Massively

Vendetta celebrating 10-year anniversary, prepping new content

Jef Reahard — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox, Anniversary

Ten years is an eternity in the game industry, and MMOs that manage to hang around for a decade or more are few and far between. One such title is Vendetta Online, which originally released on April 20th, 2002 and is still going strong today.

Guild Software is hosting a couple of celebration events this weekend. The company has also announced that its massive 1.9 patch is coming later this year, followed by an even more massive expansion in 2013.

Vendetta is unique among MMOs for its twitch-based space combat and extensive trading, mining, and exploration gameplay. Large space battles, dynamic territory control, and player-generated content systems round out the feature set, all of which is coded and maintained by a four-man dev team. The single-universe game server is accessible from a number of different platforms that include Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. In March 2011, Vendetta became the first PC MMO to jump to mobile platforms, and it spent several weeks as the number one paid app on Android devices.

Check out the game's official website for more info, and don't forget to sign up for the trial while you're there. You can also read Massively's latest game impressions in Some Assembly Required.

[Source: Guild press release]

Vendetta celebrating 10-year anniversary, prepping new content originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly

Beau Hindman — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Screenshots, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility

As a player of many MMORTS titles, I have grown to understand that patience is not only a virtue but a necessity. Many titles from the genre are designed to make you spend real time to do anything. It's not that they are boring or tedious; instead, they are representing what it might be like to actually grow an army or trade hub and to explore the often massive world around you. The pacing is meant to be slow. These are not games of instant leveling or non-stop quest grinding. They're meant to be played in as little as a few minutes per day. This explains a lot of their success -- just imagine how popular they are with time-strapped players.

There is a time, however, after months of toiling away at building up various structures, growing a small army, or finally getting to the maxed out level in a certain area, when you can finally settle down for some real gameplay. It might sound silly to have to wait that long for glory, but come on... this is city-building we are talking about. It takes time.

Continue reading MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly

MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: Becoming a mediocre trader in several free titles

Beau Hindman — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Humor, Free for All, Crafting

I often find myself achieving little things in many different games while other gamer buddies of mine are busily conquering actual gods or dragons within one or two particular titles. Sure, I would love to join a group of battleworn adventurers as they took down one of the final bosses in almost any game, but I rarely find the time to work a character into the ranks of the ascended.

OK, so I have time, but not if I wanted to do what I do here. That is to say, I am not dedicated to one game because it is my job to tell you readers about several games. About every game. About as many games as possible. I can't do that while maintaining a high DPS score. It's a give and take, but I love to explore, fortunately.

Let me tell you about how I love to trade or craft in some of my favorite titles and why it's important to me.

Continue reading Free for All: Becoming a mediocre trader in several free titles

Free for All: Becoming a mediocre trader in several free titles originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remanum launches first international server, tweaks ports

Jef Reahard — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Crafting

All roads lead to Rome, even in the world of browser MMOs. Travian Games is trumpeting its commerce-based Remanum title, which puts the player in the role of a merchant-politician at the height of ancient Roman civilization.

Travian has just launched the game's first international server, and now English-language players can vie for the rank of Roman emperor while trading goods and engaging in various political machinations. Travian, a Bavaria-based browser game outfit, has also launched a new German-language server for Remanum's open beta.

The firm is also updating the game's UI and increasing the range on the game's ports, which will ease the acquisition of scarce resources, according to a Travian statement.

[Source: Travian Games press release]

Remanum launches first international server, tweaks ports originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aventurine 'sprinting' toward Darkfall 2.0

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Sandbox

As Darkfall "sprints" down the road toward its second incarnation, bloodthirsty PvPers are looking to Aventurine for more information about how their favorite game world is being remolded. Tasos Flambouras came forth today with word that not only is the project still powering forward, but the development team is growing as new hires are brought on to assist in the efforts.

Flambouras uses the post as a progress report and To Do list all in one. Perhaps the most exciting teases that he mentions are new methods of progression in the game. "These are significant and exciting changes to the way the game is played because they add more purpose to player freedom," he writes.

Currently the art team is adding and revamping many of the game's objects and animations, while the world builders are hammering away at Mahirim. As part of Darkfall 2.0, introductory dungeons will be integrated into the game to help newbies get a foothold in the cutthroat MMO.

The team is also experimenting with "alternatives" to player respawn time after deaths, as well as a brand-new market system and improved trading experience.

Aventurine 'sprinting' toward Darkfall 2.0 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Traveller AR trailer promises the galaxy

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, New titles, Mobile

Based on the long-running space-themed RPG, Traveller AR is coming soon to the iOS platform. The "AR" there stands for "augmented reality," as the title will use the much-ballyhooed AR feature to allow you to mingle the real and virtual world into one.

Just as in EVE Online, players in Traveller AR will hop in a ship and fly out into the cosmos looking to make their fame and fortune. There will be three races and three classes (Scout, Spacer, Trader) to choose from at the start and well over 40,000 unique solar systems to explore and plunder.

According to the game's trailer, Traveller AR space cadets can choose their own path to glory, including trading, missions, combat, and exploration. It looks like a crossbreed of a board game with a rudimentary space combat simulator, and the trailer gives a good overview of the UI and functionality in store for us.

Hop past the break to see the future... today!

Continue reading Traveller AR trailer promises the galaxy

Traveller AR trailer promises the galaxy originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mabinogi prepping Merchant of Venice, offers three new levels of premium service

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Economy, Patches, Free-to-play, Mabinogi

It's a busy time for Mabinogi, which is still firmly in the grips of Shakespeare fever. The free-to-play title is preparing to launch its Merchant of Venice update on October 26th, and with it, a new commerce system.

Mabinogi's commerce system offers players a way to experience the highs and lows of trading with a little danger thrown in for good measure. Players will start out with a limited amount of new currency, ducats, which can be used to buy and sell from trading posts. Newly minted traders will then have to transport the currency personally while coming under fire by bandits. Pull off enough successful trade routes, and awesome new weapons will become available to you!

Nexon has also introduced a few new levels of premium service for players looking to enhance their Mabinogi experience. These optional services grant players additional inventory, free gifts, XP bonuses, and exclusive missions. As players wait for the launch of the update, Nexon is extending its free premium service for everyone to enjoy.

Mabinogi prepping Merchant of Venice, offers three new levels of premium service originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play

Gear in MMOs isn't just about making a fashion statement; it's often the difference between life and death, success and failure, envy and pity. So it is with Luvinia Online, as gear will be a primary focus of any adventurer who doesn't want his lifespan to be measured in minutes.

Outspark has been gracious enough to treat us to a comprehensive introduction to how gear works in Luvinia. On top of the expected stats and rarity values, Luvinia has a few interesting ideas about how to modify gear and trade it between characters.

Luvinia Online finished closed beta last month, but is heading for open beta fairly soon. Hit the jump to start your edumacation in the fine art of equipment, courtesy of the development team at Outspark.

Continue reading Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education

Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: A history of Diamonds

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Opinion, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

It's been a long time since we've heard anything about Diamonds being reinstituted into Runes of Magic's auction house. Since that fateful day they were removed, a lot of new players have joined, veterans have left and some things that should not have been forgotten... were lost.

Having Diamonds in the auction house is an important feature that was planned from the get-go. It allows for seamless trading and player-controlled price fluctuations that keep all items obtainable for everyone. It's about having the freedom to play multiple ways. Options are more numerous than simply paying and having everything opened up or not paying and being stuck. With RoM's cash-shop items being integrated into the title's gameplay, there's a grayscale that lets players have many more options in how they want to play.

It's not an overly complex issue, but one worth looking back on. Getting Diamonds back in the auction house isn't a lost cause, but the issue has dragged on to the point that long time players may have given up all hope. This edition of Lost Pages of Taborea is all about looking back at the beginning and bringing players up to speed on diamonds in (or not-in) the auction house.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: A history of Diamonds

Lost Pages of Taborea: A history of Diamonds originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox

Brendan Drain — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, Professions, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

We often hear about the amazing things players get up to in EVE Online, from full-scale political wars and massive heists to collaborative business ventures and high-profile kills. While we can all enjoy these tales of high-powered exploits from afar, they can be difficult to relate to the actual game experience. Most of us will never be the puppet master pulling the strings of alliance warfare or the mastermind of some great theft, but we don't have to be. Smaller examples of emergent and opportunistic gameplay exist all over EVE in the daily play of thousands of individuals.

I've always thought of EVE less as a game and more as a giant social sandbox with spaceships -- a story about what people do when left alone in each other's company. Players naturally take on roles for which they have a strong aptitude, crafting completely new gameplay styles for themselves in the process. The entrepreneurs among us spy opportunities never imagined by the game's developers, tech-savvy individuals sell web-services, and artists craft propaganda for recruitment or a war on their enemy's morale. Countless players carve their own game out of the EVE universe, and there's no reason you can't be one of them.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the unique gameplay experiences players have engineered for themselves over the years and the community that makes EVE what it is.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox

EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Pages of Taborea: Safer diamond gifting

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Economy, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea, Guides

The crazy, fast-paced leveling done over the second anniversary raised safety concerns over player-to-player diamond trading. There were droves of players reaching either level-cap or close to it when Frogster multiplied experience gain by five for Runes of Magic's second birthday. I'm sure it made a lot of players happy (including me). I gained over 20 levels on my secondary. As a residual effect, it has allowed many new players and diamond swindlers to get multiple new characters to very high levels.

Until Runewaker hashes out a way to allow diamond trading back on the auction house or creates an alternative system, players have to enter agreements involving trust. This work-around is the gifting feature that lets players buy and automatically send cash-shop goods to another player. Two players agree on a gold-to-diamonds price, one gifts the item directly to the other player, and the buyer has to mail the gold to the player. There's no security blanket on this approach. The buyer could send his gold and never receive the item, or the sender could gift an item and never receive payment.

There are some natural deterrents to being ripped off, and players have taken it upon themselves to reduce the risk factor. A player can very quickly get a bad reputation for dishonesty, and that makes it nigh impossible to get into a guild, siege war, pick-up-group or any content with others. Players liberally share info and keep track of reputations to help ensure they don't lose any diamonds or gold. New players will still come and go and not always fully grasp these unwritten safeguards. Today, I want to take a look at ways to better protect yourself, ways that can reduce frustration and allow you to concentrate on enjoying your time in Taborea.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Safer diamond gifting

Lost Pages of Taborea: Safer diamond gifting originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's guide to RuneScape's wilderness and free trade

Brendan Drain — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, PvP, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Guides

Back when the open-world PvP of Ultima Online was more than just a memory for most people, it just seemed natural for a game to let players beat each other to death. Having open-world PvP in an MMO checked off another item in the list of things that attracted people to the genre. RuneScape's wilderness area was Jagex's compromise between letting players smash each other's heads in and not alienating players who don't want their heads smashed in. While most of the game remained PvP-free, the wilderness to the north was an open PvP bloodbath complete with corpse-looting and rude language.

PvP was removed from this area several years ago as part of a major effort to beat the RMT business. At the same time as wilderness PvP was removed, limitations were placed on the amount of gold a player could gain or lose in player-to-player trades every 15 minutes. Trading was migrated largely to a new Grand Exchange system with built-in price limits. This all but killed the game's emergent trading professions, severely limiting the scale of shops and making life harder for the wheelers and dealers out there. Both the trade and PvP restrictions were lifted just over a month ago, and players are quickly learning to take advantage of all that's been brought back to the game.

Skip past the cut for Massively's look at how you can take advantage of free trade and wilderness PvP and how RuneScape's community has reacted to the revival of these long-lost features.

Continue reading Massively's guide to RuneScape's wilderness and free trade

Massively's guide to RuneScape's wilderness and free trade originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist goes to Earth & Beyond: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, PvE, The Game Archaeologist

For this month's Game Archaeologist expedition, I deliberately wanted to look at an older MMO that was -- for whatever reason -- no longer with us. After voting on a handful of these titles, Massively readers selected Earth & Beyond for March's focus, and I have to say that I'm intrigued.

Personally, I prefer science fiction over fantasy nine times out of ten, even though most of the MMOs that grace my desktop (with the exception of Star Trek Online) are fantasy games. Sci-fi has had an awfully difficult time making headway into the field of MMOs, with plenty of underperforming or canceled titles littering the way. I've heard it explained that the fantasy genre is easier for the common person to grasp because it uses elements of our past -- primarily the medieval period -- to provide a familiar baseline, whereas sci-fi's futuristic setting requires world-building from scratch.

Whatever the case may be, Earth & Beyond never really caught on the way that EVE Online did, and its miniscule population (GameSpot reported 20-25K subscribers six months before its shutdown) was not enough for Electronic Arts to keep it running. But between 2002 and 2004, Earth & Beyond reached for the stars and gave its own spin on how a sci-fi MMO could work. Let's take a look today at what made Earth & Beyond unique, what it gave the industry, and how it may help upcoming space MMOs avoid a similar fate.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist goes to Earth & Beyond: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist goes to Earth & Beyond: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RuneScape's wilderness PvP and free trade have returned

Brendan Drain — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

At the end of December, developer Jagex put the fate of its browser MMO RuneScape in the hands of its players. Several years ago, in an effort to combat the game's growing RMT problem, Jagex placed severe restrictions on PvP and the trading of items. To make transferring gold harder, Jagex made changes to deny trades in which one party gained a significantly higher value of items and gold than the other. Limits were also placed on the stakes players could fight over in one-on-one duels. The biggest changes came to the wilderness, RuneScape's open PvP area. Wilderness PvP was completely removed in order to remove the possible use of PvP looting mechanics to trade large quantities of gold.

Jagex opened a public referendum and vote to ask players if they wanted wilderness PvP and free trade to return, and over a million players answered with a resounding "YES!" Just over a week ago, we interviewed RuneScape's lead designer Mark Ogilvie on the details of the changes and how they'll affect players. In an announcement today, Mark confirmed that those changes are now in effect, along with some tweaks to the gravestone and drop party systems. If you're a fan of RuneScape, stay tuned to Massively's RuneScape coverage for our upcoming guide on making use of the new free trade and wilderness PvP options.

RuneScape's wilderness PvP and free trade have returned originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voting underway to restore RuneScape's wilderness PvP and free trade

Brendan Drain — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

Last week, we reported that RuneScape developer Jagex had taken the unusual stance of giving players a say in some major game design decisions -- namely, the restoration of the wilderness as an open-PvP area and the revival of free trade. Over 1.2 million names signed the petition in just 24 hours, proving without a doubt that players want the opportunity to vote on the decision. Jagex has now moved onto phase 2 of the referendum, opening a vote to any player with a RuneScape account. If you have an account and want to vote on this important issue, head over to the wilderness referendum page to have your say. Over half a million players have already voted, with about 90% voting yes for the restoration of the wilderness and free trade.

For those old enough to remember the old days of RuneScape before the wilderness and trade restrictions came in, there's a lot to look forward to if this motion passes. Back when RuneScape was young, the wilderness was an open PvP area full of dangerous challenges and worthwhile rewards. The further a player got into the wilderness, the higher the level difference could be between him and another player for PvP to still be possible. It was a place for gang warfare, battling the game's toughest creatures and ad-hoc survival challenges.

Several years ago, Jagex took some serious steps to curb the growing RMT and botting problems. Direct trading was heavily restricted, with a block on trades where one player puts up a significantly different value of items or gold than the other player. The auctioneer-style "Grand Exchange" became the only reliable way to trade, but even it has limits on item value. To avoid RMT salesmen bypassing the trade system to deliver gold, limits were placed on the stakes in item duels and PvP was completely removed from the wilderness. The PvP provided by the wilderness was replaced with Bounty Hunter servers and PvP minigames. If this vote passes, all of that will be reversed and players will be free to experience a part of RuneScape's history that has been lost for years.

Voting underway to restore RuneScape's wilderness PvP and free trade originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Improvements on the way for EVE Online's contract system

Brendan Drain — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Professions, Dev Diaries

There are many professions open to players in EVE Online, but it's the trading that often draws players to the game. Due to the number of players buying and selling on EVE's single server and the fact that items are destroyed on death, a savvy player can find countless opportunities for profit. To avoid overloading the market window with thousands of items most players will never need to buy, CCP limits rare and unusual items to being sold on the contract system. Items can be listed as auctions or direct sales, and players can search for items by name.

The system has been working amicably for years, but recently several back-end performance issues were identified in it. As part of CCP's on-going war on lag, major back-end optimisations were made. Due to this restructuring of how contracts are handled on the EVE server, several new features have suddenly become possible. In a new devblog, CCP Atlas explains the back-end improvements and what they mean for the average player. Several features players have asked for over the years are on the way, such as the ability to put damaged items into contracts.

Ammo in the guns of a ship being contracted will now be moved into the ship's cargo hold rather than the item hangar, and ship insurance will no longer be voided when a ship is contracted. A whole host of improvements are also on the way to make the terms of courier missions more obvious. Players will be informed of the dangers of a contract before they accept it, including dangerous systems en-route and whether the destination station might refuse them docking rights. The upgrades are already live on the EVE test server and will be hitting the live server as part of the Incursion expansion's third phase in January.

Improvements on the way for EVE Online's contract system originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Does EVE make players better at other MMOs?

Brendan Drain — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

Every now and then on the EVE Online forums, someone will make a post about World of Warcraft. Sometimes a player will ask why CCP doesn't adopt an idea or two from the industry giant, or sometimes he'll just announce that he's quitting as soon as the next WoW expansion comes out. Recently, I saw a rather inflammatory statement in one of these threads that made me think. Someone wrote that "When a player quits EVE and goes to WoW, the average IQ in both games increases," implying that only stupid people quit EVE and that even the stupidest EVE player is smarter than the average WoW player.

It's an absurd and really quite offensive statement to make, but the above quote did get me thinking about whether playing EVE actually helps players to be more effective in other MMOs. Having gone from EVE's harsh world to more forgiving lands, I've definitely found that my experiences in New Eden have taught me to play MMOs more effectively. From the situational awareness that EVE's PvP forces on players to the organisation required for co-operative ventures and the complex trading experience EVE provides, there are definitely lessons to be learned that can apply to other MMOs.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at a few of the ways playing EVE can make someone more effective in other MMOs.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Does EVE make players better at other MMOs?

EVE Evolved: Does EVE make players better at other MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Having a fire sale

Brendan Drain — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

One of those strange rituals all EVE Online players go through at one time or another is the fire sale. Over the course of normal play, we buy, loot or otherwise acquire assets all over New Eden. After a time, our asset windows become a mess of long lost items and treasures hidden away in the cargoholds of ships we forgot we had. We all eventually reach breaking point and need to sell off our distributed stockpiles of odds and ends.

Maybe it will happen when you run out of ships to PvP in, or perhaps when your subscription is about to lapse and you need to buy a 30-day PLEX. With the recent five-day reactivation offer on many expired accounts, I imagine a lot of EVE players are currently scrambling through their assets in an attempt to raise enough ISK for a PLEX. Whatever the reason behind it, that dreaded day when you need to have a fire sale on your assets will inevitably arrive. A monumental logistical task now lies ahead of you, but it doesn't have to be the headache you'd expect it to be. Having been through countless cycles of accumulating bits and bobs and then selling them to buy PLEX, I've picked up a few tips to make the process as painless as possible.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the tools and strategies you can employ to squeeze every last drop of ISK from your misplaced treasure troves, and how to complete the task with a minimum of effort.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Having a fire sale

EVE Evolved: Having a fire sale originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: The Industrial-Sized Knowledgebase

Brendan Drain — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Professions, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

The EVE Evolved column has been home to dozens of in-depth guides on various aspects of EVE Online. Over the past two years, I've written multi-part guides to many industrial and PvP-oriented topics. On the topic of research and development, we've covered tech 1 research, invention, reverse engineering and five top tips for researchers. Perhaps more useful was the three part series on trading, which first covered the basics before delving into advanced trading strategies and a few useful tips. Other guides which have proven popular among newer players included our three-part guide to mission-running, and the recent three-page guide to exploration.

Members of the EVE community regularly produce new guides and tools to help players make the most of their time in New Eden. This week, EVE player Laci surprised the EVE community with the release of an impressive new guide aimed at new players and industralists. The comprehensive 416-page Industrial-Sized Knowledgebase (or ISK for short) covers practically everything a new player could want to know about the game. Until now, the guide had been available only in Hungarian. After intensive translation and design work, the full guide has been released in English.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I take a look at this impressive guide and ask its creator Laci a few questions about it.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The Industrial-Sized Knowledgebase

EVE Evolved: The Industrial-Sized Knowledgebase originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamescom 2010: Reakktor releases new Black Prophecy trailer

Jef Reahard — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Black Prophecy

Reakktor Media and Gamigo have just released a heart-pounding new Black Prophecy gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2010. The teaser, which clocks in at just under two minutes, is full of fast and furious space combat footage from the upcoming free-to-play MMORPG. In addition to some quick glances in and around various space stations, you'll get a good look at cockpit views, behind-the-ship perspectives, and some interesting shots of the crafting and trading interface.

Black Prophecy aims to fill the void in the MMO space-shooter market, and you can learn more about the upcoming title, as well as register for beta, at the official website. Be sure and view the trailer after the cut or via our YouTube portal.

Continue reading Gamescom 2010: Reakktor releases new Black Prophecy trailer

Gamescom 2010: Reakktor releases new Black Prophecy trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Amarr and Gallente

Brendan Drain — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Guides, Lore, EVE Evolved

Last week, I took a look at a few of the biggest Caldari and Minmatar trade hubs in EVE Online and how to best put them to use. I examined the phenomenon that is Jita and how Motsu persists as a trade hub due to the presence of mission-runners. I went on to look at Hek and Rens, trade hubs which service the two most populated Minmatar regions and provide a handy trade route for pilots to make a profit on. This week, I complete the picture with a look at four of the biggest Gallente and Amarr trade hubs.

Knowing all of the major trading stations can be of benefit to any pilot, whether you're just looking for a good deal on a new ship or trying to forge profitable trade routes. For traders, listing products in an alternate hub needn't take much extra time or effort. With good trade skills, you can adjust market orders remotely from several jumps away. You can make a short autopilot route that goes close enough to each station you're trading in and adjust your prices frequently.

In this final part of a two-part series on EVE's biggest trade hubs, I look at the biggest Amarr and Gallente trade hubs, what can be found there and how to use them to your advantage as a trader.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Amarr and Gallente

EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Amarr and Gallente originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar page 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar page 2

EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar page 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar

Brendan Drain — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Guides, Lore, EVE Evolved

A natural consequence of EVE Online's sandbox style market system is that eventually the players will form trade hubs around the most heavily used areas. Before the four empires began gearing up for war, the main trade hub of New Eden was in Yulai, the CONCORD headquarters system with super-highway stargates into the heart of each empire's space. When the super-highways were dismantled, Yulai became more difficult to get to and its popularity as a trade hub dissolved. It was eventually superceded by Jita, a Caldari system in The Forge region. But while Jita is EVE's biggest and most notable trade hub, it's not the only one by a long shot. Smaller hubs have always tended to erupt around centres of population and activity such as popular mission-running systems or the borders of warzones. Understandably, it's traders who reap the largest benefit from knowing all the best trade hubs. Trading in multiple regions can reduce the risk of competition and increase the volume of their sales.

In this two-part series, I look at some of EVE's biggest trade hubs, what can be found there and how to use them to your advantage as a trader. In today's first part I look at a few of the biggest Caldari and Minmatar trade hubs.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar

EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trading: Tips and tricks, part 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

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EVE Evolved: Trading: Tips and tricks, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trading: Tips and tricks

Brendan Drain — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, PvP, Making money, Tips and tricks, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

So far in this guide to trading in EVE Online, I've covered the jobs best suited to new players and some of the more advanced trading techniques like margin trading, market speculation and price manipulation. This is by no means the entirety of what can happen in EVE's marketplaces, but serves as a good foundation for those trying to break into the trading game. In the hyper-capitalistic world of New Eden, the markets are hugely competitive and any edge you can get will help. With that in mind, this final part of the guide will cover a few of the tips and tricks I've learned over the years that have given me an edge in the marketplace. Some are common sense rules that most traders will learn eventually and will be invaluable to newer players. Others are more closely-guarded secrets that I've gleaned from years of gameplay.

What is a cyclic product and what do you do when you spot a price manipulation? In this final part of the trading guide, I dish out some of my personal top tips for budding marketeers.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trading: Tips and tricks

EVE Evolved: Trading: Tips and tricks originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading, part 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading, part 2

EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading

Brendan Drain — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Forums, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, PvP, Making money, Tips and tricks, PvE, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

In the first part of this guide I covered the basics of trading in EVE Online and some of the jobs best suited to newer players. There's a lot more to trading than buying low and selling high and in this week's installment, I'll cover some of the more advanced trading and marketeering tactics that have proven themselves effective in EVE. From margin trading on the market to making a living off the contracts page, anyone with enough dedication can learn to rake in hundreds of millions of ISK per day without even leaving the station. For the gamblers and risk-takers among you, market speculation and price manipulation can produce incredible short-term profit but with significant risks attached.

In this second part of my concise guide on trading, I look at margin trading on the market, playing the contract pages, market speculation around patches and the dirty art of market manipulation.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading

EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics, page 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

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EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics, page 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics

Brendan Drain — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, Making money, Tips and tricks, PvE, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

Of all the moneymaking endeavours you can take in EVE Online, trading is perhaps the one with the highest potential for profit. While mission-running profit tops out at a few tens of millions per hour and the profit margin from production isn't that big, trading is limited only by the amount of effort you're willing to put in and is much improved by inherent business talent. At the low end of the trading spectrum, beginners can make a healthy income ferrying items from A to B. At the other extreme, a market-savvy individual can pull billions per week out of the players in EVE's great conglomerated marketplaces.

In this first guide in a short series on trading, I look at the different types of trading options available to newer EVE players.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics

EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: You don't need PvP to be successful, honest pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Anti-Aliased

Screw PvP combat, we need PvP conflict

The minute you hear about PvP, you know what it is. It's groups of people bashing each other in the face like cavemen. While that's all well and good, combat is only one part of a spectrum of player vs. player activities. We need to stop focusing solely on the idea of PvP combat and perhaps look towards the larger picture of PvP conflict. Final Fantasy XI proves this point through the use of the conquest system. Players weren't bashing each other's face in, yet were participating in a conflict that changed how the game played and simultaneously provided rewards.

On the other side of the galaxy, EVE Online has become notorious for "trader combat." Where players go against one another in order to get goods out to the market and make a profit. Above those acts come social combat, where players make alliances and enemies as they participate in the other aspects of the game. Exploration could even go in this category, as players race through uncharted space to find caches of resources.

These ideas aren't unheard of, but they are unexplored. One of the best examples of how we don't make full use of our genres is the infamous rogue class. Rogues, by definition, are stealthy, thieving, and full of trickery. Their original portrayal in the genre is mostly through non-combat actions, like stealing. Yet, rogues never steal in our online games. Even if they do steal, it's almost always from monsters and not players.

"Once we evolve how we approach PvP, we can start truly integrating the system into our designs, rather than continually tacking on battlegrounds and combat objectives and applauding them as elegant design."

So why not include pickpocketing? Is it because we don't want to limit it to one class or cause an uproar when one player can steal your stuff? Why not let all players have the option, and actually have a pickpocketing mini-game. Why not expand the concept of "illegal activities" and actually start to develop a justice system, where players can become guards and other players can attempt to get away with small crimes? Of course, we'll get to see an example of how well this will work when Realtime Worlds launches All Points Bulletin, but it is something to think about for our current line of MMOs.

Past the legal system, there are other methods of conflict. Card games, price haggling at player run shops, even running an actual shop or a locale can give players a brand new perspective of conflict and simultaneously provide another sink for virtual cash in the economy.

The synopsis

Don't feel that a game needs to have PvP in order to be viable. Games that can level their challenges (like Final Fantasy's level capped bosses, which make them eternally challenging) and can also present strong, solid methods of entertainment (like Bioshock's emphasis on storytelling and single-player objectives, rather than splitting resources between single-player and multi-player.)

But PvP as a concept needs to perhaps become broader, centering more on areas of dynamic conflict rather than stagnant combat situations. Even facerolling on your keyboard against someone else facerolling on their keyboard becomes old -- especially when gear differences lock out true, meaningful engagements.

Once we evolve how we approach PvP, we can start truly integrating the system into our designs, rather than continually tacking on battlegrounds and combat objectives and applauding them as elegant design.

Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who knows people will scream about how much of a carebare he is in the comment boxes, just because they didn't read the whole article. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's rambling on his personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow him on Twitter through Massively, or through his personal feed.

Anti-Aliased: You don't need PvP to be successful, honest pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively speaks at length with Jumpgate Evolution's Hermann Peterscheck Pt. 3

Kyle Horner — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jumpgate Evolution, New titles, News items, Massively Interviews

Continue reading Massively speaks at length with Jumpgate Evolution's Hermann Peterscheck Pt. 3

Massively speaks at length with Jumpgate Evolution's Hermann Peterscheck Pt. 3 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quarterly Economic Newsletter for EVE Online released

James Egan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Forums, MMO industry, Crafting, Professions, PvP, News items, PvE

EVE Online is unique among MMOs in that its economy is so complex and dynamic that CCP Games hired an economist, Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, to keep track of how the market evolves. One would imagine this is no easy task, with an overall trade value of all EVE markets ranging between 2 and 2.5 trillion isk per day. Lead Economist CCP Dr. EyjoG released a Quarterly Economic Newsletter (QEN) for EVE Online today, which is 18 pages full of data which should keep EVE's market and industry-oriented players happy (and hopefully make up for the delayed QEN, which Dr. EyjoG addresses in his announcement).

The Q1 2008 QEN kicks off with an editorial, and here are some brief highlights of what follows:

Demographics (number of accounts, most and least populated regions)

Price Level Changes (Mineral prices, Primary Producer Price Index, Secondary Producer Price Index, and Consumer Price Index)

Mining ship production and losses (with the venerable "Hulk" exhumer losses accounting for a staggering 6 trillion isk in destroyed property in Q1 2008)

Market Snapshots

Five years of EVE Market history

If you're interested in reading the Q1 2008 economic newsletter, you'll find the download link to the PDF in Dr. EyjoG's dev blog. A discussion of his findings is already underway on the EVE forums.

Quarterly Economic Newsletter for EVE Online released originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A trader's mindset in EVE Online

James Egan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Game mechanics, Guilds, Crafting, Professions, PvE, Opinion, Education

In EVE Online, it's usually the harsher side of the game that gets the most attention and has the greatest allure. Piracy, large-scale alliance warfare, and in general the dark side of EVE are what most players find interesting. But still, there are many players who engage in non-violent gameplay and find it rewarding. While hardcore PvP-ers lambast them as carebears, some corporations and individuals have attained considerable wealth and influence in the game through their own form of PvP applied to finance -- market warfare.

Among the player-created corporations and alliances in EVE Online that are devoted to helping newer players attain their goals in an often complex system, EVE University and Agony Unleashed are the most prominent. However, there are other corporations in the game that help their members along the way, which are more focused in their pursuits. One such corporation is Trader's Academy, corp ticker: [TRACE], formed in 2005 and devoted to helping pilots maximize profits from trading, mining, and mission running.

