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Ask Massively: Career day edition
As you read this, depending on the time this goes live, I will either be knee-deep in a Career Day presentation or be coming down off the high of getting to talk about my job to a bunch of middle-school children. I'm writing this before I'll know whether it went well or not, but I'm hopeful. Truth be told, I have exactly the sort of job now that I would have loved to hear about when I was a young boy, so I'm expecting this will be pretty fun. Plus I'll be having school lunch again for the first time since my high school graduation. That's got to be worth a few points on the nostalgia-o-matic, right? This week's Ask Massively is thus an honorary career day edition, as we tackle questions about careers, classes, and professions throughout the wide world of gaming. On deck this week are questions about Guild Wars and doing things you oughtn't with classes, World of Warcraft's lockstep class system, and the range of flexibility in Star Wars: The Old Republic. As always, you can send off your own questions to ask@massively.com or leave them in the comment field for next week's column.
Another month, another round of answers for Star Trek Online
About once a month, Star Trek Online has producer Dan Stahl sit down and answer the newest round of player questions regarding the game's future additions. It's May, of course, which means that it's time for the newest Ask Cryptic, covering the recent additions to the game's microtransaction store as well as plans for Season 4 and beyond. And as always, while there are more features being asked about than are planned for the next major update, there are very few elements not planned for eventual inclusion. Further ship customization is discussed, with the implementation of Duty Officers in Season 4 promised to help add more differentiation between individual ships. There's also mention of the debate about bringing lower-tier ships up to par for use in endgame activities, which is currently not on the table but is still under heavy debate in both development and on the forums. Players of Star Trek Online are encouraged to check out the latest round of answers for more info.
Ask Massively: The face of hatred edition
Wii Fit Plus is the devil. It is a devil that I fight with on a daily basis, and I fight it by running for a long stretch at a time, and yet for some paradoxical reason I have never defeated it. The only reason there are no screaming obscenities in this opening paragraph is that I'm not allowed to dip into blatant cursing. Also, I've dropped about 20 pounds over the past four months, so I can't say that it's not having an effect. But seriously, balance board, no one cares if my center of balance is 0.1% to the right. Shut up. This week's Ask Massively is a fairly meta edition of the column, as our questions concern the other major face of hatred on display: the comment system. We're also fielding questions about the plethora of online games that aren't quite MMOs but aren't quite anything else either. As always, you can leave your questions in the comment field or mail them to ask@massively.com.
PlayStation now offers customer service via Twitter, probably won't help you jailbreak your PS3
Got a question about a PlayStation product? Have a Twitter account? If you answered yes to both, then you'd be interested to know about @AskPlayStation -- the official account for all of your PS concerns. They'll assist you via tweets Monday through Friday from 9:30AM - 5:00PM PST and will answer in real-time between the hours of 2 and 5 PST. Hit up the source link to get all of your inquiries answered -- just behave yourselves, OK?
Ask Massively: This is why I will get eaten by wolves edition
That picture, right there, is why I will be eaten by wolves. My first reaction is not to run in terror or fire a shotgun; it is to lean over and slap my thighs and ask with deathly urgency who is a good boy. I can only assume this instinct has been inserted by some malicious part of nature that decided "fight or flight" would be much more entertaining if some of the primates also had a "stand there cooing at a vicious predator before being eaten." In other news, it's been way too long since we had an animal picture heading up this column. For this week's edition of Ask Massively, we will not actually be discussing wolves. Instead, we'll be talking pack sizes -- er, group sizes. Also, we'll be taking a look at defeating World of Warcraft and what to do afterward. As always, you can ask more question in the comment field or by mailing them along to ask@massively.com.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Questionable freshness
We've been on a bit of a kick for new players lately, and that's not by coincidence. Sure, City of Heroes has a well-established playerbase by this point, but it's not like the game is exactly hostile to new players. And while I wanted to do another session of questions and answers, I wanted to wait until I had a good crop of questions that pertain to the newer crowd -- players less familiar with the game or with a given archetype, players who are interested in learning more but unable to find a cogent resource amidst scattered threads on the forums and one-off references in posts. Let's face it, after nearly seven years, a lot of us don't need or want references to these things any longer. We don't need someone explaining to us about Enhancement Diversification or why someone other than the healer asks what you need for a wakie when you die. A newer player might have no idea about these things, though, and so we're mixing up the format a bit here. Let's get back to basics and look at some questions that might seem simple if you know the answer -- but don't tend to get answered if you don't.
Ask Massively: Happy St. Patrick's Day edition
Aye, it's that time of year again, time for a celebration of culture and everything we can shoehorn under the aegis of getting drunk on green-tinted beer. We hope you're spending the day with friends and family, listening to traditional music and possibly enjoying a meal of corned beef and cabbage to celebrate the occasion. Spring is in the air, and it's the perfect time to get out and celebrate with the people you know and care about. What? Sticking to the holiday that's actually happening is boring. Luckily, sticking to Ask Massively isn't boring, at least not if you like getting your questions answered. Jump on past the break for questions about the new site layout as well as the venerable EverQuest, and of course our requisite question of ridiculousness at the end. So jump on past the break, and if you have a question you'd like to see answered here, feel free to leave it in the comments or mail ask@massively.com.
DC Universe directors talk ranged vs. melee combat
Sony Online Entertainment is going absolutely video crazy with DC Universe Online. Not that we mind of course. The latest release is a new edition of Inside the Studio, hosted by game director Chris Cao and creative director Jens Andersen. The dynamic duo are here to answer your Facebook-submitted questions, and they touch on everything from maps and city exploration to the game's headline system and combat mechanics. Most of the time is devoted to combat, of course, as player skill and combat customization are clearly DCUO's talking points. The directors have some interesting things to say about ranged vs. melee combat, even going so far as to indicate that melee is the more important of the pair. "What we found that gave the most satisfying superhero experience is really a big brawler. But it's a brawler with ranged weapons," Cao says. If that makes you scratch your head like we scratched ours, keep watching, as it starts to make a bit more sense as the discussion continues.
The Daily Grind: Three years of coffee talk
Three years! Three years we've been here at Massively, talking about all manner of things! Speaking as someone who has been here from the start, it's all been like butter. Like butter, I tell you! Along the way, every morning, we've gotten up, grabbed our coffee and enjoyed some coffee talk here on The Daily Grind. From simple questions about things like favorite music in MMOs to more in-depth discussion about systems, lore, character development, and more, we've given you over a thousand different topics so you could talk amongst yourselves -- like now, when we're a little verklempt. There. OK. It's passed. This morning, we thought it would be fun to give you the chance to ask us (and of course, the other Massively readers) something in honor of our third birthday as a site. Ever wanted to know what a day in the Massively virtual offices is like? Does Shawn really have a post-apocalyptic costume? Does Eliot randomly say "kupo?" If you've got burning questions, we've got answers. Just leave them in the box below, bubeleh... and you know... we'll talk. 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 Mog Log: Answering unasked questions
Sometimes, you wind up with what amounts to a perfect case of convergence. After a busy and stressful week, there's nothing I'd like more than to have an opportunity to relax with an enjoyable game -- and gee, Final Fantasy XIV came out on Wednesday. Seeing the release means a lot to me for a variety of reasons, but the most immediate reason is it means I have something to do from the moment I wake up Saturday to the moment I go to sleep Sunday. I couldn't be happier about that. Of course, a certain amount of confusion is going to go hand-in-hand with that, so I'm slightly cheating on our regular format, helped by the fact that this month has been a little light on normal questions. The last Saturday of the month always covers questions and answers... but this month, I'm going to be covering the questions that come up most frequently while playing Final Fantasy XIV that don't fall under any of our prior articles on the game. So yes, it's another week without much Final Fantasy XI love. I beg your forgiveness, but I will stay the course.
Ask Massively: Donut budget edition
It's time for another installment of Ask Massively, where this site's fine staff gives advice and answers to your questions through the very scientific involvement of blindfolds and dart boards. This week, we talk about news from The Secret World and specifics on DCUO's bonuses. Follow along after the jump for the answers and be sure to get your own questions in to either ask@massively.com or as a comment to this post.
Gold Capped: How to calculate inscription costs and prices
Every week, Gold Capped brings you tips on how to make money on the auction house. This article from inscription specialist Steve Zamboni has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. With its myriad of materials and finished items, inscription can be one of the more complicated professions for a crafter who's trying to track his expenses and profits (or even to know if he's made a profit at all). Herb prices have changed dramatically over the past several months, dropping to record lows as farming bots proliferate and climbing just as dramatically during the ban wave that followed. After months of being spoiled by a market overflowing with cheap herbs, many players stopped paying attention to what they were paying to make each item. Now that herb prices are climbing, it's left a number of sellers scrambling to reprice their items and to take a closer look at what they're paying for their supplies.
Gold Capped Ask an Auctioneer: My first mailbag
Every week, Gold Capped (from Basil "Euripides" Berntsen) aims to educate players about how to make money on the auction house. For the inside line on crafting for disenchanting, transmutation, cross-faction arbitrage and more, check in every Wednesday. Also, feel free to email Basil any comments, questions or hate mail! I've gotten quite the mail bag of questions emailed to me. I'm going to select a few and answer them approximately whenever I feel like it. Remember when writing your question that if you want to remain anonymous, all you need to do is ask! The first question comes to us from Mahgo, from Dath'Remar (US): I am emailing your for some advice regarding making gold on the auction house. I have most professions at max level. I currently use Auctioneer to undercut when I am selling what I make. Do you have any advice or could you please point me for some help regarding niche markets, or how to tackle the whole market?
Ask Massively: Buy Guild Wars now! edition
In this week's installment of Ask Massively, we address topics such as external vs. internal game wikis, EVE Online's continuing sound issues, which Guild Wars chapter to buy and... well, that's really about it. But we do it with love and hugs in every word. Click right past the jump below for this week's answers. If you'd like to see your MMO- or site-related questions answered next week, add them to the comments below or send them to ask@massively.com. Also, take note that starting next week, Ask Massively will be moving to Thursdays.
[Updated] You have questions and developers have answers: Send us your burning E3 questions!
"When we're at a show, you're at the show." If you've never heard our event coverage motto before, well, let me tell you exactly what it means. It means that you're going to get up-to-the-minute news about your favorite MMOs, both current and upcoming. It means that you're going to get pictures, screenshots, videos, and more from the editors on the ground at E3. And, lastly, it means that you're going to get analysis from our opinion columnists and game-specific columnists on the MMOs you want to hear about most. If you don't believe us, take a look at our recent history. It means that the minute we hear it, you'll hear it and more. And, to that end, we want you to be more involved in our coverage! This year we have more appointments with MMO developers than ever before, and we want to make sure that we're asking the questions you want answered. So if you have a burning question that you want to make sure is asked, simply drop it here on this post in the comments section! Plus, we want to hear what you're looking forward to hearing about at this E3 too, so tell us your favorites! Keep an eye on the site next week for all of our E3 2010 coverage, starting June 15th! You won't want to miss it! For a full list of the companies we'll be interviewing, click past the break! [Update: Added Electronic Arts to the list for Need for Speed World.]
Community Q&A: Send your questions in for the Fallen Earth devs!
Well hey there Massively community! I hope you guys have enjoyed our Fallen Earth giveaway and corresponding in-game event, but we're not done with Fallen Earth yet! We have received a chance to visit the secret Fallen Earth headquarters and we'd like you guys to throw some questions our way for the dev team! We're going to be videotaping all of the studio's secrets and transmitting them back to you guys, but we're also going to throw your questions at the development team while they're on video. So if there's anything you ever wanted to know about the wasteland, or any questions you wanted to ask about the team's upcoming plans or patch schedule, then be sure to drop your questions off in the comments section of this post! We'll pick the best of the bunch and ask them during our video tour in two weeks, so be on the lookout for the upcoming post!
An interview with veteran supergroups in City of Heroes
Today is rather the day of City of Heroes, and with good cause -- six years old, with many changes and exciting new parts in the wings. And the game is still open to new players of all sorts, with plenty to enrapture players who've never once set foot in Paragon City. But there's also a special place for players and groupings that have been around for nearly all of the game's lifespan -- something that's quite an accomplishment for more than half a decade. We were lucky enough to have a chance to speak with two veteran supergroups as part of the anniversary celebration: ICONS and Fusion Force. To help compare and contrast responses, we asked both groups the same set of questions, and what follows is their responses. Some of them are close to one another (for instance, everyone seems to want to go into space), but others are very different, even with similar amounts of experience. Whether you're a City of Heroes veteran yourself or just curious about the game's history, jump on past the cut for our chat with some of the game's longer-running player groups.
Ask us questions for the City of Heroes developers!
As the game's fans are no doubt well aware, City of Heroes is hosting a developer Q&A via forumspring.me on Friday. They'll be answering live questions from the players, which is all well and good... but we all know that there's the chance, however slim, that your question might not get answered. Luckily for our readers, we've got the opportunity to ensure that your questions get heard by the development team. And all you have to do is leave us a comment with your question! The three best questions, as chosen by our staff, will be submitted for an assured answer during the question and answer setting. Leave a comment here by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, April 22nd if you want it to be up for consideration. We'll take a look at all of them, and the results will be visible for everyone. It's not quite as good as having a burning whip to force the team to answer questions, but it's probably the next best thing for City of Heroes fans. (We hear those whips cost a fortune anyway.)
More live Q&A on iPad
Stream videos at Ustream We're back for another round of Q&A and demos on the iPad. Leave questions below and watch the live fun up top. Hope everyone is enjoying iPad day! vhm_widget_settings = { showId: 82111, width: 600, height: 550, colorScheme: 'default' };
The Mog Log: Answers (and disclaimers)
In this edition of the Mog Log, every question you have ever had will be answered completely accurately. (Disclaimer: these questions must pertain to either Final Fantasy XI or Final Fantasy XIV. And they must have been asked via e-mail or comments. And it must be noted that "I don't know" is an accurate answer to a question. Also, this aside is now longer then the introductory sentence.) Aren't you excited as possible? I know I am. We'll start off with a question from Dormer: "Why aren't we getting more information from the beta?" We're not sure, but we can certainly speculate. The most logical reason is that the testing is closer to an alpha than anything and they're not letting people in that they can't trust implicitly. Square-Enix has a pretty good track record at keeping things quiet when they want to, and they're likely making sure that nothing leaks out from this phase. How much of an NDA further phases of Final Fantasy XIV's testing will have is a mystery. But there's another reason for the possible dearth of information. (Which we've intentionally put behind the cut to inspire you to keep reading.)
