Massively http://www.massively.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://www.massively.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[Wings Over Atreia: Touring Tiamaranta]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/21/wings-over-atreia-touring-tiamaranta/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/21/wings-over-atreia-touring-tiamaranta/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/21/wings-over-atreia-touring-tiamaranta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wings Over Atreia
If the eeriness of the truce between the Elyos and the Asmodians in Aion's new land of Sarpan wigs you out and makes you long for a good old-fashioned tussle, you can always head on over to Tiamaranta. Although the entire zone is not open for PvP, all four corners and the center are cordoned off for your opponent-bashing pleasure. In fact, Tiamaranta's Eye is often hopping as both sides contest mobs and try to land one of the bosses.

But even if you aren't in the mood for a bloody round of patty-cake, there is plenty of PvE and exploring to be had in this ecologically diverse land with a variety of new mobs to see (and dispatch) and new tasks to accomplish. Not able to make the trip yourself right now? Join Wings over Atreia's guided tour and get a taste of Tiamaranta.

Gallery: Aion: Ascension

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Touring Tiamaranta

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Touring Tiamaranta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionascensionf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playguideguidesHearts-of-TiamatncsoftopinionpvepvpsiegesiegesTiamarantaTiamarantas-Eyetourwings-over-atreiaMon, 21 May 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Preparing for the Inferno expansion]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/20/eve-evolved-preparing-for-the-inferno-expansion/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/20/eve-evolved-preparing-for-the-inferno-expansion/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/20/eve-evolved-preparing-for-the-inferno-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Preparing for the Inferno expansion

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Preparing for the Inferno expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ancillaryarchaeologybhaalgornblobblobbingblueprintblueprintsccpccp-gamesdominixeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionexplorationfeaturedfleetganghackinginfernolabsmagnetometricmagsheathneutraliserpvpradarresearchsandboxsci-fishield-boostershield-tankingtanktankingtech-1tech-2wormholeSun, 20 May 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Putting together a good team composition]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/the-summoners-guidebook-putting-together-a-good-team-compositi/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/the-summoners-guidebook-putting-together-a-good-team-compositi/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/the-summoners-guidebook-putting-together-a-good-team-compositi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Pro League of Legends team Dignitas
Although it would be nice to win all our games on the merits of skill alone, a lot of matches of League of Legends are won or lost at the character select screen. While individual champion balance is always in flux, the synergies between champions matters far more.

This week in the Summoner's Guidebook, I'll give you some advice on picking characters that complement your team's strengths. Remember that a champion is only as good as you can play him or her, and a better champion doesn't ensure victory -- it just makes victory more likely. This is League of Legends, though, and we should take every advantage we can get.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Putting together a good team composition

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Putting together a good team composition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attack-speed-buffsbuffscrowd-controlsdignitasf2pfeaturedfree-to-playget-over-here-and-help-the-teamleagueleague-of-legendslolmobaopinionriotriot-gamesskillshotskillshotsslowssnaresstop-chasing-killsstunssummoners-guidebookteam-compositionteam-compositionsteam-playerteam-playingthe-summoners-guidebookThu, 17 May 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-mission-system/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-mission-system/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-mission-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Secret World - Kingsmouth quest NPC
So The Secret World's mission system treads well off the beaten MMO path. It's pretty cool, actually, though portions of it may irritate quest-grinders who just want to blow through zones on their way to the game's equivalent of a max-level toon.

For the rest of us, there's a nifty interface, some challenging puzzles, and plenty of well-written quest text and dialogue to keep us entertained for weeks at a time.

Continue reading Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system

MassivelyHands-on with The Secret World's mission system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-gamesfactionfantasyfeaturedfuncomhorrorkingsmouthmythologypreviewpreviewsragnar-tornquistsci-fantasysecret-worldsecret-world-impressionssecret-world-mission-guidesecret-world-missionsskill-basedsupply-runthe-kingsmouth-codethe-secret-worldthe-secret-world-mission-guidethe-secret-world-press-betatswtsw-guidestsw-quest-guidetsw-questingThu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with The Secret World's combat system]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/16/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-combat-system/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/16/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-combat-system/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/16/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-combat-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Secret World - Dead zombies
The Secret World's press beta hasn't been what I expected. To be frank, I'd say there are times I wish I didn't have to play it. See, my guild pals are on either the closed beta server or the public beta weekends server, both of which are quite crowded and therefore offer quite a different experience from the forlorn existence endured by my Massively Templar.

There's also the whole I-don't-get-to-keep-this-character thing, not to mention the wow-this-is-cool-and-I-don't-want-to-spoil-it-for-myself-post-launch thing.

On the other hand, I've had plenty of time to muck around with game systems and minutiae, something that my card-carrying membership in the crazy carebear immersionist secret society often precludes. For this week's press beta article, then, I thought I'd give you guys a primer on The Secret World's combat system.

Continue reading Hands-on with The Secret World's combat system

MassivelyHands-on with The Secret World's combat system originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>combatfactionfantasyfuncomhorrormythologypreviewpreviewssci-fantasysecret-worldsecret-world-combatsecret-world-guidesskill-basedthe-secret-worldthe-secret-world-combatthe-secret-world-guidesthe-secret-world-press-betatswtsw-combattsw-guidesWed, 16 May 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Five top tips for your first few days of Diablo III]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/15/five-top-tips-for-your-first-few-days-of-diablo-iii/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/15/five-top-tips-for-your-first-few-days-of-diablo-iii/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/15/five-top-tips-for-your-first-few-days-of-diablo-iii/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Diablo III title image
Diablo III officially launched at midnight last night, opening the floodgates on what is possibly the most pre-ordered PC game in history. It's been almost 12 years since the previous game in the series launched, and it's still going to this day. Whether you've played previous games, have taken part in the Diablo III beta or are taking your first steps into Sanctuary today, everyone starts with a clean slate. In this article, I give my top five tips for spending your first few days wisely in Diablo III.

#5 - Spend most of your time on one character

It seems like a bit of a no-brainer to initially focus on one character, but in Diablo III's case, there's a special reason to do it. You'll likely finish normal mode around level 20-30, and until then, you'll get a new skill almost every level. It's only when you've completed normal mode and moved on to nightmare that the challenge really starts and you will have picked out an effective set of skills. Your last active skill unlocks at level 30, and from then on you'll gain a combination of two to three runes or passive skills every level until you hit the level cap at 60.

Read on for four more tips you should keep in mind as you start playing Diablo III.

Continue reading Five top tips for your first few days of Diablo III

MassivelyFive top tips for your first few days of Diablo III originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgauction-housebarrelsbattlenetblacksmithblizzardblizzard-entertainmentchartd3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiifantasyfeaturedgothic-fantasygraphguideguideslaunch-daylevellevel-chartlevelinglevelsmultiplayeronline-multiplayerpartypassivesphysicsrpgrunessanctuaryskill-chartskillstipstop-fivetop-tipsweaponsTue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/14/learn-the-basics-of-diablo-iii-gameplay/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/14/learn-the-basics-of-diablo-iii-gameplay/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/14/learn-the-basics-of-diablo-iii-gameplay/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Diablo III
Massively's sister site WoW Insider brings us this special bonus article tonight on the basics of Diablo III for folks who normally play MMOs like World of Warcraft. Enjoy the rest of Joystiq's WoW team's Diablo coverage over on WoW Insider, and stay tuned for our own Diablo III launch roundups tomorrow morning!

Since Diablo II was released 12 years ago, it's safe to say that Diablo III will be the first Diablo title many people will have ever played. It's one of the most anticipated titles of the season and is attracting countless new players to the genre. We've received a number of questions asking how this game is even played -- and if it has anything in common with your favorite MMOs.

We have you covered.

The core of Diablo gameplay is the mouse click. You do everything from combat to looting to movement with your mouse, and your interactions with your keyboard are extremely minimal overall. On Twitter recently, many Diablo diehards have mentioned they were buying a new mouse specifically to use with Diablo III -- and that's not a bad idea. No, we're not talking a brand-new $80 Razer Naga; we're talking some $10 to $15 thing you can pick up off of a department store shelf. You want a mouse that you're not going to mourn when your buttons inevitably give out from the mountain of abuse you're about to unleash upon them. Grab something cheap and disposable so that when it dies, you will consider it a victory -- just another technological corpse for the bone pile.

Continue reading Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay

MassivelyLearn the basics of Diablo III gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgbarbarianbattlenetbattletagbattletagsblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcash-shopclassclassesd3demon-hunterdiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiifantasyfeaturedgame-mechanicsgothic-fantasyguideguideshow-to-play-diablo-3how-to-play-diablo-iiimonkmultiplayernewbienewbie-guideonline-multiplayerroguelikerpgrunesrunestoneswitch-doctorwizardwow-insiderMon, 14 May 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Getting out of Elo hell]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/10/the-summoners-guidebook-getting-out-of-elo-hell/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/10/the-summoners-guidebook-getting-out-of-elo-hell/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/10/the-summoners-guidebook-getting-out-of-elo-hell/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

League of Legends screenshot
"Elo hell" is a term that gets thrown around a lot in League of Legends. If you're actively working to improve your skill at the game, either you've been in Elo hell or you are still there. The term comes from the Elo rating system that League of Legends uses for its matchmaking. Because matchmaking has to deal with three or five players on each side, there's a lot of potential for a bad match. In Elo hell, this is exacerbated by players who have inflated ratings due to wins they probably didn't deserve.

At the higher ratings, matches tend to improve in overall quality despite the smaller pool of players. It is virtually impossible to maintain 1600 Elo or above (top 10%) without being somewhat decent at the game. While weaker players can occur in any matchmaking level, they are still two advanced players who know the game. At 1300 Elo (top 50%), there's a very large chance that a matchup inequality is an intermediate player battling an opponent who has no clue what he is doing.

Elo hell is extremely frustrating because nothing worse is having your chance at winning taken out of your hands and put in the hands of a terrible player.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Getting out of Elo hell

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Getting out of Elo hell originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bad-playerselo-hellf2pfeaturedfeedersfeedingfree-to-playgetting-out-of-elo-hellimprove-eloleagueleague-of-legendslolmobaopinionpracticepractice-makes-perfectriotriot-gamesuncle-ryze-wants-you-to-surrenderThu, 10 May 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/08/flameseeker-chronicles-five-things-to-love-about-lions-arch/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/08/flameseeker-chronicles-five-things-to-love-about-lions-arch/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/08/flameseeker-chronicles-five-things-to-love-about-lions-arch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 concept art
Lion's Arch, the quintessential Tyrian player hub, has undergone quite the extensive renovation for Guild Wars 2. As a special treat for the last beta weekend, the city was made explorable to players for the first time -- and what a treat it was! After the Rise of Orr and the accompanying land shift, Lion's Arch as we knew and loved it in the original Guild Wars was flooded. It has been raised anew, very near the first city, and stands as a monument to piracy, desperation, and inter-species cooperation (not, perhaps, in that order).

So what makes Lion's Arch awesome? It's one of six huge cities that are the thriving populatiion centers of Tyria as we find it in Guild Wars 2, and since it doesn't have one single race to lend it culture and purpose, you can bet it had better be pretty special.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcitydiving-boardfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2hublalions-archncsoftnew-lions-archopinionpiratespiratitudequaggantrailertrailersvideovideosTue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Previously on MV TV: The week of April 28th]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/06/previously-on-mv-tv-the-week-of-april-28th/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/06/previously-on-mv-tv-the-week-of-april-28th/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/06/previously-on-mv-tv-the-week-of-april-28th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Previously On banner
Ah, another fine week of streaming videos! Who needs television when you have such killer content right at your fingertips, for free? Well, we need Game of Thrones, but other than that, we'll stick by Massively TV! Be sure to bookmark our livestream schedule page so that you won't miss any of the cool videos. Sign up, join in the chat room, and participate!

This week we had Mike back with his EVE Online and RIFT streams, followed by MJ with a ton of great stuff, including Aion, Lord of the Rings Online, TERA and City of Heroes! Woo! I finished up by showing viewers how to build clothing attachments in Second Life. So stop reading this and click past the cut. Check out the videos and let us know what you think in the comments section. Here, have some popcorn.

Continue reading Previously on MV TV: The week of April 28th

MassivelyPreviously on MV TV: The week of April 28th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionbeau-hindmaneve-onlineeverquest-iifeaturedlivestreaminglord-of-the-rings-onlinemassively-streamteammassively-tvmassivelytvmj-guthriemv-tvmvtvpreviously-on-mv-tvriftround-uproundupsecond-lifestreamstreamersstreamingstreamteamteratwitchtwitch-tvtwitchtvvideovideosSun, 06 May 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Four years of EVE Evolved]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/29/eve-evolved-four-years-of-eve-evolved/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/29/eve-evolved-four-years-of-eve-evolved/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/29/eve-evolved-four-years-of-eve-evolved/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
On April 27th, 2008, I joined the Massively crew and published the first edition of a new weekly column dedicated to the world of EVE Online. It's hard to believe that the EVE Evolved column is now four years old, spanning nine major expansions and predating CCP Games' transformation into an industry giant with three games in development. Since the column's first crude scribbling about shuttles, I've written over 200 in-depth articles, guides, stories, and opinion pieces. With its free expansions and iterative updates, EVE is a rapidly changing game that provides a constant supply of things to write about.

To celebrate the fourth anniversary of the column, I'm giving away two 30-day Pilot's License EXtensions to two lucky readers. To enter the competition, leave a comment stating which EVE Evolved article from this year is your favourite, and why it's your favorite, and what topic you'd like to see covered in the coming year. You will need an active EVE account to claim the prize, so be sure to include a character name with your comment if you want to be able to win a prize. If you're not comfortable with giving out your character name, use an alternate character or sign up a new trial account. The winners' names will be revealed in next week's column.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at some of the highlights from the column's fourth year.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Four years of EVE Evolved

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Four years of EVE Evolved originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversaryapocryphaccpccp-gamescolumnconsolecontestcrucibledustdust-514eveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedfour-yearfour-year-anniversaryfour-yearsfpsincarnainfernommofpsnyphurplaystationplaystation-3plexps3sandboxsci-fishooterSun, 29 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Improving our skillshot dodging skills]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/26/the-summoners-guidebook-improving-our-skillshot-dodging-skills/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/26/the-summoners-guidebook-improving-our-skillshot-dodging-skills/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/26/the-summoners-guidebook-improving-our-skillshot-dodging-skills/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

League of Legends screenshot
Although the term "skillshot" was a new word for me when I started playing League of Legends, the concept of avoidable attacks is something that is very intuitive for even novice gamers. Skillshot is just a fancy term that roughly means "dodgable attack" in MOBA games. Although the official terminology sometimes differentiates between ground-targeted AoE and true skillshots (which are generally projectiles or groups of projectiles), that distinction is not really necessary for us. If it can be evaded, we'll call it a skillshot.

Dodging skillshots is something that is fairly easy to develop skill for. It takes only a little bit of mental effort to dramatically improve your ability to evade them. It's also a skill that can always be improved with practice. We can always react to them faster or predict them more reliably. This makes it a good area to improve on because we can always get better.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Improving our skillshot dodging skills

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Improving our skillshot dodging skills originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agh-nidalee-spear-in-my-facedodgingdodging-nidalee-spearsdodging-skillshotsdodging-spearsdominionf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfrench-maid-nidalee-is-pretty-hotguideguidesleagueleague-of-legendslolmobanidaleeopinionriotriot-gamesskillshotskillshotssummoners-guidebooksummoners-riftthe-summoners-guidebookyorick-versus-nidaleeThu, 26 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Handy tips for fishing and survival in Telara]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/25/enter-at-your-own-rift-handy-tips-for-fishing-and-survival-in-t/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/25/enter-at-your-own-rift-handy-tips-for-fishing-and-survival-in-t/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/25/enter-at-your-own-rift-handy-tips-for-fishing-and-survival-in-t/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

rift fishing
In my last column about RIFT, I looked at a few highlights that were coming with Update 1.8, but because of the buzz surrounding the two new skills of fishing and survival, I wanted to delve into both a little more closely and perhaps even give a few tips I picked up so far that might be helpful if you're thinking of giving it a try.

Whether you're an old salt or a greenhorn, and if you're curious about what exactly it takes to fish in Telara or what you need to build yourself a nice camp and a warm meal, this week's Enter at Your Own Rift might help!

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Handy tips for fishing and survival in Telara

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Handy tips for fishing and survival in Telara originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cookingcraftingenter-at-your-own-riftfantasyfeaturedfishingfishing-derbyfishing-trophyopinionriftrift-bedrollrift-derbyrift-fishing-guiderift-planes-of-telararift-survival-guiderift-tentsurvivaltelaratradeskillstriontrion-worldsWed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Yes, I've seen your bear Tibbers]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/19/the-summoners-guidebook-yes-ive-seen-your-bear-tibbers/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/19/the-summoners-guidebook-yes-ive-seen-your-bear-tibbers/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/19/the-summoners-guidebook-yes-ive-seen-your-bear-tibbers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

League of Legends screenshot
Annie is a very popular champion in the lower skill ranks of League of Legends. This is especially true of the Classic gametypes, where she is one of the more common choices for the solo mid lane. Additionally, she is a fearsome enemy even when played by the AI. Horror stories of Annie Bot wrecking whole teams have been going on since the dawn of the game.

Because Annie is so popular and deadly, she's an ideal character to spotlight on the Guidebook. She's fun, easy to play, and oh-so-very cute. When you go up against her, it's good to know exactly what to expect.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Yes, I've seen your bear Tibbers

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Yes, I've seen your bear Tibbers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>annieannie-the-dark-childap-carrycasterf2pfeaturedfree-to-playguideguideshave-you-seen-my-bear-tibbersleagueleague-of-legendslittle-girllollolimagemobaopinionpyromaniariotriot-gamesteddyteddy-beartibbersThu, 19 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: The truth behind weapon damage types]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/14/the-road-to-mordor-the-truth-behind-weapon-damage-types/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/14/the-road-to-mordor-the-truth-behind-weapon-damage-types/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/14/the-road-to-mordor-the-truth-behind-weapon-damage-types/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

LotRO
Part of the allure of Lord of the Rings Online is its surprising depth and complexity, particularly for those who like to get the best performance out of their characters. Part of the frustration of LotRO is its obtuse or absent explanations behind the many systems in the game.

One of these systems remained on the outer edges of my attention span until one day I gave it my full focus. This was the field of weapon damage types, a subject I was vaguely aware of yet assumed I didn't have to know much about it to get along in the game. After some examination, I realized that while you don't need to understand weapon damage types to have an enjoyable play experience, it does affect the game in a small but important way.

So if you've ever wondered what "Beleriand" or "Westernesse" in your weapon tooltip was all about, today's column is here to help you navigate the somewhat confusing area of damage types.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The truth behind weapon damage types

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: The truth behind weapon damage types originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ancient-dwarfBeleriandcriesdamage-typesf2pfantasyfeaturedfirefree-to-playlightlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroopinionroad-to-mordorshadowthe-road-to-mordorturbineturbine-entertainmentweapon-damage-typeweapon-damage-typesWesternesseSat, 14 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Upping my kill-death ratio]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/12/the-summoners-guidebook-upping-my-kill-death-ratio/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/12/the-summoners-guidebook-upping-my-kill-death-ratio/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/12/the-summoners-guidebook-upping-my-kill-death-ratio/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

League of Legends screenshot
Those of you who have been reading WRUP know that I've been playing a lot of Kassadin lately. He's an assassin with a very high skill cap, and he's ridiculously powerful in Dominion. Kassadin is also kind of hard to play. He has a lot of strange mechanics, and his powerful tricks are somewhat unintuitive. Recently, I had a small epiphany that dramatically improved my skill. This improvement improved more than just my Kassadin game; it boosted my overall skill level with every champion in League of Legends.

Before I made this development, I was performing terribly. I ended up playing a lot of bot matches because I felt my execution with Kassadin was really awful, and every time I went back to PvP games, I felt more and more behind. Suddenly, after a string of bad decisions cost me a match, I realized something I was doing wrong and went on to begin dominating. I went from getting focused down early every fight to utterly demolishing teams and causing enemy players to second-guess fighting me 1v1 even with both of us full on life. What's the secret, you ask? I'd like to tell you, so read on!

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Upping my kill-death ratio

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Upping my kill-death ratio originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceassassinf2pfeaturedfree-to-playguidekassadinleagueleague-of-legendslearn-to-playlearning-from-your-mistakeslolmobaopinionriftwalkriotriot-gamesstrategysummoners-guidebookthe-summoners-guidebookThu, 12 Apr 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion: Ascension launches and class begins]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/11/aion-ascension-launches-and-class-begins/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/11/aion-ascension-launches-and-class-begins/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/11/aion-ascension-launches-and-class-begins/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Aion screenshot
And we have lift off! Aion Ascension has launched at last, and finally, some of those tidbits we were teased with in the notorious Visions Trailer are in-game. Housing! Mounts! New Zones! Choirs of winged Daevas singing!

Not only are these much anticipated features available, but the new Truly Free business model has now made its way to another NCsoft title. Edward Chang, Director of Product Management at NCsoft, states,
"We started converting current players to the new business model late last week in preparation for today's launch and we couldn't be happier with the response, tripling concurrency in a matter of hours. We spent a considerable amount of time focused on optimizing Aion Ascension for the Truly Free business model, and early feedback from the community indicates that we made the right decisions."
What more could be added to this good news? How about a free introductory course of helpful hints to offer Daevas a little boost! It just so happens we have the syllabus for Ascension 101 right here, penned by none other than Producer Adam Christensen. Read on for Adam's very own tips and tricks for the 3.0 patch. Don't worry -- there won't be a quiz at the end!

Continue reading Aion: Ascension launches and class begins

MassivelyAion: Ascension launches and class begins originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Adam-ChristensenaionAscensionexclusiveexclusive-guidef2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playguideguidesncsoftnewspatchpatchestruly-freeWed, 11 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: Practice makes perfect]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/05/the-summoners-guidebook-practice-makes-perfect/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/05/the-summoners-guidebook-practice-makes-perfect/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/05/the-summoners-guidebook-practice-makes-perfect/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

League of Legends screenshot
If you haven't noticed from previous editions of The Summoner's Guidebook, I emphasize practicing new techniques a lot. Practice is the only thing separating novice League of Legends players from experts. Talent can help speed up the process, but the best summoners are those who work hard to improve their skills. No pro player got to where he is today by playing only one or two games a day.

However, merely playing a lot of games doesn't make you a good player. In fact, the wrong kind of practice builds bad habits that are hard to break. When I first got into League of Legends, I knew quite a few people who also played the game. Although a few (who are semi-pro players) are still much better than I am, I became vastly better than the rest of my peers in a very short amount of time. Want to know my secrets? Read on!

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Practice makes perfect

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Practice makes perfect originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crystal-scardominionf2pfeaturedfree-to-playl2pl2pvpleagueleague-of-legendsleague-of-legends-dominionlearning-to-playlolmobaopinionpracticepractice-makes-perfectriotriot-gamessummoners-guidebooksummoners-riftthe-summoners-guidebookThu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Summoner's Guidebook: I hate Jack-in-the-boxes]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/03/29/the-summoners-guidebook-i-hate-jack-in-the-boxes/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/29/the-summoners-guidebook-i-hate-jack-in-the-boxes/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/29/the-summoners-guidebook-i-hate-jack-in-the-boxes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

League of Legends screenshot
Out of all of the characters in League of Legends, Shaco is probably the least fun character to fight against. His traps are highly annoying, fearing you and poking you with damage. He is extremely slippery and hard to kill, striking out of nowhere and disappearing just as quickly. Just when you think you have him, it turns out that was actually his clone and it explodes, netting Shaco yet another kill.

"Annoying" is the first word I'd use to describe him, and this is what Shaco wants you to think. He doesn't want you to know his weaknesses, so he keeps you on your toes, constantly afraid of jack-in-the-box traps and invisible backstabs. However, he has weaknesses, and this week, we're going to talk about how to put the killer clown back in his toybox.

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: I hate Jack-in-the-boxes

MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: I hate Jack-in-the-boxes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cant-sleep-clowns-will-eat-meclownf2pfeaturedfree-to-playi-hate-clownsi-hate-jack-in-the-boxesleagueleague-of-legendslolmobaopinionpaper-tigerriotriot-gamesshacosummoners-guidebookthe-summoners-guidebooktraptrapsThu, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Breaking down Guild Wars 2's character creator]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/03/26/breaking-down-guild-wars-2s-character-creator/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/26/breaking-down-guild-wars-2s-character-creator/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/26/breaking-down-guild-wars-2s-character-creator/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

GW2
The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

In just the few minutes that it takes to traverse the 10 screens of Guild Wars 2's character creation process, I'm left with one overriding thought: This game looks ridiculously good. Ludicrously so, even. And I didn't even enter the game world yet!

I always love a good, in-depth character creation system, as there's a joy in spending a good amount of time making exactly the sort of character you want to play. Unfortunately, most MMOs have stripped this process down to the bare basics, which is why I'm pleased to announce that it's actually a mini-journey in and of itself in Guild Wars 2.

The point of this process isn't just to make a character but help you grow attached to this person and get to know him or her through it. What are this character's motivations? What branch of his or her profession is the most appealing? How did you become a hero? What obstacles do you have to overcome?

Instead of playing the game itself, I took some time over this beta testing weekend to dissect every step of the character creation system and bring my findings back to those of you who want to start building your character in your mind.

Continue reading Breaking down Guild Wars 2's character creator

MassivelyBreaking down Guild Wars 2's character creator originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbackstorycharactercharacter-creationcharacter-creatorcharacter-customizationcharacterscharrclassclassescustomizationfantasyfeaturedguideguidesguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-betaguild-wars-2-guideguild-wars-2-previewgw2hands-onhumanncsoftnornpreviewraceracesstoryMon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST