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Following the release of patch 1.0.5, a further update to Warhammer Online has addressed a large number of bugs in various quests and PQs, the full list of which can be found in the hot fix patch notes. A handful of RVR-related problems were also quashed, most notably the lack of Healer NPCs in Kadrin Valley warcamp, and some missing set items in Tier 3 Gold Keep bags.

Further tinkering with client performance and stability made it into this hot fix as well, with a focus on "periods of intense combat" -- we'll have to see how that one pans out. However, arguably the best part of the patch is one of the simplest changes -- WAR's EULA will now only need to be agreed to when changes are made to it. Joy! It's the little things in life that make us happy.

Tabula Rasa Designer Jason Ford takes the Feedback Friday controls this week to explain a bit about the changes to the Raksha Robotic Facility coming soon with Deployment 14. As he describes, "The Bane have blown a hole through the roof of the C.D.U. (Central Dispatch Unit) in Raksha Robotic Facility on Torden Incline. They've seized control of the C.D.U. system allowing them to start reprogramming the Wardenbots to fight on their behalf."

So now it's time for you to do something about it. A new group encounter has been added, entitled Central Dispatch Unit. This is a Wardenbot Control Point recommended for players between levels 25-32, and it is repeatable. This also spawns a new corresponding mission entitled War Machine, but is not required for participation on the Control Point encounter.

Read more about the details of this addition to the game, coming soon with Deployment 14.

As we referenced in our post yesterday about DC Universe Online's concept art, the folks at SOE Austin are looking to change the playing field fairly substantially with their superhero MMO title. In fact, in a number of ways they're looking to re-examine a lot of the basic elements we think of as part and parcel with the MMO package. One great example is the concept of questing. Your average experience in a massively multiplayer game right now involves seeking out quests - essentially 'todo lists' - from characters a story-centric quest hub somewhere in the game world.

In DCUO, the goal is to let players do what they want to do with the time they have in-game. To that end, the designers are seeking to push content on players, rather than make players seek them out with their precious game time. Calling them 'encounters' rather than quests, these experiences are totally changeable based on developer intentions, and local conditions. DCUO offers traditional questing as well, with well-known quest givers and amazing quest content ... but they're definitely seeking something new in encounters.

We also chat with the developers about the ways in which their physics-based gameplay fits in, the game's death mechanic, and how the game 'feels' like a 3rd person action game more than an MMO. Read on for all the gameplay details!

With the recent redesign of Lord of the Rings Online's main website in anticipation of the upcoming Mines of Moria expansion, we get treated to more than just a pretty new blue theme. We get Moria pre-order information, The Treasures of Moria contest and an expansion to the Hero's Guides started just last month.

In this newest Hero's Guide, Moria's Flaming Deeps are explored and described in great detail, to give players a better idea of what they will face upon arrival. We get the backstory of how the area was settled first by Dwarves, and ultimately conquered by the Orcs. The ongoing struggle to win back this segment of the mines plays host to several exciting questlines that include rebuilding the bridges and armaments in preparation for the war with the Orcs and thinning out the Orc numbers to stop them from being a threat to the once-great Dwarven civilization. Check out the complete four-page article for more information, and look for more to come!

Equipment does play a role in how well your character performs in Warhammer Online, so it's only natural that you'll be wanting to keep your toon outfitted in the best gear that is available to you. This week we're taking a look at the Tracker armor, which is a 3-piece set for Tier 2 players, and offers bonuses if you wear more than one piece. The set is obtained through quests that get you to kill other players, as well as Hero mobs, mixing a bit of PvE and RvR together.

The first stage of each quest involves killing a certain number of players, often of a particular class. There is then a second step to kill a Hero mob that usually requires a group. If you take the trouble to get all three pieces, you'll complete an entry in the Armory section of your Tome of Knowledge and earn yourself a new title as a nice little extra. We've gone through all of the quests needed to get the Tracker set, so click through to our gallery guide to get yourself equipped!

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	Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

The Lord of the Rings Online Fall Harvest festivities are now in full swing, and as promised, we at Massively have created an in-depth guide to help you make the most of your holiday time. This year's event sees the return of many of last year's goodies, plus some new and exciting favorites! Each racial zone has its own version of these Fall Harvest festivities, with different names, events and prizes. Yet each one is fundamentally the same. With the addition of the Troves and Trickery quests in Bree, Duillond, Thorin's Hall and Hobbiton, players can get their hands on some exciting new cosmetic masks just in time for All Hallow's Eve.

This event runs from now until October 12th, so you have plenty of time to gather festival tokens, complete special quests and compete in the horse races! Follow along on our complete guide by clicking the link below, and be sure to also check out our enormous 33-image gallery of Fall Harvest Festival screenshots and maps below to get you where you need to go.

Today is both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthday, and to celebrate, Turbine has reinstated the Belated Birthday quest in Lord of the Rings Online. This quest is basically a way for Bilbo and Frodo to get you to deliver their presents to each other, but you get a nifty little musical cracker as a reward.

As you may remember from the books (or heaven-forbid, the movies), this day is the beginning of Bilbo's disappearance from The Shire , so this is a big deal to many of the game's lore buffs and role-players. Even if you're not a fan of the lore though, this quest only happens once a year. It's available to those level 43 and above, and begins in The Last Homely House of Rivendell. Simply run over to Bilbo's Room inside the House and follow Frodo's instructions.

The Hyborian Backpackers are back out into the sun, after a stop in the Sanctum of the Burning Souls last week. On the cards for this latest Age of Conan adventure is the Khopshef Province region, a vast desert with a number of towns, both friendly and hostile. Not only are there quests galore for the outdoor areas, but this zone plays host to a handful of instances as well that are absolutely worth a visit. Check out our gallery guide to see what Khopshef has to offer.

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	Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

Continuing from where we left you last week, the Hyborian Backpackers have headed indoors for a change on this latest adventure -- but being sheltered from the climate didn't mean we were any safer than before. In fact, inside Age of Conan's Sanctum of the Burning Souls, you'll need a whole group of friends of the appropriate level if you intend to survive for very long at all.

It is however an excellent place to come and see, as you'll be handsomely rewarded for the risk with a handful of loot-dropping bosses, and some good experience. On our visit, we profiled and then wiped out these bosses, followed along with some of the quests in the zone, and examined a few of the nice items up for grabs -- including the Totem of Origins. Check out our gallery guide to see how we went.

The Hyborian Backpackers have returned to guide you through another of Age of Conan's expansive zones. Last week we ventured across Conall's Valley, and for this next tour, we have moved to another of the game's earlier areas, the Wild Lands of Zelata. Flip through our gallery guide to see our snapshots of all the major locations, find out where to pick up your quests, preview some of the bigger and meaner monsters, and to learn what exactly a Zelata is.

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	Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

Veteran EVE Online blogger CrazyKinux is on top of his game. He's put together a collection of resources geared towards new players of EVE, or for those who are curious about what the game entails. He culled roughly three years of his own content to select ten of his most useful posts, out of the hundreds he's written.

The list hits topics ranging from the simple -- acronyms, mission running, and finding the right corporation to join -- to the more complex, such as exploration tips and faction standings. He strikes a good balance between content for new players and info for veteran players who could use a refresher on these aspects of the game. Also of interest there is the ever-growing EVE Online Blog Pack, which provides an easy way to keep up to date with what the EVE blogging community is up to. Check out "10 Posts for the EVE Online Newbie" and its related discussion on the EVE Online forums.

This week, we present to you the first installment of the Hyborian Backpackers' guide to the zones of Age of Conan. Over the coming weeks, we'll be scouring every nook and cranny of Conan's world to bring you all the sights, quest locations, and notable local characters that make up the areas of AoC. Whether you are the type of player that likes to stop and smell the roses, or prefer to have a heads-up on where to go next and charge towards the level cap, these guides will give you an excellent overview of what each zone has to offer so that you don't miss a thing.

To kick things off, we have put Conall's Valley under the spotlight, seeing as a good portion of the population will end up here after leaving the isle of Tortage. Starting at Conarch Village and winding up in an encounter with the big Ymirish baddie pictured above, the trek through the valley proved to be rewarding in more ways than one. Click through to the gallery guide to join us in the first leg of our epic journey across Hyboria!

Massively's exclusive coverage of the Elves of WAR continues with a look at the first five levels in the Warhammer Online for High Elves. Whether you roll an Archmage, Shadow Warrior, Swordmaster or White Lion, your High Elf will follow the same quest line, unless you fly to one of the other racial starting areas. Either way, prepare to have it out with Dark Elves from the get go.

Upon creating your High Elf you start the game in the outpost of Moonrise on the Blighted Isle. You'll have some basic abilities/spells already slotted in your hotbar. There is only one quest giver in the outpost, Silvshara Greywind. She gives a kill quest for six Dark Sprites in the forest, then five Dark Elf Infiltrators.

After completing the kill quests, your High Elf will be level two and be able to train in a new spell/ability by talking to the NPC with the bullseye over their head. If you don't have enough cash, you can kill a few more Dark Elves in the forest for coin and loot you can sell to the vendor.

Your next quest sends you to the quest hub in Calumel to the southeast. On the way there, you'll find an Elf who will give you the quest to shoot Harpies with the Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower next to him. This uses none of your spells/abilities, but puts you in shooter mode where you take control of the launcher and aim the crosshairs at the Harpies. This is just training for RvR use of harpoons and other siege equipment later in the game. But don't pass this up as it's easy exp and he will send you on to the same place you were heading anyway.

TenTonHamster has put together a whopping 13 minutes of Free Realms preview video footage from the Sony Online Entertainment Block Party, at the 2008 Comic-Con. Sony artist Sebastian Strzalkowski brings us on a tour of Free Realms, beginning with character creation and moving on to quests and minigames. Along the way, he notes that Free Realms characters are not locked onto a given server, and can easily move to other servers to meet up with friends.

Strzalkowski also touches upon the system of point accrual and redemption for premium content in the game. Also, true to its name, Free Realms allows for a free-to-play experience, with an optional possibility of earning points through short ad views. He shows viewers a simple user interface, with an OS X-like dock at the bottom of the screen and an animated map.The video presentation focuses mostly on minigames and quests, with bite-sized play times linked to rewards. The idea is that it provides a sense of accomplishment without having to rack up hours of gameplay.