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[Wasteland Diaries: Faction interaction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/wasteland-diaries-faction-interaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/wasteland-diaries-faction-interaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/wasteland-diaries-faction-interaction/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The factions in Fallen Earth are a diverse bunch, each one bent on dominating the other five. They all have their reasons to want to impose their will upon the inhabitants of the Grand Canyon Province. They are all also very narrow-minded in their approach to rebuilding society. They are all very intolerant of the other factions and will impede and harass them at every opportunity. Some factions (those on the opposite side of the wheel) espouse downright hatred of their diametrically opposed faction and kill its members on sight. The factions also have sub-factions which usually straddle the beliefs of an allied faction.

Each faction in Fallen Earth has one arch-enemy, two enemies, and two allies. The two allies are sometimes called the shoulder factions due to their position on the faction wheel. The allied factions, however, are enemies to one another. This can complicate relations in multi-factional task forces. It can sometimes lead to fighting one allied faction to appease the other. Sometimes the ally of yesterday becomes the enemy of tomorrow. Yes, it makes for some intriguing politics and some excellent canonical roleplaying situations. But when players are interjected into the politics, it can get downright confusing. After the cut, I'll describe the faction mechanics in more detail and the players' effect on the wheel as well.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Faction interaction

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: Faction interaction originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chotaclansenforcerenforcersfactionfaction-wheelfactionsfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcfefeaturedicarusicarus-studioslightbearertechtechstravelertravelersvistaFri, 21 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: The battle of Haietta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/wasteland-diaries-the-battle-of-haietta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/wasteland-diaries-the-battle-of-haietta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/wasteland-diaries-the-battle-of-haietta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

There are new PvP objectives in Fallen Earth. Well, the objectives are the same, but the means of achieving those objectives are now different. Conflict towns remain largely unchanged, but the taking and holding of one is now dramatically different because of a few subtle changes. No longer are the non-timed towns captured by doing repeatable missions. Timed conflict towns haven't changed at all. But the other towns had a silly mechanic: having the PvPers do PvE missions to control a town. The attackers and defenders would roam about doing missions and possibly run into one another and fight. More often than not, there was little fighting.

The new system concentrates the action on a certain point -- actually, three points. The Faction Control Points (FCPs) are placed near or in the town. They are now the key to controlling the town. Of course you can still do it the old-fashioned way, but it's much quicker to control all three points at once. Controlling all three points will give the controlling faction a steady stream of faction points toward its cause. Each tower held contributes 2500 points to the controlling faction about every five minutes.If you've ever done the missions in a conflict town, you know this is a much faster method. PvP is rampant in Fallen Earth right now. Well, in Haietta, it is. After the cut, I'll give a first-hand account of what I've seen on the front lines.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: The battle of Haietta

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: The battle of Haietta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conflict-townsdeath-tollend-gameendgameexilefaction-control-pointsfactional-warfarefactionsfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcfeaturedhaiettaicarusicarus-studiosOrionpvpsaintstravelervistawasteland-diarieswolves-of-warFri, 24 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Digital Continuum: Reentering the Age of Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/the-digital-continuum-reentering-the-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/the-digital-continuum-reentering-the-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/the-digital-continuum-reentering-the-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When I decided to come back and check out Final Fantasy XI, I'm fairly certain that I was in the small minority of people returning in that moment. With Funcom offering previous subscribers a chance to take a second look at Age of Conan, I somehow doubt I'll be in a minority this time around.

So here we are, coming back to the digital realm of Hyboria just past a year since everyone first ventured into its lush and deadly landscapes. What will I find? What will I think? These are just a few of the many questions that go through my mind as I boot up the game for the first time in a while.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Reentering the Age of Conan

MassivelyThe Digital Continuum: Reentering the Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccimmerianfeaturedfuncomthe-digital-continuumtortagevistawindows-7windows-vistaMon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Never wonder about Lord of the Rings server status again]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/never-wonder-about-lord-of-the-rings-server-status-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/never-wonder-about-lord-of-the-rings-server-status-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/never-wonder-about-lord-of-the-rings-server-status-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Play Lord of the Rings Online? Yes? Good. Now, are you running Windows Vista? If you said yes again, then do we have a gadget for you.

Galdorad over at the LotRO forums has found a pretty nice gadget for the Vista sidebar that checks in on the status of LotRO servers. He's made a few tweaks to the gadget to add some more functionality, but it's still a handy little gadget that can keep you apprised of the game's state.

With it, you don't have to log into the patcher or leave it running, if you want to keep your system resources down. If you're interested, you can jump on the gadget download over at the forum post, which also shows you how to add the LotRO patcher news feed into your Vista RSS reader.

And yes, we know you're going to complain about Vista in the comments. We're psychic, you know.

[Via 2 High Road]

MassivelyNever wonder about Lord of the Rings server status again originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2-high-roadgadgetlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-patcherpatcherrss-feedserver-statusvistavista-gadgetvista-rsswindows-vistaWed, 11 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Before and after images of Age of Conan's DirectX 10 support]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/before-and-after-images-of-age-of-conans-directx-10-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/before-and-after-images-of-age-of-conans-directx-10-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/before-and-after-images-of-age-of-conans-directx-10-support/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Let's say you play Age of Conan, your computer runs on Windows Vista, and you have a fairly new video card (GeForce 8-series and better or the ATI equivalent). Honestly, we're not sure there are really that many of you that touch all those bases, but for those who are: congratulations! You can play games in DirectX 10 mode! Too bad there aren't really that many games that support DirectX 10!

Thankfully, Age of Conan will soon be one of the elite few. It looks like the difference in visual quality will be significant. We make that observation based on a handful of before-and-after screenshots hosted at Ten Ton Hammer. Give them a look to find out what you're in for if you're one of the folks who have the hardware and software to experience it, or what you're missing out on if you're not.

MassivelyBefore and after images of Age of Conan's DirectX 10 support originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdirectxdirectx-10funcomgc-2008graphicsleipzigscreenshotsvistawindows-vistaSat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online minimum system specs revealed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/warhammer-online-minimum-system-specs-revealed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/warhammer-online-minimum-system-specs-revealed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/warhammer-online-minimum-system-specs-revealed/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Do you like graphics wot be shiny? If so, then you're in luck! Mythic Entertainment has just released the minimum system requirements for running Warhammer Online when it (supposedly) releases sometime this September. They don't look to be very high, although the minimum two gigabytes of RAM for Windows Vista users isn't very surprising. All of the newer games on Vista seem to be asking for that, so if you're running that operating system we hope you've got the RAM already. If you don't have sufficient robot algae memory (that's what RAM stands for, right?), at least buying some more of the stuff shouldn't break your bank or anything.

The only thing left is the recommended requirements, which probably aren't going to be too shocking. We're expecting to see a 256MB videocard or better recommendation and probably a mid-level dual-core CPU. You can check out the entire list after the break, if you're so inclined.

Continue reading Warhammer Online minimum system specs revealed

MassivelyWarhammer Online minimum system specs revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artsminimum-system-requirementsmythic-entertainmentsystem-requirementsvistawarwarhammerwarhammer-onlinewindowswindows-vistaWed, 30 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[High-end graphics features planned for Second Life]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/high-end-graphics-features-planned-for-second-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/high-end-graphics-features-planned-for-second-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/high-end-graphics-features-planned-for-second-life/#commentsFiled under: ,

Linden Lab is tinkering with a set of Second Life graphical improvements for high-end graphics hardware. Dave Parks, software engineer at Linden Lab has been working on a set of features tailored to the Geforce 8 set of GPUs. Users without the required hardware would not suffer any performance reductions as a result of the new features.

The featureset (which is available as an experimental branch called shadow-draft in the viewer source repository, for the curious), includes hard Sun-shadows, per-pixel lighting, support for an uncapped number of point-lights, and lighting costs based on screen coverage.

Continue reading High-end graphics features planned for Second Life

MassivelyHigh-end graphics features planned for Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2008 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dave-parksgpulinden-lablinuxmacosxnvidianvidia-geforce-8open-sourceqarl-lindensecond-lifesecond-life-viewersource-codevistaThu, 29 May 2008 02:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tabula Rasa + Vista SP1 = what exactly?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/07/tabula-rasa-vista-sp1-what-exactly/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/07/tabula-rasa-vista-sp1-what-exactly/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/07/tabula-rasa-vista-sp1-what-exactly/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Tony "RadarX" Jones over at Ten Ton Hammer has crafted a fine briefing concerning Vista's long overdue Service Pack 1 and it's potential effects on MMOs and Tabula Rasa in particular. It's geared for gamers (if you like technobabble, check out ExtremeTech's article), so even a Dunder-Mifflin head like myself can understand it.

I was one of the early adopters, hopping aboard the Vista wagon not long after it dropped. I won't say I regret it, but I will say there were days (many of them to be exact) that I pulled my hair out in frustration. I still do that on occasion, when for no reason whatsoever Vista decides to randomly erase a game's executable file. So here's hoping SP1 does for Vista what hops did for beer. But I'm not holding my breath. Vista was supposed to the shining knight on horseback to save PC gaming and bring it to gaming nirvana. Ya... not so much.

So, will SP1 help or hurt gaming? More specifically, will it help or hurt Tabula Rasa? Check out Tony's article for all the details, then come back here and discuss. Do you love or hate Vista in regards to your fave MMO, and do you think SP1 will provide any benefit?

MassivelyTabula Rasa + Vista SP1 = what exactly? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>destination-gamesMicrosoftncsoftrichard-garriottService Pack 1tabula-rasaten-ton-hammerTony-RadarX-JonestrVistaFri, 07 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Winners picked for final week of Turbine's DX10 screenshot contest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/winners-picked-for-final-week-of-turbines-dx10-screenshot-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/winners-picked-for-final-week-of-turbines-dx10-screenshot-conte/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/winners-picked-for-final-week-of-turbines-dx10-screenshot-conte/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Turbine's DirectX 10 screenshot contest for the LotRO community has finally come to an end. Three winners and one runner-up have been selected for the final week.

Airak and Eoheryn of Landroval, and forum member Fatty_Lumpkin were the three winners. The honorably mentioned screenshot (included above) was taken by Rendo Gnollen. Why did Turbine pick three winners and one honorable mention instead of just saying there are four winners, since there are no prizes anyway? Who knows.

Turbine also assured everyone that there will be another screenshot contest next year, and that DirectX 9 users will also be eligible.

MassivelyWinners picked for final week of Turbine's DX10 screenshot contest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestsdirectxdirectx-10dx10lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotropicturesscreenshotsturbinevistaweek-5winnersThu, 20 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine announces fourth pair of DX10 screenshot contest winners]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/turbine-announces-fourth-pair-of-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/turbine-announces-fourth-pair-of-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/turbine-announces-fourth-pair-of-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Week four of Turbine's screenshot contest for The Lord of the Rings Online has come and gone, and the fourth pair of winners has been selected.

This time the winners are players Morreion and Brisbanoch. Their entries have been posted on the official LotRO forums. Morreion's screenshot is pictured here. It shows off the dynamic tree shadow effects you can enable if you're playing with a DirectX 10-ready video card in Windows Vista.

Turbine's been hosting this contest to celebrate LotRO's place as the first MMO to fully support DX10 features. It's not too late to send in an entry yourself if you've got the high-end hardware needed to support DX10 -- and if you run Windows Vista. That's a big if at this point.

MassivelyTurbine announces fourth pair of DX10 screenshot contest winners originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directxdirectx-10dx10graphicslord-of-the-rings-onlinescreenshot-contestscreenshotsshadowsturbinevistaweek-4windows-vistaThu, 13 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine picks DX10 Screenshot Contest winners for Week 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/turbine-picks-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners-for-week-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/turbine-picks-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners-for-week-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/turbine-picks-dx10-screenshot-contest-winners-for-week-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


As if people with GeForce 8800 GT video cards weren't lucky enough, Turbine has been hosting a screenshot contest just for them on the official The Lord of the Rings Online website. Players submit screenshots of the game running in DirectX 10 and Turbine posts the best screenshots each week.

The water effects in LotRO are jaw-droppingly gorgeous; last week's winners both focused on those. Now this week's winners have been selected, and water still plays a part in one of the screenshots (pictured above), but it's not the sole focus. It's too bad none of the winning screenshots are presented in a variety of wallpaper resolutions. They would make excellent desktop backgrounds.

Still, they're nice to look at. Enter the contest yourself if you think you have l33t virtual photography skillz!

MassivelyTurbine picks DX10 Screenshot Contest winners for Week 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestcontestsdirectxdirectx-10dx10lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroscreenshotsturbinevistaWed, 28 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[HeroStats: enhanced with Issue 11 flavor]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/herostats-enhanced-with-issue-11-flavor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/herostats-enhanced-with-issue-11-flavor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/herostats-enhanced-with-issue-11-flavor/#commentsFiled under: ,

Since 2005, the HeroStats Team has produced HeroStats, the premier power-tracking application used across Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. Even though the developers have thought of nearly everything, as it's an Open Source application, feel free to make additions to the software. If you are good at coding and testing, however, one thing the team is looking for is a developer who can assist with solidifying the application under Windows Vista. Of course, like all works in progress, there are a few minor issues that are constantly being tweaked, whether due to internal concerns or game client changes. For example, as of 29 October, HeroStats now tracks the power sets introduced in Issue 11. And don't forget, HeroStats works with both the City Information Terminal -- one of the top-rated badge tracking sites on the net -- and the City Game Tracker.

MassivelyHeroStats: enhanced with Issue 11 flavor originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>City-Game-TrackerCity-Information-TerminalCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXHeroStatsHeroStats-TeamParagon-CityPower-SetsRogue-IslesVistaWindows-VistaSun, 25 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine selects the first DirectX 10 screenshot contest winners]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/turbine-selects-the-first-directx-10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/turbine-selects-the-first-directx-10-screenshot-contest-winners/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/21/turbine-selects-the-first-directx-10-screenshot-contest-winners/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Last week we reported that the LotRO crew at Turbine would be having a screenshot contest to promote how awesome they are for making LotRO the first MMO to support DirectX 10. Each Monday, the best shots from the previous week's submissions would be featured at the official website.

Well, the first Monday (plus two days) has arrived, and two winners have been selected, which is a surprise since the original announcement said there would be three winners each week. They're both very good screenshots that feature very pretty water effects; one of them -- which we think is a view of the lake in Evendim -- appears above.

You can look at the other one in the official forum post. The contest will continue until December 17th, so if you have a GPU that supports DX10 and if you're running Windows Vista, send in a submission!

MassivelyTurbine selects the first DirectX 10 screenshot contest winners originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestsdirectxdirectx-10dx10lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroscreenshotsturbinevistawindows-vistaWed, 21 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST