guild-mechanics
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Guild Wars 2 improving megaserver guilds in September
Another feature pack is rolling out for Guild Wars 2 in September, and it's bringing improvements to guild functions along with it. It's starting with the rollout of global guilds, allowing the resources earned by a given guild on all worlds to feed into the same central group, rather than creating small-scale copies of the guild on every individual world. That includes guild vaults, guild merits, and guild influence, all of which will be pooled with the feature pack update. Guild missions and finding allies on different maps will also receive improvements, making it easier to take care of objectives with your friends across the globe. The official post also discusses the language divisions found on European servers, with the team electing not to split players based upon language at this time to bolster population. Read the full update for more details on how the changes will affect guilds and players when the patch goes live in September.
Albion Online's alpha begins today, updates highlighted in video
Are you interested in diving into Albion Online's closed alpha that launched today? If so, zip on over to the official site; the cross-platform sandbox offered a limited number of keys for this test run, and you can still sign up for a chance at a testing spot even if you missed out on the giveaway. Testers will see new updates that include customizable player housing which can affect player stats, new guild functionality including customizable coats of arms and searching for guild tools, a local marketplace for trade, and an in-game mail system. Players can also choose from more male avatars as well as the new female avatars. Get a glimpse of house building as well as the other updates in the video below. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
Ask Massively: I do not yet have my copy of Persona 4 Arena edition
The idea of a traditional 2-D fighting game in the Persona franchise seemed like it was too good to be true, but Persona 4 Arena is an actual thing that exists. Unfortunately, I don't currently have my copy, as I didn't feel like shelling out the extra money for super high-speed shipping on release day. So I'll probably have it soon, but not today. Until then, I can still be happy that Kanji's ultimate attack involves his fist-bumping his Persona. Oh, and Mitsuru's playable. Ask Massively, as a whole, does not cover fighting games. Instead, it covers your questions about MMOs or about meta-MMO issues. For example, this week's question is about Massively guilds in games. If you've got a question you would like to see answered in a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Star Trek Online updates players on the next two seasons in State of the Game letter
When a game goes free-to-play, the development team has to change up its priorities. Star Trek Online changed up the leveling path when the business model was changed, giving players new and old an easier path to higher levels. But now that players are at the endgame, what comes next? The newest State of the Game letter addresses that, looking to the next two updates as major improvements for players looking to take on new projects. Season 6 is almost ready for live, and it's bringing along fleet starbases and group projects to help keep players involved. Season 7 is aimed at introducing the Tholians to the game and a new sector, giving players a new form of story-based content without specifically using the Featured Episode system that's previously been employed. This is just scratching the surface of what's available, of course, so players should take a look at the full letter to get a better idea of where the game is heading over the next several months.
The Daily Grind: Should games bother innovating guild systems?
In-game support for MMO guilds has come a long way in the last 15 years. Ultima Online launched without guilds at all, let alone chat, so we tacked our guild abbreviations onto our character names. EverQuest's early months required guild leaders to petition GMs to form guilds. In fact, it wasn't until Asheron's Call that an MMO tried to break away from the "unofficial online shooter clan" mold and provide something different: a monarchy system that encouraged players to form official but dynamic allegiances, which provided an in-game benefit to patrons and vassals alike. But the genre didn't iterate on Asheron's Call's invention, instead preferring to bolster in-game guilds with perks like guild vaults and achievements -- cool stuff, but layered over a static, military style of guild structure with generic ranks. Most MMOs don't allow you to join multiple groups, either (Guild Wars 2 being a notable exception). So today I'm wondering whether you think there's room for innovation in MMO guild mechanics. Should studios design unique and flexible guild systems, or should they just get out of the way and let players decide how to organize themselves like we had to Back In The Day? 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!
