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[BioWare documents the beginning of your SWTOR saga]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/20/bioware-documents-the-beginning-of-your-swtor-saga/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/20/bioware-documents-the-beginning-of-your-swtor-saga/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/20/bioware-documents-the-beginning-of-your-swtor-saga/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

SWTOR
The launch day of Star Wars: The Old Republic is upon us, and while most any interested parties are fully immersed in BioWare's mega-MMO, there are always those who are still on the fence about the game or haven't heard about it yet. To give a proper nudge in the right direction, BioWare's released an eight-minute documentary titled Your Saga Begins to give a broad overview of SWTOR's strengths and direction.

The team spends the time making a case for not only why the game is special but how it should appeal to the Star Wars fan in all of us. Covering the bases of story, voiceovers, companions, exploration, graphical style, and more, the developers hit on all of the selling points of the game while giving first-time viewers a good reason to give this title a shot.

Even if you're a veteran of the Mandalorian War, there should be a tidbit or two in this documentary that's new to you, whether it be absorbing the behind-the-scenes voice recordings or seeing just how big and bushy some of the devs' beards have become. You can watch the full documentary after the jump -- and don't forget to check out our comprehensive guide to launch and beyond!

Continue reading BioWare documents the beginning of your SWTOR saga

MassivelyBioWare documents the beginning of your SWTOR saga originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beardbeardsbiowaredocdocumentaryea-biowarelaunchlaunch-daysagastar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorvideovoiceoveryour-saga-beginsTue, 20 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Orcs, elves, magic, and... pirates: Silverlode unveils Captains of DarkTide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/orcs-elves-magic-and-pirates-silverlode-unveils-captains/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/orcs-elves-magic-and-pirates-silverlode-unveils-captains/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/orcs-elves-magic-and-pirates-silverlode-unveils-captains/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Silverlode Interactive, the developer best known for fantasy MMORTS SAGA, has unveiled a project that's been in "stealth development" for the past year: Captains of Dark Tide.

This pirate-themed free-to-play game is set in the SAGA universe, creating an unusual and potentially very exciting mix of fantasy and piracy -- the swashbuckling kind, not the software kind -- on the open seas. What this means is that players will be able to do things like crew their ships with dragon-summoning dark elves, create cannons that shoot fire or lightning, or bring the lich and his minions aboard to join you in your search for buried treasure.

If it sounds like something that you'd like to try, Captains of Dark Tide is accepting signups for the US closed beta now. Only US servers will be available for the time being, but EU players are welcome to join the US servers. A EU closed beta will launch sometime in the future. If you're worried about not getting into the closed beta, don't: the servers will scale as beta progresses in order to admit everyone.

You can sign up for closed beta on the main CoDT page, and be sure to check out the gallery below for a first look at Captains of Dark Tide.

Gallery: Captains of Dark Tide

MassivelyOrcs, elves, magic, and... pirates: Silverlode unveils Captains of DarkTide originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betacaptains-of-dark-tideclosed-betaf2pfree-to-playMMORTSsagasilverlode-interactiveTue, 11 May 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Petroglyph discusses design and microtransactions for Mytheon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/petroglyph-discusses-design-and-microtransactions-for-mytheon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/petroglyph-discusses-design-and-microtransactions-for-mytheon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/petroglyph-discusses-design-and-microtransactions-for-mytheon/#commentsFiled under: , ,


For a lot of people, the MMO/RTS hybrid has been an unwieldy beast at times. That's not to say there aren't interesting titles to check out, such as Dreamlords, Atlantica and SAGA. However, nobody has quite made a huge splash with an MMORTS just yet. So could the recently announced Mytheon be the first game to catch a lot of people's attention? Well, why don't you see for yourself in this 1UP interview with the game's developer, Petroglyph -- whose previous games include Universe at War and Star Wars: Empire at War.

Since there haven't been any screens -- and probably won't be for a while -- it's hard to make too many judgments at this point. The interview promises some interesting, if not vague, features. So you can bet we'll be on the lookout for any future information about Mytheon in the coming months.

MassivelyPetroglyph discusses design and microtransactions for Mytheon originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1upatlantica-onlinedreamlordsmytheonpetroglyphsagastar-wars-empire-at-waruniverse-at-warSat, 10 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[News from the Wider MMO World: September 2, 2008]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/news-from-the-wider-mmo-world-september-2-2008/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/news-from-the-wider-mmo-world-september-2-2008/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/news-from-the-wider-mmo-world-september-2-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.

Dreamlords the Reawakening makes deal to move to Russia
Lockpick Entertainment has signed an agreement with Akella Games, Russian distributors of Planetside, Everquest 2, and Pirates of the Burning Sea, to localize and distribute Dreamlords the Reawakening. "Our goal is to reach out to new audiences and the Russian market is fast growing and with Akella's expertise we're able to do just that," said David Rosén, CEO of Lockpick Entertainment. "We hope that collaboration between our two companies will benefit both parties and that such an interesting genre will draw gamer's attention" said Alexander Trifonov, Managing Director of Akella Online. Closed beta testing is expected to begin in early September.

Pet Evolution Manuals debut on Grand Chase
Three different Pet Evolution Manuals are available at the shop in Grand Chase, allowing knights to evolve their pets at levels 0, 20, and 40. There will also be prizes for each knight that evolves and raises their pet to level 10. Prizes for winning pets include nutrient shots, pet food, gacha coins, and pet skills. Additionally, players who log on between the hours of 4 and 8 PM every day will receive double xp and double gp, in the Afterschool Adventure Hour.

Continue reading News from the Wider MMO World: September 2, 2008

MassivelyNews from the Wider MMO World: September 2, 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aeria-gamesakella-gamesdark-age-of-camelotdreamlords-the-reawakeningeverquest-2fallen-earthflyffgrand-chaselockpick-entertainmentnewsnews-of-the-wider-mmo-worldpi-storypirates-of-the-burning-seaplanetsidesagaTue, 02 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: SAGA]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/first-impressions-saga/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/first-impressions-saga/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/first-impressions-saga/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


SAGA (not to be confused with Saga, who gave us the immortal "On the Loose") is an MMORTS -- massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game. While there are few enough of these on the market -- making its very existence worthy of approbation -- we thought it would be worth taking a closer look, to offer up an opinion of our first couple of hours into gameplay. Thus, this First Impressions post.

Remember: this is not a guide, nor was this in any way influenced by the development studio. This is an entirely subjective look at SAGA, from an average gamer's point of view. And now, on with the show! Game. Thing. Whatever. Onward!

Gallery: First Impressions: SAGA

The Create Nation screenStronghold, Pigeon Roost, Temple, MarketThe Map and Quests screenA loading screen

Continue reading First Impressions: SAGA

MassivelyFirst Impressions: SAGA originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auction-housebehemothbungiecivilizationcommand-pointsdark-elvesdwarveselvesfeaturedfirearmfirst-impressionsgiantsjoystiqfeaturesmmortsmythorcsquestssagastupid-peasantsworld-of-warcraftTue, 22 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMORTS Saga registration keys on offer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/mmorts-saga-registration-keys-on-offer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/mmorts-saga-registration-keys-on-offer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/mmorts-saga-registration-keys-on-offer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Gamershell has been given 25,000 registration keys for the upcoming MMORTS Saga, continuing the trend started by FileFront earlier this year. If you're not quite ready to take on another beta, familiarize yourself with Saga by checking out the trailer and repeat to yourself "Giant war tortoise" until the launch hits.

With currently two MMORTS titles on the horizon, which has you more interested, Saga or Atlantica? Can two such games exist in the possibly overcrowded MMO market, or is there room for only so much innovation in the realm of gameplay? All these questions and more soon to be answered in the approaching months!

MassivelyMMORTS Saga registration keys on offer originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atlanticagamershellmmortsregistration-keyssagatortoisetrailerSun, 13 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Real-time strategy getting more massive]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/real-time-strategy-getting-more-massive/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/real-time-strategy-getting-more-massive/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/real-time-strategy-getting-more-massive/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dreamlordsjim-rossignolmmofpsmmorpgmmortsrock-paper-shotgunround-upsagaTue, 17 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Silverlode offers free commercial Saga accounts through FileFront]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/silverlode-offers-free-commercial-saga-accounts-through-filefron/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/silverlode-offers-free-commercial-saga-accounts-through-filefron/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/silverlode-offers-free-commercial-saga-accounts-through-filefron/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Saga is an MMORTS by Silverlode Interactive, where you can command literal legions of troops in never-ending battle. While it's free-to-play, there are two versions of the account: a $19.95 commercial version, and a free, features-locked version. Well, for those of you eager to give this a shot, Saga has just teamed up with FileFront to offer 50,000 commercial accounts. At nearly $20 per account, that's close to a million dollars' worth of players!

Jaunt on over to FileFront to download the game and get your beta key. But don't forget to sign up on Saga's site for your free account first!

[Thanks, Will!]

MassivelySilverlode offers free commercial Saga accounts through FileFront originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commercial-versionfifty-thousandfilefrontsagasilverlode-interactiveThu, 08 May 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The first Saga tournament is player-run]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/the-first-saga-tournament-is-player-run/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/the-first-saga-tournament-is-player-run/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/the-first-saga-tournament-is-player-run/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

You may be familiar with the MMO called Saga, by Silverlode Interactive. You may even be a member, and are currently lamenting the fact that there is no official Saga tournament in which you can test your PvP skills. Don't despair! Sagaunits.com and sagatraders.com have teamed up to offer prizes for the first Saga tournament, held by saga.scratchplace.com!

The tournament starts at 9 AM PST on April 19th, and it's completely free to enter. There are four brackets for ranges of levels beginning with 10 - 14, and ending with 25 - 30. If you fit those ranges and want to compete, better get yourself set up! For more information, go visit the site.

[Thanks, Casey!]

MassivelyThe first Saga tournament is player-run originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bracketslevelspvpsagasaga-scratchplacesagatraderssagaunitssilverlode-interactivetournamentWed, 16 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SAGA's undead faction coming with expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/sagas-undead-faction-coming-with-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/sagas-undead-faction-coming-with-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/sagas-undead-faction-coming-with-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Silverlode Interactive has announced that a new Undead faction will be shambling along with its first "Expansion Set" for SAGA, their relatively new MMORTS/CCG hybrid, when it comes out some time later this year. SAGA works much the same way that tradition collectible card games work, with new units and abilities coming with the purchase of boosters. It's not exactly clear at this point how this Expansion Set concept is going to work; whether players will have to invest a small amount in a new deck or whether Undead units will simply be part of the boosters, but we imagine we'll start hearing more details as the expansion moves further into development.

What is clear is that the concept art for the new faction is pretty freakin' cool, by our estimation. It looks like they're trying to take their Undead in a direction we're not accustomed to seeing in MMOs. The Necromancer concept drawing gives off a tribal, maybe even Egyptian vibe, where the Reaper seems to be going for a sort of medieval zombie look. It's pretty neat stuff, we're looking forward to seeing more.

MassivelySAGA's undead faction coming with expansion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccgconcept-artexpansion-setmmortsnecromancerrpg-vaultSAGAsilverlode-interactiveundeadTue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Saga (MMORTS) Trailer: What WoW should have been]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/saga-mmorts-trailer-what-wow-should-have-been/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/saga-mmorts-trailer-what-wow-should-have-been/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/saga-mmorts-trailer-what-wow-should-have-been/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Years ago when Blizzard sounded the trumpets and announced that WoW was in the works I dreamt RTS and MMORPG mechanics would fuse together to whisk in a new era in massively online gaming. I swore that if Blizzard copied the Diku formula popularized by EverQuest I wouldn't bother playing it. That is until magical forces intervened, and I found myself in the WoW friends and family alpha and loving every second. WoW improved on familiar loot-n-scoot, and level based PvE gameplay, but I still hoped that I'd someday play an MMORTS or some bastardized attempt at one and actually like it. That's not to say there isn't anything out there or in development. Two games come to mind are Mankind and Dreamlords, take them for what you will, but it looks like Saga is a real solid attempt to fill a void.

The graphics aren't top notch, but the gameplay looks interesting, and I hope others would appreciate the efforts from a smaller independent development studio as I do. There is a free client available, but several features are not usable unless you upgrade to the full version. There is no expiration date on the trial, and if you are concerned about a monthly subscription fee, don't be because there isn't one. The payment model is based on the purchase of booster packs. The booster packs contain cards, and these cards portray units and spells that you then use to build armies and maintain your nation. The end game actually revolves around PvP against other player built nations. You can read a much better detailed account on the missions, PvP, the card system, in this great first look posted on Brandon Reinhart's blog. You can find more information about the game and where to download it on Saga's official site. I'm about to try it out firsthand, and if you've played it please feel free to share your thoughts about Saga below.

