armor-set
Latest
Patch 5.2 Gear Previews: Season 13, tier 15, and Throne of Thunder
If you've been waiting for some new WoW loot to drool over, today Blizzard posted previews of season 13's "Tyrannical" PvP armor sets. Season 12 will be coming to an end on March 5, making the Tyrannical sets your new PvP goal. Though we have to say, the paladin set looks kind of dangerous, like you might put someone's eye out accidentally with those giant blades attached to your shoulders. (It reminds us of warrior's tier 2 Wrath set, which also seemed like tempting fate. What if you tripped?) So, PvP paladins, please be careful and try not to run with scissors -- or those huge shoulders -- okay? For PvEers, Blizzard also has previews of tier 15, which will be arriving with patch 5.2 -- that is to say, soon. Thankfully, Blizzard has finally taken the preventive measure of putting bells on the priests so they can no longer sneak up on you. (Apologies to stealth-loving priests everywhere.) And if that's not enough preview action, our friends at Wowhead also have Throne of Thunder boss drops from the PTR (if you're not seeing them, click to sort "By Boss"). Happy looting, everyone!
World of Wardrobe: More plate look-alikes for death knights
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. The Burning Crusade was the first expansion for World of Warcraft, featuring a wholly foreign landscape to traverse and all-new armor to pick up and proudly wear. Well ... sort of. Though the zones, dungeons and quests were incredibly detailed and entertaining, the gear itself was a little lacking in variety. Green gear drops were simply recolored versions of existing models, and nothing really went together -- which led to the infamous Burning Crusade "clown suit" effect that most people experienced while leveling through the expansion. That didn't mean there was a complete lack of matching gear, however. Burning Crusade dungeons contained plenty of recolored tier sets from classic World of Warcraft, to the delight of many players who simply didn't raid in vanilla and therefore didn't have access to that tier. The other nice part about the tier recolors was that they weren't class-restricted, so any class could pick up the look of another class with relatively little difficulty. This turned out to be very good news for death knights, who didn't appear on the scene until Wrath of the Lich King. Though a class call was added to Nefarian over in Blackwing Lair for our death knight friends, tier sets were not. Last week, we covered a few of the recolored plate offerings that death knights can pick up -- but don't worry, death knights. Last week's offering of plate tier goodies was only part 1! There are a few more plate tier look-alikes to be had out there in The Burning Crusade.
Patch 4.3 PTR: New dungeon sets revealed
Stalwart dataminers over at the Scrolls of Lore forums have put together images of the new dungeon gear sets coming in patch 4.3. These sets are not true sets in that they have bonuses, but the gear from the new Hour of Twilight 5-man dungeons will each have a cohesive aesthetic look to them. Check out the images of these new dungeon sets in our gallery; thanks to poster handclaw for these awesome shots. The cloth set currently does not have shoulders showing because of a bug where the right and left shoulders are swapped on the palette. We will update the gallery with a new shot plus shoulders when we get our hands on it. Until then, enjoy. %Gallery-135137% Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
EverQuest cracks the door wider to peek in on Veil of Alaris concept art
While November is still a ways off, EverQuest players have a lot to be excited for as the title's 18th expansion bakes in Sony Online Entertainment's creative ovens. Today, the company has released three new pieces of concept art -- along with a wireframe model -- to give us more of an idea of what to expect out of Veil of Alaris. The art shows off some of the structures of Alaris, including a costal town and various towers, as well as the mysterious inhabitants of the lands. Alaris will consist of 12 new zones, half of which are raid zones. In addition to Alaris itself, the expansion will feature a level cap increase to 95 and a welcome revamp of the guild hall system. There will also be more armor sets, a cultural armor tier, and the ability to resize hotbars. You can check out all of the concept art goodness in the gallery below! %Gallery-128419%
Wings Over Atreia: Class builds -- Cleric
Last week we discussed how personality influences class choice, so after some deep reflection, you have decided that it is time to reveal your true nature and be reborn as a cleric in Aion! Either that, or maybe you just wanted to solo some dungeons to horde all the loot. *cha-ching* Perhaps you already became one to impress that really cute voice in vent who is always looking for a healer. Whatever your reason, the life of servitude is for you. Now what? Welcome to Build-a-Cleric. While some Daevas are content to just play with what they get from drops or quests, a number actually want to outfit their characters the best they can. Even if leveling too quickly to worry about uber gear thanks to mentoring and an easier grind, it is never a bad idea to keep an eye on endgame. And with the plethora of manastones, armor sets, weapons, and stigmas available -- not to mention advice, both solicited and unsolicited -- it can be a daunting task to maximize your potential. So to help you wade through the possibilities, Wings Over Atreia will be exploring each class individually and highlighting popular and effective builds. With any luck, some advance knowledge will help you make informed decisions and avoid the catastrophes of expending all of your energies in obtaining the wrong gear for your needs. Nothing shouts broke like having to re-socket entire sets or enchant new ones! Roll up your sleeves and explore various builds for Aion's Cleric class after the cut.
Exclusive: Mythos displays Lamento armor sets
Hanibitsoft and European publisher Frogster gave Massively the skinny on three armor sets revealed in the new fantasy MMO Mythos. Merchants on Heaven Island offer special armor sets to players with enough points from Lamento battles. Players form teams to face off against other groups in these contests of glory and special prizes. The Lamento sets of armor are specially designed to visually complement each other when worn as a complete suit. In addition to the stat increases given by individual pieces, the armor grants characters extra bonuses when the player equips more than one piece at a time. The bonus stats increase at 2, 5, 8, 11, and 13 collected pieces. The weapons and shields will vary, and each armor set contains two different sets of attributes for each of the three classes. Gadgeteers don the Pure White Soul armor set; Bloodletters strap on the Dark Plains or Snow Field armor; Pyromancers ignite the world in their Firestorm robes. In the gallery below, we've uploaded your first look at these enchanting suits. If you are interested in finding out more about the myth behind Mythos, march over to the official site and sign up for the closed beta going on right now. %Gallery-10781%
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Vindictus, zebra stockings and giant spiders
It's not often that we in the Massively offices are just plain stumped, but today Nexon receives that rare badge of distinction. To usher in Vindictus' holiday event, Nexon has put together a 48-second video of pure insanity. It runs the gamut of snowball fights, mostly naked people wearing zebra underwear, giant spiders, pigs and one exhausted-looking Santa Claus. The festivities begin in Vindictus on Wednesday, December 15th and revolve around the battle with Laghodessa, a giant arachnid with a penchant for taking all the presents and drinking all of the egg nog. Nexon has asked the players to speculate about why their characters may have a vendetta against the plus-sized spider and for the players to send in their stories. Once players have defeated Laghodessa, they'll have the opportunity to craft a unique spider cloth armor set. Nexon's also throwing out a number of goodies, including free XP weekends, free boat trips and free potions for the taking. Head on over to Vindictus to read up on the event, or hit the jump and witness the holidays seen through the lens of the insane.
Cataclysm's best leveling improvement: no more clown suits
One of the many nice things that Cataclysm is doing for the low-level quester is finally getting rid of the level 1 to 60 "clown suit." Every 10-level range has its own specific set of matching quest rewards, giving you a unique look every handful of zones. And they don't look half bad! In fact, some of the sets look pretty darn cool. Speaking from experience, leveling from 1 to 60 in the beta was a lot more exciting, not just due to the new quests and mechanics, but also because I couldn't wait to see what my new gear would look like when I hit a new leveling milestone. Check out the full picture with all of Cataclysm's low-level armor sets, courtesy of reader Frez, after the break.
All you ever wanted to know about Rift's gear and were not afraid to ask
While some players may possess the tact not to come right out and say it to a dev's face, when an upcoming MMO is being discussed there's always the inner voice shouting, "What about my loots? Is the gear pimpin' or what?" Forget zones and races and dynamic events -- today at Ten Ton Hammer, the crowd finally got the Rift: Planes of Telara dev team to open up about the outfits that constitute a bulk of the rewards of the game. In this reader Q&A, Game System Designer Drew Clowery tackled numerous questions about Rift's gear. Rift will launch with 48 armor set models -- each boasting a number of variants and texture options -- but will not initially offer armor set bonuses. Veteran MMO gamers will feel at home with Rift's armor system, which is restricted by class (warriors will be able to wear heavier armor than rogues, for example) and can be bound on pickup or equip. Loot comes in one of four levels of rarity -- common, uncommon, rare and epic -- based on its utility and difficulty to attain. Crafted gear will be competitive (and apparently customizable) to dropped gear. And finally, Rift will not launch with an appearance system that replaces the look of worn gear with cosmetic items. Clowery feels that the team has struck a good balance between loot being useful and being a barrier: "Loot is an important part of our game, and so it has to have an important impact upon the characters. That said, it's not completely overwhelming... We don't design encounters to be gear checks. We design them to see if you can get together and do this."
Wings Over Atreia: Miragent -- the saga continues
In past weeks, we delved into the world of max-level armor in NCsoft's Aion, weighing some pros and cons of the different sets, and you have trotted along with me as I began a mad dash for Miragent armor. Well, it began as a dash (yay for the first quest!), but it was interrupted by stops and starts (the second quest). I have successfully acquired the first two pieces of this set. Now, the question is -- can I make it any further? The ultimate grind is the next step, followed by the craft from which nightmares are formed. This week, we chronicle the next lap of the race, our pace slowing to a steady gait during quest number three, then finally picking up speed near the end and sprinting onward toward the fourth. As many players from both factions can attest, just about the single most frustrating thing about Aion has got to be the Miragent/Fenris armor quest-lines. While it is hard to ignore the bonuses and stats on these two sets, can the end really justify the means for most Daeva? Is it truly worth it? Any time I pop into the Dredgion, the answer is clear -- it is. Nothing makes the team groan more than a full-Fenris group. Well, save for half being all +10 enchanted! So with an eye on that ultimate prize, I -- like many Daeva before, and many Daeva to come -- continue forward with determination and the hope of ultimate glory. OK, so we would settle for the matching set and just being finished! Jog past the cut to follow the next step in our journey towards a complete set of Miragent armor.
Wings over Atreia: Going for the gold -- Miragent or bust
So, you still want a set of Miragent or Fenris armor in Aion? I commend you -- you are made of some tough stuff; these are definitely not sets for the instant-gratification crowd. However, I truly believe in the old adage "you appreciate what you work for," and those who complete one of these sets have appreciation by the bucket-full. Not to mention the best set bonuses that Aion has to offer! We warmed-up already by knocking out the crafting requirements; this week we plunge ahead into the actual questing. Now here's a hint -- if you are prone to passing-out due to sticker shock, please, do not read ahead. Do not read any guides and do not ask any friends about the the total cost... although, if you find a way to pass Go and collect 200 kinah, do it! Trust me, every spare coin is going to come in handy. For those who believe knowing the course ahead is just one step closer to crossing the finish line, dash across the cut and follow me as I race for the ultimate gold prize -- Miragent armor.
Wings Over Atreia: Going for the gold -- crafting
Last week, we first dipped into the realm of max-level gold armor in Aion by exploring Anuhart and PvP armor sets. This week, we will look at what is available on the crafted market, as well as prepare to begin the journey of the Miragent quest line (sorry folks, but it will be quite a while before my new little Asmodian can follow along and chronicle the Fenris quest line). If you have the (mis)fortune to need or want one of these two sets more than anything – and we really do mean anything -- you could be in for a long, arduous, and expensive journey. But no pain, no gain... right? Trust me, now is the time to take advantage of any extremely wealthy and generous friends who are begging you to take their kinah. Or, find and cultivate a kinah tree somewhere in Atreia. Short of that -- save, save, and save! Then save some more, and cross your fingers for some good drops to sell. Hold on to your kinah while you can, then join me past the break to see where it will soon be going should you desire crafted gold gear.
The Road to Mordor: Near-Death Adventures (NDA) lifted!
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Lord_of_the_Rings_Online_F2P_player_beta_impressions'; In case you were wondering, I'm part of the crowd that doesn't really believe in non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Oh, if I agree to one I'll stick to it and keep my word, don't get me wrong. What I mean is that I don't believe in the usefulness of NDAs, particularly in a day and age when all the information is available anyway -- this is, after all, the omniscient internet. Not to mention that by trying to keep a lid on testers and prevent them from sharing their experiences, companies tend to suppress the positive accolades (those are the people who want to keep playing, after all) while letting the badmouthers escape to tell their tale (they don't care if they break the NDA, because they're not going to play anyway). But my personal feelings aside, the brief NDA lockdown on the upcoming LotRO F2P edition (hey Turbine, can we get a name for this yet? LotRO Unlimited? Free-Range LotRO?) has lifted and testers have swarmed out from under its veil to share their stories and thoughts. I'd be remiss if we didn't spend some time this week looking at what people have to say about all of the changes, additions and updates to the game -- not to mention the looming specter of the LotRO store. Let us see what is to be seen as we scout the forums and blogosphere: LotRO exposed, uncovered, dissected and digested for the good of all. I've pulled salient quotes to help give you an idea how the beta is progressing thus far -- and remember, it is still in beta. Everything here is quite subject to change by the time LotRO II: Hobbit Boogaloo launches.
Wings Over Atreia: Going for the gold
You did it. After dodging gank squads, hooking up to an IV on double XP weekends, and wearing out your mouse (true story, a legion-mate had to replace his!), you finally hit level 50 in Aion. Amid the fanfare in your mind and the "gratzes" you receive from friends, you can now sit back and relax, reveling in your accomplishment... OK done. That's right, after maybe two deep breaths, a smile, and 3.5 seconds, you are probably now looking ahead to the real big grind (especially if you were like me and just happened into the level without really thinking ahead) -- gear. Yes, maximum level in Aion doesn't mean much if you are still wearing quest blues from pre-Xeno. Gold is armor of choice, and having anything less can be a distinct disadvantage. Today we begin a journey looking into gearing-up for the current max level (at least until 2.0 launches September 7th). There are actually multiple options available for getting that shiny (and glowing) gear, but each set has its own price tag in money, time, and -- admittedly at times -- frustration; depending on which gear you focus on, the amount you pay in each category will vary, but it will be significant no matter which you choose. For those who focused on fast leveling, or simply did not know to plan ahead (yours truly), our work is cut out for us. However, for those who are not yet level 50, I cannot stress enough that the sooner you begin your preparations, the better. Depending on your preferred set, save materials, scour the broker for deals, grind AP, or make kinah, kinah, and more kinah. Because you are going to need it. This series of articles will give you some insights to help you plan ahead and be ready for that magical moment you ding. Join me past the cut to see where you should focus your energies.
WRUP: My favorite things edition
Once again it's the weekend, which can mean only one thing -- it's time to catch up on our gaming. Surely you know what it's like: during the week we have work or school or other obligations that may keep us away from our favored pastime. But with the week over, it's time for play. This week in addition to asking the WoW.com team what they're playing this weekend, I've also asked them to include a shot of their character in their favorite set of gear. And, though it's hardly a scientific poll, from the answer I've recieved it seems safe to conclude that the paladin's tier 2 armor set is a crowd favorite. So without further introduction, read on to see what the team is up to this weekend -- or to let us know what you're going to be playing. %Gallery-92138%
WRUP: Too sexy edition
Happy Saturday everyone! Another very fine weekend is upon us and here at Massively HQ we're celebrating with some game time. This week, in addition to asking the staff what they're playing this weekend, we've also asked what their favorite in-game armor set is. Whether we're too sexy for our helms (/groan) or not is an exercise we leave to you, dear readers. But for what we're playing this weekend -- and, better yet, what you're playing this weekend -- read on! %Gallery-92127%
Celebrate a tricksy halfling for April Fool's Day in EQII
If there's anything we know for sure about halfings, it's their love of devious tricks. The Norrathian god Bristlebane is no exception, being the deity of pranks, foolishness, and lighthearted deception. So when April Fools Day comes around and Bristlebane's power is at its yearly peak, expect all of Norrath to fall for his hysterical tricks! This year's Bristlebane Day is going to be filled with festivities, pranks, and even a few new items for you to add to your inventory! While the yearly mainstay quests have returned (like Ratical, The Impossibly Rare Objects, and Gigglegibber Scavenger Hunt) a new quest has appeared in the Enchanted Lands! This quest will only be available on April 1st, in addition to some "other" festivities that will appear in the zone on that day as well. Play your cards right, and you might just be the owner of The World's Worst Colored Armor Set (TM)! Exciting? We think so.
Faction armor is about choice in Rise of the Godslayer
Today's an exciting day for Age of Conan players, because this month's Letter from the Game Director is out and the theme is faction armors coming in the Rise of the Godslayer expansion. Craig Morrison explains that each class is essentially getting five new armor sets with this expansion, each of which serves a specific purpose. One set will offer a general DPS boost, one a general health boost and three are designed to enhance a different aspect of each class. The example given by Craig uses the Ranger class. Rangers get DPS and health armor sets and also receives three specialization sets: Critical damage, evades and hit rating. Protections and immunities. Traps and regeneration. These sets can also be mixed and matched, meaning that players are going to have a lot of meaningful choices when it comes to equipment selection in Rise of the Godslayer and that's certainly a good thing. Considering the alternate advancement feature being added with this expansion and (according to Craig in this very letter) next week's upcoming PvP-focused Shrines of Borai update, it's an exciting time to be an Age of Conan player. And once we know a solid release date -- beyond Craig's mention of it being "just around the corner" -- things should get pretty heady for the AoC community.
The Queue: Dye job
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today. So the Patch 3.1 PTR has dropped and all the madness associated with it has started. I always find it interesting to watch how some ideas and changes morph from "AMG! Imma gonna stop paying MY $15 A MONTH right now and you're gonna be out of a job because Titan's Grip didn't need to be nerfed!" to "WoW! These new Warrior changes make the Titan's Grip nerf pointless! I am so uber again!" I /facepalm at that sort of thought progression, as I suspect many of you do as well.Cielago asked:"How how long do I have to get title and mount rewards for the achievements associated with Wrath raids and heroics? Is it until patch 3.1 when Ulduar gear will make them easier? Until the next expansion? Some time in between?"
Why do people buy virtual goods in MMOs?
Massively multiplayer online gamers spend hours -- so many hours -- working towards obtaining virtual gear. Epic armor sets, mounts, player housing, faction ships... the list goes on, and will continue to go on. Our collective fascination with these intangibles ensures our desire for them -- and for those things beyond a player's reach solely within the virtual realm, real world cash makes all things possible. This is the research focus of Ph.D. student Vili Lehdonvirta of the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, who breaks down our buyer's impulse according to three criteria: Functional attributes, such as speed, hitpoints, teleportation. Hedonic attributes, or how the virtual gear looks or sounds, its provenance or its connection to the background fiction of the setting, and of course customizability. Social attributes, particularly the prestige accorded with ownership of a rare item. Have a look at his "Virtual item sales as a revenue model: identifying attributes that drive purchase decisions" for a thorough analysis of why many of us are so inclined to obtain something that's ultimately ephemeral, which goes beyond the simpler "useful vs. decorative" angle.
