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[Choose My Adventure: Atys refugee blues]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/choose-my-adventure-atys-refugee-blues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/choose-my-adventure-atys-refugee-blues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/choose-my-adventure-atys-refugee-blues/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Being able to animate your character during creation is a nice touch.
Last week's polls were enough for me to get started in the world of Ryzom over the weekend, so I took my first steps back into the game that I haven't played for quite some time. I still remembered how some of it worked, thankfully, but there were a lot of elements that I'd almost completely forgotten. And while I'm still knee-deep in the starter area, I've played enough to at least get some starter impressions.

But let's make this a full narrative, yes? When we left off, the group verdict was that I would be starting out as a Zorai with the Magic starter package based off of a female Shakespearean tragic character. And thus, with only a little extra effort, Corlede was born into the world of Ryzom. The character creator offers a variety of features, allowing you to select your character's build in fine detail but offering a strange lack of certain other options. There are also some odd constraints on character types -- you find yourself always locked within a certain general band of height, for instance, so there are no really tall Trykers.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Atys refugee blues

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Atys refugee blues originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choose-my-adventurecmacolumncolumnsculturedirectionfeaturedgame-mechanicshands-onlevelingopinionoverviewpollpollsreaders-choiceryzomstartingstarting-areathe-saga-of-ryzomvotevotingwinch-gatewinch-gate-productions-limitedWed, 01 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/30/the-mog-log-starting-fresh-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/30/the-mog-log-starting-fresh-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/30/the-mog-log-starting-fresh-in-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

You've just started Final Fantasy XIV. You have your introductory storyline quests designed to give you an idea of where the various guilds are and what's going on within the city, and then you're essentially left to twist in the wind. And now you've happened upon the immortal and entirely reasonable question -- what in the world am I supposed to do now?

In a way, Final Fantasy XI had an easier time here. It barely pretended it was going to give you a structure, instead opting for "here, go give this coupon to that guy and get out of my sight." You were better prepared to start making up what you would do as you went along. Plus, no matter what, you could step out the front door of the city and start killing bees, or rabbits, or whatever the heck you're supposed to do in Windurst.

Still, the games share elements of the same structure (or non-structure, to be more accurate), and so there are some lessons to be taken from starting up in Final Fantasy XI, as I've learned from helping to coach someone just getting started in Final Fantasy XIV of late. Whether you're new to the game or starting fresh on your return, let's look at where you go after the initial quests have worn off.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columncontentfeaturedffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-1.17afinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivguildleveslevequestsmechanicsopinionsandboxsquaresquare-enixstartingsystemsthe-mog-logSat, 30 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you want from a starter area?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/16/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-want-from-a-starter-area/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/16/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-want-from-a-starter-area/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/16/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-want-from-a-starter-area/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When you start a new character, the starter area determines more than whether or not you want to bother playing any longer. It determines what you think about the game, what you come to expect of subsequent areas. Some games give you a brief tutorial and then throw you into the larger pool almost immediately; others deliver a carefully tuned experience that would fit well even in a single-player game. Both approaches have their positives and negatives, but both are going to form your impression of the game from then on.

As a result, it's important to ask what players actually want from this experience. Leading your character along a single storyline, however engaging, is going to wear thin if you plan to start another character further down the line. On the other hand, it gives you a chance to get used to the new mechanics of a given character, and it keeps you engaged, a definite asset compared to letting you sink or swim from the word go. So what do you want out of your opening zone? A smooth and cinematic experience, or the chance to head down your own path right away?

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 do you want from a starter area? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beginner-zonesnew-player-areasnewb-zonesopinionstarter-areasstarter-zonesstartingstarting-gamestdgthe-daily-grindThu, 16 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A peek at Gridania and Ul'dah in Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/a-peek-at-gridania-and-uldah-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/a-peek-at-gridania-and-uldah-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/a-peek-at-gridania-and-uldah-in-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Square-Enix has been as good as their word when it comes to obfuscating the details of Final Fantasy XIV, even through testing. Testers have been confined to the port city of Limsa Lominsa all through the beta phases, but last week Square gave a small hands-on to a handful of sites showing off the other two cities. FFXIVCore happened to be among them, and offers an extensive rundown of the experience in both Ul'dah and Gridania -- both of which are very different from the thoroughly-tested pirate-themed opening.

Gridania's opening takes place within the dense forests surrounding the city, with a crashed airship and a rather unexpected encounter with wolves. Ul'dah, on the other hand, features a great deal of pageantry being disrupted by the untimely freedom of a goobue. Both include certain common elements from the Limsa Lominsa opening, most notably the meteor shower and the disembodied voice, but the rundown indicates that players starting in different settings will have a memorable start to their adventures as well. That's good news for Final Fantasy XIV's future players, although perhaps a bitter pill for the testers not yet able to play these cities.

MassivelyA peek at Gridania and Ul'dah in Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabetasffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivgridaniahands-onlimsa-lominsapreviewssquaresquare-enixstartingstarting-areastarting-citiesstarting-experienceuldahTue, 17 Aug 2010 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Starting out in Vana'diel: Character creation & taking your first steps]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/starting-out-in-vanadiel-character-creation-and-taking-your-firs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/starting-out-in-vanadiel-character-creation-and-taking-your-firs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/starting-out-in-vanadiel-character-creation-and-taking-your-firs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


As we've said on Massively multiple times, Final Fantasy XI is a hard game. The crafting is complex, the gameplay is somewhere between EverQuest and World of Warcraft, and dying can be painful when you lose experience. Some people may tell you that the game just isn't that fun, but the game can be really rewarding and a great experience when you really get into it. It's just getting into it that's the trouble.

But we here at Massively have your back. Well, more specifically, I've got your back. I've played Final Fantasy XI since it came out in the states, and more recently I started a brand new character and began taking notes on the entire experience. It isn't easy to start out in FFXI, but I've got some tricks to share with you that will make it much easier and much more fun. I'll be sharing them with you during our new twice a week series, "Starting out in Vana'diel."

So are you ready to try a new gameplay experience? Follow me, let's go for a tour and check out the beginning of the game when you have to make some decisions in character creation and grab some early bonuses through the training NPCs.

Continue reading Starting out in Vana'diel: Character creation & taking your first steps

MassivelyStarting out in Vana'diel: Character creation & taking your first steps originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beginners-guidecharacter-creationcity-selectionenchanted-ringfeaturedffxifinal-fantasy-xijoystiqfeaturesrace-selectionsquare-enixstartingstarting-out-in-vanadielvanadielTue, 03 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Making/Money: Newbs at Auction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/making-money-newbs-at-auction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/making-money-newbs-at-auction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/making-money-newbs-at-auction/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

... And we're not talking about selling accounts on eBay.

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a new player in an established game, to my mind, is the cost of start-up crafting materials. Hit up any public market area, auction house, trade square or similar as a newbie and you will see what I mean. Even low-level items of any use (i.e. not vendor trash) are sold for seemingly absurd amounts given the time that would be required at early levels in order to generate the money. It can make the start of a new character infuriating and the game too taxing (pun fully intended) to continue. Why does this happen? What makes these things so costly? Why can't we all just get along...? (Oh wait, that's another column entirely)

Continue reading Making/Money: Newbs at Auction

MassivelyMaking/Money: Newbs at Auction originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>altsauctionauction-houseauctionscomponentscrafted-itemscraftingeconomicseconomyfeaturedinflationlord-of-the-rings-onlinelow-levellowbiemaking-moneymaterialsmoneyrmtstartingtradeskilltradeskillsworld-of-warcraftSun, 13 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST