Filed under: MMORTS

Age of Empires developers talk about free-to-try and free-to-play

by Elisabeth Cardy May 18th 2012 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Historical, Business models, Interviews, News items, MMORTS, Age of Empires Online

Gas Powered Games is aiming to take Age of Empires Online out of DLC-supported free-to-play and into a truly free model. That means moving away from what Systems Design Lead Eric Williamson described as "more of a free to try" model and implementing a system through which players can earn points to unlock anything that could be more quickly bought with money. In anticipation of this change, PC Gamer sat down with Williamson and Design Lead Steve Bauman for a chat about some of the philosophy behind the change.

Williams said that their hope is that people who were previously turned off by the imperative that they spend money for full in-game advantage will be willing to give it another go. Players will now be able to earn enough points to unlock a premium civilization in "as short as two or three weeks of daily play," so those who spend the most time in-game will reap the greatest reward. Empire points, the purchase resource that will be gained by either money or in-game achievement, will be earned by players as they complete specific campaign quests, level up, and participate in Alliance Contests.

New End of Nations trailer shines some light on the Shadow Revolution

by Matt Daniel May 9th 2012 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Last month, we got a look at the Liberation Front faction of Trion Worlds' upcoming MMORTS, End of Nations. Today, the company released a trailer highlighting the Liberation Front's enemy of war, the forebodingly named Shadow Revolution.

Players of the Shadow Revolution faction have their choice of two classes: the Wraith class, which focuses on utilizing guerrilla tactics to strike quickly and retreat before counterattacks can be made, and the Phantom class, which takes advantage of cloaking devices in order to launch devastating surprise attacks that can cripple enemy forces before they know what hit them. To get a look at the Shadow Revolution's units in action, just check out the official trailer below.

Free for All: New browser-based converts shine light on issues

by Beau Hindman Apr 25th 2012 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Bugs, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Free for All, Miscellaneous

I recently threw out a prediction that within five years, most of our MMO content will be coming through our browsers. To be more specific, I think that most players in the United States will be enjoying their favorite MMOs within a browser. That can mean several things but does not refer to games like Free Realms, a client-based game that is only signed-into at the browser level. As with any discussion about genres, mechanics or styles in the MMO world, I have to be very specific.

It's pretty likely that a very large percentage of the US playerbase is already playing browser-based games. Look at the American market for games like RuneScape, Battlestar Galactica Online, Club Penguin, Drakensang Online, Evony, and Ministry of War and you might just find millions of players.

Next we need to consider that there are more games coming into the browser market. This new batch is essentially a group of standard, client-based MMOs that are porting themselves to the browser. I tend to be a little skeptical about some of these in the short-term, for several reasons.

End of Nations Liberation Front info and trailer

by Jef Reahard Apr 25th 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Bugs, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

End of Nations - Liberation Front trailer

Trion's End of Nations MMORTS features two playable factions. One of them is the heroic Liberation Front, which is featured in the company's latest video release. The Front boasts two classes: the hard-hitting Spartan, who drives tanks and "other infantry units with high defenses and high damage output," and the Patriot, who specializes in multi-role support units.

Both classes, as well as a number of selectable (and customizable) units, are highlighted in the new trailer, so take a look past the break and get a leg up on building your battle-ready company.

End of Nations is a free-to-play strategy title that is currently in alpha testing.

[Source: Trion press release]

Illyriad MMORTS adding emergent mob distribution

by Jef Reahard Apr 22nd 2012 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Large-scale game changes are a risky endeavor when it comes to MMOs. Today's Illyriad update is no exception, though we're excited to see what happens as the title switches from randomly generated world biology to an "organic and emergent model."

Animal distributions will now take habitats, breeding, and migration into account, and players will notice various critters moving around the map and behaving in a more logical manner. "Now, each pack or herd of animals will be tracked in real time, its population increasing over time, and the pack splitting when the population grows to a certain point. Players will be able to dramatically impact the sizes of animal populations, which will have multiple consequences," says Illyriad founder James Niesewand.

The tweaks are part of a warmup to the game's extended trade and economic revamp which is due later this year.

[Source: Illyriad Games press release]

Rise and Shiny: Stronghold Kingdoms

by Beau Hindman Apr 15th 2012 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Screenshots, Video, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream, Miscellaneous

There are certain designs in the MMORTS genre that have frankly started to burn me out. I was a bit worried that I had reached my tolerance point and would not be able to stomach another city-builder until I had put some time between me and my latest preview or first impressions. It's an amazing genre, and as I have argued before, it's more MMO than most MMOs. As in many genres, successful design is copied. The ironic thing is that all of these copies often dilute the market, making it worse on everyone. As much as I love the genre, I am a bit sick of running into the same design, stereotypical settings, and mechanics. Of course, we cannot take these copies and paint the whole genre with a terrible brush; if we did that, all of MMOdom would be in trouble. Still, I'm sick of it.

Luckily Firefly Worlds, maker of Stronghold Kingdoms, has a very persistent "PR ninja" who made a point to poke at me on Twitter. Usually, we funnel all PR contact to our lead editors for organization purposes, but hey, I can't resist a nice voice and a lovely looking game... and I have a high tolerance for fun people.

MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly

by Beau Hindman Apr 6th 2012 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Screenshots, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility

As a player of many MMORTS titles, I have grown to understand that patience is not only a virtue but a necessity. Many titles from the genre are designed to make you spend real time to do anything. It's not that they are boring or tedious; instead, they are representing what it might be like to actually grow an army or trade hub and to explore the often massive world around you. The pacing is meant to be slow. These are not games of instant leveling or non-stop quest grinding. They're meant to be played in as little as a few minutes per day. This explains a lot of their success -- just imagine how popular they are with time-strapped players.

There is a time, however, after months of toiling away at building up various structures, growing a small army, or finally getting to the maxed out level in a certain area, when you can finally settle down for some real gameplay. It might sound silly to have to wait that long for glory, but come on... this is city-building we are talking about. It takes time.

Massively Exclusive: Trion previews End of Nations' armory

by Jef Reahard Apr 5th 2012 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Trion's super-secret End of Nations is moving right along in its alpha cycle, and today Massively has an exclusive piece of news for you regarding the upcoming MMORTS.

The game differs from traditional real-time strategy titles because it doesn't have base-building, but what it does have is something called an armory. Trion tells us that players will "set their loadouts, create companies, modify units, customize skins, and more" inside the armory. The dev team has just revamped the armory mechanics, and you can get a good look at the armory window in the image after the cut (click on it to zoom in!).

Ensemble Online gears up for beta, launches Kickstarter drive

by Jef Reahard Apr 4th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Miscellaneous

It's been nearly two years since we first heard of Ensemble Online, a browser-based MMO that combines elements from RPG and RTS titles. SemiFormal Studios is gearing up to launch Ensemble's beta testing phase, and the firm has taken to Kickstarter to help with funding.

SemiFormal bills the game as "the world's first MMORTS"; the company says that it allows you to "tactically control territory, harvest resources, and build buildings anywhere on an expansive, real-time, never-ending map." The game doesn't limit where you can build, either, and there are no text-based battles (nor do you lose your progress when you log out).

If that's piqued your interest, head to the official site to learn more about the game, and don't forget to check out the Ensemble Kickstarter page to contribute.

Rise and Shiny: Remanum

by Beau Hindman Apr 1st 2012 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Historical, Video, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, MMORTS, Rise and Shiny, Miscellaneous

This week I was lucky enough to come across a pretty cool browser-based MMORTS that offers no combat whatsoever. That's right -- this game is all about trading, conquering your neighbors with prices, and building a reputation that is better than everybody else's. Remanum is brought to us by the makers of the famous Travian set of games. Slowly, but surely, the developers are trying out different styles of gameplay that all offer an art style that is obviously their own. I was thrilled to see them again try out something different with Remanum.

So how boring is a game that offers nothing but trade wars? Well, that all depends on how much you care for scratching your chin, sitting back, and plotting. It's a game of patience and working with others. I never pretend that most MMORTS titles are supposed to move at the same pace as Vindictus or Guild Wars; games just have different styles. Remanum is a great game to enjoy any place and any time, from a few minutes to a few hours a day.

I had a few issues with the game, so let's cover those as well.

Previously On MVTV: The week of March 24th

by Beau Hindman Apr 1st 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, MMOFPS, MMORTS, Massively Hands-on, Community Q&A, Miscellaneous, Previously on MV TV

Ah, spring is in the air. You know what that means! That means that we get to sit inside, away from all of the sunshine and pollen, and watch others play through video games that we just don't have access to or haven't given a chance yet. This week, we worked hard to bring you some more of our digital adventures and got some of our biggest viewership numbers ever! Remember, if you come across a game we haven't covered yet or want to see a certain title covered, take the time to tell us. Give us the website, why we should look at it, and any other information you think we need to know, and you just might see it live on MVTV!

First Blake jumped into Global Agenda for his Lunchtime Livecast; then Richie took some time to try out the Mists of Pandaria beta for World of Warcraft. Adventure Mike explored some content in Final Fantasy XIV, while plain old Mike burned some space dust in EVE Online and cast many spells in RIFT. I decided to look at Nadirim because it's been a while and gave the Rise and Shiny treatment to Remanum.

Be sure to bookmark our livestream MV Guide, a sort of TV Guide for our livestreams. That way you can blame only yourself when you miss one of our awesome streams!

Zandagort indie MMORTS features 'finite servers'

by Jef Reahard Mar 29th 2012 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS

Looking for an indie game to satisfy that online sci-fi strategy itch? Zandagort just might be the one. Or it might not, but seeing as how it's free-to-play, you don't have much to lose. The title is the brainchild of Hungary-based Zanda Games, and it's a browser MMORTS that features tactical starship maneuvers, a vibrant economy, and diverse gameplay options that touch on everything from trade to warfare to ecology.

What's with the name? Zandagort is a malevolent alien ruler who serves as the game's antagonist, and he's also a literal bit of endgame, according to the game's website. The title features something called finite servers, and "Zandagort arrives at the end of each server to destroy mankind. Players who were enemies before have to collaborate to prevail," Zanda says.

If that sounds interesting, give it a whirl and let us know what you think. Don't forget to tip us about other indie MMO projects while you're at it.

[Thanks to Jergis for the tip!]

MMObility: A few bad design apples ruin the whole bunch

by Beau Hindman Mar 23rd 2012 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Screenshots, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, MMObility

The MMORTS genre is easily one of my favorite genres. There's so much potential in a game that is essentially a giant, endless boardgame with thousands of players. An epic scale occurs in even the smallest of titles because players control not only one or two grand heroes but entire armies that swarm from sprawling cities. Though many of Massively's readers might not hear a lot from the genre, I believe this genre to be one of the most popular out there. Browser-based access doesn't hurt, either, and generally the MMORTS titles I find do a great job of covering their design bases.

You know I have to play Devil's Advocate, however. Despite the fact that the genre is packed full of potentially wonderful gaming sessions, there is so, so much that needs to improve. The negative stereotypes exist for a reason, and I want to shine a light on a few of the more popular titles to show just how one or two bad design and business decisions might reflect poorly on the entire genre.

End of Nations closed beta to start in spring, open beta in summer

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 21st 2012 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Previews, News items, War, Free-to-play, MMORTS

If you're a fan of the underrepresented MMORTS genre, you've likely been waiting for news from Trion Worlds regarding the upcoming End of Nations. That makes today quite a good day for you because the team behind the game has just revealed the plan of attack for the game from this moment forward. Beta testing is barreling toward potential players (who are encouraged to register for an upcoming slot), with the game opening up sometime in the spring.

Not in the mood to wait for a closed beta slot? Hoping for one but not trusting your luck? That's all right -- open beta is set to start in the summer, giving everyone a chance to get in on the large-scale persistent tactical battles. Past that, players can expect the game to launch completely free-to-play, most likely sometime in the fall. The announcement video just past the cut also promises that players can look forward to a lot more in the way of news updates, something that should help contribute to the overall good feeling of any MMORTS fans.

[Source: Trion Worlds press release]

MMObility: Utilizing Windows 8 to help with MMO chores

by Beau Hindman Mar 9th 2012 at 7:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, MMORTS, Kids, Miscellaneous, MMObility

Not so long ago, I told you about my acquisition of an Inspiron Duo netbook, a 10-inch device that was not only a small laptop but also a touchscreen tablet device. It is a very sturdy device, and the flip-around screen works well. The main problem with the device was that it came with Windows 7 while only sporting a dual core processor and two gigs of RAM. The other main issue was that the 10-inch screen has a 1366x768-pixel resolution, meaning that it was often uncomfortable to read on it or play games unless I zoomed in.

Recently Microsoft released the Windows 8 public preview, so I downloaded it after reading that it was really geared for tablet or touchcreen devices. Sure enough, the same 10-inch netbook that was not getting a lot of use around here suddenly became faster and much more friendly to the eyes.

It's perfect timing, as well, especially since I will be starting my "chores" experiment in which I see whether scheduling my gameplay each day will help me with an issue I have been having.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Cataclysm Launch	Dec 7, 2010
DCUO Launch	Early 2011

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Brianna Royce	Senior Editor
Rubi Bayer	Community Manager
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Larry Everett	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Karen Bryan	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist