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[LotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/lotros-buried-treasure-resurfaces-in-a-new-dev-diary/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

LotRO
Deep under the soil of Middle-earth are riches galore, and only the Dwarves know where to dig. Fortunately for players, the Dwarves are totally fine with interlopers coming along to try their luck at finding a bit of buried treasure -- and they've even made an event out of it.

While we previously saw a test run of the Buried Treasure event in Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine's put forth a dev diary that indicates we should be seeing more of it fairly soon. The event challenges players to flock to a treasure field, grab some picks, and get diggin' for booty. There's a strategy behind it that utilizes trained animals and dowsing sticks to find the best goods, although treasure hunters can just start digging randomly as well.

The treasure will vary in size and quality, ranging from special mounts and cosmetic gear to more picks and barter tokens. While players can earn picks in-game through a repeatable quest, Turbine will also be selling them through the LotRO store for those who want to speed up their winnings.

The dev diary posted several pictures of the nifty rewards that can be mined and states that the event is "seasonally agnostic," coming and going at various times during the year.

MassivelyLotRO's buried treasure resurfaces in a new dev diary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buried-treasureburied-treasure-eventcosmeticcosmetic-outfitdev-diaryeventf2pfree-to-playin-game-eventlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-storemountoutfitoutfitspickstreasure-hunter-picktreasure-huntingtreasure-hunting-pickturbineturbine-entertainmentFri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Treasure hunting!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/the-road-to-mordor-treasure-hunting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/the-road-to-mordor-treasure-hunting/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/the-road-to-mordor-treasure-hunting/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

LOTRO
It's not been an insignificant week for Lord of the Rings Online, as Turbine rolled out its big holiday patch: Update 5. With it came all manner of goodies, from an instance finder to another book in our epic quest across Middle-earth. Cooks got coffee (have you had a cup of joe yet?), and I reveled in the ability to expand my sorely taxed wardrobe beyond 100 slots.

But amidst all of the excitement and analysis of the new features slid in something surprising. The night of the update, Turbine opened up its long-promised treasure hunting mini-event for a sneak peek. I joined the throngs of curious lookie-loos who made a beeline for Ered Luin and some mysterious patches of glowing soil that promised riches galore.

Treasure hunting was originally supposed to hit the game much earlier this year, but for reasons unknown, Turbine pushed it back until a later date. Personally, I was psyched that another non-combat event was on its way, so when I saw that there was an actual sneak peek of the event, I cast aside all of the shiny new content of the update to see what this was all about. While I came away with favorable impressions, it was with a slight bitter aftertaste of something not quite palatable. What could it be? Well, you're just going to have to keep reading these here fancy words to find out!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Treasure hunting!

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Treasure hunting! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredin-game-eventlootboxlootboxeslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromini-eventtreasuretreasure-hunttreasure-huntingtreasure-hunting-eventturbineturbine-entertainmentSat, 17 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Dirty fightin' and treasure huntin']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/01/choose-my-adventure-dirty-fightin-and-treasure-huntin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/01/choose-my-adventure-dirty-fightin-and-treasure-huntin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/01/choose-my-adventure-dirty-fightin-and-treasure-huntin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

My pirate life continued this past week in Pirates of the Burning Sea, and thanks to your feedback, I took on some new swashbuckling skills. Based on the poll results, Dirty Fighting came out as the winning choice, and I happily retrained at my port.

I also popped over to Treasure Aisle, the in-game cash shop. I had some Station Cash burning a hole in my pirate chest, and since I had so much fun on my last treasure hunt, I decided to purchase a new map case and try my luck once more at finding the giant red X.

In this week's Choose My Adventure, I'll tell you how my respec went and whether I found any treasure. In addition, I'll give you a sneak peek at some new bling for my pirate ship!

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dirty fightin' and treasure huntin'

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Dirty fightin' and treasure huntin' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buccaneercash-shopchoose-my-adventurecmadirty-fightingfeaturedpiratesPirates-of-the-Burning-SeapollpollspotbssailsshipssoeSony-Online-Entertainmentswashbucklertreasuretreasure-aisletreasure-huntingvanity-itemsWed, 01 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Out of drydock!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/choose-my-adventure-out-of-drydock/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/choose-my-adventure-out-of-drydock/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/choose-my-adventure-out-of-drydock/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It was a happy return to the high seas for Arienne Sauvage. You might have noticed that Choose My Adventure went dark for a couple of weeks, and that's because of the unexpected downtime from the attack on Sony Online Entertainment. Now that things are back up and running, I'm ready to set sail for the last few entries of my adventure in Pirates of the Burning Sea.

Join me this week as I evaluate the Welcome Back rewards, polish up my ship combat skills, and search for buried treasure!

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Out of drydock!

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Out of drydock! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>captains-clubchoose-my-adventurecmaf2pfeaturedflorentineflying-labsfree-to-playhands-onmarsh-harborpiratepirate-buccaneerpiratesPirates-of-the-Burning-SeapollpollspotbssoeSony-Online-Entertainmentswashbucklingtreasuretreasure-huntingWed, 25 May 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Entropia Universe expands with treasure hunting on Planet Arkadia]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/entropia-universe-expands-with-treasure-hunting-on-planet-arkadi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/entropia-universe-expands-with-treasure-hunting-on-planet-arkadi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/entropia-universe-expands-with-treasure-hunting-on-planet-arkadi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Planet Calypso is one of the more interesting concepts in the free-to-play arena, as it's a game in which you can theoretically make real money from playing the game. It looks like the concept is expanding a bit with the announcement of Planet Arkadia, an environment for virtual treasure hunters. Part of the same overarching concept and universe as Planet Calypso, the game will be a chance for players to enjoy the thrill of treasure hunting without the actual logistical issues of stealing things and then selling them.

The game is going to bear another similarity to its predecessor, however, in that the treasures being unearthed will potentially be worth real-world currency. That should provide players of the game with a little added incentive, along with concept art by Feng Zhu and the promise of an immersive virtual world. Tentatively set for release in early 2011, Planet Arkadia already boasts a site with preview images and more information on the game environment. So if you've always wanted a chance for your virtual treasure to translate into real money, your dream might be closer to fruition than you think.

MassivelyEntropia Universe expands with treasure hunting on Planet Arkadia originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announced-titlesannouncementsdave-dobsonentropiaentropia-universef2pfeng-zhufree-to-playnew-projectsnew-titlespending-titlesplanet-arkadiaplanet-calypsoproject-entropiatreasure-huntingFri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[This ain't like dusting crops, boy: The Old Republic expounds on crafting and PvP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/this-aint-like-dusting-crops-boy-the-old-republic-expounds-on/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/this-aint-like-dusting-crops-boy-the-old-republic-expounds-on/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/this-aint-like-dusting-crops-boy-the-old-republic-expounds-on/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Earlier this week, BioWare promised a couple of Star Wars: The Old Republic "juicy reveals" at this year's Winter Showcase in London, and it looks as though it might have delivered. The studio went into detail about two key systems in the game: crafting and PvP Warzones.

Darth Hater reports that Warzones will be just one of the types of PvP arenas in the TOR. Warzones feature set teams with specific objectives. In the case of Alderaan's Warzone, it involves taking over turrets and blasting the enemy's drop ship to pieces -- once this happens, the match is over and tokens and XP is awarded. This Warzone was shown to be 8v8, although BioWare did not mention if the Warzones scaled in group size. BioWare also hinted about another Warzone that takes place on a derelict spaceship.

Turning to crafting, BioWare is implementing something called the Crew Skill system. Players will send their crew on assignments to accomplish various objectives, including gathering (Bio Analysis, Slicing), crafting (Artifice, Biochem) and missions (Diplomacy, Treasure Hunter). Companions are typically suited to do one of these tasks better than the others. These tasks can be queued up in advance, and will have different benefits -- for example, Diplomacy can spread a player's influence and impact morality points, while Treasure Hunting will turn up treasures (and, presumably, junk) based on a random number generator.

MassivelyThis ain't like dusting crops, boy: The Old Republic expounds on crafting and PvP originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8v8alderaanbiowarecraftingcrew-skill-craftingcrew-skill-systemdarth-haterdiplomacylondonpvpstar-wars-the-old-republicthe-old-republictortreasure-huntingwarzonewarzoneswitner-showcaseFri, 05 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Darkfall expansion delayed, treasure hunting in the works]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/darkfall-expansion-delayed-treasure-hunting-in-the-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/darkfall-expansion-delayed-treasure-hunting-in-the-works/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/darkfall-expansion-delayed-treasure-hunting-in-the-works/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Lots of stuff is going on in the world of Agon, and the weekend brought us a double-shot of news updates, one good and one not so good. Aventurine's Tasos Flambouras recently checked in on the official boards to announce a delay on the upcoming expansion. The delay appears to be primarily performance-related. "The expansion is forced back a short while longer, we hope no longer than a couple of weeks, in order to get the performance right, and everything in the expansion working properly and tested thoroughly so there's no repeat of the last setback with the terrain feature," he wrote. Aventurine has also been having trouble with its network service provider, and the post provides a few details along those lines as well.

Now for the good news: treasure hunting is coming to Darkfall, courtesy of the aforementioned expansion. Players will be able to acquire map-reading skills from NPCs, make their own shovels to unearth various objects, and use treasure map hints to determine appropriate dig locations. "We are already planning on expanding this system, which means you can expect additional treasure hunt features being added on top of the one we talked about today," writes Aventurine's Laenih on the Darkfall forums.

MassivelyDarkfall expansion delayed, treasure hunting in the works originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agonaventurineaventurine-sadarkfalldarkfall-2010expansionperformancetasostasos-flambourastreasure-hunttreasure-huntingSun, 12 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pirates of the Burning Sea introduces skirmish system and treasure hunts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-introduces-skirmish-system-and-treasu/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-introduces-skirmish-system-and-treasu/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-introduces-skirmish-system-and-treasu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


By the time this post goes live, Pirates of the Burning Sea should be updated to build 1.15: "Black Bart's Gold", across the North American, European, and Australian servers. Black Bart's Gold (which introduces treasure hunting to the game) is a continuation of the Black Flags and Dread Saints story arc, which will also bring both new and altered game mechanics to PotBS. We've mentioned a few of the changes that are coming to Pirates of the Burning Sea, namely skirmish warfare and a sweeping change to loot drops. These are only a few highlights of what Black Bart's Gold will introduce to the game. The full patch notes give a much more complete picture of what build 1.15 brings, including two new ships -- the Poseidon (level 50) and the Alymer (level 1).

Pirates of the Burning Sea community manager Rhaegar gives a timetable for the expected server downtime: "We will be upgrading our North American, European & Australian SOE live servers to build 1.15: Black Bart's Gold during the usual maintenance window (1:30am - 5:00am Pacific / 9:30am - 1:00 pm British Summer Time) on Wednesday, May 27th."

Update: Rhaegar writes -- "We have unfortunately had to delay the patch until tomorrow. It will happen during the normal outage window of 1.30am-5.00am Pacific (9.30am-1.00pm BST). We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

Gallery: Pirates of the Burning Sea core gallery

MassivelyPirates of the Burning Sea introduces skirmish system and treasure hunts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-managerflying-lab-softwaregame-mechanicslootloot-dropspatchespiratespirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsrhaegarserver-downtimeskirmish-warfaretreasuretreasure-huntingWed, 27 May 2009 10:00:00 EST