Ask Massively: Happy St. Patrick's Day edition
Aye, it's that time of year again, time for a celebration of culture and everything we can shoehorn under the aegis of getting drunk on green-tinted beer. We hope you're spending the day with friends and family, listening to traditional music and possibly enjoying a meal of corned beef and cabbage to celebrate the occasion. Spring is in the air, and it's the perfect time to get out and celebrate with the people you know and care about.
What? Sticking to the holiday that's actually happening is boring.
Luckily, sticking to Ask Massively isn't boring, at least not if you like getting your questions answered. Jump on past the break for questions about the new site layout as well as the venerable EverQuest, and of course our requisite question of ridiculousness at the end. So jump on past the break, and if you have a question you'd like to see answered here, feel free to leave it in the comments or mail ask@massively.com.
Austin asks: In your opinion, why do you think Sony has not decided to make [the original] EverQuest extended?
Probably just a matter of the work involved in porting the game over. Making a pay-to-play game into a free-to-play model requires a certain amount of reworking, usually involving making certain systems more or less accessible to players based upon microtransactions.
In addition, most of the games that have converted to a free-to-play option still include the choice to subscribe on a monthly basis, including EverQuest II. In that regard, the free model largely works as an endless trial that could lead to a new subscription or two somewhere down the line. My guess would be that Sony Online Entertainment assumed the more recent game had a better chance of picking up new subscribers.
Mike asks: Hey guys... I've been trying to change my picture for what seems like ages now. [...] What are the specifics I need to change it? Am I doing anything wrong?
It's one of the technical issues that we're still in the process of squashing behind the scenes. The short version is this: If you're having trouble, try using a different browser. All reports we've gotten indicate that Firefox works just fine for uploading a new image. (The tech guys are behind the scenes fixing up whatever's borking some browsers, we are told.)
Fienemannia asks: Did you change your site layout because I did something wrong?
Yes. The new layout is a testament to all of your sins. Or it was a decision made from beyond our realm of control. Personally, I rather like it.
Looking for some advice on which class is best for soloing in Aion? Not sure who this Raph Koster fellow is? Curious about the release date of NCsoft's newest MMO? You've come to the right place! No one knows MMOs like we do. If there's anything you'd like to know about the MMO genre or the site itself, Ask Massively is here to help every Thursday afternoon. Just ask!
