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The Mog Log: Living large in Limsa Lominsa
Limsa Lominsa isn't like the other cities in Final Fantasy XIV chiefly because it's not a city. You can argue the definition, but cities are generally places where a group of people decided to settle down and stay for an extended period of time. Limsa Lominsa is more like what would happen if everyone went for a hike, a lot of people wound up double-parked, and then in the aftermath, all of the hikers just threw up their hands and decided to stay where they were instead of going home. Even if you ignore the city's ridiculous origin, however, you're stuck with a city that's still ridiculous in its own way. The city's government is determined by boat races, the local pirates come standard so long as they adhere to a few fairly simple rules, and pretty much everyone has an eye toward becoming the top dog. The result is a place that's refreshingly open about all of its dangers, but despite that, it's no less threatening. You'll be threatened by brute force rather than subterfuge, but you're still facing down the wrong end of a weapon.
Mortal Online announces a new expansion called Awakening
Mortal Online has already launched one expansion, but the game's second expansion in its two years of operation will soon join the first. Awakening has just been announced and is set to bring a variety of improvements to the game. The centerpiece is the introduction of Tindrem, the eponymous Tindremic capital and the home of the Emperor. The sprawling city encompasses several districts, but there's more to the city than the orderly facade it presents to travelers. The expansion will provide more than simply a new city, however. It offers improved artificial intelligence and a better user interface to players, along with new dungeons in which players can test their skills against improved enemy intelligence. There's also a new set of special Trade Brokers in the cities, dyes for clothing and armor, and several other improvements that should be cheered by every Mortal Online player. [Thanks to James for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: Which environments tend to drain your interest?
The problem with fantasy settings is that the imagery is pretty well played out. You know there will be an area with a lot of trees, probably a desert, probably a set of rolling plains, and of course there will be caves. And the odds are good that at least one of those environments won't make you feel like you're off on an epic adventure; it will make you feel as if you're traipsing through the same environments you've traipsed through hundred of times. Until you just log off, that is. Maybe it's another promise of brown or gray caves winding about interminably. Maybe it's the thought of another forest, or another plain, or another rocky mountainous area. Or perhaps it's the more surreal and fanciful environments that make you roll your eyes and want to just stop playing. Which environments tend to drain your interest in the game? No matter how interesting any other part of the zone might be, what sort of regions just make you feel burnt out and bored? 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!
Preview EverQuest's upcoming City of Bronze
The development of EverQuest has been a steady constant amidst seas of change, with the development team hard at work on the Veil of Alaris expansion. This 18th update for the venerable game will usher in a variety of updates and improvements -- and, of course, new zones. Erillion, the City of Bronze, is one such region and quite fittingly is the latest zone to have a video overview for players to inspect before the expansion's launch. Narrated by Alan VanCouvering and Bob Painter, the video describes both the original concept of Erillion and the challenges faced in designing such an orderly environment. It had to look as mechanical and orderly as possible, after all, but it also had to look organic rather than just being the same building pasted in dozens of times. Click on past the break to watch the video if you'd like to see the city before you can venture there in person. [Source: Official press release]
Wurm Online inviting players to Exodus
In a game like Wurm Online, fresh lands are important. After all, the game places so much emphasis on setting up your own homestead in the untamed wilderness that you find yourself a bit out in the cold if the land is already developed. This was part of what led to the opening of the game's first new server, Deliverance, but the response of the playerbase has been so overwhelming that the development team is doing the time warp again. According to the development team, a new land named Exodus is being added just south of Deliverance. It's intended to give players a new chance to get involved with building in fertile lands untouched by human expansion, and it's set to go live on Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT. For those of you recalling the issues with the earlier server opening, the team hopes that the new region will open without problem. So get ready to go... well, south, young man, because the lands there are ripe for the taking. [Source: Wurm Online press release]
Super Hero Squad Online teasing Villainville
Super Hero Squad Online is sold on the strength of its characters, and up until now, it's been firmly on the heroic side of the equation. But Marvel Comics isn't limited to heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine -- it's just as defined by villains like the Green Goblin, the Red Skull, and Sabretooth. So while we might not yet have much in the way of information, it's a good thing to see that the game has an incoming addition in the form of Villainville. As of yet, the designers haven't released any information beyond the name of the locale -- whether it will be a new area for heroes to fight against their nemeses or a chance for players to take on the role of said nemeses is yet to be seen. Even so, if you appreciate the game's more kid-friendly approach to the Marvel universe, there's reason to be excited at the prospect of some home ground for the villains as well.
The Daily Grind: What game has your favorite instanced PvP?
In some ways, it's much easier to design an open PvP environment than an instanced battlefield. All one needs for the former is a world wherein anyone can attack anyone else, but creating an instanced map requires a set of objectives for players to fight over, an interesting layout to create diverse battles, and a balance so that every side within the instanced map will have a fair chance out of the gate. It's similar to creating a solid map for a first-person shooter, but with far more variables at play and much wider ranges of abilities for all participants. Despite the obstacles, the instanced PvP map has become one of the most common features of games with any sort of PvP system. So which games offer the best instanced PvP experience? Is it Warhammer Online's diverse and varied Scenario maps? RIFT's balanced Warfronts with specialized PvP-only character builds? What game makes instanced PvP feel the most vibrant and interesting in play? 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!
The Daily Grind: Would you like more exploration options?
Let's not mince words -- when you hear about a new location in any MMOs, you know it's being added so you can go in and kill its inhabitants. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, especially seeing as every new level brings MMO characters new ways to dice, filet, and otherwise demolish said inhabitants. But as many players have noted, it would be nice if there were occasionally other options, such as the puzzles and traps that Dungeons and Dragons Online places in some of its adventures. So would you like to see more exploration options in MMOs? Would you enjoy the chance to have a new location where you had to puzzle your way past traps and not draw your sword (or gun or electrical magic or whatever)? How about exploring a landscape without certain knowledge about what was on the other side? Or do you feel that's a thing of the past and so long as answers and guides are freely available online that exploration can't quite be replicated? 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!
Hellgate shows off its new Duel Areas
No matter how bad the environmental conditions might be in Hellgate, that's no reason to eschew one of the time-honored traditions of MMOs everywhere: PvP. But the game's relaunch won't just be including the original PvP elements, and one of the newer additions has just been highlighted -- the Duel Areas. This new addition allows players to face off against one another on specially designed maps, complete with dynamic elements on each map to keep battles unique. With four different maps to choose from and a number of pre-fight variables, the Duel Areas are limited at the moment by the fact that only deathmatch games are available within. Killing opponents will reward players with PvP experience, leading to valuable rewards for future PvP matches. Check out the video previews for two of the new arenas just after the break, something that should be enough to get Hellgate players excited as the game moves toward release.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation sees the spreading Shadow
It might seem like everything is all fine and dandy in Soul of the Ultimate Nation, but there's a shadow on the horizon. More specifically, there's Shadow, the newest character added to the game. A combination of dark sorcery and assassin skills form Shadow's potent, solo-friendly skillset, something the game's development team had been hinting at since the beginning of the year. But that's hardly all that's new in the game, which has expanded the high-level content as well. Player characters over level 100 have access to nearly two hundred added quests, as well as new high-level areas in Helron's Castle. Neville's Swamp and Bronze Moon City, as well as the area conquest for the aforementioned castle, are all open. To cap off the experience, players have access to the fourth village in Soul of the Ultimate Nation, giving high-end players a spot where they can congregate with one another. Rather than forcing you to just read the text, however, we have both a set of preview images in our gallery, and two trailers for the update embedded past the cut. %Gallery-98558%
Illuminating answers about the upcoming patch for Champions Online
The first adventure pack for Champions Online is due out this month, although we don't know quite when just yet. But there are a lot of things coming along with the new pack, such as the promised return of Blood Moon and the addition of a difficulty slider. If you're curious about what all of this means from a gameplay perspective, you're coming to it at the right time, as the most recent Ask Cryptic has just been released, covering most of what players might be wondering about. The difficulty slider will be responsible for improved drops, but costume pieces are likely to remain just as frequent (or infrequent) as they currently are. Players who have watched the development of Star Trek Online might be saddened to know that the resistance bonuses and such coming with the Accolade system in that game will not be copied for Champions Online's Perks system. But there's also the prospect of expanding smaller regions into full-sized explorable zones, and some details on the next few adventure packs heading down the pipeline. It should be good news for the game's players, and it certainly helps keep the interest stoked for the coming release of Serpent Lantern.
New Visions of Abyssea site for Final Fantasy XI launches
It's been a while, but we're finally seeing more information trickling out about the upcoming Final Fantasy XI add-on pack Visions of Abyssea, with the launch of the official teaser site. The first of three mini-expansions designed to help players hit the promised new level cap, the new page reveals that it's scheduled to go live with the June version update that hosts the first of three increases leading to 99. It also announces that there are plans for pre-purchases starting in early June, and gives a few more hints as to what the mysterious new zones will actually be. According to the backstory on the official site, players will apparently travel from Vana'diel to Abyssea via new Cavernous Maws, which leads to obvious suggestions that it's tied into the overarching and soon-concluding plot of Wings of the Goddess. There are also two screenshots of what may be assumed to be Abyssea itself -- or more accurately, a version of La Theine Plateau with a red sky. It would appear that the "mirror world" concept is close to the add-on indeed, but Final Fantasy XI players will have to wait a little longer to be totally sure.
The Daily Grind: What location is vital to the game?
When you play a game for any length of time, you get used to where things are. World of Warcraft players can navigate by the Stormwind Cathedral or the Orgrimmar Bank, Final Fantasy XI players can set their sights on the crags or Delkfutt's Tower. But sometimes, as has recently happened in Everquest II, there's a significant loss to those important locations. Something disappears, something is destroyed or moved or otherwise lost, and the entire game world feels a bit smaller for the loss. And even though part of you knows they're just backdrops, even if you don't give the slightest whit about the game's setting, you can't help but feel a bit smaller for what's been lost. The entire premise of the upcoming World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is the idea that the locations you're familiar with can be changed irrevocably, and that it's a significant event when it takes place. What part of your favorite game do you think is iconic and necessary for the feel and setting of the game world? Is it one of the more common points of congregation for low-level characters, a high-level haunt, or just a familiar and cherished region?
Detailed LotRO maps document a year of new content
2008 has been a great year for Lord of the Rings Online. Not only for the exploding playerbase, but also for the amazing amount of content that has been added to the game since it launched. This includes everything from new classes, housing, hobbies, trophies, weapons, armor, and of course, new areas to explore.As a testament to this, the wonderful fan site Visions of the Ring has compiled a "before" and "after" set of maps showing the areas we had available a year ago versus the areas we have to explore now. You'll notice the addition of Forochel, Eregion, the Mines, Lothlorien and more. These maps are taken and compiled from the overhead radar map, so the detail is all there. While you're at the site, be sure to check out the Interactive Horse Routes Flash Map, the Homesteads Flash Maps and the Speculated Expansions Flash Map, which is said to be updated for the new year's expanded areas very soon.
Going Deep Sea Fishing for some better 375 Fishing rewards
I've been leveling up fishing lately (hit 373 last night, along with 375 cooking, thanks to El's great guide), and I've actually found it pretty fun. It's a little too boring to do it without something going on in the background (last night it was the Cubs game, as depressing as that was), but it's kind of fun just to throw a line into some random water or pool and see what comes out. That said, the rewards could use a little tuning -- while events like the STV Fishing Tourney are fun (I've done it twice now and haven't won it yet) and offer some nice items, fishing itself even at the highest levels just isn't as rewarding as, say, running dailies or Heroics. The only reason to run it all the way up is really just to say you did -- while there's a promise of a Mr. Pinchy somewhere out there, there's no real fishing endgame in the way that there is for the rest of the game.Which makes Qann's suggestion intriguing -- he says that high level fishers should have access to certain areas via boat that offer them tougher fishing challenges, and better rewards for it. A boat could shuttle you out to a remote island or location, where only certain fish could be caught or found. And we don't even really need a boat -- just more events like the STV Extravaganza (where certain fish that appear in special pools can be turned in directly for items) would be great. And why is it that the best items obtained through fishing are apparently scrolls? Why can't we fish for Badges, or even have a fishmarket, where fish can be exchanged for gems, crafting materials or other rewards?Even Blizzard admits that there's a lot of work to be done for fishing, but it doesn't seem too hard -- if they're giving out epics for holidays, fishermen and women who make it up to 375 should deserve some good loot for their hard work as well, whether it's through Deep Sea fishing, keys that will unlock special chests, or just a vendor that will take all of those Barbed Gill Trout off your hands and give you something worthwhile in return.
New area: Razorthorn Rise
We all know patch 2.4 is going to center around a new zone in Azeroth, the Isle of Quel'Danas. But did you know there was a new Outlands area as well? I didn't either, until we got a tip from loyal reader Austin. This new area is called Razorthorn Rise, and apparently sits between Hellfire Peninsula and Terokkar Forest, just above Razorthorn Shelf. The tip says it's full of level 70 ravagers and flayers, and speculates that the ravagers would make good Hunter pets.I wasn't able to turn up any more information about this area, aside from one new daily quest that mentions it, where a Shattered Sun Offensive NPC sends you to the area to collect five "Razorthorn Roots." Sounds like a ground pick-up. The quest is filed under Terokkar Forest, so I'd guess that's where Razorthorn Rise officially resides. Does anyone know anything else about this zone?Update: Maybe not a new area after all. Still, this is the first I've heard of it.
A rewarding Tranquilien grind
There's a good little tip on the forums for anyone starting out a Horde alt (maybe to take advantage of the new leveling changes)-- do your 10-20 grind in Tranquilien. As long as you're thorough, you can pretty easily get exalted with Tranquilien (the rep flows freely), and there are some incredible rewards for doing so. Tranquilien Champion's Cloak is the best you can get, and +7 Stamina inside of level 20 is amazing.Just shows how far Blizzard has come in rewarding up and coming players with the items they need to level faster. You've always been able to get rep from other starting areas, and these rewards have been around since Burning Crusade (so this is only news if you're just now starting another alt). But it's cool to look back on all these changes-- increased rep per quest, a new starting area, and better reputation rewards, and see how they all work together to give lowbie characters lots more fun stuff to play with.
