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Enter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

One of the things I love about RIFT is its smaller, more intimate feel. Don't get me wrong -- there's still plenty of space to explore and get lost in, but the space that is present is used to great effect and isn't just there to make it seem bigger for bigger's sake. This is echoed in the two capital cities of the game, Sanctum (Guardian) and Meridian (Defiant). Both are gorgeously detailed and impressive in their own way, yet they're comfortable and accessible instead of sprawling and vast.

If one thinks of the quest hubs, camps and villages dotting the world as mom and pop stores, then the capital cities are the Walmarts of RIFT: one-stop shops for all your character's needs. They're both fairly compact, although I found myself preferring Sanctum's beachfront atmosphere and circular layout over Meridian's underground labyrinth.

Because all players will be traveling to and extensively using capital cities during the course of their in-game careers, I figured we might as well take a look at what capital cities -- Sanctum specifically -- have to offer. Jump on our people-mover as we wind our way through the sights and sounds of civilization!

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Sightseeing in Sanctum originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Are you an MMO stereotype?

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

While stereotypes can be both offensive and unfair, depending on the situation, they can also be spot-on accurate. After all, stereotypes come from somewhere, whether it's a good place or New Jersey. Gamers seem to accumulate a great deal of stereotypes, perhaps more than any other hobby out there. Enjoy the hyperbole sandwich, it's the chef's special.

According to all reports, we are a legion of unwashed, relationship-phobic nerds living in our parents' basements who converse entirely in binary. And, according to most educated news reports, we're also one frustrating session of Call of Duty away from snapping and taking out a Wal-Mart with a heavily modified Nerf gatling gun.

So here's where the painful admission begins and the healing can finally take place. Do you actually fit into a MMO gamer stereotype? Are you a poor typist who communicates in barely legible gibberish? Have you missed work and family outings to pull an eight-hour raid? Is your gaming space littered with cans of Red Bull and the greasy wrappings of Hot Pockets? Have you never spoken to a member of the opposite sex in real life who isn't a parent? Have you -- and this is vital to admit, people -- have you ever used MMO lingo in your daily conversations without even realizing it?

Are you a MMO stereotype? It's okay. You're among friends who would never, ever point and laugh.

The Daily Grind: Are you an MMO stereotype? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online open beta dated, preorder bonuses detailed

Kyle Horner — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New titles, News items, Champions Online

Champions Online is only five weeks away and with it being so very close, Cryptic has finally announced their preorder bonus plans and partners. If that isn't exciting enough, you'll be happy to know they've also announced August 17th as day one of open beta. Keep in mind that preorders from any of the officially listed retail partners will guarantee access to the beta.

Looking over the preorder bonuses, which you can find after the break, there's some tough choices to be made. If you're the type of person who doesn't like to wait any longer than they have to, then you'll need to go with Gamestop in order to get early access. In addition to that ever-so-tempting early access, GameStop customers will have the chance to "battle an alien menace" and collect exclusive in-game items -- sounds like a world event to us.

However, Amazon is offering both three exclusive in-game items (Harlequin Headpiece, Black Knight Helmet, and Grenade Chest Strap) as well as five extra Cryptic points to be used for what we're assuming are cosmetic purchases. There's also Best Buy and Wal-Mart variations to consider, so choose wisely. We've got them listed after the break with links to the product pages for your convenience.

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Champions Online open beta dated, preorder bonuses detailed originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Colony discovered, late for launch

Akela Talamasca — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, MMOFPS

Sometimes things come to you through unusual circumstances. An article popped into our inbox today along with others, discussing how indie-developed MMOFPS Lost Colony was in talks with an unnamed publisher to sell copies through retail chains like Wal-Mart and Target. However, the referring article was dated October 14, 2007. How did it get into our email as the latest news?

The article goes on to say that the LC team was shooting (no pun intended) for a March 2008 release. Having found this under-the-radar MMO, we looked at their website, which makes no mention of a release date. Apparently they were accepting pre-orders right up until January 15th of this year. It's now May, and there's nothing in the news about this title, though apparently there's a beta in progress. The forums contain a post entitled "March Update", in which the author writes "Our company and our fans have high expectations. Quality assurance needs time, and we are not in a hurry to rush something out the door. When its ready, it's ready."

A slipping release date needn't necessarily be a pronouncement of doom, as we all know, but taking care of PR is important to mitigate both public awareness and publisher anxiety. Hearing the term 'lost colony' immediately brings to mind the Roanoke Colony project of the 16th century. Will this Lost Colony also disappear, or should we be expecting an announcement shortly?

Lost Colony discovered, late for launch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 May 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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