Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Dark Age of Camelot takes players to school]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/dark-age-of-camelot-takes-players-to-school/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/dark-age-of-camelot-takes-players-to-school/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/dark-age-of-camelot-takes-players-to-school/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

DAoC
Dark Age of Camelot's new website is already paying off in spades for players, as the developers are able to pass along a host of new information, concept art and previews for the populace. DAOC will be 10 years old as of next month and isn't slowing down. Exhibit A: The team is already hard at work on the 1.110 patch.

John Thronhill penned a dev diary about the patch this week; he focuses on the new Lesson Quests that will go hand-in-hand with the beginner experience. Lesson Quests are designed to help newbies get their footing in this complex setting, especially since the game continues to see a "large amount of returning and brand-new players" each month.

As players progress through Lesson Quests, they'll not only get a better understanding of how DAOC works but be rewarded with buff tokens, potions, and other nice goodies. As part of the quest chain, NPCs will demonstrate crowd control techniques and other RvR survival skills in the hopes that new players will be able to make a better contribution to the war. These tutorial quests can also be skipped if players already know the ropes.

Lesson Quests aren't the only new additions coming with 1.110, although Thornhill says we'll have to wait until another day to hear about the rest.

MassivelyDark Age of Camelot takes players to school originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10th-anniversarybeginner-experiencebioware-mythicdaocdark-age-of-camelotdev-diarydeveloper-diaryea-mythicJohn-Thronhilllesson-questsmythicmythic-entertainmentnew-user-experiencenew-user-journeypatch-1.110pvprvrtrainertutorialFri, 16 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: 'Role' play]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/enter-at-your-own-rift-role-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/enter-at-your-own-rift-role-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/enter-at-your-own-rift-role-play/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In retrospect, it was all my fault. I had gotten too used to just throwing RIFT dungeon groups together and assuming that with the flexible soul system we'd be able to provide everything necessary no matter what archetype mixup we had. I suppose it's a testament to Trion Worlds' design that an exact group composition wasn't a top concern -- the goal is just getting five willing players together for a fun run.

We were running Darkening Deeps, and I decided to start a group so that I could show off the dungeon to Rubi. We had two Rogues, two Mages and a Warrior, and I felt pretty confident going in that we would prevail. And while the Warrior stepped up and said he would tank -- taking the burden off of my Riftstalker build -- everyone else was curiously quiet when I asked if there was another healer who could back up my Bard heals for boss fights.

Nothing. Not a peep. The other Rogue didn't have a Bard spec, and the Mages were whistling innocently when I asked if they happened to have a Chloromancer role tucked in their back pocket. Oh crud. This was going to hurt. Six trash pulls into the dungeon later, I called it and said that we simply didn't have enough healing power to make it through the bosses. My bad, I said, thanks for playing!

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: 'Role' play

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: 'Role' play originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archetypesbardchloromancerclassclassesdarkening-deepsdpsdungeon-runfeaturedfive-man-dungeonsgrouphealerholy-trinityoff-tankpugriftrift-planes-of-telarariftstalkerrolerole-systemrolesrubisaboteursoul-systemsoul-treesoulsswiss-army-knifetankteamtrainertriontrion-worldsWed, 30 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: The secret lives of NPCs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/the-perfect-ten-the-secret-lives-of-npcs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/the-perfect-ten-the-secret-lives-of-npcs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/the-perfect-ten-the-secret-lives-of-npcs/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It is fun, I've decided, to overthink things in life. This is especially relevant in MMOs, where we've long since taken absolutely bizarre staples as the accepted status quo. Sure, it's all polite fiction that allows developers to merge necessary game mechanics with a veneer of credibility, but many elements of MMOs simply fall apart when put under the microscope.

Case in point, the NPC. Is there a figure in online games that more symbolizes the thin barrier between the server database and user playerbase than the non-player character? NPCs exist to fill the world with warm bodies so that places don't feel empty, yet they also exhibit no more life than a mannequin with a tape recorder strapped to its back. These cardboard cutouts of the MMO scene are either reanimated corpses struggling to remember basic quest-giving instructions, or else they're prisoners of a foul witch who has struck the entire land with a paralyzing spell.

So even though it's 2011 and you'd think that NPCs would be showing us more signs of life than swiveling slightly when we approach, I'm happy to jump in and offer my opinion as to the secret life of these figures. What makes them tick? What do they get out of helping -- and prodding -- us into action? Why don't they ever sleep or use the bathroom? Just who are these people we encounter and dismiss every day?

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The secret lives of NPCs

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: The secret lives of NPCs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barbartenderfeaturedlovemannequinnon-player-charactersnpcnpcsperfect-10perfect-tenretiredretirementsidekicktavernteacherthe-perfect-tentop-10top-tentop-ten-listtrainerturgoth-the-destructorvendorThu, 10 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mudkips not included]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/mudkipz-not-included/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/mudkipz-not-included/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/mudkipz-not-included/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


What do you get when you cross Pokémon with the Chinese literary classic 'Journey to the West' ? This hybrid is Pocketpet Journey West, a quirky little title that could only come from Asia. The game is being developed by Perfect World, whose focus is on the Chinese online gaming market, although they've licensed their games to operators in ten other countries so far. No definitive announcement has been made as to whether Pocketpet Journey West is coming to North American or European markets, but Perfect World stated their intent to bring more of their titles to overseas markets.

Pocketpet Journey West is a game almost entirely based around pets. Players can capture and tame monsters, boost their pet's attributes, and trade those pets with other players. Perhaps the oddest feature of the pet system is that two pets can be merged into one, with customized or enhanced abilities. When a player isn't gene-splicing their beloved little (and not-so-little) companions, they can take to the skies and cloud surf. Sounds like a wonderfully bizarre title, and one that Massively will keep an eye on in the future. If they do have a release outside of China, Pocketpet Journey West might be the answer to at least one Massively writer's hopes for an MMO sugar fix.

MassivelyMudkips not included originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 May 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiachinaperfect-worldpetpetspocketpet-journey-westpokemonpokemon-onlinetrainerSun, 25 May 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Games that could be MMOs: Pokémon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/games-that-could-be-mmos-pokemon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/games-that-could-be-mmos-pokemon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/games-that-could-be-mmos-pokemon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The Pokémon brand is one of the largest and most successful franchises the gaming world has ever spawned. There are no less than 10 videogames, 1 trading card game, 12 movies, an animated series, 10 soundtrack CDs, a bunch of manga -- but no official MMO.

Why this hasn't already happened is beyond the imagination of this blogger. C'mon, a world in which thousands, if not millions of wanna-be Pokémon trainers are working hard to be number one, constantly pitting their captive critters against each other, and every iteration of the game franchise is only one-on-one? This isn't rocket science; it's not even science fair volcano science. But if we were to imagine a Pokémon MMO, it would look something like this:

Continue reading Games that could be MMOs: Pokémon

MassivelyGames that could be MMOs: Pokémon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badgesbulbasaurcharmanderelementalfeaturedgaia-onlinegengarnintendopikachupokemonpokemon-onlinerivalsquirtletrainerwiiworld-of-warcraftTue, 29 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST