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[A Tale in the Desert offers free weekend, sneak peek at next update]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/a-tale-in-the-desert-offers-free-weekend-sneak-peek-at-next-upd/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/a-tale-in-the-desert-offers-free-weekend-sneak-peek-at-next-upd/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/a-tale-in-the-desert-offers-free-weekend-sneak-peek-at-next-upd/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you're more a fan of crafting and socializing in MMOs rather than combat, but haven't checked out A Tale in the Desert yet, you're definitely missing out. The game is completely non-combat, focusing on advancement through player cooperation and crafting.

A Tale in the Desert sports an unusual system all around -- it launched in 2003 in its first "telling," which is a version or major update of sorts. The fifth telling is on the way in just a few months, but players are able to enjoy some special events in preparation while they wait.

If you're a former player who is interested in seeing how the game has progressed, A Tale in the Desert will feature a welcome back weekend for everyone to explore the game at no cost. It will certainly be worth your time, because the weekend event includes a sneak peek at the completely revamped mining system that will launch with the fifth telling. The event begins today and ends this Sunday at noon EST

MassivelyA Tale in the Desert offers free weekend, sneak peek at next update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-tale-in-the-desertATITDegenesisfifth-tellingwelcome-back-weekendFri, 07 May 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO's Welcome Back Weekend salutes the halcyon days of the spring festival]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/lotros-welcome-back-weekend-salutes-the-halcyon-days-of-the-spr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/lotros-welcome-back-weekend-salutes-the-halcyon-days-of-the-spr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/lotros-welcome-back-weekend-salutes-the-halcyon-days-of-the-spr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Turbine's Welcome Back Weekends for LotRO are, well, almost as dependable as the tides and official forum rants. Still, they're always good news for all, especially when they coincide with a special event.

From April 29 through May 3, LotRO is inviting all previous players to return in order to experience the final fruits of the Spring Festival (which also ends on May 3). The festival has returned for an encore performance, mostly so that anyone gunning for the attractive Blue Roan mount can snag it before it's gone.

All players, both current and returning, will enjoy a 5% bump in XP from monster kills and free stable travel for the weekend. Considering that Turbine is throwing special three-year anniversary gifts to the crowd as well -- including a generous 20% discount at the bards -- it's not a bad time to dip one's toes back into the game. Check out the official announcement over at the site, and get your download on!

MassivelyLotRO's Welcome Back Weekend salutes the halcyon days of the spring festival originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3-year-anniversarybardsblue-roancome-to-me-my-precioussslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrospring-festivalthree-year-anniversaryturbinewelcome-back-weekendThu, 29 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lord of the Rings Online announces another Welcome Back Weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/22/lord-of-the-rings-online-announces-another-welcome-back-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/22/lord-of-the-rings-online-announces-another-welcome-back-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/22/lord-of-the-rings-online-announces-another-welcome-back-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Lord of the Rings Online is opening the doors for former players again, in another Welcome Back Weekend. If you've got an expired subscription to Lord of the Rings Online, you'll find that your account has been temporarily reactivated. You don't need to do anything, just download the client if you need to and log in to find your characters waiting for you.

As usual, the definition of "weekend" in LotRO is pretty generous, with the offer active now and continuing through the 25th. You'll find a few bonuses while you're in Middle-earth as well. Travel at all the stable-masters is free, and there is a 5% XP boost for the duration of the weekend. (Even better, that 5% bonus stacks with rest XP!)

If you've been away from LotRO for a while, take some time over the next few days to check out what's new, on Turbine's dime!

MassivelyLord of the Rings Online announces another Welcome Back Weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroturbineTurbine-Entertainmentwelcome-back-weekendxp-bonusFri, 22 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO has another welcome back weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/lotro-has-another-welcome-back-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/lotro-has-another-welcome-back-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/lotro-has-another-welcome-back-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you're one of those players who let their Lord of the Rings subscription expire, you may have been intrigued by recent updates, as well as the latest expansion, Siege of Mirkwood. The folks at Turbine have been busy improving, changing, upgrading and adding all sorts of goodies, so what better time to offer another Welcome Back Weekend.

Lucky for us, Turbine has a very generous idea of "weekend". This one will run from Thursday the 17th until next Monday the 21st. All inactive accounts will be reactivated and given a +10% XP boost to help you catch up. Even better, you'll get to check out Siege of Mirkwood while you're there.

You won't need to do anything to reactivate your account, just log in -- Turbine has taken care of that for you. They haven't gone quite so far as to download the client onto your computer, thankfully. If you need to reinstall, you can take care of that here.

Enjoy the free weekend, and we'll see you in Middle-earth!

MassivelyLotRO has another welcome back weekend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroturbinewelcome-back-weekendTue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO welcomes lapsed players back to Middle Earth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/lotro-welcomes-lapsed-players-back-to-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/lotro-welcomes-lapsed-players-back-to-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/lotro-welcomes-lapsed-players-back-to-middle-earth/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It's been a very long time since I logged into Lord of the Rings Online and I suspect there are a lot of people out there in a similar situation. Well in an effort to get players to return to Middle Earth, they've instituted Welcome Back Week. Running from 9th-15th July, it offers a taste of the newest game content (Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-dûm), try some dungeons and a 12-man raid. Even better, there's 25% bonus XP from killing mobs and this even stacks with rest XP.

Of course, there is a catch. To qualify you need to have upgraded from a trial account and 'be in good standing'. However there is plenty to do, from running instances which will see you light up the Mirror Halls or figuring out the puzzle of the Water Works. If you're more into lore-centric content, you can have a go at battling the Scourge and help the Elves battle a deadly plague. You could even nip into Moria, if you don't mind the dark.

For more information, check out the official Lord of the Rings Online Welcome Back Week page.

MassivelyLotRO welcomes lapsed players back to Middle Earth originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-book-8lotro-welcome-back-weekendscourge-of-khazad-dumwelcome-back-weekendMon, 13 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO Welcome Back Weekend now extended to April 6th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/03/lotro-welcome-back-weekend-now-extended-to-april-6th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/03/lotro-welcome-back-weekend-now-extended-to-april-6th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/03/lotro-welcome-back-weekend-now-extended-to-april-6th/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've got good news for everyone taking advantage of the free Welcome Back Weekend for Lord of the Rings Online, which is hot on the heels of 'Leaves of Lorien' (Volume 2: Book 7). The free 'weekend' promotion just keeps growing. Although it began on March 26th it will now continue until April 6th, plus there's a 25% experience increase on mob kills to sweeten the deal.

This sounds like a great time for former subscribers to come back and check out how Lord of the Rings has improved with Leaves of Lorien.

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 7


Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 7 Dev Tour

MassivelyLotRO Welcome Back Weekend now extended to April 6th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>experiencefantasyleaves-of-lorienlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromobsturbinewelcome-back-weekendFri, 03 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Lord of the Rings Online's Welcome Back Weekend event starts tomorrow]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-welcome-back-weekend-event-starts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-welcome-back-weekend-event-starts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/the-lord-of-the-rings-onlines-welcome-back-weekend-event-starts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


With The Lord of the Rings Online's Mines of Moria expansion slated to hit store shelves on November 18th, Turbine is taking extra measures to entice old players to come back with another Welcome Back Weekend. This has been done a couple of times before, so you might know the drill, but in case you don't here goes!

From tomorrow through November 17th, all former subscribers in good standing can play for free, no commitment required. During that period, everyone -- former subscribers and current -- will receive 25% extra experience from monsters, which will stack with rested XP. These are pretty simple incentives, but if they're enough to bring you in, you can download either the standard or high-resolution client and get started tomorrow.

EDIT: We read wrong! While the XP gains push through the 17th, the free play period only lasts through the 10th. Thanks, Bissrok.

MassivelyThe Lord of the Rings Online's Welcome Back Weekend event starts tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-XPbonus-xp-weekendexpansionfree-playlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriamompromotionturbinewelcome-back-weekendxpWed, 05 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO announces a second bonus XP weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/23/lotro-announces-a-second-bonus-xp-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/23/lotro-announces-a-second-bonus-xp-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/23/lotro-announces-a-second-bonus-xp-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


In preparation for Lord of the Rings Online's upcoming expansion on November 18th, Turbine has announced a second bonus weekend for current and former players from October 30th through November 3rd. This weekend mirrors a previous event at the beginning of October which offered the same incentives. For former players, you're invited to come back to Middle-earth to experience the loads of new content an prepare yourself for Mines of Moria.

All players can expect a +25% bonus to their XP, which should help to get those characters just high enough to enjoy some of the new high-end content in Moria. Check out the official announcement page for more information on downloading or patching the client and getting back into the game.

MassivelyLotRO announces a second bonus XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-xplord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriaturbinewelcome-back-weekendxpThu, 23 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO token collecting game extended until November 4th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/lotro-token-collecting-game-extended-until-november-4th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/lotro-token-collecting-game-extended-until-november-4th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/lotro-token-collecting-game-extended-until-november-4th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


If you've found yourself excited by the tin, silver, gold and platinum token drops from Lord of the Rings Online this last weekend, you'll be happy to hear that these token drops have been extended until November 4th. These tokens were brought back as part of the Welcome Back Weekend, encouraging previous players to come check out LotRO for free before Mines of Moria releases, later this fall.

What use are these tokens? Free stuff! What other reason do you need? Ok, to be more specific, you can get some amazing items by trading these tokens in to the trader NPCs. There's crit consumables, special cosmetic outfits, Beryl shards and much more! So if you missed what you thought would be an event that only lasted through the weekend, this four week extension gives you no more excuses. Get out there and grab some tokens!

MassivelyLotRO token collecting game extended until November 4th originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemastersextensionlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrotokensturbinewelcome-back-weekendMon, 06 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Free play/bonus EXP weekend welcomes back lapsed LotRO players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/free-play-bonus-exp-weekend-welcomes-back-lapsed-lotro-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/free-play-bonus-exp-weekend-welcomes-back-lapsed-lotro-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/free-play-bonus-exp-weekend-welcomes-back-lapsed-lotro-players/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you're a former The Lord of the Rings Online subscriber who's thinking about returning to Middle-earth, or just looking for a way to kill a weekend, then you'll be interested to know that Turbine is hosting a "Welcome Back Weekend" event in the game.

All former subscribers will be able to play for free between October 2nd and 6th. Additionally, everyone (old players and new alike) will receive 25% more experience during that period. This is obviously intended to re-hook veterans so they'll buy the Mines of Moria expansion when it comes out. Nothing wrong with that, we suppose.

Oh, and it also uncoincidentally coincides (you see what we did there?) with the annual Fall Festival. We already asked you guys a while back what you thought of LotRO. Some of you expressed interest in returning to see what's new. Here's your chance, eh?

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Harvest Festival Gallery

Bree-land Festival NPC locationsBree TricksterTad Ashmead - Bree #1Tad Leafcutter - Bree #2Mat Heathertoes - Bree #3

MassivelyFree play/bonus EXP weekend welcomes back lapsed LotRO players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-experienceeventexpexperiencefall-festivalfreeharvest-festivallord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriaturbinewelcome-back-weekendxpTue, 30 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Lord of the Rings Online launches a welcome back weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/lotro-welcome-back-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/lotro-welcome-back-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/lotro-welcome-back-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We're sure you've heard the exciting news and most recent information on Lord of the Rings Online: Book 13 Doom of the Last King, which was released last month. You've probably also heard about the recently reduced pricing for the game, which was announced for the first anniversary of the game's launch. But we have some even better news for you.

This upcoming weekend, from May 8th through the 12th, you'll get to experience everything Middle Earth has to offer for free in a special Welcome Back Weekend. You can fire up your old characters that you may have forgotten about or create some new characters to test the most current changes. During this time, the anniversary celebrations will continue, so you can participate in those as well!

MassivelyLord of the Rings Online launches a welcome back weekend originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 May 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarycodemastersfreelotrolotro-book-13previewturbinewelcome-back-weekendMon, 05 May 2008 18:30:00 EST