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[Runes of Magic weekend event psyches players up for Chapter V]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/runes-of-magic-weekend-event-psyches-players-up-for-chapter-v/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/runes-of-magic-weekend-event-psyches-players-up-for-chapter-v/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/runes-of-magic-weekend-event-psyches-players-up-for-chapter-v/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Runes of Magic
Runes of Magic is counting down the days until its next major update, Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge, and Frogster is throwing five exciting events to pep up its playerbase during the wait. The Big Five, as the company is calling it, is currently at the halfway mark as its third event that will take place over the holiday weekend.

From May 25th through May 29th, Runes of Magic players can visit the Helping Hands in one of several locations in the game to get an incredible buff. This two-hour buff will boost experience, talent point, and rare loot gain for all who accept it. Players can receive the buff once a day for the duration of the event.

The highlight of Chapter V is most definitely the addition of a pair of new classes: the Champion and the Warlock. Also coming with Chapter V are the playable Shadowforge Dwarves, a new starter zone, and additional high-level instances. The update will release on June 12th.

MassivelyRunes of Magic weekend event psyches players up for Chapter V originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>big-fivebig-five-eventbuffchampionchapter-5chapter-veventf2pfantasyfires-of-shadowforgefree-to-playfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivein-game-eventplayer-buffromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentShadowforge-Dwarvestaboreathe-big-fivewarlockThu, 24 May 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Runes of Magic shows off the new Champion and Warlock]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/runes-of-magic-shows-off-the-new-champion-and-warlock/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/runes-of-magic-shows-off-the-new-champion-and-warlock/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/runes-of-magic-shows-off-the-new-champion-and-warlock/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Now, if he transformed into a plane, that would be something.
New classes are always exciting. In a game with an established set of abilities and character options, the chance to take a different option helps keep the game engaging and surprising. That's no doubt part of the rationale behind Runes of Magic's two new classes, the Champion and the Warlock. But they're also meant to show off the ingenuity and cleverness of the Dwarves, and in a new preview of these two classes, it becomes clear just how much both will bring to the table.

The Warlock is an arcane caster who has delved into the knowledge of the Shadowforge Dwarves, allowing him to act as either a damage dealer or a support character as the situation warrants. Champions are masters of pseudo-mystical forge techniques, with the Champion ultimately being capable of transforming into a special Runic Robot form for increased damage and durability. There are only a few more weeks until the game's next major update, and then players will get to try out the new hybrid classes for themselves.

MassivelyRunes of Magic shows off the new Champion and Warlock originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championclassescoming-patchesf2pfantasyfree-to-playfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivehybridhybrid-classesmajor-patchesnew-classespatchespreviewpreviewsromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmenttaboreawarlockWed, 16 May 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Eden Eternal update features Territory Wars, new content]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/10/eden-eternal-update-features-territory-wars-new-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/10/eden-eternal-update-features-territory-wars-new-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/10/eden-eternal-update-features-territory-wars-new-content/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Eden Eternal
'Tis the season for free-to-play content updates, and Eden Eternal is next on our list. The fantasy title from Aeria Games just added a new class, a level cap increase, and a new PvP territorial war system to its feature list as of this morning.

The new class takes the form of the Warlock, a practitioner of the dark arts who specializes in spawning parasites on his targets and manipulating said targets with an array of spells. The content update also brings the Delphi Forest and Blackflame Peak adventuring regions to Eden Eternal players, and the game's southwestern continent now features the Sunset Desert and Skyreach Jungle areas for high-level characters.

New quests and dungeons are also in the offing, as is a loyalty shop that rewards players with Aeria Points for completing standard gameplay tasks. Finally, the Territory Wars system takes a bow, and guilds can go for the jugular in free-for-all brawls that Aeria's press release says will "push the limits of teamwork." More info is available in the patch notes located on the official Eden Eternal website.

MassivelyEden Eternal update features Territory Wars, new content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aeriaaeria-gamesblackflame-peakclassescontent-updatedelphi-forestf2pfantasyfree-to-playgame-mechanicspatchespress-releasepvpskyreach-jungleterritory-warswarlockWed, 10 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: Exec. Producer Dave Georgeson on EverQuest II and EverQuest Next]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/the-tattered-notebook-exec-producer-dave-georgeson-on-everques/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/the-tattered-notebook-exec-producer-dave-georgeson-on-everques/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/the-tattered-notebook-exec-producer-dave-georgeson-on-everques/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

If there's one thing that came out of Fan Faire about EQ Next, it's that no one will talk about EQ Next. No matter who you talked to, any time the subject came up, the answer was always, "I can't talk about that." However, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson sat down with Massively during Fan Faire to talk more about EverQuest II, and during that interview, he did give a tiny glimpse into what that game would be like.

In this week's Tattered Notebook, Massively gets the scoop on Beastlords, the dungeon builder, Freeport's revamp, and much more.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Exec. Producer Dave Georgeson on EverQuest II and EverQuest Next

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Exec. Producer Dave Georgeson on EverQuest II and EverQuest Next originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>akil-hooperaltsbeastlordbeastlordscitadelcrushbonedave-georgesondesign-your-own-dungeondungeon-builderdungeon-finderemily-tayloreqeq-nexteq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2EverQuest-iieverquest-nextfan-fairefan-faire-2011freeportgame-of-thronesitemizationnasa-moon-shotorcpetpet-classplanetside-2ps2revamprich-waterstattered-notebookveliouswarderwarlockMon, 18 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/enter-at-your-own-rift-zero-sum-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/enter-at-your-own-rift-zero-sum-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/enter-at-your-own-rift-zero-sum-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ever since I started following RIFT, I've been entranced by the wide-open -- but not limitless -- class system. After all, the virtual world and everything populating it is only half the game; the other half resides in the avatar that sticks with you while you explore it all. Many MMOs have interesting ways of letting you build and grow your character, but sooner or later they come to a point where there's little more to be done other than incrementally increasing your stats by gaining better gear.

Not so with RIFT, as even a level 50 can drop a few coins to shape a completely new build from scratch. No longer are we bound to a rigidly defined creation; we are free to experiment, tinker, and try out these roles to our hearts' content.

With RIFT's soul system, there are a few ground rules that everyone learns early in the game. You can have up to three souls in your archetype active at any one time; you can only spend as many points in a build as you have in levels (such as 10 points at level 10); and you'll end up with 66 points at level 50, which means that you'll at least dabble in a second soul tree with every build. And while you can certainly spread soul points across all three trees, today I wanted to look at the benefits of a zero-point soul, the "third wheel," if you will, of builds.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Zero-sum game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archonassassinbardbeastmasterbladedancerbuildbuildschampionchloromancerclassclass-buildsclassesclericdominatordruiddungeons-and-dragonselemental-summonerenter-at-your-own-riftfeaturedhealinghealsjusticarmagemagic-the-gatheringnecromancerpaladinpetpetspurifierrangerreaverriftriftbladeriftstalkerroguesaboteursentinelshamanshieldssoulsoul-buildsoul-talent-treesoul-treesoul-treessoulssplashsplash-soultalent-treestalentsvoid-knightwardenwarlockwarlordwarriorzero-point-soulWed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[E3 2010: Hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/16/e3-2010-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telara/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/16/e3-2010-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telara/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/16/e3-2010-hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telara/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We've had our eye on Rift: Planes of Telara for some time now, especially after getting a little face time with the game back in April. Fortune smiles upon us all once more as Trion Worlds made the trek to E3 to showcase this gorgeous fantasy title. Shouldering our way to the front of the line -- hey, hey, I'm reporting here! -- we took the wheel of an interactive demo while the developers were kind enough to answer a few questions about Rift.

Your very first decision in game will be to choose a faction: the Guardians or the Defiant. Both are tasked with saving a world under attack, although they each have their own approach and butt heads against the other in the process. The Guardians are blessed by the gods and are chosen to be their holy knights, while the Defiant take the anti-hero route and rely on their own technology to wage this war. The Defiant had created vast cities in the desert using their magical tech, but they were infiltrated by dragons and saw their great achievements wiped away, reducing them to desert wanderers. There are races unique to each faction, as well as races shared by both. We learned that the Defiant have access to both the Eth (human) and Bahmi (human/elemental) races.

Continue reading E3 2010: Hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara

MassivelyE3 2010: Hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bahmiblade-dancerdefiancedemoe3e3-2010elementalistelementsethfeaturedguardianshands-oninterviewpvpreaverriftrift-planes-of-telarashadowlandstriontrion-worldswarlockWed, 16 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[A roundup of World of Warcraft's major class changes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/a-roundup-of-world-of-warcrafts-major-class-changes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/a-roundup-of-world-of-warcrafts-major-class-changes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/a-roundup-of-world-of-warcrafts-major-class-changes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Love it or hate it, World of Warcraft is the 900-pound gorilla of the MMO market at the moment. Nearly everyone who games online has at least tried it, and even those of us who play other games very possibly still play it as an old standby. So it's hard to miss the news about the newest expansion, Cataclysm, which is poised to remake the world in many ways. It's also home to an ambitious series of overhauls to classes and their talent structure, with far-reaching changes for every class in the game.

Our sister site, WoW.com, has been keeping abreast of the development team's slow roll of new information about each class, with every class but Paladins having their upcoming changes previewed. (Paladins are due out on the 16th, due to being "deep in development.") They've also gone through an in-depth analysis of each different set of changes, from the good to the bad. So if you've played the game at all -- and the odds are you have -- take a look past the break for a quick version of everything coming when World of Warcraft brings down the end of the world.

Continue reading A roundup of World of Warcraft's major class changes

MassivelyA roundup of World of Warcraft's major class changes originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionactivision-blizzardblizzard-entertainmentcataclysmclass-changesclassesdeath-knightdruidexpansionshuntermagepriestrogueshamanwarlockwarriorworld-of-warcraftwowwow-cataclysmSat, 10 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Felicia Day talks WoW addiction, characters, oldschool PC gaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/felicia-day-talks-wow-addiction-characters-oldschool-pc-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/felicia-day-talks-wow-addiction-characters-oldschool-pc-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/felicia-day-talks-wow-addiction-characters-oldschool-pc-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

G4TV's X-Play interviewed the lovely Felicia Day on video about her soon-to-return web video series The Guild and her past gaming experience. Fans of Ms. Day and her show will eat it up no matter what we say, of course, but we will note that she reveals what her main World of Warcraft character was and what games she played when she was a kid.

Be sure and watch the video after the break, but if you just want the information (we'd think you'd be more interested in seeing Felicia Day's delightful personality than raw data, but here goes): her main was a Warlock (who apparently did some Alchemy on the side), and she had Priest and Mage alts. She grew up playing everything from Zork to Wizardry to Nethack, and has mostly been a PC gamer rather than a console one. We buy it -- she's got cred!

Day is doing these appearances to promote The Guild's second season, which debuts exclusively on Xbox Live today.

Continue reading Felicia Day talks WoW addiction, characters, oldschool PC gaming

MassivelyFelicia Day talks WoW addiction, characters, oldschool PC gaming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>felicia-dayg4tvinterviewthe-guildvideowarlockworld-of-warcraftwowx-playTue, 25 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[And the first World of Warcraft player to reach level 80 is...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/14/and-the-first-world-of-warcraft-player-to-reach-level-80-is/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/14/and-the-first-world-of-warcraft-player-to-reach-level-80-is/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/14/and-the-first-world-of-warcraft-player-to-reach-level-80-is/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Nymh, Human Warlock of the EU server Drek'thar (and the real-world country of France) became the first World of Warcraft player to reach level 80 by working with an out-of-group Priest to spam area-of-effect attacks against rapidly-spawning mid-70s mobs, inspired by the technique of another World of Warcraft Warlock player named Jynxx, who eloquently explained the concept in a video (Note: probably won't make much sense if you're not a WoW addict already).

Time from 70 to 80: 27 hours.

Nymh did a lot of research and trial-and-error exploration of options in the Wrath of the Lich King beta test in order to be ready for the gauntlet after the EU launch, which of course came a little bit before the North American one. We'll note that the first-to-level-70-after-launch trophy went to another French player last year. Vive la France, no?

[Via WoW Insider]

MassivelyAnd the first World of Warcraft player to reach level 80 is... originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>80blizzarddrekthareufirstfrancefrenchjynxxlevel-80nymhpriestwarlockworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingFri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Be careful what you ask for...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/ask-massively-be-careful-what-you-ask-for/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/ask-massively-be-careful-what-you-ask-for/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/ask-massively-be-careful-what-you-ask-for/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Most of the time, when writing Ask Massively, it is fairly simple to keep my personal and professional life separated from my life as an MMO gamer and columnist. Today, I'm going to break down that barrier for just a little while.

Today's question actually comes from Age of Conan's in-game chat. While the sane among you may marvel at the fact that my brain cells did not immediately shrivel and die upon coming into contact with your average chat channel ranter, I'll describe the discussion using enough creative editing to shield you, our loyal readers, from some of the more mind-numbing motes of mental malfeasance on display that night.

  • "This game sucks, they only designed one class to be a main tank!"
  • "No game should ever be released with bugs. Look at how Blizzard did with WoW!"
  • "My class sucks. They should make it more powerful and nerf everyone else. There is no balance in this game."
I think you get the idea. To the valiant souls who tried to answer these criticisms intelligently and thoughtfully, I salute you. When faced with intelligent responses to their rants, one of our misguided miscreants fired back with a very good question.

What do you know about designing an MMO? If you know so much, how come you don't write games?

As a former game developer myself, and as someone with several years of experience in the commercial software development industry, allow me a chance to use my bully pulpit in order to answer their points.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Be careful what you ask for...

MassivelyAsk Massively: Be careful what you ask for... originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananarchy-onlineblizzardchampions-onlinefuncomlord-of-the-rings-on...warlockworld-of-warcraftwrath-of-the-lich-kingThu, 03 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Xfire to broadcast WoW's Sunwell Plateau raid live]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/xfire-to-broadcast-wows-sunwell-plateau-raid-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/xfire-to-broadcast-wows-sunwell-plateau-raid-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/xfire-to-broadcast-wows-sunwell-plateau-raid-live/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


This Wednesday at noon (EDT), Xfire will run a live broadcast of a raid in World of Warcraft's top instance -- the Sunwell Plateau. The raid will be performed by famous uberguild Nihilum, and the broadcast will run on the Dyyno technology.

This is the second raid broadcast by Xfire, but this time around advances in technology enable a higher number of viewers and better quality. Up to 4,000 people may tune in. Four different points of view will be provided -- those of a Warrior, a Hunter, a Druid, and a Warlock. The raid is expected to last between three and four hours. To watch, you'll have to head over to Xfire's website and install both the Xfire client and the Dyyno plugin.

What do you think, readers? Pro-level raiding as a spectator sport? Is that something you're actually intrigued by, or does it sound like a terrible waste of time? We're skeptical, but maybe we're just not as l33t as j00.

MassivelyXfire to broadcast WoW's Sunwell Plateau raid live originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardbroadcastdruiddyynohunterlivenihilumraidraidingstreamingstreamssunwell-plateauvideowarlockwarriorworld-of-warcraftwowxfireMon, 23 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Account hacked? Why not stop and smell the flowers?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/account-hacked-why-not-stop-and-smell-the-flowers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/account-hacked-why-not-stop-and-smell-the-flowers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/account-hacked-why-not-stop-and-smell-the-flowers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It happens to the best of us. We try to be careful, we try to be conscientious, and then the unthinkable happens: your MMO account gets hacked. You log in to find your virtual life has been torn asunder. What happens then? Sean Sands, over at the Gamers with Jobs site, walks us through the ordeal of having his World of Warcraft account hacked.

Sean reminds us that the most important thing to do is to keep things in perspective. Most likely the person that hacked you was just doing their job. It probably wasn't malicious, and unfocused rage never helped anyone resolve their problems. Moreover, Blizzard is well aware of the problems inherent to the account breach issue. They've got a polished, professional team ready to give you back your stuff in a timely fashion. In fact, as Sean notes, it may be that they're a bit ... too practiced at this.

The problem of account hacking is universal. We suggest you check out some of the security resources WoW Insider has on hand for World of Warcraft fans, as many of them can be transposed to another game. in the meantime, have you had any experiences with hacked accounts? What happened and ... most importantly ... did you get your stuff back?

MassivelyAccount hacked? Why not stop and smell the flowers? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcustomer-servicefantasygamers-with-jobshackedsecuritywarlockworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 12 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New EQII video shows off epic weapons close up]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/new-eqii-video-shows-off-epic-weapons-close-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/new-eqii-video-shows-off-epic-weapons-close-up/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/new-eqii-video-shows-off-epic-weapons-close-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


A new video at EQ2Players gives us a little taste of what's to come now that GU42 is out, and 24 epic weapons (one for each class) are available in EverQuest II. In the minute-and-a-half clip we are introduced to a few of these weapons in the flesh, find out their names, and get to bask in their shiny effects and see the moving parts.

The first close-up is of the Templar epic weapon, called " The Impact of the Sacrosanct". This one looks like a gyrating mallet, with a twirly yellow effect surrounding each end. Next in the video is the Warlock epic, "Death's Grip", which is a short blade that has a glowing and moving disc built into its middle. This is followed by the "Sedition", the Shadowknight's new toy, and it is predictably a big badass sword that gives off a strong red glow. Finally we're treated to the Inquisitor epic, "Penitent's Absolution", which we featured before Game Update 42 was out in the epic weapon concept art gallery., but seeing it moving is on a whole other level.

The hunt is on for these, as well as the other 20 epic weapons for all the other classes, and it surely won't be too long until we bring you stories and pictures of them in the wild.

MassivelyNew EQII video shows off epic weapons close up originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deaths-gripepic-questepic-questsepic-weaponseq2eqiieverquest-2game-update-42gu42inquisitorpenitents-absolutionseditionshadowknightsoesony-online-entertainmenttemplarthe-impact-of-the-sacrosanctwarlockFri, 08 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Perils of changing pets in World of Warcraft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/perils-of-changing-pets-in-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/perils-of-changing-pets-in-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/perils-of-changing-pets-in-world-of-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Night flight to MenethilAs a hunter (well for my main character, in the few days before crunch time, my pet is a big part of the arsenal available to me. I'm quite happy, most of the time, with my bear. Extra armour and extra hit points a nice tank maketh, and if the damage is a little lower per second, that's cancelled out by some durability on those times when I make a mistake and send the poor beast in to a stickier situation than expected (like when I get hit by a load of big critters who all respawn on my head in the middle of an over-level fight).

But I was tempted by the thought of big scorpid venom after being hit by one, so I swapped pets, briefly. Ouch is the only description I can think of. The venom is great in PvP I'm sure, but not so useful vs. critters, especially critters with poison themselves. The absence of growl and the ability to attract and hold aggro meant I was suddenly in the midst of fighting all the time. The fact that, even after the scorpid levelled I couldn't teach it growl (or similar) was the final nail in the poor scorpion's coffin. For PvE play I want that tank bank and doing what tanks do best - holding aggro. If I, as I do, sometimes tip over the edge and pull them off him by mistake, so be it - for most things I'm fighting at around my level, it's half dead or more before it disengages. There is still time for a stun and an arcane shot for a bit more damage before contact. It leaves the daggers I use as a nice back up to kill the almost-dead critter as it arrives.

The moral of this tale - for both Hunters and Warlocks I guess - think about your pets/summons and what you use them for. Piling out extra damage is nice, but do you want a tank more? If you're hunting in a group, does that change? (How much would the group tank like a pet that slows the attacks on him from ancillary targets, I wonder?) Pets are an important part of your arsenal - one I use all the time and I'm sure most hunters and warlocks do too. Thinking about how to use them is surely smart?

MassivelyPerils of changing pets in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beargrouphunterpetPvEPvPscorpid,tankwarlockWorldof-WarcraftTue, 29 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How much mini-management is too much?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/how-much-mini-management-is-too-much/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/how-much-mini-management-is-too-much/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/how-much-mini-management-is-too-much/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I've rolled a Hunter at least 4 times in World of Warcraft, only to lose interest after about level 12. Why? I couldn't handle the thought of all that pet maintenance. Seriously, who needs the hassle? Keep it fed, teach it new abilities, swap it in and out of stables, worry about loyalty ... and you don't even get the benefit of being able to play-wrestle with it in off hours!

Is it worth it to go through all that trouble just for a companion that's meant to address a class's deficiencies? I've never been a warlock; is it the same with those pets? At what point does the fun of having a pet get outweighed by the annoyance of upkeep? What do you think, is caring for your pet fun, or should it be streamlined?

MassivelyHow much mini-management is too much? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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