Posts Tagged "fantasy"

• Order and Chaos Online developer discusses server-linking and more

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, News items, Mobile, Community Q&A

  In honor of the game’s paper anniversary, Order & Chaos: Online producer Arnaud Bonnard took the time to do some Q&A with user-submitted questions about what is one of the biggest mobile MMOs available.

  Arnaud shared some of the toughest parts of development, which were the pressure of creating a world vast enough to entertain players for months (and now years) and ensuring that everything was as stable and functional as possible from a technical point. He followed up by reliving the joy of a successful launch and the success that the game met with over time. He talked a bit about updates and DLC, which come out every one or two months and are generally still drawn from the original design document for Order & Chaos: Online, given that the world design was much bigger than could possibly fit into the game originally.

  Bonnard also addressed the server separation between Android, iOS, and Mac devices: Not only would it be time-consuming to link all the operating systems, but such a system would mean that patches could only be deployed once every device was supported, which would be tricky and cause too many extra delays. As far as Order and Chaos’ future is concerned, he’s optimistic. There are new graphic features coming down the pipe as well as “lots of ideas for the game” as the company looks forward to another fantastic year thanks to fan support.

  Catch all the intricacies of Bonnard’s answers for yourself over at Gameloft.

  Order and Chaos Online developer discusses server-linking and more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Order and Chaos Developer Interview Read More...

• The Daily Grind: Do you judge all MMOs by the same standard?

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Xsyon, Sandbox

  One of the challenges facing sandbox developers is the fact that recent themepark MMORPGs have raised the bar in terms of smooth launches and relatively bug-free experiences. Aside from EVE Online, most of the current sandboxes on offer are small indie affairs known as much for their rough-around-the-edges implementation as for their feature innovations.

  And yet, many so-called sandbox fans seem to expect games like Xsyon, Darkfall, and others to be as polished as World of Warcraft, RIFT, and other themeparks with fewer features and several times the budget.

  For today’s Daily Grind, we’d like to know how much (if any) slack you cut developers of sandbox and/or indie MMOs. Do you hold these games to the same standard that you hold a triple-A themepark?

  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: Do you judge all MMOs by the same standard? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments

  Read More...

• The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, The Soapbox, Sandbox, The Elder Scrolls Online

  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.

  Language is a pretty fascinating thing, and studying a second one is something I’ve long intended to do. Aside from entertaining thoughts of learning Korean to play ArcheAge, though (seriously, I looked into it), I haven’t gotten around to much beyond college-level Deutsch.

  But as I watched last week’s interview with The Elder Scrolls Online creative director Paul Sage, I realized that I already have some pretty good second-language skills. I’m fluent in both English and MMO dev-speak, so as a public service, I’m going to translate some of what Sage said into the former.

  Continue reading The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak

  The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments

  Read More...

• MMObility: The pros and cons of Tibia’s browser version

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Miscellaneous, MMObility

  Tibia is an MMO that has been hanging in there for many, many years. You have to give it respect for that alone. When you add on the fact that the game seems to be updated relatively frequently and boasts a pretty good-sized playerbase, it becomes even more intriguing. I’ve played it in the past and have enjoyed the simple graphics and slower-paced gameplay. I like how NPCs chat with you, old-school EverQuest-style, and how there seems to be a lot more to the game than meets the eye.

  There are plenty of eyesores, however. The developers recently released Tibia in a beta browser form. While the client was always easy enough to download and run on my multitude of devices, I always prefer to just jump into my browser and load it up.

  I found a lot of neat little systems but also quite a few bugs or odd design choices. Colors and layout can be a problem, and I am not the biggest fan of Flash-based MMOs. Still, I am enjoying myself so far and look forward to more. Let’s talk about what I found over these last several hours with Tibia‘s browser-based version.

  Continue reading MMObility: The pros and cons of Tibia’s browser version

  MMObility: The pros and cons of Tibia’s browser version originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments

  Read More...

• Realms Online introduces the Lamai

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Races

  Adding a new race to a factional PvP game is always a dicey proposition with regard to faction balance, but Realms Online is taking a measured approach with its newest race. The diminutive Lamai have just been added, and they aren’t beholden to any single faction — they can join any realm and play as any class. That flexibility is meant to reflect their nature as an ancient race that left the planet ages ago.

  Of course, there’s also the problem that if you’re enticed by the new race, you’ll have to start all over from the first level. As a promotion to help players interested in playing a Lamai, GameSamba is offering a sale on experience boosts in the game’s shop. It’s 25% off of level 30 scrolls, and 10 XP boosters for the price of eight. Not a bad deal if you want to level a new character, whether it’s a lamai or something else.

  [Source: GameSamba press release]

  Realms Online introduces the Lamai originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments

  Read More...

• Torchlight 2 available for pre-purchase on Steam

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, News items

  With all the buzz around a certain well-known third installment of a franchise, you could be forgiven for momentarily forgetting about Torchlight 2. However, the game is now available for pre-purchase on Steam, which should serve as something of a reminder. The game doesn’t yet have a firm release date other than this summer, but you can still drop your $20 and have the game ready to play on launch day.

  The original Torchlight was hailed by many as the spiritual sequel to Diablo II (and some assumed it would also be the closest we’d ever get to an actual sequel). Torchlight 2 boasts more character customization, more pet customization, improved fishing and pet management, a new set of classes, and of course all of the same hack-and-slash gameplay that the first game featured. If you’re a fan of the genre, that third installment likely has your eye for the moment, but you might want to see how the other half lives as well.

  Torchlight 2 available for pre-purchase on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steam pre-purchase page Read More...

• The Daily Grind: Do you grind for fluff items?

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, Anniversary

  Lord of the Rings Online’s anniversary festival has another six days to go, which just might be enough time for me to grind out the tokens necessary to complete my map collection (and the spiffy Eriador Cartographile title that comes with it).

  I say “grind” here pretty loosely, as the horse-races, fireworks displays, and dwarven beer-brawling are highly enjoyable even though I’ve done them dozens of times each at this point.

  What about you, dear readers? What’s your tolerance when it comes to grinding for fluff items? Do you do it, and what’s the best (or worst) such grind you’ve ever experienced?

  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: Do you grind for fluff items? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments

  Read More...

• RuneScape’s mad, mad, mad, Mad May approaches

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser

  With the virtual flowers in bloom and the birds and bees merging together to form a hybrid class (beerds), one should expect life and vitality springing forth out of their MMOs this spring. RuneScape is embracing the season by hosting an entire month of prizes called Mad May.

  Taking place during the titular month, Mad May will dowse subscribers with bonuses and freebies. First up is an extra daily spin on the new Squeal of Fortune game, which offers players a chance to win a variety of prizes every day. Following that is a hefty 5,000 Loyalty Point boost for members. These points may be redeemed for a whole bunch of new items including emotes and auras. Finally, Jagex will cap off the month by rewarding all subscribers with 250,000 XP on June 1st.

  In addition to the Mad May bonuses, RuneScape will see the return of Wild Weekends during the month. Details about what the Wild Weekends will entail are forthcoming, as is a special behind-the-scenes look into the game’s upcoming projects.

  RuneScape’s mad, mad, mad, Mad May approaches originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Mad May, Jagex press release Read More...

• Latest TERA trailer takes players to the shores of the new Island of Dawn prologue

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News items, TERA

  TERA‘s open beta test kicked off in earnest today, opening the floodgates for hundreds of excited players to enter the realm of Arborea. To commemorate the occasion, En Masse Entertainment has released a new trailer that shows off the game’s newly crafted prologue area, which gives players a taste of high level play before they enter the game proper.

  For those not yet in the beta, here’s the down-low: Players begin their journey aboard a ship bound for the Island of Dawn, and as anyone familiar with fantasy tropes knows, getting on a ship bound for an unknown land is often just a prelude to a terrible shipwreck. TERA‘s prologue is no different, and players soon find themselves stranded in exceedingly hostile territory with a rather nasty demon infestation. Naturally, it falls to players to play demon exterminators and get the shipwrecked crew to safety because everyone else is too busy standing around telling the players what to do. Lazy chumps. At any rate, to get a first-hand look at the new prologue zone and all of the demon-ass-kicking it entails, just go watch the official trailer for yourself.

  Continue reading Latest TERA trailer takes players to the shores of the new Island of Dawn prologue

  Latest TERA trailer takes players to the shores of the new Island of Dawn prologue originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: En Masse Entertainment official YouTube Read More...

• Diablo III punches things up with a new Monk video and the end of beta

  Hots Games
  

  Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Diablo III

  Diablo III is still putting together more previews as the game ramps up for its launch on May 15th. The latest reveal is for the Monk, a melee class that takes a very different approach from the already revealed Barbarian. Rather than attacking with massive weapons and overpowering rage, the Monk uses careful combo attacks, swift movements, and inner energy. Unleashing a Monk’s spiritual power after a long chain of melee attacks can produce all sorts of effects, from area damage to dashing out of combat quickly.

  This reveal coincides with the announcement that the Diablo III beta will be coming to a close on Tuesday, May 1st. Character information will be wiped at that time, and players will be able to post on the official forums only in the event that they have pre-purchased the game or they have an active account for another Blizzard game. If the Monk reveal makes you anxious to play one and you’re in the beta, you’d better get on that quickly or be prepared to wait for launch.

  Diablo III punches things up with a new Monk video and the end of beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

  Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Monk preview, End of Beta announcement Read More...