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RIFT's patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn goes live

Matt Daniel — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, RIFT, Dungeons

Maelforge and Laethys better be watching their backs because RIFT's patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn is now live, and players are now able to head into the eponymous Infernal Dawn raid to lay the smack down on the pair of dragon-gods. On top of that, the patch will be ringing in a new world event known as the War of the Wanton Maw, which will presumably involve players fighting back against Maelforge's Wanton cult and Laethys' Golden Maw.

If you're a less combative type, don't worry. Infernal Dawn is also bringing some more relaxing activities in the form of two new tradeskills. Those looking to spend a calm day on the water can bait a hook and spend an afternoon fishing, while those who want to rough it in the great outdoors can craft food and shelter with the new survival skill. For the full details on what this monumental patch is bringing to the game, just head on over to the official forums to check out the patch notes yourself. Oh, and if you're curious about what you're going up against, just click on past the cut for a look at Maelforge and Laethys in the official Infernal Dawn trailer.

Continue reading RIFT's patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn goes live

RIFT's patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn goes live originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic hosting a weekend trial while plague expands

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

If you're one of the few souls that hasn't yet tried Star Wars: The Old Republic just yet, this weekend is your next chance. With the Rakghoul Plague racing across the galaxy, BioWare is inviting potential new players to take a look at the game from April 19th at 1:01 a.m. EDT until April 23rd at 3:00 a.m. EDT. As in previous weekend events, players will be able to pick up their trial characters and continue leveling them in the event that they purchase the full game afterward.

Of course, if you're already in the game, you're probably less concerned about new players and more concerned with the aforementioned plague. Darth Hater has assembled a guide for players including the latest updates to this ongoing world event running until April 24th, which should be more than enough to help players unlock rewards and see all there is to see during the outbreak. Just be prepared -- there are probably going to be a lot of new people over the weekend not fully versed in containment procedures.

Star Wars: The Old Republic hosting a weekend trial while plague expands originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Outbreak

Larry Everett — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Lore, PvE, Opinion, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

A year ago at PAX East, I spoke to Community Manager Stephen Reid about events in Star Wars: The Old Republic. He asked and answered a popular question at the time: "Will [SWTOR] have events where we randomly spawn NPCs for players to fight? No, but we will have events." He couldn't elaborate, but it did leave me wondering what that could possibly mean, especially when later at PAX East, Lead Writer Daniel Erickson said that SWTOR would not break the fourth wall by holding holiday-type events.

Earlier this year, Update 1.1: Rise of the Rakghouls brought us a new flashpoint called Kaon Under Siege. A ship crash landed in the heart of the Tion Hegemony, taking the Rakghoul virus off the planet Taris and spreading it to a new world. Both the Republic and the Empire sought to find the source of this outbreak. Like all flashpoints, Koan Under Siege is instanced and separate from the rest of the open world.

Relatedly, and quite surprisingly, BioWare started its first world event without announcing it on the official website or even letting anyone know that it was happening. On Sunday morning, everyone who was stopping by Carrick or Vaiken station could overhear an announcement that the planet Tatooine had been quarantined due to an outbreak of the Rakghoul virus.

So started my investigation...

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Outbreak

Hyperspace Beacon: Outbreak originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT's Ashes of History world event begins tomorrow

Brendan Drain — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Events, in-game, Lore, News items, PvE, RIFT

Since RIFT's release, the developers at Trion Worlds have staged frequent world events and mini-events to add some variety to the game. A brand-new Ashes of History world event kicks off tomorrow, putting players against the elemental forces of earth and fire. The event begins as disease-spreading Golden Maw cultists discover artifacts in the sea of Telara and begin plotting to use them for their own ends.

The world event opens up new daily quests for players to try out, and participants will be able to collect a rare Magma Opal currency from frequent rift events and invasions. The opals can be spent on rare equipment, companion pets and an exclusive Ash Strider mount.

Gallery: RIFT Ashes of History event

RIFT's Ashes of History world event begins tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Like many of you, I've been exploring RIFT's Waves of Madness event over the past couple of weeks -- and enjoying it, too. You can really see how Trion Worlds has taken some of the lessons learned from River of Souls and improved its second world event. There just seems like more to do, much more in terms of atmosphere (I love the dripping ceilings in Sanctum), I'm not feeling as rushed, and the event story is coming through loud and clear.

One of the interesting things I've noticed is that the event's daily quests have subtly shifted our focus from single-player activities to group ones. In phase one, it was all about boring solo quests: find hidden invaders, collect eggs, defeat a few underwater baddies. But just when we started to get used to (and bored from) the routine, the successive phases have moved us toward the game's dynamic content. Namely, rifts, rifts and more rifts.

I think this is brilliant, because we're now given a solid reason why we should participate in rifts above the mere rewards. I've been worried that Trion's letting its focus on dynamic content slip as it's been rushing to get other game features and endgame raids out the door, and RIFT without people playing rifts would be sadly ironic.

Today we're going to look at just how much RIFT depends on its titular feature, and what Trion should be doing to ensure that it doesn't become another nice yet abandoned idea.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?

Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Creature comforts

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

I've got a problem that nine interventions and three bouts of electroshock therapy have yet to cure: I'm hopelessly addicted to collecting non-combat pets (aka vanity pets) in MMOs. I don't know why that is, exactly, although I've always had a fondness for "fluffy" elements on online games. In my opinion, a lot of what we work for in MMOs is cosmetic anyway -- a really good-looking set of armor, a top-of-the-line mount -- with some piddly stats occasionally making a cameo.

(Comment bait? Oh yes, I'm evil that way!)

While adding nothing to my combat power nor helping me advance in the game, pets still hold purpose. They are fun to display, particularly if you have rare critters that others haven't seen, and they can give you a feeling of virtual companionship during your journeys. Unlike many collection items, pets have a use -- you can actually do something with them instead of tucking them away where they'll sit collecting pixelated dust.

I was pretty pleased to discover that RIFT wasn't going to leave us high and dry when it came to non-combat pets, although it's interesting that they're somewhat harder to come by than in, say, World of Warcraft. If you're like I am, you're scouring the game looking to expand your menagerie, so it might be frustrating to be well on your way to 50 with only a paltry pair of pets to your name. Where is everyone getting all of these? How can I snag a few more?

Join me after the jump as we examine six ways to collect crazy critters!

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Creature comforts

Enter at Your Own Rift: Creature comforts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Talking 1.3 with Hal Hanlin

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST

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

Today we're on the verge of RIFT's third major update's going live. It's a doozy of a patch, too, with a little something for everyone: a raid for endgame players, guild banks for... well, guilds, character transfers for the antsy, and RIFT's second world event for one and all.

With Patch 1.3, Trion Worlds puts its money where its mouth is by continuing with its streak of sizable, regular updates. It's a critical patch for some, as it seeks to answer the growing call for more endgame content while an increasing number of players hit 50. Fans of RIFT will most likely welcome the spread of the patch, but detractors will undoubtedly criticize why X was done instead of Y (and don't even get into Z; that letter is nothing but trouble). And above the noise, Trion sails on with apparent confidence and dedication.

Even though we got to speak with Trion at E3, I got the opportunity for another pre-1.3 interview with Design Producer Hal Hanlin (which, by the way, is a superhero fake identity if I ever heard one). In this no-holds-barred discussion, we covered the selling points of 1.3, the accusation that RIFT is "dying," and the philosophy behind Trion's rapid stream of content.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Talking 1.3 with Hal Hanlin

Enter at Your Own Rift: Talking 1.3 with Hal Hanlin originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2011: Hands on with RIFT's 1.3 update

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Patches, Previews, Massively Event Coverage, RIFT

With patch 1.2 fading in the rearview mirror, RIFT players have turned their attention to the incoming patch 1.3 due on June 22nd. Titled Waves of Madness, the update will kick off a new world event and add an additional tier of endgame content in the form of an additional raid.

We got the opportunity to dive into 1.3 early at E3, all while a petite seven-foot-tall dev perched on our shoulder and gave us running commentary. Patch 1.3's crown jewel is a 20-person raid in the ancient fortress of Hammerknell, which was built by folks who thought it'd be a smashing idea to cram evil spirits into runes and then use that as the foundation. Sounds to us a lot like building a summer camp on top of a desecrated native burial ground, but we're sure these architects had good intentions.

Surprise, surprise, the spirits started to ooze out into Hammerknell and tore up the place. To make matters worse, Hammerknell is the prison of a water dragon -- and the water plane started to come to its rescue. So the Dwarves decided to treat it like an illegal toxic dump by sealing up the fortress, whistling innocently, and conveniently forgetting it until another raid area was needed.

But it's not as simple as just unlocking the front door and marching in to claim some loot! Hit the jump as we walk you through the process of down-and-dirty archaeology!

Continue reading E3 2011: Hands on with RIFT's 1.3 update

E3 2011: Hands on with RIFT's 1.3 update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion's dynamic duo talks dynamic content on the RIFT podcast

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, RIFT

The river of RIFT news and discussion seems to be swelling to flood stage these days, especially surrounding the recent world event and the upcoming 1.2 update. If your appetite for all things RIFT wasn't satiated by our recent talk with Scott Hartsman, then you'll definitely want to tune in to the latest RIFT Podcast.

During the podcast, the hosts talk with Trion World's Will Cook and Cindy Bowens about dynamic content, the world event, authenticators, the wardrobe, and -- of course -- RIFT's Update 1.2. They even touch upon the controversial continued lack of guild banks and the fact that daily quests are no longer stackable.

Head on over to The RIFT to glean nuggets of pure interviewee gold out of this chat!

Trion's dynamic duo talks dynamic content on the RIFT podcast originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An exclusive look at RIFT's Update 1.2 and beyond with Scott Hartsman [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Patches, Previews, RIFT

With almost two months on the post-launch clock at Trion Worlds, RIFT appears to be holding its own in the wild and woolly field of MMORPGs. With a major update and the first world event under its belt, RIFT is sailing into the future with the wind at its back and a hull full of subscribers below.

We got Trion's Scott Hartsman on the phone to discuss RIFT's second big patch, Update 1.2, as well as to see how the game's progressed thus far and where the team is trying to take it into the future. And of course we couldn't let this opportunity pass by without a candid dissection of the uneven world event and how Trion plans to learn from its mistakes.

So hit the jump and witness Scott Hartsman giving us a Care Bear Stare full of info and exclusive tidbits about the inner workings of RIFT!

Continue reading An exclusive look at RIFT's Update 1.2 and beyond with Scott Hartsman [Updated]

An exclusive look at RIFT's Update 1.2 and beyond with Scott Hartsman [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Cry me a river

Karen Bryan — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Yep. That was the sum of my experience with Phase 2 and 3 of RIFT's world event this past weekend. I was unable to log in early to stake my place for the fireworks (I was over in Lexington watching the Red Coats and the Minute Men putting on their own fireworks show). As I learned later from guildmates, it wouldn't have helped even if I were on early, since Trion Worlds took down the servers just before the event, causing a mess of sharpened elbows and broken keyboards as people frantically tried to log back in.

It was a white hot mess, and no one will argue that fact. But there are a few interesting observations that can be made from this rather bleak moment. Read on for a look at what Alsbeth's finale can tell us.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Cry me a river

Enter at Your Own Rift: Cry me a river originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allies once again invited to saddle up for RIFT's world event

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, RIFT, Promotions

This weekend's shaping up to be an exciting one for the citizens of RIFT. First up is the long-awaited second phase of the River of Souls world event. As you may recall, the first phase was prolonged by an additional week while Trion Worlds worked out some technical issues. According to in-game notices, the second phase is scheduled to go live tomorrow.

To celebrate the event -- and hopefully entice additional players to the game -- Trion is offering another Allies of the Ascended weekend trial to anyone who hasn't purchased the game. By going to the Allies page, new and returning trial players can snag a code for a weekend of free RIFT game time.

The Allies of the Ascended weekend will go up at 1:00 p.m. EDT today and will continue until Monday, April 18th at 1:00 p.m EDT.

Allies once again invited to saddle up for RIFT's world event originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT world event extended due to technical difficulties

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, RIFT

It looks as though the end of the world will be postponed -- at least for a week.

Due to issues on RIFT's European servers, Trion Worlds has announced that the current world event will postpone moving into its second phase until Saturday, April 16th. In a post on the forums, James Nichols said "With the opening of the final phases of the River of Souls World Event in Europe we have identified several issues that only came to light in a live server environment."

Originally, the River of Souls event was scheduled to head into Phase Two on the 9th, but issues cropped up that prevented this from happening. All told, RIFT's first world event will go through three phases before it is through.

Because of the delay, Trion said that it is both increasing the event currency players can earn and the amount of rewards available for purchase. These changes will be rolled out during the week.

RIFT world event extended due to technical difficulties originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AdventureQuest Worlds threatened by opera, fights back with punk

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Kids

AdventureQuest Worlds, the seriously tongue-in-cheek free-to-play browser-based MMO that draws people like crazy every year at Dragon*Con, has announced that the war meter is currently climbing. For those of you who aren't aware of this brightly colored world, this means that the end of the current chapter, Mythsong, is coming to a close. According to the story so far, Chaos Lord Discordia has made off with all the bands in AdventureQuest Worlds, save one, and is poised to infect the world with an eternity of nothing but opera. His minions, the hilarious "Music Pirates," will invade in force, attempting to skew the world towards Chaos -- and Puccini.

As if that weren't enough, the invasion -- slated to start this Friday, June 25th at 8pm Eastern -- will also play host to an enormous in-world concert by punk band One-Eyed Doll. Apparently Discordia made off with all the bands, save that one, so players will get to join forces with One-Eyed Doll to fight against the Chaos Lord's music-mad minions -- while enjoying a free concert. On top of that, special limited-edition items related to the war against Discordia will be available in the AQ Worlds shop; afterwards, these items will disappear forever. So if you're in the mood to smack down some opera-fiending Music Pirates, or catch One-Eyed Doll's show, then head over to the AdventureQuest Worlds site and get signed in -- or signed up!

AdventureQuest Worlds threatened by opera, fights back with punk originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online brings back live events with Tyrannis

Brendan Drain — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Expansions, Lore, News items

Read that title for a second. No, you're not dreaming and you haven't stepped into a time machine and emerged on April 1st. EVE Online is finally bringing back live in-game events that players can participate in. Any player old enough to have participated in EVE's live events should be as giddy in their seats as I am right about now. In years gone by, CCP ran short sequences of events that pushed an important storyline arc in the game's fiction. Developers would take on the roles of key figures in the story, acting their part according to a guideline script.

The idea that if you were in the right place at the right time you could become embroiled in a terrorist plot or find yourself in the midst of an epic battle between NPC factions was as intoxicating back in 2005 as it is today. This is sure to be a huge boost not just for EVE's role-playing community but for the everyday player that wants to get involved in the great stories of New Eden.

Skip past the cut for more details.

Continue reading EVE Online brings back live events with Tyrannis

EVE Online brings back live events with Tyrannis originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lich King begins assault on Azeroth, starting with Orgrimmar

Kyle Horner — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:45:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Events, in-game, Expansions, News items

World of Warcraft players are experiencing a world event leading up to the launch of Wrath of the Lich King. No, it's not another invasion of flesh-craving zombies -- but it's just as cool. You see, the Lich King is currently launching attacks on Orgrimmar via Frostwyrms and Aboms. The event restarts every 20 minutes and is specifically located in the Valley of Honor. We're unsure how many servers the event has begun on, so if you run into yours and find it peaceful and serene don't feel discouraged as you may only need to wait a little bit before the frost bolts start raining down.

Gallery: Orgrimmar is under attack!

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Lich King begins assault on Azeroth, starting with Orgrimmar originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Lich King cometh, the dead rise in WoW's capital cities

Michael Zenke — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Expansions

WoW Insider is reporting that the Lich King's 'tendrils' are already working their way south into the lands of Azeroth! The Wrath of the Lich King expansion is soon upon us, and already we're seeing signs of the coming World of Warcraft expansion. Agents of Northrend called Argent Healers have appeared in the Horde capital city of Orgrimmar and are most likely also making themselves known in the Alliance capital city of Stormwind. WoW Insider has all the details you'll need for this amazing disease-born world event!

Head to Booty Bay to get in on the fun! You'll be transformed into a zombie and can - at your choice - rush back to the city to be healed ... or spread your foul infection where you will! Just don't come near us with your plagued hands. Other WoW Insider Zombie Invasion resources:

Gallery: Wrath of the Lich King Zombie Event

The Lich King cometh, the dead rise in WoW's capital cities originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Alien Bounty Hunters

Michael Zenke — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Screenshots, City of Heroes, One Shots

Intrepid City of Heroes photog Matthew sent us this shot from the front lines, as he and his fellow Paragon City vets stomped all over the alien menace known as the Rikti. Within sight of the famous statue of Atlas, the heroes look to be doing a bang-up job of banging up those shifty extraterrestrials. Matt doesn't tell us precisely when this is from, but odds are this battle took place around the time of Issue 10: The Rikti Invasion.

That issue really brought CoH players roaring back into the world events habit, and paved the way for the great content introduced by NCsoft in Issue 11. If you missed it the first time around, never fear! The alien invasion early warning system in has detected new fleets inbound. The next one is due to arrive tomorrow, with ships and Rikti arriving daily through the 24th. More should be arriving from June 13th through June 19th, August 1st through August 7th, Sept 26th through Oct 2nd, and November 14th through November 20th. Go out there and fight the good fight!

Have you fought off any alien invasions lately? Do you have any screenshots lying around of your heroic antics during an MMO world event? Send those screenshots our way, via oneshots AT massively DOT com. The next time you save the planet, we might feature it right here in this space!

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Alien Bounty Hunters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeons & Dragons Online live event postponed

Krystalle Voecks — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Events, in-game, Server downtime

According to Quarion and Patience of the Turbine community team, the Dungeon & Dragons Online servers got unlucky and rolled a 1 earlier today. As any good Dungeon Master would, Turbine consulted the critical fail tables and it would appear that the servers will remain offline until at least 7PM Eastern. What this means is that the final chapter of the Emerald Claw Conspiracy event that has been eagerly anticipated will be postponed for the time being.

As we'd stated before, live events in MMOs are sadly uncommon, so we're certain that this is something that the DDO player base will be keeping their eyes on. We know we were looking forward to seeing some screenshots of it for One Shots, as world events are a lot of fun to check out! Hopefully things will work out soon and the DDO servers can get some new dice with better roll mojo for the future.

[Thanks, Schad!]

Dungeons & Dragons Online live event postponed originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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