solo-dungeon
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The Daily Grind: Do you like solo dungeons?
When you think "dungeons," more often than not you think of a hearty team of adventurers plumbing the depths of some ancient (yet oddly populated) caverns. But there's no set rule that says all dungeons have to cater to parties; in fact, there seems to be a movement in MMOs to creating more solo dungeons. Do you like this? I'm a fan not because I'm anti-social but because sometimes I want the dungeon experience without the hassle of a group finder or going at the team's pace. Hey, my dungeon runs have lots of breaks for alt-tabbing to see what's happening on Massively, so don't judge. Solo dungeons: Do you like them? 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!
Going inside Blade & Soul's new solo dungeon
While Western audiences are still sitting on their thumbs waiting for Blade & Soul to cross the Pacific, Eastern gamers are getting ready for a major update to the game titled Second Wave. Second Wave's core addition is the Tower of Mushin solo dungeon, which awards successful adventurers with gear-purchasing tokens. Steparu.com posted a pair of videos showing off a Tower of Mushin run. Not only does it give a good overview of the dungeon, but it also demonstrates the combat system for those who've yet to play the title. Give them a watch after the break and let us know if you think that solo dungeons in Blade & Soul are a good idea!
Rappelz expansion coming in November
Gala Networks Europe wants you to know that a new Rappelz expansion is launching in November. The firm also mentions that you'll be in good company if you check it out, since Rappelz has been enjoyed by over 5 million players worldwide. In terms of new content, Epic VII Part 3: The Trial brings the long-awaited master class quest for players at level 148 and up, and the challenging encounter features battles with Lucian and an evil witch in addition to a foray into the Espoir dungeon. The expansion also boasts the game's first solo dungeon, and the Vulcanus instance is designed for players at level 30 and above. Finally, there's a new Rappelz creature coming with the content update. The Cube is a golem "formed of pure mana crystals that have been brought to life with magic and ancient mysterious technology," according to Gala's press release. You can learn more about the expansion at the official Rappelz website. [Source: Gala Networks Europe press release]
Preview RIFT's Chronicles of Telara solo instance content on the PTS
RIFT's patch 1.5 is just on the horizon, and to prepare for the patch's release, Trion Worlds has introduced solo dungeons to the game's public test server. This instanced content, known as Chronicles of Telara, provides quick gameplay for players who are craving a little bit of dungeon-flavored action but who don't have the time to gather a group and trudge through the trials and tribulations of a five-man instance. After the cut, we have a pair of videos showing off the Chronicles of Telara: Hammerknell solo instance. The first video, from ZAM's Nepabrite, takes players on a quick tour of the Dwarven fortress, complete with running commentary. The second video, from Torrac of the guild Result on the Immerwacht server, is devoid of any such commentary and simply allows players to follow along through the entirety of the instance. To feast your eyes upon both of the above, just slip on past the cut.
The Anvil of Crom Extra: An exclusive look at The Isle of the Iron Statues
Hey kids, it's time for another Massively Age of Conan exclusive! A couple of weeks back we took a look at Dead Man's Hand, a level 50-80 solo instance that's part of the new Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack. As you know if you've been reading Massively today, Funcom is getting ready to launch the Savage Coast content on September 8th (or August 31st if you purchase an early access pass). What you didn't know is the details on the level 80 solo instance that rounds out the content drop, and this extra edition of the Anvil of Crom will give you an inside look at the Isle of the Iron Statues instance from Funcom's perspective. Join me after the cut as we see how the devs drew inspiration from an original Robert E. Howard yarn and married it to some engaging modern-day MMORPG gameplay. %Gallery-9836%
The Anvil of Crom: An exclusive preview of Dead Man's Hand
Welcome to a special edition of The Anvil of Crom. It's not often that I give up the captain's chair on this here column (in fact, today is the first time, if you want to get technical about it). In the interests of bringing you fine folk an exclusive Savage Coast of Turan content preview, though, it seemed like the prudent thing to do. Today's installment will give you a first look at Dead Man's Hand, and no, I'm not talking about the unfortunate Xbox title that I once purchased in the hopes of playing Red Dead Redemption six years prior to Red Dead Redemption. No, this Dead Man's Hand is a new single-player instance in Age of Conan, and it's debuting shortly with all the rest of AoC's movie tie-in adventure pack content. Head past the cut to join me in discovering what Funcom has to say about its latest dungeon endeavor (and oh yeah, I've got some exclusive screens and concept art for you as well). %Gallery-9836%
The Anvil of Crom: A look inside the Forgotten City
A couple of weeks ago I took you on a tour of the Breach, one of two new instances that debuted with Age of Conan's free-to-play Unchained patch. Today, we'll nose around the second dungeon, an outdoor playfield called the Forgotten City that -- like its predecessor -- has AoC's distinctive far-eastern flavor written all over it. The two instances are similar in that they both scale to a player's level between 40 and 80, and they're both accessed via the Gateway to Khitai zone that serves as the entry point into AoC's Rise of the Godslayer content. That's about where the similarities end, though, as the dungeons are quite different in terms of visual style and challenge level. %Gallery-129172%
The Anvil of Crom: Once more unto the Breach, dear friends
Ah yes, where else but Massively can you get a lesson in both Shakespeare and Age of Conan (in the same article, no less)? Nowhere else, I tell you, and before we get to the Conan part, let's get ye olde English out of the way. Many of you have no doubt uttered today's titular phrase on your way into a particularly nasty game dungeon. A few of you may have even uttered it correctly. Here's your gold star. The rest of you, pay attention: It's unto the breach. Unto, not into. So said Shakespeare and later Olivier in his 1944 film adaptation of Henry V. And yeah, I used to say it wrong too. Anyway, on to the AoC. The Breach in question is one of two new solo dungeons added with the Unchained update, and thanks to Blood and Glory, this particular dungeon is the only one of the pair that your humble columnist has found time to sample. %Gallery-128404%
Eden Eternal surpasses 100,000 beta signups
Eden Eternal's beta is picking up a head of steam, and today Aeria Games has announced that the closed testing phase has garnered over 100,000 registrants thus far. You've still got time to sign up, though, as the testing doesn't start until June 2nd. Aeria Games' JT Nguyen says that the game's robust feature set is the main draw. "We credit the high number of sign-ups to the amount of new and innovative features available in Eden Eternal," he explained in a recent press release. What are some of those features? For starters, you can freely swap between any of 15 classes. Players can also work together to build extensive player towns and populate the resulting buildings with handy NPCs. Aeria is also highlighting character customization that includes a wide variety of dyes as well as various skills, talents, and specialization options. Finally, what's an MMORPG without epic dungeons and bosses? Eden Eternal has those too, including solo, 3-man, and 5-man instances. Learn more at the official website.
The Anvil of Crom: Your guide to the Refuge of the Apostate
Wow, I've completely forgotten how to play my Demo. Due to recent adventures in Bear Shaman land, my level 80 Age of Conan characters have been collecting quite a bit of dust. I haven't really missed them yet, either, as the Shaman is a heck of a lot more enjoyable than I expected. That said, he's only 35, and therefore he's out of the running when it comes to showing me through the new Refuge of the Apostate dungeon content that Funcom released a few days back. Join me after the cut as I get reacquainted with spamming shockstrike and running around with various succubi pets and a severe outbreak of particle effects. I might even be persuaded to offer up a proper guide for the new dungeon (and some review commentary) as well.
Massively Exclusive: Age of Conan's Refuge of the Apostate solo dungeon
Lots of new content is on the near horizon for Age of Conan, and Massively has teamed up with Funcom to bring you an exclusive look at one of the game's newly minted solo dungeons. The Refuge of the Apostate is a level 80 instance located in the lands of Khitai (Kara Korum, to be exact), and it features a storyline involving the Scarlet Circle and Last Legion factions. Funcom's designers are keen on making an unusual dungeon experience (and one you want to repeat) as opposed to the usual mob- and boss-whacking fight-fests. To that end, the Refuge dungeon is rife with what Funcom calls "environmental challenges." Aside from the new content and story experiences, the Refuge will likely be popular with players due to its rewards (which include factional marks of acclaim, rare trophies, and esteem tokens). Check out Funcom's full description of the new content after the cut.
WoW Moviewatch: Soloing Scholomance
My priest has, in the past, done the first few pulls of Scholomance alone or with a friend in order to farm bone fragments, but I never made it past that four monster pull at the bottom of the first flight of stairs. This video, however, inspires me to try harder -- It's apparently doable.
