking!"

Whether your avatar is slimy or slime-free, all MMO screenshots are welcome! If you'd like to send in an image from your favorite game, we want to hear from you. Email it to us at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing in the screenshot. Couldn't be easier!

Gallery: One Shots: 2011

One Shots: He's got the funk originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT beta 5 introduces public grouping, will be "twice as big" as beta 4

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, RIFT

Ready for their fifth taste of RIFT this week, beta testers will find a host of changes and improvements waiting their assessment. Chief among these is a much-requested feature: public grouping. Because so much of RIFT's dynamic content revolves around spontaneous zone events, players have clamored for a way to quickly group up instead of spending precious time spamming the chat channels. Two UI additions now allow players to connect with public groups as efficiently and quickly as possible.

This news comes from Scott Hartsman, who posted a lengthy preview of RIFT's beta 5 event on the official forums today. Announcing that beta 5 will be "twice as big" as the previous beta event, Hartsman revealed that the team is increasing the number of servers from 18 to 32, which should allow for up to double the amount of players.

Other changes in store for players this week include a better organization of planar currencies, Rogue energy fixes, ranged sound improvements and "significant love" for invasion mechanics. Hartsman also revealed a few items that the team is working on for future updates, such as better racial abilities and master looting. You can read his full announcement here.

RIFT beta 5 introduces public grouping, will be "twice as big" as beta 4 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Saboteur

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Previews, News items, RIFT

You can call them rogues, thieves, scoundrels, but by any name they're stealthy little bastards. RIFT's Rogues are no exception, with the difference being that the soul system allows them access to several unique flavors of sneaky little bastard. There are the backstabbing Assassins, the sniping Marksmen, and the defensive Riftstalker all under the same overarching aegis, allowing players a wide variety of different options. But none of them yet has been the truly annoying sort, the one who looks to be finally caught flat-footed just as you realize he's been playing you the whole time.

Rounding off a week of new soul previews is the Saboteur -- and while it might seem a bit less glamorous to come last, that's exactly how the Saboteur would want it. An expert in preparation and subtle traps, the Saboteur is vulnerable without time to prepare his various battlefield modifications, but immensely destructive if he's in control. Click on past the break for more backstory and information on RIFT's resident schemer.

Gallery: RIFT: Core Gallery

Continue reading Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Saboteur

Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Saboteur originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The vets

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist

We just had to start 2011 in style, didn't we? I knew that by invoking the sacred name of EverQuest, I'd be opening the door for thousands of collective years' worth of memories, opinions, frustrations, nostalgia, gushing and blocky screenshots. But the Game Archaeologist fears not even the greatest mountain in MMO legend; it had to be climbed sooner or later. And of course, who better to guide you up the mountain than a few EQ Sherpas who know the way? Sure, they might try to steal the idol and not throw me the whip in the end, but that was a very real risk I was willing to take to get the full story.

So today I'd like to introduce you to three EverQuest veterans who are all now world-famous bloggers. If you sense a connection between these two facts, I will only hint at the possibility of a secret society in SOE's headquarters that bestows great blessings upon its faithful fans.

Hit the jump to meet this EQ trio and hear what they had to say about the MMO that profoundly affected their playing careers!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The vets

The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The vets originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Hands-on, RIFT, Guides

With two RIFT beta events under my belt, I was given the supreme honor of creating a guide to the first 10 levels of the game. Naturally, I fell apart under the stress, assumed the fetal position for a couple days while whimpering about "frame rates," and then was prodded into action by our editors. That's quite literally "prodded," mind you -- Massively purchased a pair of cattle prods last year at a police auction. It's going to be years until the scorch marks fade from my spine.

The purpose of this guide is two-fold. First, we want to give anyone who's interested in RIFT but couldn't get into the beta a chance to vicariously experience RIFT's newbie path. Second, while RIFT is careful to hold your hand during your first steps into Telara, there are always a lot of things that can be easily missed while one is partaking in the wonders of a new virtual world. So this guide is here to share a few tips and pointers that beta testers may have missed.

What are you waiting for? Roll up a new character by hitting the jump!

Continue reading Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara

Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOFUS brings the holidays to players, then blows them up

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Video, Dofus, Classes, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play

The colorful world of DOFUS seems well-suited to a holiday celebration, especially with the amount of character embedded in the game's graphics. And one is taking place on Kwismas Island, beyond a shadow of a doubt. But there's still something else for players to look for, something that's far less merry than the dungeons of the island (whose merriness is already a rather dubious quality). It's the newest class of the game, the Rogue, a class focused on guns, explosives, and the use of both in tandem.

Capable of summoning a variety of elemental bombs as well as making elementally charged pistol attacks, Rogues are the 13th class in the game, available as a premium feature now. All DOFUS players can enjoy Kwismas Island, however, previewed in our gallery just below. Take a look at the Rogue teaser video past the cut, and consider the possible combination of holiday dungeons and heavy explosives. (It beats fruitcake and caroling.)

Gallery: DOFUS Kwismas Island gallery

Continue reading DOFUS brings the holidays to players, then blows them up

DOFUS brings the holidays to players, then blows them up originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Storyboard: Archetype discussion - the Rogue

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Lore, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard

A disproportionate number of roleplaying characters are heroes. Well, "heroes" might be a bit too strong of a term -- said characters may or may not have actually done anything heroic -- but given the opportunity, they prefer to be on the noble and self-sacrificing side of a conflict. There's nothing wrong with that, to be sure, but there is something to be said for playing someone whose ethics are a bit less grounded in an abstract idea of right or wrong.

Most fantasy games have a class either named as a rogue or some variant thereof, and even when the class doesn't exist, the hallmarks are there. Stealthy and sneaky, usually aimed at quick bursts of damage -- all of those elements speak to how rogues work. But they don't actually define a true rogue any more than a hammer defines a carpenter. So feel free to cue up some appropriate music (at your discretion) as we dive into the second archetype study, taking a good hard look at the most underhanded archetype around.

Continue reading Storyboard: Archetype discussion - the Rogue

Storyboard: Archetype discussion - the Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C is for Neutral-Aligned Cookie: DDO Update 8 preview patch notes posted

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play

December is right around the corner, and with it, Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 8. Advance release notes are up for the Lamannia test server, and so far it's safe to say that this patch is the tastiest one yet. Why tasty? Because Turbine is incorporating cookie jars into the game as a way for players to store edible goodies from Festivault without clogging up their inventory. Best of all? This is one treasure chest that nobody can stick his grubby fingers in but you!

What else is the studio baking up for the crowd? First up is a new four-mission adventure pack, "Siege of Stormreach," which will give mid-level players an opportunity to defend and ultimately repulse an attack upon the city itself. For players envious of Lord of the Rings Online's cosmetic outfit system, the upcoming armor appearance kits in DDO are sure to earn a few smiles. Like cosmetic hats, cosmetic armor will visually replace your current outfit without stripping you of the outfit's stats. This special armor can be found in chests, traded, and purchased through the DDO store.

The lengthy patch notes also include the addition of Rogue hirelings, class racial enhancements for Half-Elves and the usual collection of tweaks and fixes. Hire a Rogue at your own risk, however, as Rogues have a notorious sweet tooth. Silly Rogue hirelings, cookies are for players!

C is for Neutral-Aligned Cookie: DDO Update 8 preview patch notes posted originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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En Masse's Brian Knox details the Slayer's evolution

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Interviews, TERA

Is he a Rogue? Is he a Warrior? Is he an '80s thrash metal band? Whatever TERA's Slayer may be, En Masse hopes that you will find him bad to the bone.

En Masse's Brian Knox sat down for an interview with ZAM about how the class was evolving and changing during development. Originally, this Rogue/Warrior hybrid had heavy armor, but due to his extreme DPS output, the devs decided to concentrate more on movement and dexterity instead of damage absorption, and they downgraded his armor to reflect this.

When asked about the class' defining traits, Knox listed a combination of two skills -- Knockdown and Leaping Strike -- which, when used together, would both throw a foe off his balance and deal him significant damage. Knox spent time also talking up the Slayer's roguish abilities, such as being able to speedily dash up behind an enemy and backstab for big numbers.

Unlike most MMO rogues, TERA's Slayer is limited to using one (1) big honking sword, but En Masse doesn't think this will hurt the class' appeal in the slightest. You can read the full interview at ZAM, and don't miss our exclusive Slayer lore piece!

En Masse's Brian Knox details the Slayer's evolution originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forsaken World's assassin slices and dices

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Previews, Free-to-play

"By the time you see one," Perfect World Entertainment promises, "it's already too late." Of course when you do see one of Forsaken World's assassins, your last thought may be, "Where are all your clothes, girl?"

The assassin is the focus of Forsaken World's latest class spotlight, and if you're thinking "rogue" right now, you're not too far off the mark. This class, playable only by Human and Kindred characters, certainly seems to embody many of the typical qualities of a MMO rogue, from dual-wielding to stealth attacks to working off a combo points system. However, they do get a few interesting abilities, such as being able to run down fleeing opponents with as much mercy as you might expect from an assassin.

The class spotlight also lists a few of the assassin's skills-in-progress, which include a brief increase to run speed, the ability to enter and remain in stealth even while in combat, and transferring a slow effect from yourself to your enemy. You can read the full rundown over at Forsaken World.

Forsaken World's assassin slices and dices originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Both sides now

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Opinion, Roleplaying, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

Back when Going Rogue was first released, I made a point that I wasn't going into detail on the alignment and tip system. As I saw it at the time, there were two major reasons not to go whole-hog into it, the first being that I was already writing an entire novel on the expansion, and the second being that Paragon Wiki was hard at work putting more details into place. Why try to reinvent the wheel in a weekly column? And there was also a third reason: I'd been spending more time in Praetoria than on my old characters.

So I suppose in some way I ought to thank whichever designer gave my poor brute the chance to fight two elite bosses at the same time with three NPCs as backup in a single-player mission. It gave me plenty of incentive to spend more time with my higher-level characters. (Seriously, that mission is absurd.) That meant I started diving into the alignment system, and that means I'm going to spend more time detailing one of the centerpieces of City of Heroes gameplay at the moment: alignment.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Both sides now

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Both sides now originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Facefirst into Praetoria

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's finally here, and I have to admit, it's a little weird to realize it. After I spent the better part of half a year focusing on Going Rogue, the expansion has been released and is totally playable. To have the game sitting in front of me (metaphorically) after it's become such a huge part of my professional life is almost too daunting. I almost didn't even want to fire up the launcher to...

OK, yeah, that part isn't fooling anyone. Getting to play around a bit while it was in beta to see how it would play was nice, but I couldn't get myself into City of Heroes fast enough to start leveling a Loyalist and going to town on the new side of town. At the end of the day, I'm just a player like everyone reading this column, and the game I got to play on Monday evening made me very happy indeed. There's a lot to see and do, and I've tried to recap some of the disconnected thoughts in this week's column. And as a bonus, there's a sad announcement at the end! It's like a bonus, anyway.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Facefirst into Praetoria

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Facefirst into Praetoria originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive video diary of the souls of Rift: Planes of Telara

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, RIFT

You could be forgiven for not catching it immediately from our E3 hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara, but there are some unique things going on with the game's class system. It's hardly the first game to allow you to change classes, but the game also goes into combining them, shifting aspects, interplay between multiple class types... it's a maze of inter-relationships. Luckily, we have an exclusive video developer diary from the staff at Trion Worlds that discusses the whole setup at length, giving future players a much clearer overview of how the system works.

When players start, they choose one of four Callings -- Warrior, Rogue, Mage, or Cleric -- which determines the player's core playstyle. As they level, they gradually acquire Souls, and it's there that the bulk of a character's abilities come from. It's a fusion of the talent tree system popularized via World of Warcraft with something much more interesting, and the possibilities for mixing the different Souls together can give rise to all sorts of interesting theories. But don't take our word for it -- watch the exclusive developer diary just past the cut.

Continue reading Exclusive video diary of the souls of Rift: Planes of Telara

Exclusive video diary of the souls of Rift: Planes of Telara originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Building a rogue/priest

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

One thing I've been slacking on is looking deeper into all the class combinations that Runes of Magic offers. I've tried rolling other characters before, but I've barely dinged 20/20 on any of them. They have been left collecting dust for too long. So, I've been rummaging through all the guides, asking questions in-game, visiting the forums, and playing alts to write on a specific class combo. As I'm always attracted to the weird and unusual, I had to start with a lesser-used pairing.

I think the rogue/priest combination is one of the most intriguing classes in RoM. At first glance, it's a super-squishy pairing that runs out of energy fast. Looking a little deeper will show it to be a deadly mix of DPS, healing, and group support that allows a lot of freedom to how you prefer to play. It's a fun, funky combo with a lot of versatility for soloing through the game and partying in high-level instances.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Building a rogue/priest

Lost Pages of Taborea: Building a rogue/priest originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and like always that means we're going into the questions-and-answers for City of Heroes players. Before we delve into this week's column, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for the amount of discussion that took place about our last article extolling the virtues of the Loyalists. It brought a smile to my face to see all of the back and forth about the topic, something I haven't written the last word about. But that's next week's column, and right now it's time to see what other questions the community desperately needs answered.

Superfan asked:
"Why is the game so repetitive and lacking imagination?"

On one level, I can't answer this question because I don't agree with the basic premise. I don't find the game terribly repetitive, and it's lacking in imagination in the same manner that Transformers: War for Cybertron is lacking in robots. But I've acknowledged before that there is a certain rinse-and-repeat feel to City of Heroes, even beyond the equally repetitive feeling in any given MMO. There's something about the game's layout that just gives players that feeling, and I'm not immune to it.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A chicken in every pot, an answer for every question originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A roundup of World of Warcraft's major class changes

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews

Love it or hate it, World of Warcraft is the 900-pound gorilla of the MMO market at the moment. Nearly everyone who games online has at least tried it, and even those of us who play other games very possibly still play it as an old standby. So it's hard to miss the news about the newest expansion, Cataclysm, which is poised to remake the world in many ways. It's also home to an ambitious series of overhauls to classes and their talent structure, with far-reaching changes for every class in the game.

Our sister site, WoW.com, has been keeping abreast of the development team's slow roll of new information about each class, with every class but Paladins having their upcoming changes previewed. (Paladins are due out on the 16th, due to being "deep in development.") They've also gone through an in-depth analysis of each different set of changes, from the good to the bad. So if you've played the game at all -- and the odds are you have -- take a look past the break for a quick version of everything coming when World of Warcraft brings down the end of the world.

Continue reading A roundup of World of Warcraft's major class changes

A roundup of World of Warcraft's major class changes originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: Rogue rage

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvE, Opinion, Roleplaying, Anti-Aliased

There's always a rogue. Doesn't matter what setting you're really dealing with either. Medieval times? Rogues. Renaissance? Professional rogues. Great Depression? Organized crime. Modern day? Thieves. Sci-fi? Assassins. It's the one job that follows you no matter where you go.

Yet, I don't think we utilize our fine shadowy friends well. No, let me say it even stronger, we've sidestepped our shadowsteppers. Rogues use to be more than backstabbers and cutpurses, but since the traditional MMORPG model has taken over, our rogues have taken steps backwards.

No guys, this isn't just some rant thread about how the rogue classes needs uber l33t buffs. This is about how the class plays at its very core across all games. This is about taking advantage of a class's passive abilities and how just a few new tricks of the trade can aid social gameplay for everyone.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Rogue rage

Anti-Aliased: Rogue rage originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jedi Knight officially steps into The Old Republic spotlight

Kyle Horner — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classes, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Rumors and speculation have been floating around this week about the Jedi Knight, so no big surprise when BioWare reveals that, yes, Knights of the Jedi persuasion are in fact a player class in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The news comes with all the expected class page accoutrements such as screens, concept art and a few videos showing off three Jedi Knight attacks. It's all standard practice information release at this point, which only slightly dilutes the excitement of the announcement.

The videos all show the proper level of Jedi powerhousing that you'd expect, although we're not entirely cool with all the droid destroying that's happening. Sure, we're aware that unlike Sith, Jedi are limited to disabling droids and pushing things around but that's no excuse to pick on the little helpless mechanical people. Yes, we said people -- robots are people too!

In all seriousness, this is probably the class reveal everyone has been waiting for and/or expecting all along. Jedi and Sith were a given, so from here on out it's almost entirely anyone's guess. Spy? Rogue? Droids? Wookiees? Albino Ewoks? Okay, that's a little silly, nobody wants to play a rogue over a spy.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Concept Art

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Screenshots

Jedi Knight officially steps into The Old Republic spotlight originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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