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World of Warcraft aims to restructure currencies in Warlords of Draenor
World of Warcraft has been running for a decade, and that means a lot of changes have taken place over the years. One of those changes was the addition of the special currencies like Justice and Valor points, designed to ensure that bad luck on raiding loot drops doesn't lock people out of getting upgrades. But according to lead encounter designer Ion Hazzikostas, this system may well be on the chopping block when Warlords of Draenor comes around. Hazzikostas explains that the bonus roll system can be expanded and refined to ensure that players wind up with appropriate loot from encounters, replacing the current currency system altogether. The developers are also hoping to simplify the game's PvP currencies, giving players fewer things to keep track of while providing a more organic system of rewards. While nothing has been finalized yet, it's a fair bet that by the time the expansion comes out, you'll have fewer currencies to track on your character sheet.
The Mog Log: No one likes FFXIV's Pharos Sirius
Every night, I sit down at my computer and I play the high-level roulette game in Final Fantasy XIV. There are five possible results. Amdapor Keep and Wanderer's Palace are the "win" results, the super-easy runs that can't even scrape dents into my armor. Copperbell Mines and Haukke Manor take a little more doing and a bit more attention on my part, and my shiny white Paladin armor is looking a bit scuffed up by the end. But they're still not bad. They're certainly doable. But there's always that 20% shot that I'm getting thrown straight into horror. The camera pans in to show a ruined lighthouse filled with crystals and a couple birds, and as soon as the cinematic ends, people are already asking "can we vote to abandon?" This seems to be the consensus: that it's not even worth trying to do Pharos Sirius start to finish. And when you look at the dungeon as a whole, it's not hard to see why no one likes it.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's Crystal Tower
Let me be up front with you, dear readers: The Crystal Tower in Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most well-designed dungeons I have had the pleasure of playing through, ever. Not just "in Final Fantasy XIV" but anywhere, ever. It's fun, it's clever, it's clean, it's engaging, it's freaking spectacular. If not for one minor wrinkle, it'd be a nearly unambiguously perfect bit of bliss. But I'll cover that part later; the important point is that right off the bat, this dungeons is something that I consider absolutely stellar. Longtime readers will also know that large group content is generally not my thing. I dislike a big raiding endgame, and I'm not a fan of the style of play, so the idea that my current favorite dungeon in the game is a 24-man rush through the tower probably seems a bit odd. So let's talk about boss strategies, progress through the tower, and the one blemish on what is otherwise unambiguously great.
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MMO Mechanics: Exploring death mechanics
They say death must come to us all, and that inevitability extends to our characters in MMOs. The death of our characters may be inconvenient when we want to plough through content, but penalising failure is an essential part of any MMO and further incentivises success by making you learn from your mistakes. As much as players crave gratification through rewards and progression, they also need to feel that such progress has been well-earned and greatly deserved. Rewards become that much sweeter when we must risk something to secure them, and failure without consequence would render the gains made in our favourite MMOs insignificant. Without a considerable death penalty, it becomes possible to mindlessly crush content through brute force. I don't know about you, but I don't find fun in bashing my skull repeatedly with a rock in an attempt to crack it! In this week's MMO Mechanics, I compare various death penalties and the effects they have on the MMOs that employ them. I'll explore just how tangible death penalties such as corpse running, gear durability loss, and XP drain make our character's demise feel.
Sony Online Entertainment changes benefits for subscriptions
It's a fairly common model for free-to-play games that offer a subscription -- subscribers get an allowance of cash-shop currency in addition to other benefits. It's how Sony Online Entertainment's games have worked for as long as they've had the model. But EverQuest II and PlanetSide 2 subscribers are seeing a new version of subscriber benefits, one that removes the usual Station Cash allowance and replaces it with an item worth the equivalent amount or more. Every month, players are given a choice between one of several items worth up to 2000 Station Cash. This item must be selected on a monthly basis, as benefits do not carry over from month to month. While the net amount of rewards should be functionally identical, it will mean fewer options about what you acquire on a monthly basis, especially as Player Studio items are listed as exclusions from the list. If you're unhappy with the change, you've got time to say so, as the change is not going into effect until February 3rd. [Thanks to Balsbigbrother for the tip!]
Star Wars: The Old Republic reveals second anniversary rewards
The 20th of this month marks the two-year anniversary of Star Wars: The Old Republic, and BioWare is bestowing upon players a couple of gifts to celebrate the occasion. On December 17th, players who have an active Star Wars: The Old Republic account created on or before December 16th, 2013, will receive a pair of exclusive paint jobs (one for the Empire and one for the Republic) for their Galactic Starfighter ships plus faction-specific fireworks that players can set off for an impromptu pyrotechnics show. While all players with an active account will receive these rewards, the paint jobs can be used only if you have access to the Galactic Starfighter expansion. While subscribers gained access to the feature earlier this month, Preffered Status players will have to wait until January 14, 2014, and Free-to-Play members will gain access on February 4th, 2014. For the full details on the anniversary rewards or to sign up for an account, head over to the Star Wars: The Old Republic official site.
Wurm Online launches new loyalty bonus program
Wurm Online has begun a brand-new loyalty bonus program for the faithful as well as plans to allow players the ability to pay for a subscription through Xsolla. The new loyalty program is made of two parts, a legacy bonus and future bonus. The legacy bonus is for players who have subscribed in the past and will be rewarded for this by a bounty of Seryll bars. The future bonus encompasses all of the rewards going forward, including titles, achievements, and illusion potions. The recent Wurm newsletter also announced that players can now choose to pay for the game via Xsolla, a payment provider that is used by, among other companies, Wargaming. [Source: Wurm Online newsletter]
Champions Online extends automatic veteran rewards to lifetime subscribers
Lifetime subscriptions are tricky things. Being able to simply drop money and forever have access to a game is nice on paper, but it takes a while before it starts paying for itself, and it really comes back to bite you if you turn out to not enjoy a game's direction. Champions Online was one of the first games to offer a lifetime option, and as of today Cryptic Studios has sweetened the offer slightly by giving lifetime subscribers all of the game's veteran rewards. As soon as you purchase a lifetime subscription, even if you've never logged into the game before, your account is eligible for every single long-term subscriber benefit. Obviously this won't have much of an impact on people who have already been lifetime subscribers since the beginning, but more recent players will benefit from an influx of new rewards. It's up to you whether or not those extra perks are worth a $300 investment in the game.
Final Fantasy XI celebrates 11 years 11 ways
Final Fantasy XI is 11 years old this year (11 years and six months at this point, but that's nitpicking). So it seems appropriate that the title is kicking off a big anniversary event on November 11th. Except that it's really kicking off not one big anniversary event but 11 smaller ones. You see the theme at work. Whether you've been around for all 11 years or just 11 days, there's plenty of rewards available for everyone. Seal drop rates are improved for all characters in a party during the anniversary timeframe, as are are double synthesis skill increase rates and several seal-based battlefield rewards. Players will also earn double experience, doubled Salvage drops, doubled Monstrosity experience, doubled Shining Stars in Mog Gardens... the list goes on. Almost anything you choose to do between now and November 25th will see a significant boost, so take a look at the full list of bonuses and get ready to enjoy 11 bonuses for the next 14 days. (They can't all line up perfectly.)
Neverwinter gives rewards for transferring ZEN
News flash: Perfect World Entertainment really, really wants you to spend money in its games. Now that you're shaking off the shock of that revelation, here's some more news for you: You can get additional rewards for doing so, at least in Neverwinter. From today through September 23rd, players who purchase ZEN (Perfect World's premium currency) and then transfer it into Neverwinter can receive rewards based on the amount of money spent. If you lock in 500 ZEN, you'll get a Sun Mask sent to all of your characters. Spend 3,000 ZEN and you'll get the mask and the Fey Wolf mount. And if you transfer 6,000 ZEN, you'll get all of the above and a Quickling companion. The in-game rewards will become available on September 27th.
Earn credits to get dollars in relaunched Xbox Live Rewards service
Microsoft phased out Microsoft Points in favor of what we call "real people dollars," and is now re-launching its Xbox Live Rewards service. Now, when players use Xbox Live to perform actions like renewing their Gold subscription or referring friends, they will be rewarded with hundreds or even thousands of credits. Once players haul in at least 5,000 credits, the earnings are converted to local currency and deposited into their Microsoft account around the 15th and 30th of each month. Players that have earned at least 1,000 credits can request an early deposit. The conversion rate is $5 for every 5,000 credits.
Neverwinter beefs up skirmishes with Call to Arms
Starting this Friday, Neverwinter is taking its skirmish system and turning up the dial to 10; just 10, that's as high as that dial goes and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Neverwinter's new Call to Arms events will be much more inclusive versions of its standard skirmishes, allowing players from level 5 to 60 to join in the fun. This will not only allow players to revisit skirmish areas they have since outleveled but give everyone great incentive to do so with a ton of rewards. Cryptic is handing out companions, dye packs, and transmutation items among other prizes for completing a Call to Arms event. Joining a Call to Arms is pretty simple, as players can queue up for one just as they can for skirmishes, dungeons, and PvP matches. Cryptic will be rotating through a stable of events, changing up the location and rewards as it does so.
The Nexus Telegraph: Courting PvP in WildStar
PvP is pretty darn problematic for modern MMOs. Part of this is a balance issue. Creating a PvP environment that's actually fair is a challenge all by itself, and creating one that's unfair does not exactly foster a spirit of lively competition. But part of this is the nature of players. You have players who run the gamut, from people who don't want anything to do with PvP (mostly due to players on the other end of the spectrum) to players who assume that PvP is a mandate to do nasty things to unaware participants (especially people on the other end of the spectrum). WildStar is stepping into this minefield, and as we all know the game is trying to provide something for everyone from the top down. So today I want to look at what we know about the game's PvP and how various camps can be courted with the overall mechanics of the game.
Guild Wars 2 makes dungeons more profitable
Guild Wars 2 Lead Designer Isaiah Cartwright has a few (but just a few) words to say regarding the changes that ArenaNet is planning for its dungeons. Dungeon running should be more profitable, awarding additional currency for a successful run. The team is limiting full rewards for each dungeon path to a 24-hour timer in order to encourage players to try different paths. "Our goal is to make each and every dungeon path feel enticing and rewarding," Cartwright said. "We also want the rewards structure to encourage players to enjoy a variety of dungeon paths." ArenaNet is also giving champion mobs spiffy loot containers so that players can kill the creatures and pry the boxes from their clawed hands. These containers will be tailored to the type of mob they come from, giving players a strategic choice in choosing champions to slay.
Party hearty at Lord of the Rings Online's summer festival
It's that time of year again, when the Men, Hobbits, Dwarves, and Elves of Middle-earth come together to celebrate the summer with -- you guessed it -- the summer festival! This annual Lord of the Rings Online event runs from July 24th through August 6th, giving revelers two weeks to get down and party it up. Festivities include horse races, fishing challenges, scavenger hunts, and more. Players can guess which Hobbit can eat the most the fastest in the Taste of Hobbiton competitions as well as which Dwarf can navigate the keg races while inebriated. Want to cut the rug but don't know how? Learn a jaunty step or two from the dance masters. And, as always, gain reputation with either the Inn League or the Ale Association as the rivals vie for top dog status. Participation in the various events nets a player festival tokens, which can then be turned in for rewards like cloaks, robes, and new steeds.
Star Trek Online ships veteran rewards to Romulans
Star Trek Online's veteran reward program is expanding to compensate for the influx of Romulans into the mix. Starting today, Cryptic Studios has added several new Romulan-themed rewards for players who have subscribed for a good amount of time. The rewards start at 200 days and go up to 1,000 days. At the lower end are snappy uniforms and a zippy little small craft, while the senior veterans are looking at an exclusive material option to change the skin of their ship. At the top of the reward tier is the powerful Daeinos-class heavy warbird. This ship comes with the option to switch between regenerative and tactical modes, offering a flexible approach to battles. The Romulan veteran rewards will roll out on July 25th, and lifetime subscribers will receive all of them regardless of the date on which they purchased the pass.
Massively's Guild Wars 2 Cutthroat Politics patch preview
ArenaNet's next patch for Guild Wars 2, titled Cutthroat Politics, will allow players directly affect the living story by giving them the ability to vote in an important election. During the Dragon Bash storyline, Theo Ashford was murdered, causing a vacancy on Lion Arch's prestigious Captain's Council. Two candidates have stepped forward, Ellen Kiel and Evon Gnashblade, and players will cast votes using support tokens to decide the winner. While choosing which NPC will become a more prominent figure in the game is a nice twist, apparently there is more at stake. The winner of the election will express his or her gratitude by reducing the cost of certain goods and services, bringing back various minigames, and even sponsoring Mist research so players can re-live one of two historical events. This Cutthroat Politics game update goes live on July 23 and is full of new events, rewards, and features, so check out the preview video after the cut to hear me dissect all of the details. We've also got a screenshot gallery to accompany the official site release!%Gallery-193932%
The Daily Grind: Do you like time-limited goodies?
Star Wars: The Old Republic offered a little goodie for players who wanted to commemorate the anniversary of Knights of the Old Republic in the form of a title. If you didn't buy it yesterday... well, it's gone. It was incredibly cheap and freely available for everyone for that day, but that was the only window of opportunity you had. This brings to mind a very different set of questions than time-limited content. A time-limited title or vanity item doesn't actually affect the game when it shows up or leaves since it's just for fun. At the same time, a promotional item that players can't get immediately becomes intensely desirable, and it means that new players are forced out by necessity. So do you like time-limited goodies that have no effect on the game as a whole? Or would you much prefer that vanity items be limited through some other means? 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!
Eternal Saga goes into alpha testing
Browser-based Eternal Saga is heading into alpha testing today, R2Games announced. This testing phase will conclude on July 18th. Eternal Saga may appear like a typical fantasy MMO on the surface, but R2Games says that it has unexpected twists. There's a pet leveling system, weapons can be fed to mounts, and there's even an option to hang out on an AFK map. Players start out with a choice between three classes -- Warrior, Hunter, or Mage -- and will zoom around the world on their first mount, a paper airplane. While all characters will be wiped at the end of the alpha, R2Games is giving players the opportunity to earn rewards during the week that will be carried over to the live game.
Take a tour through the new daily hub of Star Wars: The Old Republic
The Czerka Corporation in Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't evil, just amoral and motivated by ill-considered greed. And sometimes, yes, that does mean that a facility goes completely rogue and outside help needs to be called in to try and salvage the situation. That's what happened on CZ-198, and if you're wondering what sort of daily tasks will be necessary to retake the facility, you can take a gander at the full rundown of the daily quests for the zone right now. The zone has four daily quests as well as a weekly component that includes both of the new flashpoints run on any difficulty. If the promise of earning credits isn't enough to get you into the daily routine, you've also got the requisite selection of rewards, including two new sets of adaptive armor and a new customization for HK-51. Even when its facilities get overrun and require large-scale intervention by paramilitary strike teams, Czerka Corporation makes your life better.
