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Free for All: Everything I know I learned from Iris Online
OK, so the title is a little overly dramatic, and I should clarify. I meant to say: Everything I know about how I currently feel about the different types of MMOs coalesced once I downloaded and played Iris Online. I will admit to being extra-excited at first, since I had a great conversation with Tara from gPotato about the game, but my excitement has carried through so far. Iris Online comes from the same people that published Flyff and Rappelz all those years ago, so I was eager to see how similar games have evolved since that time. After all, everything in the industry has changed since even a few years ago, so why would imported "grinders" be any different? I would have to spend some time revisiting old games and downloading new ones. I had no idea that playing Iris would set off a chain reaction of realizations that I previously thought I already had. The game simply lit the spark under my foot and set me off on an even deeper exploration of this classically styled type of game.
One Shots: So intense
If there's one thing we geeks know and love, it's pop culture viral internet memes. From jokes about lolcats to autotuned news and Sesame Street doing Old Spice, we geeks love all manner of silliness. And while I'm also likely to try to inject that into One Shots, every so often someone does it for me, as with today's contributor, Allgoodnow, who sent this image of Allods Online in to us. Taken in the Twilight Forest in Evermeet Isle on the Tensess server, Allgoodnow explains his chance encounter with this view: "A simple cleric goes about his nightly questing routines only to (somewhat accidentally) look up at the night sky. Astonished by what he sees (double lens flare all the way! What does it mean?!), he stops and pauses for a brief instant to fix upon his minds eye this image of astonishing beauty before continuing upon his quest." We love pop-culture references. It's like peanut butter and chocolate. If you'd like to add your own spin on a One Shots, we'd love to see it. Just email it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for linking the meme with the screenshot! %Gallery-85937%
GDCO 2010: gPotato's Tara Einis on Iris Online and Allods' cash shop
When I heard that I had landed an interview with Tara Einis of gPotato (publisher of Allods Online, the upcoming Iris Online, and many others), I immediately began daydreaming about poring over hours and hours of audio and transcribing hard-hitting interviews filled with fiery give-and-takes. Instead, I found myself calmly wanting to know about gPotato's general cash-shop practices, long history in free-to-play, and reaction to Allods' perceived "debacle." I also found evidence for my theory that the company is, yes, still publishing games and still excited for the future. It should be no surprise, though -- gPotato has maintained a hefty presence in the world of free-to-play for longer than most. So, what are we going to see next? What did gPotato have planned for the future? Turns out quite a lot.
Massively.com and GameBreaker.TV: Coming to you live from GDC Online!
GDC Online (formerly GDC Austin) is rapidly approaching, and we here at Massively.com are making sure that we're on the front lines of coverage from the event. We have plenty of interviews lined up with a huge variety of companies, and we're teaming up with our friends at GameBreaker.TV to deliver live coverage of the event via GameBreaker's live show at the Vivox booth! To get you excited for the coming conference, we've provided the list of companies we're meeting with just after the break! The list isn't fully extensive, as we'll be covering a variety of panels as well, but it will give you an idea of whom we're meeting with. Plus, keep an eye out for a link to the live GameBreaker.TV broadcast on our right-hand sidebar! Their coverage of the event will be starting on Wednesday, October 6th at 12:00 p.m. EDT!
Allods Online Volume 2: Rise of Gorluxor explodes tomorrow
Oh Gorluxor, won't you ever learn? Why must your persist in your efforts to conquer the world with your fancy-schmancy magics? If the great wizard Gargamel had no chance against a gang of small but peppy Smurfs, then you're going to be bowled over when well-armored Allods Online players enter your sacred domain. Allods Online is set to launch its second volume tomorrow, entitled "Rise of Gorluxor." This sparkly update includes the titular raid boss, a great mage who sits in the middle of both a tower and a terrible mystery. The patch also includes a reworking of many Astral allods, the addition of new boss fights, several class changes, and an overhaul of the Arena of Death. Players who were rankled by the incense system will be pleased to hear that gPotato is giving away a free incense effect every day via a special NPC. Patch notes are available over at Allods Online, and a jazzed-up trailer for the release can be seen after the jump.
Allods Online Producer leaving Gala-net
Allods Online's Associate Producer Darren Allarde bid farewell "with a heavy heart" to the Allods Online community yesterday. Allarde is leaving his position in order to his talents to the City of Eternals team over at Ohai, leaving Kenny Yan to fill his shoes at Gala-Net. Krystin "Nephy" DeHaven will complete the transition by stepping into the Production Coordinator position. Yesterday was Allarde's last day with Gala-Net, and you can read his farewell in full on the Allods Online site. We at Massively wish Darren, Kenny, and Krysten the best of luck in their new ventures.
Free for All: How much for a ten-spot?
In this week's Free for All, I decided to check out some cash-shop games to see what I might get for 10 U.S. dollars. For the record, some games can be subscription-based and still have cash shops, and some games can have cash shops that have been redesigned and tweaked so that they do not fit into the same old "cash-shop" model. For clarity, I stuck to cash shops that normally pop up while you're in-game -- usually inside their own window. Sometimes, though, the cash shops might be accessed or found on the games' main websites, as well. It was hard to choose, being that I generally don't buy from cash shops any more. It takes a very special product (like Wurm Online's currency) to get me to pay, namely because I do not spend as much time in a single game as I used to. Actually, let me rephrase that before someone starts to write a comment based on that statement: I still spend a lot of time in certain games, like anyone else, but my pace has slowed. Most of the cash-shop items out there are convenience items -- simply time-travel devices that allow the player to speed up his experience. Since I have all the time in the world because of the free nature of these games, speeding up is not something I am interested in. So, let's look at a few cash shops to see what piqued my interest!
Dream a little dream of Allods Online's patch 1.1.02
Patch 1.1 was a contentious period in the life of Allods Online, but the dev team is hoping to get past the controversy with the impressive improvements of patch 1.1.02. Although those excessive decimal points may not instill your heart with awe, the patch is quite beefy indeed. At the cornerstone of this update is a new zone, the Dream Factory. Meant for level 22 Imperial players, the Dream Factory will shed some light on Yasker's war against the League. Also included in the update is a bevy of new social options, including a calendar and a bulletin board system. The bulletin board offers three helpful features: guild announcements, general announcements and a looking-for-group tool. Most of the classes were on the business end of a major tune-up, and as a result, affected classes have had their talents and rubies reset. The patch notes list extensive changes for classes such as the warrior, although scouts are left with this maddeningly vague statement: "Significantly changed all spells and abilities." It's a new minigame: figure out what "significant changes" have been made to your class! You can read the full patch notes over at Allods Online.
Region-specific changes coming to Allods Online
Well, the players have spoken. Thankfully, Associate Producer Darren Allarde and the rest of the crew over at Allods Online listened. Some of the recent game changes to Allods Online went over like the proverbial lead balloon, and in response Allarde spoke with quite a few players. "Over the last several weeks the team has surveyed a large part of our player population to better understand the major concerns with Patch 1.1.0. While this patch may have brought many new features and improvements to Allods Online, there were a lot of core changes that did not resonate well with a large part of the Allods Online community," said Allarde. As a result, some changes are coming to Allods Online in North America and Europe only. A revamped Astral, more quests and tradeable items, and a longer lifespan on item shop items are the highlights of this patch that (hopefully) will please the NA and EU fanbase. The update will arrive within two weeks. In the meantime, check out the newest Allods Online blog post for all the details.
Free for All: Three games to keep an eye on
There is so much to be excited about in the MMORPG world that I am always perplexed when someone claims lack of innovation in the market. I tend to think that this comes from an inability to play more than one game, or to support more than one idea in gaming, rather than from the actual state of the market. The fact is that there is so much happening in the world of gaming, and specifically free-to-play gaming, a player should feel almost overwhelmed. I wanted to point out three games now in development (or very close to release) that I believe will do very well. Think of this as a list of predictions -- in fact I am going to have some fun with it and predict just how well these games will do. I have always enjoyed testing my gut. Concerning these three games, my gut is very, very excited. So, let's get right to the list.
Allods gears up to give away $50,000 in prizes
gPotato has announced a huge summer giveaway in conjunction with its free-to-play fantasy MMORPG known as Allods Online. The event is called the Quest for Chests (no, really) and in addition to featuring a comely lass on the promotional materials, also boasts over $50,000 in potential prizes. Beginning today, Allods players can win premium in-game gear from the Item Shop as well as big-screen LCD televisions, iPads, and AlienWare computer systems. All players need do is log an hour's worth of game time per day, and they'll receive keys to unlock various chests that feature instant win item shop prizes. Additionally, each opened chest automatically enters the player's name into a drawing for the aforementioned electronic gizmos. Visit the giveaway site for more details, and don't forget to stop by the official Allods site for more information on the game.
Captain's Log: The C-Store and the perils of going freemium
Welcome to another installment of Captain's Log, in which we explore -- and sometimes complain about -- the uncharted depths of Star Trek Online. This is your captain speaking from behind a rickety card table in a basement somewhere in the murky New Jersey Nebula. Isn't moving the worst? Last week, we learned a little bit about Daniel Stahl, the brand new executive producer on STO. But not enough to prepare us for the crazy truth bomb with which he torpedoed the official forums. On Sunday, Stahl suggested that he could see STO going free-to-play. Seriously. I had planned to discuss the Cryptic Store this week anyway, and this fits in nicely, given micro-transactions' importance to the free-to-play model. Would Cryptic Studios' switching STO from subscriptions to an F2P model be a godsend or a hellish nightmare? (Hint: It would wind up somewhere in the middle.)
Allods Online team defends patch 1.1 changes
Typically, a new content patch in an MMO is an exciting time, but for the folks over at Allods Online, it's been a bumpy road, to say the least. With changes to the game, including a death penalty that causes items to become cursed with negative stats, players have been crying foul over the focus on cash shop items to overcome penalties. Specifically, Holy Charms, Incense, and Scrolls of Purification are highly desired by the playerbase, who see them as a necessity to level. Unfortunately, all of these items are cash shop only, forcing players to either fork over money or purchase them on the auction house for very high markups. Due to the widespread complaints, the Allods Online team posted a response to the latest controversy that's hit this free-to-play title. In the article, the team defends the changes and takes the position that cash shop purchases are not required to experience the full game: "We want to assure you that the game has not become Pay-to-Play or Pay-to-Win. At the core of Allods you can still enjoy the game without ever having to worry about spending money. Yes, Holy Charms, Incense, and Scrolls of Purification are only offered through the Item Shop, but they can be purchased from other players and the auction house." The response concludes by saying that patch 1.1 is the framework for future patches, and the Allods Online team has a long-term view of the MMO's goals and objectives. Read the full response and let us know what you think!
Exclusive Allods Online IRC Q&A: Darren Allarde and Shelby Goad take on your questions
Last week we were able to get Darren "CHOMP" Allarde, associate producer of Allods Online, and Shelby "Miss_Sadie" Goad, the Allods Online community manager, from gPotato into our chat room and into the hotseat. The topic: Allods Online and their latest patch, Revelations of Gipat! Our editors fielded questions from the chat room audience, and you put the Allods associate producer and community manager to the test! But, for those of you who didn't make it, never fear! We've got the entire interview right here for your viewing pleasure, with witty banter and all! So if you're an Allods fan or just want to find out what they've been doing with their game, hit the continue reading button and get ready for our Allods Online live community Q&A transcript! And don't forget to join us tomorrow to play with Darren, Shelby and more of the gPotato team in Allods itself!
Join us in the Massively.com IRC chat room for our live Q&A session with gPotato!
Interested in asking gPotato some questions on Allods Online? Want to ask the team questions on the latest patch, the Revelations of Gipat? Want to chat with your fellow Allods players? Well then, look no further than the Massively.com chat tonight! Join us by pointing your chat client to irc.quakenet.org, #massively, or use the web client located at http://webchat.quakenet.org, and put in #massively as your chat room. The Q&A session will start sharply at 7 PM ET (4 PM PT) and will last for approximately an hour and 30 minutes. The chat room will be moderated for the duration of the chat, so you won't be able to talk, but you will be able to send the questions you want to ask the dev team to the chat room moderator, Sephare. Just type /msg Sephare once you're in the chat room, and follow up the command with your question. If your question is chosen, it will be sent to the gPotato team to answer live! Can't make the event? No worries, as we'll have a transcript available on Monday! If you wish to ask the team a question, leave it here in the comments, and our moderators will choose the best ones to send to the team!
Revelations of Gipat goes live for Allods Online
It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." While it would be more than three-quarters of a century after that when Allods Online was released, he certainly could have been referring to the Fear of Death penalty that caused quite a bit of fear and rage among players. But that tortured analogy no longer applies, as today sees the release of the newest patch for the game, Revelations of Gipat, which removes Fear of Death for good and puts a new death penalty into place. For many of the game's players, removing the unnecessarily cash-shop-based penalty would be enough to make the patch laudable. But as was revealed when the team released the patch notes last week, the update also sees the addition of a new zone, a raise in level cap, and new content for everyone to enjoy. After the marathon maintenance session, Allods Online is live again and ready for play -- it's worth checking out, even if the size of the patch might scare you off. You can also check out our gallery, showing off some of the new content players can expect as well as mounts. %Gallery-97106%
Allods Online previews the next big patch
The next big patch for Allods Online is due to hit the live servers on July 7th, and it's bringing a slew of changes along with it. We've heard rumbles about several of them, including the removal of the Fear of Death effect (along with the associated cash shop awkwardness) and a few player-presented suggestions. Still, it's good to know the full extent of what's coming around the bend, which is why the team behind the game has published both a full list of the patch changes as well as an FAQ regarding some of the larger switches. A few of the changes are a bit baffling -- the game now supports addons, but the documentation being released is still in untranslated Russian. Several additions are also subtle but welcomed, such as changes to the patronage system to remove the option for accelerating the process via the cash shop. There seems to be a general path toward taking the absolute necessity out of the cash shop, so if you were still feeling burned by the original cash shop woes, it might be worth the time to take a look at the new patch notes for Allods Online and see if there's something to spark your interest. (Or you could just take a dip with the Massively team to get into the action again.)
Meet the Allods Online team on their own turf: Play Allods with gPotato and Massively
What's better than playing your favorite game? Obviously, it's playing your favorite game with the people who work on it! Once again, we here at Massively are hosting another Mob Scene event in cooperation with the developers behind the game! This time we have our sights set on Allods Online and the beautiful realm of Sarnaut. So come sail the astral with us and the gPotato team as we descend on the starting zone for the Empire. Interested in learning more about this "play with the developers" opportunity and an accompanying IRC chat developer Q&A session? Then continue reading and we'll hit you with all of the juicy details!
Allods Online will replace harsh death penalty with Patch 1.1
Since launch, the free-to-play Allods Online has had a very unpopular death mechanic. When a player is killed in the game, Fear of Death is applied to their character. This debuff is a 25% hit to offensive stats for a duration based on level up to 51 minutes. And it stacks, so if the player dies again, they get a 50% debuff. Players must use a special item (incense) to remove the effect early. They can buy incense using the cash shop or in the auction house from other players who have already paid for it with real money. With the launch of Patch 1.1: Revelations of Gipat on July 7th, Fear of Death will be going away, replaced instead with a different kind of penalty. But will it be what players have been asking for all along?
Free for All: New changes call for new terms
As a writer for a large gaming website, I have learned to accept debate and discussion going off in quite a few directions, even if the original idea behind the article was not being talked about. This is a good thing, in my book, and will often demonstrate the concerns of the day better than requesting feedback more directly. If they can comment about certain subjects even in a comment section about opposite subjects, then you know that the issue is a really hot one. There are two subjects that can almost always pop up in any article's comment section, and these are: The NGE: Star Wars Galaxies' infamous game-altering changes are still talked about, despite the fact that the game now is able to stand on its own two feet quite well. It's as though the notorious series of tweaks and changes were so traumatic to some players that no amount of time will ever lessen the burn, even if the game were to fade away entirely. Free-to-play versus pay-to-play: I'm not confused about the appearance of the words; I'm concerned about the statements that pit the two payment models against each other, like the opposing sides of a presidential race. While I am all for comparing the two and do all the time, it has to be taken with a bit of humor in order to feel balanced. Even then, the discussions are soon pointless, being that both terms are slowly holding hands behind our backs. It turns out that free-to-play and subscriptions are smitten with each other.
