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Champions Online tells players what not to expect

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, News items, Champions Online

Sometimes it's very helpful to hear what you're not getting. It's never particularly pleasant, of course -- we usually like to hear about the cool things coming right around the bend -- but it's also useful to be told what isn't coming for your favorite game. The most recent installment of Ask Cryptic for Champions Online falls under that category, with several questions about upcoming features given a straight denial. There are no plans for four-armed characters, rotating and scaling tattoos, and a current push for more persistent content as opposed to zone-wide attack events.

On the flip side, the answers do paint a few interesting pictures, such as talk about potentially adding a villainous counterpart to the game in the vein of City of Villains. The idea is discussed as something not in the immediate future, but on the list for future inclusion -- albeit with a much more sandbox style of gameplay, keeping in the vein of a supervillain romp. Champions Online is currently pretty well dedicated to getting its existing systems shored up and working well, however -- and while that might mean a few rejected ideas, it means that the team wants to build a solid foundation.

Champions Online tells players what not to expect originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Praetoria unveiled in depth for City of Heroes

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Lore, Previews, News items

If you play City of Heroes, you're probably not counting the days until the release of Going Rogue just yet, as it's a little too far in the future. (Fifty-one days if you count today, incidentally.) But August will be here before we know it, and today the official site takes a look at a portion of the expansion which is at once easy to forget and yet ubiquitous: the world of Praetoria itself, the utopia created through absolute power. As we've known for quite some time, it's similar and yet slightly different when compared to the setting of Paragon City -- both familiar and threatening.

Emperor Cole's near-total salvation of humanity resulted in a sweeping change of the world as a whole, as discussed in Tyrant's biography quite some time ago. Praetoria is a world without borders or nationalities, wherein everyone is a citizen of the empire rather than the panoply of countries in the real world. The tantalizing hints of the world's architecture are readily visible in our gallery, which showcases both the concept art and the in-game layouts of the major new setting for the expansion. Take a look at our gallery, and head to the official site for more information on the twisted mirror of City of Heroes.

Gallery: City of Heroes preview of Praetoria

Praetoria unveiled in depth for City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes launches first video diary for Going Rogue

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Previews, News items

The time of Going Rogue draws very close for City of Heroes players, and we've still only scratched the surface of what there is to know. It's always a tense time when you're getting close to a new expansion, especially one that's rewriting some of the most fundamental rules about the game. While the first in a series of new video developer diaries from Paragon Studios won't necessarily make the time before release pass any faster, it will help give us a clearer picture of what's coming around the bend.

For players who have never played the game before, the diary helps give an overview of where the game is and where it can go from here -- including the realm of the Super Lumberjack. (We can only assume that making one allows you to also be super okay.) Veterans can enjoy a solid look at Praetoria, as well as what can only be described as glowing costume pieces. Once the veteran players finish squealing in delight, they can take a look on past the break for the first City of Heroes video diary for Going Rogue, which is targeted for release in July.

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City of Heroes launches first video diary for Going Rogue originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perpetuum launches major patch, approaches open beta

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

If you like giant robots, PvP, and a sandbox environment, you've no doubt been following the development of Perpetuum with no small amount of interest. After all, the upcoming game includes all of those, along with some stunning graphics and deformable terrain to help keep players invested. The game is currently in the midst of closed beta testing, and is rolling out new features and improvements, especially with the most recent patch. Referred to by the developers as the game's largest patch to date, it expands the game's quality of life significantly and brings the game that much closer to release.

NPC corporations have gained more assignments, and there are six levels of security associated with them -- improved, naturally, by successfully completing more assignments for said corporation. They're now offering unique ammunition as a reward, which cannot be reverse-engineered. Prototypes have been improved, with the advantage that they now can have a slight edge over "normal" versions and are that much easier to reverse-engineer. Best of all for new players, the first stages of the game's tutorial have been added. While Perpetuum isn't yet in open beta, the team seems confident it won't be too much longer before everyone can try out the latest improvements.

[Thanks to GM Gremrod for the tip!]

Perpetuum launches major patch, approaches open beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Difficulty sliders and grind reduction due for Champions Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Champions Online

With additions like the melee review patch and the first adventure pack either out or coming on fast, the obvious question about Champions Online is also the simplest to ask: what now? The latest installment of Ask Cryptic certainly does answer the question; unfortunately, said response includes saying "no" to some things that players want. The addition of a base construction feature is a prime example and the biggest negative -- while it's acknowledged to be frequently requested, the development team apparently lacks the time to add it in a fashion that they find interesting.

On the other hand, there are features which almost any player can welcome, such as the difficulty slider seen in Star Trek Online, currently slated for release along with the first adventure pack. There's also a promise that the development team will look into grinding as being the most "rewarding" activity in the game via adjusting drop rates and overall rewards. In the somewhat more mixed news category, the team plans to do another review of powers after the adventure pack goes live, although they're not yet certain which sets and mechanics will be undergoing examination. Read the full list of questions and answers at the official Champions Online site.

Difficulty sliders and grind reduction due for Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon hands out details on next major update

Beau Hindman — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Casual, Mabinogi

Exciting news, Mabinogi fans! Nexon America contacted us and asked to give you a sneak peak at an exclusive image from their upcoming update "Goddess of Light."

Not only will there be a brand new area called Tara, complete with the standard banks, general stores, smithies and clothing shops, but the newest addition will have players scrambling to get there: an auction house that will allow players to sell rare items to each other.

Tara is the capital city of the Aliech Kingdom and has such features as jousting grounds and another hub for shadow missions, as well as a small connecting gully called Correave. Not only will players find beautiful scenery like they have never seen inside the gully, but also special trees that will produce honeycomb which can be used to make royal jelly, honey and pollen.

Look for the update coming June 9th.

Nexon hands out details on next major update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth pushes Patch 1.4 onto the test server

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Patches, News items

It's an exciting time living in the wastelands of Fallen Earth these days. Not only have clones been graced with a new dueling system and the first stage of a town revamp, there's now the opportunity to have a mangy flea-covered slobbering creature follow you around placidly. (Which isn't all that unusual if you're friends with a CHOTA, but bear with us.) There are still bigger things on the horizon, however, and Patch 1.4 promises to bring even more PvP and other violent goodness. While it isn't live quite yet, it has gone live on the game's public test server.

Aside from the PvP matchups of Blood Sport, the update promises new mounts such as the Blight Wolf, new crafting recipes, and expanded war between clans. To help facilitate testing (which is implied to be on deck for "the next couple of weeks"), the official forums are posting both specific systems to be tested and large-scale testing events. While this doesn't mean we'll certainly be seeing Fallen Earth's next major content patch in a couple weeks, it's certainly a strong argument in that direction... and if you can't wait another minute, you can hop on the test server and see it now.

Fallen Earth pushes Patch 1.4 onto the test server originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA gets a website overhaul and new lore updates

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Previews, TERA

With a unique control scheme and a great deal of industry talent moving behind it -- not to mention impressive and surreal graphics -- TERA has begun capturing people's attention. And when people first got peeks at the lore behind the game, that interest only increased. While the updates have been slow in coming, the official site has recently undergone a major overhaul, and aside from making the site as a whole far less Flash-reliant one of the major updates has been the addition of new lore on the world and each of the individual races.

As we'd heard before, the world is the product of two sleeping titans that dreamed the entire world into existence. Each facet of the world came about as part of that dream, including the long-standing wars between dreamed-up gods and then the mortal races beneath them. But the mortal races have banded together in response to the Argons, a race from outside of the dream that has the potential to annihilate the very structure of the world. It's an interesting attempt at world-building, and between that and the addition of new music to listen to on the official site, TERA fans will get a much better sense with this update of how the world will feel.

TERA gets a website overhaul and new lore updates originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soul of the Ultimate Nation lays down plans for 2010

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Soul of the Ultimate Nation

The new year is a busy one for Soul of the Ultimate Nation players, as we'll be looking forward to not only a string of updates, but a brand new class to play with as well.

This year is the year of the Shadow, SUN's sorcerer/assassination combination character. Carrying a really cool sword that's reminiscent of Ivy Valentine's weapon from SoulCalibur, the Shadow is made for playing the game solo. So for all those of you out there who have been looking to get away from the groups and set out on your own, the Shadow is the character you've been looking for. Beyond the addition of the Shadow, Webzen is also rolling out mounts and the ability for your characters to transform for the international version.

For all of the information on the new additions as they roll out, keep an eye on the Soul of the Ultimate Nation website.

Soul of the Ultimate Nation lays down plans for 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What game do you watch the most, but don't currently play?

Kyle Horner — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Sometimes we all take a break from an MMO, even if we're still enjoying parts of it. Other times, we're deciding on a purchase or wondering whether or not to come back, and it requires a lot of observation and research. It can be hard to know if it's time to come back to an old game or give a new one a chance, and often we've all got that upcoming title to obsess over. The biggest chore can be time management, where that wonderful thing known as life makes you choose just one game from a couple potentials.

So what game are you watching patiently while hoping for a patch or expansion to fix issues preventing you from being able to subscribe to it? Or for that matter, what upcoming game can't you stop reading up on and obsessing over because it looks like the very thing you've been wanting from your MMOs.

The Daily Grind: What game do you watch the most, but don't currently play? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everquest II lets you become an in-game author

Lesley Smith — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, Forums, Launches, Patches

In terms of in-game originality, EverQuest II should probably win a prize. They're implementing a new feature in GU52 which will let players pen their own stories and distribute the books to other players. Think Lulu but with an EQII twist. Granted we're not talking War and Peace here but for anyone who has dabbled in fantasy fiction or would love nothing more than to pen tales of their character's exploits then this is definitely a feature for you.

Rothgar (aka dev Greg Spence) has put up a post explaining how the whole thing works - as well as sharing the first page of his masterpiece, Death of a Dragon. Essentially the process is simple: nip to your local crafter and buy a blank book. Once you start writing, that book becomes tied to you the author. According to Rothgar, there's no limit to pages but there is to words. For example, this screenshot shows 16% of the book has been used up which probably means around four pages of text.

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Everquest II lets you become an in-game author originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview with AoC Live Producer

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Interviews

MMORPG.com sat down with Age of Conan Live Producer, Henning Solberg to chat about various aspects of his job, recent positive reviews the game has been getting, and new things coming down the pipe. In case the second point in the previous sentence is surprising to you, here's some proof!

Henning has been with Funcom since 1995 and has worn many different hats during his tenure, including: QA Manager, Designer, Lead Designer, Lead Scripter, Director of Online Services, Associate Producer, and now finally Producer. His current job has him planning, organizing, setting overall priorities, and staffing for the various development teams. "The team makes the game, the producer helps make it happen!"

In terms of new things he's working on, Henning mentions the RPG overhaul that will make gear more valuable to players and the new Tarantia Common District, two items that have been in development for a long time. In order to figure out what to update next, Henning lists various sources such as playing the game themselves, reports containing detailed player feedback, and the QA team.

For an expansion of these details and much more, head on over and check out the full Henning Solberg interview.

Interview with AoC Live Producer originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runes of Magic: Not just another pretty game

Krystalle Voecks — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

There's been more and more buzz about Runes of Magic as their release date of March 19th draws ever closer. From what we've seen, it looks like a pretty rich world, featuring lots of different things that MMO players love: PvP, lots of quests, player housing, cool-looking mounts, a dual-class system - and let's be blunt, it seems to remind everyone who touches it of Blizzard's 800 pound gorilla, World of Warcraft. Considering there are half a million people who have registered for the open beta of the game, it would seem that players are definitely curious about all that Runes of Magic has to offer.

To those who (like us) are curious about how this game is progressing, there's a great interview with Joerg Koonen of Frogster over on IGN. Among the juicy bits served up, we are treated to some interesting insights into how closely Frogster is working with the development company, Runewaker Entertainment, and just what kind of a role the community has been taking throughout the process. Also in the mix, we noted how the items in their cash shop are the same ones available in game for those who don't want to spend money - and how they feel this is the way it should be to keep the playing field level for all players. Also, be sure to check out our recent interview with Daniel Ullrich if you're hungry for more Runes of Magic information!

Runes of Magic: Not just another pretty game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A look at the MMO coming attractions in 2009

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion

Now that we're comfortably settling in to our new digs at casa de 2009, it seems like the best time to reflect on what we have to look forward to in the coming year. Eurogamer has done the dirty work for us, as they've compiled a handy article detailing the coming attractions.

All Points Bulletin tops their list as the star attraction, citing enthusiasm for the GTA-style action and depth of customization. SOE's The Agency and Free Realms, along with Cryptic's Champions Online and NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution round out the remaining top spots on this list, for varying reasons. Some honorable mentions include Aion, Darkfall, EVE's Walking in Stations expansion, Earthrise, Global Agenda and many more expected to see the light of day this year or next. Will all of these games actually make it to a 2009 release, or will 2010 truly be the year of epic MMO launches?

A look at the MMO coming attractions in 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's Massive Giveaways: Tabula Rasa winners!

Krystalle Voecks — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, Massively Meta

For those of you who were with us from the very first day, you'll undoubtedly remember the huge, nay Massive giveaway we did for the launch of both Massively, and Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa! After a full 24 hours of giveaways, requiring some tag-team lead work to ensure all day and night coverage, many pots of coffee, and many (no, really -- many) emails later, we wanted to make sure we listed all the people who won something on that very first day. (If we missed anyone in the listing, we sincerely apologize, but there was quite literally a small army of you!) Congrats to all of you!

Winners: DJTyrant, Mike, Scott, Moragaine, Burgdorn, Phillip, Efigyuge, Kyle, Aaron, rshum, Jaime T., BooLeiU, Rex, JackFrostt, Rudy, lavagoat, TwistedBishop, Chris, Finalpro, Jerry, Ryan O, Hammerfel, Squatch, Ghen, Sam, Xavier R., Arlendor, Bigfoot, Darrel H., sevendegrees, Pidge, Tom, mrbitter, Phillip, tecnocrat, Hardtarget, juicehandy, Steve, Nuleren, David, fattycop, davee, Chok, Bryce, VerticyX, Alex, Reise, Sam (another Sam), Psyclerk, UnknownGamer, mrbitter, Sil, sevendegrees, Finalpro, Robert H., Demolina, JD, nothingshocking, and finally, our lucky iPod winner, Shawn!

We'd like to thank everyone who has helped our first few months here at Massively be as massive as they've been! It's only going to get better from here. We just closed up another round of applications yesterday, we've got some insanely cool things coming this next week, (we bet some of you can guess what's going on!) and we're working on things that you all told us we needed to work on in the last round of "How are we doing" questions.

Good things in store as we build Massively up -- more coverage, more interviews, more unique content and most of all -- more fun. Stay tuned!

Massively's Massive Giveaways: Tabula Rasa winners! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lila Dreams: a different kind of MMO

Eliah Hecht — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Browser

Most of the big MMOs that are coming up fit in the basic Tolkien-derived fantasy mold: Warhammer Online, Age of Conan, and so on. There's nothing wrong with that per se; I'm with the many who believe WoW is the best MMO yet, and I recently started playing the Mythos beta and having a lot of fun with it. However, every once in a while, something comes along that breaks the pattern and stands out, like a refreshing breeze. EVE Online, as I'm told, is one such game.

Here's another: Lila Dreams, by Creatrix Games, "a small game development studio located all around the world." It's set to launch this year on Flash gaming site Kongregate; the game's back end will be in Java, and the interface will be Flash. Here are some things I could glean from the blog:

No magic (though there might be "psychic powers")
No level grind
No fantasy setting or races
2D platforming combat with "RPG-like mechanics"
Gardening -- but "in a surrealistic game world where plants are not just plants"
Players will apparently be inhabiting the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Lila
Mood-based world-altering as a result of player cooperation

It sounds interesting, anyway. For more, check out the concept art or the blog on the game's site. This is one game I would love to play in beta.

[via Boing Boing]

Lila Dreams: a different kind of MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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