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[Wings Over Atreia: Milking the cash cow]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/wings-over-atreia-milking-the-cash-cow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/wings-over-atreia-milking-the-cash-cow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/18/wings-over-atreia-milking-the-cash-cow/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Although it is so far out on the scale of probability that it is tipping into impossibility, there is a remote chance that some player in Aion does not know about NCsoft's cash shop. After all, we are often assaulted with advertisements for new goodies offered at the NCsoft Store front-and-center on the launchpad; if you have logged into the game any time in the last couple of months, you have seen offerings of cosmetic clothing, exclusive pets, and weapon skins.

Now I can understand ponying-up for a character name-change since the user is asking for a smidgen of change in code. Changing gender -- sure, why not? Server transfers definitely involve a bit of work, so making this a paid service also makes sense. Cosmetic surgery, however, is harder for me to accept since I have played a game that offered it in-game as a service performed by a specific class. But what about all of the extra items? The little perks, the fluff, and limited-time deals?

Grab your wallet and join me past the break for a discussion on fleecing customers (I mean offering deals, really) and to see some items that I personally would like to implement.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Milking the cash cow

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Milking the cash cow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gameassault-on-balaureacash-shopcosmetic-clothingexclusive-offersfeaturedmicrotransactionMicrotransactionsnc-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionncsoft-storepetsrespecrespecsserver-transfersskinsspyspyingvanityMon, 18 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The great wormhole heist, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/eve-evolved-the-great-wormhole-heist-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/eve-evolved-the-great-wormhole-heist-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/eve-evolved-the-great-wormhole-heist-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

One of the most common things I hear from people who don't play EVE Online is that they don't like the game itself but they absolutely love the stories that come out of it. There's something inherently brutal and visceral about the stories players act out every day in EVE's colossal sandbox. Tales of high-profile thefts and political intrigue occasionally creep into the media and grab our attention, but stories of that sort are a lot more common than you'd think. Last year, we told one such story of a player's descent into criminality and revenge taken too far. In last week's EVE Evolved, I began to tell the true tale of that same player in one of his biggest heists to date. If you haven't read the first part of this story yet, head back to last week's EVE Evolved before reading on.

A matter of time

Having discovered an opportunity for theft much greater than expected, Scott recognised that he would need help to pull off a successful heist. With the wormhole corporation's assets within Scott's reach, a sense of urgency began to overtake him. Based on discussions with his new corp members, he knew that the group's wormhole tenancy had just begun and that they were still in the process of clearing the starbase up following a frantic move-in. This explained the secure containers littering space -- a temporary measure to be used until an adequate hangar permission scheme could be created.

In this week's conclusion of the story of the great wormhole heist, Scott discovers allies in some unexpected places and finds out first-hand whether there really is no honour amongst thieves.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The great wormhole heist, part 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The great wormhole heist, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesCCP-Wranglercorpcorporatecorporate-infiltrationcorporationcrimecriminaleveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistjohnmilton-keynesoutlawOutlawsrichardscottspyspyingstevewormholewormhole-explorationwormhole-heistwormholesSun, 17 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The great wormhole heist, part 1]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/10/eve-evolved-the-great-wormhole-heist-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/10/eve-evolved-the-great-wormhole-heist-part-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/10/eve-evolved-the-great-wormhole-heist-part-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Several years ago, EVE Online's Community Manager CCP Wrangler made a statement that I felt really crystalised the sentiment behind the game. He said that "EVE isn't designed to just look like a cold, dark and harsh world; it's designed to be a cold, dark and harsh world." Although most of us are content to indulge ourselves in PvP, market games and other traditional modes of gameplay, a criminal underworld runs beneath that innocuous surface. A significant few carve their own illicit destinies from the void, stealing and cheating their way to the top.

Whether these space-faring cyber-criminals are in it for fame and riches, political influence, or their own personal goals, the stories of their actions in EVE's colossal sandbox never fail to grip us. High-profile thefts like the Guiding Hand Social Club heist of 2005, the closure of EBank, and last year's Titans4U scandal have been made very public, and smaller-scale crimes occur every day in New Eden. Last year, we brought you the true tale of one player's revenge taken too far -- a story of corporate infiltration, social deception and utter destruction. Although this was Scott's first foray into criminality, it was most certainly not his last. The events in this week's story are true, but the names of the players and corporations involved have been changed.

In this week's EVE Evolved, Scott returns as I begin to tell the true story of his huge wormhole heist.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The great wormhole heist, part 1

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The great wormhole heist, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesCCP-Wranglercorpcorporatecorporate-infiltrationcorporationcrimecriminaleveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistmilton-keynesoutlawOutlawsrichardscottspyspyingwormholewormhole-explorationwormhole-heistwormholesSun, 10 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Death of an Industrialist, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/19/eve-evolved-death-of-an-industrialist-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/19/eve-evolved-death-of-an-industrialist-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/19/eve-evolved-death-of-an-industrialist-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Of all the things that define EVE Online, it's the stories of criminality that stand out the most. The criminal underworld of New Eden is so deeply ingrained in EVE that CCP even made a selling point of it in the latest official trailer. Last week, I began to tell the true tale of one EVE pilot's thirst for revenge and the corporate infiltration techniques he used to get close to his target. In this week's conclusion of the story, Scott's plans for revenge come to fruition. But is Scott really the victim he believes himself to be, or has greed blinded him to what he's doing? If you haven't read part 1 of the story, skip back to read last week's EVE Evolved column before reading on.

Newbies again

Once in Zeeqo's corp, Scott and his crew began the slow task of setting their target up for a colossal fall. Simply destroying Zeeqo's mining barge could be a swift and fitting retribution, but Scott had a much harsher punishment in mind. Zeeqo would be made to pay for his mistake several times over. The plan for retribution hinged on Zeeqo's weekend freighter runs to Jita, a time at which he flew his most expensive and indefensible ship. This gave the three infiltrators only five days to befriend their target and work out how best to capitalise on his weekly haul.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Death of an Industrialist, part 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Death of an Industrialist, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesemergenceemergentemergent-gameplayeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistindustrialistindustrialistsindustryinfiltrationnyphursandboxscottsocial-engineeringspyspyingstorystorytellingtheftzeeqoSun, 19 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Death of an industrialist]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/eve-evolved-death-of-an-industrialist/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/eve-evolved-death-of-an-industrialist/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/eve-evolved-death-of-an-industrialist/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's often said that the EVE Online universe is a dark and harsh place, the market overflowing with con-artists and the skies filled with pirates looking for some easy prey. The sandbox style of New Eden enables emergent gameplay like market manipulation, corporate infiltration, spying and theft. When faced with the choice, some players choose to be ruthless outlaws who will stop at nothing to further their own goals. Political puppet-masters pull the strings on the alliance war machines from behind the scenes, spies infiltrate corporations to gather intelligence, and thieves plot their way to riches.

The latest official game trailer makes a big point of this side of EVE, telling an incredible story of revenge and theft that closely mirrors the reality of New Eden. As if to highlight the point made by the trailer, this week EVE player Bad Bobby confirmed that he'd stolen a total of 850 billion ISK from players in the investment market. Concluding a plan set in motion years ago, Bobby pulled off the theft last week of his supposedly secured Titans4U company. In keeping with this recent theme of theft and corruption, this week's EVE Evolved is a story of revenge, corporate infiltration, social deception and utter destruction. I've embellished the story in places and names have been changed to protect the privacy of all those involved, but the events described are real.

In this week's article, I begin to tell the very real tale of an EVE player's revenge -- a precision strike against an industrialist who made one fatal mistake.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Death of an industrialist

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Death of an industrialist originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesemergenceemergentemergent-gameplayeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistindustrialistindustrialistsindustryinfiltrationnyphursandboxscottsocial-engineeringspyspyingstorystorytellingtheftzeeqoSun, 12 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[E-ON Magazine issue 19 hits the shelves]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/e-on-magazine-issue-19-hits-the-shelves/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/e-on-magazine-issue-19-hits-the-shelves/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/e-on-magazine-issue-19-hits-the-shelves/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

In Autumn 2005, EVE Online became one of the only MMOs out there with its own dedicated print magazine. Under contract from CCP Games, MMM Publishing has worked tirelessly ever since to produce EVE's official magazine "E-ON." Four times per year, we're blessed with a dose of the latest and greatest things from New Eden in a comfortingly solid format. The magazine covers everything from strategy guides and ship fitting advice to sneak peaks at upcoming expansions, interviews with CCP staff and incredible fiction set in the EVE universe.

E-ON differs from other game magazines in that they don't any make money from advertising. In an effort to keep the magazine all about EVE, they've taken the unusual but apparently successful route of publishing full-page adverts from in-game corporations and organisations. Advertisers buy space in the magazine with ISK, the in-game currency, and adverts must be for strictly in-game purposes. The ISK is then used to pay volunteer writers, who create most of the magazine's content and produce important things like guides from a true player's perspective. There's even a scheme in the works to reward advertisers with discount coupon codes for the magazine to gift their corpmates. Now nearing their fifth year of publishing, E-ON issue 19 has recently been released. As usual, this issue is absolutely packed full of everything we've come to expect from the mag.

Skip past the cut for a run-down of what you can expect in issue 19 of E-ON Magazine.

Continue reading E-ON Magazine issue 19 hits the shelves

MassivelyE-ON Magazine issue 19 hits the shelves originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleclinicccpccp-eveccp-falloutccp-gamesccp-shadowchroniclesdominiondr-eyjogdr-eyjolfur-gudmundssone-oneonespionageeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedjames-eganmagazinemmmmmm-publishingspyingtyranniswarzapateroSat, 10 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise developers seeking community input on alts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/earthrise-developers-seeking-community-input-on-alts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/earthrise-developers-seeking-community-input-on-alts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/earthrise-developers-seeking-community-input-on-alts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Earthrise is an indy-developed science fiction MMO on the way from Masthead Studios in Bulgaria. The developers have stated that Earthrise will be a sandbox game, with a large part of the player experience based on what guilds try to accomplish in the post-apocalyptic setting of Enterra. Given this emphasis on player-driven content, Masthead Studios has been running a Community Consensus over the past few weeks where the devs seek input from Earthrise fans on various aspects of the game's design.

Today Masthead Studios wants to hear what the community thinks about alts. In most MMOs having extra character slots is expected, but alt play in a sandbox game where players will engage in espionage could get out of hand. Would the ability to easily for any player to create a cell of spy alts unbalance the game, or should there be a tight limit on character slots per account?

Continue reading Earthrise developers seeking community input on alts

MassivelyEarthrise developers seeking community input on alts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>altaltscommunity-consensusearthriseenterraespionagemasthead-studiosnew-titlesopinionpost-apocalypticsci-fispiesspyspyingMon, 19 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hints of espionage in Earthrise]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/hints-of-espionage-in-earthrise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/hints-of-espionage-in-earthrise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/hints-of-espionage-in-earthrise/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


One of the interesting things that happens when you create a sandbox MMO where players can establish political systems, even empires, is that factions of those players will form and work against their opposition. In some cases, this is through large scale PvP campaigns. But another, more subtle aspect to warfare between guilds is espionage, should the game developer allow it. Fortunately for Earthrise players, Masthead Studios won't just allow espionage in their post-apocalyptic game -- they encourage it.

Espionage is the focus of the latest Question of the Week asked by a member of the Earthrise community. It seems that spying will be an important aspect of conflicts between guilds, but so will visits to other guild territories for trade runs. Masthead Studios implies that there will be a pass system used to allow non-guild members access to a guild's territory: "Even though one might expect only allies and friends to the guild would be allowed to visit using a pass system, it is possible for clever spies of enemy guilds to find a way to sneak in and report to their headquarters about the development of enemy bases."

Continue reading Hints of espionage in Earthrise

MassivelyHints of espionage in Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online is one of the few MMOs where players in guilds (corporations and alliances) have some valid concerns about spies from rival groups infiltrating their ranks. The concept of being a spy or saboteur is a profession of sorts that arose in the game. There aren't any game mechanics that necessarily enable spying or make it into a viable profession, nor are there any rules that prohibit most of these activities.

Wes from EVE Tribune recently wrote a piece called "Metagaming", dealing with how espionage can impact rival corporations and alliances in EVE. Wes asks, "Why is everyone so paranoid about spies and metagaming?" then goes on to explain how espionage in EVE works, categorizing spies by their modus operandi:

Continue reading EVE's spies and metagamers

MassivelyEVE's spies and metagamers originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesccpccp-gamescorporationscultureespionageeveeve-onlineeve-tribuneforumsgame-mechanicsguildsintelintelligencemetagamemetagamingmolesparanoiapoliticspvpsabotagesaboteurspiesspyspyingteamspeakwesSun, 12 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PBS: Bill Moyers Journal on Project Reynard]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/pbs-bill-moyers-journal-on-project-reynard/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/pbs-bill-moyers-journal-on-project-reynard/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/pbs-bill-moyers-journal-on-project-reynard/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It shouldn't be a shock that governments are interested in MMOs and virtual worlds. We hear that they even pay attention to the film industry, television, DVDs and other such new-fangled technological industries that turn over many millions of dollars and involve significant percentages of the population.

The US Government's Project Reynard is a different breed of fox, however. The idea seems fairly simple on the face of it. Convince MMO and virtual world operators to open up their systems for complete surveillance and then try to establish 'normal behavior patterns' and see if it is then possible to determine 'suspicious behavior patterns'.

Yes, this is technically unconstitutional (like all those warrantless wiretaps you may read about in the news), but as we've seen, a simple Executive Order signed by the Chief seems to be sufficient to brush that trifling obstacle aside.

PBS' Bill Moyers Journal takes a look at the whole issue, and gives a refreshingly non-sensationalist look at Activision-Blizzard's World of Warcraft and Linden Lab's Second Life, in this rather sobering feature.

[Via WoW Insider]

MassivelyPBS: Bill Moyers Journal on Project Reynard originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardbill-moyerslegallinden-labmmorpgspbsproject-reynardsecond-lifespyingterrorismvideoworld-of-warcraftThu, 12 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST