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Eve,MMORPG : PC Gamer MMORPG of the Year

By: CCP Manifest Jan 28, 2010 05:25:00 PM News Item: 10768

The MMORPG you are playing is good. Still good. Very good.

The best.

"And more than ever, the gamers of EVE Online earned this award with their usual shenanigans..." reads the concluding paragraph of PC Gamer's upcoming Game of the Year Awards section on EVE Online. Look for it (and some fascinating cover copy) in the March 2010 issue that will be hitting stands and mailboxes very soon.

Sincere thanks to the EVE community and high fives to the CCPdeveloperteam.

Let's celebrate by blowing some ships up.

Dofus,MMORPG : Don't forget to look into the changelog!

By: Jan 28, 2010 05:16:16 PM News Item: 10958

Plume DOFUS

DOFUS 2.0 has been obtainable online for nearly two months now, but we haven't stopped improving it! To bring yourself up to speed on the most recent renovations, don't hesitate to look into the changelog.

Here's ashortsummary of this week's improvements:

Bug fixes for co-operative crafting
Optimization and correction of significant memory leaks
Better installation and compatibility with Mac OSX 10.4 for Power PCs
Reconnection system has been improved
As well as some aesthetic improvements on several zones, maps, and houses.

Find out more on the forum Log Book!

Eve,MMORPG : Why We Love EVE Online Contest

By: CCP Fallout Jan 28, 2010 04:52:00 PM News Item: 10767

Crazy Kinux Musings is running a contest spotlighted on why you love EVE Online. Winners will be awarded either EVE Store coupons or two weeks of game time. This special EVE Blog Banter contest ends on January 31, 2010.

MMORPG : Editorial: What could Apple's new iPad mean for MMORPGs?

By: Shawn Schuster Jan 28, 2010 01:00:00 PM News Item: 10815

Filed under: MMORPG industry, News items, belief

If you consider yourself any type of technophile at all, you're most likely well aware of Apple's pronouncement yesterday regarding their new iPad. This is basically the love child of an iPod Touch and a tablet PC, allowing users to take a fairly powerful slab of computing power with them wherever they go. While it might not be as beefy as your desktop machine or even a mid-range laptop, it has caused a giant wave of interest from consumers. So how does this affect us, as MMORPG gamers? We're glad you asked!

Interestingly enough, Apple wanted to make sure that some gaming press were there for this enormous unveiling of their new product. Our sister site Joystiq made an appearance for the in-individualpronouncement in San Francisco yesterday and made some fascinating observations about the role that gaming will play with the iPad. So follow along after the break as we explore the many possibilities that the iPad has as a next-gen mobile online gaming device that may or may not interest us.

Continue reading Editorial: What could Apple's new iPad mean for MMORPGs?

Editorial: What could Apple's new iPad mean for MMORPGs? Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST.

Eve,MMORPG : EVE Online Dominion 1.1.1 has been deployed

By: CCP Navigator Jan 28, 2010 11:57:00 AM News Item: 10766

EVE Online: Dominion 1.1.1 deployment has been finished and Tranquility is back in service. We encourage anyone experiencing game play issues to submit a bug report. A feedback thread and issues thread are also obtainable for you to help make us aware of any problems or feedback in general.

COH,COV,MMORPG : Interview sheds more light on latest City of Heroes guest authors

By: Eliot Lefebvre Jan 28, 2010 11:00:00 AM News Item: 10829

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Culture, Events, in-game, Interviews, belief

With the recent introduction of three new arcs in the guest author series, City of Heroes gets to enjoy a bit more time in the limelight thanks to the Mission Architect system. The arcs are currently obtainable on the live worlds, and while they won't provide weeks of enjoyment, they'll certainly pass a fair bit of time and be a fun ride in the process. Gamepro in recent times had the opportunity to talk to the newest guest authors about their experience working on the arcs and playing the game.

If there's one unifying strand to all of the author comments, it's that working on Mission Architect doesn't just help create substence, it forces creators to train themselves to write better. With limitations on how much speech can appear and when, all three authors point out that it forces the story down to its essentials. But it's not a limiting factor in making things weaker -- rather, it forces you to craft something that's entertaining even without a lot of flowery dialogue.

The full conversation also covers each author's experiences in balancing the arcs, as well as Ms. Lackey's discussion of her history as a gamer. Whether you've already experienced the new City of Heroes arcs or have yet to take them for a spin, it's clear that a great deal of thought and effort went into them.

Interview sheds more light on latest City of Heroes guest authors Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG : Upcoming MMORPG from Blueside also in development for Xbox360

By: Rubi Bayer Jan 28, 2010 10:00:00 AM News Item: 10814

Filed under: Business models, MMORPG industry, News items

We know Korean developer Blueside for Kingdom Under Fire, as well as the hush-hush venturethey've been working on for a while, an MMORPG known by the name of "Project T."

Given that Kingdom Under Fire is a sequel to the 2001 Xbox title Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders, it should come as no surprise that Blueside is taking a similar approach with the mysterious Project T. Not only will Project T be released for the PC, but we've also gotten word that an Xbox360 version is coming as well.

A recent Korean job listing specified that the company needs citizens with experience on commercial MMORPGs, and specifies that the MMORPG is in development for both platforms.

Details on Project T are still very scarce, and confirmation that Blueside is planning to join the emerging trend of console MMORPGs is the most we've heard for a while. We'll keep an eye out for more facts!

Upcoming MMORPG from Blueside also in development for Xbox360 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST.

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Eve,MMORPG : Fan-run contest lets EVE Online gamers win game merchandise

By: James Egan Jan 28, 2010 09:00:00 AM News Item: 10853

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests

Our friend and EVE Online fanatic CrazyKinux periodically runs an EVE Blog Banter, where the growing number of bloggers spotlighted on the sci-fi MMORPG tackle discussion topics. The end effect is usually some well thought-out commentary or lively debate about an aspect of the game experience. His latest Blog Banter has a different twist; it's actually a contest where the top ten winners can score merchandise from the official EVE Store. (The prizes: $100worthy offor first place, $50 for second place, $25 for third and fourth, fifth through tenth place winners will each get 14 days of EVE time.)

Entering is pretty simple. CrazyKinux asks: "What is it that makes this meticulous virtual world so enticing, so mysterious and so alluring that we keep coming back for more. Why is EVE one of the very few MMORPGs to see continuous growth in its subscribers? To put it simply: Why do you love EVE Online so much?" Answer this question on your own blog while linking back to CK's contest post in your intro, then let him know about it in his contest post's comments. Be sure to look into the contest rules first, but you've got until January 31st to enter. Winners will be announced on February 5th; the contest will be judged on the merits of quality, structure, approach, and originality.

So there you go -- if you're an EVE Online gamer and a decent writer as well, this could be easy money for you. Good luck to any readers who decide to go for it.

Fan-run contest lets EVE Online gamers win game merchandise Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST.

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FFXI,MMORPG : Love is in the air in Final Fantasy XI

By: Eliot Lefebvre Jan 27, 2010 10:00:00 PM News Item: 10876

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, in-game, Previews

For most citizens, Valentine's Day either means either buying something nice for your partner if you're in a relationship, or staring in silent rage at the endless array of heart-shaped candy boxes if you're single. Unless you're a gamer in Final Fantasy XI, in which case it means yet another opportunity to get yourself a heart-shaped wand and potentialy fulfill your dream of being a magical girl. The not-so-deceptively named Valentione's Day is fast forthcoming yet again, and as per tradition, the official site has put together a short piece of fiction to commemorate and preview the event.

This year seems to hint at a slight twist to the events of prior years -- while the charm wand has become strongly associated with the event (since that was how one earned it in the first place), it's usually the end reward of the process. Theshortpreview story seems to hint that we'll be called upon to slay more than a few monsters with said wand before everything is said and done... or perhaps it's just a sweet little vignette. Either way, Final Fantasy XI gamers will get a chance to find out between February 4th through February 15th.

Love is in the air in Final Fantasy XI Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG,STO : State of the Game: January 27th, 2010

By: StormShade Jan 27, 2010 09:19:41 PM News Item: 10773

The Journey Begins…

Thank you all so very much for making this entire Beta experience as awesome as it has been.

MMORPG : Soul of the Ultimate Nation lays down plans for 2010

By: Seraphina Brennan Jan 27, 2010 09:00:00 PM News Item: 10813

Filed under: Fantasy, MMORPG industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Soul of the Ultimate Nation

The new year is a busy one for Soul of the Ultimate Nation gamers, as we'll be looking forward to not only a string of updates, but a brand new class to play with as well.

This year is the year of the Shadow, SUN's sorcerer/assassination combination character. Carrying a actually cool sword that's reminiscent of Ivy Valentine's weapon from SoulCalibur, the Shadow is made for playing the game solo. So for all those of you out there who have been looking to get away from the groups and set out on your own, the Shadow is the toonyou've been looking for. Beyond the addition of the Shadow, Webzen is also rolling out mounts and the ability for your characters to transform for the international version.

For all of the information on the new additions as they roll out, keep an eye on the Soul of the Ultimate Nation website.

Soul of the Ultimate Nation lays down plans for 2010 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST.

MMORPG,STO : Al Rivera Talks Skills, New Ask Cryptic

By: StormShade Jan 27, 2010 08:52:17 PM News Item: 10772

STO Skill System

There are several ways to improve and advance a Starfleet Captain in STO, but Skills may be the most important. Not only do they have a significant impact on a character’s performance, Skill Points affect the strength and weaknesses of a starship and its Bridge Officers.

Champions,MMORPG : Players miffed over Champions Online's "kitchen sink patch" and Vibora Bay

By: Seraphina Brennan Jan 27, 2010 06:30:00 PM News Item: 10812

Filed under: Super-hero, Bugs, Business models, Expansions, MMORPG industry, Patches, Champions Online

It's an awkward time for Champions Online. After the last State of the Game post by Chronomancer, things were looking up. The latest patch was slated torepairLemuria (colloquially known as Lagmuria, due to the extreme system hiccups), add more power to different power frameworks, nemesis changes, the addition of team looting, and changes to the crafting system. Furthermore, the same State of the Game post announced that Champions would be getting its first expansion -- Vibora Bay.

However, with the deployment of the "kitchen sink" patch, most gamers have experienced more lag in all zones, some characters are locked in Lemuria, unable to log in, and there are issues with the crafting systems. If all of that wasn't bad enough, Cryptic Daeke has confirmed that Vibora Bay will be a "paid expansion" which will add more substence for levels 37 to 40 -- a move which has sent many members of the community into what can only be described as "a frothing rage."

Continue reading Players miffed over Champions Online's "kitchen sink patch" and Vibora Bay

Players miffed over Champions Online's "kitchen sink patch" and Vibora Bay Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST.

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COH,COV,MMORPG : A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community guide to City of Heroes

By: Eliot Lefebvre Jan 27, 2010 04:00:00 PM News Item: 10828

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Guides, belief, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

Welcome to A Mild-Mannered Reporter, new weekly column all about City of Heroes! We were originally going to spin you a dynamic yarn about how I had watched my parents die, then spent years training in secret to strike fear into the hearts of criminals by writing about video games, but that was eliminated during the model stage due to copyright infringement. Instead, we're just going with a column.

For our first installment, we're highlighting a number of sites that are useful in one way or another to the City of Heroes gamerbase. While the game has enjoyed quite a lifespan, the web existence on it has been a bit more limited than some other games, most likely due in noshortpart to the fact that it's much easier to simply pick up and play. That doesn't mean there's nothing here, though -- the community has developed a number of excellent tools and community gathering points to improve everyone's experience in Paragon City or the Rogue Isles. Take a look at what we've looked at and see as the highlights.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community guide to City of Heroes

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Community guide to City of Heroes Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST.

MMORPG,STO : Star Trek Marathon on SyFy

By: Rekhan Jan 27, 2010 03:30:10 PM News Item: 10771

As part of our previous pre-order deal with SyFy, we're teaming up with the network to air a Star Trek marathon. On Monday, February 1, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., SyFy will air continuous episodes of Enterprise. And on commence day, Tuesday, February 2, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., SyFy will air 13 hours of The Next Generation.

Eve,MMORPG : Eve Online: Dominion 1.1.1 deployment Thursday, January 28, 2010

By: CCP Zymurgist Jan 27, 2010 11:27:00 AM News Item: 10765

EVE Online: Dominion 1.1.1 will be deployed this Thursday, January 28, 2010. The deployment process will begin at 10:00 UTC and is expected to be finished at 12:00 UTC. Patch notes are obtainable for review and a discussion thread is obtainable here.

MMORPG : A Tale in the Desert to commence new gamer driven server

By: James Egan Jan 27, 2010 11:00:00 AM News Item: 10811

Filed under: Historical, A Tale in the Desert, Culture, Economy, MMORPG industry, Politics, Legal

A Tale in the Desert may not be the first game that comes to mind when you think of MMORPGs, but the title from independent developer eGenesis is something quite unique in this market. A Tale in the Desert isn't a combat-spotlighted game at all, rather it's more about social, economic, and even legal systems in an ancient Egyptian setting. Players concerned in a "telling" (a game arc) can even vote to determine the game's laws, which sets this title apart from most others.

eGenesis announced this week that they're commenceing a new worldon February 20th, stating that it will give even greater control to gamers by allowing them to "completely control the timing of the telling." The new worldwill offer gamers an ancient Egypt that has yet to be built. In other words, it's an open environment where the gamers can have some degree of control over how that setting takes shape.

If the notion of a gamer-driven setting where the game's subscribers shape the play experience and surroundings appeals to you, have a look at what's coming soon to A Tale in the Desert.

A Tale in the Desert to commence new gamer driven world Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG : CitiesXL to close multigamer features

By: Rubi Bayer Jan 27, 2010 10:45:00 AM News Item: 10810

Filed under: Real life, MMORPG industry, News items, Cities XL

Three months after commence, CitiesXL was forced to make a difficult decision. An email was sent out to all gamers this morning informing them that as of March 8th, Monte Cristo will be putting an end to the Planet Offer: "Three months after the commence we have to confess that the subscription rate is lower than what we expected and therefore the Planet Offer is not sustainable. Not enough gamers decided to subscribe."

The CitiesXL team has our sympathy -- it's never easy to make such a decision -- but there is a silver lining. While gamers can no longer visit other cities, trade tokens, and so on, CitiesXL will continue to exist as a single gamer game.

Monte Cristo has also added an FAQ to their official site, and the complete letter to subscribers can be found below, just after the jump. Presumably, this will be the last time you'll hear about CitiesXL on , so we wish them the best of luck on the single-gamer version.

Continue reading CitiesXL to close multigamer features

CitiesXL to close multigamer features Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:45:00 EST.

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MMORPG,SWG : Star Wars Galaxies pushes Galactic Civil War live and calls for recruits

By: Eliot Lefebvre Jan 27, 2010 10:00:00 AM News Item: 10923

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Patches, News items, Star Wars Galaxies

There's a war brewing in Star Wars Galaxies. Well, to be quite technical about it, the game's setting is right in the middle of a war, but the most recent update brings that war even further to a head. In terms of storyline, the Empire is fighting a pitched battle against a renewed Rebel offensive to take key strategic points across the galaxy. The gameplay side of things sees a number of cities with capturable objectives, defensive fortifications to be built, protected, and demolished, and vehicles to use in the assault and defense of three volatile cities.

It's a big update, and for understandable reasons Sony Online Entertainment wants to show off what they've done with the game. So they're giving gamers a chance to jump back into the action. Between February 1st and March 1st,previous gamers will be allowed to come back for free, with their accounts automatically reinstated for the month. Those who decide that toppling the Empire -- or defending it -- isworthy ofre-subscribing will be rewarded with a special in-game painting. Star Wars Galaxies still has quite a bit of life left in it, and gamers should be more than happy with the amount of substence in this new update.

Star Wars Galaxies pushes Galactic Civil War live and calls for recruits Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST.

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EQ,EQ2,MMORPG : EverQuest II rolls out the battlegrounds

By: Seraphina Brennan Jan 27, 2010 09:00:00 AM News Item: 10868

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, Player vs Player, News items

Starting February 16th, get ready to Player vs Player across worlds. EverQuest II is catching up with the mainstream MMORPG trends by adding battlegrounds to the mix, giving EQII Player vs Player gamers the instanced settings that they've been looking forward to for a while.

The three settings include the Battlefield of Ganak, a 6 vs. 6 game of capture the flag in Iksar territory, Smuggler's Den, a 24 vs. 24 game of hold the point conducted onshortislands, and the Gears of Klak'anon, a 6 vs. 6 game of hold the relic that saps your heath but makes you do crazy damage. Playing these settings does not go unrewarded, of course, as winners can look forward to allegeing the very sexy new chaos armor set -- an armor set of dirty, twisted, spiked platemail that looks good on any battleground champion.

And, if you were wondering what yesterday's puzzle post was all about,speculateno more! We had pieces of of the battleground maps of Klak'anon and Smuggler's Den. But, not to worry, we've included the full maps and screenshots in the gallery below for your viewing pleasure. Happy battling!

Gallery: EverQuest II: Battlegrounds

EverQuest II rolls out the battlegrounds Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG,WOW : Rumor: Red 5 Studios lays off one-third of its team

By: Rubi Bayer Jan 27, 2010 08:30:00 AM News Item: 10809

Filed under: MMORPG industry, News items

Their official site reads "Red 5 Studios is seeking highly talented and driven agendamers to help us build a AAA massively multigamer title."

Well, maybe not. A report from Gamasutra gives the news that we never like to hear or report: Red 5 Studios -- founded byprevious World of Warcraft team members -- has laid off approximately 30 citizens. This report comes from a "reliablecause" close to Red 5, and if the number is accurate, it's nearly a third of their 100-man team. (That figure from a December 2008 conversation with CEO Michael Weingartner.)

Red 5 Studios has been around since 2005, and as a rule has stayed very quiet regarding their ambitions for their upcoming MMORPG. They secured funding in 2006 and made some team changes in 2008, but it's been mostly silent on the Studio 5 front for the most part, until now.

Our best wishes go out to those affected by the layoff, and to all concerned.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in as a tip!]

Update: Red 5 has confirmed and clarified this rumor via a press release announcing the restructuring of the company: "As part of the restructuring, some team members chose to part ways while others were let go."

Rumor: Red 5 Studios lays off one-third of its team Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:30:00 EST.

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MMORPG,WAR : Account Center Maintenance - 1/27/2010

By: Jan 26, 2010 09:45:09 PM News Item: 10935

Greetings!

We will be bringing the Mythic account center offline tomorrow morning, 1/27/2010, at 9:00 AM EST for maintenance. During this downtime all account related services will be unobtainable, including the filing of in game appeals and toontransfers. At this time we anticipate that the account center will be back online no later than 1:00 PM EST.

Thank you for your continued support.

Update 10:50 AM EST - Maintenance complete

MMORPG,TCOS : Acallege CEO says Spellborn version 2.0 is on the way

By: Rubi Bayer Jan 26, 2010 09:00:00 PM News Item: 10821

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Chronicles of Spellborn

If you're a fan of The Chronicles of Spellborn, Beau Turkey at Spouse Aggro found something today that will make you very happy. There have been rumors floating around lately about a restructuring of the game, and those rumors were in recent times confirmed on the official forums by Howard Marks, the CEO of Acallege Games: "The rumors are true! Spellborn Version Two is on the way."

Marks went on to clarifythat the new version has already been released in Japan to great success. They've been fine tuning it, and plans for the English version are underway. If you are a current gamer of The Chronicles of Spellborn, be sure you have a valid email address on file with Acallege, because everyone playing the current version will be invited to beta test the new version via email.

While facts are minimal at this point, it's great news for gamers to know that more is on the way. You can take a look at the forum pronouncement here, and Beau's take from a fan point of view here.

Acallege CEO says Spellborn version 2.0 is on the way Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG,STO : Tuesday's Article Roundup

By: Rekhan Jan 26, 2010 08:40:41 PM News Item: 10770

Lots of stuff came in over the past few days. Read on for your daily dosage.

Eve,MMORPG : Mass Testing in EVE, Wednesday, to determinecause of lag in fleet battles

By: James Egan Jan 26, 2010 07:00:00 PM News Item: 10852

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Bugs, Game mechanics

EVE Online's latest expansion, Dominion, brought sweeping changes to how alliances allege and hold space, and more in recent times revamped capital ship warfare. However, there has been a downside of late in terms of worldstability and lag. Twitter is pretty much aflame with gamers lamenting the worldissues, not to point out the forums, and it's something CCP Games needs to address right away.

To that end, CCP is looking to the gamerbase for help with "Mass Testing" on Wednesday, to determine thecause of lag in large fleet battles. The devs will be looking into the problems widely reported with medium and large scale fleet combat and will need at least 50 pilots, though if 200 or more showed up this would be even better, says CCP Tanis. Players interested in helping out should hop on the Singularity test worldon Wednesday, January 27, at 17:00 UTC. Mass Testing participants should join the "MassTesting" channel in-game on the test worldas well. All EVE pilots who want to get concerned should see CCP Navigator's pronouncement for more info about tomorrow's fleet combat tests and the discussion in a related forum thread.

Mass Testing in EVE, Wednesday, to determinecause of lag in fleet battles Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG,STO : SyFy Offers New Pre-Order Bundle

By: Rekhan Jan 26, 2010 06:35:38 PM News Item: 10769

Our friends at the television network SyFy are offering a very special pre-order bundle. Check it out on their site or on our retail page.

EQ,EQ2,MMORPG : proalleges victory and rage over all citizens of Norrath!

By: Seraphina Brennan Jan 26, 2010 06:00:00 PM News Item: 10867

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Contests, Forums

See, this is what happens when we let Seccia write titles for us. Ughs... sorry about that readers. We don't proallege any victory, nor do we have any rage towards the citizens of Norrath or EverQuest II. We are, as always, unbiased in our viewpoints... unlike some new Dark Elven interns.

However, Seccia has noted that we've received a package today from a member of her elven bretheren, a certain community management elf by the name of Kiara. Enclosed were two pieces of a shattered tablet, one named "Victory" while the other was entitled "Rage." We're not sure what this whole thing will form once it's put together, but we do know that other fansites have more pieces of the tablet. (Oh, Dark Elves and their puzzles.)

We've put the pictures of victory and rage after the break, so good luck with assembling the tablet and we can't wait to see what it reveals!

Continue reading proalleges victory and rage over all citizens of Norrath!

proalleges victory and rage over all citizens of Norrath! Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST.

EQ,EQ2,MMORPG : The Tattered Notebook: Community guide to EverQuest II

By: Seraphina Brennan Jan 26, 2010 05:00:00 PM News Item: 10866

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Guides, Tips and tricks, The Tattered Notebook

Brave adventurers from across Norrath, I bid you welcome to my humble pages of scripture. It is no secret that Norrath is a dangerous place. From the shining towers of Qeynos to the dark alleys of Freeport, plots of intrigue are woven every day. These plots, these many threads of darkness and deceit, are the factorI have created this notebook. By writing down my many experiences and the things I learn, I hope that I can guide you from afar, even after I pass on and leave this book behind.

Each week, I will be adding a new journal entry to these pages -- delving into the depths of the physical land as well as the culture of Norrath. For this first week, however, I want to first document the many othercauses of knowledge in the world. You, the reader, should have access to thesecauses, for you never know when they will come in handy.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Community guide to EverQuest II

The Tattered Notebook: Community guide to EverQuest II Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST.

EQ2,GW,MMORPG : One Shots: Chained

By: Krystalle Voecks Jan 26, 2010 02:00:00 PM News Item: 10885

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

One of the things many citizens love about Guild Wars is the tremendous imagination and feel of the artwork in the games. While we didn't get a description to go with this fascinating screenshot taken by Logen, it reminds me of a gorgeous piece of art from Guild Wars. The work in question won a prize at the Into The Pixel showing at E3 2008. Thankfully, the artwork is obtainable on the Into The Pixel site for everyone to enjoy. Check out today's great One Shots full size, and then look at the ITP gallery piece from artist Tyler West. We think you'll see the connection too.

Are you one of the citizens who actually love the artwork in Guild Wars? We'd love to show off more, but we need your screenshots to make that happen. Send your best screenshots (all MMORPGs welcome) to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, a description of the area, and the name of the game. We'll post them out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Chained Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST.

DDO,Eve,MMORPG : EVE Community Spotlight: Helicity Boson

By: James Egan Jan 26, 2010 01:00:00 PM News Item: 10851

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Player vs Player

The setting of EVE Online is a vast galactic sandbox called New Eden, with thousands of charted solar systems and thousands more hidden in uncharted space. The title's developer CCP Games provides the expansive setting and PvE substence, but beyond this it's up to the gamers to define what the game can actually be. Although there are ample opportunities to take risks in the game with commensurate rewards, a large percentage of the game's gamerbase are substence to remain in high security space where there are less dangers. Many of these gamers spend their time mining in asteroid belts and ice fields, which most would confess can be a semi-AFK playstyle. After all, the process of mining is rote: lock asteroids, fire up your mining lasers, and some cycles later you've harvested ore that can be sold outright or used in manufacturing.

That zen-like calm punctuated by the gentle hum of mining lasers was shaken up for many high sec dwellers earlier this month though, when the gamer-run event Hulkageddon II tore through the mining ship hulls of over 1000 gamers. The core idea of Hulkageddon II, as with the original event, was to destroy as many mining vessels as potentialover the course of a week... a goal that many gamers pursued with reckless abandon. Indeed, there were numerous prizes awarded and 'achievements' that gamers racked up over the course of Hulkageddon II. Ultimately, the event injected some much-needed risk into the game -- whether some gamers wanted it or not -- in places where miners once felt they were untouchable by EVE's criminal population. Of course, a gamer-run event that pitted gamers eager to rack up kills against those who would prefer to avoid conflict has proven controversial.

The man behind Hulkageddon II is Helicity Boson, a pirate who flies with The Python Cartel, though he was helped in large part by fellow gamer Garmon (aka El'Tar) and generous donations from other gamers. caught up with Helicity to discuss his motivations behind running Hulkageddon II, his views on the game in general, and why some EVE gamers might be wound up just a bit too tightly.

Continue reading EVE Community Spotlight: Helicity Boson

EVE Community Spotlight: Helicity Boson Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST.

MMORPG,WAR : Hot Fixes - 1/26/2010

By: Jan 26, 2010 12:30:18 PM News Item: 10934

Greetings!

We have the following Hot Fixes for you today:

Career Changes & Bug Fixes

Buffs, stances and other effects will no longer be removed upon zoning or leaving the RvR lakes.

Items

Items purchased using alternate currency of any type may no longer be sold back to a merchant for gold. This includes items purchased with RvR Tokens, Land of the Dead Currency, Ordnance or Bestial Tokens.

MMORPG,SL : Linden Lab to crack down on events listing spam. Again

By: Tateru Nino Jan 26, 2010 12:00:00 PM News Item: 10919

Filed under: Business models, Classes, Culture, Events, in-game, News items, belief, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Come February, Linden Lab is having yet another attempt at enforcing the existing rules for event posting in Second Life. In the past, the Lab's gone at the process in a rather determined fashion on a number of occasions, but its energy each time ran out after only a few weeks of vetting events listings.

One of the matters of concern would be how event rules are actually applied this time around. If we were to divide events listings into quality events and spammy junk, quite a large number of the quality events don't actually comply with the posting rules - usually due to the number of events being held, and limits on the number of listings (or of listing changes) that the events system will tolerate.

Continue reading Linden Lab to crack down on events listing spam. Again

Linden Lab to crack down on events listing spam. Again Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG,WOW : The myth of the World of Warcraft tourist

By: Eliot Lefebvre Jan 26, 2010 11:00:00 AM News Item: 10951

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Culture, belief, Rumors

Last time we took a look at an elusive breed in the MMORPG universe, it was the sometimes spotted but never conclusively studied console MMORPG. This time, however, we should take a look at the World of Warcraft tourist, which should be compared to a brontosaurus. Not because it's a slow-witted lumbering creature -- because it doesn't exist except in the minds of citizens who find the model easier than the real state of affairs.

As Serial Ganker points out, most citizens playing World of Warcraft aren't doing so until something better comes along -- they're doing so because they enjoy playing the game. The gamers who are lumped in as "tourists" are citizens who, more often than not, had already left the game and were looking for a new game to call home. This, in noshortpart, is why it's hard for games that clone WoW to find an audience, as the citizens who are looking for a new game want something different.

The ultimate conclusion is that the idea of a tourist shifts the blame from creators to gamers -- that the game was fine, but citizens just jumped ship because they actually wanted to go back to WoW anyway. It's a convenient myth, but actually, we'll all be better off if we just put the right head with the right skeleton.

The myth of the World of Warcraft tourist Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST.

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COH,COV,MMORPG : City of Heroes announces next guest authors

By: Eliot Lefebvre Jan 26, 2010 09:00:00 AM News Item: 10827

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Quests, News items

Back in October, City of Heroes gamers got a treat in the form of three arcs created by high-profile creative minds. The Guest Author agenda used the Mission Architect system and gave gamers the enjoyment of working through missions scripted by authors known outside of the realm of Paragon City. We haven't heard much about the agenda since then, and so it might have seemed as if the feature had been forgotten, but it turns out it was simply in brief hibernation, as the official site has announced the next group of writers.

Mercedes Lackey (known for her series of fantasy novels set in Valdemar), Troy Hickman (known for the meta-superhero series Common Grounds), and Austin Grossman (longtime writer of video games and author of Soon I Will Be Invincible) make up the next batch of guest writers crafting their own arcs in City of Heroes. Two of the arcs should be live today (assuming you're reading this on January 26th), according to ashortsupplementary piece which includes a few words from Sean McCann. It's good to see the game continuing to emphasize and enhance the experience of user-created substence, and gamers should look forward to some high-profile names continuing to take their swing at it.

City of Heroes announces next guest authors Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST.

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MMORPG,WAR : Server Maintenance - All Servers 1/26/2010

By: Jan 25, 2010 09:53:28 PM News Item: 10933

Status - Maintenance finished

Greetings!

We will be bringing all North American worlds offline tomorrow morning, 1/26/2010, at 9:00 AM EST for maintenance. At this time we anticipate that all worlds will be back online no later than 1:00 PM EST. As always, be sure to check the Herald for up to the minute information regarding this downtime.

Thank you for your continued support.

Update 10:25 AM EST - All Servers are online.

Update 9:00 AM EST - All worlds are offline for maintenance.

Eve,MMORPG : New Chronicle: The Mercenaries, Part III

By: CCP Fallout Jan 25, 2010 05:07:00 PM News Item: 10764

When last we saw our intrepid band of mercenaries, they were daringly breaking out of jail. We return to our merry band of mercenaries as they prep to catch their prey.

"The Mercenaries, Part III" is a new EVE Chronicle written by CCP Abraxas. Published every other Monday, Chronicles are intended to examine the different aspects of life in New Eden. The entire list is contained here, and a comment thread for this meticulous story may be found here.

GW,MMORPG : The Flameseeker Chronicles: Community guide to Guild Wars

By: Rubi Bayer Jan 25, 2010 05:00:00 PM News Item: 10884

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, belief, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Welcome to Tyria! The Flameseeker Chronicles will be a regular feature here at , in which we cover all things Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, beginning with this handy-dandy community guide.

Guild Wars has been around for a while now, and has the advantage of a strong, knowledgeable fan-based community. There are literally hundreds of fan sites and forums, Twitter pages and Facebook pages all devoted to Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It's very easy to get overwhelmed, so view this as a guide to where you can find the most comprehensive information for whatever you are looking for, be it gameplay information, news on game development, skill and build help, and much more.

Continue reading The Flameseeker Chronicles: Community guide to Guild Wars

The Flameseeker Chronicles: Community guide to Guild Wars Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST.

MMORPG : Phantasy Star Universe to shut down PS2 & PC worlds

By: Krystalle Voecks Jan 25, 2010 03:00:00 PM News Item: 10808

Filed under: Sci-fi, Phantasy Star Universe, MMORPG industry, News items

It's always a sad day when we have to report an MMORPG is shutting down. Then you have cases like today's pronouncement about Phantasy Star Universe where it's a mixed bag. In this case the PS2 and PC versions will be closing down as of March 31st. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 version (yes, another console MMORPG does exist) is doing well and will remain online.

On January 29th, the Maximum Attack G+ event will start up across all three Phantasy Star Universe platforms, at which point anyone who has a paid subscriber on the PC or PS2 will be converted to a free account until the worlds go dark. According to a heartfelt post by GM Edward@Sega, these closures are necessary because "[t]he population is simply too low for us to be able to continue to support this platform." The good news is that since there will only be one primary western market platform moving forward, this should allow Sega to close the expansion release gap between the US and Japanese versions.

So while this next Maximum Attack G+ event will be a bittersweet one for some, at least Phantasy Star Universe will live on in the 360 version -- and there's always the single-gamer offline version of PSU for PC and PS2 gamers as well. Hopefully some veteran gamers will get the chance to make the jump as losing your favorite world is definitely no fun.

Phantasy Star Universe to shut down PS2 & PC worlds Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST.

EQ2,MMORPG,WAR : One Shots: A moment to admire the view

By: Krystalle Voecks Jan 25, 2010 02:00:00 PM News Item: 10940

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Warhammer Online, One Shots

While we're zipping through starter areas learning the controls of an MMORPG, many most likely won't take a moment to step back and enjoy the view. Thankfully, we have some great One Shots contributors who capture just such moments and share them with us! Today's example comes from Warhammer Online and was sent in to us by regular reader, Pedro. He writes: Most of the times we are all just too worried about leveling up to stop and just admire the art behind every MMORPG.

Would you like to show off your mad screenshot "photographic" eye? We'd love to see the areas you think are best. Just email your images in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Be sure to add in your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: A moment to admire the view Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST.