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[Chris McDonough talks about the development of the World of Darkness]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/chris-mcdonough-talks-about-the-development-of-the-world-of-dark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/chris-mcdonough-talks-about-the-development-of-the-world-of-dark/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/chris-mcdonough-talks-about-the-development-of-the-world-of-dark/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Personally, I was hoping for the first game to be Hunter: The Reckoning. Just for shock value.
With layoffs having hit CCP, there's been a lot of apprehension about whether or not World of Darkness would continue in development or suffer a quiet death. But a recent interview with Senior Producer Chris McDonough makes it clear that the title is still very much in development and very much following in the footsteps of its older brother, EVE Online. Both games will share the single-shard setup, and McDonough states that several technologies developed for World of Darkness have been incorporated into EVE Online (something many players suspected about player avatars from the beginning).

McDonough also talks in depth about turning the game into an MMO, claiming that a pen-and-paper game naturally translates into an MMO better than other properties because of the lack of iconic characters who players wish to play. The challenge, of course, is bringing over some of the feel of a tabletop setting into an online environment, with McDonough explaining that several of the computer games such as Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines have been used as a point of common reference. Click past the break to see the full interview.

Continue reading Chris McDonough talks about the development of the World of Darkness

MassivelyChris McDonough talks about the development of the World of Darkness originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adaptationccpccp-gameschris-mcdonoughdesigneveeve-onlineinterviewvampirevampire-the-masqueradevampiresvideovideo-interviewvideosvtmwodworld-of-darknessTue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/massively-exclusive-world-of-darkness-interview/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/massively-exclusive-world-of-darkness-interview/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/massively-exclusive-world-of-darkness-interview/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

World of Darkness header
The 2011 Grand Masquerade in New Orleans is over, and the monsters have all gone home. In their wake, we're left with a series of exciting revelations relating to the upcoming World of Darkness by CCP Games. While it's only in pre-production, it has already sent fans of the World of Darkness setting into a frenzy of anticipation. The new details only give rise to more questions, however, and speculation has run rampant, especially given how radically CCP's new game departs from the standard MMO model. Thankfully, Massively has some answers.

Shane Defreest, the Community Developer for CCP North America and White Wolf Publishing, was kind enough to take the time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few of our questions relating to the game. He sheds a bit of light on World of Darkness, discussing the choice of setting, player factions and playable clans, the business model, and how he views the experience of the game. Enjoy!

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview

MassivelyMassively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpevent-coverageexclusivefeaturedinterviewshane-defreestthe-grand-masqueradevampire-the-masqueradevampiresworld-of-darknessThu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ccp-reveals-world-of-darkness-details-to-bloodthirsty-fans/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Vampire the Masquerade
Details about CCP's World of Darkness are popping out of White Wolf's The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans this weekend, and they're definitely worth draining for every last sweet drop of... information. While the game is still in pre-production -- and as such, nothing is set in stone -- the devs weren't hesitant to dish out a lot of the ideas and features that they hope will make this the best vampire MMO to date.

It's CCP's desire to emulate LARPing (live-action roleplaying) as much as possible with World of Darkness, with plenty of metaplots running inside the game and without. Players will begin as a mortal human who can make the choice to become a kindred (vampire) or stay mortal for the duration of their characters' lives. There's a very real danger that characters might experience "final death" -- permadeath -- if they take too many risks. If you get in over your head, you can retreat to your character's Haven for safety.

The entire game will take place at night and on one server, and CCP is definitely aiming it toward the hardcore set. Nudity, gore, and insanity effects are all par for the course.

If players push outside of the acceptable boundaries too often, they'll lose "humanity" points and could become flagged for constant attack by other players and NPCs. Play your cards right and you may become the prince of the city. The game will change over time with dynamic events, and CCP promises that there will be real consequences for player decisions.

Look for our World of Darkness interview with CCP coming later this week.

[Thanks Pilgrim for the tip!]

MassivelyCCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vampire: The Masquerade is gearing up to celebrate its 20th birthday (20 years!?), and while two decades may be a drop in the proverbial bucket to your average vampire, it's quite a chunk of time for mere mortals. White Wolf (which MMO aficionados probably know as a subsidiary of CCP) is celebrating the milestone with a limited-run anniversary edition of the RPG's core rulebook.

The tome is available via pre-order and will set you back a hefty $99.99. The book's release will coincide with The Grand Masquerade 2011, a fan event scheduled for September 15th to 18th in New Orleans that will feature, among other things, "the next look at the future of the World of Darkness MMO."

MassivelyCCP and White Wolf celebrating Vampire's 20th anniversary with new rulebook, fan gala originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20th-anniversaryccpccp-gameseventsgrand-masqueradehorrormmo-industryreal-world-eventsrulebookthe-grand-masqueradevampirevampire-the-masqueradewhite-wolfwhite-wolf-publishingwodworld-of-darknessworld-of-darkness-onlinezomg-world-of-darknessFri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/the-perfect-ten-halloween-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/the-perfect-ten-halloween-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/the-perfect-ten-halloween-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

We're only a few days away from Halloween, and already the Massively office staff is dressing up in anticipation. Shawn's post-apocalyptic gear is at odds with Rubi's tastefully modest Guild Wars Elementalist outfit. Greg's Squig is in the corner battling it out with Larry's Chewbacca. Bree is dudded up as a giant red corrective marker; Jef's free-to-play outfit requires microtransactions to view in full; and Kyrstalle is photographing it all with her Poloroid One-Shot camera. I think Eliot showed up in full plate armor and riding a mechanical bull, but that just may be his normal work attire.

So as everyone else is goofing off in the spirit of the holidays, it remains to me, your lovable intern, to hack out a top 10 list in honor of All Hallow's Eve. It's the least I can do since they're paying me in candy.

While every MMO incorporates horror at some point (even, yes, Hello Kitty Online's Cat-Tastrophie zone), and it's nearly impossible to escape a clutch of giant spiders in any game you visit, I've picked out 10 MMOs that best deliver a slice of October 31st. Some are old, some new, some canceled and some yet to come, but these are 10 of the spookiest MMOs in the world.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanccpchewbaccaddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineeaster-eggselementalistfallen-earthfeaturedflagship-studiosflagshippedfluffy-chickensfree-for-allguild-warshalloweenhalloween-2010halloween2010hellgate-londonhello-kitty-onlinehumorhyborialovecraftmansquitomicrotransactionsone-shotsonyx-chamberspersonal-record-best-for-number-of-tagspost-apocalypticrequiem-bloodymarerequiem-memento-morisquigstephen-kingsyfythe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenthe-secret-worldtop-10top-10-listundead-labsvampire-the-masqueradewarWarhammer-Onlineworld-of-darknesswurm-onlinezombiezombie-mmoThu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/world-of-darkness-confirmed-based-on-vampire-the-masquerade/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/world-of-darkness-confirmed-based-on-vampire-the-masquerade/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/world-of-darkness-confirmed-based-on-vampire-the-masquerade/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"Some secrets are best taken to the grave..." While it wasn't that closely guarded, we were waiting on the edge of our seats to hear the official word of CCP's World of Darkness this weekend. At The Grand Masquerade convention in New Orleans, the developers not only confirmed the project, but revealed that it is set in White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade setting. Vampire: The Masquerade was indeed the old World of Darkness RPG, so this MMO should send fans into paroxysms of joy.

Ardwulf's Lair reports that the MMO will come out in 2012 at the earliest, and that it "will have a focus on player politics and social interaction." The two-minute video reveal sets a gothic tone as a woman narrates the secret world of the vampires: "They're all around us, they control everything, they've always been here, waging their secret wars, devouring everything that gets in their way... It all begins after you die."

We'll bring you more details as they pour in, but in the meanwhile, check out the video reveal (NSFW, this is World of Darkness after all) after the break.

Continue reading World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade

MassivelyWorld of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it comes to my roots in MMOs, I actually have to start fairly early on with my general introduction to tech geekery. Growing up in my house was a somewhat strange affair. You see, back when computers used to take up entire rooms and ran on giant reels of tape -- later plastic key cards and paper tapes -- my father was working with them. Being part of our household meant one was essentially living with a highly technical mind that worked on and loved things like supercomputers. I experienced ideas and machines that many in the world hadn't, save in movies or on TV. It also meant that there were some pretty strange technical odds and ends floating around our home.

Continue reading MMOrigins: The play's the thing

MassivelyMMOrigins: The play's the thing originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cosplayfeaturedlarplive-action-role-playingmmommoriginsmmorpgmmospgopinionrole-playrole-playingvampire-the-masqueradevtmwodworld-of-darknessFri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/the-gaming-iconoclast-whither-shortcomings/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/the-gaming-iconoclast-whither-shortcomings/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/the-gaming-iconoclast-whither-shortcomings/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

That was *some* cake...Many MMO aficionados cut their roleplaying teeth on one of the many pencil-and-paper titles that formed the early generation of multi-player gaming. In addition to rolling (and rolling, and rolling, and rolling) some dice to come up with their basic stats and traits, character generation involved a lot of "wet work" when it came time to acquire skills. Often, players would bargain with their Game Master to get special dispensation for pushing the envelope.

Player: I want to run this adventure as a zombie elf with three arms.
GM: Okay, but if you do that, none of the other characters will trust you. Also, you will spend 50% more on shirts and body armor. Still want to do it?

Thus, the mechanic of trading character flaws for enhanced abilities was born. One of the hallmarks of tabletop gaming is this trade-off -- saddling yourself or your character with a shortcoming in order to obtain an advantage elsewhere, either as a skill, or a talent, or just another way to go about Min/Maxing. The huge number of available options in some games (Vampire: The Masquerade, for instance) ensures that any player, with only a few minutes' consideration, will have an almost absolutely unique character, fully their own creation.

And yet, almost without exception, the online iterations we all enjoy seem to have omitted this altogether. We are an immense legion of perfectly-formed, mentally-stable, socially-adept übermensch. Even the so-called "ugly" races -- World of Warcraft's Forsaken or Tabula Rasa'sHybrids -- don't explore the depth and breadth of this concept too deeply. Racial traits and differentiation are the merest tip of this particular iceberg.

Why does this rich milieu, this fecund ground of roleplay fodder and character diversity, languish? (And who left this thesaurus on my desk?)

Continue reading The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?

MassivelyThe Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The stalwart worthies at Allakhazam drop news of a one-day-only WoW Trading Card Game tournament to be held in hobbyist stores all over the world on March 1st. The winner of each tournament will walk away with an extremely rare card that redeems for an in-game Spectral Tiger mount.

The full details of the tournament can be found here, including entrance fee, deck details, and extra prizes, including an 'extended art' Wyneth Harridan card, and a Robotic Homing Chicken loot card, also redeemable in-game. It's nice to see folks playing together face-to-face; makes me miss my Vampire: The Masquerade days. If you think you can take on this challenge, hie thee to the nearest tournament location! Oh, and if you win, please send us a shot of your lovely new mount! Heck, send us one of your Chicken!

MassivelyWoW's Spectral Safari grants chance to win a Spectral Tiger mount originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allakhazamrobotic-homing-chickenspectral-tigertournamentvampire-the-masqueradeworld-of-warcraftwow-trading-card-gamewyneth-harridanWed, 06 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST