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[Walk softly and carry a big stick with City of Heroes' new Staff Fighting powerset]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-with-city-of-heroes-new-staff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-with-city-of-heroes-new-staff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-with-city-of-heroes-new-staff/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- City of Heroes
In the high-fantasy-laden MMO space, staves have long been relegated to the realm of things-for-spellcasters-to-hold-while-finger-wiggling, but what happened to the good ol' days of just bludgeoning the daylights out of someone with a big stick? Well, thanks to City of Heroes, those days are back courtesy of the new Staff Fighting powerset, though there's no word as to whether it will also allow you to walk softly.

What it will allow you to do, though, is fight in one of three different forms (Body, Mind, or Soul), each of which provides you with a unique stacking buff that can then be consumed to execute the powerful Eye of the Storm and Sky Splitter abilities. The new powerset is available for the Brute, Scrapper, Stalker, and Tanker archetypes, and would-be kung-fu masters can pick it up from the Paragon Market for 800 Paragon Points.

MassivelyWalk softly and carry a big stick with City of Heroes' new Staff Fighting powerset originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxf2pfree-to-playfreedommicrotransactionmicrotransactionsncsoftparagonparagon-marketparagon-studiospowersetpowersetsstaffstaff-fightingstaffsstavessuperherosuperheroesTue, 17 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shannon "Poz" Posniewski leaving Champions Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/shannon-poz-posniewski-leaving-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/shannon-poz-posniewski-leaving-champions-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/shannon-poz-posniewski-leaving-champions-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

After stepping into the leadership role for Champions Online and launching the game's conversion into a free-to-play model, Shannon "Poz" Posniewski is waving goodbye to Cryptic Studios, at least for now. In a recent news post, it was announced that Posniewski was heading off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and in his own words, possibly face death by exposure. Rob Overmeyer has been announced as the man to fill Posniewski's shoes and continue to lead the game into the future.

Although the absence is termed as a vacation (which certainly implies that it's a temporary affair), all signs point to Posniewski's departure being a permanent one. The rather tongue-in-cheek style of the announcement certainly doesn't help matters. While some fans are clamoring for a clarification, it appears the man behind the past year of development is departing the project, which makes it a sad day for Champions Online players pleased with Posniewski's leadership. We wish Poz the best of luck in his future endeavors.

MassivelyShannon "Poz" Posniewski leaving Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 May 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingchampionschampions-onlinecocrypticcryptic-studiosexecutive-producerf2pfree-to-playhumormanagementmanagement-changesnewspozproducerrob-overmeyershannon-posniewskishannon-poz-posniewskistaffFri, 06 May 2011 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Heroes developers look back and show off the team]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/city-of-heroes-developers-look-back-and-show-off-the-team/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/city-of-heroes-developers-look-back-and-show-off-the-team/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/city-of-heroes-developers-look-back-and-show-off-the-team/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

While we've been taking our own stroll down memory lane with City of Heroes, there are people who haven't just been playing the game for seven years but actively working on it the whole time. With the anniversary still fresh in everyone's mind, the developers have begun posting a series of retrospectives on the game's past, with the first installment asking a number of staff members which of the game's several updates was the all-time best.

If that's not quite what you're looking for, today has also seen the latest issue of the Intrepid Informer, introducing players to VFX artist Keetsie Braz da Cunha. While the VFX team might not always be one of the most visible elements of the game, the little sparkles and shines are what gives City of Heroes its spark (pun intended). So take a look behind the scenes to see what it's like making superheroes look appropriately super along with fountains looking appropriately foamy.

MassivelyCity of Heroes developers look back and show off the team originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarycity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxkeetise-braz-da-cunhancsoftnostalgiaparagonparagon-studiosretrospectiveseven-year-anniversarystaffupdatesThu, 05 May 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New developer making plans for Lord of the Rings Online's PvMP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/new-developer-making-plans-for-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-pvmp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/new-developer-making-plans-for-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-pvmp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/new-developer-making-plans-for-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-pvmp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

PvP in Lord of the Rings Online has always been a sticky issue, with players taking the roles of monsters that always felt a bit underrepresented. But if you've always been a fan of smashing player-controlled spiders or playing one yourself, you'll be happy to see that there's a new developer in town taking aim at the PvMP portion of the game. Kelsan's inaugural post included a call for feedback and a broad PvMP manifesto outlining the overall design goals for the play mode.

One of the major areas being examined is the matter of rewards -- both factions are fighting for different rewards and different levels of commitment, which creates a disconnect in play. Kelsan and Orion both want to re-evaluate what players receive from zone control and taking part in PvMP, hopefully creating an environment where more players can get into the conflict. As one would expect, revisions are also being focused on a balancing of skills and abilities to help level the playing field. Lord of the Rings Online players should take a look at the full manifesto and offer any and all constructive feedback possible.

MassivelyNew developer making plans for Lord of the Rings Online's PvMP originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancebalance-goalsdeveloperdevelopersf2pfree-to-playkelsanlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromanifestonew-developernew-staffOrionpvmppvpstaffturbineturbine-entertainmentupcoming-changeswarner-broswarner-brothersWed, 13 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Vindictus' Evie offers a-mage-ing moves]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/vindictus-evie-offers-a-mage-ing-moves/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/vindictus-evie-offers-a-mage-ing-moves/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/vindictus-evie-offers-a-mage-ing-moves/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Evie is not content to summon a wicked-looking golem to fight for her side, no! Details are coming to light that Evie, the recently introduced mage character in Nexon's free-to-play hack-and-slasher, Vindictus, will be bringing even more pain through additional magical means. Equipped with a staff at earlier stages, she will change to rather wicked-looking battle-scythes later in the game. Furthermore, one of her most insane attacks at low level is the Firebolt attack, which will not only grant high damage, but will add a knockback effect, if it remains true to the original version.

To add to this wee, juicy tidbit of information, we understand that the key to Evie's survival is a five-layer shield, which gives her the ability to resist most attacks without major loss of hitpoints or mana. Considering the majority of MMO mages tend to be high-DPS glass cannons, Evie's ability to shield without major mana or health drain is likely welcome news for those who prefer crazy-damage casters but hate spending time studying floor textures while waiting for a rez. In all, the game is still in beta, so these details may well change before launch -- but it sounds pretty awesome to us so far.

MassivelyVindictus' Evie offers a-mage-ing moves originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attack-typesbetadpsevief2pfree-to-playmagenexonscytheshieldsstaffstavevindictusFri, 24 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Censorship edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/29/ask-massively-censorship-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/29/ask-massively-censorship-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/29/ask-massively-censorship-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Another Thursday, another installment of Ask Massively! This week we see an influx of even more site-related questions ranging from our hiring procedures to our recent code of conduct changes. Don't you people want to know about MMOs anymore?! Actually, we don't mind answering site-related questions at all, and enjoy being transparent with our community of dedicated readers.

Follow along after the jump for the answers to this week's Ask Massively and don't be shy about getting your own questions in by commenting on this post or sending your inquiries off to ask@massively.com.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Censorship edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: Censorship edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceask-massivelycensorshipDaniel ClowesEightballF-bombCamaroFantagraphics Booksfeaturedhiringlivestreammassively-metaopinionstaffThu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So I drove the Aion community up a wall again. I seem to do that a lot when I talk about the game. AionSource was a little miffed at the "disappointment" award the staff and readers gave them, and decided to rip into me. So, in an effort of good faith, I dropped by the flame thread and tried to lighten things up while explaining my position on the game and how it isn't all doom and gloom.

Well, after having 9 pages of people not reading what I was writing and electing to call me a nyerking nyerk, I bowed out with a new column topic on my mind: my job. If there was any common theme in all of the screaming, it was how I sucked at my job because I said Aion had a grind, I sucked at my job because I was only level 17 in Aion, everyone on that fansite could do a better job at my job than I could, and I was the reason mainstream reviews were going downhill. (Awesome.)

Amazingly enough, I too thought pretty much those exact same things before I got a job here. But writing here for two years has been one heck of an experience, and maybe today I can give you some insight to the things I see on the staff side of the fence.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionanti-aliasedawardeditorfungame-journalismgamingjobmassively-staffmmosncsoftopinionopinion-columnreviewstaffworkwritingThu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's predictions for 2010]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/31/massivelys-predictions-for-2010/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/31/massivelys-predictions-for-2010/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/31/massivelys-predictions-for-2010/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With 2009 wrapping up today and 2010 lurking creepily around the corner, we're eager to release our predictions on what the next year may bring to the MMO scene. Even though we try to keep our news relatively neutral, it's the editorials and opinion pieces that garner the most reaction from the readers. Positive or negative, we appreciate that. So for this last day of 2009, we honor it by giving our own opinions (both positive and negative) about how 2010 looks to us.

Follow along after the jump for a few paragraphs from Kyle Horner, Eliot Lefebvre, Seraphina Brennan and me. In addition to our ramblings, we'd love to hear from you as well. So drop us a comment to let us know what you predict for 2010.

Continue reading Massively's predictions for 2010

MassivelyMassively's predictions for 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010featuredmassively-metapredictionsstaffThu, 31 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon*Con 2009: Massively is in the house!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/dragon-con-2009-massively-is-in-the-house/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/dragon-con-2009-massively-is-in-the-house/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/dragon-con-2009-massively-is-in-the-house/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's that time of year again! For the next four days, the streets of Atlanta, GA will be transformed from a bustling downtown business center to prime acreage chock full of enormous nerd herds. With a handful of East coast writers, we here at Massively couldn't let all the geeky shenanigans - and MMO fun - go on without taking part. That's right, we have been invited back to participate for a third year as panelists and general party fiends at the MMO track.

On site this year to take part in the fun are Colin Seraphina Brennan, Shawn Schuster, Elizabeth Harper for both Massively and our sister-site, WoW.com, and myself. When we're not lending our professional hands to various things, we'll be catching up with guests, attendees, and generally scouting for anything that might send gamer geek hearts fluttering.

If you're also in Atlanta for this enormous pop-culture love-in and would like to catch up with the Massively crew, be sure to check out the listing behind the break for where we'll all be. Just remember there's tons of other great things going on for the MMO track, so be sure to check the pocket guide for a full schedule!

Continue reading Dragon*Con 2009: Massively is in the house!

MassivelyDragon*Con 2009: Massively is in the house! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appearancesdragon-condragoncondragoncon-2009eventsmmo-trackpanelsschedulestaffFri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CoH's City Scoop drops player written news]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/extra-extra-read-all-about-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/extra-extra-read-all-about-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/03/extra-extra-read-all-about-it/#commentsFiled under:

One of Paragon City's best-kept open secrets is that its heroes - everyday people who put on their spandex and weapon harnesses just the same as you and me -- are pretty incredible folks, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the pages of the City of Heroes player-written City Scoop.

What do we like most about the Scoop? It's not just the consistently high quality of the writing, the in-depth retrospectives of the individuals Behind the Mask, or the artwork, but it's all of those elements combined with the passion put into it by the people behind the project. The pages show that real thought is put into layout and leading, that each person cares about the final product, and that everyone wants to make -- and succeeds in making -- the Scoop fun to read.

Continue reading CoH's City Scoop drops player written news

MassivelyCoH's City Scoop drops player written news originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArtworkBehind-the-MaskCity-of-HeroesCity-ScoopCoXParagon-CityPlayer-MadePlayer-v-PlayerPvPSaturday-Night-FightsStaffVolunteersSat, 03 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST