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[GDC 2012: SOE's PlanetSide 2 gunning for the big time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/07/gdc-2012-soes-planetside-2-gunning-for-the-big-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/07/gdc-2012-soes-planetside-2-gunning-for-the-big-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/07/gdc-2012-soes-planetside-2-gunning-for-the-big-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

PlanetSide 2 - TR minigun
Our PlanetSide 2 bootcamp didn't start on the war-torn planet of Auraxis. It started on a plushly appointed hotel terrace in the middle of downtown San Francisco. Sony Online Entertainment brought its A-game to GDC 2012, and though its MMOFPS sequel is still undergoing internal alpha testing, the demo was striking enough to make us feel like battle-weary soldiers returning from the front.

Executive producer Josh Hackney kicked things off with a short spiel that touched on what made the original PlanetSide unique (truly massive combat, ambitious open-world design, and a passionate/enduring community, in a nutshell). Hackney then turned the microphone over to creative director Matt Higby and a team of SOE devs who proceeded to wow the gaggle of game journos with an hour of pure awesome.

Continue reading GDC 2012: SOE's PlanetSide 2 gunning for the big time

MassivelyGDC 2012: SOE's PlanetSide 2 gunning for the big time originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conconferenceconventionexclusivef2pfeaturedfpsfree-to-playgame-developers-conferencegame-developers-conference-2012game-mechanicsgdcgdc-2012interviewjosh-hackneymatt-higbymmo-shootermmofpsplanetsideplanetside-2ps2sci-fishootersidegradessoesonysony-online-entertainmenttrammelWed, 07 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Death penalties]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/the-perfect-ten-death-penalties/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/the-perfect-ten-death-penalties/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/the-perfect-ten-death-penalties/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Death penalties belong in that tier of MMO discussion topics that is reserved for the most controversial subjects, along with skimpy armor and the New Game Enhancements. Death, as we know well, comes for us all with big, nasty, pointy teeth. But for some reason, we are not fans of it, neither in real life nor in online games.

One of the reasons death penalties continue to be a divisive subject is that they used to be brutal beyond belief in MMOs back in the olden days of yore. As the MMO genre progressed, the penalties were lightened and experimented with in an effort to avoid driving players barking mad because of them. So we've ended up with two camps: one group of gamers who campaign for harsh death penalties to make the world seem exciting and dangerous, and another group that campaigns for lenient penalties in the interests of sanity.

So today we're going to go through 10 of the most-used types of death penalties in MMOs, starting with the most brutal and ending with the most lenient. Stay for the after-column party as well, as you'll get a taste for this debate in the comments section!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Death penalties

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Death penalties originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccity-of-heroescohdarkfallde-levelingdeathdeath-penaltiesdeath-penaltydelevelingdiablo-2diablo-iidofuseveeve-onlineeverquestfeaturedfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xigrim-reaperguild-warsgwhot-pocketitem-repairjedinew-game-enhancementsngeparagon-studiosperfect-10perfect-tenpermadeathpermanent-deathporchepre-trammelresurrection-sicknessrez-sicknessskimpy-armorstar-wars-galaxiesthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tentrammelultima-onlinexp-debtThu, 24 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the cop-out of FFA PvP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/the-soapbox-sandboxes-and-the-cop-out-of-ffa-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/the-soapbox-sandboxes-and-the-cop-out-of-ffa-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/the-soapbox-sandboxes-and-the-cop-out-of-ffa-pvp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Last week, our own Jef Reahard mounted the Massively Soapbox with an article titled Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP. In it, he argued that open PvP was a natural and necessary part of any solid sandbox MMO. He also made waves by suggesting that FFA PvP is crucial to the roleplaying experience and that roleplayers should really face their "fears" and give it a try.

I'm a sandbox gamer and a PvPer at heart. I played the early years of Ultima Online and lived the adrenaline rush of full and brutal PvP and thievery. Dark Age of Camelot's RvR sucked up another year of my life. Star Wars Galaxies remains my sandbox of choice, and I've braved a World of Warcraft PvP server since launch. I know this territory very well. I'll knock it, because I have more than tried it -- in several tasty flavors.

And even though I'm an unabashed Jef-fangirl, I think there are a few debatable issues with his article. Hit the jump for some good old-fashioned counterpoints!

Continue reading The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the cop-out of FFA PvP

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Sandboxes and the cop-out of FFA PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchyBlizzardccpCCP-Gamesconsequencesdeath-mechanicea-mythiceveeve-onlinefeaturedffaffa-pvpgankergriefergriefersImmersionopen-pvpopen-world-pvpopinionpve-sandboxpvppvp-sandboxroleplayroleplayerRolePlayersRolePlayingRPSandboxsandbox-mmosandparksoapboxSOESony-Online-Entertainmentstar-wars-galaxiesswgthe-soapboxThemeParktrammelUltima-OnlineUOWorld-of-WarcraftwowTue, 04 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you roll back a portion of your favorite MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/30/the-daily-grind-would-you-roll-back-a-portion-of-your-favorite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/30/the-daily-grind-would-you-roll-back-a-portion-of-your-favorite/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/30/the-daily-grind-would-you-roll-back-a-portion-of-your-favorite/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Jagex is making headlines lately with its trailblazing Wilderness vote. Whether you're a fan of the long-running Runescape MMO or not, you have to admit that it's pretty cool that developers would leave an enormous and game-altering decision up to the players. Aside from that novelty, the potential rollback got us to thinking about sweeping changes to our favorite MMOs, and whether or not we'd reverse them given a Jagex-style choice.

Whether it's earthquakes like Ultima Online's Trammel or Star Wars Galaxies' NGE, or subtler and more recent tweaks like Age of Conan's removal of Tortage PvP, the MMO landscape is littered with changes both large and small. Are there any features of your favorite MMO that you'd revert or roll back if you could? Which ones 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: Would you roll back a portion of your favorite MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocgame-discussiongamer-discussionjagexmmo-discussionmmo-hot-topicsmmo-issuesmmo-topicsmmorpg-discussionmmorpg-hot-topicsmmorpg-topicsngeopinionrunescapestar-wars-galaxiesswgtdgthe-daily-grindtrammelUltima-Onlineuowildernesswilderness-voteThu, 30 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the Ultima Prize: The Players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-ultima-prize-the-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-ultima-prize-the-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-ultima-prize-the-players/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Wow! The response to last week's inaugural Game Archaeologist column was phenomenal -- guess we're not the only ones who find MMO history and trips down nostalgia lane captivating stuff! Thanks to everyone who commented, sent in e-mails and (heh HEH) volunteered to be interviewed.

Speaking of which, this week we move past the facts of the matter to the experiences. The Game Archaeologist scoured the globe, mostly between coffee breaks, to find some of the most passionate and learned players of Ultima Online. In the second part of our Ultima Online exploration, we injected a tiny bead of Hobi frog toxin into their systems, freeing their tongues to tell the truth and their limbs to jerk uncontrollably. Just what do Ultima old guard chat about at the club on the weekends?

We extracted the full scoop from Ultima vets Adam "Ferrel" Trzonkowski, Brandon Crowe, "Professor" B.J. Keeton, Jon Craig and JD DMichael. Read on!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Ultima Prize: The Players

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the Ultima Prize: The Players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-shadowsea-mythiceverquestfeaturedhousingmythicpkplayer-housingpvprenaissancethe-game-archaeologistthe-second-agethe-stygian-abysstrammelultima-onlineuoTue, 11 May 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the Ultima Prize: The History]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-ultima-prize-the-history/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-ultima-prize-the-history/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-ultima-prize-the-history/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Welcome to the first madcap adventure of The Game Archaeologist! In this column, we'll be looking back at some of the MMORPGs that may not get the spotlight these days, but deserve our respect and attention due to their place in MMO history. Together, we'll don our explorer gear, jump back in time, dust off forgotten treasures and look at the titles that helped build an online empire.

Each month, we'll embark on a voyage through a particular MMO of yesteryear in a three-part series. The first part will examine the history of the game and its place in the genre, the second part will feature interviews with current and past players of the game, and the third part will witness The Game Archaeologist himself checking out the title as it stands today (if the MMO is still up and running, that is).

For our first column, we'll salute one of the greatest grandfathers of the modern MMO: Ultima Online. Crack your whip and dive into the Stygian Abyss with us!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Ultima Prize: The History

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the Ultima Prize: The History originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>darkfalleafeaturedkingdom-rebornlord-blackthorns-revengelord-britishorigin-systemspvprainzRichard-GarriottTabula-Rasathe-game-archaeologistthe-stygian-abysstodd-mcfarlanetrammelultima-onlineultima-worlds-online-originultima-xworld-of-warcraftTue, 04 May 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you vote with your wallet?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/the-daily-grind-do-you-vote-with-your-wallet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/the-daily-grind-do-you-vote-with-your-wallet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/the-daily-grind-do-you-vote-with-your-wallet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


There are certain changes, usually big ones, that don't exactly produce... positive reactions. In fact, they generally produce screaming rants and huge doses of rage at how they were handled and implemented. You know the sorts we're talking about. Star Wars Galaxies and the Combat Upgrade. Ultima Online and Trammel. Final Fantasy XI and the nerfs to Beastmaster "catch and release" tactics. All loathed changes, many of which led to an exodus of players.

Really, leaving a game can be the best way to express displeasure with a change. It's the surest way to send a company the message that they've done something that will no longer justify your monthly subscription. On the flip side, your individual impact is small, you once loved the game... a lot of players will choose to rough it out, in hopes that things will improve or with the knowledge that the changes can't be all that bad. And for games where you have a lifetime subscription or are experiencing it free-to-play, your absence isn't really a deterrent at all.

So, do you vote with your wallet? When you're fed up with what's been done, do you head off for greener pastures? Or are you of the mind that it's not even worth the bother, that they might well not even tie your departure to the change, even if you say so?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you vote with your wallet? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beastmasterscancelingcombat-upgradef2pffxifinal-fantasy-xifree-to-playgame-changeslifetime-subscriptionp2ppay-to-playquittingstar-wars-galaxiesswgtdgthe-daily-grindtrammelultima-onlineunsubscribinguowalletTue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The dangers of PvP-focused games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/21/the-dangers-of-pvp-focused-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/21/the-dangers-of-pvp-focused-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/21/the-dangers-of-pvp-focused-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The trouble with PvP is... well, there are several problems with PvP. The problems of balance are always there, of course, as they are in every aspect of the game. There are the problems of making PvP both accessible to new players and rewarding for veterans, their are issues with keeping people engaged in the game without being gimmicky, there are issues with even such little things as how players get equipment. But as Scott Jennings notes in his most recent column, a lot of the problems with PvP-centric games center around perceptions -- both those of the players, and those of the developers.

Developers who make PvP-centric games frequently are players of games themselves, of course, and so when they strike off to make a game with "PvP done right" they can sometimes fall victim to tunnel vision regarding their game. (Jennings cites Shadowbane, Darkfall, and Fury as examples here.) But there's also a problem of perception from the player end, as whether or not a class is overpowered often pales in comparison to whether or not the players believe it's overpowered. From Guild Wars to EVE Online, every PvP game has had to contend with these issues, so it would be well-advised to take a look at the full column if you're at all interested in the design of games.

MassivelyThe dangers of PvP-focused games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetccp-gamesdarkfalldeveloper-perceptioneveeve-onlinefuryguild-warsgwlum-the-madplayer-perceptionpvppvp-balancepvp-focuspvp-gamesscott-jenningsshadowbanetrammelMon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Are subscription game item shops the third Trammel?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/08/are-subscription-game-item-shops-the-third-trammel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/08/are-subscription-game-item-shops-the-third-trammel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/08/are-subscription-game-item-shops-the-third-trammel/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We like to keep our ear to the blogging (under)ground here at Massively because we often find interesting ideas and perspectives on the MMO industry. For instance, Green Armadillo of Player vs. Developer (PvD) just made a bold yet insightful statement about subscription game item shops being the third Trammel. For those unfamiliar, Trammel changed the way most people played Ultima Online and could be considered a paradigm shift in the industry from "harsh" PvP-enabled MMOs to safer PvE.

It's no secret that the rise of microtransactions and MMO item shops (aka real money trading or RMT) are a big change in direction from traditional subscription based MMOs. However, it now seems we're seeing the line blur between the two. Dungeons & Dragons Online, Champions Online, and most recently World of Warcraft are all subscription-based MMOs with built-in RMT. Are we witnessing the birth of the third Trammel?

As for the second Trammel, PvD calls out WoW's solo quest system. Never in any previous MMO did players enjoy such easy soloability and it seems that every triple-A MMO since WoW has relied heavily upon the solo quest system. We think PvD may be on to something here.

Continue reading Are subscription game item shops the third Trammel?

MassivelyAre subscription game item shops the third Trammel? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinedungeons-and-dragons-onlineitem-shopmicrotransactionsreal-money-tradingrmtsubscriptiontrammelultima-onlineworld-of-warcraftSun, 08 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST