Massively

XL releases new ArcheAge combat trailer

Jef Reahard — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox

If you're already looking forward to the start of ArcheAge's fourth Korean closed beta test, XLGAMES has a new gameplay video that will probably launch your excitement level into the stratosphere. Though it's a short clip, it boasts a lot of siege footage (including some spiffy shots from above as player-controlled hang-gliders fly over the action). We also get a brief look at a few of the game's combat spells as well as PvE clashes with a couple of sizable boss monsters.

ArcheAge is a sandpark title being developed in Korea by XLGAMES and Lineage creator Jake Song. Thus far there are no public plans for a western beta or release.

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XL releases new ArcheAge combat trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Competitive tournaments and bluescreen grenades

Brendan Drain — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively

It's been a quiet week in the land of MOBAs, with preparations underway for DreamHack Winter 2011 in Sweden later this month. Bloodline Champions will be running its $10,000 US Alienware tournament, and Dota 2 joins in with the $15,000 Corsair Vengeance tournament. Heroes of Newerth is due to host the conclusion of its $30,000 MSI Beat It tournament at DreamHack, and signups begin tomorrow for the $3,000 Kingston HoNor challenge.

League of Legends' second competitive season approaches, and with it comes a series of summoner spell changes designed to encourage a more aggressive playstyle. Unused summoner names from season one were deleted as part of a database cleanup, opening 460,000 old names for registration. Firefall celebrates Halloween this week with a pumpkin-carving community roundup special featuring a giant carved pumpkin made in Minecraft. As Blacklight: Retribution continues its closed beta, developers discuss the game's high-technology battlefield and introduce a grenade that makes your opponents bluescreen.

Read on for this week's top news stories from popular MOBAs and other online games that aren't quite MMOs.

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Not So Massively: Competitive tournaments and bluescreen grenades originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA play diary takes you to the Oblivion Woods

Jef Reahard — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA, Dev Diaries

TERA news has been at a premium lately, and aside from yesterday's BAM reveal, it's been all quiet on the Arborean front for some time now. Luckily, En Masse has graced us with its latest TERA community play diary, and our intrepid hosts -- Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical and Evan "Scapes" Berman -- are back to guide us through the upcoming title's fantasy dreamscape.

This time, the pair are causing all sorts of trouble in and around TERA's Oblivion Woods, and there's a bit of discussion about new spells (including AoE heals and a crowd-control ability known as Ishara's lullaby). As per usual with the community play diary series, there are also several gorgeous screenshots to be had, so head to the official TERA website and have a look.

TERA play diary takes you to the Oblivion Woods originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArcheAge caster class detailed

Jef Reahard — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge

AAportal has published another review of the recently concluded ArcheAge CBT3 event, this time focusing on the game's Mage class. The reviewer leveled his Mage to 21 and came away with a better understanding of the pre-defined spell schools (in this case illusion, death, and magic) as well as the corresponding special abilities.

While most MMO mages are on the squishy side, we suspect that ArcheAge will buck that trend a bit, given the reviewer's observations that his Mage had a lot of hitpoints as well as a significant shield buff. Offense is, of course, the Mage's raison d'etre, and ArcheAge casters apparently pack a wallop (as well as two- to three- second cast times).

It's not all wham-spam-thank-you-ma'am, though, as there is some strategy involved. Read all about it at AAportal, and check out the gameplay video after the cut.

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ArcheAge caster class detailed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeons and Dragons Online's state of the game letter talks crafting, Update 9

Jef Reahard — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries

It's time for the April version of Dungeons and Dragons Online's State of the Game address, and striding toward the teleprompter is Turbine executive producer Fernando Paiz. First up is a shout out to the newly assimilated French and German DDO communities. Paiz also says that all DDO clients and servers will support multiple languages via a launcher toggle.

There's also some discussion about Update 9, in particular the "major balance pass" that all the game's spells have undergone. Epic content is getting some attention, as are DDO's animations. The new crafting system gets some virtual ink as well, and Paiz says that Turbine will be "incrementally releasing more crafting levels and recipes through Update 9 and Update 10" as well as soliciting feedback over time.

Finally, there's talk of challenge quests and how the new content will play out over the next few months. Overall, there's a lot going on, and you've got a fair bit of reading to do, so head to the official DDO website to get started.

Dungeons and Dragons Online's state of the game letter talks crafting, Update 9 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine posts DDO Update 9 patch notes

Jef Reahard — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

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

It's update time in the world of Eberron, and Turbine's Tolero has posted the substantial patch notes on the official Dungeons and Dragons Online forums. Update 9 is currently strutting its stuff on the Lamannia test server, and among the new features are updated combat animations, a Saltire District adventure pack, and a host of tweaks to a lengthy list of spells and abilities.

The list is so long, in fact, that we couldn't reproduce it here, so head to the boards and see for yourself. Update 9 also boasts a couple of class changes, notably additional early level spell points for Rangers and Paladins as well as a new Echoes of Power effect. When a player with the magical training feat is low on spell points, Echoes of Power will automatically come to the rescue with a regeneration effect.

Turbine posts DDO Update 9 patch notes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Class actions

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log, Guides

The biggest news about Final Fantasy XIV this week, other than the somewhat mollifying UI update preview, was the addition of another 30 days of free playtime for everyone. This is the sort of thing that I don't think you can really see as anything other than a classy move on the part of Square-Enix. It's also very unexpected, but in the best possible way -- I can't help but be surprised that the company which has long been seen as completely dispassionate by Final Fantasy XI players has essentially responded to the "I don't want to pay for beta" complaints with "that's fair, we'll let you play for free."

So as long as we're talking about class, let's talk about Final Fantasy XIV's classes. I'm a big fan of games that give you a broad toolbox and let you decide what you want to do with everything, and building a field class is one of my biggest joys in the game. It's not that you can't mix-and-match abilities from Disciples of the Land or Disciples of the Hand, but there's less variance than the combat-oriented classes. Let's start dipping our toes into character building, yes?

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The Mog Log: Class actions originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tattered Notebook: Merge this!

Karen Bryan — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest II, Classes, Culture, Economy, Lore, Opinion, Races, Humor, The Tattered Notebook

Server mergers are coming this week to EverQuest II, and with it come some serious questions about what stays, what goes, and who gets stuck with a name with a lousy X at the end. But sometimes mergers are a good thing, and I think since we're on the subject, it's worth looking at what else could be merged in the world of Norrath.

In this week's Tattered Notebook, I'll consider how merging tokens, towns, classes, gods, guild halls and more could benefit EQII. Join me past the cut!

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The Tattered Notebook: Merge this! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land of Chaos Online goes loco for spell info

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play

As we saw at GDC10, Land of Chaos Online is certainly an unusual species of MMO, blending fantasy elements, Defense of the Ancients-style matches and third-person shooter action. The title is still deep in closed beta, but fans wishing to know more about the nitty-gritty details of LOCO can now feast their eyes on The Spellbook of Laair Hathy. Apparently, Laair Hathy is a wizard with a big mouth who likes to share top secret information on her rivals.

Unlike many MMOs, LOCO players assume the role of one of several predefined characters, each with their own unique array of skills and spells. Each section of the Spellbook covers one of these characters, providing us with background information, pictures and skill descriptions. This adds up to over 120 spells and skills that are now on display for inspection and discussion.

If LOCO piques your interest, then head on over to flip through the Spellbook, and sign up for closed beta while you're at it!

Gallery: GDC10: Land of Chaos Online preview screenshots

Land of Chaos Online goes loco for spell info originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Glorious roundup of community motherland

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST

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

I am still deeply disappointed that we do not have more Russia-themed content... well, anywhere, but especially in City of Heroes. Having grown up during the end of the Cold War, I want more fur coats and red stars and winter wastelands with nuclear missiles. Yes, it's stereotypical, but so are steampunk Prussians, holdovers from the Third Reich, and robed sword-wielding cultists. Wouldn't it be lovely?

Now, much as I might like to, my love of the odd post-Cold War Russian image that's now been inserted unceremoniously into pop culture is not the point of today's article. No, today we're focusing on a straight roundup of all the community discussions that have been taking place of late, and, as always, there's plenty to talk about. While the news about Going Rogue has slowed slightly, Issue 17 is just around the corner, and the City of Heroes community hasn't stopped finding things to talk about over the past six years anyhow. Jump on past the cut for highlights of the glorious motherland of community.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Glorious roundup of community motherland originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting out in Vana'diel: See no evil, hear no evil, smell... no evil?

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Guides, Leveling, Tips and tricks, Grouping, Consoles

Hola mi amigos! Hoy es la dia de Vana'diel! *clears throat* Ahem, sorry about that. Hello adventurers, and welcome to another edition of Starting out in Vana'diel! Today's topic is actually one that I find quite cool about Final Fantasy XI, especially when you compare it to other MMOs. It's the mechanic that puts the fear of Promathia into every adventurer's step.

Today's column is all about the different monster aggro types -- yes, there are different types. You want to find out more? Come, follow me, and let's find out more!

Continue reading Starting out in Vana'diel: See no evil, hear no evil, smell... no evil?

Starting out in Vana'diel: See no evil, hear no evil, smell... no evil? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Extensive white mage changes to be rolled out with Final Fantasy XI's April update

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, PvE, Consoles

Play a white mage? You might want to perk your ears up and check out Square-Enix's latest message to the Final Fantasy XI community. It seems that your job is due for a very nice set of upgrades.

The April version update will be adding brand new WHM job abilities and changes to how white magic works in general, including changes to reraise, holy, cure, martyr, banish, and others. All of these changes are based around the WHM's newest two abilities -- Afflatus Solace and Afflatus Misery. Each of these abilities will be set to a 1 minute reuse timer and last for 2 hours, making them easily switchable depending on your situation. Using one will, of course, overwrite the other. Both of these abilities can't be active at once.

Afflatus Solace is a WHM stance centered around curing. As you cure, the healing you do will be recorded by Solace and will be used to provide bonuses to other beneficial spells. For example, your cures will give the target temporary stoneskin when Afflatus Solace is active.

Afflatus Misery is a stance centered around you taking hits. The last hit against you will be stored by Misery and then unleashed with the next harmful spell that you cast. For example, getting hit will provide a bonus to your next banish spell.

Square-Enix has promised more classes will be changed beyond the white mage with the April update, and we're looking forward to what improvements they have in store! For the full information on the new white mage abilities, check out the full article on PlayOnline.

Extensive white mage changes to be rolled out with Final Fantasy XI's April update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asheron's Call's 100th update is live and kicking

Samuel Axon — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Events, in-game, Expansions, Patches, PvP, News items

The much-heralded 100th Asheron's Call update has finally arrived! In addition to new areas and monsters, it notably adds in the highly anticipated faction system, with three distinct societies that players can join. There are also two new towns which may be captured in PvP. The society that controls a town will have access to the Black Market, which sells special items unavailable anywhere else.

A new tier of loot has been added -- mostly for levels 150 and up -- which includes armor sets for players above level 180 and items used in crafting new spells. Yep, there are new spells -- a whole level of them in fact! Level 8 spells may either be researched in the traditional way, or learned via combination of certain item drops from the new tier.

The complete release notes, including details on how to acquire items in the new loot tier, are available at Turbine's AC website. This is a huge update (accompanied, of course, by the August event), and it's a great time to feel proud that you're among the special few playing Asheron's Call today.

Asheron's Call's 100th update is live and kicking originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive video of updated Vanguard GU5 spell effects

Brenda Holloway — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, Previews, Vanguard

Adding a few dozen new mounts to the game and improving the performance would be enough to fill up any ordinary patch, but the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes devs decided to buckle down and improve the spell and combat ability graphics. With a good group casting and using special moves, all with their own flashy graphics, it could get a little hard to see what was going on. Game Update 5 brings new spell animations for druids, sorcerers, disciples and others, which are both faster and better-looking than the old ones.

Click on through to watch the video, and get your fill of the new spell graphics. Then, stop by later today for an interview with Vanguard game designer Lenny Gullo. He'll talk about quests, mounts, hitching, factions, and ten easy recipes for cooking battle lobster.

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Exclusive video of updated Vanguard GU5 spell effects originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive Vanguard Game Update 5 mounts video

Brenda Holloway — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Patches, Previews, Vanguard, Races

SOE's Vanguard: Saga of Heroes keeps marching forward with its upcoming Game Update 5. GU5 features a bevy of new features, including new "anti-hitching" code which will cut down on the number of times the game needs to read from disk, smoothing out the gameplay substantially. Not content with just boosting performance, the developers decided to go whole hog (and turtle, and spider, and beetle, and wolf) and introduce new racial mounts for every race in the game.

Click on through to see the mounts Vanguard has in store for their dedicated players! Then, stop by later for a look at the new, improved spell graphics coming in GU5, and an exclusive interview with esteemed Vanguard game designer Lenny "Tiraslee" Gullo.

Gallery: Vanguard Game Update 5 Gallery

Continue reading Exclusive Vanguard Game Update 5 mounts video

Exclusive Vanguard Game Update 5 mounts video originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New EQ2 abilities for levels 71 to 80

William Dobson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics

TenTonHammer has updated their list of Everquest II spells to include new abilities that will be earned along the way to level 80. Each of the game's 24 classes has a full list of skills, and if you scroll to the bottom, you will be able to see what's in store for your character when Rise of Kunark is released.

Some of these spells will undoubtedly just be upgrades to existing lines, but there are some new ones in there too, so poke around your class list and find out which levels you should be particularly excited about. You may also notice that the spell-list page includes a link to the racial traditions in EQ2, however, the information for the new Sarnak race has not yet been added. We plan to put up some details ourselves about the Sarnak's racials, so check back later for that, as well as other RoK coverage prior to launch.

New EQ2 abilities for levels 71 to 80 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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