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[Turbine sweetens the deal for DDO subscribers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/turbine-sweetens-the-deal-for-ddo-subscribers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Dungeons and Dragons Online's free-to-play model has been the belle of the F2P ball since it was released in 2009, but that doesn't mean that Turbine's given up on luring players into subscribing. Today, the studio announced a "summer gift" to those who sign up for VIP status: double bonus points per month from July 11th through September 11th. This means that every month a player is subscribed, he or she will receive 1,000 Turbine Points to spend in the DDO store instead of 500 TP.

Turbine's also made sure that the price point for VIP subscriptions is attractive, as it's offered players the ability to sign up for three months at $29.97 (effectively $9.99 a month). By taking advantage of both deals, players can enjoy three months of VIP status and earn 3,000 Turbine Points for just $30.

VIP status means that all of DDO's adventure modules are available to enjoy, including the new ones that came with Update 10.

MassivelyTurbine sweetens the deal for DDO subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ddoddo-storedealdungeons-and-dragons-onlinein-game-storepromotionreign-of-madnessstoresubscriberssubscriptiontpturbineturbine-entertainmentturbine-pointsupdate-10vipvip-statusMon, 11 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[DDO and LotRO prep bonus weekends for all]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/ddo-and-lotro-prep-bonus-weekends-for-all/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/ddo-and-lotro-prep-bonus-weekends-for-all/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/ddo-and-lotro-prep-bonus-weekends-for-all/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We're not even at the dog days of summer -- more like the puppy days -- and Turbine is already throwing players a bone with special bonus weekends in both Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online. And thus we hit our canine pun limit for the day.

DDO is bumping the experience factor up by a respectable 25% across the board and throwing in a +1 loot bonus (meaning better loot in chests) for good measure. It's a great time to come back to the game, too, as players can enjoy the recently released Update 10.

Meanwhile, LotRO is encouraging you to farm mobs like crazy, as monster kill XP is going up by 50% (which can stack with the 25% XP trinket from the Rise of Isengard pre-order). Currently, the game is hosting its annual Summer Festival.

The four-day bonus weekend for both games runs from today through Sunday, June 26th.

MassivelyDDO and LotRO prep bonus weekends for all originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you're a VIP player of Dungeons and Dragons Online, today is an exciting day for you: It's the date of the arrival of Update 10: Reign of Madness. This update is all new content with a bit of a blast from the past thrown in, and the DDO development team was kind enough to invite us along on a tour of some of the mind-bending new quests.

Reign of Madness arrives today for VIP players and Wednesday for the rest of the playerbase, so what better to keep you occupied while you wait than a little tour? Follow along after the jump for a sneak peek at DDO's Update 10!

Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 10 is bringing crazy back

MassivelyDungeons and Dragons Online's Update 10 is bringing crazy back originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beholdersddoddo-update-10deliriumDungeons-and-Dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfeaturedfree-to-playpreviewrise-of-madnesssleeping-spell-innturbineTurbine-Entertainmentupdateupdate-10Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Information posted on Update 10 for Dungeons and Dragons Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/information-posted-on-update-10-for-dungeons-and-dragons-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/information-posted-on-update-10-for-dungeons-and-dragons-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/information-posted-on-update-10-for-dungeons-and-dragons-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Looking forward to the next update for Dungeons and Dragons Online? Of course you are, at least if you're in the game; there's a lot of new content to explore as well as the continuation of the crafting beta, enough to make any adventurer look forward to what's around the corner. In addition to making the content available on the test server for players, the development team has posted an abstract of what can be expected from the pending update.

Following on the heels of Update 9's story, the newest patch continues to challenge sanity as players are forced to invade Stormreach's insane asylum to rescue some sane inmates in danger of rather horrible treatments. Players will also be tasked with taking part in the feud between the Lord of Stone and the Lord of Eyes, culminating in a plot beneath the Tower of the Twelve that should challenge seasoned warriors. Dungeons and Dragons Online players intrigued by the update list should take the opportunity to preview the content on the test server now.

MassivelyInformation posted on Update 10 for Dungeons and Dragons Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even while the Star Wars Galaxies team is plugging away on their newest game update, the staff still has some time to give us some of their thought process behind their work on the game.

Today on Massively we're happy to have Thomas 'Hanse' Eidson, one of SWG's system designers, dropping by to give us his thoughts on creating the brand new PvP battlefields for Update 10. The new battlefields are areas for team based PvP, where teams accomplish objectives in addition to annhilating one another to win the map. Think of it like Battlefield 2, where both teams have a set reinforcement count and will lose should that number ever drop to zero.

Thomas has much to say on their efforts to make sure teams were always balanced, to the creation of new rewards for the battefields, to finding plots of land to even make these new areas! Hit the continue reading button below, and grab yourself an insider's view of the development of Star Wars Galaxies.

Continue reading Star Wars Galaxies Dev Diary: Let the PvP battles begin

MassivelyStar Wars Galaxies Dev Diary: Let the PvP battles begin originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After making the Massassi Isle, I used it as my central testing location for all the battlefield programming changes. All battlefields function as "reinforcements" style mini-games where teams start out with a set number of points. As players kill members of the opposite team, or accomplish battlefield objectives, they diminish the number of points the opposing team has. Whichever team is reduced to zero points first, or whoever has the least number of points when time runs out, loses.

With the core system in place, I then began to customize each battlefield to offer unique objectives to ensure each area features a unique gameplay experience with its own twist. Just tweaking these objectives has allowed us to have mini-games similar to capture the flag, king of the hill, and others.

Testing of the battlefields necessitates that we wage pitched battles on each one. This validates which battlefield is fun, needs fixes, or needs polish. So far, I'm very excited to see the Data Runners battlefield completed and in game. It is, by far, my favorite. It is my second attempt at making an island and its beaches are much more lush and prevalent.

We knew that just adding new battlefields wouldn't be enough; everyone likes to be rewarded for their efforts. Therefore, we have added two new sets of armor to the game. Rebels can purchase the new SpecForce armor, and the Imperials can get Galactic Marine armor. But that's not all, we also recognize that weapons complete the look of any player ensemble, so with that in mind we created a whole suite of new weapons (i.e., one new weapon of every weapon type in the game). Some notable weapons include the WESTAR-34 blaster pistol that was used by Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones[TM] and the Darth Phobos double-bladed lightsaber.

All of these new rewards may be purchased with tokens obtained for playing on the new battlefields.

We hope that players really enjoy the new battlefields and rewards that we've created for them in Update 10!

MassivelyStar Wars Galaxies Dev Diary: Let the PvP battles begin pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefieldsdev-diarygame-update-10gu10massassi-islerewardssoesony-online-entertainmentstar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesswgupdate-10Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST