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[DC Universe Online shows off the new Shield weapon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/dc-universe-online-shows-off-the-new-shield-weapon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/dc-universe-online-shows-off-the-new-shield-weapon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/dc-universe-online-shows-off-the-new-shield-weapon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Based off of a Kirby character who was based off of another Kirby character owned by a competing company.
Shields generally aren't thought of as a weapon; they're usually seen as the exact opposite of a weapon. But in the superheroic milieu, all that changes. A shield is something to be used offensively, and in DC Universe Online's next major update, players will begin wielding the shield for their own superheroic (or villainous) capers. A recent interview with creative director Jens Andersen discusses the intended role of the shield in combat.

Andersen explains that while the new weapon comes along in a very PvP-centered update, it's not meant to be used specifically for PvP; the team just wants to have something new for players to enjoy no matter what. In play, shields are similar to a staff weapon, but unlike most other weapons, the shield can continue to build a combo after a heavy strike by moving back to light strikes. That should make the shield a very aggressive option -- perhaps odd for something that's not generally thought of as a weapon.

MassivelyDC Universe Online shows off the new Shield weapon originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>combatconsoleconsolesdc-universedc-universe-onlinedcuodlcf2pfree-to-playinterviewnew-abilitiesnew-contentnew-weaponspatchesplaystation-3playstation3ps3shieldshieldssoesony-online-entertainmentsuperherosuperheroesthe-last-laughupdatesweaponweaponsThu, 17 May 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joker returns to DC Universe Online in upcoming DLC, The Last Laugh]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-joker-returns-to-dc-universe-online-in-upcoming-dlc-the-las/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-joker-returns-to-dc-universe-online-in-upcoming-dlc-the-las/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-joker-returns-to-dc-universe-online-in-upcoming-dlc-the-las/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Screenshot -- DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online players, prepare yourselves: The Joker's back, and he wants to put a smile on your face. The Clown Prince of Crime is making his grand return to DCUO in the game's upcoming DLC pack, The Last Laugh. Not to be confused with the renowned crossover comic story arc, DCUO's The Last Laugh "will pit players against each other in high-intensity multiplayer brawls, feature an all-new weapon, and introduce new Light-Powered Legends PvP characters." The new weapon in question isn't much of a weapon at all, but if Captain America has taught us anything, it's that even a shield can be lethal in the right hands. Now players will be able to slam, bash, and wank to their hearts' content with the new shield weapon type.

And players will need every trick they can get to succeed in the new Safe House Battles, which are 4v4 PvP brawls that involve players invading one anothers' safe houses in order to complete a number of objectives. So much for safe houses being... well, safe. Players thirsting for larger-scale combat will be at home in the new Headquarter Battles, which see eight heroes squaring off against eight villains as they try to take control of the Hall of Doom and the Watchtower, respectively. And finally, the game's first light-powered Legend characters will be making an appearance in The Last Laugh, allowing players to take control of the Green Lanterns' Kilowog and Sinestro Corps' Amon Sur.

The Last Laugh will be available in June for free to Legendary members and for purchase on the market for Free and Premium players. For the full details, check out the official announcement at the DCUO site.

MassivelyThe Joker returns to DC Universe Online in upcoming DLC, The Last Laugh originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the years, I've introduced several friends to EVE Online and tried to give them the best start possible. Offering a financial safety net for ship losses definitely helped a little, as did providing funding to back market experiments and manufacturing or research ventures. What I found helped most of all was to bring new players on quick PvP fleets and discourage them from gravitating toward mining or mission-running as their primary form of gameplay. The adrenaline rush of EVE PvP is something I've yet to find in another MMO, and it's the reason so many of us are hooked to the game. It only makes sense then to introduce new players to it as soon as possible.

Last month, I encouraged new players who might be starting out on their own to grab a few friends and similarly charge into PvP from day one. To follow up, the last two weeks' columns have been dedicated to getting new players into their first PvP frigate and upgrading to a cruiser, with emphasis on staying financially ahead of the inevitable ship losses. Last week we tackled Gallente and Amarr ships, with some cheap battle-tested setups for the Thorax, Vexor, Arbitrator and Omen that new players will be able to fly with only a few weeks of skill training.

In this week's EVE Evolved, we look at Minmatar and Caldari cruisers, with setups for the Stabber, Rupture, Blackbird and Moa and tips on saving your escape pod to minimise the cost of death.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blackbirdblastersccpccp-eveccp-gamesecmelectronic-warfareeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfittingmissilesmoanew-playernew-playersnewbiepiracypiratepvpruptureshieldship-fittingspeedstabbertankSun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Unusual MMO weapons]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/the-perfect-ten-unusual-mmo-weapons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/the-perfect-ten-unusual-mmo-weapons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/the-perfect-ten-unusual-mmo-weapons/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

MassivelyThe 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionbagpipebanana-scythebfg-9000Breezeboots-Frigid-Gnashercasey-joneschicago-style-pizzacity-of-heroescohdandeliondandelionsdervishdiablo-2diablo-iiengineereqeverquesteverquest-2everquest-iifallen-earthfeaturedfishfluffy-pillowgnomish-pirategolf-clubgolf-clubsgorillasgrim-reaperGrizzly-Bear-Rocket-Launchersguild-warslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromanhole-coverminstrelperfect-10perfect-tenpillow-fightpillow-fightspirateroguescytheshieldsoespannerthe-perfect-tentmntwarhammer-onlinewirtwirts-legworld-of-warcraftwowwrenchThu, 02 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/18/eve-evolved-the-art-of-tanking-unusual-tanks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/18/eve-evolved-the-art-of-tanking-unusual-tanks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/18/eve-evolved-the-art-of-tanking-unusual-tanks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Although in EVE Online we tend to think of a tank as our ship's ability to absorb damage and self-repair, it makes sense to describe any strategy used to keep yourself alive as a form of tank. In the previous parts of this guide on the art of tanking in EVE , I gave some tips on choosing what type of tank to use on your ship and gave an overview of both armour and shield tanking. In this final part of the guide, I take a look at alternative strategies for keeping your ship alive. Strategies such as the spider tank, defensive use of electronic warfare and the much lauded speed-tank are put under the microscope as I look at some of EVE's more unusual tanks.

Spider tank:
When I first coined the term "spider tank" back in early 2006 (before that calling it a "squadron tank"), I was convinced we would see them on the battlefield increasingly frequently. Sure enough, spider tanks have become a staple of gang and small fleet warfare. A spider tank is a strategy in which each member of a fleet fits a remote armour repairer or shield transfer in one of their high slots and they repair anyone in the fleet who starts to take damage. When the enemy concentrate their fire on one member of the gang, the gang concentrates their remote repairers on that member to keep him alive.

Read on to find out how a logistics ship can generate capacitor out of thin air and how ECM, long range weaponry and speed can be effectively used as tanks.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In part 1 of this series on the world of tanking in EVE Online, I introduced the concept of tanking as it applies to EVE and explained how to select which type of tank to use with your ship. I then went on to give a complete overview of armour tanking, including the equipment and skills you'll need to succeed. In this second part of the guide, I explore the art of shield tanking.

Shield tanking:
In addition to the differences mentioned in the previous article, shield tanking differs significantly from armour tanking. Shield boosters can repair damage a lot faster than armour repairers due to their faster cycle time but are less efficient and will use up a lot more capacitor. An active shield tank is characterised by the use of hardeners to resist damage and a shield booster to repair damage that makes it through. However, since shield naturally recharges over time, it's possible to make a completely passive shield tank that relies on a high recharge rate rather than a shield booster. Different sets of equipment are used for these two different types of shield tank.

Read on and find out all you ever wanted to know about shield tanking, including what modules and skills you can use to boost your combat performance.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Shield tanking

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Shield tanking originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesdrakeeveeve-onlinefeaturedguidehardenerjoystiqfeaturesmissionnyphurpassive tankPassiveTankpvpravenresistanceshieldtanktankingMon, 12 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Armour tanking]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/eve-evolved-the-art-of-tanking-armour-tanking/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/eve-evolved-the-art-of-tanking-armour-tanking/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/eve-evolved-the-art-of-tanking-armour-tanking/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Back in 2005, I became obsessed with the art of tanking in EVE Online. Before writing the definitive tanking guide for EON issue 2 (for which the EVE community dubbed me "the tanking guy"), I spent a lot of time working out the mathematics behind the art. At a time when people preferred a trial and error approach to combat, I went as far as to create a spreadsheet to automate calculations on the strength of your tank. Over the years, more advanced tools like EFT (EVE Fitting Tool) have been released which have this functionality and more. In this short series of articles, I aim to cover tanking from start to finish in a concise and informative manner. In this first part, I begin with an introduction to tanking and follow up with a brief guide on how to select which type of tank to use and a complete overview of armour tanking.

What is tanking?:
Any MMO player will know the role of the "Tank" but the word's usage in EVE Online is a little different. Broadly speaking, a tank is whatever you use to keep yourself alive and it's something every ship can do. The MMO holy trinity of tank, healer and damage-dealer are combined into every ship in EVE. Because of this ability to self-heal, the word "tank" in EVE generally refers to the combination of both resisting damage and healing it. Fitting your ship then becomes a matter of balancing between tank and damage.

Read on to find out how to select what type of tank to use and learn all about armour tanking.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Armour tanking

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Armour tanking originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmourccpccp-gameseveeve-onlinefeaturedguidehardenerjoystiqfeaturesmissionnyphurpvpresistanceshieldtanktankingMon, 05 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the ultimate City of Heroes Issue 13 guide, Infoman]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/05/meet-the-ultimate-city-of-heroes-issue-13-guide-infoman/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/05/meet-the-ultimate-city-of-heroes-issue-13-guide-infoman/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/05/meet-the-ultimate-city-of-heroes-issue-13-guide-infoman/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Walking down the street, you're suddenly stopped by a man wearing a fedora and trench coat. "Hey you, yeah you!" he spits out in hushed tones. "Uh, what's up?" you respond cautiously.

"Yo, the name's Infoman," he looks about nervously, like someone may be watching him, "check out the merchandise" opening his jacket to reveal countless links for articles all about the recent City of Heroes' Issue 13 update. Everything from the Positron interview at Joystiq to in-depth fan-made videos of all the new systems added into the game.

"It's all free, take whatever ya like." says the calm street walker, who now seems like a pretty nice guy. "I'll take that Floyd 'Castle' Grubb interview about the new powersets." you say. He nods, hands it over and says, "I gots more if'n you want it, kid. Be down at the docks." and struts off down the street whistling a tune.

MassivelyMeet the ultimate City of Heroes Issue 13 guide, Infoman originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castlecity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohfloyd-grubbissue-13nc-norcalncsoftpatchespositronpowersetpowersetsshieldshieldsFri, 05 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The 26 Shields of City of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/04/the-26-sheilds-of-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/04/the-26-sheilds-of-city-of-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/04/the-26-sheilds-of-city-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


When we logged into City of Heroes to check out the new Shield powerset released in yesterday's Issue 13 patch, the one thing that we were not expecting was to find 26 shield types to choose from. It took us quite a while to settle on a shield, as our impulse was to have them all. Once we did make our selection though, it dawned on us that we should share this amazing catalogue of bodily protection with the rest of the world.

We'd like to stress that this isn't every mutation of all the shields, otherwise this would be called "The 4,532 Shields of City of Heroes" and that just doesn't have the same ring to it. Plus, we value what little social lives we actually have. So without further day we present to you, our dear Massively readers, the 26 shields of City of Heroes.

Gallery: The 26 Shields of City of Heroes

Round Shield - ReinforcedRound ShieldRound Shield - EmblemTarge - Long SpikesTarge

MassivelyThe 26 Shields of City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescohfeaturedissue-13joystiqfeaturesnc-norcalncsoftpower-setspowersetshieldshieldssuperherosuperheroesThu, 04 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are classes played out?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/the-daily-grind-are-classes-played-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/the-daily-grind-are-classes-played-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/the-daily-grind-are-classes-played-out/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Our recent post about Fallen Earth makes mention of the fact that in the game, there will be no traditional class structures -- players can allocate points wherever they like. They're not locked into a setup where they only have access to a particular pool. And that got us thinking: is it time for the class system to move on?

Think about it. Even the real life military, with all its roles, functions, and chains of command, appreciates a soldier with a diverse skillset. And really, does it make sense that just because you're, say, a Hunter, that it's impossible for you to carry a shield? Having an open system means that one could truly customize their character, and not feel like just one more in the herd. But maybe having definable classes is the best way to determine a player's function during a raid? What are the good reasons to keep offering the class structure?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are classes played out? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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