Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What's your favorite winter zone?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/the-daily-grind-whats-your-favorite-winter-zone/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/the-daily-grind-whats-your-favorite-winter-zone/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/the-daily-grind-whats-your-favorite-winter-zone/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

OK, how weird is the whole "Christmas in July" thing, anyway? Are people jonesing for sleigh bells and mistletoe so badly they can't wait for a few months? Who thought it would be a smashing idea to make us think of the cold, dark days of winter in the middle of 90-degree weather?

So if we're already at the weird point of thinking about snow while our thermometers are melting, we might as well go the whole hog and talk about winter zones in MMOs. I've always been partial to a good snow-and-ice-themed area, whether it be Winterspring in World of Warcraft, Forochel in Lord of the Rings Online or, y'know, Hoth.

What's your favorite winter zone in MMOs? Which areas make you want to wrap a warm fur cloak about you as you venture forth into the fluffy powder and pristine icefields? And what makes that zone special for you?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's your favorite winter zone? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>christmas-in-julyforochelhothicelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroopinionsnowstar-wars-galaxiesswgtdgthe-daily-grindwinterwinter-zonewinterspringworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 21 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Exclusive screenshots of EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious revealed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/exclusive-screenshots-of-everquest-ii-destiny-of-velious-reveal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/exclusive-screenshots-of-everquest-ii-destiny-of-velious-reveal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/exclusive-screenshots-of-everquest-ii-destiny-of-velious-reveal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If you mention the word Velious to most fans of the original EverQuest, you'll instantly see their eyes light up. The original Velious expansion was a revolution for EverQuest back in 2000, so it's no surprise that EverQuest II fans are getting excited about the upcoming Destiny of Velious expansion. Sony Online Entertainment has big shoes to fill with this update, which is due to launch later this month on February 22nd. Information on the Velious content has been sparse recently, with only a few lore reveals and a trailer released in the past few months. Today, SOE has released several screenshots of new zones in the expansion, exclusive to Massively.

To put the new EQ2 screenshots into their proper contexts, SOE has provided the following lore: "This glacial tundra bears the scars of centuries of conflict and strife. Here, adventurers can find the haunted remnants of the series of battles known as the Ring War, which was fought between the dwarven race known as the Coldain, and their ancient enemy, the Kromrif. On the southern tip lies the remains of a crumbling fortress, now occupied by the savage snow orcs known as the Ry'Gorr. To the west lies the Storm Gorge, a massive valley carved from the land during the continent-cracking event known as the Upheaval. There, the noble coldain stand against the might of the fearsome and militaristic legion known as the Order of Rime, and fight to protect their beloved city of Thurgadin."

Gallery: EverQuest II Updates

MassivelyExclusive screenshots of EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious revealed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcticdestiny-of-veliouseq2EQIIeverquestEverQuest-2everquest-iiexpansiongalleriesgalleryicescreenshotscreenshotssnowtundraveliouszoneThu, 10 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Frolicking in Forochel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/the-road-to-mordor-frolicking-in-forochel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/the-road-to-mordor-frolicking-in-forochel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/the-road-to-mordor-frolicking-in-forochel/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Call me weird, but I am an absolute sucker for winter zones in MMORPGs. For me, the season of winter always evokes a lot of powerful feelings as the landscape is transformed, homes are a sanctuaries for warmth, and hardiness becomes a desirable trait. A zone filled with ice and snow screams to me desolation and death -- more so than a fire or volcano one -- but in a beautiful way.

It's no wonder, then, that I've become entranced with Forochel in Lord of the Rings Online.

Added to the game in April of 2008, Forochel became a bit of an anomaly in the LotRO experience. It was a (then) max-level area that was off the beaten path, created to cater to solo players seeking adventure. In fact, if the epic story hadn't taken us to Forochel in Volume 1 Book 13, I doubt many players would have sought it out on their own. It's a shame if that's the case, because Forochel offers both breathtaking vistas and a unique questing experience that should be encountered at least once in your LotRO career.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Frolicking in Forochel

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Frolicking in Forochel originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chicken-playered-luineskimoevendimfeaturedforochelfrontiericeice-bayice-ice-babyice-sledice-to-meet-youinuitlord-of-the-rings-onlinelossothlotromiddle-earthmisty-mountainsnorthrendsnowthe-road-to-mordorturbinewinter-zonesworld-of-warcraftWrath-of-the-Lich-KingFri, 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Snow in August]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/one-shots-snow-in-august/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/one-shots-snow-in-august/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/one-shots-snow-in-august/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Snow? In the dog days of fall? Sure -- if you're talking about snow that appears in a game world. Of course, today's One Shots doesn't show snow so much as a graphical glitch in CoX, but we think Jeff T. has a point. He writes: NCSoft always said weather was beyond the City of Heroes/Villains game engine. Obviously they weren't thinking laterally enough. Some of my game environment files became corrupt somehow, and so many of the maps failed to load. Result? Snow in Cap! You know, that fresh thin stuff that coats everything with a gleaming white coat. This was definitely a bug, but wouldn't it look great for the winter holidays?

We think it looks pretty cool -- and it would be extra fun if you could slip and slide over pockets of ice here and there like the Frostfire mission! If you have a screenshot of a glitch, strange graphics bug, or just a seasonal event you'd like to show off in your favorite game, send those our way! All you have to do is drop them into an email to oneshots AT massively.com, along with a quick description of what we're seeing. We'll do the rest!

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Snow in August originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxglitchjeff-tncsoftone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotssnowFri, 22 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Book 13 screenshots]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/new-book-13-screenshots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/new-book-13-screenshots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/new-book-13-screenshots/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


More Last King shiny goodness! Turbine has released more screenshots from the upcoming LotRO Book 13 expansion, where folks will be treated to a Winter wonderland, full of ice, snow, and yetis. The textures in Forochel look absolutely gorgeous, and the color palette is quite a bit more varied than you'd think.

To be sure, the frozen wastes are nothing to sneeze at (pun not intended) -- in addition to the standard monster fights, merely remaining out in the cold for too long will sap one's life. But hey, it can't be too bad -- look, everyone's fishing!

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Book 13 Gallery



[Thanks, Jackie!]

MassivelyNew Book 13 screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>book-13doom-of-the-last-kingfishingforochelicelord-of-the-rings-onlinescreenshotssnowturbineyetisWed, 16 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Racing across the snowy wastes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/02/one-shots-racing-across-the-snowy-wastes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/02/one-shots-racing-across-the-snowy-wastes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/02/one-shots-racing-across-the-snowy-wastes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With the surprising amount of news coming out this weekend, we've decided to ride far and wide to find a different perspective on One Shots for today. This screenshot is actually from the oft-shown Lord of the Rings Online, but involving a road less-traveled. Here's what Maerlin of Brandywine had to say about today's image:

This is a screenshot of the northern expanse of the Misty Mountains. This particular area is pretty much a barren wasteland except for the occasional rare spawn mob that drops the oh-so-coveted Beryl Shard.

We think it's interesting to see this image and contrast it against some of the other LotRO screens we've shown. While we knew certain areas of Middle-earth were gorgeous, we were wondering where the wastelands of the story were at! If you have a road less-traveled that you'd like to share with the rest of us, feel free to send those screens in to us at oneshots@massively.com. We love to see the unusual too!

Gallery: One Shots

MassivelyOne Shots: Racing across the snowy wastes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beryl-shardlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromisty-mountainspaths-less-traveledsnowturbinewastelandwinterSun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: "The weather outside is frightful" edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/wrup-the-weather-outside-is-frightful-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/wrup-the-weather-outside-is-frightful-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/wrup-the-weather-outside-is-frightful-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's mid-December. The snow is here (in Chicago, anyway), and with it comes the single-digit temperatures, days spent indoors, and hot cocoa and marshmellows. This weekend is the perfect time to stay inside, snuggle up to your PC, and play some MMOs.

So as we ask every week, What aRe yoU Playing? For me this weekend, it's all about EVE Trinity-- I was waiting for that little boot.ini snafu to die down before upgrading, but last night after CCP said it was OK, I took the plunge and downloaded all the new files. I played it this morning for a bit (the detail! the lights! beautiful!), and this weekend, I plan to get a good chunk of all the ISK I'll need for moving up to a mining barge (which I'm just a few days from skilling up to as well). So I'll be in game as Frank Dante this weekend-- say hi if you're also flying the unfriendly skies.

What MMO is going to grab most of your attention this weekend?

MassivelyWRUP: "The weather outside is frightful" edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpdecembereve-onlinesnowweekendwrupFri, 07 Dec 2007 13:15:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP: Rabbit rabbit edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/wrup-rabbit-rabbit-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/wrup-rabbit-rabbit-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/wrup-rabbit-rabbit-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tomorrow's the first of December, and with that comes the final lock on Winter's door-- we're stuck with this cold and snow now until next spring (at least here in the northern US), and yet there's still about a week to go until the holidays really get underway and the family has you making cookies and putting up trees with lights on them. Sounds like the perfect time for staying warm inside and getting some good gaming done!

So we're asking our weekly query again: What aRe yoU Playing this weekend? Me, I've finally gotten some momentum back with my lowbie hunter in World of Warcraft, so I'm going to be rolling as fast as I can towards that new Dustwallow Marsh content. Usually, I'd have a little non-MMO Xbox 360 game playing in there, but unfortunately I got hit by the RRoD last week-- I've got both Mass Effect and Rock Band (with drum kit assembled-- yeah, I'm dying here) sitting still wrapped in plastic in my apartment.

But hopefully your gaming days are better. What are you playing this weekend?

MassivelyWRUP: Rabbit rabbit edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colddiscussiondustwallow-marshred-ring-of-deathsnowwhat-are-you-playingwinterworld-of-warcraftwrupxbox-360Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:20:00 EST