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Defiance throws an extended anniversary celebration
Today is Defiance's one-year anniversary and Trion is pulling out all of the stops to celebrate... twice. Defiance will host a global boost to XP gain, skill gain, and loot drops from Wednesday, April 2nd, at 3:00 p.m. EST through Thursday, April 3rd, at the same time. The studio acknowledged that some people can't play during the week, so this global boost will be re-activated from Friday, April 4th, at 3:00 p.m. EST and continue through Monday, April 7th, at the same time.
Poll: Is WoW ever going to have an "XP boost weekend"?
It's a common thing in other MMOs for the studio to boost experience gains (usually by 100%) for a weekend here and there. It gets lapsed players back into the game, gives current players a reason to dust off old alts, and repopulates the non-end-game zones like nothing else. It even has a little bit of a long lasting effect in that players will likely continue to level their characters they got a leg up on via the XP boost, and that creates more overall engagement; which is the critical factor for any MMO. Blizzard has ventured into this area now with Diablo III. We're all getting 50% increased experience until Reaper of Souls comes out on March 25th. It's a really great time to level your alts. Personally I'm planning on getting my monk up to 60 before then (I'm a big fan of flashing around and stabbing baddies). From my completely unscientific poll of everyone on my Battle.net friend's list, nearly everyone is playing Diablo again. The XP boost seems to be working. But what about WoW? In some ways I don't want to see it, I have a gut feeling that it's a sign that the game isn't doing well, that Blizzard needs to attract players back to the game. But in another way I feel that if this is the way the market is moving overall, then why shouldn't WoW do the same? And at that point, wouldn't it be irresponsible of Blizzard not to offer the same level of service to WoW players as they can get with other titles? My bet? It's coming to WoW a month before Warlords of Draenor releases. What do you think? Let us know. %Poll-87509%
Aion EU celebrates F2P anniversary with XP and drop boosts, 4.5 announcement, and infographic
Two years ago today, Gameforge converted Aion EU to a free-to-play game. And just like for the first anniversary, the company is offering special celebrations as well as announcing a new update coming in April. This year, however, Gameforge also includes a new infographic to show off a few interesting statistics about the game at a glance. Players who log in between now and March 5th will find XP and drop rate boosts in effect. On top of that, Daevas can look forward to the chance of acquiring additional Aion coins. Then on April 9th, update 4.5 will bring the second Engineer class specialization, the Rider, to join the current choice of Gunner. The infographic, seen below, highlights various statistics since the fantasy game went F2P, such as favorite classes and how many hours of play time have been invested in it. The game is also now playable in Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Turkish alongside English, French, and German. [Source: Gameforge press release]
RIFT and Defiance throw in-game promotions
Trion is in the middle of a special promotion that's giving a serious boost to both RIFT and Defiance players in-game. In RIFT all players are receiving 20% boosts to all types of XP and currency gained, and this bonus is stackable with other boosts. Trion's also selling 160% XP potions and raid 1 rings in the store. Over on Defiance's side, players are enjoying 25% boosts to loot, XP, and weapon skill. Epic mod hoards have also made their way to the store. These promotions will continue through Friday, November 1st. Trion is throwing this "PC Gaming Week" to celebrate RIFT's return to Steam.
LotRO gives 100% XP boost to everyone for a month
Lord of the Rings Online is granting everyone in the game a 100% boost to XP gain in the month leading up to Helm's Deep. From now through November 17th, the boost will give players a helping hand in getting their characters up to the starting line for the expansion. The boost was announced on the LotRO website's front page. Turbine also said that seven members of the player council will be visiting the studio on October 31st to discuss community, localization, development plans, and customer service issues. The studio said that photos and "comments" from the visit will be shared that day.
Darkmoon Carousel increases XP and reputation gains
WoW Insider received various reports via Twitter and email of a bonus to reputation and experience granted by taking a ride on the Darkmoon Carousel. Further investigation indicates that this is indeed the case. The carousel works similarly to the maypole-styled stick during the Fire Festival, in that the longer you spend spinning the longer the duration of your buff. The buff is named WHEE! and increases experience and reputation gains by 10%. It's very fast to build up, and you don't actually have to ride the carousel itself to gain the buff, just be near to it. If you want to stand on it but not mount one of the carousel mounts, that's just fine too. To access the Carousel you'll need at least one Darkmoon Ride Ticket in your inventory. Fortunately, these can be bought 5 at a time in books from Kae Ti, the NPC in the tent through which you enter the Carousel. If you have a Darkmoon Ride Ticket in your inventory already, one will simply be subtracted from your total as you walk into the Carousel area. Don't confuse the ride tickets with Darkmoon Prize Tickets, which have an almost identical icon, but are rewards rather than access tokens. The Prize Tickets are a currency and appear with your Valor points and the like, while the Ride Tickets stack in your bag. If you get onto one of the carousel's mounts, and can't seem to get off, type /leavevehicle into chat. You can also keybind this function via the WoW Key Bindings menu. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Aika prepares for battle on March 8th with Epic II: Hestia
Aika players may have seen strife and war, but they may be unprepared for the sheer magnitude of devastation heading their way. On March 8th, the game will receive its latest major update, Epic II: Hestia, and the world will never be the same again. Epic II: Hestia is a top-heavy expansion for the game, bringing plenty to see and do for level-capped players. It will be be adding not only several new regions to the game but 24-person level-80 raids and a half-dozen additional gear sets as well. To assist players in preparing for the epic (II) conflict, gPotato is giving all players level 60 and below a 50% XP boost so that they can get into the endgame by the time March 8th rolls around. You can check out a few screenshots from the upcoming expansion below! [Source: gPotato press release] %Gallery-139783%
Cryptic and Alienware giving away free Star Trek Online goodies
Alienware has partnered with Cryptic Studios to create an interesting promotion designed to draw you back to Star Trek Online. The newly free-to-play sci-fi title is the focus of an item giveaway that features 10 days of subscription time, a 22nd century Enterprise-era uniform, an NX class starship, and an 8-hour XP boost. What's the catch? Well, the deal is restricted to new accounts only and it also requires you to sign up on the Alienware Arena website. Once you've met those requirements, it's as easy as clicking on the big blue "get key" button and copy/pasting the digits to your Cryptic or Perfect World account. As of press time, over 2,200 keys were still available.
Silkroad-R R-elaunches
Don't let the fancy title fool you: Silkroad-R (the R is for "rebirth") isn't a completely new game but an updated version of Joymax's previous Silkroad. Brought into the shop for some body work and a new paint job, Silkroad-R is back and better than ever. Silkroad-R will exist on its own servers, seperate from its Silkroad ancestor. Joymax is particularly proud of a "buffed-up" cash shop, as CEO Nam-chul Kim explains: "There's many aspects of Silkroad-R that we changed or improved based on user feedback, and we took a long time investigating the cash shop and evaluating each item." To celebrate the relaunch, Joymax is sponsoring a string of giveaways through February 7th. Players who reach specific levels have a chance at Amazon gift cards and in-game boosts and items. Other launch events include a special XP-boosting NPC and a player-submitted wallpaper/greeting card contest. You can check out the official trailer for Silkroad-R after the jump! [Source: Joymax press release]
Silkroad Online rolls out premium server tomorrow
Wanna feel like a VIP? Silkroad Online's got you covered. Tomorrow Joymax will take the wraps off of its new premium server, Genesis, which will cater to the high-rollers and high society among MMO gamers. The members-only server will reward loyal customers by offering huge XP, SP and drop rates, GM events, and discounts on cash shop purchases for a limited time. Joymax isn't limiting the fun to just subscribers, either; all players on all servers are invited to partake in Silkroad's Carnival. The Carnival will deliver a smaller but still significant XP boost than what Genesis is offering, and any players who head over to an attendance event will rack up SP and skill/stat reset scrolls. This event goes until December 13th, so there's plenty of time to shake your booty and rack up the rewards! [Source: Joymax press release]
EverQuest II adds dungeon finder, double Station Cash weekend on tap for Europe
Love it or loathe it, the increasingly popular dungeon finder mechanic has finally made its way to Norrath. Today's EverQuest II patch features a variation on the random grouping tool initially made famous in World of Warcraft. Adventurers can queue solo or as a group by clicking the dungeon finder icon on their EQII menus, and it's worth noting that signing up for a random dungeon will net you a 25% XP boost. Other patch details worth mentioning include a, ahem, rebalance of the Dirge mythical effect as well as a Troubador revamp. Finally, European EQII fans should be pleased to know that this weekend features a double Station Cash promotion to celebrate the availability of pre-paid SOE game cards at retailers throughout the region.
Eden Eternal announces new race, crafting system
If you're looking for something new to do in Eden Eternal aside from killing monsters and stockpiling phat lewt, look no further than the mid-September content update. Aeria Games has just put out a press release detailing the patch, and the highlights include the new Anuran race along with a brand-new crafting system. Racial special abilities will also be making an appearance in the new patch, and they're tied into the new tradeskill mechanics. Characters at level 30 and above can participate in Gemcrafting (for Humans), Engineering (for Zumi), and Alchemy (for Anurans) to create a multitude of useful items including gear, potions, and dyes. The tradeskill goodness doesn't stop there, though, as players at level 20 and above are free to set up their own personal shops in the town of Aven. Finally, two new NPCs are being added to Eden Eternal, and Professor Koss gives timed XP boosts while Assistant Teren gifts players with different fortune bags throughout the day. Learn more about Eden Eternal, and grab the client, at the game's official website. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Earth Eternal pushes the do-over button as it goes into open beta
Clinging to the last vestiges of life, Earth Eternal has been brought back from the brink of destruction for another try at glory, as Outblaze announced that the game has gone into open beta mode as of today. Players interested in seeing what the new and revised version of Earth Eternal looks like are encouraged to sign up for the beta on the website and jump into the game post-haste. Testers will not only get to see the newest features in the game, but will receive a nice in-game goody bag with a banner, helmet and XP boost. There's also a special reward for those who hit level 30 or higher during the beta period. This unique MMO combines a hodge-podge of seemingly contradicting flavors -- including a post-apocalyptic setting, sentient animals, and magic across Europe -- and melded it together into a delightful concoction. If you're interested in what we think about Earth Eternal, you'd do well to check out Beau's Rise and Shiny impressions of the title!
Double XP returning to Aion, kicks off February 23rd
Every day is a good day for double XP, particularly in grind-heavy games like NCsoft's Aion. Even though players of the Korean import enjoyed a week of bonus experience just recently, the powers-that-be are turning a benevolent eye towards Daevas yet again. In addition to the progression double dip, Aion will feature a Gateway Getaway event that will enable players to enter instances regardless of faction fort ownership. If you've been unable to run Besh for awhile due to those nasty Asmodians/Elyos hogging the ground forts, you'll be happy to know that from Wednesday, February 23rd through Wednesday, March 9th, you're free to enter Silentera Canyon (and Upper Abyss forts and Abyssal Splinter) whenever you darn well please. The double XP runs through the same dates, so mark your calendars and check out the official Aion website for all the details.
Politics and religion: RuneScape starts the new year in style
All may seem quiet on the MMO front, but if you turn your eyes to RuneScape, you'll see a bustling explosion of activity with the advent of January. Three new pieces of content are available in the game, including a new high-level boss and a Nordic-themed wolf. If politics are your thing -- Dwarven politics, to be precise -- then you'll want to check out a brand-new quest that tasks players with discovering just who is the rightful king of the Dwarves in Keldagrim. It won't be a bloodless affair, but Jagex promises to make it worth the player's effort. Maybe you want to test your mettle against a god? Then jump into the God Wars dungeon to face off against Nex, a powerful boss that boasts 15 unique combat moves. If you find yourself triumphant -- doubtful, really, but it is technically possible -- then you'll enjoy an array of coveted level 80 gear for your character. Or perhaps you're in the mood for a hunt, in which case RuneScape will send you on the trail of the Hati Wolf, a seasonal boss that drops special XP-boosting gloves. Check out all of the details behind RuneScape's January content over at the official site!
Aion's Assault on Balaurea expansion coming to public test server
OK, Aion public test server (PTS) fans: would you like the good news first or the bad news? Never mind, here's the bad news: the PTS has been brought down and its database wiped (i.e., your characters and legions are now digital rubble under the NCsoft wrecking ball). The good news is that all of the destruction, terror, and mayhem is in service to the forthcoming Assault on Balaurea expansion and its eminent appearance on the testing shard. Beginning on August 18th, you can be among the first to experience the new content, in addition to sampling it with the significant XP and drop-rate boosts exclusive to the PTS. The expansion hits the live servers on September 7th, so be sure and read up on how to access the PTS client if you'd like an early start.
Atlantica Online adds cherry trees, XP boosts
It's time for another weekly update on Ndoors Interactive's Atlantica Online. The free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is celebrating Japan's Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom) festival by making the craftable trees available to players for a limited time. From April 20 to May 18, town owners can craft cherry trees, place them in their towns, and provide a beautiful view for residents and visitors alike. The trees will bear fruit which players can pick once per day by obtaining 100% will and paying 200,000 gold. Half of the gold payment will go directly to the sponsoring town's guild fund. Cherry tree fruit will also give players a 10% XP boost for two hours upon consumption, and the bonus stacks with other XP boosts such as the Blessing License. The cherry trees can only be guild-crafted and require a building craft skill of level 5 or better. You'll need to gather a cherry leaf, stem, and root, then spend 10,000,000 Workload to place the tree in your town.
