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Ask Massively: Bribes are just particularly motivated gifts edition
Once again, World of Warcraft has made itself the forefront of the gaming blogosphere by unrepentantly bribing tanks to run more dungeons. It does seem kind of inevitable that you'd have a shortage of one role when it can only be filled by four specs out of 30, truth be told. So is this a good move? A bad one? A good idea with poor execution? It's not for me to say. This column isn't The Soapbox; that runs on Tuesdays. But it's Thursday, which means that it's time for another edition of Ask Massively, featuring a grand total of zero questions about bribery. Instead, we're fielding questions about years of content and console versions, which should be a fun ride. As always, you can leave questions for the next edition in the comment field or mail them along to ask@massively.com. (I guess you could see having your question put into a column as a sort of bribery.)
Ask Massively: The face of hatred edition
Wii Fit Plus is the devil. It is a devil that I fight with on a daily basis, and I fight it by running for a long stretch at a time, and yet for some paradoxical reason I have never defeated it. The only reason there are no screaming obscenities in this opening paragraph is that I'm not allowed to dip into blatant cursing. Also, I've dropped about 20 pounds over the past four months, so I can't say that it's not having an effect. But seriously, balance board, no one cares if my center of balance is 0.1% to the right. Shut up. This week's Ask Massively is a fairly meta edition of the column, as our questions concern the other major face of hatred on display: the comment system. We're also fielding questions about the plethora of online games that aren't quite MMOs but aren't quite anything else either. As always, you can leave your questions in the comment field or mail them to ask@massively.com.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Questionable freshness
We've been on a bit of a kick for new players lately, and that's not by coincidence. Sure, City of Heroes has a well-established playerbase by this point, but it's not like the game is exactly hostile to new players. And while I wanted to do another session of questions and answers, I wanted to wait until I had a good crop of questions that pertain to the newer crowd -- players less familiar with the game or with a given archetype, players who are interested in learning more but unable to find a cogent resource amidst scattered threads on the forums and one-off references in posts. Let's face it, after nearly seven years, a lot of us don't need or want references to these things any longer. We don't need someone explaining to us about Enhancement Diversification or why someone other than the healer asks what you need for a wakie when you die. A newer player might have no idea about these things, though, and so we're mixing up the format a bit here. Let's get back to basics and look at some questions that might seem simple if you know the answer -- but don't tend to get answered if you don't.
Ask TUAW: Outlook 2011 attachment problems, Apple TV alternatives, deleting apps and more
Welcome back to another edition of Ask TUAW. Each week this column will feature questions from readers and answers by the TUAW team. If you have questions for the following week's column, drop them in the comments, and I will do my best to get to them. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). If you're asking an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad question, be sure to note which model and version of iOS you have. For this week we've got a new batch of questions about Microsoft Outlook attachments, Apple TV alternatives, keeping an iPad, getting an iPod touch, deleting applications and more. Lee asks: I'm using Outlook 2011 on my iMac and many times when I receive attachments in emails the attachments are Winmail.dat files and I can't open them. How can I fix this? Unfortunately, those 'winmail.dat' files are created when the sender's Exchange server or Outlook for Windows client encodes the file attachment; if they've got your contact flagged in Outlook as someone who can receive 'Rich Text' messages, you'll get the Outlook PC-only winmail file. Fortunately, there is the free TNEF's Enough utility; this tool will quickly and easily decode your inbound attachments. (For those who are using Mail.app, there's also the US$29.95 LetterOpener for Mail.app, which integrates winmail.dat handling and several other Outlook-savvy tools into a Mail plugin. There's a free iPhone/iPad app, too.) You can also contact those people sending you the attachments and ask them to change the format they use when sending email to you.
Schiller answering questions on Twitter
Last week, we reported that Apple's Phil Schiller has gotten a verified account on Twitter, and since then, his popularity on the short form social networking service has apparently skyrocketed. Rather than just retreat to the shadows, he's stepping up into the limelight, sharing insights and answering questions of all kinds from Apple fans. It's pretty awesome, actually -- he's sharing everything from his favorite apps to why you have to put in your iTunes password every time you install a new app (for security's sake -- Apple wants your approval for every piece of software on your machine). It's cool to see a senior member of Apple not named Jobs getting so hands-on with Apple's customers. TechCrunch has a few other tidbits from Schiller's tweets so far: the @appleincnews account that seems real on Twitter actually isn't, but the @itunes accounts are completely official. And he hasn't yet tried Reeder for Mac, but he is a fan of the iOS version. All in all, it seems like Schiller is really "getting" Twitter -- he's declined to share his Game Center name, so he still wants some privacy, but he is using the service as it's meant to be used, reaching out directly to customers en masse. You never know -- maybe a good word from Schiller to Jobs might get us a verified account for Steve himself.
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.
Ask Massively: Future psychics edition
In honor of this week's big news at the time of this writing, we here at Ask Massively have decided to reveal to our readers that we are not just repositories of information both useful and esoteric -- we are also future psychics. As proof of our powers, we have decided to explain to the world exactly what will happen when Cataclysm launches, starting with the fact that it will sell approximately fourteen hojillion copies within five minutes, thus breaking sales records previously set by the exact same game. Two days out from release, an uberguild will have cleared every ounce of available content and will be asking why Blizzard is dragging its heels on the next raid. Three days out will mark the Running of the Wolves, as the Alliance areas are swarmed with worgen of every conceivable hue. Four days out, we'll be in full-on meme status for at least one boss. But for today, we have questions about Warhammer 40,000 and Transformers, but we can always use more. Mail your questions along to ask@massively.com or just leave them in the comments!
Ask Massively: Transformative edition
Welcome back to another edition of Ask Massively, the column that certainly hasn't been on any sort of hiatus for a little while. No sir. Well, all right, maybe a small one after all. You might notice some small changes with the column, such as the fact that the dashingly handsome Shawn Schuster has handed the reins of questions-and-answers off to the much-less-dashing and notably less-handsome Eliot Lefebvre. But it's still the same high-quality information as ever. This week has been just a little bit lean, due to the fact that our unannounced hiatus left many readers scratching their heads. But go ahead and jump on past the cut for some pearls of wisdom regarding Global Agenda and Final Fantasy XIV. Next week we're hoping to have a few more questions, so feel free to mail yours along to ask@massively.com or leave them in the comments field!
Anti-Aliased: A few thoughts on the Final Fantasy XIV beta
Holy crap. Look at that sweet screenshot. It's a veritable action movie! There. That's your article. Now, if you could excuse me, I'm going to go explore Eorzea some more. Oh. You're still here. Damn. I was hoping you'd all be distracted by the pretty. I'm guessing you've all figured out that I've been getting some time in on the Final Fantasy XIV beta, and I've been enjoying myself so far. While I understand that many people have plenty of dislike for the title (and some of that dislike is well-deserved, I do admit), I have to say that something about this game has gripped me in the right way. While I can't claim a huge amount of time with the title just yet, I do want to devote some time to picking out the good and bad areas of my visit in Eorzea so far. So join me this week as we discuss the ups and downs of Final Fantasy XIV's eclectic design, as well as the starting portions of Gridania and Limisa Lomisa. %Gallery-69600%
Final Fantasy XIV 'Answers' trailer asks some truly bizarre questions
Regardless of whether or not you're looking forward to Final Fantasy XIV, you really owe it to yourself to watch the new trailer posted after the jump. Not because it reveals the game's theme song ("Answers," as performed by pretty-voiced vocalist Susan Calloway), and not because it contains a few relatively rad cutscenes from the game, but because it features some of the most mind-blowingly insane writing to ever come out of the franchise. And that's saying something. "These tears," the trailer posits. "Mankind's fated burden? A gods-decreed sacrifice?" Whoa, there, trailer! "Radiant glory? Or heinous oblivion?" We don't know how to answer that, trailer. The second one, we guess? We're not entirely sure what you're asking.
Ask Massively: Donut budget edition
It's time for another installment of Ask Massively, where this site's fine staff gives advice and answers to your questions through the very scientific involvement of blindfolds and dart boards. This week, we talk about news from The Secret World and specifics on DCUO's bonuses. Follow along after the jump for the answers and be sure to get your own questions in to either ask@massively.com or as a comment to this post.
Ask Massively: Buy Guild Wars now! edition
In this week's installment of Ask Massively, we address topics such as external vs. internal game wikis, EVE Online's continuing sound issues, which Guild Wars chapter to buy and... well, that's really about it. But we do it with love and hugs in every word. Click right past the jump below for this week's answers. If you'd like to see your MMO- or site-related questions answered next week, add them to the comments below or send them to ask@massively.com. Also, take note that starting next week, Ask Massively will be moving to Thursdays.
Newest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online highlights gaps between series and game
The trouble with making Star Trek Online is that there are a lot of parts that work great in a dramatic television series that don't necessarily work as well in a game. As much fun as it might be to have your bridge officers get together for a poker game, there's a dearth of useful ways to integrate it into gameplay in a meaningful sense. That having been said, the team at Cryptic is clearly interested in trying to add as many iconic elements from the series as possible, as spotlighted in the most recent set of Ask Cryptic answers on the official site. A prime example are individual bridge officer stories -- they want to add them, but there are so many variables that the effort winds up feeling more generic instead of more personal. However, there are ideas and hopeful plans for adding more personalities to bridge officers, as well as the potential to respec your officers (although that also runs into minor problems). There's also some information about the upcoming Diplomatic missions to help spice up exploring the nebulae around the galaxy. Star Trek Online players are encouraged to take a look at the full list of answers, which covers quite a bit of space in both design and lore.
Candid answers from AT&T on the new iPhone data plans
After AT&T announced this morning that it was backing away from its well-priced iPad data plans, many of our readers had questions about how this change would work, and how it would affect them both as Apple-specific customers and as AT&T customers in general. As we posted earlier today, starting Monday, smartphone users will choose between a $15 200 MB plan and a $25 2GB plan. The "Unlimited" plan, including the prepaid iPad version and, eventually, the iPhone postpaid version, is headed towards dodo-ville -- although it's not quite as dead as you might think. I was lucky enough today to have the opportunity to chat with Seth Bloom from AT&T's public relations team. As our Q&A revealed, iPad and iPhone customers will be able to continue using their existing unlimited plans. After Monday, however, the plans will no longer be made available for purchase. Read on for the answers from AT&T.
Ask us questions for the City of Heroes developers!
As the game's fans are no doubt well aware, City of Heroes is hosting a developer Q&A via forumspring.me on Friday. They'll be answering live questions from the players, which is all well and good... but we all know that there's the chance, however slim, that your question might not get answered. Luckily for our readers, we've got the opportunity to ensure that your questions get heard by the development team. And all you have to do is leave us a comment with your question! The three best questions, as chosen by our staff, will be submitted for an assured answer during the question and answer setting. Leave a comment here by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, April 22nd if you want it to be up for consideration. We'll take a look at all of them, and the results will be visible for everyone. It's not quite as good as having a burning whip to force the team to answer questions, but it's probably the next best thing for City of Heroes fans. (We hear those whips cost a fortune anyway.)
The Mog Log: Answers (and disclaimers)
In this edition of the Mog Log, every question you have ever had will be answered completely accurately. (Disclaimer: these questions must pertain to either Final Fantasy XI or Final Fantasy XIV. And they must have been asked via e-mail or comments. And it must be noted that "I don't know" is an accurate answer to a question. Also, this aside is now longer then the introductory sentence.) Aren't you excited as possible? I know I am. We'll start off with a question from Dormer: "Why aren't we getting more information from the beta?" We're not sure, but we can certainly speculate. The most logical reason is that the testing is closer to an alpha than anything and they're not letting people in that they can't trust implicitly. Square-Enix has a pretty good track record at keeping things quiet when they want to, and they're likely making sure that nothing leaks out from this phase. How much of an NDA further phases of Final Fantasy XIV's testing will have is a mystery. But there's another reason for the possible dearth of information. (Which we've intentionally put behind the cut to inspire you to keep reading.)
A new blogger survey, this time for DPS
Last weekend we spotlighted the big healer survey that went around the blogosphere a little while back -- it was chock full of information straight from healers about their classes and abilities and what they thought of them. Now, Death Goddess is aiming to do the same thing for DPS classes. She's only got a few blogs who've answered so far, but they run a good range, from hunter to warlock to mage, and maybe getting the word out like this will encourage a few more DPS-style bloggers to put their answers in the pot. As long as we're going to keep encouraging this meme (or non-meme, as they may be saying), I'd love to see some of this stuff quantified a little bit more. It'd be interesting to put into numbers which kinds of classes like their roles best, or which situations each role likes to play more (do healers prefer raiding over 5-mans, or do DPS prefer to play solo rather than PvP?). The healer survey was a treasure trove of raw anecdotal information, but it'd be good to see this put into a spreadsheet or graph, and maybe give us a more quantified look at what people think of their class. We'll keep an eye on the DPS data and maybe try hashing it out once the list of those surveyed becomes pretty substantial.
Apple adds Questions & Answers to its online store
Over the past week, something new on the Apple Store went somewhat unnoticed and unreported in the Mac media. Apple has added a new Questions & Answers feature to most of the product listings on its online store. This new feature allows customers to interact with each other; however, this is different from the current review system Apple has. In addition, this feature is somewhat similar to the Customer Discussions feature that Amazon.com offers. It adds a bit more of a social push, something Apple has been up to lately. Do you think Apple's Questions & Answers will be a useful tool, or just another place for people to gripe? Let us know in the comments below.
EpicAdvice.com lets you ask and answer Warcraft questions
Reader Jesta sent us a note about his new website. He's a big fan of Stack Overflow, which is a big Q&A/advice site for programmers -- you show up, ask your question, and then other folks who might or might not be working on the same problem post their answers, in moderated and organized threads for everyone to read. Jesta decided this same type of thing could work for our little game, so he put together EpicAdvice.com -- the idea is that you go there, leave a question about anything in the game, and then wait for your answer from other people browsing the site.Stack Overflow actually has a little "badge" system where answerers can earn reputation points for answering questions correctly, and Jesta says that they're working on doing something similar for Epic Advice (though they'll probably have Achievements, as that's more Warcraft-y). But as of this writing, the site definitely needs more questions and answers, so if there's something bugging you about WoW (that our own Queue hasn't answered yet), or you consider yourself an expert and want to clear some things up, head over and give the site a look.
Faction Changes Q&A
Perhaps the biggest news in the past week -- aside from 'Cataclysm', that is -- hasn't been Patch 3.2 itself but a service Blizzard has apparently been working on for some time. Paid faction changes. We received quite a number of tips about it and even saw our story make a cameo on Attack of the Show. Players have been asking for something like this for a while, and there have been incidents of entire guilds rerolling from scratch to defect.Of course, with the shocking news comes a lot of questions, so Nethaera hops on over to the forums and answered a few concerns that players had. The biggest bummer for me was that I couldn't change race within my own faction! So... let me get this straight... I can change faction and become a totally different race but I can't swap my Blood Elf Death Knight into an Orc? Blasphemy! Unfortunately Blizzard doesn't think choice of race isn't something you can regret unlike faction choice. Anyway, more answers after the jump...