Continue reading A trader's mindset in EVE Online

A trader's mindset in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rohan Online's Trading Center now open

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business models, Making money, Free-to-play

All of the most popular and successful MMOs have an auction house of some sort, but Rohan Online's recent addition of their Trading Center introduces players to some interesting features. Despite the fact that their basic in-game economy is based on the RMT purchase of Rohan Points, there are many options available.

The three main parts of the Trading Center are the Item Mall, the Exchange Market and Special Services. In the Item Mall, you can purchase in-game items from the company itself, but with the Exchange Market, you buy, sell and trade with other players. This is a great way to make your own Rohan Points instead of buying them yourself. In the Special Services section, you can buy changes to your characters from a new name to a new gender. All item purchases are conducted through a safe and secure environment and will be immediately added to your account.

Rohan Online's Trading Center now open originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Trading Table comes to Webkinz

Michael Zenke — Mon, 19 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Webkinz, Kids

The thousands of happy kids that care for their 'kinz online every day now have a new way of playing. Ten Ton Hamster has the word that Webkinz will now allow players to trade their virtual pets in an online trading room. It's much the same way that kids trade their real world plush. Players are allowed to trade with a given person only once per day, and the official site stresses that "the only trades allowed in Webkinz World are made in the Trading room!" An official notice went up reinforcing this concept, proving that RMT and player-to-player sales are a problem even in worlds aimed at the smallest of players.

A post on the TTHamp site earlier this month discussed this new game element in greater detail. You'll only be able to trade in the Clubhouse, and there are a number of security elements behind the scenes that required the once-per-day-per-person trading limit. The interview with the folks at Ganz points out that new chat elements were added to facilitate trading, and that (someday) Kinz Chat Plus might return. Check out the piece for the entire lowdown.

The Trading Table comes to Webkinz originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Main Man

James Egan — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Professions, Tips and tricks, Opinion

EVE Online is a game where collective action trumps individual action. It's certainly a game that can be played solo although nowhere near as effectively as when your main's activities are supported or enabled by an alt. CCP provides 3 character slots per account, but skillpoint training can only progress on one character at a time. So where the real alt-play comes in is with dual boxing -- running two accounts at once to facilitate an activity. The main/alt duo can take a number of forms, by no means limited to the following basic examples:

Continue reading The Main Man

The Main Man originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan economics 101

William Dobson — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Economy, Game mechanics, New titles, Crafting

You'll be spending a lot of time chopping peope in half in Age of Conan, and will likely get very good at it, but at some point you might want to learn a thing or two about making and spending money as well. Thankfully, the official site has provided a guide that is sure to help Hyboria's budding economists in their quest for coin.

In truth, for the most part it's a fairly basic look at some familiar systems that are in the game. The currency will consist of gold, silver, copper and tin, and you'll be able to buy/sell/trade with both NPC merchants and other players. A crafting system is mentioned but no details are given. The most interesting aspect of the guide is the Tradeposts. These will be similar to the Auction House seen in so many other MMOs, but with key differences. It will combine marketplace, mailbox and bank in the one interface, and items can be listed for sale straight from your bank. It is stressed that this is not an auction -- there is a set price, with no bidding involved. Tradeposts will be available in both regular cities and player cities as well, which is great for anyone with a dream of a self-sufficient outpost. Check out the full guide for the rest of the economy details.

Age of Conan economics 101 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runescape cracking down hard on RMT

Michael Zenke — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Patches, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

It's the season for talking about holiday events and ... virtual world trading, apparently. The free-to-play browser-based game Runescape has combined both in its recent website updates. A post from last week indicates that they're making some hard choices in an attempt to put a stop to botters, scammers, and gold sellers. Their solution, which they acknowledge won't be making them any friends, is to no longer allow unbalanced trades.

It will be tough for law-abiding players, but it will also be tough for us, as we will certainly not be gaining money or members with this update. Instead, we are doing this for the good of the game, which is as dear to our hearts as it is to you. Soon, the hard part will be over and done with. The unbalanced trade changes will be made in January and we certainly don't plan any more hard changes in the foreseeable future.

Their first post on the topic is deliberately vague, but a follow-up outlines the specifics of the January trade fixes.

We're planning to raise the 3,000gp staking/trading limit for certain players. This will be proportional to the number of Quest Points you have, with the top-end being ten-times what it is now! This should still offer protection from cheats, while also giving you more flexibility in your staking and trading activities.

They've also put up the yearly Christmas event, featuring the Queen of Snow, snowball fights, and a Snow tournament. The big present for this year, apparently, is going to be safe trading in the new year.

Runescape cracking down hard on RMT originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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