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Free for All: How I'm preparing for the release of Wakfu

Beau Hindman — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Free for All, Sandbox

I'm not your typical fanboy. I get excited about an upcoming game, but generally I will not believe in its greatness until I play it. Usually I can get my hands on the game before it comes out so I can see what the fuss is about, but I never find myself that ramped up until release day. Then, and only then, will I really pay attention.

Wakfu is one of those games I know is going to at least be different from its rivals. I have already played a bit in all of the betas and now know that it is far from your typical MMO. The classes are different and fun; the lore and artwork is amazing. It runs on almost any PC. The game doesn't insult the player with hand-holding and non-stop popups. It really does walk that fine line between a sandbox and a more linear game.

So how am I preparing for the release of this unique game?

Continue reading Free for All: How I'm preparing for the release of Wakfu

Free for All: How I'm preparing for the release of Wakfu originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's guide to PAX 2011

Larry Everett — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: City of Heroes, City of Villains, EVE Online, Guild Wars, Lineage 2, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world, News items, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, Global Agenda, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, DUST 514, World of Tanks, Miscellaneous, World of Warplanes, WildStar

What can be said about PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington that hasn't been said already? Everyone knows that it is the largest public gaming event in North America. Attendance totaled 67,600 last year, not including press and exhibitors. And this year, even more gamers will descend on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The latest and greatest games -- released and unreleased -- will be available for public consumption. Developers will mill around the showroom floor, answering your questions. Not to mention that no one will look at you funny because you play video games!

This year, MMORPGs really stand out in the crowd. Seattle native NCsoft has a huge presence at the convention, borrowing a theater just to showcase its games. BioWare comes armed with its heavy-hitter, Star Wars: The Old Republic. And free-to-play titles like Firefall, Lord of the Rings Online, and Wakfu promise to strut their stuff at this year's PAX.

Punch past the break as Massively outlines the must-see booths for MMO fans. And don't forget the panels, including a couple of MMO spotlights for PAX Dev, the gathering of fans and developers at Sheraton Seattle Hotel on the 24th and 25th.

Continue reading Massively's guide to PAX 2011

Massively's guide to PAX 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square and Ankama gear up for Wakfu closed beta

Jef Reahard — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

Lest you think Square-Enix is solely committed to sprawling, spikey-haired, single-player productions or much-maligned MMORPGs, we're here to tell you that the famed development firm is gearing up to unleash Wakfu on an unsuspecting gaming populace. The new tactical MMO will be opening the doors of its closed beta on January 31st, and Square is inviting you to check out the game's 14 classes, turn-based combat, and an evolving eco-system in which killing a monster may mean ridding the game world of it for good.

While Square is handling publishing duties for Wakfu, the brains behind the game is a company called Ankama, better known to international MMO fans as the creators of Dofus. Aside from a propensity for wacky titles, Ankama is making a name for itself via the various multimedia projects surrounding the release of Wakfu including comic books, card games, and an animated cartoon.

Square and Ankama gear up for Wakfu closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Community Detective Issue 10: Final Fantasy XIV

Jef Reahard — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Opinion, Final Fantasy XIV, Community Detective

Welcome to the Eorzea edition of Massively's Community Detective. I've been spending a fair bit of time in Square-Enix's Final Fantasy XIV of late and have finally managed to collate some data on the game's community and customer service apparatus. Those of you looking for a ranty review of Square's much-maligned epic probably won't find what you're looking for here, although I'll occasionally offer a bit of side commentary on my in-game experiences to go along with the usual community questions and support tickets.

Without further ado then, let's jump into the Age of Adventure.

Continue reading Community Detective Issue 10: Final Fantasy XIV

Community Detective Issue 10: Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Are open betas necessary?

Jef Reahard — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV is in open beta as we speak, and anyone with even a passing interest in MMORPGs is probably already aware of that fact. What you may not be aware of is that very little is actually going to get "tested" (much less re-implemented) during this month-long honeymoon.

Many people have even begun referring to open beta periods as marketing betas, since they basically exist to generate awareness of the title and build as much hype as possible. While my own reaction to MMO betas mirrors the hard-working tester in the photo above, many of you are no doubt enjoying Square-Enix's latest.

What's your take on open betas in general and FFXIV's in particular? Do you even bother submitting feedback and/or testing, or do you look at them as pre-release free trials?

The Daily Grind: Are open betas necessary? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanaka details FFXIV beta phases

Jef Reahard — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

French fansite JeuxOnline brings us word on the beta phases for Square Enix's highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG. During an interview with FFXIV producer Hiromichi Tanaka, a few details about the game's Linkshell and Servant systems made their way to the surface, as well as information about beta phases prior to the projected September 30 launch.

"In fact, we will have several phases of beta testing. In the first phase, we have a version that will incorporate feedback from our alpha testers [that] will hopefully [be] available this week. At first, it will resemble the alpha test phase, in the sense that each test session [will] last four hours. Then, hopefully by early August, we will open the [third] beta test phase which will remain operational until the game launches," Tanaka said.

He goes on to note that the third beta phase will be closed, and that while Square Enix may host another short beta phase just prior to release, it is not yet ready to guarantee that said beta will be an open one. Check out the original interview (in French), or view the English translation.

Tanaka details FFXIV beta phases originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV has a clan-do attitude

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Races, Final Fantasy XIV

While we heard about Final Fantasy XIV's subraces -- called "clans" -- a week ago from Japanese fansites, today SquareEnix has released the details on their North American site. Each race has two clans, which totals 10 unique selections by the time all is said and done.

Fans familiar with Final Fantasy XI's races will be pleasantly surprised by the variety offered here. The elfin Elezen are now divided into the Wildwood (forest archers) and Duskwight (grubby cave-dwellers) clans. If cutsie dolls are more to your liking, then the Lalafell are up for the job, split between the down-to-earth Plainsfolk or the darker Dunesfolk. The hulking Roegadyn are partial to extreme climates of bitter oceans and volcanic fury, which has resulted in the Sea Wolves and Hellsguard, respectively. Of course, every MMO must offer a traditional human race, which in FFXIV falls to the Hyur, who either identify as the educated Midlanders or the beefy Highlanders. Finally, the cat-like Miqo'te will choose to be either one of the Keepers of the Sun or the Seekers of the Moon.

From running down this list, there's a definite light/dark dichotomy going on here, not just in skin tone but in the clans' basic philosophy. You can find information about the different versions of each of the five primary races by going to World --> Races --> Overview on the Final Fantasy XIV main menu.

Final Fantasy XIV has a clan-do attitude originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crafting Final Fantasy XI's global community

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Culture, MMO industry, Final Fantasy XIV

A recent piece on Gamasutra discussed one of the more prominent and yet understated issues facing Final Fantasy XI -- the challenge of creating, bolstering, and supporting a global community. It's easy to forget at times that the game is sold and played in four different languages across three continents on the same set of servers, with a Japanese development team and customer service representatives across several countries. Robert Allen Peeler, the assistant community manager for the game, went into details about several of the issues, hurdles, and pitfalls the game has gone through over its near six-year multi-lingual run.

Peeler discusses the challenges associated in communicating the wishes of the fans to developers, who speak only Japanese and don't necessarily have a clear grasp of what the rest of the world's players want out of the game. He also mentions the now-infamous Pandemonium Warden boss encounter and explains that the issue was largely focused in North America, but due to the communication issues it began to be seen worldwide before the developers could adequately address the issues.

The piece also goes into some detail regarding the plans for how these same issues will be addressed when Final Fantasy XIV is released, which will most likely share the same multi-lingual support and servers. If you're interested in taking a look inside some of the problems of a global game -- or if you're a Final Fantasy XI player looking for more of an answer about why the developers don't respond to issues -- you should take a look at the article.

Crafting Final Fantasy XI's global community originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Crystal War continues in Final Fantasy XI

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, in-game, Lore, Quests

In addition to a new mini-expansion in the form of A Shantotto Ascension, the November update to Final Fantasy XI will also be continuing the missions of the Wings of the Goddess expansion, allowing players to live out the events of the Crystal War and help ensure the stability of present-day Vana'diel. While the overall scope of the conflict begins to shift to the world's northern hemisphere, setting the stage for events that led into the game's original missions, the individual nations each have their own issues to deal with and their own battles to fight. Square-Enix has released some of the details regarding these upcoming missions for the next update.

San d'Oria's missions will focus around the proud kingdom's operations in Beaucedine Glacier and the unconvential strategies of the boy tactician Excenmille. Bastok will continue to deal with the aftershocks of the head of the Mythril Musketeers having made an attempt on the president's life, while Windurst has won a costly victory even as the beastman forces continue their march toward the nation's capital.

One of Final Fantasy XI's greatest strengths has always been the emphasis and motivation placed upon its ongoing storyline, and these new missions promise to continue that tradition. The game may be entering its twilight years as it comes to its six-year US anniversary near the end of the month, but it still has quite a bit of life left in it.

The Crystal War continues in Final Fantasy XI originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix will differentiate its next effort from FFXI

Alexis Kassan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles

Details are still not released about the next project from Square Enix, makers of Final Fantasy XI but rumors abound that it will debut at E3 in June 2009. So far, all that has been said is that the new game will be "different from Final Fantasy XI." Gee. Thanks. Helpful.

This is not terribly different from what they said about six months ago now regarding the new game. And according to Hiromichi Tanaka, Senior VP of Software Development, the same team that worked on FFXI will be on this next project. Given the resounding and lasting success of the Final Fantasy franchise, it may be hard to give up the name recognition.

Square Enix will differentiate its next effort from FFXI originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Final Fantasy XI leveling changes detailed, scrutinized

Kyle Horner — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Final Fantasy XI, Patches, News items

For those of us at Massively that own Final Fantasy XI it's been a little while since we sat down and played the game. This newest version update, however, is causing us to consider a return. Our biggest gripe with Final Fantasy XI was that while grouping was a lot of fun, it was also ridiculously hard to find one. So with that in mind, the three biggest pieces of this update are Level Sync, removal of level restrictions for gear and reduction of the experience curve. Level Sync allows a party leader to bring any higher-level players within the party down to their level. It will essentially allow any low-level players to group with high levels, which is a big win for everyone, unless you really don't want to play lower-level content again -- even with your friends.

Square-Enix is making it easier to not only find groups but also to level up into the end-game content, of which there is a ton. Our only worry is whether or not higher level players will really feel like playing in the lowbie zones again, even if it does mean they get to play with friends. Regardless of our worries, this is really a change that should have come a couple years ago, but we're happy to finally see it regardless. We've posted the all-important leveling tweaks after the break.

Continue reading New Final Fantasy XI leveling changes detailed, scrutinized

New Final Fantasy XI leveling changes detailed, scrutinized originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What are your three E3 wishes?

Kyle Horner — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Hey, today's the first day of E3 and you know what that means boys and girls! Well, maybe you don't know what it means so let us explain: You get three completely nonsensical E3 MMO wishes! Yes you heard us right, we want to know what your three MMO fantasies are and the crazier the better. Although don't let that stop you from slipping us any hidden riddles if you know something. Then again, you could just throw us a tip through our tip line as well.

For our three wishes we'll have to go the obvious route: Bioware MMO is announced, whatever it may be -- we just want it out in the open. Square-Enix announces their next big MMO project that's hopefully set in Ivalice this time around. Finally -- and this is the biggun -- Bungie reveals that their next project is in fact an MMO being created exclusively for the Xbox 360. We know, it's insane! Looking back on our wishes, we just realized that our biggest mistake was making too many must-play MMOs known at once. Now our social lives must suffer the consequences.

The Daily Grind: What are your three E3 wishes? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square/Enix announces a new mobile MMO

Michael Zenke — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Events, real-world, New titles, Free-to-play, Mobile

Square/Enix, makers of the well-known Final Fantasy series, has announced their lineup for much of the year. Along with news of more ports of some of the older games to new systems and advances in the DragonQuest series, they've released word of a brand new mobile phone MMO. Right now it looks like it's going to be Japan-only, which makes a lot of sense; Japanese culture essentially requires the use of a cell phone to keep in touch with friends.

The game, called Ellark, will be a free-to-play title with a microtransaction payment model. The company is planning an entire currency around this concept, calling it a MobiCoin service. There aren't many good English language descriptions of their plans, but MobiCoin is a concept that's been tossed around for some time. There isn't much to discuss as far as gameplay goes, but the service will apparently make use of text messaging for communication between players. The release calls Ellark a "Mail Play Game", which has some interesting possible permutations.

[Via Worlds in Motion]

Square/Enix announces a new mobile MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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