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Day-long player carnival slated for May 17 in Lord of the Rings Online
Do you play Lord of the Rings Online? Do you play on Landroval? If so, you'll want to mark May 17th on your calendar and plan to stop by The Lonely Mountain Band's day-long Spring Racing Carnival. SRC is a player-run event which includes "nine horse races, a horse parade, a mounted fashion contest, barrel racing, rodeo clown comedy acts, a demonstration by the formation riding team, name-that-breed and name-that-song contests, eight musical performances, and a final concert and fireworks show." [Thanks Chris!]
Uldum guilds unite for breast cancer awareness month
October is breast cancer awareness month in the United States. Here at WoW Insider we have featured a number of in-game events in the past that have been organized around raising awareness for breast cancer. This year, we have been informed that the guild Endless Insanity on Uldum is running their own event in support of breast cancer awareness. Members of Endless Insanity have turned their tabards pink for this month and they have issued a challenge to other Horde guilds on the server to also turn their tabards pink in solidarity. Guild officers will be randomly opening trade and offering a variety of goodies to those they find sporting the pink tabards. To those who have been affected by breast cancer -- whether you are a survivor, facing treatment right now, a loved one of someone who is, or have lost someone close to you to breast cancer -- we at WoW Insider salute you and wish you strength in your struggles. And to the guild Endless Insanity and any others that may follow their example this year, we thank you and hope that you inspire many to join in the efforts for the cure. Thanks to the members of Endless Insanity who informed us of their events -- and here's to hoping it inspires some other guilds to do the same!
The Daily Grind: Do you attend player events?
Confession time! I am a total hypocrite: I love the idea of player events but I rarely attend them in-game. Actually, maybe that just makes me more lazy than hypocritical. I think that a player event can boast more ingenuity and yield more memories than developer efforts, even if players are hamstrung by not always having the tools to do everything they'd like. We've all heard stories of funerals, of PvP wars, of naked Gnome races, of scavenger hunts, of concerts, and of costume contests. But the question today concerns attendance. Do you go to player-created events or just read about them in the paper the next 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!
Storyboard: Happening before it's even happened, part 2
Two weeks ago I wrote a column on the ups and downs of planning RP developments before they take place. I ended on the note that it's very important to decide exactly how much to plan ahead, but then I ended the column before actually offering any guidance on how to determine how much to plan ahead. Instead, I promised to talk about that... in two weeks. In television, this is what is known as a cliffhanger. It gets you back in time to watch the next episode, you see. Like so many other elements of roleplaying, there are no hard and fast rules about when something is or isn't a good idea, but there are certainly guidelines. So let's look at some questions to ask yourself before you plot out your roleplaying ahead of time, simple inquiries that should let you know whether this is worth planning ahead for or not.
SOE highlights acts of EverQuest II player kindness
Surly MMO commenters got you down? Check out the latest round of EverQuest II player events and restore a little bit of your faith in gamer humanity. First up is Pay it Forward, which starts Sunday, July 14th, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. What is Pay it Forward? "It's a day when adventurers and crafters come together to donate crafted goods, items rotting away in their bank, plat, rares, masters -- you name it -- to young adventurers." The event happens on the Antonia Bayle server. Next up is the annual Give Back Days event on the Everfrost shard. It runs from 11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 14th and 15th. Festivities include love duels, food fights, and random prizes for people who show up dressed to the nines. More info on both events is available on SOE's EQII website.
Massively Interview: Dr. Lawrence Sanders on MMO loyalty
Beyond amazing character design, compelling narratives, and the presence of dragons, there is one thing that all MMOs depend upon for success: player loyalty. Without returning subscribers, a loving community, or folks dropping a few dimes in the cash shop now and again, MMOs simply wouldn't be a feasible way for a games studio to do business. Smart development teams have player retention departments tasked specifically with tracking and analyzing the rise and fall of player allegiances and finding ways to leverage loyalty is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the creation process. Even the non-gaming world is getting in on the fray. Back in November, researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Management published a study tracing the roots of player loyalties in a variety of MMO environments. The study outlined the mentalities of MMO gamers and the things that successfully encouraged them to keep coming back for more looting, more grinding, and more /hugging. Most importantly, the study declared that an MMO that increases loyalty by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%. We sat down with Dr. Lawrence Sanders, co-author of the study, to dive a little deeper into the researchers' methods, results, and plans for future MMO investigation.
Hyperspace Beacon: Nine years of Star Wars Galaxies
As you might have guessed from the title, I'm taking a tiny break from writing about Star Wars: The Old Republic this week. Although it might seem like odd timing to change the pace of my articles with Update 1.3 releasing today, I figured that the update will be here next week, but Star Wars Galaxies' birthday comes around only once a year. Last weekend, the first Star Wars MMORPG would have celebrated its ninth year in service. Being the first Star Wars MMO will always be an honor Galaxies will hold. But that's not the only thing that drew so many people to the game. I often find myself thinking back wondering what could have been. Besides my love for Star Wars, that game held a lot of significance in my life. It was my first serious MMO and my first step into MMO roleplay. If Star Wars Galaxies were still around, would I still be playing? More importantly, what would I be doing in that game that I really can't do in the current Star Wars MMO?
Ask Massively: Moving shop edition
As you read this, I'm making my final preparations to move from my home for the past three years into a new and much nicer home. Of course, this brings with it certain concerns. Will the utility companies reconnect everything correctly? Will the movers drop something I can't easily replace? Will I forget something in the old apartment and have to go back? So, if my posts next week seem a bit off, assume that the move resulted in fiery death all around and I've been replaced by a crude AI pasted in Visual Basic. This week's Ask Massively, sadly, does not include anything about AI or my new apartment. Instead, it's about player-run events and why we cover some of them but not all. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, send it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Star Wars: The Old Republic lets you make a holocall to the first guild summit
Maybe you want to head down to the first guild summit for Star Wars: The Old Republic but just can't quite fit a trip to Austin into your budget at the moment. The bad news is that no matter how awesome your guild is, BioWare is not going to provide you a private jet. The good news is that you can still get some of the impact of the event, as portions of the event will apparently be available via livestream for those who can't attend in person. Watching the event rather than attending might sound like a weak compromise, but according to the official announcement, players watching via livestream will be able to participate in some of the event discussions. It also looks like the streams will be covering the most important elements and highlight the developer presentations and feedback discussions. So you might not be able to take part physically in the events, but you can still get some of the feel.
LotRO musicians prepare for Weatherstock 2011
With summer almost upon us, the fair free folk of Middle-earth are gearing up for the largest player-organized in-game event of the year: Weatherstock 2011! Lord of the Rings Online adventurers from around the world will flock to the summit of Weathertop in the Lone-lands on the Landroval server to hear nine excellent outfits perform in an epic Battle of the Bands. A Casual Stroll to Mordor has all of the essential details for this event, which runs from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 18th. Among those contributing to the concert are The Green Hill Music Society, The Breakfast Club, and The Blackheart Pirates. Each band will perform a trio of songs (plus a possible encore) in an effort to take home one of three awards. Weatherstock is made possible by LotRO's unique music system, which allows players to compose and perform songs with a variety of instruments. This is always a fun event, and the LotRO Lorebook has additional information for those attending (hint: turn off names!). Mark this on your calendar so that you don't miss the excellent tunes!
Player-run event in RIFT kicks off an eight-month war
One of the core conflicts underpinning RIFT is the righteous and absolute morality of the Guardians versus the technology and self-determinism of the Defiants. If you've been playing the game, you've been forced to pick a side, but sometimes that might not feel like such a big distinction in the midst of the PvE gameplay. A player-run public event is aiming at changing that by marching the Guardians across Telara to reclaim lost lands and take out the leaders of the Defiants -- and players of both factions are invited. Run by the Gaiscioch Family group of players, the event is taking place on the Faeblight server. It's a roleplaying-friendly gathering of players for both PvP and PvE clearing during the march to the home of the Defiant faction. Players who arrive are promised equipment, instruction on the game's mechanics, and plenty of support in the overarching quest to cleanse the land of the opposing faction. Take a look at the full rundown for more information -- RIFT players will have plenty of time to take part, as the events are running until August.
The Daily Grind: What are your favorite player-run events?
The adage goes that no matter how fast developers put content into MMOs, players will blow through it even faster. The end result is a good crowd of antsy gamers with a lot of time on their hands and a desire to do something... anything. Enter player-run events, special games and activities created by players, for the players. These cover the gamut from parades to scavenger hunts to suicidal charges deep into enemy territory. Some of my favorite memories from MMOs come from participating in -- and even creating -- special events. Level one gnome runs across the world of Azeroth used to be a popular pastime in WoW, City of Heroes is well-known for its constant costume design contests, and not a day goes by without some sort of concert peppering the towns of LotRO. So what are your favorite player-run events? How have you seen the ingenuity of your fellow gamers blossom into memorable experiences? Did you ever run one yourself? Wake up, splash your face with scalding-hot coffee, and dish!
Vanguard celebrates with the Telon Faire
Are you new to Vanguard: Saga of Heroes? Are you a veteran of the game who just wants to get out of the cave for a while? Why not join your fellow players for an evening of jousting, dueling, parleying (diplomacy), hall-decorating contests, boat races, or a crafting bazaar? Thanks to the members of the Impact guild -- who are taking over where the Shadowfire guild left off -- you can meet fellow members of the community while possibly earning some cool prizes! The event is better every time they host it, this being the seventh. It's also a good sign that, despite server mergers, tiny development teams, and three years of forum drama, there are always community members willing to step up to do the work required for such an event. The Impact guild also hosts Newbie Nights every other week. As for the Telon Faire, it starts this Saturday, September 18th, at 4 p.m. EDT and runs until the griffins come home. Head to Aghram to join in the activities! Support them -- stop by, say hello, or give a donation. After all, prizes will be handed out mostly in cold, hard cash that players can really use. So, if you're new, or want to help out some new players, watch for the announcement and head for Aghram!
City of Heroes has plans... PAX plans
If you haven't already thought about PAX Prime coming up in September, odds are good you're not going. But if you are going and you're a fan of City of Heroes, you'll be happy to know that the team from Paragon Studios will be making a showing at the convention. The team will be hosting a panel as well as a meet-and-greet event for the fans over the weekend, similar to what was done during PAX East in March. Players will also be rewarded with a new disguise power -- in this case, the Praetorian Police Department's duty outfit. Since the convention will take place after the release of Going Rogue, the panel's topic will be on the new expansion as well as the future beyond release, most likely covering the Incarnate system and the further future. The meet-and-greet, meanwhile, is happening off-site and gives players both the aforementioned costume code and an exclusive lenticular button for the game. Take a look at the full rundown of the events with the City of Heroes team -- even if you're not attending, we'll make sure to keep everyone up-to-date on the information.
Log into Aika, win fantastic prizes
If you're one of the lucky souls who doesn't need to work over the summer, or just a discerning player with an eye toward conserving your online time, there are a lot of games clamoring for your attention. Aika's newest event is hoping to entice players with a fairly routine but no less efficient approach: the team is offering players prizes. And all you have to do as a player to earn them is to show up for at least an hour a day. From August 5th until September 8th, players will be automatically granted rewards after logging in for at least one hour. Tears of Aika are the most common reward, with special prizes coming at each five-day interval. Players who manage to log in for an hour a day over the full run of the event will also be entered into a drawing for several powerful in-game rewards. It's not a bad spread for just showing up, so take a look at the full list of rewards, check the FAQ, and start setting aside some time for your Aika characters.
The Daily Grind: Out on the town
There are an awful lot of things to do in most MMOs. Sometimes it's the diverse spread of activities available in a game like Final Fantasy XI; other times it's the tiered progression of dungeons in a game like World of Warcraft. Either way, it's all fun, but with a long-term goal in mind. Except that sometimes you wind up getting sidetracked, and the next thing you know you're rolling a new character just to participate in a massed player event, or dancing in the middle of nowhere and giving money to passersby. Everyone needs a break from the serious from time to time, a chance to head out and just do something silly but fun. One could even argue that roleplaying is by and large something unnecessary for the game itself, but still a fun diversion. In a genre that's occasionally prone to feeling a lot like work, it's good to get the option of stepping back and just enjoying yourself. What's the last activity you took part in that wasn't even remotely progress-oriented but was just fun for the heck of it?
Get your Darkfall Fun Hulks this summer
If you've ever wanted to toodle around the world of Agon on a one-man sled with a huge cannon mounted on the front, Aventurine has the summer update for you. While we'll stop short of categorizing the Greek developer's PvP-centric Darkfall as a whimsical game, there is no denying the fact that its developers are packing a sense of humor into the title along with all the blood spurts and horrific sound effects. Resfelm, Aventurine's community liaison, brings us word of a new craftable vehicle called the Fun Hulk, and while it's not green, prone to fits of anger, or the star of a bad Ang Lee film, it does feature the aforementioned cannon and is much easier to craft than a full-sized warhulk. In addition to the vehicle, Darkfall's devs are introducing new items called Use Flags (which when used in conjunction with your new ride) provide you with the tools to set up your own starting line, finish line, and waypoints. This being Darkfall, player racing events are more likely to resemble Death Race 2000 than Mario Kart, as the Fun Hulks can damage other Fun Hulks and can take damage from anything.
Add a moogle to your event with Final Fantasy XI's player event support!
What makes a good event? Well that's a bit complicated! A good event requires a creative idea, careful planning, and coordination amongst the people planning it! If that's done, then the event will go off without a hitch and the players participating in it will have lots of fun!But what makes a good event into a great event? That's simple -- moogles.Square-Enix and the Final Fantasy XI development team know that sometimes good events can become great events with a little bit of developer intervention. Now, with the advent of Player Event Support, everyday players can request the appearance of moogles to help out with their events in Final Fantasy XI!Taking advantage of this service is as easy as picking up a pendant compass to determine where you want to place your moogles and filling out a request form over at PlayOnline. If your event is approved, you do the hosting while the developers put moogles where you require them the most! We can't wait to see what players create with this new service!
One Shots: A world-tour postcard
Here's someone we haven't seen screenshots from in a while -- our Lord of the Rings Online regular (and a seemingly resident rock star) Lockwood! Apparently he's been busy with The Shades, a very popular Lord of the Rings Online band that is part of the kinship he's in; The Shadows on the Laurelin server. Lockwood sent us the above screenshot postcard along with the scoop on their event:Over a hundred people showed up, no less than 80 at any one time, and one of the admins showed herself. Well, she made an appearance, she didn't show herself. I've got lot's of pics but it would take me a long time to sift through them for the best so you'll have to make do with this one. Hurray The Shadows! Hurray The Shades!Do you have any screenshots from fantastic in-game events that you've seen or experienced? Perhaps you're currently taking in the Fire Festival in WoW and have a great screenshot to show off? Maybe you're headed to the 5th SL anniversary party? Whatever the event, we'd love to see screens and hear stories from your point of view. Just send them to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Yours could be the next one featured!%Gallery-9798%
Running of da Bulls brings 600 Tauren to Cenarion Circle
As planned, BigRedKitty and Ratshag had a very succesful "Running of da Bulls" last Saturday -- almost 400 Taurens ran their way from Mulgore all the way over to Hammerfall, and from the videos, the pictures, and other accounts, much fun was had by all.BRK says that they made 200 purple shirts, which were apparently gone four hours before the race even started. The 500 person guild they formed filled up quickly, and estimates say that at peak, there were probably about 630 people on for the event, double the number of Horde on there most of the time. The winner of the race, Slokoshka, picked up a game card for their troubles, and then, not content with leaving hoof marks across half of Azeroth, the Tauren decided to raid Ironforge and made quite a mess of things there, too.Seems like a lot of fun, and it all went for a good cause, too -- not only did everybody /moo for Sharvan, BRK and Ratshag's friend who passed away recently, but they also raised over $500 for Sharvan's family, who we're told also attended the race and were completely touched by how generous the WoW community can be. Very awesome.
