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Not So Massively: D3 cuts death animations and HoN releases another broken hero

Brendan Drain — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

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

Diablo III delivered 100,000 beta keys to North American fans this week, but it also revealed that the epic death animations from the game's first gameplay reveal were actually faked and won't be in the final game. Upcoming online FPS Blacklight: Retribution has challenged players to play 20 ranked matchmaking games by Thursday to win an exclusive golden helmet, and Massively still has beta keys if you'd like to get involved.

Heroes of Newerth released its potentially overpowered new hero Berzerker this week, placing Artesia into the free hero pool for legacy accounts a week early. League of Legends introduced its updated AI, adding 40 champions to the bot roster for both Summoner's Rift and Dominion co-op games. Dota 2 released a new test version to trial experimental changes without interrupting balance testing, and dungeon crawler Path of Exile showed off two new screenshots of its upcoming 0.9.6 patch. Finally, Bloodline Champions increased all XP gains by 50% this week in patch 2.3 and has launched a hilarious new photo content that's sure to get some questionable entries.

Continue reading Not So Massively: D3 cuts death animations and HoN releases another broken hero

Not So Massively: D3 cuts death animations and HoN releases another broken hero originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Why are all these games still in beta?

Brendan Drain — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, MOBA

Dota 2 revealed its latest hero, Clinkz the Bone Fletcher, in this week's beta patch, while the Realm of the Titans beta was rudely interrupted by a security breach that saw thousands of passwords stolen. Blacklight: Retribution's fourth beta phase is now underway, and we have beta keys for those of you who haven't managed to get into it yet. Bloodline Champions celebrated the two-year anniversary of its first beta test this week, and developers revealed details of upcoming bloodline Headhunter.

League of Legends spilled the beans on its brand-new psychotic yordle champion Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert, this week with a full gameplay reveal, art spotlight and patch preview. Diablo III seems slightly nearer to release this week with the news that Blizzard has cancelled BlizzCon 2012 in order to focus on getting the game to release as soon as possible. Heroes of Newerth player Fatmilk set a new world record by playing the game for 76 hours straight and raised pver $3,700US for charity as a result. Finally, the Rise of Immortals developers discussed the latest immortal, Ukkonen, and other topics in the first part of a new developer podcast series.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Why are all these games still in beta?

Not So Massively: Why are all these games still in beta? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: New hero edition

Brendan Drain — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Betas, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA

League of Legends revealed this week that 5% of Taiwan is now playing even though the game only launched there six months ago. We also got an in-depth look at new jungling tank champion Sejuani with a new champion spotlight video. Heroes of Newerth released its own new hero this week with ranged intelligence hero Gravekeeper, and Bloodline Champions teased fans with upcoming bloodline Headhunter.

The Diablo III beta saw some big changes this week to bring the gameplay back into the spirit of its predecessor, Diablo II. Wrath of Heroes began gearing up for its fifth beta session later this week, while Blacklight: Retribution explored the fine art of stealing your enemy's hardsuit in a new video release. Firefall announced its condemnation of the Stop Online Piracy Act this week, adding its name to the list of opposition to the proposed legislation. Finally, Rise of Immortals got a make-over this week with a brand-new logo, launcher and login screen.

Continue reading Not So Massively: New hero edition

Not So Massively: New hero edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: LoL talks Sejuani, D3 drops cash AH in Korea and more

Brendan Drain — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, MOBA

This week, League of Legends revealed its upcoming tank champion Sejuani, a barbarian from the north who rides a boar and fights with the power of frost. Champion Jax was also completely remastered as part of the Sejuani patch, with his reliance on the dodge skill removed. Rise of Immortals released a champion spotlight on ranged damage-dealer Nyssus, and Firefall released a video of hilarious outtakes from last week's cosplay programme video.

The big news is that Diablo III has finally solved its dispute with the South Korean rating agencies by removing the cash auction house in that country only. Bloodline Champions celebrated its first birthday, and Heroes of Newerth's HoNWars tournament fired up its second season with a $10,000 prize pool. Blacklight Retribution talked tactics in its latest developer diary, highlighting tactical use of the HRV that lets you briefly see enemies through walls. Finally, the latest Wrath of Heroes beta has been extended until tomorrow morning, and End of Nations talked capture points in a new Warfront video devblog.

Continue reading Not So Massively: LoL talks Sejuani, D3 drops cash AH in Korea and more

Not So Massively: LoL talks Sejuani, D3 drops cash AH in Korea and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Hints of a Diablo III release date and more

Brendan Drain — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Betas, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA

League of Legends kicked off the competitive year with the closing of 2011's final event and showed off some hilarious fan-made videos this week. Firefall continued its cosplay program video series with the inclusion of Hollywood actor Lee Reherman, and we finally got to see the finished mech suits for the game's signature characters Mourningstar and Typhon.

Has Diablo III's release date been accidentally leaked? This week we saw compelling evidence to suggest that the highly anticipated title has finally got a release date -- and it's not far away! Heroes of Newerth fans foamed at the mouth with Patch 2.5.4's introducing a potentially overpowered new hero but none of the crash fixes or balance tweaks the game desperately needs. Rise of Immortals announced the winners of its holiday competition and released a new spotlight on Ichorr. Finally, Wrath of Heroes announced the next stage of its ongoing beta, which is scheduled to begin this week.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Hints of a Diablo III release date and more

Not So Massively: Hints of a Diablo III release date and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: A quiet week in the land of MOBA

Brendan Drain — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Betas, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA

It's been a quiet week for online gaming, with game studios around the world enjoying the holidays and gearing up for another year of development. The Diablo franchise celebrated its 15th anniversary this week, but that elusive Diablo III release date is still unknown. The game has run into legal difficulties with South Korea's rating agencies, but this shouldn't affect the global release.

League of Legends had a quiet holiday week, issuing a reminder to players that the dodge rune removal scheduled for last week is now complete. Bloodline Champions officially released its new bloodline Stormcaller and relocated its servers to Sweden in order to improve performance. Finally, Valve threw hundreds of Dota 2 beta keys into its holiday giveaway over the past week, and Massively managed to snag one.

Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other big online games that aren't quite MMOs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: A quiet week in the land of MOBA

Not So Massively: A quiet week in the land of MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Cosplay is serious business

Brendan Drain — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Trailers, Video, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Not So Massively, MOBA

It's been a busy week in the land of online games that aren't quite MMOs, with League of Legends releasing its long-awaited champion, Ahri the Nine Tailed Fox, in a massive Christmas-themed patch. Fans of the game also clashed with Rioters this week over the advice given in a new champion spotlight video for recently revamped champion Gangplank. Recognising the importance of cosplay to Firefall fans, developers announced a new cosplay programme featuring professional cosplay artist Crystal Graziano and Hollywood effects artist Steve Wang.

Blizzard revealed its new Battle.net Battletag system this week, giving thousands of fans RealID flashbacks. The new system will allow cross-game communication between StarCraft, World of Warcraft, Diablo III and other titles without disclosing players' email addresses. Blacklight: Retribution's development continued at pace as the game adds European servers to its third round of closed beta. Brawl Busters saw its official release this week, and the first ever standalone MOBA, the 2009-released Demigod, finally made its way to Steam. Finally, Bloodline Champions hosted a new competitive online tournament and... a bakery contest?

Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other big online games that aren't quite MMOs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cosplay is serious business

Not So Massively: Cosplay is serious business originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Diablo III news overload edition

Brendan Drain — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Betas, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, New titles, Previews, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, Crafting, MOBA

It's been a bumper week for online gaming news, with an absolute flood of new information from the world of game development. Rock Paper Shotgun gots some hands-on time with upcoming online FPS Tribes: Ascend and delivered a cautious preview. Blacklight: Retribution's massive character customisation options were detailed in a new dev diary video, adding smiley faces and rainbows (yes, rainbows) to this dark and brutal FPS. Diablo III opened the floodgates on news this week with details on the three artisan NPCs, news of the new Battle.Net Balance system, a new cinematic video, and the news that the unattuned runestone system has been scrapped.

Heroes of Newerth released its complex new hero Shadowblade this week, while three other MOBAs discussed their own upcoming characters. League of Legends revealed gameplay details on its highly anticipated Nine Tail Fox champion, who will finally make an appearance in the game with the next patch. The Rise of Immortals team revealed further details on upcoming support damage-dealer Kavashiir, and Bloodline Champions developers gave us the low down on their electrifying new bloodline Stormcaller.

Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other big online games that aren't quite MMOs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III news overload edition

Not So Massively: Diablo III news overload edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: The battle for story

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Lore, Opinion, Roleplaying, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

When I was in grad school, one of my favorite classes spent a couple of sessions talking about the use and importance of story in teaching. It opened my eyes to the fact that stories are one of the most universal elements of the human experience, from antiquity to modern times, ranging from a little kid playing with toys to an adult penning a novel. We simply love to tell and listen to stories -- they grab our attention, spark our imagination, teach us valuable lessons, and create lasting memories.

But somewhere along the years, something went horribly wrong when it came to MMOs and stories. MMOs were always supposed to be the ultimate platform for storytelling, as both developers and players could pitch in to weave epic sagas, and for a while that seemed to be the case. Lately, however, I've seen a movement that is thrashing hard against stories in MMOs, typically using one of the following two statements: "Get your stupid story out of my game!" or "Stories are better left to other forms of entertainment."

It's made me a sad panda to realize that MMO storytelling is under attack by the very players who should embrace it, and often they're acting as if they're being dragged, kicking and screaming, into future MMOs where story is placed as a priority. Make no mistake: The battle for story is on, and the stakes have never been higher.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The battle for story

The Soapbox: The battle for story originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition

Brendan Drain — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, News items, PvE, Hands-on, Consoles, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more.

It's been just over a week since Eurogamer Expo 2011, where countless upcoming and released games were demonstrated to attendees and made playable on the show floor. While some of them neatly fell into singleplayer or MMO categories, action adventure Dark Souls and the beautifully zen Journey sought to blur the line between those categories more than any game I've seen to date. Both are singleplayer games in which other players can seamlessly enter your world during play, a fascinating concept that I'm now dying to dig into.

Red 5 resolved its dispute with Webzen this week, allowing Firefall to continue development unhindered by legal drama. Brawl Busters enters a new phase of closed beta, and we have a dump truck full of beta keys to give away. League of Legends reveals details of upcoming champions Xerath and The Nine Tail Fox, in addition to a new livestreaming site designed to collect money for gaming charity Child's Play. Rise of Immortals launched on Steam this week and released its first post-launch Immortal Trovoc, the Last Dragon. Finally, hints at a console version for Diablo III or console controls for the PC version have surfaced this week due to some cryptic forum responses by Blizzard staff.

In this week's Not So Massively, I give some first impressions of Dark Souls and Journey from Eurogamer Expo 2011 and delve into all the latest news from games that aren't quite MMOs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition

Not So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What pen-and-paper RPG would make a great MMO?

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

This weekend thousands of gamers and geeks are descending on Indianapolis for GenCon Indy. Over four days, countless board, card, LARP and RPG games will be played, merchandise purchased in mass quantities, and new friendships formed.

GenCon's always been a good reminder that we MMO fans have roots in a much larger community of gamers, and that our interests often converge in unexpected ways. For all of the MMOs we have, there are even more pen-and-paper roleplaying games out there, some of which might just make a good online game if put into the right hands.

So how about it? What tabletop RPG would make a good MMO -- and for kicks, what studio would you want handling it?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: What pen-and-paper RPG would make a great MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Choice between Sword and Guns

sharker — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:21:35 +0000

Most hardcore gamers today who are obviously after the best game play methodology would usually be left with either choosing a gun or a sword in his own role playing expedition in the usually created game worlds today. Such has been seen from the games that have been clamored to by millions such as Gunbound and Runescape. Both have their own style of game play, either medieval times or old western style shoot-around.

Depending on the theme of the developed game or the actual purpose of usual storylines that would guide the new player towards his journey, people are sure to be befuddled with what type of character they would want to create and develop. For medieval worlds, warriors and magicians would usually be the primary categories of choice. But if there is one thing that a hardcore gamer should be aware of, he must ultimately decide on one character creation first before moving on to choosing other character types with special skills. Patience in this type of game play is a rarity but can be an asset if used well.

[tags]gunbound, runescape, rpg, online games[/tags]

The Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs?

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

We may roleplay a lot of different things in our MMOs, but realistic living is usually not one of them. After all, we can fly, sustain massive amounts of damage without a visible scratch, never have to go to the bathroom, expect chainmail bikinis to protect us, slaughter thousands without remorse, keep horses in our back pockets, defy every law of nature there is, and encounter dozens of animals that are all missing essential organs needed for a quest objective.

So as much as we've gotten used to the fantastical elements that pave the way to fun gameplay, I have to wonder: Does this mean that there is no place for realism in MMOs at all? If you look at older pen-and-paper RPGs, realistic elements such as pack weight, the need to eat, and persistent injuries all helped contribute to a relatable experience.

What do you think? Should devs reconsider realistic elements in MMOs? Are we getting so far away from a believable experience that we've lost something crucial to RPGs? Or are you just hunky-dory with things as they are?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone app developer says MMOs will be abandoned

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:15:00 +0000

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, Miscellaneous

Although Kepa Auwae and his team are working on Rocketcat Games' first RPG for the iPhone, the developer doesn't see much of a future for MMORPGs.

In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, the creator of hit iPhone smashes like Super QuickHook prognosticated a vastly different gaming future than what we see today: "I think developers will completely abandon MMOs and social games, for the most part. Both genres were dead-ends, and they always allowed only one developer at a time to have any real success. Instead, most developers will make games with deep mechanics, designed for heavy replay value mixed with community content. These games will also strongly feature hat customization... top hats, bowlers, straw boaters. SO badass."

Ironically, Auwae voiced his dislike for the disposable nature of current games, which seems to describe the polar opposite of MMOs: "I think many games are too disposable. They're designed with no mod content tools in mind, no community involvement, no real replay value, no updates."

You can read the full interview over at MTV Multiplayer.

iPhone app developer says MMOs will be abandoned originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the dragon of the deep dungeon

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Roleplaying, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous

The Game Archaeologist is a lazy adventurer-slash-professor who dons his trademark cap for a weekly expedition through some of the most famous MMOs of the past few decades. Each month, he chooses a different title in order to examine its highlights, talk with its developers, and invite its fans to share their experiences.

Part of the holy mission of the Game Archaeologist is to ferret out the roots of history that ultimately led to MMORPGs as we know them today. Another part of the mission is to root out ferrets, as my claw-scarred arms can attest. Some of that history is fairly recent, but today we're going to travel back -- way back -- to a time before many of you were born. Including me, as a matter of fact.

The year is 1974. The world is hip-deep in the throes of shag carpeting, driftwood furniture and the strains of Grand Funk Railroad. It truly seemed like nothing would ever be cool or non-earth-toned again. At this, the lowest moment in all of history, game designers Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson took the concept of miniature wargaming, merged it with a fantasy motif, and sold it under the name Dungeons & Dragons. Geeks everywhere had a reason to rejoice, and through this roleplaying game the foundations for MMOs were laid.

Let's take a brief survey through D&D, giving special emphasis to how this great-granddaddy of RPGs passed down a legacy that we enjoy in our modern online titles. Also, there will be popcorn.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the dragon of the deep dungeon

The Game Archaeologist and the dragon of the deep dungeon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Web based: Legends of Zork

Xavier — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:40:42 +0000

Just awesome to read, I remember this game when I was young:

+ A BRAND NEW (WEB) PAGE +
+ FOR THE CLASSIC ADVENTURE GAME +

�The Great Underground Empire has recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its subsidiaries. A craze of treasure-hunting has swept through the remnants of the Great Underground Empire. It�s a dangerous time to be a newly-unemployed traveling salesman, but it�s also a great time to try a bit of adventuring.�

http://legendsofzork.com/

Be The Gamer » rpg

Not So Massively: D3 cuts death animations and HoN releases another broken hero

Not So Massively: Why are all these games still in beta?

Not So Massively: New hero edition

Not So Massively: LoL talks Sejuani, D3 drops cash AH in Korea and more

Not So Massively: Hints of a Diablo III release date and more

Not So Massively: A quiet week in the land of MOBA

Not So Massively: Cosplay is serious business

Not So Massively: Diablo III news overload edition

The Soapbox: The battle for story

Not So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition

The Daily Grind: What pen-and-paper RPG would make a great MMO?

A Choice between Sword and Guns

The Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs?

iPhone app developer says MMOs will be abandoned

The Game Archaeologist and the dragon of the deep dungeon

New Web based: Legends of Zork

+ A BRAND NEW (WEB) PAGE + + FOR THE CLASSIC ADVENTURE GAME +

+ A BRAND NEW (WEB) PAGE +
+ FOR THE CLASSIC ADVENTURE GAME +