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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you think MMO gamemaking is fundamentally broken?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-mmo-gamemaking-is-fundamentally-br/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-mmo-gamemaking-is-fundamentally-br/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-think-mmo-gamemaking-is-fundamentally-br/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Scott Hartsman
Buried in the brouhaha that is the latest round of Trion layoffs was the opinion of former RIFT producer Scott Hartsman. The MMO industry veteran offered his sympathies on Twitter and also offered to help affected former employees with job intros and the like.

Hartsman also hinted at his views on current industry trends, saying that "this model of gamemaking is so fundamentally broken." Given the limitations of Twitter and fact that Hartsman didn't elaborate, it's hard to know exactly what he meant, though we can extrapolate based on his prior positions on F2P and the context surrounding the Trion situation.

What about you, Massively readers? Do you agree with Hartsman? Is this model of MMO gamemaking fundamentally broken?

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: Do you think MMO gamemaking is fundamentally broken? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsdaily-grindf2pfree-to-playopinionscott-hartsmantdgthe-daily-grindunsustainablewhalesTue, 21 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When are rollbacks and wipes absolutely necessary?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/the-daily-grind-when-are-rollbacks-absolutely-necessary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/the-daily-grind-when-are-rollbacks-absolutely-necessary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/the-daily-grind-when-are-rollbacks-absolutely-necessary/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When are rollbacks absolutely necessary
In the last few weeks, two big games we cover on Massively have been slammed with exploits that have injured their respective economies: Diablo III and Neverwinter. In Diablo III's case, a gold duping bug apparently pumped insane amounts of cash into the economy. Neverwinter's exploits run the gamut from Foundry abuses to negative auction hall bids that don't consume gold to classes that can one-shot bosses making farming trivial. According to these claims, NW exploiters are making off with thousands of real-life dollars when cashing out their ill-gotten funds.

In both cases, players called for characters wipes and rollbacks, believing each exploit severe enough to merit a clean slate. But in Diablo III's case, while the studio dealt harshly with the exploiters, the developers disagreed with the need for wipes and do-overs, presumably having concluded that such drastic measures would impact the legit playerbase far more than would a dented economy. Neverwinter, on the other hand, chose to roll back the servers, causing widespread uproar.

That brings us to today's question: Which studio was right? How bad does an exploit have to be before character wipes and server rollbacks are absolutely necessary?

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: When are rollbacks and wipes absolutely necessary? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blizzardbrianna-royce-tdgcharacter-wipecryptic-studiosdaily-grinddiablo-3diablo-iiieconomyexploitexploitsneverwinteropinionperfect-world-entertainmentpwerollbackrollbacksserver-wipetdgthe-daily-grindwipewipesMon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Why do you play an anthropomorphic race?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/19/the-daily-grind-why-do-you-play-an-anthropomorphic-race/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/19/the-daily-grind-why-do-you-play-an-anthropomorphic-race/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/19/the-daily-grind-why-do-you-play-an-anthropomorphic-race/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Daily Grind Why do you play an anthropomorphic race
A Daily Grind discussion last week on MMO races that we detest got me thinking about anthropomorphic races -- you know, the animals-on-hind-legs dudes and dudettes. The frog-people. The cow-people. The cat-people. The wolf-people. The leopard-people. The rat-people. The lizard-people. The panda-people. Really, the sky's the limit when you can turn any animal into a humanoid playable race. I'm only disappointed that we haven't seen platypus-people or manatee-people yet in MMOs.

Without bringing the "imaginary racism" this time, I'm genuinely curious what propels people to play an anthropomorphic race. The easy jab would be to say that it's just catering to the furries out there, but I think that's not universally true. What's the appeal of playing a dog-person? It can't just be racials such as "mark your territory" and "excess slobber."

So I want to hear from the folks who play one of these races and hear what your reason is for picking an animal-humanoid character. Don't be defensive. I'm not attacking you; I'm merely curious. Is it the road less traveled? Is it an affection you have for a particular animal? Is it a rebellion against the boring fantasy races out there?

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: Why do you play an anthropomorphic race? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>caitlincathardaily-grindfroglokkurasashaopinionpandaranraceracesratongasarnaktaurentdgthe-daily-grindworgenSun, 19 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are you still excited to try RIFT's free-to-play option?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/18/the-daily-grind-are-you-still-excited-to-try-rifts-free-to-pla/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/18/the-daily-grind-are-you-still-excited-to-try-rifts-free-to-pla/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/18/the-daily-grind-are-you-still-excited-to-try-rifts-free-to-pla/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

I don't have any idea what hand I should place this on. It looks kind of gross.
If you'd missed it, RIFT recently announced that the game will go free-to-play on June 12th. Obviously, the hope is to bring in a variety of new players, but the circumstances surrounding the announcement can result in a bit of whiplash when deciding whether or not to count yourself among those getting into the game.

On the one hand, RIFT is making humble promises about the item shop... but on the other hand, the development team also promised the game would never go free-to-play. Trion Worlds did just get hit by layoffs, but it's been said those layoffs don't affect RIFT's staff. It's long had consistent updates, but those updates have dropped off sharply this year.

Is trying the game out a good idea? A bad one? Today, we ask our readers to decide. Carefully weighing all the evidence, are you still excited to try RIFT's free-to-play option? Or do you think you'll be giving it a pass?

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: Are you still excited to try RIFT's free-to-play option? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conquestdaily-grindf2pfantasyfree-to-playopinionpvpriftrift-literift-planes-of-telararvrtdgthe-daily-grindthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptriontrion-worldsSat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOTCG HEX doubles Kickstarter goal with 3 weeks left]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/mmotdg-hex-doubles-kickstarter-goal-with-3-weeks-left/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/mmotdg-hex-doubles-kickstarter-goal-with-3-weeks-left/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/mmotdg-hex-doubles-kickstarter-goal-with-3-weeks-left/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

MMOTDG HEX doubles Kickstarter goal with 3 weeks left
HEX: Shards of Fate, the MMO trading card game that we first introduced last week, is doing fairly well in its current Kickstarter campaign. How well, you ask? So far the company has raised over $600,000 of the game's $300,000 goal with 21 days still to go! That's thanks to almost 5,000 backers so far.

While these numbers are impressive one week into the campaign, it should be no surprise considering the talent working on this MMOTDG. Cryptozoic Entertainment is a veteran studio that has developed and published several other trading card and board games for The Walking Dead, Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, World of Warcraft, and more.

With the game already funded at this point, it's still worth checking out the game's reward tiers and stretch goals to see if it's something you might be interested in supporting. You have only 21 more days!

[Thanks for the tip, Sounder!]

MassivelyMMOTCG HEX doubles Kickstarter goal with 3 weeks left originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crowdfundingcryptozoiccryptozoic-entertainmenthexhex-shards-of-fatehsfkickstartermmotcgtdgtrading-card-gameFri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do Kickstarter perks put you off from MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/the-daily-grind-do-kickstarter-perks-put-you-off-from-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/the-daily-grind-do-kickstarter-perks-put-you-off-from-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/the-daily-grind-do-kickstarter-perks-put-you-off-from-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Star Citizen art
Last week, drama swirled around Chris Roberts' Star Citizen pseudo-MMO when he announced and then clarified that certain early crowdfunders will receive lifetime insurance on their ships once the game launches. Potential players rightfully worried that such a move could taint the economy and create a special class of characters with pay-to-win perks that place everyone else at a serious disadvantage.

MMO players are becoming inured to the idea that Kickstarting a game might land them a poster or tattoo or title or even beta access, but non-cosmetic advantages seem to rile everyone up. It's one thing when Camelot Unchained offers special chat and another altogether when it promises big-time donors their own in-game islands. Then again, without such generous Kickstarter pledges, the games might never be made for the rest of us to play at all, so maybe the trade-off is worth it.

What do you think? Does it bother you that gamers with money can buy their way into godhood before a game is even made? Are there Kickstarter perks that put you off from future MMOs?

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: Do Kickstarter perks put you off from MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgcamelot-unchainedchris-robertscrowdfundingdaily-grindislandkickstarteropinionpay-to-winship-insurancestar-citizentdgthe-daily-grindwhalesFri, 17 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which MOBA do you recommend for newbs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/the-daily-grind-which-moba-do-you-recommend-for-newbs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/the-daily-grind-which-moba-do-you-recommend-for-newbs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/the-daily-grind-which-moba-do-you-recommend-for-newbs/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

SMITE - Isis
Thus far I've sat out the whole MOBA craze. I don't have a good reason, really, other than all of the rest of the games on my plate coupled with a lack of time to play them. Lately I'm getting more and more intrigued, though, and I've been nosing around websites and forum communities to see which title might make a good starting point.

SMITE looks promising, and I'm a big fan of Hi-Rez thanks mostly to all the fun I had in Global Agenda. Infinite Crisis looks cool, too, though admittedly that's because I'm an incurable fan of the IP. And of course there's League of Legends, HoN, and the other big dogs. What say you, Massively MOBA players? Do you recommend a particular MOBA for newbs?

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: Which MOBA do you recommend for newbs? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindmobamoba-newbmobasopiniontdgthe-daily-grindThu, 16 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which game has the best character animations?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/the-daily-grind-which-game-has-the-best-character-animations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/the-daily-grind-which-game-has-the-best-character-animations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/the-daily-grind-which-game-has-the-best-character-animations/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind Which game has the best character animations
Character animations seem to be only noticed when they don't come off right. It's often a matter of subjective opinion whether or not these animations are pleasing or jarring, of course, but the fact remains that animations that don't meet players' standards are the target of long, long-winded rants.

I try to give credit where credit is due. MMOs that show off fluid, good-looking animations are deserving of praise. For me, the litmus test is whether or not a game can portray jumping in a natural way. That's harder than you'd think; I've seen so many titles that have characters jumping with stiff spines, awkward arm angles, or the grace of a boiled squash.

So instead of lambasting games for bad animations, let's focus on those that pull off natural- and good-looking animations today. Seriously, it's going to be tough for some of you to put a lid on the negativity, but I believe in you. Which game has the best character animations?

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: Which game has the best character animations? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationanimationscharacter-animationcharacter-animationsdaily-grindjumpingopinionsquashtdgthe-daily-grindWed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you like the increasing trend of active combat in MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-the-increasing-trend-of-active-comb/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-the-increasing-trend-of-active-comb/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-the-increasing-trend-of-active-comb/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

No percentage chance to dodge for you, miss.
Back in the day, combat in MMOs was nice and sedate. You had a weapon, the other guy had a weapon, and you both walked up and hit one another with weapons until one of you died. To ensure that you succeeded at that goal, you had huge bars of abilities filled with various tricks to make the other guy die a little more than you did. It was a bit passive, is what we're getting at.

Recent MMOs have been swinging to the other extreme, with players having a handful of abilities and a mandate to dance around the screen like a hyperactive rabbit. Titles like WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online are previewing themselves partly on the strength of active combat. Do you like the increasing trend of active combat in MMOs? Or do you wish that we could go back to more sedate combat systems, possibly with those darn kids getting off our lawns in the process?

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: Do you like the increasing trend of active combat in MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-combatactive-combatcombatculturedaily-grindgame-mechanicshumormobilityopinionreflexestdgthe-daily-grindtwitchtwitch-reflexesTue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Have you ever been sidetracked by game music?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/the-daily-grind-have-you-ever-been-sidetracked-by-game-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/the-daily-grind-have-you-ever-been-sidetracked-by-game-music/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/the-daily-grind-have-you-ever-been-sidetracked-by-game-music/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Star Wars: The Old Republic - Shooting firstYou know what sucks? Hearing a cool piece of game music and having no idea what it's called or where to hear it again, that's what. I mean, it sucks in a first-world-problems sort of way, but still.

It happened to me over the weekend as I was playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. My Imperial Agent was toodling along, doing the nefarious things that Imperial Agents do, when the most dastardly fanfare I've heard this side of the Imperial March came blaring out of my speakers.

It was glorious.

Naturally, I haven't heard the phantom track since, even after much fumbling about trying to recreate the in-game circumstances during which it originally played. I even turned to the soundtrack CD that came with the collector's edition that's been gathering dust in my closet since 2011. It wasn't on there, of course, since soundtrack producers have some unwritten rule about leaving off half the soundtrack (and jumbling the tracks they deign to include) when they make an album. I've also been unable to find the track on YouTube's extensive SWTOR soundtrack playlists.

So, what say you, Massively readers? Has a piece of game music ever derailed a play session? Which one?

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: Have you ever been sidetracked by game music? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredaily-grindeaelectronic-artsf2pfirst-world-problemsfree-to-playlucasartsmmo-soundtrackopinionsci-fisoundtrackstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorswtor-soundtracktdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republictorMon, 13 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which MMO races do you detest?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-races-do-you-detest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-races-do-you-detest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/the-daily-grind-which-mmo-races-do-you-detest/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Daily Grind Which races do you detest
My loathing of Elves is not only well-documented here on Massively, but stretches back to my childhood. I've just never liked them, period. Maybe it's because they're the preppie cool kids in my mind's John Hughes movie, or maybe it's their incredible haughty arrogance and froofy love of flowerwear. In any case, I don't like them, I don't play them, and I feel perfectly fine wishing all manner of humiliating harm upon them. After all, they're pretend and that makes it OK, right?

So in the tongue-in-cheek spirit of imaginary racism, which pretend species makes your skin crawl in MMOs? Can you not abide by Dwarves no matter what? Do Gnomes irk you? Will your eyes roll out of your head if you see another humanoid cat race invade your gaming space? Let's get our hate on this morning! Whee!

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: Which MMO races do you detest? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>caithlincathardaily-grinddwarveselfelvesgnomeshumorno-elvesopiniontdgthe-daily-grindSun, 12 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How long can you play a game in one sitting?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/11/the-daily-grind-how-long-can-you-play-a-game-in-one-sitting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/11/the-daily-grind-how-long-can-you-play-a-game-in-one-sitting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/11/the-daily-grind-how-long-can-you-play-a-game-in-one-sitting/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Now just two dozen more fights like that and I'll be halfway through the day and my level.
You've got nothing else to do on a lazy Saturday. You've got plenty of food and beverages, a comfortable seat, and a burning desire to get something accomplished in your game of choice. So you settle down, you log in, and you start running around and getting stuff done.

Exactly how long is it going to be until you get up?

We're not asking about when you get up to grab more chips or run to the bathroom or whatever. Today's question is just about how long you can sit in front of the screen without needing to get up and do something else for a little while. How long can you play a game in one sitting? Does it depend on the game, with group-based games like Final Fantasy XI meriting a longer session compared to solo-friendly titles like World of Warcraft? Or can you tolerate only a certain amount of time before you need a break no matter what?

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: How long can you play a game in one sitting? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-day-gamingculturedaily-grindmarathon-sessionsopinionplay-sessionstdgthe-daily-grindSat, 11 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should World of Warcraft go free-to-play?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/the-daily-grind-should-world-of-warcraft-go-free-to-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/the-daily-grind-should-world-of-warcraft-go-free-to-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/the-daily-grind-should-world-of-warcraft-go-free-to-play/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

World of Warcraft
There's only one Western subscription MMO that can stand to lose 1.3 million subs in three months and shrug it off: World of Warcraft. But shrug it off doesn't appear to what Activision-Blizzard is doing. During the investor call that revealed the heavy sub losses, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick acknowledged the changing market and his plans to adapt with speedier content. "It's important to note that the nature of online games has changed," he said, "and [that] the environment [is] becoming far more competitive, especially with free-to-play games." And Blizzard president Mike Morhaime suggested the company is "studying" the comings and goings of players and how to entice former players to return.

Well, we don't have to look much further than Star Wars: The Old Republic's recent rejuvenation to figure out that free-to-play is one of the better ways to entice gamers to return (and open their wallets). Surely, Blizzard has to be wondering whether F2P might be a huge boost to the game as it's approaching its ninth birthday later this year. What do you think -- will World of Warcraft eventually go free-to-play, and more importantly, should it?

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: Should World of Warcraft go free-to-play? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionActivision-Blizzardblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbobby-kotickbrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindf2pfantasyfree-to-playinvestor-callMike-Morhaimeopinionreturning-playersstar-wars-the-old-republicsub-lossessubscriptionswtortdgthe-daily-grindwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 10 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What quest or questline is the most memorable?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/the-daily-grind-what-quest-or-questline-is-the-most-memorable/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/the-daily-grind-what-quest-or-questline-is-the-most-memorable/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/the-daily-grind-what-quest-or-questline-is-the-most-memorable/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

EverQuest II - Velious tower
MMO quests are old hat by now, and the vast majority of them are some slight variation on the standard kill-10-rats or FedEx mission. Some are unique, though, in terms of both their rewards and their mechanical presentation.

I'm thinking of EverQuest II's betrayal quests here, which allow you to switch factions, home cities, and in some cases, even classes. What MMO quests or questline do you find the most memorable and why?

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 quest or questline is the most memorable? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betrayal-questdaily-grindopinionquestingqueststdgthe-daily-grindunique-questsThu, 09 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should MMOs keep the gore on the down-low?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-keep-the-gore-on-the-down-low/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-keep-the-gore-on-the-down-low/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-keep-the-gore-on-the-down-low/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind Should MMOs keep the gore on the downlow
If there's one staple that MMOs share with other video games, it's that fighting tends to be a mostly bloodless and gore-free affair. Sure, sometimes a daring game might throw in blood fireworks that erupt in the air to signify that you're doing some damage, but you and your enemy will appear in model health until one of you keels over from invisible wounds.

Of course, as time progresses and technology gives us terrific marvels, there's the potential for games to start showing more and more wounds on our characters. It kind of reminds me how there used to be action figures with the main selling point that you could transform them into disfigured, gory versions as they took "battle damage."

What do you think? Should MMOs continue to keep combat gore on the down-low or have you had enough of these abstract, bloodless brawls?

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: Should MMOs keep the gore on the down-low? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-damagecombatcombat-damagedaily-grindfightinggoregore-freeopiniontdgthe-daily-grindWed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What abilities do you find the most fun to use?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/the-daily-grind-what-abilities-do-you-find-the-most-fun-to-use/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/the-daily-grind-what-abilities-do-you-find-the-most-fun-to-use/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/the-daily-grind-what-abilities-do-you-find-the-most-fun-to-use/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The downside is that I wind up never having any energy left because I'm too busy rolling around like an acrobat.
Hitting 51 on my Scoundrel in Star Wars: The Old Republic meant getting what is probably the greatest ability ever, the ability to quickly roll forward. I absolutely love any sort of quick movement ability like that, especially rolls -- anything that lets me dart around the battlefield without being directly tied to combat. Being able to do so in Guild Wars 2 was one of my favorite parts of the game as a whole.

We've all got certain abilities that we just like making use of in MMOs. Sometimes they're not really beneficial to our builds, and sometimes they're not even all that useful, but darn it they're just plain fun to trigger. So what abilities do you find the most fun to use? Silly cosmetic tricks? Certain impressive storms of particle effects? Or are you just fond of abilities that work well from a mechanical standpoint with no concern for silly elements?

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 abilities do you find the most fun to use? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesculturedaily-grindfun-toysgame-mechanicshumoropinionpowerssillinessskillstdgthe-daily-grindtoysTue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Does gamification stymie your roleplay?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/the-daily-grind-does-gamification-stymie-your-roleplay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/the-daily-grind-does-gamification-stymie-your-roleplay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/the-daily-grind-does-gamification-stymie-your-roleplay/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Star Wars Galaxies - Corvette dungeon
Some colleagues and I were discussing roleplay in MMOs the other day, and the conversation briefly touched on our preferences for MMOs as games or MMOs as virtual worlds. One of my co-workers explained that mass gamification and an inability to affect the world or other players isn't a detriment to his roleplay because it's private and personal, whereas I find myself roleplaying much less than I used to because my actions can't affect anyone or anything in most current MMOs.

What about you, Massively readers? Does gamification stymie your roleplay?

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: Does gamification stymie your roleplay? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindgame-vs-worldgamificationopinionroleplaytdgthe-daily-grindvirtual-worldsworld-vs-gameMon, 06 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which game has the best taverns?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/05/the-daily-grind-which-game-has-the-best-taverns/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/05/the-daily-grind-which-game-has-the-best-taverns/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/05/the-daily-grind-which-game-has-the-best-taverns/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind Which game has the best taverns
I love me a good tavern in an MMO. Taverns are so iconic to fantasy games and literature, being a place where adventures begin, fellowship is begun, and a respite is enjoyed. In MMOs, they're usually wonderfully detailed buildings that are perfect for roleplay, a quick stop to sell some loot, or even the odd quest or two.

Pretty much every fantasy MMO has them (and some of the non-fantasy ones as well). I think they make the world feel more lived in; a tavern is pretty much a home-away-from-home for the world-traveled adventurer, after all. Lord of the Rings Online has some of my favorite watering holes in plenty of varieties, especially the newer ones in Rohan.

If you're partial to taverns too, which game do you think has the best ones?

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: Which game has the best taverns? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barbarsdaily-grindinnopinionsaloontaverntavernstdgthe-daily-grindwatering-holeSun, 05 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are there games you would play if you could skip to the end?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/04/the-daily-grind-are-there-games-you-would-play-if-you-could-ski/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/04/the-daily-grind-are-there-games-you-would-play-if-you-could-ski/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/04/the-daily-grind-are-there-games-you-would-play-if-you-could-ski/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

All right, they just released this gear, that probably shouldn't get handed out at the front door.
Most of the time I can't really recommend starting new in Final Fantasy XI, which is a shame. It's not that the game is bad, nor is it lacking in things to do once you're at the level cap. No, it's just painful to get to the level cap. If you could somehow skip months of tedious leveling and just get straight to the broad and varied endgame, you would be set. Which sounds dangerously close to an endorsement for leveling services, but that's not the point.

We all have games that we like, but not enough to fully commit to in terms of leveling. Some of these are games that are great at the cap, but we'll never see them. Of course, some would argue that if you're not willing to put in the work to level, you're not going to be willing to play the game at the top either. So are there games you would play if you could skip straight to the end of the leveling game? Or would that defeat some of your attraction to MMOs?

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: Are there games you would play if you could skip to the end? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindendgamelevel-progressionlevel-skiplevelingleveling-gameopinionskip-to-the-endtdgthe-daily-grindSat, 04 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do sandboxes overwhelm you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/the-daily-grind-do-sandboxes-overwhelm-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/the-daily-grind-do-sandboxes-overwhelm-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/the-daily-grind-do-sandboxes-overwhelm-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Glitch
You've probably heard of the paradox of choice, the idea that the human brain can't really process more than a dozen or so choices at a time under certain circumstances. We get overwhelmed by too many choices, and sometimes we withdraw from choosing altogether. It's not always true -- Ben and Jerry's offers over a hundred flavors and seems to do just fine -- but I wonder whether it's the reason that some MMO gamers just do not get sandboxes.

An MMO sandbox dumps you in and is indifferent to what you do next. It won't hold your hand; it won't tell you where to go, what to be, or how to progress. In short, it presents hundreds of choices to you with no guidance and sometimes no context. I love this style of game, but given the sandbox struggles of the past few years, I admit it's potentially a problem. Glitch, for example, shut down in part because players, according to the devs, just didn't know what to do. And how many times have I read that someone quit Skyrim because he'd finished the main questline and thought it was over?

But then I'll bump into a blog about how someone spent 300 hours collecting all the cheese in Skyrim to build cheese mountain. Clearly, this problem is not universal.

So are you also building cheese mountain? Or do sandboxes overwhelm you with too many choices?

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: Do sandboxes overwhelm you? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindglitchopinionparadox-of-choicesandboxsandboxesskyrimtdgthe-daily-grindFri, 03 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which classes would you like to see in Neverwinter?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/the-daily-grind-which-classes-would-you-like-to-see-in-neverwin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/the-daily-grind-which-classes-would-you-like-to-see-in-neverwin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/the-daily-grind-which-classes-would-you-like-to-see-in-neverwin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Neverwinter Control Wizard
I haven't dipped a toe into the Neverwinter pool yet, but I'm doing a bit of preliminary research for some potential playtime this weekend. One of the things that I'm finding is that the game's class roster is a bit light on, well, classes. Specifically, there are five to start with, which seems somewhat spartan for a title based on Dungeons and Dragons.

Notably absent is my preferred ranged DPS. There's the Control Wizard, of course, and he sounds mighty interesting, but the Neverwinter wiki says his primary role is crowd-control. What about you, Neverwinter players? What sorts of classes would you like to see available in the future?

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: Which classes would you like to see in Neverwinter? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoclassescrypticcryptic-studiosdaily-grinddndf2pfantasyfree-to-playneverwinterneverwinter-classesopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpwetdgthe-daily-grindThu, 02 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you avoid 'evil' classes?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/the-daily-grind-do-you-avoid-evil-classes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/the-daily-grind-do-you-avoid-evil-classes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/the-daily-grind-do-you-avoid-evil-classes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind Do you avoid 'evil' classes
Having started to play a Necromancer in Guild Wars 2 lately, I've been thinking about how odd it is that some MMO classes are kind of, well, evil. Or at least really, really gross, unless you think that playing with corpses is something a normal, well-adjusted citizen does. Summoning zombies, consorting with demons, even stealing from others -- sometimes our classes do unsavory activities. One could even call them... evil.

Perhaps this depends on the morality of the beholder, but I know that I've spoken to players from time to time who just don't pick classes that can be construed as evil even if they're using their corpse-exploding habits for the greater good. Usually it just doesn't fit in with their perception of what a hero is, and that is that.

What about you? Do you avoid "evil" classes, are you attracted to them, or do you not think about it one way or the other?

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: Do you avoid 'evil' classes? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbuy-to-playclassclassesdaily-grindevilfantasyguild-wars-2gw2ncsoftnecromanceropiniontdgthe-daily-grindthiefwarlockWed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What was the worst guild meltdown you've ever seen?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-worst-guild-meltdown-youve-ever-s/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-worst-guild-meltdown-youve-ever-s/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-worst-guild-meltdown-youve-ever-s/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

For the record, if every guild you're involved with ends in a free-for-all PvP match, you might want to just stop joining guilds.
Guilds break up. Just like bands, it's a sad reality. Sometimes they just slowly drift apart because some people are leaving The Secret World and other members are developing differing interests, so the guild shuts down with no animosity. Other times the shutdown is accompanied by an explosion of drama so profound that you'd swear you were undergoing multiple simultaneous divorces instead of just dissolving a gathering of EverQuest II players. There is GM intervention, there are angry phone calls, in extreme cases there may even be bricks thrown through windows.

At the time, they're not fun to watch. But those horrible drama-filled guild demolitions do at least make for entertaining stories after the fact. So today we ask you: What was the worst guild meltdown you've ever seen? Were you involved in it or were you just an observer? In retrospect, was everyone blowing things out of proportion or blowing things far out of proportion?

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 was the worst guild meltdown you've ever seen? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chaosculturedaily-grinddramadramatic-endingsguild-breakupguild-shutdownguildsopinionplayer-dramatdgthe-daily-grindTue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What plugin(s) can you not live without?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/the-daily-grind-what-plugin-s-can-you-not-live-without/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/the-daily-grind-what-plugin-s-can-you-not-live-without/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/the-daily-grind-what-plugin-s-can-you-not-live-without/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Lord of the Rings Online - UI with TonicBars
I recently returned to Lord of the Rings Online, and one of the first things I did after reinstalling was hunt down all the old plugins I had a couple of years ago. Some are more important than others, but one is basically indispensable.

Without TonicBars, the LotRO interface is a horrific jumble of 27,000 hotbars and 127,000 abilities, but with TonicBars these abilities are kept neatly off my screen until I roll over the appropriate button and unfurl the underlying bar. You can also configure the plugin to display a hotbar only when various gameplay conditions are met, like, say, your health dropping below a certain percentage.

So that's my indispensable add-on. What's yours?

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 plugin(s) can you not live without? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindf2pfantasyfree-to-playlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroopinionpluginstdgthe-daily-grindtonic-barstonicbarsturbineturbine-entertainmentuiui-addonsMon, 29 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are subscriptions worth it any more?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/the-daily-grind-are-subscriptions-worth-it-any-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/the-daily-grind-are-subscriptions-worth-it-any-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/the-daily-grind-are-subscriptions-worth-it-any-more/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The Daily Grind Are subscriptions worth it any more
It's amazing to me how quickly the MMO industry (at least in the west) went from being dominated by a subscription model to adopting free-to-play nearly across the board. In just a couple of short years, the hold that subs had over us was broken and players were free to sample way more MMOs for no money down than they ever could.

It's also amazing to me how this movement has turned my general acceptance of subscriptions into somewhat of a dealbreaker. When I went back to World of Warcraft for a 10-day free trial a few weeks ago, the looming thought that this game would require a subscription to continue deeply influenced my enjoyment of it or interest in pursuing it past those 10 days. I had to ask myself the question, "Does this MMO offer something above and beyond what I can get elsewhere for free or a one-time purchase?" And I felt like the answer was "no."

Subs aren't dead, of course, and they certainly have their attractive aspects (cutting through F2P red tape and getting exclusive benefits, for example). I like having the option to sub, but I no longer like being tied down by one. So what say you? Are subscriptions worth it any more?

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: Are subscriptions worth it any more? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbuy-to-playdaily-grindf2pfantasyfree-to-playopinionsubsubscriptionsubscription-modeltdgthe-daily-grindwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 28 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What frustrates you about official game sites?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/the-daily-grind-what-frustrates-you-about-official-game-sites/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/the-daily-grind-what-frustrates-you-about-official-game-sites/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/the-daily-grind-what-frustrates-you-about-official-game-sites/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

For the record, screenshots are under the community header. Which doesn't make a lick of sense.
Working at Massively has given me several years to gain an appreciation for official game sites done properly. You wouldn't think that putting together a website for a game that's already online would be the difficult part, but apparently it is. EverQuest II and Lord of the Rings Online both hide their screenshot galleries in unrelated headers. Final Fantasy XIV doesn't link to the official forum from the main page. And this isn't even discussing sites with auto-playing videos or Flash elements preventing you from interacting with the site normally.

Pretty much every MMO requires you to go through the official site on a semi-regular basis, which means that any minor problems start to become continual irritations given enough time. So what frustrates you about official game sites? Wonky graphic placement? Poor font choices? Too many separate logins? For that matter, what official game sites do you think have pretty much gotten the formula correct?

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 frustrates you about official game sites? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturedaily-grinddisplayhumorinterfacelayoutofficial-sitesopinionsitestdgthe-daily-grindwords-on-the-internetSat, 27 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Has an MMO ever implemented your idea?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/the-daily-grind-has-an-mmo-ever-implemented-your-idea/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/the-daily-grind-has-an-mmo-ever-implemented-your-idea/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/the-daily-grind-has-an-mmo-ever-implemented-your-idea/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

City of Steam
Earlier this month, Massively's MJ sat down with the City of Steam devs and discovered that you, the Massively readers, had actually influenced one of the game mechanics. Wrote MJ,
There is one new feature that was put into game specifically because of Massively fans: jumping! That's right. You made it clear you wanted jumping in game, and the devs listened. Who says you don't have the power to change things?
Leaving aside the implication that we spent one of our precious wishes on jumping, I thought this was really cool, and I tried to think of other examples of players coming up with amazing (or not) design ideas that were subsequently implemented in a game. I can think of certain demands that were met in classic MMOs. World of Warcraft is infamous for implementing the most popular player mods as official features, and in more recent news, there are Guild Wars 2's efforts to split reset times for different continents after much player protest.

How about you? Has an MMO ever implemented your idea or the ideas of a fellow player?

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: Has an MMO ever implemented your idea? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgbring-back-precastingcity-of-steamdaily-grindgame-designGuild-Wars-2gw2ideaideasjumpingopinionplayer-ideastdgthe-daily-grindultima-onlineuoWorld-of-WarcraftwowFri, 26 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Will Helm's Deep bring you back to LotRO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/the-daily-grind-will-helms-deep-bring-you-back-to-lotro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/the-daily-grind-will-helms-deep-bring-you-back-to-lotro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/the-daily-grind-will-helms-deep-bring-you-back-to-lotro/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Legolas and Gimli at Helm's Deep by John HoweLord of the Rings Online is one of those MMOs, at least for me. You know the ones I mean. They're great games for the most part, but for whatever reason you've quit and returned and quit and returned to them more times than you can count.

With yesterday's announcement of the forthcoming Helm's Deep expansion, I'm finding it harder than ever to keep to my pledge of staying away from Turbine's Middle-earth.

What about you, morning crew? Assuming you're a LotRO expatriate, will Helm's Deep bring you back?

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: Will Helm's Deep bring you back to LotRO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindexpansionexpatriatef2pfantasyfree-to-playhelms-deephelms-deep-expansionlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-expansionmmo-expatriateopiniontdgthe-daily-grindturbineturbine-entertainmentThu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How important is endgame progression to you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/the-daily-grind-how-important-is-endgame-progression-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/the-daily-grind-how-important-is-endgame-progression-to-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/the-daily-grind-how-important-is-endgame-progression-to-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Daily Grind How important is endgame progression to you
For some players, the real meat of an MMORPG begins when you don't have any more pesky levels to worry about. Leveling is training, but using all that training to clear through the hardest content in the game is what you signed up for. Whether it's in World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2, these players feel that the real push is to have the best possible gear and optimize your character specialties.

For other players, the endgame is just an addition, sometimes even an unwelcome one. Having the best gear or the best build is nice, but it's not worth pursuing at the detriment of your enjoyment. Far better to just do dailies in Star Wars: The Old Republic or level a new character in Champions Online. These players can be just as dedicated to the game, but they just don't care for the endgame push.

So which category do you lean toward? Is the progression track at the top what you live for, or is it just a distraction? How important is endgame progression to you?

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: How important is endgame progression to you? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best-in-slotchallengeculturedaily-grindendgameendgame-progressionlevel-caplevelsopinionoptimizationtdgthe-daily-grindWed, 24 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What was the best random drop you ever got?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-best-random-drop-you-ever-got/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-best-random-drop-you-ever-got/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-best-random-drop-you-ever-got/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind What was the best random drop you ever got
The Skinner Box design to MMOs and the random nature of loot tables means that an absolutely epic piece of gear could conceivably drop with the next kill. Or the kill after that! Or after that! Or... yeah, you know the drill. The unpredictability of corpse looting is like a little slot machine built into our games, mostly giving us trash while once in a while paying off in incredible dividends.

It's the latter that I'd like us to discuss today. Every once in a while I do a double-take when I see that I just looted an ultra-rare item. I didn't even know text that color existed in the chat window, to be honest! And getting that incredible drop can make my evening (not to mention give me bragging rights to my guild).

So what was the best random drop you ever got in an MMO -- and what did you do when it happened?

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 was the best random drop you ever got? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindepicepic-gearepic-lootgearlootopinionrandom-number-generatorrngskinner-boxtdgthe-daily-grindTue, 23 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which devs would you like to see in the MMO space?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-daily-grind-which-devs-would-you-like-to-see-in-the-mmo-spa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-daily-grind-which-devs-would-you-like-to-see-in-the-mmo-spa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-daily-grind-which-devs-would-you-like-to-see-in-the-mmo-spa/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Shroud of the Avatar
We've seen a number of big-name game gurus make headlines in recent months with various MMOish development projects. Whether we're talking Chris Roberts, Mark Jacobs, or Richard Garriott, there's plenty of star power on display in both the MMO and crowdfunding arenas these days.

Are there any other well-known devs you'd like see turning (or returning) to the MMO ranks?

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: Which devs would you like to see in the MMO space? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chris-robertscrowdfundingdaily-grinddevelopersdevslord-britishmark-jacobsopinionrichard-garriotttdgthe-daily-grindMon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you bring MMOs into real life?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-bring-mmos-into-real-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-bring-mmos-into-real-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-bring-mmos-into-real-life/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind Do you bring MMOs into real life
One of the aspects that I like about MMOs is the sense of accomplishment when it comes to achieving specific goals. Maybe they're my goals or maybe they're goals set by the game, but checking things off a list and knowing that I've made progress is satisfying. That's why I often look at real world chores like an MMO quest log these days, filling my to do list up before knocking them out. I'm only slightly disappointed when victory music doesn't play when I turn in a quest to my wife.

Mental note: Must buy wife a kazoo.

Anyway, do you ever experience moments where your passion for MMOs bleed over into your real life? Do you grind reputation with your boss at work? Have you found yourself opening up a fridge and wondering what kind of epic consumables are inside? Did you strip to your skivvies and dance on top of your mailbox until the neighbors complained? Is all of this a cry for help?

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: Do you bring MMOs into real life? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindgamificationkazooopinionquestquest-logquestsreal-lifereal-worldtdgthe-daily-grindSun, 21 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you keep games installed even when you're not playing them?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/the-daily-grind-do-you-keep-games-installed-even-when-youre-no/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/the-daily-grind-do-you-keep-games-installed-even-when-youre-no/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/the-daily-grind-do-you-keep-games-installed-even-when-youre-no/#commentsFiled under: , ,

My Little Starfleet.
My adventures in Star Trek Online have come to a close now, but the client is still on my hard drive. There's no reason it needs to be there, and getting rid of it frees up some space for other games or data. I can always reinstall if I need to. Yet I find myself oddly reluctant to delete games off of my computer even when I'm not playing them, even if I know the odds are low I'll ever play them again.

Part of this is because it's easier to patch up from a midpoint than to start over and install fresh, but part of it is just plain nostalgia. Still, it does create unnecessary computer clutter. So today, I ask of you: do you keep games installed even when you're not playing them? Is your desktop bearing shortcuts to games you have left behind, or does it only have online games you're actually involved with at any given moment?

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: Do you keep games installed even when you're not playing them? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grinddrive-spacehard-driveinstalledinstalled-gamesold-gamesopiniontdgthe-daily-grindSat, 20 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you like moddable MMORPGs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-moddable-mmorpgs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-moddable-mmorpgs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-moddable-mmorpgs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

WildStar
WildStar's announcement this week that closed beta players have already started modding the game's UI to their personal preferences got me wondering once again about whether MMO gamers have been influenced by games like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic when it comes to acceptance of modding.

As recently as last November, when SOE outlawed all mods in PlanetSide 2 -- including benign mods that enhanced graphics and FPS -- our commenters seemed split over whether mods were a good thing. One, who specifically singled out Diablo III and Guild Wars 2 as key offenders, argued that developers' "play it how we made it because we know best" attitude stifles player freedom. Another wrote that on the contrary, Guild Wars 2's anti-mod approach was the right one; he liked that everyone is made to play with the same interface because "the fact [that] you almost need different UIs and addons for endgame in WoW" is a turn off.

So let's take this topic's current temperature: Do you like moddable MMORPGs? Why or why not?

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: Do you like moddable MMORPGs? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonaddonsbrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindmodmoddingmodsopinionplanetside-2tdgthe-daily-grindwildstarFri, 19 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do launch day hassles make you quit a game?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/the-daily-grind-do-launch-day-hassles-make-you-quit-a-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/the-daily-grind-do-launch-day-hassles-make-you-quit-a-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/the-daily-grind-do-launch-day-hassles-make-you-quit-a-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Darkfall Unholy Wars patcher
MMO launches have come a long way. While no MMO is bug-free, developers have made substantial strides in this department over the past decade. Similarly and for the most part, gone are the days when mile-long queues prevent you from playing on day one.

And then there's Darkfall.

Or more accurately Darkfall Unholy Wars. To Aventurine's credit, I can at least purchase and log in to the game unlike the catastrophe that passed for the original 2009 launch (and also to be fair, I'm a big fan of the game). It still took forever and a day to patch, though, and that was after I had to leave the client torrent download on overnight.

So, how about it Massively readers? Do launch-day hiccups irritate you enough to move on to other games, or do you generally stick it out?

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: Do launch day hassles make you quit a game? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agonaventurinedaily-grinddarkfalldarkfall-unholy-warsdffantasyopen-pvpopinionpvpsandboxtdgthe-daily-grindunholy-warsThu, 18 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What's the fastest you've hit the level cap after a raise?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/the-daily-grind-whats-the-fastest-youve-hit-the-level-cap-aft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/the-daily-grind-whats-the-fastest-youve-hit-the-level-cap-aft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/the-daily-grind-whats-the-fastest-youve-hit-the-level-cap-aft/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Unfortunately, I did not get to slap these guns on my ship. More's the pity.
I hadn't really been trying to hit the level cap in Star Wars: The Old Republic after the expansion launched. I wanted to, certainly, but I figured it would happen when it happened. Turns out that it happened very shortly after the expansion launched, thanks to a combination of early access and a whole lot of play for first impressions. As it stands, I'm pretty sure it's the fastest turnaround I've had for hitting the cap after it's been raised.

Everyone's racing to the cap when a game first launches, but when the cap is raised it's a different ball game. You know how to play the game, you've got resources on your character, and you are often in pretty good equipment to start off. So what's the fastest you've ever hit the level cap after it's been raised? A week? Four days? A few hours after the patch has gone live?

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's the fastest you've hit the level cap after a raise? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capsdaily-grindexpansionslevel-caplevel-cap-raiselevel-uplevelingopinionpatchestdgthe-daily-grindupdatesTue, 16 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you grind for max level prior to a cap increase?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/the-daily-grind-do-you-grind-for-max-level-prior-to-a-cap-incre/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/the-daily-grind-do-you-grind-for-max-level-prior-to-a-cap-incre/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/the-daily-grind-do-you-grind-for-max-level-prior-to-a-cap-incre/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Star Wars: The Old Republic - Boss fight with Risha
So Rise of the Hutt Cartel descended on Star Wars: The Old Republic last week, bringing with it some new content and five additional levels.

BioWare hosted a series of double XP weekends leading up to the expansion's early release, presumably to aid players in getting a few of their avatars to the level cap. I partook as much as I could, but I didn't quite make it as I'm still sitting at 48 on my Gunslinger. I'm not usually a grinder, but for some reason I found myself disappointed that I didn't hit the cap before it was raised.

What about you, Massively readers? Do you grind for max level when you know a cap increase is on the way, or do you just go about your normal business and enjoy the experience?

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: Do you grind for max level prior to a cap increase? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredaily-grindeaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playgrindlevel-caplevelinglevelslucasartsopinionrise-of-the-hutt-cartelsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republictorMon, 15 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How do you feel about gear modding?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-gear-modding/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-gear-modding/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-gear-modding/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind How do you feel about gear modding
WildStar's recent dev diary explaining its gear modding system made me realize how we're seeing more and more of this sort of thing recently. Defiance allows you to trick out its guns, RIFT introduced a new type of moddable gear in Storm Legion, SWTOR has custom gear that does the trick, Allods Online just added a similar system, and so on.

I generally like gear modding as long as it doesn't stray too far into the realm of the obtuse and complex. It's fun to tweak that sword or pulse rifle to become the weapon you've always wanted, and there's a thrifty aspect to keeping that good-looking piece of armor up-to-date instead of just pitching it for the latest and greatest.

How do you feel about gear modding? Should it be a staple of all MMOs? How can it be done wrong and how can it be done oh-so-right?

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: How do you feel about gear modding? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allods-onlinedaily-grinddefiancegeargear-modgear-moddinggear-modsmoddingopinionriftstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindwildstarSun, 14 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are there MMOs you would play offline?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-there-mmos-you-would-play-offline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-there-mmos-you-would-play-offline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-there-mmos-you-would-play-offline/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Nothing wrong with going alone when you need to.
In theory, a lot of us are perpetually online. In practice, connections go down, routers get fried, network cards go kaput. Not even broadband is faultlessly reliable. So we deal with games that can be played without any connection required, and life continues. But are there MMOs that you wouldn't mind playing in an offline mode?

Speaking personally, I know I would be happy to tool around in Star Trek Online as an offline playground. It has its faults, but it's a nice little dose of thematic space adventure, certainly something fun for whiling away a disconnected afternoon. Some elements would have to be tweaked for an offline mode to work, but that's not the point.

So what about you? Are there MMOs you would play offline if you had the opportunity? Or are you more interested in the social aspects and not interested in just playing the game itself as a stopgap?

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: Are there MMOs you would play offline? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindofflineoffline-gamesoffline-mmosopiniontdgthe-daily-grindSat, 13 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Does Steam influence your MMO habits?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/the-daily-grind-does-steam-influence-your-mmo-habits/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/the-daily-grind-does-steam-influence-your-mmo-habits/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/the-daily-grind-does-steam-influence-your-mmo-habits/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Does Steam influence your MMO habits
A few weeks ago, our sister site Joystiq posted a story about Incredipede, an indie game whose slow sales over a four-month period were eclipsed by a single day's worth of sales on Steam. And when I looked back through our coverage of MMOs on Steam, I realized that the platform has quietly become a big deal for our genre, too; MMO publishers clearly believe Steam is a place they need to be. Final Fantasy XI's expansion landed there in recent memory, as did The War Z, Age of Conan, APB Reloaded, and dozens more. My own Steam account shows EVE Online, Champions Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and Spiral Knights, just to name a few.

The convenience of Steam and the fact that my friends congregate there is the key draw for me, in spite of my lingering distrust for such services, so today, I'm wondering whether I'm alone. Are you guys more likely to download and try an MMO, F2P or otherwise, if it's on Steam?

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: Does Steam influence your MMO habits? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgclouddaily-grindincredipedemmos-on-steamopinionplatformsteamsteam-mmostdgthe-daily-grindFri, 12 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST