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Final Fantasy XIV prepares for a sheep-filled year
Every year, Final Fantasy XIV rings in the new year with a new animal-themed kabuto, and this year is no exception. With the Year of the Ram swiftly approaching, it's time for that most humble of Eorzean denizens to grace the helm, the diminutive sheep dotting the landscape and bleating all over. That means a new sheep-themed hat, a new sheep minion, and the usual assortment of housing decorations for those who want them. Coming hot on the heels of the rather involved Starlight Celebration, this event has a quest chain which kicks off in Limsa Lominsa to unlock the various seasonal rewards. Players will also be able to purchase additional decorations and the like through seasonal vendors, as is tradition. So ring in the new year with visitors from the Far East and get ready for your own personal woolgathering sessions.
World of Warcraft gives thanks with Pilgrim's Bounty
It's finally that wonderful time of year when Alliance and Horde alike come together (not with each other, of course) to, for some reason, give thanks for their continued existence in a world that seems perpetually on the brink of catastrophic destruction. World of Warcraft's in-game Pilgrim's Bounty event is going on now and will continue until December 2nd and, much like its real-world counterpart, it's mostly about food. Cooking daily quests make up a good deal of the event's activities, and it's only during Pilgrim's Bounty that players can acquire the recipes for seasonal dishes such as pumpkin pie and slow-roasted turkey. No seasonal event would be complete without some unique items and achievements to go with it, of course, and Pilgrim's Bounty has that covered too. Players can bring some old-world flair to their characters' wardrobes by gathering an outfit of pilgrim's clothing, and there are nine achievements for players to complete over the course of the event. Completing all nine achievements will unlock the Pilgrim meta-achievement, which grants the cute and potentially delicious plump turkey companion pet. For all the details on Pilgrim's Harvest, head on over to the World of Warcraft official site.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV is (not) Halloween
It's my favorite time of the year again. Really; there is absolutely nothing I love more than the relentless Halloweening through October. I love the decorations, I love the genuine scares, I love the humorous antics, and I love the whole atmosphere. So you can be sure that I was as enthusiastic about Final Fantasy XIV's newest incarnation of All Saints' Wake as possible. I was up early just to try out what the game had to offer. Afterward, I was somewhat less than impressed. It's not that I think it's a bad event, just that it's a bit lackluster, something that the game has suffered from thus far on the holiday front. So let's talk about what went right, what went wrong, and what can be improved for the next few years of the game's operation for at least this one holiday because darn it -- Halloween events matter. Unless you really don't like holiday events, in which case I don't know what to tell you.
APB Reloaded brings Fright Club and Certain Death to San Paro
While almost every game has some kind of Halloween celebration this time of year, only APB: Reloaded has nabbed the talents of the Scottish metal band Certain Death to add to the ambiance of this holiday update. The band picked three songs to add to APB's soundtrack, which the guitarist Steedo said "would fit the game as well as the new Halloween update." The Halloween shenanigans include new in-game content and challenges including Fright Club, the temporary relocation of the popular Fight Club mode to an abandoned asylum filled with ghoulish gang members. Starting today, players can also get a new Punk pack, complete with devil or bat wings, witch and wizard hats, pumpkin and bat glow-in-the-dark weapon themes, and a scoped version of the new primary weapon, the STAC 10 (Somatic Tactical Assault Carbine). The holiday-themed festivities run until November 6th, 2013. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
Guild Wars 2's Wintersday event schedule announced
The most wonderful time of the year is heading to Tyria this Friday, which is when ArenaNet will be kicking off Guild Wars 2's Wintersday celebrations. It all begins on Friday, December 14th, in Lion's Arch, where Zommoros the djinn will transform his home, the Mystic Forge, into a giant snow globe. There, players can take part in a new jumping puzzle (which happens to be a giant snowman), have snowball fights with other players, and be part of a chorus of holiday bells. But that's only the beginning. Each day after that, Toymaker Tixx will be making his way to each of the capital cities of Tyria, with each stop featuring new and exciting holiday activities. He'll begin in the Sylvari Grove on the 15th and end his journey in Lion's Arch. But of course, Tixx's being an Asura means that his toys probably aren't the most stable of constructions, and the holiday event will go out with a bang as the toys in Tixx's workshop go haywire, bringing about Toypocalypse! It's up to players to "defend Tixx's present-delivering dolyaks and the gigantic toy-making machine from waves of maniacal toys." So get on out there, Tyrians; spread some holiday cheer and save Wintersday.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Have a holly, jolly Wintersday
Wintersday is steadily creeping up on Tyria -- on both Tyrias, as it were: Guild Wars is getting its annual holiday decorations starting the 13th, and Guild Wars 2 will join in the festivities on the 14th. The holiday event lasts through January 2nd for Guild Wars and 3rd for Guild Wars 2, so maybe don't fret so much on when you're going to get in to enjoy the goings-on. That's a nice change from the somewhat abbreviated schedule of the October and November content updates. But be warned, hero: There's a war on Wintersday. Don't believe me? Read on to find out.
APB locks and reloads for Christmas
All Points Bulletin is preparing for a bloody Christmas siege -- and if you can get through this holiday event without saying, "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho," then you are better people than we. The game is kicking off its holiday festivities on Wednesday, December 12th, and has a few twists from last year's event. During the event, players will need to seek out Elves for a few new missions. These Elves aren't messing around, either; they're prepared to hand out weapon skins and cool threads for the street-tough. The studio also floated the rumor that there will be a snowball grenade launcher up for grabs. The studio has a 12-day promotion starting on December 13th for shoppers. Each day, the cash shop will hand out a different surprise gift to those dropping money on the title. [Source: Reloaded Productions press release]
Wintersday is coming to Guild Wars
Just because Guild Wars 2 is getting a big, exciting Wintersday patch doesn't mean that the original Guild Wars will be barren. Starting at 3:00 p.m. EST on December 13th, the game will have holiday decorations up in a few major cities. You'll be able to pick up Wintersday quests in Lion's Arch, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North. Snowball fights and tournaments will be making a comeback, as will the repeatable quests in the Secret Lair of the Snowmen. These activities will all be available until 3:00 p.m. EST on January 2nd. The finale event will run in Lion's Arch and Kamadan every three hours from 3:01 a.m. EST on January 1st until 3:01 a.m. EST on January 2nd. According to the official website, two brand-new costumes, representing Lyssa and Kormir, will be available. We're betting that's a clerical error, since you can go to the game's store and buy Lyssa and Kormir costumes right now.
APB: Reloaded previews new map for Halloween festivities
Like in most virtual worlds, APB: Reloaded's San Paro is preparing for Halloween. In honor of the occasion, a new map will be brought out for two weeks of celebration. The appropriately themed Asylum map will be used to host a Fright Club, which will replace the regular Fight Club starting today. Trick and Treat, the respective Halloween Contacts for Criminals and Enforcers, will be chilling in the Asylum with missions to hand out. Players will be able to go through six levels of holiday missions. In addition, players will be able to smash pumpkins -- and smashing pumpkins unlocks titles! Not only will players unlock the Pumpkin Chaser, Murderer, Assassin, and Terminator titles unlocked at various numbers of pumpkins smashed, but the top player in each world for pumpkin smashing will unlock the title of Pumpkin King or Queen. Two contests will round out the festivities: the Headless Gunman Pumpkin Head Contest and the Halloween District Parade Costume Contest. Check out the official contest forums for all the details on that heap o' goodness.
The Daily Grind: Are you still on the gaming train today?
If you're in the US, today is probably the one day of the year when pretty much everyone gets to take time off and have a holiday. December 25th is acknowledged as a day of rest and relaxation with friends and family. Of course, it wouldn't be much of a holiday if you didn't get to do things you enjoyed... but for some of us, this is also a day when we take a break even from our sometimes stressful hobby of online games. So what about you? Obviously you're still on the browsing train for the day, but are you still planning on logging in and grinding out a few quests today? Or is this a day off all 'round? And please, feel free to let us know what you'll be up to for the day either way because we'd like to hope that all of our readers are having a happy day doing what they love. It's the season for that, after all. 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!
Captain's Log: Dilithium, attack ships, and lightsabers, oh my!
So much has happened with Star Trek Online since Massively's last column on the game! The Captain's Log's previous author, Brandon Felczer, accepted a position with Perfect World Entertainment (Cryptic Studios' parent company) and is now a community manager for Star Trek Online. We wish him the best in his future endeavors. And that makes me, Terilynn Shull, your new STO columnist! Since then, Cryptic's newest patch, A Call to Arms, was released to subscribers. The patch was really the preliminary push of the anticipated free-to-play model that Cryptic announced will occur on January 17th, 2012. To the dismay of many players, the patch did not contain any new mission content, and we've been told not to expect any new story-driven content until at least February of next year. However, A Call to Arms did include the nervously awaited single-currency economy, the highly anticipated duty officer system, and a revamped set of strategic task force (STF) missions, and it was soon followed by the controversial holiday event and "homage" to Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Lord of the Rings Online discusses this year's Yule Festival
Generally, holiday events aren't seen as content in major need of updating. Usually a game that runs an event one year will run more or less the same event the next year with a handful of extra toys. But the holiday events in Lord of the Rings Online are still an important part of the game experience, which is why the Yule Festival has undergone some serious revamping and changes to hopefully make this year the best Yule ever. As outlined in the new developer diary, the original incarnation had a lot of space in Winter-home that didn't tie together, leaving the area feeling empty despite the abundance of content. The changes were thus focused around making full use of the space as well as making the existing quests a bit friendlier to players to address some long-standing complaints. The overall effect should make the area feel more lively and the event more fun for everyone, whether you've done it for years or this is your first Yule in Middle-earth.
Massively Exclusive: The story and presents behind RIFT's Fae Yule
All in-game holiday festivals were not born equal, but they do seem to share a family resemblance when it comes to being merry and bright. RIFT's Fae Yule is but one of many, many Christmastime MMO holidays that we're witnessing this month, but the team at Trion Worlds is looking to make it stand out from the rest of the crowd with its depth and sense of fun. So why do the inhabitants of Telara celebrate Fae Yule and take time out of their busy schedule of slaughter and soul-absorbing to decorate the town and scarf down bucketfuls of eggnog? What do they sing about when gathered around a crackling fire? What kind of present is appropriate for the fellow who already has the gift of immortality? It's time to sit on Trion's lap and ask for your greatest wish in game while jolly St. Hartsman tells you all about the lore and in-game goodies behind RIFT's festivities. Ho-ho-hit that jump and let's get started!
The Starlight Celebration approaches for Final Fantasy XI
The end of the year quickly approaches, and if you're a veteran of Final Fantasy XI, you know that means it's time for the Starlight Celebration. The music changes in Jeuno, the snow falls, and players get to enjoy a bit of Christmas cheer in the game as well as out of it. And like most events, this one has a new wrinkle for its newest outing: it seems a handful of Goblins have decided to get involved in the celebration, taking some presents that weren't intended for them and leaving adventurers to recover the missing gifts. Missed a previous year? That's all right -- you can still obtain one of the many cozy furnishings or festive costume pieces through a variety of event merchants and packages scattered throughout Vana'diel. The event will start on the live servers on December 16th and run through December 31st, plenty of time for everyone in Final Fantasy XI to get a solid dose of some holiday cheer.
New RIFT video is dressing up for Halloween
It's always a bit of a scary time in RIFT's setting of Telara. After all, it's rough to think that at any moment the sky could tear open right next to your favorite restaurant and turn it into a shrieking pit of death. So you can imagine that things get even jumpier around this time of year, what with everyone seeing death around every corner and undead in every shadow. What's a resident of Telara to do? Well, fortunately, there are Ascended running around to keep the world safe on a day-to-day basis. But as the video just past the break shows, when you're facing something a bit more frightening than the average day, you need to call on a more formidable set of allies. Check on past the cut to see RIFT's holiday spectacular in all its glory, a reminder that even in these times of darkness, there are knights around every corner. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Final Fantasy XIV egging players on with a lore-filled new holiday event
Patch 1.17 is awash in rumors. The world of Eorzea is filled with rumors of returning Archons, war with the Empire, the formation of the Grand Companies, and unsettling aggression from wildlife. Amidst all of the chaos, Final Fantasy XIV players are going to see the first pass of the new Easter-themed holiday, which ties directly into the aforementioned rumors -- the eggs being distributed across Eorzea are the work of one woman who is absolutely certain that the Archons are returning, and she's spreading the word through decorated avian embryos. After a vision of the Archons descending from the sky on the back of colored eggs, Jihli Aliapoh took it upon herself to preach gospel and distribute painted eggs to help spread awareness. Of course, there are rumors that she's handing out the eggs for more material purposes... but for players, it means a chance to get holiday-themed hats, and isn't that the important part? Final Fantasy XIV players should read the full lore rundown and start taking part in the egg festivities, which run until May 9th.
Final Fantasy XI hopping along for 2011
The new year brings all sorts of things -- hopes for improvement, resolutions of behavior, and of course in-game events for nearly every game that's active. Final Fantasy XI is no exception, with this year's event focused around the wide-eyed rarabs that range across Vana'diel. And as with previous years, players can ring in the new year with some lovely new prizes, including the option to turn oneself into a rabbit of unusual size for a while. Running until January 17th, the event follows the format laid out by previous years, with players chasing a bounding rabbit across various zones to obtain various prizes. The team at FFXIclopedia has already begun putting together a guide for players looking to get the most out of the holiday; the biggest challenge for players will be hunting down the Celebratory Coney darting across the landscape. Take a look at the official announcement for the usual piece of in-game fiction, and enjoy the start of another year in Final Fantasy XI.
Ring in the new year with Final Fantasy XIV's Heavensturn
Considering Final Fantasy XI's longstanding tradition of celebrating nearly every holiday no matter how obscure, it should come as no surprise that Final Fantasy XIV is poised to carry on the tradition. The first holiday event is still taking place, but a new one will begin soon to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Dubbed Heavensturn, the event is a chance for players to score another unique piece of equipment -- in this case, a hat that manages to combine the samurai aesthetic with a rabbit. Running from December 31st until January 17th, the event will function similarly to the ongoing Starlight Celebration, with characters obtaining festive items that may be used in crafting. The centerpiece is the Usagi Kabuto, which is exactly what it sounds like: a bunny hat for the lapine-conscious samurai. According the backstory, Heavensturn traditionally is a time of astrological significance, but the event has started getting a bit supplanted by the rabbit helms. Final Fantasy XIV players can take a look at the full backstory as well as the new crafting recipes for the event in the official dispatch.
The Road to Mordor: Figgy pudding
For those of us who celebrate the holidays, right now is an insanely busy time of the year. There are presents to be wrapped, eggnog to be nogged, and looks of annoyance to be thrown at the radio when the music station decides to play that Do They Know It's Christmas? song for the sixth time that hour. It also means that winter holidays are hitting most major MMOs, including our beloved Lord of the Rings Online. This year, the Yule Festival is marked by the addition of a whole new area -- Winter-home -- and players are already neck-deep in the quests, snowball fights and theatrical hilarity. Turbine's done a spectacular job this year infusing a lot more life and fun into the festivals, from the shrew stomping this past spring to the Haunted Burrow this fall. Winter-home is, in many ways, a perfect capstone to a terrific year for the game, and it's a pretty enjoyable event from what I've seen so far. So grab that cute Hobbit or Dwarf and join me as we travel to the merriment of Winter-home this week!
Dungeon Fighter Online announces Act VI: Kiss of the Gun
Girls with guns may be a bit of a videogame stereotype at this point, but Nexon America is nonetheless offering up its own version of the archetype in its latest Dungeon Fighter Online update. The side-scrolling action MMO recently added Act VI: Kiss of the Gun to its content repertoire, the primary feature of which is the Female Gunner character class update. Gunners feature special new awakening skills and equipment for their various subclasses including blade-equipped revolvers, electromagnetic fields, and a Gatling gun-wielding mech warrior. Act VI also offers up a new explorable area called Empyrean, which is under constant attack from a faction of vagrants known as the Kartel. Finally, Nexon is giving away free holiday-themed items just for logging in. Gifts include double XP potions, skill resets, and in-game currency.
