MJ Guthrie
Articles by MJ Guthrie
Aion EU community report talks transfers, mergers, and more
Gameforge has posted the latest community report for Aion EU, touching on the subjects of server transfers, the recently failed maintenance, update 4.7.1, changes in the veteran reward levels, and more. The post also addresses the rumors of server merges. In a nutshell, the information is as follows: Transfers are not forgotten but on the back burner until other projects and balancing issues are taken care of first. Winter maintenance failed because a server update from NCsoft interfered with the automated time switch and broke the system undetected; it has since been fixed! Update 4.7.1is being polished and translated, and the test client is expected around December or January. Server mergers are not on the imminent horizon -- populations are still just being observed; that being said, a Rookie/Union server merge is under consideration but as of yet still undecided. Recent measures are showing initial improvement in balance, but the situation will continue to be monitored before any more measures are implemented. The Veteran reward system changes affect veteran levels 31-40, and there's a list of the new rewards.
Norrathian Notebook: Talking EverQuest II's 10th anniversary with Holly Longdale
The big 1-0. EverQuest II has just joined the ranks of games in their double digits; today marks the 10th anniversary for the fantasy game. And while that's a pretty impressive feat in itself, just growing older isn't all that has happened to EQII in the past year. There have been plenty of content updates (and a change in how those update occur), holiday celebrations, and major news happenings during the course of the past 12 months. However, instead of just highlighting the major events and changes of the year in a standard retrospective piece, I'm going to do something a little different this year. On top of wandering down memory lane, I've pulled in Senior Producer Holly Longdale to answer a few questions and address some current concerns on the minds of players. Longdale talks about the high price of both the Altar of Malice Collector's Edition and the new Aerakyn race as well as shares some fun facts about who's been working on the game since the beginning.
Touring DCUO's War of Light Part II before next week's release
The DC universe is a big one, and DC Universe Online has multiple storylines involving various heroes and villains playing out through its DLC trilogies. So far, however, only the first part of each trilogy has been available to play. But that's all about to change! Starting next week, players finally get to sink their teeth into the continuation of one when the second part of War of Light, which premiered earlier this year, finally releases. Members will be granted early access to War of Light Part II on November 11th while everyone else gets the DLC on the 18th (with the exception of European players who will get it on the 19th). But thanks to a tour with Creative Director Jens Andersen and Assistant Creative Director SJ Mueller, we didn't have to wait until next week to see what's in store.
The Stream Team: Lollygagging in Landmark's Whispering Wind Academy
Every time Massively's MJ gets the urge to flex her building skills in Landmark, she's distracted by shiny resources and the amazing builds of others. Yes, she's a certified lollygagger. But that can have its advantages when she finds amazing things to share. And find something she did! Always a fan of castles, MJ's been really sidetracked by the Whispering Willow Academy. It's a fully functioning estate with eight levels (fully furnished!) "featuring a guild hall, mystical garden, building lab, academy tavern, cell blocks, stations, [and] weapons training." There are also fountains, swings, a magical wishing well, and housing. Want to see what this massive claim has to offer? Join us live at 3:00 p.m. for a tour and for a few codes. Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Friday, November 7th, 2014 Time: 3:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below.
Aion: Invasion launches today with new zones, dungeons, and server vs. server PvP
The battle for Atreia expands today as Aion's latest free content update launches. Invasion introduces two all new zones, two new dungeons, a daily log in reward system, new world bosses, and a new gear enhancement system. On top of that, Daevas will be able to participate in the open beta of server vs. server PvP! The two new zones include Kaldor, the burnt-out remnant of what was once the ancient Danuar land, and Levinshor, the colorful territory of Tiamat's origin. Kaldor is home to Wealhtheow's Keep, a place featuring new fortress siege elements. Levinshor is home to new species that will associate with the Elyos and the Asmodians. Of the two new instances, The Linkgate Foundry is for level 65 players and is solo, whereas Igdel Dome is a six-man PvPvE instance. This server vs. server PvPvE will happen in a zone called Panesterra, which was thrown into another dimension by a massive Ide explosion. There, 100 players from each server and faction will battle against one another as well as baddy Beritra's forces in a massive seige to control the zone. The first live siege begins on November 9th. For a look into the new content, check out the trailer below and dive into even more details in the patch notes. Then log in daily for your special gifts!
Marvel Heroes' Juggernaut, multi-speccing, and upcoming story content
After a bit of a delay, Marvel Heroes fans saw the release of Juggernaut as a playable hero over the weekend. A new hero alone is enough for many players to dive in and try things out, but Juggernaut also comes with a power system unlike that of any other on the game's roster. To learn a little bit more about this villainous hero, we talked with Ryan Collins, Creative Designer and Community Manager of Gazillion, who also dished some details on the much anticipated multi-spec feature a well as upcoming story content.
EverQuest II's Aerakyn race is spreading its wings November 11th
A few weeks ago we peeked into EverQuest II's impending Altar of Malice expansion with Senior Producer Holly Longdale and Creative Director Akil Hooper. In addition to touring the zones and basking in the beauty of the artwork while weaving through dinosaurs, I also got a glimpse of the newest race coming the game and gleaned a few interesting tidbits about these scaly, winged creatures. Although not technically a part of the expansion, Aerakyn will become available to players for purchase on the same day that AoM goes live for All Access members: November 11th. Be a dragon! With a new race incoming, some players are already trying to determine whether they will bump an alt or just buy a new character slot. It's not just the opportunity to be what is arguably the first real dragonkind in the game (sorry Sarnak!) but the chance to experience the game as one of the very few flight-enabled races. The Aerakyn, like the Fae and Arasai introduced in a previous expansion, utilize their wings from day one. Of course, the actual flight mechanic cannot be obtained until the appropriate level (85), but the wings still work and the race can glide around. Unlike the Fae and Arasai, however, the Aerakyn will get to use their personal wings as all three advanced mount types.
Chaos Theory: Exploring the Halloween that almost wasn't in The Secret World
Funcom just about blew it. I have cut The Secret World plenty of slack for hiccups and bumps over the years (and I am willing to do so in the future because it just doesn't have an equal in the MMOverse and it does what it does so well), but this last one can't be brushed off. This latest misstep could have cost TSW dearly in good will, patience, and even players. You don't take the holiday that the game is essentially based on and not celebrate it! Luckily, TSW's much-anticipated Halloween event did finally show up, albeit 10 days late -- barely in time for the holiday. I am betting that the delay has cost the company some cash. The build-up to this holiday is a huge part of the excitement; the weeks preceding All Hallows' Eve is the perfect time to get people who are in the Halloween mood to return to the game or dive in and try it for the first time> Not to mention it's the time when folks are more apt to buy costumes! Funcom squandered that. And why the delay, anyway? During my Issue #8 tour last year, Creative Director Joel Bylos teased, "Our Halloween next year is going to be amazing! I wrote it for this year, but we didn't get done in enough time." Wasn't 12 more months enough time? We've been waiting with bated breath! So after all that wait, and then even more, is the event worth it? My answer is...
Why I Play: ArcheAge
Addicted may be too strong a word when talking about my relationship to ArcheAge... but not by much! Have I logged in every day since the early access? Do I look forward to logging in? Have I said, "I'll go to bed right after I plant a couple more things" only to find more hours have slipped by before I finally do sleep? Do I get excited about the next trade run? Have I set alarms to wake up to try and nab a prime piece of land? Have I had dreams about ArcheAge when I sleep? The answer to all of these is yes. ArcheAge may not have everything I have ever wanted in a game (entertainment classes should be a requirement), but it checks more than a few of my boxes. I haven't had this much fun throwing myself into a game in a very long time. I look forward to each play session, and I tend to spend hours in game each day enjoying whatever I happen to be doing, be it sailing, trade runs, sneaking into enemy territory, or even just staring at my plants waiting for them to grow.
Albion Online's six-month road map
Sandbox Interactive has been busy compiling and utilizing all the information that was gleaned from Albion Online's summer alpha event last month, and now the studio has developed a new six-month road map for the game. Going off of the team's internal list that prioritizes more than 170 features of changes to the game as well as features that will be added, Founder and CEO Stefan Wiezorek presented the road map to backers and fans to give them an overall perspective of the upcoming work. Everything from crime-flagging to territory upkeep to dungeons to building to mounts is covered; even farming and salvaging have sections. It's a pretty meaty post, so for all the juicy details, head to the official forums. Wiezorek also noted that in order to reach the goal of having 50% of this list completed by the Winter Alpha event, the devs will postpone the event until mind or late January instead of December. The start date for this winter event will be available come December.
EverQuest: The Darkened Sea expansion is live today
We got our first glimpse of EverQuest's 21st expansion back at SOE Live, with its impending new features, a slew of new zones, and the promise of the return of two classic characters. For the past month, some folks have even been testing these things out in beta. Now with launch finally just around the corner (as in today!), Designers Jonathan Caraker, Alan VanCouvering, and Doug Cronkhite joined Producer Thom Terrazas and Creative Director Akil Hooper to talk shop while zipping through the newest zones of The Darkened Sea on a tour of what players will get to dive into. The Darkened Sea actually builds upon a previous expansion, The Buried Sea. "We have some stories and characters... that we liked back then that we wanted to continue," Terrazas explained. "So we're bringing back some familiar characters that have been off the grid a little bit the last few years." The story itself also takes place in the Buried Sea, starting off on a little tucked away island called Tempest Temple.
Final Fantasy XI adding new factions with Unity Concord System
If you were looking for another reason to get together with your fellow Final Fantasy XI players for riches and glory, the new Unity Concord System is for you. These upcoming NPC-based factions, each run by one of Vana'diel's more popular personages, come complete with special tasks, rewards, and even rankings. Membership in a Unity will have its privileges: Each one has a special chat channel as well as new Records of Eminence objectives that allow you to earn a new currency called accolades. These accolades can be spent on participating in the new "Wanted" objectives (where players are given the task to defeat a specific monster), buying special items, enhancing equipment looted from the Wanted battles, and more. Once a week the Unities will be ranked based on points accumulated by members; the higher a Unity is ranked, the better the equipment players can earn from the wanted objectives. And that's only the beginning. Devs note that even more systems and content related to the Unity Concord are scheduled to be added in future updates.
The Stream Team: Living it up in Life is Feudal: Your Own
Life is Feudal: Your Own is a sandbox game of brutal combat and artisan crafting set back in medieval times. And it is now on Steam! With so many things to do -- including hunting, taming wild animals, mining, logging, building a house, waging war, and so much more -- Massively's MJ will have no trouble filling her time. The tricky part will be deciding on what to do (and figuring out how to do it)! Join us live at 1:00 p.m. to be a part of her adventures in this new world. Game: Life is Feudal: Your Own Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Saturday, October 25th, 2014 Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below.
Norrathian Notebook: Remembering that Landmark is in beta
An interesting thing happened on my way to pay upkeep. It hit me full force that Landmark is indeed in a true beta. I know, I know -- I have said this before. And I know that I know it. Yet sometimes that fact still sneaks up and wallops me in the face! I mean, it's pretty obvious the game is incomplete (hurry to me, AI editor!) and that there are definitely bugs to squash. But for the most part, I have not be too inconvenienced by bugs, so I guess the fact that it's a beta just floated to the back of my mind. That all changed this past week. I encountered a bug so big that it squashed me. In fact, it was so intense that it effectively prevented me from continuing my gameplay. That's when it hit me: After eight months of playing and enjoying Landmark, I had forgotten that this can actually happen. But it is important to remember, to keep this fact at the forefront of our minds. Why? It's not to be a defensive rallying cry for why something isn't in game/isn't working as intended; it's so we can get the game we want, sooner! How? By doing our job as beta testers.
Delve deeper into Elder Scrolls with two new book series
Why have Elder Scrolls Online only on your gaming machines when you can also have it on your bookshelves? Bethesda has partnered again with Titan Books to create two new series that delve deeper into the world of Elder Scrolls, one focusing on ESO and the other on Skyrim. A March 2015 release date is planned for the first volume of each series. The Elder Scrolls Online – Tales of Tamriel will be split into two volumes, the first titled The Land and the second, The Lore. Both will expound even further on the lore of the game and feature never-before-seen art. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Skyrim Library consists of three volumes (The Histories; Man, Mer and Beast; and The Arcane) that moves the all of the game's in-game text to out-of-game print that players can grab and read at their leisure.
EQII's Altar of Malice pricing, bonuses announced
During my recent dev tour of EverQuest II's upcoming Altar of Malice expansion, Senior Producer Holly Longdale revealed the new part Shaman/part Warrior elite merc that comes with the purchase of the collectors edition and said "We're really excited about what we're offering there -- some really special stuff this year." And now we've got all those details! The standard edition will cost $39.99 and comes with a special housing item. This large painting depicts an AoM scene of an angry Lanys T'Vyl and plenty of skulls. The collectors addition for $89.99 adds the elite battle-mystic mercenary Kluuron V'Lon as well a Striped Savage Pterodon flying mount, a tyrannodon house pet, two 40-day spell research potions, three Gems of Armor Advancement, and a multi-appearance mage tower housing item to teleport to the new content. Check out what each bonus looks like in the gallery below. Altar of Malice is available to November 11th for All Access members (who also get 10% off the purchase prices) and on November 28th for everyone else.
The history of EverQuest Next, Cliffs Notes version
If there was ever a world with a deep, rich history behind it, it's Norrath. But EverQuest Next is giving its own spin to the lore. If you're tired of feeling left out and clueless in conversations about the Dragon War because you haven't had time to read through the 11 lore e-books that have been published, you've got a chance to get in the know! EQHammer offers a handy Cliffs Notes-style overview that gives fans a foundation of the story, from the formation of the world up though the Combine Era. Go ahead and read through it to grab the major highlights, then you can delve into the full story in the e-books when you find larger chunks of spare time.
Norrathian Notebook: Landmark's latest patch packs an armored punch
Wowsers! While we knew that September was a month of bug squashing and that meatier content updates would return to Landmark, this latest one seems extra juicy. It could just be that everything feels like a feast after a famine, but I think it's more than that -- and not just because it took multiple posts to announce the changes. Besides being tantalized with a bunch of new goodies right now, I get the impression that we are in for regular doses of content, content, and more content as the dev team revs up for open beta. And these changes are also glimpses into the ongoing development of EverQuest Next. Who doesn't love that? As it is, I am pretty excited to delve into this content update, Armor? Appearance slots? Additional weapon abilities? Ability to template the movers, flingers, and stuff? Lava?! Heck, yah -- serve it up.
Armor and new weapon abilities are just the beginning of Landmark's latest update
It's back to bigger updates for Landmark! After a September spent dedicated to mostly bug fixing, more content has finally arrived in today's update. Much more. From a third weapon ability to armor to new building textures, there's plenty for players to sink their teeth into. Changes were also made to the Heroic Movement system, the UI got tweaked a bit more, and an appearance slot was added. Combat enthusiasts will have a third ability for each weapon (accessed by pressing E) to get accustomed to in addition to facing the choice of which type of first-generation armor they want to wear: tank, DPS, or mixed. The Heroic Movement changes will also have an impact on combat; each ability is now assigned to a pair of boots, relegating players to only one heroic Movement at a time. On top of that, there is a slew of a new textures players get to use while building, including various stones, metal, and lava. Yes, that's right -- lava! Although not occurring naturally in game yet (and therefore not harvestable), players can use this oozy orange liquid by utilizing stone resources.
Sneaking a peek at EQII's Altar of Malice with SOE
When EverQuest II's next expansion, Altar of Malice, was announced at SOE Live in August, we heard about upcoming features, perused concept drawings, and even saw some screenshots. As exciting as all that can be, nothing compares to actually getting in the game and seeing the living breathing world of Norrath. And that's exactly what I got to do last week on a tour with Senior Producer Holly Longdale and Creative Director Akil Hooper. While we have to wait a bit longer to hear more about the Aerakyn (the new winged dragonkind race) and what special goodies will be included in the collector's edition, the tour of the zones allowed me to bask in the beauty of the artwork while weaving through dinosaurs, pygmies, and my favorite-yet-long-lost starting zone. And it definitely made me even more excited for the upcoming release of Altar of Malice!