MassivelySaga (MMORTS) Trailer: What WoW should have been originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardbooster-packsdikueverquestmassive-real-time-strategymmortspvpsagasilverlode-interactivesoetrading-cardsworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 13 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SAGA now available for free, minus some features]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/saga-now-available-for-free-minus-some-features/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/saga-now-available-for-free-minus-some-features/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/saga-now-available-for-free-minus-some-features/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


More than ever, it appears as though MMO developers are struggling to keep afloat using the traditional models for monetization. SAGA is a game that's had an interesting subscription model from the getgo, shirking the typical subscription fee model for a CCG-esque booster system. Once you've bought the client, the game is free to play. The only caveat is that you can only get additional troops for your army by purchasing "boosters" for an additional fee. It's really a pretty brilliant system, combining two types of games (CCGs and MMOs) that are independently addictive, and fusing them together into what one would have assumed was a license to print money.

We haven't really heard how the game has been doing since it's since it finally emerged from beta last week, but already Wahoo Studios is shaking things up in an effort to draw in players. Like a drug dealer looking to give clients a first taste to get them hooked, they're now offering a free version of the client to give would-be players a better idea of what's on offer. The free client is missing a few features, but a free something is always better than nothing. Unlike a trial though, there is no time limit on how long you can use the free client. Seems they're confident in their product. It's probably worth a shot if an MMORTS/CCG sounds up your alley!

[Via Warcry]

MassivelySAGA now available for free, minus some features originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CCGclientfreeMMORTSRTSSAGAtrialwahoo-studiosWed, 12 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Saga open beta begins today]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/saga-open-beta-beginning-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/saga-open-beta-beginning-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/26/saga-open-beta-beginning-today/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Saga, which bills itself as the "world's first collectible online real-time strategy game," is throwing wide its doors for Open Beta 2 starting today. You can head over to their site to sign up; they mention that account creation is not quite ready yet, but it might not be a bad idea to get your foot in the door. (And for what it's worth the sign-up form did allow me to create an account with no fuss. You can just ignore the "promo code" field.)

But what, you ask, is a collectible online RTS? We've only covered it once before on Massively, so I looked around the developer's site to see what they have. Here are some key points: it's an RTS (of course), but it's persistent, so you won't have to rebuild structures every match, and your units stay dead until made otherwise. The setting is standard fantasy. The game has no subscription fee, using a microtransaction model: players buy their troops in booster packs, which cost $2.95; the game itself is currently on pre-sale for $20. You can also trade troops with others, which highlights the "collectible" nature of this game. The site claims that they are aiming for a Q1 2008 release. I'm not so much an RTS player, but it is an interesting business model. Will you try it out?

MassivelySaga open beta begins today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betacollectiblemicrotransactionsmmortsopen-betartssagasaga-gamesTue, 26 Feb 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Final beta date revealed for MMORTS Saga]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/final-beta-date-revealed-for-mmorts-saga/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/final-beta-date-revealed-for-mmorts-saga/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/final-beta-date-revealed-for-mmorts-saga/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Developer Silverlode Interactive issued a press release revealing the date for the final beta phase of Saga. The MMO real-time-strategy game will open up Beta 2 on December the 11th, with players from Beta 1 being offered places first, and the rest on a first-come first-served basis after signing up.

The press release also explains a little about Saga's business model, which will be microtransaction based, with players purchasing 'booster packs' that have new units and spells to use, and a subscription fee will not be charged.

We have not covered this game before, so a quick visit to the homepage's FAQ was necessary to learn a bit more. It is basically what you would expect from an MMORTS -- an RTS with a persistent world. The world is based on traditional fantasy (dwarves, elves, spells etc.) and you will be able to trade troops with other players. In-game activities include building armies, cities and kingdoms, taking over new lands, and multiplayer questing.

If you want to be considered for this last Beta phase, visit the sign-up page and create your account.

[Via IGN]

MassivelyFinal beta date revealed for MMORTS Saga originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-2booster-packsmicrotransactionmmortspress-releasertssagasilverlode-interactiveSun, 09 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST