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Cross-server dungeons, more level-agnostic dungeons coming to EQII
EverQuest II producer Holly Longdale says that the dev team is in the process of updating current level-agnostic dungeons to level 94. She says to expect the patch "in the next few weeks" and that more dungeons will be added to the system later in 2015. Cross-server dungeons are still in the pipeline, too. "Since December, we have been rewriting a lot of the back-end systems (i.e., databases and stuff) which is all part of our foundation for the long and healthy future of EQ2," she writes. "The changes and updates we're making are going to give us a lot of benefits on the dev/server side as well as giving us the ability to do things like cross-server dungeons.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite EQII zone?
I've returned to EverQuest II. Seems like that happens every year around the time I get fed up with the rest of the industry and start yearning for a full-featured MMO. It's such a sprawling game at this point that despite my stable of max-level characters, I've probably only played through half of the zones. So I rolled a Coercer this week and took him through the 1-to-20 arc in Frostfang Sea, which was a new experience for me and an enjoyable one. What about you, EQII fans? What's your favorite zone and why? 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!
Leaderboard: Are you playing H1Z1 this week?
SOE's zombie-flavored sandbox comes to Steam early access tomorrow, and despite the under construction warnings of CEO John Smedley, I'm betting that lots of people are going to buy it. The question, though, is whether or not you have bought it. How about it, Massively readers? Are you playing H1Z1 this week? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Runewaker to reveal new game next week
Is it an MMO? Is it a MOBA? Or is it something else entirely? Those are the questions swirling around the news that Runewaker is working on a third title, following Dragon's Prophet and Runes of Magic. Whatever the case may be, Runewaker will be revealing the game next week to the public. After that, this new title will be playable at the Taipei Game Show. The studio did release a couple of pieces of concept art that show two fantasy forces squaring off against each other. There might be a touch of sci-fi in this as well, as the art shows giant robots (golems?) and neat-looking rifles.
H1Z1 boasts 150-200 early access servers, including 'carebear' servers [Updated]
In preparation for the early access launch of zombiebox H1Z1, SOE's John Smedley has been busy on social media. Over the weekend, he asked Redditors for suggestions for 50 zombie-themed server names. Last night on Twitter, he indicated that the game will have far more servers come Thursday: looking like we'll have 150-200 H1Z1 servers on 1/15. [9:19 PM - 12 Jan 2015] we'll be announcing the distribution of them (i.e. rulesets, etc) in the next day or two. I think people will be happy. [9:19 PM - 12 Jan 2015] even the disgusting PVE carebear servers will be ready day 1. I'm not happy about that but people tell me I need to get over it. [9:20 PM - 12 Jan 2015] Don't worry, PvE players who've been buying SOE MMOs for 16 years. We're pretty sure he was kidding. H1Z1 early access launches January 15th. Smed has previously warned players that they should "NOT BUY EARLY ACCESS" if they are hoping for a completely finished game, but given the number of servers, we expect no one is listening to that advice.
PlanetSide 2 players planning world record attempt for Jan. 24
PlanetSide 2 players are trying to beat the Guinness world record for the largest number of gamers simultaneously in a single instance of an online FPS. That's kind of a mouthful, isn't it? In any event, organizers have taken to the PS2 forums and are planning to pull 1,100 players together on the Jaeger server on January 24th.
Fight through the underworld in DCUO's new DLC
SOE has announced DC Universe Online's next DLC update. It's called Amazon Fury Part II, and it's coming your way "early this year," according to the firm's press release. Three eight-player raids are part of the new pack, as are a pair of four-player operations and one single-player mission. Story-wise, Amazon Fury Part II introduces Ares, Hades, and Cerberus to the DCUO mythos and allows players to fight alongside Wonder Woman or Circe as they battle through the underworld in search of Queen Hippolyta. The DLC also includes new themed base items, new feats and collections, more skill points, and new gear. Creative director Jens Andersen offers further details in the latest producer's letter.
Norrathian Notebook: Frostfells of EverQuests past, present, and Next
It's the end of that magical time of year: When gigglegibber goblins wrap up their gift-giving and the tinsel, lights, and even the holiday quests get packed up for the year. It's the end of Frostfell 2014 for the EverQuest Franchise; EverQuest's celebration ended yesterday and EverQuest II's ends today. Players will have to wait another 12 months to dive back into the festivities. If we're really lucky, we'll also experience the holiday anew in EverQuest Next come December! As Frostfell comes to a close, I am left thinking about the holiday and all its trimmings. It's truly a great one. Perhaps one of the most wonderful. What makes it so special each year? And what might it be like in the coming years, especially in EQN? Let's take a look at the history of Frostfell, check out this year's additions, and speculate about the holiday's presence in Next.
John Smedley praises free-to-play on consoles [Updated]
Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley knows a thing or two about running free-to-play MMOs on consoles. The studio already has DC Universe Online as a free-to-play title on PlayStation 4, it's bringing PlanetSide 2 to the console soon, and both titles are already free on the PlayStation 3. And there's good reason for it: Smedley said recently to Gamasutra that players on the PS4 have been monetizing on DCUO at nearly three times the rate of PC players. This isn't unique to the newest console, as DCUO players on the PS3 shell out cash twice as often as PC users. He also notes that it's a challenge to port to the console, as the lack of a mouse has to heavily influence design, plus it requires a method of dropping simultaneous updates across multiple platforms, which in and of itself can be a tricky venture. Read the full article for more insights from Smedley regarding the console market's free-to-play sustainability. [Update: Smed further clarified his statements over Twitter earlier today. "People think we're becoming a console first shop. NO! consoles are a great place for F2P, but we have always been a PC first company because that's our heritage. We aren't dumbing down PC ever."]
Planetside 2 PS4 closed beta goes live Jan. 20
Planetside 2 will finally go to war on PS4, with Sony Online Entertainment announcing the game will enter closed beta on January 20. The beta will be used to test servers, performance and "various other aspects of the game," Executive Producer Clint Worley wrote on the PlayStation Blog. Worley also wants players to offer constructive feedback on the PS4 version: "How does the game look and feel? Is navigating through the menus intuitive and utilizing DualShock 4 in the best way?" Beta signups are available through the Planetside 2 website. SOE plans to invite "a few thousand players into the Beta at the beginning, followed by waves of players throughout the Closed Beta period." Planetside 2 was originally expected to enter closed beta on PS4 at the end of 2014, before being delayed to 2015. The free-to-play MMOFPS first launched on PC in November 2012. [Image: SOE]
Suba Games is interested in resurrecting Wizardry Online
Could Wizardry Online make a comeback in North America and Europe after being shut down by SOE last year? It's an outlying possibility, as a fan push and a positive response by publisher Suba Games have indicated interest in such a move. Fans struck up a player petition to revive Wizardry Online in the West, prompting Suba to affirm that it is interested as well. "It's always great to see people passionate enough to pool together and try to have their voices heard," Suba CM Xjmas posted on the studio's forums. "In this case, I want to let you know you all have been heard and Suba is interested in reviving this game. They have actually made contact with the developer but have yet to conclude an outcome with them yet." Such a resurrection is familiar territory to Suba; the publisher recently spearheaded an effort to bring Dream of Mirror Online back to life following that game's sunset. You can watch the Wizardry Online player petition video after the break.
PlanetSide 2's PS4 beta arrives on January 20th
A post on the official PlayStation blog today confirms that PlanetSide 2's PlayStation 4 beta will begin on January 20th. "We'll be using this beta period to test our servers, performance, and various other aspects of the game, and we also want you to share constructive feedback on PlanetSide 2," says SOE Executive Producer Clint Worley. "How does the game look and feel? Is navigating through the menus intuitive and utilizing DualShock 4 in the best way? All players in the Closed Beta will have access to our special Beta forums, which will be the primary location for development interaction and feedback. We want the massive battles to make your heart pound and adrenaline pump, so share your thoughts with us." Beta signups for the PS4 edition of the game have been live since early December. PlanetSide 2 has lately made news for its frank discussions about monetization; SOE president John Smedley admitted that "PlanetSide 2 only recently has turned profitable on an operating basis."
DCUO reclaiming inactive names this month
SOE will be releasing inactive character names for current DC Universe Online players to claim "shortly after January 20, 2015." If you haven't logged since July 20, 2013 -- that's 18 months ago, for what it's worth -- your character names will be appended with an underscore and a roman numeral. SOE says that accounts and characters "will remain otherwise intact" and that no deletions will occur. If you want to be that guy who saves names in games he doesn't play, you can simply log in once prior to January 20th. But you're not that guy, right?
Smedley wants to talk more about monetization
John Smedley's not done talking about monetization. The SOE CEO posted on Reddit a bit ago and added to the recent discussion surrounding PlanetSide 2 drop rates, the cert economy, and F2P in general. "PlanetSide 2 only recently has turned profitable on an operating basis," Smedley wrote. He also says that the majority of players have a ton of certs because SOE didn't balance properly and "erred on the side of giving away too many or making things cost too little so we don't make you grind too hard." Smedley takes issue with the rhetoric painting SOE as "money grubbing a-holes," but he does own up to the company's lack of clear communication on this particular issue.
The Game Archaeologist: How DikuMUD shaped modern MMOs
Even though there are hundreds and thousands of MMOs spanning several decades, only a small handful were so incredibly influential that they changed the course of development for games from then on out. DikuMUD is one of these games, and it is responsible for more of what you experience in your current MMOs than you even know. Of course, that doesn't mean everyone knows what DikuMUD is or how it shaped the MMOs that came out after it. You might have seen it used as a pejorative in enough comments that you know it is loathed by many gamers, but I find that there are varying degrees of ignorance about DikuMUD in the community. What is it, exactly? Why is it just the worst? And is it really the worst if we like the games that can point to this text-based MMO as a key ancestor? Today we're going to dispel the mystery and myths of DikuMUD to lay it out there as it was and is today.
PlanetSide 2 implant changes aren't a 'money grab,' Smedley says
Gaming blog In An Age is tracking the recent saga of PlanetSide 2's implant system, noting that the team quietly nerfed the drop rate of free implants and downwardly adjusted the power of tier 1 through 3 implants in order to push sales for the new tier 4 implants. Implants offer temporary buffs or abilities for characters and require an energy cost to activate. SOE President John Smedley defended the move on Twitter: "Sorry, but we are actually trying to make money. I don't consider it a money grab." In a later tweet, he clarified that the team "made the drop rate [for implants] too high a while ago." Commenting on accusations of promoting a pay-to-win environment with these changes, CM Tony Jones responded on Reddit, "Depends on how you define P2W. If implants are P2W, then yes, you may not like everything in the future."
Norrathian Notebook: Landmark's two-week PvE checkup
Happy New Year! It makes sense to start this new year off by talking about a new game, right? And let's face it, after the fabled PvE content update, Landmark feels like a new game! This massive addition to the core of the sandbox has been live for two weeks now; that means two weeks of spelunking, salvaging, and more often than not, surviving. While it's true we got a preview of the update back on the day, that peek involved neither the cavern system nor crafting. And it certainly didn't contain nearly enough time! So now that I've had the chance to canvass the caverns, play with particle emitters, kills various critters, and concoct some new crafted items, how is it? How are things in the not-just-about-building game doing? Do these new systems offer more staying power as the closed beta continues on? Let's give Landmark its two-week PvE checkup!
Planetside 2 beta aims for PS4 next month
Planetside 2's beta program on PS4 is now expected to arrive in mid-January 2015. The news comes from Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley, who confirmed via Twitter that the first-person MMO shooter was "approved [in its] first pass" by the publisher and will go live during either the week of January 13 or January 20. The developer will know for sure as it enters the new year, "when we are back on [January 5]." In November, Creative Director Matt Higby said the developer planned to launch Planetside 2's PS4 beta by the end of this year. The developer added that its goal is "to have our launch on the PS4 feel like a great PS4 native console game. Not just a PC port." SOE is hoping to reach a resolution and framerate of 1080p and 60 frames per second on the system, though if the developer opts for 30 fps "it'll be because we want to maintain a completely solid 30 fps. But that's the optimization we're working on right now." [Image: Sony]
Landmark's PvE arrives today; SOE shifts to EQ Next full-time in 2015
We've waited a long time for the chance to have our faces eaten off by vicious monsters in Landmark, and now that opportunity is almost here! After a bit of delay, the infamous PvE patch is heading into our favorite sandbox today. This is seriously going to be a game-changer. Of all the patches throughout the whole year, this one is the biggest -- surpassing the August PvP update and even the original alpha launch, at least according to Creative Director Dave Georgeson. And he's not kidding! I got to check out Landmark's new mobs, linking and triggering, armors, props, and more with Georgeson and Senior Producer Terry Michaels. I didn't think it was possible to be even more excited for this patch, but I am! Can I hear a squeeeee?! Oh, and for everyone who is waiting anxiously for EverQuest Next news, here's a tidbit from Georgeson you might enjoy: When we get to those game mastering systems [after the start of the year] that means we are working on EQN full time. Because those are the systems we need for EQN, and that's what we're building when we're building those game mastering tools. So we're so close to transitioning the team almost entirely to EQN, and then we'll take the elements that we build for EQN and port them over into Landmark, but our focus will shift almost entirely to EQN after the new year.
Global Chat: Die, DPS meters, die!
Hey you! Yes, you! Are you sick of damage meters ruining your life? Do you rebel against the virtual man by questioning such long-established gaming tropes as levels? Then have we got the column for you! In our last community blog round-up of the year, we've collected some fine pieces of discussion, debate, and introspection -- not to mention a first impression or two to tide you over until 2015. We've also got an essay about the joy of healing, what it's like to play an MMO as a bear, going back to the Isle of Refuge, and more!
