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Filed under: Game mechanics

EverQuest II's GU63 tweaks crafting, adds hundreds of new items

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Crafting

EverQuest II - armorsmith at the forge
If you've been slacking when it comes to keeping up with EverQuest II tradeskill news lately, the recent Game Update 63 (otherwise known as Skyshrine) featured quite a few noteworthy tweaks. Sony Online Entertainment has posted a dev interview detailing some of the larger changes, including the addition of several hundred new craftable items.

SOE's Brian "Omougi" Ferguson says that Carpenters and Alchemists got a lot of love during this patch, and combat-only players will be pleased to know that crafters can now make even more handy upgrades. There are two new consumables for each class archetype, and Ferguson is particularly fond of the tank versions which gives meatshields an additional 20% damage reduction for 12 seconds.

Full details are yours at the official EQII website.

Not So Massively: Error 37, hero spotlights, and the Torchlight II beta

Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Video, Bugs, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III

Not So Massively title image
Well-known World of Warcraft guild Method secured a world first kill on Diablo III's Skeleton King in inferno mode just a few days after launch but was beaten to the game's completion by a single person. Players have been in outrage all week as server instabilities and login difficulties plagued the game's launch.

League of Legends revealed upcoming champion Darius this week and announced huge client updates that seem set to double the game's frame rate. Blacklight: Retribution released a new Netwar game mode, combining capture the flag and control point gameplay. Heroes of Newerth released its new support hero Riftwalker, Dota 2 released classic hero Treant, and Rise of Immortals took a close look at melee damage-dealer Tzai. Upcoming MOBA Smite will be entering closed beta at the end of the month, and Torchlight II's beta will soon end for the last time.

Captain's Log: STO's Caitian Carriers and Klingon Kitties

Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Races, Captain's Log

STO
Lately I've beginning to wonder whether the wait for Star Trek Online's Season Six has been as interminable for other players as it seems to have been for me. Although the past several weeks have been busy in the real-life side of things, those distractions really haven't been all that good at harboring my frustration about the wait for the new stuff as I would have liked.

Season Six is being readied for a move to STO's test server, Tribble, in the next couple of weeks, according to the most recent Ask Cryptic as answered by the game's Executive Producer, Dan Stahl. The new patch will contain fleet starbases and a new fleet advancement system but not much else in the way of story-based content.

That's not unexpected, however, as not one of the previous Season releases really ever contained story-based content; they've merely been game-technology pushes, and I understand that Season Six will be no different.

However a couple of things have come out to the game in the past few weeks that have ruffled some hard-core Trek-fan feathers: Caitian Carriers and Ferasans.

Ultima Online rolling out a new installment of the Awakening

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Ultima Online, Dungeons

In some cases, sleep is better than awakening.  Like waking up to a fight against a giant squid monster.
Ultima Online is preparing a continuation of the game's latest global arc with tomorrow's patch. Act VI of The Awakening asks players to assist in crafting a number of alchemical preparations, with a number of rewards available for players who actively try to crack the puzzle of the correct ingredients. More information will be available from the official site as well as an in-game NPC. If you need more time to prepare, don't worry -- the quest is going active in July and lasting until mid-August.

If you're not willing to wait, the new patch also sees a revamp of the Covetous Dungeon. The first floor remains largely unchanged, but levels two and three both feature a new system for the game in which players accumulate points for defeating monsters that can later be turned in for new rewards. Last but not least, vanilla plants have been added to the game's gardening system, giving players another new thing to explore when not fighting monsters or preparing for the next part of The Awakening.

Leaderboard: Permadeath vs. no permadeath

Filed under: Polls, Game mechanics, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard

Permadeath
Permadeath is one of those game mechanics that seems destined to forever be nibbling away at the fringe of the MMO genre than invited to the cool kids' table. Many players find themselves aghast at the notion of losing all their hard-earned progress with one untimely demise, and it seems like game developers agree with them: Very few MMOs have any sort of permadeath option.

However, this most-severest-of-severe death penalties does persist. Some players elect to form guilds and meta-groups to pursue a permadeath lifestyle in their games. A few upcoming titles, such as Salem and Wizardry Online, have permadeath as a core mechanic. Even the recently released Diablo III has a "hardcore" permadeath mode for the brave at heart.

The question we put before you today is yet another nibble that may never be noticed by the mainstream, but it's important to consider: Is permadeath worth including in MMO design, even as an optional mechanic or server, or should this brand of death penalty kick the bucket once and for all? Vote after the jump!

Vindictus EU update features two new raid bosses

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Vindictus

Vindictus - Glas Gobbledegook something or other
This must be the day for sexy MMO news. On the heels of one risque announcement, we have a trailer for the latest Vindictus EU update that features a scantily clad lass named Succubus and a demonic colossal called Glas Ghaibheleann. Succubus is, well, a succubus, and she's also a raid boss who will challenge players like no other.

Except for maybe Glas Ghaibheleann. He's also a raid boss. While he's not quite as attractive as his partner-in-crime, he's equally deadly. Nexon says that the pair will awe players with their appearance and unique abilities. Get a load of the latest Vindictus EU update in the video after the cut.

[Source: Nexon Europe press release]

The Anvil of Crom: Downgrading an Age of Conan account to F2P

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Anvil of Crom

The Anvil of Crom - Comparing Age of Conan's free and premium services
As I mentioned last time, I'm currently test-driving the EU servers. As such, my Age of Conan subscription fee is spoken for, and my US server characters are now relegated to free-to-play status. Since I'm still deciding on an EU main (I just rerolled after getting a PoM to 22), I figured I'd use this week's column to take a quick look at my veteran account through the eyes of a free-to-play customer.

When AoC Unchained debuted last summer, I read the account services matrix like everyone else, but to be frank, I didn't pay it much attention because I'd always been a subscriber. In the back of my mind, I figured that anyone who's halfway serious about Age of Conan would want to sub up, and my experiences this weekend have only reinforced that notion.

Orgia Romanus MMO looks to 'facilitate sexual interactions between players'

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items

Orgia Romanus - yep, really
Sex in MMOs isn't particularly new, especially given the titillating ad campaigns that accompany your average fantasy title. Orgia Romanus is new, and it's aiming higher (or lower) than scantily clad elven babes. One of its gameplay goals "is to facilitate sexual interactions between players," according to a FoxySoft Gaming press release.

FoxySoft is the brainchild of Alex Allen, a former artist and project director at Acclaim and Sony Online Entertainment. In mechanical terms, Orgia Romanus looks to marry traditional merchant-, politician-, and warrior-centric play with sexual content. Gamers will become "engaged emotionally as they are allowed to build relationships with other players that help them advance through the game," FoxySoft says.

Full development on Orgia Romanus will commence after a crowdfunding campaign scheduled for next month. A playable demo is expected this fall.

[Source: FoxySoft Games press release]

Game of Thrones Facebook title in the works

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Casual

Joffrey golf-clapping
HBO's Game of Thrones is getting the online gaming treatment for the second time in the space of a calendar year. First it was Bigpoint's free-to-play browser MMO, and now it's a Facebook game called Game of Thrones Ascent, which is being developed by Disruptor Beam, a social gaming company headed by former GamerDNA CEO Jon Radoff.

The company says that players will "lead the life of a noble during the time of upheaval as portrayed in the books and the series thus experiencing a new type of game that unites both story and strategy."

Precious little info is given on the title, including a release date, but we'll bring you the latest as it becomes available.

[Source: Disruptor Beam press release]

EVE Evolved: Preparing for the Inferno expansion

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Guides, Sandbox, Crafting

EVE Evolved title image
The Inferno expansion is set to launch on Tuesday May 22nd, promising a complete revamp of EVE Online's war declaration system and a whole host of new modules. If you're in a wardec corp, you'll need to make a few adjustments to the way you operate when the patch goes live. The minimum war fee will increase to 50 million ISK even if you're declaring war on a small corporation, making very small corps less-appealing targets. The fee increases based on the number of members in the target corp, but it doesn't start increasing until around the 130-member mark. If you want to get your money's worth, you'll be best off picking a target corp with 100-150 members or selecting very high-value small targets.

Be very wary of wardeccing large alliances after the patch. While the previous war system swung in favour of the attacker, the new system has gone to the opposite extreme. Large corps and alliances are now significantly more costly and dangerous to declare war on, especially as the defender can now call mercenaries into the war at any time. Players have complained that the increasing war costs could be abused by getting all alliance members to add alts to the corp, but this would be a logistical nightmare to apply in practice and would increase fees by only a few hundred million ISK. If alt padding becomes a problem, CCP will undoubtedly step in and revise the fee structure.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the new modules and gameplay changes coming in Tuesday's Inferno expansion and give some tips on preparing for the patch.

Perpetuum expansion coming May 30th, bringing terraforming, new land masses

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Perpetuum, Sandbox

Perpetuum robot duel
A couple of weeks ago, we told you about Perpetuum's new player-build settlements functionality and its new test server. Now, the devs at Avatar Creations have even more exciting news: an expansion!

It's called Gamma Frontier, and Avatar calls it the biggest expansion since the game went live over 18 months ago. Player corporations will be able to build home bases, launch industrial projects, and colonize the new Gamma islands (not to mention defend them from invasion-minded players).

The expansion also features extensive new terrain-shaping abilities. Avatar has given players full control over the land, including the ability to form hills, dig holes, and level the surrounding terrain as they see fit. Due to complications with pre-existing systems and landmasses, the terraforming capabilities are available only on the new Gamma islands (24 in total). Click past the cut to see a brief video of terraforming in action, then head to the Perpetuum website to read all the expansion details.

[Source: Perpetuum newsletter]

The Tattered Notebook: Peeling back the layers of time

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook

EQII flying
I was watching Shrek with my kids the other day, and one of my favorite scenes is Shrek's stroll with Donkey when they first meet. Shrek tries to explain how Ogres are like onions and how both have layers. When you think about it, EverQuest II is also like an onion because it has layer after layer of content and features that have stacked up over the years. In fact, some players have argued that there's almost too much to do, particularly at the lower levels.

I have always loved the fact that EverQuest II has been willing to try out new ideas over the years, and some of them have been remarkably successful. But there are a few that have gotten lost in the shuffle, while others have ended up directly conflicting with later additions of content. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll peel back the onion and look at the lost and conflicting layers of EQII.

MMObility: An exclusive look at the Runespan in RuneScape

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Patches, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Hands-on, Casual, Miscellaneous, MMObility, Crafting

RuneScape screenshot
Jagex, developer of the ever-popular browser-based game RuneScape, is known for its rapid development schedule. Heck, I fully expect that this article will be outdated by the time I finish its rough draft. Players of the Jagex flagship MMO can log in to find new items, places to explore, and quests to do almost weekly. I tend to poke my nose into the game several times a week, so I know that a more casual player has endless amounts of content to run through. I might level up my construction skill and then switch to something completely different. I just recently spent an afternoon playing with just the new bonfire skill.

Of course, those pesky developers are at it again: giving me more content to go through even though my highest skills hover around only the level 40 mark. This time it's the Runespan, a brand-new area that helps players level runecrafting by offering them a one-stop shop that is more casual and non-competitive than the normal runecraft experience.

I got the chance to call up some of the lead developers on the phone and ask not only about the Runespan but about the new FPS improvements, so be sure to check that out!

EVE Insider gets into the nitty gritty of the new ally system

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

Evil Pair of Ducks v. Pair of Ducks: FIGHT
In a never-ending effort to facilitate the spread of war and destruction, the good folks at CCP have cooked up an Ally System for EVE Online's upcoming Inferno expansion -- a system that will enable players to put their services on hire or find a buddy to join them in a war. In a dev diary update today, the system was brought out into the light and displayed in detail.

Wars you're engaged in will show up in the Our Wars tab (under the Wars tab, under the Corporation tab in your Neocom), as will any wars that you're an ally in. If you're a CEO or Director, you can list yourself as Open For Allies and decide whether or not to accept offers for help -- which you should expect, naturally, to come at a price. Negotiation of prices can be carried out through normal communication channels, as the current UI allows you only to accept or decline the offer.

If trouble hasn't found you and you want to spice things up, the All Wars tab is the place for you: It's a list of, well, all active wars, with information like who's asking for an ally and wars with one or more allies. By default, the list shows the 50 most recent wars, but it's also searchable by corporation/alliance. There's an "Assitance requests only" box that you can check to speed up the sword-selling process. Once you've made an offer, possibly done some negotiating, and been accepted, you'll be counted as an ally, although you'll have to wait 24 hours to start fighting.

The purpose of this system is to give more options to defenders, introduce some risk for attackers, and provide ways for mercenaries to support themselves. There's a whole list of extra rules and explanation over on the blog proper, so be sure to check it out.

The Firing Line: World of Warplanes producer talks matchmaking, progression

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - World of Warplanes producer interview
Last week I talked a bit about a couple of flight sim shooters coming soon to a PC near you. One of them is World of Warplanes, the followup title to Wargaming.net's ubiquitous World of Tanks hit.

The World War II action MMO masters are slipping the surly bonds of earth with a new lobby-based battler that's currently flying through the early phases of its global alpha test. I had a few burning questions for the devs, including specifics on the matchmaking system, progression, and the possibility of historical scenarios. Producer Anton Sitnikau was gracious enough to answer those and more, so head past the break to see what he had to say.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

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Cataclysm Launch
Dec 7, 2010
DCUO Launch
Early 2011

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