Massively

Neverwinter counters Foundry exploit by nerfing XP rate

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter, Player-Generated Content

Cryptic is cracking down on player-created missions that utilize certain exploits to gain XP faster than normal in Neverwinter's Foundry. While the studio temporarily banned authors for making these missions in the Foundry, it looks as though a recent patch has addressed the situation by "tweaking" the amount of XP that a player can gain within a set period of time.

Apparently some Foundry authors had been creating missions designed to pay out the maximum amount of XP by allowing near-nonstop combat. The patch has slowed that rate down by allowing players to earn only so much XP in five minutes before turning off the XP spigot altogether until the time limit is up.

Players have been reacting to the Foundry nerf with dismay, particularly non-exploit-using authors who feel as though they are being punished with the rest of the class by the XP nerfs (though "legit" farming maps appear to have escaped deletion so far). One player noted called this situation an "endless cat and mouse game" that has happened in other similar systems.

[Thanks to Zaph for the tip!]

Neverwinter counters Foundry exploit by nerfing XP rate originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Neverwinter Days: Can the Foundry succeed?

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter, Neverwinter Days, Player-Generated Content

For many gamers, the name "Neverwinter" goes hand-in-hand with player-created content. BioWare's 2002 Neverwinter Nights and the 2006 sequel allowed players to whip up their own story modules for friends and strangers to enjoy. While many RPGs put us on the receiving end of the developer's storytelling, user-generated content (UGC) in Neverwinter Nights and other similar games allowed the common gamer a chance to try his or her hand at making an adventure from scratch.

In my opinion, UGC is the holy grail for MMOs. We all know how developers can never create content faster than the community consumes it, so utilizing the community's creativity, time, and energy to assist in making that content theoretically eliminates a content limit. There's always something to do because people are always, always creating.

But UGC is notoriously tricky to handle in a persistent online world, and it comes with many trouble spots that haven't been fully addressed. Considering just how much Neverwinter is relying on its UGC, via the Foundry, to flesh out the game, I have to wonder: Can the Foundry succeed?

Continue reading Neverwinter Days: Can the Foundry succeed?

Neverwinter Days: Can the Foundry succeed? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slap a rocket on a pig: WildStar's modding and PGC community

Brianna Royce — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Culture, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Previews, Opinion, Interviews (Massively's), Events (Massively's Coverage), Sandbox, WildStar

At January's WildStar press event, I had the opportunity to chat with several of Carbine's developers about something near and dear to my heart: modding. During my personal demo, Jeremy Gaffney remarked offhandedly -- twice! -- that people don't really want to play the UI; they want to play the game. I know that he's right about some people, and I'm glad game developers are devoting resources toward designing a seamless blend of UI and gameplay that makes actually healing party members as fun or more fun than playing Grid-style healer whackamole. But whackamole or not, I do want to play the UI. I want to tinker.

Fortunately, WildStar intends to accommodate me in a huge way. Read on for the scoop on WildStar's planned modding tools, player councils, and player-generated content.

Continue reading Slap a rocket on a pig: WildStar's modding and PGC community

Slap a rocket on a pig: WildStar's modding and PGC community originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Online 2012: John Smedley's keynote on MMO trends and the future of gaming

Karen Bryan — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

At GDC Online this week, SOE President John Smedley gave a keynote address titled Free-to-play: Driving the Future of MMOs. In it, he explains SOE's (and other studios') shift toward a free-to-play model lets MMOs keep up with an ever-changing industry.

But the talk actually went beyond the notion of free-to-play and into the larger picture of how SOE is reinventing its games to include more emergent gameplay and take advantage of new trends in media. Read on for a broad look at the past decade of trends in the industry and a glimpse of what the future holds for SOE titles.

Continue reading GDC Online 2012: John Smedley's keynote on MMO trends and the future of gaming

GDC Online 2012: John Smedley's keynote on MMO trends and the future of gaming originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: It always floods after a drought in STO

Terilynn Shull — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, PvE, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log

Over the course of the last week, Star Trek Online fans have been swimming in the flood of information that has been released regarding several missions and features of the game that are expected to be released either just before or as part of Season Six.

We still have no formal release date for Season Six, nor have we been given any hint as to when we will see it appear on the STO test server, Tribble. Yet several announcements have been posted by Cryptic on the STO website, some of which have rejuvenated the deflated playerbase.

Fleets were given even more information on the anticipated release of the fleet advancement system; Foundry authors have been celebrating the tool's first significant patch in over a year; endgame players got some good news about two new five-person team missions, and a couple of promotions have made at least a few players smile. Join me as I attempt to analyze all the new information!

Continue reading Captain's Log: It always floods after a drought in STO

Captain's Log: It always floods after a drought in STO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: Focus on the Foundry

Terilynn Shull — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log

The Foundry is Star Trek Online's user-generated content tool, one that allows players to create their very own playable missions in the game. Those missions also become available as content to the rest of the playerbase. It's a tool that differentiates STO from most other MMOs and encourages fans to expand on the universe of STO and Star Trek in general. Join me as in this Captain's Log, I focus on the Foundry, some of its missions, and the community that keeps it going.

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Captain's Log: Focus on the Foundry originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: Dining with the devs

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), Interviews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 65075.4...

Hello, computer (and players)! Ahhh, the good 'ol developers! You follow them on twitter, you read every one of their forum posts, and you even stalk them in-game. But you know what? Developers are just like us, a fellow human being, right? Wrong! Developers are the key to the future, the hands that create our dreams, the molders that shape our gameplay. Okay, okay -- I'm going a bit overboard, but you have to admit, they are pretty dang cool!

Luckily for us Star Trek Online players, the devs that are working on the game, as well as all of the other projects in development at Cryptic, are very transparent. More often that not, they let us know what they are working on and look to the community to see what we think about particular ideas -- we truly get to help influence what makes it into the game. Aside from posting in the forums, many of them also participate with the community by guest starring on podcasts and meeting up with players when they can.

As I broke the news to you all last week, I was privileged to host a Dine with the Devs event that coincided with a visit of some of the STO devs to this year's San Diego Comic-Con. While this was not associated with Massively, I figured all of you would like to know what happened and what was said. So, without further ado, it's time to recap the event and fill you all in on the super-secret meeting minutes!

Ensign, warp 10! Let's boldly go where most of you were not able to go...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Dining with the devs

Captain's Log: Dining with the devs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: The Foundry and you

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 64750.3...

Hello, computer (and players)! "Ceeeeelebrate good times, come on!" That's right, captains -- it's time to let the good times roll and the never-ending content stream to begin. Earlier this week, Larry Everett helped break Star Trek Online's news drought with his post about the Foundry being moved from the test server, nicknamed Tribble, to the live server, aka Holodeck. (I've always thought the test server should have been called Holodeck, but that is a discussion for another day.) For those of you who do not know by now, the Foundry is a user-generated content (UGC) toolset that allows players to create their own missions and episodes.

Since late last year, volunteer testers have been creating hundreds of missions and pushing them out for captains of all ranks to try. Co-developed by Cryptic devs who are working at implementing the system in the upcoming Neverwinter game, the Foundry has gone through extensive changes since its inception -- the evolution of the toolset has actually provided a platform for some UGC episodes that rival those made by Cryptic. But what does this really mean for STO players?

Ensign, warp 10! Let's talk about STO's "saving grace."

Continue reading Captain's Log: The Foundry and you

Captain's Log: The Foundry and you originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEGO Universe builds community via community building

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, News Items, LEGO Universe, Kids, Family

The fun of playing with LEGO sets is only half in the assembly -- a lot of the enjoyment comes with showing off what you've created to others, no matter your age. It's an element that LEGO Universe has taken to heart, as a recent release talks about the community events the game has run thus far and the plans for more events in the future.

Each month of the game's operation has been based around a core theme for community events and challenges, giving players unified goals to work toward. March is the Battle Month, with the final event taking place this weekend in the Battle for Nimbus Station. Players who successfully face off against 29 waves of enemies will be in the running to win a variety of in-game prizes as well as some real-world LEGO sets.

The Creation Lab has also been a major area of development, allowing user-generated content to come front and center in the community. Even if you're not currently playing LEGO Universe, you can take part in some of the contests and get your own buildings in the game -- sharing what you've built with everyone even if it's not made out of plastic bricks.

LEGO Universe builds community via community building originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: The future for fleets

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Guilds, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 64731.1...

Hello, computer (and players)! On my way home from work today, Jason DeRulo's Ridin' Solo came up on my iPod's playlist, and I thought to myself, how boring -- who would want to ride solo? Most of us will agree that we have the most fun when we are teamed up with someone while playing. Whether it is for the social interaction or the companionship or just so that we don't have to keep zerging, we play MMOs so that we can play with other people from around the world. Our games also allow us to take teaming one step further in the form of guilds. In Star Trek Online, joining a fleet is one of the most popular ways to play the game.

Since the early days of closed beta, thousands of fleets have formed inside Cryptic's server, fleets that have brought players together from around the world. It truly does not matter whether you speak English or not -- some of the larger fleets out there have members who represent dozens of countries, languages and ethnicities. Whether you are into PvP, roleplay, raiding, PvE, or accolade-hunting, there is a fleet for everyone -- but it doesn't stop there! As time warps on, developers of the game are going to be adding new options and creating new gameplay that will change the way you will interact with your fleet. So what are they?

Ensign, warp 10! Let's talk about the future of fleets...

Continue reading Captain's Log: The future for fleets

Captain's Log: The future for fleets originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE offers bonus Station Cash for using game cards

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Super-hero, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, PlanetSide, News Items, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Free Realms, Kids, DC Universe Online, Giveaways, EverQuest Next

Paying for subscriptions with a credit card is definitely fast and easy, but if you're a regular Sony Online Entertainment game subscriber, you might want to consider switching to a game time card this month! As a way of rewarding players for picking up and paying with universal game cards, Sony Online Entertainment is giving players $10 worth of Station Cash (1,000 SC) just for redeeming a $15 universal game card. The nice thing about these cards? They can be redeemed for either a month's subscription to an SOE game or 1,500 Station Cash. However, to get the bonus cash, you'll have to redeem your card between 3:10 a.m. EDT (12:10 a.m. PDT) on March 17th and 2:59 a.m. on March 21st (11:59 p.m. PDT on March 20th).

Along with getting an extra Station Cash reward for using a universal game card during those days, players will be entered into SOE's Luck of the Irish sweepstakes, the details of which should be out sometime this week. We'd also note that SOE's disclaimer indicates that the promotion is only available to gamers in the United States/District of Columbia and excludes Puerto Rico and other outlying territories. Keep your eye on the forums or the SOE Facebook account for all the sweepstakes information and official rules.

SOE offers bonus Station Cash for using game cards originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dan Stahl talks about Star Trek Online's user-generated content

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Patches, News Items, Star Trek Online

With its first doses of weekly content a success, Star Trek Online is in a fairly comfortable spot at the moment. But there are still places to expand, including the often-mentioned tools for user-generated content. Although the tool isn't yet in the game, executive producer Dan Stahl has been discussing it for some time, and he goes into a bit more depth in a recent interview. He also discusses some of the upcoming changes scheduled for the game's later major updates, including interior interaction and bridge officer voices.

Among the more interesting issues discussed is the impact of user-generated content on the game's licensing. Everything currently in the game required approval from CBS first, which Stahl states has led to some discussion about how the user toolsets will interact with the canonical fiction. He also discusses several improvements planned for season 4, and the possibility of more interaction with ship interiors starting in season 4 or 5. Star Trek Online players are encouraged to take a look at the newest interview for a clearer picture of the game's future.

Dan Stahl talks about Star Trek Online's user-generated content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marketplace traction with the UGC model and the closure of Metaplace

Tateru Nino — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business Models, Culture, Opinion, MetaPlace, Virtual Worlds

As you read last night, the UGC (user-generated-content) virtual environment side of Metaplace is shuttering on New Year's Day, 2010, just a scant couple of weeks away.

"The reason?" says company president Koster. "Well, it just hasn't gotten traction."

Nor should it have at this stage, really. Metaplace only went into open beta in May this year, meaning that it is closing before it really launched. We believe that is several years too soon for traction with its (now canceled) model.

Continue reading Marketplace traction with the UGC model and the closure of Metaplace

Marketplace traction with the UGC model and the closure of Metaplace originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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User-generated-content, business models and funding

Tateru Nino — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, Second Life, Virtual Worlds

User-generated content is a contentious topic that puts developers, publishers, investors and ultimately users at odds with each-other. Investors and publishers often react with frank disbelief at the idea of allowing users to create their own content, but setups like Facebook and Second Life enjoy considerable commercial success.

Facebook's 2008 revenue was estimated to be somewhat in excess of US$200 million for 2008, while Second Life is estimated to have achieved somewhere between 100-200 million USD in the same period. User-generated content (UGC) can be highly profitable, but whether getting into those profitable situations, and moreover sustaining them is a whole other issue.

Continue reading User-generated-content, business models and funding

User-generated-content, business models and funding originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ION 08: Getting the most out of user generated content

Barb Dybwad — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates of the Burning Sea, Fan art, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Second Life, Legal, Virtual Worlds, Events (Massively's Coverage)

One might rightfully acuse the term "user generated content" of being a rather dry way to describe what is really a fascinating trend in media: the opportunity for "users" to contribute their own creations and have them incorporated into traditionally heavily produced "content." By nature interactive, the games industry is taking notice of the power of UGC, and in a panel yesterday at ION 08 we had the chance to listen to Flying Lab's Troy Hewitt and Linden Lab's Rob Lanphier talk about how user content has been working in Pirates of the Burning Sea and Second Life. Attorney Eric Goldman of Santa Clara University School of Law was on hand to discuss some of the legal issues surrounding UGC, and the panel was moderated by Scott Warner, owner and leader of the intellectual property and technology group at firm Garvey Schubert Barer.

Scott: Troy, do you want to start us off by talking about how user content has been working in Pirates?

Troy: Sure. As some of you may know, we just launched PotBS earlier this year. We have a system in the game where players can create flags and sails for their ships. There's a mechanism to distribute your work and they can actually create and sell their designs as well. Players can also create and model their own ships, and other people in game will be able to use those ships. We have 30 ships now in the game made by players, and these were actually done by only 13 people; so it's a small group of dedicated people creating these ships. With the flags and sails, about 20% of our player base is creating them and a much larger percentage actually use them.

Continue reading ION 08: Getting the most out of user generated content

ION 08: Getting the most out of user generated content originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC08: All Points Bulletin info and eye candy

Barb Dybwad — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Galleries, Events (Real-World), New Titles, Consoles, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Events (Massively's Coverage)

What word is perhaps most synonymous with the current MMO playing field? Grind. Realtime Worlds' Dave Jones (no relation?) is setting out to change that with the studio's first massively multiplayer title All Points Bulletin we've been following eagerly. He's hoping the formula Crackdown + MMO = crack will be proven true with variables like infinite, professional-looking character and vehicle customization, contemporary setting, integration with last.fm and dynamic, variable team-sized missions hidden in the equation. Hit up our symbiotic other selves at Joystiq for the complete overview of APB.

Gallery: GDC08: All Points Bulletin

GDC08: All Points Bulletin info and eye candy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Areae explains MetaPlace's MetaBucks

Samuel Axon — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Economy, New Titles, News Items, MetaPlace, Browser, Casual

The MetaPlace developer blog was updated with a description of Areae's plans for "MetaBucks." Unsurprisingly, MetaBucks will be the currency of MetaPlace. They will be exchangeable both ways for real-world currency, and will be used to buy tools and assets with which to build worlds. Also, MetaBucks will provide a system for creators of virtual worlds made in MetaPlace to charge subscription fees.

If you're thinking, "gee, that sounds very Second Life-esque," you're not the only one! MetaPlace seeks to bridge the gap between gamers and virtual world residents by providing tools (like MetaBucks) that will be useful to both. For a browser-based title, MetaPlace is unusually ambitious in terms of scope.

If you're curious how all this fits into Areae's business plan as a whole, check out the business plan FAQ. Basically, MetaPlace is free until the world you create crosses a certain traffic threshold. After that, it costs money to continue hosting your world there, but you can use MetaBucks to charge players or take donations, and use that income to cover the costs.

Areae explains MetaPlace's MetaBucks originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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